SEOUL, SK
KOOK & CHAE
—
Park Sooyoung was currently a very busy individual. Her schedule was packed every single day with endless performances, tapings, shoots, and meetings ever since Red Velvet's new album was released.
She had forgotten how hectic comebacks were. The only moment she got to rest was the four hours in between getting home late at night and waking up early to do it all over again.
It was safe to say that she was utterly exhausted that she couldn't entertain things outside of her busy career.
But, when one of your best friends calls you, crying and not making sense, during that four hours of rest, you have to go to them immediately (no matter how tired or sleep deprived you are).
"What happened?" she worriedly asked Chaeyoung, who had worn a beaten down expression since she picked her up from her apartment.
The two sat in Sooyoung's car in an empty parking lot in silence as she waited patiently for the younger girl to say how she felt.
At first, she was surprised. Not because she didn't think Chaeyoung and her were close enough for this sort of thing. But she would have assumed that she would run to one of her group members, seeing as they were all more like sisters and actually lived together, but none of them seemed to be home when she arrived.
But as the minutes go by, Sooyoung had a growing inkling that this had something to do with her younger step-brother as she found out that it was a few hours since their second date.
"I think I'm going to end our contract," Chaeyoung whispered with her voice shaking.
Sooyoung's eyes widened, immediately understanding what she meant. "Mwo? Is that even allowed?"
Though she hadn't read the terms and conditions of their agreement herself, she knew there must have been a line or clause that stated that they couldn't break up prematurely. She was an idol too, and she knew entertainment companies were strict on these things, especially when it came to relationships.
And Chaeyoung and Jungkook were no exception, whether it be real or fake.
"I don't know, but I can try— just anything to stop seeing Jungkook," Chaeyoung replied, sounding like she was on the verge of tears once again. "I thought I could do it, from our first date there looked like a chance, but I just can't. It's not working."
Sooyoung's heart broke for her friend.
"Chae, are you sure?" she asked. She paused before the next sentence she uttered. "What would the fans say?"
"Yes, I don't care, I'll even seem like the villain if thats what it takes," Chaeyoung responded, almost immediately.
"But your career! You guys have been together for what? 3– 4 weeks?"
Though Sooyoung loved her friend wholeheartedly and understood her feelings, she knew this girl had gone through enough in her life. The public just loved to hate on Blackpink for no reason. The last thing she wanted was for her beautiful name to be tarnished by a short-lived relationship.
A breakup with BTS' beloved maknae would only tarnish her image further. They're going to paint her as a gold digger, someone who just used Jungkook to propel her own group's comeback.
"Okay and other relationships have ended sooner than that," she shrugged.
"Did something happen? Maybe I can talk to him?" Sooyoung asked one question after another, a desperate attempt to convince her.
"Aniyo, he's just being normal Jungkook and I hate it. I hate him," she spat. "He's cold and rude, he treats me like a rock on the ground that he can just keep kicking and kicking."
They somehow gotten to this routine of ending their meetings or conversations with arguments in his car, mainly about the same issues, where either he gets angry or Chaeyoung storms off. And like any normal person, she despised it.
But it was more than just that, it was an accumulation of transgressions towards her that pushed her closer to the edge.
She was done with the mixed signals. She was done with the flowers, surprises, fake conversations, him acting as if he cared, or that he was jealous of other men.
She was done with his confusing behaviour. Pretending like he could be friends with her one day, and going back to hating her the next.
She was done with the stupid and secret grudge he held towards her all these years that caused him to treat her in such horrible ways.
She was done acting like the events in Madrid never happened. And being forced to forget or shove it all down so they could keep pushing that fake narrative they told everyone in the beginning.
He was playing her like one of his video games, and she was naively going along.
She didn't need Sooyoung to know that she was right. While she did try her best, she did end up feeling like that young rookie head over heels for the golden maknae of BTS once again, hoping just for a sliver of his acceptance.
But she needed it to end it now, while she was still able to reach the shore, before the tide was able to consume her.
"Wait Chaey, please don't," the older woman pleaded.
Chaeyoung was baffled. "Why? You of all people know how much he has hurt me over the years."
"I know, I know," Sooyoung squirmed in her seat. "I'm sorry but just give him one last chance. My brother... he has problems with dealing with his emotions."
"That's not an excuse to treat me like shit unnie,"
"The truth is— aish, I shouldn't be telling you this," Sooyoung paused before she chose her next words carefully. "Jungkook was in love before."
"And the girl didn't feel the same," she continued as she watched Chaeyoung's expression change. "His heart has been broken since then, and I think seeing you reminds him of that time in his life."
So it was true, Jungkook was in love during the same time that she was in love with him, only it wasn't with her.
Chaeyoung felt pathetic. Of course he wasn't in love with her. All those late nights talking to him over the phone, asking her for relationship advice; all those feminine gifts he needed her opinion on; all those cheesy lines he needed help on; weren't for her.
How stupid of her to think they were and assume he had feelings for her.
"Do you think that's the reason he stopped being friends with me?" Chaeyoung stuttered, closing her eyes, fearing for the worst.
Sooyoung sighed, not knowing how to proceed. "I don't know, maybe?"
There was a part of it that made sense. But was this reasoning enough to justify all he put her through? His heart must have truly been so broken that he couldn't even stand the mere sight of her.
"Just, at least talk to him," Sooyoung said. "Before you make any final decision."
Chaeyoung sat there blankly, not knowing how to process the new information she learned on top of everything else that has happened.
Talking to Jungkook? That was a hard task. But somehow, she still found herself nodding along in agreement.
☾･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
It had been awfully quiet in the Bangtan household. News and chatter seemed to have died off ever since Jungkook's scandal first surfaced. That is, until this mornin when another fellow member's love life came to light.
"Park Jimin!" Yoongi's voice bellowed through their apartment immediately upon entering.
"Everyone! Yoongi-hyung's got a crush!" Jimin cheered as he ran around their living room, calling upon all of BTS' attention.
This was a rare occurrence, both Min Yoongi having a crush on someone and having all members be at home at the same time.
Granted, it was almost six in the morning and some were just getting in from a late night while others were getting ready to start their day.
For Yoongi, it was the first.
And no one ever usually dares question why. Which was a regular occurrence, among all residents of that house. Unless they seemed to be in immediate danger, they respected each other's privacy, no matter what.
"Omo, who?" Hoseok asked eagerly.
Yoongi's eyes shot daggers at the younger man who had been shouting to the heavens about his personal life, attempting to threaten him just through his expression alone.
But Jimin, the ever so big mouth of the group, did not seem to care. "A Blackpink member!" he exclaimed.
Two pairs of ears, who were uninterested from the beginning, perked up at the sound of this part of the conversation.
Yoongi's throat went dry as he looked around frantically, as if the furniture had all the answers to his problem.
This could've easily been denied if his member had not caught him in the act. He was dropping off a Blackpink member at their apartment, and for some will of the universe, Park Jimin was driving along the same street at the same moment.
And so, there was absolutely no escaping this predicament he found himself in.
"J-Jisoo," he stuttered. "It's Kim Jisoo."
"Wah, finally!" their eldest yelled. "I thought you had no romantic bone in that short body of yours."
Yoongi laughed nervously as the boys showered him with pats on the back and supportive words.
He couldn't believe this was all happening this early in the morning. He still had not gotten any sleep either.
"Kook, you should plan a double date with them!" Namjoon suggested with a genuine tone.
The mentioned man, who was trying to sit quietly at the dining room table, almost choked on the carton of banana milk he was trying to gulf down.
"Ani, that's unnecessary," Yoongi chuckled, beads of sweat slowly forming in his forehead as he frantically waved his hands no.
One by one, the members left the apartment to go on their own excursions or schedules that day until it was only Yoongi, Jimin, and Jungkook left.
Once Yoongi had safely guided the Blackpink member into her apartment building, Jimin had followed his car back to theirs.
It wasn't until they both arrived at the main entrance where Jimin revealed he was tailing him from behind the whole time. The two made an agreement that Jimin will keep his mouth shut about dropping off Jisoo at her home, if he at least got to spread the news of his so-called crush on her.
"I know we agreed not to pry into one another, but why were you dropping her off?" Jimin asked Yoongi in a hushed tone, who stood across from him in the kitchen. "Is it really just a crush, or is something more happening?"
"And why were you driving by their apartment at that time?" Yoongi returned the question.
"Yah, don't make this about me," Jimin laughed. He didn't sound angry, just genuinely curious. "I had an early photoshoot that was coincidentally near their place. I didn't even know they lived there!"
"She needed a ride, I happened to be out," Yoongi shrugged.
"At like 5AM?" Jimin asked, cocking a brow. "Nothing else happened?"
"No," he replied firmly.
The younger man didn't seem convinced, but he decided to let it go.
"Wah, you really have got no game hyung," Jimin teased, lightly nudging his shoulder and having his volume increase so the joke could be heard by their maknae in the other room. "Anyways, talk to Kookie, he could give you some tips."
Jimin proceeded to also exit the Bangtan residence.
Yoongi joined the youngest at their dining room and plopped down on the seat beside him. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair to let out his frustrations at the sudden situation he found himself in.
"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous he doesn't have someone," Jungkook assured. "Also, I didn't even know you were already close to Jisoo-noona."
He was not going to pretend as if he didn't hear the whole conversation between him and Jimin.
Yoongi was taken aback, but not surprised. Jimin never had the knack for being discreet.
"That's because I'm not," he sighed.
The older man felt comfortable in confiding with the youngest, especially because he had vented about his own problems with him as well.
Jungkook stopped eating and leaned back on the seat, his curiosity and suspicions growing by the second. "Then... why would she call you up for a ride?"
"It's complicated," Yoongi shook his head. "I'll tell you when I get it all sorted out."
If he gets it sorted out.
It was all a case of misunderstandings and people coincidentally being in the same place at the same time.
What was he supposed to do? Leave the drunk crying girl at a park in the middle of the night?
"You're being awfully secretive," Jungkook grinned.
"Says you," Yoongi retorted. "How are you and Chaeyoung now?"
Yoongi wondered if Chaeyoung had shared her last encounter with him to Jungkook, but he assumed she didn't, knowing her character. Or else, it would have made his situation even more awkward and suspicious.
Jungkook knew that this question was merely an attempt of steering away the conversation from him. But he happily responded, knowing exactly how it felt when the world was caving in on you all because of a girl.
"The same," he said. "Which is good. I took your advice."
"And by the same, you mean?"
"I mean we're right back to how we were before," Jungkook replied, nonchalantly. "Always arguing, mean and cold, no shred of kindness... I drew the line."
Yoongi blinked a few times to make sure he heard his words right. "You bitch, I said don't mislead her and clarify your intentions, not treat her like shit and push her around," he shouted.
Jungkook paused to take a few minutes to process what the older man said. He sank further into his seat upon the realization.
This whole time he had thought that the best course of action to solve all his problems was to revert back to his old self. Though it was a difficult task with his conflicting feelings, he really believed it was the solution, especially since he thought Yoongi had supported it.
"Wait so that wasn't what you meant?" he asked.
Yoongi's brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes at the maknae. "No, why would I blatantly tell you to treat a woman like that?"
"Oh my god... hyung!" he groaned as he abruptly left the table, leaving all of his mess on the table behind, and made his way towards their foyer.
He made a massive mistake.
Once again, two days in a row, Jeon Jungkook could admit that he was stupid.
"Yah, where are you going?" Yoongi yelled, but Jungkook ignored it and shut the door behind him.
☾･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
The door to the a Blackpink's dance room opened to reveal a sweaty and exhausted Park Chaeyoung.
After her talk with Sooyoung, she had gotten dropped off back at her apartment but spent all but five minutes there. She hurriedly went to the YG building and thought that the best way to release her frustrations was to dance.
And so, for the past few hours as the sun rose, Chaeyoung practiced their choreography over and over again.
In a way, the intense physical activity did help in relieving some stress, but she still couldn't shake off the thoughts plaguing her mind.
"I've never seen you here so early!" a voice exclaimed that just entered the room.
Chaeyoung whipped her head back to find a smiling Lisa, clad in her activewear and large gym bag.
"Oh, yeah," she replied half heartedly.
The younger girl must have noticed her beaten down expression as she set down her belongings and approached her.
"Is everything alright?" Lisa asked while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Neh, don't worry about me," she replied with a soft gaze.
Lisa still didn't seem convincing but like with most things that had been happening with her members, she decided not to pry.
"Well, I'm always here if you need me," Lisa smiled.
Chaeyoung responded with a knowing nod before reaching for her water bottle to grab a sip of water. Lisa walked away, back to where she left her things.
The blonde stared at herself in the mirror, more intently than she ever had before.
She scrutinized every detail about her body. Had she gotten slimmer? A little bit. Maybe it was because of all the added stress and pressure. Her under eyes were also darker and puffier. The sweat of her workout and haggardness of getting no sleep the night before only made things worse.
Even if she didn't sound upset, Lisa or anyone even, would have noticed she was in fact not alright. She didn't look like her usual self.
The vessel in the mirror was a worn down, paler, skinnier, more lifeless version.
Chaeyoung was distraught. When did she start looking this way?
"Lisa, what's wrong with me?" she cried, breaking down into tears and falling to her knees.
The girl dropped everything she was holding and immediately ran towards her best friend. She crouched down next to her and held the girl as she cried into her arms.
The two of them stayed in that position for quite some time. Lisa rocked her back and forth, asking for nothing and only murmuring consolations while Chaeyoung let everything out. She wailed nonsense and gasped for air while tears endlessly streamed down her red cheeks.
Lisa didn't know what was happening nor what to do. Even she started getting emotional to see her friend in such a state.
Chaeyoung, upon the sight of the girl she had become, couldn't hold it in anymore.
She was wrong. It was too late. The tide had already consumed her and the shore was nowhere in sight.
And it all started the moment she allowed Jeon Jungkook back into her life, and all the moments she forgave and accepted him along the way.
She knew she deserved better than this, but how does one forget their first love? At least that part of her could empathize with him.
☾･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Jungkook gripped the phone in his hand, going back and forth on whether to contact her first to let her know of his sudden appearance, or let it be a surprise.
After he abruptly left his apartment, he found himself getting into his car with no set destination. He just needed to think, deliberate on his past actions.
Although the way he had treated Chaeyoung was not too different from the old Jungkook, a part of him knew she didn't deserve it anymore, especially after he willingly agreed to be nicer towards her in par with their relationship façade.
Maybe it was a coping mechanism. If he reverted back to his past self, the him before Madrid, maybe his feelings would change as well. Maybe he would pull his head out of the clouds and back to reality.
But this setup or plan was no longer working for him. He couldn't stand being rude or indifferent towards her anymore. Every time he saw tears well up in her eyes, every time she slams the car door on him, left a hole in his soul.
He thought that by driving her away, he would save her the pain and burden of falling back in love with him. But he had only hurt her further.
And somehow, with all these conflicting thoughts, he wound up in front of the YG building. For what reason? He couldn't tell you, nor was he sure she was even there.
Deep down, maybe he had wanted to see her.
Their date last night did not end on a good note, like most of their interactions.
And maybe, by seeing her face and hearing her voice, he would know what to do going forward, truly apologize and clarify his intentions the right way.
A restart on their relationship.
As he was about to make his way to the elevators, a bit nervous and worried, he accidentally bumped into a woman and caused her purse to fall.
"Mianhae," he apologized as he bowed.
He had his bucket hat low and his mask up to the bottom of his eyes, so his line of sight was very minimal and he didn't see who the woman was.
That is until she spoke and her voice launched a thousand ships inside of him.
"Jungkook?" she asked.
It had been years since he last heard her breathe his name, but it still sounded all the same.
Jungkook slowly straightened up to face her. He swallowed hard as he felt his fingertips grow numb and his stomach start to drop. He was not expecting to run into her today, of all places.
But much like her voice, she also still looked the same. He had encountered her from afar several times over the years, but this was the first time he witnessed her beauty up close again.
"H-How are you?" she asked with a smile he knew too well to be plastered on. Though she sounded genuine, he knew she would have rather been anywhere else in that moment.
"I'm okay," he managed.
"That's great," she responded. "I'm happy for you."
The air around them was thick and uncomfortable, unlike before.
"You must be visiting Chaeyoung right?" she continued with a hint of hesitation in her voice. "I told you the two of you would end up together."
Those words. They were the same as the text she sent him when the news first broke out.
Jungkook remembered because he had memorized that message as it was the first time she reached out to him in years. He wouldn't stop returning to their conversation, hoping she would spontaneously text him again.
"Wait—"
"I'll get going now Kook," she cut him off and turned away without a second thought.
Jungkook froze as she walked away, his body numb to his surroundings. Kook.
There is an importance behind names, whether it be a special name only one person calls you or a common nickname that everyone uses, but hits different when said by that one specific person.
Everyone calls him Kook. Even his BTS members. But it was different when she said it. A different type of inflection, a different kind of affection.
"Omo, was that Yeri?" another feminine voice appeared, one sounding more familiar but also more fragile. "W-We could have had a little reunion."
Jungkook slowly turned his gaze towards the girl behind him and was met with an expression he wasn't expecting.
Though there was a small smile on Park Chaeyoung's face, her eyes... they seemed sad.
—
author's note: even though it's been around two weeks now, the day after i published the previous chapter, we had learned about moonbin's passing and i didn't get to express my condolences, but i have been taking the time to grieve. may he rest peacefully without any pain. you did well bina. i'll look forward to gazing up at the sky and seeing you every night ☽!
i hope you guys are still able to follow the storyline as i realized it was getting a bit confusing and repetitive, but let me know. nonetheless, please enjoy <3