Author POV
It has been two days since Yuna had the "confession" meal with Jungkook's dad. His words have been spinning at the back of her head, and she was trying to shake it off with her busy schedule. She started looking at business related news and books, trying to know more about business management. Also, she didn't mention a word to Jungkook about that night with his dad. She wouldn't say she is affected by Jungkook's father, but he is not entirely wrong. She doesn't only want to be someone who understands and love Jungkook, she also wants to be someone who can help him whenever he needs someone to rely on in his career.
"Babe, why are you looking so tired these days?" Jungkook asked, leaning closer to his camera to take a better look at Yuna who was taking her breakfast but looking dazed. She has been taking some online courses on economics, so she would stay up late after work to study and revise.
"Not really, I am fine. " She smiled, munching on her sandwich when she heard someone rang Jungkook's doorbell. He signalled her to wait for a minute as he answered the door. It was Jinhee inviting him to go out for dinner. Yuna sank into deep thoughts again upon seeing the both of them through her screen.
She heard Jungkook trying to reject Jinhee, but she wouldn't budge. Yuna's brain was spinning, maybe because she was too tired from her work and studies, or maybe the scene of the two of them together made her uncomfortable.
"Jungkook ah," She tried to call out to him, hoping that he could hear her. And he did, so he came rushing to his phone to reply.
"You can just go if you are busy. I will have to leave for work soon anyways." Yuna explained, finishing up her last sip of coffee.
"Nonono Yuna, wait for me. I want to spend more time with you." Jungkook panicked, thinking that Yuna was mad.
"Oh, you are on the phone with Yuna? Sorry, I didn't know. I wanted to discuss some work with you over dinner." She heard Jinhee asked.
"It's okay, I will get going, Jungkook. We will talk again tomorrow. Remember to take your dinner even though you are busy." Yuna reassured Jungkook and waved before hanging up quickly.
She rubbed her temple, trying to get back her senses. They are colleagues, they have to work together. Yuna thought to herself before packing up to leave for work.
Jungkook POV
I am not sure what Yuna is up to these days. She has been pretty exhausted and would daze off from time to time. Is she working too hard? I sighed, thinking that she might be too worn out from work. I missed her so much.
"Jungkook?" Jinhee waved her hands in front of me to catch my attention. I nodded to acknowledge.
"I was asking if you want to have a stroll at the Navy Pier after dinner. It has been long since we have been there." She suggested.
"Sure." It has been years since I have been back in Chicago and Navy Pier is one of the places that Jinhee and I would always hang out when we were teenagers. No doubt, it contained most of my memories in my teenage days.
The cool breeze brushed through our skins as we walked down the aisle side by side. I tugged my hands into the pockets of my jacket, mesmerising the scenery at the bay.
"Nothing really changed that much, isn't it." Jinhee commented and I agreed with her.
"I remember you will always sit by that platform after school to just stare at the waters." She reminisced, pointing at that direction as flashbacks started flashing in my brain.
That young boy who didn't have friends and couldn't really adapt into the foreign culture due to language barriers and cultural differences. He didn't like to stay in school and would always come to this peaceful place to find his own world. Jinhee was his only friend in school as she was the only one who would speak to him in Korean, bringing him around to help him adapt. He recalled that she would always pack food to share with him and they would simply sit by this platform and talk about anything under the sun.
"And you would always bring food for me." I continued, chuckling a bit.
"And you would still complaint that they aren't authentic Korean food." She added in, joining the laugh.
"I haven't really thanked you officially, Jinhee ah." I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at her. "If it wasn't for you, I would not have any friends in Chicago. Thank you."
She lightly shook her head, "Don't mention it, Jungkook. I enjoyed the times we shared." She stared at me, beaming.
"It was memorable memories." I agreed, continuing my track to break off our eye contact. "I will always take you as a good friend of mine."
Jinhee POV
"I will always take you as a good friend of mine." I heard that he tried to emphasize on the point, "good friend".
"Jungkook ah..." Doesn't he know how I feel towards him since our teenager days? I have been treating him with my heart and soul, does he not know that? I was the one who has been there for him during his lonely days.
"Jinhee ah," he cut me. "I am really grateful that I have met you in Chicago and I really treasure you as my friend. I hope we can stay like this forever."
"Is it because Yuna appeared in your life?" I questioned and we fell into silence.
"I have always treated you like my sister, like a friend, Jinhee ah." I saw a small smile formed at the corner of his lips. "But indeed, I fell for Yuna without me knowing. I thought I would be single for life until I met her."
I heard my heart shattered into million pieces right at that moment. I treated him more than a friend, I knew I liked him since our younger days. I wished we could turn back time and halt right there. The laughter, the memories, the times we shared, that was the story of us. A story that could only stay in the past now.
"But it was me, who was there for you when you were alone..." I mumbled but loud enough for him to hear too. Luckily the wind was strong enough to blow my tear drops off my cheeks away swiftly.
"You will find someone more suited for you, Jinhee ah." Jungkook placed both his hands on my shoulders, bending a little to meet my eyes. It was those sincere and soulful eyes which attracted me when we first met. To me, it was near to perfect. I liked everything single thing about him, even his weaknesses and flaws. He would never know how much he meant to me and how disheartened I was when he left to go back to Korea. I knew it wasn't his choice. But everything changed ever since. Everything.
"Can't we go back to how we were like before?" I placed my hands on his arm, clenching them a bit to show my eagerness.
"Nothing's ganna be the same, Jinhee ah. Times have changed, things have changed, our lives have changed too. We aren't who we were anymore, Jinhee. It's time to move on." He patted on my shoulders before breaking off our physical contact. "I love Yuna. I know it. I have never felt this way before. It feels like destiny."
"What if she isn't the one for you? What if it doesn't turn out to be what you imagined, Jungkook ah?" I started to feel despondent. I am not denying that Yuna is a pleasant lady, but it was me, it was me who participated a huge part of Jungkook's life. Why does she have to appear?
"Love is a gamble; we all know it. For her, I am willing to give in my all and show hand. Don't ask me why, Jinhee. I don't have a concrete explanation yet, but I really hope you can support and give us your blessings." He looked back up at me, and I could see the genuine and profound expression through his eyes. He is serious about Yuna, I have never seen these eyes when he was with me.
I have lost. I have lost him. I have lost to Yuna.
I nodded my head slowly, slowly realising the fact that this man standing right in front of me has really changed. He isn't that small and helpless Jungkook that I knew anymore. Like he said, things changed and his found his girl.
"I understand. I know... You like her a lot, indeed." I mumbled, trying to digest all the information from this deep-felt conversation with him. I smiled a little, as it has been long since we have chatted like this. "I will see you tomorrow during meeting, Jungkook ah. Good night."
Jungkook POV
Looking at Jinhee's back as she walked away from me towards the hotel, I felt a stint of guilt. Even though she was squeezing a smile, I know she must be hurt. I am sorry, Jinhee ah. I am really grateful for her, but not in the romantic way. If I knew earlier that she has taken me as someone more than a friend, I would have made myself clear much earlier. I hope you will find your happiness like I did, I know you will. Thank you, Jinhee ah.
With that, I continued my stroll alone along the river side, looking at tourists enjoying their time at the Ferris Wheel. If only Yuna was here with me. I snapped a few photos of the beautiful night lights and scenery before sending to her.
[Photo] Hope you were here with me, girl.
Author POV
"Are you really ganna go and study for that international business test?" Sojung questioned the girl in front of her.
"You weren't even in the Math and Science stream when we were in high school!" SinB frowned, sipping on her drink.
"I am studying already. Not to mention that it's not entirely about Mathematics alright." Yuna squirted her nose in dismay.
"Why are you so into business suddenly, anyways? Jungkook made you go through this?!" Yerin raised her brow while Yuna shook her head, explaining that it was her very own idea.
"That's strange. You hated all these back then, you were a complete arts student, unnie." Yewon replied in disbelief. Yuna has always been strong in her arts subject such as languages, History, music etc. An arts student now wants to sit for a business cum accounting examination?!
"We will support you still, if that's your choice." Eunha finally spoke up. "But please don't tire yourself. You look pretty over-occupied already."
They were all worried about Yuna since she has lost some weight over a short two weeks. It wasn't on purpose, but many things were on her mind these days causing her to neglect her sleep and meals.
"Thank you, girls, but I will take care of myself well. Let me think it through again." She reassured.
Yuna POV
Finally, Jungkook is going to be back tonight. He sent me his flight details and repeatedly reminded me not to fetch him since it was ganna be a close to midnight flight. Despite him saying that, I still decided to go. I missed him so much, so much that I wish I could see him the moment he is out of the immigration gates.
I packed my bag and stuffed an accounting textbook before setting off. I decided to just sit in a café near the arrival hall to study to prevent myself from dozing off or being late.
Time ticked by and I peeped on my watch. He should be out by now. I swung my bag over my shoulders and waited by the glass door at the arrival hall. Batches of passengers and travellers were streaming in while I patiently wait for Jungkook. I flipped through my notes to kill time, when a suddenly heard a voice beside my ears that startled me.
"Told you not to come, naughty girl." I jumped upon the close contact of the breath and voice. Looking up, I immediately fell into the eye contact with the man I missed the most.
He was standing right beside me, wearing a simple oversized black tee with jeans, spreading his arms wide apart. "Come here." He demanded, before wrapping his arms around me, tugging his face into my neck for a warm embrace.
I closed my eyes, greedily inhaling his scent as I buried my face in his chest, returning the hug. "I miss you. I miss you so much." I tightened my hands around his waist, trying to savour more security and comfort from him. I miss this hug, this scent, this man.
Bidding goodbye with his other colleagues, we saw Jinhee from a distance. I bowed a little to her as she did the same. It felt different, something felt different, but I couldn't explain.
"See you back in the office, Jungkook. See you around, Yuna." She greeted shortly and left to catch her cab.
Nothing extra. I tilted my head, frowning to myself. I don't feel the competitive aura around her anymore. It felt like, she is indeed just a normal friend of Jungkook. I mentally chuckled to myself, you are really thinking too much eh, Choi Yuna.
"You are into business accounting now?" Jungkook's voice interrupted my thoughts as he snatched the textbook from my arms, flipping through the pages. "You don't have to study all these, girl. These are just unrealistic basic theories. They aren't that useful, honey." He smirked at the basic information, shaking his head. "All these are just too basic to even run a business." He closed the book.
I know he is good at it, but I have to start on basic to even get the logic behind business! Most of them are probably common sense but I admit, I do not have any in terms of business wise. "I am just not wise like you, alright." I rolled my eyes, snatching the book back from him and roughly throwing into my bag.
"Come on, honey. I can teach you more practical things if you are interested. You don't have to study on your own. You have one of the most successful businessmen as your boyfriend." He boasted, pointing to himself with a satisfactory smile. But I don't want to get any help from him. I want to study and get through the business examinations with my own ability. I want to show his father that I can do it, I can be outstanding enough to be the girl standing beside his son.
"Forget it. Let's go home." I sighed in discontentment, pulling his luggage with me.
Jungkook POV
I sensed her weariness and fatigue the moment I saw her. Was it because I said something wrong? Was I too frivolous with my words just now? Also, I noticed she looked much more fragile and slimmer than before. It was just slightly more than two weeks, and she is already losing weight while I am away? What happened these days?
"Hey honey, I am sorry. I didn't mean to discourage you just now. It's just-" I tried to explain but she cut me off.
"It was nothing. I am not upset or anything." She explained, waving her hands in front of me to stop my explanation. "Maybe I am just too tired from work. I am sorry."
Something's not right. Something's very wrong. Something's bothering her but I can't tell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Back with another chapter and I hope you guys like it!
Have been watching quite a number of Yuju's vlog to get some inspirations. Having said that, I was so happy that Gfriend met up to hang up yesterday! I really miss them so much.
Credit to owner~