April 27, 2019
Seoul, South Korea
"I'll see you guys in a few days." Hope sniffles as she speaks. We all sniffle, gathered in the hallway to say goodbye before she and Jungkook leave for the airport.
"Miss you, Hope," I say as I hug her tightly. It's true. I will miss her. Not as much as others might, though.
Areum cries, causing Hope to lose her hold as well. "Don't be a stranger, okay?" she tells Hope. "I'll be here alone for months. Don't forget that you can still come visit me, okay?"
Hope nods and hugs her, both of them crying onto each other's shoulders. The sight tugs at my heart. Who knows how long until we'll be able to see Jungkook's beautiful, fun, energetic soulmate again?
She finishes making her rounds, hugging everyone at least twice. Jimin started crying, too, mostly because Hope told him not to. Jimin crying made Hoseok and Taehyung start to cry, causing a chain reaction as I started crying as well. She's not even my soulmate. I don't really know if I'm crying because she's leaving or because she can't stay.
Jungkook bites his lips, tears streaming relentlessly down his cheeks as he tries to keep himself together. I watch him as he slyly wipes his eyes. Hope finally faces him and her teary eyes send him over the edge. He whines quietly as she hugs him tightly, her arms around his neck and his around her waist. He hides his tearstained face in her neck and they cry on each other.
Jimin's head falls onto my shoulder as he quietly sobs at the sight before us. Everyone's crying except Namjoon, even Yoongi has a few tears in his eyes as he holds a crying Areum against his side.
"Okay, okay," I say, my voice thick with tears. "Go, go."
"Yeah, you can't miss the flight," Namjoon says.
Hope steps away with Jungkook's arm still around her waist. Jungkook nods, sniffling and wiping his tears. Hope's fingers help him wipe his cheeks gently. She holds his hand tightly as they both pull her bags out the door behind them.
I can't imagine what the car ride to the airport is going to be like.
—
The front door finally closes with an aggressive slam. I can hear Jungkook's crying as soon as he steps in.
I turn in my spot on the couch in time to see Jungkook throw his shoes on the floor and fall against the wall. He slides down to the floor, covering his face as he starts to cry harder.
"Jungkook—"
"Fuck you, Bang Si-hyuk!" I screams at the top of his lungs. I jump and my eyes widen at his anger, but I don't tell him not to swear or to be respectful. Mostly because I feel the same way.
Jungkook falls onto his side, curling up into a ball on the entryway floor and sobbing into his knees.
"Jungkook," I try again. I kneel down beside him as the sobs tear harshly through his throat. When I pat his back, his arms wrap around my waist and rests his head in my lap.
"Is it really too much to ask? For them to at least let her move in here? We've only been apart twenty minutes but I really think I might die, hyung. It hurts so much, I miss her so much."
My throat hurts from the lump growing in it. Namjoon comes out from the hallway to see what the commotion is about. When he sees Jungkook, curled up and crying in my lap, his face softens instantly.
"Who knows when I'll get to see her next! I should've listened to you and just let you take us to get married, hyung. How come Yoongi hyung can get married and I can't? Is it because I'm not old an cranky like he is? Will I really have to wait until I'm twenty-six before they let me get married? If I knew they were going to treat me like this, I wouldn't have renewed the damn contract last year!"
The words continue to fall from his lips without any thoughts, coming out like nonsense. He's not in his right mind. I know this because he would never say anything about regretting his decision to stick with Bangtan.
"It's not fucking fair, Jin hyung. Because I'm young, I don't get to be happy?"
That hit me.
"I'm sorry, Jungkook."
"We can't get married because I'm too young! And we can't live together because she's white! It's all stupid!"
I don't know how to comfort him. I look up to Namjoon who shakes his head, just as lost as I am.
"Don't worry, Jungkook," I try. "You'll see her in a few days at the BBMAs. She'll be there working. Don't worry."
"But then I'll have to leave her all over again!" He squeezes me in his arms. "Even worse, my English still sucks, so it's still so hard to communicate and tell her everything I want to say. I can't even propose to her in a way that she'll understand. I hate this!"
I listen, trying to comfort and reassure him, but I know it's of no use. Nothing I say can fill the deep hole in his heart from Hope having to leave him.
—
a short one, a sad one
888 words