There is no sign of Chaeyoung is seen when Jungkook got out of the restaurant looking for her. The buildings around the road are making Jungkook wonder if she runs into any of them to make it hard for him to locate her. He turns to the left and right thinking of which way she took before someone calls his name.
"Hey, JK.", he turns to see Jieun standing in front of him. "You look like you're chasing something..or someone.", she adds as she sees his tensed face.
"Yes, I chase someone. Did you see someone with blonde hair running out from the restaurant, Jieun?", he asks directly to her.
"Oh...I think I saw...a person running to the alley there.", Jieun answers him while pointing to the alley on the opposite side of the road.
"Thanks.", he says before he continue running to find Chaeyoung in the alley.
When he gets there, he tries to look around but it is a bit dark and warmer in there.
"Chaeyoung..", he tries to call her but he gets no reply.
Knowing that it will not work, he takes out his phone and uses it to give some light for him to see around. Just when he points his phone to the front, he sees someone's back around 50 meters away from him. He looks carefully to the hair and clothes before running to get to her.
"Chaeyoung!", he lightly touched her hand stopping her from walking further into the dark alley. "Please stop. I didn't bring you here to see you run away like this.", he tells her before she pulls her hand away from his touch.
"Go away! Just leave me alone!", she shouts at him and hits him wanting him to step out from her way.
"Chaeyoung, please..don't run away. You don't know this place. You'll be in danger if I leave you alone.", he tells her making her stop hitting him.
She looks to the dark view in front of her and quickly looks away thinking of walking back to the road earlier.
"You asked me why I bring you here. I want you to meet Jimin, your old friend.", he tells her making her to react with widened eyes at him. "Before you ask me how I know, I'll tell you first. Jimin hyung told me about you and him after Rosé showed up few weeks ago in front of me.", he continues while making sure he can see her face clearly using the light from his phone.
Chaeyoung looks down to the ground before mumbling, "But she's not showing up now when I need her."
"What is it?", he asks as he could not hear her clearly.
"No, nothing.", Chaeyoung quickly replies him.
"Let's go back in the restaurant.", Jungkook tries to talk to her softly as he can see her face softened at the moment. "Jimin hyung wants to talk with you. Give him a chance to explain, Chaeyoung.", he adds as he holds her hand assuring her that everything will be alright.
Chaeyoung does not pull away this time but he sees that she is about to cry. "Will you look out for me? I might run away again...or let my alter take over me.", she says to him as she gets worried of the possibilities that will happen if she faces Jimin.
Jungkook smiles and brings her into his arms for a comforting embrace. "I will. I promise.", he says to her before they head back to the restaurant together.
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When the surprise birthday celebration almost ends, Jungkook brings Chaeyoung to the veranda where Jimin is seen standing there waiting for her. Before he leaves Chaeyoung there, he tells her that he will watch her from the door while guarding it from others' interruption. Then, he tells her to go to Jimin before he closes the door on her.
Seeing Jungkook staying at the other side, Chaeyoung slowly takes her steps to Jimin. When she gets close enough to him, she waits for him to turn around but he seems to not aware of her appearance.
"J..Ji...Jimin oppa.", she calls him.
Seconds later, she sees his feet turning around slowly.
"Chaeyoung.", Jimin says but Chaeyoung chooses to keep her head low. She is scared to face him. She is worried of what herself can do especially if her alter suddenly comes out. "Chaeyoung?", Jimin repeats as he slowly touched her chin to make her face him.
"Chaeyoung, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let you go back then. Please forgive me.", he begins as he sees her face looking at him. "I know you're disappointed with me. You trusted me to be a friend you can lean on to but I let you go instead. It's my fault, I'm sorry, Chae.", he continues before Chaeyoung shakes her head.
"I'm not mad you let me go that day. But I do feel disappointed with you...because you never try to reach out to me after that.", Chaeyoung takes her turn to speak to him. "I was expecting your call or letter but nothing came to the house for me.", she adds on to why she does not want to see him anymore. She thought he forgot her.
Jimin shakes his head to her words. "I did send you letters to the address your uncle gave me but I never get a reply from you. I even tried to call you using my mom's phone but it never get through. Seriously, I tried. I even called you using payphone but still...didn't reach you.", he explains his side of the story.
"You send letters?", Chaeyoung asks as she has a thought of something.
Jimin nods to her, "But none of them ever get a reply from you. So, I stopped. After two years, I stopped sending you letters. I still have the last letter I want to send to you but I keep it until now. Here it is."
He hands her a brownish envelope with her name on it which looks old in his hand. Then, he takes out something else from the other pocket of his jacket. He shows her a small box in his other hand.
"Our friendship bracelet. It got worn out but I still keep it with me.", he says before Chaeyoung opens the cover of the box revealing the dull yellowish threads that she used to make the bracelet in there.
"You...you still keep it.", her voice cracks as she says that to him. She closes the box back while Jimin tries to explain why the bracelet got worn out. However, she does not hear it anymore as she goes to give him a hug that turns him speechless. "I'm sorry, Jimin oppa. I shouldn't have thought you forgot me.", she tells him without letting go of him not wanting him to see her eyes brimming with tears.
Jimin slowly forms a smile knowing that he finally gets his old friend back.
"I hope this means we can be friends again..", he says before he pulls away from the sudden hug Chaeyoung gave him.
"You still want to be my friend, oppa? After I misunderstood you.", Chaeyoung looks down feeling guilty to him.
He holds her shoulders with a smile on his face. "Misunderstanding happens but if we talk it through and clear everything between us, there's no reason for me to break our friendship. Unless you don't want to be my friend anymore.", he tells her making her to look up to his face again.
"I still want to be your friend. You're my first friend after all, oppa.", she says to him with a warm smile.
From the door, Jungkook feels glad as he sees the two friends reconcile.
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The ride home is so quiet for neither of them opens their mouth along the way home. Jungkook purposely not turning on the radio while Chaeyoung seems to be lost in her own thoughts beside him. He wants to talk with her but he refrains himself seeing her expressionless face. He wonders what is in her mind at the moment.
When they reach her house, she does not even realized it until Jungkook tells her.
"Oh, we're here. I'm sorry I didn't realized it, Jungkook.", she says as she unbuckles the seatbelt.
"It's okay. If you don't want to go home, you can just tell me.", he replies.
"What?", she frowns listening to his words.
Jungkook quickly thinks of an answer, "You know...if you don't want to go home yet, maybe we can go to the park you used to go to."
His words remind her of the first time they met. The park where she was with her neighbour. The night before Rosé took over her body.
"Oh...no, it's fine. We're already here. I should go.", Chaeyoung says as she opens the door of the car. "I'll see you later.", she adds as she walks out of his car.
When she closes the door, Jungkook rolls down the window to have a clear look at her face for the last time. He smiles at her as he waves his hand so Chaeyoung does the same back to him. Then, she remembers something.
"Thank you, Jungkook. For...taking me out, making me meet Jimin oppa again and...introducing me to your friends. I had a good time. Thanks to you.", she says to him, smiling for what he did for her that night.
"I'm glad you had a good time tonight. Want to do it again next time?", he asks her.
She chuckles at him, "Can you just drive already?"
Jungkook chuckles back at her. He knows she does not like to go out so much. Especially to places that she is unfamiliar with. He should have not ask that question this fast to her.
"Good night, Chaeyoung.", he tells her before he waves a goodbye for real before slowly driving away while she walks inside.
When she reaches the front door, Rosé's voice speaks to her in a sudden.
"Why didn't you tell him?", she asks.
"Tell him what?", Chaeyoung whispers back not wanting to startle Jisoo inside the house.
Rosé sighs to Chaeyoung. "About that bitch!", she sounds so angry saying it to Chaeyoung.
"I don't feel like she's a threat to me.", Chaeyoung replies before she greets Jisoo who is on the phone with Seokjin at the living room. Then, she goes inside her bedroom and turns on the lights before lying down on the bed.
"She's definitely a threat. To your relationship with Jungkook.", Rosé tells.
Chaeyoung frowns at the words Rosé said.
"Yah, Rosé! You were always aware of what I did but you didn't come out when I need you.", she scolds Rosé.
"Well, sometimes you've got to do it yourself. Bye-bye. I'm out.", Rosé replies making Chaeyoung even more angry with her.
When she asks her to come back, Jisoo opens the door and asks if she is alright.
"Uh..I'm okay, unnie. It's just Rosé. She disturbs me.", Chaeyoung says to Jisoo who is already used to hear Chaeyoung talking about her alters having conversation with her.
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Thirtieth chapter ✔