— Next day —

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023.

1 pm.

"Y/n?" Felix calls my name as he walks out of the house, and I turn around. "Have you checked on Jungkook?"

"I did, and I left some water and a pill on my nightstand a few minutes ago," I tell him, and I feel Angelo grab the axe out of my hands. "Alright, that's kind of you. Also, you can get in the kitchen if you want now. Kaden and I cleaned up, so there's no glass on the floor anymore."

"Okay, thank you," I smile at him, and he returns it before stepping back in the house. I bring my attention back to Angelo, who is cutting some wood for the fireplace, his muscles flexing as he swings the axe. "You sure you don't need help?" I pretend to be concerned, already knowing that he does it much better than me.

"Keep those frail arms for cooking," he jokes in an attempt to provoke me, but I grin and punch his arm. "For your information, Felix is a better cook than me, and he's a man."

"True," he says, splitting a wood log with a single swing. "But anyway, let's get this inside." He gathers the wood in his arms and heads towards the house, not making me do anything anymore after seeing the mess I made with an axe in my hands.

"I wish it was cold so that we'd use the fireplace during the day." I follow him back inside, feeling guilty about not helping. "Not me. I like this weather more."

"That's because you don't mind sweating, but I do." I stop once he drops the logs in the fireplace, and I watch him rearrange them until they are in a neat pile. "Here we go. It's done," he coughs, sounding bothered by his throat since this morning. "This fucking throat. Can you get me a glass of that lemonade Felix made, please?" he rubs his hands together, looking at me.

"Are you sick?" I pout, worried about him. "I don't know," he peeks down at his forearm to clean some black smear. "It's probably from falling in love with you; it got me sick," he smirks and teases me about it, not leaving me alone with this.

"You don't deserve that lemonade," I grumble and head towards the kitchen. "I'm going to ask Kaden if it's true, by the way. He'll expose you."

"Ask me what?" The concerned one, who heard everything, cannot help chiming in as I joined him and Leon. "Nothing."

"If I'm in love with her," Angelo blurts out, standing next to me to wash his hands. "We all know you are already," Kaden sips on his drink, adding fuel to the fire. "The fuck you're on, bro? You know nothing."

"I know everything. My eyes and ears are everywhere," he states as I turn towards Angelo to hand him his drink, and he grabs it. "Well, shit. Now you know why I crossed my toes last night," he laughs at me, but I do not reciprocate that same amusement. "Stop, you're not funny."

"I know. I'm not trying to," he gulps down the entirety of the glass I just served him in one go and puts it down after a moan left his mouth. "I was thirsty."

I keep staring at him out of annoyance, but he intentionally averts my gaze.

'JUNGKOOK'S P.O.V'

I enter the kitchen after hearing all the things that were said, and I make my way to the dining table without waiting. My head is killing me since I woke up.

"Hey, you good?" Kaden notices, and I just nod in response, not wanting to engage in a conversation right now. I hold my head in my hands, trying to lessen the throbbing pain that has been persistent. "Does your hand hurt?" he asks.

"Yeah. I don't even know how I got that." I exhale and close my eyes. "Oh, well. From the glass, blood, and vodka there was on the floor this morning, I think it's pretty clear what happened."

I take my hands off my head and glance up at him. Silently, I stare, not believing what he just said, but someone approaches me with a glass of lemonade. "Kaden made it," y/n puts it down next to my arm.

"Thank you," I say, gazing at her and grabbing the drink. I take a sip with my left hand to not worsen the pain of my injured one, and I check what y/n is doing with Angelo.

I know from what Felix told me that he is the one who took care of my hand, that I said some things to y/n and slept in her bed, but I have no idea what happened exactly. I remember nothing. There was a complete blackout after I played some guitar with her last night.

As I was still digging in my memory to look for some hints, Y/N laughed and grasped my attention. I catch Angelo hugging her from behind and kissing her face; then he moves away and heads towards us to sit at the table.

He sits on my left, so I lean back and drink, and Y/N joins us as well. She takes the seat next to him, and as soon as she is comfortable, he rests one arm on the back of her chair and hides his other hand in his sweatpants' pocket. For some reason, he seems nervous.

He is bouncing one leg, nibbling on his lip, and staring into space.

This is not very usual of him, and y/n quickly notices it. She looks at him with concern and asks if he is okay. He nods to her and moves his hand over her back to cup the nape of her neck that is exposed. "What?" he whispers through a smile.

They both make eye contact, as the worry in her gaze is more than evident, his hand constantly rubbing her neck. She turns away without replying to him, and he reacts to it right away. He leans in towards her and whispers in her ear.

She takes a sip of her drink and smiles, shaking her head. His hand still caressing the back of her neck, he looks down at her lips and leans back.

However, the sound of something breaking startles us all, and in an instant, Leon finds himself on the floor in the most ridiculous way possible. "Bro," Kaden bursts into laughter as we all could not help doing so in front of Leon getting back up.

"What the fuck is this dogshit chair?!" Leon exclaims in frustration, throwing the broken pieces away. "Your ass is too fat," Kaden teases, still giggling hysterically. "Shut the fuck up. I'm skinnier than you. It hurts now, man," he groans, rubbing his sore butt.

"Your ass is bigger, though," Kaden cannot shut up, always ready with a comeback. "Where am I gonna sit now?"

"Y/n can sit on Angelo's lap for a bit," he suggests, giving them an idea I cannot agree with.

Despite the tension there still is between Angelo and Leon, Angelo touches her waist and pulls her in. She does not hesitate to sit on his lap, leaving the chair empty for the one who just embarrassed himself.

"Thanks," he addresses her, taking a seat without looking at Angelo. She smiles at him in response. "She can sit on your lap too if you want," Kaden smirks at Leon. He will never forget about that dance they shared the other night. "Shut up. You're cringe."

Angelo barely reacts to what is being said; instead, he raises his hands up behind his head and leans back in his chair. Y/n, whose back is now turned to me, gazes at him. They both make eye contact, his eyes obviously lowering to her lips.

He listens to her but breathes out heavily and puts his hands in the pockets of his pants, not looking at her anymore. He obviously seems in a bad mood or upset at something.

Has something happened last night that I am not aware of? She appears annoyed while he is nervous. The way they look at each other is too deep and intimate, though, that is all I can think about.

•••

4:50 pm.

All the boys are playing Mario Kart in the living room, yelling and laughing as they compete against each other. I do not stay with them but head to the kitchen, where y/n is.

I need to talk to her privately, so I take this opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation while everyone is occupied.

As I walk in, I call out her name to get her attention, and she turns around. "Yeah?" she smiles and goes back to pouring a drink in a glass. I get closer and lay my hands on the counter and try to talk without making it too awkward. "Can we talk about last night?"

"Sure," she agrees, to my greatest relief, so I go on. "I don't really remember anything that happened... and I'm just worried about what I may have said or done." I peek at her, lacking confidence. "Also, I want to apologize about getting drunk, sleeping in your bed, and causing trouble."

"Don't apologize, it's okay," she says with a smile as she directs her body towards me. "You just told me how you truly felt and why you did the stuff you did in the past. I also explained the situation with Angelo, and that's pretty much it."

"The situation with Angelo?" I furrow my brow, feeling confused. "Yeah. You thought it was clear Angelo and I were in love with each other, so I told you we were not, but now that you're sober, you can answer a question I couldn't ask last night. Do you really think he is in love with me?"

"Wait. You're not with him? What do you mean?" I cannot even focus on her question, some relief taking over me. "I thought you two were together."

"We're not," she replies, no emotion in her voice. "How can you not, though?" I turn my body towards her, my heart pounding in my chest. "He told me he doesn't want to be in a relationship, and I didn't feel ready either, so we've always been friends."

"Oh," I can barely find words to say. "I didn't know he doesn't wanna be in a relationship. It looked like you were together. The way you look at each other and the way he treats you. I didn't expect it."

"Well, Kaden and Leon thought the same," she cracks a smile but hides it by drinking. "It's not a surprise, you both look like a couple, but anyways," I do not let this be the main subject anymore. I have to hide how much joy I feel from this. I cannot let it show on my face.

"I did and kinda still do think he's in love with you because it's pretty obvious from the way he looks at you or touches you," I run my hand through my hair and check the archway after seeing someone pass by from the corner of my eye. "You're sure?"

"I don't know. I'm just assuming from his behavior. Why? Are you in love with him?" I ask, trying to make some things clear. "No...I'm not. I just...I just want to make sure he's not either."

She does not sound certain at all.

"The only one who could answer you if you don't want to face Angelo about it is Felix. He talks about everything with him, so if he's got feelings for you, he told Felix about it for sure," I give her advice since I know my friends more than she does.

"Alright," she grabs her glass and takes a sip, looking pensive. "Do you need a drink or something?"

"No," I shake my head, making it obvious I just came here to talk to her. "Okay. We should go back to the living room," she suggests, and I follow, understanding she does not want to stay alone here.

I head back to the living room with her, joining the loud boys. As we walk up to the three different couches, I notice Angelo look at her. He gazes into her eyes and smiles before she sits down next to him.

I get right next to Felix but cannot help checking on y/n and Angelo. He adjusts his hat backward and rests his hands behind his head, both acting differently since this morning.

I wonder what could have happened. It seems like the issue lies mainly with Angelo. Not her, she actually seems confused too.

Her gaze fixed on the floor, giving the impression that she is lost in her thoughts. Angelo still bouncing his leg and staring at the TV screen, she peeks at him with a worried expression as if trying to figure out what is bothering him.

I am pretty sure she is blaming herself. I know her well enough to know that she always feels guilty even when things are not her fault.

"You wanna play a race against them, y/n?" Leon grasps her attention, holding the controller towards her. "No, thank you," she refuses, Angelo now looking at her. They both make eye contact for a moment, Angelo dropping his hands on his lap.

She averts her gaze and places her elbow on the armrest of the couch, resting her head on her chin. He promptly notices her unusual behavior and touches her thigh, his gaze fixed on her without wavering. He leans closer, no one in the room even paying attention to what is going on, he takes her hand in his and speaks to her.

She pouts and shakes her head, her adorable expression reminding me of when she used to be angry at me or hurt. He presses a kiss on the back of her hand and lies down, dragging her with him to put her head on his chest.

She gets comfortable and cuddles up against him, their closeness still hurting me. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy as I watch them together. He holds one arm behind his head while playing with her hair.

I long for the closeness I once shared with her, but from what I just saw, it seems like she needs his attention, not mine anymore.

•••

1:50 am.

Unable to fall asleep with all the thoughts running through my mind, I leave my bed. I grab my phone and check if by any chance she has messaged me.

She has not.

I get out of my room and head towards hers, feeling the need to talk to her. As I reach her door, I hesitate before knocking. What if she doesn't want to talk to me? What if she does not care anymore?

Despite the swirling questions in my mind, I finally muster up the courage to knock on the door.

After a few long seconds, the door creaks open to reveal a face I did not expect. My heart sinks with disappointment.

"What are you doing here?" Angelo asks, standing before me shirtless. "Isn't it y/n's room?"

"It is," he replies, his voice husky. "She's sleeping right now. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk to her. Why are you sleeping with her?" I cannot help worrying something may have happened. "Because? You shouldn't even ask," he frowns in response to the question, not providing an answer.

"She told me you weren't in a relationship, so I don't understand what's going on between you two. Are you just lying or something?" The sight of him upsets me, evoking a mixture of anger and pain.

"Dude..." he sighs and bites his lips, stepping closer to close the door behind him. "Can you, like, just stop and leave us alone? I'm sick of it. It's too much now."

"What about you? Can't you just stay away from her? I can tell she's not even happy. She's not enjoying her time here anymore," I stare into his eyes, not standing his attitude and arrogance. "Yeah, and you wanna why? Because you're fucking ruining it. Having you near her just causes her pain. When she's alone with me, she doesn't behave or feel like that, but no matter how fucking obvious it is, you don't wanna see or accept it."

"She's in pain because you got in the way," I speak without a hint of remorse in my tone. "Man," he chuckles at my face and glances away. Not retorting, he scratches his eyebrow and slides his hands into his pockets.

"I thought you'd stop being a kid, but apparently you enjoy being a pain in the ass and treating me like shit even when I don't do anything. Does hating me make you feel better? 'Cause if that's the case, just keep going, but I'm done with your shit. I'm done dealing with your immature fucking ass who doesn't even want to acknowledge he ruined a girl he doesn't even deserve. So, go ahead, continue to be a miserable bitch who can't own up to his mistakes and take responsibility for his actions, but I'm done," he steps back and grabs the handle of the door.

"You don't even care about me, why the fuck would I care about you? As soon as I lost her, you hurried to jump on her-" I get pushed back forcefully. "You shut the fuck up because you know this isn't true. You left her, you didn't lose her. And if I didn't give a shit about you, I wouldn't have tried to put some sense into you so many times. I always treated you like a little brother and hoped that you would eventually grow up and realize that what you're doing to her is fucking messed up, but you just never seemed to get it. So don't you fucking dare say that about me after all I've done for you."

Knowing he is right, I stare silently, unable to find words. The guilt weighing heavy on my chest.

"If I got so close to her, it's only because I wanted to fix what you broke. I didn't force anything, it just happened because we both feel good with one another. Why is it so fucking hard for you to understand that?" he loses his composure, his gaze hardening. "Why? 'Cause I've been in love with her for so long. I made a horrible mistake, I took everything for granted, and seeing my life falling apart is fucking destroying me. It hurts so fucking much, but you don't try to understand either."

With my eyes watering as I pour my heart out, I swallow hard and try to hold back the tears.

"I do understand. That's the thing. Y/n knows I do, the boys know I understand why you feel that way. You're the only one who doesn't see it. And yeah, we all make mistakes, but you can't make it last for a whole year and still expect us to forget or live according to your expectations and needs. You should honestly be very grateful and happy that she forgave you and still talks to you," he spits reality at my face, deepening the pain I already have to deal with every day.

I nod, trying to hold back tears, feeling the weight of his words settle heavily on my chest. "Fine," I stop and walk away. I head back to my bedroom, the tears streaming down my face. I slam the door behind me and collapse onto my bed, feeling completely overwhelmed. The emotions swirling inside me are too much to handle.