Here we come Busan.

A mega city that I've always wanted to visit, but somehow never got around to it. When Jungkook asked me to come with him to his hometown, I was a bit shocked, to be honest.

Not shocked because he wants to go on a trip with me, but because he wants to go to this party his dad is organizing. After we were visited by Alex, it must have finally been enough for him to confront his father in every possible situation.

I'm lying on my right side, my back turned to Jungkook as I stare at the starry sky visible through the open curtains, the ticking of the clock lightly resounding in the silent room. I also hear the soft breathing of him and judging by the rhythm, he hasn't fallen asleep yet either.

The bed rustles with his movement and I realize he's probably turned in my direction because I can feel the warm breath on the back of my neck.

"Elaine?" he whispers softly and I hum in response. "Are you asleep yet?"

"I was just humming, how could I be asleep?" I laugh and turn around, our faces now a few inches apart as I can make out his features in the dim light.

"Yeah, right. Sorry." he laughs, but the laughter quickly wipes away. He stares into my eyes, bouncing from one to the other and occasionally roaming over my lips. I can tell from his demeanor that he has something on his mind that he can't easily get rid of.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my voice soft as I scoot a few more inches closer to him. His sweet scent fills my nostrils and I could fall asleep on the spot, though I couldn't close my eyes until a few minutes ago.

He sighs, lowering his gaze from me, and I see him shrug his shoulder. "I don't know. Just everything. My brain won't shut up."

My eyes soften and the immediate urge to make him feel better overcomes me. The last few months have been hard for him and his father's actions are still affecting our presence. It will take a while for him to fully heal from this.

"Talk to me. Don't keep it all bottled up."

His eyes find mine again, his lips pressed into a straight line. "Come to Busan with me," he says, more of a request than an asking.

"To Busan?" I ask, my eyes wide and not believing what I just heard. He just nods, letting my confusion rise even more. "What are we going to do there?"

"I have to go one last time to put an end to all of this. I want you to come with me because I don't want to leave you here alone."

"What are you going to do?"

"My father is going to have a party for his business to which I will go. I saw papers in his office that could help me use them against him." he looks at me determinedly, as if he's been working on this plan for days. "I'm going to get them."

"What?" I gasp quietly. "What if he catches you? That's too dangerous."

"Hey." he soothes me, placing his hand on my cheek where he strokes it comfortingly with his thumb. "Don't worry about it. I'll be careful."

I sigh, finding his plan not very smart and dangerous. "I don't know. I'm afraid he might hurt you."

"He won't." he smiles, but it's a smile that doesn't really reach his eyes. "It's my last chance to cut him out of my life, no, our lives, for good."

I press my lips into a straight line, not knowing if I agree with him or not. It's actually a good idea, with the necessary documents he would have the opportunity to sabotage him in case his father dares to do something tricky again. But on the other hand, it's also very dangerous.

I don't think his father would be stupid and leave his office unattended during the event. If Jungkook gets caught it could have huge consequences for him. I don't know his father, so I can't assess if he would be willing to do any harm to his own son. But after the fire, I can expect anything from him.

"Leave it to me, I will succeed. You'll see." he whispers against my lips, I didn't realize he was leaning toward me. His breath blows against my face as our noses touch and he locks our lips in a slow kiss.

My hands are resting linked on my lap, picking at my cuticles as our surroundings change. Already being on the road for a while makes me guess that we may not have much to go before we arrive.

I don't know what it is that makes me so nervous that the torn skin on my thumb is already starting to bleed from my scratching. Maybe it's not knowing what to expect in Busan, the fact that I'm going to meet his mother even though I'm not ready, or the possibility that we'll run into his father even though Jungkook said we'd probably only see him at the party.

His mother suggested that we spend the first night at his house because on the day of the party all the guests will be staying at a hotel anyway so they won't have to return home tired. I'm not sure if staying at his old house is a good idea though.

Too many memories, bad memories that is, linger between the four walls he could never call home. But thinking about it, in the end, Jungkook accepted the suggestion to make his mother happy.

"You're nervous," he pulls me out of my thoughts, his hands stopping my fingers from fidgeting. "Don't be. Everything will be fine."

"I can't help it." I laugh nervously. "I imagined meeting your mom for the first time differently."

He looks over at me from the street, an apologetic smile written on his lips. "I know, and I'm sorry it didn't live up to your expectations. But don't worry, my mom will love you."

I smile back at him before turning my head to the back seat, the big canvas resting on the seats. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Of course," he encourages me. "The fact that you thought of her would have been enough already."

I'm still looking at the canvas, which I've wrapped neatly and properly in wrapping paper. Deciding that I don't want to go to Busan and a first meeting with her empty-handed, I made a painting for her. It's nothing wild, just me giving free rein to my creativity again after a long time.

It turned out quite well, the colors appearing in abstract shapes on a white background, representing freedom and hope. Someone who doesn't know much about art would think that these are just brushstrokes that by chance have come into an acceptable final state.

Jungkook said his mother used to sculpt clay and always wanted to open her own studio. But people who rob you of your passion sometimes cross your path, and she had to give up her dream because of Jungkook's father.

He said that his father always called art a childish distraction and accused artists of just running away from the reality of this world. That's why he never allowed her to put up sculptures or artworks, leaving the walls and interior only pale.

How cruel.

So I hope that my little gift will bring her joy, giving her hope that there are still people who believe art can heal wounds.

I notice that we are now getting off the highway into the normal traffic, big buildings and many cars filling our view. I look around me, the winter just around the corner bringing all the residents in a heavier jacket to the streets, couples walking around holding hands, and the last leaves falling to the ground, painted by the autumn.

My curious eyes jump from stores to restaurants, their lights shining in a variety of colors in the dusk and reflected in our faces. I hope Jungkook and I can come back here sometime later just to explore the city because I'm sure there's a lot to experience in this city of four million people.

The drive takes us through different areas of the city until we end up in an area that, judging by the style of the houses and cars, is a little more expensive and upscale. The longer we drive the more nervous I get and I also see from the corner of my eye that Jungkook is a little tense, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. We approach a barred gate, a small cottage standing right next to it. A slightly older man with a big beard peers inside the car and when he sees us he immediately opens the gates.

Jungkook waves at the man, a sweet little interaction between the two that makes me suspect that Jungkook used to get along well with the man. An asphalt path leads us down between the two well-kept lawns to the entrance of the house. Whether you can still call this size a house is another question, but it's all very unusual and different from what I know of Jungkook and his way of life. He was never a man who really put much value on appearances or money, so I can't quite imagine how he used to live here.

He smiles reassuringly at me and gets out of the car, I follow him and he gets our luggage out of the trunk while I free the canvas from the back seat without adding any damage. My hands shake as I try to carry the large canvas in one hand and reach for Jungkook's hand with the other, which he is already extending for me.

The sound of the bell can be heard behind the heavy cherry wood door and when I look up into Jungkook's eyes, they are already looking down at me before he places a gentle kiss on my forehead, softly saying that everything will go well. To be honest, I don't know what to expect. I don't even know what his mother looks like or if she will like me. I put on my most polite smile as I hear footsteps behind the door and the door opens after a few seconds, revealing a middle-aged woman.

She smiles big as she spots us at the doorstep, her eyes sparkling with small wrinkles at the corners. The glow doesn't leave her eyes as she breathes out Jungkook's name before opening her arms to take him in a hug. I now see where Jungkook got the sparkle and kindness in his eyes, identical ones now looking into mine as she peers at me over his shoulder.

Her embrace warms my insides as I watch her eyes grow wet with unfallen tears. Her dyed hair shows a few strands of silver that have accumulated over the years and probably from her experiences, but the vividness has never left her facial expressions it seems. I have never seen a woman look at me with such warmth and kindness, her son still in her arms. I smile big back at her, my nervousness slowly disappearing from my body and my tense muscles calming.

She pats him on the back, slowly pulling back from the embrace. Her hands find his cheeks and she wipes away her tears before turning completely to face me.

"You must be Elaine," she says, her voice sweet as honey, and with each passing minute, I see more resemblance between her and the man I love. "Welcome, dear."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jeon. Thank you for having us." I smile, bowing a little to show my manners.

"No. Please call me Aera." she pulls me into a motherly hug, radiating the warmth of her body and her welcome to me. "It's also nice to finally meet you."

We pull back from the hug and I have to say that I like her a lot already. First impressions are always the most important when meeting a new person and I already feel comfortable around her. She shows her sincere joy and is not judgmental because I am dating her son.

"Come in," she says quickly when she notices that we are all still standing at the doorstep and lets us enter before closing the door. The interior of the house has been left mainly plain, as I already suspected. The two staircases, each leading up to the second floor along one wall, and a coat rack located just at the entrance are the only things that distinguish the foyer from an empty room. Still, everything seems lifeless and simple, with no individuality or sign of a family spending nice days.

I can already guess that Mrs. Jeon is the only one who brings life to this house, her smile and presence being the only decoration. Even if the house was filled with adornments and decorations, it would not make any difference as long as happiness does not visit this place. But Mrs. Jeon still managed to stay in good shape. Despite everything, at least she didn't lose the sparkle in her eyes.

I could immediately catch the innocence and patience in her features. She must have cut off a piece of herself when she raised Jungkook, the same personality reflected in him. This is the first time I have seen her, but the few minutes in her company are enough to see what a classy and warm-hearted woman she is.

"You two must be hungry and tired," she remarks as we pause a bit awkwardly in the hallway. Jungkook agrees with her saying he could wolf down a whole chicken, though he's already devoured a giant sandwich on the way in the car. I shake my head and Mrs. Jeon just laughs in response, stroking her son's cheek. "I've prepared Jungkook's old room for you and dinner will be ready soon. How about you two go upstairs and rest until then?"

"That's a good idea." Jungkook smiles, looking over at me as he takes my free hand in his. Mrs. Jeon smiles big when she sees our intertwined fingers and turns around after nodding to go to the kitchen. I remember the canvas I still have to give her and my heart starts racing, not knowing if she will like the gift.

"Mrs. Jeon," I call after her and she turns back with curious eyes but shakes her head, probably because I didn't address her by her first name, making me look sheepishly at the canvas. "I made this for you. It's nothing big, but I hope you'll like it."

She takes the wrapped gift from my hand, the smile not leaving her lips as she stares at it with happy eyes. "You didn't have to."

The paper is slowly torn down and to view comes the painting that was created one evening when I was trying to calm my senses. She gasps her eyes big as she stares at the artwork. Her eyes pop over all the brush strokes and over all the details, the excitement and appreciation clear in her brown orbs.

"It's beautiful," she says, pressing her lips into a straight line as her eyes fill with tears and she's quick enough to pull me back into her arms. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

I don't know why, but my own eyes fill with unfallen tears as well, probably because I know how much she likes art but has never been able to live it up. I squeeze her tightly against me whispering in her ear. "You're welcome."

Jungkook watches everything that unfolds before him with soft eyes and winks when our eyes meet. It's not a flirtatious wink but one that shows I didn't have to worry about whether or not she would like my gift. We pull back from the hug and she wipes away a tear that rolls down her cheek, chuckling to cover it up.

"Oh my god. Jungkook is it you?" another feminine voice interrupts, revealing a young woman coming toward us from a door behind us. Her waist-length hair swings with every step she takes, her green dress floating in the air.

"Ji?" Jungkook asks, a puzzled expression written on his face, but it quickly changes to joy as the woman takes him into her arms. She hugs him tightly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck while I can only watch.

"You never called me, I was worried about you." she breathes before pulling back from the too-tight hug. I don't know who she is, but she seems more than a friend. Maybe a family member? "Look at you, you've gotten so handsome."

"Thank you." scratching at the back of his neck out of embarrassment, he smiles at her and I can only stand there awkwardly looking at the interaction between the two of them. But then Jungkook turns back to me, taking my hand in his. "Oh, Ji, this is Elaine. My girlfriend."

Hearing those words, her face falls a little as she looks at me, but she's quick to put a smile back on her lips painted with peach-colored lipstick as she holds out her hand in my direction. I force a smile myself, despite the uncertain feeling in the pit of my stomach, and take her warm, comparatively smaller hand in mine.

"Nice to meet you, Elaine. I'm Eunji," she says, pitching her voice into the higher range as she shakes my hand firmly. "But you can call me Ji. I'm a good friend of Jungkook's."

"Nice to meet you," I murmur, letting go of her hand again but connecting with Jungkook's. I don't want to be a bitch who is jealous of her boyfriend over every woman, but I can't help but think that Eunji doesn't see herself as just a friend.

She isn't a threat to me though because I know my hormones are making me exaggerate again. Also, I don't want to imply anything that might end up not being true at all. I don't know her yet, anyway. Besides, Jungkook has the right to be friends with whoever he wants.

Get a grip on yourself, Elaine.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to rest a bit now before dinner." Jungkook apologizes.

"Of course. Let's catch up sometime." she brushes her hand over his arm, giving me one last look that I can't quite read. A little sadness mixed with jealousy perhaps.

I was so focused on Eunji that I didn't notice that Jungkook's mother has already disappeared into the kitchen as Jungkook pulls me up the stairs by the hand. Our luggage is in his other hand as we walk down the wide hallway past many doors that all look the same. His room is in the left-wing of the house, in the very back corner being the last door.

As he opens the door to his old room, I notice that it takes him a lot of effort not to get carried away by his emotions. Slowly entering, he looks at every corner, every wall, every piece of furniture. It's a medium-sized room, a queen-size bed sitting in the middle. The furniture is very youthful, making me suspect that nothing has been touched here except the freshly changed sheets and some dusting. A door sits in the wall to our right, probably leading to the private bathroom.

The shelves are not cluttered, a few Taekwando trophies and an Ironman figurine adorning their surface. The desk below is neatly tidied and an unused computer, presumably no longer working, is placed in its center.

"Feels weird," Jungkook comments as he looks around his room, and I debate with myself whether we should have stayed in a hotel instead.

I already sensed when we got here that deep down he's not ready for this at all. Pretending he doesn't care about any of this is hard, fucked up even. Setting foot in his room after all these years, sleeping on his old bed must take a lot out of him. And I know that despite all that, deep down he's still hurting. A mask he's put on hides what's underneath for the plan he has in mind.

But I can see it.

I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest. Our bodies swing from side to side, a soothed sigh hitting my hair. He rests his chin on top of my head and I feel the vibration as he speaks in his raspy voice. "You always know when I'm feeling bad."

"I do." I look up at him and he smiles down at me, his eyes then darting to my lips. He places the lightest kiss on them and before I could even taste him, he pulls back again.

After a few minutes, he pulls a little from my embrace an afraid look written in his eyes. "You're not mad at me, right?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I get confused. "No. Why would I be?"

"Don't know. I thought maybe because of Eunji."

"I respect that you have girl friends. I'm not an ass." I roll my eyes and he just laughs, his lower body jerking forward as my hand slaps on his ass cheek.

"Well, she had a crush on me in high school." he teases me and I poke my tongue into my cheek, a habit I picked up from him unintentionally.

"I've already gotten used to the fact that my handsome boyfriend has many admirers," I say masking my annoyance.

"Handsome?" he asks, purposely pulling his best face as I push his ego and nod. "Hmm. I like that."

"I would, too."

"Don't worry, baby. I'm all yours." he breathes into my ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down my spine. I shudder unconsciously as he begins to nibble on my earlobe. "Every inch of me is yours."

A gasp leaves my lips as Jungkook takes my hand that was behind his back and slowly guides it forward and down onto his crotch. His growing erection nestles under my hand, filling it up and throbbing. His lips move over my cheek and hover over my lips as he gives himself a squeeze with his hand resting over mine. He bites his lower lip and my heart starts racing because I didn't see that coming.

Just as he's about to crash his lips down on mine, I pull back a little, stopping him in his tracks. "Your mom's downstairs. We can't do it here."

"She's a cool person. Besides, no one can hear anything from downstairs. Trust me." he breathes against my neck.

"Still. I can't fuck her son under her roof when I just met her half an hour ago." I try to push him away, but he pulls me closer instead, letting his breath ghost over my collarbone.

"I'm a grown man." he rasps, starting to suck lightly on my weak spot. "Like she doesn't know I've fucked you a thousand times already."

"Don't say that, it just makes things awkward. How am I supposed to look her in the eye without getting shy?" I whine, my eyes rolling back into my head as he adds his tongue to his torture. At this point, I know there's no turning back when Jungkook is already horny, so all my efforts to stop him are probably in vain.

"Hmm." he hums and brings his eyes back up, looking deeply at me. "She'll find out eventually when we have a baby."

That's it, I'm going to faint. Can't he give a warning before he blurts out a line like that and leaves me standing there completely dumbfounded? When we have a baby? Of course, I've thought about our future before, but didn't want to get carried away with it but rather enjoy our present. A blush creeps onto my cheeks and I avoid eye contact, my gaze falling to his chest.

"What?" he asks, searching my eyes while a soft smile is reflected on his lips. "Don't you want to have my baby?"

"I do," I admit, my voice probably the softest whisper I can get out as my heart races so fast it could almost jump out of its cage. "But we've never talked about it before. It caught me off guard."

"Then let's talk about it. You see, I want a daughter, a mini version of you running around the house." he starts and the idea makes me laugh, the blush long gone. "And maybe a son, but then I'd be jealous of him because I wouldn't be your big boy anymore."

I burst out laughing and he laughs with me. It's crazy that until a few minutes ago we were comforting each other, and after that Jungkook was horny, and now all of a sudden we're talking about having kids in the future. That's what I call mood swings.

"Maybe you big baby should grow up before you wish for a baby." I tease, coming down from my laughter. He doesn't seem to like that at all and he raises his eyebrows, his tongue pushed into his inner cheek.

"I told you I am big, but I am not a baby."

I take the picture frame I spotted when I walked in the room, which shows a picture of Lil Jungkook, and lift it up next to his face. Looking first at the picture, then at Jungkook, and back at the picture, I shrug. "I don't see any difference."

I squeal as he picks me up under my thighs and carries me over to the bed, hovering over me and a dark look present in his hooded eyes. "I'll show you what this baby can do."

Before I can even protest, he crashes his lips onto mine, kissing me hard and sucking all the air out of my lungs. The way he rubs against me makes every part of my body heat up, every cell burst, and my system craves more. I moan into his mouth as he connects his tongue to mine without warning and lets them dance as one. The wetness from our tongues creates the most sinful sounds in his room and he begins to roll his lower body into me.

I feel his hardness against my heat, wanting more I rock my hips against him and a growl sounds in my ears. The next thing I feel is him using his knee to spread my legs wider and then using it to give me more friction. His knee strokes between my legs against my increasingly wet core and I reach into his hair, pulling at the dark curls.

The making out is hot, arousing impatience and eagerness. It makes me forget everything around me and I can only focus on his lips, the sweet taste, and how soft they feel on mine even as they greedily try to devour me. I flinch as his cold fingers creep under my shirt and begin to knead the flesh along my sides, his knee still rubbing up and down between my legs.

"Jungkook, I brought you clean towels." someone bursts into the room and we pull away from each other in such haste, Jungkook stumbling to his feet in front of the bed. I join him, heat rising high in my neck from the embarrassment of the situation. Didn't we hear the knocking?

His mother stands at the door with her eyes wide open, two towels in her hand, and a look of panic on her features. She turns quickly to the wall, apologizing incessantly. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Please don't feel disturbed, I'm already gone."

And with that, she disappears as quickly as she came, slamming the door behind her. I can still hear her muttering under her breath in the hallway, and judging by the blush on her neck, she must be just as embarrassed by the situation, if not more.

"See. I said she's a cool person."

"Oh great. That was so embarrassing!" I scold, slamming my hand against Jungkook's arm, but he doesn't seem bothered at all. "She's going to hate me."

"Why would she hate you? You are making her son happy." he grins cheekily, amused by the whole incident.

"I hate you, Jeon."

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A/N: fun fact: I wanted to end this book at 40 chapters max, but here we are lol