"I am coming, my love," I whispered.

As I drove to Daegu, thoughts of her filled my mind. It had been one month and eighteen days since I last saw her. I couldn't wait to hold her, to reassure her that everything would be alright. Parking a few blocks away, I approached the house cautiously, mindful of the guards patrolling in plain clothes. Recognizing them from my previous research, I nodded as they acknowledged me with a bow and let me pass.

Knocking on the door, my heart raced with anticipation. There was no immediate response, and I started to feel restless. Just as I was about to knock again, I heard footsteps approaching. Murmurs from inside the house followed, and then the door opened. Miss Lee stood there, surprise written on her face.

"Mr. Jeon!" she exclaimed, turning her head. "Moon!" she called out, gesturing for me to come inside.

I walked inside, my heart pounding with anticipation. Across the hall, I heard footsteps and a voice saying, "Yes, unnie, I am coming!" The footsteps approached, growing louder with each step.

Miss Lee spoke from behind me, "Mr. Jeon, shall I take my leave then?"

"I'll call you," I replied distractedly, my focus completely on Moon's approaching footsteps.

Just then, I saw her, her freshly showered hair still wet, wearing a floral dress, bright yellow with strawberries down it. She stood frozen, staring at me. The last time I saw her, she was frail and lifeless, but now she looked vibrant, her cheeks flushed with color. Walking closer to her, I saw her lips quiver, and a single tear fell down her cheek. "My love," I said tenderly. Without hesitation, she threw herself into my arms, and I could feel the tension in her body as she wept against my chest.

"You're real," she sobbed, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"I'm here," I murmured, feeling the warmth of her skin and the dampness of her hair. The scent of jasmine filled the air around us, and I couldn't help but hold her tighter. "I've missed you so much."

She sobbed and hugged me tightly, clinging to me as if her life depended on it. I hugged her back just as tightly, burying my face in the crook of her neck to inhale her jasmine scent. I felt tears welling up in my own eyes.

"Jungkook," she called my name between sobs, pulling back slightly to look at my face.

"Yes, my love, I'm real, here in your arms," I said with a smile, gently brushing away a tear from her cheek.

But her face dropped with anger, and the next thing I knew, a slap landed on my cheek. It stung like a mosquito bite; I was worried she might have hurt herself.

"You took so long to come back, huh! At least you could have informed me you were okay!" she snapped at me, her voice tinged with frustration. She rubbed the same cheek where she slapped me. "Is it hurting?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.

I looked up, trying to hold back my tears, and chuckled softly. But when I saw the hurt in her eyes, my resolve crumbled, and tears began to fall down my cheeks. "It's okay," I managed to say, my voice thick with emotion.

"It is hurting, right? I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that... Let me get some ice," she said, trying to pull away from my grip, but I held onto her. I was overwhelmed with emotions at this moment. All I wanted was to hold her close and let myself cry.

"Jung... Jungkook, let me bring ice," she cried softly.

"No, it didn't hurt, my love. I just missed you so much," I whispered, my voice trembling. All my life, I hadn't cried in front of anyone. Even in moments of despair, I had held back tears. But now, holding her in my arms, I felt vulnerable and overwhelmed by my feelings.
"Jungkook," she gulped, her hands moving from my waist to cup my face. "I wanted to tell you this for so long."

My heart skipped a beat. "Tell me what?"

"I love you," she said softly.

At that moment, my heart stopped. I felt frozen as if I were in a dream. All this time, I had thought that my love would be enough even if she didn't love me back. But hearing those words from her, confessing her love, swamped me with delight and reassurance I had never known before.

"You don't love me anymore?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes, her voice trembling with fear. I couldn't speak. "No," I finally managed, my voice cracking. "It's just... I never knew how much I needed to hear that." I said firmly, reaching out to hold her hands in mine. "I love you more than anything. I always have, and I always will."

I gently wiped away her tears with my thumb. "I'm sorry if I made you doubt. I've been a mess these past weeks, unable to be with you, afraid for your safety, and feeling powerless against my father's control. But none of that changes how I feel about you. I love you, Moon."

Moon's eyes searched mine, her gaze filled with a motley of ease and lingering doubt. She sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I was so scared, Jungkook. Scared that something had happened to you, scared that you didn't care anymore."

"I understand why you're angry," I murmured, brushing her cheek with my thumb. "I should have found a way to let you know I was safe."

She leaned into my touch, her anger softening into a deep sadness. "I know you were trying to protect me," she whispered. "But it hurt not knowing where you were, not hearing from you."

"I promise, from now on, I'll find a way to keep you informed," I vowed, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll never leave you like that again."

Moon's arms tightened around me, her warmth seeping into my bones. "I love you," she repeated softly, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I love you too," I replied, holding her close. "More than anything."

Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked, "Can I kiss you?"