Present Day
22-Years-Old

The next evening, despite the fact that it was raining, Yoongi headed out a bit early to pick up Sunhee from work. He was simply perusing the shops when he saw her.

She was wearing a rain coat, hat and boots, and holding the hand of a little boy clad much the same. Yoongi watched as they jumped around in puddles and laughed together. His heart started beating wildly as he watched. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her laugh.

And then before he even realized he was doing it, Yoongi was walking toward them. The heavy rain immediately soaked him, but he didn't feel it.

"Aera?" he breathed as he approached them.

Aera whipped around, having immediately recognized Yoongi's voice. Her eyes were wide and she looked nervous.

"Uh, hey," she said quietly. Yoongi's heart dropped. Aera was never quiet. Yoongi was sure she hadn't been since...the last time he saw her.

"Hey," he said, not sure of what else to say.

"Jungkook, this is my frien – This – This is Yoong...i."

Yoongi's heart dropped even further at her introduction.

"Hewo!" the little boy said cheerfully as he stepped forward and bowed deeply. "I'm Jungkook!"

Yoongi observed him with a small smile. "Hello," he replied, bowing back just as deeply. When he righted himself, he saw a small smile also playing at Aera's lips.

They stared at each other for a moment until Aera suddenly looked worried. "Goodness, here!" She pulled a small umbrella from her pocket, opened it and tried to hand it to Yoongi. He stared at it.

"Keep that for yourselves," he told her.

Aera flicked the underside of her hat, then pointed to her coat. "We're fine. You're soaked. Take it."

"I'm fine, really," Yoongi insisted.

"You'll catch your death out here like this, Yoongs!" she exclaimed with exasperation. Then, her eyes went wide and she gasped as she realized she'd called Yoongi by his old nickname.

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean – Look, we should be going. Here," she thrust her hand out and Yoongi finally took the umbrella from her.

They then turned to leave and had only made it a few steps before, "It's okay, A."

Aera froze. After a moment, she turned around very slowly and looked at Yoongi. He held the umbrella over his head, but the rain was still dripping from his hair in rivulets. He pushed the hair out of his face and offered a small smile.

"So, uh, how are you?" Aera asked, ignoring Jungkook pulling on her hand.

"I'm...okay. How are you?"

"Mm, not so great," Aera admitted. "But I'm trying to make the best of things."

Yoongi's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

Aera glanced back at Jungkook to make sure he wasn't listening. He was once again preoccupied by a puddle. Aera then sighed deeply. "I lost my job, so I had to move. It's not a very nice or safe place, so it's set me back in my pursuit of adopting Jungkook."

Yoongi was dumbfounded. "You-You're trying to adopt him?" He couldn't help but feel hurt about not knowing this incredibly important information about Aera's life.

"Yeah, but it's looking like it's not going to happen," Aera said sadly. "I'm not going to stop trying, though."

"How is he here with you now, then?" Yoongi blurted before he even realized it was a slightly rude and presumptuous question.

But Aera didn't seem offended. "I'm fostering him for now. But that won't last long either unless I get a better job than the crap one I had to get after getting fired, and move to a better place. Luckily for now, we seem to be okay. But I'm just worried that – "

She suddenly cut herself off. "Sorry," she offered sheepishly. "I'm rambling. I know you hate that."

"It's okay," Yoongi said, feeling disheartened that Aera, again, was changing her true nature because she thought it bothered Yoongi. It didn't bother him. It never had. Even when he had said it did.

"I just don't have anyone to talk to. And everything's just been bottling up. This is really the first time I've been able to vent a little bit and get things off my chest. I – " She paused. "I'm doing it again. Sorry."

"Really, A, it's okay."

Aera smiled, but Yoongi noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, I'm sure you have stuff you need to be doing – "

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you lose your job?"

Aera looked at Yoongi as though deciding whether or not to continue confiding in him. Eventually, she sighed.

"I've had to go to court a lot for Jungkook. And court happens during the day. I took too much time off."

"You said you're living somewhere that's not safe..."

Aera looked down. "It's all I can afford right now."

"Let me help."

Aera's head snapped up. "W-What?"

"I got a promotion and a raise recently. Let me help you with rent at a nicer place."

"N-No," she stammered again. "We're doing just fine."

"No, you're not. And that's okay. But you need to do what's best for Jungkook. You deserve to adopt him, A. I can already see just by the fact that he talks now that you've done wonders for him."

Aera looked down again. "Well, there's another catch. The courts are also hesitant because I'm single and living alone. They say that Jungkook won't be supported properly without a male figure in his life, too. So, I don't think it would matter much in the end, even if I did move."

Yoongi stared at her. She looked so dejected. So different from the vibrant way she had always been, ever since Yoongi had met her. He'd never seen Aera like this.

"Move back in with me."

Aera audibly gasped. "Yoongs..."

"I'm serious. I – "

"Somehow, I don't think Sunhee would be supportive of that."

Yoongi's heart dropped again. Aera didn't sound bitter. But Yoongi knew she was right.

"I'll talk to her."

"Yoongs..." Aera repeated with a sigh.

"It's not just about Jungkook, okay? I hate the idea of you not being safe."

Aera eyed him warily. "No offense, but...why do you care?"

"What do you mean?"

"You kicked me out, Yoongs. And not just out of the apartment. You kicked me out of your life. Why the sudden change of heart? And especially when Sunhee is still in your life. It just...doesn't make any sense."

Yoongi swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump that had formed in his throat at Aera's words. "I never stopped caring about you," he admitted quietly.

Aera's eyebrows shot up. "Well, you had a funny way of showing it back then." Again, she didn't sound bitter. Or even hateful. She sounded like she was just making a statement. And Yoongi knew it was an accurate one.

Tears began forming in Yoongi's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Yoongs, I – "

"I'm so sorry, A."

"It's f – "

"It's not fine. The way I handled things...I did everything wrong. I miss you, A. God, I miss you so much. I should've just told Sunhee to fuck off."

Aera's eyes widened. "She's your first girlfriend. You were bound to make mista – "

"But not ones like this. This-This was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life."

"What are you saying, Yoongs?"

Yoongi looked her directly in the eyes. "I'm going to tell Sunhee that I want you back in my life. And if she can't accept that, I'm going to break up with her."