- "Ya, did you just get rejected again?" Your friend Hwayoung nudges your shoulder & plops down beside you on the bench.
- "I did.." You huff heavily as you fondle with the ribbon on the box of chocolates in your hand.
- "You should give up already. How many times has he rejected you? 22?"
- "23." You slouch forward & lay your head on the table.
- "Ahhh, I forgot to add the one when he said no before you even opened your mouth."
- "Yaaa, don't remind me. Everyone in the hall was laughing at me like crazy. Huh.. What should I do Hwayoung ah? I've tried writing him letters, giving him gifts, baking him cookies, although they were kinda burnt. But he kept saying no. Ugh.." You scratch your head vigorously in frustration.
- "Maybe.. you're just not his type. I mean he's a handsome mad genius who excels at everything, while you..." She looks me up & down with a despising look.
- "Ya! I can be smart too if I try hard enough, you know?" You slap her arm & exclaim.
- "Yeah right, you can't even differentiate between 'your' & 'you're'." She rolls her eyes & rises from her seat.
- "Yaaaaaa! Min Hwayoung!" You scream at her as she runs away from your wrath.
- She's right though. A dumb ugly girl like me shouldn't dream of dating a perfect guy like Jeon Jungkook. Oh God, even his name is perfect. Jeon. Jung. Kook. So poetic.
- Thinking about him is enough to send shivers down your spine. He's that powerful.
- Right then, your periphery vision catches him walking into the cafeteria & you instantly turn to look at him.
- His face is devoid of any expression, his stare is cold, but that's part of why you are attracted to him.
- You want to break into his cool exterior & experience the warmth that is buried inside, because you know it's there, he just doesn't let people see it.
- He grabs his tray & scans the room for an empty seat, accidentally meeting your gaze in the process.
- "It's empty here!" You excitedly wave at him, ignoring people's silent snort & scoff.
- He doesn't even say anything before averting his gaze, walking towards the opposite side of the room, & sitting down on an empty table.
- Your shoulders slump in disappointment, but you immediately pick yourself up.
- If there's one positive thing that Kim Y/n has, it's tenacity. I won't let minor obstacles stop me from pursuing what my heart desires. And that is you, Jeon Jungkook.
- You put your forefinger & thumb up into a gun & shoot at Jungkook's direction.
- Damn, that was cheesy. You embarrassedly smile to yourself & glance at Jungkook again.
- God, I'd give up everything to be near him.

Saturday, 11:36 AM
- "Y/n! Are you ready?" Your mom calls out to you from the door.
- "Yes! Gimme a minute!" You shouts back.
- You check your reflection in the mirror one last time.
- Hair check. Make up check. Outfit check. I think I'm ready.
- You've been preparing a long time for this day ever since your mom sat you down & told you that she had been seeing this guy.
- You've never met him before because your mom wasn't sure whether the relationship would last.
- The only thing you know about him is that he has a son your age & his wife passed away a few years ago due to cancer, but other than that your mom rarely talks about him.
- Today, you're going to be introduced to him for the very first time so you're very very nervous.
- "Do I look ok mom?" You anxiously ask her as she parks the car in front of the restaurant.
- "You look fine as always. Why are you more nervous than I do?" She chuckles.
- "I just want to make a good impression, especially to ajusshi's son. You said we're the same age, right? I hope we can get along."
- "Uhm.. about him.. I don't know if he can make it today." Your mom suddenly looks antsy.
- "Aww really? I was so looking forward to meeting him. But that's ok, there's always another time. Let's go, don't keep him waiting for too long." You excitedly get off the car & link your arm with your mom's.
- Your heart pounds inside your chest from anticipation.
- The moment you see him, you know that he's a good man & he loves your mom a lot.
- From the twinkle in his eyes as soon as he lays eyes on her, from his gentle stroke on her shoulder, from his deep tender voice when he calls her name.
- Appa, finally she's found someone who loves her as much as you did.
- "Annyeong haseyo ajusshi, Kim Y/n imnida. Nice to finally meet you." You put on your brightest smile & greet him.
- The lunch goes on pretty smoothly, he seems to be genuinely interested in getting to know you, so another plus point for him.
- "Ajusshi, what's your son's name? I heard he's my age & goes to the same school as me. Maybe I know him." You nonchalantly ask.
- But the fork in his hand freezes mid air as soon as you mention his son.
- "Uhm.. well.. Haha.. That's right, he's your age. His teacher told me that he's quite popular at school so I guess you should know him. His name is Jung-" He chuckles nervously.
- "Appa." The sudden call startles all of you.
- Wait, that voice..
- You slowly turn your face around & meet the familiar cold stare of Jeon Jungkook.
- Oh God, this will be very awkward. How is it possible that his son is Jeon freaking Jungkook?
- "J-Jungkook ah, I thought you said you wouldn't come." Ajusshi stutters in surprise.
- "I've decided to come to see how good the woman who will replace my mom is." He scoffs as he plops down on the seat beside his father.
- "Jeon Jungkook!" Ajusshi gasps at Jungkook's rudeness.
- You frown at his impolite remark, no matter how much you like him, what he said to your mom was just plain disrespectful & you don't like that at all.
- "Minhaeyo Hyosung ssi & Y/n, I should've taught him better." Ajusshi nods at us in apparent embarrassment, while Jungkook just leans on the chair with his arms crossed without saying a word.
- "I-It's ok Jeongsuk ssi." Your mom smiles at him, but you notice that she's uncomfortable.
- A stretch of awkward silence follows as none of you knows what to say.
- God, this is so awkward. I hope he won't say anything about me.
- You lift your eyes from your plate & are startled when you find him staring intently at you.
- You quickly lower your gaze & continue stuffing your mouth again.
- "Ehm.. Jungkook ah, do you know Y/n? You guys should be in the same grade at Chungang high school. Have you met before?" Your mom clears her throat & tries to break the ice.
- "Oh yes, I know about her. The girl with the lowest grade in our year." He smirks.
- Heat instantly creeps to your cheeks, burning them with embarrassment.
- "I- I wasn't last, ok?" You brace yourself & retort.
- "Well, second to last is no different." He chuckles sarcastically, making you even more ashamed.
- "Jungkook, manners. Please pardon my son, the doctor said that he's a bit socially detached so he doesn't understand the norms. I'm so sorry." Ajusshi apologetically says to me.
- "I'm not! Why do you keep bringing that up every single time? That doctor was a fraud!" Jungkook exclaims furiously.
- "Just be quiet if you want to stay." Ajusshi scolds him sternly.
- Jungkook crosses his arms sulkily & looks away.
- "It's alright Jeongsuk ssi. I know Y/n is lacking in her academic achievement, so Jungkook is only stating the fact." Your mom tries to save the situation.
- "Eomma!" You protest but her stern glance makes you shut up.
- "I heard that you are the top student in your year, so I was hoping that maybe you can help Y/n study." Your mom says to Jungkook.
- "And why would I do that?" Jungkook scoffs.
- "Because she's going to be your sister soon." Ajusshi calmly says.
- "What?!" You & Jungkook exclaims in unison.
- "Yes, we're planning to get married next month." Ajusshi explains.
- "No! I will never agree to this." Jungkook hits the table with his fist, rattling all the plates & utensils.
- "It's been decided." Lips thin, brows furrowed, ajusshi dismisses Jungkook's refusal.
- "W-Why didn't you tell me anything?" You turn to your mom for explanation.
- "We had just decided it yesterday. I hope you'll accept our decision." Your mom squeezes your hand & pleads.
- "Appa, eomma has been gone for only 3 years. I've barely gotten over her death, yet you've already found a replacement for her. Did she mean nothing to you?! Were you actually happy when she finally passed away?!" Jungkook yells at his father, ignoring the whispers & curious stares from people around you.
- "Jeon Jungkook, enough!" Ajusshi suddenly raises his hand & slaps Jungkook right on his cheek.
- You & your mom gasp in shock at the scene.
- "J-Jungkook ah.. I-I'm sorry.." Ajusshi frantically apologizes once he's realized what he's done.
- "Don't touch me. You can do whatever you want, but I will never accept them." Jungkook throws you & your mom a menacing side glance, before storming out of the restaurant.
- "Jungkook ah-" Ajusshi motions to chase after him, but you touch his arm to stop him.
- "Ajusshi, let me talk to him. Maybe he'll be more comfortable talking to someone who's going through the same thing as he is." You smile faintly at him before running out looking for Jungkook.
- You find him walking briskly away so you run with all your might to get to him.
- "Jeon.. Jungkook.. Wait.. Let's talk!" You call out to him in between heavy breaths, but he doesn't stop.
- "Ugh.." You muster the rest of your energy & sprint towards him.
- But then you trip on a slightly-raised block of pavement & fall forward on all fours.
- "Shit." You look up & Jungkook is getting further away.
- I have to think of something.
- "Help! Help! That guy in black jacket stole my wallet!" You scream out loud.
- People around you instantly turn to you & help you stand up.
- "Which one?" One of the people asks.
- "That one." You point at Jungkook's back & a few guys begin to chase after Jungkook.
- They get him in no time & drag him back to where you're standing.
- "Is this the guy, miss?" One of the bigger guys, who's grabbing Jungkook by the arm, asks.
- "Yes, he is. Thank you for your help. I'll deal with him now." You bow repeatedly at the people who help you.
- "What the hell is this about?" Jungkook glares at you as he tries to get out of the man's grip to no avail.
- "Miss, let's just bring him to the police station. We never know what a shameless person like him can do to you. Come on, we'll escort you." The guys say as they begin to drag Jungkook away.
- "Let go of me! I didn't do anything wrong!" Jungkook shouts furiously.
- "W-Wait. That's not necessary, really. Wait. Wait!" You try to stop them but they won't listen.
- Panic rises in your throat. Fuck, what should I do now?

A few hours later
- You walk out of the police station with head lowered as you glance nervously at Jungkook, who looks obviously furious.
- "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think that they'd really brought us to the police station." You apologize stutteringly.
- He doesn't respond & keeps his gaze straight ahead as he walks briskly away.
- Consumed by guilt, you pick up your pace & follow him.
- "Stop following me!" He abruptly turns around & yells at you.
- "Sorry.." You flinch & lower your gaze again, but you continue to follow him.
- "What do you want?! Haven't you caused enough trouble for me today?" He stops walking & glares at you, completely annoyed.
- "I just want to talk to you about our parents." You say in a tiny voice.
- "There's nothing to talk about. I absolutely will never agree to the marriage."
- "I get it. You feel like your dad has betrayed you & your mom for getting married again. But don't you want your dad to be happy too? I'm sure your mom would-"
- "Don't you dare mention my mom. You know nothing about me or my family, so don't act like you know anything. Stop following me, I don't want to see or talk to you again." He hisses menacingly before leaving you standing alone on the sidewalk.
- "Huh.. What should I do now?" You sigh heavily.
- Things will be really tough & complicated from now on.

- Jungkook never talks to you again after that day.
- He was cold towards you before, but now he's become even colder, like Arctic cold.
- He never comes to dinner with your parents & his absence has become the big elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about every time the three of you meet.
- A month passes by very quickly & the day of your mom's wedding to his father has come.
- You know that Jungkook most likely won't attend, but you still hold on to the loose string of hope, that maybe he'll see things through & accept you & your mom into his family.
- The ceremony begins, no sign of Jungkook.
- Since only close friends & families are invited to the small dinner party, they all seem to notice Jungkook's absence.
- The guests' secretive murmurs & judgmental glances at you & your mom make you feel extremely uncomfortable.
- Hours pass, the dinner is coming to an end, still no sign of Jungkook.
- Does he hate us that much? You dejectedly think to yourself.
- "Y/n ah, the hotel gives us a free stay tonight. Would you be alright if you go back on your own? But if you don't feel comfortable being alone, I'll talk to Jeongseok ssi & accompany you." Your mom hesitantly asks.
- "No no! Don't worry about me. It's your wedding night, you should spend it with ajusshi. I'll be fine. Besides, I haven't finished unpacking all my stuff, so I'll do it tonight." You smile reassuringly at her.
- "Are you sure? Honestly, I'm kind of worried." She frowns.
- "Mom, I'm 18. I'll be absolutely fine staying at home alone. Enjoy your wedding night, I'll get going first. Have fun!" You wink at her & walk away.
- You hail a cab outside of the hotel lobby & give the driver the address to your new home, Jungkook's house.
- You get off the cab, tap in the passcode to the door, & step into the dark room.
- You glide your fingers over the wall & find the light switch.
- You scan your surroundings, it's a beautiful modern house, much bigger than the apartment you used to live in with your mom, but it doesn't feel like home at all.
- It feels like you're intruding someone else's house, someone else's life.
- Huh... This will definitely take some time getting used to.
- You walk heavily to your room & stop in front of Jungkook's, which is right next to yours.
- You hesitate for a few seconds before mustering all your courage & knocking on his door.
- "J-Jungkook ah, are you in there?" You knock once, no answer.
- Is he not home? Or is he sleeping?
- You grab the door handle, but then decide not to open the door in the end & go straight to your room instead.
- Let's not bother him tonight. He must be in a really bad mood.
- You take off your clothes & make up, change into your comfortable old pajamas, & begin to unpack the rest of your things.
- About an hour later, you hear the sound of front door clicking open & a loud thud.
- Mom? Or.. Jungkook?
- You step out of your room & cautiously approach the front entrance.
- You gasp in surprise when you find Jungkook lying face down on the floor near the door.
- "Jungkook ah? Are you ok? Jeon Jungkook." You nudge his shoulder but he doesn't respond.
- The smell of alcohol & smoke hits your nostrils.
- "Ooff.. Ya, did you go drinking? Jeon Jungkook, wake up. Wake up!" You shake his body harder, still no response.
- "Ugh.. Whatever." You roll your eyes & begin to step away.
- But then, guilt & pity, mixed with your long-time affection towards him, make you turn back around.
- "Huh.. let's get you back to your room."
- You roll up your sleeves & try to pull him up, but he's too heavy.
- After several tries, you finally give up & think of other ways, then an idea comes to you.
- "I'm sorry, but this is the only way I can think of right now." You huff, flip his body so that he's facing up, grab both his arms, & drag him towards his room.
- After what feels like hours & an enormous effort, you finally manage to pull him to his room & throw him on his bed.
- "My God, how the hell are you so heavy?" You pant, out of breath.
- You collapse onto the floor beside his bed & lean your head back, trying to catch your breath.
- You look around his bedroom, at the bare walls, the neatly-stacked books on the shelves, and the only picture frame on his bedside table.
- Out of curiosity, you grab the frame & observe the picture in it.
- It's a photo of a younger Jungkook with a gorgeous older lady, who must be his mom.
- Both of them are smiling brightly at the camera.
- One third of the photo is torn though, & judging from the hand hanging on Jungkook's shoulder, the torn portion must be his father.
- Your heart clenches. He must be hurting a lot.
- You turn to look at his sleeping face & find him frowning, like he's having a nightmare.
- You put the frame on the floor & hesitantly extend your fingers towards his face.
- It feels like electricity running through your body when your cold fingers touch his hot skin.
- Cheeks flushed, you quickly retract your hand, but he catches it.
- "Don't leave." He murmurs.
- Shit, is he awake? You hold your breath without realizing.
- "Don't leave me alone.. eomma."
- Pheww.. He must be having a dream.
- You get up & try to push his hand away, but it only makes him tighten his grip on your hand.
- Oh well, let's stay like this for a while.
- You sit back down, lean your head on the bed, & stare at his face.
- You've always seen him as this perfect guy who had everything; smart, athletic, handsome, popular, rich.
- You never expect that he also has this fragile side of him, but that makes you like him even more now.
- I'm sorry Jungkook ah. For adding to your misery.

The next morning, Jungkook POV
- The blaring sound of alarm awakens me from my deep sleep.
- 6:00 AM.
- "Ugh, I shouldn't have drunk so much last night." I groan, as I suffer from dry mouth, sore throat, & throbbing headache.
- I try to push myself up but then my hand touches something that feels like hair.
- "Argh!!" I scream in shock.
- "What? What? Is there an earthquake?" She instantly lifts her head & looks around.
- "What the hell are you doing in my room?!" I yell at her.
- "Jeez, can you please stop screaming?" She says as she yawns & stretches her arms upwards, her belly peeking from under her T-shirt.
- "Who gave you permission to enter my room? Get out now!" I quickly look away & say.
- "Ya, don't you remember what happened last night?" Her round doe eyes open wide as she bites her lower lip.
- "W-What?" My heart races in panic.
- What did I do? Did I kiss her? No, that's impossible. I was drunk but I'm not even attracted to her.
- "You really forget? We- We-" She seems embarrassed to say it out loud.
- "We what?" My heart rate escalates as I think of the worst.
- "We- We- We didn't do anything. Hahaha! You should look at your face!" She clutches her stomach & laugh out loud.
- "Yaaaa! Get out right now!" I yell at her, completely annoyed.
- "Ok ok, stop yelling. Btw, you shouldn't drink so much next time. It's not good for your health." She says as she rises from the floor.
- "Did you- Did you put me to bed last night?" I ask, feeling a little bad.
- "Yes I did. You collapsed in front of the entrance so I had no choice. Why? Do you feel grateful? Do you want to give me something back in return?" Her eyes light up as she turns back around & clasps her hands together.
- "Ugh.. Just get out of my face." I slam the door close.
- "Ya! Jeon Jungkook!" Her muffled cry pierces through the door.
- God, she's so annoying. Do I really have to live with her from now on?

Y/n POV
- "Ya! Jeon Jungkook!" You yelp in surprise as he slams the door in your face.
- "Huh.. What a difficult guy.." You sigh.
- But then you recall his helpless expression from last night & a surge of sympathy fills your heart.
- "Don't leave me."
- Maybe he's acting so cold & prickly like a porcupine because he's hurting so badly inside & doesn't know how to express it. I shouldn't judge him too fast. I'm sure he'll warm up to me if I keep trying.
- "Hwaiting Y/n ah!" You pump your fist with newfound determination.
- "What are you still doing here?" His sudden appearance startles you, making you jump in reflex.
- "N-Nothing." You stutter.
- "Move. I don't want to be late to school because of you." He frowns as he flips a towel over his shoulder.
- "School? Oh shit! I completely forgot!" You immediately rush to your bedroom.
- "Ugh, I'm gonna be late at this rate." You quickly pull out your uniform from the wardrobe & put the books into your backpack.
- And then a thought crosses your mind.
- Does it mean that I can go to school together with Jungkook? Omg!! That's basically my dream coming true! Shhh.. he's your stepbrother now. You can't like him that way.
- You huff heavily & slump forward at the realization.
- But that's ok. At least I can spend a lot more time with him then before. All the girls at school will envy me for sure.
- You smile to yourself & continue to get ready.

Later
- "Jungkook ah! Let's go together!" You call out as you run after him who's already walking a few meters ahead of you.
- He doesn't even look back or stop at your holler.
- "Aish, this guy really.." You run with all your might until you finally catch up with him.
- "Let's.. go.. together.." You say in between heavy breaths.
- "No." He coldly replies without even looking at you.
- "왜 (wae=why)?!" You grab his arm & nag.
- His eyes widen as he stares at your hand on his arm, then he quickly pushes it away.
- "Because I don't want to be seen together with you." He says.
- "And why is that? We're siblings now & live in the same hou-"
- You can't even finish your sentence because he clamps his palm over your mouth & moves his face closer to yours.
- So close that you can see his long lashes batting against each other & feel his hot breath blowing on your skin.
- Your heart pounds uncontrollably as you freeze on the spot like a mannequin.
- "Don't even think of telling anyone about it. If I hear anyone talking about us being step-siblings, I won't ever forgive you." He hisses before releasing you & walking away.
- "W-Why? What's so wrong about us being sibli- I mean STEP-siblings?" You ask to his back.
- "Because I don't want to be associated with a moron." He turns around & says flatly.
- His words are like daggers shooting through your heart.
- You know that you're not smart, but being called a moron by the guy you like definitely hurts a lot.
- "Jeong Jungkook, you just wait. I'll prove to you that I can get good grades too if I try hard enough." You clench your fists & mutter to yourself.

Lunch break
- "Arghhh! I can't do this anymore! I feel like my head is about to explode." You slump forward & lay your head on the desk.
- "Told you not to force yourself. Why are you suddenly interested in math anw? You used to hate studying math." Hwayoung asks as she sits on the seat in front of yours.
- "Because-" You were going to tell Hwayoung about the situation with Jungkook, but then you remember his warning.
- "Don't even think of telling anyone about it."
- "Ugh.. Let's just say I suddenly have a motivation to improve my grades. Alright, let's do this again. x2-x-3=0, find x." You shake your head & try to focus on solving the equation again.
- "Dude, we learnt this in grade 10! You can't even do this?!" Hwayoung exclaims in disbelief.
- "Huhuhu.. What should I do Hwayoung ah? I didn't realize that I was this stupid." You get discouraged & cry in desperation.
- "You need to find a tutor to help you study."
- "Who? I don't know anyone who can help me." You sigh.
- "Well, you can ask Jungkook. He's the smartest kid in our school. Maybe he can help you & then you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone." She winks.
- "That's right! But.. he'll never agree to that. He hates me guts."
- "There's no harm in trying. All I know is you definitely can't study by yourself." She shrugs.
- She's right. If Jungkook agrees, it will be easier since we live in the same house anw. Alright, I'm gonna ask him tonight.

After school
- A loud thunder booms through the dark sky as a strike of lightning splits the thick clouds.
- "Woah, it finally rains. Luckily I brought my umbrella with me." You watch the heavy downpour from the school lobby.
- A shadow passes by you & you turn to see who it is.
- "Oh. Jungkook ah!" You call him but he doesn't stop & keeps walking into the rain.
- "He doesn't have an umbrella?"
- You quickly open your umbrella & chase after him.
- "Jungkook ah! Jeon Jungkook! Wait for me!" You try to walk as fast as you can but you still can't catch up to him.
- "Huh.. He'll get sick if he walks home in this rain." You sigh in concern as you see his back disappears behind the curtain of water.
- There's nothing you could do so you walk to the bus stop by yourself & go home.
- "Y/n ah, is that you?" Your mom calls out as soon as you open the door.
- "Eomma! You're back already?" You quickly takes off your shoes & rush to hug her.
- "Why? You haven't seen me only for one day, do you miss me that much?" She chuckles.
- Yeah, but so many things happened in that one day.
- "I do. Where's ajusshi btw?" You ask while releasing her from your hug.
- "He needs to go to the office for a while. Where's Jungkook? You guys didn't come home together?" She stretches her neck & peeks at the front door.
- "Well.. The thing is.." He hates me. Correction, he hates us. So he doesn't want to have anything to do with us.
- Right then, the door clicks open & Jungkook walks in, completely soaked from head to toe.
- "Ommo, Jungkook ah, you forgot to bring an umbrella?" Your mom immediately grabs a towel & rushes to give it to him.
- But he ignores her & continues untying his shoes, letting her hand hang in mid air.
- An uneasy expression spreads across your mom's face & that saddens you.
- "Jeon Jungkook, just take the towel." You say to him.
- He throws a side glance at you & steps towards his room without saying a word, bumping your mom's arm on the way.
- "Ya! You-" Furious at his disrespectful attitude towards your mom's kindness, you yell at him.
- "Y/n ah. It's ok. Maybe he still needs time to accept us into his life." Your mom smiles sadly.
- It pains you to see her like that, so you clench your fists & walk briskly towards Jungkook's room.
- "Wait! Y/n ah-" Your mom tries to stop you.
- "I'm gonna talk to him. Don't worry, I'll be gentle." You smile at your mom.
- You walk faster & push open his door.
- "Ya Jeon Jungkoo-" You begin to talk but the rest of the sentence gets stuck in your throat as you see him standing half-naked in the middle of the room.
- "Ya! Don't you know how to knock?!" He yells at you in surprise as he immediately covers his bare chest with both arms.
- You stand frozen on the spot, gulping down your own saliva.
- His wide shoulders, muscly chest, six-pack abs are all laid out in the open for your eyes to feast on.
- Obviously embarrassed by your unmoving stare, he quickly puts on a T-shirt.
- He suddenly turns to you & pushes you against the wall.
- You look up at him & blink twice, regaining your senses.
- "S-Sorry. I- I was-" You stutter.
- "Did you enjoy what you see that much, huh? You must be glad that you live under the same roof as me now since you're crazy about me." He smirks as he leans his face closer, his breath tickling your nose.
- A shot of adrenaline surges through your heart making it hammer inside your chest.
- "I- I don't-" You quickly avert your gaze, but he pinches your chin & turns you to face him again.
- "If you don't want me to tell your mom about the insane things you did to gain my attention, don't ever come near me again. Now get out." He hisses & pushes you out of his room before you can even utter any response.
- You stare at the closed door in front of you & bite your lip to muffle the frustrated scream that's about to escape your mouth.
- Jeon Jungkook, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!

- Days passed, you've stopped trying to communicate with Jungkook.
- It's hard to see him anw, although you go the same school & live in the same house.
- He always avoids you & both your parents, locking himself in his room, never coming out even during dinner time despite their knocking on his door pleading him to join you.
- You're actually worried about him & want to approach him, but his threat of exposing your crush on him to your parents scares you so you just keep quiet.
- One night, you're studying in your room after dinner, yet your brain can't focus because it's clouded with thoughts about Jungkook.
- "Huh.. What should we do with him?" You sigh as you put down your pen.
- Your stomach rumbles all of a sudden.
- "Ugh, I guess I'll go cook some ramyeon." You rise from your desk & walk out to the kitchen.
- You're cooking ramyeon when Jungkook steps into the kitchen.
- Your eyes meet but since both of you are startled to see each other, none of you say a thing.
- "A-Are you hungry too? Do you want some ramyeon?" You finally manage to speak.
- As expected, he ignores you & walks towards the fridge.
- Finding nothing to eat, he hesitates for a moment before closing the fridge door.
- "There's no leftovers. I'm cooking ramyeon for myself, if you want some-"
- "I'm not hungry." He mutters without looking at you.
- But then, his stomach rumbles loudly betraying his words.
- Embarrassed, the tips of his ears turn red in an instant.
- "See, I know you're hungry. You didn't even eat dinner. I'll-"
- "Don't bother." He hastily rushes back towards his room, leaving you alone in the kitchen.
- "Jeez, how can he be so stubborn? Fine, just suffer on your own." You click your tongue in annoyance.
- But as soon as the words escape your lips, you feel bad for him.
- In the end, you cook another bowl for him & knock on his door.
- "Jungkook ah, I've cooked some ramyeon for you. Open the door." No response.
- "I'll just put this outside your door then. Eat it when it's still warm. Soggy noodles taste disgusting." You knock again, still no response.
- So you have no other choice but to leave the bowl on the floor & go back to your room.
- You glance at the direction of his room one last time before entering your own.
- I hope he'll let go of his ego & eat it. You sigh.

Jungkook POV
- I wait until I hear her door clicking shut before I open mine.
- A bowl of piping hot ramyeon is sitting right in front of my door, its delicious aroma wafting into my nose.
- "Ugh, she even put an egg & kimchi in it." My mouth begins to salivate in reflex.
- No Kook, you can't eat it. If you do, that means that you've accepted her.
- I swallow my saliva & close the door with a heavy heart.
- "Ugh.. I'm hungry." I mutter to myself as I lie down on my bed.
- She's actually a very nice person. Stupid & annoying, but she has a kind heart. Wait.. What am I thinking? I can't possibly be wavered by a bowl of ramyeon, can I? Huh.. I guess I'll just sleep it off.

The next morning, Y/n POV
- You walk out of your room & the first thing you see is the untouched bowl of ramyeon in front of Jungkook's room.
- Your heart drops to the ground in disappointment.
- He hates me so much that he chose to suffer from hunger rather than eating my cooking.
- You dejectedly pick the bowl up & bring it to the kitchen.
- "Y/n ah, sorry I'm late. I'll cook up something quick for breakfast." Your mom rushes into the kitchen.
- "Ommo, you cooked ramyeon already? You can't eat ramyeon for breakfast, it's unhealthy." Your mom exclaims as she sees the bowl in your hand.
- "Oh. No, this-"
- "Morning." Your sentence is cut off by ajusshi's appearance.
- "Ah morning ajusshi." You nod at him.
- "Yeobo, wait for a while, I'll cook breakfast now." Your mom frantically opens the fridge & completely forgets about your ramyeon.
- "Take your time." He smiles warmly at her.
- You dump the ramyeon in the bin & help your mom prepare breakfast.
- "Let's eat." Ajusshi says as he picks up his chopsticks.
- Right then, Jungkook walks pass the kitchen with head lowered.
- "Jungkook ah, let's eat breakfast together." Ajusshi calls out, but Jungkook just keeps walking.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Stop right there!" Ajusshi rises from his seat & yells at Jungkook, which makes him halt his steps.
- Your mom & you glance nervously at each other, not knowing what to do.
- "I've had enough of your disrespectful attitude. We've done everything to understand you & give you space, but you don't even give a damn. What else do you want us to do?!" Ajusshi exclaims as he approaches Jungkook.
- "Actually, there's one thing you can do. Divorce her. Can you do it?" Jungkook scoffs.
- Ajusshi's palm lands on Jungkook's cheek with a loud slap, causing you & your mom to gasp in shock.
- "Yeobo!" Your mom immediately stands up & pulls ajusshi's arm.
- You rush to the fridge to get the ice pack for Jungkook.
- "That's all you can do, is it? Using your fist to solve everything. Why didn't you get cancer instead of eomma? Why did she have to die & you live?!" He screams out loud before running out of the house.
- "Jeon Jungkook! You-" Ajusshi clutches his chest & pants.
- "Yeobo! Breathe. Calm down." Your mom guides him to the couch & sits him down.
- "What have I done? I'm so sorry I didn't teach him well." Ajusshi shakes his head, looking like he's about to cry.
- "Y/n ah, can you please go talk to Jungkook?" Your mom turns to you as she strokes ajusshi's back.
- "N-Ne." You stutter as you quickly grab your backpack & rush out the door.
- But Jungkook is nowhere to be seen already.
- Maybe I can talk to him at school later.
- The first thing you do after you get to school is run to Jungkook's class, but he isn't there.
- "Ya Kim Y/n, what are you doing here? Trying to pester Jungkook again? He hates you, just give up already." Sooah, the snobbish rich girl who has her eye on Jungkook as well, calls out to you.
- "I don't want to argue with you Kim Sooah. Where is he? Has he come in yet?" You scan the classroom, searching for a trace of him.
- "Maybe he doesn't feel like going to school anymore because he's finally had enough of you constantly chasing after him like a dog." She snickers, causing a few people in the class to chuckle at her mean remark.
- "So he's not here yet. Thanks." Not wanting to start an argument, you instantly turn around to leave.
- You're used to that kind of comment.
- The whole school knows that you, the girl with the lowest grade; have a huge crush on Jungkook, the genius, so they often make fun of you because of that.
- Their comments hurt at times, but as time passes you stop caring anymore.
- You run around the school ground of Jungkook until the bell rings yet you still haven't found him.
- Where is he? Is he really skipping school today?
- You wait for him but he doesn't show up even after school has ended & he doesn't pick up his phone either.
- Worry fills your mind, what if he does something reckless & harmful to himself?
- You spend the rest of the day roaming around the neighborhood searching for him, still you can't find him.
- Tired of walking for hours, you finally go home dejectedly.
- "Where is he?" You push your hair back in frustration.
- Right then, the front door swings open & Jungkook walks in.
- "Jungkook! Omg, I've been looking for you the whole day! Where did you go? Why didn't you go to school?" You walk up to him & as usual he pretends that you don't even exist.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Don't you know how worried I wa-" You grab his arm to stop him.
- "Leave me alone!" He pushes hard you until you stumble backwards onto the floor.
- You gasp in surprise at his sudden violence.
- "Why do you have to be so hard-headed?! I was only trying to help!" You yell at him.
- "Then stop! Just leave me the fuck alone!" He shouts back before walking to his room & slamming the door close.
- Tears roll down your cheeks as you get off the floor.
- Your butt hurts, but the emotional pain is much worse than the physical one.
- You stagger back to your room & bury your face with a pillow.
- Please just stop liking him, stop caring for him. He's unsalvageable. You think to yourself as you sob.

Jungkook POV
- Was I too harsh on her? The fall looked painful. She was only worried & trying to help. Why did I have to be so violent like that? Arghhh, 몰라 (molla=Idk)!
- I roll onto my bed & grab the picture frame on the bedside table.
- "Eomma, what should I do? If I am nice to her, does it mean that I betray you?" I talk to myself as I caress eomma's face in the picture with my thumb.
- Your shocked & pained expression when he pushed you earlier comes to mind.
- "Ugh... I think I need to apologize." He groans.
- But how should I do it?
- I wait until the house falls silent & everyone's gone back to their own rooms.
- Hesitantly, I step out of my room & tiptoe towards hers.
- Her door is slightly open & my heart begins to race thinking about what to say to her.
- As I move closer, I hear her talking on the phone.
- "I don't know Hwayoung ah. I think I'm going to fail the exam tomorrow as usual. I don't understand a single thing & my head is in a mess. Huh.. I think I should just quit school & move somewhere far away." She sighs.
- Then, an idea comes to mind.
- I quickly retreat my steps back to my room, pull out sheets of paper, & begin writing on it.
- "These should do it." I smile satisfactorily after I'm done.
- I tiptoe back to her room & place the stack of papers on the floor in front of her door, & then take a deep breath before knocking twice on her door.
- I immediately run back to my room & close the door behind me.
- I press my ears against the door & breathe a sigh of relief when I hear her door swings open.

Y/n POV
- "What's this?" You mutter to yourself as you see the  papers on the floor.
- You pick them up & skim through them, they're filled with detailed explanations on how to solve the math equations for tomorrow's exam.
- At the last page, there's a tiny scribbling at the bottom.
- "Sorry, JK?" Your head instantly jerks up in surprise.
- A smile spreads across your lips as you glance at the direction of Jungkook's room.
- "He's not so bad after all." You chuckle as you hug the papers & walk back into your room.
- Your smile persists all through the night & it grows even bigger every time you read another neatly-written line.
- "I have to do well on this exam. Hwaiting Y/n ah!" You pump your fist with newfound determination.

The next day after exam
- "망했다 (manghaetda=I'm ruined)." You drop your forehead onto the desk & cry in desperation.
- "What's wrong? Weren't you extremely confident that you were going to ace it earlier?" Hwayoung asks.
- "I was. But.."
- But when I saw those problems, the only thing I could remember was how beautiful Jungkook's handwriting was.
- "Arghhh, I don't know!" You exclaim again in frustration.
- "I knew it. There's no way that you'd be able to do math." Hwayoung says.
- "Ya Min Hwayoung!" You attempt to hit her but she dodges you & runs away laughing.
- "Ugh.. What should I do? Am I really that stupid?" You scratch your head vigorously & slump onto the desk.
- You walk home dejectedly after school, still disappointed at yourself for flunking the exam earlier.
- "Huh.." Shoulders slouched, steps heavy, you heave a long sigh.
- Right then, you feel a shadow walking past you, making you lift your gaze.
- Jeon Jungkook.
- You watch his furthering back in silence, the stark realization of how far the distance is between the two of you hits you right in the gut.
- Why do I have to fall for my genius stepbrother? Why can't I like someone else? It was difficult to make him like me back then, now it's become impossible.
- "Hey!" Your heart stops at the sudden call.
- Did Jungkook just call me?
- You quickly look up & find him staring at you from a few meters away.
- "Y-Yes? A-Are you talking to me?" You stutter.
- "How did you do on the exam?" He asks.
- "I- uhm.. I- I did well of course. Thanks to your notes." You lie.
- "Good then." His lips lift slightly at the corners before he turns around & continues walking.
- Did he just smile at me? Omg! He did! But.. I lied to him. He'll be disappointed when he finds out about my score later.
- "Huh..." Your momentary smile is replaced again by a frown.

- You had hoped that he would come out for dinner with you & your parents that night.
- You keep glancing back at the faintest sound, hoping that it's him, but he doesn't come out even after you're done eating.
- "Good night Y/n ah. See you tomorrow." Your mom kisses your forehead & goes to her room with ajusshi.
- "Good night." You reply, but your eyes are fixated on Jungkook's room door.
- He must be hungry.
- You quickly go back to the kitchen & fix him a plate of food.
- Then, you place the plate on the floor & knock on his door twice before running to your room & closing the door behind you.
- You wait for a few minutes & open your door slightly to take a peek.
- You squeal in delight as you see that the plate on the floor is gone.
- He took it! Wow, that's the first time ever he accepts anything from you. You've really made a huge progress with him today, good job Y/n ah. You can definitely melt his heart if you keep trying.
- You jump to your bed & roll around happily.
- But then, a thought comes to mind.
- So what if he doesn't reject you now? He's your stepbrother. You guys are impossible.
- Your smile is wiped out in an instance & you heave a deep sigh again.
- That's right. I need to change my mindset & start caring for him as my sibling. Ugh.. I wish I could turn off my feelings for him like switching off the light.

The following morning
- "나 간다 (na kanda=I'm going)!" You exclaim as you walk out the door.
- The weather is so nice today, just like your feeling.
- You still can't get over the fact that Jungkook ate the food you prepared last night.
- "Hah.. 날씨 좋다 (nalssi chohda=the weather is nice)." You halt your step, take a deep breath & smile.
- "Thanks for the food last night." Someone suddenly says to you.
- You turn sideways & see Jungkook walking past you.
- "O-Oh? No problem." You stutter in surprise.
- He doesn't reply & only lift his right hand up, but that's enough to make your heart flutter.
- Oh. My. God. Did he just thank me? Aaahhhh! You squeal inwardly.
- Ever since that day, you keep bringing food for him every night & he always accepts it.
- Although he never openly talks to you, his attitude towards you has obviously softened.
- His short 'thanks' or 'morning' & occasional faint smile are enough to send you to cloud nine.
-•-
- "I'm home!" You yell to no one, your mom & ajusshi usually aren't home yet at this hour.
- You're pouring yourself a glass of water in the kitchen when Jungkook barges in.
- "Hey." You smile & wave at him but he doesn't reciprocate, only lowering his head & staggering back to his room.
- "What's wrong with him? Why is he back to his old cold self?" You mutter to yourself, slightly disappointed at his lack of response.
- Tonight, you deliver food to his door as usual.
- You wait for 10, 15, 20 minutes, yet he still doesn't come out of his room.
- What happened to him?
- "Jungkook ah?" You hesitantly knocks on his door once, no response.
- "Jeon Jungkook?" You put your ear on the door, trying to listen to any movement but there's none.
- You start to get worried so you brace yourself & open the door.
- You take a peek inside & find him lying on his bed.
- "Oh, he's sleeping." You whisper to yourself.
- You're about to close the door when you notice something abnormal.
- He seems to be heavily panting & you can see beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.
- Is he sick?
- Concerned, you quietly step into his room & feel his forehead.
- Omg, he's burning. You gasp as you feel the heat radiating from his skin.
- "Jungkook ah, 어디 아파 (odi appa=are you sick)?" You lightly shake his shoulder but he doesn't respond.
- You frantically run to the kitchen to get the ice pack & medicine, & then go back to his room.
- Jungkook flinches at the icy coldness on his forehead & his eyes flutter open.
- "W-What are you doing? G-Get out.." He tries to get up & pushes you away but he's so weak that it only feels like a light touch.
- "You have a fever. Take this now." You give him the pill.
- "싫어 (shiro=I don't want to)!" He refuses as he pulls his blanket higher to his chin.
- "Ya! Can you stop being stubborn for once? Take it." You pull down his blanket, grab his chin, shove the pill into his mouth.
- "You- Argh, bitter!" He lifts his head up, snatches the glass of water from your hand & gulps the content in one go.
- "Good boy." You coo.
- "G-Good boy? I- You- Ugh, whatever.. My head hurts." He throws his head back down onto the pillow.
- "You should eat something. I'll make you some porridge."
- "No need. I just want to sleep."
- "Just stay right there. I'll be back in a minute." You say to him before walking out of his room.
- You quickly cook a bowl of porridge for him & bring it to his room.
- "Jungkook ah, let's eat- Huh.. he's fallen asleep." You huff as you put the bowl on his desk.
- You touch his forehead & it's not as hot anymore, but he's still sweating.
- "Sleep well Jungkook ah." You smile to yourself as you wipe his forehead with a towel.
- "엄마 보고싶어 (eomma bogosipo=eomma i miss you)." He mutters all of a sudden.
- Your heart clenches hearing him sleep talking about his mom again.
- "He must miss her so much. It's ok Jungkook ah, I'm here. You're not alone." You caress his hair gently.

The next morning, Jungkook POV
- The beeping sound of my alarm wakes me up from deep sleep.
- I push my elbow against the bed & lift myself up, feeling so much better than yesterday.
- "깜짝이야 (ggamjjakiya=a surprised expression like omg)!" I gasp as I see Y/n sitting on the floor, the top half of her body slouching on my bed.
- Why is she sleeping here again? It feels like deja vu.
- I glance down & see her right hand gripping a towel, a thermometer & a strip of fever medicine are lying beside her on the floor.
- Did she nurse me all night long? My heart stirs at her thoughtfulness.
- Suddenly, I have a strong urge to reach to her, stroke her hair, feel her warmth.
- But then, just before my fingertips touch the loose strands of her hair, my mom's image flashes inside my head.
- Jungkook ah.. Her voice echoes in my ears & I quickly retract my hand.
- What am I doing? I can't betray eomma.
- "You're awake? How are you feeling? Do you feel better?" Y/n's eyes flutter open & her hand immediately reaches for my forehead.
- "I'm fine. You can leave now." I clench my jaw & turn my face away to dodge her touch.
- "Oh. Ok. That's good then. I'll get going first." She awkwardly smiles at me as she stands up & leaves my room.
- I feel bad for repaying her kindness with such cold-hearted gesture, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm betraying my mom.
- Get your senses together Jungkook ah. Remember she's your enemy. You can't get along with her.

Later that afternoon
- You're still thinking about Jungkook's cold attitude towards you earlier today.
- Did I do something wrong? Did he not like it that I fell asleep again in his room? Ugh.. I should've gone back to my room right away after his fever had gone down.
- "Y/n ah, aren't you coming?" Hwayoung's call breaks your daze.
- "Huh? Coming where?" You look at her in confusion.
- "They've posted the result for last week's exam result in front of the teacher's office. Let's go." She takes your hand & pulls you up.
- "Ugh.. I don't need to see. I know I'm at the bottom again for sur-"
- Your blood freezes, recalling your lie to Jungkook.
- "I did well of course. Thanks to your notes."
- "Shit." You frantically run out to the teacher's office & find a crowd has already gathered, everyone's looking for their scores.
- "Ommo, here comes the moron. Congrats for being at the bottom again." Sooah taps your shoulder & snickers.
- You look at the bottom of the board & there it is. Your name.
- "What?! How can I get even lower score than before?!" You exclaim in surprise.
- "Because of your hard work of course." Sooah comments again, causing the crowd to erupt in laughter.
- "You-" You're about to retaliate when your eyes meet Jungkook's.
- He stares at you with a slight frown in between his brows & then turns around to leave without saying a word.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Wait!" You call out to him.
- "Ommo, what are you going to do now? Chase after him? Do you have no shame? He's number 1 in our school & you're way down there at the bottom. No matter how hard you run to him, you'll never get to him." Sooah scoffs.
- "So what if I'm stupid? At least, I'm not a bitch like you." You glare at her.
- "What? Who are you calling a bitch?" Sooah widens her eyes & steps closer to you.
- "You. Kim Sooah." You muster all your courage & try not to avert your gaze.
- "Why you-"
- You close your eyes, anticipating the slap, as she lifts her hand.
- "그만해 (geumanhae=stop it)." The surprising voice beside you makes your eyes snap open.

- "J-Jungkook?" You stutter in shock.
- Apparently, he's caught Sooah's hand right before it hits you.
- "Why are you defending her? She started it first!" Sooah yells as Jungkook releases her wrist.
- "What's going on here?! Go back to your classroom!" Hearing the commotion outside, the teacher steps out of the office & barks.
- "고마워 (gomawo=thank you).." You say to Jungkook.
- He doesn't say anything back & walk away.
- Is he angry because I lied to him about doing well on my last exam? But he did save me from being hit by Sooah. Does it mean that he's forgiven me? Huh.. Why is this so complicated?
- You run home quickly after school, hoping that you can talk to him at home.
- You get there earlier than him as usual & anxiously wait for him in the living room.
- As soon as you hear the door click open, you jump from your seat.
- "Jungkook, is that yo-"
- "We need to talk." He says as he stares at you with a deadpan expression.
- "Oh. Ok." His words took you by surprise so you just quietly follow him to his room.
- He throws his backpack onto the floor & turns around to face you, a slight frown forming in between his brows.
- "W-What do you want to talk about?" You nervously ask.
- "Do you like me?" His question makes your eyes shoot up in shock.
- "W-What?"
- "Are you being nice to me, bringing me food every night, nursing me when I'm sick, because you like me?" He asks, voice flat.
- You bite your lip, not knowing what to say.
- Back then, you used to be able to declare your fondness of him without shame, but now that he's become your stepbrother, you can't do that anymore.
- "W-Well, you already know the answer to that." Cheeks flushed, you shyly answer.
- "그만해 (geumanhae=stop)."
- "뭐 (mwo=what)?" You look at him in confusion.
- "Don't like me. Don't be nice to me." He heaves a deep sigh & shakes his head.
- "Why are you suddenly saying that? Is it because I lied to you about the exam?" You muster all your courage & ask.
- "What? No! It's because we're step-siblings now & it's weird if you still have a crush on me."
- "Oh, but I can still like you as my stepbrother, right?" You chuckle awkwardly.
- "No." He sternly replies.
- "Why? I promise I won't bother-"
- "Stop! Do I have to say it out loud? I don't like you. It's burdensome for me seeing you, who used to chase after me like a crazy sasaeng, now becoming my stepsister & living right next to my room. So stop making me even more uncomfortable." He yells as he throws his hands in the air.
- You're stunned by his sudden outburst.
- You thought that he'd begun to warm up to you & you could finally get along with him, but apparently you saw it all wrong.
- "Oh. Ok, I understand.." You lower your head to hide your glistening eyes.
- "I won't disturb you anymore. I'm sorry." You flash him a thin smile & quickly step out of his room.
- You slam the door behind you & throw yourself onto the bed, muffling your sob with the pillow.
- You know that he doesn't like you, but hearing him saying it straight to your face hurts like hell.
- It feels like someone is squeezing your heart tightly, bursting all the blood vessels, leaving you to death.
- I guess this is the end of my crush on him. I have to let my feelings go.

Jungkook POV
- An unexplainable uneasiness spreads in my chest as I watch her exiting my room while trying to hold back her tears.
- I exhale deeply & plop down onto my bed.
- You did the right thing Jungkook ah. I try to convince himself.
- Truthfully, I've started to tolerate her presence.
- I would even catch myself smiling when I thought about her or saw a glimpse of her at school.
- But I can't betray my mother & befriending Y/n means I'm accepting my father's remarriage.
- "Huh.. She looked so hurt earlier. Maybe I should've phrased it better. Arghh 몰라 (molla=Idk)!"

The next day at school
- "Ommo! What happened to you? Your eye bags are even darker than panda's." Hwayoung exclaims when she sees you slumping on your desk.
- "Don't talk to me. I have no energy today." You mutter without looking at her.
- "Did your mom give you a hard time because of the test result?"
- "No." Honestly, your test score is the last thing you worry about right now.
- "Then what? What sucked the life out of you?"
- She's right. It really feels like your soul has been sucked out.
- Jungkook has been filling all the space in your brain & heart for the past three years.
- Now that you're forbidden to even think about him, your mind is completely blank, so does your heart.
- "Don't mind me. I'm fine." You lie.
- "Oh come on, tell me. Btw, aren't you supposed to be happy? I saw Jungkook saved you from Sooah yesterday."
- Your heart stops at the mention of Jungkook's name.
- "Please don't say his name in front of me ever again." You groan.
- "Who? Jungkook? Why?" She asks in bewilderment.
- "Just don't."
- "Kim Y/n! The principal wants to see you in his office!" One of your classmate hollers from the door.
- "Me?" You perk your head up & point at yourself.
- "What did you do? Is it about the commotion you caused yesterday?" Hwayoung whispers to you.
- "I don't know. I guess I'll find out soon." You shrug & leave your table.
- You walk hastily to the principal's office & knock on the door.
- "Come in!" His voice booms through the thin door.
- "Mom?" You're surprised to see your mom sitting on one of the chairs in front of the principal.
- "Kim Y/n student, please sit down. We're here to discuss your last test score. I've told your mother that you're at risk of not graduating with your current score. You do understand that your grade comes last in your year, right?" He sternly asks.
- "I do Sir.." You lower your gaze & play with your hand anxiously.
- Your mom senses your nerves & squeezes your hand gently.
- "I completely understand the severity of the problem Sir. I'll find her a tutor as soon as possible." She nods at the principal.
- The two of them continue chatting for a few more minutes before she excuses herself & leaves the room with you.
- "미안해요 엄마 (mianhaeyo eomma=sorry eomma).." You apologize lowly.
- "It's ok. I know you've tried your best. I'll find you a tutor or.. should we ask Jungkook?" She asks.
- "No! I mean no. You know how he is. Haha. Let's not ask him." You frantically say.
- "I thought you guys have been getting along quite well these days. I noticed that you've been preparing dinner for him."
- "No mom. Please don't ask him. I don't want to bother him." You plead.
- "Ok then, we'll find someone else. Hwaiting Y/n ah, I know you have it in you, you just need to dig deeper." She smiles at you & caresses your cheek.
- "Yes mom.." You breathe a sigh of relief.
- That's right. I should focus on improving my grades. Maybe that way I can forget him more easily. Huh.. I just hope I'll find a good tutor soon.

A few days later
- You're studying in your room, trying to make sense of the equations in front of you, but you still can't understand them at all.
- "Arghh, whatever!" You throw your pencil onto the desk & scratch your head in frustration.
- What job doesn't require math? Musician? But I can't play music. Art? But I can't paint or sculpt. Athletes? But I suck at sports. Ok, I guess I'm doomed.
- You bang your forehead on the table, thinking maybe you need to tap it a few times to get it to work like an old broken TV.
- "Ommo, Y/n ah! Why are you banging your head on the desk?" Your mom walks in right at that moment.
- "Mommm, why am I so stupid? These questions are supposed to be for 10th graders & I can't even do them!" You whine desperately.
- "Well, maybe math is just not for you. But worry not, I've found you a tutor." She smiles as she strokes your hair.
- "Really? Who is it?" Your head perks up in curiosity.
- "He's my colleague's son. I heard that he was a high school valedictorian & he's currently studying electrical engineering at Hankuk University."
- Ugh.. He must be a major nerd.
- "Oh alright." You shrug.
- "You look disappointed. Do you think he's not qualified enough?" She frowns.
- "No no no! I believe he's super smart, but I don't know if he can handle teaching me."
- "Just give it a try for a couple of weeks. If he can't help you improve your grades, then we'll find someone else. Ok?"
- "Sure.." You lowly mutter, wondering how Jungkook will react when he sees you with another guy.
- Huh.. I'm sure he won't care. Just focus on your grade Y/n ah.

The next day after school
- Your jaw drops as you see the man standing before you.
- "Y/n ah, this is Namjoon. He'll be your tutor from now on." Your mom smiles as she introduces you.
- "Hi, nice to meet you Y/n. My name is Kim Namjoon. I hope we can get along well." He extends his right hand towards you.
- You'd thought that your new tutor would be a nerdy boy with thick glasses & awkward personality.
- But this man in front of you is the complete opposite of what you'd thought.
- His sun-kissed complexion, deep pronounced dimples, plump kissable lips & legs that go on & on scream model.
- His thick bouncy hair styled to perfection, his easy laid-back outfit of white T-shirt & blue jeans fits his tone figure snugly.
- Damn, he's hot. Too hot to be a math tutor.
- "Is there something on my face?" He chuckles, seeing your gaping mouth.
- "S-Sorry, I was- Never mind. Annyeong haseyo, I'm Kim Y/n, but you can call me Y/n." You bow at him.
- "Your mom told me that you have a little problem with math?" He asks.
- "Not a little, actually. More like a gigantic blue-whale-sized problem." You sigh.
- "Aww come on. I don't think it's that bad." He smiles at you encouragingly.
- "I'll leave you guys to it so you can get started. Just let me know if you need anything. 잘 부탁해 남준아 (chal butakhae Namjoon ah=please take care of her Namjoon ah)." Your mom leaves the two of you alone in the living room.
- You feel nervous all of a sudden, well, it's hard not to since he's so blindingly gorgeous.
- "Shall we start now?" He plops down on the floor casually & pulls out his pen, twirling it around his finger.
- God, he looks sooo cool even when he's only twirling his pen. Ok, get to your senses Y/n ah, stop being a pervert. You need him to help you improve your grade.
- "Ok, let's do it." You sit across him & take out your notes with a serious expression.

Half an hour later
- "Ok, it IS that bad. I take back my words." He mutters breathily.
- "Sorry.." You lower your head in embarrassment.
- "I think we need to start from 9th grade math." He says matter-of-factly.
- "9th grade? Really? Not even 10th grade?" You exclaim in surprise.
- "Yeah, you need to understand the most basic things first in order for you to be able to solve more difficult problems."
- "My goodness. I guess I'm really a moron.." Your shoulders slump dejectedly.
- "Hey, don't get discouraged. I'll explain it to you as slowly as possible. I can't promise that you'll become a genius in math in a few days, but I'm sure you'll understand it more than you do today. So, hwaiting ok?" He smiles as he ruffles your hair.
- "Ok then.." Your cheeks blush slightly at his touch, but you quickly shake all unnecessary thoughts away & focus on studying.
- After his thorough explanation & your endless questions, finally you feel like you start to get it.
- "That's it for today. Good job Y/n ah." He closes his notebook & says.
- "Thank you sunbaenim. I think I begin to understand it a little bit better now." You nod at him gratefully.
- "No worries. I'm happy if I can help reducing your gigantic blue-whale-sized problem into an orca-sized problem." He chuckles.
- "Well, not really. Right now, it's more like a dieting-blue-whale-sized problem." You laugh out loud & he follows along.
- You're relieved that he's actually very easy to talk to & not snobbish or intimidating at all despite his good looks.
- Suddenly, the front door clicks open & Jungkook walks in.
- Your laugh instantly gets caught in your throat as you see him.
- "Oh. Annyeong haseyo." Namjoon nods at him.
- Jungkook seems surprised to see Namjoon sitting there with you.
- His slightly widened eyes move from you to Namjoon & then back again to you before he walks to his room without saying a word.
- "Oow-kaayy.." Namjoon scoffs at Jungkook's rudeness.
- "Please forgive him. He's a bit.. socially awkward." You quickly apologize on behalf of Jungkook.
- "Who is he? Your brother?" He asks.
- "Step brother. My mom married his dad." You briefly explain.
- "Ahhh I see. It must be hard living with such a cold stepbrother."
- "Actually he's not that bad. He's just incapable of showing his feelings to others. But deep down, he has a very kind heart. I've seen him volunteering in the hospital, helping & cheering on kids who had terminal illness. On top of that, he's very smart as well. He's the top student in our high school. You know how people say that geniuses tend to have their own quirks." You're not sure why, but you suddenly feel defensive.
- What you said is all true though.
- In fact, you fell for Jungkook because of that day when you accidentally saw him at the hospital while accompanying your mom to do a general check up.
- He appeared to be volunteering at the cancer center, singing songs & playing guitars for the kids there.
- His smile was so bright & cheerful, his eyes were full of love, unlike the cold Jungkook you knew from school.
- Ever since that day, you began to observe him & fell him more & more until you couldn't control it anymore.
- "Sounds like you have a crush on him." Namjoon teasingly says.
- But then, he sees your flushed cheeks & realizes that what he mindlessly said is true.
- "Omg.. You do, don't you?" He gasps.
- "I've never said that. It's getting late, you better get going now. Thank you for today." You say as you lower your head to hide you reddening face.
- You can feel his gaze on you, making you squirm restlessly.
- "Ok then. I'll see you tomorrow." He finally rises up from his seat.
- "See you tomorrow sunbaenim." You open the door for him & close it as soon as he steps out.
- Pheww.. I hope he doesn't say anything to mom. And.. my guess was right. Jungkook doesn't even care. Oh well, he hates me, so what did I expect?

A week later
- Namjoon has been coming to your house every day to tutor you.
- You get along very well with him & it feels like you've known him for much longer than a week.
- Jungkook, on the other hand, becomes even colder.
- He doesn't even stop or glance your way every time he sees you studying with Namjoon in the living room.
- He's never said a single word to you, basically treating you like you're invisible.
- It still hurts seeing him ignoring you like that, but your heart has numbed so it doesn't bother you as much anymore.
- Tonight, you & Namjoon are studying in the living room as usual.
- You're listening to his explanation when suddenly Jungkook rushes past both of you into his room.
- You look up at him, heave a small sigh, & quickly focus on the paper in front of you again.
- Apparently, your small gestures didn't escape Namjoon's eagle eyes.
- You're working on the problems Namjoon gave you when he suddenly says..
- "Jungkook."
- The pencil you're holding slips out of your fingers & rolls on the table.
- "W-Why are you suddenly saying his name?" You ask, cheeks flushed, ears red.
- "I was right. You like him, don't you?" He teases.
- Feeling like you've been exposed, you can't meet his eyes.
- "N-No.." You lie.
- "Y/n ah, the other thing you're not good at other than math is lying. Look at you getting all flustered." He chuckles.
- "I- I used to admire him, that's all. I mean, he's good-looking & smart. So it's kinda understandable, right?" You reply with head lowered.
- "I'm good-looking & smart too. Do you admire me then?"
- "Sunbaenim!" Your eyes widen in surprise at his question.
- "Hahaha! I was just joking. Ok, back to business. If he's so smart, then why don't you ask him to teach you instead of hiring me as your tutor?"
- "No no no! I can't ask him. He hates me." You mutter lowly.
- "May I know why?" He inquires, frowning.
- "Uhm.. coz he's a genius & I'm a moron. I guess he's embarrassed having me as his stepsister." 
- You tell Namjoon half the truth, omitting the fact that Jungkook hates you & your mom because he doesn't agree with his father remarriage.
- "One, he sounds like a complete jerk. Two, you're not a moron. You should kick the ass of whoever told you that." Namjoon's facial expression turns serious all of a sudden.
- "I told you he's not a bad person, so please don't call him a jerk. Plus, I really am stupid, hence my low grade in school, so-"
- "Uh uh. Stop right there." He points his forefinger at you & cuts your sentence off.
- "Listen to me now Kim Y/n. Starting today, I'm going to teach you more intensively. Your ultimate goal is to beat Jungkook's grade. Show him what you can do. Don't sell yourself short & let him trample over you again."
- He sounds dead serious, but you can't help but laugh at his statement.
- "Hahaha! Beat Jungkook's grade? Sunbaenim, that's like asking the sun to rise from the west. Impossible!"
- "You can do it. We'll do it step by step. As long as your grade keeps improving, I'm sure you can beat him in final exam. I believe in you." He grabs your hand & squeezes it reassuringly.
- Your heart skips a beat.
- This is the first time in your life that someone believes in you, instead of laughing at you for being stupid.
- Even Hwayoung, your best friend, always mocks you.
- "O-Ok. I'll study harder. Thank you for believing in me." You shyly say.
- "You're welcome Y/n ah. Now, let's continue." He gently ruffles your hair & smiles at you.
- Without you knowing, Jungkook watches your & Namjoon's interaction from behind the wall, before quietly walking back to his room.

- Two months have passed.
- Your grade has been increasing gradually due to Namjoon's help, to your own surprise.
- Jungkook's ignorance has also slowly stopped bothering you, until one day you realize that you have no romantic feelings towards him anymore.
- Instead, your heart begins to beat more rapidly every time you see Namjoon.
- Perhaps it's his relentless encouragement, or his constant positivity, his presence has become a very important part of your life.
- So these days, you study very hard not only for your own good, but also to hear his sweet compliments, to see his warm smile, & to feel like you're someone special when he looks at you with his twinkling eyes.
- The thought of beating Jungkook has long gone from your mind.
- "Ommo! These problems are tough but you managed to get 87/100. Great job Y/n ah!" Namjoon motions to give you a high five.
- "But I've studied so hard for it. I thought I would at least get 90+." You sulk.
- "Woah, you really have changed. Remember when you first got 65/100 for your math exam? You literally cried tears of happiness. Now you're aiming to get 90/100 in two short months. I'm proud of you." He strokes your head & smiles.
- There it is again, the slight skip in your heartbeat when he does that to you.
- "W-Well, it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you who always motivates me, I would forever be in the bottom." You mutter, cheeks blushing.
- "Nahhh. You've done all the work, I'm just giving you a little push from the back. Wait, I have an idea to give you a little bit more motivation. If you get 90+ on your next exam, I'll treat you to whatever you want as long as I can afford it."
- "Really? You truly mean it?" You ask excitedly.
- "Of course! What do you want? Maybe you can start thinking about it now."
- Actually, there's this thing that you've been wanting to do with him, but you've never had the courage to ask.
- But this time, he's given you the opportunity so you muster all your courage & ask him.
- "I know what I want. Can we go to the amusement park if I pass the challenge?" You shyly say.
- "Amusement park? Sure! That sounds fun. Ok it's a deal then, so hwaiting Y/n ah! I can't wait to go have fun with you." He grins.
- "Me too." You reply & then you realize that you see him as more than just an older brother or a tutor.
- You've grown to like him as a man.

- You study much much more diligently than before to reach your goal.
- Pulling all-nighters, doing so many practice problems that you've lost count, never have you ever worked so hard in your life for an exam.
- "Y/n ah, you're still studying?" Your mom steps into your room & asks.
- "Yes. I have math exam tomorrow & I'm determined to ace it." You reply without taking your eyes off the problem on the paper.
- "I'm happy that you're studying so hard, but please take enough rest, ok? Here, I brewed you some ginseng tea. Drink it while it's warm." She puts the cup on the table & squeezes your shoulder before leaving the room.
- You continue studying until your eyes are sore & your head is dizzy.
- You snap your eyes shut & shake your head to get rid of the fatigue to no avail.
- "Huh.. I guess I need to rest a bit." You grab the cup of ginseng tea your mom delivered earlier & take a sip.
- "Yuck! It's cold." You rise from your seat & walk out to the kitchen to warm it up.
- "Ugh, my head hurts." You squint & massage your temple on the way.
- As you wait for the tea to heat up into the microwave, you sense someone stepping into the kitchen. Jungkook.
- He stops abruptly when he sees you.
- You quickly avert your gaze, expecting him to go back to his room as usual, but he doesn't.
- He continues walking & opens the cupboard next to where you're standing to grab a bag of snack.
- The microwave's loud ping breaks the rigid silence & you quickly open it to take the cup out.
- "앗 뜨거워 (At ddeugeowo=Ah, hot)!" You yelp in pain as your fingers touch the hot ceramic.
- "괜찮아 (gwaenchanha=are you ok)?" Jungkook immediately rushes to your side & grabs your hand to take a look.
- "I-I'm fine.." You pull your hand away as you stutter in surprise at his sudden action.
- "S-Sorry. I thought you were hurt." Ears reddening, he swiftly retreats as he realizes what he's done.
- You don't know what to say so you just take the cup out of the microwave in silence.
- "Good night." You mumble without looking at him & stagger towards your room.
- "Wait. Your nose.." He exclaims, eyes widened.
- You touch your nose & feel something sticky dripping out of it.
- You look at your fingers & find red blood covering their tips.
- Suddenly, you feel like your body loses all its strength & everything goes black.

The next morning
- The blaring sound of alarm awakens you.
- You roll lazily to the side to turn it off & close your eyes again.
- But then, a sudden realization dawns on you, making you sit up abruptly.
- "Shit! Today is the day of the exam!"
- You rise from your bed & get ready as fast as you can.
- What happened last night? Did I fall asleep? The last thing I remember is my nose bleeding. What happened after that? Argh, I don't have time to think about that now. You have to focus Y/n ah. You need to achieve your goal today.
- You rush out of your room while reading your notes, trying to cramp as much as possible, & accidentally bump into Jungkook's back.
- "S-Sorry, I wasn't looking." You mutter.
- He doesn't say anything, but you notice his grave expression when you walk past.
- He's probably just grumpy in the morning. Don't let it bother you. Let's focus on the exam for now.
- You cast Jungkook out of your mind & run to school.

- You lock your phone & sigh disappointedly.
- You were hoping that you could discuss some of the exam problems with Namjoon tonight.
- "Huh.. Let's just take a much needed rest tonight Y/n ah." You mutter to yourself.
- "Kim Y/n! That was brutal, wasn't it? I think I'm going to fail." Hwayoung plops heavily on the bench beside you.
- "It was ok." You answer nonchalantly.
- "What? Really? How many problems did you finish?" She exclaims in surprise.
- "Well, all of them?"
- "For real? Omg, you definitely have changed. I should find someone else who can be miserable together with me." She pouts.
- "I still don't know how I did though." You chuckle as you playfully shove her arm.
- "Ommo ommo ommo. Look at that. It's Jungkook's turn to run now." She repeatedly taps your shoulder.
- Your class shares the same PE period with Jungkook's class.
- Back then, you used to feel jittery & excited during PE because you could observe him up close, watching sweats drenching his handsome face, making the thin T-shirt stick to his perfectly muscular torso.
- But now, you feel indifferent.
- "Oh." You reply curtly as you watch Jungkook taking his position at the start line.
- "Oh? Just 'Oh'? You used to take dozens of videos & pictures of him with your phone when he ran. What happened to you? Have you lost interest in him?" Hwayoung asks in confusion.
- "Yeah, I've decided to stop reaching for something impossible." You shrug.
- "Woahhh, you really have changed so much since you got yourself a tutor. Is he handsome? Do you like him? Is that why you stop liking Jungkook?" She presses on.
- "No, it's not-"
- A loud gasp from the crowd attracts your attention, cutting your sentence off.
- You direct your vision back to the field & see Jungkook lying down on the dirt floor.
- You immediately run closer to see what's going on.
- He holds the fastest record for running in school & he never falls. What happened?
- A crowd has gathered around him so you can only catch a glimpse of him from behind the human wall.
- "Jungkook ah, 괜찮아 (gwaenchanha=are you ok)?" You can faintly hear the PE teacher asking him.
- Soon after, Jungkook stands up & is escorted to the nurse's room by the teacher.
- "What happened to him?" Hwayoung asks as she stretches her neck, trying to get a better view.
- "I don't know. Maybe he tripped on something."
- "You don't sound worried. The old you would already be running to the nurse's room now." She raises her brow.
- "Told you, I've stopped liking him. Anw, let's go, it's our turn now." You turn away & walk to the center of the field.
- "Daebak. A cold-hearted Y/n.. Wait for me!" She calls out as she follows you from behind.
- Truthfully, you're worried about Jungkook.
- Somehow, you feel like his fall had something to do with you.
- Ugh, whatever. He wouldn't want to see me anw.

- You search for Jungkook that afternoon when you walk home, but he's nowhere to be seen.
- Deep down, you're worried about him. A persistent uneasiness keeps tugging at the back of your mind.
- You immediately go to his room when you get home & knock on the door.
- "Jungkook ah, are you in there?" No response.
- You are contemplating whether you should try opening the door when the front door suddenly clicks open.
- Jungkook walks into the house, his steps heavy, face pale.
- "Jungkook ah, are you ok?" You rush to him & ask.
- He ignores you & keeps on walking towards his room.
- "Jeon Jungkook, I'm asking you a question." You grab his arm but he instantly shakes your hand away.
- "Stop bothering me." He grunts.
- "Ya, I was just worried. What happened to you earlier during PE? And you look so pale. Are you sick again?" You persist.
- "It's none of your business." He mutters as he pushes open his bedroom door & slams it shut in front of your face.
- "Hah! Auhhh.. that guy.. 진짜 (jinjja=really).." You scoff in annoyance.
- "Fine! Just lock yourself up in there! I don't care about you anymore!" You yell to his door.
- Fuming, you go to your own room & scream your frustration into the pillow.
- Calm down Y/n ah. Think about happy things. Think about Namjoon sunbae. Think about his smile. Think about the fun things you'll do with him at the amusement park. Jeon Jungkook, I won't give a fuck about you anymore.

The following day
- You anxiously wait for the score announcement to be posted outside of the teacher's office even before anyone comes.
- Soon, students begin to gather one by one.
- Chill. You've got this. You huff deeply.
- "Well well well, who do we have here? The moron of the school! Why are you here so early? Can't wait to be humiliated again?" Sooah's irritating voice pierces through your ears.
- You throw her a side glance & turn your vision back to the board without saying a word.
- "Ya, Kim Y/n, I'm talking to you." She pokes your shoulder harshly.
- Don't engage. Just ignore her. She's not worth the fight. You grit your teeth to hold it in.
- "Ya! Are you deaf?! I'm talking-" She begins to scream.
- "Look, the teacher is posting it!" Someone from the crowd exclaims, cutting Sooah's monologue.
- You quickly rush to the front & search for your name from the bottom up.
- Your heart begins to race as you keep reading others' names but not yours.
- Then, you find Jungkook's name.
- What? That's impossible.
- You scan to the left. Number 12. Then to the right. Score 87.
- Jungkook got 87?! There's no way. He always gets 100 every single time.
- You check it one more time, but it only confirms what you read before.
- I must have missed my name then. There's no way I get higher mark than Jungkook.
- You start looking for your name from the bottom again.
- "Oh. My. God. Kim Y/n! You cheated, didn't you?!" Sooah suddenly shoves your shoulder.
- "What? What are you talking about?" You glare at her.
- "There's no way you can be in the top 10 without cheating!" She yells.
- "Top 10?" Your eyes swiftly dart to the top of the board.
- Number 10. Kim Y/n. Score 90.
- Your hands instantly cover your mouth to muffle the gasp escaping from your lips.
- I got 90. I'm top 10. I got 90. I'm top 10.
- You keep repeating the words to make yourself believe them to be true.
- "Ommo, Jungkook is not number 1 anymore. What happened to him?" Someone behind you whispers.
- As you turn around to see who's talking, you catch a glimpse of Jungkook at the back of the crowd.
- He's staring at the board with widened eyes, his jaw slack, seemingly not believing what he sees.
- You instantly feel bad for him.
- Was he sick yesterday? Was that why he fell during PE?
- "Ya, the world must have turned upside down. Kim Y/n is in the top 10 & Jeon Jungkook is number 12." The guy behind you says again & chuckles.
- Jungkook hears the remark & turns towards your direction, meeting your eyes.
- "Shut your mouth." You immediately hiss to the guy.
- When you turn to Jungkook again, he's already gone.
- What the hell happened?

Later that night
- "Woah, Y/n ah. You really did it! Omg, you're amazing!" Namjoon gives you a high five after checking your exam form.
- "Thank you sunbaenim." You smile happily.
- "So we're going to the amusement park! Yeay! Will this Saturday be ok for you?" He asks.
- "You're really taking me there?"
- "당연하지 (dangyeonhaji=of course)! I've promised you, right?"
- "Well, ok then. Saturday should be fine." You grin excitedly.
- Omg, I'm going on a date with him! Ok not exactly a date, but still. Yeay!
- Without you knowing, Jungkook is hiding around the corner, listening to everything you're saying with a huge frown in between his brows.

Saturday

- "Shit. I shouldn't have taken so much time picking my outfit." You curse inwardly.
- You're so excited & nervous for your 'date' with Namjoon today that you spend a lot of time getting ready for it.
- You even watched tutorials on how to do your make up so that you won't look too much like an innocent high school girl.
- You run as fast as you can.
- A huge smile curve your lips when you see him standing near the entrance while checking his phone.
- "Sunbae! Sorry, I'm late." You pant heavily when you arrive in front of him.
- "You're here! It's ok. Take a deep breath." He pats your back gently, sending tingles down your spine.
- "Better? Should we go now?" He asks once he sees you breathing normally again.
- "Yes." You nod enthusiastically.
- "Let's go then." He takes your hand & pulls you towards the entrance.
- You glance at his hand enveloping yours in surprise.
- Your heart beats rapidly & your body feels warm all of a sudden.
- This is going to be a perfect day. You smile to yourself.
- And indeed, it goes on perfectly.
- You enjoy spending time with him, laughing, talking, going on rides, & he seems to be having a good time as well.
- "Sunbae, should we try that ride now? The line is not too long." You ask him as you check the queue in front of the ride you're talking about.
- "Sunbae?" You turn to him since he doesn't respond.
- "Huh? Oh yeah, sure. Sorry, I was replying to some texts." He quickly locks his phone & puts it back into his pocket.
- "Is it important? Do you need to go?" You ask in concern.
- "No, it's just-"
- "Joon!" His sentence is suddenly cut off by a female voice calling out his name.
- Both you & Namjoon turn to the source of the voice.
- "Soojin? You-" Namjoon widens his eyes in disbelief.
- A beautiful girl with long silky brown hair, smooth pinkish complexion, slender frame, fashionable outfit, strides towards you.
- "깜짝 놀랐죠 (ggamjjaknollassjyo=were you surprised)?" She chuckles as she pulls Namjoon into a hug.
- You stand there frozen in surprise.
- Is- Is she his girl friend?
- "S-Soojin ah.." Namjoon pushes her away as he glances at you.
- "Ah, this must be Y/n! Annyeong, Joon has told me so much about you. I'm Soojin, Joon's girl friend. You can call me eonni if you want." She turns to you smilingly, snapping you out of your daze.
- "A-Annyeong, e-eonni." You quickly bow at her.
- "What are you doing here?" Namjoon asks her.
- "Well, you've told me so many good things about Y/n, so I want to meet her. I'm sorry for barging into your little date today, but you don't mind, do you Y/n ah?" She tilts her head & sweetly asks you, a little bit too saccharinely, like she's talking to a kindergartener.
- "I-It's ok. I don't mind." You force a smile on your lips, although your heart is crushed.
- You glance at Namjoon & he's biting his lip, pushing his hair back in apparent unease.
- Judging by the situation, it doesn't take a genius to understand that Soojin doesn't like you spending time alone with her boyfriend & that's why she came.
- "Y/n ah, my younger sister is coming with me today. She's your age, so I think you'll get along with her. Ah there she is!" Soojin says.
- "Eonni!" That high-pitched voice.
- 설마 (Seolma=No way)..
- You slowly turn your face to the side & see someone you least expected to see.
- "Kim Sooah.." You whisper breathily.
- "Ommo, Kim Y/n? What are you doing here?" Sooah exclaims in surprise, a slight annoyance filling her voice.
- "Oh, you two know each other? That's great!" Soojin clasps her hands together excitedly.
- "Yeah, we go to the same school. But why is she here? I don't-" Sooah frowns.
- "She's Joon's student I told you about." Soojin cuts her off before she says anything further.
- "Ahhh, so that's why you went from the absolute bottom to top 10. Huh, I knew it. You wouldn't be able to do it on your own." Sooah crosses her arms & scoffs.
- You want to fight her, but with Namjoon & Soojin present, you choose to be quiet & swallow it all in.
- "Y/n studied really hard for the exam, so it was all her. I didn't do much." Namjoon stands up for you, making you feel extremely grateful.
- "Kim Sooah, watch what you're saying." Soojin squeezes Sooah's hand & chastises her, obviously not wanting to look bad in front of Namjoon.
- "My bad. Sorry." Sooah reluctantly apologizes, but the slight roll in her eyes doesn't escape you.
- "Now that you've met her, we'll get going first. Let's go Y/n ah." Namjoon begins stepping away & signals you to follow him.
- You glance nervously at Soojin, whose thin smile doesn't reach his cold hard stare, & then at Sooah who looks equally mad.
- "S-Sunbae, it's ok. Let's just all go together. The more the merrier, right?" You fake a smile to cover up your disappointment.
- "Are you sure? I promised to have fun with you today. If you don't want to-" Namjoon asks worriedly.
- "I'm sure." You nod.
- "See? She doesn't want us to leave, right Y/n?" Soojin immediately hooks her arm around Namjoon's & grins triumphantly.
- You swallow all the bitterness & pretend that you're enjoying yourself.
- But actually, your heart is sliced little by little when you see Soojin lying her head on Namjoon's shoulder, pressing her body so closely against his, locking his fingers tightly with his, as if announcing to the world that he's hers.
- Not to mention Sooah's deadly silence & constant sharp glare on you.
- Today turns out to be a huge catastrophe.
- "Joon, I want to ride that one. 가자 (kaja=let's go)!" Soojin points to a ride that you've been on earlier.
- "But Y/n & I have gone on that one already." Namjoon protests.
- "Awww, come on. I really want to try that one." Soojin pouts & you catches her sending signal through her eyes to Sooah.
- "Y/n ah, let's go ride the carousel. Eonni, oppa, you guys go on. Y/n & I will wait for you at the carousel." Getting the signal, Sooah links her arm with yours & pulls you away quickly without waiting for your answer.
- Once you're far away from Namjoon & Soojin, Sooah throws your arm harshly & scowls in disgust.
- "So are you trying to seduce Namjoon oppa or what? No wonder you never come to our class looking for Jungkook anymore. You've changed your target, haven't you? You psycho stalker." She scoffs.
- "I don't want to argue with you today, so say whatever you want." You sigh heavily.
- "Eonni really likes him, so if you do anything to sabotage them, I won't stay quiet." She threatens
- You just stay silent. Her words can't hurt you because your heart has bled to dry after you saw Namjoon & Soojin together.
- Taking your silence as a sign of defeat, Sooah continues with her rant.
- "Well, you are no match to eonni anw. She's smart, pretty, & popular, while you? Ugly, stupid, the bottom of our school's joke." She snickers.
- "Oh really? Then why did he look annoyed when he saw your sister came earlier? He was ready to leave you guys if it wasn't for me asking him to let you guys come along. So are you sure that he'll pick her over me?" You smirk.
- You know you will definitely back off & stop liking Namjoon, but you've had enough of Sooah's condescending remark so you throw the bluff in her face.
- "Kim Y/n! You shameless b*tch!" She raises her hand to slap you, but you catches it & pushes her hard.
- "If you dare threaten me or touch me again, I'll show you what a psycho shameless b*tch I truly am."
- With that, you turn around & leave her standing there gaping at your words.
- At this point, you just want to go home & forget about all this, but you feel like at least you have to say goodbye to Namjoon first.
- You see Namjoon & Soojin standing right by the ride she wanted to go on & approach them.
- "Sunbae-" You start to call out, but then you halt your step when you hear them arguing.
- "What's wrong with you? Why are you so mad at me for wanting to meet her?" Soojin asks, her perfectly shaped brows deeply furrowed.
- "I'm not mad at you for that. I'm happy that you want to get to know her, but just not today. She's studied so hard &-" Namjoon tries desperately to explain.
- "You like her, don't you? Be honest with me."
- Her question makes your heart stop.
- You realize that it's impossible that he likes you, but seeing his inability to answer straight away gives you a tiny hope that maybe..
- "Answer me!" She cries.
- After what felt like forever, he finally opens his mouth.
- "I do.." He says with head lowered & the breath you've been holding hitches in your chest.
- ".. as a sister. I don't- I don't like her that way. So please don't misunderstand." He continues.
- "Really?" Soojin's lips curve up slightly.
- "Really. I love you & only you." He gently puts a strand of hair behind her ear.
- "I love you too Joon." She pulls him closer & kisses him square on the lips.
- Your battered heart is once again shattered to pieces.
- You instantly turn around & run as fast as you can towards the exit.
- Only when you've gotten onto the bus, you let all the suppressed tears out into huge sobs.
- The other passengers send you weird looks but you don't care.
- Your tears have dried when you reach home.
- You stagger into the house like a body without a soul, eyes reddened, face swollen.
- "You're back." Jungkook's unexpected voice makes you lift your gaze.
- "Yeah." You answer shortly since you don't have any energy left.
- "I thought you went to the amusement park with your tutor today."
- Your eyes widen, stunned by his remark.
- "How did you know?" You ask.
- "W-Well, I heard you guys talking about it the other day. How did it go?" His sudden talkativeness surprises you.
- "It was ok.. His girlfriend & her sister came-"
- "Oh he has a girlfriend."
- His lips lift into a wide smile & then he chuckles loudly.
- "Why are you laughing?" You frown, confused.
- "I thought he liked you, but apparently my gut was right, he doesn't like you that way. Your love was one-sided."
- "What?" Your blood freezes.
- "That came out wrong. I- I mean-" He stutters.
- Drops of fresh tears escape your eyes & you quickly wipe them away.
- "You mean no one would like someone like me, right? I know I'm ugly, stupid, crazy, so I'm doomed to be lonely all my life. So go ahead laugh at me. But at least I'm honest with my feelings, unlike someone I know." You say sarcastically.
- Then you rush to your room & slam the door shut with all your might.
- Maybe I really am destined to be alone. Maybe I indeed don't deserve to be loved. No matter how hard I try, no one will like me.
- You think to yourself as you bury your face in the blanket.

- You lock yourself up in your room for the rest of the day, not coming out despite your mom's knocking on your door.
- You shut your eyes & cover your head with the blanket, trying to sleep, but you can't.
- The image of Soojin & Namjoon kissing keeps emerging in your mind despite your desperate attempt to distract yourself.
- Even though your tears have dried, the pain still lingers.
- You want to blame someone for your pain, but you know there's no one else to blame but yourself.
- Sunbae did nothing wrong. He didn't have the obligation to tell me about his personal life, plus he never said that he liked me. With a girlfriend as beautiful as her, why would he look at me?
- You stare at the ceiling for hours, drowning in self pity.
- Luckily, it's Sunday tomorrow so you don't need to go to school.
- "Y/n ah. Y/n ah.. Are you awake?" A knock on the door wakes you up from your restless sleep.
- You open your eyes heavily & sigh as yesterday's scenes flash inside your head again.
- "Y/n ah, ajusshi & I need to go somewhere. I've prepared some food for you on the table. If you've felt better, come out & eat ok? We'll be back in the afternoon. Call me if you need anything." Your mom says from behind the door.
- You don't even respond & pull the blanket higher to your chin.
- After tossing & turning for a few hours, your stomach begins to rumble.
- "Huh.. I guess I need to get up." You huff.
- You lazily drag your feet out of the room towards the dining room, but your steps come to a halt when you see Jungkook sitting at the dining table with a spoonful of food midway to his mouth.
- The two of you stare at each other in silence for a few seconds, before Jungkook clears his throat & lowers his gaze.
- It's funny how you used to have so much love for him, yet now you feel nothing but resentment.
- You stomp stubbornly to the table & pull out the chair across his.
- You grab a bowl & a pair of chopsticks, & begin to quietly eat the food your mom has prepared for you, pretending like he doesn't exist.
- His gaze falls on you from time to time, you can feel it, but you ignore him completely.
- Once you're done, you wash the dishes & walk back to your room without even a glance at him.
- "Are you ok?"  He exclaims all of a sudden.
- You stop walking & turn around to face him.
- He looks visibly flustered, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes looking down at his feet.
- "I'm sorry. Those things I said to you yesterday. They came out wrong. I didn't mean to-" He speaks again.
- "Save it." You say flatly.
- "W-What?" He lifts his eyes to meet yours.
- "I don't need your apology or your fake concern, so save it. You must be really mad when you found that I beat your score last time. How could someone as stupid as me, the moron of the school, got a higher mark than you? That was why you laughed in delight when you knew that my heart was broken by the guy who helped me beat you, right? You know what, Jungkook? I always thought that you were a nice person underneath that cold prickly shell, but I guess I was wrong."
- You immediately walk away once you've finished talking, not giving him any chance to respond.
- You slam your door close & throw yourself onto the bed.
- I should stop drowning myself in misery. It will only make Jungkook laugh at me more. I should show him that I'm a strong person who shouldn't be looked down upon.

Monday
- Since you decided to be strong, you wake up & get ready like nothing happened.
- "Morning mom, ajusshi." You nod at them as you sit down at the dining table.
- "Y/n ah, are you feeling better now? If you're still sick, just skip school today." Your mom says in concern as she hands you a bowl of rice.
- "I'm fine." You smile at her assuringly.
- A few minutes later, Jungkook walks out of his room & your mom immediately rushes to him with a lunch bag in her hand.
- "Jungkook ah, I've prepared some breakfast for you. Please take it." She says as she offers him the bag.
- He doesn't even stop & continues walking to the exit.
- You scoff at the sight. It's been a few months, but he still hasn't talked to your mom even once or warmed up to her at all.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Stop right there! Stop-" Ajusshi calls out, but his words suddenly get caught in his throat as he clutches his chest.
- "Yeobo!" Your mom instantly runs to his side & pats his back gently.
- "Ajusshi, are you alright?" You grab him a glass of warm water & give it to him.
- "I-I'm ok. Thank you." He takes the glass from you.
- "I'll go grab the medicine for you. Wait a second." Your mom rushes towards the bedroom.
- Sensing something wrong, you follow your mom.
- "Mom, is ajusshi sick?" You ask her.
- "H-He's fine, probably just feeling a bit under the weather." She replies as she takes the bottle of medicine from the dresser.
- "Are you sure? He looked so pale earlier-" You frown, not believing her words.
- "Yes, I am. He's most likely gotten the flu from his colleagues. Don't worry too much." She cups your cheek & smiles at you.
- "Ok then. But mom, I think you should stop trying too hard with Jungkook." You grab her hand to stop her.
- "I have my reason for doing that." Her expression turns serious all of a sudden.
- "Why? It hurts me to see you being treated so disrespectfully. Plus, it will only add to the strain between ajusshi & Jungkook."
- "Because he's my son now. I want him to at least acknowledge me as a part of his family. And you need to be kind to him as well." She pats your shoulder.
- "I don't want to. He's a cold-hearted annoying prick. I'm fine with him not accepting me." You protest.
- "Huh.. I don't have time to talk to you about this right now. I need to give this medicine to him. Let's talk again later ok?" With that, she turns away, leaving you alone standing in the bedroom.
- Why should I be nice to him when he's so mean to me? I don't care who he is, I don't want anything to do with him anymore.

Later that evening
- You anxiously pick on your nails in the living room as you wait for Namjoon to come.
- It will be awkward seeing him again. Should I ask him to stop coming? But he's done nothing wrong. He will be confused if I suddenly tell him that I don't want to be tutored by him anymore.
- Right then, the doorbell rings, startling you out of your daze.
- You quickly open the door & find Namjoon standing there.
- "Hi." He waves lightly at you.
- "A-Annyeong sunbae. Please come in." You lower your head & swiftly turn away, avoiding his gaze.
- You thought that you'd be able put aside your feelings & act as usual.
- However, your wound is still so fresh.
- As soon as you see his face, the pain inside begins to seep through the cracks that you'd hopelessly tried to mend.
- "So what should we study today?" You sit down on your usual seat & immediately open the books in an attempt to avoid making small talks.
- "Y/n ah.."
- "Should we start working on integration?" You heard him but you keep on talking & flipping the pages.
- "Y/n ah-" He tries to speak again.
- "Or maybe go back to derivation? I still have a problem with that." You continue to ignore him.
- "Y/n ah, listen to me." He grabs your hand & shakes it, causing you to stop rambling in an instance.
- "I know you're mad at me. I swear I didn't know that Soojin would come. She just really wanted to meet you, so her curiosity got the best of her. It was wrong of her to barge in like that, but believe me her intention was good. She actually felt really bad when she found that you went home on your own." He desperately explains.
- You can't chase away the piercing sensation in the center of your chest as you hear him defending Soojin.
- So you just keep your eyes on the book & bite your lip to suppress your tears from spilling.
- "If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I should've-"
- "Sunbae." You abruptly stop him.
- "Yes?" His voice full of worry.
- You muster all your strength & look up at him with a fake smile on your lips.
- "I'm not mad. Really. It was nice to meet her. And you did nothing wrong, so please stop feeling bad about it. Shall we continue our lesson now?" You applaud yourself for saying the words so calmly.
- "O-Oh ok. T-Thanks & again I'm sorry." He seems taken aback by your reaction & awkwardly opens his notes.
- Hold it in Y/n ah. You're doing great. Just focus on solving the equations.
- You manage to direct all your brain function to the math problems he gives you & he doesn't bring up Soojin anymore throughout the lesson.
- But just when you think that it will soon be over, he fishes out a little velvet box from his pocket.
- "W-What is that?" You ask nervously.
- "It's a small gift for you. Soojin & I picked it out together on Saturday. I hope you like it." He smiles sheepishly as he opens the box.
- Inside lies a beautiful silver necklace with a four-leaf clover pendant.
- Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach.
- "Do you like it?" He asks.
- "I-It's beautiful." You stutter.
- "Shall I help you put it on?"
- You want to reject it, you HAVE TO reject it.
- You don't want to wear something that will constantly remind you of your heartbreak, but you don't know how to say no.
- "S-Sure." As soon as the word escapes your lips, you instantly regret it.
- He takes the necklace out of the box & leans forward to circle it around your neck.
- The light chain weighs on you like a dead weight, the coolness of the silver pendant burns through the thin fabric of your T-shirt straight to your heart.
- "It looks pretty on you. I just want you to know that I really treasure you as a friend. You're like a little sister that I never have. So I hope we can continue to be friends for a long time."
- His smile is warm & genuine, yet his words are like cold water pouring onto you, freezing you to the core.
- Your tongue goes numb as you don't know how to respond.
- "Y/n?" Namjoon frowns in concern.
- "I-I'm going to look in the mirror. Please wait a minute." You abruptly rise from your seat & run towards your room.
- As you turn the corner, your feet screech to a halt.
- Jungkook is staring at you with an unreadable expression.
- How long has he been standing there? Did he hear everything?
- Your embarrassment deepens, you swiftly rush pass him & go into your room.
- You stare into the mirror at your own lost eyes, panic-stricken face.
- The four-leaf clover pendant glints under the light as you touch it.
- "It's pretty.." You mumble to yourself & smile sadly.
- A drop of tear glides down your cheek.
- Let it go Y/n ah. He's not yours, never was & never will be. Just be grateful that he likes you as a friend.
- You take a deep breath & exhale slowly, then you wipe your tears & smile to yourself in the mirror.
- "Hwaiting." You mutter to yourself.
- You pull your room door open & hear the sound of people arguing.
-  No way..
- Their voices are getting louder as you get closer.

Jungkook POV
- I heard everything.
- In fact, I've been eavesdropping their conversations all this time.
- I don't know why I do it, the only thing I know is that Namjoon guy gets on my nerve.
- I know Y/n likes him, because she looks at him with the same eyes that she used to stare at me with, & I hate it.
- When I heard that he has a girlfriend, I was relieved, yet my reaction came out wrong & it made Y/n hate me even more.
- I was going to let her be, but I saw her being sad for him again just now & my blood boils.
- "Why are you still coming here? You're not welcome in this house." I step into the living room & say to Namjoon, my brows deeply furrowed in anger & disgust.
- "Huh.. I know you don't like me for whatever reason, but I have no business with you. Y/n needs my help & she wants me here, so that's the only thing that matter." He throws me a side glance & sighs.
- "Really? I don't think she wants to see you anymore after what you've done to her." I scoff.
- "What do you mean?" His head perks up, looking genuinely confused.
- "Don't tell me that you don't see it. You're not stupid, so you should know how she truly feels about you. She likes you. Not as a tutor, not as a friend, but as a man. So do you realize now how much you've hurt her by doing what you did?" I spit, surprising myself at how much I despise this man I barely know.

- "Jeon Jungkook!" Y/n's voice startles me, making me turn instantly towards her.
- She looks livid, cheeks flushed, eyes wild.
- "Sunbae, just ignore him. He's delirious, he doesn't know what he's saying." She rushes to Namjoon with an uncomfortable smile plastered on her lips & it makes me even angrier.
- "I'm only telling him the truth. I saw with my own eyes how much he's hurt you-" I exclaim.
- "He's done nothing wrong. It's you who keeps hurting me, so please just leave. I don't need you to meddle with my life." She glances at me with a gaze so stony & cold that I almost don't recognize her.
- I don't know why but seeing her looking at me with so much hatred pains me.
- "You truly are dumb." I grunt lowly before stomping back to my room.

Y/n POV
- "You truly are dumb." Jungkook grunts lowly & stomps out of the living room.
- You clench your fist, trying to contain the explosion of emotion inside you.
- Breathe Y/n ah.. Breathe..
- You take a deep breath & turn to face Namjoon, despite waves of embarrassment washing over you.
- "I'm so sorry sunbae. Please don't take anything he said to heart." You apologize as you bow at him.
- He says nothing, which makes you feel even more ashamed.
- "If what he said is true, I apologize. I never intended to lead you on. Although I'm thankful for your feelings towards me, I-" He finally speaks.
- "Sunbae, like I said, you've done nothing wrong. So just forget what Jungkook said. Please." You plead, voice full of desperation.
- "O-Ok. I better get going then. Have a good night Y/n ah." He gives you a thin smile, grabs his stuff & walks to the door.
- Once you've seen him out, you immediately turn towards Jungkook's room.
- You push open his doors without bothering to knock & slam the door behind you.
- "Why the hell did you say all those things to him? It's MY life, MY heartbreak, what does it have to do with you?! I was going to bury all my feelings for him, yet you blatantly exposed me. Do you have any idea how embarrassed you made me?! You made it impossible for me & him to even have a normal friendship!" You yell, lashing out all your fury at him.
- "Well, good riddance then." He snickers without looking at you.
- "Jeon Jungkook, answer me!" You scream louder.
- "I hate it, ok?! I hate seeing you looking at him with those hopeful puppy eyes. I hate seeing you working so hard just to get his approval. I hate seeing you getting hurt because of him. And I hate myself even more for feeling this way." It's like the floodgate has been opened & his words pour out uncontrollably.
- "But you did exactly the same thing to me. Even worse! So you don't have the right to judge-"
- "I know! I know I was mean to you, but watching other people making you cry angers me. I tried to stop caring, because I'm supposed to hate you. Yet, I couldn't help but keep watching." He pushes his hair back in frustration.
- "Ohhh, so only you can hurt me, is that what you're trying to say? FYI, sunbae did break my heart but at least he helped me a lot. Well, he helped me beat your grade for one. Unlike you, who always look down on me, pushing me away, treating me like I'm invisible. So, if anything, you're much much worse than him." You scoff & cross your arms.
- "Beat me? So you're grateful for him because he helped you beat me? If I didn't take care of you that night, you wouldn't-" He stops himself abruptly.
- "What? What did you say?" You frown.
- "Nothing." He averts his gaze & clenches his jaws.
- "You took care of me? When-"
- Then the memory comes back to you.
- That night before the exam, in the kitchen, when you had nosebleed & then everything suddenly went black.
- Did I pass out? Did he take care of me all night, hence he couldn't do well on the exam? His unusual grade, his fall during PE were all essentially because of.. me?
- You gulp as guilt consumes you.
- "Why didn't you say anything?" You ask.
- "I didn't see any reason why I should. Besides, you'd do the same too if you were in my position." He shrugs.
- The atmosphere becomes quiet & heavy all of a sudden.
- You bite your lip, contemplating on what to say, then you muster all your courage to speak up.
- "I-." "I-." Both of you say in unison.
- "You first." He mutters as he scratches the back of his neck.
- "I'm sorry. For making you lose your first place position. You must have been shocked." You say apologetically.
- "It's alright. It's just an exam, no big deal. I want to apologize too for being so cold & treating you so badly all this while. I just- I just feel like I'm betraying my mom if I'm being nice to you. And also for exposing your feeling to Namjoon sunbaenim. I hope you'll forgive me, but if you don't want to, it's fine as well. I know I was being too much of a jerk to you." He quickly adds.
- Warmth spreads inside you hearing his sincere apology, finally he's willing to open up to you.
- "Apology accepted. So.. truce?" You extend your hand towards him.
- "Y-Yeah. I guess.." He shakes your hand lightly & quickly retracts it, his ears reddening.
- You chuckle inwardly seeing his reaction.
- "Ok then, I'll go back to my room now. Good night Jungkook ah. See you tomorrow." You smile at him.
- "G-Good night." He replies while still keeping his gaze on his hands.
- You're about to walk out when you suddenly feel like telling him something.
- "Btw, Jungkook ah.."
- "Oh?" He looks up at you.
- "I know it's not my place to say this, but I'm sure your mom wants you to be happy too. So, don't hide all your turmoils inside & suffer by yourself. You can always talk to me, you know. Uhm.. well.. that's it. Good night."
- You quickly step out & close the door.
- A satisfactory smile spreads across your lips as you lean on the door.
- Everything doesn't look that bad all of a sudden.

- You lock your phone & huff.
- This is for the best. I should stop seeing him for a while.
- You stare at the ceiling, thinking about what Jungkook said to you earlier.
- "I hate seeing you getting hurt because of him.."
- Does it mean that he..? Ugh, stop thinking nonsense. Don't go back to liking him again, he's your step-brother. Besides, he probably just feels protective towards me as a step-sibling.
- You close your eyes & make a promise to yourself that you won't fall for Jungkook again.

- The next morning, you're eating breakfast with your mom & ajusshi when Jungkook hurriedly walks past.
- Your mom instantly rises from her seat & grabs the lunch bag that she's packed for him.
- "Jung-" But Jungkook has already left the house.
- You watch her dejected expression & an idea comes to mind.
- "Mom, give that to me." You say as you take the bag from her hand & rush our the door.
- "What are you going to do with it? Y/n ah!" She calls out to your back.
- You run after Jungkook, who is already a few meters ahead of you.
- "Jungkook! Jeon Jungkook!" You yell, but he doesn't look back.
- So you sprint with all your might & finally get to him.
- "Jeon Jungkook.." You pant as you tap his shoulder.
- "Hmm?" He turns around & takes his earphones off.
- "Here.. This is for you.." You shove the lunch bag in his hands.
- "What is this?" He frowns in confusion.
- "Just take it. See you at school!" You smile at him & run quickly away before he can protest.

- You don't see Jungkook again for the whole day.
- Did he eat the food mom prepared for him? You wonder as you walk home.
- "Y/n ah! Wait for me!" Hwayoung yells from behind, causing you to turn around.
- "What?" You ask.
- "Can I join you to study with your tutor? Maybe he can help me improve my grade too, like he did with you." She grins.
- "I've stopped being tutored by him." You shrug & continue walking.
- "What? Why? You went from the bottom to top 10 because of him. And there's another exam coming up, don't you want to keep your rank?" She widens her eyes in disbelief.
- "Well.. I have my own reason.." You mutter lowly, not wanting to tell Hwayoung about the whole ordeal.
- "Are you just saying that because you're trying to keep him to yourself?" She pokes me suspiciously.
- "No! Why would I-" You begin to retaliate but your sentence is cut off by someone suddenly dropping a bag into your hands.
- "Thanks. I ate it well." It's Jungkook.
- He doesn't stop & keeps walking, leaving you gaping in surprise.
- "Ommo. Did you pack him lunch? And he accepted it?! Omg Kim Y/n, finally! But I thought you've stopped liking him?" Hwayoung asks in confusion.
- "Err.. I gotta go now. See you tomorrow!" You quickly run away to avoid her questions.
- "Y/n ah! Congratulations! You've finally melted the cold boy's heart!" She shouts at you, but you ignore her & search for Jungkook.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Wait for me!" You yell at him & this time he stops to wait for you.
- "What now?" He asks with a deadpan expression, his tone no longer hostile like before though.
- "Uhm.. Did you enjoy the lunch?" You arrive beside him & ask.
- "It was ok." He turns away & continues walking.
- You notices that he actually matches his pace with yours & that makes you smile.
- "I heard you told your friend earlier that you'd stopped being tutored by Namjoon sunbae. Is that true?" He asks all of a sudden.
- "Yeah.. I told him to stop coming for a while." You awkwardly reply.
- "Is it because of what I said to him?"
- "Err.. uhm.. Kinda. But it's for the best actually. I won't be able to get over him if I keep seeing him everyday, will I?" You chuckle to lighten the mood, but he doesn't follow, only staring at you with an unreadable gaze.
- "Uhm.. anw, don't worry about it." You quickly avert your gaze.
- "Then how are you going to study without a tutor?"
- "I guess I'll just have to manage. I can't go back to being in the bottom if I want to graduate." You shrug.
- "I see." He mutters lowly.
- None of you utter another word for the rest of the way home.
- "Uhm.. I'll head in first." He says once you get home.
- "Oh ok. See you." You smile faintly at him & watch him disappear into his room.
- "Huh.. Without Namjoon sunbae, can I keep my grade up on my own?" You exhale deeply.
- After dinner, you study in your room, working on your homework.
- "Arghhh! Why is it so hard to understand? I give up." You slam your forehead onto the table & groan.
- "Can't I do it without Namjoon sunbae's help? Now I realize how heavily I've been relying on him all this while."
- Tears sting your tired eyes as you think about Namjoon, but you immediately sniff them away.
- "Hwaiting Y/n ah, you can do this." You pick yourself up & pump your fist.
- A few minutes later, you hear a faint knock on your door.
- "Yes?" Thinking that it's your mom, you answer without bothering to open the door.
- But then you hear the knocks again.
- "Why doesn't she come in like usual?" You mutter to yourself, get up & pull the door open.
- You gasp in surprise when you find that it's not your mom, but Jungkook who's standing in front of your door.
- "W-What are you doing here?"
- "Uhm.. I don't feel like studying alone. Would you like to study together with me?" He sheepishly asks as he rubs the back of his neck.
- You move your gaze to the books in his hand & then back at his face again.
- "Y-Yeah sure. Come in." You open the door wider for him.
- "Thanks." He steps into your room with head lowered.
- You take your notes from the desk & sit down on the floor across him.
- "Let's start from number 1, shall we?" Jungkook says without looking up from his book.
- "Oh, ok. But Jungkook ah, don't you think that studying with me will only burden you? I mean, I'm not smart like you, I'll probably have a lot of questions." You frown.
- "You beat me, remember? So you actually have it in you. Let's just do it first." He flashes you a thin smile & adjusts his glasses.
- "Alright then. Number 1.."

Two hours later, Jungkook POV
- My head is starting to hurt & my eyes are getting tired. These problems sure are tough, even for me.
- "Y/n ah, how are you doing? Can you solve number-"
- I turn to the side & find her already sleeping on the floor, her fingers still holding the pencil.
- I chuckle lightly at the sight & move closer to take the pencil out of her grasp.
- She looks like a baby when she sleeps. I smile to myself.
- The light illuminates her soft skin, her lashes flutter with her every breath, her pink lips slightly gaping as she lets out a light snore.
- This isn't the first time I watch her sleep, but somehow my heart beats much faster this time.
- What's wrong with me? It's just Y/n.
- The urge to touch her silky hair fills me up again, so I hesitantly stretch out my hand towards her head.
- But before my fingers reach her, a single tear rolls down her cheek, causing my hand to stop mid air.
- "Sunbae.. don't go." She mutters.
- A stinging sensation reverberates through my chest as I swiftly retract my hand.
- I tidy up my things, ready to leave, but then I see her slightly shivering shoulders.
- So I put my stuff down, carry her from the floor to the bed & tug her in.
- "Good night Y/n ah. Have a happy dream & don't cry." I mutter as I lightly stroke her hair with my fingertips.
- Then, I get up & exit her room as quietly as I can.

- You wake up highly alert.
- "Fuck, did I fall asleep again?" You grunt as you abruptly sit up.
- "Wait. I'm in bed. Did Jungkook put me to bed or did I get here on my own? Ugh, there's no time to think about that. I need to get ready for school." You quickly jump out of bed.
- Once you're done, you walk out of your room & bump into Jungkook, who's stepping out of his room as well.
- "Morning." You say to him.
- "Morning." He replies with a thin smile.
- "Did you put me to bed last night?" You ask bluntly.
- "Yeah.." He sheepishly answers & lowers his head.
- "Thanks Kook." You bend down to search his face & smile at him.
- He looks stunned for a second before his cheeks blush into a pinkish shade.
- "You're welcome."
- "You don't mind me calling you Kook, do you?" You nudge his arm.
- "It's ok, I guess." He replies as he rubs his nose.
- "Oh? Jungkook ah, do you want to have breakfast together?" Your mom looks up in surprise when she sees you walking out together with Jungkook.
- He immediately averts his gaze & rushes out the door without responding.
- Huh.. I guess it's still hard for him to accept mom. You think to yourself.
- "It's ok mom. I'll bring the lunch bag for him." You hugs your mom's arm to console her.
- "I wonder when he'll be able to accept me." She sighs.
- "Just take it slow. He'll open up his heart one day."
- "But we don't have much time.." She whispers to herself.
- "What? What do you mean?" You ask, confused.
- "Nothing. Never mind. Let's go eat breakfast." Your mom abruptly changes the topic.
- Why don't we have time? What's going on?

Later that day during lunch break
- You're eating lunch alone in the cafeteria since Hwayoung is summoned by the teacher to do something, when someone plops down right in front of you all of a sudden.
- "Jungkook? Why are you here?" You're startled by his unexpected appearance.
- You glance around as you feel people's gaze on you.
- "Eating lunch." He answers nonchalantly while opening up the lunch bag you brought for him.
- "Aren't you afraid that people will talk, seeing us together?" You whisper to him.
- "Let them talk." He says without stopping to look at you.
- "But you said you didn't want people to know that we're step siblings." You frown.
- "I've passed that stage now. You're not so bad after all." He picks up his chopsticks & put a mouthful of food into his mouth.
- Your heart flutters at his simple statement.
- He's finally accepted you as his family.
- "Why are you staring at me? Eat your lunch." He glimpses at you.
- "Thank you."
- "For what?"
- "For letting me in. Now let's eat." You pick up your chopsticks & smile at him.

An hour later, PE class, Jungkook POV
- I scan along the bench, where she usually sits with her friend, but she's nowhere to be found.
- Where is she?
- Then, I see her walking out of the school building as she chats animatedly with her friend.
- Her carefree laugh can be heard from where I am standing.
- Seemingly sensing my gaze, she turns to me & nods, but I quickly avert my gaze & pretend that I didn't see her.
- Sweat forms in my palms as my heart races uncontrollably.
- What the hell? Why do I feel this way?
- I grab a basketball & shoot some hoops to divert my focus & clear my head.
- After a few minutes, I steal another glance at her & find her staring at me.
- She smiles widely & waves at me, making my heart pound heavily again.
- But I keep my composure & reciprocate her wave coolly.
- That's when I realize that I might have fallen for her.
- Something that I don't expect & don't want to happen.

After PE, Y/n POV
- "Hwayoung ah, have you seen my shoes?" You rummage through your locker in the changing room, but fail to find your shoes.
- "I saw you putting them in the locker before you go to the shower room earlier. Why? They are not there?" She asks as she peeks into your locker.
- "Weird. I remember putting them inside the locker too. Do you think someone has stolen my shoes?"
- "Who would want to steal your shoes though?"
- "I don't know. What should I do now? I can't go back to class without my shoes." You panic.
- "I guess you'll have to. The next period will start in a few minutes. I'll help you find your shoes after school."
- You have no other choice, so you walk back to class barefoot, ignoring your classmates' giggles & ridicule.
- "Kim Y/n, why aren't you wearing your shoes?" The teacher frowns.
- "I-I lost them Sir." You answer truthfully which causes fits of laughter from your classmates.
- "How can you lose your shoes? Anw, go find them later, we need to start the class now." He chastises you & you can only nod in embarrassment.
- Luckily, there's only one period left before school ends.
- Relief washes over you when the bell rings & you immediately search around the school for your shoes with Hwayoung's help.
- "Y/n ah, I need to go now. My after-school academy is starting in half an hour. Sorry." Hwayoung rushes to your side after half an hour of searching.
- "That's ok. You go ahead."
- "Good luck. I hope you find your shoes." She smiles apologetically before leaving.
- "Where the hell are they?" You mutter to yourself.
- "Kim Y/n, what are you doing? Why are you walking around in barefoot?" Jungkook walks towards you with his backpack slung on his shoulder.
- "I lost my shoes & I'm trying to find it." You explain.
- "You lost your shoes?" He asks in disbelief.
- "Yeah, I think somebody took them from my locker when I went to the shower room after PE." You shrug.
- "Who would do such a prank to you? Anw, I'll help you look for them."
- "You would?" Your eyes widen in surprise.
- "Yeah, I've got nothing else to do anw. Come on."
- Jungkook helps you search all throughout the school ground, but you still can't find your shoes.
- You're getting tired & your feet are bruised & blistered from all the walking you've done.
- "It's getting late. I think we should go home for now before they lock the school gate." He suggests.
- "Ok." You mutter dejectedly.
- You don't care as much about the pain, but you worry about people's weird looks on you later when they see you walking on the street without shoes on.
- Jungkook seems to notice your unease & kneels down all of a sudden.
- "Get on my back." He says.
- "W-What?"
- "I said get on my back. I'll carry you home."
- "What?! No! I can't do that-" You refuse but he stops you mid sentence by pulling your arms & locking them around his neck.
- "Kook, put me down. People will stare." You lower your head to hide your face & whisper as he starts walking.
- "Let them stare. Just hold on tight."
- His kind gesture touches you deeply, warming your heart to the core.
- "Ok then. Let's go." You giggle as you wrap your arms tighter.

- A few days have passed.
- Your relationship with Jungkook has gotten better.
- He's opened up to you more, smiles more often, & can even joke around with you now.
- However, something is bothering you.
- Someone is clearly targeting you & you haven't figured out who.
- It started with your shoes, then the next day you lost your homework, followed by your pencil case, & it goes on & on.
- You've thought that maybe it's Sooah, but you've never talked to her nor seen her getting anywhere near your classroom.
- Today is the worst, your entire back pack is gone when you come back from lunch break.
- "Ugh.. I don't understand. Who is doing this to me?" You groan in frustration.
- "Maybe it's one of the guys in our class?" Hwayoung says.
- "That's impossible. I don't have any beef with them."
- "Then who?"
- "I don't know.. I don't care about my bag, but we have an exam tomorrow & all my notes are in there. What should I do now?" You sigh as you lay your head on your desk.
- "Kim Y/n! Is this yours?" One of your classmates suddenly calls out.
- You lift your head & see him holding something that resembles your bag.
- "Let me see." You rush to him & take the half-burnt sack from his hand.
- You open the bag, or what remains of it, & find all your notes torn down to pieces.
- "It's mine. Where did you find it?" You ask, trying hard not to cry.
- "I found it in the garbage disposal at the back when I emptied the dustbin earlier." He explains.
- "T-Thanks." You mutter.
- "Omg, whoever did this has truly gone too far." Hwayoung exclaims.
- "What did I do so wrong that someone hates me this much?" You finally can't contain your tears anymore & let them roll down your cheeks.
- "Y/n ah.." Hwayoung pats your shoulder in pity.
- You walk out of the school ground dejectedly with your ruined back pack in hand.
- "What happened to your bag?" Jungkook appears beside you & asks.
- "N-Nothing. I accidentally threw it in the garbage disposal & it got burnt with the other garbage." Not wanting to worry him, you lie.
- "Really? That sounds a bit unbelievable." He raises his brow.
- "Hahaha. You know, I'm clumsy & forgetful, so.. Anw, have you started studying for tomorrow's exam?" You abruptly change the topic & force a smile to reassure him.
- "I have, actually. And I'm planning to study much harder this time to redeem myself from last time. So be ready Kim Y/n, I won't lose to you again this time." He jokingly makes a shooting gesture & points it at you.
- "Bring it on. Although I doubt miracle will happen again for me." Not with my notes all gone.
- "Ya, have some confidence in yourself. As far as I know, you've got it." He lightly punches my shoulder.
- "Thanks. I hope so." You look down at your feet & mumble.
- After dinner, you try to study for tomorrow's exam, but without your notes, you don't know what to do.
- Should I ask Jungkook to lend me his notes? But he said that he was going to study extra hard. I shouldn't bother him.
- A knock on your door interrupts your train of thoughts.
- You readily open the door & find Jungkook with a stack of notes in his hands.
- "Here you go." He shoves the notes at me.
- "What are these? Wait, these are your notes. Why are you giving them to me? Don't you need them to study?" You ask in confusion.
- "I was thinking that you might need these since your notes probably got burnt along with your bag. Besides, I've finished studying." He shrugs.
- You're deeply touched by his thoughtfulness to the point that you almost shed a tear.
- "Ya, are you going to cry? Did I say something wrong?" He panics.
- "No, you didn't. Thank you for the notes." You chuckle.
- "Anw, I won't bother you. Go study." He waves at you & walks back towards his room.
- "Kook!"
- "Oh?" He turns around.
- "Thank you so much for being the best brother that I could ever ask for." You smile at him as you hug his notes in genuine happiness.
- "You're welcome." He smiles back before entering his room.

Jungkook POV
- "Thank you so much for being the best brother that I could ever ask for."
- "That's right. I'm her brother. I shouldn't forget that." I mutter to myself as I close the door behind me.
- But even though I understand the situation perfectly, my heart can't help but hurt.

Y/n POV
- Thanks to Jungkook's note, you got through the exam quite successfully.
- The pranks have stopped too, whoever it is has stopped stealing your things.
- So your mood is definitely much much better.
- The day of the grade announcement, you wait anxiously along with the other students in front of the board.
- Sooah is there too, but this time she keeps her distance & doesn't mock you like usual.
- "It's posted!" One of the students exclaim & you quickly move forward to find your name.
- As always, you start searching from the bottom.
- "Omg, I got 82!" You squeal in delight when you find that you're ranked at number 20 with 82 points.
- You scan upwards & breathe a sigh of relief when you see Jungkook's name at the top.
- You look for him in the mass of people & excitedly walk towards him.
- "Congrats Kook! You're back at number 1!" You give him a high five which he reciprocates.
- "Thanks. But you're out of the top 10." He frowns in concern.
- "I don't care. I'm happy with my 82 points & it's all thanks to your notes. Otherwise, I'd probably fail again."
- "Then.. shall we celebrate tonight?" He asks hesitantly.
- "Celebrate? That's a great idea. What do you want to do?"
- "Uhm.. wanna go watch a movie with me later? There's a new Marvel movie playing in the theatre."
- "Ok! Wait for me at the gate after school. I'll see you later then!"
- Your grin is so wide that it almost splits your face in half.
- Omg, I'm going on a movie date with Jungkook! Ehm.. wait.. correction. It's technically not a date since he's my brother. But whatever, I'm just as excited.

- You eagerly pack up your stuff once the bell rings.
- Time to celebrate! You smile to yourself.
- "Y/n ah, I think I left my wallet in the restroom. Can you help me get it? I need to finish writing my notes." Hwayoung tugs at my shirt & says.
- "Oh ok." You check your watch & decide that you still have a few minutes, so you agree.
- "Where did she leave it?" You glance around the empty restroom but find nothing.
- Suddenly, you hear the sound of door being locked.
- You quickly step out of the cubicle & find Sooah standing there with two of her friends.
- You say nothing & try to walk past her, but she blocks your way.
- "Where do you think you're going?" She snickers.
- "What do you want?" You cross your arms & ask.
- "What do I want? I want to hurt you. I want to see you crash & burn. I thought ruining your notes was enough to make you fail the exam, but I guess you got lucky again." She says in a menacing tone.
- "It was you?! Why did you do that?!"
- "Why? Because I hate you to the core! I saw Jungkook sitting with you during lunch, giving you a piggyback ride when I threw away your shoes, while he's never even smiled at me despite my various attempts! Not to mention that you made Namjoon oppa break up with my sister-"
- "Wait, what? Namjoon sunbae broke up with your sister?" You repeat the question in disbelief.
- "Don't act like you don't know. He broke up with her a few days after your amusement park date. You must have said something that made him do that!" She screams furiously.
- "I swear I didn't say anything. I didn't even know that he broke up with her!" You retaliate.
- "Shut up! I don't want to listen to your bullshit!" Her palm lands hard on your cheek.
- "Girls, hold her hands." She commands her friends.
- "Let go of me-" You struggle to escape from their grips.
- A bucket of cold water is poured over your head, making you gasp for air.
- "Stop-" You barely manage to shout when another slap lands on your other cheek.
- "I'll teach you a lesson today so that you know your place." Sooah snickers.
- She raises her hand again, but right then someone bangs the door loudly.
- "Open the door! Y/n! Are you in there?" It's Jungkook.
- "How the fuck did he find out?" Sooah curses under her breath.
- "Kim Sooah! Open the door now!" Jungkook pounds at the door.
- "Sooah ya, what do we do now?" Her friends ask in panic.
- "Kim Sooah, open it now before I call the teacher!" He shouts again.
- "Fuck!" Sooah gives up & finally unlocks the door.
- Jungkook immediately rushes inside & kneels down beside you.
- "Are you ok? I'm sorry, I should've come sooner." He holds your arm & helps you stand up.
- "Why are you protecting her?! She's a crazy stalker & she's not even pretty! You can't possibly like her, can you?" Sooah scoffs.
- "Yes, I like her! So if you dare to hurt her again, I'll kill you." He throws her a menacing glance & pulls you out of the restroom.
- Your heart stops at his statement.

- What did he say? He- He likes me?
- "Kook, wait." You halt your steps, making him stop too.
- "What is it? Did you forget something in there? Or does it hurt somewhere?" He turns to you & scans you from head to toe in concern.
- "What did you mean when you said you like me?"
- Actually, that's what you want to know, but you can't bring yourself to ask the question.
- "H-How did you know that I was in the restroom?" You ask instead.
- "I met your friend in the classroom when I came looking for you. She told me Sooah might have locked you in the restroom."
- "Hwayoung? But how did she know that Sooah- Omg.." A realization dawns on you.
- "What?"
- "I need to talk to her." You turn back around & dash towards your classroom.
- "Wait, Y/n ah! I'll come with you." Jungkook follows you from behind.
- As you approach the classroom, you hear someone shouting inside.
- Sooah? Shit..
- "Why the fuck did you tell Jungkook where she was?! Do you want me to expose you?!" Sooah yells as she pushes Hwayoung to the wall.
- "I-I'm sorry. I-I was scared, so-" Hwayoung stutters in fear.
- "You useless b*tch! I should've exposed you a long time ago!" Sooah raises her hand to slap her.
- "Stop!" You quickly run towards them & grab Sooah's arm.
- "You! J-Jungkook.. I-I-" Sooah's tongue goes numb as she sees Jungkook staring at her in repulsion.
- "You're disgusting." Jungkook clicks his tongue.
- "S-She's much worse than me! She pretended to be her friend while taking her stuffs behind her back!" Sooah points her finger at Hwayoung to divert the attention.
- "I only did that because you threatened me!"
- "Liar! You enjoyed it, didn't you?" Sooah crosses her arms & scoffs.
- "I did not!" Tears flow down Hwayoung's face.
- "Kim Sooah.." You can't take it anymore.
- "Wha-" Before she can finish the word, your palm has landed loudly on her left cheek.
- "Get the fuck out of my sight & don't you ever bother me or Hwayoung again. Do you understand?!" You scream at her with a tone so menacing that you don't even recognize your own voice.
- Sooah trembles as she clutches her reddened cheek, shocked by your outburst.
- "It's your cue to go. Or do you want another slap?" You ask.
- "Y-You- Ughhh.." She bites her lips & finally leaves the classroom, admitting her defeat.
- "Hwayoung ah, are you alright?" You crouch down beside her & squeezes her shoulder gently.
- "Why are you still so nice to me? Didn't you hear her? I helped her steal your things. Your homework, your pencil case, even your back pack." She pushes your hand away & stands up.
- "You must have a reason for doing that. The Hwayoung I know is the kindest & bubbliest person." You spin her to face you & smile.
- "Y/n ah.. I'm so sorry. She caught me peeking at the key to the exam in the teacher's office & threatened to report me to the principal. I was so scared of getting expelled so I obeyed her commands. I'm so sorry Y/n ah, please forgive me." She hugs you abruptly & cries into your shoulder.
- "Shhh.. It's ok Hwayoung ah. I forgive you." You stroke her back & whisper.
- Your eyes meet Jungkook's & he lifts his thumb up as he smiles at you.
- "Thank you." You silently mouth to him.

Later at home
- "Thanks for earlier. If you hadn't come, I would've probably gotten beaten to a pulp by Sooah. And sorry, we don't get to watch the movie today." You say to Jungkook as both of you step into the house.
- "Hey no worries, we can always go another time. Go change your clothes first then come out to the living room." He says to you.
- "Oh, ok." You mutter in response & step into your room.
- You take off your damp uniform & change into something comfy.
- "Omg! My face.. Have I been walking around looking like this?" You gasp as you see yourself in the mirror.
- Blueish bruises cover both of your cheeks & they hurt really bad when you touch them.
- "Ugh.. they will surely get swollen." You try to cover them with your hair & walk out to the living room as Jungkook instructed.
- "Hey.. So.. what are we doing?" You ask Jungkook who's already sitting on the sofa, waiting for you.
- "Sit down & tie your hair up." He pats the empty space beside him & twists open the cap of an ointment tube.
- "I- I can do it myself." You try to grab the tube from his hand but he moves it out of your grasp.
- "Shhh.. Just listen to me. Sit." He commands.
- "O-Ok." You quickly tie your hair up, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.
- "This will hurt, so bear with it ok?"
- He puts a little bit of ointment on his fingertip & begins to dab on your cheek.
- His face is so close that you can see his long lashes fluttering with every blink, feel his warm breath blowing on your skin.
- You quickly shut your eyes to prevent yourself from blushing.
- "Ow!" You yelp as a sharp pain stings the corner of your mouth.
- "Sorry. Did it hurt?" He asks in panic & blows over the wound.
- "I-It's ok." You awkwardly say.
- "Why didn't you tell me that someone stole your stuff at school? That burnt back pack was Sooah's doing too, right?" He asks.
- "I didn't want to burden you, so.." You shrug.
- "You wouldn't have been burdening me at all & I would've been able to prevent her from hurting you. It pains me to see you like this." He frowns.
- Your heartbeat speeds up at his statement.
- "Yes, I like her! So if you dare to hurt her again, I'll kill you." His threat to Sooah earlier comes to mind.
- You gulp nervously & muster all your courage to ask the question that you desperately want to know the answer to.
- "Kook.. When you told Sooah that you liked me.. What did you actually mean?"
- He looks stunned for a moment before averting his gaze.
- "I'm done. I'll go back to my room now. Good night." He hastily tidies up & rises from his seat.
- "Kook, answer me." You tug at his sleeve.
- "I-" He bites his lower lip & is about to answer when the front door suddenly swings open.
- "Oh, what are you doing kids?" Your mom walks into the room & asks.
- "Good night." Jungkook hastily releases himself from your grip & rushes into his room.
- "Omg Y/n ah! What happened to your face?!" Your mom exclaims in shock.
- "It's a long story mom.." You let her examine you, but your eyes are focused on Jungkook's closed door.

The next day
- You wake up feeling sick, you touch your forehead & it's much warmer than usual.
- You try to sit up but your head is spinning so badly that you collapse back down onto the bed.
- "Ugh.. I guess I've caught a cold due to walking around in soaking wet clothes yesterday." You grunt.
- "Y/n ah, why aren't you coming out for breakfast? Ommo, you haven't woken up yet? Are you sick?" Your mom barges into your room & immediately rushes to your side.
- "It's just regular cold, but I think I can't go to school today." You whimper weakly.
- "It's ok, just at home today. I'll bring some porridge & medicine for you." She caresses your head & walks out.
- I need to tell Jungkook.
- You grab your phone & send him a text.

- You sleep the whole day & by afternoon, you've felt so much better.
- You get up from your bed & walk to the kitchen to get a drink.
- 16:48. Jungkook should be home soon. You think to yourself as you look at the clock.
- Right then, the doorbell rings.
- Is that him? Why did he ring the bell tho?
- You rush to the door & push it open.
- "Kook, wh-" Your words get stuck in your throat as you gape in surprise seeing the person standing in front of the door.

- "Hi Y/n ah. Long time no see." It's Namjoon.
- "S-Sunbae? What brings you here?" You stutter, breath slightly hitched in your chest.
- You thought you'd gotten over him, but seeing him again makes you realize that you haven't.
- The numbing pain in your heart is still there, lying quietly beneath the surface.
- "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He asks with a serious expression.
- "Y-Yes, sure. Please come in." You open the door wider for him & let him in.
- Feeling self-conscious about your messy appearance, you quickly fix your hair & straighten your pajamas as you follow behind him.
- He suddenly stops in his track & turns around, completely startling you.
- "W-What is it that you want to talk about?" You ask.
- "I've broken up with Soojin." He rubs the back of his neck & says.
- So what Sooah said was true. But.. did he really do it because of me?
- "I know.. Sooah told me." You reply in a small voice, heart racing.
- "Oh she did."
- "Yeah.."
- A long stretch of silence follows as both of you awkwardly stand across each other not knowing what to say.
- "I know that by saying this you might find me repulsive, but I broke up with Soojin because of you.." He finally speaks up.
- Your heart stops for a second upon hearing his confession.
- "W-What? Why? Was it because you felt bad about me? If it was, then-"
- "No. I did that because I realized that I liked you. Not as a sister, not as a friend, but as a woman." He lifts his eyes to meet yours & you can see the turmoil inside his piercing gaze.
- You're so shocked that you don't even know how to respond.
- "I actually knew that I had romantic feelings for you, but I suppressed it & convinced myself that I only liked you as a younger sister. When you asked me to stop coming to tutor you, I felt a pain that I'd never experienced before. Like I'd lost something important. I couldn't lie to myself anymore & broke up with Soojin. It took me a lot of courage to come here today & confess my feelings for you. I don't expect you to accept my heart, but I hope you won't find me creepy or offensive." He looks down at the floor, looking like he's about to cry.
- You should feel ecstatic. You should hug him & tell him that it's ok, that you like him too, yet strangely you don't.
- Yes, you still like him, but at the same time you feel burdened & guilty.
- Your mind is so chaotic that you don't even know what you want anymore.
- "I- I don't know what to say.." You bite your lip as you think about what to do.
- "Would you please give me another chance Y/n ah? I promise I won't hurt you anymore." He takes your hand & holds it in between his.
- His warmth radiates from your hand throughout your whole body.
- Your head tells you to say yes, but there's a persistent unease in your heart that doesn't allow you to.
- "I-"
- Your sentence is cut off by the sound of door loudly closing.
- Jungkook walks past with his head lowered.
- "J-Jungkook?" You don't know why but you instantly panic, like you've been found out doing something indecent.
- Jungkook continues walking without giving you & Namjoon so much as a glance & steps into his room, slamming the door behind him.
- Did he hear everything? I need to explain it to him.
- You begin to step away, but Namjoon grabs your arm & stops you.
- "Y/n ah, you haven't answered me." He says.
- "I- uhm.. Can you give me a few days to think about it?" You force a smile for him, while actually you're itching to rush to Jungkook.
- "Alright. I'll patiently wait for your answer." He smiles back at you & lets go of your arm.

Flashback, Jungkook POV
- "I hope she'll like this." I dangle the take out bag in front of my face.
- I went to my favorite restaurant & bought some chicken soup & porridge for Y/n right after I was done with school.
- The whole day, I couldn't really concentrate because I'd been worrying about her.
- I run home as fast as I can, my smile gradually grows bigger as I get closer.
- I can see the front door now & she's standing there in her pajamas, but who is that guy she's talking to?
- My feet screech to a halt as I realize who it is. Namjoon.
- I quickly turn back around & hide myself behind a lamppost.
- What is he doing here? Did she call him?
- Once they've gone into the house, I step out of my hiding place & quietly sneak into the house.
- Then, I hear his confession, and I wish I had turned around & walked away.
- "Would you please give me another chance Y/n ah? I promise I won't hurt you anymore." He pleads.
- I can't take it anymore, I feel so suffocated, I don't want to witness her slipping out of my grasp in front of my eyes.
- "I-" She begins to say, but I quickly slam the front door loudly to cut her off.
- "J-Jungkook?" She sounds surprised.
- It pains me to see them together, so I just keep my head low & walk briskly to my room without saying anything.
- I heave a deep sigh as soon as I close the door behind me.
- She'll definitely say yes, right? I mean, she really likes him a lot. She even cried in her sleep because of him.
- It feels like dozens of needles piercing through my heart as I think about her going into his arms.
- I know that we are impossible since we're step-siblings now, but I silently & selfishly hope that our parents' marriage won't work out, not only because I don't want to betray my mother, but also because I want to have a chance with her.
- She's the only person who has a special place in my heart other than my mom & I don't want to lose her.
- But what I want doesn't matter, right?
- If being with him can make her happy, I should support her & not let my selfishness comes in the way.
- A knock on my door breaks my daze.

Y/n POV
- "Come in." You hear Jungkook exclaims from inside.
- You take a deep breath & walk into his room.
- "What's up?" He looks up from his book & asks nonchalantly.
- Why does he act like nothing happened?
- "Uhm.. Kook, I-"
- "How are you feeling? Better?" He asks, intercepting your sentence.
- "Y-Yeah, I'm ok now." You nervously fondle with the hem of your T-shirt.
- "I bought some soup & porridge for you btw. Eat them when they're warm." He grabs the take out bag from his desk & hands it to you.
- "Oh. Thank you." You take the bag from his hand.
- "Uhm.. Kook, did you hear my conversation with Namjoon sunbae earlier?" You hesitantly ask.
- He stares at you in silence for a moment, making you even more nervous.
- "I did. I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was on my way in & I heard you guys talking." He explains with a flat tone.
- "It's ok. So.. I-"
- "Congratulations. You've finally got what you want." He smiles at you.
- "What do you mean?" You frown.
- "Well, you like him & he likes you too. Isn't that what you want? He even asked you to be his girl friend. I believe you said yes? If you haven't, you should."
- His nonchalance pains you more than it should.
- "You really think so? But you said that- you said that you liked me." You brace yourself & say.
- "What? Oh! You mean what I said to Sooah? I was just saying it to save you." He shrugs.
- You don't understand why, but disappointment fills your chest.
- "Oh. So it was a lie?"
- "Well, not really. I do like you, you're my sister."
- Another blow strikes your heart, which is bizarre, you should've been happy that he called you his sister.
- "So you think I should agree to be his girl friend?" You harden your heart & ask.
- "Of course! Why shouldn't you?" He chuckles.
- "Ok then. I'll tell him that. Thanks for the food, I'll eat it well."
- With that, you turn around & leave his room.
- Tears sting your eyes & you quickly take a couple of deep breaths to chase them away.
- Why are you crying? You should be happy now. Namjoon likes you as a woman & Jungkook thinks of you as his family. Everything has turned out exactly like what you want. Right?

- A week has passed
- Jungkook is still nice to you, albeit slightly distant, & you go to school as usual. It's as if nothing has changed really.
- But the unease in your heart continues to grow bigger & bigger.
- You haven't given Namjoon any answer yet.
- He never pressures you though, only sending you friendly texts every day.
- You know you need to do it soon & it's unfair to him for dragging things out like this, but you keep procrastinating.
- Until one day, he's probably had enough.

- You puff your cheeks & huff deeply as you put your phone back into your pocket.
- You don't want him to come to school to avoid meeting Jungkook & Sooah.
- Somehow, you don't want Jungkook to see you & Namjoon together.
- Why do I care so much about what Jungkook think? Have I- Have I started liking him again? No. That's impossible. I'm just feeling bad because of Soojin ssi. That's it. But what should I say to sunbae? He must want an answer from me today.
- It should be an easy decision, yet you are deeply conflicted.
- You walk nervously to the convenience store & breathe a sigh of relief when you find Namjoon isn't there yet.
- "어서오세요 (oseooseyo = welcome)!" The part-timer greets you as you step inside.
- "Hi-" Your smile freezes when you see Jungkook sitting inside, his mouth gaping, the ramyeon he's eating hanging in mid air from his motionless chopsticks.
- The atmosphere is so awkward & tense that your palms are perspiring profusely.
- "H-Hey, you're eating?" You quickly regain your composure & wave at him.
- Ugh.. what kind of stupid question is that? He's obviously eating. You roll your eyes inwardly.
- "Ehm.. Yeah.. What are you doing here? Do you need to buy something?" He puts down his chopsticks & asks.
- "Well.. I-" You glance left & right, not sure whether to be truthful or not.
- "Y/n ah! Sorry, I had a call from my professor, so-"
Namjoon suddenly barges in through the glass door.
- You turn to him in surprise & wish that you can just disappear into a hole right that moment.
- "Oh hi, Jungkook. You're here too." Namjoon flatly greets him.
- Jungkook says nothing back, only nodding at him & going back to eating his ramyeon.
- You bite your lip, clueless of what to say in such sticky situation.
- "You ready Y/n?" Namjoon asks.
- "Uhm.. yeah. K-Kook, I'll get going first." You hesitantly call out to him.
- "Oh ok. Have fun." He throws you a quick glance & mutters.
- Guilt stabs right through your heart as you walk heavily out of the convenience store with Namjoon.
- "So what do you want to do?" Namjoon looks down & smiles at you.
- His smile used to make your heart flutter, but now you feel nothing but restlessness.
- Why are you being this way? Just forget about Jungkook. Sunbae is bringing you out to a date for goodness sake!
- You can't help but remember the time when Jungkook asked you to watch a movie with him, the euphoria & excitement you felt.
- I told you stop thinking about Jungkook!
- "Y/n, are you ok?" Namjoon asks in concern.
- "Huh? Oh yes, sorry my mind was somewhere else. How about we get some ice cream? I'm craving for something sweet." You fake a smile & hope that it looks convincing enough.
- "Sure. Let's go." He readily agrees.
- Both of you take the bus to the busy part of town & then walk towards the ice cream shop.
- Namjoon fills the conversation most of the time, while you just smile or laugh accordingly in response.
- You try to squash the thoughts about Jungkook but they keep resurfacing.
- "Y/n ah, shall we go watch a movie? There's a new Marvel movie playing in the theatre." Namjoon suggests.
- Your heart stops in an instance. That's the movie Jungkook was going to watch with you.
- "What's wrong? You don't like Marvel?" Seemingly noticing your sudden quietness, he asks.
- "N-No. I mean I do like Marvel. Let's watch it." You try to reassure him.
- "Alright then, I'll go buy the tickets." He says & leaves you to go to the locket.
- You sit there alone, brain churning, mind going a dozen of different directions.
- Suddenly, a shadow casts over you. You look up & it's Namjoon.
- "Oh sunbae, have you bought the tickets?" You instantly plaster a smile on your lips.
- "I haven't." He says flatly.
- "Why? Are they sold out already?" You ask in confusion.
- "No.." He frowns.
- "Then.. Why? Do you not feel like watching it anymore?"
- "Y/n ah, can you please give me an answer to my question now?" He plops down beside you & looks straight into your eyes.
- You forget to breathe for a second upon listening to his question.
- "W-What question!" You try to act dumb.
- "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
- You gulp & contemplate on how to respond, because you haven't figured out what you truly want.
- On one side, you feel like being with Namjoon is the most logical choice, but on the other side, you can't stop thinking & wondering about Jungkook.
- For the past weeks before Namjoon reentered your life, Jungkook had slowly grown on you again even though you'd refused to admit it.
- In the end, you've come to a conclusion that you can't be with Namjoon since you can't fully dedicate your heart to him.
- "I'm sorry Sunbae, but-" You begin to speak.
- "Don't. I know what you're going to say. You like him, don't you?" He scoffs.
- "No! It's not because of that." You quickly deny.
- "Y/n, I'm not blind. I can see the way you look at him & him at you. Both of you like each other, but you just don't realize it. I guess I missed my chance, didn't I? I should've confessed to you back then when he'd briefly escaped your heart." He smiles sadly.
- "Sunbae.. I'm so sorry." You lower your head, trying to suppress your tears as guilt washes over you.
- "Don't say sorry. You've done nothing wrong. Feelings can't be forced & I perfectly understand that. So go now & tell him how you feel." He squeezes your hands & says.
- "I-I can't. He's my stepbrother." You shake your head.
- "I know that it's complicated, but you can't lie to your heart forever, can you? At least, just talk to him."
- Sunbae's right. I should at least talk to him & explain that there's nothing going on in between me & sunbae.
- "Thank you sunbae. If you don't mind, may I-"
- "Go. I wish you luck Y/n ah." He gives you a high five & waves you goodbye.
- You try to call Jungkook's phone but he's not picking up, so the only thing you can do is to rush home as fast as you can.
- You barge through the front door & run inside, but your steps come to a halt when you see your mom, ajusshi, & Jungkook, all sitting together in the living room.
- "Y/n ah, you're back. Please sit with us." Your mom commands in a serious tone.
- "What's going on?" You glance at her, then at Jungkook, who seems as clueless as you.
- "We need to tell you something. Just sit down first." Your mom stands up & pulls you to sit beside Jungkook, across from her & ajusshi.
- "What is it mom? Why are you so serious?" Your heart pounds nervously.
- "Yeobo, you should tell them." Your mom turns to ajusshi & lays her hand encouragingly on his arm.
- He looks troubled for a second, like it's very difficult for him to say whatever that he's going to disclose.
- Now that you closely observe him, he seems to have lost a substantial weight, his skin loose & pale, his eyes tired & soulless.
- "What is it father? I don't have time. I need to stud-" Jungkook crosses his arms in annoyance.
- "I have cancer. Lung cancer. And the doctor said that I only have a few months to live." Ajusshi finally speaks.
- "What?!" Jungkook & I instantly stands up from our seats & widen our eyes in disbelief.
- "Y-You're joking, right? You're only saying this because you're mad at me for disrespecting you, right? Right?!" Jungkook screams hysterically.
- "Mom, is this true?" You turn to your mom & ask.
- "It's true. He's been treated with chemotherapy for the past few months, but his condition is getting worse so we have no other choice but to tell you." Your mom explains.
- Jungkook plops heavily down on the sofa, his eyes blank. He must've been shocked to the core.
- Your heart pains for him. He's about to lose both parents from cancer.
- "B-But he'll get better right? I mean, there are so many new drugs & whatnot nowadays. I'm sure the doctors can help him, right?" You ask in panic.
- "Unfortunately, the cancer has spread. So the best thing that they can do right now is prolonging my life for a few more months. Which is why we've decided to let your mom legally adopt Jungkook."
- Ajusshi's statement hits you & Jungkook with another blow.

- If he gets adopted, then he'll legally be my sibling. On paper. Forever.
- "I don't want to." Jungkook mutters all of a sudden.
- "Jungkook ah, it's for your own good. If I die, who will take care of you? If you are adopted, at least you'll still have family." Ajusshi pleads to him.
- "If you want me to have family, get better! Don't take the easy way out & shove your responsibility to another person!" He exclaims angrily before stomping back to his own room.
- "Jungkook ah! Ugh.." Ajusshi calls out as he clutches his chest.
- "Yeobo, please take a rest first. I'll try to talk to him." Your mom pats his back, worried about his heavy breathing.
- "Alright. Thank you. Y/n ah, please help us convince Jungkook. I have no other relatives, so if your mom doesn't adopt him, he'll have to go into the system & I don't want that." Ajusshi says before leaving you & your mom alone in the living room.
- "Mom, why didn't you tell me sooner about this? Did you know that ajusshi was sick when you married him?" You ask your mom.
- She doesn't respond, only keep fondling with her fingers.
- "Mom, please answer me." You urge.
- She slowly lifts her face & holds your shoulders with both hands.
- "I do. In fact, that's why we got married in the first place." She smiles faintly at you.
- "What? I don't understand."
- "We were in a relationship, but we'd never thought of getting married, because I knew deep down he was still in love with his wife. But then, he found out that he got lung cancer. He was very scared of leaving Jungkook alone in this world, so he asked me to marry him, so that at least Jungkook would have someone to rely on when he's gone. And I said yes."
- "Why would you do that? Why would you marry him knowing that he would be gone soon? That would make you a widow for the second time!" An ache spreads through your chest as you listen to your mother's sacrifice.
- "Because if this happened to me, I would want him to do the same for you too, Y/n ah." She caresses your cheek as a drop of tear rolls down her face.
- "Mom..." You can't contain your tears anymore & bury yourself in her hug.
- You cry for the unfortunate circumstances that bring you, your mom, ajusshi, & Jungkook together.
- You wish that things had turned out differently, but what was done is done, there's nothing you can do about it.
- "Please help us talk to Jungkook, Y/n ah. It's ajusshi's last wish. I don't want him to die not in peace." She pushes you slightly away & wipes your tears with her thumbs.
- "But I-" You're about to tell her your true feelings, yet you stop yourself at the last second.
- "What did you say Y/n ah?"
- "Uhm.. nothing. Yeah, I'll try talking to him." You flash her a thin smile & nod.
- "Thank you. Now, I'll go check on ajusshi. Good night Y/n ah." She kisses your forehead & steps towards the bedroom.
- What should I do now? Should I tell her that I like Jungkook? No. This is not the time. They're already heavily burdened with ajusshi's sickness, I shouldn't add to that. I should try talking to Jungkook first & listen to his thoughts on this.
- "Kook? May I come in?" You knock on Jungkook's door.
- You lean your ear onto the door, but you hear nothing.
- "Jungkook ah? I-" Suddenly, the door unlocks & you readily push it open.
- "Are you ok?" You ask hesitantly as you notice his dire expression.
- "Would you be ok if you find out that your dad is dying?" He responds sarcastically.
- "I-I'm sorry. That was a bit insensitive of me." You lower your head & apologize.
- "Sorry, I was being a dick." He heaves a deep sigh & plops down onto the bed.
- "It's ok. This came as a shock to me too. Anw, ajusshi really needs your support right now, so maybe you should be nicer to him. Uhm.. maybe you can start by talking to him? Or accompanying him to his chemo sessions? I know it's not going to be easy but-"
- "It's all my fault." He mutters out of nowhere.
- "What? No, it's not! Don't blame yourself. This is totally out of your control." You instantly retaliate.
- "It IS my fault. I asked him why wasn't he the one who got cancer instead of eomma? I asked him why didn't he die instead of her? To ask him that question when he's already battling cancer at the time. Oh God, I'm such a bad son.." He whimpers as he covers his eyes with the back of his hand.
- You can see tears streaming down from underneath his hand & your heart pains for him.
- "Kook.." You sit next to him & hesitantly pull him into a hug, while patting his back gently to calm him down.
- "I'm so scared Y/n ah. I don't want to lose him too. If I take back my words, will he recover? Will he not die?" He sobs into your shoulder, his tears wetting your uniform.
- "Shhh.. I'm sure he'll fight it with all his might. That's why you need to be there for him. And-" You stop for a moment, contemplating whether you should say it or not.
- "And what?" He asks.
- "And I think we should agree to the adoption.." You utter in a quiet voice.
- "What did you say?" He pushes you away & stares at you with widened eyes.
- "I-I said-" You nervously stutter, knowing that you may have angered him.
- "No. I will never agree to the adoption." He abruptly stands up & pushes his hair back.
- "Look, I know that you don't want to betray your mom. But ajusshi said that you'll have to go into the system & maybe live with foster parents if my mom doesn't adopt you."
- "So be it. I don't care." He flatly replies.
- "Why are you so stubborn? This is for your own good!" You exclaim in frustration.
- "Because I like you! And I don't want to be your brother forever!" He turns around & shouts at you.
- His sudden confession stuns you, shutting down your brain for a second.
- "B-But you s-said-"
- "I lied! I lied ok? I've realized that I like you since a while ago. I tried to squash my feelings because you're my stepsister, plus with Namjoon coming back, I thought that I should let you go. But I can't. The harder I try the more I miss you." He turns sideways & says, avoiding meeting your eyes.
- This is your last chance Y/n ah. Tell him you like him too. Tell him that there's nothing going on between you & Namjoon. Tell him that you don't want him to get adopted too.
- "I don't want him to die not in peace." Your mom's words ring in your ears.
- In the end, you cast your feelings aside & follow your head instead.
- "I'm sorry, but we are impossible because I don't like you that way. I used to, but not anymore. My heart belongs to Namjoon sunbae now."
- The moment your lie slips through your lips, you feel your heart crushing inside.
- And the pain intensifies when you see the sadness in his face.
- "I see. Just ignore what I said earlier. Don't let it burden you. I was being stupid." He chuckles awkwardly.
- "Kook.." You want nothing more than running to him & telling him that you want him too, but you can't do that, so you just clench your fists & bottle up your feelings.
- "I'm tired. Can you please leave me for now?" He turns away & says.
- "Oh ok. Good night. And.. Please think about the adoption." You leave his room & close the door behind you.
- Once you get to your own room, you let all your pent up emotions out & muffle your cry with a pillow.
- I'm sorry Kook. I have no choice.

The next morning
- "Y/n ah, I need to accompany ajusshi to the hospital for his chemo session later & we'll probably be back quite late. Could you please help me fix dinner after you come home from school?" Your mom asks at the dining table during breakfast.
- "Alright mom." You reply.
- "Have you talked to Jungkook?" Ajusshi directs the question to you.
- Your chopsticks stop midway to your mouth for a fraction of second before you slowly put them down.
- "Y/n? Ajusshi is asking you a question." Your mom shakes your shoulder.
- "I have." You mutter.
- "And what did he say?" You can see them leaning forward eagerly to listen to your answer.
- "He- He said-"
- "I agree to the adoption." Jungkook suddenly walks in & sits down beside you.
- His appearance takes all of you by surprise.
- A shot of pain pierces through your heart at his statement.
- You stare at him, but he doesn't even glance at you.
- "You do?" Ajusshi's eyes widen, a hint of smile curving his lips.
- "Yes. I have no other choice, do I? Ajumma, would you mind giving me a bowl of rice?" Jungkook addresses your mom for the first time ever.
- "Y-Yes. Sure." She instantly grabs a bowl of rice & hand it to Jungkook.
- "Let me keep this straight. I'll try to accept you but I will never think of you as my mother. And just so you know, I'm only doing all this for Appa." Jungkook looks at your mom & says.
- "Jeon Jungkook!" Ajusshi tries to stop him as he uncomfortably glances at your mom.
- "Fair enough. I don't expect you to call me mom anw. Let's get along starting today, shall we?" Your mom extends her hand & smiles to Jungkook.
- "Ok." Jungkook readily takes it & faintly smiles back.
- You have imagined this scene multiple times in your head, the day that you all become a family.
- You thought that you would rejoice when this day came, but now you feel nothing but regret & sadness.
- "Y/n? Why aren't you eating? It's almost time for you to go." Your mom's call snaps you out of your daze.
- "Oh. Right." You force a smile & pick up your chopsticks.
- You throw a glance at Jungkook, yet he doesn't seem to notice.
- Did I make the right decision? Is it right to forcefully bury our feelings just to fulfill ajusshi's wish?
- But none of that matters now, all you can do now is moving forward with whatever burden you have in each of your hearts.

- Jungkook has been a filial son ever since that day.
- He's been accompanying his father to the hospital for the chemo sessions, spending most of his free time talking to him, giving him massages & whatnot.
- His attitude towards your mom has changed drastically as well.
- He's started talking to her & he even learns how to cook his father's favorite foods from her.
- However, he's back to his cold self when he's with you.
- You've become invisible again in his eyes.
- He's never talked to you again, unless it's absolutely necessary.
- When your parents aren't home, he always locks himself inside his room.
- You want to reach out to him, but you're scared to do that.
- The fire you have for him is still blazing inside & you don't want to get burnt again by giving him & yourself false hope.
- It's been about a month since your mom revealed ajusshi's sickness.
- You're walking home from school as usual, when Hwayoung taps your shoulder from behind.
- "Ya, why do you look so sad? You got a good mark again today. What's wrong?" She asks, concerned.
- "Nothing." You fake a smile & keep walking.
- "You can always talk to me, you know." She frowns.
- Right then, Jungkook walks past you & your eyes inadvertently follow his back.
- "Ah, is it because of Jungkook? Come to think of it, he never talks to you these days. Did you get into a fight or something? I thought you guys had become close?" Hwayoung probes.
- "Uhm.. Well-"
- "What?! I'll go there now!" Jungkook's exclamation can be heard from where you're standing.
- Both Hwayoung & you look up, startled by Jungkook's loud voice.
- You see him running towards the bus stop & a sense of unease washes over you.
- Could it be-
- Your phone rings all of a sudden & you hastily pick it up.
- "Mom, what's wrong?" Your heart races, kind of guessing already what she's about to say.
- "Y/n ah.. please come to the hospital quickly. Ajusshi.. Ajusshi.." Your mom's sobs say it all.
- You immediately end the call & rush to the bus stop.
- "Y/n ah, what's going on?" Hwayoung calls out but you ignore her & keep running.
- You end up riding the same bus as Jungkook.
- You watch him from the other end of the bus & notice that he's struggling to hold in his tears.
- Your heart breaks for him & you desperately want to give him a hug, to console him, yet you can do none of that, only silently praying inside.
- Please stay strong Jungkook ah.
- Both of you run towards the ICU as soon as you arrive at the hospital & see your mom sitting on one of the benches, head cradled in both hands.
- "Ajumma, what's going on?" Jungkook asks urgently.
- "He- He said he had trouble breathing so I took him to the hospital, but he passed out on the way. The doctor has been trying to stabilize him for about an hour now." Your mom explains with tears in her eyes.
- The ICU room door abruptly swings open & a nurse walks out in a hurry.
- "Family of Jeon Jeongsook ssi?" She asks.
- "Yes?" Your mom & Jungkook answers in unison.
- "The doctor is still trying to save him, but the condition is not favorable. Only one family member is allowed to go in & be with him. You need to decide now."
- "You go Jungkook ah." Your mom instantly pushes Jungkook forward.
- "But ajumma-"
- "There's no time. Go!" She pushes him harder towards the nurse.
- Jungkook frantically rushes into the room with the nurse & crouches beside ajusshi's bed.
- "Y/n ah.. What should I do now?" Your mom cries loudly & you quickly pull her into a hug.
- "Everything will be ok. Everything will be ok." You stroke her back as tears begin to roll down your face as well.
- You keep your eyes on the small window pane on the door.
- All of a sudden, you see Jungkook crying & vigorously shaking ajusshi's arm until the nurses pull him away.
- He's gone.
- You look away, unable to witness the painful expression in Jungkook's face anymore.
- I'm so sorry Jungkook ah. I'm so sorry.

- The wake, the burial, & the days after that, all happen in a blur.
- All you can remember is how quiet Jungkook is throughout the whole ordeal.
- Ajusshi's absence seems to have taken a big toll on him.
- It's like he's withdrawn himself into a shell & refuses to come out.
- You've tried to talk to him for a couple of times but he always leaves before you even open your mouth.
- Although you still live under the same roof as him, it's like you've become complete strangers.
- Until one day, after weeks of quiet & peace, life throws another curve ball at you.
- You're helping your mom preparing the table for dinner when Jungkook walks into the dining room.
- "Jungkook ah, are you done preparing everything for tomorrow?" Your mom asks.
- "I'm done." He mutters lowly.
- "Tomorrow? What's going on tomorrow?" You turn to your mom in confusion.
- "What do you mean? Jungkook is leaving to the US tomorrow to continue his study there." Your mom looks back & forth between you & Jungkook.
- "What?!" You exclaim in shock & turn to him.
- "Jungkook ah, I thought you said that you were going to tell her yourself?" Your mom says to him.
- "I'll talk to her ajumma." He replies, still avoiding your gaze.
- "Ok. I'll give you guys a few minutes." She leaves the two of you alone.
- "Why didn't you tell me anything?" You come closer to him & ask.
- "Well, you know now." He answers flatly.
- "Yeah, a day before your departure! And by accident! If mom hadn't asked you, I wouldn't have known!" You yell in frustration.
- "You want to know why I'm leaving? Because it hurts me to see you every day. Even listening to your voice pains me. I'm so conflicted you have no idea. I don't want to resent my father or anyone, that's why I choose to leave so that I can forget all of this. Do you get it now?"
- With that, he turns around & goes to his room.
- You plop down on the chair, myriads of thoughts running through your mind.
- It was a mistake. I shouldn't have asked him to agree to the adoption. I should've told him my true feelings. But it's too late now. He's my brother.
- "Y/n ah, did you guys have a fight? I heard shoutings." Your mom asks as she approaches you.
- "N-No, we just had a bit of a disagreement. That's all." You lie.wqw
- "I see. He's trying to move on so you should support him. Did he tell you? He's going to enroll in ajusshi's alma mater. If Jeongsook ssi were here, he would be so proud." Your mom says as she wipes a drop of tear from her eye.
- This is for the best. I should stop dwelling in the past & move on too.

- The following morning, you intentionally stay inside your room although you're ready to go.
- You've decided not to see Jungkook off, because you think that you won't be able to handle it.
- "Y/n ah, are you done? Jungkook is leaving. Come out. Why do you lock the door?" Your mom's voice booms through the door.
- You bite you lip & stay quiet as you clasp your hands together to keep them from shaking.
- "Y/n ah! What's wrong with you? Jungkook ah, get ready the taxi is here. Y/n ah! I'm going to take Jungkook to the airport. Aren't you coming? Y/n ah! Ugh, I can't wait for you anymore. Let's go Jungkook ah."
- You wait until you hear no sound from outside & cautiously walk out the door.
- The house is empty, Jungkook is gone.
- You quickly run out & watch the back of the taxi which carry Jungkook getting smaller & smaller until it turns a corner.
- Goodbye Kook. My first love. My brother. I hope you'll be happier there.
- You sniff away your tears & walk back into the house.

Three years later
- It's been three years since Jungkook walked out of your life.
- You're currently at the end or your sophomore year in college, majoring in psychology.
- Life is peaceful, you like what you're studying & have a lot of new friends.
- Jungkook has never contacted you ever since he left, although he still calls your mom from time to time.
- You were deeply hurt initially, but slowly, you've let it go.
- Maybe it's better like this, maybe this is the only way for both of you to move on.
- It's true what they say, "Out of sight, out of mind."
- Thoughts about Jungkook rarely clouds your mind, yet there's a persistent ache in your heart when you hear your mom talking to Jungkook on the phone.
- She always asks whether you want to speak to him, but you always decline.
- You don't want to hear his voice & awaken all the painful memories & regret.
- Today is another mundane Wednesday.
- You're tidying your things after class when the professor calls your name.
- "Kim Y/n!" He hollers from the front of the room.
- "Yes?" You instantly look up.
- "I need to talk to you for a minute." He motions for you to come closer.
- "What is it, Professor-nim?"
- "Your application for study abroad has been approved. All the papers have been submitted for you, so you're ready to go next month." He smiles proudly at you.
- "Omg, really? Thank you so much Professor-nim! I've always wanted to go to Northwestern-" You bow at him excitedly.
- "Wait. Northwestern? I think you're mistaken. You're going to be an exchange student at Columbia University in New York for one semester." He frowns in confusion.
- You heart stops at the word "Columbia". That's where Jungkook is.
- "No, Sir. My application is for Northwestern, not Columbia." You urgently explains.
- "I'm so sorry, there must have been some miscommunication. It's too late to change anything now, but trust me, Columbia has an excellent Psychology program. I'm sure you'll love it there."
- "But Professor-"
- "I have to get to my next class. The administration office will let you know the details. Good luck Y/n, make us proud." He pumps his fist & walks out of the classroom.
- Your mind goes blank as you stare at the spot where he was standing on.
- Columbia. The place where Jungkook is. Should I cancel everything? Wait. Why should I be afraid of the fact that he's there? It's a huge university. I might not meet him anw. I shouldn't sabotage my future just because of my irrational fear.
- You convince yourself & decide to keep this a secret from your mom to prevent her from asking you to go meet Jungkook.

- A month passed in a jiff, tomorrow you're going to leave Korea to go to New York.
- You're busy packing up your stuff when your mom walks in to your room.
- "Are you almost done packing?" She sits down on the bed & watches you putting your clothes inside the suitcases.
- "I think so. I just need to put these in & then I'm done. I'm going to miss you mom." You plop down beside her & lay your head on her shoulder.
- "Me too. This house will feel so empty." She sniffs.
- "Don't cry mom. You're going to make me cry too. Six months isn't that long. Before you know it, I'll already be on my way back from New York." You snuggle closer to her.
- "New York? I thought you were going to Chicago? Northwestern, right?" She pushes you slightly away & asks in bewilderment.
- Shit. I totally forgot that I haven't told her about the change of plan.
- "Uhm.. Actually, there was some miscommunication so I'm going to Columbia instead of Northwestern. I'm so sorry mom, I must've forgotten to tell you." You lie.
- "Kim Y/n, how could you forget to tell me such an important detail? Wait, Columbia you say? So you're going to be in the same university as Jungkook? Omg, that's good! At least, you'll have company." Her eyes light up instantly.
- "Well, it's a big university so-"
- "Now that you're going to Columbia, you can help me give something to Jungkook. Wait here." She rises from her seat & steps out the door.
- "Wait mom. Mom! Huh.." You sigh helplessly.
- There's no escaping meeting Jungkook now.
- She comes back a few minutes later with a small velvet box in her hands.
- "Ajusshi asked me to give this to Jungkook on his 20th birthday, which is a month from now. I was thinking of posting it, but it's such an important gift, I'm afraid that it will be lost. So can you deliver it to him in person, Y/n ah?"
- You stare at the box, not knowing what to do.
- You can just give it to him & leave. What are you afraid of?
- "Alright mom." You finally agree.
- "Thank you Y/n ah. You're saving me from a lot of trouble. I'm sure Jungkook will be happy to see you." She says as she puts a strand of hair behind your ear.
- Will he though? Or will he still be as cold as ice? Has he moved on? Has he forgotten about me? About us?
- So many questions run through your head, you're anxious & reluctant yet at the same time looking forward to meeting Jungkook again.

Two days later, New York
- "Woah, I can't believe I'm really here." You look around in awe as you drag your suitcase to the address written on your paper.
- You push open the glass door to the residence hall & walk to the receptionist desk.
- "G-Good morning." You stutter awkwardly.
- "Hi, how may I help you?" She glances at you, disinterested.
- "I'm an exchange student & I was told that I will stay here during my visit?" You're taken aback by how unwelcoming she is.
- "Name?" She types rapidly on her keyboard.
- "Kim Y/n."
- "Room 205. Here's your keys, one for your room, one for the mailbox. Go straight, take the stairs on the right to the second floor, your room should be somewhere around there. Good luck." She says everything like a robot without looking up from her computer screen.
- Is everyone here like this?
- "Oh ok. Thank you." You nod slightly at her & go towards the direction she told you.
- Fortunately, you don't have any difficulty in finding your room.
- You push open the door & find that you'll share the room with a roommate, who's not in at the moment.
- You're arranging your things in the empty side of the room when you find the velvet box your mom gave you.
- "Huh.. I need to give this to Jungkook. Better get it done as quickly as possible."
- You pull out your phone & nervously dial his number.
- Your heart is beating so fast that it feels like it can jump out of your mouth anytime.
- But he doesn't pick up even after your multiple tries.
-  "Luckily, mom gave me his address." You pull out the message from your phone & search for it on Google map.
- "Ah, it's on the other side of the campus. That's good, at least I won't bump into him every day. Now, let's go." You grab the box & step out the door.
- Soon, you arrive at Jungkook's dorm & the receptionist tells you that he's in room 308.
- You climb the stairs, feeling self-conscious due to people's curious stare on you, & quickly search for his room.
- "308. This should be it." You mutter to yourself as you read the numbers on the door in front of you.
- You take a deep breath & knock on the door.
- There's no response, or maybe you couldn't hear it due to the blaring metal music from next door.
- "Is he out?"
- You try to twist the door knob & it's not locked.

- "Let's get this over with Y/n ah." You clench your jaws & push the door open.
- You step into the dimly lit room, the curtain is almost completely drawn, only a sliver of sunlight peeking through the small space between the two pieces of fabric.
- Your eyes adjust to the lack of light for a few seconds & then you see it.
- Two bodies grinding against each other underneath the blanket on the bed to your left.
- You gasp in shock & immediately stagger backwards.
- Unfortunately, your feet bump into the metal dustbin, causing it to topple loudly onto the floor.
- "Fuck! Who is it?! Don't you know how to knock?!" A female voice exclaims angrily.
- "I-I'm sorry. I- I didn't know- I'll leave now." You stutter apologetically.
- Shit, did I get into the wrong room? But the receptionist said-
- "Y/n?" Your blood freezes as soon as you hear the familiar voice.
- A sudden burst of light makes you squint as someone switches on the light.
- "What are you doing here?" The guy asks again.
- You slowly open your eyes, scared to see your past materializes in front of you.
- And when you finally do, the impact is much stronger that you had ever imagined.
- The guy standing before you bear a lot of resemblance to Jungkook, but at the same time very different from the old Jungkook you know.
- He's standing shirtless with both hands inside the pockets of his baggy sweatpants which hang low around his hips.
- His well-toned abs & the tattoos covering his right arm down to his fingers are laid bare for you to see.
- The old Jungkook would hurriedly cover up his naked torso in embarrassment, yet the new Jungkook just stands there confidently like nothing happened.
- "Who the hell is she?" The girl asks, tone filled with annoyance.
- You're too stunned by Jungkook's new appearance that you've completely forgotten about the other person in the room.
- You turn towards the source of voice & find a gorgeous long-haired brunette with a body like a model & hazel eyes so piercing that they intimidate you at first glance.
- She's leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, only wearing her bra & panties, not bothering to cover herself up just like Jungkook.
- "H-Hi, I'm-" You begin to introduce yourself to clear up the situation, but Jungkook instantly cuts you off.
- "She's my sister." He says flatly as he grabs a T-shirt which is lying on the floor.
- Your heart clenches at the word, but you quickly chase away any negative thoughts that are lurking in your brain.
- "Sister? I didn't know you have a sister. And you guys don't even look like each other. Are you shitting me?" She scans you from head to toe & her frown grows deeper.
- "He's telling the truth. I'm his-"
- "Step-sister. I was adopted by her mom after my father passed away." He intercepts your sentence again.
- "Oh. Ok. So stepsister, as you can see we're in the middle of doing something important. Can you please come back another day?" She sarcastically asks.
- "Oh, right. Sorry, I'll get going first. Sorry for interrupting." You nod at them & quickly exit the room.
- Your heart becomes heavier as you recall the scene from earlier.
- Jungkook naked with another girl.
- "He's changed." You bitterly smile to yourself.
- You stop & turn around to look at his dorm, disappointment growing within you.
- He doesn't even bother to chase after me or explain anything. I guess he's totally gotten over the past, so I should too.
- You heave a deep sigh & continue walking.

A few hours later
- You're back to your room after exploring the campus ground.
- You tried to divert your attention so that you could forget about Jungkook & the unknown girl, but you couldn't.
- It was too shocking that you have a hard time to digest it in your brain.
- What a shitty first day. I hope I'll have better luck with my roommate. You think to yourself as you glance at the purple bed on the other side of the room.
- You take out the velvet box that you were going to give to Jungkook out of your jeans pocket & safely put it inside one of the drawers.
- "Huh.. I need to give this to him another time." You sigh.
- Right then, the door to your room clicks open.
- It must be my roommate. You readily stand up & plaster a smile on your lips to greet your roommate.
- But as soon as she steps in, the smile disappears from your face.
- "You-" "You?!" Both of you exclaim in unison.
- The girl who was in Jungkook's room earlier points at you, her eyes widened in surprise.
- "You are my new roommate? Jeez, is this a hidden camera prank or something?" She rolls her eyes as she throws her bag onto the floor.
- "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
- "Yeah yeah yeah. Stop apologizing. It's annoying." She rudely stops you from saying anything further.
- "Sorry." You mutter with a small voice, not knowing what else to say.
- You stand like a statue, rolling your eyes left & right, thinking about how to salvage the situation.
- "Your name is Y/n?" She suddenly asks.
- "Y-Yes. My name is Kim Y/n. What about you?"
- "Olivia. People call me Liv. So.. you're really Kook's step sister?"
- Your heart stops for a fraction of a second when she mentions the nickname which you used to call him with.
- "Yes, I am." You quickly regain your composure & reply.
- "There's nothing romantic going on between you two, right?" She raises her brow.
- "No! Absolutely not! Obviously. I mean, we're siblings." You instantly refute in panic.
- "Good. Coz you know, Kook is a very popular guy, so as his girlfriend, I can't help but feel slightly suspicious towards all the girls in his circle. But I don't think I need to worry about you. You're totally not her type." She chuckles.
- You're not sure whether she says that intentionally to mock you or not, but either way, it hurts just as much.
- "Yeah, haha. You don't need to worry about me. Honestly, we're not even close." You awkwardly chuckle.
- "Alright then. If that's the case, we can be friends." She extends her hand towards you.
- "Oh ok." You readily shake it once.
- "Just make sure to knock the door if you ever come by to his room again." She smirks.
- "Of course! Of course." You smile at her.
- But deep down, you can't help but feel uneasy about this whole ordeal & wish that you hadn't come here at all.

- The following days you are so busy adjusting to the new environment & keeping up with the assignments that the thoughts of Jungkook rarely cross your mind & it helps that you haven't met him again either.
-  Fortunately, Liv has never brought Jungkook back to your shared room & turns out to be a decent roommate.
- She's sarcastic & straightforward, not very friendly, but underneath all that, she's a kind-hearted girl.
- She even helped you figure out where your classes are & all the works around campus.
- She kind of reminds you of the old Jungkook in a way.
- Somehow, you're glad that Jungkook found her.
- You came to know how popular they are as a power couple on campus.
- Jungkook, the most handsome & smartest CompSci guy with a minor in Physics, & Olivia, the hottest female Electrical Engineering student ever.
- The fact that Liv's parents own half of the buildings in Manhattan contributes to her popularity as well.
- Tonight, you're back from studying at the library much later than usual.
- You push the door open & find the room dark & empty again.
- Liv always comes back way past midnight or doesn't return at all as she probably spends the night at Jungkook's.
- You're tidying up your books when suddenly Liv barges in through the door.
- "Hey, you haven't slept yet?" She asks as she takes off her cardigan & changes into a thicker jacket.
- "I just got back from library. Are you heading out again?"
- "Yeah, I'm going to get some supper with Jungkook. Do you wanna come as well?" She nonchalantly offers.
- "Uhm.. It's fine. You guys enjoy." You're actually hungry too, but the thought of being a third-wheel between Jungkook & Liv is enough to make you shiver, so you politely decline.
- "Well, ok the-" But just when she's about to turn the door knob, your stomach grumbles loudly betraying your words.
- "What the fuck was that?" She chuckles, amused.
- "I-I'm sorry. It's my stomach." You hide your face in embarrassment.
- She turns around, crosses her arms & steps closer to you.
- "Look, I understand that you might feel awkward about me being Jungkook's girl friend, especially after our unfortunate first meeting, but you're his sister, right? I don't know how your relationship is with him coz he's never even told me about you, but we're going to spend a lot of time together so why don't we all try to get along?" She smiles at you.
- She's right. I can't avoid them forever.
- "Ok." You quietly mutter.
- "Good. Now let's go." She grabs your shoulders & pushes you out the door.
- Half way through the stairs, you remember the box that your mom asked you to give to Jungkook.
- "Wait! I have something I need to give to Jungkook." You exclaim as your feet screech to a halt.
- "Ugh, I'm starving. Just give it to him next time. Come on." She pulls your arm & continues climbing down the stairs.
- The cold night air hits your face instantly as you step out of the residence hall & the first thing you see is Jungkook sitting on the stone porch right outside the glass door.
- His eyes widen slightly & a small frown furrows his brows for a fraction of second when he sees you approaching with Liv.
- "Y/n is coming with us. You don't mind, do you?" Liv asks as she hooks her arm with Jungkook's & lays her head on his shoulder.
- "Whatever. Let's go." He mutters, the minor displease gone without a trace from his expression.
- You walk awkwardly alongside them, feeling like a major third-wheel, while they chat about things & people that you've never even heard of.
- You just keep your gaze away from them & pretend to observe your surroundings.
- Soon, the three of you arrive at Tom's restaurant & take a seat at a table in the corner with you sitting right across Jungkook.
- "What do you want? The usual?" Liv asks Jungkook as she scans the menu.
- "Yeah.." Jungkook leans back on the chair & casually put his arm around her shoulder.
- Seeing their intimate interaction, your emotion goes all over the place that you don't even know what to feel.
- Not sad to the point of being heartbroken, but also not completely unbothered to the point of indifference.
- Uncomfortable is probably the most suitable adjective for your current situation.
- You barely contribute to the conversation, not even once does Jungkook address you or glance your way.
- So you feel extremely relieved when the food finally arrives, at least now you can just shove your mouth full & stay quiet.
- "Kook, why aren't you finishing your food? You usually love their meatloaf." Liv frowns as she sees Jungkook's half-eaten meal.
- "I don't feel so good honestly. I think I've caught a cold or something." He clears his throat & flinches.
- His remark triggers a memory from the past, when he was sick & you accompanied him in his room all night.
- You quickly shake it away & continue eating, acting like you heard nothing.
- "Are you ok? You have a slight fever. Should I get you some meds or anything?" Liv touches his forehead in concern.
- "Nahh, I think I just need to sleep. I'll get going first. Text me when you're back at the dorm." He abruptly stands up.
- "Kook, you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" She grabs his sleeve & stops him.
- "I'm fine. Besides, I don't want you to catch my bug. Good night." He kisses her forehead & steps away.
- "Be careful. Love you." Liv calls out & Jungkook responds with a smile & a wave.
- You stay silent the whole time, still focusing your eyes on the plate in front of you.
- "Y/n." Liv suddenly addresses you, forcing you to lift your gaze.
- "Can you help me?" Her expression serious, tone desperate.
- "Err sure, but what do you need help with?" You instantly feel cautious.
- "Can you help me get closer to Jungkook? Please?"
- "I don't understand. You're his girlfriend." You're completely baffled by her request.
- "I know, but truthfully he never tells me about his family, his likes & dislikes, anything really. I have to figure out everything by myself. Sometimes I wonder whether he likes me or not. He never even says 'I love you' back, despite me saying it to him all the time. That makes me nervous. Especially because I was the one who asked him to be my boy friend." She sighs.
- I guess he hasn't changed that much, still the same cold Jungkook.
- "Well, he said yes, didn't he? So I'm sure he likes you. And he's always been a cold guy, like he can't express his feelings well, so you shouldn't worry too much." You try to reassure her, feeling like you're advising your old self who was infatuated with Jungkook.
- "But still.. I would like to know him better, make him happy. So could you tell me more about him?" She pleads.
- "O-Ok. I don't know how much I can help, but-" You hesitantly agree.
- "That's fine. I'll appreciate every little thing you can tell me. Thank you." She squeezes your hand gratefully.
- "Well, for starters, he appears to be sick. When he's sick, he likes eating porridge & chicken soup. Not the Western type though, Korean chicken soup."
- "Noted. I'll order some from Korea town. Anything else?" She stares at you eagerly, like she's listening to the most important lecture of her life.
- "He used to get really high fevers, so you need to be there for him, prepare some fever-reducing medicine & ice packs. Don't listen to him when he says he doesn't need you, because he does."
- "Omg, thank you so much. I'll go buy everything now. I owe you one Y/n. See you tomorrow!" She leans across the table to give you a hug & runs out of the restaurant.
- You inadvertently smile watching her enthusiasm.
- I'm glad Jungkook has someone who cares so much about him.
- You huff, grab your bag & walk back to the dorm alone.

- The next day, you're doing your morning routines as usual when Liv rushes through the door still in last night's outfit.
- "Y/n!" She exclaims, startling you.
- "Yes?" You ask in bewilderment as she hugs you tightly.
- "Thank you, thank you, thank you. Jungkook seemed very touched last night, thanks to your info. He finished the porridge & soup in no time. And you were right, his fever went up, lucky I got meds & ice packs ready. So really, thank you so so much."
- "I'm glad to hear that. Is he feeling better now?" You smile at her excitement.
- "He is. His fever has gone down. Please tell me more about him. Even things that you think are insignificant, I'd love to know all of them." She grins widely as she holds your shoulders.
- Jungkook truly is fortunate for having someone like her.
- "Ok. I'll try to help you as much as I can." You agree.
- Weeks have passed.
- You've been helping Liv with Jungkook, telling her everything you know about him, omitting the details about your & Jungkook's complicated drama, of course.
- Her enthusiasm hasn't diminished & the information you've given her seems to help their relationship grow as you see her less & less now that she spends most of her time at Jungkook's place.
- You've gained some new friends, but none close enough to frequently hang out with, so your days feel a bit lonely.
- Until one day, your professor pairs you up with someone for a group project.
- You've noticed him ever since your first day in class, because he is strikingly handsome, but he seems to keep to himself a lot so you've never talked to him.
- The only thing you know about him is his name. Jackson.
- "Hey, so you're my partner?" He approaches you after class, his buff frame towering over you.
- "Yes. Hi, I'm Y/n." You nod at him & smile awkwardly.
- "Just so you know, I'm very busy so I'm not interested in working on this paper together with you. You can write your part, I write mine, then we'll just combine it later over email. Got it?" He flatly says.
- You're perplexed by what he just said so you just blink your eyes & gape at him, not knowing how to respond.
- "I take it as a yes then. Bye!" He turns on his heels & leaves.
- What was that? Why is he so rude?
- "Huh.. It's so hard to make friends here." You sigh as you step out of the building.
- You're walking down the brick lane when you see a familiar figure ahead of you. Jungkook.
- Should I say hi? But he probably doesn't want to see me. Oh shit, I haven't given him the box yet! Maybe I should ask him to come with me to the dorm & give it to him now.
- You muster all your courage & run after him.
- "Kook!"
- He abruptly stops & slowly turns around to face you.
- "Hi.." You say breathily.
- "What do you want?" He crosses his arms & asks coldly.
- "Do you have time now? Can you come to me to the dorm? I-"
- "No." He cuts you off before you can finish your sentence & walks away.
- "Wait, please listen to me first-" You grab his hand to stop him.
- "Why did you come here? Couldn't you pick another university? Why do you keep disturbing my life?" He shakes your hand off & glares at you, surprising you with the rage in his eyes.
- "It was an accident! I didn't plan to come here, but-"
- "I don't want to listen to you. And stop meddling with my life. I know you've been feeding Liv with little facts about me. But guess what Y/n? You don't know me. I'm not the old Jungkook anymore, so please just mind your own business." With that, he stomps away leaving you speechless.
- "What the hell?" You mutter to yourself, baffled.
- You can't believe that he insulted you like that when you had nothing but good intentions, so you clench your fists & let all your discontent out.
- "Well, you know what Jeon Jungkook? I also don't want to see you as much as you don't want to see me. So fuck you!" You scream at his back, ignoring the bystanders' weird looks on you.
- He instantly turns around, eyes widened in shock, & you flash him your middle finger before striding towards the opposite direction.
- Fury rises within you, you've had enough of being treated like garbage all the time by him.
- Hah! Does he think that I came here on purpose to see him? Does he think that I had nothing better to do than following him across the globe & interfering with his life?! Fuck you Jeon! I don't want to deal with your rudeness anymore.
- You slam the door to your room in anger, blood still boiling from earlier incident with Jungkook.
- "Omg, you startled me." Liv jumps out of her bed.
- "Sorry, I didn't know you're here." You apologize half-heartedly & throw your bag onto the floor.
- "What happened? Why do you look so mad?" She asks.
- "Nothing. Someone got on my nerves. That's all." You can't exactly tell her that you had a fight with Jungkook, can you?
- "Owwwkay. Anw, do you have anything to do Saturday night?"
- "Uhm no, I don't think so. Why?"
- "Great! You're coming with me to St. A's party then." She clasps her hands together & smiles.
- "St. A? What's that?"
- "You've never heard of St. A? It's the most prestigious secret society in Columbia. Jungkook & I are members, but mind you, not everyone can be a member. They have to be either rich, good-looking, famous, or all of the above."
- "Oh." You reply disinterestedly.
- "Oh? That's it? Do you have any idea how exclusive the party is? Everyone is dying to be invited! And I intend to bring you as my plus-one to repay my debt to you." She exclaims in disbelief at your indifference.
- "Thank you but honestly, you don't owe me anything & I never enjoy going to such parties. Plus, I didn't bring any decent clothes for parties, I only have some casual outfits." You politely decline.
- It's true, you're never into that kind of scene, but the biggest reason of your reluctance is Jungkook, who will definitely come to the party too.
- "I'm not taking no for an answer. Let's go shopping now, I'm sure we can find you something in Saks." She rises from her seat & drags you out of the room.
- "Wait! Liv! Wait!!" But she's determined so you have no choice but to follow her.

- You stare at the elegant luxurious interior & instantly feel out of place in your old jeans & plain shirt.
- "Liv, I don't think I can afford anything in here. Omg, $90 for a belt?! I'm outta here." You attempt to escape but Liv catches your arm.
- "We don't need to buy anything, just pick something you like." She shoves you towards a rack of dresses.
- Right then, a shopping assistant approaches you.
- "Good afternoon, Miss Young. It's nice seeing you again, you haven't visited us for a long time. And I see you're bringing a friend?" She scans you up & down, probably judging if you're worth her time.
- "Hi Karen, can you help my friend here find a dress for a formal party? Something impressive, the price doesn't matter." Liv says to the lady.
- "What?! No! I can't-" You protest, but Liv put her forefinger on your lips to shut you up.
- "Shhh! Just go with Karen." She shoos you away.
- Karen pulls a few dresses off the rack & helps you put them on one by one.
- She keeps shaking her head when you walk out of the changing room, until you put on the last dress, a black lacy gown with a sheer top.
- "Wow, this is so pretty." You gasp as you look at your own reflection in the full-length mirror.
- "This one suits your aura the best. I think Miss Young would approve. Let's show it to her." Karen guides you out to where Liv is sitting.
- "Ms. Young, what do you think about this?"
- Liv observes you from head to toe & nods her head.
- "Good. We'll take this."
- "W-Wait! How much is this dress?" You nervously ask Karen.
- "$8,300 before tax."
- "What?! No, I can't afford it. Let's take this off." Your eyes are about to pop out in shock.
- "It's on me." Liv says to Karen as she pulls out her black credit card.
- "No, I don't want it. It's way too expensive." You quickly step in between Liv & Karen, who's ready to take the card.
- "It's Dior, honey. Of course, it's expensive!" She chuckles, "Don't worry, I can afford it."
- "Liv-"
- "You're my boyfriend's sister & I'm bringing you to the most exclusive party in town, so I have to make sure you look presentable. $8,000 is a small price to pay for my reputation. So just accept it. Here you go Karen." She tilts to the side & hands her card to Karen.
- You anxiously bite your lip, feeling extremely uneasy because now you're greatly indebted to her.
- "Don't I at least get a thank you?" She raises her brow.
- "T-Thank you. I don't know how or when but I'll pay you back." You mutter.
- "Ugh.. Told you I can afford it. Just don't embarrass me & Kook on Saturday." She pats your shoulder & smile.
- Huh.. What did I get myself into?

Saturday evening
- "Y/n, are you ready? We're gonna be late!" Liv impatiently taps her fingers on the desk.
- "Give me one more minute." You frantically put on some finishing touches on your face.
- "I'm done! How do I look?" You throw the lip gloss onto the table & turn around to face Liv.
- "Wow, you should wear make up more often. You look gorgeous, like one of those Korean movie stars, you know?" She stares at you wide-eyed.
- "You're just saying that to make me happy. I look like a potato beside you."
- It's true though, Liv looks absolutely stunning in her red strapless dress.
- "Really? Do you think Kook will like this look on me?" She asks as she put a strand of hair behind her ear.
- "Of course. He would be crazy not to." You smile encouragingly, despite the slight burning fury that rises inside you when you hear Jungkook's name.
- I won't let him ruin my night. I'll enjoy the party & ignore him. Jeon Jungkook, who? Psshh..
- "What's wrong? Why are you frowning?" Liv shakes your arm, breaking your daze.
- "Nothing. Shall we go now?"
- "Yes, let's go. I'm so excited! This will be a fun night." She hooks her arm with yours & opens the door.
- Jungkook is already waiting outside your dorm when you step out with Liv.
- You're dumbstruck by how breathtakingly handsome he looks in an all-black suit & turtleneck, but you quickly regain your composure & look away.
- "Why is she here? Is she coming with us?" Jungkook asks, annoyance filling his voice.
- You don't need to look at Jungkook to know that he's frowning.
- "Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. Yeah, she's coming as my plus-one. Why? Is there something wrong?" Liv glances back & forth between you & Jungkook.
- "Nothing." Jungkook & you say in unison, prompting a weird look from Liv.
- "Owkayy.. Anw, how do I look?" Liv excitedly twirl in front of him.
- "Dazzling, as always." He offers her his arm which she readily takes.
- The three of you walk to the famous St. Anthony Hall, the fraternity where the crème de la crème of Columbia gathers.
- You have difficulty walking in high heels since you're not used to it, but you persist & keep your back straight.
- Liv rings the bell of the magnificent stone building & soon a guy in a white suit opens the heavy wooden door.
- "Liv! Welcome!" He exclaims with a huge smile on his face & motions to hug Liv.
- You're stunned for a moment. Isn't that Jackson?
- "Jack, this is my roommate, Y-"
- "Oh Y/n, right? I know her, we're in the same Psych class. Welcome to St. A." Jackson smiles at you, takes your hand & kisses the top of it.
- What the-?
- Your jaw goes slack because you're totally shocked by his extreme change of attitude.
- "Oh, you know Y/n already? That's great!" Liv nudges your shoulder & smiles.
- "Y-Yeah, haha." You chuckle awkwardly & notice Jungkook slightly clenching his jaw.
- "Come in! The party has started already, please make yourself at home. Y/n?" Jackson offers you his arm & you hesitate.
- "Don't worry. Jackson is my childhood friend. We practically grew up together since our parents are business partners & good friends. So you'll be in good hands." Liv encourages you, so in the end you take Jason's arm out of politeness.
- You can't help but gasp in awe when you step through the entrance.
- The interior of the hall is lush old-fashioned glamour, green velvet curtains lining the brass window frames, a soft yellow hue illuminating the spacious room.
- In contrast to the classic ambiance, loud EDM music is blaring through the speakers, vibrating the wallpaper-lined walls.
- The scene in front of you is just like the crazy fraternity parties you've seen on movies.
- Boys & girls dancing to deafening music, bottles of liquor disguised as non-alcoholic drinks strewn all over the surface.
- Except in here the drinks cost as much as your one month expense & the attires of the partygoers are wearing cost you an arm & a leg.
- Liv & Jungkook take no time to find their group of friends & start chatting.
- You're left alone with Jackson, feeling extremely awkward, not knowing what to do.
- He takes you to a quieter room & turns to face you, his eyes staring deeply into yours, a frown furrowing his brows.
- You're so nervous that you keep picking at your nails.
- "I'm sorry." He suddenly says, taking you by surprise.
- "Sorry?" You ask, thinking that you heard him wrong.
- "I had a really bad day when we talked a few days ago, so I was being very rude to you. I know it's not an excuse, but would you please forgive me?" He pleads.
- "Uhm.. Okay.." You know you shouldn't forgive him that easily, but what else can you do? You're in his territory now.
- "Great! I'll show you around. Let's have fun!" He wraps his arm around your shoulders & guides you out.
- He gives you a tour of the hall, introduces you to so many new faces that you can't even remember all their names, brings you dancing on the dance floor, it's a whirlwind of chaotic experience.
- One thing you realize is that he's always the center of attention wherever he goes.
- All guys stare at him in admiration, while all girls glance at him in adoration & glare at you in jealousy.
- He must be very popular around here.
- Yet, you still feel extremely uncomfortable.
- "Would you like to have a drink? So that you can loosen up a bit." Jackson cups his mouth over your ear & shouts over the heavy noise.
- "I can't handle alcohol. I'm a very lightweight." You politely decline.
- "It's ok. I'll make something light for you." He smiles at you & steps away.
- You glance around the crowded room & your eyes land on Liv & Jungkook who are kissing each other passionately in the dark corner.
- You quickly avert your gaze as an indescribable unease fills your chest.
- "Here you go." Jackson plops down beside you & hands you a shot glass of green liquid.
- "What's this?" You ask & try hard not to scrunch your nose because of the strong smell.
- "It's something light. Try it. I made it for you myself." He coaxes.
- You look suspiciously at the liquid & then back at Liv & Jungkook who are eating each other's face off.
- Ugh.. Fuck it.
- You gulp the whole content in one go & instantly feel the alcohol burning your throat, making you cough uncontrollably.
- "Are you alright? Was it too strong? Here, something sweet to soothe the burn." Jackson chuckles & hands you another glass.
- The drink also has alcohol in it but much milder than the previous one so you easily chug it down.
- "Better?" He asks.
- "Yeah, thanks." You mutter.
- "Now let's dance!" He excitedly pulls you up.
- A few minutes later, you begin to relax & enjoy the party.
- You close your eyes & move your body to the rhythm of the music, while chugging down a few more shots that Jackson brings you.
- He's not a bad person after all. You think to yourself as genuine laughter escapes your lips watching him making silly moves on the dance floor.
- "Let's go to the rooftop!" He suddenly drags you away from the sea of people.
- "What's at the rooftop?" You ask, feet wobbling, head slightly spinning.
- "It's a surprise. Something reserved for special members only." He smirks.
- You hold his hand tightly as you follow him up the stairs.
- "Ta-da!" He giggles once you reach the top of the stairs.
- "Woah.." You exclaim in awe at the night view, the cozy decor, & the hot tub.
- "Do you like it?" He grabs your arms from behind & whispers in your ear.
- Maybe it's the alcohol, but you feel a tingling sensation in the pit of your stomach at his touch.
- "Yes, it's pretty. Is the hot tub working?" You ask as you glide a finger on the smooth ceramic.
- "Of course! Do you want to try it?" He raises his brow.
- "But I-"
- "Let's go crazy once in a while." He laughs & pulls you into the tub.
- "Jackson! I'm all wet! How am I supposed to go back to the dorm later?" You exclaim in shock, but laugh with him in the end.
- "Maybe you don't need to go home later." He comes closer & caresses your cheek.
- Your heart pounds inside your chest, speechless at his suggestive words.
- He slowly leans forward, prompting you to close your eyes in anticipation.
- But then, just when his lips are about to touch yours, he retreats his face, leaving you gasping at cold air.
- "Wait here. I'm going to get us some drinks." He abruptly lifts himself up & exits the tub.
- "O-Ok." You stutter in embarrassment.
- What was I thinking?
- You try to get out of the tub but your dress is too heavy & your hands keep slipping.
- "Ugh.. I'll just wait for him in here." You finally give up.
- The combination of the hot water & alcohol causes all the blood rush to your head, making your head spin & vision blurry.
- Where is he? You begin to feel anxious.
- Right then, the door swings open.
- "Jackson?" You call out, not being able to see clearly.
- Whoever it is dives into the pool & pulls you into his embrace.
- "J-Jackson?" You're so dizzy that you can only discern the shape of a male with black hair & white suit, but you can't see his face.
- It should be him.
- He brings what feels like a glass to your lips & pours the liquid into your mouth.
- Then, he pinches your chin & directs your face closer to his.
- "What are you doing?!" The door suddenly bursts open.
- Someone grabs the guy's collar & punches him right in the face.
- "S-Stop.." You want to scream, but what comes out is a quiet whisper because you feel so weak.
- "Y/n? Y/n! Wake up!"
- That's the last thing you hear before everything goes black.

- You wake up to a splitting headache.
- Your body aches all over that it feels like you've been hit by a truck.
- "Ugh.. What happened last night?" You clutch your head & sit up.
- The last thing you remember is going into the hot tub with Jackson & nothing after that.
- You glance at Liv's bed, but it's empty.
- She must be spending the night at Jungkook's.
- Their passionate kiss from the night before flashes in your mind & you quickly chase it away.
- It's none of your business Y/n. Don't let it bother you.
- Right then, the door swings open & Liv steps into the room.
- She's wearing a black sweatshirt & a pair of jogger pants, her long hair tied into a ponytail & her face devoid of any make up.
- "Morning.." You mutter weakly.
- "Morning. Are you ok?" She glances at you as she grabs a bottle of water from the table.
- "Yeah. I think I drank too much last night. Were you the one who bring me back here?" You ask.
- "Nope," She shakes her head & gulps down a mouthful of water, "Jackson did."
- "Jackson? Shit. I must have made a fool of myself last night."
- "You kinda did actually. But that's ok. I think he likes you." She shrugs.
- "Who?" You ask in confusion, still trying hard to remember what exactly happened last night.
- "Jackson, duhhh." She rolls her eyes.
- "Oh." is all you manage to say because you don't know what to feel about that.
- "He's a great guy. Don't break his heart." She rises from her seat & takes off her sweatshirt.
- Feeling uncomfortable, you quickly try to change the topic.
- "Did you sleep here last night? How come you've changed your dress already?"
- Her movement freezes for a fraction of second before she turns around to face you.
- "No, I stayed with Jungkook last night. I got back at dawn & went for a jog. You should change into something else as well, that dress costs a fortune & I'd hate to see it crumpled & ruined." She smiles thinly.
- "Oh. Yes, you're right. Sorry.." You hastily jump off the bed, fighting the acid reflux that makes you want to throw up.
- You change into your casual clothes & hang the dress carefully.
- "Hey." Liv suddenly calls out.
- "Yes?" You turn around & reply.
- "What's the deal with you & Kook?" She asks, her expression serious.
- Your heart stops beating for a second as unease washes over you.
- "W-What do you mean? There's nothing going on between us. He's my stepbrother. That's it." You chuckle awkwardly.
- "Really? Then why does it look like you have some kind of dubious history with him?"
- "I-" You tongue goes numb.
- Should I tell her the truth? No. It's unnecessary.
- Just when you feel like you're about to crumble under Liv's gaze, someone barges through the door & saves you from the situation.
- "Jackson?" You exclaim in surprise when you see him walking in with a huge bouquet of flowers.
- "Hey, how are you feeling?" He immediately approaches you & touches your arm lightly, his voice heavy with concern.
- "I- I'm ok now. Sorry if I did anything wrong last night. I can't remember clearly what I did." You lower your head & apologize.
- "No no no. I should be the one who apologize for not taking better care of you. Would you forgive me?"
- "You don't have to apologize, I should've known when to stop drinking. But what happened exactly? Did you brought me back here last night?"
- "I did. Somebody was going to take advantage of you when I left you at the rooftop. Luckily, I got there on time, otherwise.. But don't worry, that guy has been taken care of." He smiles at you.
- "What?! Omg.. How could I be so reckless? Thank you so much for saving me. I can't imagine what would've happened if you hadn't come on time." You gasp in shock & terror.
- "Let's forget about the awful experience. Anw, I brought you some flowers. I hope you like peonies." He says as he hands the orange flowers to you.
- "Thank you. It's lovely." You smell the fragrant bouquet.
- "Not as lovely as you." He raises his brows playfully, making you laugh at his cheesy line & funny expression.
- "Ugh.. You guys, go get a room." Liv groans from across the room & rolls her eyes.
- "Sorry Liv. Totally forgot that you were here." Jackson chuckles.
- "Anw, let's go get some breakfast, shall we? Liv, I want to invite you too but I know you hate being a third wheel, so you can eat breakfast on your own." He turns to Liv & teases.
- "Fuck you Jack." She raises her middle finger, prompting him to laugh out loud.
- "Let's go Y/n." He offer you his arm, like an old-fashioned gentleman.
- "But I look a mess. I-" You self-consciously look down at your baggy jeans & loose hoodie.
- "Shhh. You look perfect. Come on. Bye Liv!" He pulls you out of the room without waiting for your reply.
- You're listening to him talking animatedly about funny things that he encountered at parties, when someone calls you.
- "Y/n." You look straight ahead & find Jungkook standing there with surprised expression.
- "Oh hi Kook! You're looking for Liv? She's in her room." Jackson cuts in & raises his palm, trying to give Jungkook a high-five, but he ignores it.
- "Ouch." Jackson lowers his hand awkwardly & you instantly feel bad for him.
- "What are you doing? Why are you with him?" Jungkook asks, looking right into your eyes.
- "We're going to have break-" Jackson steps in again.
- "I'm not asking you. So can you please shut the fuck up?" Jungkook spits at him.
- "Okay dude. Chill. Why do you have to be so hostile so early in the morning?" Jackson raises both of his palms & backs off.
- "It's none of your business. Let's go Jackson." A ball of fury burns in the pit of your stomach as you grab Jackson's arm & pulls him towards the front door.
- "Kim Y/n, can you stop being stupid for once?" He shouts at your back.
- Your feet screech to a halt hearing his insults.
- You turn around & glare furiously at him.
- "It was you who told me that you wanted nothing to do with me, but now that I'm minding my own business, you call me stupid? Let's just pretend that we're strangers from now on Jeon Jungkook, coz I don't want to hate you more than I already do."
- With that, you stomp away with Jackson trailing behind you.
- "Wow. What was that?" Jackson asks once he's caught up with you.
- "Let's just eat first. I need some sugar to restore my mood." You grumble.
- After you finish ordering, Jackson doesn't waste a second & ask you the question again.
- "What actually happened between you & Jungkook? It looks like you two don't get along with each other."
- "I'd rather not talk about it." You huff.
- "You don't need to tell me the details. Just a rough picture is enough. Come on, you can trust me." He coaxes.
- "Well.. He didn't agree to our parents' marriage, so he wouldn't accept my mom & me. That's about it." You tell him the half-truth.
- "Jeez, I'm sorry to hear that. He's truly a tough guy to befriend. I mean, Liv has been my best friend since forever, so I naturally want to get along with Jungkook, but he keeps pushing me away." He heaves a deep sigh.
- "Anw, let's not talk about him anymore. Thinking about him only makes me angry." You cut the string of conversation before it gets longer.
- "Yeah. He gives me stomachache as well." Jackson jokingly clutches his stomach & scrunched his nose, prompting you to laugh again.
- You chat about random things with Jackson & surprisingly he's very easy to talk to despite your hugely different backgrounds.
- He's born with a silver spoon, the son of a Chinese tycoon who has various businesses in America.
- He grew up surrounded by maids, nannies, chauffeurs; hung out with celebrities, socialites, rich kids; travelled with limousines & private jets, yet he's so down-to-earth.
- He tells you he wants to go to Africa & build schools there for the underprivileged kids because he went to Kenya once with his parents & witnessed the atrocious living condition of the poor there.
- That deeply touches you.
- "You know what, at first I thought you were a snobbish guy who had his nose up in the air, but turns out I was wrong." You confess.
- "Hey, I told you I had a very bad day. I still feel ashamed of how I treated you that day. I swear that wasn't me." He puts his hand over his heart.
- "I believe you. And I'm glad that I get to know the real you." You smile at him.
- He goes silent for a moment, staring at you with unreadable expression.
- "Did I say something wrong?" You cautiously ask.
- "I know I might sound stupid for saying what I'm going to say next because we've literally known each other for one day, but I like you. A lot. So.. Would you like to be my girl friend?" He squeezes your hands & asks with such sincerity that makes your heart skip a beat.
- You do like him, but probably not to the point of wanting to start a relationship with him.
- "This is unexpected." You retract your hands & look away awkwardly.
- "Sorry. I scared you, didn't I? I tend to say what I feel without filter, so I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way." The disappointment & sadness on his face make you feel guilty.
- "No, please don't say that. I'm flattered, really. But just like you said, we've only known each other for one day. Could you please give me some more time?"
- "So you don't hate me?" He asks, a hint of hope lacing his voice.
- "Of course not!"
- "Well, ok then! I'll patiently wait for you. I'm sure one day you'll accept my heart." He smiles cheerfully like a kid & continues stuffing his mouth with pancakes.
- He wears his heart on his sleeve, so very different from Jungkook who keeps everything inside. Wait. Why am I thinking about Jungkook again? He's no one to me now. I should focus on Jackson & find my own happiness. That's it. Forget about Jeon freaking Jungkook.

A few days later
- "See you tomorrow Y/n! You sure you don't need me to walk you home?" Jackson asks once both of you step out of the library.
- "Nah, I'm fine. Good night!" You wave at him.
- "Wait! I have something to ask you. Do you have time this Saturday night?" He stops you & hesitantly asks.
- "I think so. Why?"
- "Uhm.. Would you like to have dinner with me? There's this very nice restaurant on Columbus Circle. I'm sure you'll love it."
- You contemplate for a second whether you should take the leap or not.
- He's a very nice guy, you should give him a chance.
- "Sure, let me know the time & place. I'll be there." You make your decision & smile at him
- "Awesome. Don't worry, I'll pick you up. See you Saturday then!" He excitedly pump his fist & wave at you.
- A smile is still decorating your lips when you walk back to the dorm.
- Just when you're about to reach the dorm, all of a sudden, someone snatches your arm from behind & spins you around.
- "We need to talk." Jungkook says flatly.
- "Let go of me. There's nothing to talk about." You try to shake his grip off but it seems to only make him tighten it.
- "There is. I wouldn't come to you if it's not absolutely necessary." He insists.
- "Ugh.. Fine, you have one minute. Talk." You push his hand away & cross your arms.
- He glances left & right before finally opening his mouth.
- "What happened to Namjoon sunbaenim?"
- Hearing that name again brings back so many memories.
- Truth is you have never met Namjoon again after that day you rejected him, but then you remember that you lied to Jungkook about being together with Namjoon.
- "We broke up. Is that it? Ok now goodbye." You answer coldly & motion to leave but he blocks your way.
- "Stay away from Jackson. He's not a good guy." He mutters.
- "Oh for fuck's sake. Who are you to tell me what to do? Besides, he's been nothing but a gentleman towards me." You scoff in disbelief at his statement.
- "Gentleman? Are you sure we're talking about the same Jackson? That night at the party he brought you up to the rooftop-" He snorts.
- "What he did that night is a precise example of him being a gentleman. He took care of me when I was drunk, carried me back to the dorm. That's how nice of a person he is. So please stop spewing nonsense about him just because you don't like him & stop meddling with my life." You swerve past him & rush back towards your dorm.
- "Ya Kim Y/n! Listen to me-" Jungkook calls out to you, but you keep running.
- "Y/n, you just got back? Why are you running?" Liv's voice makes you stop in your track & lift your gaze.
- "Oh hi. N-Nothing, I-" You stutter, anxiously hoping that Jungkook won't come after you.
- But you know you're doomed when you hear Jungkook's heavy footsteps approaching from behind.
- "Y/n! We need to-" Jungkook halts his steps as soon as he realizes that Liv is right there in front of you.

- "What were you guys doing?" Liv looks suspiciously back & forth between you & Jungkook.
- "Nothing."  "We were just talking." You & Jungkook reply at the same time.
- You nervously glance at Jungkook & then an idea comes to mind.
- "There's a box that my mom asked me to give him & I kept forgetting. So I told him to come get it now." You quickly add.
- "What box?" He asks quizzically.
- "I don't know. She said it was from your father."
- "Well, what are we waiting for. Let's go then." Liv says & strides ahead.
- The three of you climb up to your room in silence.
- You immediately open your drawer, take the box out & hand it to Jungkook.
- "She told me that your father asked her to give this to you on your 20th birthday."
- "Thanks. I better get going now." He puts the box into his pocket right away & says.
- "You're not staying?" Liv asks in a hopeful tone.
- "Sorry, but I'm kinda tired. Good night Liv." He smiles weakly & leaves the room.
- "What were you guys actually doing? I know that you weren't telling me the truth." Liv abruptly turns to me, brows deeply furrowed.
- "That was all. Really." You cross your fingers behind your back.
- "I don't believe you. I'm not stupid Y/n. Tell me, what is going on between you guys." She steps forward & stares at me suspiciously.
- "Nothing! You can ask Jungkook if you don't believe me." You choose to stick to your lies.
- "Fine. If you don't want to be honest with me, I'll ask him." She rushes out of the room & slams the door behind her.
- "Shit.." You plop down on your bed & cradle your head in your hands.
- Why is everything so complicated? I really shouldn't have come here.
- Saturday comes.
- Liv hasn't been back to the dorm ever since that night.
- You've texted her multiple times but she only leaves you on read.
- What happened? Maybe I should've been honest with her. I don't want to ruin their relationship.
- "Huh.." You sigh deeply as you end another unanswered call to Liv.
- Your phone suddenly rings in your hand & you readily pick it up.
- "Liv?"
- "No, it's me. Jackson. Are you waiting for a call from Liv?" He asks from the other end.
- "No, it's nothing. Anw, what's up?" You quickly divert the conversation.
- "Just calling to remind you about our date tonight. I'm really excited." He says cheerfully.
- Oh shit. You've totally forgotten about that because you've been worrying about Liv & Jungkook.
- "You haven't forgotten, have you?" He asks again.
- "I'm sorry. I was a bit preoccupied with something. But don't worry, I'll be there. Just text me the time & place."
- "Oh ok. It's alright, I'll pick you up. See you later." He abruptly ends the call.
- "Shit, he must be very disappointed. I need to make it up to him somehow." You mutter to yourself, guilt consuming you.
- You hastily get ready & pick an outfit for the dinner.
- "This should do it." You huff as you observe yourself in the mirror.
- You quickly run downstairs & find that Jackson is already waiting right outside of the building.
- "Hey." He smiles at you when he sees you stepping out.
- Your jaw goes slack looking at his dandy suit & dress shoes.
- You glance down at your outfit, instantly feeling underdressed in you grey sweater, skinny jeans & Converse.
- "H-Hi. You look so nice. Where are we going exactly? Should I change my outfit?"
- "No no! You're fine. Let's go. I've made the reservation at 7pm." He glances at his watch & says.
- Awkward silence falls as you ride the cab to the restaurant.
- "Jackson, I know you're mad at me for forgetting our date. I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to-" You can't take it anymore & finally speak up.
- "It's alright, I totally understand. I'm just sad, that only proves that you don't like me that much." He lowers his head & smiles weakly.
- "That means I need to try harder to win your heart." He inhales deeply & lifts his eyes to meet yours.
- You try to hold his gaze, try to feel the slightest flutter in your heart, but you feel nothing.
- "Thank you." You mutter as you look away.
- Soon, you arrive at the restaurant & Jackson opens the door for you.
- You scan around the expensive interior, the guests all wearing beautiful dresses & suits, and gulp uncomfortably.
- This is definitely not the dinner date I expected.
- The waitress guides you to your table & just when you're about to sit down..
- "Omg, hi you guys. What a coincidence!"
- You turn around & find Liv grinning widely, her arm linking with Jungkook.
- Jungkook seems equally surprised to see you, but he quickly regains his composure & looks away.
- "Liv! Kook! Are you guys having dinner here as well?" Jackson greets them warmly.
- "Well, we forgot to make a reservation, so they couldn't get us a table. Would you mind if we join you guys?" Liv asks.
- "Liv, let's just go somewhere else." Jungkook tugs her arm, but she slides his hand away.
- "Of course you can join us! The more the merrier, right Y/n?" Jackson turns to you for approval.
- "Y-Yes. Please join us." You force a smile.
- "Thank you! See? I told you they wouldn't mind." Liv says to Jungkook as she pulls a chair right across you.
- Jackson & Liv animatedly chat with each other, while you & Jungkook mostly stay quiet, only responding when prompted.
- You don't even know where to look because you can't stand watching Liv pressing her body tightly against Jungkook's, holding his hand, playing with his hair, laying her head on his shoulder, nuzzling his beck from such a close distance.
- It starts from a small bubble of discomfort, then it grows into an indescribable annoyance & finally into a full-blown exasperation, which takes you by complete surprise.
- Why am I so bothered by them? I should feel indifferent. He means nothing to me now.
- "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom real quick." You abruptly rise from your seat.
- "Let's go together. Don't miss us too much boys." Liv winks playfully at them & stands up as well.
- But her smile disappears as soon as she turns away from the table.
- The restroom is empty except for the two of you, the atmosphere suddenly becoming stiff.
- You quickly turn on the faucet to wash your hands & fill the heavy silence.
- "Do you like him?" Liv asks as she fixes her lipstick.
- "W-What?" Your muscles freeze at her question.
- "I said, do you like him?" She glances at you through the mirror.
- "W-Who?" You nervously ask.
- "Jackson, of course." She chuckles a little bit too forcefully.
- "I don't know.." You lowly mutter.
- "You don't know? He's handsome, rich, popular. So many girls would die to be in your position." She exclaims.
- "You're right, but I just- I don't know, I don't like him that way." You shrug.
- "Then who do you like? Jungkook?" She scoffs.
- "No! We're siblings!" You gasp in shock at her accusation, although the old familiar pain begins to lurk its head out of the deepest corner of your heart.
- "Step siblings. Anw, you don't have to be so serious. I was just joking. Come on, don't keep them waiting for too long." She smirks as she pulls open the door.
- As soon as you step out, you hear loud commotion from the direction of your table.
- "Omg! Kook!" Liv yells & rushes towards your table.
- Jackson is lying on the floor & Jungkook is hovering on top of him, punching his face.
- The other diners try to stop him to no avail.
- "Kook, stop! Stop!" Liv shouts in panic, but he still won't listen.
- "Jeon Jungkook!" You scream & his hand instantly stops in mid air.
- The others take the chance & pull him away from Jackson.
- "Jackson, are you ok? Omg, you're bleeding so much. What happened?" You kneel down beside him & cradle his head.
- "I don't know. I only told him that I asked you to be my girlfriend & he suddenly jumped at me & started throwing punches at me." Jackson explains as he wipes the blood away from the corner of his lips.
- "Y/n ah, please listen to me. He's just playing with you. Don't-" Jungkook steps forward & frantically says.
- "Enough. I'm tired. I deserve to be happy too, but my life has been nothing but constant heartache & humiliation ever since you came into my life. I really wish that I had never met you." You look up at him through teary eyes.
- The minuscule crack in your heart has now widened into a gaping hole.
- All of your suppressed pain & agony resurface & hit you in waves.
- You know you've hurt him too, the ache in his eyes give it away, but you harden your heart & look away.
- "Let's go, Jackson." You help Jackson stand up, put his arm around your shoulders, & walk out of the restaurant.

- You hail a cab & help Jackson get into the car.
- "434 Riverside Dr, please." You tell the driver the address to Jackson's frat house.
- "Wait. I don't want my roommates to see me in this state. So would you mind dropping me off at my parents' apartment?" He interrupts.
- "Oh, sure." You don't think much of it & readily agree.
- The driver takes a U-turn & drives the car according to Jackson's direction.
- "I'm so sorry Jackson. I don't know what got into him." You apologetically say.
- "Hey, it's not your fault." He smiles faintly at you.
- "Still.. I feel bad because he's my family.."
- "Is that all you guys are? Family? I think he sees you as more than a sister." He scoffs.
- "W-What? What do you mean?" His remark unnerves you.
- "I saw the fire in his eyes when he punched me. It didn't convey a brother's protective spirit. It was more like the jealous glare of a lover." He throws you a suspicious side glance.
- Your heart stops, a suffocating lump forming in your throat.
- "N-No. You're wrong. There's nothing going on between us. We're siblings, that's all. You've got to believe me." You frantically explain.
- But it feels like you're trying to convince yourself instead of Jackson.
- "Ok ok, I believe you. Calm down." He relents.
- The taxi comes to a stop in front of a tall apartment building & Jackson readily gets out.
- "Y/n, aren't you coming?" He asks when he notices you don't follow him.
- "Uhm.. I think I should go back to the dorm."
- "But I'm hurt because of your stepbrother. The least you can do is help me take care of the wounds, right?" He raises his brows, inducing guilt in you.
- "O-Ok, I'll help you." You hesitantly get out.
- You don't feel comfortable spending time alone in a confined space with Jackson, especially after his statement earlier about you & Jungkook.
- He's Liv's best friend after all. I can't let him suspect my relationship with Jungkook.
- Both of you ride the elevator to the top floor in silence, anxiety creeping into your mind.
- The elevator pings loudly & darkness engulfs you as you step out of the elevator.
- "Wait here, I'll go turn on the lights." Jackson's voice echoes through the room.
- "Alright." You squint your eyes trying to see where he's going, but it's too dark.
- Suddenly, someone muffles your mouth from behind, completely shocking you.
- A sharp pungent smell enters your nostrils.
- You try to scream but your tongue feels numb.
- Not long after, your head begins to feel heavy & the last thought that pops into your mind is..
- Help.

Jungkook POV
- "Why the hell did you hit Jackson?!" Liv screams hysterically at me as we walk out to the cold night.
- "Let's not talk about it." I clench my jaws & stride ahead.
- "For fuck's sake Kook! I'm your girlfriend! Don't you think I deserve to know what happened?" She grabs my wrist & rushes to my front.
- "You really want to know? I hit him because your best friend is an absolute jerk & he totally deserved that. I know what he's trying to do with Y/n. He-" I shout back.
- "You're just jealous, aren't you? You hate seeing Y/n, your SISTER, chooses him over you because you like her as a woman!" She yells through trembling lips.
- A sharp pain pierces through my heart listening to her accusation.
- "You're being unreasonable now. I don't want to talk about this anymore." I roll my eyes & walk away.
- "I saw you that night!" She screams at my back, causing my feet screech to a halt.
- "What?" I turn back around & ask.
- "I saw how you looked at her, how you kissed her! You've never looked at me that way. I'm not stupid Kook. I know how you truly feel about her." She cries.

Flashback, Jungkook POV
- "I like you. Would you be my boy friend?"
- The question slipping through the lips of the gorgeous brunette in front of me took me aback.
- I couldn't believe Olivia Young, the most popular girl in the Engineering department, asked me to be her boy friend.
- "Why aren't you saying anything?" She smiled, but I could detect the underlying nerves in her voice.
- Honestly, I was still hurt about Y/n, I still couldn't forget her.
- Maybe being with her will help me get over Y/n.
- So I let my selfishness take the lead & agreed to her proposal.
- Jackson had been there the whole time & I knew he was Liv's best friend since childhood.
- He seemed very happy for us when Liv told him the news & invited us to a friendly dinner at his place so we came.
- I innocently thought that he sincerely wanted to be friends with me, but then when Liv was going to the restroom, he showed his true colors.
- "Jeon Jungkook." He said my name all of a sudden.
- "Yes?" I looked up & found him staring menacingly at me.
- "I don't understand what Liv sees in you. You're not even that handsome. And you're poor by our standards. You should've known your place, she's way out of your league." He snickered.
- "Wow. That was.. harsh. What are you trying to say exactly?" I was taken aback by his sudden attack.
- "Break up with her. I'll pay whatever price you ask."
- "And why should I do that?" I scoffed.
- "Because I've loved her since we were kids & I can't accept that she chooses someone like you over me."
- "Well, you'd have to live with it then Jackson, coz I'm not going anywhere." I crossed my arms & stubbornly replied.
- After the incident with Y/n, I didn't want anyone to dictate my life again, especially not Jackson.
- "You'll regret it Jeon Jungkook. One day, I'll return the favor & take away something precious from you." He threatened through gritted his teeth.
- "Good luck with that then." I chuckled sarcastically, thinking that he would never be able to hurt me, because what was precious to me was thousands of miles away in Seoul.
- Two years passed & I enjoyed being in a relationship with Liv.
- She was a wonderful girlfriend & my first for a lot of things. First kiss, first sexual experience, but I still couldn't completely forget Y/n.
- Her image would flash in my mind at the most improbable moments, bringing out the bittersweet memories.
- Even though it still hurt at times, I thought that I had already made peace with the past.
- But when Y/n opened that door & walked back into my life, I realized that I hadn't moved on at all.
- Everything was just an illusion that I built as a defense mechanism.
- Seeing her standing there in front of me, staring at me with her big round eyes, awakened the pain that I desperately tried to bury all these years.
- And I hated myself for feeling that way.
- I wasn't ready to face the fact that I hadn't gotten over her.
- It took all my strength to stay calm & act nonchalant, and luckily she bought it.
- I can just avoid her & keep moving forward with my life.
- That was what I thought, yet life loved to make a joke on us.
- I couldn't believe the coincidence when Liv told me that Y/n was her new roommate.
- Is Y/n doing this on purpose? Why is she here? Why can't she go to a different university?
- I mustered all my courage & was going to confront her about her true intention, but my feet couldn't move an inch when I saw her walking out of the dorm.
- So I secretly followed her like a crazy stalker.
- Her smooth hair, her soft skin, her bright laugh, it felt like I had just seen her yesterday.
- I was so perplexed by her that I hadn't noticed the time.
- When I came back to my senses, I realized that I'd been following her the whole day.
- Like a thief being found out of his crime, I quickly ran back to the dorm & locked myself inside my room.
- Shit, what have you done? You can't do this Jungkook ah. She'll never be yours. You need to let go.
- However, it was easier said than done.
- I had spent three years trying to forget her while she had been completely out of sight.
- Now that she was so close to me, it was practically impossible.
- I was unsure about how to deal with her, so I kept my distance & treated her coldly.
- But everything changed that night when Liv came to my dorm after we had dinner with Y/n.
- She came with all my favorite foods & took care of me through the fever.
- I instantly thought about Y/n, about those nights she stayed by my side until morning came when I was sick.
- She must have been the one who told Liv about what to do.
- An illogical annoyance grew within me.
- Maybe it was because I refused to admit that deep down I wanted her to be the one who came that night, not Liv.
- I was so mad at myself for being hopeful that I directed all my anger towards her.
- Why does she have to meddle with my life? Why can't she just leave me alone?
- That was why I yelled at her when she approached me on the street.
- "You don't know me. I'm not the old Jungkook anymore, so please just mind your own business."
- It hurt me to say those words, but it had to be done so that she would stay out of my life & leave me in peace.
- "Well, you know what Jeon Jungkook? I also don't want to see you as much as you don't want to see me. So fuck you!"
- I turned around in surprise at her angry scream & saw her flashing me her middle finger before stomping away.
- That's it. I've completely driven her away just like what I wanted. But how come I'm still hoping that she would turn back around & come to me?

- I hadn't seen her again since our altercation.
- But just when I thought I was able to get some peace, she appeared again, looking so stunningly beautiful that she took my breath away.
- "Why is she here? Is she coming with us?" I asked Liv, masking my fluttering heart with annoyance.
- "Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. Yeah, she's coming as my plus-one. Why? Is there something wrong?" Liv looked suspiciously at me.
- "Nothing." Y/n & I said at the same time.
- Y/n glanced briefly at me before averting her gaze again, her lips stiff, eyes cold.
- She must hate me very much now.
- We walked together towards St. A's Hall & I noticed that she struggled matching her pace with us.
- Must be the heels. I couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her in concern & slow down my pace.
- "Liv! Welcome!" Jackson opened the door, a wide grin splitting his annoying face.
- Oh fuck, I completely forgot that he lives here.
- Liv introduced Jackson to Y/n, but somehow they'd known each other.
- Uneasiness filled my chest as I saw Y/n taking Jackson's arm & following him into the house.
- "You'll regret it Jeon Jungkook. One day, I'll return the favor & take away something precious from you."
- Jackson's threat from way back when popped in my head.
- He doesn't know about my relationship with her. So all I need to do is act like I don't care about her at all.
- So I continued acting indifferent & let Jackson guide her away from me with a heavy heart.
- All night, my eyes search for her amongst the crowd, worrying something bad might happen to her.
- When I saw Jackson forcing her to drink, I wanted so bad to punch his face & tell him to fuck off, but I couldn't.
- "Hey, what are you looking at?" Liv tugged at my sleeve & asked.
- "Nothing." I quickly looked away & flashed her a faint smile.
- "Are you worrying about Y/n? Don't worry, Jackson will take good care of her." She said as she cupped my cheek.
- The fact that she's with Jackson is what worries me the most. But I tried not to show.
- "Nah, I'm not worried about her at all."
- "Alright then. Kiss me." She wrapped her arms around my neck & leaned forward.
- "Here? But there are so many people staring." I tried to dodge it.
- "That never bothered you before. Or are you scared that Y/n will see us?" She whispered in my ear.
- "What? That's nonsense." I groaned & smashed my lips onto hers.
- She closed her eyes & pulled me in closer, but I kept my eyes opened.
- And from the corner of my eyes, I saw Y/n staring at us with her mouth ajar before she quickly averted her gaze.
- She then took the shot glass in Jackson's hand & downed the content in one go.
- I hope she has a high tolerance for alcohol.
- But of course, she didn't.
- She got drunker & drunker as Jackson gave her more & more drinks as the hour passed.
- Her uncontrollable giggles attracted people's attention, yet she seemed oblivious to it.
- I need to stop her. She's way too drunk.
- Just when I was about to step in, Jackson grabbed her arm & guided her up the stairs.
- Shit.. Where is he taking her?
- "Kook! Let's dance!" Liv pulled my hand towards the dance floor.
- When I turned to look for Y/n again, she was gone.
- I continued dancing with Liv, swaying lightly to the music, but a persistent unease kept tugging at the back of my brain.
- What is he trying to do with her? What if- No, he wouldn't dare to do that, would he?
- "Marty, could you grab some more vodka? We're running out of it." All of a sudden I heard Jackson shouting across the room.
- He's alone. Where is Y/n? The hair on my neck instantly stood up as a bad omen hit me right in the gut.
- "Liv, I need to go to the restroom for a minute." I quickly tapped Liv's shoulder & said.
- I rushed towards Jackson, grabbed his shoulder & spun him around.
- "Where's Y/n?"
- "Y/n? Ahhh, your sister. Don't worry about her, she's having a great time." He dismissed me & continued talking to his friend.
- "Where is she?" I turned him back around & asked again with a sterner tone.
- "Jeez, aren't you a bit overprotective? She's a grown-ass woman, let her have some fun." He smirked.
- "I swear I'll punch you right now if you don't tell me where she is." I gripped his collar & stepped closer.
- "Ok ok ok. Damn, if I didn't know that she's your sister, I would think that she's your girl or something. She's on the rooftop, enjoying the company of some guy." A menacing smile spread across his lips when he said the last sentence.
- "What guy? What did you do to her?!" Fear crept all over my body.
- "What did I do? I did nothing, only helped her to loosen up & enjoy herself." He chuckled.
- "Fuck you Jackson." I pushed him away & ran up the stairs as fast as I could to the rooftop.
- The scene in front of me when I barged through the door made my blood boil.
- A stranger was holding Y/n's limp body in the hot tub & trying to kiss her.
- "What are you doing?!" I shouted & punched the guy right on her face.
- He immediately got out of the bath tub & scurried away.
- "Y/n? Y/n! Wake up!" I jumped into the tub held her unconscious body in my arms.
- I tried shaking her, lightly slapping her face, but none seemed to work.
- "Fuck, what did he give her?"
- I knew that this must have something to do with Jackson & I wanted nothing more than to kick his ass but I had to rescue Y/n first.
- I lifted her out of the tub & carried her down the stairs straight to the exit.
- "Wake up Y/n ah. Please wake up." I muttered repeatedly all the way to her dorm.
- Once I got to her room, I laid her on the bed & grabbed a towel to wipe the water off her hair & limbs.
- Should I help her change? I contemplated, but decided not to in the end because it would be too much of a breach of her privacy.
- So I just covered her with the blanket & prayed that she wouldn't get sick.
- I sat down beside her bed & watched her breath steadying.
- She should be alright now.
- "Kook? Is that you?" She grumbled suddenly, making my heart stop for a fraction of second.
- Is she awake?
- I stayed quiet & motionless, but she didn't say anything.
- She must have been talking in her sleep.
- Watching her sleeping like this awakened so many memories that I wished to bury.
- I couldn't control it anymore & before I could stop myself, I'd leaned forward & kissed her gently on the lips.
- What the fuck am I doing?!
- I abruptly pulled away & covered my lips with the back of my hand.
- This is sick. She's my sister. I need to get out of here.
- I staggered backwards & ran out the door.

Present, Jungkook POV
- "I saw how you looked at her, how you kissed her! You've never looked at me that way. I'm not stupid Kook. I know how you truly feel about her." Liv cries.
- My heart stops, I feel like a thief who has been caught red-handed.
- Shame washes over me which quickly turns to anger.
- "You followed me?" I ask, my tone accusing, as if it was worse than what I was caught doing.
- "That's not the point! The point is I saw you kissing your sister! That's the most disgusting thing I've ever witnessed!" She flails her hands in the air exasperatedly.
- "Step sister." I still try to defend myself, even though it sounds feeble to my own ears.
- "Step sibling is still sibling. I didn't believe Jackson when he told me his suspicion about your relationship with her, but after I saw you kissing her with my own eyes that night I-"
- "Hah. Jackson. So all of this was his doing. That son of a bitch." I scoff.
- "But he was right, wasn't he? You like Y/n, don't you?"
- I stay quiet because even I don't want to admit the truth.
- "Just say you don't like her & I will forget about this." She mutters, her lips trembling.
- I stare at her, the woman who I hoped would be my escape from the pain, who love me more than I love her, who stays by my side through my downs.
- I want to feel as strongly towards her as she does to me, I want to say that I'll cherish her & forget about my past, but I can't.
- I can't lie to my heart anymore, because it'll only hurt both of us.
- "I'm sorry Liv, but I can't do this anymore. Let's break up." I sigh.
- "No! I take back my words. Let's pretend that this conversation has never happened. Please don't leave me. I love you Kook. I love you so much." She holds onto my arm & pleads.
- "Don't torture yourself Liv. I'm not worth it. I'm sure you'll find someone who's more deserving of your love than I do." I slide her hand off my arm & walk away, suppressing my own tears.
- "Jeon Jungkook! I've sacrificed so much for you, yet this is how you treat me?! You'll regret this, I'll make sure of that." She yells & stomps towards the opposite direction.
- I'm sorry Liv & thank you for being my harbor for the past two years.

Liv POV

Jungkook POV
- I throw my body on the bed & close my eyes.
- Guilt consumes me as I recall the agony in Liv's face & the hatred in Y/n's eyes.
- Good job Jungkook. You managed to hurt two of the most important people in your life deeply in one night.
- "Arghhh! This is so frustrating." I groan & vigorously scratch the back of my head.
- Should I call Y/n? No, I'm sure she doesn't want to talk to me now. Has she safely gone back to her dorm? Jackson won't try to do anything harmful to her again, will he?
- Worry & unease begin to lurk their heads out in my brain.
- I shouldn't have let her go with Jackson. He tried to harm her once at the party, who knows what he'll do this time? Maybe provoking & letting me punch him was a part of his plan all along, so that Y/n would be mad at me & leave with him. Shit, why didn't I think of that earlier? How could I be so stupid?
- I quickly dial her number but it goes straight to voicemail.
- "Fuck." I pace back & forth restlessly, thinking of what to do now.
- My phone suddenly vibrates in my hand, a call from an unknown number.
- "Hello?" I readily pick it up.
- "Hi Jungkook." That aggravating voice. Jackson.
- "Where is Y/n?" My heart beats rapidly as I predict the motive of his call.
- "Oh, she's fine, sleeping very soundly. Don't worry, I won't hurt her. But I'm not sure about my boys." The smirk in his voice makes my blood freeze.
- "What have you done to her?! Release her now! If it's me you want to hurt, then do it to me. Not her!" I yell into the phone.
- "I told you that one day I would take away something precious from you too, just like you took Liv away from me. And today is the day. Unless.."
- "Unless what? Just go straight to the point!"
- "Let's talk in person. I'll text you the address. Be here in 20 minutes or I can't guarantee her safety anymore." With that, he ends the call.
- "Fuck. Fuck you Jackson!!" I scream furiously & clench my phone tightly in my fist.
- A second later, a text comes in.
- I immediately run out the door & hail a cab towards the address stated in the text.
- Soon, I arrive in front of a luxurious apartment building & my phone vibrates again.
- "Are you here yet?" Jackson.
- "I am. Which floor are you on?" I ask as I dash into the building.
- "Just go straight to the elevator. Someone will be waiting for you there."
- I search for the elevator & indeed there's a big tall suit-wearing guy waiting beside it.
- He opens the elevator door & steps in right after me.
- "Is Y/n here? What has he done to her?" I impatiently ask him, yet he doesn't respond, so I have no other choice but to wait.
- The elevator pings loudly once we reach the top floor.
- As soon as the door opens, I see Jackson sitting on the sofa, leisurely sipping wine.
- "You bastard!" I charge towards him as my anger explodes within me.
- But I barely reach him when the big guy from earlier grabs me & pins both hands behind my back.
- "Let go of me, you coward! Where is she? Tell me!" I shout at Jackson.
- "Jeez, calm down. She's right there." He smirks & jerks his chin towards his front.
- I turn my head & instantly gasps in shock.
- Y/n is lying unconsciously on the carpet a few meters ahead, her hands tied with a rope behind her back, a video camera is pointing at her, & two sleazy-looking guys are standing near her.
- "What are you going to do with her?! Are you fucking crazy?! Let her go now! Y/n! Y/n wake up!" I frantically scream my lungs out.
- "If you keep screaming like this, I'll tell them to begin right away. Would you like that?" He raises his brow & I shut my mouth right away.
- "Good. Now, please sit down." He signals.
- His bodyguard releases me & pushes me down onto the sofa.
- "What do you want? Aren't you scared that I'll tell Liv about your atrocity?" I glare at him.
- "What makes you think that she's not in this with me?" He leans back & scoffs.
- "What?" My jaw goes slack as shock reverberates throughout my body.
- "You're lying. She would never-"
- "Here let me show you something." He chuckles, pulls out his phone, & shows me the screen.
- It shows a text from Liv's number, saying "Jack. Do it", causing my heart to drop to the floor.
- So it's true. She planned this with him.
- "Why is she doing this?" I mindlessly mutter.
- "Why? Because she likes you too much, yet your heart belongs to your step sister. Is it so difficult to understand? God, you're stupider than I thought you were." He scoffs.
- "I- I don't like Y/n that way. Like you said, she's my sister." I try to deny, even though it sounds unbelievable to my own ears.
- "Just cut the crap. We both know that's not true. I've done my research, you know."
- "What research?"
- "Well.. Actually, it started with a coincidence." He smirks.

Flashback, Jackson POV
- "Ugh, I can't believe he paired me up with such a lame girl." I grumbled as I walked out of the building of my psychology class.
- As I stepped down the stairs, I noticed two people arguing not far away from where I was standing.
- Isn't that Jungkook & Y/n?
- "You don't know me. I'm not the old Jungkook anymore, so please just mind your own business." Jungkook yelled.
- "Well, you know what Jeon Jungkook? I also don't want to see you as much as you don't want to see me. So fuck you!" Y/n flashed him a middle finger & angrily stomped away.
- Hmm.. Interesting. Wait, Liv told me that her new roommate is Jungkook's step sister. Could it be..?
- The gears in my brain started turning as I devised a plan.
- I fished out my phone & dialed Liv's number.
- "What's up?" She picked up the call at the third ring.
- "Hey, what's the name of your new roommate again? You told me before but I can't seem to remember." I asked.
- "Y/n, she's Kook's step sister, remember? But why are you suddenly asking about her?"
- Ahhh, so my hunch was right.
- "I met her earlier & she seemed like a nice person. Why don't you bring her to the party this weekend?" I nonchalantly suggested.
- "To St. A's party? Her? No way. I don't think she'll fit in with the crowd." I could hear the roll of her eyes in her voice.
- "Do it for me, please. Honestly, I'm kinda interested in her." I pleaded as earnestly as possible.
- "What? She's not even your type!" She exclaimed in surprise.
- "Are you jealous or something?" I chuckled, a slight hope arising within me.
- "Iewww, no. Fine, I'll bring her, but mind you, she's boring. See you Saturday." She ended the call.
- Y/n.. Let's see how I can use you in my plan.
- Saturday came & I was surprised to see Y/n actually looking much more beautiful than she usually was, but of course she was still no match to Liv.
- From the first glance, I noticed something weird in Jungkook's gaze towards her.
- Is it possible that he- Hmm.. we shall find out later.
- I acted nice to her, apologized for my rudeness & showed her a good time, while coaxing her to drink more & more to get her drunk.
- I could feel Jungkook's eyes following us, but I pretended not to notice.
- Then, I brought her upstairs to the rooftop, knowing full well that Jungkook saw us climbing the stairs.
- I lured her into the hot tub & left her in there while I quickly ran downstairs.
- "Hey Johnny!" I called out to a guy who's wearing a similar white suit as mine.
- "Yeah?" His eyes lit up as he scurried towards me.
- "There's a girl in the tub upstairs that kept nagging me. Could you please help me take care of her? Don't worry she's drunk shitless. You can do whatever you want with her."
- "Oh." He seemed to understand what I was insinuating but was still hesitant about whether to agree or not.
- "About your application to join our frat, I'll talk to the guys & put in some good words for you. But you really need to help me on this. Ok brother?" I patted his back encouragingly.
- "Really? You'd do that? Ok then, I'll help you take care of her." He nodded excitedly like an obedient dog.
- "Good. Oh just in case she isn't drunk enough. Here's a little something to help you. Just mix it in her drink, she'll be out in a few seconds." I slipped him a small packet of white powder & winked at him.
- "Alright Jack. Thanks! I'll go up now." He grinned widely.
- I watched him going up the stairs & smirked triumphantly.
- Now let's go find Jungkook.
- I found him dancing unenthusiastically with Liv on the dance floor.
- I cleared my throat & shouted as loud as possible.
- "Marty, could you grab some more vodka? We're running out of it."
- As I predicted, Jungkook's head instantly turned towards me.
- He approached me within a few seconds & demanded to know where Y/n was.
- That was when I realized that he liked her as more than a sister.
- The burning fire in his eyes gave it away.
- If Liv sees that  he doesn't love her as much as she thinks he does, she'll leave him & then I can finally make her mine.
- "She's on the rooftop, enjoying the company of some guy." I threw the bait to Jungkook.
- "What guy? What did you do to her?!" The panic in his voice was music to my ears.
- "What did I do? I did nothing, only helped her to loosen up & enjoy herself." I chuckled.
- "Fuck you Jackson." He pushed me away & ran up the stairs to the rooftop.
- "Show time." I smirked.
- I went up to Liv, told her that I needed to talk to her about something, & guided her somewhere obscure near the exit.
- "What do you want to talk about? Kook will be worried if he can't find me." She frowned.
- No, he won't. He has a bigger problem on his hand now.
- "Well.. I need to talk to you about Y/n."
- "Y/n? What about her?"
- "I think I really like her." I pretended to be shy & lowered my head.
- "Omg, I can't believe this. How come everyone likes her?" She rolls her eyes & throws her hands in the air.
- "Everyone?" Does she know about Jungkook's real feeling?
- "Well, Kook seems to be acting strange lately ever since she came. I sense that something is going on between the two of them. Ugh.. I don't know. I might be jealous for no reason. I mean, she's his sister. He can't like her that way, can he?" She chuckled, but her eyes were full of uncertainty.
- "Well, honestly, I get that weird vibe too when I see the two of them together. But like you said, it might be nothing. So let's not think about it too much." I said encouragingly.
- As if on cue, we heard heavy footsteps approaching & saw Jungkook carrying an unconscious Y/n in his arms.
- "Wth? Koo-" She exclaimed but I quickly muffled her mouth.
- "Let's follow them & see if your suspicion is right. I hope you're wrong tho." I whispered & she nodded.
- We followed them back to Y/n's & Liv's dorm, and watched Jungkook laid Y/n down onto the bed from the little crack in between the door & the frame.
- "So far nothing's wrong. Maybe she's drunk & he's just acting like a caring brother. Right?" Liv turned to me, a hint of hopeful smile curving her lips.
- Am I wrong? No, it's impossible. I know that gaze. He likes Y/n for sure.
- A minute later, Liv's hope was shattered as we witnessed Jungkook kissing Y/n's lips.
- Liv's hand instantly went to her mouth to muffle her surprised gasp, while I smiled triumphantly inside, thinking that my plan had worked.
- "We need to hide now." I pulled her away when I saw Jungkook backing off towards the door.
- We hid around the corner just in time before Jungkook stepped out.
- "Liv. Liv, are you alright?" I shook her shoulders & asked in concern as I saw her pale face & blank stare.
- "H-He kissed her. I can't believe it. He likes her. What should I do now?" Tears rolled down from her glistening eyes.
- "I'm sorry. Shit, I shouldn't have brought you to follow them. But you saw them with your own eyes, so you should break-"
- "Jack." She suddenly grabbed my hands & looked up at me.
- "Yeah?"
- "You've got to help me. You said you like her, right? Then convince her to be your girl friend, coz I know she doesn't feel the same towards Kook, That way, Kook will give up & stay with me. Please Jack. I beg you." She pleaded.
- I remained silent, not knowing what to say.
- I thought my plan had worked brilliantly but apparently Liv was more stubborn than I thought she was.
- I need a change of plan. For now, I'll agree to help her.
- "Ok. I'll help you, but I can't promise you anything."
- "Thank you Jack. You truly are the best." She hugged me & cried into my shoulders.
- Don't worry Liv. They'll be gone from your life soon, so that they won't be able to hurt you anymore.

Present, Jungkook POV
- "So you really did plan all of this shit. You son of a bitch!" I jump out of my seat, grab his collar, & raise my fist in the air.
- "Go ahead, punch me. The second your fist lands on my face, they'll start the show & it'll be broadcasted live straight from this room. Imagine the uproar, the humiliation, the disappointment when she wakes up & finds out that you actually had the chance to save her." Jackson sneers at me like a maniac.
- I clench my fist tightly & slowly lower it despite the blazing rage in my heart.
- "Good boy." He chuckles, seeing my helplessness.
- "What do you want from me? Hasn't Liv told you that I broke up with her earlier?" I say through gritted teeth.
- "Oh, I know, but let me finish telling my story first. I acted like I was interested in Y/n to show Liv that I'd tried my best. Luckily, Y/n was a tough nut to crack. She didn't even show any hint of romantic interest towards me despite my multiple attempts. When I told Liv that I failed to make Y/n my girlfriend, she panicked. She was scared that she would lose you soon, & her seeing you meeting secretly with Y/n a few nights ago added fuel to the fire. So I told Liv that I'd do anything to make her feel at ease, even if it means hurting Y/n to make her go away. She just needs to say the word & I'll do it. She was hesitant because Y/n is still your family after all, but she agreed to bring you to dinner tonight & trust me to do the rest. When she sent me the text earlier, I knew that you must have broken up with her & made her hit rock bottom. Which brings us to where we are now." He smiles.
- "What game exactly are you playing, Jackson? If you intended to help Liv, why did you call me here?"
- "Jungkook ah, why are you so stupid? If I ruined Y/n & made her leave, Liv would feel extremely grateful towards me. But then with Y/n gone, you'll be here, sad & lonely. What do you think Liv will do? She'll go right back to you, nursing your pain & trying to win your heart back."
- "Omg, so you lied to Liv too. You lied that you were going to help her when in fact you've planned everything to benefit yourself. You sly bastard." I scoff in disbelief as I realize his true intention.
- "Call me whatever you want, I don't care. Now, let's get to business. I have a proposal for you." He slides an envelope on the coffee table towards me.
- "What's this?" I take the envelope & open it.
- "There are two one-way tickets to Seoul for you & Y/n, departing three days from now, inside the envelope. That should give you enough time to sort everything out with the administration. You must not tell Liv about any of this. If you agree to leave with Y/n & never come back again, I will release her right away. But if you don't-" He glances at Y/n's direction & smirks.
- "I'll do it." I don't even need to think. Y/n's life & dignity are at stake, I can't risk it.
- Besides, I have nothing worth staying for anw after all that happened.
- "Wow, that was easy. Damn Kook, had I known that she meant so little to you, I would've skipped all the steps & given you this offer from the get go. I feel bad for Liv. She did so much to keep you, yet you easily throw her & your 2-year relationship away for another girl. I wonder how she'll feel if she knows."
- "Cut the crap Jackson. Release Y/n now." I rise from my seat & rush towards Y/n, but Jackson's bodyguard stops me again.
- "Not so fast tiger. I want you to see some pictures first." He throws a bunch of photos at me, letting them tumbling down onto the floor.
- I pick one up & my eyes instantly widen in shock when I've taken a good look.
- The pictures are of Y/n, half-naked, taken from various angles.
- "You son of a bitch! Why did you do this?!" I shout as I frantically tear up all the photos I can get my hands on.
- "They serve as a guarantee, to make sure you do your part of the deal. If you tell Liv about what we discussed today or decide not to leave all of a sudden, these pictures will be leaked to the internet in a flash. Do you understand?" He raises his brows.
- "Fuck you Jackson." I want to punch him so bad, yet I know that I'll never have that satisfaction with the threat he poses to Y/n.
- "Did I hear a yes?" He cups his ear, pretending not to hear.
- "Yes, you fucking bastard. Now let her go!"
- "Let him through boys." He flicks his fingers & his bodyguard releases me right away.
- "Y/n. Y/n ah, wake up." I cradle her head in my arms & pat her cheeks repeatedly.
- "K-Kook?" She faintly whispers, her gaze unfocused.
- "Let's get out of here." I lift her up & go towards the elevator.
- "Nice doing business with you, Kook! I hope you'll get your happily ever after with Y/n. Oh wait, you can't coz she's your sister." He laughs out loud.
- I ignore his provocation & keep my gaze forward.
- All that matter is that Y/n is safe now, he can't do any harm to her anymore.
- "K-Kook? Where are we going?" She slurs, eyes still closed.
- "Home." I reply as the elevator door opens.

An hour later, Jungkook's dorm, Y/n POV
- A bone-chilling nightmare awakens you from your deep sleep.
- Your heartbeat pounding in your ears, your body drenched in cold sweat, your vision blurry & a severe headache drilling into your skull.
- Where am I? What happened?
- The last thing you remember is someone muffling your mouth from behind in Jackson's apartment.
- You try to sit up but your head falls down again as soon as it leaves the pillow.
- "Y/n ah, you're awake? Take it east. Lie down first for a while."
- That voice. Jungkook?
- "J- Jungkook? Where are we?" You whisper as you squint your eyes to see clearer but it's like a thick fog is floating in front of you & you can only make out silhouettes.
- "We're in my room. Don't worry, you're safe now." You can barely feel his hand squeezing your numb one.
- "What happened?"
- "Just take a good rest first. I'll explain everything to you later, ok?" His tone is exceptionally gentle, which takes you by surprise.
- "Ok.." You mutter, too drained to say anything further.
- You succumb to the heaviness in your eyes & go back to sleep in an instant.
- But this time, your dream is no longer scary, it's peaceful & calm.

Jungkook POV
- I watch her drift back into the dreamland & sigh.
- Sleep Y/n ah. We'll face all the problems tomorrow.
- A strong urge to kiss her surges within me, but I restrain myself.
- Even though you've admitted your feelings for her, it doesn't mean that you can act on it. She's still your sister.
- So I quietly take a step back & lie down on the blanket I laid on the floor beside the bed.
- I can't let her know that Jackson has pictures of her. I'll protect you no matter what Y/n ah. I think to myself as I look up at her & close my eyes.

The next day, Y/n POV
- Your eyes slowly flutter open as you feel a ray of sunlight shining on your face.
- Jackson. Danger. Help.
- You draw a sharp breath & abruptly get up.
- Wait, this isn't Jackson's apartment. Where is this? It looks familiar..
- Fighting the throbbing pain in your head, you throw your legs off the bed.
- Your feet kick something soft as they land on the floor.
- "What-" You gasp in surprise when you find Jungkook sleeping right next to your feet.
- Omg, now I remember. This is Jungkook's room. How did I get here? Did he come to rescue me last night?
- Right then, Jungkook stirs in his sleep & opens his eyes slightly.
- His eyes instantly widen when he sees you watching him.
- "You're up." He rubs the back of his neck as he sits up.
- "What happened last night? Why am I here?" You ask.
- "Uhm.. Let's grab something to eat first, shall we? You must be hungry." He hurriedly stands up & steps away from you.
- "Jeon Jungkook, please just answer my question." You say sternly, desperately needing to know what's going on.
- He halts his step & turns back around to face you, his face unreadable.
- "Fine. I'll tell you, but you need to stay calm, ok?" He slowly sits back down on the floor in front of you.
- "Ok. Now, spill." You take a deep breath & brace yourself.
- He starts to talk & what he's telling you is so dramatic that it almost sounds fake.
- "So basically you're saying that Jackson actually likes Liv & used me to ruin your relationship with her? And now we need to go back to Korea in three days & never come back again? That is ridiculous! I know he must have threatened you by kidnapping me last night. Well, it didn't even count as kidnapping, since you found me within a few hours. How could you agree to that?! What am I going to do with all the classes I'm enrolled in? I can't just throw away my future because Jackson says so." You exclaim in exasperation.
- "Well, let's just say he left me no other choice." He averts his gaze & clenches his jaws.
- "You always have a choice. Look, I'm safe now. We can just ignore his empty threats & stay here." You try to convince him.
- "You don't understand-" He shakes his head.
- "Yes, I don't understand why do I have to suffer because of your stupid love triangle? Why do I always get into trouble when I'm near you? It's always been like that since high school. And now you tell me to give up something I've worked so hard on? I-"
- "He threatened to sexually assault you! And he'll try to harm you again to get to me for as long as we are here. Please, just listen to me this once. I know it's all my fault, I dragged you into this mess, but I'm trying my best to make sure that you don't get hurt again." He pushes his hair back & yells in frustration.
- His revelation shocks you to the core.
- So last night after he drugged me, he- Omg..
- "Did he- Did he-" You can't bring yourself to say the disgusting word out loud.
- "No! Don't worry, he hasn't done anything to you. But I don't know what he'll do if he finds out that I break my promise. We can't fight him Y/n ah. He has money & power, we're So please, I beg you, go back to Korea with me for your own safety." He takes your hands & pleads.
- Chill travels down your spine as you think about what could've happened if Jungkook didn't come to help you last night.
- I thought Jackson was a good guy. I even defended him. How stupid am I?
- "Y/n? Are you listening to me?" Jungkook shakes my arm & asks.
- "O-Ok, I'll leave with you." You bite your lower lip & nod.
- "Thank you so much for listening to me Y/n ah." The frown in between his brows loosen & is replaced by a relieved smile.
- The following days, Jungkook doesn't let you leave his room at all, afraid that Jackson will come at you again, so he takes care of everything for you.
- Picking up your stuff from your dorm, dealing with all the administrative details, while you only need to send e-mails notifying your professor in Korea about your change of plan.
- He sleeps on the floor, letting you sleep on his bed, & brings you breakfast, lunch, & dinner without fail.
- It still feels extremely awkward spending so much time with him, but seeing him caring so much about you, the dying flame that you have for him begins to flicker again.
- Don't go there Y/n ah. Your heart has been broken so many times because of him. You are never going to be together. Give up.

- The day of your departure, the two of you ride a taxi to the airport & check in all your baggages.
- You're sitting in the waiting room, scrolling through your phone when you realize that you forgot to charge your phone so the battery is low.
- "Jungkook ah, can I borrow your charger? I forgot to charge my phone last night & my charger is in the checked-in baggage." You turn to him.
- "Sure. Wait, let me find it first." He rummages through his backpack.
- That's when you see the box that your mom asked you to give to him.
- "You still haven't opened that yet?" You ask.
- "Huh? Oh, this. I'm going to open it today. Here's the charger." He smiles as he hands it to you.
- Then, you remember something. Ajusshi wanted Jungkook to open the box on his 20th birthday & it's his 20th birthday today.
- Shit, I totally forgot & haven't gotten anything for him. He's done so much for me, I need to at least get him something.
- "Jungkook ah, I need to go to the restroom for a while." You hastily rise from your seat.
- "Oh ok, just don't take too long coz I think it's close to boarding time already." He checks his watch & says.
- "Alright." You nod & then dash towards the shopping area.
- You search left & right but you can't seem to find the perfect gift & you're running out of time.
- "Ugh.. I guess this will have to do for now." You groan as you run with the paper bag in your hand.
- "Y/n! Here! It's time to board." Jungkook waves at you from the middle of the line that's already snaking from the checkpoint.
- "What's that?" He asks in curiosity when he sees the bag in your hand.
- "Nothing. Let's go." You take your bag from his shoulder & wait in line with him.
- As you get closer & closer to the airplane's door, you begin to feel uneasy.
- What's going to happen next? You think to yourself as you glance at Jungkook.

- You sit down on your seat, buckle your seat belt & huff deeply.
- Your nerves are starting to get to you, so many things going through your mind.
- Jungkook is going to live under the same roof with you again & you're totally not ready for it.
- Only the thought of seeing him up close every day is enough to make you anxious & you don't know how you should handle that.
- "What are you thinking?" He suddenly asks.
- "Nothing, just feeling a little bit worried about the future. That's all." You feign nonchalance.
- "Aren't we all?" He sighs.
- A stretch of awkward silence follows.
- It's like you have a lot to say to each other, but you choose not to say them out loud & the tension is just unbearable.
- "Y/n ah-" "Jungkook ah.." Both of you say suddenly at the same time.
- "You go first." You say to him.
- "Uhm.. I don't know how to properly say this but I want to apologize for causing so much problems in your life. You told me your life had been nothing but unpleasant ever since I came into your life & it really got me thinking. After giving it much thought, I realized that you were right. Since the beginning of our parents' marriage, I'd always been cold to you, rejecting your kind approach, taking you for granted. I kept pushing you away because of my own insecurities & turmoil. And now, I dragged you into my mess of a relationship. So yeah.. I just want to say I'm really sorry for all the pain I've caused you. I'll try to be more considerate from now on." He says as he rubs the back of his neck, the tips of his ears reddening.
- You're deeply touched by what he said because you know how hard it is for him to express his feelings.
- "We do have our ups & downs, but hey that's life. Not all of the memories we share are bad. You helped me study, you cared for me when I was sick, you rescued me when I was bullied. I was emotional when I said those things to you, so please don't take them to heart. Let's just forget all the bad memories, keep the good ones, & move forward as a family, shall we?" You smile & extend your hand to him, eyes glistening with tears.
- "Ok." He smiles back at you & take your hand, his eyes glistening as well.
- Years of tears, misunderstandings, resentments melt away in that moment.
- Both of you did so many things wrong, hurt each other so many times, but you can't stay dwelling in the past.
- You need to forgive & forget to continue on with life, although you'll need time to completely untie the knots in your hearts.
- "Cabin crew, prepare for take off." The announcement booms across the cabin.
- "Here we go." You lean back on your seat, grasp the seat handle & take a deep breath.
- "You scared of flying?" He notices your reaction & asks.
- "I'm not scared. Just.. nervous. Haha." You chuckle to mask your anxiety.
- Truth is you're afraid because this is only the second time you've ever been on an airplane, the first time was when you departed to NYC from Seoul.
- "Don't worry. The odds of a person dying in a plane crash is 1 in 205,552. You're more likely to die in a car crash than in a plane crash." He explains matter-of-factly.
- "Err.. Honestly, you're not helping at all." You know he means well, but talking about dying only adds to your nerves.
- "Sorry." He mutters apologetically.
- "Let's just stay quiet for now." You huff & close your eyes.
- The aircraft begins accelerating, so does your heart rate.
- You tighten the grip on the seat handle & try to control your breathing.
- You can only relax once the plane has slowed down as it reaches the intended altitude.
- "Pheww, that wasn't so bad." You chuckle lightly & open your eyes.
- But then suddenly, the aircraft shakes rather vigorously, making you yelp in fright & instantaneously grab Jungkook's arm.
- "S-Sorry." You realize what you're doing & quickly let go, like you've touched hot coal.
- "Ladies & gentlemen, we are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please remain seated & keep your seat belt fastened. Thank you." The pilot announces.
- "Shit." You mutter under your breath, adrenaline rushing.
- "Hey, you can hold onto me if you want." Jungkook offers.
- "I-It's alright. I-" You begin to refuse, but he takes your hand & put it firmly on his arm.
- "Just hold onto me." He insists & looks away.
- Your heart is beating even faster now as you feel his toned biceps underneath the hoodie he's wearing.
- Then, the image of the tattoos snaking up his arm comes to mind, making you instantly blush.
- Ya! How can you think about that now? You perv. You scold yourself inwardly.
- Soon, the turbulence is over & the seat belt sign is turned off again.
- "Thanks." You abruptly release your grip & avert your gaze.
- "No problem. You ok now?" He turns to you & asks.
- "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Ah right, I almost forgot. I bought you this earlier." You quickly grab the paper bag containing the gift you bought for him earlier & hand it to him.
- "What's this?" He opens the bag in curiosity.
- "A gift for you. It's your birthday today, right? Sorry, I didn't get you a proper gift because I complete forgot about it until I saw Ajusshi's box earlier. I promise I'll buy you a better gift later." You quickly explain.
- "I love NY T-Shirt?" He pulls the piece of clothing out of the bag & chuckle.
- "I know it's lame but it's the only thing I could find in the shops around the waiting room. If you don't want it, just give it back to me." You're about to snatch it from his hand but he moves it out of your reach.
- "Who says I don't want it? Come to think of it, I don't have any "I love NY" T-shirt despite having lived in NYC for 3 years. So thank you. I love it." He grins & takes off his hoodie.
- "W-What are you doing?" You gasp in shock.
- "Putting this on." He says as he puts on the T-shirt you give him on top of the one he's already wearing.
- "It's not even washed yet!" You exclaim.
- "It fits well. Thanks Y/n ah." He laughs.
- Seeing his happy face makes your heart flutter.
- I used to do anything to see that smile on his face.
- "Anw, happy birthday Kook. I hope this year will be happier than the last." You shake the thought away from your head & say.
- "I have a hunch it definitely will." He stares deeply into your eyes, taking you by surprise.
- "G-Good. I-I'm going to get some sleep now, since I didn't get much last night. So.. talk to you later." You hastily turn away from him & close your eyes.
- Twelve hours to go. If I can't survive a plane ride with him, how am I supposed to survive living under one roof with him?

Jungkook POV
- Her light snore distracts me from the book I'm reading.
- I turn to her & can't help but chuckle seeing her gaping mouth.
- Why is she so cute?
- I touch my chest, feeling the printing of the big red heart on the T-shirt she gave me, & smile again.
- Then, I remember the box my father left for me & quickly take it out of my bag.
- What's actually in this? Well, I guess I'm about to find out now.
- I'm about to open the box when the plane dips slightly & the seat belt sign is switched on.
- I turn to Y/n again & see her head swaying left & right as the plane shakes in mild turbulence.
- She'll hurt her neck. I frown.
- So, I gently push her head onto my shoulder & let it rest there.
- Sleep tight Y/n ah. I smile in satisfaction.
- I focus back on the box in my hand & heave a sigh.
- Here we go. I think to myself as I open the box.
- Inside, there are two folded pieces of paper & a watch that my father used to wear all the time.
- I unfold the top piece of paper & start reading.
- "Dear son, happy birthday. It's your 20th birthday today & I'm so sorry that I can't spend it with you. Wherever you are, I hope you're healthy & thriving. I have two gifts for you on this special day. One is the watch that your mother gave me for my 20th birthday. I'd been wearing it for half of my life & it had witnessed so many wonderful moments. Our wedding, our new home, your birth. So I hope you'll wear it in your special moments too.
I understand that you have resented me for replacing your mother by marrying Y/n's mother. But I want you to know that I'd never intended to replace her. She was & still is the only person I love. Y/n's mother & I got married because I found out that I got cancer & was worried that no one would take care of you after I was gone. I selfishly asked her the huge favor & being the kind-hearted person she is, she readily agreed. I did all this with only one thing in mind. You. Your well-being. I never expected that my decision would actually hurt you.
Truthfully, I knew what was going on between you & Y/n. Her mom knew too. We would be blind to not see the love you had for each other. Yet, we still went ahead with our plan, thinking that it was the best for you at that moment. I'm sorry if I've caused you pain with my decision. You can blame me if you want to but I do hope you understand my point of view.
With that being said, I don't want to hinder your happiness forever. Just like I found your mother & Y/n's mother, I want you to find your own happiness too. You're an adult now, old enough to stand up for yourself, to make a rational decision, so I'm giving you my second gift. Please open the second piece of paper & you'll understand. Be happy, son. That's all I wish for. I love you."
- My fingers tremble as I finish reading his letter.
- I put it down & frantically open the second piece of paper.
- It's a piece of legal document & my eyes grow wider as I skim through it.

- Petition of adoption reversal. So I'm not Y/n's brother anymore?
- I instantly look down at her & feel joy bubbling inside me.
- I can't wait to tell her the good news, but then something stops me.
- What if it's good news for me but not for her? She just went through a traumatic experience, I shouldn't add to her burden. I'll tell her soon, but not now.
- A smile inadvertently curves my lips as I watch her sleeping in silence.
- Thank you for the best birthday gift ever, Father. I'll run for my happiness now.

A few hours later, Y/n POV
- A low rumble in your stomach stirs you awake from your sleep.
- "Ugh, I'm hungry." You lick your dry lips & open your eyes.
- That's when you realize that your head is lying on Jungkook's shoulder, your drool leaving a mark on his hoodie.
- You abruptly lift your head & back away in surprise.
- Have I been sleeping like that? You think to yourself, heat creeping up your cheeks.
- Jungkook's eyes flutter open at your sudden movement.
- "You're up?" He yawns lazily.
- "Y-Yeah. Sorry for leaning on you earlier. It must be uncomfortable." You apologize, unable to meet his eyes.
- "That's ok." He smiles & ruffles your hair.
- Your heart skips a beat at his unforeseen touch & you quickly clear your throat to mask your nerves.
- "Did you have a good rest?" He asks as he searches your face, his eyes twinkling.
- Why is he so smiley & warm all of a sudden? You wonder, kind of bewildered by his sudden change of attitude.
- "I did." You awkwardly avert your gaze.
- Right then, your stomach grumbles loudly, startling both of you.
- "S-Sorry. That was- I'm hungry." You embarrassedly admit, cheeks reddening.
- "You must be. The meal has been served though. Let me ask the stewardess if they can prepare something for you." He quickly raise his hand to get the attention of the stewardess.
- Soon, a set meal is served in front of you, the smell of food making you salivate profusely.
- "Do you want some?" You politely offer him, even though you can't wait to dig in already.
- "Nah, I'm good. Go on, eat." He declines.
- "Well ok then."
- You begin to eat, but you can feel his gaze boring into the side of your face.
- You throw a quick side glance at him & find him staring at you with a dreamy smile on his lips.
- "Uhm.. You sure you don't want some?" You offer him again.
- "Ehm hm.." He nods.
- "Ok. I'm done." You finish eating as fast as possible so that you don't have to endure his stare anymore.
- "Wait." He exclaims.
- "Huh? What's wrong?" You turn to him.
- "There's something on your face." He says as his face moves closer & his thumb brushes against one corner of your lips.
- You're too stunned to make a move, so you just sit there completely frozen.
- "There you go. It's gone now." He grins.
- Your heart is beating so uncontrollably fast, yet he looks calm, like it was no big deal.
- What has gotten into him?
- You spent the next few hours squirming uncomfortably in your seat.
- Jungkook continues to openly stare at you, even when you're reading or watching a movie on the monitor.
- Every time you ask him whether he has something to say, he just shrugs & smiles, which make you extremely confused.
- Thus, you breathe a huge sigh of relief when the plane touches down in Seoul.
- "Finally.." You huff.
- "Yeah. Can't believe that we're back now. I'm excited."
- "You are? Don't you have any regrets for leaving everything you had in New York?" You ask.
- "Nope. I'm just happy that I can be with you now." - His dubious remark & flirtatious gaze send butterflies lowly buzzing in the pit of your stomach.
- What does he mean by "I can be with you now"?
- "Time to get off. Let's go." He rises from his seat before you get the chance to ask him.
- You follow him through the immigration & baggage claim, while your mind keeps thinking about his statement earlier.
- I can be with you now. Does he mean as a family? Or what?
- "Y/n ah! Jungkook ah! I'm here!" You hear your mom calling your names among the crowd in the arrival hall.
- "Mom!" You immediately run to her & pull her into a hug.
- "Ommo, Y/n ah. I missed you so much!" Your mom sobs on your shoulder.
- "I missed you too." You tighten your embrace.
- "Ajumma, it's been a long time." Jungkook appears beside you & bows at your mom.
- "Jungkook ah, happy birthday! You've grown so big! You look so much like your father now." Your mom scans him up & down & pat his arm.
- "Thank you Ajumma." He smiles back at her.
- "Ah, speaking of your father. Have you read his letter?" Your mom asks.
- Letter? Maybe his father left him a letter inside the box.
- "Yes, I have. But can we please discuss it in private?"
- What's the letter about? Why can't he talk about it in front of me?
- Suspicion grows inside you, but you don't want to be nosy so you stay quiet.
- "Oh. You haven't told- Alright, we'll talk about it again later. Now let's go home." She links one of her arms with yours & the other with Jungkook's.
- Home with Jungkook. God, please help me.

Later at home
- "Good night guys. Have a good rest, you must be tired. I'll see you tomorrow." Your mom kisses your forehead & nods at Jungkook.
- "Ajumma, can we talk for a moment?" Jungkook asks.
- "Yeah sure. Let's go to my room. Have a nice dream Y/n ah." Your mom steps towards her room & Jungkook trails behind her.
- What are they going to talk about? You can't help but wonder.
- Ya, it's none of your business. Stop being so nosy.
- To get your mind off it, you take a shower, unload your belongings & rearrange them in your room.
- You're putting your clothes in the cupboard when you see a pink box on the top shelf.
- Omg, that box..
- You stand on your tiptoes, trying to grab it.
- "Ugh, just a little bit more." You stretch your arm further & your fingertips finally graze one corner of the box.
- "Let me help you." Jungkook's voice coming from right behind surprises you, causing you to lose your balance & stumble backwards.
- "Woah!" You exclaim.
- "Gotcha!" He firmly holds both of your arms as your back sticks to his muscly chest.
- His musky scent filling your nostrils, his heartbeat echoing through your back, his warmth radiating to every inch of your body.
- Your heart feels like it's about to explode, so you quickly release yourself from his grip.
- "Y-You startled me. I didn't hear you coming." You stammer while averting your vision.
- "Sorry, I was going to my room when I saw you trying to reach for something, so I came in." He sheepishly scratches his head.
- "Uhm.. May I know what you talked about with my mom?" You can't contain your curiosity anymore & asks.
- "Nothing. Just catching up. Anw, let me help you take the box down." He reaches towards the box on the top shelf.
- "No!" You go into panic mode & frantically push him away.
- But it's too late, he's already grabbed the box & you pushing him only make him lose his grip, the content of the box tumbling out onto the floor.
- "Don't look!" You instantly stoop down & collect the letters that are scattered all over the floor.
- They are the love letters you wrote for Jungkook in high school, which he returned to you without opening.
- "Dear Jeon Jungkook?" He bends down, picks up one letter, & reads out loud.
- "No!" You hastily try to snatch it from him but he moves it out of your grasp.
- "Give it back to me! Please."
- "No. It has my name on it, so it's technically mine." He chuckles.
- "Kook. Please. It's embarrassing. You know exactly what that is, right? You didn't even want to read it back then, so just give it back to me." You plead desperately.
- "I didn't read it back then, but I want to read it now. So thanks for the letter. Good night Y/n ah, see you tomorrow." He winks & swiftly leaves your room before you can protest.
- "Jeon Jungkook! Omg, what has gotten into him? Ugh, I shouldn't have reached for that box. Now I'm ruined! How am I supposed to face him tomorrow?"

Jungkook POV
- My lips are still curved up in a smile when I enter my room, Y/n's cute flustered expression plastered in my mind.
- I plop down on my bed & observe the beige envelope in my hand.
- "Dear Jeon Jungkook.." I can't help but chuckle as I read my own name.
- I eagerly open the envelope, unfold the letter, & start reading.
- "Dear Jeon Jungkook,
This is my 11th letter to you. I don't know if you'll ever read this because you've been rejecting my letters & gifts all this while, but I feel like writing to you again, so I do.
Sometimes I think God is unfair. You have both brain & looks, while I have none of those. The only thing that I do better than you is probably smiling.
I smile a lot. Even the simplest mundane thing such as a cute cat passing by on the street can make me smile. You, on the other hand, are always so cool & expressionless. Even when you get the top mark in school, like you always do, you never show any hint of smile. Which makes me wonder, what is actually going on inside your head? Are you happy? Are you struggling?
I know you're capable of smiling, because I've seen you do it once at the hospital where you volunteered. You were smiling so brightly to the kids that I almost didn't recognize you. I remember thinking at the time how beautiful your smile was & I was willing to do anything to see that more often. I still do.
That day, I realized that deep down, underneath your cold hard exterior, lies a soft warm heart & I guess that was why I fell for you. I hope you have someone beside you that can lean on. If you don't, you can always talk to me & let me share whatever hardship you're experiencing. Hwaiting Jeon Jungkook!

From your #1 admirer,
Y/n

- Tears sting my eyes as I finish reading her letter, regret filling my chest.
- She was such a kind-hearted & warm person, yet I mistreated & misunderstood her, battering her heart, leaving permanent scars.
- I sniff my tears away, put the letter back in the envelope, & walk out of my room towards Y/n's.
- "D-Did you forget something?" Startled by my sudden appearance, she gets off her bed & asks.
- Without saying a word, I step closer & pull her into a hug.
- "W-What's wrong?" She tries to push me away, but I hold onto her as I should have done a long time ago.
- "Thank you. Thank you for entering my life. Thank you for being you." I mutter into her soft hair.
- "Why are you suddenly like this?" She asks in confusion.
- I wrap my arms tighter for another fraction of second & then release her.
- "Nothing. Just feel like telling you that." I step back & grin at her.
- "Eh?" She looks up at me quizzically, her cheeks flushed.
- "Have a good night Y/n ah. I'll see you tomorrow." I pinch her cheek before I walk away.
- "Y-Ya! W-What was that about?" She exclaims, but I only wave & exit her room.
- "Pfft.. She's so cute." I smile to myself.
- I'll never let you go again Y/n ah. Not this time. I'll work hard to win your heart back.

Y/n POV, two months later
- Saying that Jungkook has changed is an understatement.
- He's basically a completely different person now.
- Well, he's still cold towards other people, but not you & your mom.
- He smiles often, shows his affection openly, & talks more too.
- Sometimes, you feel like he's flirting with you, but you don't want to hold onto any hope because you know that you're impossible to be together now.
- Nevertheless, you can't help but start liking him again.
- How can you not with him being smiley & touchy to you all the time?
- Thus, you've given up on suppressing your feelings & as a result they have grown back to their former glory.
- You decide to just let things between you & Jungkook flow naturally & see what the future holds for both of you.
- It's awkward though when he is being flirtatious in front of your mom, but she doesn't seem to mind at all.
- Tonight, you are helping Jungkook preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- He said he wanted to cook dinner because he had a special announcement to make.
- You asked him to give you a hint, but he wouldn't tell you anything, so you're very nervous.
- What is he going to tell us? Is it about some kind of competition he won at the university? Or about a new job? Or.. maybe.. he's going to tell us that he has a girl friend?
- Your heart clenches at the last thought.
- If he does have a girlfriend, I need to be happy for him. That means he's completely moved on from Liv.
- "Earth to Y/n." He waves his palm in front of your face, breaking your daze.
- "Huh? Sorry I was spacing out." You shake your head & continue chopping the scallions.
- "Ya, that's enough scallion. We're making kimchi jjigae, not scallion jjigae." He chuckles.
- "Oh? Omg, I didn't realize that I've chopped so much." You gasp in surprise when you look at the mountain of scallions on the chopping board.
- "That's ok, we can make scallion pancakes with them later. What's on your mind? You seemed to be thinking hard about something." He asks as he grabs a handful of the scallions you've chopped & throws them into the pot of soup.
- "Nothing. Anw, is it done? Do you need anything else?" You quickly change the subject.
- "I need you to help me taste this. Is it salty enough? Aaa.." He puts a spoonful of spoon near your mouth.
- His action reminds you of scenes involving newlyweds in dramas, causing heat to creep up your cheeks.
- "Come on. Give it a taste." He coaxes.
- Ugh, he only wants you to taste it. Stop thinking too much.
- You shyly sips the soup off the spoon & your eyes instantly widen in surprise.
- "Wow, that's very delicious. I didn't know that you can cook."
- "Really? Thanks, I'm glad you like it." He smiles & pinches your cheek lightly.
- Your heart skips a beat at his touch & you quickly turn away to hide the joyous expression on your face.
- There he goes again. It's getting more difficult to ignore my feelings for him now.
- After dinner is finished, Jungkook clears his throat loudly, signaling that he's about to start his announcement.
- "Ajumma, Y/n, as I said before, I have an announcement to make tonight."
- "What is it Jungkook ah? Stop making us curious." Your mom smiles encouragingly.
- "Well, after much contemplation, I've decided that I'm going to move out & live in my own apartment."
- It's like a bucket of cold water is poured over your head, unexpected & numbing.
- "W-Why? Do you have any problem living with us?" You urgently ask.
- "No! Not at all. It's just that I feel like I need my own space." He frantically explains.
- He needs his own space? My guess was right. He has a girl friend.
- "Oh. I see." Your disappointment is written all over your face.
- The familiar pain resurfaces, although you've promised yourself that you'd be supportive if he's started a new relationship.
- "I support your decision, but the door to this house is always opened for you. So you can come back anytime you want." Your mom pats his shoulder & smiles.
- "Thank you, Ajumma." He nods.
- The ache in your heart swells bigger & bigger until you can't stand it anymore, so you abruptly get up & excuse yourself.
- "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom." You flash them a thin smile & leave the table.
- You go to your room & throw yourself onto the bed.
- Don't cry. Don't you dare cry. Be happy for him. You know that you will never be together, right? He's bound to be in a relationship with someone sooner or later. So stop being pathetic.
- "Y/n? May I come in?" Jungkook knocks on your door.
- You hastily straighten yourself up & exhale deeply.
- Don't show him that you're sad. Be supportive. Like family should.
- "Yes, come in!" You exclaim.
- "Are you okay?" He asks, voice heavy with concern.
- "Of course. Why would I not? I was just a bit surprised to hear that you're moving out. When are you going to start moving?" You fake a cheerful expression on your face.
- "Tomorrow actually. I've rented an apartment close to the university. It's small, but it's all I can afford with my part-time job salary."
- "Tomorrow? That's so soon." Your heart sinks even deeper.
- "Yeah, I had to pay two months rent in advance, so I might as well use the apartment right away. You should come visit after class." He bumps your shoulder with his.
- I guess I've stupidly mistaken his warmth towards me as romantic feelings, while he's probably only trying to treat me like a family. I'm such a fool.
- "I will. Anw, I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed early. Good night Kook." You discreetly dismiss him.
- "Oh ok. Good night Y/n. I'll see you tomorrow." He ruffles your hair & steps out.
- Once he's out of your room, you lie back down on the bed & close your eyes.
- How many times do you have to get hurt before you learn? It's been one too many times, yet you still plunge back into the same dangerous pool despite knowing the painful outcome. God.. why can't I move on?

- A few days have passed since Jungkook moved out of the house.
- He's invited you to come to his apartment a couple of times, but you always find excuses for not visiting.
- You still see him quite often since you attend the same university, despite your attempt to avoid him.
- Why does this feel like deja vu? I keep repeating the cycle over & over again. Falling for him, getting hurt, falling for him again, getting heartbroken again. Am I stupid or what? Huh.. Maybe I am..
- You sigh heavily as you walk out of the classroom & then your phone rings.
- You fish it out of your pocket & check the caller ID.
- Jungkook. Should I pick it up or not?
- In the end, you choose not to answer & put the phone back into your pocket.
- "Ya, why didn't you pick it up?" A voice coming from behind stops you in your track.
- "K-Kook?" You turn around & stutter in surprise.
- "Woah, so you really are avoiding me on purpose?" He crosses his arms & scoffs.
- "N-No, I'm not. It's just- my battery is low, so.." You look down nervously, struggling to find an excuse.
- "Really? It's still 86%." He pulls out your phone from your pocket in a swift move & check the screen.
- "Ya! Give it back to me!" You snatch your phone back from him & hide it in your back pocket.
- "Why are you avoiding me? Have I done something wrong?" He frowns.
- "No." You lower your head, unable to meet his gaze.
- "Then, why aren't you picking up my calls & replying to my texts? And you haven't visited me at all."
- "I-I'm a bit busy these days."
- "Busy with what? Avoiding me? I need to tell you something important, so you have to come to my apartment tomorrow. Uh uh, I'm not taking no for an answer. Six PM sharp, my place tomorrow. Don't disappoint me again." He steps away without waiting for your answer.
- "Y-Ya, Jeon Jungkook! I- Huh.. I guess I have no choice." You sigh.
- What is he going to tell me? Oh God, don't tell me that he's going to introduce me to his girl friend. I don't want to go through another "Liv" moment.
- All you can do now is pray that your premonition won't come true.

The next day

- You throw your body onto the bed & heave a deep sigh.
- "I guess there's no escaping this time." You stand back up & open your wardrobe.
- "Let's put on your best front then Kim Y/n."
- You curl your hair, do your make up meticulously, & wear the new dress you bought a few days ago.
- "Is this too much? Ugh, whatever. I don't want to look like a potato in front of his girl friend." You grab your bag & walk out the door.
- "Ommo, Y/n ah. You look so pretty! Where are you going?" Your mom exclaims as she sees you walk out of your room.
- "Jungkook asked me to come to his apartment. He said he has something important to tell me." You shrug.
- "Ahhh, he's finally going to tell you." Your mom giggles.
- "Tell me what?" You stare at her in confusion.
- "Whatever your decision is, I'll support you." Your mom pats your arm & walks away.
- "Mom! What are you talking about? Do you know something that I don't know?" You call out in bewilderment.
- "Good luck!" She waves at you & enters her room.
- "What was that? Huh.. I'll find out about it soon anw." You drag your feet out the door & take a cab to the address Jungkook gave you.
- Your eyes widen in surprise when you see the tall apartment building in front of you.
- "Is this the right address?" You check your phone & find that it's correct.
- You hesitantly ride the elevator up & press on the door bell.
- "You're here! I thought you were going to bail on me again." Jungkook opens the door for you & smiles.
- Your heart flutters, seeing him looking so unbelievably handsome in the black turtleneck sweater.
- You quickly avert your gaze & chase away any unnecessary thoughts.
- "Come in." He pulls the door wider & lets you in.
- Your jaw drops when you step into the apartment.
- "Didn't you say that your apartment is small because that's the only thing you could afford with your part-time job salary?" You turn to him & ask.
- "Yeah." He sheepishly says.
- "But this is huge! I mean, it's much much bigger & luxurious than I imagined. What part-time job exactly are you doing?"
- "Uhm.. I work part-time as a programmer in a gaming company. Anw, please have a seat first. I need to finish cooking." He says & rushes deeper into the apartment.
- As expected from Jungkook, he doesn't do regular part time jobs.
- You sit down on the white velvet sofa & look around the apartment.
- "Woah, he even decorated the dining table. And is that- is that a tent?" You mutter to yourself in disbelief.
- Whoever his girlfriend is must have done something good for her country in her previous life.
- "Y/n ah, dinner's ready." He calls out from the dining table.
- "Oh ok." You rise from your seat & walk towards the table.
- Wait, how come there are only two plates & two sets of utensils?
- "Uhm.. is it only the two of us?" You ask cautiously.
- "Well, yeah. I didn't invite anyone else. I hope you like my cooking." He pulls out the chair for you & grins.
- What's going on? Why did he bother to prepare all this if there are only two of us?
- Both of you eat dinner in silence, the atmosphere awkward & stiff.
- "Did you like the food?" He asks once you're done eating.
- "Uhm yeah. It was delicious." You nod as you help him clean the table.
- "It's alright. I'll do it. You just sit & relax." He abruptly takes the plate from your hand.
- You nervously squirm in your seat, waiting for him to put the dishes in the dishwasher.
- What does he need to tell me? Judging by the decor, could it be- Nah, that's impossible.
- "Let's go sit there." He emerges from the kitchen & signals you to move to the tent.
- "T-To the tent?" You stutter.
- "Yeah, it took me hours to set it up. Come on." He grabs your hand & pulls you up.
- The scene is like something straight out of a romantic movie, something you had at least once dreamt of experiencing with your boy friend.
- Unfortunately, Jungkook is not, so you feel nothing but awkwardness at the moment.
- "Do you want some wine?" He offers you a glass.
- "No, thanks." You shake your head.
- Another stretch of silence follows & you can't take it anymore.
- "Kook, what is it exactly that you want to tell me?"
- "Huh.. Ok.. Let me prepare myself." He huffs deeply, seemingly nervous as well.
- "I have a question to ask you actually.." He mutters.
- "What question?" Your heart beats rapidly inside.
- "Why did you lie to me?" He lifts his eyes & stares right into yours.
- "L-Lie about what?"
- "About Namjoon sunbae. About you liking him back then."
- Your heart stops for a fraction of second at the mention of that name from a distant past.
- "I didn't.." You look down & pick at your nails anxiously.
- "Y/n ah, I know everything.."

Flashback to two weeks ago, Jungkook POV
- "Jungkook ah, boss suddenly called me up for a meeting but I'm expecting a new employee to come meet me any minute now. Could you please tell him to wait if I haven't come back?" My manager hyung said to me.
- "Alright." I flashed him an OK sign without looking away from the monitor.
- A few minutes later, someone slid the door & stepped into the office.
- "Annyeong haseyo, I'm looking for Park Hyunsu managernim?"
- "He's out but he'll be back soon. Just sit over there." I muttered, still keeping my focus on the screen.
- "Jungkook?" The man asked hesitantly.
- Surprised that he knew my name, I looked up.
- "Namjoon sunbaenim?"
- "Woah, it's really you. Long time no see. Are you working here as well?" He offered his hand to me & asked.
- Seeing him again reminded me of the pain that I had experienced because of him.
- Out of all companies in Seoul, why does he have to work here?
- "I'm just a part-timer here. Park manager will be back shortly." I coldly replied without taking his hand.
- "Uhm, ok." He awkwardly retracted his hand & sat down on one of the chairs.
- I continued typing on my keyboard & ignored him.
- "How is Y/n?" He suddenly asked, making my fingers stop abruptly.
- "She's fine." I answered flatly.
- "Did it work out between the two of you?" He asked again.
- His question got my full attention.
- "What do you mean?" I turned to him.
- "Well, did you guys finally get together? She never contacted me again after that day so I didn't-"
- "Wait, I don't understand. Weren't you guys in a relationship?" I asked him in confusion.
- "Relationship? No! She rejected me because she liked you. That day when I asked her out on a date, she told me that she was going to tell you her feelings. I never talked to her again ever since. She didn't say anything to you?" He looked equally confused.
- Oh God. So she lied to me. She lied to me about liking him & accepting him as her boy friend.
- "Jungkook? Are you listening?" Namjoon shook my shoulder.
- "Yes. Thank you for telling me that." I smiled thinly at him.
- I guess it's time to tell her the truth.

Present, Y/n POV
- "Y-You talked to Namjoon sunbae?"
- "Answer my question. Why did you lie to me? Do you have any idea how your one lie changed everything?" Jungkook presses on.
- "Then, what else was I supposed to do?! Your father begged me to convince you about the adoption. He told me that it was the only way for him to rest in peace. If I hadn't lied, you wouldn't have agreed to it so quickly." You exclaim, letting out years of buried frustration.
- "So, was it true that you actually liked me back then?" He asks.
- "What does it matter Kook? It's all in the past. Let's not talk about it anymore." You roll your eyes.
- "What about now? Do you still like me?" His question stuns you.
- "I told you, it doesn't matter. So what if I do? We'll never be together." You look away, suppressing the tears that are about to fall.
- "Just answer it with yes or no. Do you still like me?" He pinches your chin & turns you back to face him.
- His gaze pierces right into your soul, crumbling down the wall that you've built for years.
- "Yes, I do. I like you. A lot. Until my heart hurts. And I feel so stupid for keep falling for you no matter how hard I try not to. I know we're impossible, so-"
- Your sentence is cut off because he suddenly cups your face & pulls you into a kiss.
- Shock reverberates throughout your body when his lips touch yours.
- You try to push him away but he won't budge.
- Fuck it, I'm going to enjoy this moment even though it'll only cause me more pain in the future.
- So you wrap your arms around his neck & press your lips firmly against his.
- The kiss becomes hot & passionate in an instance.
- It's like your pent-up longing finally gets a release now.
- His hands move from your face down to your waist & pull you even closer, zero distance between your bodies.
- You're lost in his touch & kiss when suddenly an alarm goes off inside your head & you push him away with all your might.
- "We can't do this Kook. This isn't right." You pant, out of breath.
- "Yes, we can." He leans forward, but you quickly back off.
- "We can't! You're my brother! Have you forgotten?" You exclaim.
- "No, I'm not. Well, I was but I no longer am." A small smile curves the corners of his lips.
- "What? I don't get it." You look at him quizzically.
- "These were in the box that my father gave me for my 20th birthday. Read them yourself." He pulls out two pieces of paper from his pocket & hands them to you.
- You unfold them & skim through the sentences.
- Your eyes & mouth grow wider with every word you read, until your hands fall limply on your lap at the end of the letter.
- "Omg.. When did you find out?" You ask him.
- "On our flight back to Seoul."
- "Then why didn't you tell me right away?"
- "Because you had just gone through a terrible experience with Jackson & I didn't want to complicate your thoughts at that time. Besides, I didn't know whether you still liked me or not. Namjoon sunbae's revelation was the push I was waiting for. That was why I moved out of the house so suddenly."
- "And my mom knew about this too?" You ask again still not believing what you've just read.
- "She did. In fact, I asked for her permission as soon as we got back home."
- "Permission to do what?"
- "To date you." He traces a finger along your jawline, sending shiver down your spine.
- No wonder she wished me luck earlier.
- "Now that we're no longer siblings, would you be my girl friend?" He whispers the words so close to your lips that you could feel his hot breath on your skin.
- Am I allowed to finally love him freely now? Or is this only a dream?
- "Ow!" You pinch your arm hard & yelp in pain.
- "What's wrong?" Jungkook jumps in surprise.
- "I- I was only checking if this is a dream." You shyly reply.
- "It isn't. So what do you say?" He chuckles.
- "W-Well in that case. Yes.." You trail off.
- "What did you say? I can't hear you." He cups his ear & asks.
- "I said yes." You say again with a low voice.
- "Still can't hear you."
- "I said yes! I would love to be your girl-"
- He smashes his lips onto yours before you can finish the sentence.
- "I heard it the first time actually." He laughs.
- "Yaaa, Jeon Jungkook!" Heat creeps up your cheeks making them blush a deep shade of red.
- "I love you Y/n ah. I will never let you go again no matter what happens." He says as he stares deep into your eyes & caresses your face.
- "I love you too Kook. Always have, always will." You smile at him, eyes glistening with happy tears.
- "Do you want to know another reason why I moved into my own apartment?" He bops your nose & asks.
- "What is it?"
- "So that I can kiss you freely without fearing Ajumma would walk through the door & find us in an awkward position." He grins.
- "Ya, you perv!" You slap his chest playfully & laugh out loud.
- Then, he slowly push you down onto the plush pillows, his face inching closer until your lips lock with each other's.
- All the pain melts away, all the cracks in your heart are repaired, & all the hardships you've endured become worth it, as the man of your dream is no longer your cold step brother.

Epilogue

- You've been officially dating Jungkook for a few months now.
- He's been the sweetest boyfriend, although you do have minor arguments at times.
- However, despite him telling you that he loves you all the time, he's never made any move other than holding your hands or occasionally kissing you gently.
- You've attempted to initiate something more but every time things begin to heat up, he always finds an excuse to stop.
- The fact that he'd done it with Liv also bothers you, making you think that maybe you're not attractive enough.
- You try to shake off the unpleasant thought, but it keeps tugging at the back of your mind.
- Today, you're visiting him at his workplace for a quick lunch date.
- You've dressed up nicer than usual, so that he won't be embarrassed if you meet his boss or colleagues.
- Once you've arrived at the building, you dial his number & he picks up almost right away.
- "You're here? Don't come in. I'll be right down." He abruptly ends the call.
- "What was that?" You stare at your phone in bewilderment.
- Why didn't he let me come in? Is he embarrassed to introduce me to his colleagues?
- You're suddenly drown in uneasiness, your confidence crumbling.
- "Sorry, the elevator took so long. Woah, you look so pretty today." He cheerfully runs towards you.
- "Thank you." You force a smile on your lips.
- "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" He searches your face & holds your shoulders in both hands.
- "Nothing. Let's go." You release yourself from his grip & walk away.
- "Y/n ah, wait-" He chases after you.
- "Y/n?" The familiar male voice makes you turn back around.
- "Namjoon sunbae?" Your eyes widen in surprise.
- "Wow, long time no see. You're still as pretty as I remember." He smiles widely & walks closer to you.
- You notice Jungkook's frown, but decide to ignore it.
- "Thank you sunbae. Oh, are you working here as well?" You see the ID card hanging from his neck.
- "Yes. Jungkook hasn't told you?" Namjoon turns to Jungkook, who avoids his gaze & hides both hands in his pockets.
- "No, he hasn't. Anw, are you going out to get lunch? Do you want to go together?" You ask Namjoon.
- "What?! No, I'm sure he has other plans alrea-" Jungkook frantically protests.
- "I would love to, if you don't mind." Namjoon ignores him & smiles at you.
- "Ok, let's go then." You nod at Namjoon & walk side by side with him, leaving sulking Jungkook at the back.
- Let him get jealous for a while. You chuckle inwardly.
- The three of you walk to a nearby restaurant & eat lunch together.
- Namjoon & you chat animatedly with each other, catching up for lost time, while Jungkook silently gulfs down his food.
- "Uhm.. Y/n ah, may if I ask you something?" Namjoon suddenly asks.
- "Sure."
- "Do you have a boyfriend?"
- Jungkook coughs loudly & taps his chest repeatedly, choked on his food.
- "Are you ok?" Namjoon turns to him.
- "Y/n ah, let's go." Jungkook abruptly stands up & grabs your hand.
- "I haven't finished eating." You shake off his hand & refuse.
- "Let's go. Now." He clenches his jaws & snatches your wrist again.
- "No." You stubbornly stare at him.
- "She doesn't want to leave. Why are you forcing her?" Namjoon cuts in between the two of you.
- "Because she's my girl friend! Got it?" Jungkook glares at him.
- "G-Girl friend? So you guys are together?" Namjoon retreats in shock.
- "Sorry sunbae. I'll talk to you another time." You apologetically say to him as you're being dragged away by Jungkook.
- "There won't be another time!" Jungkook exclaims.
- "Ya, Jeon Jungkook! Where are we going?" You try to stop him but he keeps walking.
- "Home." He answers flatly as he hails a cab.
- You ride the cab in complete silence, sitting away from each other, fuming on your own.
- Jungkook slams the door close once we arrive at his apartment.
- "What the hell was that?" He pushes his hair back & turns to you.
- "What the hell was what?" You feign innocence.
- "Namjoon sunbaenim obviously still has feelings for you. Why did you invite him to lunch with us?!"
- "I was only being friendly. Why do you have to be so worked up by it?!" You yell back at him.
- "Because I hate it! I hate seeing you with him." He throws his hands in the air in exasperation.
- "Oh, really? I thought you're embarrassed by me & don't like me that much." You scoff bitterly.
- "What? Where did that come from? I love you with all my heart, you know that. And I will never ever be embarrassed by you." He gapes, stunned by your accusation.
- "You told me not to come up to your office earlier & then you've never tried to touch me at all. Are you even attracted to me as a woman?" You question him, eyes glistening with tears.
- "Omg.. That's why you're angry? I told you not to come up because I didn't want you to meet Namjoon sunbaenim. I never tried to go beyond kissing you because I know that you've never done it before so I'm waiting for you to be absolutely ready, not because I don't want to." He steps closer to you & gently strokes your cheek.
- "Oh. I see." You lower your gaze as shame washes over you upon hearing his explanation.
- "I'm sorry for making you think that I'm not attracted to you. Believe me, there were countless times that I almost let my lust take over-"
- "So let it." You mumble.
- "What?" He asks, seemingly surprised by your brazenness.
- "I said, let it. I want you to want me the same way I want you Kook. So touch me." You look right into his eyes so that he knows that you mean every word you say.
- He freezes for a moment before he cups your face & slams his lips hard onto yours.
- You grab onto his shirt & pull him closer, your hands busily undoing his belt.
- He urgently unbuttons your shirt while still locking his lips with yours.
- Soon, you're both naked except for your undergarments.
- He lifts you up & you simultaneously wrap your legs around his waist.
- He carries you to the bedroom & lays you down on the bed.
- A tingling sensation travels throughout your body as he leaves tiny kisses & bites along your neck & collarbone.
- In a swift move, he removes your bra & begins massaging your right breast while sucking your left nipple.
- "Argh!" You moan loudly as a pleasure like none you've ever experienced shoots through your core.
- "Fuck, you're so hot." He grunts & kisses you deeply again on the lips.
- You can feel a warm liquid wetting your panties as your lust for him grows bigger & bigger.
- "I want you Kook." You whisper into his ear.
- "Not so fast." He smirks.
- His hand glides down your stomach & stops at your core.
- "You're that desperate for me, huh?" He smirks when he feels your damp panties.
- "Shut up. Ahh-!" Your fingers dig into his back as his thumb circles around your clit.
- He sucks your nipple hard & slides a finger into your hole, making you arch your back in intense pleasure.
- "K-Kook-" Something builds inside you as he moves his finger in & out of your womanhood.
- "Goddammit, you're so fucking wet. I can't stand it anymore." He pulls his finger out & straightens his back.
- You bite your lower lip, taking in his muscly torso & well-toned arms which are covered with tattoos.
- God, he's so perfect.
- He then quickly removes his underwear, his pulsing cock springs out, causing you to gulp nervously.
- How will that huge thing fit inside me?
- "You sure you want to do this?" He leans closer to you & asks softly.
- "Yes.." You nod.
- "Alright, this will hurt a little. Tell me if you want me to stop." He pecks your forehead & says.
- He rips the condom package with his teeth, slides it over his cock & guides his tip towards your entrance
- A stinging pain makes you flinch as he slowly pushes his dick inside.
- "Is it too much? Should I stop?" He asks in panic when he sees your pained expression.
- "No! I'm fine. Go on." You hug him tight so that he won't pull it out.
- "Ok then."
- He starts swaying his hips, moving his dick in & out of your hole.
- The pain is gradually replaced by an enjoyable feeling as his cock rubs your sensitive walls.
- He picks up his pace while you hold onto him, a tight knot forming in your core.
- The tension keeps building up until you feel like you're about to burst.
- "K-Kook, I'm coming.."
- He moves even faster & then blinding lights pop off inside your head as you reach your climax.
- "Fuck." He mutters before he comes as well a few seconds later.
- He rolls off your body & lies motionlessly beside you.
- Your chests rise up & down as you try to catch a breath after the intense intercourse.
- "Did it hurt?" He turns to you & asks once his breathing has calmed down slightly.
- "A little, but it's ok." You smile assuringly at him.
- "I love you Y/n ah. Thank you for trusting me to be your first." He pulls you close & kisses the top of your head.
- "I wouldn't want anyone else to do the honor." You snuggle into his chest, a deep sense of love & joy overwhelming you.
- "Y/n ah.."
- "Hm?" You reply lazily.
- "Would you marry me?"
- "What?!" His unexpected question shocks you, prompting you to sit up & gape at him.
- "Actually, I didn't plan to ask you today, but the idea has been playing in my head for quite some time now. We've been through so much over so many years & I just can't wait anymore. I don't want to waste more time or lose you again. I want to protect you, cherish you, spend my every second with you. So, would you marry me Kim Y/n?" He squeezes your hands & asks.
- You stare at the handsome man before you, who has your heart for so many years, who you love so immensely that it hurts, & finally make your decision.
- "Yes Kook. Of course, I would." Your lips curve up into a huge smile.
- "You would? Omg! Thank you so much! I love you." He pulls you into his embrace & plants tiny kisses all over your face.
- "Yaaa, stop. That tickles." You giggle.
- "Wait a minute." He suddenly jumps off the bed & runs out of the bedroom.
- "What is he doing?" You wonder.
- Soon, he's back with a small silver circular thing in his hand.
- "I haven't bought a ring yet, so.. I guess this would have to do for now." He slides the circular thing into your ring finger.
- "Soda can tab?" You observe the 'ring' around your finger & laugh.
- "That's the only thing I could find that resemble a ring. I promise I'll buy you a nice ring later." He quickly adds.
- "It's ok Kook. I love it." You kiss his lips & smile.
- "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you Y/n ah." His eyes glistening with tears.
- "Me too, Kook. Me too." You say & snuggle back into his arm.

Three years later..
- "Sleep tight Jeongwon ah." You smile to yourself as you gently stroke your sleeping one-year-old son's head.
- Then, you tiptoe out of his room & close the door quietly behind you.
- You walk to the living room & find Jungkook standing in front of the large drop-down window, staring into the night lights of the city.
- He seems to be deep in thoughts because he doesn't even notice you coming closer.
- You hug him from behind & place your chin on his shoulder.
- "Is he asleep?" He pulls you to the front, wraps his arms around you, & kisses the top of your head.
- "Yes. He finally fell asleep after I read him three story books. What were you thinking about? Is something troubling you?" You ask.
- "Uhm.. Nothing major really. Just something at work." He hesitates.
- "You can tell me if you want to." You spin around & cup his face in your hands.
- You can see from his eyes that something is troubling him.
- "Huh.. ok.. The company is sending me to the U.S. for about a month to visit our offices there & attend some conferences. I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave you & Jeongwon for such a long period of time." He sighs.
- "Awww.. It's ok. I totally understand even though I don't want to be separated from you for so long & Jeongwon will surely miss you a lot." You smile reassuringly although a heaviness sits on your heart.
- "What if you & Jeongwon come with me? We can treat this as a work-slash-holiday trip."
- "Well.. If you don't think that we're disturbing you, sure, why not?" You readily agree, not able to resist his excited & hopeful tone.
- "Uhm.. but.. there's one problem though. Our first stop is NYC & I'm invited to attend a dinner held by a partner company. And that company is owned by Jackson."
- The mention of that name from the past sends chills down your spine, the bad memories coming back into your mind.
- "O-Oh." is all you manage to mutter.
- "That was why I wasn't sure what to do. We might not meet him at all, butI know it would be hard for you to go back to that place & relive the past. So, what do you think? Do you still want to go?"
- You contemplate about it for a moment & make your decision.
- "Yes, let's go together. I don't want to continue dwelling on the past. I'm sure I'll be alright." You nod.
- "Thank you so much Y/n ah. I promise I'll replace all the bad memories with good ones in this trip." He hugs you tightly, making you feel safe.
- You believe him, but slight uneasiness still tugs at the back of your mind, no matter how hard you try to shake it away.

A week later, New York City
- You've been here for two days, today is your last day in New York City before you go to another city.
- Nothing extraordinary has happened despite your initial worry.
- Jeongwon seems to enjoy the city as well, strolling at Central Park, taking a boat to the Liberty Island, and many more.
- Seeing his smile makes you feel relaxed.
- This trip has proceeded so much better than your expectation.
- Until tonight..
- Tonight, it's time for Jungkook to attend the informal social gathering with Jackson's company.
- "I don't think I should go." You frown as you check your reflection in the mirror.
- "I hate leaving you alone in the hotel room. Besides, I've asked the event manager & he told me that Jackson is not coming to the dinner, so you don't need to worry. You have two bodyguards who will protect you. Right Jeongwon ah?" He picks Jeongwon up & kisses my cheek.
- "Ok ok. I'll go." You giggle.
- The three of you take a cab to the venue & soon arrive due to the exceptionally light traffic.
- "Are you ready?" Jungkook smiles at you & asks.
- "I guess so." You huff nervously.
- When you step into the ballroom, you instantly feel uneasy because everyone turns to stare at the three of you.
- "Kook, is there something on my face? Or am I overdressed? Why are people staring?" You whisper to him as you hold his arm tighter.
- "Nah, they stare because you're the most beautiful person in this room." He whispers back.
- "Stop being so cheesy." You lightly slap his arm & chuckle.
- The dinner goes on marvelously; the food is delicious; the people at your table are warm & welcoming, most of them fascinated by Jeongwon's cuteness.
- You're relieved that you were worried for nothing.
- However, things take a 180 degree turn when you hear a familiar yet foreign laugh from behind you.
- You slowly turn around & gasp when you see Jackson standing & talking to a man a few steps away from you.
- You abruptly turn back around & tug Jungkook's sleeves.
- "K-Kook, he's here. Can we go now?" You stutter, cold sweat forming on your palms.
- He looks at your pale face & instantly knows who you're talking about.
- "Ok, let's go." He abruptly stands up, carries Jeongwon & holds your hand.
- "Omg, isn't that the almighty Jeon Jungkook? I thought I'd seen a ghost!" Jackson's exclamation stops both of you in your track.
- "Shit." Jungkook silently mouths & turns around.
- "Jackson." He nods once he's come face to face with Jackson.
- "Oh you brought your wife & son! What a cute little family!" Jackson laughs, not realizing that it's you who are standing beside Jungkook because you still have your back on him.
- "My wife doesn't feel well. We need to go now. Good night." Jungkook nods at him & motions to leave.
- "Wait a minute. It's been so long since I last saw you. We should catch up-" Jackson rushes to your front & his eyes light up in recognition right away.
- "Y/n? Omg. This is unbelievable. You guys really got married, huh? Aren't you guys siblings?" He raises his voice on purpose to attract others' attention.
- You lower your head deeper, not able to say a word, as you hear not-so-discreet murmurs from the crowd around you.
- "Back off Jack, before I do something that'll make you regret." Jungkook threatens, his voice dark & full of wrath.
- "What are you gonna do? Punch me? Go ahead." He steps closer to Jungkook & leans his face forward, provoking him further.
- "Oh grow up." Jungkook rolls his eyes.
- "Let's just go now." You timidly say without lifting your face.
- "Awww, why are you in such a hurry? Ahhh, I almost forgot. I still have those pictures of you, you know. I should pull them out some time to reminisce the good ole times." Jackson smirks.
- "Pictures? What pictures?" You turn to Jungkook in confusion & see him clenching his jaws tightly.
- "Jackson Wang!" A sudden scream from the direction of the entrance causes all of you to turn your heads.
- Your eyes widen in shock when you see Liv storming towards you.
- "B-Babe, what are you doing here?" Jackson immediately rushes forward & stops her from coming closer.
- "You fucking bastard! You cheated on me again?! This time with a prostitute?! How much lower can you go Jackson Wang?! Why can't you keep your dick inside your pants, huh?!" She screams at him furiously, oblivious to your presence & the crowd's curious stare.
- "Babe, I have never cheated on you. It's all in your head. Please don't believe what people say. They're jealous of us & want to break us apart." Jackson tries to calm her down.
- "Oh yeah? Back then I never had any proof. But this time, I do. Do you want me to put those disgusting pictures up on the large screen for everyone to see-" She shoves her phone at Jackson & glances at the screen on the stage.
- That's when your eyes meet.
- She seems deeply shocked, her eyes move from you to Jungkook & then to Jeongwon.
- "Hi Liv." Jungkook awkwardly says, breaking the deafening silence.
- "Y-You guys are married? B-But- y-you-" She stammers.
- "Yes, we are. We got married after my adoption by Y/n's mother was revoked. So we're not step siblings anymore if that's what you're trying to ask." Jungkook explains.
- "Didn't you tell me that you'd succeeded in separating them for good? Didn't you tell me that you'd threatened them to stay away from each other? Oh God. Have you been lying to me all this time, Jack?!" Liv turns back to Jackson & grips his collar.
- "Please let me explain-" Jackson says in panic.
- "Let's go Y/n ah." Jungkook takes the chance to guide you out of the ballroom.
- Loud commotion inside can still be heard even when you've stepped out into the chilly night.
- "What a mess. I should've listen to you, we shouldn't have come at all. I'm so sorry." Jungkook says apologetically.
- "It's ok. Let's just go back to the hotel now." You smile at him.
- Once you're back at your hotel room, you put Jeongwon to sleep & then sit with Jungkook.
- "We need to talk."
- "About what? About the incident earlier? Don't think too much about it. We're leaving tomorrow morning anw. We will never see them again." Jungkook squeezes your hand.
- "What did Jackson mean when he said he had pictures of me? What pictures?" Your heart pounds loudly inside your chest as you brace yourself for the worst.
- "I don't know.." Jungkook instantly releases your hand & looks away.
- "Kook, you have to tell me. You vowed to be completely honest with me when we got married, didn't you?" You shake his arm in frustration.
- He bites his lower lip, contemplating his options, & finally sighs.
- "Alright, I'll tell you but promise me that you will stay strong & won't let it bother you."
- You nod & listen to him intently.
- Your heart goes from beating rapidly to frozen still at the end of his explanation.
- Chills travel throughout your whole body as he tells you the complete truth.
- "So that was why we had to leave right away. He threatened to expose those nude pictures of you if we didn't." He heaves a deep sigh, pained that he has to dig through the atrocious memory that he's been trying to bury.
- You're too shocked to say anything, so you only stare blankly at him while your thoughts grow more chaotic by the second.
- "Y/n ah, please say something." Jungkook squeezes your shoulder in concern.
- "S-So he still has those pictures? What if he releases them after tonight's incident? We should talk to him & ask him to delete them Kook." You begin to hyperventilate as panic rises in your throat.
- "Shhh.. calm down Y/n ah. Calm down. Breathe." He wraps his arms around you & caresses your head.
- "I'll try to find ways to get those pictures, but begging Jackson is definitely not one of it. You know how he is. Us begging him won't do us any good. No matter what happens, I will always be by your side. Now let's get some rest. Everything will be ok. Trust me." He kisses your forehead & says.
- "Ok." You mutter quietly & force out a thin smile, although inside you're still extremely bothered by the truth you've just learned.
- The whole night you keep tossing & turning & before you know it, the sun has risen & it's time to leave.
- You check on Jeongwon & then drag your feet to the bathroom to brush your teeth.
- "Hey, you're up early." Jungkook hugs you from behind & lazily lays his chin on your shoulder, his voice still husky with sleep.
- "I couldn't sleep." You answer matter-of-factly.
- Guilt instantly darkens his face.
- "I'm sorry. I was being insensitive. What can I do to make you feel better?" He turns you to face him & asks.
- "Let's just get ready. I don't want to talk about it again." You get away from his embrace & continue packing your things.
- You can feel Jungkook's gaze following you & understand that you're being cold to him for no reason. It wasn't even his fault.
- The three of you finish packing & go down to the lobby to check out.
- "Mr. Jeon, someone came earlier & asked us to give this to you." The receptionist hands Jungkook a plain white envelope.
- "Who is this from?" He observes the envelope in confusion.
- "The person only said that you would know once you open the letter."
- Jungkook turns to you & you shake your head, having no idea who sent it as well.
- Both of you step away from the receptionist desk & he rips the envelope open.
- Inside is a folded piece of paper & a silver USB drive.
- "Omg, could it be-" You gasp, eyes lighting up.
- He quickly unfolds the letter & you skim through it together.
- "Kook, I know you must not want to hear from me again after everything I've done. Don't worry, this will be the last time I'm contacting you. I just want to apologize for all the pains I've caused you & Y/n. Seeing you, Y/n & your son last night makes me realize how pathetic I've lived my life. I strived to compel something that would never ever be mine, obsessed over it, & ended up hurting myself in the process by trusting someone who I wasn't supposed to trust. Anw, Jack told me everything & I forced him to give me the pictures he took of Y/n. Everything is inside the USB drive in your hand right now. Please forgive me for my sins. I hope you will lead a happy life with your little family.

Love,
Liv

P.S. I divorced that cheating bastard this morning & am going to find my own happiness now."

- "Omg. Omg!" You gasp in disbelief & hug Jungkook's arm.
- "Pheww.. Finally, everything's over. We can rest easy now." He huffs in relief.
- "We should thank Liv for this." You say.
- "Thank her? Are you serious?" Jungkook exclaim.
- "I know she was mean but she was played by Jackson too. And I'm sure she's gotten her punishment. She didn't have to do all this, yet she did. So we should definitely thank her."
- "Are you an angel or what? Jeongwon ah, we are so lucky to have such a kind person in our life." He coos at your son.
- "Ya, don't make fun of me." You playfully slap his arm & laugh out loud.
- "Alright alright, I'll think of a way to thank her later. Let's go first, our trip is just getting started." He puts his arm over your shoulder & smiles.

Liv POV
- "Huh.. They looked so good together." I sigh as an image of Jungkook & Y/n flashes inside my head.
- I take the wine glass from the table & down the content in one go.
- "How did I become so miserable like this? Fuck you Jackson Wang. I'll make your life miserable." I scoff.
- "Excuse me Miss." My personal assistant approaches me from behind.
- "I told you I don't want to see anyone." I scold her without even turning my head.
- "I'm sorry but someone sent you a bouquet of flowers."
- "Who is it from?" I turn around & find a huge bouquet of white lilies, my favorite flower.
- "It's from Mr. Jeon Jungkook."
- The name instantly makes me jump out of my seat.
- "Give it to me." I grab the bouquet from her hand & open the card on top in a hurry.
- "We forgive you. From, Y/n & Jungkook."
- A drop of tear involuntarily rolls down my cheek.
- "Thanks Kook & Y/n. I sincerely hope you'll live happily forever." I smile to myself & put the bouquet on the center of the table.

-Fin-