~ Jungkook's POV ~

Listening to the constant clattering of the wheels of my luggage for about fifteen minutes, I eventually reached my saddening destination.

The bus stop where I first set foot on Seoul, and the very place I fell for Hana.

Upraising my left arm to check my wristwatch, I acknowledged that my 8:00 p.m. departure was drawing near.

The sky had turned off its lights ever since and displayed the same magnificent, hair-raising view of the city I saw on that night, but it just didn't feel the same without that troublesome yet adorable loser standing beside me.

And for some idiotic reason, I hoped Hana would be here to send me off.

I know I know, I was the one that ended things with her and abruptly cut her off.

Regardless of the irrefutable facts, I still found myself examining the area in search for a short and captivating girl who wore a smile that could light up Seoul city brighter than ever.

And yes, I am still helplessly in love with that girl.

My heart skipped a beat when I caught the sleeve of an ivory sweater peek out of the wall of the bus stop, but my hopeful anticipation was demolished when it merely turned out to be a guy.

But instantly recognizing who he is, my chest warmed scorchingly.

Despite being former friends now, my admiration and respect for Jin were permanently engraved in my heart.

Ambling towards him with one hand in my pocket and the other tugging on my luggage handle, I placidly halted about two feet away from his body.

"What're you doing here?" I questioned, utterly flabbergasted at his unexpected visitation when I allegedly deceived him.

Timidly glancing down at his sneakers for a second then back at me, Jin stated, "I came here to apologize."

"For?" I asked, cocking my head slightly to the right.

Inhaling a large amount of the wintry air as his broad shoulders elevated synchronously, he let it all out and sorrowfully uttered, "Not believing you."

"You were right. You really were telling the truth." Jin acknowledged his misapprehension from that incident between him, his girlfriend, and me.

Baffled at his sudden change of mind, I queried, "How'd you-"

"Yerim admitted it." he confessed with a shamefaced look, then lightly grasped me by one side of my shoulder.

"Jungkookie, I'm really sorry for betraying you like that."

... Wow.

I'm so accustomed to being the position to apologize instead of the one to receive it, so this was honestly a really weird experience for me.

But it actually felt... nice.

It was like that dislodged piece of my heart was finally super glued back on, making it a little less empty and hallow inside from this enlightening reunion.

Punching Jin on his bicep, I got mad at him but with a gigantic smile across my face, "You freaking better be."

"But if I was put in the same situation, I probably would've believed my girlfriend too." I admitted truthfully as I shrugged, understanding his point of view of his course of action as well.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend anymore." Jin dropped the bomb on me, forming a straight line with his lips and averting his gaze.

"No way." I said with a mouth agape in incredulity, both glad and distraught at the same time for the end of my best friend's relationship.

"Broke up with her yesterday. Not wasting my time on a worthless two-timer like her." he stated in a rather dispassionate and unconcerned way, but the puffiness of his eyes said otherwise.

Well, once a cheater, always a cheater right?

We've both been victims of Yerim's abominable lies, but we were also able to successfully escape from her trap of manipulation that we fell right into.

"Sorry about what happened to you. I wish you didn't have to leave man." Jin switched up the subject promptly, perhaps to refrain from further discussing his breakup.

"What's done is done. I have no choice but to go back home." I told him about my mother's obstinate decision which I was still fully in opposition of.

"Dude I swear I just knew something was off about Taehyung. I knew from the moment he made Hana go buy them drinks at the aquarium." he declared with vehemence as he shook his index finger in front of me, as if he was a fortune teller attempting to prove the accuracy of his predictions.

"Perks of being the principal's son I guess." I laughed fakely, just wanting to walk up to Taehyung and stick up my middle finger right in his battered face.

"Hey at least you got your dream girl right?" Jin nudged my arm, encouraging me to view the brighter side of the situation.

Sighing remorsefully, I poured out my true thoughts to him, "Only if I could've won her over sooner. I could've taken her on more dates, bought her as many drinks as she wanted, and made her happier in ways that Taehyung could never. Heck, I would've even bought her more of those mosquito legs she loves to glue on her eyes so much if it meant seeing her smile."

"Tsk tsk tsk." he expressed disapproval in my regrets along with a shake of his head, then made another one of his strangely correct hypotheses, "I'm no psychic, but I knew Hana had mad feelings for you ever since."

"Shut up." I grumbled as I blushed a little, low-key wishing his inference was real.

"Dude, you never saw it cause your lazy ass was asleep most of the time, but she would always, and I mean always, look back at your seat in class and stare at you every chance she got as if she was your secret little fangirl." Jin told me as he rolled his eyes at her apparently obvious actions before.

"No way?" I said with an irrepressible grin growing, wondering if our feelings were actually requited a long time ago but Hana and I just didn't know it.

"Yeah way. You two were just blind as hell to see or even realize it." he confirmed the meaning behind his helpful observations, being the best buddy and sidekick anyone could ever ask for.

"Man, I love you." I wholeheartedly told him as I gave him a bro hug, knowing this was the last time I could ever tell him that.

"Me too dude, me too." Jin responded as he embraced me tightly and patted me on my back, almost making me tear up from hearing those words from him for the first time.

"Thanks for being that big brother I've never had." I muttered before pulling away from him, so grateful that I had the opportunity to have a friend like him even though it was for a short period.

Ruffling the top of my hair playfully, he said while exhibiting a forlorn expression, "I'm seriously going to miss you Jungkook."

All I could do was subtly smile back in return in order to repress the urge to cry from this insufferably sad goodbye with not only Jin, but also with this beautiful city, those who took care of me, and most painfully, Hana.

After gulping down the huge lump in my throat, I was able to get my words out to ask Jin of one last thing before I leave.

"Hey, can you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything." he agreed, extremely eager to listen.

"Please be there for Hana. Even though I can't protect her myself, at least I can feel better knowing my best friend is taking care of that for me." I made my final request, although it aggrieved me so much just to think of or even say her name.

Nodding his head in understanding, Jin smiled at me reassuringly.

"Got it."

Right on time, I perceived the screech of a bus stopping beside me, signifying it was sadly time to go.

Morosely pulling my luggage with me to the entrance of the vehicle, I turned around, spread my palms in valediction, and waved it at my best friend, then went inside and listened to the door automatically shut behind me.

Plopping down on an open seat on the window side so the driver couldn't see me, I desolately palmed my eyes and cried silently.

This was it.

This was the end.