This story is dedicated to you if you have ever been abused by someone bigger, stronger, and seemingly more powerful than you. You are not alone. You are infinitely precious. And the trauma you endured is not your fault. Know that you are so loved. And whatever trauma you have been through – it does NOT define you. You are a beautiful rose, a lovely lily, a most precious gem.
Rated M for Mature. This story deals with some difficult topics and involves some graphic situations.
“Hyejin!”
He was running after her, but she hadn’t stopped moving away from him. Why wouldn’t she stop? Jungkook caught up with her under a streetlamp. He caught sight of her glistening cheeks as he came alongside her. She was crying. He hadn’t misinterpreted the sound he’d heard as she’d run from the kitchen.
“Hyejin, stop!” He reached out and slipped his long, strong fingers around her forearm. “Please!”
She heard a new note in his voice. She stopped walking. But she didn’t meet his gaze.
“Why are you running away from me? Is it because you didn’t want me to see you crying?” He didn’t understand her. She’d just witnessed his own tears, but she wouldn’t show him hers?
She nodded.
“Why not? I just cried in front of you.”
“No. You cried before I came into the kitchen. And then you told me nothing was wrong. Which obviously wasn’t true. No one cries for no reason. But you didn’t want to tell me.
“I know when I’m being shut out of someone’s life. You’ve been texting less and less all month. You’ve been shying away from anything personal. You wouldn’t tell even your closest friends about me. You’ve been pulling away from me for months. I know when I’m not wanted. I get it. So I’m headed home. I left you with your friends. The ones you consider yourself close to.”
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
“Hyejin.”
He was exasperated. Yet…was that fair? Everything she’d said was true. He had been pulling away from her. He hadn’t told any of his friends about her until he’d been forced to it by Tae. Even then, he had sworn Tae to secrecy. Then, Jungkook had texted her less and less. He wasn’t sure what to say to her anymore.
To add fuel to the fire of loneliness, he had been very busy. Honestly, he was exhausted. Exhausted from comeback. Worn out from travel, and interviews, and practices. Just plain tired from his non-stop life. And adding a girl into the mix was proving to be another challenge. Was this struggle worth it?
Clearly, she didn’t trust him. And for his part, he didn’t seem to trust her. All these months he’d believed she was meeting with someone else. Even if it was just as friends, it had hurt. And that alarmed him. Why would he be hurt that Hyejin had another guy as a friend?
“I’m sorry. I’m not good at this.” He laughed bitterly. “The Golden Maknae, voted The Most Handsome Face of 2019, can’t even keep a girlfriend.”
Hyejin glanced sharply at him. “I didn’t think you considered me your girlfriend, Kookie.”
He met her eyes. “Of course, I thought you were my girlfriend! I’ve been thinking of you that way since before my birthday.”
“Really?” Tears were shining in her eyes again. “But I thought we agreed to be only friends.”
Jungkook groaned. How had they ended up here? They’d had such a sweet beginning – that song she’d written for him. How had he forgotten?
“We did. But not because I wanted to. You were leery of a relationship with me. And I get it. The very things you feared started happening.” He blew out a deep breath. He didn’t know how to fix this. But he really wanted to pull her into his arms. “Can I give you a ride home?”
She nodded, and they walked back to his car in silence.
