french girl • j.jk

эпилог

february 14th

"did you love vanessa like you loved me?"

five years had passed, and your face was the first thing jungkook saw in his departure from the institute.

your real face, not the one he repeatedly sketched throughout his stay in that hellhole. he was somewhat delighted that the sketches he had made of your future appearance was different from the actual one. you were more beautiful than he could have ever imagined, and it brought tingles to his whole being.

for old time's sake, you took him to the café across your university that you graduated from a few months ago. it made you somewhat relieved that it was still in business, though renovated for the better.

"no," he denied quickly with his hands waving around. "i've never loved anyone the way i loved you."

it was bittersweet to say and hear vanessa's name for the both of you. however, jungkook was in cloud nine knowing you had waited for his release in all these five years much like he had. you even took a day off to see him!

"i can't describe how much i've missed you with words." he was timid with you, but straightforward nonetheless. "i couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time i was in there."

your face was blank but he paid no mind to it. he assumed it came with your job to look so monotone and serious, and he found it strangely endearing.

"were you really going to press charges on me?"

he gulped nervously, "no, that was never the plan! i just... didn't want you to do it to me. i fucked up that night, the memories are a bit fuzzy, but you had every right to get rid of me. and you... did, but thanks to you, i changed for the better."

there was the sympathy you were looking for: the approval of your actions from the assailant himself. it felt like all the burdens dissipated from your shoulders, even if he sounded hesitant.

"what did they do to you?" your stance was slowly relaxing, not from the comfort of his presence, but because of the clarification. you felt relieved.

he sighed heavily. the fact was, he didn't want to talk to you about these irrelevant topics. his main concern was if you still had lingering feelings for him, because he still did. had you found someone else while he was gone?

"they just... i don't know, they just paid attention to my behavior. i started socializing for the sake of earlier release, but it didn't really work. there were therapy sessions and what not, it felt like a daycare, really." he clasped his hands in front of him after taking a sip of his green tea. it was warm and not at all pleasant, but he kept his grimace to himself.

you nodded absent-mindedly. "do you regret going there?"

that had to be a trick question, and so he played into your game the way he knew you wanted him to. "no, not at all. it gave me a lot of time to think about what i did and how bad i had been to you. you didn't deserve such a terrible boyfriend, but... i think i could make up for it now." he nibbled on his lip shyly to give off a certain impression. if there was anything he'd learnt from the crazed minds he lived with, it was pretending. to stand out from everyone else that in comparison to him were fucking demons. he had to play the normal, misunderstood one.

jungkook looked more mature. a lot more mature. he was freshly shaved but his hair had grown out even longer than it used to be, but in a way that suited him. you'd be lying if you said he hadn't gotten more charming, but you knew better than to give him another chance. at least not so soon.

dismissing his last comment, you asked, "what are you going to do now?"

he pursed his lips in thought and his nose crinkled in response. he displayed his dimples to you and it made you look outside to avoid the sight. "a forensic artist, for sure. i worked on my art some more," he didn't mention his great collection of sketches of you. "but that might not work out given my background. i'd have to become a translator in that case."

you cleared your throat awkwardly, "where are you going to stay?"

his eyes locked with yours. you couldn't decipher his expression, but it was sort of intense. "i... don't know."

did he really not know? your gut was suspicious, but where could he possibly stay anyway? "your mom?"

he chuckled dryly, "i don't think she would take me in."

somewhere inside you, he knew you had a soft spot for him and he'd be damned if he didn't use it against you. you had to take pity on him, you were working for justice affer all. a job for a good hearted soul like yourself.

offer me to stay in your place, come on...

"namjoon might take you in if you use this strategy against him too," you winked with a smirk. it wasn't like you to act cocky, but two can play that game, kook. you stood up from your seat and draped your thin jacket over your shoulders. he watched you with furrowed brows and rounded eyes.

he no longer found your heartless attitude endearing. how could she be so cruel? at least do it for a friend!

he wasn't even ready to face namjoon, that rat!

you tore out a paper from your notepad and wrote his number before passing it onto the silently gawking man. "call him, i'll catch you later."

not so soon, if ever.

but who said he would fall off your tail without a fight?

a/n: cool story bro, endin it wit a cliffhanger esketit