Love After Love...

Chapter 35: "Perfect relationships... don't exist."

~1 month later~

Author's POV:
Jieun and Jimin were going pretty well. This past month she had helped him positively deal with his father's very unfortunate demise and he had learnt to accept it. They were in Jieun's apartment, just talking.

"Hey, Jieun?" Jimin said. She hummed. "I didn't get a chance to say thank you," he said. "For what?" she said. "For helping me. The past month was particularly difficult for me. You really really helped," he said. "I'd like to think so. And I'm glad you feel better now," she replied. They both shared a smile before Jimin walked in and gave her a hug. "What's this?" she said, giggling. "Nothing. Just felt like it," he said, smugly. "Flirt," she said. "Only for you," he replied, still in the hug. She seperated herself from the hug and looked at him. Both their arms still around each other's waist. "And how many girls have heard that?" she asked, a brow raised. "None. I told you, always casual. I never chased. Not my fault that girls just loved this amazing face of mine," he replied, a sly smirk still playing on his lips. Jieun rolled her eyes. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?" he asked, fake offended. "Of course! You pretend to be this really sleek guy with a boy-next-door-ish vibe, but in reality you're just a softie who wants cuddles and kisses on the cheek," Jieun replied. Jimin gave her a very long look, as if taking all her features in and said, "I'm too proud to admit that," his smug smirk still on his lips. "Well, aren't they all," Jieun replied, ruffling his hair like he was a little boy. She laughed and Jimin could swear he felt his heart do multiple summersaults at the sound of her laugh.

"Don't treat me like a little boy!" he said, dramatically. "Or what?" Jieun replied, smugly. "Or this!" he said and started tickling her. She was laughing uncontrollably. "Okokok, alright won't treat you like a little boy, stop! Gosh, my stomach is paining! Hahahaha stop! Namjoon-"

And she froze.

Jieun's POV:
Oh no. Oh dear God. Jimin's smile had gone away. His sweet smile was replaced with an expressionless, but pained face. He stopped. Neither of us moved.

Until Jimin spoke, "I was starting to think I got through to you," his voice trembling. I felt my heart break. He continued, "I completely saw this coming, Jieun, believe me. But it hurts just the same. It hurts so much, gosh." He gave me a very sad smile. I couldn't utter a single word. "He really left you with a lot, huh?" he said. I looked at the floor, tears threatening to fall anytime. "I bet it was painful to deal with all that emotional weight," he said.

How did he know that? And why wasn't he mad at me? Shouting, screaming?

I looked at him and I finally met his eyes with every ounce of courage I had left in my body. His eyes were teary. "It feels like someone ripped my heart to shreds right now," he said. Each and every word coming out of his mouth hit me like daggers. "I don't want to see you anymore, Jieun. It'll make me very unhappy if I see you again. It will remind me of what I'm feeling right now. And I don't ever want to feel this way again," he said. And the tears fell. He was still speaking calmly, which hurt even more.

He was walking towards the door, when I spoke, "I'm sorry, Jimin. I'm so so sorry. I tried, I swear I tried. You're a wonderful person and I'm so fucking broken. I don't deserve you." He stopped. He turned around very slowly, he was now crying. "Jieun... You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. I thank you for all the memories we've made over the last five months, they were truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing a very personal part of your life with me, even though I'm heartbroken that I couldn't be a part of your life in the way I wanted. But please, I beg you, don't tell me I don't deserve you. Please let me decide that for myself. As much as I adore you, I don't think you have the right to decide who deserves you. Try believing you deserve it all again. Your problem is not that you are unable to forget him. You harbour one of the worst emotions known to humankind - self pity. That's the only reason you can't let go. Have faith that you didn't just have that one chance at love. And try to understand that perfect relationships... dont exist," he finished.

He walked out of that door, leaving me with a very hurting heart and a whole lot to think about.

Park Jimin, you are truly one of a kind.

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A/N : Oh nooo, Jieun, what have you done! :'(