THE MATCHES THAT BURN ― Jenkook

07

Jennie sat in deep silence, with two white tissue cramped into a ball in her sweaty palms as she rubbed her thumbs on it carelessly, sniffing her tears in. she sighed one after another to slowly calm herself. her cheek was damp from the stream of tears a moment ago and her jaw feel a bit numb from her heavy cries.

she was outside the hospital bench with now, feeling the breeze of a later evening on a spring day. after a moment of settling down, she take an insight into Jungkook who was sitting next to her staring down at his intertwine hands.

the orange sun sat behind right behind their back, painting it orange while the front reflects of slight yellowish. they were sitting opposite the hospital entrance door with purple lavenders scattered behind and on the side of the bench.

she cleared her throat, signaling him that she was ready to go back inside. he flinched right over towards her after hearing and threw on a gracious smile, a smile that has awaited patiently, "you've finished?" he asked seeing that she has yet left to wipe the tears off her lashes.

her eyes withdraw towards back the front with a loss of words. she nodded for an answer. then a silence of a second ticked by and everything became awkwardly uncomfortable especially for her. she isn't used to crying in front of anyone, not even her parents but he made it so easy to weep out in just seconds.

maybe it was the words that he screamed earlier or was it the push that he did on her. whatever it is, she should have kept those emotions in, what was she thinking. just like that, she got up only to find herself pausing at the touch of his voice. a gentle and calming one.

"I have pyrophobia.. a disorder and fear of fire." he trembles out those words, watching the back of her unmoving hospital slippers, waiting for her to sit back down. "usually someone would develop that disorder when they go through a negative experience with fire."

that took Jennie back to finding her seat on the bench again and sat down next to him. he took a sigh, "two years ago, I watched my brother die in a big fire. I couldn't do anything-" he jerked his head towards her and give it a half-smile.

yet her face stayed empty after having to see his eyes full of hurt and suffrage. he was still looking at her as if he wanted someone to hear him. "how cruel is it to watch someone you truly love die in something so unbearing," he said under his breath. she could barely hear the last few words as his watery glares give it all away. he was crying.

she couldn't do anything other than scoot in closer to him and place her hand on top of his. she squeezes it gently and pats his shoulder with comfort. he sniffs and wipes his nose and eyes with the back of his other hand. "why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

it took a while for him to answer. yet he gives her a lopsided grin, "because no one really cares," he responded. she sighed getting up from the bench to standing right in front of him, blocking his views. he watches as she stoops in front of him so closely and lifts his chin all the way up while she has no plans of lowering herself down. "apologizes," she said.

"huh?" he raised his brows with a ridiculous grin. "for lying about getting allergic from the soondae you ate earlier," she smirked with her arm crossed right below her chest. she was still mad about that. he scoffs with a chuckle, "it's your fault for being a bad reader but sorry for having you worried. I'm also sorry for having to yell at you just a moment ago."

triumphant, she hovers down to him, taking his face into both of her palms, "look, I promised that I will help you overcome anything no matter what. so promised me that no matter what happens you will not push me away. as long as you promised me that, I will keep you safe and protect you from anything." she confronted him.