Fight for You | JJK

Epilogue (06)

06: When she comes back

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"Kookie?"

The nickname carries so many memories, most of them sad ones. Jungkook has almost forgotten how it sounded coming from his mother. He remembers his heart breaking everyday when it stopped waking him up in the morning.

He hated the name. It was Soo-ah who made him find beauty in it again, but he should've known she'd be just like his mother - giving up on him, letting him go.

"Mom?"

"My precious boy," the woman chokes back tears. "My Kookie is all grown up and—"

"It's Jungkook," he corrects, his tone cold.

"I... I'm sorry, I... You, you look so good, so respectable." She smiles, reaching out to him but he steps back.

"What are you doing here?" He demands.

"I was just, uhm..."

"Ms. Lee, Mrs. Wong is here," Namjoon says, briefly breaking through the tension. "She said she's passing by before she leaves for her flight."

"Go," Jungkook turns to you. "I'll see you after, alright?"

You nod and smile, hoping to comfort him with it. You give his mother a curt nod and walk away, looking back with every step, the worry about how Jungkook is taking all this laying heavy on you.

You meet Mrs. Wong and talk to her about your program. She plans to do something similar, particularly sponsoring scholarships in the STEM field for girls. Even this kind of news that usually excites you isn't enough, as your eyes keep flitting to where Jungkook and his mother are.

He's still keeping his distance. His head is down and his hands are in his pockets. You could see her constantly attempt to reach out, but the fear of being turned away again is perhaps keeping her from doing so.

You try to focus on your conversation but your mind wanders away. You take note of Jungkook leaving and walking somewhere, away from the exhibit, while his mother stays there, until she eventually leaves, too.

You finally bid Mrs. Wong goodbye, and you immediately walk towards Namjoon who leads you to where Jungkook is.

He's seated on a bench, his arms resting on his knees with his head still down. Even from where you stand a few feet away, you could see him look defeated, as if he doesn't know what to do nor what to feel.

You quietly sit next to him and let him be, knowing at this moment, he needs to process whatever it is that happened.

"___, they're packing up," Namjoon informs you. "Ina's asking if she could say goodbye."

"I'll get to her in a bit," you respond.

"It's okay," Jungkook says, taking your hand in his. "We can go. It's getting late."

You both go to Ina then head to the car, with Mr. Sim asking where to take you.

"Can you take me home?" Jungkook asks softly.

You nod and hold his hand tighter, wanting nothing more than to comfort him in whatever way you can. The ride to his place is somber, with Mr. Sim's soft humming to the radio a welcome distraction.

The car stops in front of Jungkook's apartment, prompting you to turn to him.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" You ask.

"I just wanna be alone for a while. Is that okay?"

"Sure. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?"