Her Astronaut

✯24✯

One Month Later

The perk to growing up in the desert and living in LA is the fact that winters are quite blissful. The weather is rather tolerable in comparison to the rest of the country living in the snow and cold. The weather still cools down significantly but it's quite blissful. The best part, Nova almost always avoided the winter blues.

Except for this year.

It was not quite a few weeks into the new year and Nova was experiencing seasonal depression harder than she ever thought possible. However, it was not the actual weather or lack of sunshine causing her funk. It was definitely caused by a lack of something particular in her life. Not Vitamin D, but one Kim Seokjin.

Yes, the separation SUCKED but her pain actually came from the choice she made right before he returned to Korea.

Nova paced her hotel room as Seokjin finished the last of his packing. He was set to leave for the airport with this being their final moments together. She had dropped a bomb on him a few minutes prior and he returned to his room to process it.

For the past 24 hours, Nova had been hiding a decision she made about her future with Jin going forward. It wasn't easy but she knew it was the only way to protect her heart as they were about to endure a 6,000-mile separation for an unknown amount of time.

With tears in her eyes, she asked if they could 'cool' what they had going and go back to being just friends. As much as she wanted so desperately to explore a relationship with him, the thought of being in another long-distance relationship ate her alive.

Should she have told him sooner? Maybe.

But it was his birthday the day before. She may have been selfish in making this decision on her own, but she wasn't heartless.

She was brought out of her thought spiral when she heard the door slam close. Before she could focus on what made that sound, she was enveloped in two strong arms.

"I'm angry. But not at you Yeobo... I mean Nova."

Her heart sank when he stopped with the pet name she had come to love. She was about to correct him but realized he was doing it out of respect for her decision.

"I wish we weren't separated by an ocean and a 16-hour time difference. If it wasn't for the damn restrictions in Korea, I would have found a way to bring you home with me for Christmas. Hell, find a way for you to come and see me in January. But due to the state of the world... it's just not possible. I get why you made this decision. I understand and respect it. Do I like it though? No. Not one bit."

"I'm moving to Vegas this week and opening up the new office after the new year." she said meekly.

"See, here you are coming in with all the logic. I can't compete with that. I just wish we would have a chance at least try."

He wiped away a tear.

"But I respect your decision and will give you the space you need."

"Seokjin, don't ghost me. Please."

"I promise, but I might need some time to adjust at first," he said sadly, "However I promise while I am on vacation I will play online with you. Mario, Maplestory, hell I'll buy Animal Crossing if it means I can visit your island and spend time with you virtually."

"Seokjin, if it wasn't for all the unknown, I wouldn't have asked for this."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."