There's something beautiful about the art of moving on. You've experienced it now for the last couple of years and though you can't say you feel happier, you definitely don't feel worse.
You hoped that you could live on with your life never having...
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01 PRESENT DAY SEOUL
There was an invisible tension that festered in the air. Nobody was aware it was there, nobody seemed to feel it but you and as others talked and danced around you, you sat on the couch trying to make yourself as invisible as it was. It worked for the most part, everyone was too drunk to really pay attention to you and you would have been happy with that if it weren't for the one person who couldn't seem to keep his eyes away.
The stranger's glances were secretive and short, like he was just taking in the sight of you to make sure you're real and in this moment you wished you weren't. You met his eyes for only a second but it was enough for you both to become visibly uncomfortable and before you could get off the couch and finally make an escape, your name was called.
"Y/n!"
For a moment you thought about playing it off and pretend like you didn't hear them. If she asked later on then you would just say the music was too loud so you didn't hear her. You hesitated too long and in the end you got up and smiled at her as she motioned you over with the world's kindest smile.
"Where have you been hiding?" She asked jokingly as she hugged your arm to her chest, "I thought you weren't gonna show up."
"Why wouldn't I?" You asked, avoiding her first question as you forced yourself to only look at her and not the stranger she was joined at the hip with all night. You patted her arm in a small motion to get her to let go, "I'm gonna go get a drink—"
"Wait! Oh my god, I'm so stupid," she laughed as she released you and took a step back looking at the stranger with a loving smile, "Y/n, let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Jungkook. He just moved here from Busan."
Boyfriend.
You nearly choked on your own saliva as you finally made yourself look at him. The same gorgeous guy you met years ago. He looked different now, more mature and grown up. He's bulked up and he's gotten tattoos and piercings since then. He didn't look like the same surfer you met back then. The only thing that was the same was his face and you watched the way he seemed to wince at Jiyoung's words too.
Jungkook looked at you feeling every ounce of rage, hurt, and deceit his body could manage while you stood there in front of him after hiding all night as if he wouldn't have found you right away.
"Baby, this is Y/n, she's my friend from college," Jiyoung said with a girlish smile as she hugged him. You barely gave him a nod in greeting and he could practically see the panic on your face. After three years of hearing nothing from you, you stood in front of him nearly speechless again. He didn't want to seem affected but for the first time in a while he felt genuine anxiety. He had hoped he would never have to see your face again.
You didn't say anything as you gave him a small nod in acknowledgment before casting your eyes around the crowded room, "I'm gonna go find Hobi."
Jiyoung just waved you goodbye and she turned back to her boyfriend. He tried not to think about it any longer, he really did, but in the end he found himself asking, "Why haven't I ever heard of her as your friend? You only ever talk about others."
"Oh, Y/n's kinda... well you never know with her. One second she's around all the time and the next she disappears on you for a couple days or even weeks at a time," Jiyoung said it like it was a cute little quirk of yours, "You learn to just go with it, I actually haven't talked to her in like two weeks."
Jungkook stayed quiet letting his attention drift elsewhere in fear that he would say something he shouldn't. By the way you acted just now he understands what he's supposed to do. You're supposed to be strangers and that's what he'll be.
"You're leaving already? You just got here," Hobi said as he reached for your arm to stop you from heading right out the door. You nod, "Yeah, it's kinda... boring? I've got work early, anyways."
"No you don't," Hoseok laughed as he took you away toward other people, "We've gotta talk about the news."
"News?" You asked as he walked you to your other friends. Mina and Namjoon stood there talking amongst themselves when you two showed up.
"So is this a birthday party or a welcome party because I can't tell," Mina said as she waved at you. Hoseok took a deep breath and laughed, "Who cares, the point is that we're going to get drunk either way."
"A welcome party for who?" You asked them. As far as you knew this was an early celebration of Jiyoung's birthday. You got invited a while ago and though your intentions had been to find an excuse not to come you realized how bad of a friend that would make you. You gathered yourself together and forced yourself to come tonight only to realize you should've listened to your gut instead.
"Her boyfriend," Namjoon added, "The kid just moved here from Busan, apparently."
"Am I the only one who never heard his name till tonight? It was always 'my boyfriend this' or 'my boyfriend that'" Mina said with a small laugh. You knew all along that Jiyoung was in a relationship, but like Mina, you never heard much else. Sure, it was partially your fault for always being the absent friend but at least you would say your boyfriend's name if you had one.
"He just moved here?" You asked quietly.
"A couple days ago, Jiyoung had been saying for a while now that her boyfriend was planning on moving down, apparently he opened up a tattoo studio here," Hoseok said and you felt your breath hitched.
It explained a lot about the Jungkook you saw right now. He finally went for it and chased his dream.
