This is How We Break | Jungkook

Part 10

The restaurant is buzzing at this peak lunch hour as you settle in between Yoongi and Areum, catching Jungkook's gaze in the process and you smile. You'd found out after he left your home after dinner with your family that your grandmother had told him about Sam, and you'd scolded her for doing so.

"Why hide it? You said you're friends," she shrugged. "Not unless there's a reason you don't want Jungkook to know that you loved a man after him. And why that even matters."

You shook your head in disbelief then, thinking that talking about the man who came after your ex just felt weird. Jungkook never asked and it wasn't information you offered. Sam was wonderful, would've given you the world if you let him, and maybe that's why it hurt.

Jungkook returns your smile and it's a genuine one. You don't want to assume that finding out about your ex had affected Jungkook but you missed his texts this whole week. You mentally scold yourself for even thinking this. Things are going well with him, and that was all you hoped after he walked out your door and out of your life.

"Jungkook?" A high-pitched voice breaks into your thoughts.

You look up to see a gorgeous-looking woman approach your table to where Jungkook is. Clad in a dress fit for a runway, she's got a lovely face and aura about her that intimidates you quite a bit, even if she looks younger than you.

"Se-won, hey!" Jungkook stands up and the woman immediately wraps her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek then wiping the lipstick stain with her thumb. He looks rather shocked, as he turns to Namjoon and Jin with wide eyes and a worried smile.

They chat a bit, as the rest of your friends settle with awkward exchanges as you steal glances at the pair. From her body language, it's easy to tell there's history there.

"Yeah, I'm just having lunch with my friends. Joon's getting married in a few weeks," Jungkook says.

"Oh my goodness, that's amazing!" Se-won shrieks. "I was always secretly jealous of you two. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Namjoon smiles. "Back home for vacation?"

"Yes, a quick one. I just did a stopover before my fashion show in Tokyo," she giggles. "I didn't expect to run into you guys here, although honestly, I've been hoping I would."

She smiles sweetly at Jungkook and suddenly you've lost your appetite. It wouldn't be a surprise if Jungkook dated after the breakup since it's something you did, too. You just didn't think it would affect you this much.

"Well, it's nice to see familiar faces," she looks at everyone, and you try to not think much of the seeming familiarity between her and your own friends. "Well, most of them."

"I'm—"

"She's a friend who returned home a few months ago," Jungkook interjects.

"Oh? From where?"

"Australia," you smile.

"Ugh, I miss it there! Melbourne is lovely but Sydney just felt more like me, you know?" She laughs. "But it's still too chill and laid-back for me. And Seoul just sucks the life out of you but we all have reasons to come and go, right?"

"We do," you smile.

As sudden as it was, leaving was one thing you never regretted. This place held too many memories and you felt like suffocating as each day passed. "But Seoul isn't so bad."

"I guess, if you spend time away from it," she shrugs. "I always asked Kookie to leave with me, you know? Even just to go on a cruise in the Caribbean or to spend a week in Italy because I think he'd like that but he insisted on staying, never wanting to leave."

You swallow the lump in your throat as you look up at her. "You seem to know each other well."

"Well, it's a pretty sweet story, actually." She tucks her hair behind her ear.

Jungkook's "we don't have to talk about it" gets drowned out by Se-won's insistence and she excitedly gets on about their history.

"Really interesting how we met. So it was about two years ago and I was home for a break and this guy was riding his motorcycle out in the evening after - stupidly, I must say - having something to drink and I don't know, maybe he was going too fast or it was too slippery or maybe he was a little tipsy—"

You focus on her voice while your eyes flit to your surroundings - all of your friends either have their heads down or their hands to their temples, trying to interrupt Se-won while Jungkook has his eyes closed and jaws clenched, probably not wanting to recall an incredibly irresponsible act.

"But anyway, he sideswipes a car that was in the middle of the road and ends up crashing on the ground after his motorcycle flips multiple times and oh my god," she gasps, "the blood and everything."

"You, uhm..." you say, after what feels like forever. Your heart is thrumming in your chest and just the image of Jungkook hurt and wounded is making you want to throw up.

"You were at the hospital, too?" You ask, trying to make sense of where she fits into this.

"Oh, no. I was driving the car he sideswiped," she says matter-of-factly, like it's such a natural and casual thing to say about an accident.

"I stopped them from filing charges because he just looked, I don't know, so helpless and miserable and so, so hot I mean, long hair, piercings, just this mysterious look on him and I just wanted to get to know him more, and I did. There was so much sweetness and kindness hiding behind all that sadness. I think he'd just come from a breakup?" She goes on, giggling and dragging her fingers on Jungkook's arm. "But anyway, we hit it off and it was a whirlwind romance until I had to go back to Milan and he wanted to stay."

"That's quite the story," you manage to say. "How long was he in the hospital for?"

"A week or so, right Kookie? He had broken ribs and a broken whatever and it could've been so much worse but he survived. It's how I met all his friends!" She says excitedly. "I stayed with him in his room everyday and they all came to visit. So it's so nice to hear that Namjoon and Da-eun are engaged! How about you, Jimin and Areum? Any plans yet? It's been so long!"

The chatter continues but you've completely zoned out. Your heart slows its pace until you're unsure if it's even still beating anymore. The accident, the injuries, your friends keeping this from you — everything feels surreal.

It's Se-won's high-pitched goodbye that brings you out of the haze and you see her give Jungkook a goodbye kiss and you want nothing more than to sink into your couch and cry yourself to sleep. It's a heavy feeling, knowing all this, how hurt and scared he was, how much worse it could've been, and how he'd carried the experience with him this whole time.

You clear your throat and avoid the looks of your friends.

"I think I ate something bad," you croak. "I'm not feeling too well, I'll go ahead okay?"

You don't bother to wait for a response and you hurriedly head to the door, wanting so badly to disappear as Jungkook runs after you and calls your name.

But you don't turn back. You let the sound of his voice remind you that he's still here, he's alive, and that's enough comfort. But for now, all you want to do is cry.