Afterlife || (OT7 X Reader) ✓

22: Realizations

1362 AD

Haeguk walked towards the cottage where Jungkook brought her. She turned to peek at him who was getting down from his horse and then at Eunwoo who was helping Yeji to get down from their horse. 

She smiled while Jungkook pulled her hand towards himself. She gasped when he wrapped his arm around her figure protectively. She looked into his eyes and he leaned forth to place a small kiss on her forehead as his hand gently held hers. "Why are you smiling, Hae?" He asked and she turned back to look at Eunwoo and Yeji approaching them.

"Where are we, Jungkook?" Haeguk asked, pulling away from Jungkook shyly. He smiled but kept her hand close to his figure, turning back to stare at the old cottage. "Yeji and you have to stay here for a day and we will be back to take both of you away," Jungkook said, looking at Eunwoo who grinned at Yeji who was giving her a confused stare.

"Take us both, where, General Jeon?" She asked him and Jungkook released Haeguk's hand, joining them back as he walked towards Eunwoo. "We certainly cannot return to Kaesong at this point," Jungkook said. Yeji gasped and looked at Eunwoo in horror.

"What do you mean by we cannot return to Kaesong?" Yeji snarled and Eunwoo's eyes widened at her sudden outburst. Jungkook noticed the surprised features of Haeguk too so he decided to answer Yeji to remove the confusion. "I married the Princess of Kaesong without the king's approval by secretly fleeing away. They will definitely try to separate us once we return there. And I cannot bear our separation. I am sorry." Jungkook said, his eyes holding a strange sparkle hiding millions of emotions within them as he stared at Haeguk longingly.

"Yes, a general cannot be expected to marry a princess. Only a prince or a nobleman can do that," Yeji said and Eunwoo chuckled, shaking his head, "Trust me, Yeji, That is not the problem right now. Royal or Noble blood isn't an issue for- "

Haeguk glared at them, "I don't accept this! I don't want Jungkook to be separated from me because I am a princess. I don't want to leave him. Why is it like that? Why can't two people who love each other just get married? What does it have to do with royalty?"

"What does it have to do with the society?" A pain surged through Haeguk's mind and she screamed, crouching down on the ground, covering her ears and shutting her eyes in agony. Jungkook immediately ran to her, calling out her name in deep concern. Yeji too approached her along with Eunwoo.

"We have to break up, Jungkook. The society would call me a freeloader! Even worse, a gold digger."

"Why is it like that? Why can't two people who love each other just be together?"

"The society-"

"Fuck, society, Haeguk! It is you! It always has been you! You never fight for your feelings. You never fight for our love!"

"You will never understand because you are the rich kid!"

"Place yourself, in my shoes and think about this, Haeguk. Would you have let me go? Even if I was poorer than you still I would've dated you."

"It is easy to say, Jungkook. Reality is different."

"So you are telling me that if you were richer than me then you would have let me go because you would be afraid that society would call me bad names? You are a coward, Haeguk."

"Jungkook!"

"Jungkook!" Haeguk gasped, calling out his name, breathing steadily, and opened her eyes to observe Jungkook's face morphed with worry. "Hae," he softly whispered and wiped the tears that rolled down her face. She dug her face in the crook of his neck, sobbing silently. "I wouldn't have. I am sorry. I wouldn't have let you go. I understood now. Please forgive me," she said, crying in his arms while he hugged her tightly.

"I don't care about the society. I don't care about the royalty. Please, don't leave me," she cried and Jungkook blinked several times in confusion, listening to her murmuring to herself. "I won't leave you, Hae. Royalty won't be an issue-"

"Please, forgive me. I was wrong for fighting with you!" She whimpered and Yeji bent down, looking at Jungkook. Eunwoo tapped his shoulder and Jungkook looked at him. "We have to go quickly. We have to bring her there as soon as possible." Eunwoo muttered and Jungkook nodded.

He scooped Haeguk up from the ground and carried her inside the cottage in the woods. She was sobbing silently but clung to Jungkook, slowly drifting off to sleep in exhaustion that the pain had brought upon her along with the flashbacks of her conversations with Jungkook at the present time.

Yeji entered the small cottage made with mud walls and noticed a small dusty mattress. She quickly tried to dust it off before Jungkook placed Haeguk over it. He looked at her in concern and then at Yeji. "Take care of her and we will be back in no time. Let her sleep and we might be back even before she wakes up," Jungkook said in a firm tone, and Yeji bowed at him slightly.

"The fresh water from the lake next to this cottage is safe for drinking. Can you go and fetch some water from there? You might need it while staying here," Eunwoo said as Jungkook stood up after placing a long kiss on Haeguk's temple. Yeji nodded and scanned the room to find a clay pot across the room. "But where are you going?" She asked and the two men exchanged glances.

"We have to make some arrangements in Hanseong for our future stay in there," Jungkook announced and her eyes widened. "Hanseong? They won't let you enter! They are as brutal as Gyenogju. Their king will execute you if they know you are not from Hanseong," she explained. Jungkook's lips curved up after listening to her words. He turned to look at Eunwoo who was smiling at him too. More like a smirk.

--------------------------

"All hail to the King of Hanseong! Live long king!" The announcer announced when the mighty ruler sat on his throne and his eyes landed on the two men standing in the middle of the hall. Jungkook and Eunwoo knelt on the ground and gave him a big bow. The noblemen and the royal members of the family observed them silently.

"We left Kaesong and now we wish to stay in Hanseong," Jungkook voiced out and bent upwards, legs still folded but in a sitting position as he glanced at the ruler. The King tilted his head, tightening the gold scabbard in his hand as he eyed the two men with a blank face.

But slowly his lips curved upwards as he squealed,

"Prince Jungkook, finally you decide to show up at the palace? Your mother and I missed you so much, son!"

********************

Plot Twist is my middle name. And I am the best at creating them.