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A feeling of worry gnawed at YN as Jungkook hurried out, leaving her and Mike alone in the practice arena. With remorse enveloping him like a powerful wave, his steps faltered. His head was filled with thoughts, all of which confirmed his mounting guilt. He corrected himself, his heart thumping with fear, "No, I shouldn't have left her with him." He raced back to the scene, bearing the heavy weight of his choice.
His concern grew with every minute that went by. His thoughts were split between opposing feelings, between the intense rage he felt towards Mike for putting YN in danger in the first place and the need to get back and save her.
But beneath it all was an overpowering sense of guilt. He second-guessed what he had done, mentally reliving the entire incident and fervently hoping he could take it back.
As Jungkook glanced around the deserted hall, his inner agony was echoed by the quiet. He began to feel panicked, his thoughts racing with all the possible outcomes that may have happened in his absence. He despised himself for making such a poor decision and for abandoning YN.
The emptiness in every area of the practice arena appeared to taunt him, as a constant reminder of his mistake. He didn't know how to fix the issue or where to start, so he felt lost. He was plagued with regret, which left a sour aftertaste on his tongue.
His hands balled into fists as resentment and shame tore at him. What could have made him so irresponsible? How could he have been so blind to this?
His chest was being ripped apart by desperation as he struggled to contain the terror that was developing. Even though he knew he needed to find YN to put things right, he was troubled by the ambiguity surrounding her whereabouts.
Though he slowly made his way back to class, Jungkook's thoughts were still caught in a loop of dread and remorse. He heard Lori's words drift past him like faraway echoes, but he was unable to understand her words. The load of his mistake, which seemed like it might suffocate him, dominated his thoughts.
His previously lively presence in the classroom seemed empty, and his eyes were apathetic and off-target. The constant reminder of his mistakes, the gnawing ache in the pit of his stomach, would not go away.
Jungkook tried to put on a front of normalcy as Lori spoke on, unaware of his inner agony. But the gravity of his mistake seemed, under the surface, to be steadily eating away at his soul.
He wants to go back in time and remove the incident that caused this excruciating remorse. However, he silently understood that such hopes were pointless.
Engrossed in his suffering, Jungkook was unable to comprehend how one mistake could have such a significant effect on his mental state. But as the minutes passed, he came to understand that the effects of what he had done would much outweigh his initial expectations.
YN was taken aback when Mike insisted on accompanying her to their car as she and her friends eagerly prepared their much-anticipated trip to Jeju Island. His persistence seemed strange, especially because she could have gone with her other friends just as easily.
Though YN was initially perplexed, she dismissed it, blaming Mike's actions on his protective instincts. But even as he led her to the car, she couldn't get rid of the uneasy sensation that descended over her.
Against his normally amiable demeanour, she observed the slight distancing he maintained. She couldn't help but notice that he appeared busy, his concentration elsewhere, and she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
YN noticed Mike's girlfriend approaching and quickly turned to add another level of complexity to the issue. Their relationship was tense, and she couldn't get rid of the impression that Mike was acting differently than he appeared to be.
YN thanked Mike and attempted a smile despite her misgivings before she and her friends slipped inside the car. Her mind was racing with thoughts as they drove towards their destination, wondering what had caused Mike to act the way he did and what it would imply for the rest of their journey.
YN's fingers hammered out a text message to Mike as the car hummed along the road towards their destination, asking for clarification on their unexpected trip. With her eyes leaping to him in anticipation of his response, she messaged, "You could've said we are going to Jeju." Mike's lips twisted into a cunning sneer as he caught sight of her text, then returned his focus to his conversation with the others.
"All right, people. Give your phones to me everyone." Mike abruptly said, "No texting or calling others as we promised already." His voice was forceful and powerful. When YN realised that she hadn't even told Lori about their unexpected vacation, her eyes widened in horror.
"But-" YN started to object, but before she could finish, Mike rushed quickly to take her phone away from her. He skillfully closed their contact with the outer world by putting her phone inside his bag with the others.
YN felt a knot of fear grow in the pit of her stomach as the situation's weight fell heavily on her shoulders. She was stuck in the car with a feeling of loneliness that overwhelmed her.
"Baby, I'll grab the phone for you later. Let's have fun!" As she leaned forward to give YN a cheek kiss, Tracie said, her words a little garbled. With her thoughts still spinning from the abrupt change of events, YN responded with a weak smile.
Tracie and the others were giddy with excitement about their much-awaited vacation to Jeju Island, and their energy was infectious. Even with the discomfort that was still plaguing her, YN couldn't help but become excited about the adventures that were ahead of them.
As they drove on, the expectancy in the air was palpable, and their conversation and laughing blended in with the beat of the car.
YN was carried away by the excitement of the moment as they got closer to their destination, putting her problems on hold for the time being. They had all been dreaming of this vacation for months, and she was determined that nothing would break their enthusiasm.
YN let herself enjoy the excitement of the voyage ahead, hoping that the memories they would make would outweigh the doubts that lurked in the back of her mind, especially with Tracie by her side and adventure in sight.
YN was consumed by thoughts of Lori and Jungkook as the car continued its journey to Jeju Island. She felt a bittersweet desire as she imagined what it would be like if they were all travelling to such a lovely spot together.
She imagined the three of them, surrounded by Jeju's breathtaking scenery, laughing and talking nonstop as they shared tales and made memories. She saw herself and Lori having animated chats, their relationship becoming closer by the second. Jungkook's presence added a lighthearted element to their group, and his occasional annoyance at their chitchat only made YN like him more.
She imagined the tenderness of Lori and Jungkook's actions towards one another, their love evident in each glance and touch.
She pictured lying on Lori's shoulder while they drove around the island and the steady hum of the engine lulling her to sleep was comforting to YN. She was surrounded by their consoling presence and felt safe and taken care of with Jungkook behind the wheel.
YN, however, couldn't help but experience a twinge of regret at the realisation of what might have been as the reality of their current circumstance closed in on her. She was excited about their upcoming journey, but she couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling that something was lacking, an unfinished feeling that persisted throughout the air.
YN was taken aback when Jungkook gave in and let Mike hold her hand. Her heart fell as she struggled with the contradictory feelings that were racing through her. How on earth could Jungkook let go of her so easily? She felt lost and alone as the sensation of betrayal tore at her.
Amid her distress, YN couldn't get rid of the persistent feeling that she had been Jungkook's burden for the entire time. She felt as though she had forced herself on him, as the weight of her fears weighed heavily on her.
YN wondered at Jungkook's tenacity as she saw his grin, which seemed to be untouched by the storm screaming within her.
YN promised in silence, and with a sad heart, that she would not bother Jungkook again. The idea of adding to his already heavy load by bringing her problems to him was too much for her to handle. She reasoned that it would be preferable to suffer in silence than to run the risk of hurting him further.
Accepting her choice, YN turned inside and buried her feelings behind a well-maintained façade. She felt more alone than ever since it seemed like there was less and less time between her and Jungkook. Even if it meant putting her happiness at risk, she couldn't bring herself to disturb the shaky calm that had descended upon them.
Upon hearing Mike's joyful announcement, which announced their arrival, YN experienced a wave of both relief and anxiety. Despite the lingering uneasiness in her heart, she forced a grin on her face and decided to enjoy the moment for what it was.
With laughter resounding all around, the others sprang out of the car, and YN took a minute to gather herself before joining in on their joy. Warmly smiling, Tracie walked over to give her back her phone and gently reminded her to call her parents.
YN opened her phone, happy to have the chance to, at last, soothe her anxious parents, only to see plenty of missed calls from Lori. She felt a twinge of remorse when she realised how worried her friend had to be.
YN assured Lori by text that she was safe and that she and her friends had arrived in Jeju Island. She smiled softly and said as much. However, when she clicked submit, the realisation that Jungkook was unaware of her location sent a flood of anguish through her.
Knowing that she hadn't told Jungkook where she was, YN struggled to erase the guilt that weighed on her despite her best attempts to keep him updated.
