Starlight Encounters

Whispers of the Heart

"In the silence between words, our love speaks the loudest."

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Word Count: 1233

Lisa hummed softly as she prepared breakfast in the sunlit kitchen of their penthouse apartment. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the sizzle of eggs on the stove. She glanced at the clock – 7:15 AM. Jungkook would be down any minute now.

As if on cue, she heard his footsteps on the stairs. Jungkook appeared in the doorway, impeccably dressed in a tailored navy suit, his dark hair neatly styled.

"Good morning," Lisa said with a warm smile, sliding a plate of eggs and toast across the kitchen island.

Jungkook nodded, taking a seat. "Morning," he replied, his voice still gravelly from sleep. He reached for the steaming mug of coffee Lisa had placed beside his plate.

They ate in comfortable silence, a routine they had fallen into over the years. Words weren't always necessary between them; their love was expressed in small gestures – the way Jungkook's eyes softened when he looked at her, or how Lisa always made sure his favorite meals were prepared.

As Jungkook finished his breakfast, Lisa handed him his briefcase. Their fingers brushed momentarily, sending a familiar tingle through her.

"Have a good day at work," she said softly.

Jungkook paused at the door, turning back to look at her. For a moment, it seemed like he might say something more, but instead, he simply nodded. "I'll be home for dinner," he said, and then he was gone.

Lisa sighed as the door closed behind him. Sometimes she wished they could express their feelings more openly, but she knew Jungkook showed his love in his own way – through his dedication to providing for them, his gentle touches, his quiet presence.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Lisa decided to tackle some household chores. She made her way to Jungkook's home office, intending to tidy up and organize his workspace. She knew how particular he was about his files, but surely he wouldn't mind if she just straightened things up a bit.

As she was arranging some papers on his desk, she noticed his laptop was still on. "I should probably shut this down properly," she murmured to herself. But as she moved the mouse, her elbow accidentally knocked over a glass of water that had been left on the desk.

"Oh no!" Lisa gasped, quickly grabbing tissues to mop up the spill. In her haste, she clicked something on the screen without realizing it. When she looked back at the laptop, her heart sank. The folder containing Jungkook's work files was open – and it was empty.

Panic set in as Lisa frantically searched for the missing files. Had she accidentally deleted them? She checked the recycle bin, looked through other folders, but there was no trace of the important documents she knew Jungkook had been working on.

Overwhelmed with stress and worry, Lisa slumped in Jungkook's office chair. Before she knew it, she had drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

In her dream, she saw Jungkook's face contorted with anger.

"How could you be so careless?" dream-Jungkook shouted. "Those files represented months of work! The entire merger could fall apart because of this!"

Lisa tried to apologize, to explain, but dream-Jungkook wouldn't listen.

"This is why I told you not to touch my work stuff!" he raged. "You always manage to screw things up!"

The dream felt so vivid, so real, that when Lisa jerked awake, her heart was pounding. She looked around the office, disoriented for a moment, before remembering what had happened.

The laptop screen still showed the empty folder. It wasn't a dream – she had really deleted Jungkook's files. But the angry confrontation... that had just been in her mind. She hadn't told Jungkook yet.

Lisa glanced at the clock. It was late afternoon; Jungkook would be home in a couple of hours. She had a decision to make: should she tell him what happened, or try to fix it on her own first?

After a moment of internal debate, Lisa decided to attempt recovery on her own. She spent the next hour researching file recovery methods and trying various software, but to no avail. The files seemed to be permanently gone.

As the sound of Jungkook's key in the lock reached her ears, Lisa felt a wave of dread. She had to tell him the truth, but the memory of her dream made her hesitate. Would he really react that way?

"Lisa?" Jungkook called out as he entered the apartment.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa stepped out of the office. "In here," she replied, her voice shakier than she intended.

Jungkook appeared in the hallway, loosening his tie. He paused when he saw her face. "Is everything okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Lisa twisted her hands nervously. "Jungkook, I... I need to tell you something. But please, try to stay calm."

His brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I was trying to organize your office earlier, and I... I accidentally deleted some important files from your laptop," Lisa confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think they were for your big project."

Jungkook's eyes widened, but instead of the explosion of anger Lisa had feared, he simply took a deep breath. "Show me," he said quietly.

They walked to the office together, and Lisa pointed out the empty folder on his laptop screen. Jungkook sat down, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he checked various locations.

After a tense few minutes, he leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "They're gone," he confirmed, his voice tight but controlled.

Lisa felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Jungkook, I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I know how important those files were."

To her surprise, Jungkook stood up and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "It's okay," he murmured. "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

Lisa looked up at him, confused. "You're not... angry?"

Jungkook sighed. "I'm frustrated, yes. But not at you. I should have backed up those files. And I should have communicated better about not wanting anyone to touch my work laptop."

"But what about your project?" Lisa asked, still worried.

"It's a setback," Jungkook admitted. "But not an insurmountable one. I have some older versions of the files on my work computer, and I remember most of the recent changes. It'll be a long night, but I can recreate what was lost."

Lisa felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Let me help," she offered. "I can't replace the technical details, but I can help with research or formatting or whatever you need."

Jungkook smiled softly. "I'd like that," he said. Then, more seriously, "Lisa, I want you to know that no matter what happens with work, you're the most important thing in my life. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise."

Touched by his words, Lisa leaned up and kissed him gently. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Jungkook replied, the words he so rarely spoke aloud filling Lisa's heart with warmth.

As they settled in for a long night of work, Lisa realized that sometimes, the challenges they faced brought them closer together. Their love might often be silent, but in moments like these, it spoke volumes.

The night stretched on as they worked side by side, rebuilding what was lost and, in the process, strengthening the bond between them. And as the first light of dawn peeked through the windows, Lisa knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

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