Sunshine in her Shadows (Rosekook AU)

21

Jungkook's POV:

The week that followed Chaeyoung’s decision to take time was one of the longest of my life. Each day felt like a countdown, like we were standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for her to decide whether to jump or stay. I knew she needed space, and time to think things through, but the thought of her leaving—leaving me—made it hard to breathe sometimes.

I spent every moment I could with her, trying to act normal, but the unspoken weight of her decision hung between us like a storm cloud. She wasn’t talking about Australia much, and I wasn’t pushing her. I didn’t want to influence her choice, but the truth was, I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it.

My parents could sense the tension, too. They’d been incredibly supportive throughout all of this, letting Chaeyoung stay with us, giving us the space we needed, but I knew they were worried about me. It wasn’t until a few days later that they sat me down in the living room for a conversation I wasn’t ready for.

“Jungkook,” my dad started, his voice calm but serious. “Your mom and I have been talking, and we think it might be a good idea for you to consider a fresh start too.”

I frowned, not understanding what he meant at first. “What do you mean?”

Mom leaned forward, her hands folded in her lap. “Honey, we know how much you care about Chaeyoung, and we’ve seen how hard this has been on you. You’ve been through a lot for someone your age, and…well, we were thinking that maybe it’s time for you to focus on your future too.”

I stared at them, my heart thudding in my chest. “What are you saying?”

“We’re saying,” Dad continued, “that maybe it’s time for you to think about what’s best for you. We’ve been looking into colleges, and there’s a great program in Busan that would be perfect for you. It’s a fresh start, a new environment where you can focus on your studies and your future.”

Busan. The words hit me like a punch to the gut. They wanted me to move away, to leave everything behind—including Chaeyoung.

“I can’t leave her,” I said immediately, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “She’s going through so much right now. I have to be here for her.”

My mom reached out, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “We understand that, sweetheart. But you’re going through a lot too. You’ve been so strong for Chaeyoung, and we’re so proud of you for that. But you need to think about yourself too. You’ve had to grow up so fast, and we just don’t want you to lose sight of your own dreams.”

I shook my head, feeling the weight of their words pressing down on me. “I don’t care about that right now. I care about her. She needs me.”

Dad sighed, his expression softening. “Jungkook, we’re not saying you need to make any decisions right now. I know you can stay here with Chaeyoung if she stays back, you both are each other's anchors, you will heal together here and we have no problem letting her stay with us, she is like our own daughter. But if Chaeyoung decides to go to Australia… I am scared of the thought of you being alone in this city, continuing school and going through this alone. Maybe it’s something you should consider. If she leaves, a new start might be what you need too.”

I didn’t know what to say. The idea of leaving everything I’d known, of starting over in Busan, felt wrong. How could I leave Chaeyoung when she was the one person I’d been trying so hard to protect? We had been through so much together, and even though the future was uncertain, the one thing I knew for sure was that I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered, though the words tasted bitter. “But I’m not making any promises. I will think about leaving IF AND ONLY IF she decides to move to Australia.”

My mom smiled softly. “That’s all we ask, sweetheart. Just think about it. We want what’s best for you, and we’re here to support you no matter what.”

I nodded, though my heart was still heavy. The thought of leaving Chaeyoung behind was unbearable, but if she went to Australia, what choice would I have? The idea of us both starting fresh in different places felt like the end of everything we’d fought for.

Just as I was about to say something, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Chaeyoung standing in the doorway, her eyes wide. My heart sank, and I wondered how long she had been standing there.

“Chaeyoung…” I started, my voice faltering.

She stepped into the room, her expression unreadable. “What were you talking about?”

Panic surged through me. How much had she heard? Did she know about the conversation with my parents, about the possibility of me leaving too? I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, but the weight of her gaze made my chest tighten. I wanted to tell her everything, but I wasn’t sure how she would react.

“Just… just talking about the future,” I said carefully, glancing at my parents, who looked just as unsure as I felt.

She looked between the three of us, her face calm but her eyes searching mine for answers. I had no idea what she was thinking, but one thing was clear—I couldn’t hide the truth from her much longer.

A/N: Do you think Chaeyoung heard that? What do you think Chaeyoung will decide? Stay here and heal together or part ways and heal?