Sunshine in her Shadows (Rosekook AU)

23

Jungkook POV:

When I woke up, the room felt heavier, like the air had thickened overnight. Chaeyoung was already awake, sitting up in bed with her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was pale, eyes hollowed by sleepless nights. I knew something was coming. Something I didn’t want to hear.

“Kook,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

My heart clenched in my chest. I sat up, my body tensing as I waited for the words that would change everything.

“I’ve made up my mind,” she said softly, her eyes never leaving mine. “I’m going to Australia.”

I couldn’t speak. My throat closed up, and my mind spun in a thousand different directions, trying to process what she had just said. She was leaving. She was leaving me.

For a moment, I thought about arguing, about begging her to stay. But deep down, I knew she was right. This was what she needed. The talk with my parents last night had forced me to consider things I didn’t want to face. Chaeyoung was trapped in a world of pain, and as much as I wanted to protect her, I couldn’t heal her. She needed space, and time, and maybe the distance would help her find herself again.

But it didn’t make it any easier.

The next few days were suffocating. We acted like everything was normal, but there was an unspoken tension between us. We’d sit in silence for hours, neither of us knowing what to say. Sometimes, I’d catch her staring at the plane ticket her aunt had sent, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. Every time I tried to bring it up, the words would get stuck in my throat, too painful to voice.

I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus on anything. I found myself wandering the streets at night, trying to make sense of the ache in my chest. I wanted to be angry, to yell at her for leaving, but I couldn’t. Because deep down, I knew she needed this more than I needed her to stay.

The night before her aunt arrived, we sat on the roof of my house, staring at the stars. It reminded us of our spot, on the terrace of our school, a place where we could escape the weight of the world. But tonight, it felt different. Final. Like everything was slipping through my fingers.

“I’m scared, Kook,” she said, her voice so soft I almost didn’t hear it. “I’m scared I won’t know how to live without all this pain, without you. That maybe I’m just... broken.”

“You’re not broken, Chaeyoung,” I whispered, my throat tight with emotion. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ll heal. And when you do... I’ll be here.”

She didn’t say anything after that, just leaned her head on my shoulder, and we sat there in silence until the sun began to rise.

---

The next day, her aunt arrived.

Before I could respond to her presence, Chaeyoung’s aunt entered the room, her face soft but determined. “Chaeyoung, it’s time. We’ve got to start packing.”

I nodded numbly, standing up as her aunt walked past me to talk to my parents. I heard their quiet voices in the living room as her aunt thanked them for everything. For taking care of Chaeyoung, and for being there through the hardest time of her life.

Chaeyoung followed her aunt out of the room, and I trailed behind, my heart feeling like it was going to break apart with every step. My mom was in the kitchen, already packing a large box filled with all of Chaeyoung’s favorite Korean foods. She always believed that no matter how far you went, a taste of home could bring comfort.

“Here,” my mom said softly, pressing the box into Chaeyoung’s arms. “I know Australia is far, but when you miss home, just heat some of these, okay?”

Chaeyoung’s lip trembled, and for the first time in what felt like weeks, she broke. The tears she had been holding in started to fall, and she dropped the box on the counter to hug my mom. I watched as she cried into her shoulder, the weight of it all finally too much to bear.

My dad stood beside me, his hand heavy on my shoulder. “She’s doing what she needs to do,” he said gently. “And you need to support her, son.”

I nodded, but the tears were already welling in my eyes. I was trying so hard to stay strong, to be the rock that Chaeyoung needed, but I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to let her go.

Chaeyoung moved from my mom to my dad, hugging him too, and then she turned to me. I froze, my heart pounding as she stepped closer, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

“Thank you, Jungkook,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “For everything. You’ve been my entire world these last few months, and I... I couldn’t have survived without you.”

I felt the tears spill over, burning as they trailed down my cheeks. She stepped into my arms, and I held her tight, feeling the way her body shook with sobs against mine. I didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. But I had to be strong, for her.

“I’ll be back,” she whispered against my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt like she was holding on for dear life. “I promise, Jungkook. I just need time to heal. But when I’m better... when I’ve found myself again... I’ll come back. For you.”

I buried my face in her hair, trying to control the sobs that threatened to escape. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that one day, she would come back, and we’d be okay. But a part of me wondered if this was the end if I’d lose her forever.

“I’ll wait,” I choked out, my voice trembling. “I’ll wait for you, Chaeyoung. No matter how long it takes.”

She pulled back slightly, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. “You need to live too, Jungkook. Don’t put your life on hold because of me.”

I couldn’t respond. I just held her tighter, trying to memorize the feeling of her in my arms, knowing that soon, it would only be a memory.