Should Be You | Jikook ✔️

Chapter 7

Jungkook stirred awake, feeling the familiar warmth of his wife beside him. Yeri’s arm was draped over his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. It was a position they had once found comfort in, a simple embrace that used to mean everything to them. But now, it felt different. It felt heavy.

Jungkook blinked a few times, adjusting to the morning light. He glanced down at Yeri, her face peaceful in sleep. She looked so innocent, so fragile in this moment, and yet the sight of her only deepened the ache in his chest. He used to love waking up like this, used to cherish the way she clung to him in her sleep. But that was a long time ago.

He tried, once again, to summon those old feelings, to bring back the spark that had once ignited between them. He wanted to feel the same rush of emotions he had when they first fell in love, when he would do anything just to see her smile. But it wasn’t there. The connection they once had had frayed over the years, slowly unraveling until there was almost nothing left to hold onto.

Jungkook let out a quiet sigh, careful not to wake her. He didn’t want to disturb this moment of peace, even if it felt hollow to him. The irony wasn’t lost on him—how he had loved her so deeply at first, only for that love to fade over time. And now, it seemed like the roles had reversed. Yeri, who had once been hesitant, now held on tightly, as if she could bring back what was lost if she just loved him enough.

But he couldn’t blame her. He couldn’t blame himself either. Love was complicated, and life had a way of changing people, of changing feelings. What they had gone through, the trials and tribulations of their relationship, had chipped away at the foundation of their love until it was barely recognizable.

Jungkook carefully shifted, trying to ease Yeri’s grip without waking her. He needed to get up, to clear his head. The bed felt too confining, too suffocating, with all the emotions swirling inside him. As he moved, Yeri stirred, her grip on him tightening for a moment before she slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep as she looked up at him.

"Morning," Jungkook replied softly, offering her a small smile. It was automatic, a reflex, but there was no real warmth behind it.

Yeri’s eyes searched his face, as if looking for something, some reassurance that everything was okay. She looked at him like he was her anchor, the one thing keeping her grounded. And that only made the guilt weigh heavier on him.

"You’re up early," she commented, noticing the way he was already half out of bed.

"Yeah," Jungkook nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Just couldn’t sleep well."

"Is everything alright?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Jungkook hesitated, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to burden her with the truth. "Yeah, just… a lot on my mind."

Yeri’s expression softened, and she reached up to cup his cheek, a gesture that used to comfort him. "I’m here, you know. You can talk to me."

He leaned into her touch for a moment, savoring the familiarity of it, but it didn’t bring him the comfort it once did. "I know," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

She sighed, sensing the distance between them even though they were physically close. "Jungkook… I know things have been hard. I know I haven’t made it easy."

Jungkook looked down at her, his heart aching at the vulnerability in her eyes. She was trying so hard, holding on to the hope that they could fix what was broken. But he couldn’t keep pretending that everything was okay, that they could just go back to the way things were.