Sunshine in her Shadows (Rosekook AU)

26

Chaeyoung POV:

Australia felt like a world away from everything I had known. The skies were brighter, the streets quieter, and the people friendlier. But no matter how different it was, I couldn’t shake the emptiness inside me. I had left my old life behind. Chaeyoung was gone. Now, I was Roseanne—someone new, someone who had the chance to heal and rebuild.

At first, it felt strange introducing myself with a new name. But over time, “Roseanne” became familiar, like a coat I hadn’t realized I needed to put on. My aunt had been a rock through the entire process, enrolling me in school and pushing me toward therapy. She knew how much I had been through, and with her guidance, I slowly began to heal.

Therapy became a regular part of my life. The sessions were hard at first—talking about my parents, the violence, the accident, and my unrequited love. I had buried so much of it that facing it head-on felt like reliving it all over again. But it helped. With time, I learned how to deal with the guilt and pain, and how to forgive myself for everything that had happened.

As I healed, I found my purpose. Studying law felt like the right path, and soon enough, I immersed myself in criminal law, specializing in domestic violence cases. I wanted to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves, for the people who needed a voice in the darkest moments of their lives. It was personal. I knew what it felt like to be trapped, to feel like there was no way out. And now, I could help others find the escape they deserved.

Years passed, and life in Australia became comfortable. I had built a career, and a reputation. People knew Roseanne Park as a fierce defense attorney who wouldn’t back down. I was proud of that, but no matter how many cases I won, or how far I ran, one part of me remained stuck in the past.

Jungkook. I was still Jungkook's firecracker.

Maybe that’s why I became a lawyer. I wanted to protect others the way Jungkook had protected me. Every time I stepped into a courtroom, I channeled his strength and care into my work. When I stood up for a client, especially in domestic violence cases, I thought of how Jungkook had fought for me in his quiet way—patching my wounds, sitting by my side, and being there when no one else was.

He was always there, a ghost in the back of my mind. No matter how much time passed, I couldn’t forget him. The way he had been there for me, the way he had taken care of me when no one else did. He had been my rock when I couldn’t stand on my own. And though I had promised to come back, I hadn’t. I wasn’t sure if I ever could. Too much time had passed. Maybe he had moved on. Maybe he had forgotten me.

But as soon as mobile phones became the norm and social media exploded, I couldn’t resist the urge to search for him. I spent hours trying to find any trace of him online, scrolling through old contacts and messaging schoolmates from Korea who might know where he was. He and I were the loners with no friends, so out of the very few people I found, no one knew where he was. I tried his name in search engines, hoping for some clue, some sign that he was still out there.

It was harder than I thought. Jungkook wasn’t exactly a common name, but without any other details, I couldn’t be sure if the results I found were him. Some people had moved, and changed their lives entirely. I didn’t know where to look. I had no clue if he moved to Busan or was still in Seoul. I didn’t know where he was now, where and what he studied, or what he had become.

But I never stopped trying.

Whenever I had a free moment, I searched for him. Late at night, after long hours in the courtroom, I would lie in bed, scrolling through my phone, hoping for a clue. Maybe one day, I’d find him. Or maybe he had found his own path, far from me.

Despite the uncertainty, there was a strange comfort in knowing that somewhere, Jungkook was out there. But a possessive jealous part of me thinks, Maybe he found a girlfriend, Maybe he was caring for her, just like he had cared for me.

Until I found him, I poured everything I had into my work. Each time I won a tough case, I knew it wasn’t just for me. It was for the people I represented and for the part of me that Jungkook had saved. Protecting others made me feel connected to him, like even though we were separated by thousands of miles, his influence was still with me, guiding me in every difficult moment.

As I built my life in Australia, I kept my hope alive. I had grown, healed, and become stronger than I ever thought possible. But part of me would always belong to the boy who had stood by my side when I needed him the most. Roseanne may be fine with her life in Australia, but Chaeyoung still longed for the boy who had been my light when everything around me was dark. The sunshine in my shadows. The first and maybe only love of my life.

One day, I told myself, I’d find him. Or maybe, just maybe, he would find me first.

A/N: Do you think they will ever meet? Or did they part ways for good? Only a few chapters left, let me know how you liked the story so far.