Falling for the Dark || JJK

Chapter 2: Cracks in the Silence

The next few nights felt like a waiting game for Evelyn. After her brief conversation with Jungkook, she couldn't stop thinking about him. There was something about the way he had looked at her, the darkness in his eyes that lingered long after he had left, that kept playing in her mind. Every night she came to work, she found herself scanning the door, wondering if he would come in again.

And every night, he did.

It became routine—Jungkook walking in just before closing, slipping silently into his corner booth. He still didn't say much, but now, Evelyn was hyper-aware of his presence, her curiosity gnawing at her with each passing day. She wanted to know more about him, but every attempt to talk to him ended in vague answers and silence.

Still, she felt like there was something unspoken between them, an invisible thread that connected them in some way. And every night, that thread seemed to pull tighter.

One evening, a storm rolled in. The wind howled outside, rattling the windows of the café as rain lashed against the glass. It was late, and the usual trickle of customers had slowed to a halt. Evelyn had always found storms calming in a strange way, but tonight, the storm felt different—like the sky was mirroring the tension she felt inside.

As the rain pounded harder, the door swung open with a loud creak, and there he was—Jungkook, drenched from head to toe. His black jacket clung to his body, and his hair was wet, dripping onto his forehead. He didn't seem to care about the rain or the storm as he strode to his usual booth, his expression unreadable.

Evelyn felt a surge of something—concern, curiosity, maybe both—as she watched him sit down. His usual quiet, brooding presence seemed heavier tonight, like the storm outside had brought something darker with it.

Without thinking, she grabbed a towel from behind the counter and walked over to his table. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if he would welcome the gesture, but then she handed him the towel.

"Here," she said softly, offering a small smile. "You're soaked."

Jungkook looked up at her, surprised. For a moment, he didn't move, just stared at the towel in her hand as if he didn't know what to do with it. Then, slowly, he took it from her, his fingers brushing against hers for a brief second. His touch was cold, almost startlingly so, and Evelyn couldn't help the slight shiver that ran down her spine.

"Thanks," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.

Evelyn stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to say next. There was something about the way he looked tonight—so lost, so distant—that made her want to reach out to him, to pull him out of whatever darkness he was trapped in. But she didn't know how.

"Rough night?" she asked, keeping her voice light, though she knew there was more weight behind her question.

Jungkook didn't respond right away. He wiped the rain from his face with the towel, his movements slow, almost robotic. His eyes remained fixed on the window, watching the rain as it streamed down the glass in long, winding trails.

"Something like that," he finally said, his voice low and rough.

Evelyn nodded, though she knew there was more to his answer. He always kept things vague, never revealing too much, but tonight felt different. There was a heaviness in the air, a tension that seemed to sit between them like a wall. And for the first time, Evelyn felt like maybe, just maybe, he was ready to let that wall crack.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she said, her voice gentle. "But... I'm here if you need to."