𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑫 | JUNGKOOK

75. Truly Lost

Jungkook's POV

I leaned against a large driftwood log, watching the scene in front of me. The music, the laughter, the way Jimin held Alba so close. I gritted my teeth as I watched Jimin whisper something into her ear, making her laugh. She tilted her head back, her smile bright and open, like she didn't have a care in the world. I hated how easy it was for Jimin to make her laugh, how effortlessly he could turn her head in his direction.

I took a deep swig from my bottle, the burn of the liquor doing little to dull the sharper sting of jealousy. I had told myself I wasn't going to let it get to me but every time I saw them together, it was like rubbing salt into a wound that never quite healed. The more I tried to ignore it, the more it ate at me.

But it wasn't just some thing. It was her. Alba, the girl who had somehow made me feel in a way that no one else had. I watched as Jimin spun her around, they looked good together, I had to admit. Like they fit. And maybe they did. Maybe that was what made this all so hard.

Aina plopped down beside me, her energy infectious. "Hey, what's with the face? You look like you just ate a lemon."

Aina and Alba couldn't have been more different. Where Alba was still learning to open up around everyone, she had quickly found her place. At first, she tried to keep her distance from me. But soon enough, she started to get along with me, though she never let me forget that she didn't approve of how I'd treated Alba. I had apologized, but I knew I was still on thin ice with her.

I forced a smile, shrugging off her comment. "Just thinking," I muttered, taking another swig from my drink.

"About?" she prodded. "Because if it's about Alba and Jimin, you're wasting your time."

I shot her a glare, but she just laughed, clearly unbothered by my dark look.

"Mind your business," I grumbled.

She just laughed again, harder this time. "Oh, come on. You're not as slick as you think, Jungkook. Everyone sees the way you look at her," she said, her voice dropping slightly as if she was offering me some kind of secret. "But she's with Jimin now, and they're happy. You have to admit it."

"Easy for you to say," I shot back, my voice edged with frustration.

She raised an eyebrow, giving me a long, measured look. "Maybe, but you can't just get back, you lost your chance yourself."

I snorted, a bitter laugh escaping me. "I don't lose," I said, the words feeling hollow even as I spoke them.

She sighed. "You already did....maybe it's time to figure out what you really want, instead of chasing something just because you can't have it."

I looked away, my eyes drifting back to Alba and Jimin. They were sitting on a blanket now, their heads close together, talking softly. I wanted to hate Jimin for it, wanted to blame him for everything, but deep down, I knew that wasn't fair. Jimin was my friend, my family, and more than that, he had always been there for me. This was on me, for not acting sooner, for not being brave enough to say what I felt before it was too late.

I didn't respond, just kept my eyes on the flames. I drained the last of my drink, the bitterness lingering on my tongue, and stood up. "I'm going for a walk," I said abruptly, needing to get away from the noise, from the laughter, from everything that reminded me of what I couldn't have.

Aina just nodded, not pressing me any further.

Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I turned away. The sound of laughter faded as I walked down the shoreline, the cool breeze off the water ruffling my hair. As I walked along the beach, my footsteps trailing in the sand, all I could think about was Alba's smile and the way she looked at Jimin, like he was her whole world. And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly lost.