𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑫 | JUNGKOOK

81. Reunion

Alba's POV

You entered the apartment, the smell hitting you hard. As you removed your shoes, and hanged your coat. Saddie, came running to you, meowing loudly.

"Hi, sweetheart," you greeted her, petting her. She purred loudly, her tail curled.

You went into the kitchen, and the sight made you smile. Aina was busy making her favorite pancakes, she never made them unless the occasion.

"So? How was your day?" she asked, not looking up from the stove.

"It was good," you said, your smile widening.

She turned to you, her expression softening. "Yeah?"

You nodded, and took a seat at the table. "Yeah. I'm working on the finalizing the designs now. I've to submit them this week, and by the way, we got a brand new client today, tomorrow they are coming, Mina instructed me to be there as well as her assistant."

Aina smiled, her eyes shining. "That's great, Alba. You've come a long way."

You chuckled, feeling the warmth spreading in your chest. "Thanks. I owe it all to you."

After that day you went to the interview, despite Aina told you not to, you couldn't shake the guilt. She had been right, in a way. Maybe you should've stayed home, taken some time to heal, but at the same time, you knew you couldn't keep drowning in the aftermath of Jimin leaving. You had to do something for yourself, something to pull yourself out of the endless spiral of grief.

When you returned, she was waiting for you, tears streaming down her face. She hugged you tightly, apologizing through her sobs. "I'm so sorry for trying to hold you back," she said. "I was just angry when I saw Taehyung in your room, thinking about everything. But I'm so happy for you, so proud. You got your dream job." After that, she started helping, supporting you in ways only Aina could.

"So, tell me about this client," she said now, pouring pancake batter into a hot pan, her energy buzzing. "What's the brand name?"

"I don't know yet," you replied, watching the batter bubble up as the pancakes cooked. "It's some luxury brand, apparently really big. They're interested in working with us and showcasing their collection at the next fashion week." You paused, irritation creeping into your tone at how everything seemed to spotlight you lately. "But enough about me. What's with the pancakes? Is there a special occasion?" You raised an eyebrow, trying to shift the focus.

Her face lit up as she flipped the pancakes. "Actually, yes," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. "I got a job offer!"

Your eyes widened, and you gasped. "Really? Where?"

She smiled, her excitement evident. "It's the firm I visited during the competition tour. They want me to lead a case. It's a huge opportunity."

You stood up and wrapped your arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you."

She laughed, returning the hug. "I'm pretty proud of myself, too."

She had finished her final semester exams just a month ago. After Nimi's wedding, she'd been swamped with studying, also quitting her hotel job to focus. All the while, she still found time to look after you, even when you were buried in your own mess, holed up in your room, either crying, reading, or doing anything to distract yourself.

As you ate pancakes together, the conversation flowed naturally, her excitement filling the room. But your thoughts kept drifting back to the upcoming meeting. The possibility of seeing Jungkook again made your stomach twist with anxiety. It had been four months since you last saw him, and the changes were undeniable. At first, you barely recognized him, his hair was longer, the lip piercing was gone, and his face had a fuller, more rugged look. He'd bulked up, too, making him seem like a different person altogether.