𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑫 | JUNGKOOK

90. Home

Jungkook's POV

The past few weeks had been grueling for both of us. The weight of everything was pressing down on me, not just the deadlines, Claire's relentless pressure, and Alba's exhaustion, also the issue with Bang Chan. It had been sitting in the back of my mind for weeks now, gnawing at me.

I hadn't told Alba about any of this. I didn't want her to know. She was already dealing with so much, and I didn't want to add more to her plate. Part of me wondered if that was the right decision, if keeping her in the dark was really protecting her, or if it was just delaying the inevitable fallout.

But for now, I'd take the burden. I'd deal with him, Claire, and anyone else who tried to stand in her way. She had enough to worry about without this hanging over her head.

She had been working relentlessly. For the past few weeks, she'd barely slept, redoing nearly 300 sketches, scrapping entire concepts, and starting over again without missing a beat. Every time I saw her, she looked more worn out, eyes rimmed with exhaustion but still burning with a quiet determination. She wouldn't let herself slow down, not even for a second.

I could see the toll it was taking on her, but she never complained. Not once. She just buried herself deeper into her work, pulling late nights. There were times I would come into her office, only to find her asleep at her desk, slumped over her latest designs. It hurt to see her like that, but I knew how much this meant to her and how much she wanted to prove herself, not just to Claire but to herself.

That was just the start of it. I'd check on her, making sure she was eating. Sometimes, I'd find her hunched over her desk, barely halfway through a sandwich I'd left for her hours ago. I'd sit across from her, insisting she finish the meal before diving back into work. She'd give me that stubborn look, but eventually, she'd sigh and eat the rest, clearly too tired to argue anymore.

I made it my mission to be there for her, to make sure she didn't fall apart. It wasn't easy balancing everything with my own projects, the meetings, and the constant paperwork, but somehow, I managed to keep everything moving. I don't know how I did it, but I did it for her.

Every day, I made sure she was eating, even when she protested, too focused on her work to care about a meal.

"Just a few more minutes, Jungkook," she'd say, barely glancing up as she scribbled away.

But I wasn't having it. I'd bring her coffee or lunch, sit it down beside her, and refuse to leave until she took a break. Sometimes I'd even drag her out of the office, insisting we grab a quick coffee or just step outside to breathe for a few minutes.

"Jungkook, I don't have time for this," she'd protest, but I'd just shake my head and smile.

"You can't run on fumes, Alba. You need to recharge. Five minutes won't kill you," I'd say, guiding her out of the office as she reluctantly followed.

Those little moments of escape; grabbing coffee at the café down the street, or sitting on a bench in the park just talking about anything but work, became our lifeline. It was the only time we could both breathe, and even though she resisted at first, I could see the change in her. She needed those breaks, even if she wouldn't admit it. And in those small moments, I began to feel a shift between us. We were getting closer, in ways I hadn't expected. The walls she'd built up between us, finally started to crumble, little by little.

Some nights, I'd drive her home, a silent assurance that she wasn't in this alone. She never said much on those drives, probably too tired to even form coherent sentences. Eventually, though, things started to shift.

Claire finally approved the first 50 sketches. It felt like a victory, but we both knew the battle wasn't over yet. There was still so much left to do, refining the collection, finalizing the designs, but at least we were making progress.