Jinkook Short Stories: My Roommate

6

Jin avoided Jungkook for the next few days, staying in his room for as long as he could and only coming out when he knew Jungkook wasn't around. The apartment, once filled with laughter and casual conversation, now felt like a silent battlefield. Every inch of the space was tense with the weight of unspoken words and broken hearts.

Jin barely slept. When he did, his dreams were filled with flashes of that night-his confession, Jungkook's stunned silence, and the crushing weight of rejection that followed. Every time he woke up, his heart was heavier than before, the ache in his chest growing more unbearable with each passing day.

Jungkook had tried knocking on his door a few times, but Jin couldn't bring himself to face him. What could he say? He had already poured his heart out, and Jungkook had made it clear where he stood. There was nothing left to discuss, nothing that would change the painful reality of their situation.

It wasn't until the fourth day after the confession that they finally crossed paths. Jin had thought Jungkook was out, so he ventured into the kitchen to grab a quick snack. But as he reached for a glass in the cabinet, the door to Jungkook's room opened, and he appeared in the doorway, his eyes locking onto Jin's in an instant.

Jin's heart skipped a beat. His pulse quickened, and his hand froze on the glass. He hadn't seen Jungkook up close since that night, and now, under the harsh kitchen light, all the memories of their conversation flooded back like a tidal wave.

"Jin," Jungkook said softly, his voice tentative, almost hesitant. He took a step forward, his gaze never leaving Jin's. "Can we... can we talk?"

Jin swallowed, gripping the glass tightly in his hand. His chest tightened at the sight of Jungkook standing there, looking vulnerable for the first time since the confession. Jin wanted to run, to hide, but he knew he couldn't keep avoiding this conversation forever. So he nodded, his throat dry.

They both sat down at the small kitchen table, the silence between them thick and uncomfortable. Jin's heart raced, anxiety gnawing at him as he stared down at his hands. He couldn't bring himself to look at Jungkook. Not yet.

Jungkook shifted in his seat, his voice quiet when he finally spoke. "I've been trying to figure out what to say since... since that night."

Jin's fingers tightened around the edge of the table, bracing himself for what was coming. He knew where this conversation was headed, but hearing it from Jungkook's mouth would make it all too real.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Jungkook continued, his voice soft, almost pained. "I swear, I didn't mean for things to get so complicated."

Jin let out a shaky breath, nodding. "I know," he whispered, though the words felt hollow. He knew Jungkook hadn't meant to hurt him, but that didn't change the fact that he had. Jin's heart had been broken, and no amount of apologies could fix that.

Jungkook sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I care about you, Jin. I really do. You're important to me."

Jin flinched at the word "important." It felt like a consolation prize, a label given to someone who wasn't quite enough. Important-but not enough to be loved the way Jin wanted to be loved. Important-but not enough to be chosen.

"I don't want things to be awkward between us," Jungkook added, his voice tinged with desperation. "I don't want to lose our friendship."

Friendship. There it was. The word that sealed Jin's fate. That's all he would ever be to Jungkook-just a friend. Just someone who was there, but never really seen.

Jin forced a tight smile, his chest aching with every beat of his heart. "We'll be fine," he lied, though his voice betrayed him, cracking slightly at the edges. "Don't worry about it."

But Jungkook wasn't convinced. His eyes searched Jin's face, as if looking for something-an opening, perhaps, to make things right. "Jin, are you sure? I-"

Jin cut him off, standing abruptly from the table, his body trembling from the weight of his emotions. "I'm sure, Jungkook. Just... let's not talk about this anymore, okay?" He couldn't bear to hear it again, to have his heart torn open for the hundredth time. He needed space, time to heal, and hearing Jungkook say that they would never be more than friends was like twisting the knife deeper.

Jungkook opened his mouth to protest, but then he closed it, his expression falling. He looked like he wanted to say more, but something in Jin's tone must have told him it was better to leave it alone. So instead, he nodded, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Jin turned away, his chest tight as he moved back to his room, the suffocating weight of their conversation pressing down on him. But just as he reached for his bedroom door, Jungkook's voice called out to him, soft and unsure.

"Jin, wait."

Jin froze, his hand still on the doorknob. His heart hammered in his chest as he slowly turned back around to face Jungkook, who was standing in the middle of the living room now, his eyes wide with something unreadable.

"I... I need you to know something," Jungkook began, his voice shaky, as if he was fighting some inner battle. "That kiss... it wasn't just because I was drunk. I mean, I was drunk, but..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair in frustration, clearly struggling with the words. "I don't know how to explain it, but it wasn't meaningless. I just... I don't know what I'm doing. With Mingyu, with you... everything's a mess, and I-"

But Jin didn't let him finish. He couldn't. Not right now. He couldn't handle the confusion in Jungkook's voice, the way he sounded like he was torn between two worlds. Jin had already put his heart on the line once, and it had nearly destroyed him. He couldn't do it again.

"Please, Jungkook," Jin whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "Just... let me go."

Jungkook's face fell, and for a moment, Jin thought he saw something like regret flash across his eyes. But whatever it was, it was gone in an instant, replaced by the same uncertainty that had been hanging between them since the night of the kiss.

Jin didn't wait for an answer. He turned and walked into his room, closing the door behind him, the finality of it echoing through the apartment like the end of a chapter neither of them were ready to finish.

Thanks for standby:)