Caramel Macchiato (Jungkook's perspective)

Chapter 42

(A/N: Just two three more chapters)

The door swings open, and my breath catches in my throat. It's Minseo.

I stare at her, wide-eyed- she looks exhausted and dull, but there's this new glimmer in her eyes I hadn't seen in months. I blink, trying to process her presence here, right now. Instead of stepping inside, she pulls me by the collar and drags me out. What? I glance back, catching a glimpse of the hyungs still gathered around the table. I can almost hear Jin hyung's desperate voice, "Yah, Kookie, is that a girl?!"

I mutter a quick excuse as I follow her outside, the door closing behind me. "I'll be right back, hyung, just-"

"Jungkook!" Jin hyung's voice is muffled by the door, but I can hear Namjoon hyung calming him down, probably with some logical argument about me needing space. I owe you one, hyung.

The chill of the night air hits my face, but all I can focus on is Minseo. She stands there, hands shaking slightly as she brushes her hair out of her face. I take a step closer, searching her eyes, trying to read her. There's something different about her tonight. Something heavy but resolute.

Before I can even ask what's wrong, I pull her into a tight hug. My arms wrap around her instinctively, holding her close. She doesn't hesitate. Minseo hugs me back, just as tight, her head pressing against my chest. She feels fragile, like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and my heart clenches painfully.

She's going through so much.

"I'm sorry," she whispers against my shirt, her voice trembling. "For everything. For my outbursts, for being so confusing, for... for making things harder for you."

I pull back slightly, but keep her close, holding her by the shoulders. I shake my head, my voice soft. "It's okay, Minseo. I understand. You're going through a lot." I glance down at her, my heart aching as I see her tear-stained face. "You don't have to apologize."

She looks up at me, her expression shy, vulnerable. Her lips tremble as she struggles to find the words, but finally, she speaks. "Jungkook, I'm ready."

My heart skips a beat. I blink, confused. "Ready? Ready for what?"

Minseo takes a deep breath, gathering her courage, and her eyes meet mine with a newfound determination. "I'm ready for full-on commitment. I've sorted things out- my past, my present, and my future. And I'm ready now. For us. For everything."

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. My chest tightens, my heart pounding in my ears. This is what I've been waiting for, right? For her to be ready, to commit fully. But why does it feel like something's off? Why does my heart feel like it's sinking instead of soaring?

I should be happy, but... why am I so scared?

Before I can even respond, the door creaks open, and Jimin hyung steps out into the night. His face is unusually serious, and the air around us changes instantly. He walks over to us, his eyes flicking between Minseo and me. Something heavy lingers in the air, and I can tell by the look on his face that he's about to say something important.

"Jungkook," hyung starts, his voice low but steady, "I didn't want to interrupt, but... I need to tell you something." He glances at Minseo before looking back at me. "You and I are enlisting in four days."

The words hang in the air like a bomb just dropped. Four days? My throat tightens, and I can't speak. Minseo stiffens in my arms, her breath catching. She pulls away from me slightly, her eyes wide with shock.

"Four days?" she whispers, her voice breaking. "But... that's so soon."

Jimin hyung nods, his expression soft but resigned. "Yeah... it is. I didn't want to say anything tonight, but... I figured you both should know now."

Minseo's shoulders slump, and she takes a shaky breath. Her eyes are brimming with tears, and I can tell this is hitting her harder than I expected. I reach out to hold her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Minseo..." I whisper, unsure of what to say. I know this isn't easy for her. Everything's happening so fast.

But she surprises me. Instead of breaking down, she takes another deep breath and nods, as if trying to steady herself. "I get it," she says softly, though her voice wavers. "It's part of who you guys are. You have to serve."

Jimin hyung smiles sadly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It's hard, but we'll all get through it. Just like we always do."

I can see the pain in Minseo's eyes, and my heart clenches again. I hate seeing her like this. I pull her into another hug, pressing my chin against the top of her head. "I promise," I whisper, "I'll try my best to contact you often. I'll visit whenever I can, okay? You won't be alone, Minseo."

She nods against my chest, but I can feel her tears soaking through my shirt. "I don't want you to go," she whispers, her voice breaking. "But I know you have to."

I close my eyes, trying to hold back my own emotions. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

After a moment, she pulls away, wiping her eyes quickly. She takes a deep breath and forces a small smile. "I'm just being dramatic."

"You're not," I say softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're just... human."

Jimin hyung chuckles softly from behind us, breaking the tension. "I'll give you two a moment, but... Jin hyung's probably losing his mind inside, thinking Jungkook's got an angry pregnant girlfriend."

I laugh weakly, thankful for the levity. "Yeah... I should probably introduce you, Minseo. He doesn't know about you yet."

Minseo blinks, her eyes widening slightly. "Wait, he doesn't know?"

I shake my head, grinning nervously. "Yeah... I kind of... forgot to tell him?"

Before Minseo can respond, the door swings open, and there he is- Jin hyung, his face twisted in mock anger, pairing well with the red. "Yah, Jungkook! You're a liar! You've been hiding things from me!"

I can't help but laugh as Jin hyung storms over, waving his hands dramatically. "How could you not tell me about this?! You're already dating, and I didn't even know!"

Minseo looks stunned, but I can see the faintest smile tugging at her lips as she watches Jin hyung's red face.

"I'm sorry, hyung! I was going to tell you eventually," I say, holding my hands up in mock surrender.

Jin hyung scoffs, crossing his arms. "You better! I thought we were family! Hiding things like this from me... You should be ashamed."

But deep down, we all know Jin hyung has already accepted Minseo. His over-the-top reaction is just his way of showing he cares. He grins at her, finally dropping the act. "Well, welcome to the family, Minseo. You're stuck with us now."

Minseo smiles, her cheeks flushed, and I can feel the tension in the air beginning to ease.

This is my family. No matter how complicated things get, we'll always have each other