My Dearest You || Rosekook

☘CHAPTER 15

🥀CHAEYOUNG'S POV

I awoke to the soft, persistent licks on my face. Groggily, I opened my eyes, only to find Jewel's nose almost pressed against mine, while Kookie biting my blanket, determined to pull it away.

"Finally awake, huh?" came Jungkook’s voice, filled with a mix of amusement and something else. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, watching with mild amusement as the dogs did their best to rouse me from sleep.

“Why are you...” I tried to push myself up, but before I could finish my words, a sharp, blinding pain shot through my head. “Ahhh!!” I screamed, clutching my temples as if my skull might split in two. The pain was excruciating, a throbbing I had never experienced before.

“That’s what happens when you down five bottles of soju in one night.” Jungkook smirked, handing me a steaming bowl of hangover soup.

“W-what? F-five sojus?” My voice trembled with disbelief. Five bottles? I could barely manage a sip of wine, so how on earth did I survive five bottles of soju?

"Yeah." he said, blowing on the soup to cool it down. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was? Anyone would think we’ve stressed you out to the point of breaking."

His words stung a little, but they weren’t entirely untrue. He was right; I had no business drinking that much, especially knowing how much I usually could handle. But I also knew this was more about his concern for his family’s reputation than for me. And honestly, I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t have the right to.

When he finally handed me the soup, I was too irritated to thank him. “How am I supposed to drink this while lying down?” I snapped, the pounding in my head making me irritable. I could barely tolerate the light in the room, let alone his presence.

"You’re not a child anymore. Sit up." he barked back, his frustration evident. I wanted to shout that I was the one in pain, but the look in his eyes stopped me.

“It hurts when I sit up!” I nearly cried, the sharp pain intensifying as I tried to move. It felt like the room was spinning, and the dogs' usual comforting presence did nothing to ease the agony.

"And you deserve it." he shot back, his tone sharper than before. "Do you know how worried we were? You didn’t answer your phone, and we had no idea where you were! And now you’re yelling at me after I practically had to drag you home last night? You’re worse than those drunks stumbling around the streets."

The shame of not remembering anything from last night washed over me. Did I really cause such a scene? "Sorry." was all I could manage, my voice small and defeated. My pride was slipping through my fingers, and I hated it.

“If you’re really sorry, then drink this and don’t make things harder for me.” Reluctantly, I forced myself to sit up and sip the soup. It warmed my throat and settled my stomach, soothing the edges of my headache.

When I handed him the empty bowl, he gave me a look that was half relief, half exasperation. “You could’ve just done that from the start.” he muttered, shaking his head as he turned to leave.

“Thank you.” I called out just as he reached the door. He paused, looked back with a faint smile, and then left, leaving me alone with the dogs. I let them curl up beside me, their warmth comforting despite their size. The heaviness of sleep soon pulled me under, but not before the looming thought of tomorrow’s sports fest crossed my mind. I felt Lisa’s presence somewhere in my thoughts, but sleep was too strong, and I succumbed to it.

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The next morning, as soon as I arrived at school, I searched for Lisa. I found her sitting alone under a tree, looking distant and lost in thought.