A Taste Of Midnight

65

Jungkook sat at the dining table across from his mother, her usual bright demeanor dimmed by a look of soft worry as she watched him, carefully studying every movement. He could feel her gaze on him, noting every pause, every silence that felt heavier than it had before. He tried to focus on the meal in front of him, but the familiar feeling of emptiness gnawed at him, leaving him feeling distant.

After a moment, Mrs. Jeon spoke, her voice gentle but weighted. "You know, Jungkook... I can't help but feel like something's changed in you." She reached out, covering his hand with hers, a comforting touch that brought him back to the present. "You've been quieter lately, even after what happened... losing Yoongi. But this feels like more than grief. It's like... you're carrying something heavy inside."

Jungkook hesitated, glancing away as his jaw tightened. "It's just... there's been a lot to handle with the company, and things have been... hard," he replied, his voice betraying the exhaustion he tried to mask.

Mrs. Jeon's gaze softened, and she squeezed his hand. "I see that, dear. But there's something else, isn't there? Something more personal... maybe even someone?" Her words hung in the air, gentle yet probing. She watched him closely, her intuition strong and filled with motherly concern.

Jungkook's heart gave a small lurch, his mind flashing to the unexplainable feelings that haunted him—strange, nameless sensations that seemed to follow him, lingering in the quiet moments, the empty spaces. He swallowed, unsure how to put it into words, unsure of what he felt himself.

"Mom, I..." He paused, uncertain, struggling to grasp the right words. "I don't know. Sometimes, I feel like I'm missing something, but I can't... I can't explain it."

Mrs. Jeon leaned in slightly, her gaze growing more curious. "Jungkook, you mentioned someone once—a Mr. Kim from Kim Heritage Corp. You spoke of him like he meant something to you. Do you remember?"

Jungkook's brows knitted, his gaze falling to his lap as he searched his memory, struggling to connect the name with a clear memory. "Kim... Seokjin..." he murmured softly, testing the name, feeling an inexplicable pull but unable to make sense of it.

She observed him quietly, waiting, sensing there was more beneath the surface. "Do you think talking to him again would help?" she asked, her tone gentle but inquisitive, her eyes filled with hope that her son might finally share what's burdening him.

Jungkook's confusion deepened, his mind struggling to bridge the gap between familiarity and mystery. As far as he could remember, he had never met the owner of Kim Heritage Corp., this "Kim Seokjin" his mother had just mentioned. Yet, there was a strange feeling in the back of his mind—a sense of something slipping just out of reach, like trying to recall a name on the tip of his tongue.

He looked back at his mother, his expression guarded but laced with uncertainty. "Mom, I... I don't think I've met him," he said, trying to convince himself as much as her. "At least, I don't remember meeting anyone named Kim Seokjin."

Mrs. Jeon's eyebrows knitted together, her face filled with a gentle but evident confusion. "But Jungkook, you mentioned him before. You spoke so... fondly. I thought he must be someone close to you, especially since you introduced Lisa to him."

Jungkook froze, his chest tightening at the mention of Lisa's name. Just days before, Lisa herself had asked about Kim Seokjin, a name that was beginning to feel like a puzzle piece he couldn't place.

"Lisa..." he murmured, almost to himself. "She mentioned him too. Asked if I'd seen him recently. But... I didn't understand why." He ran a hand through his hair, his mind a whirlwind of fragmented impressions that wouldn't settle.

The more he tried to focus on this elusive figure, the more his thoughts clouded, slipping like water through his fingers. There was a sense of familiarity—something lingering and intangible—that seemed to haunt him whenever he considered the name. Kim Seokjin.