Heartbeat // JK

12 - Between Now and Forever

"What's wrong?" Jungkook asked, leaning closer, his brow furrowing in concern as he noticed the shift in my expression.

I couldn't find the words. My hands trembled slightly as I stared at the screen, the knot in my chest tightening with every second that passed. The warmth of the night had vanished, replaced by a cold weight pressing down on me.

"They posted something from your account," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

I turned the phone toward him, feeling the anxiety creep deeper into my bones.

Jungkook leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the tweet.

"There's been a lot of false rumors. Please don't believe everything you see. I'm focusing on my music right now.'"

He read the words aloud slowly, his thick accent making the statement sound gentler than it was.

"I didn't write this."

"I figured," I said softly, still trying to process it.

"But look at the comments."

I scrolled down, and it was like a tidal wave of hate. Every message felt like a slap, each more vicious than the last.

"She's just another clout chaser who thinks she can ride Jungkook's fame."

"Ugly, desperate, irrelevant. She's not even worth his time."

"Don't worry, she'll be gone soon like the rest of them. They always are."

"Someone needs to shut her up before she ruins his image."

And then there was the one that made my heart stop:

"Die. If I ever see you near Jungkook again, I'll make sure you do."

I froze, my breath hitching as the weight of those words sank in. My hands felt clammy, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Each comment was like a blade, cutting deeper and deeper until I didn't know how to breathe properly anymore.

"They hate me," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"They actually hate me."

Jungkook took the phone from my hands, his eyes darkening as he read through the comments. His grip tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might actually break the phone.

"This isn't okay," he said, his voice low and controlled but shaking with barely contained anger.

"They're threatening you—this isn't just hate."

"They're your fans," I said, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts to stay calm.

"They think they're protecting you. They don't care about me—they see me as a problem."

"That doesn't make it right," Jungkook said sharply, his frustration evident.

"None of this is okay."

I exhaled shakily, setting my hands in my lap to hide how badly they were shaking.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

"I knew dating you would come with attention, but... this is a lot. I didn't sign up for death threats."

Jungkook turned to me, the anger in his expression giving way to something softer—something that made it clear he wasn't ready to give up.

"Don't say that," he said gently, but there was an edge of desperation in his tone.

"We're more important than this. You... you're more important."