sin | taelice

15. | the mistake

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chapter fifteen

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The sky was a dull, pale gray—the kind that made everything feel heavier than it really was. A soft wind danced through the streets, brushing past the buildings like whispered secrets. Lisa sat on the rooftop of a sleepy café, curled up on one of the iron chairs with her arms wrapped around her legs and a half-empty glass of watered-down iced coffee beside her.

She didn't even like coffee.

But today, it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

She was wearing an oversized hoodie, her hair messily pulled into a loose bun, with strands slipping out to frame her tired face. Her eyes—usually so sharp and lively—were empty, staring down at the slow-moving city below.

It was quiet up here.

Too quiet.

And in that silence, the noise inside her head grew louder. Taehyung's slurred voice, his flushed face from the night before, the look in his eyes when he said I miss you. It all kept playing in loops. Over and over again.

She didn't want to be the other woman.

She never thought she could be.

Yet here she was—fighting back tears over a man who didn't even belong to her.

A sudden thud behind her made Lisa flinch. She turned her head just in time to see Jungkook drop into the seat across from her. He pulled his hood down and shook his head slightly, droplets of drizzle flying from his dark hair. There was a softness in his eyes as he looked at her, but behind it, a storm quietly brewed.

"You didn't go home either?" he asked, voice low but not judgmental.

Lisa blinked at him, surprised by his presence. "Guess I'm not the only one running away today," she muttered, offering a faint, tired smile.

Jungkook let out a dry chuckle, slouching in his seat. "You think I came up here to hide? Nah. I came to make sure you weren't passed out drunk in some booth like someone was last night."

Lisa's lips twitched. "He wasn't passed out."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "He was drooling on the table, Lisa. That's passed out."

Silence followed, stretching between them like a taut thread. The breeze blew again, carrying the scent of wet concrete and distant coffee.

Lisa leaned back and stared at the sky. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

Jungkook looked at her, studying the dark circles under her eyes, the subtle tremble in her hands, the way her shoulders slumped as if she'd been holding the weight of the entire situation on her own.

"But it did happen," he said, voice softer now.

Lisa closed her eyes for a second. "I thought... it was just a moment. Something stupid we'd regret and never talk about again."

"You mean like a mistake?"

She didn't answer. Maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe it was something more terrifying—something she wanted.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Jungkook asked after a beat, watching her closely.

Lisa's lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She hated how fast her chest tightened, how much truth that question carried.