nepenthe // p.jisung

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Jisung's realization kept him awake that night. The thought was driving him insane. He tried everything to clear his mind, but no matter what he directed his attention to, it reminded him of Akina. Jisung fixed his gaze on the drizzle of the rain outside the window. Akina loves the rain. He shook his head, trying again by putting laundry away. The first thing he pulled out was a red jacket. He thought back to that day at the festival.

   "Jisung, what's your favorite color?" Akina asked as she inspected a small glass bird.

"Guess."

"Hm," she thought. Akina set the figure down and turned towards Jisung. Her whole expression lit up. "Red!"

"Yeah!" Jisung replied, enthusiastically. The thing is, Jisung didn't have a favorite color. It was because of how excited she was and smiled so brightly when guessing, he told her it was.

Akina gasped, smile widening. "Really?"

Jisung nodded.

Red was never the same since.

Jisung fumbled for his phone. The screen read two in the morning, but he still went straight to his messages.

Jisung: We're going to hang out together tomorrow, right? I know I won't get an answer until you wake, but I was just curious.
(Read)

Akina: Of course ~ Now, get some sleep JiJi.

Jisung: I could tell you the same thing, KiKi.
(Read)

Akina: You're a dork. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.

Jisung: Goodnight.
(Read)

That next morning, Jisung was up earlier than Taeyong. Usually, Taeyong was first to be up so he could make breakfast for everyone. When he shuffled into the kitchen, he was startled by Jisung's presence.

"You're awake early today." Taeyong opened the door to the refrigerator.

"Taeyong hyung, am I too young to know what being in love with is like?"

Taeyong almost dropped the carton of milk he was holding. He spun around to face Jisung. "What?" Jisung's face showed such a serious tone. "In love? What are you going on about?"

"Am I too young to know what that's like?"

Taeyong set the carton down on the kitchen counter and pulled a chair out from the dining table to sit on. "I don't believe you can be too young to love. Love doesn't come from your mind, which knows your age, but rather from your heart, which knows no age. You're never too young to love."

"There's too much of a risk in loving, isn't there?"

Taeyong quickly shook his head. "No, no. There's too much risk in not."

Jisung looked at his hands as he fidgeted with thumbs.

"Akina?" Taeyong asked with just one name. Jisung gave a nod.

He stood at the end of his driveway, later that day, ready to walk with Akina. She was wearing shorts and a red sweatshirt.

Red. That was the color. Jisung's favorite. It was the color of roses, blushed faces, and love.

"You seemed excited to go for a walk today," Akina brought up, giving him a small nudge with her arm. Jisung couldn't contain his bright grin.

"I just really wanted to talk."

"Anything in particular?"

Jisung inhaled, feeling a weird bubbling sensation wanting to overflow and run out of his mouth. Words he's hidden and sentences that were always stuck in the back of his throat broke through the barrier. He abruptly stopped walking and turned towards Akina.

"I... I really like you, Akina."

Her feet scuffed the asphalt as she stopped in surprise. Her eyes widened as she gave Jisung a look. "W-why?"

"Because you're the walking definition of ethereal, Akina; so delicate, and almost too beautiful for this world. When I look into your eyes, I get lost. I can't find my way out because I've fallen into them and I can't help but love it." Jisung huffed a laugh, looking up for a second. When he looked back, Akina was covering her smiling face, shyly. "I can't help but find you as the most precious thing in the world. You're too good for me. You're too good for anyone. You deserve the world, Akina. You're so cool, you're so beautiful. So..."

Her eyes glazed over with a marbled look.

"I never could tell you anything because you make me speechless. I can't think, and words pile up in the back of my mouth. They get caught up so easily. I'm clumsy with my words and I trip all the time. I just can never find the right ways to describe how you are, except ethereal. You're too extraordinary to be put in words. One glance at you and my heart pounds endless beats. You hold a fraction of my heart in each stolen glance. I don't deserve you."

There was no doubt Akina's smile was wobbling as she fought back the choking tears pushing their way up. She's never heard words like these from anyone; someone who cared so much as to spell out every thought they had. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true: you're too good for me. I know that seems like a lot to say, but I never knew what it was like to fall hopelessly in love with someone I barely knew. But I fell in love with such a perfect person. You were always there, and you taught me the beauty of the smallest things."

Tears began to stream down Akina's face. Jisung stopped talking, staring widely at Akina's watery eyes. Akina immediately stepped forward, snaking her arms around Jisung. She raised herself onto the tip on of her feet to plant her lips against Jisung's.

Jisung could feel the tears streaking down her face as she kissed him. Jisung held tightly onto Akina, even after the kiss had come to an end. Her head leaned against his shoulder.

"I've fallen hopelessly in love with you too, JiJi," she admitted. "You know how to make me smile like I've never smiled before. When I'm with you, it all starts making sense. I'm no longer sad with you by my side. I found my nepenthe, and it's you."

~   ~   ~

(A/N): you can probably tell that this is, in fact, the ending. I hope you'll stick around to see what I have planned next ^^ thank you so much for the support throughout this book. I love you all so much ~ ♡