Somewhere in Time || A VKook Saga

[Fifty-four]

A man stood by the window, looking at the fields beyond the horizon. He was pensive, more than usual, as the months passed by without a word from his daughter, and years since he heard about his lover, whom he presumed to be dead.

Jung-kook wondered what his life now would be like with Taehyung there beside him. There's no use, he knew, thinking about a lost love that had no hopes of coming back. Those emotions had long been buried, and the memories distorted, opting only to recall, once in a while, the good times without reminiscing the bad.

"Sir," greeted a familiar voice from the doorway. It was Sae-ron, who managed to keep her employment at the Jeon's household. She's almost certain that she'd be terminated, after colluding with Jung-kook way back then. Although grateful, Sae-ron was unsure of the motive behind her retention and she wasn't about to question it.

The not-so-young master glanced at the petite woman, who had some crow's feet adorning her face. She brought in a cup of hot water and two herbal pills.

"Here you go," the genteel maid said, handing over the Korean red ginseng which Jung-kook had been taking to alleviate the stress.

"Thank you, dear." The man responded, his fondness towards the loyal servant discernable on the smile he bestowed upon her. She had been a lifesaver in more ways than one. Sae-ron was there most times when he forgot to breathe, the anxiety attacks gripping his chest like a snake coiling around it. At first, Jung-kook thought he's having a stroke but the many ECG tests he took suggested otherwise.

His doctors advised him to sleep well, to exercise regularly and to manage his diet as if he weren't doing those things already. But they also cautioned him not to overexert himself with worry, as this was the primary cause of his illness. If only it was easy to heed those words, he would've done it.

"Any news?" Jung-kook asked his only friend as he handed over the empty cup.

Sae-ron shook her head as she understood what he meant. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Jung-kook queried. "It's not like you're the one foolishly waiting."

The tinge of sadness in his voice was unmistakable. Sae-ron sometimes wished she had ways to comfort him, but she knew nothing would come close to what Eun-hye or Taehyung can offer. Even if it's merely a word from either.

"Don't fret, young master," Sae-ron assured. "One day, you'll be happy again."

"I hope you're right, Sae-ron," the man said as he glanced back at the window, yearning for that day to arrive sooner than later.