전 정국 • SWITCHED

PARALLEL LOVERS :: 001

10 YEARS AGO
"Hurry, Yejin! The shooting star will pass without you!" A petite Jungkook called out. Yejin, going as fast as her little legs would take her, ran over to where Jungkook was. As soon as she caught up to him, he turned.
"Oh no...the star." Jungkook frowned. Yejin also frowned, looking down at her feet, guilt filling inside her. If she had been a little faster, she and Jungkook wouldn't have missed the shooting star. Slowly raising her eyes up, she saw a small spark.

Her arms reached over to Jungkook, one of her hands squeezing his cheeks and forcing his head to look up, "Look, Jungkookie! The shooting star hasn't passed yet!" He smiled widely, "Hurry, make a wish!" The eight year olds closed their eyes and clasped their hands together. With wide smiles, they opened their eyes and looked at each other.

"What did you wish for?" Jungkook asked.
"I can't tell you. If I do, it won't come true." Yejin said, rocking back and forth on her heels. Jungkook gave her a pout, "Well, I'm going to tell you what I wished for. I wished for us to remain friends until our lives give out." Yejin smiled, her eyes forming into the most perfect crescent moon.

"YEJIN! JUNGKOOK! Come on down!" The two children carefully ran down the hill and entangled their fingers with their mothers.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, Kookie!" Yejin called out. They waved to each other goodnight and went home.

PRESENT
Yejin was awake an hour before her alarm went off for school. Already dreading about the next seven hours, Yejin did her everyday morning routine and listened to the same playlist she's been listening to for the past four years.
As the brunette female walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway,back to her room, she stared at the pictures on the wall. It was her and Jungkook when they were young all the way to sophomore year. That's where the pictures stopped. Yejin looked away and walked toward her closet. She was pretending to pick out an outfit for the day, but really, it was her school uniform.

"Good morning, Darling."
"Good morning, mama." Yejin replied. Yejin walked over to the stove to help her mother prepare for breakfast.
"You're graduating in three months. Have you decided what college you wanted to go to?"
"No...I haven't. There are so many options, it's a hard decision." Yejin sighed, grabbing plates for her and her mom.
"You'll know when the time comes. Take your time...but don't take too long. Time isn't going to wait for you," her mother winked. Yejin smiled, "Of course, mom."

🌌

"YEJIN! HEY, YEJIN!" Yejin started to walk faster and faster, hoping the person calling her name would turn away.

A hand had reached out, making contact with her shoulder and turning her around. Their eyes made contact and she ran away.

"Don't run away from me." She was backed against the wall. Yejin held the straps to her bag tightly.

"Let me see your bag."
"Jungkook, please, stop." Yejin begged. He didn't listen to her. He continued to reach for her bag. Doing what the little voice inside her head told her to do, she stomped on his foot as hard as she could and ran off.

Just to get tripped by him.

Every witness in the hall saw it. And laughed.

"Don't do something so dumb next time, kid." Jungkook said, an ugly smirk on his face.

🌌

After school classes were over and Yejin was packing to go home. She checked her bag for her bus card and was off to the bus stop.

"Hey, welcome back home, honey." Yejin walked over, her arms open for a hug. Her mother chuckled softly, "How was school today?"
"It was good. How was your day?"
"It was good also. Listen, Mrs. Jeon and I were wondering why you and Jungkook aren't hanging out much anymore. Did something happen between you two?"
"No. Nothing happened. We've been so busy lately, it's hard to hang out."
"Well, I invited her and Jungkook over to eat with us tonight. I know you are free and Mrs. Jeon said he was free, too. Maybe tonight you two can catch up on some things." Mrs. Min said. Yejin smiled nervously, "Oh...that's uh...that's great. I should go get ready for dinner tonight then."

🌌

Yejin awkwardly played with her food, moving it around her plate. Jungkook, who was sitting next to her, also played around with his food. He sighed loudly, staring at his food. Mrs. Min and Mrs. Jeon looked at each other with concern and suspicion.

"Is everything okay, you two?" Mrs. Jeon asked, reaching her hand under Jungkook's chin so he would look up.

"Yeah- yeah, everything is fine." Yejin said, looking away.

"I have to use the restroom. Please, excuse me." Jungkook said, standing up and walking up to the bathroom. It was now the mothers and Yejin.

"Yejin—," Mrs. Min started.
"I have some homework to catch up on. I'm a little behind; excuse me." Yejin stood and rushed upstairs to her room. Before she could close her door, a hand had stopped it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jungkook asked.
"Me? What are you doing? Let go of my door." Jungkook pushed the door open and walked in. Yejin's mouth dropped as she watched him walk in to look around.

"You still have this junk around?" he chuckled, looking at their pictures together. Yejin frowned, "It's not junk, Jungkook. They're memories."
"They seem like junk to me."
"What the hell happened to you? After a few weeks of hanging out with those...those jerks, you became a completely different person!" Yejin cried out, her voice in whispers so their mothers couldn't hear.
"Nothing changed, Yejin. I was always like this." Jungkook scoffed. "I just found the right friends to hang out with." Yejin walked toward him, pushing him back, "Get out."

And with those two words, Jungkook was out of her room and back downstairs with his mother and Yejin's.

Yejin walked over to her bay window. While she stared out to the dark bluish and purple starry skies, a tear rolled down her cheek.

A small flash in the sky, quicker than light.

"Maybe in some type of parallel universe...we'll be together." The girl whispered, looking at a polaroid of her and Jungkook. She was posing in front of a waterfall in her swimsuit. Jungkook had jumped on her shoulders and connected his lip to her cheek.

And with all the tears she had produced, she fell asleep at the bay window.