soulmate || jjk

31

Two months later...
(Time skips, I hate them, but they seem necessary)

"Jiminnnn" I complained, pulling the caramel kernel from the popcorn out of my hair, as we walked side by side down the streets, not long after finishing watching a movie at the cinema "I washed my hair this morning as well"

Jimin threw his head back in laughter as I looked over at Namjoon, my face reading a sign of annoyance as a smile played on his lips. It was clear he definitely wanted to laugh, yet felt like he couldn't as I hardly glared at him, waiting for him to crack.

"Its coming out your hair, look" Rita grabbed a strand of hair, assisting me to carefully take them out piece by piece "she's always this over dramatic" she commented as she now turned to Jimin who smirked.

"Aish, I'm not..." I whined, taking the few strands of her out her hand and attempting to clean my hair myself "who throws popcorn over someone's head anyways?"

"Jimin does..." Taehyung muttered, a smile appearing on his face now, as I gave him a glare "you're right...she really is dramatic"

I scoffed as I finally pulled the last sticky kernel out the front of my hair, before shrugging my bag over my shoulder and proceeding to walk ahead of everyone else.

The past few months had flown by in a chaotic whirlwind as I stepped back onto American soil that was approaching the early summer months. The weather change had hit me drastically as I sweltered in my Levi's and knitted sweaters lugging my suitcase through the airport. My mother had been diagnosed with cancer. I just remember my heart dropping as myself and Phil were delivered the news, him in person and myself over the phone. She had thankfully opted to undergo an operation at the first availability, yet her face scrunched up as soon as I returned to visit her in the hospital room, knowing that her vulnerability had sent me back from Seoul.

"Ohhh Astra, I did tell him not to panic you" she stressed as she sat up awkwardly in the small hospital bed "you worry way too much for my liking"

"Mama, it's because we all care about you, including your daughter who travelled across the world to be here" I tutted, grasping her hand within mine, Phil letting out the smallest of chuckles from the chair in the corner.

A small sigh was all that escaped her lips in response, as she squeezed my hand tighter. And never did I want to let her hand go. Ever again.
Besides the fact Jungkook had let me know she had fallen unwell I sternly made her promise me she wouldn't let him know I had returned at just that second. At least until I got my bearings back again. Yet, I found myself in the situation where my trolley crashed into Namjoon's during a late night browse.

"Astra..." Namjoon's knowing glaze stared back at me as I mentally cursed myself "I should've known you had returned"

The ground could've literally swallowed me whole there and then "yes...I'm back for good" I admitted guiltily

"How long have you been back?"

"A little over a week?" I scrunched my nose, as I watched his face fall into a smile,

"Avoiding Jungkook I see?"

"You know me too well" I groaned in defeat giving him a playful shove "but I must admit its gotten harder"

"And how was is your mother...you know...with her diagnosis..." he began to stutter before I gave him an understanding smile,

"She hadn't been well for weeks, decided to get herself an appointment, and well, they discovered she had a tumour"

"And..."

"It was thankfully benign" I exhaled happily before he manoeuvred himself around the trolley and wrapped his arms tightly around me.