Afterglow | K.TH

Fall Apart

JIMIN

I wake up to find Jungkook piling blanket after blanket on top of me.

He first doesn't notice, so focused on being so perfect. He doesn't even look up until I choke out his name.

"Jungkook— what are you doing...?"

He smiles widely.

"Hyung! You woke up!"

It's so hot that I'm sweating, but he just keeps smiling at me cutely before turning it back into a light frown.

"I found you sleeping— on the floor!" He exclaims, his tone scolding. "The floor is cold. And you didn't even have a blanket! Bad hyung."

I blink.

Anxiously, I free one hand from the blanket cocoon and quickly swipe it over my cheeks.

It felt all stiff from dried tear tracks.

"Kook, it's—" I glance at the clock on top of the desk. He'd even managed to get a pillow under my head.

"Five in the morning."

"I know!" He claps excitedly, pointing at the pile. "I spent a lot of time getting you all warm and cozy, hyung."

I smile at him weakly.

"I— really appreciate it."

He beams at me, eyes sparkling. But the only thing I can see from his expression is the one I'd seen earlier.

The crying Jungkook.

"Hey..."

He looks up when I call him softly, my voice shaking a little bit. This had to be right.

I couldn't care for him.

It would be selfish of me at this point, to keep him when I knew who he really wanted to be cared by.

I swallow, my eyes falling away.

"Do you, uh, want to go back to Rieul? Because— because if you want, Kook, then you can. And it c-can even be as soon as you want. Tomorrow, even. I just—"

"What? No, no."

My eyes widen.

Jungkook turns back, murmuring to himself. And then he peels a blanket away.

"Hm. Maybe it's a little bit too much. Right, hyung? How you feel now?"

I cut him off.

"Wait, Jungkook. What did you just say? You don't want to go back? But I thought..."

He giggles, making me stop.

"I did really miss Noona last night, but she has to take care of Taehyung hyung. And I have to take care of you."

I blink again, feeling more stupider than ever.

"W-What?"

"I have to take care of you." He repeats, fluffing a pillow in his hands. "Because, because see? If I didn't wake up just in time, you would've gotten sick."