Between The Bars | A Lizkook AU

4.

Jungkook taps on her name and it brought him to her Instagram page. There are still no new updates since her last post five months ago...back when they were still together, when everything was fine and they were happy. He was happy. He took another deep breath, staring at her picture. She was looking out into the night sky – her side profile looked serene and calm, just as strands of her long brown hair blew with the wind. She looks so beautiful, just like how he remembers her.

How are you? Have you been well? Do you still hate me for what I did? Have you moved on?

He felt his heart ache at the lingering thoughts. It's not just now that he's been missing her and regretted what he had done, leaving her for another. He's been feeling it all the while, but it started to really kick in his system around a month after that night. The night he left her to walk to his apartment alone, gather her stuff and leave so he could easily start his new life with Ji-Eun.

There were voices inside...his voices...telling him what a fool he was but he ignored it and forcefully replaced it with Ji-Eun. Telling himself that Ji-Eun is better in every way possible. It wasn't hard to believe as Ji-Eun has been one of the most successful female soloist in the country. Everyone loves her sweet persona. She was every Korean man's ideal girl! Jungkook kept telling himself how lucky he is that Ji-Eun picked him.

The memory of how it all started came back unwelcomed. Two years after he produced Euphoria – the first song he ever made, inspired by Lisa herself - he was still getting demands of producing for the biggest names in the music industry. One of them is Ji-Eun. She was friendly since the very beginning, flirty even after only their second meet. She was always complimenting him, trusting his advises and agreeing with his suggestions. He remembered feeling like he's important.

Lisa understood that he has to work late all the time – and that the project was important for him, so she never questioned much. She was really happy that he got to work with Ji-Eun – she was her fan as well! Jungkook kept the flirty affair for close to two months before finally deciding to choose the girl who he thought is in the same industry as him and was then, perfect for him. He was an asshole, yes.

His long-time girlfriend didn't have big dreams like himself. It started as his passion, but soon turned more. He wanted to succeed and be respected. He wanted to be known while she was fine working as a dance instructor at a small studio. When he was making his choice, he thought he wouldn't get where he wanted to be with Lisa. Ji-Eun convinced him more by pushing those thoughts into his mind.

Ji-Eun, as she claimed herself, would be perfect for him. She's pretty. She's famous. Girls want to be her and men could only hope they'd get a second glance and a smile from her. Everyone wants to be in her life and she picked him to be in it. He thought he had proven himself and she would complete his life in a way. They'd look like the perfect couple – the couple everyone's jealous of!

He honestly kept that thought firmly in his mind to a point of disregarding the girl who had been there since the very beginning. The first girl he had ever fallen in love with – the one who had gotten him to where he is now. She was always so kind...so patient and helpful. She loved him through his weaknesses and despite all his trials. He remembered promising himself that he'll marry her one day.

It has always been only her – inspiring him,encouraging him, loving him. And he took it for granted. He became selfish andprideful. He was consumed with fame and all the attention while she comfortablystayed grounded, trusting him and his choices. She moved here to be with himwhile he – being so engulfed with his mindless, ill-considered feelings withJi-Eun – didn't even cared that she'd have no where to go to when he expectedher out from his apartment that night. What kind of an ugly, cruel person was hethen?