Between The Bars | A Lizkook AU

18.

Jungkook blinked and pinched his left hand, hidden underneath the table for the umpteenth time - just to confirm that he's not dreaming this! She's really here - he's not imagining it! She looks so beautiful - with her short, black hair pinned on one side - he can't help but stare. Her lashes still curl up the same behind those big eyes that seemed to be holding a galaxy of its own, and her pink lips are still as tempting as before. 

After the long, tearful embrace on the floor, she led him up to sit at the table where his diluted iced coffee was. She hadn't said a word - only hushed whispers, pleading him to stop crying. His emotional outburst had calmed, now replaced with anxiety over what to say next. The guy from earlier came and placed her drink with a smile.

"Ahh...good thing you didn't have to wait long! I told him you left, noona," The guy mentioned excitedly and obliviously. 

Lisa smiled and nodded - thanking the guy - and it's the first that he heard her small voice. She then turned to face him, and it looks like she's trying to brave herself to do it.

"You found me," She tilts her head - the smile never leaving her face.

"I -" He's nervous and it's obvious. It felt like something is stuck in his throat and he couldn't find the right way to talk. "I...um..." What should he say first? There are so many things he wanted to say but now he just can't seem to find it. Didn't he practiced this in his head so many times?? "Um..."

"Kooki-ah," She leaned forward. "How have you been?"

I'm been feeling like shit - that's how I've been! He looks down to his knotted fingers, still unable to process his words right.

"I spoke to eomma this morning. I told her I'll be visiting tomorrow," She continues, probably accepting the fact that Jungkook had forgotten what words are! "She sounded so worried...I'm so sorry, Kooki-ah,"

What is she sorry for?? He's the one who should feel sorry - he's the one who's supposed to beg for her forgiveness!

"I told her, I wanted to come earlier but something came up. She asked me to come early tomorrow - she said she'll make gamjatang!" She giggled.

How is she doing that? How could she giggle like that in a time like this? They haven't seen each other for 5 months but here she is - talking casually, telling him about his mom as if it's just another day's conversation!

"How - um...how are you getting to Busan? I can -"

"Someone will drive me there," She cuts him off.

'Someone', she said...her new man is referred to as 'someone'. Jungkook felt a sharp stab in his chest.

"Do you um...are you happy with him?" Even as he genuinely asked, he felt the sob in his heart.

"With who?"

"That man...'someone'. He's the one who picked you up from the painting shop right?" Really Jungkook, do you really want to know this??

"Oh," She giggled again. "My cousin - yes, I'm very happy that he's here. Otherwise, I'd be left with nowhere to go when you broke up with me,"

Cousin - 

"I'm sorry!" He leaned forward - probably more aggressively than he should seeing how Lisa had jumped a little in her seat! "I'm so sorry - you have no idea - I was stupid and selfish and I...I was blinded for a while and I know that I don't deserve a second chance! I know that! You deserve so much more - so much better and I ruined us, I ruined what we had and I'm so, so sorry!! There's not a day that I don't regret what I did - you have to know that! You're my everything and I took it for granted. All these while - you're everywhere, in everything that I'm seeing - I can't -"