Jungkook always believed that absence made the heart grow fonder but tonight, he welcomed the unattended call or show from his girlfriend. The 6 hours on the plane and half an hour cab ride to his studio apartment failed to wipe away the image of the girl he saw at Suvarnabhumi Airport and at this point - lying on his bed and staring blankly onto the dimmed ceiling - he can't help but feel nervous.

Is it considered 'cheating' if I think about another woman? It's not, right? It's not like I thought about asking for her number...or any other ulterior motives. Just that...

Yeah, at first it was only because she was too pretty for anyone not to stare. I just looked long enough so I'd catch the full face...cus the side profile was too doll-like...like one of those big-eyes-on-small-faces characters - collectibles in animes! I just wanted to see if those features really exists! 

But then she cried. Why? Was she leaving a precious thing behind? Is it a boyfriend? Husband? There's no ring though...maybe she missed her family so much that she got a little sentimental? But the nothingness in the way she stared...the way she walked...it resembled someone who had given up on something.

Auckland...I've never been to New Zealand before. Must be nice...the pictures are always on wallpapers so it must be. Hope she gets there safely...Google said it's a sixteen-hour journey. That's a long ass flight! Hope she slept through and didn't cry more - aishh...what am I thinking?! Why the hell am I so bothered by this?? 

Jungkook hissed before reaching for his phone - determined to distract himself now that he's in the comfort of familiarity. He dialed his girlfriend's number and waits for her to pick up. Nothing. He tries again. Still nothing. Come on - I need you to put me back in place! The third time he tried, she answered with a slur that he knew so well by now.

"I thought you'd be sleeping by now," He asked nicely, even if the loud music blasted in the other line annoyed the fuck out of him.

"Then why are you still calling?" 

He took a deep breath to calm the irritations, knowing full well that it's the alcohol talking. "I just wanna hear your voice,"

"I miss you too! There. I'll call you tomorrow...gotta go," She hung up before he could say anything else.

Well...that's that. Better than nothing, right? Aishh...calm down, Kook! She's enjoying herself...that's good. You can't expect her to sit alone while you travel around making music, can you? She has a life with her model friends...at least she's not whiny about being left for the past 3 weeks! 

Jungkook turned to look at the wine bottle, still sitting nicely in his luggage. I didn't get to buy her anything from Bangkok. She always liked receiving gifts...will this wine do? 

...

Lisa breathed in the cold air of late autumn's dusk - not minding the sappy smells of the orchard trees surrounding her. Picking the basket filled with pears she had plucked, she walked along the evening mists back to the main house of the cottage homestay. It's been a pleasant 3 months since she stepped foot in this foreign country, but she still loved the silenced air the same as her first day. Calming and reflecting...quietly and slowly healing her broken heart. 

"Ahh...Lisa! Just leave the basket next to the kitchen counter, then come have a drink with me!" Jennie, the daughter of the cottage owner, called as she saw her. 

She smiled and nodded. On top of the peaceful environment she had gotten used to, Jennie seemed to provide a good distraction so far. She's only a year older than her, but seemed to have everything in order for life. Married to a true South Korean guy, the sassy and stunning lady would most time walked with her in mornings and evenings - sharing, gossiping or whining about anything that came across her mind.

Yes, she's quite a handful but Lisa didn't mind one bit. Still a little reserved, she welcomed any stories that'll take her mind off her past. Of course, Jennie had - in a number of occasions - asked her about why she left Thailand, but she only gave a generic enough answer of 'exploring the world'. The last thing she wants is for more people to feel sorry for her!

She's been counting her luck carefully since she got here. Among the locals, she managed to find a place with this small, migrated Korean family. Being born as a local here, Jennie had taught her a lot of things - making it easier for her to adapt to the new environment. They even taught her how to speak Korean - which is proving to be more than useful to have at their dinner table!

"So...did mumsy told you we'll be moving to Korea for good next month?" Jennie handed a bottle of spirits to her as she sat down at the patio. 

"Yeah, she mentioned it this morning. I'm so happy for you and Tae oppa!" 

"Yeah...it's been kinda hard for Tae - going back and forth like this. Was there anything else mum told you?"

Lisa frowned, trying hard to recall. "Nothing big really. Why?"

"Well...since we're moving, there'll be no one to help her take care of the cottage. It's already autumn and we hardly get visitors around until spring. So we thought of closing it down -"

"Ahh...I see. No worries! I'll find another place -"

"No, no, don't get me wrong! I mean...you've been such a great help around here and we loved having you as our guest! Just that...well I was thinking...if you don't have any long-term plans here...maybe you wanna come with me, see what Korea's like?"

Lisa's breath hitched, slightly confused at the sudden invitation. 

"I know what you're thinking but this is not a charity-case, I promise!! I just...well, I haven't been there...like, stayed in Seoul for a long period of time. And Tae will start his work immediately...around a week after we reached. You're already like a sister to me and I guess...I just don't wanna feel lonely there. God knows if I'll ever make new friends -"

"Unnie...I don't mind going with you, really - it's just that...I don't know if I can get a job there. And I'm not sure if I can afford the arrangement either, I've been sort of fine relying on fruit-picking...walking the dogs around -"

"You can take pictures and sell them! You've been doing that and our postcards are selling really fast at the town's markets! Please, Lisa!! I'm so worried - I've been sleepless just thinking about it! I don't wanna end up arguing with Tae just cus I feel lonely at home in the first few months - I know I'll go crazy! If you say yes, I can ask Tae to ask around for work and something within your budget. You can even stay with us - we have an extra room, I'm sure he doesn't mind - he's too scared to say no to me!"

Lisa laughed at the last sentence spoken, already knowing how true it is. "You really shouldn't worry about making friends. I'm sure you'll get around quicker than you think,"

"Please...I'm so nervous about moving...I'm used to being here and Seoul is a big city - super different than my entire life!"

"Unnie, I -"

"It's not like I'm asking you to move there completely with me. Maybe until the end of the year at least? If you don't like it, you can come back here! Mum already decided she's closing it until spring comes. She already gave me the green light to ask you - trust me, she'd want you to say yes!"

She can't help but laugh. This unnie looked super cute when she's being pushy like this! "Can I think about it?"

"Are you scared Zack won't wait for you?" Jennie leaned forward and bats her eyelashes.

"Oh my God - no!!" She laughed hard. Jennie's been teasing her about Zack Holland - the young owner of the next homestay a mile from here - since week one of her arrival. She would normally responds with a laugh but at this point she admits that it's getting a little worrying. 

Zack would drop by once every two days now under random excuses of 'running out of sugar or some petty ingredient to cook with', or even with the simplest reason of 'just checking in with a fellow neighbor' - to which he would stay and drink by this very same patio, trying to have a conversation with her at every chance he gets! 

Sometimes he'd even make time to help her with the fruit-picking. There's really not much she can say except to keep being polite since he's a local here. There's no denying that he's well-mannered and independent, it's just that...she felt nothing. It's probably the heart break that refused her of any romantic interests, or it could just be that she's not attracted to him the same way he does with her.

Wait...if they close the cottage for winter, I'll have to look for a new place to stay. Oh no...what if Zack insists -

"He seemed to really like you, you know. He's a nice guy,"

"I'm so confused - do you want me to stay with him or go with you?" She joked, hoping that Jennie will stop talking about the guy.

"I'm just saying...I told you...if you don't have any long-term plans. It seemed like you wanted to stay -"

"Cus I don't know if I can afford Seoul, that's all,"

Jennie sighed and zoned-out, as if she's caught up in dream land. "I'm still wondering why you haven't responded to him asking you out yet. He's probably one of the most decent guy in this town - believe me, it's hard for me to say this to just about anyone! Damn good-looking too - have you seen him tending to his orchard before? I have. Tall...blonde...and his arms - jeez...if I'm not married -" 

"Unnie!" Why the hell am I laughing so hard - 

"He's a fine guy - that's all I'm saying! And it's so obvious that he's crazy about you. I'm sure he's been polishing a ring somewhere in his house every night...the moment you say yes to a date, he'll be practicing his proposal -"

"I'll go with you!"

...

"You're late," 

Jungkook huffed and took a few deep breaths to calm his heavily-beating chest. Damn, that was a run! "Sorry, there was an issue with the demo. I had to sort it out. Didn't I text you about being late?" 

With arms crossing against her chest, Sana pursed her lips. "And I told you not to. Do you think you're the only one with a schedule to keep?"

"Please...can we not get into an argument here? You wanted to have lunch, and now I'm here,"

"If you're so busy for me, you should've just said so," She rolled her eyes before taking a sip of the cocktail. "I'll never force you to come if I had known,"

Jeez - why are we still on this?? Can we get by a day without her telling me I did something wrong? "I'm sorry baby...I really wanna see you too - it's just a sudden drawback, that's all,"

"Promise you won't make me wait again," The girl pouts and it breaks his heart. 

"I'm working hard, I told you this. I'll try my best not to make you wait again, okay?" He reached for her hand and rubbed it softly. It seemed to calm her irritations as she curved up a smile.

After placing their orders, Sana began telling him about some names that did some things at her one of her many photoshoots. Being out of touch from her countless inner circles, he can't help but wondered how long is he able to keep this up. They've been together for a year and a half now, but he still felt like he's still struggling to meet her life. 

She's always so lively...that was what had drawn him in at the first place. Being a model in a talent agency surrounds her with people from the same industry - which involves a lot of private events and parties, high-end dining and outings...very different than the low-key sound engineer such as himself. 

It was fine at the beginning of their relationship because he didn't have the long-term vision as he does now. He was still a small-time, guy-behind-the-recording-studio back then. Meeting by chance as he ran to a music video site to pass a final track that was mistakenly left behind, Sana had made the first move - asking him out for a drink that same night.

She was just as bubbly and seductively alluring as she still is now (on their good days, that is!). It wasn't hard for him to fall for her, especially when she kept making the first move - constantly calling him around and appearing out of nowhere. He didn't know what she saw in him but she made it easy for him to stick around. So naturally, he lets her call the shots. What's different now?

Well, for one, the longer they're together, the more pressure he felt about settling down. Even though he'd gotten more recognition for his crafts by the day and had made way more than when he first started, Sana's been asking when he'll ask her hand for marriage since a year ago - forcing him to secure a much more generous income for two in the long run. His girlfriend isn't one that's easy to please, that he learned by time. 

Used to the finer things in life, she would usually expect the same treatment from him. She'd ask for fancy gifts on monthly anniversaries, her birthday or her friends', or whenever she liked. Never had she agreed on dining out at a small restaurant - it has to be posh or pretty enough for social media purposes. Not that Jungkook's complaining, but it's getting hard to save up his finances for bigger things when he had to cater to her standards all the time! 

"So they're planning a getaway to Paris next month. They're bringing their boyfriends so you have to come,"

The words 'Paris' and 'have to come' silenced his thoughts. "Sorry...Paris?"

"Yes. You never brought me out of the country! We've only been to Jeju and Busan - and that's to meet your parents. Come on...it'll be so much fun!"

Jungkook can't help but scoffed a little. "Paris...yeah, it sounds fun...great even, but -"

"I told them you've been there before and they're excited that you can bring them around!" Sana's smile is so wide that it's making him feel bad again.

I can bring them to the production studio, that's how impressive my 'Paris resume' is as far as I'm concerned! "I went there for work...I didn't even get a chance to go anywhere else. I only saw the Eiffel Tower on my way back to the airport -"

"Aishh...never mind - they don't need to know that! Come on, please!" She started sulking. "You need a break too...you've been working so hard all the time,"

"Baby, I -" How do I say this...how... "It's a wonderful idea...really...you know I'll bring you anywhere you wanted to if I can, right?"

"Does that mean it's a 'no'?" 

He could see it in her face. Another argument is coming, he's sure of it! "Listen...you can still go with them -"

"Weren't you listening?? They'll be with their boyfriends - I'm not gonna third-wheel on anyone, what'll they say?! Unless you're gonna give me your credit card - but why? Why can't you go?!" 

The slight high-pitched of her complains forced him to look around and he saw a couple of other diners' eyes already on them. Aishh... "Let's talk about it when we get back, okay? I'll try to check my schedule -"

"Just clear everything, it's not like you can't! And don't tell me it's about money cus I know you have it!"

Dear God, give me strength to make this woman understand - "Please...let's not argue about it here, okay?"

She fell silent when she noticed his wandering eyes - probably realizing that there are spectators around. "Fine...but I'm not dropping it until you say yes,"

...

Grabbing his bag, he made his way to the door - ready to leave. When he opened it, he found his girlfriend with an arm up - seemingly about to knock on his door.

"I was just about to head out. Did you tell me you're coming? I'm sorry, I was rushing - I didn't check my phone,"

Sana came in regardless of his explained intention. "You just texted me that you just got back and you're heading back out?"

"There's an electrical problem at the warehouse, I need to sort it out -"

"Fuck the warehouse, Jungkook! I don't give a shit about it -" 

His patience is running low and his temper challenged the moment she said it. That warehouse is my baby! I worked hard to get it! Still, he suppressed the annoyance in, gritting his teeth while he's at it. The past two days had proven to be tiring. She's been pestering him about the trip since they left lunch yesterday. "What do you give a shit about then? Paris? Partying with your friends?"

"Oh, it takes that for you to give me the answer?" The smirk on her face had him losing the internal conflict to stay silent. 

"No. The answer is no. Listen, you gotta pick your battles here, okay? You wanted me to marry you but at the same time, you wanna do all these fancy things - which one is it?"

"Why can't I have both? It's not like you can't afford it -"

"I can't! What don't you get?? Be clear on your priorities, damn it!" It's one day! One fucking day and she's acting like I've been putting this Paris shit off for a month! "I'm not from some rich family with a lifetime full of savings, you know this! I had to work hard to give you all the things you wanted - fuck! I thought we had this conversation before - you said you'd wait!"

"For how long?? So what - I can't ask for anything while you go around -"

"It's fucking work - everywhere I went, it's for work!! I'm doing whatever I can to give you what you want -"

"It's not like a wedding is so fucking expensive, Jungkook! Stop acting like a sore loser when you're not!"

A...sore loser? That's what she's been seeing? Was she really so fucking clueless about everything?? 

"What about after? What about my family - my parents? Do you think you're all I have to worry about? Do you really think that's all there is to it?? Honestly, tell me right now that you won't mind staying in this small place after we get married. Tell me you won't ask for anything more. Promise me all these and I'll stop everything and go to fucking Paris with you!"

Sana huffed and cross her arms. Planting her face away, Jungkook watched with glaring, frustrated eyes. This is probably the worst argument they'd ever gotten into, but he can't back down. No more. I've been putting up with this shit for way too long! He thought he knew what he wanted. He thought she loved him the same. This is not love - there's none of that here. There probably never had been.

"This is getting tiring, Sana," He sighed down, trying hard to calm down.

She scoffed with bitterness. "No shit. I don't know why I wasted my time with you," She walked fast towards the closet - taking her clothes out and throwing them on the floor. 

He stood and watched what seemed to be a fast trance of her shoving all the stuff into the luggage she kept underneath his bed all this while. Those butterflies he felt when they first started seeing each other have long gone, but he can't help trying to recall when exactly was it. It felt like it was a long time ago. And all he could think of now was 'yeah...no shit!'. 

...