Jungkook isn't quite sure why Lisa's actions are being louder than the usual but he welcomes it with open arms. Even if it's as small as grains of sands in my palm, I'll take it. He catches her staring at him again and he could feel his ears blushing red.  

They passed the trees and meadows hand in hand - on an uncharted path she found on her new-found habit of stalking the Explore page of Instagram - or so she said. He still wonders why pictures of them together haven't made it to her feed yet, but it's not a topic he's ready to jump into.

I already scared her with the studio...that's enough for now. Jungkook knew that she was, at the very least, a little freaked out by it. It was obvious on her expressions that night...and the way she was almost silent the entire time he was driving her back. Not to mention, the little and late replies he got for two straight days after. 

It almost drove him crazy - thinking of how he could fix that mess he created. He was only suggesting but it was probably too much of a gesture for her to take in. I mean...I said I love her only three weeks ago. It's too soon - that's what Jimin half-heartedly agreed with him. 

The request for his friend's outlook was out of desperation but before he could carry out the solutions Jimin suggested, Lisa showed up at his house - being all cheerful and handing him a pot of purple bellflowers before coming up with all sorts of randomness for their daily dates.

He brought her to a Seoul World DJ Festival just 5 days ago because she had never been to a music festival and for some reason, she really felt like going that same day. Thankfully, Jungkook knew enough people who were able to pull some strings for them to get in. And the very next day, she wanted to learn how to ride a motorbike. 

Then it was paragliding which he knew nothing about and swore he would have cried externally too if it wasn't for his manly ego. She asked to see the pandas but they were sleeping when they reached the zoo. The only pandas they got to see were the stuffed ones at the souvenir shop. He bought her one when he saw the blissful smile.

Between finding all these resources and actually being at the ground itself to calm the excitement on his doll-faced girlfriend, Jungkook now knew how easily impressed and excited Lisa could get. It's amazing to witness as he realized how hard he had been on himself - always trying to come up with some extra-grand gestures. 

Today she asked him out on a date. An evening walk, to somewhere only she knows.

"This looks like a good enough spot to bury me," He joked, stomping dirt around a few times. "Soft soils...healthy crops are coming!"

Her genuine laughter are always pleasing to hear. It makes him smile like an idiot winner. "Thank God I nailed it! I didn't bring a shovel with me,"

"It's okay, love. I'll dig my own grave for you - I'll even jump into it willingly,"

"That's better! We don't want any evidence and my prints left on you, do we?" 

"Pshh no one will even find me here - look!" He points out far across the field - to 3 birds taking flight. "They're leaving. Your only witnesses -" She slaps his shoulder halfway and he laughs along. 

His heart lurched happily when he sees her like this - partly squeaking in her laughs and pink blushes on her cheeks. His chest would squeeze tightly at how beautiful she is, every time. Sometimes he feels like he stares at her too much and whether it might suffocate her but her eyes always catches him just at the right moment, and she would scrunch her nose and tease him just the same. 

"There...that's the tree," She points forward.

Jungkook stares blankly at one single oak tree, standing proudly in front of the falling sun. For some reason, he's reminded of his mother. She had a picture with this similar scenic backdrop, only it wasn't along a field of tall grass and flowers, she was somewhere near the beach. She was young in that picture, but the color of the sky is almost the same. Her smile was really beautiful in that picture.

"Race you to it!" She lets go of his hand and started running, breaking the heaviness in his chest. 

It took him a few seconds to register and when he did, he starts chasing after her - calling her name every time he gets close...hearing her loud squeaks as she slips away and glides through light touches. He could run as fast, but he lets Lisa win just because. Just like the wildflowers, the shine in her eyes grows freely. She's so full of life today...

"It's bigger than I thought! Isn't it beautiful?" She sighed heavily in between catching her breath. The evening wind traces along strands of her hair, sweeping her bangs to a side. The upper cheeks right below her eyes are pink over the excitement, and her plump lips...

"Too beautiful," 

She glances back at him with a smile and scrunches her nose again. "Can you take a picture of me here?" Pshh of course I was going to!! "With your phone, please," 

He sighed a laugh, thinking how many times is she gonna kill me with her cuteness today?! As he starts snapping her every actions, Jungkook thought of how far they'd gone. He remembers exactly when he first saw her and how he felt at the time. The second...the third...even all the frustrations in between. Please...let me not forget this...

I wanna be able to go back in time...to the moments when I made her smile. Or when her skin blushed golden whenever we make love. Or when she looked at me with those doll-like eyes, filled with my dreams. Please let me not forget this...

"Is there anything that you really wanna do with me?" She asked, sitting in his arms underneath the oak tree - overlooking the sunset. 

"Oof..." He chuckled before planting soft kisses on the side of her neck, earning shy giggles from his girlfriend. "I could think of a lot of things I wanna do with you. It's an endless list really,"

"You're such a flirt," He didn't have to peek to know that she just rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I'll give you a free pass. Expiring in...five days. Whatever you wanna do, we'll do it,"

"Five days? Why is there a deadline? And what about your work?"

"I'm sure I can ask unnie for a week off," 

"What's happening?" His grip tightened. "You're giving that doll-eyes again - what have you done to my baby??"

She laughs again. "It's fine if you don't want it -"

"You can't take it back - it's my five days!"

"Then?"

"Mmm..." He thought hard. A free pass... The one and most important thing that he wants to do feels a bit crazy now. "Five days...are we talking about one thing or I can just use up all of your time?"

She turns slightly, facing him. "I'm not calculative, honey," Ahh...how does it sound so good when she calls me that? "You've been taking care of me so well...I just wanna return the favor,"

'Favor'? Looking at her like she's everything, he says, "My heart works for you. Just having you beside me makes me happy...and so everything I did, it's to make you happy. It's not a favor,"

For a few seconds after, her gaze on him softens. Then she leans in to kiss him. My heaven on earth! When they parted, he held her even tighter, drawing a fearful breath.

"What I really, truly wanna do is...pretty serious...and I don't think you're ready for that yet so..."

Flickers of recognition began registering in her clear eyes. Hesitations. Uncertainty, more specifically. He knew she is going to overthink things so he cuts it short.

"Let's meet your friends," She squeaks excitedly, warming his heart even more. "And you've been practicing driving my car a lot so I thought we should revisit our date to the arcade,"

...

"Okay, but don't forget tonight! I really need to talk to you," Lisa whispered urgently to her friend-slash-boss.

"I may be older than you but I do have a good memory, you know...plus I've put in the reminder," Jisoo smiled cheekily before frowning again. "You sure you can take it from here?"

Lisa looks around, wondering why on earth would the elder be so worried about leaving her on her own for this project. It's not like it's her first time doing it! Then her eyes landed on one of the models, sitting at the makeup lounge while waiting for her turn.

"It's fine, unnie. One, this is a professional space. Two, it's already in the history books. I don't have any issues with her and I'm sure she's over it as well," 

Jisoo may not seemed easily convinced but Lisa is determined to keep to her words. I mean...it's mostly her job that's on the line, not mine! If Sana can't put aside her personal feelings AT WORK, it's her name that'll bring her down, not mine!

"Okay...just call me if you need anything,"

"Yes, mama," She chuckled, earning a playful slap on her shoulder before the elder walks off the set. 

It's her last day of working before the week off. Lisa has already planned on her days - not just with Jungkook, but also with the sorting out of errands, breaking the news to her friends, and packing for her travel back. She still haven't told anyone about going back. It seems like the hardest goodbye to ever be said, honestly. And she knew the hardest will be -

"So...how are things with you and Jungkook?" Sana suddenly appeared behind her lens. 

As annoyed as Lisa is at the fact that the girl had interrupted her screening of the lighting, she's still able to process a smile. 

"Better than ever. How are you?"

"I'm good too! It's quite amazing that we've never worked together before but since you started dating my ex-boyfriend, I keep seeing you around - how weird is that?" The smile doesn't reach her ear and Lisa knows it's provocation at its best. "Oh, sorry! He did tell you that we dated right?"

"Yeah..." Isn't this a little awkward of a conversation to be having at work? I thought she's better than this! "Yeah, he did. Hope it won't affect our work though...our client was really happy with your previous works," She tried putting her in place.

"Oh nooo...definitely not! That was a long time ago anyways, I can hardly remember much!" 

Oh, please get some acting classes! We won't be having this conversation at all if you did!

"Bits of here and there, really! Oh, have you met his mom? She's super lovely, right?? A little quiet but that's expected with her condition. I still feel bad for him from time to time. He's such a great guy - truly deserves the world but I guess that's life, right?"

Lisa finds herself at loss for Sana's words but she nodded anyways, pretending like she agreed with at least half of the things the girl just said. What condition? Jungkook never told me about his mom being under any condition...is she sick? How sick? It can't be...he always speaks highly of his mom...there was never any hint of sadness or regrets. What is he keeping from me that he hadn't kept from his ex? 

Jealousy began racing up her chest. He almost proposed to her...but he kept brushing it off like it never mattered. Then why didn't he tell me -

"We're ready, right?" The senior art director came by and asked, snapping her mind off the worrying wonderings.

Lisa gathers back her work-self, watching Sana slightly hopping back to the makeup lounge with a sort of glee. It annoys her, to be honest...but not as annoyed as the not knowing of what the girl just planted in her mind. 

...

There's a lot of ridiculously heavy things on her mind since the short conversation with Sana and she's finding it almost impossible to stay sane. Small things...big things...the topic of Jungkook mostly and her failure to come up with conclusions. So much so that she needed to take a walk tonight. More than just feeling helpless, she had begun to realize how forgetful she had been. 

All this time I thought I had time. Just waiting for the time...the right time to grow up, the right things to do and the right moves to take. The only thing I had under my own control was that flight to Auckland...and coming here...and him. The rest have been a path of circumstances.

Granted, those circumstances brought me to my friends today. But it feels like it's taking forever to just wait. I promised myself that I'll learn more about him. What happened to that? Just how bad am I at reading people - he never showed any signs that something is wrong with his family and...and how can I ask? 

More than ever, Lisa realized how oblivious she had been in her relationship. What happened had altered her mind so much that all she could think of most of the time was how scared she is of getting hurt and how terrified she is to lose herself again. And there's Jungkook...who have been paying more attention than she could possibly deserve.

"You're late - you said fifteen minutes," Jisoo squints her eyes as she approached the unnie at the place they planned to meet.

"Sorry...slow walks are my thing nowadays,"

Jisoo lets out a big smile and grabs her by the arm. Matching her steps, they crossed the road and towards Mangwon Hangang Park.

"Come on...tell me what's wrong,"

She sighed and pouts. "Unnie...I thought I had a nice...a good plan. But it seems to have backfired,"

"O...kay...you do know how this works, right? You give more details and I give my takes,"

Perspectives. She needed perspectives, and so she asked her friend out for it. She was, earlier, contemplating if Jennie would be more fitting for her wild thoughts tonight but then she remembered that there are things unsaid for Jisoo.

"I know I asked for a week off...but I have to give you a heads up...I think...I think maybe..." Maybe I don't have to do this? Maybe I don't have to quit? Whatever it is, I can come back - maybe I can make mommy and daddy understand? And maybe...I can tell them about Jungkook -

"Yaa Lalisa!! Speak your mind clearly!" The elder shouts and Lisa's shoulders jumped.

Right then, they heard a second call of her name. Both turned at the same time. "Lali?" That particular call of her name brought her back to her roots. And the face... "Lali...it's really you!"

She stood straight - stiffed even, recalling her past. My old friend... She didn't count how many seconds passed before the girl pulled her out of Jisoo's hold and into her own.

"Your mom gave me your phone number but -" She held Lisa at arms length, scanning her from top to toe as if examining her. "Oh, it's so great to see you!!"

Mom...gave my phone number? Mom... Why... Why is she here? Out of all the places -

When she finally lets go, Lisa felt Jisoo's shoulder coming back to her side. The elder looks like she's waiting for something.

"Ahh...Pali...my um...my friend from Thailand. We um...grew up together. This is Jisoo,"

"Pali and Lali...cute!!" She watched as her oblivious friend shakes the hand with such enigmatic smile. It gave her only a few seconds more to process the 'what the fuck is going on??' in her mind.

"What are you doing...all the way here?" She tried really hard to curve up that smile.

"I came with my aunt!" She points to someone behind her. Lisa bowed slightly to the elder female. "My cousin was transferred here a few months ago and I just tagged along for a visit. I told your mom when I bumped into her four months ago. I cancelled this trip so many times cus Minnie was supposed to join us but she was worried about leaving Arthit with Bammie -"

"Arthit?"

"Oh yeah - you haven't met him, her son! He's six months old now,"

Ahh yes... Arthit...it means 'sun'. Precious... "Wow...a boy..."

"You guys catch up - I'll be right back!" Jisoo jumped in all of a sudden and Lisa felt like crying a big 'NO!'. Still, she lets her unnie run towards the food stall 100 meters away since she wouldn't be able to understand what they're saying anyways!

"Have you enjoyed your stay so far?" It's amazing how I can still smile - why the hell am I smiling -

"Yes! It's so different and um...where are you staying here? And work - tell me about work!"

Lisa didn't want to share much so she only gave a general overview of her current state - only because a part of her is still that nice, preppy girl from her teenage years. Some people genuinely wants to know...and some are just digging for gossips. The trust she had for this friend had long been broken so she's leaning more towards the latter.

"We wonder about you so much and we miss you - wait till Minnie and Sorn hears we met here -"

She thought she could handle these small talks but now that all the names are out, she's not sure if she even wanted to. She had been so stressed about everything and now she feels like screaming out her lungs for being put into this position. Why do I have to pretend anymore?

"You went to his wedding," Lisa blurted out, cutting her friend mid-sentence and earning a fallen face. "You...Minnie...Bammie...Sorn, you all went to his wedding,"

"Lali -"

"We grew up together," She kept her calm voice and her straight face. "Me, you, Minnie, Bammie, Sorn - we grew up together. The three of you...you were my bridesmaids. You were at my wedding...and you went to his wedding,"

"Lali, please..." She watched as Palisa's eyes darted over her shoulder. Her lips trembled, "We were really torn about it cus he came to Bammie's store and we were all there and he sent the invite personally -"

"It doesn't matter. You all went...to the guy who was supposed to be married to me on our wedding day but didn't -"

"Lali, he has a good reason for it, please -"

"Excuse me?" What the hell could justify him not showing up to his own wedding?? "Was he dying? Was that the reason? Was he dying on the day he's supposed to fucking marry me and magically got better six months after?"

The 'friend' gasped, probably shocked that Lisa is swearing with her whole chest. "No, please...it's not what you think! He explained and - look, maybe we can have dinner -"

"For what - to tell me that everyone misses me? That everyone's waiting for me to come back? It's been almost two fucking years and no one has even bothered to find me -"

"I asked your mom about you whenever I got the chance! I was caught up too, you know! Everyone has their shit to deal with back home, we don't go off running without telling anyone -"

"Pali..." She wipes her already blurred vision, feeling tired of her life at this second. It's partly surreal that both of them had crossed path in this foreign place...so far from home. It felt like only yesterday that she was crying with Palisa over her bruised knee when she was six years old.

Seems like I can't run far enough! Where do I go then - where can I run?!

"I ran cus there weren't any space for me to cry at home so no, I don't wanna go for a damn dinner with you. I just wanna say that...you all went to his wedding. And that fucking hurts me -"

"Lali...I'm so sorry,"

"Acknowledge it...cus as much as I wanna see you like when we were six...crying together when one of us got hurt, I'm not that girl anymore and I doubt you are too, Pali," She wiped her face clear and turned, finding Jisoo standing still and looking dumbfounded with 2 canned drinks in her hand.

"I'm really sorry...that we hurt you. You were always so easy to please with that smile of yours. I didn't realize that maybe...maybe we took it for granted. You could've cried to me, you know? You never stepped out and I thought -,"

She kept her silence and her feet forward, refusing to face anything more. All she felt like doing now is to sink into some deep water in the middle of nowhere - where no one can find her and her tears. Or maybe scream her heart out at these people who keeps hurting her...because she ends up hurting the undeserving too. She managed to still stand, reaching Jisoo with such heavy steps. Mom was right...there are things that need to be resolved.

"Unnie," She gathered the last remaining will she has to smile. "I'm quitting my job. That's what I wanted to tell you. I have to go back to Thailand and so...I'll hand in the letter tomorrow,"

...

Jungkook knew his girlfriend would have her 'weird' moments and by 'weird' he means that she'll be secluding herself from the world and prefers to be in her own mind. But tonight...tonight she's on a different height. A height that he can't seem to reach. He grabs her hand under the table again and she lets him hold it for a few minutes before letting go to reach for her drink.

That's her fifth bottle of beer while everyone is still on their second. Something is bothering her. No, something's BEEN bothering her ever since earlier. She wasn't as lively to jump into my car as she normally would. Is she tired? Maybe she regretted asking me to take up her time? She's used to having her own space, I know that. Is it wrong to ask for tonight then? But it was what she wanted...was...maybe she changed her mind and forgot to tell me?

It's the first time of meeting her friends. He knew the faces and names of the three women sitting here from that night and at the wedding, but it's still nerve-wracking to be among them since he doesn't know their personalities. Trying to keep his back dry from nervous sweats, he tries his best nevertheless - minding his answers and jokes just in case it's too much.

"It was just an honest mistake!" Chaeyoung keeps whining about, almost looking like she's about to tear up while suppressing her laugh. "I only remembered Chim talking about Wild Venus being his friend's after -"

"Again, Chaeyoung-ssi...I didn't mind one bit," He laughed again, along with the other two girls. "If anything, I should be the one with gratitude,"

All three girls cheered teasingly, all too happy that they understood what he meant. The topic only came about after Jennie started openly thanking him for not saying anything to Taehyung during the wedding. He thought he knew their husbands well enough to know that they would probably laugh their asses off if they ever find out but hey - he's not going to argue when he's the only man sitting at this table!

"Yaa...Lalisa, we're not stealing your boyfriend - why are you drinking so much??" Jisoo frowned and he just realized that Lisa had just ordered another beer.

"Baby," He whispered close to her. "You barely touched your food...you're gonna be sick later,"

"You think you know all of me, don't you?" She turns to him with a sheepish smile. "I don't get drunk easily," 

Not sure what her sarcastic tone meant in the former, but he kept his cool. "I'll get you a glass of water,"

He excused himself from the table and walked inside towards the bar. There's really something big that's bothering her and he wished he could just bring her home to talk. It's probably gonna take an hour or two to get her into saying anything at all but patience is virtue, isn't it? I might be late to work but who's gonna question me?

"A glass of water, please," He ordered before going back to his thoughts.

Even her vibe...everything about her is closed in. What happened to the excited, bubbly girl from last week? Is she not feeling well? Is it me? Did I do something - said anything that might've been sensitive for her? She doesn't even speak much to her friends either since we arrived - is she having problems with them and feels forced to be here?

Jungkook sighed, trying his best to not jump into any conclusions. At the back of his mind, he knew Lisa has always been a sort of a puzzle. Her eyes shows a lot and he probably only recognize half of the emotions behind them, but there are still so much to learn. 

"What's going on? You quit your job and you didn't even tell us?"

Jungkook overheard when he came back with the water. Stopping his tracks, he maintains himself behind the bar patio's blind curtain. Lisa had changed seats to his front and is hushing her friends - probably aware that he might come back and hear them. 

"It's not supposed to come from you, unnie!" The sharpness in her tone reminds him of when she's mad at him. That very first argument - "I do want to tell you guys, just not here - not now," So it's true? Why didn't she mention this?

"Is everything okay?" Chaeyoung leans forward. "You've been acting weird the entire evening,"

From the horizontal slots, he saw his girlfriend's shoulders heave a big sigh. "I'm fine," 

"It's about last night, isn't it?" Jisoo asked a matter-of-factly.

Last night? What happened last night? She had dinner with Jisoo - did something happen?

"I don't wanna talk about it, please,"

Okay...maybe this hiding is a bit too dramatic. No wonder she's been a little moody - maybe she's in a state of withdrawals. She just quit her job...maybe she forgot to mention about quitting...maybe she wasn't ready to tell anyone about it - understandable. Let's not start overthinking this. We'll just leave early, let her have a good rest...she probably needs time to tell me.

He took his time in his strides back to his seat, pretending to be completely unaware that the other three women are shifting awkwardly in their seats and exchanging nervous glances. No matter what - just for Lisa, Jungkook is determined over his promise to be her charming boyfriend for tonight. It's important to set the first impression on him right...under any circumstances. Let's just pretend that everything is fine...

The advantage from the beginning is that he knew two of the girls' husbands...and that he's the only man who seemed to know about their little 'hiring a stripper for Chaeyoung's bridal shower' secret. He tried hard to avoid that topic because he thought it would upset Lisa but Jennie came to the rescue by asking him about it first, thankfully. She really do look a little bit serious at times...especially when she caught him checking on his girlfriend!

"So Jungkook...Lisa said you're from Busan?" Jennie asked and he nods. "And you moved here by yourself for...how long?"

"Six years now. I started traveling back and forth when I was eighteen and eventually found a place affordable enough to settle in,"

"Oh, what did you travel for?"

"I started as a dispatch - just a way to get into any studio at all. Doing deliveries for Hybe and essentially making friends with the sound engineers. I wrote and made a couple demos but it was just basic recording from my room. I gave them to one of the guys and waited...and one day he said I should record them again...properly. That's when I started, actually...making beats. And that's when I met Jimin too," He smiled to Chaeyoung.

"You must be really good at what you do huh? Six years and you've already...well...settled. Chim said it's a harsh industry...very competitive," 

"It was...still is, I think. I just got lucky. A name card that led to another and from overseas. It's different rates and because of the traveling, I get to charge more," He laughed cheekily. "When it started...it's all I did. Work after work. Flying to God knows where. I knew essentially I wanna be here...with my own music and my own satisfaction so I couldn't stop until I made enough money and gotten enough experience,"

"That's amazing, really. Knowing what you want and working hard at it. Your parents must be proud of you - are they in Seoul or Busan?" Jisoo's remarks made him feel a little shy. 

"Busan -" He stopped when he heard Lisa's little groan.

"Please don't start asking about his family! He'll tell you nothing except that they're perfect. Everything about Jungkook is perfect...right?"

Jungkook can't help his frown as his eyes lands on her. Seriously, what does she mean by that? And that little smirk -

"But yeah, do continue! He's an open book - or so he said,"

"Lisa, what's up with you??" Jennie tries to shake her out of it but to no avail.

Her fingers are playing along the rim of her glass and she's staring at him - no longer with that smile. Her eyes doesn't reflect her own self - must be the alcohol then.

"Ask him about his ex, he won't mind one bit!" Okay, what the fuck? "They almost got married, you know...but he'll tell you that it's one-sided. Too one-sided, in fact, that he trusted her enough to talk about his family - or maybe bring her back home. So which one is the truth...was there love or not?"

A storm of thoughts ran through his mind and his eyes are probably staring out of disbelief, but his girlfriend doesn't seem to mind it. Is she purposely getting drunk in trying to goad me? Provoke something out of me? Embarrass me in front of her friends? Was this the plan all along?? 

"Okay, Lis, this is not the place -"

"What? It's funny! My boyfriend knows a lot about me...but I hardly knew these details," What?Why is she being like this, all of a sudden? 

Jungkook takes a deep breath with all his might, trying to calm his angry-beating heart. He squared his shoulders before asking, "What didn't you know about me?"

Lisa pursed her lips as if she's gathering all the right words as bullets, meant only for him. It's a sight he'd never seen and wished to never see. 

"How's your mother, Jungkook?"

Right then, he realized what she's doing. She knew. She must've known it from Sana - to what extent and since when, he wasn't sure. But it hurts like hell to be sitting here and being judged about it.

"She's fine...healthy as of this afternoon," He looks down briefly to his fingers. A small, bitter smile curves up unknowingly on his lips, wondering how on earth had it come to this. 

I love you. God, I'm so in love with you...how could you do this to me?? Why - what have I done...that was so fucking wrong...to deserve this humiliation? She couldn't ask me this when we're alone, but now she's brave enough to ask in front of her friends?! Fuck, this hurts! Why? Just...why? It doesn't make any sense! 

"My apologies, ladies...hell of a way to give an impression yet my past seems to catch up really quick -"

"Jungkook-ssi, you don't have to -"

"That's okay," He sighed a few nervous laughs. "It appears that the questions came out because I hadn't lay everything out in the open so...yes," He stares back to Lisa, deadpan in the eyes. "I was with her for six months before I told her I loved her. She was kind to me and she supported me in those times, so yes, to answer whether there was love, yes there was,"

More than anger, Jungkook felt betrayed. He was nervous the entire day for this meet, yet now he has to bear his heart open like a weak victim. 

"As for my mother...like I said before, I don't have a tragic story to tell," He knew deep in his chest that this is about to change. "But since you really want something broken to somehow match with yours, I'll give it to you -"

"Jungkook-ssi, no please -"

"She has alzheimer," He watched the quick change in his girlfriend's face as he dismissed the others' attempt at stopping him. So Sana didn't mention this huh? Well, if she wants to know - now, here - fine, I'll give her that. "Stage five. Barely remembers my father, who is taking care of her with the help of a nurse. Doesn't remember me or my brother at all so we had to move out to not confuse her. She used to be a baker and she loved it...we have all the baking stuff stocked in the kitchen for her and on some good days, she'll come back. Very rare, but it happens,"

"I'm so sorry, Jungkook-ssi. Please, don't mind -"

"Really, it's okay. I don't go around telling people about it because...well, I don't have anything to tell. She's still living, just not as ideally as far as expectations goes but like she said from the beginning, this is life. My mother...she was a bright and lovely woman. She had everything written down on what I should be doing...how I should live, and I remind myself of that every day. In my head, she's still there and maybe cus of that, I tend to forget that it's even an issue. She was the one who asked me to move here, do my best, chase my dream - and I held her words for it. That's all I got - is that tragic enough for you?"

There's a glint in Lisa's eyes and she finally tears away from him - looking down to her lap and hiding her face. Her action confirms exactly why he never wanted to let her know before it's time.

"And as for the topic of me bringing my ex home -"

"No, you don't have to -"

"Yes, she met my mother. I was naive to think that it wasn't a big deal but apparently it was. She didn't like the fact that...well, it wasn't a normal scenario to be dealing with. It'll be too much work if my father's no longer around she said and so it ultimately led to more harsh things revealed...she has her priorities while I have mine. I couldn't give what she wanted - a life just solely made for her and from where I was standing, the proposal that never happened was made with nudges and kicks - so yes, I stand by the fact that it was one-sided,"

The entire table are in complete silence. It's partly surreal for Jungkook to be here with this hurt, when only days ago Lisa had made him feel like the luckiest guy alive. For the first time since he met her, Jungkook wants nothing more than to disappear. Is this how she felt like in all those times she ran? Well if it is, I can't even blame her.

"Well then...I hope the questions are answered and um...I'm sorry ladies, I need to excuse myself early,"

...