a/n: y'all istg I meant to finish this chap weeks ago but then classes started and I had to move apts and then life happened and stuff just got so crazy that I lit didn't get to touch this chap until a few days ago and ngl don't even love it but had to get it out 😭 am determined to finish this tho so stay until the end!!

thanks for patience and reading and commenting!! 💕💕

For the sixth time this week, Jungkook circled his arms around Yerim's torso.

The first time it happened, she almost dropped her container of leftovers. They hadn't officially announced their tentative relationship to anyone else in the company (except for Jimin and Irene), but it was still obvious. He was constantly beaming at her and bending too far into her space for it to be labeled work or friend appropriate. Despite all that, though, she had let him follow her to her car. She was even normal when she opened the door to her apartment and told him to get comfortable.

Yet, the moment his arms wrapped around her, his front pressed to her back, and his face dipped to the crook of her neck, her heart rate picked up. This was real. She had confessed her feelings, and they were actually going to try it. As she stared at her leftovers, resisting the urge to lean into his touch, she felt a mixture of elation and dread.

The next two weeks, the gesture became more familiar than strange. And as they slowly learned each other's habits, a routine developed. Jungkook, who was surprisingly good at cooking, handled dinner, while Yerim washed the dishes and wiped the table. On some days, after dinner, while Yerim visited her mom, Jungkook went to the gym. Other days, he would stay up to handle calls and finish any leftover work, all byproducts of being in such a high position. By the end of the night, they would collapse on the couch, each just as exhausted as the other. Tired as they were, though, they always made time for each other, which Yerim thought was a miracle.

Jungkook was also true to his words. He was incapable of keeping his hands off of her, not that she minded much. When they left the company, his hand would graze her lower back. When they were in line for coffee, he would lean into her embrace, so that their shoulders bumped and aligned. When they were having lunch with her mom and friends, one pinky would always, always be hooked around her's, a secret they shared under the table. There were bold, daring touches, and there were also subtle touches, ones that left lingering feelings dancing on their skins.

Yerim loved it, however reluctant she was in the beginning, but she couldn't curb the lingering fear that this was only temporary. Something would happen to rip this happy dream apart. Something always happened. The thought was fleeting, though, disappearing the moment he wrapped his arms around her.

Now, he was also nibbling her earlobe, completely distracting her from her bowl of pasta.

She tilted her head and at the same time said, "I need to eat."

"Mhmm."

Yerim fought the grin forming on her face. For a long time, she had only let herself indulge in a few moments of happiness, the guilt that usually followed prompting her to switch gears immediately. Nowadays, it felt more like happiness was the air surrounding her, instead of an electric current she could switch on and off. "I'm hungry," she protested with no conviction.

Jungkook moved down her neck. "I'm also hungry."

She suppressed a gasp at the feel of his teeth scraping against her skin. "We should eat."

"I am eating," he corrected before biting down softly.

Yerim was surprised she didn't drop her pasta.

Later that night, as Jungkook called his parents, Yerim sat on the couch and scrolled through her emails. She knew that accessing and evaluating a portfolio wasn't an easy task - she had done thousands and none of them went by quicker than the others - but she was still nervous that she hadn't received anything. After a few minutes, she refreshed the app. Still nothing. Just the sound of Jungkook's short and chipped words floating through space.

She thought back to a few nights ago.

Joy had sat Yerim down in an armchair. Her eyes were dull and downcast, her mouth dragging as if gravity was too heavy. Even the usual bright, dewy cast of her skin was as gray as a stormy cloud.

"Is this about what we were discussing last week?" Yerim asked before she was even situated.

Her friend paused before slowly nodding.

Sagging into the cushion, Yerim was glad the chair existed to catch her weight because her bones had just decomposed to jelly and liquid. She had been prepared for her mom eventually losing the ability to eat. However, even though she had spent time building shields, the actual knowledge was a missle attack too strong to defend. For now, her mom needed someone to help her eat. What would happen in the future?

"When did it begin?"

"This morning. Sorry I didn't call sooner. I didn't want to give bad news over the phone."

Yerim stared blankly at Joy, who looked just as in pain as her, and nodded weakly.

Joy grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Your mom is a fighter. Any other patient would've given up months ago, but she kept on fighting, one lungful at a time."

Rapidly blinking, Yerim looked away. Her mom had always been the fiercest.

The next few days, guilt that she was doing everything wrong, that she wasn't doing enough, plagued and haunted her. The shadows engulfed her and incapicated every other thought. Jungkook noticed something was wrong, but instead of demanding an answer, he gave her space and hugs when she needed them. For that, she was extremely grateful. Eventually, she pulled herself out of the gunk, reasoning that it was inevitable. Her friends were right. She could mourn and still live her life.

Yet, when silence descended, when she was left to her own thoughts and devices, she continued to feel guilty.

Yerim refreshed her emails. The same old nothing.

"You look stressed," Jungkook interrupted her thoughts. Stopping behind her, he began to knead and massage her shoulders.

Dropping her phone on the coffee table, she tilted her head back, meeting his probing, intense gaze. He was curious, but he never bothered her, always keeping a respectful distance. As his hands worked their magic, Yerim felt a rush of adoration rising in her, expanding her heart, flushing out the worry, and blocking her throat.

She gripped his forearms and squeezed. "You look stressed, too. Were your parents annoying you again?"

He sighed, nodding. "They can't understand why I'm not listening to them anymore." Hopping over the back of the couch, he plopped his head on her lap. "Saying that I'm going to ruin the company and more. I don't understand why they're handing the executive position to me if they don't even trust me."

Yerim ran a hand through his hair. It was soft and growing longer day by day. She liked it that way, especially when the ends curled against his neck. "They're fools."

Jungkook snuggled up against her like a cat.

That night, she tossed and turned in bed. She couldn't turn back time for her mom nor force an answer out of the companies, but she could try to fix Jungkook's situation with his parents. An idea was taking root in her head and slowly spreading, one that grabbed on stronger than vines climbing the side of a building. A fire lit up and refused to settle.

The next morning, Yerim went straight to Jean's house, which was devoid of everything except for an air mattress, two litter boxes, a food and water bowl, and Pebbles. When she crossed the door, Pebbles strided up to her and began to wound around her legs.

"Hey," Yerim murmured. Pebbles was so sweet. She wondered if a cat could've saved her father from leaving. The thought was so sudden, so full of wistfulness, that she immediately discarded it.

Jean looked mistful as she glanced at their interaction and surveyed the spacious living room. "I'm not the only one who's going to miss this place."

Scratching the space between Pebbles' ears, Yerim asked, "Will he be fine during the trip?"

"I've done my best to turn my car into a temporary home for him, so hopefully yes."

Yerim glanced at the warm wrinkles forming around Jean's eyes, the way her fingers shriveled and curled with age, and her shoulders drooped with each passing day. Jean still looked lively, though, as if a five hour hike would do nothing but make her more excited. Not for the first time, Yerim felt a jolt of envy and affection. If her mom had never been dealt unfairly with, then she would've been exactly like Jean, Yerim knew for sure.

"He's lucky to have you." Yerim smiled as Pebbles flopped on his belly and began to purr.

"Oh, he really is. All I do is feed him and scoop his waste," Jean joked. "So, what brings you here today?"

Stroking Pebbles belly one last time, she stood up and said, "It's about the person who betrayed Jungkook years ago. Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

...

Yerim thought the living room would be more imposing and cold.

It was surprisingly cozy with fresh hardwood floors and antique furnitures made out of dark brown and red wood. The room wasn't enormous, but the air of royalty the sparkling and ancient gold and silver clock decorating the mantelpiece gave seemed to expand the space.

Jungkook's parents stood next to the fireplace, similar frowns pulling their faces down. Not a single hair was out of place, and their pressed trousers and woolen shawl clinged to their bodies in a way only tailored clothes could achieve. Yerim had contacted them at the last minute and only briefly explained the situation to them, so despite their formal appearances, the two of them looked wary and disgruntled.

"What is this about?"

That was Mr. Jeon, his deep voice rumbling like thunder in the horizon.

Yerim refused to shudder nor break eye contact. He had Jungkook's intense stare, but unlike the way his son left behind a blazing trail of fire, his stare left behind a gust of icy wind. She had practice, though, and since she voluntarily came to their lair, she wasn't going to back down.

"I'm here to ask for a favor." The word 'favor' was too nice for them, but Yerim didn't want to start too strong.

Mrs. Jeon looked surprised for a total of a second before a frown, one that cut deep grooves into her fair skin, replaced it. She didn't say a single word, only lifted a perfectly painted eyebrow.

Yerim crossed her arms. "Stay out of Jungkook's life."

There was a pause. They then laughed, one deep and other high-pitched. Together, they sounded like clowns, mocking and terrorizing. "You're brave, my dear girl." Mrs. Jeon smiled with knives. "Coming here alone to tell us this. Does Jungkook know about this?"

She shook her head.

"Then did he not tell you? We are out of his life."

Yerim stiffened at the blatant lie.

"We've accepted the idea that Maria and Jungkook will never marry," Mr. Jeon explained, arms flexing. "We've given Jungkook freedom to pursue whoever he wants." He paused, scanning Yerim from head to toe, barely concealing the disapproval in his gaze. "The only thing we want is to have a say in managing the company after he takes over."

Muscles tensing, Yerim said through gritted teeth, "That's not staying out of his life."

"Who are you?" Mrs. Jeon cut in before her husband could reply. The question was so abrupt and random that Yerim simply stared at her. "Who are you to intrude into our family business?"

"I'm-" Yerim trailed off. They haven't put official labels on what was happening, yet.

"You're?" When another second passed in silence, Mrs. Jeon laughed. "Nothing? An employee? His coworker?"

Yerim thought back to when she hated Jungkook, when every word that came out of his mouth sounded arrogant and condescending. She was having the same reaction now to his mother, who clearly knew that they liked each other but was probably being ignorant for the sake of being petty. "I'm not only his coworker but also his friend, so as someone who cares for him, I came here to tell you that he can manage his own life without interference." She took out her phone and held up the screen. "Or else I will leak this document to the public."

They both froze, except for their eyes, darting to the screen and then back to Yerim's face. They couldn't see from the distance, but Yerim knew they didn't need to see to understand. Mrs. Jeon narrowed her eyes. "Where did you get that?"

She shrugged, not wanting to throw Jean into the pit of vipers. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that I will post this document online."

"Are you threatening us?" Mrs. Jeon laughed, the sound shrill as a train whistle. "You do know that by doing that, you'll ruin the company's image and Jungkook's career for a while."

"Not if he steps in and becomes the hero." Yerim had thought this through. They could use the media and journalists to skew the story in his favor. He wasn't going to be under fire from this document in the first place, but if accidents happened, there was a way to cover it.

Mrs. Jeon was clearly panicking, her thin eyebrows arched into mountains. "I have connections. I can pull some strings and-"

"I heard you're waiting for a company to pick up your portfolio," Mr. Jeon interrupted.

Yerim's attention flew to him. How did he know about that?

His gaze didn't leave her for a second as he said, "What if I say we can pick this project up and execute it exactly to your liking without waiting for a year or two?"

She froze, the arm holding the phone going ramrod straight.

A corner of Mr. Jeon's mouth lifted in a smug smile. "What will happen now?"

Yerim exhaled. "Nothing."

He lifted a bushy eyebrow. "Nothing?"

"Nothing."

...

"Promise me you won't say anything until I finish?"

Jungkook lifted an eyebrow. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, legs crossed and white dress shirt unbuttoned on the top. Yerim had bombarded him the moment they arrived home before he even had a chance to switch to more comfortable wear or fill his glass with water. "You're scaring me. I'm usually the one leading the conversation, not the other way around."

"Just promise me," Yerim insisted, holding up a pinky. "It'll take me only ten minutes."

He continued to look skeptical but nodded.

"Thank you." She shoved her hands into her blazer pocket. "So, I know your parents have been bothering you for a while now."

Jungkook scoffed. "Not just a while."

"I think I found a way to get them off your back."

Both of his eyebrows flew up.

Yerim took out her phone and showed him her newest email. "Jean sent me this document that she had stored away for years."

Jungkook scanned the top of the screen before stiffening. He met her eyes, and there was the intense hawk-like quality again. It was to be expected, though. She had just shown him the document his friend had tried to blackmail him with years ago.

"Where did you get this? Jean told me she destroyed it."

"She didn't."

His whole body flexed and became rigid. "She what?"

Yerim stepped into his circle and looped her hand around his biceps. "She did destroy it in front of your parents, but before she did that, she made a copy. She knew you never looked through the whole file." She shot him a pointed glance. "Even though you said you did read it."

Jungkook clenched his jaw and looked away.

"Hey." Her voice and touch was soft. "It's okay. Jean isn't mad. She knows that you needed time to accept everything. I read the file, though."

He glanced back down at her, his eyes stormy and dark. "What does it say?"

She grinned. "Good things."

For a second, he merely blinked. Then, his rigid expression melted into a frown. "What do you mean?"

"When your friend swiped this document off of your computer, he only had your words to go off on, meaning that he thought this file defamed you. That's why he went to your parents but came back with nothing to damage your reputation."

Jungkook's frown turned deeper. "That's not true. He looked happy afterwards."

"Because he received money from your parents." Yerim squeezed his arm gently. "Why do you think you're still fine?"

He scowled. "Because my parents covered it up."

She shook her head. "The file actually goes into detail about the damages that your parents caused because of their misguided leadership. Star Services wrote it, but your parents were friends with people in the executive board, so they agreed to dissolve any conflicts if they both never spoke of the situation again. Your friend thought he was blackmailing your parents when he showed them the document. Who would've known that it was actually your parents trying to maintain the silence?"

There was a moment of silence, in which Jungkook simply stared at her.

"How did you figure this out?"

Yerim prepared herself. "I talked to your parents the other day."

"What?" Jungkook looked incredulous, all muscles locking up again. "You did what?"

"It was after the phone call." She shoved her phone into her pocket. "You looked distressed, so I wanted to help in some way."

He deadpanned, "By talking to my parents, who by the way hates you."

Yerim nodded, scowling. "Do you not trust me?"

"I do." He sighed. "It's just that my parents are difficult."

She thought back to their conversation and wanted to laugh in irony. Difficult was an easy word to describe them.

"Then if you trust me, let me finish my story."

Jungkook looked ready to faint. "There's more?"

"After I pieced together the stories, I threatened them." Before he could utter anything in surprise, she placed a finger against his lip. She could feel him struggling to make words. "I said that if they didn't leave you alone, then I would release what they did to the public and bring them down."

He went completely still and a range of emotions seemed to play on his face. Confusion, disbelief, annoyance, and relief. "I don't know how to feel. I'm mad that you did all this without telling me, but I also know you did it for me, so I can't even stay mad." Finally, he laughed, rubbing a hand down his face. "You've changed a lot. Imagine past Yerim being confrontational."

Past-Yerim also couldn't stand her name in his mouth. She grinned, poking him in the chest. "And who taught me?"

Jungkook snaked his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Your favorite human."

She snorted but melted into his hug.

"How did my parents respond?"

Yerim thought of their red faces and bulging veins. Both of them looked ready to throw the expensive, glittering crystals decorating the mantelpiece at her face. "Appropriately." She kept the other part to herself. There was no point in worrying Jungkook about his parents overstepping any lines.

His body shook against hers with laughter. "You're crazy, but I love it."

Crazy.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Crazy indeed. Jungkook had that influence on her, huh.