By the time Ye Jin returned to Chunchon, it was 2 in the morning. The streets were emptied and all was silent except for the racing thoughts in her mind. She tried to force herself to forget about what had just transpired.  

When she to the street for her house, she was welcomed by a presence under the lamppost. As she drew closer, her heart eased once she recognized the visitor. 

"Took you long enough," Jung Kook said once he saw her. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his fleece hoodie, desperate for warmth in the freezing night's air.  

"I didn’t say I was coming back tonight. Were you gonna stay here the entire time?" She retorted. 

He nodded and said, "I missed you." 

"I've only been gone a few hours." 

"Yeah, but, I should've gone with you. I got worried something went wrong, because-" 

"Because?" Ye Jin moved closer, noticing his guilty expression, like he just said something he knew he should not have. 

Jung Kook turned away and began to stroll to the house. She followed, not letting the topic wither away. 

"Yah! Jung Kook-ah!"  

"Alright!" He said, turning to face her. They were now in front of her house gates, both feeling the brunt of the cold night's air. "Yoon Gi messaged me." 

"What for?" 

"He told me to take care of you." 

"W-what?" Ye Jin asked in disbelief.  

"Let's go inside. You'll catch a cold out here." 

Ye Jin moved to enter the gates. Once the two of them were safely inside, shedding from their jackets, Jung Kook continued his investigation. 

"But, why did you go there to see Suga? I thought things with the two of y'all were over." 

"They are, but-, nevermind." Ye Jin had to remind herself that Jung Kook was an average human who had no idea what was really going on in her private life.  

"Okay, you don’t have to tell me right now. But, eventually, I'd like to know so I can know how to comfort you." 

"No need." That was the last thing she told Jung Kook that night, as she made a beeline for her bedroom.  

She had too many thoughts about Suga running through her mind. She didn’t need to bring Jung Kook's feelings into the mix. Sure, he was a good friend to have, but he was another connection to those few months she and Nam Joon spent in Busan. No matter how much she thought of him as another friend, she couldn’t deny the harsh memories that came every time she saw him smile.