How long has it been? One year, seven months, thirteen days, and forty-four… no forty-five minutes. Who was counting? He gave up, she had left him… She went with her father to America, and soon he would be turning eighteen and graduating high school. The rumors died down only weeks of being brought forth, and though Jungkook was thankful that people got a life and moved on, he also felt that Sang-Oh was fading from his life further. It was bad enough that he could no longer touch her, could no longer see her, but what was worse was when he was no longer allowed the pleasure of hearing her name.

Perhaps Sang-Oh wasn’t real, she was only a figment of his imagination that brewed because he was so weak and pathetic, that he needed savior. Perhaps that’s why she vanished from his life just as quickly as she came into it, if only to touch some light to his darkness and allow his heart to open once more. He’d be lying if he said that he was happy for his brother’s marriage but glancing at the bride before him only made him feel empty, more alone in his loathing.

“You still thinking about her?” He was surprised when hearing a male’s voice from behind him, even more alarmed when Min Yoongi, Jimin’s boyfriend, took a seat on the deck and splashed his feet into the chilly waters of the lake.

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“No” Jungkook lied, he always lied when asked about Sang-Oh, because the truth was that she was never far from his thoughts. He fell hard, she had turned him into mush and then built him into a statue, one that was unbreakable.

“Sure” Yoongi hummed, his eyes drifting off into the sunset. “She’s here you now? Sang-Oh.”

“No, she’s not” Jungkook searched with hope in his heart that she would be here today, that he could take back every regret and prove his love and loyalty to her, that he could become the man she needed to stay at her side. “I looked” he concluded, because he remembered how heavy his heart suddenly became when he couldn’t find her, when her name wasn’t signed into the wedding reception.

“Thought you weren’t thinking about her?” This Bastard…

“I love her” Jungkook admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, a sad smile taking his lips as though a bitter sweet reminder to keep people he loved close, and to no longer push them away from his life. Some people won’t come back if you do. He liked Yoongi, and so he didn’t wish to push him away.

He was even upset when his father rid of the woman who was causing stress within the house, because it was just another piece of a puzzle being taken away from him. It was another proof that Sang-Oh truly was gone from his life, and that she was no longer his to hold, to stare at, to worship. Jungkook admitted to many mistakes, and she had understood them all, but when he needed her to hang on, she let go.

Sang-Oh let go, and never reached out her hand again.

“She knows that” Yoongi concluded, pulling out his phone from his pocket and glancing at a text message “I have to go pick up my mother from the airport, but my car is broken down. Can you do it?”

“Sure” Jungkook would do anything to escape this wedding, to get away from the constant reminded of his selfishness, of his complete and utter disregard for the emotions of the woman he loved. “Should I take her number?”

“No, you’ll be able to tell who she is when you get there” Yoongi concluded before standing himself up, being met with Jimin who smiled brightly at the precious people in his life. He understood what Jungkook had to learn the hard way, that you should love when you have the chance.

~~~~~~

“I’m going to be late” Sang-Oh breathed heavily as she approached the gates to her flight, thankful to see they were still letting travelers on board, cursing the stupid meeting for keeping her ten minutes past the time she was supposed to leave. Looking towards her phone, she sent a quick text to Yoongi before shutting the device off, knowing that soon she would be back home, to a place she longed to be, to a person whom she was dying to see again.

She had missed Jungkook gravely, and though she acted angry when she had left, she never truly was upset with him. In fact, she understood well why he was trying to leave, but his method gave them no chances of being together, where her method gave them the opportunity of a lifetime. She didn’t wish to hold him back either, so she couldn’t explain the situation. If he had found another love while she was away, she’d be perfectly fine with it, so long as he smiled and continued to hold his happiness. He meant that much to her.

‘I just arrived in China, be home in less than three hours!’ She texted Yoongi once more, thankful to see Namjoon and Tzuyu on the opposite side of the aisle, a smile taking her lips as she approached the couple.

“You look beautiful” she couldn’t help but state the words when seeing Tzuyu dressed in a beautifully designed dress, her eyes than glancing towards Namjoon who once again, looked like a complete dork in men’s clothing. “I guess you look nice too, she dress you?”

“Of course” Tzuyu chuckled while pulling out the wrinkles from the business attire that claimed her husbands jacket. “Did you honestly believe he had any clue what to wear?”

“Har, har, har you two are sooo funny” Namjoon sulked, pushing away the hands that constantly dolled him up and perfected his attire. “I heard you were heading back to Korea for Janine’s wedding. You excited to see everyone?”

“YESS!” Sang-Oh barely managed to breath, she was so eager to answer the question.

“More so Jungkook” Tzuyu teased, earning herself a faint blush from the woman before her, yet Sang wasn’t entirely set on denying it either. “I’m rooting for you two, fighting!”

“Fighting! Thanks for meeting me here, it means a lot” Sang-Oh smiled softly towards the duo, her eyes widening when realizing that her flight was being loaded, and that she had no time left to converse. “You both look amazing, keep in touch!” Sang yelled out while running towards her gate, knowing that if she missed the flight, Yoongi would kill her for wasting his time.

~~~~~~

How the heck was Jungkook supposed to know Yoongi’s mother? He felt ridiculous for not asking for a name or even a picture of the woman and felt out of place while standing in the arrival area. He knew she was coming from China, but that didn’t make his search any less confusing. That flight was filled, and soon several faces would be swooning to get off of the plane, to be rid of the travel and to reunite with the people whom they left behind.

‘Have you found her yet?’ Idiot, of course he didn’t, he hadn’t a clue whom he was searching for. Duh.

“Arriving, flight 109” it was the flight he was waiting for, and soon he found himself watching as several people left the plane, blocking his vision from the ones who had yet to leave. He felt like an idiot standing there, cursing Min Yoongi for being so lazy, and just when he had enough, his breath was stolen when a familiar face was submerged in the crowd.

She looked more beautiful than he had remembered, his memory doing no justice when compared to the reality, her business attire giving more age, but not in a bad way. He had to fight the urge to run up and hold her, to kiss her and smother her in years of loneliness, and he pondered if he could survive this. He wouldn’t runaway however, he was done running away from what he wanted, from his emotions and desires. Sang-Oh taught him in a harsh way, that running away only hurt more.

“Sang…” He spoke her name, her head snapping towards his direction, but it was obvious she still couldn’t see him, that she was blinded by the large crowd, and not to mention, she was searching for Yoongi.

“Yoongi?” She yelled out, waving her arm in the air and Jungkook had to suppress the giggle that scratched his throat. God she was so cute.

They weren’t going to find each other this way, and so with much diligence and determination, he would lunge forward into the large crowd, depleting the space that separated them. He could feel her skin on his, could almost anticipate the electric shock of touching her, and as his hand reached for her own, she had turned around just in time to catch him in the act. Her eyes widened, like a deer in headlights, she was frozen, and he pondered for a minute, if he should be standing before her… If he should be the one to greet her.

~~~~~~~~

‘Jungkook…’ she couldn’t breathe suddenly, the person whom she had missed so much was standing before her, with a beautiful bunny smile. Age did him well, he no longer looked like a child lost, he looked like a man who was determined and confident. He was so much more handsome than she recalled, and it didn’t help that he was wearing a suit and a tie, adding onto his young-age.

“Kookie…?” She whispered, unaware of the tears that suddenly blurred her vision, for nothing else at that moment mattered, only he did.

“Hey beautiful” he whispered with a smile worth every dollar in this world.

“Hey handsome” she responded with a cheeky smile, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his waist, thankful when his arms wrapped around her shoulders and welcomed her back home, back into his life.

“Gosh, I missed you” he whispered into her hair, her nodding in complete understanding, for she had been living half a life while she was away, while she was putting her future in place and ridding of the obstacles that surrounded them. It was all worth it, for this one embrace, for the beautiful smile that claimed his lips, for the way he held her as though he’d never let her go again.

All was worth it… If only, for one more chance to feel her heart race with the intensity of a thunderstorm, for the lightning to spark within her entire being.