(please spare a bit of your time to read the a/n at the end of this chapter. thank you)

For just a few short moments wandering in the market, Chaeyoung felt like walking with ease was getting difficult. She wished she could shut out all the things she heard. She couldn’t even lift her head. She couldn’t even get the things her mother asked her to purchase.

Her name was on the people’s mouths alongside the word marry and Junhoe. She shuddered at the thought. The next day would be it. She’d be meeting with them. When she walked past the Defense Sector’s training ground and saw Jungkook training with his whole heart with unfaltering focus, the hollow feeling inside of her was inescapable.

He’d been avoiding her, she knew. She saw him a few times in the market. Either he was about to buy something or just walking past it, he tried his best to avoid her. He walked away so fast when their eyes met and without the need for him to say it, the message was clear. He didn’t want to see her.

Sometimes it was too late when she finally noticed him. She’d called his name but it was as though his name wasn’t Jungkook or that she was nothing but a ghost. His feet would bring him farther and farther in such swiftness.

She should have talked to him about it. But what would she expect to happen if she did tell him? What could happen? Would good things happen? Wouldn’t the result be just the same? That he would still hate her?

Her fingers curled around her long dress. Still, she wanted to talk. No matter what would happen, she wanted to talk. Even the peace she’d gathered from being around the pond wasn’t enough, especially after what happened on the previous day.

On the previous day, she was already present when he walked into the woods toward the pond. Their eyes settled on each other and he’d turn around so fast wordlessly, leaving the area as fast as he could and suddenly, peace was something unattainable.

*

Jungkook halted his steps, kept his eyes fixed on his house less than fifteen feet before him. He let his ears take in every soft sound of the footsteps behind him before it stopped, replaced with a voice calling his name.

He sighed, closed his eyes briefly. He turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of a figure standing not too close but not even far. “You should go,” he calmly said.

“No.”

A moment later, he felt her hand on his shoulder and he felt the fire within him began to weaken. Jungkook turned around swiftly, her hand absent and he met face to face with Chaeyoung who was looking at him with brows furrowed. There was guilt perfectly written on her face.

Jungkook shifted his gaze away. “Is there something that you require from me?” he asked.

She was only filled with silence and when he glanced back at her, her eyes were staring down, lips separated and sealed a couple times. Jungkook knew she wanted to open the topic of her planned marriage to the Healer, yet she didn’t seem to know how she was supposed to start it.

Silently, he tried to turn back around but her hands were quick to reach for his arm, holding it so firmly like it was a sin to let go.

“I need to talk to you,” she said in a rush. “Of… of the things people are talking about.”

“Now you want to talk?” He did not mean for it to sound cold, but it did and his throat tightened when he saw the look on her face. It was as though he c