*~*Chapter 16*~*

I sat on the front porch, waiting for Jung Kook to arrive. As a breeze blew by, I wrapped my arms around myself. Headlights washed over the road. I bolted to my feet. Jung Kook was finally here.

I watched as he punched in the pin to the garage gate and got back into his car. I made my way towards the driveway as Jung Kook pulled in. He parked and got out of his car, approaching me with a grin.

“Hey, beautiful,” he called as he rounded the hood of his car. He stopped short when he saw my arm wrapped in gauze bandages. “Oh, my God, Kyungi! What happened?!” he gasped, running to my side and grabbing my injured arm. I winced.

“I’m okay; it’s nothing.”

“How did you get hurt?” he demanded, looking at me in alarm.

“I fell,” I lied. It wasn’t a complete lie. I did technically fall.

“Where?!”

“In the living room…onto the lamps.”

“What?! How did that happen? Are you okay? Does it hurt?!” he bombarded me with a million questions.

I smiled and shook my head. “I’m fine.”

“What about RM? Where was he when you got hurt? He didn’t even try to help you?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but Jung Kook had already bolted away. “RM!” he shouted, storming into the house.

Oh, . 

I chased after him. “Jung Kook!” I called.

He ran up the stairs and tried the door. When he realized it was locked, he started banging on it. “Open up!” he shouted. “Open this damn door right now!”

When there was no response, he backed up and then rammed into the door using his shoulder.

“Jung Kook!” I cried and dashed up the stairs.

He ignored me, backing up again, and ran right at the door again. This time, the door popped open under impact. Jung Kook tumbled in. I heard him yell, “What the do you think you’re doing!?” followed by a dull thud!

By the time I reached the door, Jung Kook had RM by the collar, pinning him to the back wall besides the window.

“Jung Kook!” I cried and dashed inside, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back. He didn’t loosen his hold. “Let him go!” I pleaded. “He’s hurt too!”

That moment, I felt Jung Kook’s hands loosen, and he stepped back. “What?” he asked, sounding both surprised and confused, as he looked at me.

“He came to help me when I fell,” I continued to lie. “His knees are cut.”

Jung Kook’s eyes flashed to RM’s knees before looking back at his friend’s face. “Is this true?” he asked.

RM’s eyes flashed to me. I nodded eagerly. 

He looked away. “Yes,” he grumbled.

Jung Kook stepped back with a heavy sigh. “Sorry,” he mumbled. RM didn’t respond. He looked back at me. “Are you really okay, Kyungi?” he asked, his voice now soft. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” I said again. “But RM needs help; the first aid kit is by the door.”

Jung Kook looked back at his friend. “Can you take care of it by yourself, right?” he asked.

RM refused to meet his eyes.

He looked back at me. “He’s fine. Let’s go.” With that, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

“Wh—where are we going?” I asked as he tugged me down the stairs. 

“To the hospital,” he responded without a single glance. 

“I’m fine,” I complained as Jung Kook continued to pull me behind him, but he just ignored my complaints. He led me out of the house and seated me in his car. “I said, I’m fine,” I called after him as he rounded the car and got into the driver’s seat. “Jung Kook, I said I’m fine,” I said once more as he got in.

“I just want to check to make sure you’re not more seriously injured, okay?” he finally responded.

“I’m okay. It’s RM that you should worry about.”

With a sigh, he finally looked at me.

“I’m okay,” I said with a small smile. “But do you think you can you tell me more about RM?”

He looked at me in surprise. “Why the sudden curiosity?”

I looked down at my hands in my lap. Here goes…

With a sigh, I confessed, “I was watching your drama when RM came in during the engagement scene. He completely flipped out when you and Yubi kissed.”

Jung Kook grew silent

“I really don’t know what caused it,” I continued. “I can’t figure out if it’s because he’s a crazy Yubi fan, or if the engagement scene reminded him of his own past, or what.” I looked over at him. He was staring intently at the steering wheel. “I feel like I need to know more about RM so I can avoid situations that will trigger him.”

Jung Kook remained silent for a long time, as if contemplating to tell me or not. Finally, he spoke, his voice solemn. “It was five years ago. We were all in the same university together: me, him, and his ex-fiancée. They met during their freshman year, and he told me he fell in love with her the moment he saw her. He said she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and he wasn’t wrong; she was gorgeous.”

I nodded as I listened intently.

“At that time, he was majoring in Music, and she was in Theatre with me. She and I took a lot of classes together, and since RM was my best friend, we all hung out together a lot. I think they started dating maybe three months in…

“Our second year, his dad passed away from a sudden heart attack. His parents divorced when he was little, and his mom never bothered to keep in touch with him since, so his dad had meant the world to him. His death crushed him, but she was there for him through it all. He grew so dependent on her; everywhere she went, he went. Everywhere he went, she went…”

So the dependency started then, huh? That also explains the money; how such a young guy like him could afford a house like this.

Jung Kook continued on. “He supported her in everything. He never tried to hinder her and always encouraged her to follow her dreams. He even helped her find her recruiting agency and was there every step of the way, through all of her auditions, all of the triumphs and tears. And then the day they told me they were engaged, I couldn’t be happier for them.”

“So then…what changed?” I asked.

Jung Kook looked at me, sadness shimmering in his eyes as he recounted the memories. “The recruiting agency told her if she ever wanted to succeed, she needed to give him up. No up-and-coming actress ever succeeded if she was already tied down to someone else.”

“So she broke up with him for her career?”

Jung Kook nodded.

I thought it through. It makes sense. Some people put career first before love. I don’t think I could ever do that though.

“Who is she?” I asked at last, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jung Kook looked at me, a small smile of amusement tugging on his lips. “You really are thickheaded, aren’t you?”

“What?”

A hint of enjoyment crossed his eyes as he studied me. “That’s why I like you so much, Kyungi. No matter what happens, you’re always you.”

“You still didn’t answer my question,” I remarked.

“It’s Yubi. Park Yubi.”

“What?!” My jaw dropped open as I gaped at him. My whole body grew numb as the news sunk in. Never had I ever imagined that Yubi was the one who had broken RM’s heart. 

But it all makes sense now. The way RM reacted when Jung Kook invited him to the drama filming; the way he had gotten angry seeing her face on the screen, kissing his best friend. And the way Jung Kook behaved bitterly towards her, the way he sounded annoyed when he spoke with her after filming. And the reason why Yubi approached me, the REAL reason, was because she wanted to keep tabs on RM, not Jung Kook! 

I’m such an idiot! Why hadn’t I noticed this all before?