Jungkook was out on the porch steps of the rental house when Areum approached. He let her come to him. She stopped a few steps away but if he wanted to, he could grab hold of her. Would he go that far? Yes, and that fact scared him but he’d deal with her effect on his sanity when they were both home.

“If I come with you…” she kicked a stone, stubborn till the end, “Will you continue to fund the lab?”

“Yes.”

She nodded, “Is this the type of person you are?” she sounded disgusted, “Because if you are the type to use your position just to get what you want then I’m going to be clear with you.” She met his eyes with fierce determination, “The old me may have married you, maybe the old me even cared for you, but the new me…” she hit her chest with a fist, “The me that stands before you, will never fall for that again. You can take my body across the water and place me in your fancy house, but you’ll never get me to feel for you.”

Jungkook hid how much her words hurt. He didn’t dare reveal the circumstances they got married under. She’d probably run a mile if she found out about the marriage deal.

“Are you okay with that?”

“For now,” he nodded, “I’ll live.”

“There’s more.” He waited for her to continue, “You can’t withdraw the funding, even if we argue or I leave…”

“Done. You have my word. I will not pull the funding. Your precious lab will be safe. Even after we're dust.”

“Also…” she looked away rather than see his reaction, “There has to be some sort of cut off time. If I can’t remember you, if nothing works…you have to let me go.”

“I don’t expect anything other than you to be present.” It was only half true, losing Areum the first time showed him how much she meant to him. It wasn’t just the guilt that drove him slowly insane over the year she was gone. It was the slow creeping realisation that he needed her. He’d never let her go, but she didn’t need to know that – yet, “but you have