“Stop fidgeting, Ji. It’s going to be fine.” Taehyung reassured as he placed his hands over her knee to stop her feet from tapping the floor. She bit her lip nervously and glanced around the restaurant.

Namjoon had mentioned that he was going to be late, while Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi were on their way. The trio were early, and Jihyun couldn’t help but feel the nerves as she waited for the people that she hadn’t seen in five years.

However, when Hoseok bounced into the room with radiant energy, Yoongi who bore a familiar, wide gummy smile when their eyes met, and Jimin who winked and ran towards her with a hug, Jihyun instantly felt warmth spreading through her body.

Jin was right - there was this sense of familiarity, and it felt like old times.

“It’s been too long!” Jimin half-shouted when they separated from the hug as he smiled with crinkly eyes. “I missed you so much, Ji.”

“My turn!” Hoseok playfully shoved Jimin away as he engulfed her in a hug. She had almost forgotten how warm Hoseok’s hugs were - the kind of hug that made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

“How’s my favourite girl doing?” He mumbled as he sighed deeply into the hug, “I’m okay.” Jihyun said with a smile as she buried her head in his shoulder. “You still give good hugs, Hobi.”

Hoseok separated with a broad grin, “Of course! And I’ve missed you! You really went off the radar, Ji.” Sighing with a wistful smile, Jihyun could barely reply before she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Turning around, she found Yoongi with wide arms waiting for her, “Bring it in.”

Chuckling softly, she sank into Yoongi’s chest as he patted her hair. Yoongi was just how she remembered him - gentle and calming.

“I hope you are doing well.” He said as he separated himself, “I haven’t seen you in so long, but I know you’re okay - because our Jihyun always does well in everything she does.”

This sentence coming from Yoongi made her feel seen and reassured, and she felt all the emotions rushing to her at once. “Stop it, you’re not supposed to make me cry!” She sniffled as she looked up quickly to prevent tears from falling while Yoongi chuckled, “Still a crybaby, I see. Some things never change, huh?” He teased as he guided her to the table.

The table was filled with chatter instantly, and she felt as if she was transported to the past. The time they spent in the attic chatting about everything under the sun, discussing quidditch match strategies, brooding over homework and trying out their spells before classes - it felt like Hogwarts all over again.

The place got even rowdier when Namjoon came, where most of them had not seen him in a long while, and the boy had brought tons of ornaments and artifacts from different parts of the world as presents for his friends. Everyone was excited, and no one had talked about Jungkook - yet.

But she knew his absence didn’t go unnoticed, as she saw Jimin’s eyes scanning the area and typing on his phone worriedly, before glancing at Jihyun again. She had caught his eyes, and he had given a quick smile before averting his gaze away quickly. Somehow, she had an inkling of what he was thinking.

She hadn’t thought too much about it, and chose to shrug the topic away as the group continued chatting for another two hours while the crowd started to faze out.

She had mostly listened to them talk, and she was happy with that - hearing how well everyone had been doing all these years, until she looked up and she could feel her heart palpitating quickly.

He held her stare, too afraid to look away as he hadn’t seen that pair of eyes in five years. It wasn’t the first time she was seeing him again, but she couldn’t mask her surprise as she widened her eyes and clutched her jeans tightly.

Jin seemed to have noticed her nervousness, as he looked up, frowning instantly when he saw Jungkook.

“What is he doing here?” Jin placed a protective hand over Jihyun’s shoulders while she tried to steady her breathing.

The room fell silent as Jungkook looked down in shame before taking a small step towards the table, “Hi guys. I’m so sorry to interrupt, I just dropped by to say hi, but I think I should go.”

“Come on Jin, give Jungkook a break. It’s our first reunion in five years, the least we can do is be civil, can’t we?” Jimin retorted as he walked to Jungkook, guiding him towards an empty seat beside Yoongi.

Jin scowled angrily as he turned to Jimin, “I thought you are better than this, Jimin. I made it clear that if he’s here, we’re leaving. And don’t tell me what I can or cannot do, because Jungkook lost all my respect when he hurt my sister five years ago.”

The tension in the room was thick, and Jihyun could feel her head spinning - she hated how she was the cause of the problem, and she hated how they couldn’t have a full reunion because of her. Straightening herself, she gathered her voice as she spoke up.

“J-just sit down.” She tried to say it as confidently as possible. She could see Jungkook gaping his mouth in surprise, and Jin nudging her as he tried to get her attention.

“Like Jimin said, it’s our first reunion in a while, so let’s not make things awkward.” She however refused to meet his eyes as she turned to Taehyung, who looked at her with admiration and squeezed her hands tightly. They didn’t need to say anything, but Jihyun knew he was proud of her.

She was too flustered to look his way, and so she didn’t notice that the small look of exchange and interaction with Taehyung didn’t go unnoticed by Jungkook who was staring at her the entire time. He could feel his heart sinking, and all he could think about was “I deserve this.”

Jungkook hesitated for a moment, his expression a mixture of remorse and longing. He took the seat beside Yoongi, who offered him a small nod of acknowledgement.

The conversation gradually resumed, albeit with a subtle shift in dynamics. Jihyun tried her best to engage in the discussions, sharing stories about her life over the past few years and listening intently to her friends' experiences. Yet, she couldn't shake off the awareness of Jungkook's presence near her.

It had been five years since she had been in such close proximity with him, yet she could still remember his apple cinnamon scent like it was yesterday. Her eyes drifted cautiously towards him, and unsurprisingly, the boy’s eyes were already on her before she looked away quickly.

She wondered what thoughts were running through his mind, how had he been over the years, and how was he doing now? Did he also have a child with that girl? Is he happy with her? Has he missed her like she did, or was she the only one hoping he’d come back to her?

Jimin, ever the peacemaker, attempted to lighten the mood with jokes and playful banter. Hoseok joined in, bringing back their shared memories and inside jokes. Slowly but surely, the tension in the air began to ease, replaced by a semblance of the camaraderie they once shared.

At one point, Taehyung leaned over to Jihyun and whispered, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, offering him a grateful smile. "I'm fine. Thank you for being here."

Taehyung squeezed her hand reassuringly, his presence a source of comfort amidst the lingering unease. Jihyun couldn't help but feel torn between the past and the present, between the pain of old wounds and the tentative hope of healing.

The commotion grew louder as the boys drank more. Half of the group were either drunk or playing drinking games, and the only sober two were Jungkook and Jihyun. Jungkook lingered for a moment at his seat, his gaze meeting hers in a silent exchange of unspoken words. There was a raw vulnerability in his eyes, a silent plea for understanding.

Motioning to the door, Jungkook stood up with a small smile as he tucked his hand into his pockets. “Care for a chat?” He asked with hopeful eyes.

Turning towards the group, they were mostly all splayed out on the table - the only two who were still competing were Taehyung and Jimin, who looked like they were about to concuss anytime soon with two empty glasses in front of them.

The air was hot and stuffy, the restaurant-bar was in full swing and reeking of alcohol as more people spilled in throughout the night for drinks. Heaving a small sigh, she nodded subtly as she followed him out the door into the cool autumn night.

For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the gentle breeze filling the air. Jihyun stole glances at Jungkook, noticing that his once-boyish charm is now tempered with a maturity that was reflected in the lines around his eyes and the confidence in his posture. His style had evolved too, trading youthful trends for a more refined and understated fashion sense that spoke of self-assuredness.

“How are you, Ji?” Jungkook asked, and Jihyun was momentarily taken aback by how good that nickname sounds as it rolled off his tongue.

“I’m fine.” She said briefly before flicking an imaginary dust off her jacket as Jungkook nodded his head.

"I've been meaning to ask you that day... Was the little girl your daughter?" Jungkook's question hung in the air, filled with a mix of curiosity and tentative concern.

Jihyun's expression faltered for a moment, her eyes mee