Flame of My Love (A Seokjin Fanfic)

Chapter 24: Confessions

*Time skip ahead to December 2023*

For the past six months, Jungkook and Yumi were still on break but they had built a really close and personal friendship where they were very physically affectionate with one another like cuddling, holding hands, hugging constantly, kissing occasionally, and they began to cook in the kitchen together again. Jungkook also released his mixtape during that time and one of his songs was about Yumi and how much she changed his life for the better when she came into it.

Just like the previous year, Jin was given some time off to speak with everyone to receive birthday wishes. After he called his parents, he talked to everyone during breakfast time. They caught him up on their activities, told him they were excited for his return at the end of January, and they each took turns talking to him individually. Yumi was last again so she had a chance to do chores around the dorm. She had a bright smile when she sat in front of the laptop to speak with Jin.

"Hello Jin! I've missed you," she told him.

"I've missed you too Yumi! It's been a year since we've been able to talk like this," he replied with an equally bright smile.

"Before I forget, I know this happened six months ago but I never got to thank you for your letter, the check, and the video when my grandma passed. So, thank you Jin, really. You have no idea how comforting it was to know that you cared about me despite being busy."

"It was nothing, I was just doing my duty to you as my friend while I was doing my duty to the country as well."

"It wasn't nothing to me, it meant more than you can imagine and the first thing I wanted to do was give you a big hug but obviously, I couldn't."

"You can hug me when I get back next month."

"I'm counting down the days."

"How have your other things in life been?"

"Well, I helped my mom move into a smaller place because it was expensive for her and me if she continued to live in the bigger apartment. I also helped Jungkook film his music video for one of his songs on the mixtape he released."

"Speaking of Jungkook, he told me you guys are taking a break. Are you ok?"

Yumi instantly lost her smile at the question. She was feeling ok about the friendship she had built with Jungkook since their break started but she was having second thoughts about her feelings again.

"I am doing perfectly fine but...I'm glad you brought it up. There's something I need to tell you."

"I am all ears."

Yumi then expressed her true feelings about what was going on with Jungkook to Jin. She told him everything from her confusing feelings at the start, the not getting over him, trying to suppress them, loving both of them, her feelings for Jin re-emerging after reading the letter and watching the video, and that when she decided to take the break it was because she actually wanted to end it completely and wait for Jin to return.

"Right now, Jungkook and I are very physically affectionate friends...we even kiss sometimes...but even though there's some romance there, I don't feel very strongly towards it."

"And why are you telling me all this?" Jin asked.

"Because...because..."

Yumi grew shy and her words became hushed.

"I think I finally know that I'm in love with you more than I ever was with Jungkook, even when I did feel like I loved you both. But...I'm afraid you've moved on since you knew Jungkook and I had been together. So, I just want to know how you feel before I completely break it off with Jungkook."

Jin sat back in his chair and took in everything Yumi had just spilled to him. He couldn't believe that she had finally fully fallen for him and only him; he won the girl. However, he didn't want to start anything with Yumi until she fully broke it off with Jungkook to avoid hurting him as much as possible.

"Yumi, I am very happy that you said that because I was never able to get over you. You are exactly the kind of woman I have been searching for my entire life but, I want to be fair to Jungkook so, please break it off with him properly first. You and I can discuss our feelings and a potential relationship when I get back."

"Do I tell him the truth?"

"Yeah, you need to tell him what you realized about me. It'll sting but it'll sting more if we begin to date as soon as I'm back and you told him another reason. Oh and...the kissing needs to stop too, I don't mind the rest of it since it'll become platonic."

Yumi promised to be honest with Jungkook and to stop kissing him. They quickly talked about his arrival in early February before he had to go. With that, Yumi decided to tell Jungkook about her decision.

Despite wanting to tell him, she delayed disclosing her feelings to him for fear of ruining the friendship they had built. She stopped stalling around the end of December, before Taehyung's birthday and the new year. She asked to speak in his room one night before going to bed and had him take a seat at his desk chair while she stood in front of him and made eye contact to show her sincerity.

"I would like to preface this by saying, it is very difficult for me to say this to you but it needs to be done otherwise I will end up hurting you more in the future if I don't say anything."

Jungkook knew what was coming and also knew it was serious for her so he remained silent as Yumi took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing.

"I would like to thank you for being a wonderful boyfriend and allowing me to experience so many new things. You were all of my firsts; first kiss, first boyfriend, first date, first time...and now sadly, my first breakup, for real this time."

Yumi allowed a space of silence to let Jungkook think of a response. He wasn't sad but he did have one thing to say.

"I know it's because you figured out you've loved Jin all along," he said, calmly.

"How did you..."

"Your call with Jin earlier this month showed me everything I needed to see. I saw how happy you were to talk to him. I didn't need to stay and hear you tell him anything. You never looked at me like that when we were together. I know you were with me because of the way things unraveled between us and Jin's lack of communicating from the start. I always knew that Jin would lead to our demise."

"You don't feel like...I used you?"

"You never used me because you did truly love me when we were together, if you didn't, we wouldn't have done a lot of the things we did do together. You just didn't love me in the way that you love Jin. I will be beyond honored that I had the opportunity and privilege of dating you and being your firsts. I will always love you Yumi, but I want you to be happy with who you love."

Yumi got on her knees and faced Jungkook on the chair.

"I will always love you too, Jungkook, just not in the way you want me to. But again, thank you for everything."

She then kissed him one last time as a thank you and final closure of their relationship. She stood up and waited for him to say something.

"Have a goodnight Yumi," he told her with a smile.

"Goodnight Jungkook," she replied.

She then left his room to sleep.