Only On Paper / JJK

Chapter 20

Taehyung tilts his head with a quirk of an eyebrow, eyeing Jungkook warily. "Um, hi?" The words leave his mouth sounding unsure.

He licks his lips in thought before his brows shoot up, eyes widen, as he comes to a realization.

"No way," he trails off in a whisper. "J-Jungkook?" Taehyung brushes past you, giving your crush a blatant once-over. You swear you hear him hum in approval, but you blink the thought away as you remember that your boss, the one and only Kim Taehyung, knows who Jungkook is.

You get some of the affirmation you're looking for. Unbeknownst to Taehyung, he's not actually real, not really.

"I haven't seen you since we were kids," Taehyung continues. "It's been...what? Eight years?"

"Y-yeah, I think so." Jungkook visibly stiffens at the other's statement. He chuckles awkwardly.

Resting a hand on one of Jungkook's shoulders, Taehyung smiles. "You haven't changed a bit. You're still as shy as ever. Would've thought that after everything we did together, you'd be more easy-going."

You clear your throat, catching both of their attentions. "Care to fill me in?"

Taehyung glimpses back at you. "Jungkook and I are childhood friends. Well, sort of. We were kind of more than that," he says with a wink.

Jungkook pushes Taehyung's hand off of him, an action the cute bunny you know would never resort to doing. But then again, he hasn't been the same Jungkook since you walked out of the elevator.

Unlike you, he remembers more about his life. It's just a feeling you get. Last you checked, he didn't know anything, but now, standing there with him and Taehyung in front of you, it seems that has changed.

"Yah, Tae, don't say that. That could be taken in the wrong context." Jungkook scowls at Taehyung. His expression wavers between anger and worry as he looks back at you.

"Nevermind, I take that back," Taehyung retorts, but his lips remain in a playful grin. "You've gotten more aggressive. Did you teach him to be like this, Y/n?"

The whole exchange sets you off. It's all so frustrating, Jungkook acting different and remembering who he is. He knows that you've noticed. It's not exactly something that can be missed.

You ignore the question and shove past the both of them, heading to your apartment.

"Did you forget to do something?" Taehyung mumbles to Jungkook, but you can still hear him.

Jungkook sighs. "The opposite, actually."

Taehyung shoots him a puzzled look. "That's unusual."

"You don't know the half of it."

They're coming closer. You can tell by the way their shoes click against the floor, trailing behind you to your front door. Their voices also get a little louder.

"So," Jungkook begins, "what are you doing here? How do you know Y/n?"

Taehyung pauses for a moment before answering. "Well, to put it shortly, I'm her boss, and now, I'm staying with her for a little while to make sure she's okay."

Someone stops walking. You want to see if it's Jungkook. You hope that maybe he stopped because he's concerned about your well-being and that'll he embrace you from behind.

But he doesn't move, well not from your can hear.

Jungkook sucks in a breath. When he exhales, he doesn't ask for any clarification. Instead, he whispers, "I should've been there for her."

The keys that you had just gotten out of your purse slip through your fingers and fall to the floor.

You tell yourself to not not let his words get to you, to cause your heart to race or cheeks to flush, but it's all easier said than done. Because what he says does affect you. All that anger and confusion you have don't feel so burdensome in that moment knowing that Jungkook cares about you.

Bending to grab your keys, you fumble with them for a second before successfully unlocking your door. By then, Jungkook and Taehyung are right behind you as you walk inside.

You've taken your shoes off and switched them out for some slippers when Jungkook says your name. "Y/n, c-can I talk with you? Alone?"

Frozen in the short hallway connecting the entrance to the rest of your apartment, you gulp nervously. "Oh, um, sure." You reach the living room and turn to face Taehyung. "The kitchen is to the left if you're hungry, but you can wait here if you'd like while I talk to Kook."

That's the second time you've used that nickname, but it still feels weird saying it. He's lived with you for a little while, now rooming with Namjoon. He's a stranger, yet at times like this, he feels like someone you've known for a long time.

Ever since he came to exist, a lot of things have been thrown out of place. One of them being your sanity. Everything you thought you knew has been twisted around. There's so much that you don't know.

Heading into your studio, Jungkook walks in first, and you close the door behind you. What is it that he wants to tell you that he couldn't say in front of Taehyung? Speaking of your boss, you hope he doesn't snoop around, but that sounds exactly like something he would do.

You look up at Jungkook, meeting his uneasy gaze. "So, what's up?"

The situation feels a bit awkward, or maybe, it's just you. Wouldn't be the first.

"I want to apologize for disappearing and leaving when you needed me most." His voice breaks, almost like he's about to burst into tears. "But I had to step away, I had to."

What the hell is he talking about? Can't he just say whatever is going on and rid the confusion you've been oppressed to since the first day he came alive? Can't he tell you why you're feeling the way you are, why you like him so much?

Answers. You want answers. Even if it's just the two of you. Alone in a room. With the door closed. Where anything can happen.

Damn it, y/n. Now is not the time to think about that.

But you can't help it. You're frustrated and so attracted to him in that moment, when it doesn't make sense for you to.

The pause Jungkook takes doesn't help it either as he takes a step closer to you, his tear-stricken eyes searching yours.

This all too much, but you need to hear what he has to say.

"I know who I am, Y/n. Who I was to you."

Another pause sucks the air out of your lungs

You were right. He does remember.

"But I can't tell you."

The buildup of what you thought was coming stops all too short, inflating the atmosphere that had intensified at his confession.

"Why the fuck not?" You don't mean to yell, but he taunted you with the truth and ended up keeping it all to himself. How was that fair?

Jungkook looks away, like he's already said more than he was supposed to, but he adds one last thing.

"Because you have to remember on your own, and if you don't, then," he trails off.

His gaze returns to yours, and you catch a single tear cascade down his cheek.

"Then it'll be like I never even existed."

a/n: what a cliffhanger lol it's so cliche but it's been planned since the beginning so oh well. it's all downhill from here kind of. the next chapters will be focused on the relationship between jungkook and you. there is quite a bit of things to figure out still. anyone have any ideas on who jungkook is to y/n? one thing is for sure very obvious lol. please vote and comment if you liked this update! i'd love to hear any of your theories!