ink bound (JJK, Book 1 of the Soulmate Series)

chapter twelve

Reminder: Korean is written in bold and english/narration in regular text.

- JK's pov -

"What do you mean?" I say slowly. This isn't how I was expecting this to go.

She chews on her lower lip and her eyes gloss over. "I'm saying. We can't. Reject me Jungkook. Please. You shouldn't be with me, bonded to me, destined to live the rest of your life with me. You deserve something greater. I always wanted you to be happy. I thought you were unmarked. I was happy with that JK. Because then you'd be free to find someone you loved, someone worth it. You don't even know me. I'm nobody. Nothing. Do you understand? I'm just some college girl who works at a book store in the summer. How can you be with somebody who doesn't amount to anything as great as you have. What would people say when they find out your soulmate is someone who looks like me and doesn't come from much. It's better for you to reject me."

Her words flew by so fast, I have to think for a second to translate what she said in English. Her Korean is so amazing but I have to take some time to process what she says because of her pronunciation and the way she hesitates with her words especially now when she sounds so distressed. I look to Sejin for help and he comes closer. Translating everything for me in a low tone.

I hear her sigh and I shift my eyes to her. She shakes her head, backing up more.
"You see! I can't even fully speak Korean without so much as stuttering or having you get lost when it's too hard for me to get everything out in your language. Even when you talk too fast it's hard for me to understand you."

My soul can feel hers slipping away and I try to step closer to her. She puts her hands out in front of her. I swear I can feel my heart break each time she moves away from me

"This can't work Jungkook. I need to love you just as ARMY. You have to reject the bond."

"No no no! Please" I panic. How can she not feel what I'm feeling. The peace and calmness her entire presence brings to me just by her standing there. How can she think so harsh of herself to not want to try.
"I can try harder to -"

She cuts in "But you shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to try to communicate with me. You deserve something better than this. Than me. Someone who won't be difficult to get to know. It's okay Jungkook" She chokes out, shaking her head with tears streaming down her beautiful face. I wanna reach out and wipe it all away. I'd promise anything right now for her to never cry like this again.

"Please. Just listen" I move closer to her and crouch down as much as I can to get her to look at me before standing up straight, still keeping a good distance from her so I don't scare her away. Her head tilting back slightly so she can fully look at me. Even now, unsure of what's gonna happen next, she's the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life. I suck in a breath and stare into her brown orbs, hoping that whatever I feel can also be shown in my eyes. I want this. I need her to know.

I break eye contact to look towards Sejin and nod at him. I need this to be just me and her. He gives me a nod back and guides her friend out with him. I turn to find her eyes again.

"I've waited so long for this. For you. The possibility of my soulmate being someone that has nothing to do with my world was very clear to me. I was fully prepared to welcome whoever my soulmate was into my life. No matter how ordinary you think you are, I look at you and I already know how extraordinarily amazing you are. I can't wait to get to know how much more amazing you can be apart from what I see now. I want to get to know you. I wanna learn your language and help you learn mine. This world I'm in isn't easy and I knew fate would give me someone who understood that and could love me despite it. I know how many people would kill to be soul marked to one of us, I see it on social media all the time. Yet here you are telling me to reject you because you don't think you're good enough? Do you see how good that makes you? You would rather lose a piece of your soul because you think me being with you would make me unhappy. I promise you. I have been waiting so long for this. We can take things slow after we bond. Get to know each other better. I wanna make this work. I wouldn't want this with anyone else. Please just give this a chance" I speak slowly, needing her to understand every word that I said. My eyes brimming with tears, my throat hurting from pouring my heart out.