This is How We Break | Jungkook

Part 4

Life is funny sometimes, Jungkook thinks.

He has a favorite black jacket that he left at your apartment all those years ago; it was in the box that Yoongi offered for him to take the day that Jungkook went looking for you only to learn you'd already left. He said no then, but later changed his mind. It was something you'd bought him and a piece of your relationship he wanted to keep, so weeks after that day, he went back to your place with Namjoon. It was that day when his best friend met Da-eun.

Three years later, Jungkook reunites with you at the engagement party of your friends, who'd met because of a jacket that he just had to retrieve. One that is currently hanging inside the coat closet of this very apartment.

He can't help but laugh at the thought.

"What is it?" You giggle, knowing his tendency to zone out then laugh at something he remembers.

"I was just thinking we can claim that those two lovebirds are getting married because of us," Jungkook motions towards your friends, hands wrapped around each other's waists, entertaining the guests.

"We can," you chuckle, thinking back to Da-eun shyly telling you over your weekly video call with your best friends some years ago about her liking Namjoon. "That should be part of your wedding speech for him."

"Oh it will be. That way I can claim that I did something for him for once in our lives."

"Hmm," you sip on your champagne. "I can't wait to hear that speech."

Jungkook's ears perk up. "Glad to know you'll still be here by then."

"I'm back for good, Jungkook," you peer at him. "I'll definitely be here, for their wedding, their baby shower, their kid's 5th birthday. I'll be here for everything."

"Melbourne wasn't all you thought it would be?" He smiles with a cocked eyebrow, wishing you wouldn't take it the wrong way. And you don't.

"Oh, it was everything I thought it would be," you smile. "But I'd taken what I needed from there, found whatever it was I was looking for."

Jungkook doesn't prod, unsure if he's ready to find out what you mean, which really could be anything. But seeing you now after so long, looking even more beautiful than he remembers, he doesn't want to break this little bubble you've both created in the past 5 minutes since you walked over to greet him.

"If that's the case, I'm really happy for you ____."

"Thank you, that means a lot, Jungkook."

You mirror his smile, one that he missed so much. It's what he stopped seeing on you during that last year of your relationship, and this is what he hoped then, that you'd have this look on you once more.

He sips on his glass, his lifted arm revealing a bit of the tattoos decorated there.

"And you?" You gesture to the black ink. "Your parents finally convinced that tattoos can actually be covered and you wouldn't go to court and meet clients in short sleeves?"

"Well, they're still not crazy about the idea, but as a guy who runs his own video production company, I don't need to hide it, do I?" He smirks.

Your lips part and your eyes widen in amusement. "You did it? I mean, you've only talked about it in passing but... wait, what about law school?"

"It wasn't for me. I mean, I think failing classes multiple times should've been the giveaway," he scratches the back of his neck. "But yeah, my parents kinda figured that out, too."

The silence is palpable but it's not tense nor awkward. You're just looking at him, trying to wrap your head around what he'd just said.

"Taehyung is actually running it with me," he motions to the guy in a beret whom he was talking to earlier.

The said man pipes in. "There you go, about time you mention me." He turns to you with a sweet smile and puts his hand out. "I'm Taehyung."

"Hi," you return. "I'm ___."

"Oh," Taehyung says with a slightly embarrassed look. He recovers with another smile, shaking his head. "You. I mean—" he winces at Jungkook's glare. "It's nice to meet you."

"So, business partners, you say?"

"Yeah. We were actually schoolmates in elementary and met up again as a pair of lost, 20-somethings living off our parents' hard-earned money," Taehyung says nonchalantly. "One day we just said, screw it, let's set up our own business. Thanks to my charms, we got things rolling."

"Yes, it was all totally because of his charms," Jungkook playfully rolls his eyes.

"He's a pretty good video guy, too," Taehyung adds, causing laughter from all three of you.

"That sounds amazing, really. I mean, I didn't know you went back to Busan," you tell Jungkook.

"I needed a change of scenery, I guess. But we saw an opportunity here. We've filmed music videos for some of the artists that Namjoon wrote songs for so we had a pretty good start."

His smile is shy but it's genuine, and even then, he holds himself with so much pride. Jungkook always enjoyed being behind the camera, offering his services to friends back in college for any school project that needed filming done.

You always thought it was a viable career option for him but his parents never thought so, adamant that becoming a lawyer was the direction for him. You knew it was their frustration and had wanted Jungkook to live out their dream, and he just followed because it was the only path he'd known.

And now, you can tell how fulfilled he is, as both men share stories of the videos they filmed and the clients they've catered to. They also film for advertisements and a few events. It's just been over a year but it seems like they're a pretty on-demand duo.

"What about you? I don't think I've seen you around yet," Taehyung states with a slightly innocent smile on his face.

You don't know how much he knows but you indulge him anyway. "I just got back from Australia yesterday, actually. I was away for three years."

"Hmm," Taehyung cocks an eyebrow. "Any reason why you came back?"

"A dream job offer," you smile. "I get to work on design and write about it."

"Oh you're a designer? Maybe you could—" Taehyung gets cut off by a glass on his mouth that isn't by his own doing.

"Finish your drink, Tae, so you can sober up quickly and drive home safely," Jungkook says. "Can you grab me a beer when you get your water? Thank you!" He says, pushing his friend away.

"And you're not sobering up?" You giggle.

"Joon asked me to sleep over," Jungkook smiles as he finishes his drink. "But yeah, maybe I should slow down a bit so I could make sure that Jin doesn't further embarrass himself in front of that girl he likes." He motions to his other best friend, who's clearly drunk trying to do a handstand.

"Oh my god, he hasn't changed one bit," you chuckle.

Jungkook joins you in laughter until he excuses himself to help Jin out. You settle with your friends with their smug faces, asking how the little reunion went.

"Better than I expected. I mean, I didn't embarrass myself and he doesn't seem to hate me," you say. "And he's been doing so well and I think he's really happy."

"You still read him so well, huh?" Areum nudges you.

"When we broke up and for a time before that, he barely looked me in the eyes. In those 20 minutes we were talking, that's all he did."