Sphallolalia [°°°°📝]

34. Between Departure

Jungkook took a deep breath, bracing himself for the task at hand. The apartment door swung open, and he entered to find Jisoo diligently folding clothes and preparing for her three-week break. The room held a subtle tension, an unspoken acknowledgment of the complex situation they found themselves in.

"Come in. It's not locked," she said, her voice soft but carrying a weight of uncertainty.

He closed the door behind him and cleared his throat. "So, are you ready to leave?"

"I'm almost done. Is Johan, the one who will drive me off?" she inquired.

Jungkook shook his head, a hesitant expression on his face. "I'll be the one sending you off to Joshua's place if you're cool with it."

There was a pause, a moment of contemplation in Jisoo's eyes, before she eventually agreed. The decision hung in the air, a choice that added another layer to the intricate dance of their unconventional bond.

"When is Jihoon coming to meet you?" she asked, diverting the conversation to a less complicated topic.

"Joshua and I will pick him up tomorrow, and we'll be going somewhere," Jungkook replied, nodding, but beneath the surface, a silent wish lingered—that it was him, not Joshua, accompanying Jihoon.

"I'll prepare the car. Just meet me downstairs," he said, retreating from the room, leaving Jisoo alone with her thoughts.

Alone in the hallway, Jungkook confronted the reality of his situation. The weight of his decision to tie the knot for the sake of feeling loved and to learn kindness from Jisoo pressed upon him. His mind drifted to his tumultuous relationship with his mother, a figure who had contributed to shaping him into the person he had become.

"Fuck, this mommy issue," he muttered, frustration and self-reflection merging in his thoughts. The echoes of his past, tangled emotions, and the uncertainties of the future wove a complex tapestry as he readied himself for the task of sending Jisoo off. The impending separation underscored the fragility of their unconventional bond, leaving Jungkook to grapple with the consequences of his choices and the shadows of his own upbringing.

°°°°

The impending separation loomed over Jungkook and Jisoo as they prepared for the three-week hiatus. School days for Jihoon were approaching, Jisoo made plans to go to Joshua's house together to fetch Jihoon from the dorm. The atmosphere at home became a subtle mix of anticipation and underlying tension.

The car ride to Joshua's house was enveloped in an unspoken unease. The hum of the engine seemed to echo the quietness between them, a stark contrast to the usual camaraderie they shared.

Jungkook focused on the road, his thoughts a tumultuous sea of conflicting emotions. Jisoo, seated beside him, stared out of the window, the passing scenery reflecting the complexity of the moment.

Approaching Joshua's neighborhood, Jungkook broke the silence, his voice steady but carrying a hint of vulnerability. "We're almost there."

Jisoo nodded, a subtle acknowledgment of the reality awaiting them at their destination. The car rolled to a stop, and as Jisoo gathered her things, Jungkook's gaze lingered on her.

"Have fun," he said, his words a delicate thread hanging in the air. "I will be missing you."

The sincerity in his voice caught Jisoo off guard. She met his eyes, finding a mix of emotions reflected in them—longing, understanding, and a touch of sadness. The depth of his feelings lingered in the space between them, a poignant reminder of the complexities of their relationship.

Jisoo, torn between duty and desire, offered a small smile. "I'll be back soon. Take care of yourself, Jungkook."

With those parting words, she stepped out of the car, leaving Jungkook alone in the silence that settled around him. As he drove away, the echo of his own words hung in his mind, a testament to the intricate dance of emotions.

The engine hummed as Jungkook drove away, the distance between him and Jisoo widening with every passing moment. His gaze flickered to the side mirror, capturing the silhouette of Jisoo walking into the quiet neighborhood.

A heavy sigh escaped him, carrying the weight of unspoken emotions. The echo of his own words lingered in the car, a testament to the complex dance they were both entangled in. The road stretched ahead, a metaphor for the uncertain path that lay between them.

"You'll get over it," Jungkook muttered to himself, the words carrying a mix of determination and resignation. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as he navigated the winding streets. The rhythmic hum of the car seemed to match the beat of his conflicted heart.

The neighborhood faded into the background as Jungkook found himself engulfed in thoughts. He replayed the moments with Jisoo—the shared a little arguments and the subtle glances.

As he drove along, a sense of solitude settled in, the quiet car cocooning him in the echo of his own thoughts. The road became a metaphorical journey, not just through the city streets but through the complexities of his emotions.

Jungkook's gaze returned to the side mirror, now reflecting an empty street. The sight of Jisoo's departure left a void, a space that seemed to ache with the absence of her presence. He wrestled with the conflicting emotions, the longing and the resignation that defined his understanding of their intricate dance.

The car carried him further away from the neighborhood, the city lights painting a mosaic of reflections on the windshield. Jungkook drove into the night, navigating the physical distance while grappling with the emotional chasm that seemed to widen with each passing mile.

"It won't be long, Jungkook. Don't be a baby," a voice echoed in his mind, a haunting reminder of a long-forgotten day. The sudden flashback transported him to a moment from his childhood—a moment etched in the deepest recesses of his memories.

He saw a young version of himself, standing at the doorstep of a house that once echoed with laughter. The voice, harsh and indifferent, belonged to his mother. She, too, had driven away, leaving behind a void that time had failed to fill.

The city lights blurred as tears welled up in Jungkook's eyes. The emotional chasm he was navigating mirrored the wounds of the past, wounds that had shaped him into the person he had become. The car became a vessel of both physical and emotional distance, carrying him away from the haunting shadows that seemed to linger in every corner of his mind.

"It won't be long," he repeated to himself, a mantra of reassurance meant to quell the rising tide of emotions. But beneath the surface, the vulnerability of that abandoned child lingered—a vulnerability that he had buried deep within, a vulnerability that now clawed its way to the surface.

As the city lights continued to dance on the windshield, Jungkook drove into the night, confronting not just the distance from Jisoo but the haunting echoes of his past. The emotional journey ahead was uncertain, but in that moment, he vowed to confront the wounds that time had failed to heal and, perhaps, find a way to bridge the emotional chasm that seemed to widen with every passing mile.

°°°