The Unexpected Rhapsody || ✅

Chapter 34

"Junk food?" repeats Jungkook as he tilts his head to the left. "I don't think we've brought any."

"It's just that," ND explains, "That's what Mira calls you. Initially it was to piss Hana off, but then it became some sort of a nickname."

"Oh."

"Yeah, junkf-" Mira clears her throat. "I mean, Jungkook. Yeah, ND's right."

ND and Jungkook walk towards Mira and suddenly everything is awkward. Hana had vaguely mentioned that Mira wasn't a BTS fan. Jungkook had never thought that he would meet someone who disliked him or his brothers; at least not right in their faces when the boys didn't have bodyguards around them.

Similarly, Mira, who had always rambled on about how she would pretend to not know them even if she bangs into them, now gawks at the man.

"Hey, Mira-ssi," Jungkook squeaks.

"Hey, Jungkook-" Mira squeaks back and adds, "-ssi."

"How is Hana?" he asks about the only thing common and not awkward between them.

ND gestures for the both of them to sit down on the bench but she stands.

"She's coping, I'd say," Mira looks at the wall. "Coping by taking it all out on me."

Jungkook frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mira looks at him. He looks gloomy and his eyes are all swollen, not that she notices. "She blames me for everything."

"What?" he leans back in disbelief. "That's surprising."

"What's more surprising is that you are here!" she finally lets out what she was holding in.

Jungkook supports his back against the bench. "She came alone all the way from Korea. I thought she'd be lonely once she reached here."

He was right. Hana is forlorn.

But would Mira admit that to him?

No.

"I wanted to be there for her," Jungkook puts at last and gazes into Mira's eyes to let her know that he means it.

Mira tears her eyes away.

"You didn't have to, you know," she states tastelessly. Turning to him, she grits out, "She's not lonely here. I am here. My family is here for her."

ND rolls her eyes.

The bickering stops as soon as the morgue unit's door clicks open.

Hana steps out looking like she has aged forty years. She looks fatigued and ruined.

But what would one expect her to look like after she saw her dead father lying inside a transparent coffin?

The compounder supports her by her hand.

Mira and Jungkook get up at the same time. Both step forward to catch a hold of Hana.

Mira succeeds.

But tiredly, Hana pulls her hand out of the grip. Again.

Her eyes land on Jungkook. He looks at her deeply. There is no trace of surprise on her face.

"ND?" Hana calls out.

ND takes the place of the compounder next to Hana. "Yes?"

"Now am I hallucinating, even?" Hana continues to look into Jungkook's eyes and gives a lopsided smile. Turning to ND, she continues, "Let's go."