He's Mine | Jikook

51| I Care For You

It was already late when Jungkook finally arrived at home, loosening his tie and throwing off his shoes lazily to get more comfortable. He had visited a bar with Jaewon after work, enjoying a few drinks even though they'd most definitely regret making that decision the next morning. But Jungkook really needed a good distraction from all the drama that was going on in every other aspect of his life, so he couldn't really complain. At least Jaewon had been able to cheer him up with his weird jokes and drunk babbling.

"I'm home," he said and walked towards the living room, turning on the lights as he peeked inside to see if Seohyun had fallen asleep while waiting for him. She'd usually insist on doing that so that she could prepare him some food before going to bed, although she actually never managed to stay awake. So when he didn't find her sleeping body on the large sofa, Jungkook was slightly confused.

"Seohyun?" He tried again and entered the room.

"I'm in the kitchen," a weak voice called out, sounding tired and raspy. He turned around and went towards the opposite direction. "You're still awake?" Jungkook asked when he finally found her sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by a bunch of papers that must've been related to work, "It's already late, you should get ready for bed."

Seohyun slowly looked up, staring at him with an unreadable expression. Her eyes were red and swollen, and the dark rings under them seemed especially noticeable tonight. Jungkook couldn't help but frown after seeing how exhausting and lifeless they actually looked- not forgetting her chapped lips that had lost their usual reddish color, similar to how unnaturally pale she also appeared to be. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and covering most of her face. Seeing her like this really reminded him of the many days at college when she used to pull all-nighters and skipped sleep to study or finish given assignments. She had always been a very hardworking woman, so Jungkook was already familiar with seeing her push her limits in order to become more successful at work. But this time, something seemed off. She looked almost ill, as if she was going to pass out any minute. Jungkook waited for her to speak up, but she just kept staring at him. He became uneasy.

"What?" The man asked again, however Seohyun still didn't answer and instead looked down at the screen of her phone. For a moment, it looked like she was actually going to say something, but then changed her mind in the last second. She then met his eyes once more.

"I didn't manage to make dinner, but I did order food for you. It should be here soon," Seohyun murmured and turned back to the computer, whereas Jungkook proceeded to watch her.

"We're going to eat together," he stated firmly, "You need some food, too."

She stopped tapping on the keyboard for a minute before moving her fingers again. Right when Jungkook was about to ask if she was okay, the doorbell rang, startling him with the sudden noise.

"It's probably the deliveryman. You should go get it," Seohyun uttered. Jungkook looked at her for a bit longer and then left the room. When he was gone, her shoulders slumped and she couldn't suppress a shaky sigh. Unconsciously, the woman glanced at the family picture lying in between many documents and writings. She still hadn't cleaned up the broken picture frame, wondering if Jungkook would even notice that their favorite photograph was no longer standing at its usual spot.

Of course he didn't notice. Why should he? It's just a picture.

"That's a lot," he said when he returned, holding a few plastic bags in his hands, "I'll bring these to the living room. Come on, let's eat."

Jungkook didn't even wait for her response and immediately walked away, making clear that he didn't accept a 'no' for an answer. So with a frown, Seohyun stood up and started taking plates and cutlery out of the cupboard before joining Jungkook in the living room. She saw him sitting on the floor around the coffee table, excitedly unwrapping the food. Unlike her, he seemed to be in a good mood.