Beastly Beauty ✓

27. The Revelation

27 | THE REVELATION

Jungkook's sketch captured one of the simplest moments between us, but as I experienced it over again, I saw how important such little instances were. At the time, my younger self had grinned and taken the rose from him without a second thought. He was Jungkook, the boy who loved teasing me, only to turn around the next day and hand me some sort of gift. I hadn't realized then that they were tokens of his apology. The rose was my favorite.

The image of Jungkook's red cheeks, bright eyes, and messy hair remained the same even as the environment around him changed. I saw him with me through every memory as they rolled in, and the more they came to me, the more my heart swelled with love for him.

"Finally."

The look Jungkook was currently giving me normally would've sent an ache through my heart, a yearning to know the deeper meaning there. But along with the memories that rushed forth came the gift of understanding. Finally, the glistening in his eyes and the strain beneath his smile made sense. The weight of his suffering was wholly felt by me as I remembered every laugh, hug, cry that we shared, and how each of them was ripped away.

"How did I forget so much? How could I have forgotten how much you mean to me?" I whispered through tears as I cupped his cheek.

Jungkook's eyes delved into mine as he leaned closer, and he placed his hand on top of my own. "It was hell waiting for you to remember."

"But I don't remember anyone except you. I didn't see Hoseok or the third boy."

"What did you see?" he asked softly, bringing our hands down to rest on his lap.

"It was like a dream. Everything was fuzzy and it went by so fast, like I relived it all in a few seconds," I tried to explain, and he waited for me to go on. "We went to different schools, but we met on my way home one day. It was raining and I slipped on the wet sidewalk. I twisted my ankle, but you saw me and came to help."

"You could barely put any weight on it," Jungkook said in a gentle tone. "I let you lean on me and helped you get back home."

I smiled at him, nodding. "And then it just became a routine, the two of us meeting up after school to walk home together. You lived just a couple of streets over."

"Do you... remember our spot?"

I watched the relief sweep over his face when I answered him. "The park behind our neighborhood. There was an old treehouse just a little ways into the woods there."

"We spent so much time there, I'm surprised that thing stayed standing," he laughed, eyes twinkling.

Laughter fell from my mouth, too, as a wave of solace swept over me. "You have no clue how good it feels to finally remember."

The lightness in his expression faded. "I'd say I have an idea," he mumbled. "Waiting so long to be reunited with the person who meant the most to me, then finally seeing her again only to be reminded she forgot who I was... It hasn't been easy on me either, Red."

"I know, I can't imagine how hard it was for you." Squeezing his hand, I held his eyes. "But you don't have to wait anymore."

His brows drew together. "There's still more you have to remember."

"Well, I do remember that you never called me Red back then," I teased in the hopes that his frown would disappear, and it did, replaced with a chuckle.

"You didn't have your hair like this before, but that's not all that's changed." He raised his other hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I never expected to feel this way about you, but seeing you again after so many years—seeing how beautiful you became and how you held onto that same strength I'd always admired—it's not all that surprising."