𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ‣ jjk

七十三 ; babysteps

[i would recommend listening to the song i attached above (jeongguk's cover of 2u) while reading this chapter. i promise, it gets way better. this is one of my most favourite chapters of the book so i'll hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it]

day 22
9.52 am
jeon jeongguk
3rd person point of view

babysteps

after breakfast with mrs jeon and sarang
jeongguk had gone up to his room
to check on the last things he needed to do
before they left the house for the day

going over to haru's room
he sees her staring at her backpack
with her head tilted to the side
as if trying to make a very big decision

he reluctantly steps into the room
asking her what's wrong
and she picks up her backpack immediately
he knows everything she owns is in there
and an awful feeling in his gut
is telling him that after tonight
things just wouldn't be the same anymore

stay, he wants to tell her
don't leave

but the universe is a sucker for broken hearts
and he saves those words for the time being

haru is flinging the backpack over her shoulder
as she says "no, nothing's wrong"
jeongguk looks at her unsurely
but he doesn't question anything

he's decided that silence is just enough
and maybe time
will reveal truths in its own way

for some reason the atmosphere
in the room suddenly darkens
but again
jeongguk shuts it out with a smile
and asks if she's ready to go

they leave the house after bidding
goodbyes to jeongguk's family
beginning towards his brilliant idea

they end up in another park
one that's much bigger
and filled with tall mighty trees that stretched
all the way up to the sky
covered in white snow
making them look like crystal

"this is your brilliant idea?" haru asks
as she rubs her mitten hands together

jeongguk chuckles, glancing around them
to take a look at their surroundings
"there aren't flowers to bask in during winter
and it's freezing cold" he reasons

haru gives herself a consoling pat on the shoulder
"i must've gone out of my mind when i wrote that in"

"it's fine, we didn't expect the first snow
to fall early this year too"
he shuffles closer to her side
taking her hands in his

she furrows her eyebrows at him
and he squeezes his grip around her hand
"just so you don't get separated from me"
he says without making eye contact

she responds by wrapping her fingers around his hand
and they decide to stay that way

they step deeper into the park
until they enter what seems like a forest

it's amazing how much beautiful things seem to be
during winter season
when they're all covered in snow
that shine under the burning sun

"mom used to bring me here all the time"
jeongguk says as they stroll in
"she'd take me here for a walk during
spring, summer and autumn
but she's never taken me here during winter"

"then i must be your first?"

he smiles
"i wanted you to be my first"
because after 22 days of being together
he's never felt the need to trust anyone
more than he's trusted her
and from the look in her eyes
ever since yesterday afternoon
he knows that she must've begun to suspect him
that she knows something isn't right
that he still has secrets he hasn't told her yet