Love Candidate - First Encounter - Chapter 1

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_______________________________Jiyoung's POV

"Ah. My back hurts," I grunted under my breath as I heaved the trash bag back down a short flight of stairs and pushed the metallic gate open with the plastic bag clenched tightly in my grip. I glanced around the dark neighborhood before dumping the sack into the garbage dumpster. I exhaled in relief when I heard footsteps approaching from my left side. I turned to find a man dressed in formal attire walking up to me, so I quickly hurried away to avoid him when the man caught my wrist and held me back.

"Leave me alone-"

"I'm only here to deliver a message," The man exhaled when I tried to escape from his clutch.

"I don't want to hear anything. Tell her to stop contacting me," I exhaled and turned to stare sourly at the middle-aged secretary.

"How long are you going to avoid your parents? You should-"

"Avoid? They pushed me away, so go back and tell them I don't need to hear their pathetic apologies," I seethed at the man. He let out a heavy exhale and released my wrist just as a headlight appeared down the dim alley, and a motorbike appeared. The guy drove up to us, then halted his bike by the sidewalk and took off his helmet to reveal his sleek push-back black hair.

"Are you heading out?" Jungkook questioned as he got off his motorbike with a questioning look when he noticed me standing with the man.

"No. He's leaving," I shook my head and averted my eyes to my parent's secretary with a disapproving look.

"Sir," The man greeted Jungkook and politely bowed at him, so Jungkook nodded at the man.

"Leave and don't come back here," I darted the man a warning glare. He sighed at my words and left in his black car, so I turned to look at Jungkook with my arms crossed.

"Why is he here again? Your parents sent him, didn't they?" Jungkook questioned as he leaned against his motorbike with his arms crossed. I glanced at his dark outfit and shook my head.

"Why are you here?" I questioned and walked up to him with a questioning look.

"I'm hungry-"

"I didn't prepare any meal at home. Go and eat somewhere else. My house isn't your kitchen," I fired him a bitter look, making Jungkook smirk at my unwelcoming words.

"I don't want to eat alone, so why don't you hop on the ride with me? I'll treat you," Jungkook questioned as he opened his bike's trunk to retrieve a spare helmet.

"I'm tired. Maybe next time- YAH!" I shook my head and tried to walk away when he grabbed the back of my hoodie and tugged me back.

"I'll bring you back home, potato head," Jungkook teased as he tightened the strap under my chin, so I glared at him in annoyance. He got back onto the bike and started the engine before turning to smile at my irritated face.

"You're so annoying," I mumbled as Jungkook smugly patted the back seat for me. I sighed and climbed onto the bike.

"Kaja~" Jungkook chuckled as I adjusted my position on the bike with my arms wrapped securely around his waist. Jungkook drove forward at a steady pace, so I rested my head against his back as he entered the main road and tore through the city until we arrived at our usual pork belly BBQ place. We settled at our table, ordered our set, and proceeded to talk over our food.

"You should really return to your parents," Jungkook bitterly shook his head as he flipped the meat on the grill to cook it.

"Can we not talk about them?" I muttered with my eyes trained on the meat. Jungkook briefly glanced at me from across the table.

"Araso. It's just boring without you," Jungkook muttered, lifting the meat and sliced it into chewable pieces with a food scissor.

"How's your girlfriend doing?" I smiled when he placed the sizzling pork belly on my plate.

"She's alright. We see each other every day," Jungkook smiled at the thought of his girlfriend.

"I still can't believe you got a woman like her," I chuckled as I lifted the soju towards him, so he lifted his cup and clinked it with mine.

"What do you mean?-"

"She's way out of your league. I didn't think you'd win over someone like her," I laughed, earning a glare from Jungkook, so I took the shot and screwed my eyes shut when I felt the hot burn in my chest.

"I never thought I'd be attracted to her either. She's too pure, but I can't help it," Jungkook shook his head with a faint smile. Jeon Jungkook is my childhood friend, and we're still best friends, even during our adulthoods. We used to date in middle school, but it didn't work out between us, so we figured it was best if we stayed as friends. Jungkook is the bad boy you see in movies, except he's not violent or manipulative. Despite his dark and emo sense of fashion, he's a very sensible and respectful man. His girlfriend, on the other hand, is the opposite. She's a very pure, soft, and bright soul compared to his unwelcoming and arrogant energy, but I guess opposites attract.

"We should drink together next time. Why don't you invite her over?" I grinned at him as he wrapped the pork with the cabbage and then dipped it onto the hot sauce.

"Ah," Jungkook signaled me to open my mouth, so I parted my lips to let him push the cabbage into my mouth. I gave him an approving thumbs up after tasting the delicious seasoning and chewed happily in satisfaction.

"Thank you- ah!" I chuckled but ended up choking, so I lowered my face to cough while pounding my chest in distress to help the food slip down my throat.

"Aigo! Swallow your food first! You'll spit all over our food! You and your bad habits!" Jungkook gasped when I kept coughing until tears filled my eyes, so I grabbed the glass of water and drained it empty to unclog my airway. Jungkook grimaced and reached out to dab my lips with a tissue.

"Fuck," I exhaled and closed my eyes to rub away my tears as Jungkook slurped his bowl of spicy ramen.

"She's always busy with her night shift," Jungkook shrugged.

"So you've never spent time with her at night? That's sad," I teased him and then took another shot of soju.

"Yah. It doesn't have to be night-time for us to get intimate!" Jungkook snapped at me. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Araso. Make sure to invite me to your wedding," I laughed while shaking my head at him.

"What about your boyfriend? I don't see you around with him lately?" Jungkook questioned as he grilled the meat. I pursed my lips at his words and glanced down at the food on my plate. Jungkook looked up at me with a suspicious expression.

"Did you guys fight? Again? Why didn't you tell me?" Jungkook questioned with a dumbfounded expression when he noticed my bitter face.

"It's fine-"

"What do you mean it's fine? What happened? Tell me everything," Jungkook furrowed my eyebrows at me when I refused to tell him the truth.

"We already broke up. It doesn't matter. Let's not talk about it," I shook my head, but Jungkook remained frozen in his seat as he observed my dismissive attitude.

"Yah. When did this happen? Why wasn't I aware? Did he run away like a fool again?" Jungkook stared at me with a concerned expression, so I exhaled heavily and looked at Jungkook in his eyes.

"It's been a year. It's a long time, so let's not-"

"A year? So that's why you never talked about him. I assumed you were happy. Aish. That asshole. Whatever. He wasn't good for you anyways," Jungkook shrugged with the meat inside his mouth.

"I know. I'll search for a better lover, Mr. Jungkook," I smiled at Jungkook.

"I'm disappointed you didn't tell me! A year!? Wahhh~ Are we even friends!?" Jungkook playfully flicked the bottle cap at me, so I laughed and shook my head at him.

"I'll tell you from now on! You were too busy courting your girlfriend! I didn't want to burden you with my problems!" I whined at him.

"You were heartbroken??? Yah! What the hell did he do-"

"Hajima! I told you it's fine! I'm over it, so stop interrogating me! You know I move on very quickly!" I grumbled and fired him a playful glare.

"Quickly? You literally cried for weeks after we broke up, and that was a child's love," Jungkook snapped at me.

"I cried because you suddenly wanted to break up, so I thought you didn't want to be friends with me anymore! I was young!" I glared at him. Jungkook asked to break up when we were in middle school, and even if we didn't know what love was-- I felt really sad because I thought it was the end of our friendship. However, he realized his mistake and returned to apologize when I refused to see him afterward. It was a misunderstanding, so we made up after he comforted me.

"Find a better man. You should return to your parents. I heard they're searching for a promising candidate for you. At least that's what I heard from my parents. Stop lowering your standard for foolish men, and maybe, you'll be happier," Jungkook exhaled. I paused at his words and blanked out into the depth of my own thoughts.

"Candidate?" I whispered, finally glancing up at Jungkook with a restless expression.

"They're going to expand their network. Of course, they'll select a competent partner for you. You can't avoid them forever. You know that," Jungkook exhaled at me with a worried expression. I stared unblinkingly with my eyes trained on him.

"My father asked you to talk to me, didn't he? You're not here to see me," I whispered in realization when I felt my heart dropping. Jungkook stared at me with a guilty expression as I proceeded to stare at him in shock.

"Jiyoung! No- Listen to me!" Jungkook gasped when I angrily banged my fists on the table, shot onto my feet and hurried out of the restaurant. Jungkook immediately got up to pay for our food as I rushed out of the restaurant. I stomped the street in tears until I felt a firm tug on my lower arm.

"Leave! I don't want to listen-"

"Jiyoung! I didn't come to you because I owed your father a favor! I wanted to see you! It's just that-"

"Out of everyone-- you should know by now that I hate my family! You saw what they did to me! You heard all their hurtful words! You witnessed the way they treated me! And yet you're helping them!? Why? What did they do for you!? For your family!?" I screamed at him in tears when Jungkook refused to let go of my arm.

"I know. Jiyoung. I know you. And I'm sorry. I hate your parents just as much as you do for hurting you, but the thing is-" Jungkook gulped at me in pain, so I unsurely furrowed my eyebrows at his conflicted expression.

"What is it?" I whispered when I noticed the worry in his eyes.

"Our parents are friends. My parents want to select a partner for me too," Jungkook swallowed as he gripped his shoulder with a pleading look.

"What? What does that have to-"

"Our parents want us to marry one another," Jungkook exhaled with his large eyes trained on mine. I grew hushed at his words as I stood staring at him in disbelief.

"Your girlfriend. You love her... we can't marry each other," I whispered when I understood the situation.

"Yeah. I thought you were still with your boyfriend, so I thought you wouldn't want it either," Jungkook admitted after releasing my shoulders.

"So you talked to my father?" I whispered as I stared at Jungkook's sullen expression.

"Oh. Your father said he wouldn't consider our marriage only if you agree to return to them. Look- if you're not comfortable staying with them, then you can just stay at my place. Oh? My penthouse has a free room. You just have to see your parents so they can select a candidate for you. Oh? You broke up with your boyfriend, so this is your chance. See other men. These men are better than your jerkass boyfriend. I'm sure there are plenty of options, and one of them might be the right person for you," Jungkook begged as he stared at me with his pained expression.

"How can you do this to me?" I whispered at him with my tearful eyes.

"Jiyoung- please- I'm not forcing you. I should've told you sooner, but if you continue to be stubborn. You and I will end up together, and I know this is not what we want," Jungkook gulped when I glanced away in distress.

"You're right. We can't end up together. I understand you love your girlfriend, and I want to help you, but I don't want to return to that stupid place-"

"I'll be there with you. Oh? You can stay at my place. I'll help you select your future lover," Jungkook suddenly gripped my hands with a reassuring look. I stared at his desperate expression in silence.

"Fine. I'll see my parents, but I'm not staying with them," I exhaled in defeat.

"Thank you," Jungkook firmly pulled me into a crushing hug and held me against his chest. I exhaled softly between his soothing embrace and clenched tightly onto his shirt as I thought of seeing my parents again. Jungkook took me back home after our argument and left after I entered my gate. I was locking the door when I heard a faint knock on my gate.

"Yah. It's late! Go home!" I snapped and swung the gate open, expecting to see Jungkook, but it wasn't him. My heart dropped when I found the familiar eyes staring into mine. Frozen, I stood staring at the person in silence.

"Jiyoung..." The person whispered, trying to reach out for me but I slammed the door shut in his face and quickly locked the door. I rushed away from the gate and hurried into my house when I felt my heart wrenching in pain. Why is he here?!

"He's gone," I whispered as I peeked through the curtain from my window to check the vacant street before my house. Sighing, I slowly crawled onto my bed and slipped under the blanket until the solemn silence of the room replayed the unpleasant memories in my mind. My chest stirred uncomfortably, so I screwed my eyes shut and turned on my side to ignore the thoughts.

Fast Forward

I gripped my floral dress nervously after stepping out of the car and turned toward the magnificent property with my fearful eyes. I gulped and rubbed my chest restlessly when I spotted the modern villa looming before me until a rush of dreadful memories filled my head.

"Jiyoung! You're here!" Jungkook waved as he walked toward me in his formal outfit.

"Oh. Hey," I gulped and turned to Jungkook as he approached me with a warm smile.

"I got you. If you can't handle it- tell me, and we'll leave. Okay?" Jungkook assured me. He placed his arm around my shoulder, so I nodded and rested my arm around his waist as we strolled into the villa. I glanced around the familiar interior after we entered and released Jungkook when the secretary walked up to me.

"Please follow me," The man slightly bowed at us, so I walked after him with a stern expression. Jungkook weakly smiled at me as he walked by my side.

"I will leave as soon as this is over," I spoke up, but the secretary refused to answer me and held the door to our private living room open for me.

"I'll be right outside this door," Jungkook smiled after giving a reassuring pat, so I exhaled and stepped inside the naturally lit living room. I gripped my fists tightly, then turned around to face the people I call my very own family. But halted in confusion when I found someone else sitting inside the room. I glanced at the door after the secretary left us alone and turned back to the man sitting on the couch.

"Anneonghaseyo," The man immediately greeted me when he noticed my presence inside the room.

"Oh. Anneonghaseyo," I slightly bowed at him and walked towards the couches. Where are my parents? I nervously averted my eyes to his neatly groomed hair, then eyed his well-fitted dark gray suit before glancing at his oddly broad shoulders.

"You must be Jiyoung," He smiled and placed his hand out for me.

"Uh- Yeah. Um... And you are...? I'm sorry- My parents didn't really inform me about your identity," I awkwardly grabbed his hand. The man chuckled at my uneasy expression and gently shook my hand.

"I'm Kim Seokjin. The heir of The Kim's Group," The man smiled at me. I pursed my lips when I couldn't take my eyes off his stunning visual.

"Ah. Neh. Please take a seat. I should've been prepared. I'm sorry," I lowered my head and sat on the couch across from his. Seokjin smiled and sat down as well with an eager expression.

"You don't look comfortable," He nodded at my stiff movement.

"Ani. Ani. I'm just taken aback by your presence. I'm a bit awkward when it comes to socializing with strangers," I shook my head. I quickly grabbed the glass of water and drained it to calm down my racing heart. Why am I so nervous? I didn't expect him to be this handsome? I thought I'd be seeing older men?

"I heard you don't live with your parents?" Seokjin questioned with a curious expression.

"Ah. Neh. I moved out of this place," I nodded at him as I placed my glass back onto the table.

"Well. I hope you're aware of the purpose of our meeting, right?" Seokjin questioned with his eyebrows raised.

"I do. I will be seeing a lot of candidates as my parents requested. I guess you're the first," I weakly smiled.

"Candidates?" Seokjin questioned, raising one of his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, I think I'll be seeing other people-"

"As far as I know, I'm the only selected candidate," Seokjin unsurely beamed at me.

"Neh?" I blinked at him in silence. He's the only candidate? I thought they'd at least give me a few options.

"I'm the only person you'll be seeing. I came here to your parent's place directly to greet you," Seokjin nodded at me when he noticed my puzzled expression.

"What did my parents offer to your family for you to agree with this?" I blankly asked Seokjin when I felt my chest churning in discomfort. I'm not impressed. I know this is only a game for my parents. The riches... they don't marry the poor. There's no such thing as sacrificing power for love. It's only a fairytale in the movies to sugarcoat the high-class and low-class romance between a silver spoon and the unfortunate. The wealthy will only marry a wealthy figure of equal power to safeguard their status in the food chain. In the real world, the rich don't even bat an eye at the poor. Do I believe I'll find my forever love with these wealthy heirs? The chances are very slim. They only need me to extend their power.

"Nothing? Actually, it wasn't your parent's idea for us to meet. My parents wanted me to get married quickly, so they gave me a list of potential lovers to pick from-"

"And you chose me? Wae?" I blurt in confusion. Seokjin halted at my sudden outburst, then leaned back against the couch with a confused expression.

"Because I like you," Seokjin shrugged.

"Neh? Me? Wae? How can you like a person you've never met before?!?" I confronted him with my eyebrows furrowed.

"That's why I'm here, aren't I?" Seokjin smiled at me. I pursed my lips at his straightforward answer and glanced out the window to recollect myself.

"You might not like me anymore if you got to know me," I shrugged with my eyes trained on the floor.

"Don't worry. I'm not in love with you. Not yet. I'm just curious about you, and given this opportunity, we should get to know each other. There's no rush, so you can take your time to think this through," Seokjin shrugged at me.

"Well. It was nice meeting you," I nodded awkwardly before glancing away from Seokjin.

"My secretary will contact your people about our dates-"

"Dates?!" I gasped, snapping my head in his direction with my wide eyes.

"Oh. Dates. The next time we meet, we won't be strangers anymore," Seokjin nodded at me as he got onto his feet. I'm screwed. I lowered my head to smack my head before getting onto my feet as well.

"Alright," I mumbled and followed him out of the room and back into the corridor to find Jungkook talking... with... my parents.

"Anneonghaseyo," Seokjin immediately bowed at my parents.

"Aigo! You're so handsome!" My father smiled at Seokjin and lightly patted his back.

"You should stay over for dinner. We need to discuss-"

"There's nothing to discuss," I quickly cut my mother off when she tried to talk with me. I lowered my head and walked past them when I felt a firm grip around my wrist.

"Don't you dare dismiss your mother's words," My father warned, so I glanced down to find his fingers wrapped firmly around my wrist, triggering a flood of traumatizing memories in my head.

"I'm going to take her out for dinner. You don't have to worry about her," Jungkook exhaled, slightly tugging me away from my father when he noticed my upset expression. My mother stared at me coldly as I rubbed my wrist behind Jungkook's back. Seokjin glanced at us in curiosity, so I weakly smiled at him to assure him of the situation, then turned away to avoid his concerned gaze.

"Fine. We'll find a proper time to speak with you," My father cleared his throat when he realized Seokjin was observing the tense atmosphere. I swallowed and quickly walked away from my parents without looking at them. Jungkook took me home afterward, so I hurried into my house and slumped onto the couch with my eyes trained on the ceiling. What do I do? I swore I'll never return to the haunting villa but walked right back into the devil's nest. If it weren't for Jungkook, I would've never agreed to see their greedy faces. I just have to pretend until Jungkook figures out a plan. I finally got up after falling asleep on my couch and stepped out of my house after dusk, but I abruptly halted after closing the gate when I turned to find a person leaning against the fence. My feet turned cold when the guy turned to look at me from under his hood. I quickly tried to walk past him, so he grabbed my arm and tugged me back.

"Leave me alone," I gritted and tried to pull away from him, but he refused to release me.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He questioned. I scoffed at his words and turned to glare at his partly hidden face under the shadow of his hood.

"I'm not avoiding you. I just don't have a reason to see you anymore, so stop coming back-"

"I miss you," He suddenly interrupted, causing my heart to wrench in pain. I fell quiet at his statement, so he slowly tilted his face upward to face me. I sucked in my breath when I found his severely bruised face. He had split lips, a cut on his right cheekbone, and a dark bruise... right on the corner of his eyes. Why is his face so swollen? I glanced down to find his bruised knuckles as he desperately gripped onto me. That's when I noticed he was shaking.

"Go home," I whispered and coldly pulled my arms away when he suddenly collapsed onto the ground before I could walk away. I stopped dead when he laid motionlessly on the pavement before my gate.

"Get up. I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit," I gritted at him, but he didn't move and remained unconscious on the ground. Exhaling in frustration, I turned away and stomped off with my arms crossed. I won't let him fool me again! I entered the mart to grab a cup of ramen and beer, then sat on the mart exterior to eat alone.

"Why is he back? Is he nuts?" I grumbled and shoved the half-eaten ramen away from me in irritation before gulping down the beer in annoyance. Jiyoung! You have to stay focused! You know why he's back! So do not give in to him!- I know! I eventually returned to my house, expecting him to disappear, but stopped dead when I found him... laying at the exact same spot before the gate of my house.

"I said leave! Stop pretending!" I stomped towards him and slightly nudged his shoulder with my shoes, but he wouldn't respond to me.

"YAH!" I snapped in irritation and kicked his shoulder again when a couple suddenly walked past the dim alley. I froze when they darted a questioning look as I hovered over his vulnerable body.

"Um- do you need help- is he alright?" The man approached me with his lover, so I glanced at him and back at the couple.

"Uh. He's alright-"

"Omo! He's bleeding! Are you sure he's alright? Should we call the ambulance?!" The woman gasped, so quickly glanced at him to find his inner shirt stained with... blood. I quickly crouched down to inspect him in confusion. It's dried blood. What did he get himself into? Should I call the ambulance? What if he got into trouble again? Fuck. Is it safe to alarm the authorities?

"Ani. It's just dye! He's drunk!" I weakly turned to smile at the worried-looking couple.

"Are you sure? We can call-"

"No. No. He's fine. He's just drunk," I chuckled and slipped my arm around his waist to lift him off the ground. The couple wouldn't leave us alone, so I let the man help me heave him onto the couch in my house. I finally convinced them to leave my house after he stirred in his sleep.

"This is unbelievable," I whispered after closing the door, then turned to find the guy resting on my couch. I walked over to his unconscious body and lifted up his dirty white t-shirt, but there weren't any cuts but a few deep bruises on his skin. I examined his swollen face anxiously, then walked towards the bathroom to soak a towel with warm water. I knelt beside the couch to rub off the dirt and blood on his face and body before fixing his wounds and bruises with my first aid kit.

"You're leaving as soon as you wake up," I mumbled as I sat on the floor to stare at his beaten expression. I gulped when a rush of memories filled my head again, so I quickly shook my head to dismiss the thoughts. Jiyoung! You have to control yourself- I snapped out of my thought when I noticed him groaning under his breath.

"What's the matter? Why is he burning up?" I whispered when I noticed his sweaty forehead. I reached out to place my palm on his forehead, and sure enough, he was burning. I quickly got onto my feet to search for medications, but I was out of it, so I quickly grabbed my jacket and hurried out of my house. I jogged to the nearest pharmacy to grab the essential medications.

"Please pack it- Oh? What the hell," I smiled at the staff as I searched for my purse, but my pockets were empty. Fuck? I didn't bring any cash?! I gulped and looked up at the staff awkwardly.

"Pack it for her. I'll cover her bills," Someone spoke up from behind me as he placed his items on the counter.

"Oh. It's alright. I'll just run back to my house to grab my-" I rejected his offer, then turned to look at him but halted in surprise when I found the familiar pair of eyes staring into mine.

"Annyeong," Seokjin smiled at me. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

"What- What are you doing here-" I blinked at him in confusion.

"I'm here to grab a pack of pain relievers. Why are you here? Are you sick? Do you have a fever?" Seokjin questioned as he examined the pills on the counter and averted his eyes back to mine.

"No- I'm fine-" I sucked in my breath when he gently placed his warm palm over my forehead. My heart thumped like crazy at his tender touch, so I stood staring at him with my eyes wide open.

"Are you sure? Your cheeks are turning red," Seokjin questioned, slightly tilting his head to the side when he noticed my flustered expression.

"I'm fine! I'll head home to get my purse! I'll see you later!" I gulped and rushed out of the pharmacy in a hurry. Fuck! Why am I so flustered! I rubbed my cheeks in irritation as I walked down the street until I arrived at my gate when I noticed a car following me. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around to find a car pulling up next to me. I blinked in confusion when I spotted Seokjin behind the steering wheel. He killed the engine and stepped out of his car in his casual outfit, then glanced at my ordinary house with a slight smile.

"Your parents permitted you to live in this kind of neighborhood?" Seokjin questioned as he scanned the dim street.

"Why are you following me?" I unsurely questioned when he wouldn't stop observing the dark street.

"Why else? You left without your medication. Here," Seokjin exhaled and extended his arm to hand me the medication bag. I gulped and carefully accepted him with my eyes trained on the ground.

"I'll repay you but thank you," I nodded at him as I restlessly rubbed my arm. Seokjin exhaled and leaned against his car with his hands in his pockets.

"I'll take you to the hospital for a proper check-up if you're feeling unwell," Seokjin averted his gentle gaze to mine. I pursed my lips at his considerate offer and lowered my head.

"I'm really fine. I'm just stocking my medication in case of an emergency," I shrugged at Seokjin.

"Araso. It's getting late. You should head inside," Seokjin smiled and nodded at my gate.

"You should leave first," I awkwardly waved my hand at him.

"No. I won't leave until I'm sure you're safe inside your house," Seokjin shook his head. I froze at his words until my cheeks flushed red again. Fuck! Why is he so... sweet?

"Araso! Drive home safely! Good night!" I smiled. I turned to open my gate and hurriedly closed it before rushing into my house.

"Why did he follow me all the way here?!" I groaned in frustration while peeking through the curtain to check on Seokjin. He eventually entered his car and drove off, so I sighed in relief and walked into the living room with the bag clutched tightly in my hand.

"Kamjagiya!" I shrieked in fright when I found a dark silhouette sitting on the couch.

"Did I scare you?" The person questioned, turning to look at me when I accidentally dropped the bag in my hand.

"You were burning up, so I went out to get some medication," I patted my chest and bent down to pick up the bag again. I dismissively tossed the bag at him, then entered the kitchen to fill a glass of water.

"You fixed the wounds for me?" He grumbled under his breath as he examined his bandaged knuckles, so I switched on the lights and handed him the glass of water.

"Oh. I don't know what kind of trouble you got yourself into, so I couldn't call the authorities. Take the medication with you and leave," I exhaled and slumped down on the opposite couch. He exhaled heavily at my words and glanced at the bag on the couch.

"Jiyoung, listen-"

"No. You don't have to explain anything. I don't want to hear it," I shook my head while rubbing my nose bridged in exhaustion when he tried to bring up his usual excuses. He sadly stared at my emotionless expression and reached into the bag to grab the medication. I watched him in silence as he took the pills with the water. He rubbed his lips and averted his swollen eyes back to mine after swallowing the water.

"I'm sorry. I really am- Please-"

"No. Leave," I exhaled in frustration and got up when he suddenly slid off the couch and knelt before me.

"Jiyoung. I'm sorry. Please. I know I was a dickhead to you but please- Give me another chance- Oh? I promise I'll change!" He begged in tears. I shook my head and tried to walk away when suddenly he grabbed my legs to hold me back.

"Get up. I really need to go to bed. I have to wake up early tomorrow," I sighed, so he quickly got onto his feet and pulled me into a tight hug.

"D-Don't do this to me. Oh? I love you. Jiyoung, I love you. I was a fool for everything I did to you! I'm really sorry so give me another chance. Oh?" He gripped tightly onto my body as he held onto me. I clenched my fists when I felt my chest churning in extreme pain at his pleading words. I refused to respond to his desperation, so I stood stiffly in his embrace. He slowly pulled away to look at me with his apologetic eyes and gently caressed my cheek with his thumb.

"I'm tired of this," I whispered in exhaustion as he traced his thumb over my lips.

"I promise I'll change," He whispered in tears and slowly leaned forward until I felt his warm breath brushing against my face.

"Jimin," I whispered and placed my hand between our lips when his lips slightly grazed mine. He blinked at me in silence, so I exhaled and took a step back from him with a dejected expression.

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I'm finally back~! Haha, it's been a while! How are you guys doing? You probably don't remember me anymore huh? ^^ I just finished my final exam this morning so I had to rush everything today. This is my new story and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Survival. I don't know what to expect, to be honest ^^ I'll just go with the flow, and hopefully, I can finish it with a happy ending ^^

Please look forward to future updates~! <3