chapter 18

After finishing her makeup and hair—both of which had been forcefully but skillfully done by Bora—Y/n decided to change her outfit. Since they were going to wander around, she wanted something comfortable. Fashion had never been her strong suit, nor did she understand the endless trends people followed. For some girls, every day was a fashion show, and she couldn’t comprehend how they managed to keep up. The mere thought of it made her question where she had been living all this time.Shaking off her unnecessary thoughts, she picked a mint-colored floral dress from the cupboard, the fabric soft against her fingertips. She threw it over her body and sighed in frustration when she realized the zipper was out of her reach.Standing in front of the mirror, she stretched her arms backward, twisting her fingers in an attempt to grasp the stubborn zip, but all her efforts were in vain. She groaned, her brows furrowing as she tried again, her muscles beginning to ache from the awkward angle."Bora is getting ready, I can’t disturb her," she mumbled under her breath, biting her lip as she tried once more.The room was filled with nothing but Y/n’s quiet, frustrated sighs as she tried once again to reach for the stubborn zipper. Her fingers trembled slightly from the effort, her shoulders straining as she twisted her arm in a desperate attempt to pull it up.Why won’t this damn thing budge?Her heart pounded with frustration, but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Taking a deep breath, she was about to make another attempt when—The sound of the door clicking open made her freeze in place.Her entire body locked up, muscles tensing as the realization of what had just happened sank in.No… no, no, no…She didn’t have to turn around to know who had just walked in.A sharp, panicked breath left her lips as her hands remained frozen in place. She felt utterly exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected.Acting on instinct, she instantly glued her back against the cool surface of the mirror, pressing herself as flat as possible as if that would somehow shield her from his gaze. Her eyes went wide in sheer panic, her breathing uneven as she tried to process the situation.And then, in a hurried, frantic whisper, she stammered—"Don't come near… please stay there."Her voice trembled, laced with urgency.Meanwhile, Jungkook stood at the entrance, completely frozen.His eyes, double their usual size, were locked onto her, his brain struggling to catch up with what he had just witnessed.The moment he had pushed open the door, his gaze had instinctively landed on her. And for the briefest two seconds—before she had spun around to press herself against the mirror—he had caught sight of her bare back.His breath hitched.His ears turned a deep shade of red as realization struck him like a tidal wave.He saw what?His mind stuttered, replaying that accidental glimpse over and over again against his will.For a second, everything in his body went still.Then—Shit.Regaining control of himself, Jungkook quickly turned his head away, clearing his throat as he blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the image burned into his brain.He wasn’t supposed to see that.He hadn’t meant to see that.Yet now, the damage was already done.His hands clenched at his sides as he exhaled slowly, trying to steady his suddenly erratic heartbeat.Y/n, meanwhile, looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.Her head was now ducked down, refusing to meet his gaze, her bottom lip caught between her teeth in nervous tension.Jungkook shut the door behind him, glancing briefly at the nervous figure standing against the mirror like a trapped deer.She was embarrassed.Nervous.He could see it in the way her hands fidgeted, in the way she was desperately avoiding looking at him.Damn it.He had just barged in at the worst possible moment, catching her struggling with the zipper.His wife.His wife.Jungkook swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how warm the room felt.His ears burned hotter.Y/n, on the other hand, felt like she was about to combust from mortification.Could the day get any worse than this?Jungkook cleared his throat, attempting to reduce the awkward tension that thickened the air between them. His movements were composed, as if he wasn’t affected by what had just happened, but the way his fingers curled slightly when he placed his bag onto the table betrayed the slight unease creeping up his spine.Without sparing another glance in her direction, he turned his back toward her, giving her the space she so desperately needed.Because even if they weren’t like other couples—even if their relationship was tangled in complications and distance—he knew how to respect a woman. Especially when that woman was his own wife.His voice was casual when he finally spoke, though the amusement laced beneath his tone was undeniable."Is there a problem? Maybe I could help."He coughed lightly after asking, feigning obliviousness.As if he didn’t already know exactly what was wrong.The audacity.Y/n’s breath hitched.Her already heated face flushed an even deeper shade of red.Did he really have to ask that out loud? Did he enjoy making her feel even more humiliated than she already was?Jungkook, however, wasn’t trying to make her uncomfortable. He wasn’t teasing her for the sake of it. If anything, he was offering help in the least intrusive way possible, trying to make her feel less embarrassed about the situation.But Y/n wasn’t ready to accept his help."N-N… nothing…" she stammered, her voice coming out weaker than she intended. "Just… don’t turn back. W-Wait a second."Her words were rushed, jumbled with nervousness, but Jungkook understood the underlying message.She’s flustered.He sighed, shaking his head slightly.Meanwhile, Y/n was still struggling, her hands reaching behind her back in another futile attempt to zip up her dress.She gritted her teeth in frustration, her muscles burning from the repeated effort.Was it because her arms were aching?Or was it because Jungkook’s presence behind her was making her nervous?She didn’t know anymore.All she knew was that the more time passed, the more anxious and frustrated she became.Seconds turned into minutes.Her fingers trembled.A shaky breath left her lips, filled with irritation and helplessness.And then—Jungkook moved.Y/n’s head snapped up in alarm.The moment she sensed his shift, her body reacted on instinct.With a jolt, she pressed her back against the mirror once again, eyes wide with panic.Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she gulped, her breaths becoming uneven.He… He turned around.Why?"Wa-Wait! I’m not done yet! P-Please turn ar—"But her words were cut short.Because Jungkook was already walking toward her.His strides were unhurried, yet each step felt like it carried a weight of inevitability.Y/n’s grip tightened on the fabric of her dress, bunching it into nervous fists.She avoided his gaze, her heart hammering inside her ribcage.And then, before she could process it—He was standing in front of her.Close enough that she could feel the faint warmth radiating off him.Close enough that the scent of his cologne—intoxicating and undeniably him—wrapped around her senses.Y/n swallowed.The air around them felt… different."What's the problem?" Jungkook asked with one hand in his pocket. He was calm too calm. (A/n;- Cool guy)"I told right.....there is noth." Y/n barely managed to find her voice. "Just spill the truth, Y/n," Jungkook interrupted, his tone dropping lower. "I won’t bite."His words held the slightest trace of irritation, but not in an aggressive way.More like…He was frustrated.Not at her, but at the fact that she was still trying to avoid him, as if he were some kind of stranger.Y/n sucked in a breath.Did Jungkook forget that they weren’t a normal couple?Everything between them was already complicated.But right now, in this moment, the only thing he was asking for was an answer.And she couldn’t even give him that.Jungkook let out a slow breath through his nose, his patience thinning."Now, will you tell me?"His voice was steady, composed.But then—"If you don’t want to, I can just find out myself."Y/n’s breath caught.Her eyes widened slightly as her mind registered his words.What… What does he mean by that?For a second, she was too stunned to react.Her brain scrambled to make sense of what he had just said.Did he mean—Was he really going to—She felt a shiver of anticipation and panic crawl up her spine.Jungkook wasn’t bluffing.He was really going to do it if she didn’t stop him.Her heart pounded louder.The more she tried to stay away from him…The more she somehow ended up closer.Why?Why now?Why, when she had finally convinced herself that she didn’t want to get involved?Why, when she had spent so long trying to keep him at a distance?"Uhmm… I couldn’t… I mean… my zip."Her voice came out uneven, hesitant, barely above a whisper.She knew Jungkook well enough to understand that he wouldn’t back down until she told him the truth. He was stubborn, relentless, and far too perceptive for his own good. Avoiding his gaze wouldn’t change that.The moment the words left her lips, she felt a sudden pull.Jungkook’s fingers wrapped around her wrist, firm yet careful, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself being tugged forward.Her breath hitched.Eyes widening, Y/n stumbled slightly, unprepared for the sudden shift in proximity.And then—A warmth spread across her bare back.She froze.A shiver ran down her spine as she registered the sensation—his fingers, warm and featherlight, brushing against her exposed skin.Her grip tightened around the fabric of her dress, knuckles turning white.She dared to look up.And that’s when she saw it.His eyes—already fixed on her.But… something about them was different.This wasn’t his usual indifferent stare. It wasn’t his usual blank, unreadable gaze.This was something deeper.More intense.His pupils were slightly dilated, his expression unreadable, yet his grip on her wrist didn’t loosen.Y/n swallowed hard.The room suddenly felt smaller, the silence louder, the air thicker.Her heart pounded erratically against her ribcage, each beat echoing in her ears.Why wasn’t he saying anything?Why wasn’t he letting go?And more importantly…Why wasn’t she stepping away?"Let me help you."Jungkook’s voice was unusually soft, a stark contrast to the cold, detached tone he usually carried. It held something… gentler, something that made Y/n’s stomach twist in an unfamiliar way.Her first instinct was to refuse—to tell him she didn’t need his help, that she could do it on her own. But the words never left her lips.Instead, she found herself nodding.Why?Why couldn’t she say no?She could have easily stepped away, made up an excuse, and ended this moment before it even began.But she didn’t.Because deep down, beneath all the walls she had built around her heart, she had always longed for this—for his attention, his presence, his touch.And now that she had it, even if just for a fleeting moment, she couldn’t bring herself to push him away.Jungkook, on the other hand, was having his own internal battle.This wasn’t him.He wasn’t supposed to be this soft, this gentle.And yet, the moment he saw her struggling, the moment he saw the frustration and helplessness in her eyes, something inside him shifted."Come closer."The words left his lips before he could think twice.Even he was surprised at how soft they sounded. Was he okay?Y/n hesitated for a second before taking small, hesitant steps forward.Too slow.Jungkook nearly rolled his eyes at her reluctance.Impatience getting the best of him, he reached forward and grasped her waist, pulling her closer in one swift motion.A gasp escaped her lips as she stumbled into him, her hands instinctively landing on his biceps to steady herself.Jungkook stiffened.She was so close.Too close.His throat went dry as he felt the warmth of her palms seeping through the fabric of his dress shirt.Gulping, he brought his other hand behind her, his fingers gently sweeping her long, silky black hair to one side, exposing the smooth expanse of her back once again.He reached for the zipper.His fingers grazed her bare skin, and in that moment, he felt it—the sharp intake of her breath, the slight tremble that ran through her body.Y/n’s hands clenched tighter around the fabric of his coat.His touch was barely there, yet it sent a shiver down her spine.Slowly, deliberately, Jungkook pulled the zipper up, his knuckles ghosting along the delicate curve of her spine.The warmth of his fingers was both soothing and torturous, igniting something inside her she didn’t even know existed.Her eyes fluttered shut.The sensation, the intimacy of it all, was too much.They had never been this close before.Not like this.Not in a way that made her heart race, her breath hitch, her entire being ache for something she couldn’t put into words.Why was this happening now?Why did it feel like the air between them was shifting, like something unspoken was lingering in the silence?Y/n knew she was attached to him.Emotionally, mentally, in ways she wished she wasn’t.Jungkook finished pulling up the zipper, yet his fingers lingered, tracing the seam absentmindedly.He should step back.He should let go.But for some reason, he couldn’t.Instead, he found himself staring at the curve of her shoulder, the way her skin reacted to his touch—the tiny goosebumps forming in his wake.Did she feel this, too?His gaze flickered to her reflection in the mirror.She was still holding onto his coat, knuckles white from the force of her grip. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know how.Her eyes met his in the mirror.And for a second—just a second—everything stilled.Time, breath, even the space between them.Jungkook felt something stir in his chest.A dangerous, unfamiliar feeling.One he had spent so long trying to suppress.Something about the way she was looking at him made his heart stutter.Like she wanted to say a thousand things but was too afraid to speak even one.Like she was waiting for him to—He blinked.And just like that, reality came crashing back.A Moment Too Close“You can move, it’s done.”Jungkook’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant, but it was enough to snap Y/n out of her trance.It was only then that she realized—her forehead had been resting against his chest.Her breath hitched as she processed it. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat had been right beneath her ear, strong and constant. It was a sound she wasn’t supposed to hear, something too intimate for a relationship like theirs.And yet…For those few moments, she had listened.She had felt.And she had let herself linger.Y/n’s body stiffened, her eyes widening as embarrassment washed over her. She instantly stepped back, her fingers fumbling as she clasped her hands together, heart pounding in a way she refused to acknowledge.She couldn’t look at him.Not after… whatever that was.Jungkook, on the other hand, seemed just as caught off guard. He stood there, hands by his sides, as if trying to process the sudden closeness they had just shared. His gaze flickered to hers, but the second she avoided his eyes, he cleared his throat and turned away, the awkward tension thick between them.“Uhmm… thank you,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.Jungkook only hummed in response, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Without another word, he walked towards the cupboard, his movements stiff, like he, too, was trying to shake off the moment that had just passed.The air still felt heavy.Y/n forced herself to breathe.She needed to get herself together.She couldn’t let something as simple as this affect her.But was it simple?Before she could drown in her own thoughts, Jungkook’s voice broke the silence.“By the way, are you going somewhere?”He didn’t turn to look at her, instead pulling out a casual outfit from the cupboard as if this was just any normal conversation. As if he hadn’t just zipped up her dress with his bare hands. As if she hadn’t just had her face against his chest.Y/n swallowed. “Y-yeah. Zaid and the others said we’re going out to look around. They told us to join them.”Jungkook nodded. “Hmm. Wait for a few minutes. I’ll take a quick shower, then we’ll go together.”Her breath hitched slightly at the casual way he said we.They weren’t like normal couples.They had never been the type to go together anywhere.So why did it feel so natural when he said it?Before she could dwell on it, Jungkook grabbed his towel and headed toward the bathroom. Y/n watched him disappear behind the door, and the moment it clicked shut, she collapsed onto the bed.Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress, clutching it over her racing heart.She let out a shaky breath.What the hell was wrong with her?Why was she reacting like this?Why did she like it?Her mind was a mess, filled with emotions she had tried so hard to bury.She knew she wasn’t supposed to want this.She knew she wasn’t supposed to crave his touch, his presence, his attention.But the moment his fingers had grazed her skin, the moment his deep voice had softened as he helped her—something inside her had cracked.And now, she wasn’t sure if she could hold everything back anymore.But she had to.She had to.Because getting closer to Jungkook meant unlocking emotions she had no right to feel.It meant hope.And hope was dangerous.Hope would only hurt her in the end.So why did she still wish… just for a second… that things could be different?That maybe, just maybe—Their relationship didn’t have to be complicated.That maybe, one day…It could be something more.Jungkook’s POVThe sound of rushing water filled the small space, but it did nothing to quiet the storm inside him.Jungkook leaned forward, palms pressed against the cold tile as he let the water run over him. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing heavily, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the memory of what had just happened.Of her.Of how she had felt so close—so warm—against him.His hands still tingled with the ghost of her skin, soft and delicate beneath his fingertips as he pulled up her zipper. He hadn’t meant to linger, hadn’t meant to let his touch drag longer than necessary, but when she shivered, when she leaned into him, something inside him cracked.For the first time in a long time, he felt something other than cold emptiness.He felt warmth.A warmth he had been unknowingly craving.And for those few seconds, when her head rested against his chest, when her small fingers clutched onto his coat, Jungkook felt something he hadn't felt in years.Comfort.Not from a meaningless touch.Not from empty words.But from her.It was terrifying.He shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and quickly drying off. As he dressed, his movements were stiff, his thoughts still tangled.How had things gotten to this point?When did he start needing her like this?Jungkook didn’t have an answer.The vivid memory of her nervous figure flashed in his mind. Did he made her feel uncomfortable? Did he crossed his boundary?He shouldn't have touched her like that? No matter how much he wanted to hold onto the moment. How could he do that. When he stepped back into the room, she was still sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her dress, her expression distant.His chest tightened.Did she regret it?Was she uncomfortable because of him?Jungkook swallowed hard and cleared his throat, forcing his voice to remain steady.“Y/n.”Her head snapped up at his voice, and for a second, her eyes widened—like she hadn’t expected him to speak.He hesitated for a moment, then exhaled softly.“I’m sorry.”Y/n blinked, confusion flickering across her face. “For what?”He shifted his weight, running a hand over the back of his neck.“For… earlier.” His gaze flickered away for a brief second before returning to hers. “If I made you uncomfortable.”Something in her expression faltered, lips parting slightly.“I just…” Jungkook inhaled slowly, trying to find the right words. “I never want you to feel like you owe me anything. Or that I have any right to—to cross any boundaries. I know this—” he gestured vaguely between them, “—is complicated. And I don’t want to make it worse.”Y/n was silent, her gaze unreadable.Jungkook clenched his jaw, nodding to himself. “That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll—”“It wasn’t uncomfortable.”Her voice was soft, hesitant, but it made his breath hitch.Jungkook stilled."You just genuinely wanted to help, that's it. I can never be uncomfortable with you." Jungkook froze, the soft fabric of the towel slipping slightly in his grasp as Y/n’s words echoed in his head."I can never be uncomfortable with you."His fingers curled around the towel, gripping it tightly, as if holding onto it would steady the sudden whirlwind of emotions crashing through him. He had been expecting her to brush off his apology, maybe awkwardly nod and move on. But instead, she had looked right past his hesitations, right past the walls he had carefully built, and said something that completely undid him.He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.For a moment, he thought he had imagined it—thought maybe his mind was playing cruel tricks on him because he wanted so desperately to believe those words. But when he turned, Y/n was still sitting there, her gaze lowered, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Her voice had been quiet, almost hesitant, yet unwavering.His chest tightened.He didn’t know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn’t that.Jungkook had been prepared for her to brush it off, maybe even pretend like nothing had happened between them just now. Instead, she had looked straight into the heart of his fears—his hesitation, his self-imposed distance—and shattered it with a few simple words."I can never be uncomfortable with you."A lump formed in his throat, his grip on the wet towel tightening. He wanted to say something—anything—but the emotions tangled inside him made it impossible.Because he didn’t deserve that kind of trust.Not when he had spent so long keeping her at arm’s length, pretending he didn’t crave her warmth, pretending their marriage was nothing more than a circumstance they had to endure.But she did trust him.She always had.And that realization hit him harder than anything else.His heart pounded against his ribs, an unfamiliar ache spreading through his chest. He wanted to close the distance between them again, wanted to hold onto this moment, wanted to believe that maybe—just maybe—this thing between them didn’t have to be as complicated as he had always made it out to be.But he couldn’t.Because if he did, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself next time.So instead, he forced a small breath through his lips, nodded stiffly, and turned back toward the door."Shall we?"Romantic coconut 🌝🌝Share your opinions 😃Did you enjoyed? 🌚