Chapter 3: And Then He Walked In
"Some people haunt you not with their presence,but with the silence they left you in."
"Okay," Liam says as he checks his watch for the third time. "They're late. But it's Aiden, so I'm honestly impressed it's only fifteen minutes."
I laugh softly, sipping my strawberry soda.The restaurant is one of those trendy-but-not-pretentious places—warm lighting, exposed brick walls, tables close enough to feel cozy but not crammed.
It's supposed to be a double date.But somehow, six chairs surround our table.
It's me and Liam, sitting on one side. Across from us is a girl—petite, sharp bob haircut, wearing a soft green blouse, fidgeting with her straw wrapper. She keeps glancing at Liam and smiling awkwardly.
Wait... isn't this a double date?Then why are there six of us?
I run the mental math again.Me.Liam.This stranger girl.Liam's friend.His date.And this stranger girl's... date?
Oh.This is one of those setups.
I don't say anything. Just sit quietly and smile politely whenever the girl across from us glances my way. Liam doesn't seem to notice. He's scrolling through his messages, probably checking in with Aiden.
"Ah, there they are," he says, standing and waving.
Aiden walks in, wearing a smug grin like he invented the term double trouble.Beside him is a tall, confident girl in a rust-colored dress and huge earrings. She seems nice — cheerful, maybe a little loud.
Introductions happen. Handshakes. Laughter. The usual.They sit down, and now there's just one chair left.
Liam leans toward me and says, "Okay, the last guy is Elle's friend. He's cool. Kinda quiet though."
I nod absently, focused on the flickering candle in the center of the table. I don't know why my chest feels tighter with every passing second.
Then I hear it.
Footsteps.Heavier.Slower.Confident.
And then, like a scene written by fate with a cruel sense of humor—He walks in.
Black thick hair, cut into a messy mullet.Dark tattoos peeking out from under the sleeve of his denim jacket.Silver earrings glinting under the restaurant lights.A face carved into my memory with the precision of a blade.
But it's his eyes that stop my breath.
Jungkook.
My jaw nearly unhinges before I catch myself.The air goes thick. My throat? Dry. My soul? Momentarily absent.
He doesn't see me at first. He's too busy nodding at Aiden, fist-bumping Liam.
Then his gaze lands on me.
For one breathless second — just one —his eyes lock with mine.
Recognition.Shock.Something deeper.
I panic before he can speak.
"Hi," I say smoothly, extending my hand across the table."I'm Hae-won. Nice to meet you."
He stares at my hand for a moment, as if unsure whether to shake it or throw the table over.Then he smiles—tight-lipped, hesitant—and takes it.
"Jeon Jungkook," he says quietly."Nice to meet you too."
Liam doesn't notice a thing.But the girl beside me? She catches something. Her eyes flicker between us.I keep mine locked on my soda like it holds the secrets to the universe.
The rest of the dinner feels like a dream I want to wake up from.
Liam and Aiden are loud, joking, passing nachos and memories around.The girls chat about professors and club rush.Jungkook sits diagonally from me — close enough to see the tiny mole beneath his lip.Too close.
He doesn't say much. But I feel his gaze every few minutes.Lingering.Searching.
I don't look up once.
Not until dessert arrives and Liam nudges me.
"You okay, Wonie? You've been quieter than usual."
I force a smile. "Jet lag, probably."
He looks at me like he doesn't fully buy it. But thankfully, he lets it go.
The evening winds down. Hugs, waves, future plans made too quickly.I'm already grabbing my coat when Liam walks beside me.
"I'll drop you off," he says.
"No, it's okay," I say quickly. Too quickly.
He raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"
I nod. "I need the walk."
He hesitates, then shrugs. "Alright. Text me when you get back."
"Will do."
I walk.
Fast.
Through campus. Past dorms. Past people laughing under fairy lights strung across a courtyard. My boots hit pavement in rapid rhythm, but my thoughts are louder.
Why now?
Why here?
Why him?
My ears are burning. My chest aches with words I didn't say. With questions I buried.
I take a sharp turn near the campus gate and—
"Wonie."
My feet stop.
I freeze. Every cell in my body recognizes the voice like a song I swore I'd never play again.
Slowly, I turn.
And there he is.
Standing under a dim streetlight.Hands in his pockets.Tattooed arm flexing slightly.Eyes wide, soft, desperate.
"Jungkook," I say.Calm.Empty.
But inside?
I'm nothing but wreckage.