2x14storyuntold

[2x14storyuntold]

After You, Before Me- 01

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Romance, Drama, Coming-of-Age, Bittersweet

Word count: 3093

You were born in Germany, and everything seemed perfect for a while. Your parents had big dreams there. They had a business, a home, and a life that seemed full of possibilities. But dreams don’t always work out the way you imagine.

One day, your parents’ business failed, and suddenly, life wasn’t as easy as it had been. They tried to keep things together, tried to make it all work, but the weight of it all grew too heavy. And one day, they made a decision that would change everything. They decided to leave Germany. They packed their bags, and ended up in a small town in South Korea called Gongan, in Busan.

You were only six years old when they dropped you off at your grandmother’s house. It wasn’t like the life you had known. The town was small, and quiet, nothing like the busy streets or the hustle of the city you had grown up in. But there, in your grandmother's house, you felt safe, even though you didn’t fully understand why everything was happening.

Your parents promised they'd come back for you. They told you it was only temporary, just until they figured things out.

They said, “We’ll be back soon. We just need to fix everything. Stay here with Grandma, and we’ll come for you when everything’s better.”

You didn’t know then, but you would come to understand that promises sometimes get broken. You waited. And waited. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. You kept looking at the door, hoping they’d come back, hoping to hear the sound of their voices again. But each time, it was just your grandmother, calling you inside to eat, to rest, to live life in the way she knew how to teach you.

One day, your grandma got a letter. It came in the mail, addressed to your grandmother. It wasn’t a letter from your parents, and when your grandmother opened it, her face changed. You didn’t understand it at first, but soon, she told you that your parents were gone. Just like that. Gone. They had passed away, and you didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye. You couldn’t understand. You were still so young, too young to fully grasp what it meant that the people who promised to come back to you were never coming.

After the news, everything changed. Your world, which had once been filled with promises and hope, now felt quiet. Your grandmother tried her best to fill the silence, but the grief, the loss, was there. And so, she decided to make sure you would have something to look forward to. She decided to enroll you in school, even though there was a problem.

You didn’t speak Korean.

At first, it was hard. You sat in the classroom, surrounded by other kids who laughed and chatted in a language that felt strange to your ears. Words floated around you, but none of them made sense. You felt lost, like you were on the outside, watching everything happen but unable to be a part of it. It was frustrating.

But your grandmother didn’t give up on you. She taught you Korean, little by little, each word a small bridge between you and the world. She would sit with you at night, helping you memorize the characters, teaching you how to speak, how to understand. Slowly, you started picking it up. It didn’t happen overnight, but it started to feel like you were finally connecting, finally understanding the world around you.

And then, there was Jungkook.

He was the mischievous boy who lived next door. You first met him one day when you were playing outside, trying to adjust to the new rhythms of life in Gongan. He was the same age as you, with messy hair and a grin that seemed to always be on his face like he was in on a joke no one else knew. He wasn’t like the other kids. While everyone else was shy around you, unsure of the girl who didn’t speak their language, Jungkook just walked up to you and said, “Hey, you look lost. Want to play?”

He didn’t care that you didn’t speak Korean well. He didn’t even care that you couldn’t answer his question at first. He just pulled you into his world, where words didn’t matter as much as the energy, the laughter, and the fun. He showed you how to play the games they played; kickball, hide-and-seek, racing down the street. With Jungkook, it didn’t matter if you couldn’t say much yet. He made sure you felt included like you belonged.

By the time you hit middle school, things had started to settle into a rhythm. You were fluent in Korean now, your grandmother’s lessons paying off. Her cafe was the heart of your small world, and you spent most of your afternoons there, helping out. The steady clink of coffee cups, the hum of conversation, the smell of fresh bread, it became a second home to you. Your grandmother had poured her heart into the cafe, and you, slowly but surely, became part of the fabric that kept it running.

Your uncle, who worked at a bank nearby, also lived in Gongan with his family. His wife and kids often came to help out at the cafe as well. Your cousins were nice enough, but you felt like you were in a loop; one that just wouldn’t break.

The same old people, the same old faces. It was like Gongan had trapped you in a constant cycle. Nothing ever changed, and nothing exciting ever happened. You hated it. You hated the monotony, the stillness of it all.

And you knew you needed to break free.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

Middle school in Gongan felt like it dragged on forever. But even in the monotony, Jungkook was a constant—a small spark of energy in the otherwise dull routine. He always had this way of making you laugh, even when you were buried in books, even when you didn’t want to smile.

You remember one afternoon, after school, sitting together on the old stone bench near the cafe. The sun was dipping low, casting a warm golden glow over the town, and Jungkook had just finished talking your ear off about some ridiculous prank he’d pulled on his cousin. You were barely paying attention, more focused on the notebook in your lap, but you couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle when he mimicked his cousin’s reaction.

"You're impossible," you said, shaking your head with a smile.

Jungkook grinned. “I know. That’s why you like me.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress the small laugh that followed. He was right. Despite everything, you did like him—maybe more than you let on. He had a way of making you feel like you were part of something bigger than yourself. With him, you didn’t feel like the outsider you often saw in the mirror. He just made things... easy.

One day, as you were both walking home after a long day, he nudged you with his elbow.

"Hey, are you really not gonna join us for the trip this weekend?" he asked, his voice low, a bit unsure. "I mean, I know you’re all about studying and stuff, but... don’t you want to have some fun?"

You glanced over at him, your mind already swirling with thoughts of the test you had coming up. "I can’t. I have too much to do this weekend."

He huffed in frustration, pulling a face. “You can’t just hide in those books all the time. You’ll burn out.”

“I’m not hiding,” you replied, but there was something in his eyes that made you pause. “I just... need to leave this place.”

Jungkook slowed his pace, looking at you more seriously now. “Why? What’s wrong with Gongan?”

You hesitated, looking ahead at the familiar sights of the town—the same streets, the same old faces. "It’s just... too small. Too predictable," you said quietly. "I want more. I want something different."

He didn’t respond right away, his expression softening as if he was trying to understand. After a few moments, he spoke again, almost too quietly for you to hear. “What if you didn’t have to leave to get something different?”

You stopped walking, turning to face him fully. His gaze was intense now, as though he were searching for something in your eyes.

“I... don’t get it,” you said, furrowing your brow.

He shrugged, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe I’m just saying you could have something here, too. You don’t always need to go somewhere else to find it.”

You stared at him for a moment, the words hanging in the air between you, but you couldn’t quite grasp the meaning. Instead, you changed the subject, brushing it off with a quiet laugh. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

He smiled, and it was the kind of smile that made your chest tighten in a way you didn’t quite understand. “You love me for it.”

And for a second, you almost believed it.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

As the years went by, things with Jungkook remained easy, but they were also changing. It was subtle at first—small shifts in the way you two interacted, moments that seemed like nothing at the time but in hindsight were the beginning of something more.

By the time you were in high school, you had both grown up a lot. You’d gone from the quiet, determined girl focused only on escaping Gongan, to someone who was learning to appreciate the little moments.

And Jungkook? He was still the same mischievous boy who made everything more fun, but over the years, you saw him mature too. His laugh was still infectious, but there was a depth in his eyes now, something you hadn’t noticed before.

And then there was Taehyung and Jimin. They had become a package deal with Jungkook over the years, and as you spent more time with them, you felt like you were becoming part of their tight-knit group.

They were like brothers to Jungkook, and in a way, they became like brothers to you too. You’d laugh together, get into little arguments, and somehow always end up finding comfort in the mess of it all.

Jungkook’s friendship with them was effortless, and it was hard not to get caught up in their energy. The way they joked around, the inside jokes they had, made you feel like you belonged.

You became closer with Taehyung, whose playful energy matched your own wit, and Jimin, whose kind heart always made you feel heard.

But it was Jungkook who had the biggest impact on you—his way of being both serious and carefree, his ability to make you feel at ease even in the toughest moments.

One afternoon, as you were hanging out with the guys after school, Jungkook turned to you with a grin. “Hey, Y/N, want to come with me to Seokjin’s family summer house this weekend?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Seokjin’s place?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook said, his eyes lighting up. “We’re celebrating Seokjin, Namjoon, and Yoongi finishing high school. It’s going to be a big party. Everyone’s going. I think it’ll be fun.”

You hesitated for a moment. You are a junior in high school now and still holding on to that old desire to escape Gongan, but something in Jungkook’s smile, in the way he looked at you, made you want to say yes. So you did.

“Okay,” you said, surprising yourself. “I’ll go.”

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

The weekend arrived, the excitement buzzing in the air as you approached to Seokjin's family summer home. The house was tucked away by the lake, surrounded by trees, and there was a sense of freedom in the air that you hadn’t felt in a while.

The first night was filled with laughter, music, and the smell of BBQ. Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, and the rest of the gang were all gathered around, cooking food, teasing each other, and sharing stories.

You met their girlfriends, who were just as easygoing as they were, and you found yourself slipping into the rhythm of the group, the outside world fading away.

The evening was carefree, filled with games and friendly challenges. You were all running around, jumping into the lake, and just letting go of the pressure that usually weighed on you.

At one point, you and Jungkook were in the middle of a prank war. Taehyung had dared you to splash Jungkook with water as punishment for losing a game, and you did it—laughing as he yelped in surprise. But in retaliation, Jungkook had other plans. He tackled you into the lake, and you both ended up soaked, laughing uncontrollably.

As the night wore on and the cool air set in, the group started to wind down. Everyone was drying off, and the fire pit crackled in the background. But you were still damp from the lake, and a chill started to settle in.

“You’re going to catch a cold,” Jungkook said, suddenly appearing beside you, concern in his eyes. “Come on, I’ll take you inside to change.”

You followed him into the house, your heart pounding a little faster than usual. The house was quiet now, the sounds of laughter and music fading into the background. Jungkook led you to one of the bedrooms where you could change, the tension between you both suddenly palpable in the quiet room.

As you closed the door behind you, the air felt thicker, heavier. You peeled off your wet clothes and started looking for something to wear, but you felt his gaze on you, and it made you feel self-conscious. He was standing by the door, arms crossed, a slight frown on his face.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

You nodded, but you could tell he was still concerned. His eyes lingered on you a moment longer than they should have, and something shifted in the air, something you couldn’t quite name but felt all the same.

Before you could react, he stepped closer, the warmth of his body sending a shiver through you.

“Y/N,” he whispered, his voice low, almost like he was unsure of himself. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but... you’ve always been there for me. You’ve always made things easier. I want you to know... I’m here for you too.”

You looked at him, speechless for a moment. The weight of his words settled in your chest, and before you could fully process the feeling, the impulse took over.

You stepped forward, closing the space between you, and kissed him. It was a slow, hesitant kiss at first, like a question hanging in the air—Is this okay?

But when his lips met yours, something inside you clicked into place, and the kiss deepened. His hand found its way to your back, pulling you in closer as if he, too, was afraid this moment might slip away.

It was raw, vulnerable, and entirely new, yet it felt so right. The world outside, the party, the people, all faded into nothing. In that small room, it was just the two of you. No more questions, no more hesitation.

You let go, letting him kiss you like it was the most natural thing in the world. When you finally pulled away, both of you breathless, you met his gaze.

Jungkook smiled softly, his hand still resting on your back, his fingers lightly tracing patterns on your skin. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered, his voice full of honesty and warmth.

You felt a knot tighten in your chest, not from fear, but from something deeper, something that had been there all along. The way he looked at you, the way he cared—this wasn’t just about a kiss.

He reached for your hand, his fingers warm against yours, guiding you toward the bed. The soft rustling of sheets was the only sound between you two as you sat down on the edge.

Jungkook sat next to you, his hand never leaving yours. He looked at you, his eyes soft, searching for something in your expression. You didn’t say anything, just watched him, unsure of what to feel, unsure of what this meant.

“You’re not running away from me, right?” Jungkook murmured softly, his breath warm against your ear.

You smiled at the question, feeling a lump form in your throat. “No, I’m not running anymore,” you whispered, your voice barely above a breath.

He nodded, as if reassured, and you could feel the tension in his body at ease. His hand moved to rest on your waist, pulling you closer until your heads touched and you were lying down, your bodies pressed together in the small space between the sheets.

[Author: sorry couldn't write smut but I am leaving it up to your imagination!]

Jungkook drifted into sleep soon after, his breathing steady and calm, the rise and fall of his chest matching the rhythm of your own heart.

You stayed awake for a while, the silence of the room wrapping around you like a blanket. The soft, steady pulse of his presence beside you was soothing, and yet, your mind was restless.

The realization hit you like a weight you hadn't expected to carry. For so long, you had focused on escaping Gongan, on getting to Seoul. But with Jungkook beside you, the world didn’t feel so small anymore. It didn’t feel like something you had to leave behind.

Then, the offer from the talent agency resurfaced. They wanted you to audition to become an idol in Seoul. It was the escape you had always dreamed of, a chance to leave sooner than you had planned.

But with Jungkook here, with him beside you, you realized something you hadn’t wanted to admit: you didn’t want to leave him.

You wanted to tell him about the offer, to see his reaction, but you didn’t know what you feared more—his disappointment or him wanting you to stay.

As you lay beside him, staring at his sleeping face, you realized that the answer wasn’t just about leaving. It was about finding a way to leave that didn’t mean leaving everything behind.

But would you be able to reconcile those two parts of yourself—the one that wanted to escape, and the one that was falling for him?

[2x14storyuntold]

After You, Before Me - Prologue

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Romance, Drama, Coming-of-Age, Bittersweet

Part 1

The lights are blinding, the air heavy with anticipation. You're sitting at a table in the front row, the sound of murmurs and clinking glasses filling the grand hall.

All around you, the glittering faces of the industry’s biggest stars are watching, waiting. The room is packed, people in tuxedos and gowns, some laughing, others looking around, eyes scanning for the next big name.

And then, the spotlight shifts. It's time. The moment everyone has been waiting for.

The host steps up to the podium, microphone in hand. The music quiets down. You can feel the tension in the air; the nerves, the hope, the quiet prayers. The crowd is waiting for this announcement, and you’re holding your breath too.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the host says, his voice smooth and confident, “the award for Best Actress of the Year goes to…”

Your heart skips a beat. You’re almost too scared to hear your name, but then—your name.

“Y/N!”

The applause erupts.

You stand up slowly, almost in disbelief. The cheers feel like they’re coming from far away, the noise almost muffled as you step toward the stage.

Your feet are moving on their own as you walk, your body on autopilot. The moment feels surreal, and as you approach the podium, you blink to refocus. The lights are blinding, and your heart is racing so fast you almost can’t catch your breath.

You take the award, the golden statue feeling heavier in your hand than you thought it would. The microphone feels foreign, like something you’ve never held before, but you smile.

You have to smile. Your face, your public face, is all that matters right now.

“Thank you so much,” you say into the mic, your voice steady, but your mind is still reeling. "This… this is for everyone who believed in me, who helped me get here. For my team, my manager, and most importantly, my fans. You all make this possible, and I can’t even put into words how much this means to me."

Your speech comes out easily, words you’ve practiced in front of mirrors and during sleepless nights. But as you finish, a sudden wave of dizziness hits you.

It’s subtle at first, a flicker in your vision, a quiet thud in your chest. But it grows quickly, like a storm on the horizon. Your stomach churns, but you ignore it.

You have to finish. You have to be perfect.

You take a deep breath, hold the trophy tighter, and give a final smile. “Thank you, thank you all. I’m so grateful.”

The applause drowns out the buzzing in your ears as you step back, your legs slightly unsteady. The lights are too bright, the sound too loud, and your body feels like it’s floating in slow motion.

You head backstage, keeping your back straight, acting like everything is fine.

Backstage is a whirlwind of people—a blur of assistants, producers, and journalists. Everyone’s congratulating you, talking over one another, all with smiles on their faces. You give them the same smile, your expression perfect, a mask that hides what’s really going on inside.

Your manager walks up to you, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Amazing! This is everything we’ve worked for. The press is waiting for you. They want interviews, Y/N. You’re going to shine even more tonight!”

You nod, trying to keep your composure. You can’t show them you’re faltering, that something’s off. You can’t let them see. “I just need to use the bathroom first,” you say, your voice a little shaky but still strong enough for them to buy it.

Your manager hesitates, his eyes narrowing. “Alright, but hurry back. They’ll be waiting.”

You give him a reassuring smile and walk off toward the bathroom. The further you go, the more the dizziness increases, and by the time you reach the bathroom, you can barely hold yourself upright.

Once inside, you lock the door and lean against the sink. Your body feels like it’s betraying you. Your breath is shallow, your head spins, and before you can stop it, you bend over the sink and vomit. But it’s not just nausea—it's blood.

Your heart drops.

Panic surges through you. You try to steady yourself, turning on the faucet to drown out the sound, hoping no one outside can hear. The cold water splashes on your face, but the dizziness doesn’t go away. It only gets worse. You grip the edge of the sink, trying to hold yourself together. You know you should be calling for help, but you can’t. You can’t be weak, not here, not now.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

Jungkook was bustling around the bar, clearing empty glasses and dirty plates. He wasn’t paying much attention to the chatter around him—just the routine of his shift, helping Seokjin behind the counter. The usual hum of the bar and the clinking of glasses was a comfort, something steady in his life that helped him forget about everything else.

But then, a group of people at a nearby table caught his attention. He heard their voices rising above the others, and one of them laughed in disbelief.

"Wait, isn’t that Y/N? She just won Best Actress, right?"

The others chimed in, “Yeah, she’s from Gongan, right? she is from our town! Wow, she just won Best Actress!”

Jungkook’s steps faltered, and his heart skipped. He turned toward the TV in the corner of the bar, almost on instinct, and saw you gracing the stage in all your glamor.

A rush of emotion hit him, and his breath caught in his throat. He stood frozen, watching you smile brightly as you accepted the award for Best Actress.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away, the image of you so different now—so far from the girl he had once known.

“Jungkook?” Seokjin’s voice was calm, but there was a hint of worry. “You okay, man?”

Jungkook didn’t answer right away. His gaze was still locked on the TV, watching you.

Seokjin stepped closer, his eyes narrowing in on Jungkook. “Jungkook, what’s going on?”

Jungkook finally tore his gaze away from the screen, his jaw tightening. He grabbed a cold beer from the counter, opening it with a quick motion. His hands were shaking slightly as he raised it to his lips, drinking deeply, trying to numb the tightness in his chest.

“I am fine. I need a break,” Jungkook muttered, his voice low and flat, but Seokjin wasn’t buying it. He knew something was wrong.

Seokjin took a step closer, but before he could say anything more, Jungkook pushed past him, walking toward the door.

Jungkook stormed out of the bar, leaving Seokjin standing there with a furrowed brow. He glanced at the door for a moment, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. He hadn’t seen Jungkook like that in a while. Something had shifted, but what?

Shaking his head, Seokjin turned back toward the TV, the screen flashed once more with the image of you smiling brightly.

Seokjin let out a small sigh and shook his head slowly. As he watched you on the screen, Seokjin muttered to himself, more to the air than anyone else. "It’s high time he should move on."