Jungkook pov

"Your order will be ready soon. Thank you!"

Finally, the last customer had left. I stretched my arms, ready for a break, when I glanced at the clock. 3:30 PM. The rush would start at five. I picked up my phone, scrolling aimlessly, letting the quiet moments sink in.

The familiar chime of the bell snapped me out of my thoughts. A customer? Already? I put my phone down and looked toward the door to greet them.

Thump... thump... thump.

Oh, bunnies. Was that my heart?

He stood there, framed in the doorway, his eyes locked with mine. My breath hitched, and the world seemed to narrow. His gaze wasn't just looking at me—it was piercing into my soul.

My heartbeat quickened. Was this a heart attack? Or... something else? My stomach churned, a strange fluttering like bunnies hopping inside. His presence was magnetic. Handsome was an understatement—his eyes held a depth that made it impossible to look away.

My eyes locked with his, and I couldn't look away. His stare wasn't just intense; it was like he was looking into my very soul.

Then came the scent.

Coconut oil, chocolate, and something darker, richer—a husky undertone that made my senses reel. It was intoxicating, pulling me deeper into the spell he seemed to cast without even trying.

My mind spun as realization struck.

Oh, bunnies.

Could this be it? The feeling Yeonnie always described when one meets their mate? Could he... be my mate?

I barely noticed someone approaching him—a customer, bowing slightly as they spoke to him in hushed tones. The stranger didn't meet his gaze, eyes fixed on the floor. My mate—if he was my mate—glanced at them, breaking eye contact with me.

No...

He looked at me once more, his expression unreadable, and turned to leave.

Wait. He left?

Why would he leave? Yeonnie always said mates would never walk away. They'd recognize you, come to you, hold you, never let go.

Why didn't he want me?

My heart ached, a searing pain spreading through my chest. Breathing felt impossible. The world spun as my legs gave out beneath me. I barely registered the thud of my body hitting the floor or the distant sound of someone calling my name.

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"Jungkook."
"Kook."

A voice pulled me from the darkness. I blinked, the light stinging my eyes. My head throbbed as I tried to sit up, every movement sending a dull ache through my skull.

"Jungkook."

I turned toward the familiar voice. Yeonnie sat beside me, worry etched across his face.

"Yeonnie...?" My voice cracked, the events of earlier crashing back into my mind. My chest tightened as tears began to fall, hot and unrelenting.

"Kook, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Please, don't cry. Tell me what happened!"

His concern only made the pain worse. My voice trembled as I tried to explain.

"Yeonnie... I... I met my m-m-mate." A sob escaped me. "He doesn't want me. Yeonnie, he doesn't want me!"

The tears came harder, my words barely coherent through the hiccups. "No one wants me. First my parents... now him. I thought—just once—that someone would want me. That someone would love me. But no... no one does!"

Yeonnie's arms wrapped around me as I crumpled against him. "Jungkook, don't say that. There must be a mistake. Mates don't do that. Maybe you misread the situation."

I shook my head. "No, Yeonnie. I felt it—all of it—just like you said I would when we meet our mate. But he... he just left."

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Hours passed with Yeonnie by my side, trying to console me. But the ache in my chest remained, raw and unrelenting.

"Yeonnie," I said quietly, breaking the silence. "I want to be alone."

He hesitated. "Are you sure? I can stay—"

"Please," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just need time."

Reluctantly, he nodded. "Okay. But call me if you need anything. Promise me, Jungkook."

I managed a weak nod, and with one last glance, he left.

As the door clicked shut, I was alone again. Completely, utterly alone.

And for the first time in my life, I realized how much it hurt to hope—and lose everything.

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