Third person's pov

As Soohyun said that, Taehyung stayed silent, his fingers drumming nervously on the armrest of his seat. The car's engine hummed quietly, filling the silence.

"Appa, speak," Soohyun urged, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

Taehyung cleared his throat, his mind racing for the right words. "Oh... you see, what happened wasn't Jungkook's fault—"

Taewon cut him off, his voice sharp. "Appa, you can't meet him!"

Heejin, sitting next to Taewon, leaned forward, "Appa, are you seriously going to meet him after what Hyunjae has done to Taewon? Taewon could have been seriously injured today."

Soohyun tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. "Appa, promise me that you will not meet him ever again."

Taehyung sighed deeply, feeling cornered. "We are just friends."

"I don't care," Soohyun said, her voice firm. "Just don't meet him."

Taehyung hesitated, looking at the faces of his children. "Alright, fine. I won't."

Soohyun nodded, a small smile of relief on her lips. "Promise me."

Taehyung nodded slowly. "I promise I won't meet him again. Now happy?"

Soohyun's smile widened as she started driving again. "Yes, appa, I'm happy now."

Taehyung turned to look out the window, his mind swirling with thoughts. "I am sorry, but I will have to break this promise," he thought, guilt gnawing at him.

Meanwhile, at Jungkook's home........

Hyunjae had been discharged, and now they were back, trying to find some semblance of normalcy.

Jungkook sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers gently running through Hyunjae’s and Sujae's hair as they slept beside him. His thoughts kept drifting to Taehyung, replaying every detail of their recent interactions.

He imagined Taehyung’s smile, the way his lips curved gently upwards. He saw his eyes, so deep and expressive. He remembered the warmth of Taehyung’s touch, the comfort it brought. The kiss they shared kept playing in his mind like a broken record.

A tear slid down Jungkook’s cheek, without him realising.

He quickly wiped it away, trying to push the thoughts aside. Suddenly, his phone buzzed, jolting him out of his reverie. He picked it up and saw a message from Sunghoon's wife, Sejin.

She was practically cursing him, demanding that he tell the police to release Sunghoon.

Jungkook’s mood, already fragile, shattered completely. With a frustrated growl, he called Sejin.

She picked up immediately, her voice already starting to rant, but Jungkook cut her off, "LISTEN UP, BITCH! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU, SO SHUT UP! IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND THAT MUCH, THEN I CAN FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU TOO! THEN YOU BOTH CAN ENJOY TOGETHER IN JAIL! DON'T MESSAGE ME AGAIN!"

His shout startled Hyunjae and Sujae awake. They flinched and sat up, their eyes wide with concern. With a huge huff, Jungkook hung up and blocked her number, his hands trembling.

Hyunjae whispered to Sujae, "Who was it?"

Sujae mouthed, "Sejin I think."

Hyunjae nodded, understanding the situation. As Jungkook started to move his neck backward in anger, Hyunjae immediately placed a hand there. "Careful," he said softly, his touch gentle because of Jungkook’s neck wound.

Jungkook, even more frustrated, started kicking his feet as if he is throwing a tantrum. Sujae chuckled, "What's making my baby mad?"

"Everything," Jungkook muttered,

Hyunjae said, "It must be because of Taewon and his family. Eomma, don't even think about them."

Jungkook didn’t say anything. Hyunjae took him in his arms, cradling him gently. "Eomma, it's okay. You don’t have to think about them and ruin your mood."

Jungkook sighed, "It was not about them. "

Hyunjae stroked his hair, his voice soothing. "Shh you don't have to lie to me, just forgot that man as if he never existed."

Jungkook gave him a forced smile and nodded slightly.

After 1 hour............

After both Hyunjae and Sujae fell asleep, Jungkook carefully slipped out of bed. His heart was heavy, his mind a whirlwind of frustration and confusion.

Needing an outlet, he quietly made his way to the pool. The moonlight reflected off the water, casting a serene glow, but Jungkook's mind was anything but serene.

Without a second thought, he jumped into the pool with his clothes and all. The cold water shocked his system, but he welcomed the distraction.

He started splashing wildly, his arms flailing as he let out his pent-up anger. "WHY CAN'T I LIVE IN PEACE?" he thought aloud. "JUST AS I THOUGHT LIFE WAS GETTING BETTER, THIS HAPPENED!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He didn’t notice that his splashing had drawn the attention of the maids, who were peering anxiously from a distance. One maid, plucking up her courage, approached the edge of the pool.

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked,

Jungkook forced a smile, although his face clearly showed hoe angry and frustrated he was. "Yeah! I’m enjoying!"

The maid, sensing the tension, decided it was best to leave him alone and quietly retreated.

With Taehyung..........

Meanwhile, in Taehyung’s house, the night was quiet, but sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned, his mind unable to settle. "No, why does he have to be Jungkook’s son ?"

"Why is Jungkook’s son a bastard when Jungkook is so sweet like an angel!"

" Why can't my kids understand me? Bro I love Jungkook, can't they see it?"

Finally after countless thoughts, he got up and made his way to his shoe shop. The familiar scent of leather and polish greeted him, and he took a deep breath,

Then he sat down at his workbench and picked up the shoes he was making for Jungkook. The work required his full attention, and that's what he wanted.

He carefully stitched the pieces together, his hands moving with practiced precision. The rhythmic motion of his work slowly began to calm his mind.

With Jungkook.........

Back at Jungkook’s home, he climbed out of the pool, dripping wet and still fuming. He changed into dry clothes, his movements jerky with frustration.

He picked up his phone and stared at the screen, willing a message from Taehyung to appear. "MESSAGE ME! MESSAGE ME!" he muttered under his breath, his eyes boring into the blank screen.

When no message came, he let out a frustrated growl and threw the phone across the room. It landed on the carpet with a soft thud, but the action brought no relief.

"I will bang my head into the wall right now!"

In the morning...........

Taehyung, engrossed in his work, didn’t realize how much time had passed. He worked through the night, his focus unwavering as he poured all his emotions into the shoes.

By the time he finished, the first light of dawn was peeking through the windows. Exhausted but satisfied, he looked at the completed shoes and felt a small sense of accomplishment. He imagined Jungkook wearing them and smiled, his heart swelling with affection.

"Ah he will look so good in them." He said with a smile.

He picked up his phone and, after a moment’s hesitation, sent a message to Jungkook. "Hey Jungkook, if you are free today, can you visit my shoe shop?" He hit send with a smile.

Just then, Soohyun entered the shop, "Appa, here you are! I was worried because you weren’t in your room."

"Oh sorry, I woke up a bit early and decided to finish a few orders."

She walked over and noticed the shoes on the workbench. "Oh wait, these shoes are so pretty!" She picked them up, examining them closely. "Is the customer going to pick them up today?"

Taehyung gulped, his mind racing for a plausible answer. "Yes, they are," he said, trying to sound confident.

Soohyun smiled brightly. "Perfect! Then I can help you today because I’ve taken the day off."

Taehyung’s eyes widened in panic. "No, no, you should rest!" he blurted out, waving his hands in protest. "Really, it’s fine. I can manage."

Soohyun raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure, Appa?"

Taehyung shook his head vigorously. "Yes, really! I insist. You should take the day for yourself."

Soohyun crossed her arms. "Alright, if you say so. But am I smelling something suspicious. "

Taehyung dramatically placed a hand on his chest and said," You are suspecting your father?"

"Ah stop with that dramatic face, I am going, if you need any help then call me, byee."

"Byee byee."

As Soohyun left the shop, Taehyung let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at his phone, hoping for a reply from Jungkook. When none came, he felt a pang of disappointment but pushed it aside, focusing instead on tidying up the shop.

With jungkook...........

In the morning, Jungkook woke up to the rays of the sun filtering through the curtains.

It was 8 AM. He lay in bed for a moment, before standing up and deciding that he didn't want to change his clothes.

He slipped out of bed and made his way to Hyunjae's and Sujae's room. Pushing the door open gently, he peeked inside. Both boys were still fast asleep, their faces peaceful. Jungkook smiled softly, watching them for a moment longer before quietly closing the door.

He headed to the kitchen and had breakfast alone. The house was eerily silent and peaceful. After finishing his meal, he decided to go for a walk in the park. The fresh air and open space might help clear his mind.

As he strolled through the park, lost in thought, he suddenly felt a hand on his back. Startled, he turned around to find Yejin, his elder brother, standing behind him.

"Get lost. Are you stalking me?" Jungkook yanked his hand away, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Please, Jungkook," Yejin implored, grabbing his hand again.

Jungkook pulled his hand back forcefully. "Jungkook is dead. He died when you didn’t take his side. He died when you just let everything happen to him. He died when... when you married him off to a man three times his age."

He started to walk away, but Yejin quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Jungkook, stop. I am really, really sorry. Please."

Jungkook chuckled bitterly. "Decorating the grave with 'sorry' doesn't bring back the dead."

Yejin, desperate, hugged him forcefully. "Please, I am really sorry."

Jungkook pushed him away angrily. "NO! GET AWAY." A few passersby glanced at them curiously. Jungkook took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I am going. Don't follow me."

He walked away, tears brimming in his eyes. He hated Yejin with a passion that burned deep within him. He hated Yejin for letting his parents do that to him.

He longed for someone to hold him, to comfort him, but he knew he couldn’t go home. Hyunjae and Sujae would be worried, and he couldn’t bear to add to their stress, especially after everything that happened yesterday.

"I can't let them see my worries," Jungkook muttered to himself. Taehyung's face came to mind, his gentle eyes and comforting presence.

"Will it be right for me to meet him?" He pondered, shaking his head. "No, no, Hyunjae didn’t want me to meet him. But I want to."

He found a bench and sat down, lost in thought. "I'm going!" he said suddenly, standing up. But then he stopped. "No, Hyunjae and Sujae said no." He took a step forward. "But they won't know." Then he took it back. "Ah, I don't know."

"Are you okay?" a voice asked from behind, startling Jungkook. He flinched and lost his balance, but as he was about to fall, strong arms caught him. It was Taehyung.

Taehyung held him close, his grip firm around Jungkook’s waist. "Jungkook..." he said softly.

Jungkook’s cheeks turned pink, his heart racing. He found himself shamelessly staring at Taehyung, particularly his lips. Suddenly, he remembered yesterday’s kiss and immediately stepped back awkwardly.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

So that was all for today's chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it.

What are your thoughts on it ?

Do you think the kids are doing right ?

Your favourite kid ? Although there's a chance that you might not be liking anyone at the moment 😅

I am sorry if it isn't good enough, I wrote it with my mind messed up.

Borahae,
Byee.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜