The quiet hum of the monitors was deafening in the stillness of the night. Taehyung sat in his study, head in his hands, as the events of the past few days played in a relentless loop in his mind. The fights, the desperation in Jeongguk's voice, and the exhaustion etched into his own reflection haunted him.

It had been four days since they last fought and made up. Jeongguk hadn't stirred up any arguments with him after that, nor asked him about any of his work. Or why he didn't come to bed on some nights. Maybe Jeongguk knew that Taehyung hadn't been able to catch a break from the authorities. It was clear that the authorities were not stopping their hunt until they had the person behind the website.

The conversations between them had been short but Jeongguk had a photoshoot and some errands to run, so he had been quite busy too. They haven't talked much. There was nothing to be said. Jeongguk had spilt his guts out that day. It was Taehyung's call, now; to make a decision.

Jeongguk's words reverberated in his head:

"You don't know that! And even if you don't, what kind of life is this? Are you going to spend the rest of your life locked in this room, fighting off attacks from the authorities, running away from the...government? You will spend the rest of your life obsessing over a website?"

"You're choosing this website over everything else—over me, over your health, over us."

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, his chest tightening. He had always been so certain about his ideals, about the purpose behind his actions. The website had been his way of fighting back against a world that seemed unfair, his way of making a difference. But at what cost?

No matter how skilled he was, or how many attacks he fended off, there would always be another. Another breach. Another risk. Another sleepless night spent hacking through layers of firewalls, living in constant fear of the authorities closing in. It was a game of cat and mouse, and he was just one man against an entire system. And perhaps, the entire government.

And Jeongguk... Jeongguk was right. Even if Taehyung managed to stay a step ahead, his life would still be consumed by the website. The constant vigilance, the paranoia, the weight of keeping it all hidden. He would be living in constant fear of getting caught. It wasn't sustainable.

His eyes drifted to the corner of the desk, where a framed photo of him and Jeongguk rested. It was from years ago, back when their lives were simpler. Jeongguk's bright smile was infectious, his arms wrapped around Taehyung in a way that made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

But that Taehyung felt like a stranger now.

He had been pushing Jeongguk away for so long—first with the secrecy, now with the endless stress of the website. It hurt to realize how much damage he had caused– to his mental and physical health, his future and most importantly his relationships.

He doesn't remember the last time he had visited his parents in Deagu. It must've been a year, now. And he hadn't met them after they came to Seoul to celebrate Jeongguk's graduation. He hadn't called them in weeks. And Jeongguk hadn't visited his parents either. He couldn't visit without Taehyung— they would ask where Taehyung was and Jeongguk would have to make excuses.

His actions were jeopardising not only his life, but also Jeongguk's. His poor Jeongguk, who loved Taehyung with his whole heart.

Taehyung was destroying the most precious things in his life, all because of his ideals. His passions. His website; the product of his novel aspirations.

Even if Jeongguk manages to stay with Taehyung with everything that's going on, he would get tired of living in constant fear of losing Taehyung. Jeongguk didn't deserve that. Jeongguk had always dreamt of a peaceful life.

Jeongguk deserved peace. He deserved the life they used to dream about together.

A memory of them together rushed into his mind.

Jeongguk was 20, Taehyung was 22, both of them were in university. They were lying under the stars in a quiet park in Deagu that summer, their hands intertwined. Jeongguk had turned to him with a soft smile, his voice filled with hope.

"I want us to have a house in a quiet corner of the city," he had said. "Somewhere peaceful, where we can just be ourselves. Maybe with a garden. Kids, too"

"Kids? How many?" Taehyung teased.

"Two? A girl and a boy" Jeongguk giggled. "I want to have a peaceful and beautiful life with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and the day that is possible, I will be the happiest man alive"

Jeongguk had sighed, watching Taehyung with dreamy eyes and Taehyung had watched him with a grin, heart heaving with happiness.

"I want us to eat our meals together. At least breakfast and dinner. I want to come home from work and cook you dinner. Would you work at a big company, hyung? Will you be late when you come home from work?" He had asked but hadn't waited for Taehyung to answer. "That's okay. I will come home early and cook us dinner so we can have dinner together while talking about our day!"

"Yeah?" Taehyung had whispered.

"I want to grow old with you, Tae."

Taehyung had chuckled, teasing him about how they would have to order takeout every night unless Jeongguk's cooking improved, but deep down, he had wanted the same thing. Word-for-word. A future filled with love, laughter, and stability. With Jeongguk.

He wanted to marry Jeongguk. He wanted to have a perfect life with him. He wanted to give Jeongguk the best life possible; the life Jeongguk had been dreaming about since they started dating back when they were teens. Most importantly, he wanted Jeongguk to be happy.

But how could they have that now? How could they build a life together when his work kept tearing them apart? How would Jeongguk ever be happy with Taehyung like this?

The epiphany that hit him was cold and merciless. Painful. But it was the truth.

He needed to let it go.

The website was simply not worth sacrificing every other aspect of his life for.

For so long, he had believed in its purpose, in the change it could bring. But the cost was too high. His mental health was crumbling under the pressure, and he was losing the one person who mattered most.

Jeongguk mattered more.

Taehyung took a shaky breath, his vision blurring as tears welled in his eyes. He didn't want to let it go. The website meant so much to him.

But it didn't come close to Jeongguk.

And he didn't want to live like this anymore; spend his days running, hiding, and fighting. He wanted to wake up beside Jeongguk, to share quiet mornings and loud laughter, to build the life they had always dreamed of.

He wanted peace.

With trembling hands, Taehyung reached for his phone. His fingers hovered over Dongsik's contact for a moment before he tapped it.

"Hey, man" Dongsik's friendly voice answered after a few seconds.

"I need to talk to you. About the website." Taehyung said, his voice steadier than he expected.

There was a pause. "What about it?"

"I..." Taehyung took a deep breath. "I think I'm going to sell it"

"What? Tae, are you serious?"

Taehyung nodded, even though Dongsik couldn't see him. "I made the website and I don't want to take it down. But I don't want to be the owner of it anymore. I can deal with the authorities but I can't deal with the damage it's doing to my life"

"Taehyung..." Dongsik sighed. "I get it but..." He paused. "All your hard work? You built this, man. This is your legacy"

"I know" Taehyung sighed. "It means a lot to me but..." He gulped. "I can't..."

"Did you have a fight with your boyfriend? Look, I can help you through these attacks. I have been hepling you, Taehyung. We can get through this. Please think this over, Taehyung. This isn't a simple decision"

"It's not simple but..." Taehyung exhaled shakily. With a less shaky voice, he explained to Dongsik what he'd been thinking. When he was done, Dongsik sighed. He spoke after a few seconds of silence.

"You have done a great thing, you know that? What you built—it's not just a website. It's a revolution. You stood up for your beliefs in a way most people could never even imagine. Do you have any idea how many people on the dark web call you a mastermind? A legend?"

Taehyung let out a shaky breath, the lump in his throat making it hard to speak. "It's not easy, hyung."

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself. And your boyfriend, though I don't know his name. I know you love him like crazy. You two deserve happiness"

Taehyung's voice was firm, even as his eyes filled with unshed tears. "I promise"

"So how much?"

They talked for a while longer, and Taehyung hung up with a promise to finalize the price. Dongsik, being an avid fan and a surfer of Taehyung's website, had a few businesses as well, and was a millionaire himself, even though he never went into the details.

Thus, they agreed that Dongsik, with his deep appreciation for the website's purpose and vision, would take over as its new owner, ensuring its legacy continued in safe and capable hands.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the darkened screens of his monitors. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to imagine a future without the website.

A future where he could breathe.

A future with Jeongguk.

As the first rays of dawn broke through the window, Taehyung felt a weight lift from his chest. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, but for the first time, he felt like he was heading in the right direction.

He stood, his legs unsteady, and made his way to the bedroom. Jeongguk was still asleep, curled up on his side with his face half-buried in the pillow.

Taehyung climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around Jeongguk and pulling him close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the quiet room. "But I'll make it right. I promise."

Jeongguk stirred slightly, his hand reaching out to rest on Taehyung's arm, even in his sleep.

And for the first time in a while, Taehyung allowed himself to believe that they could be okay.

-

"You're selling the website?!"

Jeongguk's voice was loud in the quiet of the afternoon, as they both sat across each other at the kitchen island, having a late brunch.

"Yeah" Taehyung nodded. "It's decided"

"But..." Jeongguk muttered, his doe eyes wide with surprise. "I didn't want to tell you to do that because I can understand it matters a lot to you and..."

Taehyung shook his head. "I know, my love. But I want this. I have been thinking about the things you said and did some self-reflecting, and... the website is important to me. But you, my future and us... is more important to me. And such things that are truly more important to me are slipping away because I keep giving my all to the website"

Jeongguk nodded. "It's true but... aren't you sad?"

"I am" Taehyung smiled. "But I'm also relieved. I'm glad I took this decision"

Jeongguk sighed, taking Taehyung's hand in his.

"It's still going to be out there, thriving, just under someone else's care," Taehyung said softly. "I built it, made it what it is, and its legacy will live on—even if I'm no longer the one behind the curtain."

Jeongguk smiled. "I'm proud of you. Sometimes, letting go takes more strength than holding on"

"I love you"

"I love you too" Jeongguk whispered, squeezing Taehyung's hand.

"There are some things we need to do after I sell the website" Taehyung's voice was calm, but held a tone of gravity.

"Like what?"

"I have to delete every trace of my involvement," Taehyung explained. "That means wiping all data from my devices, selling off my equipment, and ensuring nothing links back to me."

Jeongguk nodded. "Okay, you can buy new equipment again. There's no issue right?"

Taehyung sighed, his fingers drumming against the table as he searched for the right words. "Digital footprints are risky. "Even with everything wiped, there's metadata, cached traces, and patterns of activity that could lead back to me. If the authorities are determined, they'll eventually piece things together. Staying here means we'll always be looking over our shoulders."

Jeongguk's lips pressed into a thin line. "So, what are you saying? That there's no way to fully erase everything?"

"I can try my best. They already know that this is done by someone in Korea so regardless of how I try to erase my tracks, even after I sell the website and they figure out that someone else is now moderating the website... me staying here would remain a loose end"

"Oh" Jeongguk exhaled slowly, trying to process the weight of Taehyung's words.

Taehyung hesitated for a moment before his gaze softened. He reassuringly caressed his boyfriend's knuckles, a soft smile forming on his lips.

"Jeongguk, what do you feel about moving to another country?"

🧊