(a/n:- italics for past, normal for present, and yes make sure to download the image present in between of the chapter ;)

Taehyung was just about to head for a much-needed shower after a long day when a sudden knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts. He frowned, barely dressed, his irritation evident as he swung open the door. His eyes met a smirk that was all too familiar, plastered across Han Jisung's face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Taehyung snapped, his voice a mix of anger and confusion. The sight of his ex, with that same infuriating smirk, only fueled his rage.

"Miss me?" Jisung asked, his voice dripping with a twisted kind of satisfaction. Without waiting for a reply, he pushed his way inside and slammed the door behind him. Taehyung stumbled back, a mix of fear and fury racing through him.

"Why do you keep coming back here?" Taehyung demanded, his voice rising. "I’ve made it clear I want nothing to do with you."

Jisung’s smile only widened as he walked towards Taehyung, who was now trying to muster some courage. "Oh, I just wanted to see how you’ve been, Tae. It’s been a while. Thought you might miss me."

Before Taehyung could respond, Jisung was too fast—he grabbed Taehyung by the collar, shoving him onto the couch. Taehyung tried to fight back, but Jisung’s strength was overwhelming.

"Get off me!” Taehyung shouted, struggling. “Why are you doing this?”

Jisung leaned in, his breath hot on Taehyung’s face. “Why’ve you been ignoring my texts? Why don’t you answer me?”
His voice was icy, his anger palpable.

Taehyung let out a bitter chuckle. "You deserve that, you manipulative bastard. Why the hell would I want to talk to you? You’re just a piece of shit who plays games."

Jisung’s face darkened. He grabbed Taehyung’s collar again, leaning in as if to kiss him, but Taehyung acted quickly—he kicked Jisung hard in the balls. Jisung howled in pain, doubling over as he clutched his groin.

"You bastard!” Jisung growled, glaring at Taehyung. "You think you can just push me away like that?"

Taehyung took a deep breath, his chest heaving with frustration. "I’m not interested in your games. I’m done with you. Why can’t you get that through your thick head?"

"You’re such a fucking asshole," Taehyung spat, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and relief. "What do you even want from me?"

Jisung groaned, straightening up and glaring at Taehyung with a mix of anger and desperation. "I want you to remember what we had, Taehyung. I want you to remember how much I loved you. We were good together once."

Taehyung’s expression hardened. "Don’t fucking try that crap with me. You’re not getting back in my life just by playing the ‘I loved you’ card. That’s weak, and I’m not buying it."

"You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t miss me," Jisung continued, his tone shifting to a more manipulative one. "You know you do. We had something special. Why else would you be so upset?"

Taehyung shook his head, frustration boiling over. "No, Jisung. I’m not falling for your bullshit. I’m done with you. Move on and get out of my life."

Jisung’s eyes flashed with anger, but he knew he was losing control. He clenched his fists, his face a mix of rage and hurt. "You can’t just erase what we had. I loved you, and I know you’re lying if you say you don’t care."

"You’re just playing games again," Taehyung said coldly. "I’m done being your toy. Now get the hell out of my house."

Taehyung’s heart pounded as he tried to push Jisung away. The room was charged with tension, and Jisung wasn’t about to let go easily. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a manipulative whisper.

"Come on, Tae. You remember, don’t you? All those times people treated you like shit just for being who you are?"

Taehyung's face twisted with anger and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Jisung’s smirk turned into a sneer. "High school. Remember that birthday letter you gave to your senior?"

Taehyung’s mind flashed back to that painful day. He’d been so excited, his heart racing as he handed a heartfelt birthday letter to his senior. He’d written:

The letter, written in delicate handwriting, is folded neatly and tucked inside a crumpled coffee-stained page, as if the words themselves had been poured out with trembling hands and held close to the heart before being delivered.

He’d been elated, thinking his letter would be received well. But instead, his senior’s friends had found it. They’d laughed and jeered, tearing the letter to shreds.

"Look at this!" one of them had shouted. "This kid’s a freak!"

Taehyung’s stomach had twisted in embarrassment as they started hitting him, shoving him around. "You’re just wasting your time with this gay shit!" another had yelled.

Tears had stung his eyes as he fought back, but he was outnumbered. Just when things were getting worse, Jisung had shown up, pushing through the crowd and standing between Taehyung and his tormentors.

"Back off," Jisung had commanded, his voice fierce. "Leave him alone."

Jisung’s intervention had stopped the beating, but the damage was done. Taehyung had looked at Jisung with a mix of relief and gratitude, though he hadn’t realized the true nature of Jisung’s intentions at the time.

Back in the present, Jisung’s voice cut through Taehyung’s memories. "Remember that? You were just a kid, struggling to fit in. And then there was flying school, with those assholes mocking you for your lean figure."

(a/n:- just to let uk, flying school is a training centre where the pilots aspirants get trained to get their Commercial pilot license (CPL) either after 12th or college....and do other specialization in type rating and other stuffs...flexing u'all hahaha ...let's get back to the story again XD)

Taehyung grimaced, memories flooding back.

He’d been taunted and bullied for his appearance, labeled as ‘feminine’ and weak. Jisung had swooped in again, this time pushing Taehyung to work out, build muscle, and change his body.

"You need to bulk up," Jisung had said, handing him weights. "Don’t let those idiots get to you."

Taehyung had begrudgingly followed Jisung’s advice, pushed himself in the gym, and started seeing results. But it wasn’t just about the physical changes; Jisung had manipulated him, making Taehyung believe that conforming to a certain image would solve his problems.

Jisung’s voice pulled Taehyung back to the present. "You see, Tae, you’ve always been vulnerable. I was there when you needed someone, even if it meant pushing you to change. You needed that strength to survive."

Taehyung’s hands gripped his hair in frustration. "Stop it, Jisung! You’re twisting everything. I’m not buying your crap anymore."

Jisung’s smirk remained, though it was tinged with frustration. "You can’t deny it. You’re still that kid who was hurt and manipulated. I just helped you become stronger, better."

"Stronger?" Taehyung shot back. "You made me your puppet, manipulating me whenever you wanted."

Jisung’s eyes narrowed. "And you’re still holding onto that anger. You think you’re free from it? You still need me, Tae."

"No," Taehyung said firmly, his voice trembling with the effort to stay composed. "I don’t need you. I don’t need to be reminded of how you’ve played with my life."

Jisung’s smile faded, his frustration evident. "You’ll come back to me eventually. You always do."

The door slammed shut behind as Jisung locked the door knob, and his manipulative words echoed in Taehyung’s mind. As Taehyung sat there, gripping his hair in frustration, Jisung’s twisted voice seemed to seep through the walls, dredging up painful memories from the past.

Jisung’s voice cut through the silence again, "Don’t you remember how I was there for you? Your classmates at college mocked you for being too lean? You were a target, Tae."

Taehyung’s mind spiraled back to those dark days at college days. He had been lanky, trying to fit in with a more muscular crowd. The bullies had never missed an opportunity to taunt him.

"Hey, girlie!" one of them had shouted across the gym. "When are you gonna bulk up? You look like a twig!"

Taehyung had tried to ignore them, but their words cut deep. He’d struggled through workouts, pushing himself harder, but the bullying didn’t stop. That’s when Jisung had swooped in, offering help that came with strings attached.

"Listen, you need to hit the gym harder," Jisung had said, dropping a set of weights in front of Taehyung. "Don’t let them see you’re weak."

Taehyung had been too exhausted to protest. Jisung’s encouragement had been wrapped in a guise of friendship, but it had always felt like an obligation. Taehyung had lifted weights day after day, driven by Jisung’s promises that it would make him stronger—both physically and emotionally.

"Remember how you used to cry after those workouts?" Jisung’s voice was taunting, filling the room with discomfort. "You thought it would make everything better, but it didn’t. You were still that same vulnerable kid, just with bigger muscles."

Taehyung’s thoughts turned dark as he recalled another painful chapter: his attempt to date in college. He had been excited about a crush on a fellow student and finally mustered the courage to ask them out.

"I can’t wait to see you," Taehyung had written in a hopeful text. :
"Let’s grab dinner tomorrow?"

When he’d arrived at the date, he was met with ridicule instead of a warm reception. His crush had laughed in his face, and his friends had joined in, mocking his attempt at romance.

"You seriously thought anyone would be interested in you? You must be a gay but we're not!" one of them had sneered. "This is pathetic."

Taehyung had fled the scene, humiliated, but Jisung had been there once more, lurking in the shadows.

"See what happens when you put yourself out there?" Jisung had said, sliding up beside him. "People just use your weaknesses against you. It’s better to stay guarded."

Taehyung’s rage flared as he remembered these moments, and he turned back to Jisung, who was still standing there with an infuriatingly calm demeanor.

"Stop it, Jisung!" Taehyung shouted. "You’re just manipulating me with these memories. I don’t need you to remind me of how you took advantage of my vulnerabilities."

Jisung’s eyes darkened, his facade cracking. "You still haven’t learned, Tae. I was the only one who cared enough to help you. Everyone else just laughed or turned away."

"You didn’t help me," Taehyung said, his voice trembling with raw emotion. "You used my insecurities to control me. All those times you swooped in, it was never about me—it was about you needing to feel powerful."

Jisung’s face twisted with frustration. "You think you’re so strong now? You’re still the same scared kid who needs someone to take care of him. And deep down, you know I’m the only one who understands you."

"No," Taehyung snapped, his voice firm. "I’m not falling for your games anymore. I’ve fought through all of that, and I don’t need you dragging me back into your toxic influence."

Jisung’s expression hardened, his anger palpable. "You’ll regret this, Tae. You’ll see how tough it is to be on your own."

Taehyung glared at him, determination blazing in his eyes. "I’d rather face it alone than with you dragging me down."

With one final, enraged look, Jisung stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The room was eerily quiet once more, but Taehyung’s heart was racing. Taehyung felt everything crumble. He couldn’t hold it together anymore. His legs gave out, and he collapsed right there on the floor, tears pouring down like they’d never stop.

"Why did he have to come back?" Taehyung’s voice was barely a whisper, choking on his own sobs. His hands were shaking, clutching at his chest, trying to stop the hurt that was ripping him apart from the inside.

Every word Jisung had thrown at him, every memory he’d dragged up, was like a knife twisting in old wounds. Taehyung gasped for air, but it felt like he was drowning in all the pain he’d buried so deep. He was back there again, in those moments where he was nothing, where people made him feel like he was nothing because of who he was.

Jisung’s voice was still in his head, taunting, tearing him down. "You’re still that scared kid, Tae. You’ll never be free from this."

"Shut up!" Taehyung cried, his voice cracking, but it was like he couldn’t escape it. The words just echoed, over and over, in his mind. Jisung wasn’t there anymore, but he was everywhere, inside Taehyung’s head, pulling him back into that darkness.

"Just....shut up!!"

He’d worked so hard to get out, spent months in therapy, leaning on Erin to pull himself together. And in just a few minutes, Jisung had torn it all apart.

"Damn it!" Taehyung cursed, the anger flaring up, hot and wild. He was so mad at Jisung, mad at himself for letting it happen again. He’d been doing okay—finally starting to move on. And now? Now he was a mess, shattered all over again.

The ridicule in school, the mockery from his crush, the bullying at flying school—it all came rushing back, tearing at him from the inside.

"I can’t… I can’t do this," he sobbed, his voice trembling. He looked around his place, but nothing made sense anymore. JK’s emails, the shower he’d been about to take—it all seemed so far away, so pointless. He couldn’t think, couldn’t focus. All he could do was feel, and all he felt was pain.

His home, which had been a safe space, now felt like a cage. Everything reminded him of the past, of every fight he’d lost, every battle he’d fought alone.

His sexuality, something he couldn’t change, had been the root of so much pain, so much misunderstanding. The world had never accepted him, always tried to push him into something he wasn’t. And now it felt like those walls were closing in on him again.

"Why can’t they just let me be?" Taehyung whispered, the tears still streaming down his face. He felt so alone, so broken, like everything he’d worked for had just slipped through his fingers.

He curled up on the floor, holding himself, trying to stop the pain. But it wouldn’t stop. It just kept coming, wave after wave, until he was too tired to cry, too tired to do anything but lie there, completely drained.

The room was silent, except for Taehyung’s uneven breaths. The pain was still there, sharp and cruel, but he was too exhausted to care anymore. He’d forgotten everything—JK, the shower, the emails that had once made him smile. All of it was buried under the weight of his past, a past he’d fought so hard to escape.

"Why...why can’t I just be normal?" he whispered, the question hanging there, unanswered.

Minutes passed, maybe hours, Taehyung didn’t know. But eventually, the sobs faded into quiet tears, the storm inside him calming just enough to think straight. The pain was still there, a constant ache, but there was something else too—a small flicker of resolve.

He couldn’t let Jisung win. Not this time. He’d been through hell and back, and he wasn’t about to let one encounter drag him back down.

"Not this time, Jisung," Taehyung muttered, voice weak but steady. "You’re not gonna break me again."

Slowly, shakily, he pushed himself up from the floor, wiping the tears away. The pain didn’t disappear, but neither did his determination. He’d been through this before, and he’d make it through again. He wasn’t that scared kid anymore. He was stronger now. And he was going to prove it—to himself, and to anyone who ever tried to bring him down.

"Not this time." he whispered again, and for the first time, he believed it.

(a/n:- thinking about the letter, i can feel his pain :(..it really took so much effort from my side...but all u did was to just crumble my feelings under ur feet 😭 i hate u kutte!!)