13. Surprise Visit

Three years ...

Taehyung tried hard to be okay and well for three fucking torturous years. He is even surprised he is breathing after Jin had left him. He is so confused. Why? He had confessed his love, didn't he? Then, why would Jin magically disappear after that?

Taehyung went crazy looking for Jin. He ditched the stupid team building and went back to Seoul in hopes that Jin just needed a breather and that maybe he just hated seeing Seoyeon's face after everything that the other male told Jin; but when he came home to their apartment, nothing is there. Seokjin's car isn't there, but his things are still in the house.

"Where the fuck is he?" he kept mumbling to himself whenever he is alone and deep in thought of what his next step might be. He already went to Gwangcheon, to Daegu, to Seokjin's favorite aunt, everywhere he can think of, he already went. But no trace of Seokjin. If it wasn't for the photos he had on his phone, his clothes still hanging on their closet and his perfume still sitting on the shelf, Taehyung would think that Seokjin is just a fragment of his imagination.

For the past years, he had done nothing but come to Seokjin's workplace every day without missing a beat to try and ask if he ever gave a resignation paper, or if he has a friend there that would know his hereabouts, but unfortunately, no one can give him the answer he wants. They said Jin just disappeared and never returned.

Taehyung is in complete distraught, but he knew better than to quit. So, he always watches and go to Jungkook for information, following him around whenever he has the time off from work, he remembered one time when he knocked on their house one evening, he was greeted by a punch from Jungkook that has Taehyung stumbling on the floor. The usually kind Hoseok has a stoic expression on his face and his eyes are expressing himself telling Taehyung that he deserves all the things he has been going thru.

Every day he would do that and Jungkook would reject his advances, slamming his doors at him or taking a longer route home and Taehyung would lost him in the middle of the road. He surely isn't giving him an easy time.

"You deserve that," Jungkook spoke for the first time since the past two years. "Going crazy with the notion that Jin hyung already left you and he will never come back. To be fucking honest, I am so happy that you are feeling that way and me, knowing where my hyung is, is just a bonus. I love seeing you suffer while your entire world is crumbling down."

Hearing Jungkook say that he knows where Seokjin is had his heart rumbling wildly in his chest. He has longed for such information and now that he knows that Jungkook has and idea where he is, his hopes immediately lit up.

"Please, Jungkook tell me where he is! I will do anything for you. I promise!"

Jungkook smirked and held his door in an attempt to close it, but before he did, he spoke again, "I will never tell you where he is. He doesn't need a guy like you. He is in a much better place now with a guy that can love him more than you do."

The younger eyed Taehyung as his world practically stopped. Jungkook felt like he won. Seeing the person who hurt his brother now hurting just as much makes him feel satisfied.

"You should have seen the look on your face. It's hilarious." He chuckled. "Good night Kim Taehyung. I hope you get to sleep knowing Seokjin hyung might just be around the corner, but you don't know a damn thing."

Then the door closed. Taehyung felt his knees went weak. Seokjin is with someone new and that is not Taehyung. Seokjin left him so he could move on, is that it? Does he not love him anymore?

With all those thoughts bugging inside Taehyung's mind he went home. The drive is excruciatingly long and lonely. Every song playing on the radio reminded him of Seokjin. he bitterly chuckled, he thought these scenes only happened in the movies, but here he was, feeling dramatic all of a sudden and a rush of guilt, sadness and regret filling his lungs.

Metamorphically, he can't breathe.

He knew he was to blame. He understands that no amount of I love yous will make it up to the hurt that he caused Jin, but he is selfish. He wants the man all for himself. He is done being a coward and not acting on what he feels.

This time even if he reached the end of the world, he would look for Seokjin and he will take him back.

He will only stop if Jin says that he doesn't love him anymore and that he is ready to move forward in his life without Taehyung. Until then, he will fight.

He sighed. Times like this, he would go to Jimin and just drink away with him, but it also seemed like Jimin kept vanishing in thin air every two weeks. Just like now, last time they saw each other was a week ago and Jimin said he will be leaving for a longer period this time.

He just nodded his head at that. It's funny that even after what they experienced the past years, Jimin still considers him as a friend. Even though they are not that okay like before, he feels grateful that Jimin still checks on him from time to time making sure he is holding up and is not yet killing himself.

Then there is his Seo Joon hyung, the witness to his assholery. His constant disciplinarian, and the one who always tries to knock sense in his anger filled brain before. His hyung always tried to call him every day once he got off from work and he promised Taehyung that he will be back for him to help him find Seokjin.

"You don't have to, hyung. I don't want to burden you too much," he said when Seo Joon told him about his plans on coming home to Korea.

Seo Joon shushed him, "This is not just about you, dummy. I treated Seokjin as my friend too. We got pretty close over the years and I am also worried about him. His social media accounts are still up, but he never comes online. I get that he might be angry at you that's why he left, and I can totally understand that. I have long told him to leave you, actually."

Taehyung frowned, but he knew Seo Joon just wanted the best for Seokjin. and back then, he wasn't the best option for the man. he still isn't the best choice for him right now, but he is working on it now. trying day by day to be better and releasing all his anger, fear, and frustrations so one day, when Jin comes back he is a whole new man and will be deserving of him.

"I know that too. But I ... I want to find him. Make him mine again and love him, love him like I should like –"

Seo Joon cut him off by saying, "Learn to be honest first. With your feelings, then to Seokjin. The first time I heard your side of the story without anything held back, everything could have been easier if you were honest to Jimin that like him, you liked Seokjin too, then tell Seokjin about it, let him decide whether whom he will choose. You or Jimin. But you did the opposite. I understand so well that you fear losing Jimin as a friend, but is that how lowly you think of him? Of your bond? Jimin will not hate you for loving someone even if that someone is the same person he also loves. Jimin will always choose what will make everyone happy because he knows that the love fated for him shall come soon. You should have known better, Taehyung."

He knows that now. Taehyung nodded. "I know hyung. I learned my lesson."

"I know." Seo Joon smiled at him. "Now, I want you to sleep. it's already late there. Take a rest."

They ended the call. Taehyung lied on the bed him and Seokjin once shared. His face crumbled. He missed their morning and evening routine. The early morning cuddles, morning talks of what they planned to do that day, the green jokes Seokjin often tells him, even the unexpected kisses that happened in between them the past two months.

Even the kitchen reminded him of Seokjin, it was Seokjin's room out of all the entirety of the house. He lurks there most of his times off from work and cooks for the both of them not allowing Taehyung to help at all, but Taehyung would irritate him to death until Jin allowed him to stay in the kitchen with him.

He put his arms on top of his eyes to hide his tears from no one. Taehyung hated being weak, but he doesn't know anything except that since Seokjin left. Taehyung felt like he has been robbed off of the only thing that keeps him going.

An audible sigh was heard coming from him.

Two months. Those two months were the best months of his life. There, no fear was clouding him for what he felt for Seokjin. He is not afraid because he has no reason to be.

Surely, he said that he doesn't feel anything for Seokjin the first day he has woken up, but it is only because he assumed that Jin and Jimin finally happened seeing them all in the room when he woke up, he immediately thought of that. But if he would be fully honest, he really did feel something more than shock the first time he knew that Jin was his.

He felt happy. Elated and joyful.

But it all vanished when he looks at Seokjin. The eyes that he admired so much held more pain than happiness and he wonder if he is the cause of that. And those questions finally got answered when slowly, his memories came back.

The amount of pain his cowardice caused.

Taehyung wiped away his tears and stood up to go to Seokjin's closet. He missed the man so badly and there are nights like this that he wanted to wear one of the elder's clothes and spray his favorite perfume so he can form the illusion that Jin is there with him and he never left.

"I miss you, hyung." He said to the thin air, hoping that his message shall be felt by Seokjin wherever he is.

==

The next morning, Taehyung did his routine and went to the office. He has been promoted along with Seoyeon, but he isn't happy. Seokjin is not there to celebrate with him. everything felt meaningless.

"Good morning, Sir." Seoyeon greeted but Taehyung paid him no mind.

He doesn't want the younger to be around him, but he can't do anything about it. the big boss refuses to transfer Taehyung in a different department he even tried to trade secretaries, but no one is willing to replace Seoyeon. He plans on resigning, but more than anything, he needs to save money, so he isn't doing it yet. He needs to save enough so he can upgrade his search and look for Seokjin in the US. Maybe he is with Yoongi and Namjoon. Taehyung has to know.

"Taehyung, don't tell me you are still looking for him? It's been years. He won't come back. He doesn't love you enough to stay." Seoyeon said with full conviction.

Taehyung chuckled, but at the same time a dark expression is clouding his face. Seoyeon shivered.

"You don't know a damn thing. Shut the fuck up or I'll kick you out of this room and I won't care if the HR finds out."

If it's about staying and loving to a great extent, surely, Seokjin will win the prize. He loved and loved and loved without being able to feel that his love is reciprocated. Yet, despite all of that, he stayed and gave Taehyung warm hugs and smiles. And Taehyung missed them. He missed the feeling of having Seokjin in his arms and Jin would snuggle close to him, kissing his chest and smiling against the fabric of his cloth inhaling his scent a content smile etched on his face.

And that is one of the things why Taehyung is so baffled. Why? He felt, saw, and has proof that Jin loves him, and very slowly he is making him happy. Isn't that enough? Won't that be enough for him to stay? Jin stayed at his worst, why can't he stay a bit longer when he is trying to be better?

He was so deep in thought that he forgot Seoyeon is there in the same room as him watching him have an internal discussion within himself as to why Jin left and where did he go.

"Taehyung, you found happiness with me. Why don't we just pick up where we left off. You broke Jin's heart already and this is bound to happen. Once you remember everything, you will laugh at yourself for agonizing at his loss when in fact you don't love him at all."

Taehyung had enough.

He stood and walked towards Seoyeon grabbing him by the collar and pushing him out of his office room.

"Shut the fuck up. I remember everything and I know that you are nothing but a gold digger sucking mine and the boss's dick for fortune." Taehyung spoke loud enough for everyone passing by to release a gasp and looked at Seoyeon with their judging eyes.

Taehyung smirked and closed the door.

"KIM TAEHYUNG!" Seoyeon yelled, but he paid no mind.

His phone beeped and smiled when he saw his mother texted. He ignored the continuous banging on his door and chatted with his mother. She has been worried at Seokjin too and is helping Taehyung to find him using their limited connections and even asking the police's help, but as expected they are dismissed by the authorities when Jungkook assured them that his hyung is safe. Taehyung knew he probably told the police Seokjin's location, but when they tried to squeeze the information out of them, they were brushed off.

"Taehyung-ah if you ever need help, me and your appa will happily provide for you, okay? Don't be shy to ask."

He smiled at their thoughtfulness. He is about to call her when another text message popped. "We also booked a flight for you next week. You told us about your plan on looking for Seokjin in the US, so we fixed that for you. Use all your leave from that damn company. If they fire you, your uncle will gladly open a spot for you."

Excitement coursed through his skin. Quickly, he did what he was told. He even contemplated on resigning. Being with Seoyeon in one space is tiresome and his guilt won't leave him whenever he looks at his face. When he decided what to do, he quickly typed his resignation and whether they liked it or not, he will leave this company.

Taehyung is not poor or lacking. He has more than enough having saved a lot of money from all the years of working and a small business that him and his mother has surely helped boost his financial status and he knows that taking a time off from work for a month or so won't really affect him that much. He is pretty close to his uncle too, so working for him won't be a big deal.

The following days, he was then called by his boss.

"What is the meaning of this?" he said and showed Taehyung's resignation paper.

"I am quitting." He bluntly said. "I don't think I am growing in this company anymore."

Taehyung gave a very generic answer not letting his boss in on his whereabouts and what he plans to do for the mean time.

"Is this about Seoyeon-ssi? You want him all for yourself that is why you are throwing a tantrum at me?" he scoffed.

Taehyung shook his head. A disgusted grin painted across his face.

"I don't care about Seoyeon. You can have his ass all you want, but as for me, I am leaving by next week."

"What do you want? More money? A higher position?" he gave an offer. "You know we can't lose your smarts in our company."

Taehyung just turned his back at him. There is nothing he needs other than Seokjin and Seokjin alone. If this old bastard can give him Jin, then he might reconsider his decisions.

==

Two weeks passed by in a blur, Seo Joon is set to meet him in the US to help him find Jin and he offered his place for Taehyung to stay in for a couple of weeks with a promise that they will return together in Seoul whatever the result is. He feels all the nerves of his body stood up as he took his first step down the plane. He is nervous but at the same time, that nagging feeling that Seokjin might be here is strong.

"How are you feeling, bud?" Seo Joon asked him the moment they arrived at his home.

"Nervous. Excited. Hopeful. Yes, that's mainly it. I feel like I will see him here finally, but I'm also terrified that what Jungkook said is true. I don't know if I can stand seeing that." He sighed, "Jin hyung with another man. I bet that would feel hell."

Seo Joon scoffed and threw him a can of beer once he is settled on the couch.

"Not to make you feel worst, but Seokjin felt that and more when you left clues and traces of you fucking that Seoyeon guy. Imagine the pain of sleeping beside a cheater and fucking you with the same dick he used to fuck that manwhore."

Taehyung frowned. Seo Joon is right, that is worst.

"If only I am not that fond of you, I won't be letting you stay here. Seeing you in body and flesh makes my blood boil."

A sigh scaped his lips, "Sorry, hyung."

Seo Joon shook his head and smacked Taehyung's forehead. "Don't say sorry to me. Say sorry to Seokjin and Seokjin's family. What do you think his parents will say? They entrusted you with their son and that's how you repay them?"

Taehyung looked at him with a confused expression, "You didn't know, hyung?"

"Know what?"

"Jin hyung's mother died in a car crash along with his step-father – Gguk's dad – while his biological father is a police officer and he died at a shootout. So, his only family is Jungkook."

Seo Joon nodded, "That explains the difference in their surnames." Then he spoke again, "Now I understand why Jungkook reacts like that."

Taehyung nodded his head. He can feel that Seo Joon still has a lot of grudges towards him. The way he talks suggests that he knows more than what Taehyung assumes and the glint of anger in his eyes whenever the topic switches back to Seokjin proves his point.

"Hyung," he called Seo Joon, "Tell me what Seokjin hyung told you. I want to know everything please."

Seo Joon stared at him. Taehyung didn't miss the pity that crossed his orbs.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning."

Seo Joon took a deep breath. "When you told me your plan of making him fall but dumping him right after, I decided I can't be that friend who will watch you put someone else in pain. So, I immediately told him, but he brushed them off. I remember seeing him shed a tear but maybe because we are not yet that close, he hid them away from me and said that he already had a hunch that you would do that, and he heard us talking about that in a phone call. The look on his face is still fresh in my mind when he said that he will let you be because maybe that's what you needed. Someone whom you can use as an outlet of your anger. I yelled at him because that is just stupid, but he is stubborn as fuck. It even came to a point where he muted our conversation and didn't answered all my calls for over a month."

Taehyung instantly remembered that night. He went back to their room and he saw a wet patch on Seokjin's pillow. He shrugged it off telling himself it's just his drool, but he knows that Seokjin cried at how puffy his eyes were compared to its previous state when he left him to call Seo Joon.

"The next time we talked about you was when you told me that you will finally be a man and confess. I didn't tell him what you said to me, but I encouraged him to hold on just a little and wait patiently for you. He just smiled at me and the thought I was just humoring him and nothing I say is true. He said that maybe you are fooling me too because you had a hunch that I am feeding Seokjin details of what you were planning. Then you proposed, he was not happy as he should have been so I figured that you haven't changed at all and considered that what Jin said might have been true, so I stopped talking to you for a while and tried to gain some understanding of what might be the reason that you are tormenting him."

"I was afraid that he will hurt me like what Yoongi did." Taehyung said in a whisper.

"He did left you." Seo Joon answered. "But not the same reason as Yoongi."

"Seokjin hyung's reason is unknown, but fuck hyung! I can't even be mad at him, not an ounce. When it was Yoongi, I needed hell to break loose, but Jin hyung ... I just want him back."

He sounded so exhausted in his own ears. It's a pity, but he wants to let it all out. he wanted to cry and wallow in his sadness before fighting a good fight again and look for Seokjin.

Seo Joon tapped his shoulders. "Ah, how could I possibly be mad at you for so long. We'll find him. I know. We won't stop looking for him."

Drinking the beer in his hands with his tear-stained face, Taehyung hoped and hoped that after three years, he will finally see Seokjin again and this time, he won't let him go.

==

"Do you know where Yoongi is? Where he lives?"

Taehyung nodded at Seo Joon's question. "Of course. I already knew two months ago. All we need is to go there and look for Seokjin hyung."

They went inside Seo Joon's car and drove to Yoongi's home. He didn't know he would be here right now meeting Yoongi again after a decade. If it was his eighteen-year-old self, he will surely be celebrating because of it with all the hopes that Yoongi will take him back and choose him over Namjoon.

But the situation is different now. Yoongi is no longer the holder of his heart because it's already taken by Seokjin.

Funny that he only realized it now. Seokjin has been the bearer of his heart since he was fourteen, and fourteen years later, he still owns it and ran away with it.

Taehyung just hopes that it's not yet too late, that Jungkook is just bluffing him when he said that Jin already moved on because if he does, Taehyung doesn't know anymore. If Jin was to return his heart back to him, Taehyung will just beg and beg Seokjin to take it back and hold it until he please.

After an hour, they reached Yoongi's place. Taehyung's heart thundered and his knees felt like jelly. He can't find it in himself to stand. He wants to delay the moment but also wants to make it fast to see if his hunch is right.

"Go, see if he is indeed there."

Taehyung looked at Seo Joon. His eyes held uncertainty. What if he wasted time and money and the older isn't here? Where would he look for him? What would happen to him?

At this point Taehyung doesn't know what's worst, seeing Jin happy with another man or the possibility that he will never find him again.

"Taehyung, bud. Snap out of it!" Seo Joon raised his voice to get Taehyung's attention. "Go there and see. If he is not there, we'll look for him elsewhere."

He can only nod and like a puppet, he went knocking on Yoongi's door.

The anticipation is killing him. Every second seemed to equal a minute.

He then heard footsteps coming closer to the door. Taehyung looked back at Seo Joon who gave him a thumbs up while standing beside his car.

A clicking sound.

Then the twisting of the knob.

And it opened and to his surprise Jimin answered.

"Who is it?"

Then they both froze.

Jimin didn't spoke for a while. Taehyung wanted to ask him what he is doing there or why Jimin didn't told him he is going to Yoongi's place.

He was about to open his mouth to speak when an arm snaked around Jimin and hugged his waist from the back.

"Sweetcakes, who is it?" a kiss was planted on Jimin's cheeks while Jimin just stared at him.

Taehyung didn't processed everything he is seeing now.

All he knows is that Jimin is being hugged by Seokjin and Seokjin looking back at him without recognition present in his eyes.

"Hi, who are you? Are you Jimin's friend?"