Taehyung kept his gaze down as one by one their parents arrived. The three boys had been sitting outside principal's office for about fifteen minutes now. Taehyung was sitting between Jimin and jungkook so that they wouldn't start fighting again. But unknown to him, both the boys were looking at him worriedly. Taehyung had been silent and almost on the verge of tears, they knew he was scared because his parents were called to the school for the first time. Though, the real reason was something else and that's exactly why taehyung was trying to avoid a situation like this.

It was already extremely difficult to avoid coming to principal's office when yeonjun and Jimin fought a year ago, yet taehyung had been successful back then. And even now, with jungkook wanting to beat jinyoung up, taehyung had in a way avoided that too. However, he had forgotten about jimin believing that Jimin wouldn't be involved in this, even though jinyoung had mentioned that it was Jimin who told him about him and jaebum. Yeah, he overlooked a very important detail.

Jungkook's father, Seokjin, was the first to arrive followed by jimin's parents. While Seokjin looked worried, jimin's mother looked angry, glaring at Taehyung. Taehyung's father soon arrived frowning at Taehyung who still wouldn't look up, even as his mother walked in with an irritated expression.

They were called into the principal's office where the parents were explained the cause of their sons being here. Seokjin was disappointed and worried at the same time but Park Seulgi was mad furious. Kim Goongmin was looking at his son as if trying to understand what's wrong with only the guilty expression on his face, the scoff from his ex wife didn't go unnoticed by him.

"I don't understand what your problem is with my son!" Seulgi yelled at Taehyung. "He's always in trouble because of you!"

"Excuse me," Goongmin glared at Seulgi. "You can't talk to my son like that."

"And why not?" Yumi, Taehyung's mother, interrupted before Seulgi could even answer.

"Is this the kind of upbringing you're providing for our children Goongmin?" Yumi asked with a raised brow. Goongmin only gave her a pissed off look, rolling his eyes.

"It's not his fault at all." Jungkook said.

"Yeah. Jungkook and I were the ones fighting. He was just trying to stop us." Jimin said.

"Quiet Jimin." Seulgi scolded. "Stop taking his side. He's not your boyfriend anymore! What's the need for you to fight-"

"What?!"

"Boyfriend?!"

Taehyung's parents exclaimed simultaneously, gaining the attention of everyone present there. Taehyung screwed his eyes shut, fearing this moment. He didn't want this to happen. He didn't want to come out yet, moreover not like this at least.

Seokjin looked at the silent boy with concern while Park Hyungsik, jimin's father, could only sigh. Jimin and jungkook looked at each other with wide eyes, both wanting to hold taehyung and support him, assure him that everything was okay. But they couldn't.

"You're homosexual?" Yumi asked her son in disbelief. Taehyung refused to look up from his lap, his palms sweating and heart beating rapidly.

"Answer me!" Yumi yelled making taehyung flinch.

"Y-yes.." taehyung stuttered.

There was a moment of silence where everyone was trying to contemplate what just happened, before Yumi spoke again. This time in a calm voice.

"Well at least this clears you've won Taehyung's custody." She said looking at Goongmin with a straight face. 

Goongmin glared at her, feeling a strong urge to slap his ex wife.

"Mrs.Kim, I don't think this the place to discuss personal matters." Seokjin intervened with a frown, trying to control his anger as well.

"It's Kang." Yumi gave a plastic smile. "Kang Yumi. I'm not a Kim anymore."

The principal sighed.

"Their sexuality was not why I called you all here. It was to discuss their behavior." He said, then looked at his students. "I'm letting you three off the hook for now but you have detention after school for a week. Am I clear?"

The three boys nod their heads. They leave the office then along with their parents. Tension thick in the air almost suffocating. Jimin is glaring at his mother who looks guilty. Jungkook is getting questioning looks from Seokjin and he knows his father is mad at Taehyung's mother.

"What happened to the motherly drama that goes on in the court huh?" Goongmin spat at his ex wife.

"Don't try to push the blame on me Goongmin. It's your fault taehyung turned out like this." The way his mother mentioned his name felt like she was disgusted by her own son, which angered the parents there. Jimin and jungkook balled their fists.

"You have some nerve don't you? You're nothing but fake. I'll pray for your new husband."

"Goongmin! This is no place to discuss such matters." Yumi gritted her teeth.

"Oh you noticed now?" Goongmin smirked. Yumi glared at him one last time before storming out of the hallway.

"Mr.Kim I apologise for my wife's words." Park Hyungsik sighed pitying the shaking boy who was constantly staring at his feet.

"It's not her fault." Goongmin said coldly.

Taehyung flinched and gasped when his father grabbed his firearm and dragged him away from the rest of them. He whimpered trying to apologise but his father wasn't listening. He didn't even turn to look at him. Only dragging him towards his car and pushing him inside. Taehyung was truly scared now. He had no idea where this was going to lead him and he prayed that his father wouldn't beat him up for being homosexual. He kept shaking and silently sobbing the entire way back home. And when they reached, Goongmin got out of the car going straight inside leaving taehyung out to vary his options.

Slowly, taehyung stepped inside the house. Going to his father who was pacing in the living room.

"D-Dad.. I'm sorry. I-I was going to tell you but I... I was scared.."

Goongmin stopped pacing, running his fingers through his hair.

"Dad-"

"It's all my fault." Goongmin whispered.

"No dad it's my fault. I-"

"You kept it a secret from me because you don't trust me. And you've learnt it from me only because even I've kept you in the dark for so many years!"

"D-Dad please." Taehyung sobbed. Goongmin's eyes softened looking at his son.

"It's not your fault Taehyungie." Goongmin walked over to his son. "If I want you to trust me then I'll have to do the same. That's what good parenting is."

Goongmin smiled at his sobbing son, wiping the tears from his face.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know. Stop crying Tae.. I'm not mad at you."

"You're n-not?"

"No. Not at all. I'm mad at myself for not being able to build that trust between us. For not being able to build that sense of security in your heart that you can trust me with anything." Goongmin teared up.

"But not anymore son. I'll do anything you want. I didn't tell you about your mother because I didn't want you to get hurt. You're more sensitive than eunji and looking at her reaction, her decision to leave, I felt so scared Tae. I was scared of how you'd react. You would've been heartbroken.."

Goongmin brushed Taehyung's hair out of his eyes, kissing his forehead.

"Now I know I was just hurting you more. And I'm so sorry for that my son.." Goongmin whispered.

"I know my apologies won't change your opinion on me. You still hate me-"

Taehyung shook his head no, hugging his Dad tight.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Taehyung sobbed. "I don't hate you Papa! I'd never hate you!"

Goongmin smiled, taehyung called him 'Papa' after years. That one word held so much affection because taehyung used to always call him Papa ever since he was a baby. It made Goongmin so happy.

"Shh taehyungie shh.. quiet now.. I told you it wasn't your fault.. then why are you still crying hmm?"

"I'm a bad son!" Taehyung's voice was muffled as his head was buried in his father's chest. Goongmin chuckled rocking his son side to side.

"And who told you that?" Taehyung mumbled a reply Goongmin couldn't understand. "You're the best son I could ever ask for taehyungie."

Goongmin felt taehyung shake against him so he held his son tighter, assuring him that he's alright and there's nothing to worry or be sorry about. The father and son sat on the couch in each other's embrace after years of keeping distance. To Goongmin, no matter how tall taehyung becomes, he'll always be his baby koala cuddling into his side while Goongmin tickled his tummy. He made sure taehyung was giggling instead of crying before he started telling him about his mother.

"Papa." Taehyung called sitting on one of the isle chairs as he watched his father cook lunch.

"Hmm?"

"Why did noona leave?" Taehyung was eating the carrots Goongmin cut for him but stopped when his father sighed.

"Because of your mother." He said. "Taehyung-ah your mother and I got seperated because she was with someone else while we were still married."

"Noona knew?" Taehyung gulped.

"Eunji saw her once with that man." Goongmin nodded. "But she never told me because she didn't understand. When I got to know and confronted your mother, she boldly accepted her mistake not even hesitating to ask for a divorce. And who was I to stop her when she already had someone else in her life."

"Then that means, mumma cheated on you?"

"I guess you could say that." Goongmin shrugged leaving Taehyung more confused. "Our marriage was arranged by our parents Tae, I knew she already had a boyfriend but her father was strict, she couldn't go against him. She stopped seeing her boyfriend once we got married. He had left the country so she decided to move on. But then, he came back. I know it isn't fair for me to be angry at her but I still am because she didn't only hurt me, but she hurt you and eunji too."

"But why are you fighting for our custody now? You got divorced when I was fourteen.."

Goongmin sighed. He turned the dial to lower the flame, still stirring the spaghetti in the pot.

"Yumi won eunji's custody when we got divorced four years ago but eunji gave the statement that she doesn't want to live with her, neither with me. A girl child's custody always goes to her mother but since eunji didn't want that her custody was divided, which Yumi accepted. But recently she discovered that she's infertile. She can't get pregnant."

Taehyung gasped.

"That's why she wants us now?"

Goongmin nodded.

"That's why noona is still away? So that the case gets prolonged? But why? She already said she doesn't want mom."

"The law doesn't work like that Tae. Eunji will get to choose when she's 21. That leaves you. Since she can't have eunji, she'll do everything to win your custody."

"Not anymore." Taehyung looked down.

"Then it's her loss. You shouldn't be sad about it." Goongmin gave him an encouraging smile.

Taehyung nodded and smiled back, eating his carrots as his father concentrated on the spaghetti again. He was satisfied with just his father. Though he felt incomplete, he knew his father would bring his sister back soon. And their family would be complete again. He may be feeling sad right now. Disappointed in himself for upsetting his mother and driving her away from him, but he'll get over it. He'll get over the fact that his mother doesn't want him just because he's into men. Because just like his father said, it's her loss. Not his.

Hey! How are you guys? Hope y'all are safe and healthy!

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