Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.
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The Art of War
Sun Tzu

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Run, hide, repeat.

Run, hide, repeat.

That exhausting and never-ending cycle was all Taehyung knew for weeks, months, years. He spent most of his young adult life running from senseless violence, running from unconquerable grief, and running from an overwhelming amount of suffering. He did all he could to hide from his enemies, hide his identity, and eventually hide his true self from a world that wanted nothing more than to witness his downfall. And with no promise of a reprieve, he quietly accepted that fate.

Running and hiding became Taehyung's entire life.

Early on - maybe a couple of months following that very first attack - Taehyung used to imagine life after running. He visualized all the things he'd do once everything returned to normal, like meeting new friends and exploring all that Seoul had to offer. He envisioned joining school clubs, going to various sporting events, and dating men from all sorts of backgrounds. He dreamed of finding out exactly who he was as a person; he fantasized about staying in one place out of choice and not out of fear.

But life didn't go back to normal. No . . . Running and hiding became the new normal. Looking over his shoulder, calculating each step forward, and second-guessing every decision became Taehyung's instinctual habits. And soon enough, those hopeful dreams of a danger-free future gradually faded from view.

All he had known was the present moment, a moment that was neither promised nor guaranteed.

All he had known was running and hiding.

However, after years of laying low and coming to terms with reality, the course of Taehyung's life changed all over again. He hadn't known his mother's death - and Namjoon's supposed one - had been part of a bigger plan; all he'd known was that the repetitive yet comfortable routine he finally learned to appreciate was gone. The simplistic days of training with Namjoon and drinking tea with his mother were gone. The two people he relied upon most and loved more than anything were gone.

And since Taehyung had been completely and utterly alone - since the weight of his anguish had threatened to crush him whole - he became a desensitized shell. He evolved into a machine that moved on autopilot; he transformed into a zombie that attempted to ignore its human tendencies. He did all he could to eradicate the guilt flooding his mind, to temporarily patch up his grief-stricken heart, and to grow accustomed to his newly darkened soul.

Simply put, Taehyung ran.

Fuck, Taehyung ran from his past and his present and his future. He ran from his obligations as the heir and his duties as a son. He ran from the boy he locked deep within himself, afraid to expose that vulnerable and distressed creature to his malicious surroundings. He ran from who he once was and who he had the potential to be.

And then he ran straight into Jeon Jungkook.

His brat.

His other half.

His sweetheart.

Maybe it was divine intervention, maybe it was a parting gift from his mother, or maybe it was serendipity like Jimin had claimed all those weeks ago, but whatever caused Taehyung to meet Jungkook felt a hell of a lot like fate. Fate. If finding the love of his life really was fate, things couldn't get more ironic. Because in his quest to avoid whatever the future had in store - to hide from the world and its master plan - Taehyung inadvertently and unsuspectingly ran down a path that led him to his destiny.

And for the first time in so damn long, Taehyung wasn't just running to escape or hiding to conceal. No . . . Now he was running towards something; he was running towards a brightness he never knew existed. He was stepping out from the shadows to reclaim his mind, body, heart, and soul. And slowly, so slowly he didn't even see it happening, he was beginning to dream again.

Taehyung pictured a safer world for his friends and family. He envisioned a life where his enemies were behind bars, where danger was a distant memory. He visualized having the freedom to venture outside without the risk of getting hurt. He imagined blissful, peaceful days with Jungkook forever by his side.

And for once, Taehyung dared to believe that those dreams were achievable, that they weren't just farfetched wishes or lofty hopes. He promised himself that those dreams would one day become his reality, that they wouldn't remain dreams forever.

And Jungkook - his passionate, curious, and loving Jungkook - had started to dream as well. He had envisioned everything from going back to school to traveling the world, from settling down to getting married one day. He had come up with such vivid plans for his future and wanted Taehyung involved every step of the way. He had wanted the road ahead to be a road they walked together.

Without a doubt, Taehyung wanted all of those things, too. Fuck, he wanted that future more than anything.

So even though he was bleeding out on the floor, unsure if he'd survive the night let alone a lifetime with his sweetheart, he refused to give up. Instead, he swallowed down his mind-numbing pain and fought to remain conscious. He held onto Jungkook's dreams just as he held onto his own, letting them serve as a reminder - a beacon of light - for what was to come. All he had to do was stay strong for a few minutes more and be brave for just a little longer.

And so Taehyung smiled through his discomfort, made promises despite his uncertainty, and loved even in the face of potential loss. He did all he could to believe he'd be okay, to believe he'd one day give Jungkook the future he - they both - they deserved:

A future free from running and hiding.

That's what Taehyung focused on when the paramedics came rushing into the bedroom, armed with stiff stretchers and abundant medical supplies. Not the medical personnel promising they had everything under control. Not the practiced touches ripping open his shirt and swiping antiseptic over his mutilated skin. Not the grinding of his teeth as he fought back the urge to scream. But the happy and safe future that was so close.

In other words, he only focused on Jungkook. He never took his eyes off of his sweetheart.

He had to live up to that promise he made weeks ago, after all.

Even when he was eventually loaded into an awaiting ambulance - even when the warm rush of morphine flooded his veins and muddled his mind - he kept Jungkook at the forefront of his thoughts. He pictured the boy's smile, his own mouth quirking up at the corners in response. He imagined his love's lingering touch all over his body, his lips tingling with the memory of a kiss. And right as the heavy pain killers pulled him under, he swore he heard an endless litany of angel, angel, angel whispered in his ear.

But before he could respond, before he could process that Jungkook wasn't actually next to him, everything went dark and calm and quiet.

There was no more pain.

There was no more fear.

There was nothing at all.

But then . . .

Then . . .

The peaceful cocoon that shrouded Taehyung's mind opened bit by bit, allowing hushed snippets of conversation to trickle in. A distant part of him knew who those voices belonged to, though his foggy brain couldn't quite conjure up the right names. So while he waited for his daze to clear - to remember where he was and who he was - he listened to the melodic tones of the people beside him.

"I'm still surprised you're not mad at me," one of the voices revealed, his words tinted with awe and wonder. "I put your son in danger more times than I can even count. Hell, I pretended to be him. That surely can't make for a great first impression."

"You weren't the only person who lied about his identity," a second voice responded, his pitch deeper and more robust than the first's. "I'd be a hypocrite if I blamed you for lying but absolved my son of the same wrongdoing. And truthfully, I'm not upset with either of you. How could I be angry when you both were hurting and just trying to survive? How could I be resentful when you both freely chose to protect each other despite all odds?"

"I . . . I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't seem enough but . . . Thank you. For not hating me and for giving me another chance. To be honest, I'm not used to that sort of reaction," the first person commented quietly, almost like he didn't know what to make of the situation. There was some innate urge within Taehyung to reach out and hold this person's hand.

"You have nothing to thank me for . . . Really, I should be thanking you. When I couldn't be there for my son to offer love and support, he had you. In his darkest and most difficult trials, he had you. I will forever be indebted to you, my boy. I will forever spend the rest of my days knowing that you kept my son alive."

A sniffle sounded incredibly close to Taehyung's ear right before a gentle sweep of fingers pushed back his hair. "I'll be the first to admit that I didn't always make things easy for him. In the beginning, I never stopped to consider what he might have been going through. But Tae . . . Tae showed me that consideration. He showed me what it meant to care for someone else. And I want you to know that I love him. I love him, and I will take care of him for as long as he lets me."

The second man let out a fond and amused chuckle. "I don't know if Taehyung told you, but he and I spoke the day before he was supposed to return to Seoul with Chief Min. He had been upset because Yoongi made you leave and he missed you so, so much. And even though you two had only known each other a short time, I could hear it in his voice. I knew his affection for you was deep-rooted. I knew he stumbled across the type of love that doesn't come around all too often."

"Really?"

"Really. And to be frank, the whole scenario reminded me of myself. It reminded me of how quickly I fell in love with Tae's mother."

At that, the veil clouding Taehyung's mind lifted entirely. It was like a switch suddenly flipped, dousing a dimmed room into a blinding brightness. One moment he was just laying there - disoriented yet content - and the next, every bit of consciousness returned full force. Each worry, concern, hope, dream, and memory reappeared in the blink of an eye.

And Taehyung remembered exactly who he was and where he was. He recalled the harrowing events that led him here. And he finally recognized the people in the room with him.

But the abrupt restoration of everything that made him Taehyung was too overwhelming. It was all too much to process. Even with his eyes still closed, a wave of nausea caused his stomach to roll and his head to spin. So rather than immediately announce that he was awake, he gave himself time to adjust.

And time to eavesdrop a little more on his unassuming loved ones.

All the while, Jungkook carded his fingers through Taehyung's hair in the faintest of caresses. "I wish I could've met her. I . . . I talked to her a few times. Out loud and in my head. I promised her that I'd always care for Tae. And then I . . . I begged her to keep him alive. To bring him back to me. And she did."

Chinhwa hummed reflectively, a sound he often made when thinking of the past. "Hanuel would have loved you, you know. She would've loved you so much. And not just because you took care of Tae or because you love him with your whole heart. No . . . She would have loved you for who you are as a person. I'm sure of it."

"She probably would've thought I was too annoying," Jungkook softly laughed, the sound sending warmth throughout Taehyung's system. "I don't always listen to what Taehyung tells me to do, even when I know he's probably right."

"If that's true, then she really would have loved you," Chinhwa replied, joining in with his own round of laughter. "Haneul never wanted some pushover claiming our Taehyungie's heart. She wanted a strong person who could challenge him in all the right ways, who could help him see life from a different perspective. Someone who would even annoy the crap out of him sometimes. And by my account, it sounds like that is the exact type of man he found and fell in love with."

Dizzy or not, that declaration prompted Taehyung to open his eyes and speak at last. His voice came out as a hoarse murmur as he said, "Now he's always going to act like a brat."

Jungkook - who had been looking at Taehyung already - sucked in a sharp breath. "Tae?"

"Hi, sweetheart," Taehyung responded, scanning over his love's face. Signs of distress were evident; the younger's lips were raw from incessant biting, his cheeks ruddy and tear-strained, and his eyes swollen and red-lined. But even still, he was beautiful.

"Taehyung," Chinhwa echoed, scrambling out of his chair to kneel at the side of the narrow hospital bed. "My boy . . . My son . . . I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Taehyung turned to his father, finding a combination of sorrow, self-hatred, and remorse in his gaze. He knew that look all too well - he had worn the same expression before learning to lean on Jungkook - and wanted nothing more than to soothe the older man. And besides, this was the first time they were face to face in over a year. He didn't want their reunion to be steeped in shame and regret.

"Dad . . . This isn't your fault. So please -"

"It is my fault. I feel so guilty, Tae. I put all of us in this position by keeping this stupid job despite what it stole from us. I should've learned my lesson years ago but . . . But I didn't. And I already lost your mother and . . . I almost lost you, too." Chinhwa latched onto Taehyung's hand, clutching it tightly like he was afraid to let go.

"But you didn't. I'm right here. I'm okay," Taehyung reassured the older man with every bit of energy he possessed. But then he paused. "At least, I think I'm okay. I can't feel much of anything right now."

That's wasn't a lie in the slightest. The stinging, shredding, and slicing pain he had endured back in that bedroom was now muted into numbness. It was a deceiving sensation, one that almost made him believe there was no injury whatsoever. But he knew better.

Plus, it was kind of difficult to miss the heavy bandages wrapped around his torso.

Chinhwa rearranged the thin blankets around Taehyung, making sure he was sufficiently covered. "You were lucky. We were lucky. The worst of it was muscle tearing and blood loss."

"What does that mean long term?" Taehyung asked, eyes darting between his father and Jungkook as he tried to gauge their expressions.

"Depending on how you heal these next couple of months, you might need physical therapy to regain your range of motion. But that's it, Tae. You're going to be alright." Chinhwa gave him a wobbly smile, his lips crumbling as shiny trails of water streamed down his face.

Jungkook's knuckles grazed over Taehyung's cheekbone, wiping away a couple of tears that had escaped. "Your dad's right, angel. In a day or two, you'll walk out of here and you'll be okay. But you need to promise me something, yeah? I need you to promise me that you'll never . . . that you'll never take another bullet for me . . ."

Jungkook broke off, his shoulders trembling as he buried his head in his hands. His fingers sunk in his hair, knotting so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Kookie . . ." Taehyung whispered, swallowing around the burning lump in his throat. "Come here, sweetheart."

"I'll give you two a few minutes alone," Chinhwa said, drying his eyes with his sleeve. "There were several arrests at Golden Oil, so I should properly check in with my team anyway."

The older man affectionately ruffled Taehyung's hair, then squeezed Jungkook's shoulder in an encouraging - and very fatherly - gesture. He told them he'd stay right outside of the room in case they needed anything, but Taehyung read between the lines. Chinhwa wanted to stand guard in case anything or anyone else decided to come for them.

Jungkook wasted no time in rounding the small bed, edging closer to Taehyung's unharmed side. "I need you to promise me, Tae. I need to know -"

"I know what you want me to tell you," Taehyung interrupted, patting the narrow space next to him and waiting for the younger to sit. "You want me to say that I'll never put your life above my own again. But Kook . . . That's not something I can promise you. I love you. And that means I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, to make sure you don't get hurt."

"I know, I just . . . I hate seeing you hurt. I wish I was the one in this bed and not you. And I thought . . . I wasn't sure . . ." Jungkook took a few deep breaths, fiddling with the bedsheets as he worked to calm himself. And then, barely above a whisper, he let out, "I thought I was going to lose you."

"That's exactly why I did what I did, Kook. When I saw Bogum aim at you, I didn't even think. I just . . . I just moved," Taehyung said, trying his best not to relive that horrific moment when Bogum prepared to fire. "And we both know you'd do the same for me. So how about this? Instead of making a promise we can't keep, let's promise each other something else entirely."

"What's that?"

"Let's promise not to get into any more life or death situations. They're not as fun as people make them out to be."

"Deal," the younger chuckled, hair falling into his eyes as he placed a tender kiss against Taehyung's forehead.

Taehyung angled his chin upwards, trying to connect his mouth with Jungkook's. "Good. Now seal it with a proper kiss, you brat."

Jungkood dodged him, instead choosing to kiss everywhere but Taehyung's puckered lips. "You were right earlier, angel. Now that I know your mother would approve of me annoying you, I'm always and forever going to be a brat. There's no escaping that fate."

"Correction. You're always going to be my brat," Taehyung hummed, closing his eyes and relishing in the feel of his sweetheart's mouth on his nose, cheeks, then eyelids.

"Your brat," the younger agreed. "Think you can handle that? Think you can handle having me by your side from here on out?"

"If that's what life has in store for me, I'm going to be the luckiest man in the world." Taehyung was going to say more - to say that meeting each other was not a coincidence, that being together was their destiny - but Jungkook didn't give him the opportunity.

Jungkook claimed Taehyung's mouth in a delicate kiss, cupping his face with a careful and timid touch. The broken skin of his lips was quite noticeable, as was a quivering in his fingers as they danced all over his jaw and neck. But that was okay. Taehyung was pretty sure he was shaking, too.

"I'm already the luckiest man in the world because you chose me. Because you saved me. Because you love me," the younger murmured, drawing back just far enough to run a thumb over Taehyung's lower lip. "You'll have to settle for second luckiest man in the world."

"Oh, yeah? Is that so?"

Leaning back further, Jungkook raised his eyebrows in a mischievous challenge. "Actually, I take that back. Maybe you are the luckiest man. After all, you're going to be the only one with exclusive rights to my massive -"

"Shut up."

Taehyung yanked Jungkook back down to his waiting mouth, effectively cutting off any additional teasing remarks. Then he kissed the love of his life over and over and over again. He kissed him until their lips were thoroughly swollen and slick. He kissed him until their breathing turned ragged. He kissed him until all fears of losing the other were utterly banished.

Taehyung kissed Jungkook, knowing this was the start of the rest of their lives together.

After eventually breaking apart to calm their thunderous heartbeats, Taehyung decided it was time to voice the one question he was terrified to ask. He hadn't purposely put off this topic of conversation, of course; he had only just woken up from anesthesia. But now that he was a bit more settled and his mind was clear, there were no more reasons to stall.

So he propped himself up against the pillows, clasping his sweetheart's hands firmly between his own. And while he still had a semblance of bravery, he said, "Joonie?"

A stream of air pushed through Jungkook's lips, though he didn't break eye contact. "He's still in surgery. When the doctors last updated me and Jin, they said Namjoon sustained major damage to his stomach. They were trying to repair as much as possible, but . . . They said they were doing everything they could."

"Did they give any indication on his chances? Did they say if . . .?"

"If he'd live? No. They didn't say."

A tightness formed in Taehyung's chest, the relief for his own prognosis transforming into anxiety over his brother's. He understood that all hope was not yet lost - that Namjoon was still alive for the moment - but he couldn't help but think of the worst. He couldn't help but replay the events that brought them all to this hospital.

Before he could become too absorbed in those haunting flashbacks, however, Jungkook continued sharing his news. "I know you're probably not getting your panties in a twist over Bogum, but I think he's alive. Before the doctors realized none of us were related to him, they said the bullet ruptured one of his lungs and implanted near an artery. Or something. But they didn't seem too concerned about his odds."

Surprisingly - or not - Taehyung hummed in satisfaction. "Good. I wouldn't want him to die before we can make him pay for each and every crime he committed."

Jungkook nodded, though something in his demeanor changed. "Tae? Can I ask you something?"

Taehyung freed one of his hands, reaching out to smooth out the younger's scrunched eyebrows. "You can ask me anything."

The touch seemed to mollify the younger. "I remember what we talked about a few weeks ago, about your views on shooting another person. But you . . . You stopped Bogum from hurting anyone else. You protected us all by firing at him."

There wasn't actually a question in there, but Taehyung thought he understood what Jungkook was getting at. "You want to know what finally made me give up my pacifist ways, don't you?"

Jungkook shook his head. "You're still a pacifist, Tae. Your views on unnecessary violence haven't changed. And you didn't shoot with the intent of killing. What you did was self-defense."

Taehyung never really thought of it that way before. He used to believe that violence was violence, no matter what. But reflecting on everything now, he knew Jungkook was right. He did what had to be done in order to defend his loved ones, not to delight in another's demise.

"Wow, my sweetheart sure is smart," he said, tracing his fingers down Jungkook's nose.

"Everyone looks at things differently," the younger conceded modestly. "But that's just my point of view. I wanted to know how you felt about it all."

Taehyung let his hand drift lower, busying himself with tracing Jungkook's still-swollen mouth as he considered. "Honestly? I haven't given it too much thought yet. I didn't think about it in that moment, either. I just reacted. I saw a person hellbent on hurting the people I loved, and I . . . I let the fear propel me forward rather than hold me back."

And maybe that was the most significant transformation Taehyung experienced throughout all of this. Rather than letting his fear control his body and mind, he learned to push it aside. He learned not to fixate on what he could lose but to focus on what he had the power to change. And once he recognized his own ability - his own strength - all hints of restraint and hesitation completely dissipated.

"I'm proud of you, angel," Jungkook murmured, his lips brushing against Taehyung's fingertips. "I'm so fucking proud."

"I'm proud of myself, too," Taehyung admitted with a soft chuckle. "And I'm also proud of you, you know. You've been so brave this entire time."

The younger scoffed at that assessment, clearly disagreeing. "You're the one who was shot, and you're calling me brave?"

"I had it easier. I did!" Taehyung argued as another scoff filled the small room. "I didn't have to be out there by myself, worrying about what was happening in the operating rooms."

Jungkook took hold of Taehyung's wrist, removing his hand from his face so they could intertwine fingers instead. "I wasn't by myself. Your dad . . . Your dad is great, Tae. He welcomed me with open arms."

"I'm glad." Taehyung wanted to hear more about their bonding, but a new thought took precedence. "He must know Namjoon is alive by now, right?"

"Yeah. Your dad told me he was traveling overseas for the last few days, but he kept in frequent contact with Yoongi. He knew we were in the bunker and everything," the younger explained. "I guess Yoongi told him about what happened at the old safe house, so he started flying back to Seoul while we were waiting to be picked up. When he landed, he found out about our kidnapping but was taken to a secure location so he wouldn't be a target."

"Shit," Taehyung breathed, imagining the stress and worry his father must have gone through.

A soft hum rumbled in Jungkook's throat. "He said he was a wreck, Tae. That he felt so useless because he couldn't help us or anything. But anyway, as he was waiting for an update, Yoongi broke the news about Namjoon. From how your dad spoke about it, it sounds like he only learned that Namjoon wasn't dead."

"Did you mention anything about -?"

"No. It wasn't my place to have that conversation with him."

"To have what conversation with me?" Chinhwa questioned as he strode back into the room, sinking into a chair next to the bed. "What did I miss?"

Taehyung and Jungkook locked eyes, silently communicating in a way only they understood. And while no words were spoken aloud, they knew the questions the other asked. Is now the right time? Is this the right place? Should we wait for Yoongi?

As they remained quiet, Chinhwa came up with his own theory. "Oh, is it what I think it is? Are you two . . .? I mean, it's a little soon, but who am I to judge, right? Plus, you went through so much together and -"

"Wait, Dad," Taehyung interjected, eyes widening as he took in his father's dreamy expression. "Slow down. Whatever you're thinking, it's not what we're talking about."

Chinhwa's broad smile gradually turned down at the corners. "So . . . You're not getting married?"

"Not yet, at least," Jungkook responded, his thumb brushing over Taehyung's bare ring finger. "Tae and I have a lot to experience as boyfriends first. But one day . . ."

"One day, you'll ask for my blessing?" The older man offered, studying the fond way the two boys looked at each other.

"Yes," Jungkook spoke that one word softly, but the intent and purpose were quite clear. One day - just as he had revealed back at the Seoul house - he would turn his dreams into reality and marry Taehyung.

And as for Taehyung, he had no reservations about that future. It was a future he couldn't wait to embrace as his own, to call his own.

But before they could get to that point - to those happier days to come - questions had to be answered. Confusions had to be cleared. Wrongs had to be made right.

Like he read Taehyung's mind, Chinhwa leaned forward. "Alright, then. I'll just have to be patient. In the meantime, what did you actually want to talk about?"

Jungkook squeezed Taehyung's hands. "Want me to give you some privacy?"

"Can you stay? I'd feel better if you were here with me," Taehyung said, gripping his love more firmly in response. But he also recognized the need to ask his father's permission, so he glanced at the other man. "Dad -?"

"Jungkook can stay, son," Chinhwa swiftly answered, inherently knowing Taehyung's concerns. "That's alright with me."

Taehyung inhaled deeply, unsure of how to begin or where to even start. It wasn't like he had a manual for any of this; he didn't possess instructions on how to question his father on his premarital affairs. All he had was snippets of information from varying sources, information that was yet proven to be factual or valid.

"I don't . . . Kook?" Taehyung said instead, looking to his boyfriend with pleading eyes.

Jungkook swallowed audibly, but he dipped his chin in affirmation. Then, turning to face Chinhwa, he began. "Have you ever met a woman by the name of Jeon Gowon?"

Taehyung wasn't sure what he expected for a reaction. Denial? Feigned disinterest, maybe? Something that indicated resentment or bitterness, perhaps?

Well, the response they received was the complete opposite of Taehyung's half-formed assumptions. It was one that threw a little him off-guard.

"Yes," Chinhwa answered calmly and without hesitation. "She was the last woman I dated before meeting Haneul."

"Do you remember what year that was?" The younger warily hedged, speaking slowly like he wanted to ask the right questions and in the correct order.

"I met Hanuel on New Year's Eve in 1993. I had broken things off with Gowon a few weeks before that, I think? I don't know the exact date."

That information aligned with what Taehyung and Jungkook speculated back in the bunker, which was definitely comforting. Regardless of what else they learned, at least they knew Chinhwa hadn't cheated.

"Gowon is my mother," Jungkook supplied after a few seconds.

"Your mother?" Chinhwa repeated, his eyes slightly bulging. "Wow. I . . . It's a really small world."

When the younger didn't say anything more, Taehyung cleared his throat. "Do you remember why you broke up with her?"

"I couldn't forget even if I wanted." The older man's mouth tightened into a thin line, though there were no other outward signs of uneasiness. "Our relationship, while short-lived, had many faults. I'll admit that some of those faults were mine. When I met Gowon, I was only looking for something casual but never did a good job telling her that. I stupidly assumed we were on the same page."

Chinhwa paused after those opening details, watching Jungkook closely. He obviously had more to share, though seemed to be waiting for some sort of approval.

Jungkook caught on. "I'm not close to her. Anything you have to say won't damage our relationship. Promise."

"Alright. Well. Our first couple of dates were normal. Fun. We had good chemistry and . . . Right. You probably don't want to hear about that. But after two or three weeks of seeing each other, she became possessive. She showed up at my office multiple times and would accuse my female colleagues of pursuing me. It was a little too intense for me, so I told her it wasn't working. I broke up with her."

"Bet she took that well," Jungkook muttered sarcastically, undoubtedly referencing his own experiences with the woman.

"She didn't," Chinhwa confirmed. "She threatened to jump off the Incheon Bridge if we couldn't be together. But I didn't let that sway me and said we weren't right for each other. I tried to tell her as nicely as possible to move on."

Taehyung figured he knew the answer to his next question but voiced it anyway. "Did she? Did she move on?"

His father shook his head in denial. "She'd show up at the same places as me. I knew it most likely wasn't a coincidence, but since she never tried to approach, I learned to ignore it all. Though a month after Haneul and I started dating, Gowon cornered us. She made all these threats and claims - she even pulled some of my hair out at one point - so I got a restraining order from her. Haneul didn't feel safe, understandably, so we decided to move to Daegu together. And after that, I never heard from Gowon again."

"What kind of claims did she make?" Once again, Taehyung had a hunch.

He was right as Chinhwa answered, "She said she was pregnant."

Jungkook was gnawing on his lower lip, the fragile skin torn more than before. "How did you react to that?"

The older man closely studied both Taehyung and Jungkook, apparently realizing that he was missing something. "I thought it was another one of her antics. Combined with everything else she did to get my attention, I had no reason to trust her word. So I told her I didn't appreciate liars and that she and I would never be together."

"She wasn't lying," Jungkook whispered, looking down at his and Taehyung's clasped hands. "She wasn't lying about being pregnant."

There was a tense moment where Chinhwa did nothing but stare at Jungkook, mouth slack and eyes comically wide. From the stillness of his shoulders, he didn't appear to be breathing either.

But the next, he was moving. Eyes scanned all over Jungkook's face, hands fluttered as he reached out to Jungkook, and shoulders caved in as he put the final pieces together.

"Jungkook . . . Are you . . . Are you my son?"

Jungkook quickly shook his head, his movements so jerky that his hair messily fell over his forehead. "No. No, I'm not. But . . . I think my brother is."

"Your brother . . . Namjoon?" The older man's hands dropped into his lap, lips opening and closing like he wanted to say something more but didn't know what.

With a nod of encouragement from Taehyung, Jungkook launched into the full story. He explained that his mother was married when she met Chinhwa, that she cheated on her husband of two years. He described how they all found out, how Namjoon made it his mission to find his birth father. Then he revealed how Gowon gave Namjoon the birth certificate and paternity test with Chinhwa's name on them, how she told her son that his birth father never wanted him. How that man told her to get an abortion.

The only detail Jungkook didn't disclose was Namjoon's involvement with the attacks and Bogum. That probably would've been too much to manage all at once.

Once the younger reached the end of his recount, he let out a heavy sigh. "That's most of it. Not all, but . . . Yeah. Most of it."

Chinhwa dropped his head, eyes boring into his empty hands. "I didn't know. I didn't know Gowon wasn't lying. I should have . . . I should have made sure. I should have gone with her to get tested. I never thought . . . Oh my god. If Namjoon knew this whole time - if he believed I never wanted him - he must hate me. But I didn't . . I wouldn't have . . . "

Taehyung was reasonably confident that his father never knew about Namjoon; the older man was a poor actor and didn't possess a penchant for lying. And the tears streaming down his cheeks didn't seem contrived or forced . . . No, they appeared to be a product of absolute shock and sorrow.

"My mother's favorite game was manipulation," Jungkook commented as an afterthought, his tone gentle like he didn't want to startle Chinhwa. "It wouldn't be all that surprising to me if she listed you as Namjoon's father to spite everyone else, even if it wasn't true."

"We slept together, so it most certainly could be true," Chinhwa responded through a teary voice. "But I'll get tested. I'll get tested right now. I need to know -"

A knock sounded from outside of the recovery room, the loud disruption causing Chinhwa, Jungkook, and Taehyung to all turn towards the door.

A doctor, dressed in scrubs and a neutral expression, hovered in the hallway. "Hi folks, how are we holding up?"

"Hanging in there," Taehyung replied to the woman, eyeing her brightly patterned surgical scrub cap. She looked like she just stepped out of the operating room.

"Is your pain manageable, Taehyung?"

"I don't feel anything at all, so I'd say yes."

The doctor chuckled as she ventured deeper into the room, nearing Taehyung's fluid bags. "Good, glad to hear it. A nurse will check in on you in a few minutes, and as long as everything looks stable, we'll move you out of recovery and into a longer stay room."

"How long will he have to stay in the hospital?" Jungkook asked, standing up from Taehyung's bed to give the woman room to work.

"Let's see," she started, looking to a digital clock on the wall. "It's five in the morning now. Since Taehyung didn't have any organ damage and since there were no complications during surgery . . . He can probably head home later this evening."

That was good news. Even though Taehyung only woke up a short while ago, he was already eager to get out of here. The cold, sterile feeling of the hospital wasn't the most comforting.

Although he did wonder about one minor detail: Where exactly would he go after this? He guessed that Yoongi would arrange some sort of secret hideout, but where that would be was a complete mystery.

The doctor took off her cap and smoothed back her hair. "I have an update on Kim Namjoon for you all. I'm just waiting on . . . Oh, perfect. There they are now."

A male nurse appeared at the doorway, stepping to the side to let Jin and that private investigator woman enter. There wasn't much space whatsoever, so they lingered by the perimeter of the room.

"There's news on Joonie?" Jin whispered, drawing everyone's attention his way. In short, he didn't look great. With blotchy cheeks, puffy eyes, and a red nose, it was clear that he spent the last several hours heartbroken and distraught.

"Yes," the doctor began, angling her body so she could address the entire room. "As you all know, Namjoon was shot in the stomach and suffered from major bleeding. By the time we got him on our table, gastric acid and bacteria had already started leaking into his abdominal cavity. To protect his organs from the building pressure, his abdominal wall started to become rigid. That means that blood vessels and arteries had a more difficult time flowing blood and other fluids through the body."

Taehyung had no idea what any of that meant, though he kept quiet for the time being. He knew the doctor had more details to impart.

Jungkook, however, did not keep quiet. "Does that mean he didn't make it?"

This was it.

This was the moment of truth.

The doctor exhaled - an ominous sort of sound, really - before the corners of her mouth quirked up. "He made it. Namjoon survived the surgery."

Everyone in the room reacted differently. Jin sagged against the wall, head falling back as the private investigator grasped his shoulder. Chinhwa slumped in his chair and bowed his head. And Jungkook and Taehyung, needing to feel and hold each other as always, melted into a tight embrace.

"He had a blood transfusion to restore the units he lost," the doctor continued, "but that went well. All of our other repairs were also successful, so for now, we'll just need to monitor for abdominal septic complications and any intra-abdominal abscesses."

The woman went on to discuss the need for a temporary nasogastric tube to help add and remove substances from Namjoon's stomach, but Taehyung tuned most of that out. For now, he just wanted stillness and silence. He wanted to let this good news fully sink in, to let his relief calm every nerve ending in his body. And while he knew there was still so much more to come - that more challenges would present themselves soon - he let himself be happy.

And he was.

Taehyung was so incredibly happy.

Once the doctor left - assuring them all that Namjoon would be moved to a recovery room shortly - the nurse declared it was time for Taehyung's final examination. Jungkook begged to stay, promising he'd keep out of the way, but was kindly told that things would move more quickly without an audience. So with an indignant grunt, Jungkook conceded.

"I'll be in the waiting room, okay?" Jungkook murmured, pecking Taehyung's lips one, two, three times.

"What's this? Sweetheart can't go twenty minutes without me?" Taehyung giggled, carefully smoothing the younger's hair away from his face.

"Nope. And I'm not ashamed to admit it."

Taehyung's mouth stretched into a smile as he turned to his dad. But before he could ask the older man to entertain his brat for a little while, he felt a thick tension emanating from the corner of the room. Sure enough, Chinhwa and Jin were speaking in heated whispers with the nurse.

"All I'm asking is -"

Jin cut off the older man. "No. You didn't want to see Namjoon all those years ago, so you don't get to see him now."

"Seokjin, I swear," Chinhwa pleaded, hands clasped together in front of his heart. "I had no idea. Tae and Jungkook just told me -"

"Namjoon wanted to tell you years ago," Jin interrupted once again, his words harsh and unforgiving. "He tried to tell you years ago. But your security and staff would never give him the opportunity to explain."

Chinhwa took measured breaths, visibly doing his best not to overreact. "I can't change what happened in the past, but I . . . I'm trying to do things right now. I'm trying -"

But Jin wasn't listening as he pushed past the older man, storming out into the hallway. "I can't deal with this right now."

Besides the uncomfortable cough the nurse let out, no one spoke for a full minute. Everyone was stunned into silence.

Once that shocked stupor faded, however, Chinhwa nodded to the private investigator. "Soomin?"

"I'll watch over him," Soomin - the private investigator - said. "I haven't seen anyone from Golden Oil yet, but just in case, I'll make sure they don't approach."

Chinhwa let out a muffled thank you, bowing his head in gratitude as she took off after Jin. He tried to rearrange his features into a more positive expression before turning back towards the boys, but it was too late. Taehyung had already seen his look of rejection.

Jungkook noticed it as well. "Mr. Kim . . . Jin is very protective over Namjoon. With everything that's happened over the years, I think he's afraid of someone taking advantage of Namjoon again."

"And I respect him for that. I do," Chinhwa said, his poor attempt at a smile drooping around the edges. "For now, I guess all I can do is get tested. And after that . . . After that, I'll let Namjoon decide if he wants to see me or not."

It was a noble decision, one that made Taehyung's chest swell with pride. Another person might demand to see their child, but Chinhwa was mindful and empathetic. The older man understood that his personal wishes did not outweigh the wishes of another.

"I'll let you know once Taehyung is in his new room," the nurse said following another brief pause, probably eager to finish up so he could escape this tumultuous family affair. "Shouldn't be more than thirty minutes."

Jungkook pressed one last kiss to Taehyung's cheek, his rough lips gingerly sliding over his skin. "Be an angel for me, yeah?"

"Always am," Taehyung retorted, sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend.

Once they were gone, the nurse got to work. He checked Taehyung's vitals, jotted down some notes, and then changed his bandage. At one point, Taehyung made the mistake of glancing at his stitched up and raw skin. The gruesome sight called up a surge of nausea within his stomach, and he had to turn away so he wouldn't throw up all over the poor nurse. He wisely diverted his attention for the remainder of the examination.

The nurse revealed that everything appeared to be in good shape, so he would get to work on readying a new room. Once Taehyung transferred out of recovery, the plan was to get him some breakfast, remove the catheter in his bladder, and get him up and walking. But until then, all he had to do was rest.

His only mission was to relax.

Relax. Taehyung was pretty sure he forgot the true meaning of that word long ago.

Following the nurse's departure, the room fell into the stillness Taehyung had craved. But now that he was alone, now that he knew nothing but stillness and silence, it was too unnerving. Days after days of nonstop activity had trained Taehyung to constantly scan over his surrounding environment and search for potential danger. As a result, there was never a time when he wasn't on edge or jumpy.

But now . . .

Now it was tranquil. Now a refreshing serenity filled the air. And to be quite honest, Taehyung didn't know what to do with any of it. He didn't know how to handle all of this peace.

It was then that Taehyung truly comprehended that it was over. All of that running and hiding was over. The need to remain painstakingly alert was no longer so urgent. The demand to continuously act and react transformed from an explicit requirement to a mellow suggestion. All he had to do now was sit back and see where the world decided to take him.

The revelation was so beautiful - so completely consuming - that Taehyung barely noticed two new nurses at his door.

"Kim Taehyung, right?" One of the nurses asked in a friendly tone.

Taehyung came out of his thoughts and spotted the gurney hovering just outside his doorway. "Yeah. Is that -?"

"Kim Namjoon, yes," the second nurse responded. "We were told that he's your brother. If it's alright with you, we figured we would keep him with you for now."

"Yes, of course." Taehyung pushed himself up against his pillows, craning his neck to get a better view of Namjoon as he was rolled beside his own bed.

There was no sign of the lively, energetic man Taehyung had come to know over these past three years. Namjoon's skin was wan and sallow, lacking its typical warmth and glow. His cheeks appeared gaunt and - maybe it was just the lighting - yellowing bruises seemed to adorn the area beneath his eyes. A long tube leading to his stomach peeked out from his hospital gown, and multiple wires poked into his hands and arms.

His brother looked like he'd been to hell and back.

"He was awake a couple of minutes ago, but he's still coming off of the anesthesia," one of the nurses informed Taehyung, locking the wheels of Namjoon's bed into place. "I wouldn't expect him to be entirely aware just yet. Plus, I'm about to give him some hefty painkillers, so he's not going to be the best conversationalist right now."

"Okay."

Taehyung bit his lip as it started to tremble, realizing he was seconds away from breaking down. Because seeing his friend, his bodyguard, his brother like this . . . And knowing he would live . . .

It was too much.

The moment the nurses left, he let his tears fall. His sobs were deep and inelegant, a culmination of the exhaustion, terror, and pain he harbored for so long. But he didn't try to calm himself down or bottle up his emotions. No, he had to get it all out. He had to feel.

So he relived each and every moment of anguish and grief.

He allowed his muscles to weaken with weariness and fatigue.

And he let the bright and breathtaking relief heal everything that came before.

Once his weeping quieted and his tears dried - thanks to his poor nurse who awkwardly plopped a box of tissues in his lap - Taehyung fully relaxed into his pillows. All he wanted to do now was doze off.

The world, as always, had other plans.

"Tae?" A groggy and disoriented voice sounded from beside him.

"Joonie," Taehyung breathed, twisting so he could meet his brother's gaze. That was the wrong move. "Oh, fuck. Ow."

Namjoon attempted to lift his head, but his actions were uncoordinated and woozy. He flopped back onto the pillow.

"Don't do that. Rest," Taehyung admonished, though he recognized he was no better as he sat up.

"What happened?"

"You were shot."

"If I got shot," Namjoon drawled out, his words clunky and pitchy, "then why are you here?"

Taehyung watched his brother closely as he said, "You jumped in front of a bullet for me. I jumped in front of one for Jungkook."

That certainly caught Namjoon's attention. He jolted upright for a millisecond before the pain of the action sent him crashing back down. "What? Is Kook . . . Is Jin -?"

"They're both okay. Everyone is here and they're alright."

Namjoon stared up at the ceiling, his eyes so unfocused that Taehyung wasn't sure if he was all there.

"Joon?" Taehyung whispered as he settled back into his own bed. "Do you understand what I'm saying right now?"

"Yeah. Fuck, I understand." His brother's head lolled to the side so he could glare at Taehyung. "I understand that the person I protected for three years was stupid and jumped in front of an active shooter."

Taehyung couldn't stop the laugh from bubbling up on his tongue. "Hey, I learned from the best. And besides, that's what a bodyguard is supposed to do for the person they're charged with protecting. For the person they love."

That didn't alter Namjoon's assessment. "Stupid."

As Taehyung watched Namjoon's eyes slowly lose their focus once more, he decided to do something that most definitely was stupid. Probably a little unfair, too. "Joonie?"

"I'm sleepy . . . What?"

"Do you think you'll remember this conversation?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" His brother's eyes began falling shut, though he blinked rapidly in an attempt to remain awake.

"Right." Taehyung inhaled deeply, wishing he was close enough to brush back Namjoon's unkempt hair. "I'm only telling you this now because I'm hoping that you won't freak out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Namjoon murmured, mouth pressed against his pillows.

"It means . . My dad didn't know. He never knew he had another son. And if you want, he'd really like to talk to you."

There was a long gap where neither of them spoke. But just before Taehyung went to turn away, to let the elder rest, Namjoon let out two sleep-fueled and amusedly incredulous words:

"No, shit."

That wasn't what Taehyung anticipated in the least, and he swore his eyebrows disappeared far into his hairline. "Joon?"

This time, there was no answer at all. Namjoon's mouth fell open as he quietly snored, knocked out from all his medication.

And while Taehyung wished they could've discussed everything now, he found comfort in something else. They had time. They had a future.

They had tomorrow.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Even though it was a short scene, I absolutely loved the bonding between JK and Tae's dad! It felt so wholesome to me. Did you guys have a favorite part?

As we get closer and closer to the end, these chapters almost become more difficult to write. I'm starting to answer those final questions, close old plot points, and lay the stepping stones for these characters' futures. I'm taking my time and being extra purposeful with everything, but still . . . I'm not ready for it to end!

I know I've asked this question before, but I'm going to ask it again because I'm greedy and your responses make me so happy - Tell me what you think of No Going Back!