A/n : OMG! 600+ votes T0T tysm guys <3

~ Is It Too Late To Say Sorry ~

*JUNGKOOK'S POV*

"I'll see you tomorrow, Soo-ah!", I said as I took off my apron and kept it inside the locker. 

She nodded in my direction, her eyes narrowed and shining with something behind her hooded glance. 

"Have you taken your meds?", she asked as she continued with her job, her voice cold and distant. 

"Yes, eomma.", I said sarcastically but with a small smile gracing my lips. 

She frowned at me, but didn't retaliate like she usually would've done so, which would have resulted in me losing in the end. 

Strange...

I opened the door of the locker room to exit but was stopped by someone holding onto my shirt. I turned around to find Sookyung looking at the ground, mumbling something. 

"Soo-ah? What is it?", I asked, perplexed at her behaviour. 

"You're so dumb, Jungkookie.", she said in a cracked voice, not really looking up at me. 

"How am I dumb!?", I asked, taken aback by her sudden outburst. 

"Oh, Kookie...you're so lucky too...talk it out with Kim. Trust me, it would do you good. And if you can, take him with you to your appointments. He'd feel wanted.", she said out of nowhere with a smile which concealed a million thoughts and emotions she wanted to convey. 

I nodded, understanding her internal conflicts. 

After all, Taehyung and she had been together for a long time. 

I wonder how it would feel like...

To date him...

To hold his hands and kiss his lips...

"Go on. Talk to Taehyung. Let him know everything you felt. Let him feel you. Don't make the same mistake I made.", she said as she hugged me and pushed me out of the room. 

"I won't!", I said as I stumbled out slightly, holding on to the counter to regain my balance after the sudden movement. 

"Also, he's been waiting since an hour.", Sookyung sniggered as she pointed to the two males in trench coats and caps, standing outside and leaning against the clean glass panes of the diner, waiting in expectation and anticipation most probably. 

I chuckled lightly at the absurd cuteness of the 90s film scenario. Picking up my coat, I opened the door and walked some distance until I came over to the spot where they were standing. 

"Hey...", I said as a form of announcing my presence. 

Both of them looked up, their faces hidden by masks and also by the darkness of the streets, the light from the streetlights forming silhouettes of them on the stoned pavement. They looked mysterious and untrustworthy, all thanks to their get-up. 

"Took you long enough.", one of the two males said gruffly, not bothering with the niceties. 

"I'm sorry. Can we...um...talk about this at my place?", I suggested, not really expecting them to be cooperative. 

After all, I had hurt them and given them no reason to trust me. 

"That would be better. I'm chilled to the damn bones!", the male with the lighter voice said. 

"I'll leave you both to it then. Be back before tomorrow, Taehyung. I hope you remember what we've spoken about.", the other male said putting certain amount of emphasis on the last sentence before turning around and leaving. 

"Yes, hyung.", he said before shoving his hands in the trench coat pockets. 

I couldn't help but wonder what they'd spoken about. 

"Lead the way. Unless you want us to become human snowmen, of course.", he remarked sarcastically. 

My eyes shot up to his face which held nothing but discontempt and displeasure in volumes. 

I had disappointed him...

"Y-Yes. Do you wanna take the bus?", I offered. 

"What do you usually do?", he counter questioned, passing on the ball into my court. 

"I usually walk home. Keeps me warmer.", I said with a shrug. 

"Then, let's do that. Maybe it'll keep me warmer too.", he said with some underlying meaning to his words. 

I didn't reply and instead began walking in the direction of my home, with him following silently and soundlessly behind me, the snow muffling our footsteps. I wouldn't have probably realized he was behind me if it wasn't for his laboured and strained breathing through the barriers of his mask. 

After walking for about 15 minutes, we finally reach our destination. By that time, I had completely gone on autopilot and feeling pukish and zombie-like. 

Confrontations like this make me squeamish and uneasy. 

I opened the door, which creaked open, revealing a dark and dingy hallway creating a perfect scenario for a horror movie. I hit the lights as soon as the room, the yellow glow of the incandescent bulb exuding a certain warmth and comfort in the cold and dreary atmosphere. 

"So, now what?", Taehyung suddenly questioned as he arched an eyebrow in my direction, his brown irises gleaming in the yellow sheen. 

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I took of the trench coat and hung it on the hanger, turning my back to him so that I didn't have to look at the expressions etched across his face. It was also, a possible way of calming myself and giving myself a few moments of savouring the quiet before my answer ensued the storm and let to the opening of Pandora's box. Devoid of hope, in this case. 

"Would you like hot chocolate? With those little marshmallow thingies?", I answered him with a question, not finding a suitable way to answer his question. 

I heard him sigh after a few seconds, before he replied,"Yes, please."

I walked towards the kitchen wordlessly, his formal tone and words cutting through my heart like a jagged piece of ice. Twisting and turning and threatening to bleed soon enough. 

It was pure torture as I snuck secretive looks at the boy who, in a span of two months, had stolen my heart and was completely unaware of it. It hurt to see him standing so near and yet so far off. As if he was merely a figment of my imagination, subject to disappearing any minute. 

After a couple of minutes, I places two cups of steaming hot chocolate with mushroom like clouds forming in the air while small pink marshmallows swam at the surface of the brown expanse of the tantalizing liquid. 

I sat opposite to him and observed him through veiled glances, the vapours in front of me like a curtain to hide my rude disposition. 

We sipped from our cups silently, neither of us uttering a single word. Only the occasional clang of porcelain against porcelain or slurping noises was heard. Or else, deafening silence was what our ears were being subjected to. Silence so loud that it dulled the out-worldly sounds, creating a blanket of buzzing noises in our ears. 

"JK...how long are we playing this silence game? I'm tired of it.", Taehyung said, breaking the silence and filling it's place instead with fatigueness and weariness. 

I traced my finger along the rim of the now empty cup, as I searched for a suitable reply to his extremely difficult question. 

"I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to cut off ties. I-I j-just d-didn't k-know h-how t-to a-approach y-you.", I apologized albeit with a bad case of stammering. 

"That's water under the bridge. Apologies will not solve anything at this point.", Taehyung said sternly. 

I gulped slightly and nodded, words having failed me by this time. 

"I have a suggestion to make. How about we play a game? 20 questions. I'm sure you've heard about it?", he asked as he arched an eyebrow in my direction, eliciting my response. 

"Um...yes, I have. But, how's that going to solve the problem?", I asked, perplexed at his suggestion. It just didn't make sense how a bunch of questions was going to help matters at hand. 

"I want to know you, Jeon Jungkook. The entire you. And what better method, than playing 20 questions. But of course, honesty is a must.", he said as he rest his chin on his palm and leaned in a bit. 

Know me...

Why would you even want to do that...

When there's nothing special about me...

"Maybe it should be the other way round. Tell me more about who you are, Kim Taehyung. I want to know your story. And that's my first question for you.", I said, defiantly. 

I realized...

That all these days, the only disclosing so far had been only on my side.

And that I practically knew nothing about the person called Kim Taehyung. 

Now, I needed— no demanded —to know his story. 

His face darkened at my question, the air thickening with underlying tension and aggression. I could feel that something horrific and terrifying was about to be unleashed upon my request. Something not meant for anyone's ears, let alone mine. 

"My...story?", he asked after a few seconds of pause, his tone low and distant.

"Yes. Your story.", I said, putting up a brave front, but fearing what was going to be the result of my demands. 

He looked at me, judging my honesty perhaps and weighing the pros and cons of the situation. After a few moments, he reclined in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. 

"I must warn you, it's not pretty.", he said, trying to deter me from diving in further. 

"I know. But now, I'm in too deep to let this go. I want to close this invisible distance between us. I know you. Now, I want to know your past.", I said, not budging from my decision of finding out who he truly was.

He smiled a small smile which bespoke of volumes of hurt and fear. Hurt due to the reopening of wounds. Fear of losing someone. 

"Once upon a time, in faraway Daegu, a boy named Kim Taehyung was born to his parents, in the wealthy and dark Kim household. There was joy and celebration everywhere. Happy, that an heir was born, to take over the family business. But little did they know, that the same boy, was a rebel. A black mark to their family name.", he began, as he stared off into the distance, as if reliving the moments of his early childhood. 

I tensed in my seat, holding my breath, apprehensive about what else was going to be revealed on the dark winter night. But I was to find out soon. 

That night, a story was told, not of children, but of a broken teen. 

Horrors were unleashed while old wounds were opened anew. Weaknesses were bared and exposed, the cards lay on the table. Barriers were broken and we finally saw each other. 

Broken and bent. Lost and left. Saved and sacrificed. 

A/n : Dramaaaaaaa🙂✌🏻And I hope y'all liked this chapter hehe...I'm sorry for the late update coz I had my exams and a severe writer's block T-T

- Logging off for now...

-💕Moonie💕