656.

[TIME SKIP]

"Hey dad, guess everything is fine there." Jungkook smiled looking at his father's and mother's framed portraits. "Hey mom, I hope you're happy with dad. I brought your favorite flowers."

The omega stood in front of his parents' resting place. The afternoon son cast a warm glow over the small memorial. The gentle breeze ruffled through his hair, feeling like someone caressed his head. He put the flowers down, staring at them in silence. His heart was heavy.

It has been a while since Jungkook has been here. He couldn't just bring himself to visit them because he was still hurting. Now after months, it still hurt deeply. He mourned even now and learned time doesn't just erase the pain of losing someone. It rather teaches someone to live with it.

He missed his father everyday. Waking up without him was painful on some days. But now he had someone to lean on and take comfort from. He wasn't alone and now he had a family. Thanks to his father's advice.

"You knew I would be miserable without you." Jungkook smiled. "You wanted me to be selfish and take this chance with Jimin hyung because you knew we were both imprinted on each other. You were sure Jimin hyung would always choose me and he will take care of me. Thank you, dad. I listened to you and I'm not alone anymore." He clasped his hands together in front of him. "I still miss you. No bond is strong enough to replace you, they never will. I miss you every day, but I take comfort in the fact that you're with mom now."

A few tears trickled down his pale cheeks. It felt surreal, standing here talking to stone and only holding onto memories while only a few months ago, his sole purpose of living was his father. He crouched down, fingers brushing at their faces.

"Hey mom, I'm sure you knew already and dad might have told you, but I met someone. You saved his life. Park Jimin is his name. He's the same pup you spend the night comforting." He sighed. "It's bittersweet how things turned out actually. Jimin hyung still feels guilty that I had to grow up without but he's doing a very good job taking care of me and you can be assured, he will be there for me for the rest of my life." He took a deep breath. "I never knew how you used to sound, but Jimin hyung, my alpha, told me and he even sometimes sings that song you sang to him that night. I haven't told him that it's the same song dad sang to me every night until I was old enough." He chuckled. "Jimin hyung is cute when he sings. He gets all shy when I compliment his voice. Apparently his singing voice is much sweeter in contrast to his speaking voice. So he doesn't let the others hear him at any chance. I'm the only exception it seems."

He stared at their photos for a long moment silently. He absent mindedly picked up a small pebble, rolling it between his fingers. Just being there in his parents' presence brought him a sense of calm. It was as if they were right there with him. There was also an odd sense in the silence.

"Dad, mom, I have one more news." His smile grew a little bright. "You have an alpha son now. I listened to dad's advice and was selfish one more time. His name is Kim Taehyung and he used to be my celebrity crush." He laughed. "Honestly speaking, he didn't have to adopt me and I also had Jimin hyung but I couldn't refuse when he asked me if I'd be willing to be his brother. Jimin hyung is family, yes, but I wanted something more. You know growing up, I always wondered how it would have been to have a sibling and I couldn't resist when he asked. So I went and got myself a brother. My wolf is very fond of him. Taehyung hyung is someone I could connect with on a deeper level. I love having a brother and he's the absolute best. He would kick Jimin hyung's ass if he made me cry, you know?" His smile was sad. "I wish you were here to see it, though. You both would have loved him a lot. Taehyung hyung would have loved you too. I'll bring him the next time I come to visit you."

He bowed deeply, feeling that overwhelming sorrow inside of him again.

"Thanks to Mr. Park, I have a proper place to pay you respect. He made all this possible. Rest in peace, dad and mom. Your son is taken care of. While I miss you a lot, there are a lot of people who love me and take care of me like you did. I surrounded myself with good people. Mrs. Park is also warming up to me and I'm sure things will be alright in the future." He took a deep breath. "Continue to watch over me and I hope I give you a reason to smile every day just like you gave me a reason to smile when you were alive. When I hear how Taehyung hyung's parents left him with a nanny at a very young age and was never there for him in person, I realize how blessed I have been in my life to have known your love. Mom, even if I were too small to remember you, I love you. I can't say I miss you because I don't know what it is like to have you in my life. But please know that I'm very proud of you. Your courage gives me strength and I look up to you."

He took a step back, putting a hand on his chest. His heart beat steadily under his palm.

"Dad made me promise that I'll live my life well and told me that's how I honor him. I'm doing just that. I love you both and I'll forever miss you. I'll see you soon."

As he turned to leave, the sun slowly dipped down the horizon and the wind ruffled his hair one more time. The final rays of sun cast a shadow, following him down the path.

They might not be with him now, but their memories will always live within him.

***

657.

[A FEW DAYS LATER]

"Surprise!"

Jungkook blinked as he glanced around at the unfamiliar place with a frown. His eyes adjusted to the lighting as Taehyung finally removed his blind fold after driving him around. It was a cafe or used to be one. That much he could tell.

"What should I look for? Did you hide something here?"

A treasure hunt? There are no notes here, though.

Taehyung beamed, face lighting up with excitement and waved his hand around. "This cafe. That's your surprise."

Jungkook's frown deepened. "How is this closed cafe my surprise?"

He once again looked around in bewilderment to ensure he didn't miss anything. There were no signs of other people around and no one jumped from behind the counter with some banners. Dust coated the counters and it looked like this place had been closed for a while now.

Taehyung scowled. "This cafe is your gift, you dumbass. Surely, you cannot be that obvious! Why else would I bring you here?"

Jungkook stared at him in disbelief. "My gift? Are you insane? What am I going to do with this empty place?""

Taehyung rolled his eyes, grabbing his shoulders and turning him around. "Look at this place. This has so much potential in the hands of someone like you."

"What?" He glared at him incredulously, his brows creasing. "What am I going to do with this cafe?"

"Run it, duh!" Taehyung clapped his back. "You cannot work for someone as a part-timer due to your position with the Park family, but you can run your own business. This also gives you more freedom and will guarantee you financial independence in the long run."

Jungkook glared at him. "Hyung, I'm a student, not a businessman like any of the hyungs. I know nothing about it. This is too much."

"Not in my eyes," Taehyung said. "You don't have to be here 24/7. There will be people working for you. You'll have an entire team, who you'll have to supervise and already has an investor..." He waved at himself "...who doesn't care about losses."

"What?" Jungkook narrowed his eyes on him.

The actor put both his hands on his shoulder, shaking him once."My dear little brother, this cafe is located literally in the commercial center and has been here for almost seventy years. It's kinda historical place. The former owner was a stinky brat who inherited this from his parents and ruined it. He got into a lot of debt by betting on horses and never paid his staff on time."

"Oh."

Taehyung smiled. "I tried to buy this place from him but he was not that easy to convince, you know. But finally the sale went through. And the people who work here depend on this job and most of them are sole breadwinners to their family." He gripped Jungkook's shoulder and squeezed. "I couldn't think of anyone better than you to run this business." He pulled back to clap louder. "You can make as many mistakes as you want and your big brother wouldn't care. And there's also a catch." He put his index finger in front of him. "You get a brand ambassador along with this gift."

Jungkook chuckled. "You're too much."

The staff door behind the counter opened and around a dozen people stepped outside. They walked toward them and Jungkook's eyes widened. At least seven of them were in their late fifties and there was one pregnant omega. He was a male and looked like he couldn't be a year or two older than Jungkook. The others were part-timers.

"I paid them the pending salaries and now they're yours. Mr. Lee here is the cafe manager with over two decades of experience. He'll guide you. And then we have an accountant." Taehyung pointed. "A chef and a pastry chef who were never utilized properly for their talents, but kept this place going. We also have dishwashers, bussers, barista, cashier. You have everyone here."

"Wow." Jungkook didn't know how to respond right then.

"It's gonna take some while to get the business up and running but it's all yours now. And these people need a job."

Jungkook huffed. "You should have been a salesman instead of an actor. I see what you're doing here."

Taehyung winked. "I cannot call myself your brother if I don't know how to trick you into accepting this."

Jungkook pouted. "This is too much. My knowledge is very limited and this is a huge responsibility. I don't know if I can do this."

"You will get enough time, Jungkook. This place needs to be renovated and it'll take at least two months to reopen this again. In the meantime, you can study more and get ready. Besides, you won't be running this alone. You'll have a lot of help. Mr. Lee is an experienced man. He will teach you the ropes of this business."

Jungkook's gaze darted to the staff, who all looked at him expectantly. Mr. Lee nodded encouragingly. "Okay."

"I've been here a few times when the old owners ran this place. The ambiance used to be quite good and a lot of people come here," Taehyung continued. "They ran this place with love, but now it's all gone."

"Oh."

Taehyung wasn't done there. "I'll also hire you a marketing and business development team, who will help you promote this place. Also, you can offer a lot more and broaden your spectrum if you're up for it."

"You sound more like a marketing person right now." Jungkook huffed. "You won't change your mind so just show me how we go about this."

"Awesome!" Taehyung lifted both his thumbs with a huge grin while the staff cheered. "People, this is your new boss, Jeon Jungkook aka my darling brother. Please take care of him."

"Congratulations!"

Jungkook could only smile shyly as the sounds of cheers echoing around him. He bowed, accepting it all hesitantly. This was a huge step and something he hasn't ever dreamed of. One thing after the other kept happening and he suddenly felt overwhelmed.

But Taehyung's trust in him and his support held him hostage. He didn't want to refuse this. It might hurt Taehyung if he did. He was trying to help him build his life and secure it in the long run. So if there was ever a situation where Jungkook had no one to rely on, he will still be able to fend for himself.

A lump formed in his throat as he lunged at Taehyung, wrapping his arms around his neck. His brother returned the hug, patting his back as he tightened the embrace.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Jungkook," he whispered. "Your brother won't let you fail."

Jungkook nodded into his shoulder, scoffing through his tears. Yes, I won't fail as long as I have you.