The black dressed figure lost them from his sight for merely two seconds when they entered the kitchen. They slid into view again as they passed from the window. A sigh vibrated at the back of his throat, and he pulled his head away from the scope. He slithered his phone out of his pocket, staying in his prone position, and opened a dark chat.

The target isn’t alone

A countdown beside his message started the moment he hit send.

Only seconds later, an answer came. 

Who’s with him? 

The message he sent disappeared at once when he got that reply. 

Kim Taehyung

His indolent eyes stared at the screen as he waited. It took longer this time to receive an answer. 

Leave. And tell Jin Hae to leave town

The masked man sent an ‘okay’ and put away his phone. He collected his equipment and placed the sniper into his drag bag, then vanished unseen. 

. . .

After thoroughly searching the first floor, the two went upstairs. They found the large bedroom empty as well and the curtains pulled to the side. 

Jungkook lowered his gun, then holstered it. “Why the fuck did he send us to an empty house?”

Taehyung gazed out the window, absorbing the unfinished building that lay before him with a thoughtful look. “The house is empty because they wanted to kill us from outside.” He twisted his head to catch Jungkook’s gaze, and he could see the realization form in his eyes. “That’s why all the curtains are open. They wanted to watch us. Maybe a sniper?”

Instead of running frantically to take cover, both stayed motionless, as if they shared the same thoughts. “Since they didn’t kill us yet, it means there was a change of plans. Why?” Jungkook asked.

Taehyung shrugged an idle shoulder. “Who knows? Let’s just go back and talk to that Jin Hae.”

Silently agreeing, Jungkook headed downstairs, with Taehyung trailing behind him. 

A similar quietness as before wafted in the car, though a notion of reprieve was tangled in it. Their plans, for whatever reason, changed, and the chances of attacking them now were slim to none. They had the perfect opportunity to kill them, but they didn’t. Why? This inquiry raced in their minds madly until Jungkook pulled over in front of a department store. 

With obvious confusion, Taehyung fixed him with a stare. “What are you doing?”

Jungkook unbuckled his seat belt. “Buying you a scarf.”

“You don’t have to.”

The lack of Jungkook’s response disturbed him and his exit from the car with a stony expression generated a mire of puzzlement in his stomach. His eyes remained at a standstill at the entrance of the store, waiting for Jungkook to return. His lips were pursed in a pout and a saddened crease was inscribed between his brows. 

When Jungkook strolled into his vision again, the unconscious mask of sulkiness on his face didn’t even flinch. His eyes tailed each one of his steps and fastened on him as he took his seat. Jungkook tossed the newly bought scarf on his lap without sparing him a glance, and something exploded within Taehyung, razing his self-composure to the ground. 

“What’s wrong with you?”

The turbulent growl cutting Taehyung’s voice glaciated Jungkook when he was about to turn on the engine. His hand lingered on his keys, then it dropped as he reclined, still refraining from looking at him. “What do you think?”

“Yah. Are you mad at me?”

“Yes, I’m fucking mad.” His eyes only traveled to him to cast him a blazing glare. “There are no words to describe how stupid you acted back there. I get that you know how to handle guns, but the tricks you picked up on the streets don’t make you skillful enough as a detective. I asked you to stay behind me because I’ve done this hundreds of times. I opened doors and criminals were waiting to shoot me hundreds of times. What makes you so fucking sure about yourself that you wanted to go off alone to search that house?”

Taehyung stewed in his exasperation as he listened to his tongue-lashing. The answer to his question dangled on the tip of his mouth dangerously, but he crushed it by pressing his lips together. “Jungkook.” His voice was tight, though its low timbre didn’t embody any semblance of fury; it was rather apathetic. “I’ll only say one thing and leave it there. You don’t know shit about my past.”

Bitter rage boiled in Jungkook’s bloodstream like a pernicious conflagration, contorting his face in a ruthless scowl. “How would I since you don’t tell me fucking anything?” His remark came out in a low murmur, laden with sourness. 

“That’s your problem now? That I don’t talk about my past?”

A maelstrom broke out in Jungkook’s chest, so powerful and headlong it exhorted him to bang his fist on the dashboard. “My problem is that you could have died!” The resonance of his roar vibrated in the car, causing Taehyung’s heart to leap. Not in fear, but in remorse. With a sudden feebleness sweeping across Jungkook’s form, he folded his arm over the wheel and let his head fall on his forearm. “You could have died,” he whispered, feeling the same constriction in his chest at the repetition of these words. “How could I let you go off alone? If something happened to you...”

Taehyung extended a hand and laid it on his shoulder. “I get it. You’re right, Kook. I’m sorry.” He watched him through gloomy eyes as he rubbed soothing lines on Jungkook’s back. 

Jungkook found the strength to lift his head again at Taehyung’s warm touch. He slowly leaned back and took hold of his hand, letting his gaze rest on Taehyung’s face. “I don’t care about your past. I don’t care how skillful you are. I only care about keeping you safe. I dragged you here. I have to at least keep you safe.”

A tenderness disfigured the gloom in Taehyung’s eyes as he cupped his hand, caressing it. “I chose to come with you. But I really get what you’re saying. I would feel the same. Fuck, I do feel the same. You’re here because of a case that’s related to me. I want to keep you safe too.”

Jungkook managed a smile, small but fond. “I’m sorry for yelling. I was angry. Only because I was scared.”

Taehyung gently shook his head. “It’s okay.” He ran his palm down the side of his face in a delicate slide, smiling at each other. “Thank you for the scarf. Although I wanted another color. I already have three black scarves.”

Jungkook missed his warmth when he retracted his hand, though he didn’t voice it and instead started the engine. “I went for something discreet. We don’t know where else we'll go today.”

“Good thinking. I’ll compromise then.”

Jungkook breathed a short chuckle at that lilt of mirth in his voice, and they went back to the station in a much more cozy ambiance. 

The guard wasn't at his post, they observed, as they trod towards the entrance. They walked into the station, and Jungkook aimed his eyes at Jin Hae’s desk, only to find it vacant. He swept the place with a thorough look, but he was nowhere to be found. 

“He’s not here, huh?” Taehyung asked and sighed when he noticed Jungkook shake his head. 

“Let’s go talk to the officer sitting close to his desk.” They proceeded further inside and halted in front of the said officer. “Hi. I’m detective Jeon Jungkook.” He accompanied his introduction with the display of his badge. 

The man rose to his feet and bowed. “I’m officer Son Jang Eun. How can I help you?”

“Do you know where Jin Hae is?”

“Oh. He said there was an emergency and practically sprinted out of here.”

Jungkook and Taehyung exchanged a look in shared condemnation tinged with frustration. The latter bowed his head in a formal greeting. “I’m Taehyung. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

“Um, sure,” Jang Eun said as he gestured them to sit. 

Once they did, Jungkook spoke up. “I asked Jin Hae about detective Seo Ju Hyun. Have you ever heard of him? He quit twelve years ago.”

“No. I’m actually kind of new here. Do you want me to search for his name? But why are you looking for him? If it’s okay to ask.”

Jungkook was sure Jang Eun was truthful by his diffident manner; he exuded something genuine that couldn’t be faked. “We want to ask him about a case he was handling. Can you find his information?”

“I’ll try.” The officer typed his name into the search bar and clicked on his information. “Do you want to call him?”

“Can I see the number?” Jungkook asked, and once he got a nod of approval, he walked around the desk. He compared the number with the one Jin Hae gave him. “It doesn’t exist. I tried calling him earlier. And his address is not valid either.” With dejection weighing upon his shoulders, Jungkook returned to his seat. 

“Can we find someone who knew him at least?” Taehyung asked. 

“As far as I know, no one works here for more than eight years. And the chief has changed three times in the last ten years. I can read his information, though. Maybe we’ll find something.”

Jungkook sighed, but still nodded. His gaze was anchored on the officer as he scrolled down, and a spurt of anticipation flowed through his gut when Jang Eun’s brows puckered. “What is it?”

Jang Eun endeavored to speak through the sudden heaviness in his throat. “His whole team... died. One by one. Within a year.”

The revelation struck them like a thunderbolt, injecting shock into their eyes that widened them. 

“When was this?” Jungkook was the first to climb out of the appalling daze. 

“In 2003.” 

“Nineteen years ago,” Taehyung murmured, his gaze still swimming in turbidity. “How did they die?”

Jang Eun read further with his brows knitted together and sorrow twinkling in his eyes. “All of them were murdered.”

“All of them are cold cases, right?” Jungkook questioned. 

“Yes.” 

“What happened to detective Ju Hyun?”

“It says he took a year off after his team died. Then, he did desk work. And later he quit, as you already know.”

Jungkook massaged his forehead, sighing in frustration at the deadlock they stumbled upon again. He hastened to take his phone out and called Seokjin. 

“Hey, Kook. How are things going?”

“Hyung, can you find anyone who was working here twelve years ago?”

“I already tried.” The defeat was clear in his tone. “I tried calling everyone I found, but it’s like they disappeared. The chief from twelve years ago even moved to another country. Whoever wanted to make sure we couldn’t get our hands on this case did a flawless job on it.”

What the fuck? Was all Jungkook could think in this exasperating mess. “Thanks. Also, search for Park Jin Hae. He’s an officer.” 

“I’m on it.” Seokjin did as he was told and reviewed his file quickly. “I don’t see anything suspicious. I’ll dig into it more and call you later.”

“Okay.” Jungkook disconnected the call, his chest fluttering with another sigh. “It’s impossible to get a hold of anyone.” 

Taehyung frowned deeper at the raging dismay adorning Jungkook’s traits. “Can you give us Jin Hae’s address?”

Jang Eun threw a glance between the two and focused on Jungkook at last. “You’re a detective, so yes.” He wrote the address on a note and passed it to Taehyung. 

“Thank you.” 

Both stood and bowed, then shuffled out of the station. “Are you hungry?” Jungkook asked as they entered the car. 

“Not really. This frustration has killed my appetite.”

“I know, right?” Jungkook uttered bitterly. “Let’s go to Jin Hae’s house, although I doubt he’ll be there. Then, we’ll eat something.”

“You think he fled?”

“Yeah, probably. But it’s worth a shot.”

After Jungkook typed the address to the GPS, he drove off. It was only twenty minutes away, but it felt so much longer with the mass of demoralization that sat heavy on Jungkook’s chest. At least both he and Taehyung were alive and unharmed. 

They stepped out of the car once they arrived at the normal-sized house, and Taehyung rang the bell. Jungkook inspected the neighborhood, finding it oddly quiet, but he soon spotted an elder woman walking out of the adjacent house. “Excuse me.” He approached her and bowed. “Have you seen the man who lives here?”

“Oh, Jin Hae-yah? I saw him run out of his house with a bag earlier. I called out, but he didn’t answer. He seemed in a hurry.”

“Do you know him well?”

“We’re neighbors for over a year now, so yes. He’s such a kind man.”

Jungkook stared at her smiling face as she talked about Jin Hae and soon realized she knew nothing important. “Okay, thank you.” He drew nearer to Taehyung. “Let’s go.”

“We’re just leaving?” Taehyung asked in slight surprise. 

Before Jungkook could reply, his phone rang, and he took it in his hands. “Hyung. Did you find something?”

“Where do I even start?” Seokjin shook his head in sheer disbelief as he stared at the screen of his computer.

“Wait. Tae, let’s go to the car first.” The two scuttled towards the car and got inside. Jungkook put the call on speaker. “You can talk now.”

“His entire file is fake. His real name is Jung Jeo Soon. He’s an ex-convict. He was in for rape and aggravated assault. He got out twelve years ago, but he only served a month of his ten-year sentence because someone paid an enormous amount of money to get him out. Also, the real Park Jin Hae went missing around the time Jeo Soon got out of jail.”

While Jungkook tried to digest the new information, Taehyung fought a different chaos that was centered on the familiarity of that man’s name. He had definitely heard his name before, but he couldn’t connect the convoluted puzzle. “What else do you know about him?” Taehyung blurted out, as that itch in his gut was too irksome to dismiss. He had to remember for it to disappear. 

“He grew up in Daegu. He’s an orphan. He’s thirty-five years old. He was raised by gangs.”

Taehyung angled his head away to conceal his exertion to recall the wanted information. He chanted his name in his head along with the additional clues, and it seemed like his breath froze momentarily in his lungs when it suddenly burst on him. The blurred image of a fourteen-year-old Jeo Soon ruffling his hair when he introduced himself to the seven-year-old Taehyung convulsed his chest and sped up his heartbeat. 

Jeo Soon wasn’t raised by gangs. He was raised by his father’s gang. He was one of his men. 

Whoever was behind this, whoever put Jeo Soon in that position and ordered him to lead Jungkook to that house, wanted to keep the reason of his parents’ murder hidden. Why? Why Jeo Soon, who was raised practically by his father, would want to keep the wrongful loss of his parents hidden? Did he betray Ji Sun? Was he working for Chae Yeon now? But if Chae Yeon were behind this, she had the perfect opportunity to finally kill Taehyung. And if Chae Yeon weren't behind this, who the fuck was?

Taehyung’s thoughts were like a ferocious surge, cartwheeling and crashing against stones, swerving, leaping. God, he couldn’t let Jungkook know. It was too risky. He pushed his shock back with countless, unmerciful punches and forced his face to rid of the dreadful recollection so he could look at him again. 

“You okay?” Jungkook asked when Taehyung met his gaze. 

“Yeah. I just... I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Jungkook gave him a thin smile in shared bewilderment. “Thanks, Seokjin hyung. Send whatever you found to the station in Daegu. They have to know about this. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Bye, guys.”

“Bye,” Taehyung said and expelled an audible breath when Jungkook hung up. “What do we do? Maybe we can wait for that Jeo Soon. Or do you think he won’t show up?”

“Okay, let’s state the facts we have. Jeo Soon didn’t give us the same information as Jang Eun about Ju Hyun. He instead only gave us an address of an empty house. He disappeared suddenly before we got back to the station. He’s not at his house. He has a fake identity and probably even killed the real Jin Hae to take his identity. If I took a wild guess here, I’d say someone ordered him to lead us there so they can kill us. For some reason we don’t know, they didn’t kill us. Then, they ordered Jeo Soon to disappear because they knew we would go back to the station and search for him. The chances he’ll return to his house anytime soon are null.”

Taehyung banished from his head the disturbing recollections from before and allowed amazement to creep into his features. “Wow, you sound so smart. You are smart! That’s totally plausible.”

Jungkook chuckled at his cute look. “I think we don’t have anything else to do here. Let’s go back to Seoul.” Jungkook noticed a change in his expression, as if he slipped into the haziness of an invisible contemplation. “What is it?”

Taehyung wavered, his eyes dropping to his lap. He debated with himself in a long silence, but his rationality lost the battle. “I—I want... I think I want to visit my house.”

Jungkook’s face clouded over with gloom. “Won’t it be too painful?”

“Maybe,” he released in a whispering quiver. “But I have you.”

Faint dimples bloomed on Jungkook’s cheeks as he gazed at him fondly. “Yes. Yes, you do.” He carded his fingers through Taehyung’s hair and gave an empowering squeeze on his nape. “Let’s go then.”

  
Although both didn’t have a great appetite, they stopped to eat a serving of jjajangmyeon and then resumed their way to Taehyung’s house. 

The forty-minute ride ended soon, and Jungkook parked outside of the single, fairly big house. Once out of the car, he explored the wilted field behind the time-worn property and the rusty porch swing at the yard. “It’s so quiet here.”

Just at the sight of his house, Taehyung felt a tightness within his chest. He could smell the scent of his old life when he was the happiest, but it was something that taunted him, like a scarcely unreached longing. It was his home. And the last time he was there, he had to run for his life, leaving his dead parents behind. 

Jungkook redirected his gaze to him, poring over his glazed eyes. He edged closer without glancing away. He curled his arm around his shoulders and smiled sweetly at him. “You can do this. You’ll be fine. I’m right here.”

Taehyung chewed on his lower lip, unable to secrete his nervousness. His words were comforting enough to give a firm nod, and he riveted his eyes on the entrance of the house. 

They trudged side by side, and Jungkook reached to open the door. “Think of the good memories, Tae.” Presenting him with another encouraging smile, Jungkook pushed the door, and it opened with a drawn-out squeak. 

The dusky house brightened by the pale beams of the evening sun as they entered, but Taehyung straggled from him. He froze when he met the interior. The kitchen where his father once lay dead and the living room where he witnessed his mother being shot in the head. He screwed his eyes shut hard, his face filling with cruel lines of unbearable distress. His fingers dug into his palms and his chest began fluctuating so fast with harsh breaths it hurt. 

With a hasty stride, Jungkook slipped in front of him and set his hands on his shoulders. “Look at me. Just me.” His voice was flavored with a sweet gentleness, exuding a safety that quietened his faint trembling and soothed his contracted muscles. He offered him a soul-calming smile when Taehyung’s eyes unfolded. “This is the place where you lived your happiest days, Tae. Focus on that. And me.”

Taehyung inhaled a series of slow breaths and nodded jerkily. When Jungkook stepped aside and his eyes took in the image of the kitchen and living room again, it seemed the same, yet something felt different. 

Maybe it was Jungkook’s firm grip on his shoulder, maybe it was his fortifying words from before, maybe it was all together and his presence, but Taehyung couldn’t see the horrifying memories anymore; he could only see his mother lull him to sleep in her embrace, his father praise him smilingly every time he finished all of his food, his hyung and him laugh while they played various games, and a myriad of other little memories. 

A wetness stung his eyes before he knew it and his face distorted as he attempted to smile through his tears. He didn’t break down, though. These were wistful tears that soon dried on his cheeks on their own. 

“It’s a really humble house. Not what I imagined for a boss of a gang,” Jungkook said in an attempt to ease his distress. He also gave up on the grip on his shoulder and instead side-hugged him. 

Taehyung puffed out a trembling sigh, reveling in Jungkook’s warmth. “My father liked simplicity. He was a good father and cared for us a lot. Although he was away for business most of the time, I always felt loved by him. He called us every day and sent us pictures. It was like he was here with us even when he wasn’t.”

Jungkook’s small, tender smile was unyielding as he listened to him talk about his childhood. It was strangely pleasing and fulfilling. “How was your mother?”

“She was just as amazing. She gave me so much love. I can’t forget it. I miss her so much.” He rested his head on Jungkook’s shoulder when his voice cracked by the sudden yearning to feel his mother’s love again, even for a few seconds. 

Jungkook smoothed a delicate hand down the side of his head. “I know, Tae. We can sit outside if it’s too much for you.” He sensed Taehyung nod against him and gently rotated him, then led him out of the house. He aimed for the car, but the porch swing made him halt in contemplation. “Will it break if we sit here?”

Taehyung eyed the swing and lifted his leg to kick it. It screeched, but it seemed steady enough. He was about to talk when a muted chuckle tingled his ears, and he twisted his head, only to catch Jungkook laughing behind his fist.

“You’re cute.” Jungkook cleared his throat, fighting back his fond smile but failing. “I’m just speaking my mind.”

The sorrow wandering on Taehyung’s face slipped off as a delighted timidity lifted the droopy corners of his lips. “It seems okay, so let’s sit.”

And they did. Jungkook didn’t miss a beat to wrap his arm around his shoulders again. “I understand how you feel, you know. I haven’t gone into my hyung’s room since the day he died. I only opened the door to see if something was missing when they had broken into my house. And these five seconds were rather painful. Is it because we don’t have closure?”

Taehyung snuggled more into his side, leaning his head against him. “Yeah, I think so. It’s hard to accept someone’s death, but when you don’t know the reason... it’s pure torture.”

Jungkook gazed ahead, watching the few rays of sunlight strive to stay put, but the sun took shelter behind the mountain and hid its glow. Hues of pale pink and orange painted the sky and tinged the turbulent clouds, making them look much more friendly. The wind had also abated by a lot, though the cold only deepened with the lack of the sun’s warmth.

“I don’t remember the last time I watched the sunset,” Taehyung said in a gentle whisper that broke the silence just as delicately. 

“Me neither. It’s nice, isn’t?”

“Very. We should do this more often.”

Jungkook turned to look at him and waited until Taehyung lifted his eyes to his. “You want to watch the sunset with me often?”

Taehyung cracked a wide smile, nodding goofily. “It’s so comforting. Just... perfect.”

“I usually work at this hour, you know.”

“Well, I didn’t say to watch the sunset every day, you know,” Taehyung shot back in a playful tone. “Once a week is enough.” 

Jungkook let his eyes soak him in as much as possible in silence before he agreed with a quiet, “Okay.” Then, he resumed the wordless, visual admiration of his little content smile, as if all of his worries were forgotten at the moment, his sparkling chocolate eyes that seemed like drops of strong coffee, and his beauty. Truly, to this day, he still had no words to describe his beauty. 

“Kiss?”

Taehyung’s voice had the usual lilt of his that he so much enjoyed to hear, and instead of becoming fidgety like every time he asked for a kiss, Jungkook nodded twice without even an inkling of hesitation, awkwardness, or discomfort. 

Taehyung drew closer to his face, letting their breaths dance together for a few blazing seconds. He tilted his head and carved a velvet kiss on his cheek. His mouth hovered on his skin, then traveled closer to his, along with his hot breath. He pressed another kiss just beside the corner of Jungkook’s lips.

Taehyung’s self-restraint seemed to melt like a piece of butter left too close to the fire the more he allowed this closeness. The path of goosebumps prickling the skin along his spine festered, and the tautness in his stomach began leaping and thrashing about. 

That was until all he could hear was his own heartbeat squeak in his ears. All he could feel was that goddamn desire pump through his veins to claim his mouth. And all he could see through the daze of his devouring want was Jungkook. 

He dared another kiss that touched the edge of Jungkook’s mouth this time. His heart started to give off even bigger explosions at Jungkook’s complete stillness and the feel of his breath against his face that came faster and faster. Stop me, Jungkook. Please, stop me, he begged internally as his lips came to stroke a bit more of his mouth in a tender nudge. Stop me. Another kiss was planted that claimed almost half of his motionless lips. Because I don’t think I can stop myself anymore. 

Taehyung’s convulsing heart ached suddenly, stalling his lips that were about to smash against his. That pang acted as a reminder of who he really was and who was in front of him — whose lips he was a millisecond away from devouring.

He liked Jungkook in a way he shouldn’t — this phrase played in his head like a fucking broken record — and he had been lying to him since the moment his mission started. He had hurled lies after lies at him with that mouth he was about to kiss him. That unsparing, sickening mouth of his had no right touching such a heavenly mouth as Jungkook’s. 

With self-disgust brimming his insides and forming a burning dampness along the lower layer of his lids, Taehyung receded. 

But then, a rough hand hastened to grasp the hair at the back of his head and that dirty mouth of his was found crushed against Jungkook’s lips.

No fireworks exploded — no sparks glowed. Just plain, overriding ruefulness pummeled through Taehyung’s stomach that nudged the tears he struggled to choke back out of him. 

Jungkook flew into delirium. Having a small taste of his mouth turned him into a wild beast that was thirsty for more, and he just couldn’t hold back. His mouth was strongly squeezed against his until Jungkook relaxed his jaw and rolled his lips. Taehyung’s unresponsiveness should have been his cue to draw away, but he instead cradled his cheek, pushing his face closer. 

The wetness he felt beneath his palm was what stiffened every inch of his body and exhorted him to break apart from him. He studied him worriedly, catching the teardrops that oozed out of his closed eyes. “T-Tae?”

Taehyung’s head darted in the opposite direction, like a whip. He swiftly brushed away his tears and sniffed, then swallowed past the suffocating lump in his throat. “Sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m just overwhelmed. I shouldn’t... I shouldn’t have done that.”

Jungkook maintained his silence for a while. The task of gathering himself and his thoughts was too exacting. He dipped his head, overly embarrassed to look at him. “No, I’m sorry. You’re clearly in a vulnerable place right now. And I used that without realizing it.”

Taehyung patted his eyes with his sleeves, successfully drying out the oncoming tears. He sniffled again. Even dared to peek at him. “I shouldn’t have teased you like that. I really didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression. I was just overwhelmed as I said. Needed some comfort.”

“It’s cool,” Jungkook forced himself to say with an edge of heaviness, still avoiding his gaze. “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, either. I guess it’s been a while since I kissed someone. That’s why I kinda, you know, lost it there.”

Their saccharine lies imposed an ease on the atmosphere — a rather fragile one. Still, the air was flooded with unspoken words, fathomless regret, and a brute oppression that built a wall between them. 

In the silence that followed, they sat like two strangers brought together randomly. They fed themselves more lies and assuaged their anguish by whispering to it that it was just a moment of weakness for Jungkook and a moment of vulnerability for Taehyung. They did their utmost to erase whatever happened from their memory or at least shush the raucous awkwardness it produced. 

“We should head back.” Jungkook stopped the growing hush in a soft tone. “It’s late.”

“Yeah.”

Their eyes locked, and the smile they exchanged held the same falseness. They arose simultaneously and sauntered towards the car. And that was how their return journey began in mutual quietness and ended with another feigned smile and a lukewarm goodnight.

───⭒───༺🌑༻───⭒───

How do you feel about everything that happened in this chapter? I'm so curious to know💜