I'll wait for you, it sounded in his head, even as the black Mercedes vanished from his sight. It seemed to him that in a moment the earth would slide away from under his feet. Everything swirled around, and time seemed to stand still in one place. All he could hear was the loud rumble of his own heart, which was rushing to the tall brunet who had disappeared into the interior of an expensive car a moment ago.

He looked towards his SUV parked across the street and took a step almost automatically. He wanted to slip into the driver's seat, start the engine, and chase the young CEO. He wanted to stop him, get him out of the car and put his arms around his body again, only to connect their lips after a while and show him that he still loves him. That he never stopped loving him. He felt an almost physical pain to be close to him again, but he held back, taking a step back to increase his distance from the SUV and not to do anything stupid. He closed his eyes for a moment, and he lowered his hands along his body, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

It's been a long time since he felt so torn. He wanted to follow him. Find him and say that he will go with him even to the end of the world, if only he asks for it. A moment later, he was cursing himself for being so naive and trying his best not to let his heart drown out the voice of reason that told him that he shouldn't have any contact with him. He kept repeating Jeongguk's words in his mind. It was enough that he closed his eyelids for a moment, and it seemed to him that he could still feel the warmth of his body close to his. The scent of his perfume still wafted over his head, like the gray smoke of a cigarette he'd smoked a moment ago.

When he finally managed to control his body enough to make it function in any way, he turned on his heel and opened the heavy door leading inside Kinky Heaven. He was supposed to have another client today, but he didn't know if he would be able to focus on his work and get this tattoo after meeting Jeongguk.

As he pushed the studio door open and slipped inside, he immediately spotted Yoongi sitting in the reception area. The blond tattoo artist looked up from the computer and only stared at him for a moment, as if he wanted to read from his face whether the meeting with Jeongguk had gone right or wrong. As Taehyung, however, slumped heavily on the leather couch next to the reception desk and with a loud groan, he hid his face in his hands, Min closed his laptop and pushed himself away from the desk to get a better view. Kim didn't have to say anything to let him know that the conversation with the young CEO did not go as well as the younger expected.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked carefully, looking closely at his friend.

Taehyung groaned again, running his tattooed hands over his handsome face, then looked up at his friend and leaned back against the couch, but he was still silent, not knowing how to explain what he felt.

"Did he..." Yoongi began, but stopped when he met his friend's onyx eyes.

"It's not what you think, Yoongs," Kim said finally. "He... He's still engaged," he clarified, feeling a strange twinge in his chest at his own words. "And he didn't come here to get me back. He came here because... I don't know..." He broke off, unable to gather his thoughts.

He felt so many different emotions that he no longer knew what had really happened or what he should be thinking about it all. He would lie to say that when he saw him, he had no hope that Jeongguk would tell him that he had broken off the engagement and that he would like them to try again. His lips might have told the young CEO that he didn't know if he should go with him, but the heart in his chest revealed what he really wanted.

The problem was, he didn't know if he should let his heart be in change once again...

"Have you heard about the competition organized by the Academy?" He asked finally, and Yoongi nodded, so he continued, "Gguk dreamed of sending his works. He had long thought that he was not good enough to face so many great artists, but I've seen him draw, Yoongs. I've never seen anyone with more talent than him. He's better than me and you put together. Eventually, I managed to convince him that he should try, and before we broke up, Jeongguk was making drawings for this contest, but then... Everything fell apart, and we parted ways before he could finish the required amount of works. When he moved out of my apartment, he didn't take these drawings with him, and I... When I found them... I sent them."

"And Jeongguk found out about it? Is that why he came here?"

"He made it to the finals, Yoongs," he replied with evident pride. His lips curled into a smile involuntarily. "Out of millions of applications, they chose three people... and he is one of them. I knew he could do it, even though he didn't believe it. I'm so damn proud of him, and I couldn't even tell him that..."

Taehyung let out a loud breath. He felt a tingling sensation in his fingers and had an almost irresistible urge to reach for a cigarette again. He was torn by so much emotion that he thought he would just fall to pieces under their influence.

"I didn't have enough of his drawings, so I only sent three out, hoping that if someone saw them, they'd know how talented he was. And they want to give him a chance, but he has to send in at least two more drawings within a week. That's why he came to me. He wants me to help him." The tattoo artist paused again, as if he were gathering strength for another confession that rolled from his mouth a few seconds later. "He asked me to go to Jeju with him tomorrow."

"Oh! Wow," Yoongi sighed, clearly shocked at his words. "Jeju?" He repeated. "Only you two?" He asked suddenly, looking back at his friend. "That's good, isn't it?" He asked, but seeing his friend's gaze he added hesitantly, "You could finally talk about what happened between you..."

"I don't know, Yoongs," he replied honestly. "What if there is nothing left to explain?" He asked, not even hoping to get any answer. "When I saw him... For a moment I thought that maybe God did exist after all, that maybe he had heard my prayers and put him in my way again. I was hoping he came here for me. As silly as it sounds..." Taehyung let out a loud breath from his lungs again, then ran his fingers through his fiery red hair, brushing it out of his dark eyes. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, leaving a thin layer of saliva on it. "As he hugged me to thank me for sending his drawings, I instinctively tightened my fingers on his suit jacket, I was so desperate to keep him. At least for a little while longer... But he slipped out of my embrace and I had the feeling that I was dying again... And it feels like that every time I watch him go... Life without him is so fucking hard. I miss him every day. Everything related to him. But when I'm so close, and I know he'll never be mine... It kills me, Yoongs."

Yoongi was silent, not knowing what to say. He heard his friend's voice tremble with every word, and felt powerless against his pain. As he saw Taehyung wipe the tear that had begun to roll down his cheek with a swift movement of his hand, something squeezed his heart. He wanted to say something, but knew he couldn't find words that would soothe the pain of a broken heart.

"And I wish he was close. I would like to support him, but I don't know if I can. I'm afraid that if I go there with him, I will allow myself to lose myself in him again, and my feelings for him will grow stronger, if at all possible... And then I will have to let him go again... And I don't know if I am able to watch him disappear from my life again..."

"What if you were right?" Yoongi asked, suddenly feeling a strange certainty that perhaps the thought that appeared in his head could be real. But when he met his friend's confused gaze, he added quickly, "Then, when you told me that maybe he called you because he can't forget you either. Perhaps he came here because he still thinks about you and wants you to be a part of his life."

"It was only a stupid dream that will never become reality..." the redhead interjected quickly.

His voice seemed strangely harsh to Yoongi, as if devoid of emotion, even though he knew his friend was having a thousand different feelings at the moment. He could see it in his eyes, even though his mouth wanted to deny it.

"I shouldn't go with him. What was between us is over. At least for him. Why open the wounds?" He explained, as if to convince himself that it was the only right choice.

Yoongi was silent for a long moment. He looked as if he was writing all the pros and cons in his head, or analyzing their relationship, wanting to draw some logical conclusions from it. Finally, after a moment that seemed to take ages, the blond man raised his head and found his friend's onyx irises.

"You said you were afraid that if you spend this week together, you won't be able to let him go... What if it's Jeongguk who doesn't want to leave you?" He asked finally, letting his voice echo off the walls of the tattoo parlor.

***

"Oh! Thank you for coming. We had a wonderful time!" Lisa exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"We had a great time too, dear," Rose replied, then slipped an elegant cloak over her shoulders. "See you, Jeonggukie!" She added, waving at the young CEO, who was still in the living room.

The brunet raised his head and shifted his eyes to her, then forced a smile, gently lifting the corners of his lips. The girl, however, quickly lost interest in him, plunging into a conversation with his fiancée. Rose's boyfriend didn't even look at him. Perhaps he sensed that he didn't like him, and he didn't seem to care too much to change his attitude. After a while, the three friends plunged into too loud conversation, ignoring him. It was enough for Jeongguk, left by himself, to return to the events of two hours ago, when he was facing a man he had not seen in a long time.

He wanted to do things differently. He was supposed to talk to Lisa, break off the engagement, and then go to him. He wanted to tell him how he felt about him. But when he saw the letter, he must have seen him. It was thanks to him that he started creating again. It was thanks to his support that he did not give up, and it was only thanks to him that he got this amazing chance to fulfill his dreams.

He couldn't even put into words what he felt when he saw him again...

It was like a beautiful dream that he never wanted to wake up from. As he covered the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him, his fingers tightening on his leather jacket, he was afraid that Taehyung would feel his heart leap toward him. He hid his face in the hollow between his shoulder and neck and closed his eyes tightly, trying to remember every detail of that moment for fear that he might never be able to hug him again. He was so afraid the tattoo artist would push him away, but he only pulled him closer, as if he too was afraid to lose him again.

He was afraid that when he pulled back and looked into his eyes he would see nothing but indifference in them, but the tattoo artist wiped his tears with his thumb, sliding over his skin as gently as if he feared that even too strong touch might make him fall apart in a moment, and he couldn't resist his touch, enchanted by his closeness. He was so close to reach out his hands and, grasping them on his black leather jacket, pull him closer to him to kiss his soft lips. Taehyung, however, moved away from him and became so strangely inaccessible, as if they were separated by an abyss, not just a few steps.

He knew it was his fault. He broke his heart and let him believe that he didn't love him back. No wonder the tattoo artist built a wall between them to protect himself from another blow. Will he be able to break through it? Will the tattoo artist give him a second chance? Will he show up at the airport tomorrow?

Jeongguk raised the glass in his hand to his lips and took a few sips of wine, wincing slightly. It was too dry for him, with a strong fruity bouquet. It left an unpleasant, acrid taste on the tongue. He almost instinctively looked at his hands, clenched around the glass vessel, and gently swirled the red liquid filling the glass. After a moment, however, he shifted his gaze to the gold ring that still shone on the ring finger of his left hand. He stared at it for a long time, feeling a strange emptiness and sadness.

"What was that supposed to be?" Lisa asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The brunet raised his head and met her hazel irises. The girl stood in front of him with her manicured hands on her hips, pouting like an offended child. Jeongguk was so lost in thought that he did not even realize that the guests had finally left their penthouse, leaving only the two of them. Now his fiancée stood a few steps away from him, staring at him with unreadable eyes.

"W-what?" He asked, not knowing what the girl was talking about, but the answer was only her sarcastic laugh, preceded by a soft huff.

Lisa shook her head, then wrapped her fingers around the bottle of wine that sat on the coffee table and quickly refilled her glass. She sat down across from him and dipped her lips in a dry drink, taking a few sips. She took her time with the answer or any explanation, as if she wanted to irritate or upset him with this. Jeongguk, however, only watched her carefully, still holding his own, almost half-empty glass in his hands. He didn't drink much, unlike Lisa. While he was halfway through the second glass, his fiancée was probably finishing the second bottle.

The blonde crossed her legs and rested her hand with the glass on her knee, then she fixed her gaze on him and looked at him for a moment with her expectant gaze, as if she waited for the boy to answer all the unanswered questions. The weight of her gaze made Jeongguk feel uncomfortable.

"You're not going to explain yourself to me?" She asked finally. "How could you have left me here alone and gone out during the party your fiancée had prepared for you?" She added with a clear reproach in her voice.

"It was important," he replied, setting his glass down on the coffee table.

"Important," Lisa repeated and snorted again. She raised her glass to her lips and took a few sips. "What could possibly be more important than your fiancée, huh? Why don't you tell me what is so damn important that you decided to ridicule me and humiliate me in front of my friends?!"

The girl was still sitting opposite of him, but her voice was clearly raised, betraying her anger. Jeongguk knew that apart from her anger, alcohol was speaking through her, and he had no intention of arguing with her. So he got up from the couch and began picking up plates and chopsticks from the table to clean up after the guests, then walked with them towards the kitchen. Lisa, however, clearly had no intention of giving up, she jumped up from the couch and quickly followed in his footsteps.

"Don't think you will get away that easily!" She shouted after him.

The brunet put the dishes in the dishwasher, then turned on his heel and, leaning against the kitchen cabinets, looked at Lisa.

"Lisa, I don't want to argue. You drank a lot. We'll talk about it tomorrow morning," he said resignedly.

"I drank a lot?! Maybe I wouldn't have drunk that much if my fucking fiancé hadn't humiliated me in front of my best friend and her boyfriend!" She screamed. "Why don't you tell me what was so important, huh?" She asked, poking him in the chest.

Jeongguk pursed his lips in a narrow line, trying to keep his nerves under control and not get upset. He didn't want to argue with her. He didn't want to hurt her more than he had to, and he knew that if they started arguing now, that's what would happen.

"Lisa, this is important," she said, lowering her voice, mocking him, and slammed her hand against his chest again. "What was more important than me? Come on, tell me?!"

The brunet clenched his hands on the countertop of the cupboard he was leaning against and gritted his teeth hard. He wanted to shout everything in her face. Let out all your frustration at what their relationship was like, especially these past months. He finally wanted to say aloud everything he had kept hidden for years, telling himself that it was supposed to be this way, that it was what he deserved.

Because now he knew he deserved more.

"You are pathetic, Gguk!" She hissed.

Jeongguk swallowed hard, feeling his throat close. His body began to tremble involuntarily, and he clenched his hands so tightly that it seemed to him that he was just about to tear off a piece of the tabletop or crush it in his fingers to a fine poppy. But he made his body move. He pushed himself off the top of the cupboard he had been leaning on so far and slipped his hand into the pocket of his suit jacket, which he still hadn't dared to take off, even after returning home. With trembling hands, he took the letter out and unfolded it, then held it up, so Lisa could see what he was holding in his hands.

"This was so important!" He replied, his voice also raised. "This competition was so important to me."

"Don't embarrass yourself, Jeonggukie," Lisa snorted, realizing what the boy was showing her, and leaned her hip on the kitchen island. She lifted a hand up and pressed the rim of the glass against her lips covered with lipstick, and she took a sip of wine.

"You read this letter," he said reproachfully, even though he didn't need a confirmation at all. "You knew the jury thought I had the talent to make it to the finals, but you decided to throw it out anyway and keep it from me..." he continued. Each word seemed to cause him almost physical pain. He didn't want to believe that Lisa was capable of such a thing. "Why?" He asked, wanting to understand her intentions. There was pain and disappointment in his voice. He felt hurt. He didn't suspect that Lisa might want to hurt him intentionally.

"It's just a stupid contest! How old are you to draw some nonsense?!"

"This competition is a dream come true!" He replied quickly, raising his voice.

"Don't be kidding me, Jeonggukie," she snorted contemptuously. "What dreams? You've just become the CEO of The Jeon Electronics, do you really think you'll have time to draw some crap?"

"Then I'll leave the company," he said confidently.

Lisa laughed again, filling the living room with her loud laugh, as if she had heard an incredibly funny joke coming from him once again. When she calmed down, she looked for his gaze. There was no trace of her smile.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jeonggukie!" She scolded him as if he were a little boy. "How old are you? Five? You are the CEO of TJE, not some stupid artist. Besides, this competition is a waste of time."

"This contest is the only thing that makes me want to live right now!" He finally shouted. "You had no right to decide for me and throw this letter away. And I don't care what you think about it. I'm going to draw the missing artwork and win this damn contest! Maybe if you were interested in something more than my money, you would know how much that means to me! You've been in a relationship with me for three years, and you don't know anything about me. Anything."

"Sure. Blame it all on me now. Tell me how bad I am, that I support you all the time and I want you to make a career and go far, that I want you to be happy."

"That's the problem, Lisa. I have not been happy for a long time," he confessed, in a much calmer voice. "I didn't want it to be like that. I really tried to make you happy. I wanted us to work out, but it doesn't work. I am not able to give you what you expect from me."

Jeongguk ran a hand over his face, then looked down at his left hand. Almost instinctively, he grabbed the gold wedding ring that still adorned his finger and slipped it off slowly, then twisted it in his fingers. For a moment, he stared at it with strange nostalgia and sadness. Eventually, however, he placed it on the marble countertop of the island kitchen Lisa was leaning against and moved it towards her.

"I can't marry you, Lisa," he said confidently, looking her straight in the eye.

There was no hesitation in his voice. All the fear and anxiety he had felt as he returned from his brother's house to his apartment to break off his engagement was gone. He knew it was the right decision. He had never been more sure of it than now.

"I want to cancel our wedding," he added after a while, without a trace of intimidation.

Lisa huffed as if she didn't believe what she had just heard, then as if nothing had happened, she reached out and grabbed the bottle of wine. It wasn't until she had refilled her glass that she put the bottle on the counter and looked at Jeongguk.

"You're not gonna say anything?" The boy asked, surprised by her reaction.

"What am I supposed to say if you talk such nonsense?" she replied with a question to the question.

"It's not nonsense, Lisa. It's about our life, our future. Yours and mine. And I can no longer pretend to be happy in this relationship, and much less imagine that I could spend the rest of my life pretending," he confessed, feeling strangely relieved that he finally had the courage to say it out loud. It didn't matter how Lisa reacted to it. She could shout at him, slap him and call him names. It didn't matter anymore.

"There are three weeks until the wedding. Everything is already prepared. My dress, your suit, the hall, the wedding rings... We've sent out all the invitations. You don't think you can pull back now, right?" She said finally, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't care how much time is left until the wedding, or if it's all set up. It's about my life," he protested, pointing his hand at his chest.

"And what about me? What about my life?" She asked, raising her voice again. "I spent three years babysitting you like a child! It is thanks to me that you are who you are now. Do you think your father was sure from the start that you should be the one to whom he should hand over the company? I was the one who told him that you were better suited to this than Seokjin. It is thanks to me that you have it all! Only thanks to me! You would be nothing without me!"

"What I have is everything I don't want, Lisa. I don't want the money you care so much or the name you want so badly. I don't want to be the CEO of The Jeon Electronics, I don't want to live in this penthouse that hasn't been my home for a long time and I don't want to marry someone I will never love!" He finally shouted, letting all the regret and pain roll from his lips. "I want to paint, I want to be able to laugh freely and finally feel what it means to be happy, and that's not something I can find here..." Jeongguk paused for a moment, wondering if he should say it or not, but he felt that he could no longer lie or speak half-truths. He had to be honest with Lisa and with himself. "I can't find this with you..." he finished then.

The blonde snorted at his words again. She lifted her glass and swirled the red liquid slightly as she watched the alcohol sway gently in the glass, then put the rim of the glass to her pink lips and took a few sips of the wine, letting the tart taste settle on her tongue.

"And let me guess, you really think she will make you happy?" Lisa asked suddenly, and Jeongguk looked at her with a surprised look. He wasn't sure if he had heard her words right, or if it were his senses that decided to taunt him. The girl's eyes narrowed, and her lips formed a small pout. "You really think I'm so stupid? You think I don't know you have a pussy on your side?"

Jeongguk was shocked. He hadn't expected Lisa to know about his affair. Ever since he had cheated on her with Tae for the first time, he had felt guilty about doing something so horrible. Every time he cheated on her, he felt bad, but it turns out that the girl knew about his infidelity and was silent all the time. How long had she known about this? Why had she tolerated his betrayal?

"I heard you talking to someone at night. I've seen you change and become more reserved with me. You didn't even want to make love to me anymore. I know you were with her after you left the hospital and I know you fucked her while I was working hard in Japan, but still I didn't tell anyone because I love you and I believed we would survive it. I knew it was just a stupid romance that meant nothing and that after we got married, you would have to cut off contact with her."

"It means much more to me than you think, Lisa," he admitted.

He did not want to tell her about it, so as not to cause more pain to an already difficult and painful situation, but there was no point in denying the affair. He loved Tae and wanted to be with him. There was nothing Lisa could say that would change his mind.

He took too long to admit that he loved someone else.

"You're silly, Jeonggukie. Do you think if some bitch spread her legs in front of you, you mean something to her? She's counting on your money, and you're just a stupid gullible who thinks she cares about you. You're handsome, and your last name is Jeon, do you really think she's with you because she cares about you? Ninety percent of women would spread their legs in front of you just to have you put a ring on their finger!" She screamed, spilling out the words with hate.

This time it was Jeongguk who laughed. His laughter, however, lacked the lightness that it had when he was with Tae. This time his laugh was filled with pain and disappointment.

"And I guess you're one of those women, aren't you?" He asked, but heard no answer.

Instead of saying anything, Lisa gave him a hard slap on the cheek.

The young CEO closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his lips together tightly to avoid saying something he might regret later. The skin on his cheek burned with the pain, but this pain was nothing like the one that was pressing on his chest when he realized how wrong he was about Lisa. Finally, he opened his eyes and found the girl's gaze. Her eyes almost burned with fury.

"I used to think you really loved me," he confessed with obvious nostalgia for what he thought was between them less than three years ago. "You charmed me with your modesty and naturalness. I wanted to give you what you didn't have as a child - love, security and family. I didn't think it would turn out that you really wanted something completely different from the beginning. I persuaded myself that what we have is love, but I did not know what it really means to love someone and to be loved by someone. Now that I know this feeling... I know that what we had was not love. And right now, the only feelings I have towards you are regret and disappointment..." That said, he moved forward, avoiding Lisa and heading towards the bedroom, taking quick, springy steps.

Even though he did not turn back, he was convinced that the girl had put her glass down on the kitchen island and was following in his footsteps. Behind him, he heard the sound of her feet on the wood panels, but he had no intention of stopping now. He entered the bedroom, quickly finding the light switch with his hand to flood the room with warm yellowish light, and immediately headed for the dressing room. He pulled out his black sports bag. The same one where he had recently brought home his belongings from Tae and where the tattoo artist's hoodie was still there. Pushed by some mysterious need, he took off his black suit jacket, then did the same with the blue shirt he had borrowed from his brother this morning. He pulled a plain white cotton T-shirt over his head and pulled on Tae's hoodie. The fabric still smelled like him. Instinctively, he raised his hand up and put his nose to his sleeve, inhaling the scent of his perfume into his lungs as if it would give him strength to weather the storm.

After a while, however, he tossed his brother's shirt to the bottom of the bag and began to quickly browse the contents of his wardrobe to pack a few pairs of jeans and T-shirts that he did not wear on a daily basis, and that might be useful to him during his trip to Jeju. He didn't look back, but he was pretty sure Lisa was watching him. He could feel her presence and her burning gaze that literally seemed to burn holes in the back of his head.

"What are you doing?" She asked finally, drawing her words a bit because of too much alcohol circulating through her veins.

"I'm packing," he replied bluntly, without even looking at her, and continued packing his clothes. When he decided that this amount of clothes must be enough for him, he approached the underwear cupboard and threw several pairs of boxers and socks into the bag.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"No, Lisa. I am leaving tomorrow to prepare my arts for a competition, about which you were not going to inform me, and when I return I am going to move out of here. I don't care if you stay here or not. I will definitely not come back here," he replied, then walked past her and headed towards the bathroom. He opened the door and scooped up some essentials, his toothbrush, and a bottle of perfume from one of the cupboards.

"You can't do it!" She protested.

"And here you are wrong, because that's what I'm gonna do," he replied, turning to face her. He slung the black bag over his shoulder and started forward again, this time towards the corridor. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

Lisa followed him again, running the distance between them almost at a run, unable to keep up with his long, springy strides. When she finally caught up to him, she tugged at his hand, her fingers gripping his forearm so firmly that he was almost certain her fingernails would leave marks on his skin.

"If you leave now, you may not come back here!" She snapped. "Do you hear me?!"

Jeongguk jerked his arm out of her grip and bent down to put his sneakers over his feet. He didn't even care anymore that they wouldn't match the elegant pants he was still wearing. He knew it would only irritate Lisa further, and he felt a strange satisfaction about it. As he slipped his sneakers onto his feet, he got up from his knees and tossed his bag over his shoulder again, then grabbed his leather jacket from the hanger, the same one he had worn on one of his dates with Tae and looked at the blonde.

"That's what I'm going to do," he said finally, searching for Lisa's gaze.

The girl looked furious. Her eyes were on fire, her breathing was oddly irregular. She looked as if she was wondering if she should yell at him or attack him with her fists for a change. Jeongguk knew very well that she was certainly capable of both. She had proved it to him several times before deciding to slap him. He could still feel the stinging pain where her hand touched his cheek, and although he hadn't had a chance to see himself in the mirror, he was sure her hand had left a red mark on it. He turned on his heel and took a step that separated him from the exit door, then pressed the handle and opened the door just enough to be able to leave freely, along with the bag that rested on his shoulder.

"I'll tell your father about everything, do you hear me?" The girl called after him as soon as he left the apartment, as if any threats would stop him. "I will tell him that you are crazy, that you lost your mind, and you want to leave the company to draw some nonsense... And that it was she who messed with your head. I'll tell him you're cheating on me, can you hear me?"

Jeongguk didn't even look at her. He approached the elevator and pressed the button several times, as if that would make the elevator reach him faster.

"You'll be finished! You and that little whore you're fucking!" Lisa continued screaming, as if she were trying to provoke him to come back with these threats. In fact, however, reassuring him that he made one of the best decisions of his life. "That bitch will regret deciding to spread her legs for you! I will destroy her, do you understand!? I will destroy her! And you will see yourself that she will soon leave you, and you will be left alone! You'll come back to me with your tail curled up, begging me to take you back!"

When the elevator finally stopped on their floor and its door finally slid open, Jeongguk slipped in and looked up one last time to look at Lisa, who was still standing in the doorway to their apartment. He expected that maybe he would see tears in her eyes, or any sign of sadness that their three-year relationship had broken up in such a way that there was no point in picking up the remains of their relationship to build something new out of it. But he saw only anger in her eyes. Before the elevator door slid shut behind him, only five words rolled from her pink lips.

"You'll regret it, Gguk!"

***

Yoongi leaned forward slightly, slowly narrowing the distance that separated him from the desired target, and finally allowed his lips to merge with those soft, delicate lips of the man who was staring at him with his honey-colored irises. He kissed him unhurriedly, tasting his sweet lips, teasing his tongue with the tip of his tongue in a sensual play. After a while, however, he pulled away again and tucked a blond strand behind his ear. The movie they were supposed to watch together was still on the flat-screen TV, though frankly, Min had registered nothing but the very beginning. It did not bother him, however. He had a much more interesting sight in front of him in the form of a sexy blond who was now staring at him with the same admiration. For the past two hours, he and Jimin had just been lying on the couch in his apartment. Their bodies, clad in comfortable tracksuits, cuddled up against each other. Yoongi stroked his back just above his buttocks, drawing intricate patterns on his naked, milky skin, occasionally kissing his full lips.

It was wonderful. It was exactly as it should be.

Until a few months ago, he hadn't expected to find someone like that. Someone who will eventually make him want to settle down and who will make him want to create more than a relationship - a home. Because Jimin has become his home. He bent down again to bring their lips together in a tender kiss once more, when suddenly that brief caress was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Food," Jimin groaned right into his lips, reluctantly pushing himself off his chest to get up from the couch. Before he could do so, however, Yoongi grabbed his wrist, restraining him.

"I'll go, darling," he offered quickly, then stole a brief kiss from his lips and rose from the couch.

As he headed for the door, he ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling his blond hair. Unruly strands, however, they soon fell into his hazelnut eyes again. As he passed the closet where he had hung his leather jacket, he quickly slipped his hand into his right pocket and pulled out a black wallet. He opened the door and looked at the newcomer. He saw a tall man in a black leather jacket, the hood of his blouse still pulled over his head, concealing his hair. The stranger, however, did not have the food boxes he expected to see. Instead, a black sports bag was slung over his right shoulder, in which the man was trying to find something. Yoongi cleared his throat to draw his attention to him, and only then the man spoke, slowly lifting his eyes.

"Oh, Jimin, I..." He broke off quickly when, instead of his blond friend, he met his boyfriend's gaze. "Y-Yoongi," he choked out, feeling his pulse quicken in one second.

The tattoo artist merely stared at him, clearly surprised to see him. More than his presence, however, he was surprised by the way Jeongguk looked. The young CEO wore a black hoodie with a skull, but he knew it was definitely not his hoodie. He had seen it a million times before over the years, but on his best friend. He could even swear that he could smell the faint scent of Tae's perfume in the air.

"S-sorry... I didn't think that Jimin might not be alone..." the brunet explained, embarrassed. "I know you probably don't want to see me... I-I'd better go..." he added quickly, then tightened his hand on the strap of the black sports bag and turned on his heel to retreat towards the elevator.

"Wait!" Min called after him.

Jeongguk looked at him uncertainly over his shoulder. Yoongi was still standing in the doorway of the apartment, he was wearing black sweatpants and a gray short-sleeved T-shirt. His blond hair was slightly disheveled, and his bangs fell into his eyes. The tattoo artist's lips were pressed in a tight line, but contrary to what Jeon had expected, he didn't seem pissed at the sight of him.

"Jimin, honey. Come here for a minute!" Min called again, this time directing his cry deeper into the apartment, then he turned his gaze back to the young CEO.

The brunet looked towards the elevator, which told him with a loud squeal that he could get in, but he only clasped his hands tighter on the strap of the bag that hung from his shoulder and looked again at the door, in which his friend appeared. Jimin was also wearing sweatpants and a plain T-shirt, but still looked incredibly fresh and radiant. Jeongguk thought it was probably due to his successful relationship with Yoongi. His friend looked happy as never before, but seeing him immediately turned serious, and the radiant smile faded from his face.

"Gguk?" He asked as if he didn't believe his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." he began hesitantly. "It was probably a bad idea... You're with Yoongi. I don't want to disturb you," he added quickly, however, and turned back to the elevator. He pressed the button and was about to get in when he felt his friend's hand grip on his shoulder.

"Gguk, wait. What's happening?" Park asked, clearly worried.

Jeon moistened his lips nervously, feeling the dryness in his mouth, then looked surreptitiously at Yoongi, who was still standing in the doorway of the apartment, watching him closely. He swallowed hard, wondering if he should stay.

"Jin has a guest room, but I didn't want to go that late there. I was afraid that Yoo might already be asleep, and I didn't want to wake her..." he explained uncertainly, then he was silent for a moment, not knowing if he should tell the truth. "I-I was afraid that I might have a seizure and... I didn't want to be alone now..." he admitted, however.

"Have a seizure?" Jimin repeated, clearly worried. "Why? Gguk, what's going on?"

Jeongguk shifted his gaze to him and looked him straight in the eye.

"I did it, Jimin," he said finally. "I finally did it. I broke my engagement with Lisa..."

***

Jeongguk looked down at his hands, now clasped around a low glass filled with golden liquid. He could still feel the strong, slightly woody taste of the whiskey his friend had given him on his tongue. He didn't drink very often. Usually, when he was going out with Lisa, he was driving the car, so he didn't even take a sip of alcohol in his mouth. Now, however, he was grateful that Jimin dragged him into his apartment without asking, sat him on the couch, and then handed him a glass full of strong drink.

He knew that Jimin was sitting in front of him now, sticking his honey-colored irises into him, just like Yoongi, whose gaze seemed to almost burn holes in his head. But he didn't dare to look up. So he stared at his hands, marked with scars here and there.

"You wanna talk about it?" Jimin asked finally, unable to contain his curiosity.

Jeongguk was silent for a long moment, still staring at his own hands.

"Do you know this feeling when you are under water and withhold your breath for so long that you finally think that if you don't get out in a moment, you're going to suffocate?" He asked finally, looking up. But he didn't expect an answer. He felt it was finally time to let go of all that he had been silent about for so long. "I've been feeling like this the whole time since we broke up... I wanted to protect him. I thought that when I pushed him away... that it would be better... For him, Jae and my family... But it was like building sandcastles. I was barely able to build anything when a powerful wave came, and it leveled everything to the ground. Instead of going forward, I just fell deeper and deeper into the blackness, fighting for every breath. I was convinced that our break-up, marrying Lisa, taking over TJE... that it was the only right way, but it turned out that I was so wrong... Every day I woke up in my apartment, leading a life that I hate, with a woman I would never be able to love, living someone else's life, someone else's dreams... and I hated myself more and more."

Jeongguk paused and looked down at his hands, staring at one of the long scars, then continued:

"My attacks have intensified recently. After my father named me The CEO of TJE, I had another attack. Very strong. It seemed to me that I could no longer deal with it all alone. I needed to hear him so badly. At least for a brief moment... And... I called him..." he confessed, involuntarily lifting the corners of his mouth. "Even though I did not have the courage to say a word, he for some reason knew it was me... He told me that something kept him from forgetting me... And what he said... It was as if he was describing my feelings... As I listened to him, I knew I couldn't let him go... that I couldn't lose him..."

The young CEO raised his glass and took a few sips of the golden drink, letting the strong alcohol tease his palate for a moment and warm his throat. Neither Jimin nor Yoongi said anything, letting him reveal the truth at his own pace, on his own terms.

"So I decided I had to break off the engagement," he revealed, looking up for the first time in a long time. He didn't find Jimin's gaze, though, he wanted to look directly at Yoongi, as if he wanted to reassure the tattoo artist that his intentions towards Tae were sincere. He knew he had screwed up. He had hurt him, even though he wanted to protect him, but he hoped it wasn't too late to fix it. "I called Lisa and told her I wanted to talk to her. I thought about a million different versions of what I needed to tell her in my head to make our breakup as gentle as possible, but when I finally got home, it turned out that Lisa had invited Rose and her boyfriend. I didn't want to do it in front of them, so I decided to do it tomorrow when we're left alone. And then Lisa asked me to open the wine, and while I was throwing out the garbage, I found this in the trash can..." That said, he took a letter out of his hoodie pocket and held it out towards Jimin.

The blond took the letter from him and quickly unfolded it to look inside. Jeongguk was silent, letting Jimin read it. It was enough, however, for the boy to read a few sentences, and he immediately looked at him with a twinkle in his eye, and his lips curved into a smile.

"Gguk..." he sighed with delight. "This is... OH, God, this is amazing! You didn't say you submitted your work..."

"It wasn't me," Jeon said quickly, and when he met Jmin's questioning gaze, he explained, "It was Tae who sent my work. I wanted to try my hand at this competition, but I never managed to complete the required amount of drawings..." he added, then he looked at Yoongi. "I broke his heart, and yet he decided to make my dream come true... When I saw this letter... I had to see him..." he confessed. "That's why I came to your tattoo parlor today. I wanted to break off my engagement first and then... try to get him back, but this letter... this contest... I had to tell him about it. Only he knows how much it really means to me, and it is only thanks to him that I have returned to drawing... I can't even express in words how much I owe him. It's all because of him."

Jeongguk fell silent again, then exhaled from his lungs, feeling strangely relieved that he had managed to tell them all about it. It took a lot of nerves and emotions to admit it all, but he felt as if someone had finally lifted an incredible burden from his shoulders. But he knew that this wasn't the end of what he wanted to tell them, so he took a long gulp of air and began to continue.

"When Rose and her boyfriend finally left, Lisa began to reproach me for leaving at the party she had organized for me, and from word to word... I don't know... I guess I just couldn't be silent anymore... I showed her this letter and I asked why she threw it out, why she tried to hide something so important from me... after a while we were arguing, and I could not stand it any longer... I told her that we could not get married, that I was breaking up with her. I didn't want to do it that way. I didn't want us to jump at each other's throat and hurt each other more than necessary, but... I couldn't lie anymore. I couldn't pretend I didn't love someone else..."

"So it's over? B-between you and Lisa?" Yoongi suddenly asked, and Jeongguk looked at him again.

"I love him," he confessed without hesitating. "The fact that I let him go was the biggest mistake of my life. I asked him to fly with me to Jeju tomorrow to prove to him how much he means to me..." He explained, still looking at Yoongi as if he wanted to find in his eyes any confirmation that he still had a chance to fix everything. "I'm so fucking scared that maybe I won't get a second chance..." he added after a moment, verbalizing his biggest fears, but only silence answered him.

***

Jeongguk stared at the hands of the clock, which cruelly measured the next long minutes. There were only fifteen minutes to twelve, and he was still alone. He realized that Taehyung was surprised by his proposal. The tattoo artist hadn't expected to see him, much less expected to hear such words from his lips. He knew that the redhead felt lost and saw the hesitation in his gaze when yesterday asked him to leave with him. The boy did not refuse it immediately, which he took as a good sign, and he hoped that despite the current relationship, the tattoo artist would decide to leave with him. With each passing minute, however, his enthusiasm diminished, as did his hope, which was slowly fading away.

What will he do if Tae doesn't show up?

It's ridiculous, but so far it has never occurred to him to think about it. Perhaps because thinking about it caused an unpleasant pain in his chest. He knew the tattoo artist had no idea he had broken off the engagement, but still hoped what he'd said on the phone lately was true.

He hoped he hadn't given up on him yet.

He exhaled loudly through his slightly parted lips and sank down on the soft back of the latte macchiato colored leather armchair, letting his body sink gently, then slid over his light-blue jeans wrapping his thighs, wiping his slightly sweaty palms on them. He felt more and more nervous. His stomach contracted painfully each time the clock hand passed twelve, signaling that another precious minute had just passed.

After a while, his right leg began to twitch involuntarily, and his breathing became shallow, making it harder for him to breathe. So he shifted nervously, grasping the black hoodie he was wearing in his fingers as if to pull the fabric away from his chest, then adjusted his hood as if to make his breathing even. As he moved his hoodie, the scent of the tattoo artist's perfume crept into his nostrils, briefly soothing his shattered nerves. Instinctively, he narrowed his eyes, inhaling the wonderful smell into his lungs. Perhaps he shouldn't have worn that hoodie, but he felt more confident wearing something that belonged to him.

Suddenly, the sound of a soft grunt crept into his ears, and in an instant his heart began to beat as hard as if it was about to pop out of his chest. He lifted his eyelids and sprang to his feet to turn sharply behind him, from where he had heard the sound a moment ago. He saw, however, Mr. Kwang, who was a pilot who had been working for their family for several years. His heart squeezed at the sight of it, and he felt a bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the man finally said, taking the navy blue pilot's cap off his head, pressing it against his chest after a while and bowing to him gently.

"It's okay," Jeon replied quickly, ashamed of how disappointed he was at the fact that it wasn't Taehyung. He forced a smile, not to show that he was worried about something.

"I just wanted to say that everything is ready. We can go in ten minutes," the man explained.

At his words, Jeongguk's guts twisted painfully, and the eyes unintentionally found the clock face. In fact, it was only ten minutes to twelve.

"A-all right," he choked out with difficulty. "Thank you," he added, and the pilot nodded again, then turned on his heel and walked on, leaving him alone.

Jeongguk exhaled, only now realizing that he had almost been holding his breath for so long. He raised a hand and ran his fingers through his jet black hair, then looked longingly out the window. For a long moment, he watched the tarmac, as if he was about to see the man he missed so much that his whole body ached.

What will he do if Tae doesn't come?

He kept hoping that the tattoo artist would accept his offer, that he could repair what he had so brutally broken, but now he felt fear creep up his strong thighs, creeping up his spine and sneaking into nerve-cramped lungs, then clenched his invisible fist around his broken heart. Time ticked by, seconds and minutes, and he grew more and more nervous. With only a few minutes to twelve, he was already a walking ball of nerves. He paced the private jet deck in circles, his arms wrapped around his chest. He was afraid that if he didn't see him soon, he would fall into nothingness and never be able to pull himself back together. He couldn't breathe again.

The sound of his phone crept into his ears as he made his way across the deck, taking long, nervous strides. He immediately rushed towards a small table that was under one of the windows and grabbed the phone in his trembling hands, only to move his eyes to the illuminated display with a beating heart.

"Fuu-ck!" He swore softly, seeing Lisa's name on the screen.

He stared at the flashing screen for a moment, letting the phone vibrate in his hand. He was wrapping his fingers around the device, so tightly his knuckles turned white, but he felt that if he didn't, he would just throw his phone through the window with a frustration that seemed to be reaching its zenith. Lisa had called him about fifty times by now and nearly filled his inbox with text messages. He hadn't even read them, but thanks to what he caught when he accidentally flashed some of them, he knew that most of them were threats or insults at him or his alleged mistress, whom Lisa believed he was probably now fucking. Annoyed, he hung up the incoming call and quickly blocked her number, then threw the phone back on the table, feeling strangely relieved that he finally had the strength and courage to cut himself off from her. He took a breath of air in his lungs, gathering the courage to look at the clock again.

Even though he wasn't looking at it, he knew the time was up.

"Mr. Jeon," a voice said suddenly behind him, and before the next words could roll from the man's lips, Jeongguk knew what he was going to hear. He felt his throat tighten, and his eyes began to sting from the pressure of tears that were slowly building up in them. "W-we have to start taxiing..." the pilot said, and the brunet finally looked at him.

"C-Can we..." he began hesitantly. "Can we wait a moment longer?" He asked, feeling his body begin to tremble. He wanted to cry, so he tightened his own arms tightly around his chest, trying to keep himself from falling into despair. "J-just a short while..." he added almost pleadingly.

"Five minutes," the pilot said firmly. "That's all I can give you. Otherwise, we'll lose the slot," he explained, and Jeongguk just nodded, unable to utter a word more. "Five minutes," Mr. Kwang repeated, then disappeared back into the cockpit, leaving him alone.

Jeongguk parted his lips, letting trembling, jerky breath slip through them, causing pain in his chest. When he asked him to go with him, he knew there was a great risk that the tattoo artist would refuse, but he didn't think it would hurt that much. It almost felt like watching Tae run out of his apartment, leaving him with that damn void in his soul and a broken heart in his chest.

Now he stood paralyzed in the middle of the deck between the leather seats. Everything swirled around him, and it seemed to him that his legs were about to fail him, and he would fall to his knees, crying like a little child.

He only moved gently when the command to secure the door and get the plane ready for taxiing crept into his ears, but he did not dare to watch as the crew closed the door. He reached out and gripped his fingers tightly on the leather back of his latte macchiato colored chair, propping his weight against it for fear that he might fall to the ground as sadness clenched its invisible fist around his throat like a vise. It went dark before his eyes, and just as he felt it was over, a strange noise crept into his ears, followed by the scream of the flight attendant, who was about to go with them.

"W-What are you doing!? You can't come in here!! Who are you?!" The woman shouted, trying to stop someone.

Jeongguk opened his eyes and, confused, turned on his heel to shift his gaze to the private jet's door, where some struggle was taking place, but what he saw almost knocked him off his feet...

A tall man, all dressed in black, was standing on the jet's doorstep, held tightly by his shoulder by the pilot. His skin was that beautiful caramel shade he had never seen on anyone else. The boy was breathing fast, as if he had been running for a long time, letting the shaky breath squeeze through his parted lips, the shape and texture of which he knew by heart. The fiery red hair, now slightly tousled by the scuffle with the pilot and the flight attendant, fell over the onyx irises that stared right at him.

"L-let him go!" Jeon demanded quickly, still not sure if he really saw him.

But even though his eyes were distrustful, the heart in his chest was beating as hard as ever, recognizing his owner.

Mr. Kwang and the flight attendant released the tattoo artist and stepped away from him, and Taehyung quickly adjusted his leather jacket and looked at him again.

"Mr. Jeon, should I call security?" the pilot asked, but Jeongguk shook his head without taking his eyes from the tattoo artist's onyx irises even for a moment.

"No," he replied confidently. "We can go now. I already have everything I need..."

***

Ayashee:

Ho ho ho!

And finally some good news!

Jeongguk broke off his engagement and finally starts fighting for himself, but will Lisa let it go so easily? Apparently, the abandoned and scorned woman is capable of anything...

Taehyung decided to go with Jeongguk, but will he also choose to give him a second chance?

A bit late, but please take this chapter as a Christmas gift from me for you. I hope that your Christmas was successful, spent in a warm group of your loved ones.

It is also the last chapter of this year, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this year.

Thank you for your support, for all the stars and comments. You are my motivation to write and to keep growing as an author. I hope you will accompany me on my further journey, because it's not over yet. There are still a few chapters to the end of "The Taste Of Ink", but don't unbuckle your seat belts, they might still be useful!

xoxo