Jimin adjusted his glasses before stepping outside, heading toward the airport. The camera flashes were relentless, capturing every move of the young fashion designer who had just won the prestigious Fashion Icon of the Year award the day before. But instead of attending the planned success parties or completing high-priority projects, Jimin had made a surprising decision—flying back to his birthplace after eight long years. The unexpected journey left everyone guessing. Without acknowledging the photographers, he moved straight to the waiting vehicle.

“Hey…” Soobin greeted him with a warm, gentle hug.

“Let’s go,” Jimin replied simply, his voice steady but distant.

The car sped toward the company's penthouse. Upon their arrival, Jimin stepped out, the air heavy with quiet tension. One by one, his cousins emerged from their rooms. The reunion, coming after nearly a decade, lacked the warmth of their childhood days. Time had carved gaps between them, leaving their bonds strained and distant. They stood apart, exchanging hesitant glances, their hearts weighed down by years of silence and unresolved emotions.

The atmosphere was thick with nostalgia, laced with an undercurrent of pain. Jimin’s eyes swept over each of them, as if searching for a glimpse of the past in their now-familiar yet changed faces.

“The only good thing we know now is that the boy is alive,” Soobin finally broke the silence, his voice steady but heavy with meaning. All eyes turned to him.

Lisa nodded in confirmation, adding, “Yes.”

“Are you sure it’s him?” Jimin asked, his gaze sharp as he searched Lisa’s face for answers.

“Yes… he hasn’t changed a bit. Same eyes, same face, that same innocence. Everything,” Lisa said softly. Jimin’s curiosity deepened.

“If Jungkook doesn’t recognize him because he lost his memories, then why doesn’t Taehyung remember him?” Rose questioned, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“God knows,” Soobin sighed. “But right now, we need to find Tae,” Jimin said firmly, his voice laced with determination.

“Uncle has called three, no, two times... Grandpa also called,” Yeonjun added. “Everyone knows you’re here—through the media, I mean. Are you planning to visit them?”

“No,” Jimin replied without hesitation. His voice dropped, his gaze fixed on the floor. “I won’t go home. If I do, it’ll only be with my brother and Tae."

Silence fell over the group once more, the weight of Jimin’s words settling like a heavy cloud.

************

Jungkook was seething with anger. His meticulously planned schedule had gone haywire, all thanks to his personal secretary’s absence that morning. Lisa hadn’t even bothered to call or inform him, leaving him to handle everything on his own. To make matters worse, Jimin’s sudden arrival in town was gnawing at him. Losing a major deal to Jimin’s fashion company had already bruised his ego, and now the constant media buzz around Jimin was only adding salt to the wound.

In a fit of frustration, Jungkook slammed his phone onto the desk, the sound echoing in the room as he clenched his fists tightly. His teeth ground together as he tried to reign in his rising temper. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

But his moment of peace was short-lived. The memory of a shrill, tearful voice from earlier that morning broke through his thoughts.

“You… You muscle pig! Old monkey!”

The harsh words replayed in his mind, sharp and unexpected. Jungkook’s eyes snapped open. Who the hell was that? he wondered, his brows furrowing in annoyance. Then, as if on cue, the image of the lawsuit flashed in his mind—the demand for cycle repairs.

“That damn cycle,” he muttered under his breath, his irritation flaring up all over again. The absurdity of the situation only seemed to amplify his anger. Who sues over a cycle? And why is this nonsense still bothering me?

************

The next morning was rough for Lisa. She had faced a scolding from Jungkook over her behavior the previous day, leaving her feeling embarrassed and frustrated. Though she threw herself back into her work, her thoughts were consumed by Taehyung. No one had the slightest idea where to even begin searching for him, and the uncertainty weighed heavily on her.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was busy preparing for an important conference when an envelope landed on his desk. Curious, he opened it and began reading.

Lisa, still lost in her own thoughts, happened to glance at Jungkook. Her attention snapped to him when she noticed a smile slowly spreading across his lips—something rare for the otherwise serious man. Intrigued, Lisa grabbed her phone and, without hesitation, snapped a quick picture of him. She sent it to their cousin group chat with a caption: What’s making Mr. Serious smile like this?

Her curiosity only deepened as she watched Jungkook chuckle softly while reading the paper. Unable to resist, she finally asked, “What’s so funny?”

Jungkook looked up, the faint smile still on his face. “It’s a lawsuit,” he said, holding up the paper.

Lisa blinked in confusion. “A lawsuit?

“It’s a demand for money... to repair a cycle,” he explained, shaking his head in disbelief.

SORRY FOR LATE... I WAS BUSY WITH LIFE.