As Jin payed for the supplies, Jungkook eyes drifted to a happy couple at one end of the store. The child on the man's shoulders was laughing and giggling as the woman had a protective hand on the child's back, ensuring that the child wouldn't fall while the man held the child's legs.

Jungkook smiled softly.

As a kid, he'd always sit in the park and watch parents and children interact. He would watch children happily run up to their parents, watch parents kiss their children, watch parents dry their childs tears and hug them when they hurt themselves. It was so pure.

He'd longed to feel that.

To feel secure in someone's arms.

To feel loved.

And now, 19 years later, he finally had a family of his own.

An actual family.

He watched Seokjin as he paid the cashier the amount, his smile widening.

How was he so blessed to find them, he'd never know but what he did know was that he'd always be grateful.

"Jungkook?" An all too familiar voice called, causing the younger's smile to disappear and his whole body to tense up.

No!

Hell, no!

He slowly turned his head to see his father standing before him, a smirk on his face, probably satisfied with Jungkook's reaction.

Jungkook felt someone wrap an arm around him and looked up to see Jin's face smiling down at him.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Kim Seokjin, Jungkook's brother," said Seokjin, stretching his hand out to shake Jungkook's father's hand.

"Call me Mr. Jeon. I'm Jungkook's father. I, however, don't remember giving birth to another son though," laughed the older male.

Jin joined in the laughter, "You don't need to share the same blood to be someone's brother, sir. We're brothers by choice or rather, family by choice."

"So let me get this straight. You stole my money, ran away from home in the middle of the night leaving me a note saying that you would 'handle' things by yourself and that you didn't need anyone to help you. Now here you are, living with someone else. Living off their money?" Mr. Jeon laughed mockingly, "I knew you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself out there. But you were stupid, weren't you?"

Jin's eyes flashed red and he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"A young boy like him shouldn't have felt the need to run away from home in the first place, don't you think, sir? Home is a place where one should feel secure, not threatened. When we met him, we took him in—" Jin began, as calmly as possible.

"So he's a charity case?" Mr. Jeon asked with a smirk and Jungkook looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up whole.

"He's not a charity case, sir! We love him, unlike you who seems to be more interested in making your own son feel like he's useless. We love him and we're here to show him what it is like to be loved. Something you should have shown him!" Jin growled out, his eyes glowing red as he glared at the man before him, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

Jungkook grabbed Jin's hand when he saw the colour of his eyes. They were out in public and people would freak out if they saw Jin's eye colour.

Mr Jeon sighed after a while, "You're right. I was so blinded by the fact that I'd lost my wife when Jungkook was born that I just took out all my anger and frustration on him. I loved that woman so much. She died while giving birth. I lost the love of my life that day."

Jin raised an eyebrow an the man while Jungkook had silent tears running down his cheeks.

A monster.

He was a monster who killed his mother and made his father suffer. He deserved to be mistreated.

"That's no excuse for treating your own son that way. He's still your son!" Jin cried, angrily.

"I know, I messed up. I realised I had messed up the minute Jungkook ran away. I-I...God, I'm sorry. Jungkook, I've just been so frustrated. I haven't been a good father to you. But I want to change that if you will allow me to," Mr. Jeon spoke and Jungkook's eyes widened while Jin looked at him, suspiciously.

"I don't believe you," Jin muttered with a frown.

Just a minute back the man was insulting Jungkook and all of a sudden he's confessing that he hadn't been a great father and asking for a chance to make it right?

Something was fishy about the man, Jin could tell.

"Will you give your Appa a chance, Kookie? Let me make things right. Let me be the father you've always wanted me to be?" Mr. Jeon pleaded and Jungkook bit his lip.

For him, it was a tempting offer.

He didn't hate his father despite the fact that his father abused him, both verbally and physically. He loved him and all he ever wanted was to make his father happy, make him proud so that his father would finally love him the way a father should.

Jungkook nodded, slowly and to say Jin was shocked would be an understatement.

"Jungkook-ah, what are you doing? This man treated you like a piece of trash all your life. Why—" Jin began.

"Everyone makes mistakes, hyung. When you truly love someone, no matter how much their mistakes hurt you, you're willing to forgive them the minute they ask for it. You're willing to give them a second chance," Jungkook said, giving his father a small smile, "I'm not saying he's changed or anything. But I think he does deserve a second chance."

"Fine. But if you mess this up, Mr. Jeon, I'm afraid you won't get any more chances. You're lucky Jungkook is so kind because if that was me, I wouldn't have given you another chance," Jin said, eyeing the older man, who only nodded in response.

After the father and son had exchanged their numbers, Jin and Jungkook exited the store.

"Pup, are you sure you did the right thing back there?"

"I'm not sure, hyung, but like I said I want to give him a second chance. Regardless of everything, he is still my father," Jungkook said as he held Jin's hand, " Are you mad at me?"

"Aish, no. I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried, pup. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'll be careful, hyung. I promise", Jungkook said, pulling Jin into a hug and the older smiled as he ruffled the pup's hair.

"You'd better be."

However, Jin couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach everytime he thought of Mr. Jeon. As he watched Jungkook skipping like an excited bunny, he vowed to protect him at all costs.

14 March, 2023