...Ten years ago...

“Look, look how cute they are, Kook!” Taehyung said in a baby-like tone, his voice filled with genuine delight, as he pointed towards a group of kids joyfully playing at the playground. His eyes twinkled with warmth as he watched the children chase each other, their laughter carrying far in the air.

Jungkook chuckled, shaking his head at his overwhelming cuteness. “Don’t tell me you want kids from now. You’re still a kid yourself, Tae.”

“I’m not a kid. I’m eighteen! I’m a man.”

“You’re not a man at eighteen, baby.” Another chuckle escaped him at the sight of Taehyung’s endearing moue, and he leaned over, pressing a kiss on his cheek.

“But I’m your man.”

“Yes, you are,” Jungkook whispered. “And you’ll always be.” He looped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a warm embrace, dragging on his intoxicating scent. “How many kids do you want, baby bear?”

“Hmm, two. A girl and a boy.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah?” Taehyung asked, a fond smile sprawling on his face. “You want to have kids with me too?”

“Of course, angel. I want everything with you. And I want to make you happy.”

“You’re the best, baby bun. And you’re already making me happy. I love you so much.”

“I love you more,” Jungkook said with a playful grimace, his affection evident in his eyes as he drew closer and gently pecked Taehyung’s nose.

Taehyung broke into hearty giggles at the coltish gesture. With a tender smile, he carded his fingers through Jungkook’s hair and strung their lips together in a sweet kiss, letting it convey the raging love they felt for each other.

They stayed there entwined, two men crazy in love, sharing a profound connection. In that embrace, Taehyung felt a sense of belonging and comfort, knowing that Jungkook was always there for him, just as he was for Jungkook.

. . .

Jungkook stood in front of the playground’s entrance, a wistful smile adorning his lips as he watched the kids run around and play gleefully. The sun draped the scene with a warm gleam, accentuating the vivid colors of the playground equipment and the lively chatter of the kids.

Jiyu looked up at him with inquiring eyes, baffled by his sudden stillness. Her small face tilted slightly, her expression a mixture of innocence and curiosity, wondering why he seemed so sad while observing the kids. “Oppa,” she called, tugging at his hand to gain his attention.

“Hmm? What is it, love?”

“Are you okay?”

Jungkook crouched down to her eye level, his countenance mellowing as he ruffled her hair. “Yes, Jiyu-yah. Don’t worry. I’m just... remembering things,” he murmured, his voice carrying a thread of nostalgia.

“About Taehyungie oppa?”

“Yes.” Jungkook pinched her cheek and straightened his posture, leading her into the park.

“You’ll see him now, so you can remember everything together!” she chirped, her glimmering eyes scanning the hilltop dotted with people, searching eagerly for a sign of Taehyung. Her excitement was radiant as she skipped a little, her anticipation growing with each passing moment.

“You’re right, love,” Jungkook uttered, veiling his bitterness behind a mild smile. Despite his words, there was an ephemeral shade in his eyes of the dolorous reality he couldn’t reveal to her.

As they ascended the hillside, Jungkook staggered to a stop when he spotted Taehyung sitting cross-legged ahead.

“Taehyungie oppa!” Jiyu squeaked in thrill.

Taehyung’s serene expression contorted with consuming surprise at the familiar voice. “Ji—Jiyu,” he whispered, as he stared at her in disbelief, as if struggling to comprehend that she was actually there. He perceived Jiyu darted towards him, and without a second thought, he leaped up from where he was sitting. He ran to her, destroying the distance until they met halfway.

“Jiyu-yah,” Taehyung said, his voice wobbling in an avalanche of emotions as he crushed her into his arms and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around. His heart overflowed with content at seeing Jiyu again after so long, even though he was the one who had kept his distance.

Jiyu squealed with delight, her laughter booming across the hillside as she clung onto Taehyung, feeling the warmth and love in his embrace.

Jungkook, standing nearby, soaked in the tender reunion with a melancholic smile. They had spent so much time together with Jiyu, playing any game she wanted, helping her with her studies, and creating cherished memories that now flooded back to him with poignant clarity.

Taehyung slowed his twirling until he came to a gentle stop, still holding Jiyu off the ground in his arms. “I missed you so much, sweetie,” he said, his voice still quivering with emotion, as he gazed at her sparkling eyes. His heart spurted with a deluge of memories and feelings that had been tucked away during their time apart.

“Really?”

“Of course. So much.”

The tiniest of pouts spread over Jiyu’s face, darkening the brilliance of her joy. “Why didn’t you come see me then?” she asked, a tentative quietness coloring her tone, intertwined with gloom. “You weren’t really that busy... Jungkook oppa said it would hurt you to see me often because of what he did to you. Is this the reason?”

Taehyung’s eyes drifted towards Jungkook in a sullen glance and swung back to Jiyu, giving her a loving smile. “Taehyungie is sorry, love. I wanted to a thousand times. But there were some adult problems... No, I have no excuse. I’m so sorry. I should have come to see you no matter what.”

“My mom said you asked about me often, so I know you care about me even if you didn’t come see me. It’s okay, oppa. I forgive you.” Jiyu buried her face in the crook of his neck, clutching him like a teddy bear.

A suave giggle dripped from Taehyung’s beaming lips as he rubbed caresses on her back. With ultimate tenderness, he released her from his embrace and smoothed his hands down the sides of her head in little pats. His fond gaze held fast to her, as if afraid she might disappear if he looked away. “You grew up so much, baby. You’re almost half as tall as me now. Wow.”

Jiyu’s lower lip stuck out in a pout, her eyes clouding with sadness as she peeked at him. “I don’t want to grow up. Jungkookie oppa said you love kids, so I want to stay a kid forever so you can love me forever.”

“Jiyu-yah,” Taehyung uttered with a notion of surprise, then beamed at her, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His touch was feathery, an appeasing gesture to reassure her. “I’ll always love you. Even when you’re a sixty-year-old granny, I’ll love you more than anyone.”

Jiyu threw her head back with the giggle she produced and sneaked into his hug again. “Okay then.”

Taehyung’s smile faltered as his gaze landed on Jungkook, who stood close by, still viewing them through fond yet wistful eyes. He averted his attention at the prance his heart gave and lowered himself onto the grass, carefully pulling Jiyu down beside him. “Let’s sit and talk, baby. I want to know all your favorite things all over again so I can buy you lots of presents.”

“Yay, presents!” she exclaimed in glee, gripping his hand tightly. “I still love teddy bears, video games, and dance. I don’t play with dolls anymore, though. It’s boring. And I like lollipops, ice cream, and sweets. I also eat broccoli now, but don’t buy me broccoli. I only eat it because it’s healthy.”

An outbreak of chuckles flew out of Taehyung’s throat, his chest shaking with the sonorous sound. “I wouldn’t buy you broccoli, sweetie. Don’t worry. How’s school? Do you have lots of friends?”

“Yes, but I love Bomin the most. She’s my best friend.”

“You were together with Bomin since kindergarten, right?”

“Yes! Our moms are still best friends, so she often comes to our house. And there’s also this boy...”

A spasm of vexation, bordering on anger, crossed Jungkook’s previously smiling veneer, hardening his eyes with sudden intensity. “Boy?”

The two whipped their heads towards the sound of his voice, but Jiyu quickly looked away from the sternness of Jungkook’s expression, digging her face into Taehyung’s chest.

“Jeon Jiyu. Look at me.”

Taehyung felt the grip around him tighten and glanced down at her. His hand moved in soothing strokes along her back, offering comfort and reassurance in response to the tension created by Jungkook’s strict demeanor. “Tell us about him, angel. It’s okay. Is he a good boy?”

“He’s the sweetest,” she whispered, her words muffled against Taehyung’s chest, where she sought solace. “He says good morning every day and leaves a juice on my desk for me. We play together on breaks and he always protects me.”

“Jeon Jiyu. Come here.”

Jiyu cast a hesitant glance at Jungkook, lips pursed into a deep pout. She shook her head in a quick motion and latched onto Taehyung harder.

A gruff sigh pushed out of Jungkook as he approached the two. He kneeled down beside them, his eyes softening as he gazed at Jiyu. “Baby. You’re eleven years old. It’s okay to like him, but you’re too young to kiss him. Okay?”

Jiyu nodded slowly, her pout lingering on her lips as she maintained eye contact with Jungkook. “Can I... hold his hand? And hug him?”

“No and no.”

“Jungkook,” Taehyung muttered, an edge of disapproval vibrating in his voice, as he frowned. He redirected his regard to Jiyu and smiled gently. “Of course you can, sweetie. That’s what friends do as well.”

“Taehyung, stay out of this,” Jungkook said with a sudden strictness he couldn’t tame. “It’s my family’s issue.”

The harsh words blindsided Taehyung; they drove into his chest with cutthroat force, grinding so deeply they threatened to bore holes through his already bruised heart. His brows furrowed in poignancy, the oppression of Jungkook’s callous demeanor striking him like a physical smack. He knew he shouldn’t feel like this. It was his family’s issue, and Taehyung wasn’t a part of it anymore. But it still hurt so excruciatingly to hear him say it.

A shock of regret shot through Jungkook’s gut as soon as he detected Taehyung’s devastated frown. He strangled his instant need to apologize and focused on Jiyu again. “Listen, Jiyu-yah. You’re too young to have a boyfriend. You know that, right?” He received a half nod and sighed softly. “What’s his name?”

“Hyunwoo.”

“Is he in your class?”

“No.”

“Okay. Promise you’ll be careful and you won’t accept to be his girlfriend until you’re way older.”

“How much older?”

“Until you’re twenty years old.”

“What?” she breathed out, her doe eyes standing into two swollen eyes of shock. “That’s... too many years.”

“Okay, stop,” Taehyung cut in with a harshness he subdued for Jiyu’s sake. His moderate scowl melted into a reassuring smile as he carded his fingers through Jiyu’s hair. “Don’t think about anything else, sweetie. Be his friend for now, okay?”

Jiyu’s smile bolted to settle over her lips again as she nodded.

“Fine,” Jungkook sighed. “And tell this Hyunwoo if he breaks your heart, I’ll steal all of his lollipops,” he added with a sprinkle of playfulness, wanting to ease the tension he had caused.

Jiyu giggled, a perky, infectious sound that could fill anyone with warmth. “Okay, but I know he won’t. He’s even kinder than Taehyungie oppa.”

Jungkook gasped in pretended hurt, his face stretching into a mask of exaggerated emotion. His eyes widened comically, and he placed a hand over his heart as if wounded. “What about me?”

Chuckling, Jiyu threw herself into Jungkook’s embrace, pressing her small head against his chest. “You’re kind too, but... you’re a bit scary sometimes when you call me by my full name.”

Jungkook held her securely, planting velvet kisses on the top of her head. “Baby. I just want the best for you. I promised I’ll protect you, and in order to do that, I have to be a little strict sometimes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I’ll always love you.”

“Okay, oppa.” Jiyu turned her head to Taehyung, but she exploded out of her seat upon spotting her best friend with her mother from afar. “Oppa, oppa, Bomin is here! Can I go play with her?”

With a fond smile sweeping across his face, Jungkook rose to his feet. “Let me take you there and ask Jeoan if she can watch you two.” He meshed their hands together and walked down the hillside. As they approached the two, Jungkook perceived how Jeoan’s eyes grew bigger the moment their gazes met and cracked a warm smile.

“Oh my God, Jungkook,” Jeoan uttered, her words a mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy as she enfolded him in a tight hug. “You’re truly back.”

Jungkook wrapped an arm around her as well, patting her back. “Yes.”

“Jungkookie!” Bomin squeaked as she pounced on him, her small arms flying over his torso.

“Hey, sweetie,” Jungkook said through hushed chuckles, his eyes sparking with affection as he returned her enthusiastic embrace. “How have you been?”

“Good. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Do you want to chat as our girls play?” Jeoan asked.

“Um, someone’s waiting for me...” Jungkook said with a dram of awkwardness. “And I wanted to ask if you could watch them instead. I’ll keep my eyes on them as well, though.”

“Sure, don’t worry about it. I’ll drop by your house sometime to have a cup of coffee with your mother. I hope you’ll join us.”

“Okay.” Jungkook went down on one knee in front of his sister, bringing himself to her eye level. He brushed her locks back, his fingers carefully tucking them behind her ear as he smiled warmly. “I’ll be right there with Taehyungie, okay? Don’t go anywhere alone. Wave at me when you want to leave so I can come take you.”

Jiyu nodded cutely and spun around to take Bomin’s hand in hers. “Ms. Woo, we’ll go to the swings first!”

“Okay, loves. Let’s go.”

Jungkook offered Jeoan a look chock-full of gratitude and a delicate smile before he hurried back to Taehyung. He found lying him on his stomach, his chin supported in both hands, his gaze seemingly fixed on him. But as Jungkook neared him, he recognized his view was riveted on the two girls instead and a bitter, quiet sigh slipped past his lips unknowingly.

Jungkook plumped down on his butt and crossed his legs, settling into a comfortable position as he spectated the two girls play at the swings. His mouth unfolded, ready to ask him how he was doing, but it pinched shut when Taehyung’s deep, husky voice floated around him with a sparkle of gloom.

“Why did you say that to her?”

Jungkook turned his head, focusing his eyes on Taehyung, who remained unmoving despite his intense scrutiny. “Which one?”

“That I didn’t go see her because it would hurt me.”

“Well,” Jungkook murmured, his eyes drifting away since he could sense Taehyung’s reluctance to look at him, “isn’t it true?”

Taehyung maintained his silence, his expression clouded by a sensible sullenness that seemed to cocoon his features like a burdensome shroud. A soft sigh escaped him, the sound breaking the tense hush. “No. I couldn’t stand seeing her so sad. I had gone to see her only once after you left, and she had cried her eyes out. I knew my presence would sadden her more since...” His words melted into quietness, each syllable weighed down by agony. They felt like stones on his tongue, too leaden to push out into the open. And as the loop around his heart tightened, the words drowned entirely, sinking deep back inside him.

“Since what?” Jungkook questioned, a strained undertone punctuating the spark of pained aggravation that flared in the center of his chest.

Taehyung heaved himself to a sitting position, his head firmly bowed, his traits darkening even more with the oppression of the tarnished memories that swirled through his head. His silence was earsplitting, urging upon the heaviness of the said memories. Each one pressed down on him, feeling as if they would crush him at any moment.

“Since what, Taehyung?” Jungkook repeated, his tone sharper now, tinged with an edge of bitterness. “Since we were inseparable? Since you used to come to my house almost every day? Since you stayed over and ate with us countless times? Since we played with Jiyu for hours any game she wanted? Since you kept her company when I had to leave for missions? And she would be reminded of me every time she would see you. Right?”

Jungkook’s anchored gaze on him got eclipsed by a mist of dolorous blankness that stole every ounce of severity from his voice. “Why can’t you say these things? Why can’t you say... our memories?”

The atmosphere between them was thick with a wrenching tension, a stifling sort of poignancy that lingered in the air. The moment stretched as teardrops beaded along Taehyung’s lower lids, cluttered with downtrodden feelings. “Because I don’t want to remember.”

The grave, pain-filled voice pierced through Jungkook’s chest like a dart, his words cutting deep and splitting his heart apart. “What?”

“I don’t want to remember these fake memories,” Taehyung spoke with a deliberate drawl, hoping to conceal the tremor in his voice. “Your empty promises. Your sweet lies. I don’t want to remember anything from you.”

A tide of heartbreak poured from the depths of Jungkook’s soul, enveloping him in its relentless surge, trapping him in icy waters that seemed to seep into his bones. Each breath felt heavier than the last, encumbered by the jolts of anguish convulsing his heart. The blankness in his eyes deepened, obscured by a stinging layer of tears. “How... How can you say this? Our memories weren’t fake. They aren’t. I truly loved you. And I still do.”

Taehyung shut his wet eyes, feeling his tears trickle down his cheeks in hot paths. He drew his knees close to his chest and twined his arms around them, clutching himself as if trying to protect and hold together the shattered pieces of his soul. The mass of grief and sorrow sat acutely heavy on his shoulders, the physical embrace offering little comfort to the storm raging within him. “You left me without an explanation. You don’t love me. So never say that again.”

Jungkook just stared at him, mute and broken. The turbidity around his vision cleared as the wetness bubbled over, cascading down his steely face. He felt an unbearable ache in his chest, a longing, a burning need to pour out his thoughts and feelings, explain himself, offer consolation and understanding. Fuck, how desperately he wished he could share everything, reveal the truths that tormented him. But it wasn’t his story to tell; it belonged to Taehyung’s father, and he had to come clean about his actions first before Jungkook could tell him anything.

Through the turmoil of his ravaging ruefulness, a grain of acidic rage took root in Jungkook’s gut and began to fester. It clawed at the muscles in his face, hardening them along with his gaze that was still fixed on Taehyung’s lowered head. He couldn’t digest that Taehyung didn’t believe him when he said he still loved him. Taehyung’s doubt throttled him.

“I spent my whole life with you,” Jungkook said, voice fragile yet burdened with an undercurrent of braising anger. “When I was fourteen, and you were fifteen, and you told me about your crush, I remember feeling my heart ache. I still helped you confess your feelings to him later because I thought that would make you happy. When I was fifteen and you told me you had your first kiss, my stomach dropped. I still hugged you and told you I was happy for you because I thought that would make you happy. A year later, you pushed me to go out with the guy you introduced me to, and I did. Guess why. Because I thought it would make you happy. I had my first kiss too then. And I hated that it wasn’t with you. And the next year—”

“Don’t,” Taehyung whispered, eyes screwed shut, grip around himself firming up further.

Jungkook puffed a bitter sound of scorn. “You don’t want to remember this either, huh?”

“No.”

“Well, I want to remember. And I remember every single thing from that day. You had come to me crying—”

“Shut up,” Taehyung spat out, his breath flying out of him in quick, deep waves of sorrow.

“—and asking for my hug and said no one’s hug felt like mine. You—”

“Stop!” Taehyung screamed, his voice ripping through the atmosphere like a desperate plea. He scrambled to his feet, his movements frantic and unsteady, heedless of the curious looks from nearby onlookers. His clenched fists twitched at his sides as he fixed Jungkook with a scowl that mirrored a turbulent agitation of fury and heartache, suffocating tears raining down his face.

“You don’t know how much I regret confessing the feelings I had for you all those years,” Taehyung said, each word vibrating with raw intensity. “The feelings I forcefully buried inside me because I thought you wouldn’t return them. I made out with guys I didn’t even like to forget about my absurd feelings. I never liked anyone else. Than you.”

Jungkook pulled himself to his feet slowly. “You regret it? Really? You regret spending seven years with me?”

“Yes,” Taehyung stated, the muscles along his arms flexing with the rigidity that clasped him. “You threw them away so easily. Like they meant nothing. And I hate you for this. I hate you... twice as much as I once loved you.”

“Baby bear...” Jungkook breathed out brokenly, his voice cracking in the tsunami of devastation that drowned him. The gush of his tears intensified, threatening to unleash sobs that would rock his chest.

“Don’t you dare,” Taehyung said, a low growl thickening each word, “call me that ever again.” He held their stare for a couple more strained seconds, his features so tightly contracted his head began to ache.

Jungkook jolted out of his mournful standstill, his heart lurching as he watched Taehyung slouch away. Desperation clawed at him, urging him to act, and he reached out instinctively to stop him. “Don’t go,” he whispered, begged, his voice quaking with a vile blend of pleading and fear. His hand hovered in the air for a moment before he dragged it down, knowing all too well how Taehyung would react if he touched him. “Jiyu will be sad if she doesn’t find you here.”

Taehyung’s body seemed to lose all firmness, draining away until he was limp, barely able to keep himself on his feet any longer. Every ounce of strength and fury evaporated, leaving him shaken and vulnerable. “I can’t stand... you. I can’t stand sitting with you like nothing happened. Things happened. You left me. You broke me. And you can’t just return and act like nothing happened.”

Taehyung sank down onto the grass and laid his wet eyes on the two girls down the playground. His misery gentled only a notch as he watched Jiyu beam so brightly, the echo of her distant laughter tingling his ears.

Jungkook wilted on the ground seconds later, finding the distance between them harrowing. Taehyung’s words played in his mind like a perpetual refrain, their sharp edges slicing through him, leaving his heart all bruised once more. The anguish and bitterness they carried enclosed him in a cloud of despair, which felt impossible to dissipate.

They remained marooned in brutal silence, the air stifling with regret and destroyed emotions. Each struggled with their own chaos, grappling with the fallout of their shattered bond and the uncertainty of the future.

After he didn’t know how long, Jungkook noticed Jiyu wave at him and pushed himself off his seat. “You want to come with me to say goodbye?”

“Bring her here,” Taehyung said, voice gravelly and muted by his extended silence. “I want to spend some more time with her.”

Jungkook wordlessly shuffled off, each step dragging with the lingering oppression in his chest. He saw Jiyu run towards him and halted, forcing a smile to his face as he outstretched his arm.

“Oppa!” Jiyu chirped as he clutched his hand.

Jungkook waved at Jeoan from afar and led his sister to Taehyung again. “Did you have fun, love?”

“Yes! But Ms. Woo had to leave, that’s why I waved at you.”

“It’s okay. You’ll see Bomin tomorrow at school. And we have to leave as well soon. Mom is waiting for us.”

“Okay. I want to stay with Taehyungie oppa just a little more and then we can leave.” Jiyu dashed forward, breaking her grip on Jungkook’s hand, and latched onto Taehyung. “Taehyungie oppa,” she exclaimed gleefully, but the smile on her face froze as she detected his reddened eyes. Her brows clumped together in worry, her small hands reaching out to cup his face. “Did you cry, oppa? Why?”

“It’s nothing, angel,” Taehyung reassured, caressing her back with gentle swipes. “Don’t worry.”

“Did Jungkookie oppa sadden you again?”

“No. You know how kind Jungkookie is.”

“So did you forgive him?” Jiyu asked, her voice colored with hopefulness, a glimmer of expectation shining in her doe eyes.

Taehyung forced his smile to grow an inch wider as he nodded. “Everything is okay, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Then will you be coming to our house again every day like before?”

“I will, but not every day. I have work, baby.”

Jungkook snorted, a quiet, scornful sound that didn’t reach their ears. “Stop lying to her.”

An instant stiffness girdled Taehyung, his heartbeat lunging into a sprint at the cold voice.

“What?” Jiyu whispered as she glanced at Jungkook, who was sitting beside them.

“He didn’t forgive me, Jiyu-yah. He never will. And he’ll never come to our house again.”

Tears flooded Jiyu’s eyes, shimmering with sadness, and her bottom lip trembled as she struggled to speak. “No,” she choked out between muted sobs, her voice wavering with hurt and confusion. “Why? Why—Why are you—you saying t-that?”

Taehyung’s heart writhed in agony at the sight. He muffled her in his hug, cradling her compactly, every shake of her form against his chest punching his stomach more and more violently. “Shh, don’t cry, love. Of course I’ll come to your house again and chat with you and play any game you want and help you with your studies and—and anything you want, baby.”

Jiyu sniffled, wiping her face with her sleeve as she drew back to merge their gazes. “Really? You’re—You’re not lying?”

“Of course I’m not lying. And if I can’t come and you miss me, ask your mother to call me from her phone so we can talk.”

“I have my own phone now. Look.” Jiyu’s tears were now dried on her cheeks, forgotten in the moment as she proudly took her phone out of her pocket and presented it to Taehyung.

“When did you grow up so much that you even have your own phone, hmm?” Taehyung asked sweetly, grinning, as he folded a clump of hair behind her ear. “I remember like it was yesterday when I was helping you use your chopsticks.”

Jiyu giggled. “I got it this year. My mom said I can only use it to call her. Now I can finally call Jungkookie oppa and you! Write your number.”

Taehyung did what she asked gladly and passed the phone back. “Call me anytime you want, angel. But why did you say you can finally call Jungkookie now too? You couldn’t before?” His eyes strayed towards Jungkook, tracing over his seated form without meeting his gaze directly.

“No, because Jungkookie couldn’t use his phone at all.”

“Why?”

“Because—”

“Jiyu-yah.” Jungkook’s low voice interrupted sharply, his attempt at a smile softening the frosty expression that had settled on his face. “Did you ask Jungkookie if he wants others to know about his personal life?”

A pout spread over Jiyu’s face, sinking her eyes at the edges. “No. But—But Taehyungie isn’t just others. He’s... He’s your boyfriend.”

“He’s not anymore. So I don’t want you to talk to him about me ever again, okay?” The silence Jungkook received bristled his sudden rage, stirring it within him like a thunderstorm gathering strength beneath a placid surface. “Answer me, Jeon Jiyu.”

“Okay,” Jiyu murmured immediately, her grip on Taehyung tightening in fear.

Taehyung shot him a fierce glare, his eyes narrowing with disapproval, as he patted Jiyu’s back in soothing caresses. “Hey, baby, do you want to listen to my favorite song and tell me if you like it?”

“Yes!” Jiyu beamed, as if she had already brushed aside Jungkook’s strict demeanor.

Chuckling, Taehyung pulled his wireless headphones out of his bag and slipped them over her head. He adjusted the volume and played the song, then mouthed, “Is it okay?” in case it was too loud for her.

Jiyu nodded and jumped to her feet, dancing blithely to the exciting song.

An immediate sharpness cloaked Taehyung’s face as he leveled a rowdy glare at Jungkook, his brows falling low over his hard eyes. “I get that you’re mad, but don’t you dare take it out on her, okay? Why did you say all these things? Why do you want to make her cry?”

“I thought it was better to know the truth so she doesn’t have her hopes up,” Jungkook responded with feigned nonchalance, refusing to meet his eyes.

“She’s eleven, Jungkook. Kids shouldn’t know everything because they can’t handle it. And I didn’t lie when I said I’ll come to your house. Of course I’ll come. For her.” Fragments of the harshness adorning Taehyung’s traits dispersed with the remembrance of Jiyu’s words. “You lied to her, right? You could use your phone just fine. I was charged when I had called you, which means it was a long distance call. So you weren’t in Seoul for the past five years.”

“Why do you care where I was?”

“I don’t.”

“Really?” Jungkook asked, his voice coiled around a bitter scoff. “You don’t care? You won’t try to find out on your own again?”

“No. I’ll pretend you never came back. Because whatever we had is gone. And it will never come back.”

Jiyu threw herself onto Taehyung, clasping his arm and trying to pull him to his feet. But Taehyung’s heart, oppressed with sorrow, couldn’t conjure even a semblance of a smile. He removed the headphones from her head in a careful motion and drew a sweet kiss on her forehead. “I have to leave, angel. I’ll make sure to come to your house soon. And don’t forget you can call me anytime.”

Jiyu glanced between the two as they simultaneously rose to their full height. “Did you... fight again?”

“No,” Taehyung said. “I’m just sad I have to leave.” He used every shred of strength he had left to curl his lips into a smile, an attempt to reassure her that everything was okay. He kissed the top of her head and gazed down at her, caressing the crown of her cheek with his thumb. “I love you, sweetie. Bye.”

“Bye, Taehyungie oppa! I love you too.” Jiyu circled his body with her arms, her head pressing against his stomach. “And don’t be sad because you have to leave. You’ll see me again.”

Her cuteness ripped a silent chuckle from Taehyung, tinted with gloom, as he patted her head. “You’re right.” With another kiss on her cheek, Taehyung slouched away, his shoulders ponderous with the gruesome mixture of emotions he experienced.

Sighing, Jungkook reached down to unite their hands. “Let’s go home, Jiyu-yah.”

Silence shrouded the two siblings as they sauntered towards their house. Jiyu could tell something was bothering Jungkook. His usually powerful gait was subdued, and his eyes seemed to focus on something distant, something nagging. She kept casting worried glances his way, her brows wrinkled with concern.

“Oppa.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you sad?”

Jungkook’s chest swelled with a slow inhalation and his shoulders sagged with the release of air, the tension easing but not entirely dissipating. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Honestly?” He glanced at her, and the tips of his lips lifted by an inch as he saw her nod. “I want Taehyungie’s hugs and kisses too, but he doesn’t want to give them to me.”

Jiyu gasped, her mouth hanging open as she stared at him with big doe eyes. “Why? You deserve all the hugs and kisses in the world. He’s mean for not giving them to you.”

A suave chuckle emitted from Jungkook, feeling his distress subside at her absolute cuteness. “Ah, baby girl. I’m so lucky to have you. And I’m sorry for making you cry earlier. I didn’t want to upset you.”

“I was just sad at the thought of Taehyungie never coming to our house again. I knew he lied when he said everything was okay.”

“How did you know?”

“His eyes...” Jiyu uttered, her face clouding over with an inkling of gloom. “His eyes were sad when he spoke. When Taehyungie’s eyes are sad, he’s lying.”

“Hmm, and how do you know that, love? You have years to see him.”

“The last time he came to our house after you left, I asked him if he would come visit me, even if you were gone. He had said yes, but his eyes were so sad.”

“Maybe he was sad because you were crying. You know he can’t stand seeing you cry.”

“No, it wasn’t that,” Jiyu said, shaking her head. “I can’t explain it. I asked him if he still loved you even if you left, and he said yes. His eyes were sad then as well, but he was telling the truth.”

Jungkook smiled softly at her, squeezing her hand. “You’re such a smart girl, sweetie.”

“I shared my secret with you so you can tell when Taehyungie says something he doesn’t mean. When people are hurt, they say things they don’t mean, right?”

“Yes.”

“So now you can tell when he’s lying.”

“You’re right. Thank you.”

Jungkook’s smile vanished when she looked ahead, and melancholy rushed to settle over his features like a black veil. His jaw clenched, and the lines around his mouth deepened, revealing the inner devastation that had only been momentarily masked by his sister’s comforting presence. All I can see in his eyes now is pain, though. Sadness. And pain.

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I've read this chapter so many times, and it still makes me so sad... I hope you can feel their emotions too💜