...Six days ago...

“I need you to find someone and bring him to me.”

Jungkook’s brows clumped together, a storm brewing behind his eyes as he glared at Minseok. “I told you, this was my last day here. I’m going back to South Korea.”

“Exactly. That’s one of the reasons I’m giving this mission to you. The target fled to Seoul after betraying me. He stole my money and merchandise.”

Jungkook snatched the file Minseok offered and flicked the first page, studying the details briefly. “Lee Kristian? He’s working for you.”

“Yes. But he’s working for an enemy as well. He played me. And I don’t like getting played. The other reason I’m giving this mission to you is because you’re my secret weapon. Only a handful know of your existence. You can get close to him without raising suspicions.”

Jungkook nodded, determination blazing in his gaze. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

“Great. That happened about two months ago, but I waited for you and your team to return. Yoongi will be able to locate him in minutes, and you will get the job done fast.”

“Exactly,” Jungkook smirked, overconfident.

“So you’ll keep working for me, right?” Minseok asked. “Even if you return home?”

“Yes. But I don’t want to take missions outside of South Korea. I want to settle down.”

“Because of Taehyung?”

At the mention of his name, a blanket of despondency fell over Jungkook’s features like an eclipse. His heart clenched excruciatingly at the thought of appearing in front of him again after five years. He had hurt him immensely, more than anyone, so deeply. But he hoped with all his might that their love was strong enough to overcome everything.

“It must have been painful,” Minseok uttered when Jungkook’s silence stretched more than usual. “To be forced to leave the man you love.”

Jungkook swallowed through the constrictive lump that clawed at his throat. “Yes. I had to find what Woosung was looking for. And if I didn’t leave, Woosung would have hurt my family. But now he won’t dare touch them because I know all of his secrets thanks to you and I can destroy him in a second.”

“I’m glad I could help you. Jaesuk was a good partner and friend. So I owed him. The least I could do was to help his son.”

A soft smile rippled across Jungkook’s face, dispersing fragments of his sullenness. “Thank you.”

This mission wasn’t just about loyalty or duty — it was about the hope for a future finally free from shadows and lies. It was about reuniting with the love of his life, revealing all the harrowing secrets that had driven them apart, and using every means to win him back.

The thought of Taehyung lingered like a glimpse in the darkness of Jungkook’s mind. Five years apart had been an eternity, filled with regrets and torture. But now, armed with resolve and aces in his sleeve, Jungkook saw a chance to undo the past, erase the pain he had caused, and rebuild what had been destroyed.

His determination burned brighter than ever, fueled by the promise of a second chance. No matter how long it took, no matter the obstacles in his path, he would bring Taehyung back into his life.

For him, this wasn’t just a job; it was a chance for forgiveness and for the restoration of a love that had never died.

. . .

The afternoon sun draped Jungkook’s face with a dull light as he drove towards the park. His hands gripped the steering wheel with a sprinkling of determination and disquiet, the memory of yesterday’s hospital visit still fresh in his mind.

His head injury had left him shaken, but today, despite any lingering soreness that cradled the side of his skull, he felt compelled to talk to Taehyung, beg him not to give up on him yet, just wait for him a little longer.

The park drew nearer into his vision, a familiar place that had witnessed their laughter, their promises, and now their painful silence. Jungkook parked the car and stepped out into the crisp afternoon air, scanning the hillside for a sign of Taehyung.

The faint sound of children’s chuckles surrounded him as he ventured deeper into the park, uncertainty gripping his heart. He had rehearsed what he would say a thousand times over, words of entreaty and longing tangled in a jumble of emotions.

But as he inspected every inch of the hillside, reality sank in, a crushing weight boring down on him. Taehyung’s absence was a twinge in his chest, a brutal ache that fractured his hopes.

Defeat toppled over Jungkook, stealing his breath for a beat as he stood within the tranquil scenery. He had hoped today he would find Taehyung waiting for him, ready to listen and maybe to forgive. Why would he kiss him if he didn’t love him, if he didn’t plan on forgiving him?

With the spiked loop of despair tightening its grasp around his heart, Jungkook turned away from the hillside, his steps ponderous as he retraced his path to the car.

As he drove towards Taehyung’s house, time seemed to flow by so slowly, the uncertainty perched on his chest persisting. But beneath the uncertainty, beneath the dread of rejection and the pain of regret, Jungkook clung to a glimmer of hope. Hope that their love, despite all the heartbreak, could still find a way to heal, repair the cracks that had torn them apart.

Arriving at his destination, Jungkook halted outside of the steel gate. He waited for a while, but the gate soon glided open with a mechanical hum, inviting him forward into the familiar surroundings that held so many memories. Jungkook drove through the gate and gently stopped his car in the yard.

The usual ache in his head throbbed as he got out of his car, nerves and hope intertwining in a turbulent mix. Jungkook trod carefully on the marble path that led to the door of Taehyung’s home.

He stood outside, gathering his courage to ring the bell. The door swung open unexpectedly, revealing Jihyun standing there. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face before it hardened into a guarded expression. “Hello, Jihyun-ssi. Is Taehyung here?”

Jihyun maintained a steely facade with traces of fury breaking through the edges. “No.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“No.”

Jungkook slapped an unfaltering hand on the door just as Jihyun moved to close it. With a forceful push, he shoved the door wide open, causing Jihyun to stumble back, surprise braising in her usually composed countenance. A vicious derision flared in Jungkook’s eyes, flitting fiercely in them. “There was a time you loved me and treated me like your son. What changed?”

“Maybe the fact that you’re blackmailing my husband?” Jihyun’s voice came out in a snarl, the thin veins on her neck pulsing as a sudden harshness contorted her face. “Maybe that you want to destroy my family?”

A huff spewed from Jungkook’s lungs, his eyes swinging to the side before nailing her with a haughty, hard look. “Don’t talk like Woosung didn’t destroy my family,” he said, a simmering growl cutting his words like a lethal knife. “You always played your role pretty well, though. You know, the role of Taehyung’s biological mother.”

“Shut up,” Jihyun spat out, pitching forward as if she would attack him. She jabbed a trembling hand into her sternum as she stated, “I am his mother. I raised him since he was two years old. I loved him and still do with all my heart. I am his mother.”

Jungkook perused the rowdyism that clawed at the muscles of her face, identifying traces of heartache adorning them. The raging fire of his aggressiveness calmed a notch, his features mellowing enough for a shroud of blankness to settle over them. “Tell me where the son you love so much is.”

Jihyun’s fingers folded into quivering fists, hatred oozing out of every part of her. “He’s at his Jimin’s house. Don’t come here again.”

Jungkook scoffed, shaking his head slowly as the door slammed shut in his face, the resounding bang carrying far. As it was still early, Jungkook headed home, thinking he could visit Taehyung at his workplace later.

He spent the afternoon at home, getting much-needed rest. Shocks of pain often rocketed through his head with sudden movements. He lay on his bed, the room dimly lit, as thoughts of Taehyung swarmed his mind. The image of Taehyung’s face and the feel of his kiss offered a bittersweet comfort, deepening his resolve to see him and talk to him.

Around midnight, Jungkook drove towards the nightclub. He navigated through the busy streets, the city lights a blur in his peripheral vision. His thoughts remained fixed on Taehyung, each passing minute amplifying his desperation.

Arriving at the club, Jungkook parked his car close to the entrance. He slid out, the vibrant, neon lights already dazing him. The thumping bass of the music inside reverberated through the ground, making his mildly aching head buzz.

Jungkook shuffled towards the entrance, nodding his thanks to the bouncer who held the door open for him, and stepped inside. He took a single step before freezing in place, his entire body tensing as his gaze locked on someone leaning on the counter. A gruesome cocktail of curiosity and rage boiled in Jungkook’s gut, holding him at a standstill, as that someone’s voice mingled with the distant music from inside the club.

“—what I asked before.”

“What?”

“You know. Your phone number.”

A smile broke onto Taehyung’s face, his head dropping in timidity. “Sorry, I don’t give my number to customers.”

“Then I’ll never come here again, so I won’t be your customer anymore.”

Taehyung’s chuckle, usually a melody to Jungkook’s ears, felt like a poisonous dart to his heart in that moment, its magical tune now unbearably painful.

“You’re cute. But I still can’t give you my number. I’m taken.”

“Hmm, I’m not surprised, to be honest. You’re the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. That boyfriend of yours should take better care of you. I might attempt to steal you.”

That gruesome cocktail in Jungkook’s gut festered so much he felt like puking, and he was suddenly propelled forward by its fierceness. “You can try, but that will be the last thing you’ll do before you end up in a hospital bed.”

The unnamed man jolted at the chilling words, his flirtatious smile quickly replaced by terror. “I—I was j-joking,” he muttered in haste, retreating to the side with quivery steps, as he gaped at Jungkook’s menacing, approaching form.

“Leave.”

The man bolted for the exit right away, and Jungkook slashed him with his cruel eyes until the very moment he disappeared. Jungkook then shifted his focus to Taehyung, a disdainful huff spilling from his lips. His brows quirked as he took in the reproach deep-rooted on Taehyung’s features and the fumes of annoyance burning in his narrowed eyes.

Taehyung, standing with his arms firmly crossed over his chest, pinned Jungkook to his spot with the ferocity of his glare. “Who gave you the right to scare off my customers?”

“You know, I really wonder,” Jungkook uttered, completely ignoring the question as he braced his forearms on the counter, “how many of these customers hit on you every night.”

Taehyung’s eyes flashed dangerously, his stance unwavering. “That’s none of your business.”

“And to how many you’ve actually given your number,” Jungkook continued, as if he didn’t hear him again, his taunting smirk only intensifying.

The answer was to only one of them — Kristian — but Jungkook didn’t have to know that. Taehyung released a tsk sound, whipping his head to the side as a veneer of contempt overlay his traits. “That’s not your business either. Why are you here? I’m working.”

“More like getting hit on by wimps, but okay. I wanted to talk.”

Taehyung suppressed an eye roll at his biting remark, still looking away from him. “About?”

“I was in the hospital yesterday.”

A new sort of tension girdled Taehyung’s figure as his heartbeat launched into unrest, pounding in sync with the pulsating, upbeat music. His restless eyes roamed all around the floor, as if trying to find an answer on it. “Why?”

A sharp snort popped out of Jungkook. “Are you really pretending not to know?”

“I’m not pretending,” Taehyung shot back with feigned confidence, though an unmistakable tremor colored his voice.

Jungkook slanted closer, trying to catch Taehyung’s eyes. “Your face screams that you’re lying.”

The door to the left burst open, and a group of friends emerged, surrounded by laughter. Jungkook stepped aside, watching as each one left their numbered card on the counter and Taehyung retrieved their coats.

“Have a great night,” Taehyung said blithely.

“You too, pretty,” one of them said, before they bundled off into the night.

“Everyone is drooling over you tonight, I see.”

Taehyung ceased the movement of arranging the coats, shooting Jungkook a stern look, delineated with scorn. “It’s not my fault I’m hot,” he said indifferently, then resumed sliding the coats a notch to the left.

“Yeah, you are,” Jungkook released on a breath, scarcely audible over the booming bass of the music. “You know what else you are? Bad at lying.”

Taehyung’s gaze rushed to him again, any stubborn emotion in it fizzling into resignation. “Fine. Yes, I came to the hospital.

“And you kissed me.”

Taehyung shot his head down, teeth digging into his bottom lip in absolute embarrassment. “Ugh, Jiyu really can’t keep a damn secret,” he muttered, feeling the weight of disclosure crush him and overflow every inch of him. “Listen, the only reason I did that—”

“I know,” Jungkook cut in gently. “Jiyu asked you to. I didn’t mind. I thought it was a dream, actually. I just wish I could kiss you back.”

At the genuine timbre Taehyung perceived in his quiet words, a stuttering sigh escaped his lips. Exhaustion flickered in his downcast eyes, intense enough to scatter across his face and suffuse his flesh. “Jungkook... What do you want? Yes, I came to the hospital. I kissed you. And I asked Jiyu and Sung Ryung not to say anything. What else do you want now?”

Jungkook hesitated, an unrest of emotions eddying within him. He searched Taehyung’s face, seeing the weariness and vulnerability etched into every line. The raucous music poured into the dimly lit space again as two guys swung the door open, and Jungkook stood to the side with a sigh.

Jungkook waited until the two took their coats and left. “I’ll wait outside until you finish.”

“We don’t have anything else to talk about,” Taehyung said, hoping Jungkook would leave, hoping he would stop making it so impossible for him to keep his harsh facade.

“Maybe you don’t, but I do,” Jungkook stated, his voice carrying both resolve and desperation. He slouched out of the building without waiting for Taehyung’s response, feeling too tired to continue the debate.

Poignancy slopped through Taehyung’s body like water sloshing into a sandcastle, banging against the fragile floodgates of his composure and drowning his heart in its storminess. He didn’t have the strength to fight him anymore, to hate him, to avoid him. He was so drained by everything.

He battled against a cascade of tears during the two hours of work he had left. Everything happened mechanically; his movements were calculated, his smiles devoid of mirth. He wanted to pause existence even for a moment, just to escape that harrowing emptiness in his gut. That poignant exhaustion. That overriding pain.

His steps were ponderous as he finally made his way outside, still sunk deep into a cesspool of vile emotions. To his right, he spotted Jungkook sitting in a squat with his back propped against the wall and dragged his head down again.

Jungkook straightened his posture, shaking out his legs one by one to dispel the numbness from his extended squat. “Let’s go to the park for a bit,” he suggested, his voice calm but laced with an undertone of melancholy.

Taehyung took off at a plod, shoulders hunched, head hanging low. His body felt so heavy, as if weights had anchored on it, pulling him down to the ground.

Jungkook followed close behind, enveloped by a similar oppression. The icy night air swirled around them, along with a deafening silence, thick and vulnerable all at once, persisting even after they reached their destination.

The park lay quiet at this hour, only a few scattered souls dotting the place. Taehyung led them to a secluded bench tucked away under a tall tree, far from the prying eyes of passersby and the faint glow of distant streetlights. They sat down together, the stillness between them stretching out.

Jungkook glanced at Taehyung, noticing the weariness inscribed into his features. “I’m not just a bodyguard anymore,” he confessed, his voice low and heavy with solemnity.

The words spiraled in the air like pointy shards, nicking the fragile threads that still bound them together. Taehyung remained still and unresponsive — only the lump at the back of his throat thickened, a hot and painful burning that threatened to obstruct his breathing.

“They hire me to protect people. Important people. I’ve been doing this for seven years now. It’s a bit more complicated than being just a bodyguard.”

The threads connecting them were shredded to pieces with Jungkook’s additional, muted explanation. Taehyung didn’t know him anymore — maybe he never truly did. Taehyung cleared his throat and swallowed, willing the looming tears to stay fenced in. “You kill people?”

“If my life or the client’s life is in danger, yes.”

“What about Kristian?” Taehyung asked with the same involuntary drawl that had coated his hushed voice. “Why did you take him? And where?”

“My boss asked me to find him. Kristian was working for him, but he betrayed him, as you found out on your own. I took him to the address they told me. I don’t know anything else. I just follow orders.”

“And who’s your boss?”

Jungkook’s despondent eyes traveled to him, sensing the oppression of his emotions in every word he uttered. His heart sank at the perpetual heavy hue of Taehyung’s voice, each syllable coming out with more effort than the last — a familiar yet wrenching sign that Taehyung was holding back tears.

“You’ll know everything in a few days, Taehyung,” Jungkook uttered, his own voice drenched in regret and heartbreak. “I just... wanted to tell you something about me. Something to hold on to so you can wait a bit more.”

The lump wedged in the back of Taehyung’s throat expanded achingly, and the wetness in his eyes spilled over, marking glossy paths down his cheeks. “I’m done waiting for you,” he spoke with poignant resolve, his gaze remaining cast downwards, unable to meet Jungkook’s.

Jungkook’s heart writhed in despair, his desperation mounting as Taehyung attempted to rise from the bench. In a panic, he lunged forward, his trembling fingers closing around Taehyung’s forearm. “I know you still love me. You can’t not love me. We spent our whole life together.”

Taehyung weakly twisted his arm, trying to break free from Jungkook’s grip, but his movements lacked conviction. He had no ounce of strength left. The grip relented seconds later, and Taehyung clutched his hands together, staring at the ground in a blur. “I don’t want to love you,” he croaked out, a sob threatening to drown his voice. “I don’t want to care about you. I want you gone like you were the past five years.”

Jungkook recoiled as if struck, the words piercing his chest with a pain he couldn’t articulate. He sat back heavily on the bench, his mind spinning with regret and desolation, unsure of how to mend the irreparable gap between them. “Please don’t say that, Tae,” he begged, voice breaking by the bottled-up tears he strove to tame. No matter his efforts, a gush rained down his face, his heart crying along with him. “Yell at me, hate me, hit me, but don’t give up on me. Can I... Can I please hug you? I miss you so much, Tae.”

Taehyung covered his mouth with his hand, his shoulders twitching as a flurry of sobs rocked his body. The forceful pressure did little to dampen the grievous sounds that emitted from him. He turned away, trying to hide the fierce emotions tearing through him, but it was futile. The anguish was too overwhelming, too consuming.

Jungkook’s tears turned into a fast-flowing outpour at the sight of his wretched state. Every part of him stiffened impossibly at his exertion to constrain himself from caressing his back or cradling him as he longed to do. Jungkook could only watch him cry, hear the horrendous sound of his sobs as he wept along with him. It shattered him more than anything.

Taehyung’s feeble hand swept across his cheeks, collecting the endless dampness as he tried to confine his outbreak. His heart bled a little more at the realization of Jungkook’s crying state, the walls surrounding it almost caving. “I’m scared,” he choked out, then drew in a string of calming breaths.

“I’m scared to hug you,” Taehyung continued, his voice barely a touch stabler than before. “If I let myself believe that you still love me, maybe I’ll get used to it again. I’ll believe you got me. That you’re here for me again. And you weren’t here for me for the past five years. I don’t know if you’ll ever be here for me again. So no. You can’t hug me. Because you’ll put my pieces back together and break me again the moment you let go. I’m okay with being broken like this. I got used to it. But I won’t be able to handle getting broken for a second time.”

Each word ground through Jungkook’s chest, scraping his sensitive skin, as if in search of his poor heart to stab it. “I’ll never let you go again,” he whispered between a broken sob, his desperation engulfing every conscious thought. “Please, Taehyung. You have to believe me.”

With tears still streaming down his face in silent agony, Taehyung pushed himself to his feet. He stood there, rooted in place, his existence overrun by fatigue, his stomach a knotted, convulsing mess. “I don’t. I can’t believe a word from you anymore. Your promises mean nothing. And you’ve proven this to me by throwing away everything we had. Please. Leave me alone.”

An unlivable, numbing heartbreak raged inside Jungkook, bouncing and surging all through his blood and bones. He buried his face in his hands, his sobs escalating to anguished weeping as Taehyung turned and walked away, taking with him the last scintilla of hope he had that they could fix this.

The harrowing pain howled inside Jungkook’s jarring body, the earsplitting echoes slashing through his heart and burning holes in his stomach. It hurt so much his mind couldn’t even fathom it, and it reeled with the fatal aftershocks. He could barely breathe, each gasp of air laden with sorrow, every tear a sign of his despair.

Taehyung’s retreating figure blurred through his tear-filled eyes, each step he took further ripping the fragile remnants of Jungkook’s heart. He wanted to call out, beg him to stay, but the words lodged in his throat, choked by the magnitude of his misery.

Minutes felt like hours as Jungkook remained on that bench. He had no resilience left. All he could do was sit there, lost in the wreckage of their love. Drowned in the ruthless sea of his wretchedness.

And shattered by the realization that he might have lost Taehyung forever.

───⭒───༺🖤༻───⭒───
My heart aches for them🥺 But I love angst so much. It's my second favorite angst scene I've written. The first will always be in The Symbol Of Darkness. If you've read it, you know which scene I'm talking about🥲

From now on, I'll update daily! I only have the epilogue to write and I'll finish it today. Thank you for your continuous support💜