Jeongguk’s fingers hovered over the screen, mind racing a mile a minute. V’s words kept replaying in his head like a broken record. “For making me love your damn self.” It echoed, sinking deeper into his chest.

He didn’t know what to feel. Angry? Confused? Or... something else? The "love" part kept tripping him up. Did V really... No. No, this wasn’t about that. This was about V feeling like crap for weeks, maybe months, and Jeongguk somehow missing the signs.

His hands shook as he started typing.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
V... what the hell.
Why didn't you just... tell me?
I had no idea you felt like this.
None. You gotta know, it ain't like
I wanted you to feel like a joke.
Or some... second option or whatever.
You mean so much more
than that, and you know it.

He paused, staring at the message. Did V know it though? His heart pounded as he thought about how cold and distant their conversations had been lately. The guilt gnawed at him.

Another message.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
You’ve been acting like nothing
was wrong. How was I supposed
to know?

You say you’re done with me now?
You hate me?

You don’t mean that, right?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Look, I know I’ve messed up.
I’ve been dealing with my own shit,
with my bf and everything.

But I’m free now, V.
I’m finally out of that mess.

I wanted to talk to you
, to be with you more—
figure this all out,
but you’ve been shutting me
out this whole week.
And now you're saying this?
What am I supposed to do with this,
huh?

His breath was shaky, the frustration bubbling up in him. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the roots. His chest felt tight, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much V’s silence had messed with him.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
You know how crazy I was going?
You’ve been replying dry as hell all week.
I thought I lost you already.
I thought you were slipping away.

I get it, you’re pissed. But damn, V,
I was losing it over here.
And now you're telling me this?
After all that?

He hit send again, barely taking a breath before the next flood of words came.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
You think I don’t care?
You think you’re just a joke to me?
Absolutely fucking not!!

Never have been.

I don’t even know why you feel that way,
but I swear you’re wrong.

You have no idea how many times
I wanted to just say ‘screw it’
and tell you everything.

u were never a joke.

Not to me.

I’ve been through a lot,
but don’t think for a second
that you’re just...
nothing to me.

I can’t stop thinking
about you either.
It’s been driving me mad!!

Jeongguk stopped for a moment, his thumb hesitating over the screen. He wasn’t ready to throw everything out there—no confessions yet. But he needed V to understand.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
I need you to know that I’m here.
I don’t know what
the hell this all means yet,
but I’m here.

Don’t ever think I’m not?

He exhaled slowly, staring at the string of texts on his screen. His heart was still pounding, the adrenaline surging through him. He’d said what he needed to say.

But deep down, he knew this wasn’t over yet. V had cracked something open, and now, they couldn’t go back.

Taehyung groaned as the sunlight hit his face, his head pounding like a drum. He squinted, trying to block out the rays with his pillow, but it didn’t help. Everything hurt, especially his head. His mouth was dry, his body felt heavy, and he was instantly regretting last night.

"Ugh, never again," he muttered, rolling over and pulling the blanket over his head.

He tried to piece together what happened, but it was all a blur. The party, Hwan pushing drinks on him, the dancing—he remembered laughing, but the rest? Fuzzy as hell.

"Why did I even let him convince me..." he groaned, talking to himself.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, the noise making his head throb even more. He blindly reached for it, squinting at the screen. Of course, a few missed calls and a couple of unread messages. Erin had probably checked on him already, and Hwan… yeah, Hwan was likely laughing his ass off somewhere.

He forced himself to sit up, rubbing his temple. The room spun for a second, and Taehyung cursed under his breath. "This is what I get for listening to Hwan."

Another buzz. His phone. He frowned, scrolling through his notifications. One name stood out: Jk.

His heart skipped.

He opened the message.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
V... what the hell.
Why didn't you just... tell me?
I had no idea you felt like this.
None. You gotta know, it ain't like
I wanted you to feel like a joke.
Or some... second option or whatever.
You mean so much more
than that, and you know it

For a second, Taehyung just stared at the screen. Then it hit him. Oh God. He’d texted Jk last night.

He’d texted Jk drunk. His eyes widened, his brain running a mile a minute. What did he say? How bad was it?

He scrambled through his phone, swiping until he found the messages from last night. And there it was. The messy, chaotic texts he had sent. His fingers fumbled as he read them, cringing with every single line.

[@Vantae30_u]
Hey U JK, I HaTe yOu...
fOr maKInG me
lOvE your dAmn self.

WHY U got A boyfrnd huh?
U thinK i CaRE??

"Shit." He whispered, running a hand through his messy hair. He was screwed. Completely, utterly screwed.

His mind went blank for a second. How was he supposed to face Jk after that? He'd practically confessed, half-drunk, while still hung up on the fact that Jk had a boyfriend. He buried his face in his hands. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

A part of him wanted to reply, to clear things up... but what could he even say? He couldn’t take it back. Those words were out there now, floating around in Jk’s head.

His phone buzzed again.

This time it was Erin.

Erin:- "You alive, Tae? Last night was wild. Call me if you need anything. Also, Hwan says he’s sorry for the shots."

He sighed, dropping the phone on the bed beside him. Yeah, sorry wasn’t going to fix this headache. Or the mess he made with Jk.

Taking a deep breath, Taehyung flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe, just maybe, if he stayed there long enough, the earth would swallow him whole, and he wouldn’t have to deal with any of it.

Lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling like it held all the answers. He didn't dare pick up his phone again after reading those texts.

"Seriously, why do I do this to myself?" he muttered, slinging an arm over his eyes, trying to block out the embarrassment burning through him. His head pounded, but the regret? That was even worse.

He hadn't even checked what all rest of Jk replies were. Honestly, he was too scared to. What if JK’s mad?

Taehyung peeked at his phone again, half-tempted to read through the messages. Maybe Jk had sent something else, something that could make him feel less like a complete idiot. With shaky fingers, he opened the messages.

There it was. An unread message from Jk, sent last night, right after his stupid confession.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
V... listen. I’ve been thinking,
and there’s stuff we need to talk about.
But just so you know...
you’re not a joke to me.

You never were.
If I made you feel like that,
I’m sorry.

We’ll figure this out, okay?

Taehyung's heart dropped. He hadn't even seen that last night. And now, after that drunk meltdown he had, he didn’t even know how to respond. He wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Great. Just great." Taehyung flung the phone across the bed, facepalming hard.

I’m so done.

He rolled over, pulling the blankets up over his head like that would somehow fix everything. Nope, it didn’t.

"Why’d I have to say that?" he whispered to himself, voice muffled by the pillow. "Why’d I have to drink? Why’d I have to fall for him?"

Taehyung felt like he was stuck in a nightmare, one where his feelings for Jk had officially gone from confusing to straight-up messy.

As the headache from last night’s party pounded harder, he closed his eyes and groaned louder. He couldn’t face this right now. He couldn’t face Jk. Not after that message. He wanted to dig a grave right there in his bed and crawl into it.

Taehyung dragged himself out of bed, his head still pounding like a jackhammer. He stumbled toward the fridge, muttering under his breath,

"Lemon... need something to fix this mess." Opening the door, he grabbed a lemon and just stood there, staring at it like it held the key to all his problems.

That’s when he caught his reflection in the wall mirror. His eyes were swollen, hair a tangled mess, and his face looked dull, like he hadn't slept for days. Last night’s clothes were still on him, minus his jacket. "Damn... I look like shit."

He ran a hand through his hair, groaning. "What the hell was I thinking last night?"

Taehyung grabbed the lemon again, staring at it like it was his last hope. "This is so dumb," he muttered, but still brought it to his mouth, taking a hesitant lick. The sourness hit him hard, making him wince. "Ugh... what the hell, Tae..."

He kept licking it, the sharp taste cutting through the fog in his head. "Sober up, sober up..." he kept repeating like a mantra, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. The citrus bite helped, just a little, enough to make him feel less like he was gonna collapse.

Between licks, he muttered, "Can’t believe I’m doing this... licking a damn lemon like a freakin’ hangover cure." He sucked on the lemon again, his face scrunching up. "Should’ve stuck to water..."

His eyes flicked toward his phone on the counter, but he ignored it, licking the lemon harder like it was the only thing keeping him together. "Not ready for that... not yet." The sourness helped distract him from the mess in his head, but it wasn't enough to drown out the sinking feeling in his gut.

Taehyung splashed water on his face, the coolness barely cutting through the pounding in his head. As he reached for a towel, a knock came at his door. He groaned, head still throbbing from the night before.

"Who the hell...?" he mumbled, drying his face with one hand while dragging himself to the door.

Opening it, he blinked at the figure standing there, completely taken aback. "Park Jimin?!"

"Surprise!" Jimin grinned, holding his arms out wide like he expected a parade.

Taehyung stood there, frozen for a second before breaking into a wide grin. "What the hell, man? You’re actually here? It’s been... what, a year?"

"Yeah, yeah. A year," Jimin stepped in without invitation, pulling Tae into a tight hug. "Damn, I missed you, bro! You’ve been off the grid or something?"

"Me? You’re the one who vanished with the whole I'm about to be a dad thing." Taehyung laughed, giving him a playful shove. "How’s Aerin? Baby?"

"They’re good, man. Finally got the baby sleeping through the night, so I thought I’d drop in. Been meaning to, but you know... diapers and stuff."

Taehyung shook his head, still in disbelief. "I can’t believe you’re here. I thought I was hallucinating for a second."

Jimin shot him a look, eyes scanning him from head to toe. "And what happened to you? You look like you’ve been through a tornado."

Taehyung chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Let’s just say Hwan and Erin’s anniversary party got a little... wild."

"Wild? You?" Jimin raised a brow, teasing. "Since when did you start partying?"

Tae tried to shrug it off, leaning against the counter. "It wasn’t my idea... got dragged into it."

"Mmhmm," Jimin smirked. "Sounds like there’s more to the story."

Before Taehyung could respond, Jimin’s eyes sparkled mischievously. "You know, I always wondered... if you were into guys, why didn’t you ever hit on me?"

Taehyung laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, Jimin, you couldn’t handle me."

Jimin threw a hand to his chest dramatically. "Oh, please. I’d have you screaming my name."

"Bro, chill," Tae smirked, leaning in. "I don’t think Aera would appreciate that."

"Ha, as if she could handle you either!" Jimin shot back, making them both burst out laughing.

The playful banter settled the tension, but Taehyung’s mind still drifted to his phone, tucked away somewhere in the apartment. The last thing he wanted to do was open it and see JK’s messages—especially after that emotional storm JK had poured out last night.

He had thought about replying, maybe explaining things... but now, with Jimin here, it felt like the perfect excuse to ignore it all.

"So, you here to stay for a bit?" Taehyung asked, casually moving the conversation along.

"Hell yeah," Jimin plopped down on the couch, stretching out like he owned the place. "Figured we could catch up. No interruptions, no stress."

"Good," Taehyung muttered, grabbing his phone but turning it off before he could even glance at the screen. "I could use some time without... distractions."

Jimin noticed the action, narrowing his eyes playfully. "You hiding from someone, Tae? Got a secret lover I should know about?"

Taehyung froze for a split second but quickly forced a grin. "Please, you know I wouldn’t keep a secret from you."

"Uh-huh, sure," Jimin winked. "Just remember, if there’s ever a contest for Best Looking Gay Couple, we’d win by default."

Taehyung snorted, shaking his head. "Bro, I’d carry the team. You’d just be the sidekick."

Jimin laughed. "Don’t be so sure. I’ve still got my moves."

The two of them laughed, falling into easy conversation, the weight of JK’s texts slowly fading into the background of Taehyung’s mind. For now, he was content ignoring the mess he’d created and pretending everything was fine. At least with Jimin, things felt normal. Even if it was just for a little while.

Jeongguk groaned as he rolled out of bed, stretching his arms and hanging from the wall like he was trying to shake off the night’s stress. Bam, his dog, was already awake, wagging his tail as Jeongguk gave him a quick pat.

"Morning, buddy," Jeongguk mumbled, scratching Bam behind the ears before heading to the kitchen. He lit up a cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he stared at his phone, hoping for a sign from V.

He saw the double tick on V’s last message. "Great, he saw it but hasn’t replied," Jeongguk said, frustration boiling over. He yanked on his cigarette, the nicotine barely easing the irritation.

"Seriously, V? What’s the deal?" he muttered, checking his phone again. Nothing new. "Man, I’m trying to keep it together here."

The cigarette between his fingers seemed to burn hotter as his thoughts raced. "Is this a joke? Did I mess up somehow?" he asked himself, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"C’mon, V. Don’t leave me hanging like this," Jeongguk said, taking another drag. His patience was wearing thin, and the silence from V was only making things worse.

_____________________

Taehyung was sprawled on his couch, he turned to his best friend, who was still catching up on some old stories from their college days.

"You know, Jimin," Taehyung said with a smirk, "If I had a dollar for every time I noticed your incredible ass, I’d be a millionaire by now."

Jimin rolled his eyes but grinned. "Oh, Tae, if you were a millionaire, I’d still be spending all my time making sure you get your money’s worth."

Before Taehyung could retort, his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at it but ignored the call, focusing instead on Jimin. They were deep in their playful exchange when his phone buzzed again. Annoyed, Taehyung grabbed it and saw it was from the airlines.

"Hold up," Taehyung said, excusing himself as he answered the call.

"Hello, this is Taehyung," he said, his voice still groggy.

"Good morning, Captain Taehyung. We’re pleased to inform you of your new assignment. You’re scheduled for an international flight to the United States."

Taehyung’s eyes widened. "Wait, what? The US?"

"Yes, your flight details and schedule are being sent to your email. Please review them. This is an important assignment."

The call ended, and Taehyung was left staring at his phone. His first international flight, and it was to America—where Jk lived. His heart raced as he thought about how this was the perfect chance to finally meet Jk.

He rushed to read the full briefing, he checked his email, where a new message was waiting for him:

Pre-Flight Briefing:

Subject: Flight TK202 – International Flight Briefing

“Dear Taehyung,

Congratulations! You are scheduled for flight TK202 to the United States on Wednesday. Please refer to your online briefing for all necessary details, including check-in times and flight information.

Safe travels!

Best,
The Airlines Team”

Taehyung’s mind raced. "Shit, this is insane." He paced his apartment, excitement mixed with nerves. He hadn’t even thought about how this could change things with Jk.

As he pondered this, his phone buzzed again. Jimin, ever the observant friend, peeked into the kitchen. "Hey, Tae, you okay?"

Taehyung forced a smile, trying to hide his excitement. "Yeah, just got some big news. I’m heading to America tomorrow."

Jimin’s eyes widened. "No way! That’s huge! What’s the occasion?"

Taehyung shrugged, playing it cool. "Just a work trip. Nothing too exciting."

Jimin smirked, leaning in. "Sure, just a work trip. Or maybe you're flying across the globe to meet someone special? Wink, wink."

Taehyung laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe. Or maybe I’m just looking forward to the adventure."

Jimin’s eyebrows raised. "Whoa, that’s a big deal. First time flying internationally?"

"Yeah, and I wasn’t expecting this at all," Taehyung admitted, feeling the weight of the situation. "It’s all happening so fast."

Jimin patted his back. "Hey, don’t stress too much. It might be a great opportunity, even if it’s unexpected."

As he thought about it, Taehyung felt a wave of guilt and frustration. The fact that he was going to be so close to Jk, and still so unprepared to deal with the emotions he was feeling, was overwhelming. He was shocked and screwed over by the timing.

Taehyung gave a weak smile. "Yeah, I guess. I just need to figure out how to deal with all this."

Jimin nodded in understanding. "You’ll be fine, Tae. Just take it one step at a time."

As Jimin said, Taehyung stared at his phone, the decision weighing heavily on him. He hovered over Jk’s name, considering whether to reach out now or wait until he had more information.

"This could be the chance I needed." Taehyung said to himself, trying to steady his nerves.

(a/n :- now the climax and more stuffs are ready to engage you more....Jeongguk and Taehyung are going to have a disturb flight :) so please keep your seatbelt secure!!)