"Kook, will you please tell me what happened?"

Yoongi arrived outside of Taehyung's house as fast as he could, and he had been trying to get a word out of him for a while, but all Jeongguk did was cry.

"Kook, please. I can't see you like this. Just tell me something."

He held his knees tightly, his head resting on them as tears fell nonstop. "It h-hurts so—so much."

"Is it over? Did he leave you?" Yoongi parked the car, and it was still silent as they got out and headed towards the door.

Jeongguk felt a hand grab his wrist, leading him to the couch, and although all he wanted was to be left alone and cry in peace, he didn't protest. "I left him. And yes, it's over."

Yoongi wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him against his body. "Why did you do it if you're hurting like this?"

Jeongguk didn't have an answer for this. Because even if they stayed together, he would still be devastated when Taehyung would get hurt. Together or not, he would still cry and be heartbroken. But Jeongguk did make a mistake. They still had today, and they didn't have to care about tomorrow. But he chose to care about tomorrow more.

With that harrowing realization, he could only cry and cry and cry on his hyung's shoulder until he didn't have any more tears left.

. . .

Taehyung shuffled towards the window when Jeongguk walked out of the house and leaned against it, gazing at him through his tears as he waited for his hyung to pick him up. There wasn't anything to describe what he felt other than pure devastation.

Jeongguk made his messed-up life brighter, he brought joy and peace, he made him feel like he was worth something, like he had a meaning, like his life — his existence had a meaning. And he took everything away in the blink of an eye.

Or maybe Taehyung didn't fight enough to make him stay.

When he saw him scuttle towards Yoongi's car, another surge of agony rushed through his insides, so intense his body began trembling. A howl spewed from his mouth as he staggered towards the small table and flipped it over. Screams of suffering surrounded him as he kicked it out of his way and grasped the bookshelf, smashing it onto the floor.

He collapsed onto his knees, clutching his shirt and tugging it as he continued sobbing harder and harder.

He hated everything. His mother, Kang, the club, Wang, his life, himself. Jeongguk was the only one he could never hate. He couldn't, even at that moment. Jeongguk would be better off without him in his life, anyway, but how could he accept that? How could his shattered heart accept that?

He cried for so long he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He couldn't feel his hands that were gripping his shirt anymore. Everything felt numb and just... empty. He could never imagine that hiring Jeongguk that day would be the best and worst thing that happened in his whole life.

All the tears he could shed drained out of him as he curled up into a ball in his bed, facing the side Jeongguk used to sleep in. His fingers crawled towards his pillow, and he caressed it as a wan, crooked smile bloomed on his lips. He gripped it and brought it to his chest, his bottom lip quivering once again. He buried his face into the pillow as he clasped it in his hug and closed his tearful eyes.

Of course, he couldn't possibly sleep, no matter how worn out he already was. His mind was filled with Jeongguk and the memories he had with him. Even if they were officially together for only a week, it was the best and most joyful week he ever had.

Kissing him, holding him, caressing his body, running his fingers through his hair, whispering sweet nothings to his ear, seeing him smile with him being the reason, teasing him.

Everything about him was addictive, and Taehyung wished he could do all these things at least one last time. He wasn't ready for this to end, although he knew he would never be ready for this, but... it had just barely started. How could this have ended when it had just barely started?

🥀

Banging sounds stirred Taehyung awake, and he reached for his phone right away to text Namjoon. The sonorous noises mixed with screams carried on as he trod to the door, and he opened it without bothering to ask who it was.

He was greeted with Kang's bodyguards instead of the usual sidekicks, but as he thought about it, it made sense since he beat them up so much yesterday.

"You have five minutes to get to the car."

Taehyung sighed and pivoted on his heel. He went to the bathroom to freshen up and changed his clothes in haste. He sent another text to Namjoon, and once it was delivered, he deleted everything from his phone, took the sim card, and left it there.

He wasn't scared. He didn't care about what would happen to him. Whatever was awaiting him wouldn't hurt as much as Jeongguk's absence from his life. He was sure of that.

The ride to Kang's place was silent, and it didn't take long to arrive. Before Taehyung could do anything, the one bodyguard flung his door open and snatched his hair, dragging him out of the car. He threw him to the ground and kicked his stomach hard enough to make him roll over and crash into the car behind him.

⚠Attention⚠
[|This chapter from this point until the end contains violence. Proceed with caution|]
 
  

"Not even a greeting today?" Taehyung croaked out with a half smirk as he attempted to push himself off the ground, but the bodyguard pressed his knee into his back to keep him down as the other tied his hands.

"Look at this piece of shit," he snickered. He gave a knowing look to the other, and he knew exactly what to do. He threw a ferocious kick in his face and crouched down in front of him.

"Say some more jokes, Kim." He gripped his hair and yanked his head up. "Let's see how much blood you'll spill today."

Taehyung smirked despite the pain, his eyes half-closed. "Fuck you."

The two bodyguards shared a look and burst into laughter. "I'll make you cry today, you cunt," the one gripping his hair said and slammed his head against the ground.

They lifted him, blood already dripping from his face as they moved him downstairs. They shoved him down to his knees and retreated to the side when Kang appeared.

"You know, Taehyung." Kang edged closer, holding his hands behind his back. "I've been working for years in this business. You have no idea how many scumbags I've met and how many tried to betray me." He squatted in front of him and placed a finger beneath his chin to lift his head. "But no one has ever made me as angry as you have."

Taehyung stayed mute as he looked at him through his blurred vision, feeling pain shoot up his head from the bang before.

Kang wiped his finger on Taehyung's shirt and stood straighter. "Not only you didn't answer my call, but you ran away from my men and beat them up too. And fuck, there's more to that." He hunched a bit, a wicked smile decorating his lips. "You know what I heard?" The silence he received effaced any ounce of his patience, and he delivered a harsh punch in his face. "Answer me!"

Taehyung was left in shock by his behavior. Kang had never hit him or anyone as far as he knew. His sidekicks always did that, and he only enjoyed the show. "No."

"I heard you're gay. And not only that." He chuckled devilishly as he placed a chair in front of him and sat down. "That you also have a boy you care about so, so much."

"Leave him the hell alone. Your problem is with me!"

"So protective," he snickered in amusement. "What did I say about gays? They're weak and worthless, and we don't associate with them."

"Wang is fucking gay! How can you do business with him then?"

Kang's expression darkened at his disrespectful tone, and he gave him another fierce blow. "Wang is an elite. You, on the other hand, are nothing. After everything I said about gays and after all the beating, you defy me and fuck around with a boy? How more disgusting can you be?"

"Not as much as you," he said through gritted teeth, his body blazing with fury.

Kang seized his hair and punched him. "You have the audacity to talk to me like that?" He beat him until his knuckles were drenched with Taehyung's and his own blood.

Taehyung was on the floor by now, his eyes closed, his face covered in blood. He coughed and groaned as he tried to sit up, but everything ached so much he couldn't even move a finger.

Kang sighed as he wiped the blood from his hand and then tied his knuckles with an elastic bandage. "Wipe that motherfucker's face," he ordered, and the one guard took a cloth and cleaned his face in an instant. He heaved him to his knees again and stepped away as Taehyung truly fought to stay in that position with the scant strength he had left.

"There's no room in the life you live for other people and especially for little gay boys, do you understand that?"

"He quit, anyway, and left me. Pretend that he never existed and leave him alone."

"He left you?" Kang threw his head back as a series of sinister chuckles exploded out of his mouth. "Did he break your heart, Taehyung? Didn't know you had one."

"You don't even know what it's like to have one."

"You don't learn, do you?" He kicked him right in the face, knocking him down.

Taehyung grunted on repeat as the two guards placed him on his knees again. A knock on the door was heard then, and the one guard scuttled away. He partly opened it, and a few seconds later, he returned to his position. "They arrived, sir."

"Excellent." Kang smirked as he stood up. "Let him come in."

And the guard opened the big metallic door, and Taehyung's heart split open the moment he distinguished the one who entered.

Jeongguk walked inside, terror engulfing his face, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Although with difficulty, Taehyung discerned his eyes widening and his body shaking once they made eye contact. He was on his knees with his hands tied up and his face was clearly beaten. He knew how scared and worried Jeongguk was. He could see it.

"T-Tae," Jeongguk whispered and ran towards him, stumbling. He fell onto his knees, more tears pouring down his face, and set a delicate hand on the side of his head.

It tore Jeongguk's heart to shreds when he spotted a myriad of tears flowing down Taehyung's bloody cheeks.

⚜✳⚜
 

Okay yes, from now on we have some angst and drama. If you made it this far into this book, don't give up now! There aren't many chapters left anyway🌹

Here are the two most adorable babies in the whole world to make you feel better💜