Jeongguk felt his stomach stir with restlessness as he cast him a row of timid glances, unsure about what to do, or more accurately, what he was supposed to do.

Taehyung, on the other hand, seemed surprisingly calm. His soft gaze rested on his face, absorbing every inch, an imperceptible smile embellishing his lips.

"Um, I should probably leave you... continue what you were doing." A titter escaped him as he ventured to look at him for more than a second.

"I was just... drinking, though?"

"Oh, right."

There was a moment of silence after that; Jeongguk couldn't see his expression darken since he refrained from making eye contact again. "How do you know about Kang?"

The question had his muscles frosting over with disquiet and his eyes growing bigger. "I know a lot of things now." He couldn't help but think about him and Yunho again. It was the sole thing that bothered him the most, and it wasn't even that important.

"Meaning?"

"Will you... get mad and yell at me if I tell you?"

Taehyung's lips curved into a soft smile as he stepped closer insensibly. The next thing his body screamed at him to do was cup his face, but he suppressed his sudden need. "I won't. Why would I get mad for something that already happened?" He gestured towards the couch instead, silently suggesting to move there to sit.

The younger nodded and made a step but spun around. "Okay!" he blurted out as he remembered he was supposed to answer when V was talking to him. He observed his confused, startled face for a spell and ducked his head. "I didn't answer you, and you've said to answer you."

Taehyung's face softened upon hearing his murmur, and he offered him a warm smile. "Don't worry about it."

His words caught him off guard, and as Taehyung headed to the couch as if nothing happened, he stayed stock still in his spot. Did I hear right or am I imagining things again? He tilted his head to the side as he mused over what the fuck just happened, his brows wrinkling in bewilderment.

V perceived that he didn't follow him and twisted around to inspect.

Jeongguk's glazed gaze became focused again, and he looked back at Taehyung, who seemed baffled by his actions. He hung his head and scurried to him, hoping he wouldn't question anything.

As if Taehyung heard his wish, he didn't comment anything and sat next to him, leaving just a small gap between them. He could espy how tense he was, and he hated it. But he had to ask the things he needed to know. "It's okay, just tell me what you know."

Jeongguk shifted to face him, his knee touching Taehyung's thigh lightly. "I told you that Wang knows everything about me. But apparently, he knows a lot of things about you too."

"Like what?"

"He knows about Kang, but I guess everyone does except me. He also knows about you and... Yunho."

Eyes narrowing to a pinprick and body tensing up throughout, Taehyung felt his heartbeat rise. "No," he breathed out, fingers digging into his palms.

Jeongguk peeked at his frenzied look and gulped. "He—He knows that you slept with him."

V lost every ounce of self-control and slammed his fist against the table in front of him, causing the bottle of whiskey to collapse, and the liquid spilled on the table and floor since it was open.

Jeongguk gasped, taken aback by how fast and easy it was for V to get angry. He jerked forward to pick up the bottle, trying to save the remaining whiskey. He rose to his feet to find something to clean it up, but V gripped his hand before he could leave.

"I'm sorry," he uttered, keeping his gaze down. "Don't leave."

Jeongguk's eyes reshaped into rounder ones as he caressed his hand. "I was about to find something to clean this up."

"Oh."

Jeongguk gazed at his self-conscious face and cracked a fond smile as he squeezed his hand. He headed to the bathroom, and after he took lots of toilet paper, he returned and wiped the table and floor. He threw it in the trash can that was beside his desk and made his way back to V.

"You didn't really have to do that."

"I don't mind. But you should ask someone to clean it up because it'll be sticky now."

V snorted at his words as he tossed his head down. Why is he so cute? He dismissed his thoughts, and a somber expression crept across his features as he remembered what Jeongguk said before. "So Yunho told him. Of course he did, that piece of shit. He's his nephew."

"No! I told Yunho yesterday, and he didn't know anything. He was just as mad and surprised as you."

"You told him?"

"I had to. It involves him too, and I-I needed to know if it's—if it's true," he mumbled as he glanced away.

A moment of electrified silence went by as V eyed him in depth. "Why did you need to know?"

"No, I just meant—" He hushed as the need to swallow took over him.

"Why would you care if I fucked Yunho or not?"

"I don't!" he exclaimed as he held both hands in the air in front of him. "I don't," he repeated quieter, probably because he needed to hear himself saying it once more. "It's just surprising because you said that—that you don't associate with, um, people who belong—"

"I remember what I said," V interrupted him sternly, but for some reason, he regretted using that tone. "I'm obligated to say that. Kang's words."

A trembling sigh of relief tumbled out of him. Taehyung didn't have a problem with gay people. Taehyung didn't have the same beliefs as his sickening father. Kang did.

"What else does he know?"

"About you, that's all he said."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What does he know about you?"

"Just, um, everything." He avoided Taehyung's piercing gaze again, tucking his chin deeper into his chest.

"Why did you let him touch you?" A heaviness coated Taehyung's voice, making it impossibly low, as his one hand squeezed into a fist at the thought.

Unwillingly, that memory rushed into Jeongguk's head, and he placed his hands on each of his thighs as he stared at them. It was like he could feel the burning all over again, as if it were happening at that very moment. "He didn't... He didn't leave me a choice. He knows everything and threatened to—he threatened to tell my—my father and this can't happen—he can't find me again, ever."

Taehyung had his suspicions, but after hearing his terrified voice, he was sure. His father was the one who abused him. His own fucking father.

Taehyung ventured to extend his hand and lay it on top of his, his fingertips touching Jeongguk's thigh. Although the touch was faint and it passed unnoticed by V, Jeongguk could feel it completely. It felt nothing like Wang's touch. It didn't scare him or disgusted him. It simply made him feel... safe.

"You're so brave, Jeongguk," he spoke in a mild tone as he wrapped his fingers around his hand in a tight grip.

His knuckles were now in contact with his thigh, and suddenly, Jeongguk couldn't feel the burning anymore. Instead, his stomach tightened at the touch, but he wasn't uneasy or uncomfortable.

"You made the burning go away," he said so quietly Taehyung probably didn't hear him. His doe eyes that shined with unshed tears were anchored on his hand resting on his thigh.

"What did you say, little bun?" He leaned forward and propped his forearm on his thigh, tilting his head to the side to take a better look at him.

Jeongguk dragged his head up, locking his eyes with his concerned ones. They were close — so close Jeongguk could see every single bruise and scratch on his face clearly. He sank his teeth into his lower lip in an attempt to choke back his tears, and his hand edged closer to hold his cheek in a delicate palm.

V closed his eyes at the contact and melted in his tender touch at once.

Deep down, the younger wished that his touch would make the pain go away just like Taehyung's touch took away his.

"You made the burning go away," he whispered but loud enough for him to hear this time. He slid his hand to his neck, smoothing it over his skin so he could cup his other cheek as well. "Of Wang's hands. You made it go away."

At his last remark, Taehyung unsealed his eyes and peered at him with a soft look. "I did?" He received two faint nods and felt the warmth on his cheek dissolve. Oddly bothered by the absence of his smooth hand on his face, a small sigh left his lips. "Good. Since I caused it, the least I could do was make it go away." He reclined at a creep, loosening his grasp until he pulled his hand away.

"You didn't—you didn't cause it," he murmured, his thigh feeling cold without his hand on it.

"I did. I made you work here. I brought you into this mess. If I hadn't offered you a job, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have to go through what you went through—"

"And you wouldn't be so beaten right now, and you wouldn't be getting another beating—"

"It's not the same, Jeongguk! Kang only waits for the moment I'll screw up so he can beat the shit out of me. If it wasn't for me talking to Solji, it would be for something else. He's always looking for excuses just so he can beat me up. It would have happened again, anyway. It had been eight months."

Jeongguk was outright stunned by how he opened up to him. He didn't expect it at all, but he also didn't expect it to hurt so much. Taehyung's pain pricked his heart in a way that felt similar to the agony he experienced the day his father beat him up.

Unconsciously, tears spilled from his downcast eyes. "Why are you letting him hurt you?"

"It's not so easy, little bun. It's not like I can leave this place without paying the price. And I can never betray him."

"But—But why?"

"I just can't. The point is... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through this. You don't deserve it."

"These awful people should be saying sorry, not you."

"And Kang should feel like shit for beating me up, not you."

Silence veiled them as their gazes met, tender, tiny smiles decorating their traits.

"You're wearing a turtleneck again."

Jeongguk tensed at the unforeseen statement and darted his eyes away. "Yeah."

"What's up with that face and tone?"

"Nothing."

"Why are you wearing this?"

"It's just that... it's still a little, um, bruised."

"Bruised," V repeated under his breath, brows creasing in thought. Then, it hit him. Bruised. His neck is still bruised. His neck is bruised. "Fuck." He let out a dry chuckle as he ran both hands through his hair, frustrated and pissed off at himself.

"It's not that bad."

"Fuck, I'm just like Kang. I fucking deserve his beating." It wasn't meant for Jeongguk to hear, but he managed to do so, and his eyes bulged.

"No! You're nothing like him. Just because you have anger management issues doesn't mean you're the same as him. You don't hurt people for fun. It was just an accident." He set a hesitant hand on his shoulder, but V flinched and grimaced, leading him to wrench it away. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just have a nasty cut there and it stung for a moment." He studied his apologetic expression and couldn't help but chuckle. "You didn't know, little bun. Don't feel bad about it."

Jeongguk smiled back at him and nodded. "Don't feel bad about it either," he said in a way that V understood he was referring to what they said before.

"I don't think I can. It's hard. You should hate me by now, but look at you. You actually... care about me." He peeped at him in a silent request to confirm his words.

"I-I do care... about you." Jeongguk sensed flushed circles bud on his cheeks and had to glance away.

"Ah, good," he said with a content sigh, smiling. His rosy cheeks came into focus then, screaming at him to pinch them, but he settled for a suave chuckle. "Because I care about you too, little bun."

⚜✳⚜

Cutest sequel ever🥺😭🤧