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But what if, somewhere between letting go and holding on we found the courage to love again?
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Taehyung's POV

"Mr Kim Taehyung..." a voice interrupted from behind, instantly making me gasp and whip around in panic. Much to my relief, it was the school principal, and she stood with a smile, motioning for me to join them on stage.

Phew! If I was caught, I would have almost looked like a creep.

Puffing out a breath of relief, I took off my mask and walked behind her, my hand still inside my trouser pocket holding on to the picture.

As we approached the stage, the chatters of the little voices grew louder and louder until it was finally a cacophony of giggles, screams and cries when we stepped on to the stage.

In a few seconds the sounds died down, and I was seated onstage along with the principal and a few teachers. One of the teachers introduced me to the kids, and I waved to them, and almost all of them waved back enthusiastically, making me laugh.

Their cute round faces, little pigtails, button noses and their adorable smiles definitely brightened up my mood. Being a kindergarten school, the kids were all younger than seven years of age, and they chattered and fiddled in their seats non-stop. I couldn't help but smile broadly at their cuteness.

Soon, the prize winners for each contest was being announced, and I handed the prize to each kid. Each one smiled differently, and I wanted to just squish their cheeks and play with them. I couldn't stop smiling despite my cheeks hurting badly from the constant smiling and laughing.

Then came the list of prize winners for the singing contest.

"First place goes to Kim MinJun," announced the teacher.

My eyes shot up, and I saw him walking up the stage.

It was him.

My razor sharp memory didn't fail me.

The exact same kid that I met on the flight early last year, except that he was a bit taller now. I couldn't believe my eyes.

My heart raced seeing this kid. He looked like a mini clone of me, and he came up to me flashing his cute boxy smile.

I automatically smiled back as if I was a mirror reflecting his smile, and I crouched down to his level, looking into his eyes.

That could have been my son

"Hey, MinJun ah... do you remember me?" I smiled and asked, ruffling his silky black hair.

"Umm? Sorry, no," he shook his head and blinked.

Of course, he wouldn't.

"Ahh... last year we met on the flight. But you were too small, and I guess you don't remember now. Anyway, I'm Kim Taehyung," I smiled and extended my hand to him for a handshake.

Everyone around us was looking at us. But I didn't care. MinJun gave me his hand. It was soft and pudgy, and he had tiny cute fingers.

I held his hand in mine and spoke to him,
"So, you won the first place in the singing contest?"

"Yes," he smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.

I chuckled, stroking his head.
"That's amazing. Do you like singing?" I asked him curiously.

"I love singing songs," he nodded vigorously once again.

"I love singing too..." I said, but I was cut short by a teacher who informed me that there were a few more kids waiting to receive their prizes.

I feel like talking more to him

"Congratulations, MinJun ah... don't give up on singing," I smiled and hugged the little boy.

Why is my heart fluttering?

He thanked me, and got his prize and hopped away. I couldn't stop smiling, and I felt a strange connection to this boy, almost as if we were linked by blood. But I dismissed that thought and invalidated my own feelings as probably something that stemmed from his name that once meant my whole future.

The rest of the prizes were distributed, and I spoke for a few minutes and left the school.

Amy's POV

I waited outside the school in my car to pick up MinJun. His teacher told me that parents could not be present for the event and so I had to wait outside.

A few minutes before school closing time, a sleek black SUV exited the school.

My jaw dropped.

It was Taehyung's car.

What is he doing here??

Ignore!

Successfully ignoring the sight of his car that had now driven out of my line of sight, I got out of my car and went to pick up my son. The moment he spotted me, he came running to me with a small trophy in one hand and his boxy eye smile across his face. I crouched down and welcomed him with outstretched arms and a smile that almost matched his own.

He ran into my embrace, and hugged me tight.

"Eommaaaa.... I won the first place in the singing contest," he beamed proudly and flashed the little trophy in his hand.

"Wow, honey bun... that's amazing. Congrats, baby boy!!" I almost squealed and kissed his cheeks a few times.

"Thank you, eomma," he beamed, his pearly milk teeth on full show.

"Let's celebrate today," I said, and we hi-fived and left the school.

* That night *

We ordered pizza for dinner and ate happily, but I was suddenly curious about Taehyung's car at school.

Did he have a kid who studied there? Why don't I ignore? Dang!

"So, MinJun ah... did you get the trophy on stage?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, eomma... Ahjussi gave it to me," he replied excitedly.

My eyes widened.
"Ahjussi?" I panicked a bit, my hands trembled, and my heartbeat began inching closer to its threshold.

"Yes, he talked to me and hugged me. He told his name. But I forgot his name," he said scratching his head innocently.

Kim Taehyung?

"That's okay, honey. But don't hug strangers, okay?" I reminded him, the wiring within my mind suddenly experiencing high voltage surges.

Was it Taehyung?

"Okay, eomma... he said he saw me in the flight last year. But I don't remember," he shrugged.

"Really?" My eyes widened, and I frantically began flipping through the pages of my memory.

The only time we flew last year was to and from America for Jay's wedding. MinJun did tell me about the stranger who asked him his name and pinched his cheeks in the business cabin. Was it Taehyung again? Is he stalking us? Or is he bumping into MinJun by accident?

I felt exhausted but undeniably a bit thrilled too. After cleaning up, and putting MinJun to sleep, I just couldn't fall asleep.

Why am I coming across Taehyung so often in these past few days? I don't want to hurt myself anymore. His hurtful words suddenly seem to open up and pierce all my unhealed wounds that I buried and hid so well within the deepest corners of my heart. Don't think about him.

Is it even possible?

I held back my tears that had almost dried up over the years. I was tired of crying all these years, and I forced myself to be strong, and not cry over him anymore.

After tossing and turning restlessly for more than two hours, I eventually fell asleep.

Nov 28, 2026

It was Saturday morning, and MinJun and I decided to head to the kids' store to buy him a present as his gift for winning the singing contest.

I promised to buy him some books and toys and stationery. We both got dressed and drove to the store. It was the biggest store in Seoul, dedicated especially to kids' demands, and they had everything any kid would ever need.

Taehyung's POV

Today is SeoJoon hyung's daughter YeBin's first birthday, and there is going to be a birthday party this evening at his house, but I hadn't yet bought a present for the birthday girl. So, I decided to go shopping.

I wore my mask and drove to the biggest kids' store in Seoul and walked across to the girls section. Despite it being a weekend, the store was relatively less crowded, and thanks to my mask and beret, no one seemed to be bothered about my presence as well.

There were lots of pretty clothes in the girl's section, and I carefully picked out a few dresses and then headed to the toys section. They had all sorts of toys that girls played with, and I couldn't decide which ones to buy. So I randomly picked out a few pretty dolls and then went to the books section.

As I was scanning through the racks of glittery picture books and textured touch and feel books that were appropriate for one-year olds, I spotted him in a corner, quietly flipping through a book.

Kim MinJun.

Why am I meeting him again now?

Scanning his surroundings, I saw that he was alone, and I just couldn't resist the urge to call out to him.

"MinJun ah," I lowered my mask, called out loud enough for him to hear and waved to him from between two tall book shelves so that no one else could see me.

His eyes lifted from the book to look up at me, and he immediately recognized me. Carrying his book in one hand, he came jogging up to me with his bright smile. I slipped on my mask and crouched down on my knees to meet his eyes.

"Hey... what are you doing here by yourself? Eomma or appa didn't come with you?" I asked him ruffling his soft hair.

"Only Eomma. She's there," he said and pointed to the distance.

"Oh... are you here to buy books?" I asked him, smiling.

"Yes, ahjussi. Eomma promised to buy me books and some toys because I won the singing contest," he smiled brightly.

Am I looking at myself?

The fluttering in my heart returned, and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that it was just because of his name, I couldn't stop myself from delusionally thinking that it could be more than just that.

"Wow... that's amazing. Does Eomma like singing too?" I quizzed him.

He nodded vigorously and smiled his bright boxy smile once again, his eyes crinkling into little cute crescents.

I held his soft hand and asked him,
"Can I buy something for you too? I really like you a lot," I was literally melting in his cuteness.

"Eomma says not to get anything from strangers... she will not say okay," he pouted, shaking his head.

My heart fell, and I pouted sadly inside my mask.

"Oh... is it? Eomma says that for your good only...you sh-"

"MinJun ah? MinJun ah where are you?" a very very familiar female voice called out across the books section.

Whose is it?

My eyes widened. I panicked not knowing why.

MinJun panicked and quickly turned away and ran straight to his mom.

I looked in his direction

and

combusted on the spot.

My hands trembled. Everything around me turned into a mere blur. Every sound turned mute. I could only see her. And hear her.

I staggered to my feet and looked again.

Amy!

My heart skipped and flipped in place.

Quickly cowering behind the bookshelves, I fixed my gaze on her. My legs felt weak and my breathing intensified.

I was seeing her for the first time in six years, and the way my heart was hammering out of my chest felt as if my mind had been barraged with a plethora of memories that I wished to forget but could never forget in this lifetime, ever.

Amy looked thinner, a little weaker, and her eyes had mild dark circles around them, but they were still so attractive, magnetic and powerful.

She was beautiful as ever, the only woman who has been ruling over my entire existence ever since she came into my life many years ago. Dressed like her usual self—chic and comfortable—Amy looked as if she was here to kill me with her presence.

I felt myself falling in love, once again.

Unaware of my incognito presence, she spoke something to MinJun and took him away, and I followed them as if in a reverie, my feet guiding me as if my brain had no control over their movements.

MinJun is her son? Does she have any more kids? Is she married? But why do I feel that MinJun looks like me?

I could have called out to her or MinJun, but my senses were all attacked, and I couldn't muster up a single word out of my throat. I stood dumbfounded and perplexed, my eyes not wanting to blink and miss seeing them for even a millisecond.

They stopped at the billing counter, and I stopped a few steps behind them, hiding behind a rack and peeping through the gaps in the rack. I could only see their backs.

She lifted MinJun onto her hips and kissed his cheeks. MinJun wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her back, and just witnessing this scene made my heart swell inside my chest, my tears already beginning to cloud my vision.

I stood there smiling at them like a fool, my tears threatening to fall. Fortunately, I wore a mask and no one noticed me, and even amidst my clouded vision and my current dazed state, I noticed that there was no one else with them as well.

Is she here alone?

They both collected their bags and exited the store, and I quickly ran behind them with my eyes fixed on Amy, but I was abruptly stopped by the security at the gate.

"Sir... you need to get these billed," he said pointing to the basket of things in my hand.

And just like a mirage, Amy and MinJun disappeared from my line of vision. Cursing under my breath, I smacked my forehead and went inside to get my shopping billed.

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The way my heart booms whenever I read this is phenomenal.