▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

☮︎

TH'S POV

"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Jennie
Happy birthday to you"

I was greeted with the sight of the birthday girl cutting the cake with a big gummy smile on her face. As she turned around, I waved my hand at her with a big grin, successfully catching her attention.

"Happy birthday" I greeted Jennie, giving her a sweet hug and a bouquet of roses. Dressed in a beautiful sheer sleeve laced black dress, she was looking as beautiful as always.

"Thank you" She gushed me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. Her gummy smile instantly made me to return with my own boxy smile. "Come, I'll introduce you to my mother" She said, taking my hands and walking inside her house.

Walking through the many guests, she finally stopped in track in front of a woman who looked exactly like her, except for her gummy smile. "Mom, this is Taehyung" She introduced us. "This is my mom"

Giving a small smile, I bowed to her in respect. But before her mother could ask me anything, Jennie spoke. "Come on now" She said, walking towards a group of men. "We need to meet dad's friends"

☮︎

"What was your name?" Jennie's mother asked me, coming stand next to me. Jennie had gone to greet her friends, so I was currently standing outside, watching the little garden she had.

"Jeon Taehyung" I replied politely, not wanting to be rude.

"Are you studying?"

"No"

"Oh, you've got a job then?"

"Job.." I trailed off. "I fixes the bikes and all, a mechanic"

"What about your parents?"

Here comes the beautiful questions

I nearly growled, hearing her question, but I remained quiet.

"Are you from Seoul itself?" She threw another one, as I didn't respond to the previous one. "Busan actually" I replied, glancing around to find Jennie.

"Did you had food?" Her mother asked. "Yeah, I did" I replied, before walking away from there naturally. I was feeling uncomfortable with her so I decided to fibd Jennie.

She was talking to one of her friend about someone animatedly. "Jennie" I whispered, catching her attention. "I'm leaving"

She instantly intertwined her hands with mine, holding onto it tightly. "Don't go"

I won't...

☮︎

"It's you" Jennie teased, seeing the face I carved on the apple. The birthday party had ended and we were currently sitting in the living room of her house. "Mom, where is dad's photo album kept?"

"You'd kept that in your bureau right?" Her mom answered from the room next to us. "I did?" She mouthed. "Let me go and check" Nodding at her, she walked to the other room.

Her mother came soon, taking a seat in the couch, opposite me. "You know, we army families lead a well disciplined life" She started. "Jennie is like that too but lately, she kind have changed"

I bit my lips, not sure where this conversation was going. "I don't know if you can understand me but.." She trailed off. "Your background is a bit different from us Taehyung. Jennie's an ambitious girl you know. She has gotten a scholarship from one of the best university in New Zealand. So we're planning to migrate there"

I gulped down the lump formed in my throat. "I've always chosen the best in each and every occasions in Jennie's life" She concluded. "Nothing less than that will suit my daughter"

I chuckled in my mind, clearly wanting Jungkook and Chaeyoung to listen to this conversation. This has to be the best example of me as a reject piece.

"Did you get it?" Her mom asked Jennie, as she came back with the albums, her tone going back to normal. "Yeah, but it was not there" Jennie replied, sitting beside me. "Okay, carry on" Her mom said, getting up and leaving us alone.

"This was dad's army training" She chattered. "Look how handsome he is in the uniform"

"What did mom say?" Jennie asked me, once her mother left us. "She's very proud of you" I smiled. "Doesn't all mothers say like that?" She chuckled.

"Somehow" I uttered. "I don't know. She said you were moving to New Zealand" A deep sigh escaped her rosy lips, rubbing her hands together.

"Nothing's decided" She spoke. "Everyone's saying that it will be better for me. I don't know" She glanced at me, cupping my face in her tiny hands. "I've had to leave lot of things behind, isn't it?

Her twinkling cat eyes that were staring into my soul her reddish lips that had her gummy smile were the only thing I was seeing.

And soon my lips met hers

I was kissing her. Without warning, without permission. Without even deciding to do it, but simply because I couldn't have done anything else. I needed that breath she was holding. It belonged to me and I wanted it back.

"Happy birthday"

☮︎

"Don't waste your time simply if you don't want to regret it later"

"I've always chosen the best in each and every occasions in Jennie's life. Nothing less than that will suit my daughter"

For the past 24 hours, my mind was replying these two lines repeatedly, that my head hurts. I knew that Jennie's mom is against the idea of me as her daughter's boyfriend. Not only that, the thought of Jennie leaving Korea was also haunting me, that I couldn't even sleep soundly yesterday.

The ringing of my phone took me away from my trance. "Hello" I answered, seeing my girlfriend's call. "Hi" Her cheerful voice greeted me.

"How are you doing?"

"Good"

"I simply called" She spoke. "Have you became really busy or what?"

"I was busy with some work here" I mumbled, but my mind lit up with a thought that crossed my mind suddenly. "Can I call you back after finishing this?"

"Oh, that's okay, bye" She hesitated, before ending the call. "Bye"

Getting up from my seat, I literally sprinted towards Jin hyung, who was sitting alongside Hoseok and others.

"Coach, I'm ready!"

☮︎

JK'S POV

Jungkookah, I was not in the state to tell you anything. All these years, I was leading a suffocating life, it is only now I'm breathing fresh air. In between memories and dreams, quite often people used to forget about life. But the truth is that, nothing is in our hands. To realize this, I'd to take this journey.
               I'm really sorry if my decision had troubled you. My prayers and blessings are always with you. Love you my son.

A deep sigh escaped my lips, as I finished reading the letter my father had sent out loud. "What is this smell?" Taehyung wondered out loud, sniffing around. I scrunched my nose, noticing the strange intoxicating smell surrounding us other than the vibrant smell of coffee filling in the cafe we were currently in.

"From where did he send the letter?" He asked me, still sniffing. "Jeju I think" I replied, checking the letter. "Kook" He called me. "This scent is an unique one, found in Jeju alone"

"What are you saying?" I asked him confused, as he broke into a fist of laughter. "Chill Kook" He exclaimed. "Uncle is happy"

I read the letter once again, but this time I got a different vibe from it. Like he was actually enjoying himself in Jeju. My lips curved into a smirk, thinking what he was up to.

I'm glad you're happy dad...

☮︎

"I said know your father will be okay" Mom spoke, serving me dinner. I'd told her about dad's letter. "What? Again soya?" I exclaimed, seeing the food. Since last week, I'd been eating this damn soya alone.

"It's good for you" She shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh my, the show is about to start"

Scoffing, I took a spoonful of the food but immediately regretted it as I started coughing. "Drink water quickly" Mom scolded, patting my back.

"I've been feeling like this for the past two days.." I stuttered, drinking a glass of water. "Of course, you are your father's son after all" She mocked  "Your father had troubled me with this since the third day after our marriage. Let me show you an exercise for this"

Mom started doing some breathing exercises, gesturing me to follow her. My father's voice echoed in my mind suddenly making me chuckle.

"All these years, I was leading a suffocating life, it is only now I'm breathing fresh air"

︎☮︎

"Yugyeom, remove all that" Hoseok's voice greeted me and Taehyung, as we stepped into the cafe. "Okay" Yugyeom responded, doing exactly what the former had asked.

"Why are you dismantling everything?" Tae asked, seeing them renovating the cafe. "Storm Riders are going to be revamped right?" Hoseok boomed. "New riders, new set up"

"Nice photos" I exclaimed, seeing many photographs framed on the wall. "Good old days" Hoseok sighed, staring at them. "Hoseok" I called him, noticing a particular photo, but Taehyung beat me to it. "How do you know her?"

"She was my classmate, Kang Seulgi" He answered, making everyone stop whatever they were doing. All of them had a particular emotion in their eyes, which I couldn't decipher what. "Everyone was crazy about her. But her eyes only had one person, Jimin..."

A new yet familiar voice cut him off. We turned around to find the owner of the deep voice, only to see Min Yoongi, Jimin's friend, as I'd recollected seeing him during the wedding.

"That was a real love story"

︎☮︎

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Wassup you guys!! Hope you all are doing well. I'm back with a new chapter. Please vote and comment. And our last main character is here. The one and only, Kang Seulgi♡