Chapter 3: Chapter 3: A Painful Present

Jungkook sat in his small, dimly lit apartment later that night, his eyes fixed on the dark screen of his phone, which lay untouched on the table. His mind was swirling with so many thoughts, so many emotions he couldn't escape. The interview with Taehyung had left him reeling—his heart torn between a sense of deep loss and an aching, desperate hope.

He could still feel Taehyung's presence in the room. The way Taehyung's eyes lingered on him, just for a second, before the wall came up again. The way he'd said something in passing that made Jungkook's pulse race. "You remind me of someone."

It was the same sentence that had replayed in his mind a thousand times since he'd left the office.

Does he remember?

Jungkook closed his eyes, shaking his head as he stood up and paced the small apartment. He didn't want to hope. He couldn't allow himself to hope. It would be too painful. He had raised Hani alone for years, keeping his distance from the wreckage of their past. No, he couldn't risk his heart again.

But deep inside, that tiny spark of hope refused to be extinguished.

The sound of the door creaking open snapped him from his thoughts. He turned to find Hani standing in the doorway, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Daddy?" Her small voice was soft and full of innocence, and Jungkook's heart clenched at the sight of her. She looked so much like Taehyung—those same eyes, that same smile.

He smiled at her, trying to push away the ache in his chest. "Hey, sweetheart. Can't sleep?"

Hani shook her head and walked over to him, climbing into his lap without a word. Jungkook's heart tightened as he wrapped his arms around her, the love he felt for this little girl overwhelming him. She was all he had now.

"I missed you today, Daddy." Hani mumbled, resting her head on his chest.

Jungkook's throat tightened. He kissed the top of her head gently. "I missed you too. I'm sorry I was busy."

"It's okay, Daddy. Are you sad?" Her small voice was so perceptive, and Jungkook blinked back the tears threatening to spill.

He wanted to tell her everything—the pain, the confusion, how much he missed her mother, how much he missed Taehyung. But he couldn't. Not now.

"No, sweetheart. Daddy's fine." He whispered the words, even though they didn't feel true.

Hani nodded sleepily, her small hand clutching onto his shirt. He closed his eyes, fighting back the storm of emotions. He had to be strong for her. He had to protect her.

The next day, Jungkook found himself back at Kim Corporations, standing in front of the grand, imposing building. The walls seemed to close in around him as he walked through the lobby, his heart thudding in his chest.

He hadn't expected to be back so soon, but here he was, clutching the folder with his assignment for the day.

As he made his way up to the top floor, the familiar sight of Taehyung's office sent a wave of panic through him. Jungkook had barely managed to sleep the night before, his mind constantly replaying the interview, Taehyung's face, and that moment when their eyes had met—when it had felt like something had stirred deep inside of him. But he couldn't allow himself to believe it. Not when he'd fought so hard to move on from everything.

He was here for one reason only—to take care of Hani. He couldn't risk getting attached to the man who had left him without an explanation. He couldn't open that wound again, not when it still bled so painfully.

As he stepped into the elevator and made his way up to the CEO's office, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, his emotions a mess. The moment the doors opened, he was face-to-face with Taehyung.

"Mr. Jeon, I'm glad to see you back so soon." Taehyung's voice, calm and collected, made Jungkook's heart skip a beat. His tone was polite, but there was something about it—something soft in the way he said his name—that made Jungkook falter.

Jungkook nodded curtly. "Yes, I'm ready to get started." He kept his voice steady, even though every fiber of his being wanted to collapse into the familiar warmth of Taehyung's embrace. The way Taehyung looked at him, like he recognized him from somewhere but didn't know where—Jungkook could see it in his eyes.

Taehyung stood up from behind his desk, the polished wood gleaming in the sunlight. He looked... so different, but at the same time, he looked exactly the same. Jungkook could feel the invisible thread between them—the bond they once shared—but it was strained, broken, like a thread stretched too thin.

"I hope you're settling in well." Taehyung's eyes lingered on him for a moment, his gaze searching, as if trying to put a name to the feeling he couldn't quite place.

Jungkook stiffened, fighting the urge to react. "I'm adjusting fine, Mr. Kim." He forced himself to look away, to focus on the task at hand.

But Taehyung's presence was intoxicating, and the pull he felt toward Jungkook was undeniable. There was something about him—something familiar, something he couldn't shake. He had been trying to place it ever since their meeting yesterday.

Why does he feel like he's been a part of my life before?

Taehyung shook his head, as though trying to clear the fog in his mind. "Sometimes you seem familiar." He said it more to himself than to Jungkook, his voice tinged with confusion.

Jungkook's heart clenched. He doesn't remember. The weight of that truth settled heavily in his chest.

"I'm sure you get that a lot, Mr. Kim." Jungkook replied, his voice tight, trying to keep his emotions in check. He didn't want to admit how much it hurt to hear those words. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Taehyung didn't recognize him at all.

Taehyung tilted his head, his gaze never leaving Jungkook's face. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. Then, after a long moment, Taehyung gave a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry... I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Jungkook forced a smile, his hands shaking at his sides. "It's fine."

But deep down, the wound that had never fully healed began to ache once more. How could Taehyung not remember? How could the man who once loved him, the father of his child, forget everything they had shared?

As the day wore on, Jungkook's internal conflict grew stronger. He was here to do a job, to take care of Hani, to move forward. But the pull he felt toward Taehyung—the way his heart ached when Taehyung glanced at him with those lost eyes—was undeniable.

It was clear that Taehyung felt something too, but neither of them could speak it. Neither of them knew how. Fate had cruelly taken their memories and their love, and left them trapped in the present, unable to change the past.

But Jungkook knew one thing for certain: He was too afraid to open himself up to Taehyung again. Too afraid of the heartbreak. Too afraid of being vulnerable.

Yet, as he watched Taehyung from across the room—so close, yet so far away—Jungkook realized that no matter how much he tried to distance himself, the past would always find a way to pull him back.