It was a quiet afternoon when Jungkook's phone rang, breaking through the silence of his office. The call was from Hani's school.
"Mr. Jeon, This is Hani's school principal. Can you please come to school ?
His heart dropped. Panic surged through him, and in an instant, the office around him became a blur. He tried to steady his breath, his hands shaking as he clutched the phone.
"Is everything ok Sir ? Is Hani Ok?"
"Everything s alright, Mr. Jeon. It is just that hani got into fight with one of her classmates.I will explain everything once you will come." Principal replied
"I'll be there right away," he said, his voice cracking.
Jungkook grabbed his things, trying not to let the anxiety overwhelm him. He was about to rush out when a voice stopped him.
"Jungkook, what's wrong?" Taehyung asked, walking into the office just as Jungkook was making his way to the door.
Jungkook froze, guilt and frustration hitting him like a tidal wave. "It's Hani. I need to get to her."
Taehyung's eyes softened, his features etched with concern. "Hey Relax. Come, I'll drive you."
Jungkook opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, realizing that he didn't have time to argue. "Thank you," he muttered, his voice tight.
As they drove to the school, Jungkook's mind raced, but he couldn't shake the overwhelming presence of Taehyung beside him. The way Taehyung was so calm, so ready to helpâdid he even know what he was doing to Jungkook's already fragile heart? Jungkook had spent so long trying to distance himself from Taehyung, from the pain of their past, but it was hard to ignore the deep ache that was beginning to resurface.
The car ride felt endless, but when they finally arrived at the school, Jungkook rushed out without waiting for Taehyung. His heart was pounding in his chest as he entered the school building, finding his daughter sitting on a chair, pale but awake. She looked up when she saw him and instantly burst into tears.
"Daddy!" Hani cried, running to him.
Jungkook scooped her up, feeling the weight of her small frame as he hugged her tightly. "It's okay, sweetheart. You're safe now. I'm right here."
Later in the principal's office they got to know that this was a clear case of bullying. Some kids in the class bullied her for not having a father and she could not tolerate when they bad mouthed her mother. So in retaliation she fought and got hurt.
Jungkook's heart squeezed in his chest, the worry turning to guilt. He didn't know how long she'd been hurting, how long she'd been keeping things from him. Why didn't she tell me she was having a hard time? he thought, guilt gnawing at him.
Just then, Taehyung appeared in the doorway, watching them with a somber expression. Jungkook could feel the weight of his gaze on them. He didn't want to show Taehyung his vulnerabilityânot now, not after everything that had happened. But there was no hiding the way his heart ached, the way his arms trembled as he held his daughter.
"Is she okay?" Taehyung's voice was soft, but Jungkook could hear the concern in it.
Jungkook nodded, his voice hoarse. "Yeah, she's just exhausted. I think she got overheated."
Taehyung didn't say anything else, but the silence between them was filled with unspoken understanding. They both knew that something deeper had been happeningâsomething neither of them had the courage to address.
As they drove back to Jungkook's apartment, Taehyung kept glancing at him through the rearview mirror, his expression pensive. Jungkook could feel the tension growing between them, like an invisible thread slowly pulling them closer, making it harder for him to keep his distance.
When they reached the apartment, Jungkook hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I can handle it from here. You don't have to stay." His voice was softer than he intended, the exhaustion finally catching up with him.
But Taehyung didn't move. He simply nodded, his eyes lingering on Jungkook's face. "I'll stay, if that's okay."
Jungkook looked down, his throat tight. "I guess... I guess it's okay."
And he could not say no after everything Taehyung did today. The way he made clear to the school staff and authorities that no body will harm Hani and the way he was stren in saying that if anything like this happened again he woul sue the school showed how much Hani meant to him in this sjort span of time. Jungkook would remember how Taehyung and hani after meeting for the first time started talking through phone calls and Tae would often buy gifts for her. All this showed how much he loved Hani even without having this knowledge that Hani was his own daughter.
Later that night, after Hani had fallen asleep, Jungkook sat in the living room, staring at the quiet space in front of him. His mind kept replaying everythingâthe car ride, the way Taehyung had been there for him, the way his heart kept betraying him by wanting to lean on him again.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, his phone buzzed with a message. It was from Jimin.
"Jungkook, I need to tell you something. Something about Taehyung."
Jungkook frowned, picking up the phone. "What about him?"
"Do you know that Taehyung, your boss had an accident was in a few years ago?" Jimin continued. "and he lost his memories"
Jungkook's heart seemed to stop. "What?" he typed back quickly, his hands trembling.
"I didn't even know. But, Taehyung told me. Today I saw him at a café for a meeting and wheni started talking about childhood memories he said that he didn't remember anything. He had a major accident and when he woke up he didn't know anything about his past." Jimin said
Jungkook read the message over and over again, disbelief flooding his system. Taehyung lost his memories? His mind couldn't process it at first. All this time, he'd thought Taehyung had abandoned him, that he'd chosen to leave them without a second thought.
Suddenly, everything fell into place. The way Taehyung had looked at him, the confusion in his eyes whenever they spoke. Taehyung hadn't just forgotten their loveâhe had forgotten the one thing that mattered most.
"He didn't remember..." Jungkook whispered aloud, his heart aching for the boy who had once been everything to him. The boy who had been lost, the boy who had never been able to fight for them.
The next day, Jungkook arrived at work early, his mind reeling with the revelations Jimin had shared. He tried to keep his distance from Taehyung, but every time their eyes met, it was like an electric current passing between them.
In the middle of the morning, Taehyung called him into his office. "Jungkook, can we talk?" His voice was tentative, as though he could sense the tension in the air.
Jungkook swallowed hard, nodding. "Of course."
Once inside, Taehyung closed the door behind them, his eyes searching Jungkook's face. "You've been acting different. Did something happen?"
Jungkook opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find the words. He wanted to scream, to tell Taehyung everything that had been buried for so long. But instead, he just shook his head.
"No... nothing happened. Just... just a lot on my mind," Jungkook said softly, his voice cracking.
Taehyung's gaze softened. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here, Jungkook. I know you don't need it because you are a strong person but... I want to be here for you. I want to help."
Jungkook's chest tightened, a mix of anger, confusion, and longing surging through him. "You want to help?" He thought in his mind. "How, Taehyung? How can you help when you don't even remember?"
For the first time, Jungkook saw something raw in Taehyung's eyesâ pain, and something else. Something deep.
"I know I am no one to you... but I want to. Even if it means to simply be a friend." Taehyung took a step closer. "I don't want to keep pretending because... you matter to me."
Jungkook's breath hitched. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. The walls he had so carefully built around his heart were beginning to crack, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to face the truth. But Taehyung... Taehyung had always been his truth.
As Taehyung reached out, gently brushing his fingertips against Jungkook's hand, Jungkook felt the flood of emotions he had been keeping buried for so long.
The past, the pain, the longingâthey were all rising to the surface. And he knew, deep down, that there was no escaping it.