Chapter 15: 14.Mark

After finishing their snacks at the cafe, Taehyung quickly gathered Jaybum, gently coaxing him to leave the toys behind.

The little one grumbled for a moment but finally held Taehyung’s hand as they walked back to the office building.

The elevator ride to the 14th floor was peaceful, Jaybum holding onto Taehyung’s hand as he yawned.

When they arrived, Taehyung led him straight to the playroom—a space filled with plush rugs, shelves of books, and an abundance of toys.

“Alright, Bun, let’s eat some proper lunch,” Taehyung said, pulling out the lunchbox he had brought along.

Jaybum pouted. “But I already had banana milk.”

Taehyung shook his head, crouching to the little boy’s level. “Banana milk isn’t lunch, sweetheart. You need real food to grow big and strong.”

Jaybum puffed his cheeks but nodded, knowing there was no arguing with Taehyung. “Okay, TaeTae.”

Taehyung smiled and sat him down on the small table in the corner of the playroom. He carefully opened the lunchbox, revealing a neatly packed meal that he had prepared earlier. As Jaybum began eating, Taehyung sat beside him, ensuring he finished every bite.

“Good boy,” Taehyung praised as Jaybum devoured the last spoonful.

Jungkook sat in his office, his fingers swiftly moving across his laptop keyboard, drowning in reports and deadlines. A soft knock interrupted his focus. Without looking up, he called, “Come in.”

The door opened, revealing Taehyung, who entered quietly, taking small steps until he stood before Jungkook’s desk.

“Mr. Jeon, Jaybum already had his lunch. We’re heading back home,” Taehyung informed, his tone polite yet gentle.

Jungkook briefly glanced up and nodded. “Be careful while driving and let me know when you’ve both reached.”

Taehyung nodded in acknowledgment but hesitated before turning to leave. After a moment of thought, he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

“Umm… Mr. Jeon… I accidentally made some extra food, so I thought… I should give it to you.”

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, but didn’t say anything.

Instead, he simply observed as Taehyung placed the neatly wrapped box on his desk, gave a small bow, and exited the room without waiting for a response.

Jungkook leaned back in his chair, staring at the box for a moment. Something about the gesture made his chest feel uncomfortably warm, a strange yet unfamiliar sensation.

He sighed, reaching for the box, and opened it to see what Taehyung had brought.

As the lid came off, Jungkook froze, then blinked in disbelief. Written across the rice in sauce were the words: *“Vampires are better.”*

Jungkook’s lips twitched, and before he could stop himself, a chuckle escaped. The absurdity of the playful message caught him off guard and he found himself laughing softly at Taehyung’s childish yet endearing sense of humor.

Shaking his head, Jungkook muttered to himself, “What am I going to do with him?”

He set the box aside, intending to eat later. But as he went back to his work, the faint smile lingering on his lips refused to fade.

Timeskip~

The clock struck 8 p.m. when Taehyung finally parked his car outside his home. It had been a long day, and though he was slightly surprised Jungkook hadn’t mentioned his playful lunch stunt, he wasn’t about to complain.

Using the spare key, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The faint sound of Yoongi experimenting with new beats echoed from upstairs, but Taehyung’s attention was immediately drawn to the living room. There, seated on the couch, was Namjoon, his face pensive and distant.

“Tae, you’re here!” Namjoon greeted, his voice warmer than his expression.

“Hyung? You’re here?” Taehyung approached, concern etched on his face. “Is everything alright?”

Namjoon exhaled deeply, patting the seat next to him. “Tae, I… I came to apologize. This morning, I lashed out at you when I shouldn’t have.”  “Hyung, come on, it’s no big deal.” Taehyung gave Namjoon’s hand a reassuring squeeze, trying to dismiss the tension.

“No, Tae, it is a big deal. I felt horrible all day for snapping at you.” Namjoon leaned forward, cupping Taehyung’s face as if grounding himself in the apology.

Taehyung tilted his head slightly, his gaze softening. “Then do you think Jin hyung felt good when you said  today?”

Namjoon’s hands slowly retreated, his shoulders stiffening. “He deserves it,” he muttered, his voice tinged with anger.

“Does he though?” Taehyung’s voice was gentle, but his words cut deep. “Jimin told me everything, Hyung. Do you really believe Jin hyung deserved that?”

Namjoon’s jaw tightened. “You don’t understand, Tae. Even after I left Dad and all of his influence behind, he was right about one thing—Jin wasn’t the right one for me.”

Taehyung frowned, his heart aching at the bitterness in his cousin’s tone. “Hyung… you could’ve told us. Everything that happened between you and Jin hyung—why didn’t you?”

Namjoon let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. “I wanted to, Tae. After we got to know each other better, I thought about telling you.

But when Jin and I broke up… you all were already dealing with so much. I didn’t want to add to it, so I kept it to myself.”

Taehyung’s brows furrowed. “But do you really believe Jin hyung is wrong?”

Namjoon clenched his fists, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “At first, no. I didn’t believe it. But when I saw him… dating someone else…” His voice cracked, and his grip on the couch tightened. “I had to accept it. He moved on.”

Taehyung leaned forward, his voice soft yet firm. “Hyung, maybe you were too angry to notice things. I saw something today… something you might’ve missed.”

Namjoon’s eyes darted to Taehyung, confusion and a sliver of hope flickering within them.

“Jin hyung still has a mating mark,” Taehyung confessed.

Namjoon’s brows furrowed as he tried to process the revelation. “That doesn’t mean anything. It could be from his lover.”

“If it were from his lover, it wouldn’t bear *your* wolf’s initials, Hyung,” Taehyung said pointedly. “And the mark is faint because you two have been apart for so long. But it’s still there.”

"And as a werewolf, Hyung, you know better than me that if he truly betrayed you… his mark would’ve burned by now.”

The words hit Namjoon like a freight train. He stared at Taehyung, searching for any hint of doubt, but there was none.

“And let’s be honest, Hyung. You don’t hate him. You still love him.” Taehyung leaned back against the couch,  crossing his arms as he observed Namjoon’s reaction.

“What? No, I don’t,” Namjoon stammered, his voice faltering, betraying the conflict in his heart.

Taehyung stood, stretching slightly before heading toward his room. But before disappearing upstairs, he glanced back,a knowing look in his eyes.

“Yeah? Then why is Jin hyung’s empty cake box still sitting here,why didn't you throw it away?” Taehyung pointed at the box on the table beside Namjoon—the one Jin had instructed Jimin to lie about.

Namjoon’s gaze shifted to the box. He didn’t need to open it to know it wasn’t from Jimin. And as the realization sank in, Namjoon felt his heart twist, the memories of Jin and their bond surfacing through  his mind.