Chapter 33: 32.Magic

On the other hand,

Jimin paced the roomnervously, unable to shake the worry twisting in his chest. Jaybum just had fallen  asleep  after a long, joyful day, but Jimin’s mind was elsewhere—on Jungkook.

He decided he couldn’t just sit back. Quietly, he made his way to Jungkook’s room. Opening the door cautiously, Jimin’s breath hitched as his eyes took in the scene.

The room was a mess—shattered glass on the floor, bloodied tissues discarded carelessly, and the lingering scent of iron in the air. Jimin’s heart dropped, fearing the worst.

But then his eyes landed on the bed, and he froze.

There, lying together on the disheveled sheets, was Jungkook and Taehyung. Jungkook’s arms were tightly wrapped around Taehyung, as if holding onto him for dear life, his face buried in the crook of Taehyung’s neck.

Taehyung, still wearing his slightly wrinkled clothes, was softly snoring, one hand resting protectively on Jungkook’s back.

Jimin blinked, his shock quickly replaced by relief. The tension melted from his shoulders as a small smile tugged at his lips.

He hadn’t expected this, but seeing Jungkook so at peace, clinging to someone who seemed to anchor him, made Jimin’s heart swell.

He fished his phone out of his pocket and snapped a quick photo of the two, unable to resist capturing the tender moment. "You’re in good hands now, Kook," Jimin whispered to himself.

With his worries eased, Jimin quietly closed the door and returned to Jaybum’s room.

The next morning, Jungkook was roused from his sleep by the soft sound of shuffling.

He rubbed his eyes groggily, and as his vision cleared, he saw Taehyung crouched down, carefully picking up the shards of glass from the broken mirror.

The room, which had been in chaos the night before, now looked almost as it did before—tidy, organized, and calm.

Taehyung had woken up early and taken it upon himself to clean up everything, ensuring that Jaybum wouldn’t see any signs of the previous night’s turmoil.

Hearing movement behind him, Taehyung quickly straightened, dusting off his hands and stepping closer to Jungkook.

“Mr. Jeon, are you alright?” Taehyung asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Jungkook stretched lazily before nodding. “I’m alright, Taehyung.” But as the events of last night came rushing back to him, his gaze sharpened. He remembered the glass, the blood, and how Taehyung had held him through it all.

Just then,

Jungkook’s eyes landed on Taehyung’s shirt, and his heart sank. The light fabric was stained with red, especially on the back. His chest tightened in panic.

“Oh my god, Taehyung!” Jungkook shot up from the bed and grabbed Taehyung’s shoulders, scanning him for injuries. “Did I hurt you? Did I injure you last night?” he asked, guilt laced in every word.

“No, no, Mr. Jeon!” Taehyung reassured him quickly. “It’s not my blood—it’s yours. Your hands were bleeding, and when you hugged me, it must have soaked into my shirt.”

Jungkook let out a deep sigh of relief but was still overwhelmed by guilt. His eyes dropped to his hands,now neatly bandaged. The care and precision in the bandaging told him just how much effort Taehyung had put into helping him.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook whispered, his voice low and heavy. “Because of me, you had to go through all this…”

Taehyung shook his head firmly.

“Mr. Jeon, it’s really fine. I don’t mind… Just—just don’t do something like that again. It…” His voice wavered slightly before he looked away, continuing softly, “It hurts so much to see you like this.”

Jungkook’s breath hitched at Taehyung’s words. He was about to respond when Taehyung suddenly stiffened and quickly added,

“I mean, you know... you were all bloody, and I’m a vampire.” He faked a playful grin, avoiding Jungkook’s gaze. “I almost went crazy with hunger!”

Jungkook chuckled softly, recognizing the lie.

He still remembered the night he had offered his blood to Taehyung during an emergency, only for Taehyung to refuse, even on the verge of death.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when they heard the sound of small feet padding just outside Jungkook's door.

Recognizing the familiar rhythm of Jaybum's steps, both men quickly shifted their focus.

Jungkook walked over to his closet, rummaging through for a clean shirt, and tossed one toward Taehyung.

From behind the door came Jaybum's soft voice, laced with curiosity. "Dadda, are you awake?"

"Just a minute, Bum. I'll open the door," Jungkook called back, glancing over his shoulder.

Taehyung caught the shirt and, without thinking twice, began unbuttoning his bloodied one. Jungkook froze mid-motion, his eyes accidentally catching sight of Taehyung’s pale skin beneath the fabric.

His mouth fell open slightly, stunned by the sight before him, but he quickly averted his gaze, feeling flustered and guilty for even looking.

Taehyung, completely unaware of Jungkook’s reaction, quickly changed into the spare shirt, neatly folding his bloodstained one and tucking it away. There was no way they could let Jaybum see any evidence of the night’s turmoil.

“Dadda?” Jaybum called again, his little voice tinged with impatience.

Jungkook shook himself from his daze and hurried toward the door, throwing one last glance at Taehyung, who was now presentable.

Jungkook opened the door, and there stood Jaybum clutching his stuffed bunny. Jungkook instinctively hid his injured hands behind his back, not wanting his son to see.

"Dadda, you..." Jaybum began, but his eyes immediately lit up when he spotted Taehyung behind Jungkook.

"TaeTae!" Jaybum squealed, running inside and hugging Taehyung’s legs tightly. “I thought I’d see you on Monday!”

Taehyung bent down with a warm smile and gently patted Jaybum’s head. “I was missing you, Bun, so I came early to see my favorite little bunny.” He picked Jaybum up in his arms as the child giggled in excitement.

Jungkook stood by the door, watching the scene unfold with an affectionate yet relieved look. Taehyung’s quick thinking had spared Jaybum from seeing the mess inside the room.

“I’ll take him downstairs while you finish getting ready, Mr. Jeon,” Taehyung said, already carrying Jaybum out of the room before Jungkook could protest.

Jungkook sighed, running a hand through his hair. He needed a shower, especially to clear his head from everything that happened last night. He quickly grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom, being extra cautious with his bandaged hands.

When Jungkook came downstairs after freshening up, he was greeted by the sound of laughter coming from the dining room. Walking in, he saw Jimin seated with Jaybum and Taehyung at the table, all enjoying breakfast.

Taehyung sat beside Jaybum, gently feeding him small bites of food, while Jimin leaned back in his chair, grinning at their playful banter.

“Oh, Kook, you’re finally here! Come sit,” Jimin said cheerfully, placing a plate for Jungkook beside Taehyung.

Jungkook hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to Taehyung,  looked up but seemed aware of his presence. Jungkook took a seat beside him, trying not to think too much .

As Jungkook raised his hand to grab his fork, Jaybum gasped loudly, his big eyes fixating on Jungkook’s bandaged hand.

“Dadda! What happened to your hand?” Jaybum exclaimed, dropping his bunny and pointing at him.

Jungkook froze for a second, realizing he had unconsciously revealed his injured hand. He quickly tried to calm his son. “It’s nothing, Bun. I was a little clumsy and fell down, but I’m okay now,” he lied with a reassuring smile.

Jaybum’s face scrunched up in worry. “You’re so silly, Dadda! You’re more clumsy than me. Does it hurt?”

Jungkook chuckled softly, shaking his head. “It doesn’t hurt much, Bun. I promise.”

Jaybum looked unconvinced for a moment but then suddenly lit up with an idea. “Don’t worry, Dadda! You’ll be better in a second! I know magic!”

“Magic?” Jungkook asked, confused by the sudden outburst.

“Yes, Dadda! TaeTae has magic! Whenever I fall or get hurt, he kisses my cheek, and the pain goes away!” Jaybum explained enthusiastically. “TaeTae, kiss Dadda’s cheek! It will take his pain away!”

Jungkook, who had just taken a sip of juice, choked instantly, coughing as he almost spat it out. His eyes widened, and his face turned bright red.

Jungkook froze, his face turning red as he tried to make sense of Jaybum's innocent yet unexpected demand. He glanced at Taehyung, whose cheeks were now as flushed as his own, clearly caught off guard.

"Bum, that’s really not necessary," Jungkook said quickly, waving his uninjured hand in dismissal. "Dadda’s pain is already gone. See?" He forced a smile, attempting to move past the awkward moment.

But Jaybum wasn’t having it. He crossed his small arms over his chest, a pout forming on his lips.

“No, dadda! You don’t know how powerful TaeTae’s magic is! It always works for me, right, TaeTae?” Jaybum turned to Taehyung with wide, expectant eyes.

Taehyung, completely flustered, cleared his throat and avoided Jungkook’s gaze. “Uh...well...I mean, Bun, maybe your dadda doesn’t need magic right now,” he stammered, fidgeting nervously.

“No!” Jaybum insisted, pointing at Jungkook’s injured hand. “Look at that! He needs magic! TaeTae, you have to do it!”

Jimin, unable to contain his laughter, finally chimed in, thoroughly enjoying the chaos.

“Come on, TaeTae. If it works for Jaybum, it might work for Jungkook too. You wouldn’t want to disappoint our little magician here, would you?”

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook nervously, his face still burning with embarrassment. “I...I think maybe dadda’s fine without the magic, Bun,” he said softly, hoping Jaybum would let it go.

But Jaybum was nothing if not persistent. He tugged on Taehyung’s sleeve, his big doe eyes pleading. “Please, TaeTae? For me?”

Jungkook groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Bum—”

Before he could finish, Taehyung leaned over, his face practically glowing red, and hesitantly pressed a soft, quick kiss to Jungkook’s cheek.

“There,” Taehyung said hurriedly, sitting back in his chair as if nothing had happened, his hands gripping the edge of the table for dear life. “All better now.”

Jungkook was stunned into silence, his face so hot it felt like it might burst into flames. He stared at Taehyung, wide-eyed, completely at a loss for words.

The breakfast continued, albeit with a very noticeable atmosphere. Jaybum was completely satisfied, happily munching on his food as if nothing unusual had happened.

Meanwhile, Jimin sat across the table, his smirk growing wider with every passing second as he enjoyed the awkward silence between the two adults.

Taehyung, his face still crimson, focused intently on feeding Jaybum small bites, avoiding all eye contact with Jungkook.

His ears burned, and he felt like even breathing too loudly would bring more attention to himself.

Jungkook, on the other hand, sat stiffly, occasionally glancing at Taehyung from the corner of his eye. His own face was still flushed from the earlier “magic” incident.

He chewed his food slowly, trying desperately to appear calm, though his mind was racing.

Jaybum, oblivious to the tension, suddenly spoke up with a wide smile, “Dadda, doesn’t TaeTae’s magic work so well? You feel better now, right?”

Jungkook choked on his food for the second time that morning, quickly gulping down water to recover. “Y-Yeah, Bun...I feel great,” he said, his voice a little too high-pitched.

Though.... somewhere in his mind...he couldn't deny ,the pain was actually gone. Maybe he was too focused on Taehyung rather then his own injury~