Chapter 1: A Son's Mission

The heavy rain pelted against the large glass windows of the Jeon mansion. Taeko sat on the staircase, clutching his knees to his chest as muffled shouting echoed from the living room. His father, Jungkook, was yelling again.

“I never wanted to marry you, Taehyung!” Jungkook’s cold voice cut through the air like a blade. “This marriage was a mistake. I was forced into it, and I’ve been regretting it ever since.”

Taeko froze. His chest tightened painfully at his father’s harsh words.

Taehyung’s voice trembled as he responded, trying to hold onto his composure. “You think it was a mistake? Jungkook, we built a life together! We have a son!”

“That life was never mine to begin with,” Jungkook spat, his tone sharp and unyielding. “I didn’t choose you, Taehyung. I didn’t choose this family. My parents did. And honestly, I—”

“Say it,” Taehyung interrupted, his voice breaking. “If you hate me so much, just say it!”

Jungkook looked away, his silence speaking louder than any words.

Taehyung’s hands clenched into fists. “You think you’re the only one who had no choice? You think I wasn’t forced into this, too? But I chose to make it work. I chose to love you, Jungkook. And you—” He choked on his words. “You chose her.”

“This isn’t about Soojin!” Jungkook snapped, finally meeting Taehyung’s gaze.

“It’s always about her!” Taehyung shot back, tears streaming down his face. “Even when she wasn’t here, you couldn’t let her go. You never gave us a chance because you were too busy holding onto the past.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Taeko couldn’t take it anymore. He bolted up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him. His heart felt like it was breaking into pieces.

---

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Taeko pulled out the old watch he had stolen from his grandfather’s study a few months ago. It was a strange, antique thing with glowing runes etched into its surface. His grandfather had told him it had the power to change time, though Taeko had always dismissed it as a family legend.

But now, desperate and angry, he whispered to himself, “If this thing really works, I’ll fix everything. I’ll stop Dad from making the worst mistake of his life. I’ll make him love Mom the way he’s supposed to.”

Taeko tightened his grip on the watch and closed his eyes. “Take me back. Take me back to before everything went wrong.”

---

When Taeko opened his eyes, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded him. Blinking rapidly, he found himself standing in the middle of a large courtyard. Around him, students in uniforms milled about, laughing, chatting, and hurrying to class.

“Where am I?” Taeko muttered, turning in a slow circle. The campus looked familiar yet different—cleaner, brighter, less... cold.

“Hey, kid! You lost or something?” A tall, lanky boy with messy hair smirked as he walked by. “This isn’t the middle school, you know.”

Taeko ignored him, too focused on piecing everything together. He glanced at a nearby bulletin board and froze. The year was printed in bold letters at the top of a calendar: 2025.

“I... I went back,” Taeko whispered in disbelief. His chest tightened with a mix of relief and nervous energy. “It actually worked.”

---

Taeko’s first task was finding his parents. He wandered the school grounds, scanning the faces of students until he spotted a tall, broad-shouldered boy sitting under a tree, reading a textbook.

“Dad,” Taeko breathed.

Jungkook, looking much younger and far less hardened than the man Taeko knew, sat with his legs crossed, fully engrossed in his reading. His expression was serious, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Taeko hesitated for a moment before approaching. “Um, excuse me…”

Jungkook glanced up, his dark eyes cold and calculating. “What do you want?”

Taeko flinched but quickly recovered. “I... I was just wondering if you’ve seen someone named Taehyung around.”

“Taehyung?” Jungkook’s tone was indifferent as he closed his book. “What do you need him for?”

“Uh...” Taeko stammered, realizing he hadn’t thought this through. “I... I’m new, and someone told me to find him. Said he’s really nice.”

Jungkook snorted. “Nice? Sure. If you think being annoyingly loud and overly dramatic counts as nice.”

Taeko frowned. “That’s not very nice of you to say.”

“It’s the truth,” Jungkook replied flatly, standing up and dusting off his uniform pants. “If you’re looking for him, try the art wing. He’s probably showing off one of his ridiculous designs to anyone who’ll listen.”

Taeko watched as Jungkook walked away, his heart sinking. His father had always been distant, but this version of Jungkook seemed even colder than he remembered.

---