???? ????? ?? ???? -tk

chapter-49

He hit send and threw his phone aside, his mind spinning. He stood up and paced the room, trying to calm the storm inside of him.

He loved Taehyung. That was the truth. And no matter how much he had messed up, he wasn’t going to let it be the end of their story. Not like this. Not after everything they had been through.

Jungkook’s gaze fell on the photo of the two of them together, their faces bright with smiles. It felt like a lifetime ago, but the memory of it was still fresh in his mind. Taehyung had always believed in him, even when he didn’t deserve it.

Now, Jungkook was going to believe in them. In the love that had always been there.

He couldn’t bring back what they had lost, but he could still fight for what remained. And if there was even a sliver of hope left for him and Taehyung, he would take it.

Jungkook sat back down on the couch, his eyes fixed on the screen of his phone. He opened the photo gallery again, looking at the pictures he had just uploaded. The memories of their childhood, their shared moments, all of it was still there. It was still real. And he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

A sudden thought hit him, sharp and painful: What if Taehyung never forgave him? What if Taehyung never came back?

The thought was unbearable.

But he couldn’t afford to think that way. He couldn’t afford to let that fear control him. He had already lost too much time. He needed to fight. For Taehyung. For them.

The decision had been made.

Jungkook would fight for Taehyung with everything he had.

Staring at the screen of his phone, watching as the final post uploaded. His hands were shaking, but it wasn't the kind of shaking that came from regret or fear. It was something deeper, something far more familiar—something that had been buried beneath all the layers of his pride and self-doubt.

He hadn’t posted the pictures of him and Taehyung to show the world he was sorry. He hadn’t done it to earn pity or sympathy. No, he did it for himself. For the boy who had once been so sure of who he was, but who had, somewhere along the way, forgotten how to love—how to love Taehyung, how to love himself. Taehyung had always told him to stand up for himself, to love himself just as he was. But Jungkook had failed in every way. He had broken the one person who had never asked for anything in return, the person who had loved him with everything he had.

Now, as the post was live, Jungkook felt a strange emptiness settle inside of him. It was almost like he had laid his heart out on the table for everyone to see, but in reality, it didn’t matter. This was for him, not for anyone else. He didn’t need the validation of likes, comments, or any of the superficial things that everyone else seemed to crave. He didn’t need the world to understand his pain because he was the only one who had to live with it.

Jungkook let out a quiet breath as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on the photo of him and Taehyung from years ago. They were younger then, their smiles bright and full of hope, unaware of the years of heartbreak that would come later.

Taehyung had taught him so much. How to be strong. How to trust himself. How to love, even when it seemed impossible. But somewhere along the way, Jungkook had forgotten all of that. He had let his fears, his insecurities, and his pride overshadow everything that mattered. And now... now Taehyung was in the hospital, fighting for his life, and it was Jungkook’s fault.

He clenched his fists, feeling the sharp ache of guilt deep in his chest.

This isn’t enough, he thought, staring at the post he had just shared. This isn’t the answer. This is just words. Taehyung deserves more than this.