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chapter-51

And then, he saw him.

Taehyung stood at the check-in counter, his back straight, his expression calm. His hands held his passport and boarding pass, but it was his eyes that shattered Jungkook. They were distant, empty, as if he had already left.

Jungkook’s knees buckled. His breath caught in his throat, a sob clawing its way out. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but the tears came harder, his body shaking with the force of them. His vision blurred, but he couldn’t look away.

“Tae... please... don’t...”

He took a step forward, then another, his feet heavy, as if the weight of his guilt was trying to drag him down. His chest heaved, every breath a battle.

“Taehyung...” The name left his lips in a whisper, lost in the noise of the terminal.

---

He watched as Taehyung handed over his boarding pass, his movements mechanical, as if he were sleepwalking. The sight tore at Jungkook. He wanted to scream, to run to him, to fall at his feet and beg for forgiveness.

But his legs wouldn’t move. His voice wouldn’t come.

The memories crashed over him—Taehyung’s laughter, his warmth, the way he had always believed in him, even when Jungkook couldn’t believe in himself. And now, he was slipping away.

“Please look at me. Just once. Please...”

But Taehyung didn’t look back.

Jungkook’s sobs were silent now, his body wracked with them. His hands covered his face, his shoulders shaking. The world around him blurred, the chaos of the airport fading into a dull roar.

---

Taehyung turned, just for a moment, to adjust his bag. His eyes scanned the crowd, distant, detached. Jungkook froze, his breath catching. Their eyes met—just for a second—but it was enough.

In that moment, Jungkook saw everything he had lost.

The love. The pain. The betrayal.

Taehyung looked away.

And then he was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

Jungkook fell to his knees, his sobs breaking free, raw and unrestrained.

“Please... don’t go...”

But the words were lost, and so was Taehyung.

-----

Jungkook’s POV

Kneeling on the cold, hard floor, I could barely breathe. My chest felt like it was caving in, the weight of everything I’d done—everything I hadn’t done—crushing me. The guards loomed above me, their stern faces a blur through my tears. My mask had slipped down, but I didn’t care. My sobs were loud, ugly, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

He’s gone. He’s really gone.

The airport buzzed around me, people rushing past, their lives untouched by the chaos inside me. I felt like I was drowning, each breath harder than the last. My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. The self-loathing inside me was a living thing, clawing at my insides, begging for release.

I slammed my fist against the white tile, the pain barely registering.

“How could I let this happen?” My voice cracked, a whisper lost in the noise. I wanted to scream, to rip my own heart out. I deserved it. For what I’d done to him. For what I hadn’t done when he needed me most.