Threads of fate

Chapter 17

Jungkook’s throat tightened. He wanted to speak, to tell Jin something—anything—but no words came. His lips parted, but all he could do was stare at the man in front of him, the man whose heart he had just crushed.

"Answer me!" Jin demanded, his voice breaking as he took a step closer. His chest ached as he forced out the words he was most afraid to say. "Did you ever even love me? Or was it all just a lie?"

Jungkook swallowed hard. His silence stretched between them like an open wound, raw and bleeding.

That silence broke Jin more than any cruel words ever could. His heart clenched so tightly that it physically hurt.

Jin took a shaky breath, his entire body trembling. "Jungkook," he whispered, his voice barely holding together, "I need to know… did you ever love me?"

Jungkook hesitated. His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. And then, as if ripping off a bandage, he spat out the words he knew would hurt the most.

"No, Jin. I didn’t."

The air in the room grew suffocating. The words hit Jin like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of him. He swayed slightly but forced himself to stand firm. His heart screamed at him to fight, to demand the truth, but his pride wouldn’t allow it.

"Then why?" Jin’s voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. "Why all these years? Why pretend?"

Jungkook let out a bitter scoff, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I didn’t pretend, okay? I thought I loved you. I thought what we had was real. But it wasn’t. It was just… a distraction."

Jin flinched as if Jungkook had physically hit him. A distraction? That’s all he ever was?

Jungkook exhaled sharply, as if trying to push out everything he had been holding back. "I want a normal life, hyung," he admitted, his voice quieter now, but still firm. "I can’t live in hiding forever. I don’t want to be someone’s secret for the rest of my life." His gaze met Jin’s, and for a moment, something flickered there—something like regret. But then he steeled himself. "I want to live a normal life. With Sana. A life I could never have with you."

Jin’s breath caught in his throat.

"You… You want a normal life?" His voice trembled, his mind struggling to comprehend Jungkook’s words. "Was I really such a burden to you?" His lips quivered, but he clenched his jaw, trying to hold himself together.

Jungkook hesitated before nodding, and it felt like the final nail in the coffin.

Jin’s voice cracked as he asked the one question he was dreading the most. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," Jungkook said immediately. Without hesitation. Without doubt.

Jin’s world collapsed around him.

Jungkook kept going, unaware—or maybe uncaring—of the damage he was causing. "She was my first love. Ever since I was young, it’s always been her. When she came back into my life, I realized my feelings for her never went away."

Jin’s chest burned, his breath coming out in shallow gasps. The betrayal stung deeper than he ever thought possible.

His voice was nothing more than a broken whisper now. "Is it true? Is it your child?"

Jungkook met his gaze, his expression unreadable. And then—

"Yes," he said.

The single word shattered whatever was left of Jin’s heart. His legs felt weak, his entire body felt like it was caving in. His fingers twitched at his sides, wanting to grab onto something—anything—to steady himself, but there was nothing.