Hide And Seek...

Part 1 "The beginning"

Jungkook gave a faint twitch of a smile, barely visible. "He always does" he said softly, still not meeting her eyes.

His mother’s grin disappeared before trying again, "I was thinking of making your favorite pasta tonight. The one with the garlic bread you like. That sound good?"

He paused before nodding slightly, "Yeah. Sure... thanks, mom"

She looked at him for a moment, then reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind his ear like she used to when he was a young little boy, "You know, it's okay to not be okay sometimes, Jungkook"

He finally glanced up, just for a second. "I know" he whispered, then went back to his food. Benny let out a soft sigh under the table, as if he, too, wished he could make things better.
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After breakfast, Jungkook quietly rinsed his plate, gave his mom a soft "Thanks", and grabbed Benny's leash from the hook by the door. Benny's ears perked up instantly, tail wagging with growing excitement.

"Walk time, boy", Jungkook murmured, his voice still low but with a hint of warmth that hadn't been there earlier.

His mother let out a soft sigh watching her son's walking away figure with sadness and a little bit of hope in her eyes that understands the reason behind her son's pain and softly whispered to herself "I know you missed him, Jungkook... "
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Outside, the late morning sun had risen a little higher. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of grass and flowers as Jungkook walked down the quiet street towards the nearest park, Benny trotting faithfully by his side.

The park was mostly empty— a few jogging, an elderly man feeding birds, and a little girl flying a kite with her dad in the distance. Jungkook found a quiet bench under a tree and sat down, while Benny ran ahead for a moment, sniffing the grass and chasing invisible things in the wind.

Jungkook watched him, lost in thoughts. He pulled his hoodie tighter, leaned back, and closed his eyes. The sounds of birds, the distant laughter, and Benny's soft barks filled the silence around him— but inside, it still felt heavy.

And then— the present slipped away...

Flashback

He was 16 again. The sun was brighter, the world louder with laughter. On this very same side of the bench, he sat beside his older brother— 20 years old, full of life, full of dreams. They both had half-melted ice cream cones in hand, vanilla for Jungkook, mango for his older brother.

"You eat so slow" his brother laughed, nudging Jungkook's arm, "You gotta level up, Bun. Ice cream waits for no one"

Jungkook laughed, cheeks puffed out from a big bite, "I'm savoring it. You just inhale yours"

They sat, legs stretched out, talking about everything and nothing— music, college plans, teasing each other with their female classmate's names. The bench creaked when they leaned back at the same time.

"Don't grow up too fast, Jungkook" his brother had said suddenly, eyes on the shy, "This part... it matters more than you think"

Jungkook rolled his eyes, "You sound ancient"

But his brother just smiled with a hint of something in his eyes, as if he knew something Jungkook didn't yet.

End of Flashback

Jungkook opened his eyes slowly. The sun was still shining, but the air felt colder now. The bench beside him was empty. Benny was still playing, but Jungkook... he felt the ache settle heavier in his chest.

That's when a voice broke the silence.

"Mind if I sit here?"

He glanced sideways. A girl, maybe a year younger than him, stood there with a gentle smile. She wore a light blue sweater, her hair tied up casually, and had the kind of a warmth in her eyes that made people feel at ease.