Threads of fate

Jin sat in his study, staring at the untouched cup of tea on his desk. His mind was restless, tangled with thoughts he had tried to avoid for the past ten days. The past had a way of creeping back in, no matter how hard he tried to lock it away.

A soft knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Come in," he said, straightening up.

Seokjoon stepped inside, his expression unreadable as he closed the door behind him. Jin knew that look-it meant his brother had something serious to say.

"Are the kids asleep?" Seokjoon asked, sitting down across from him.

Jin nodded. "They tired themselves out at the palace today. Jiho was so excited about pretending to be a prince that he almost refused to leave." A small smile tugged at his lips, but it faded quickly when he noticed Seokjoon's hesitation.

"What is it?" Jin asked, already knowing this wasn't just a casual conversation.

Seokjoon sighed, leaning forward. "Jin... I never told you this before, but Jungkook searched for you years ago."

Jin's fingers tensed around the handle of his cup. His heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm. "What do you mean?"

"After you came back from the military, our family moved. But Jungkook didn't know that," Seokjoon explained. "He only had the address of our old home. He went there looking for you, but of course, we weren't there anymore."

Jin's breath hitched slightly, but he said nothing.

"I saw how much he hurt you, Jin," Seokjoon continued, his voice softer now. "That's why I never told you."

Jin lowered his gaze, fingers gripping his cup tighter. "It's not your fault, hyung."

Seokjoon frowned. "But-"

"Even if you had told me," Jin interrupted, "I wouldn't have believed it. I wouldn't have cared. I was too angry, too hurt. I wasn't in a place to accept anything about him back then. Things aren't the same as they were before. So don't blame yourself."

Seokjoon exhaled, nodding slowly. "I just... I want you to be happy, Jin. That's all I've ever wanted."

Jin forced a small smile. "I am happy. I have Jiho and Jiwon. They mean everything to me."

"I know you love them," Seokjoon said, searching Jin's eyes. "But... I miss the old you. The Jin who truly lived, not just passed through life. The one who laughed freely, who loved without holding back. The one who was with Jungkook."

Jin's chest tightened. He looked away, unable to hold his brother's gaze.

Jin let out a slow breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. Seokjoon's words echoed in his mind, tugging at emotions he had tried to bury. The Jin from years ago-the one who had loved Jungkook so freely, the one who believed in forever-felt like a different person. A person he had lost along the way.

But was that person really gone?

He looked up at Seokjoon, his voice quieter now. "Hyung... I don't know if I can be that person again."

Seokjoon sighed but didn't look surprised. "I'm not asking you to go back to the past, Jin. I just want you to stop holding yourself back from the things that could make you happy now."

Jin frowned. "And you think Jungkook is one of those things?"

Seokjoon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied Jin carefully, as if weighing his next words. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I do know that you never stopped loving him. Even when you thought he didn't love you anymore, you still loved him. And now that you know the truth... can you really keep pretending that love doesn't exist?"