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Like every morning, I woke up to the sound of my mom-Kim Taehyung-shouting from the kitchen. He's been my mom and dad for as long as I can remember. Taehyung wasn't always my guardian. He was my mother's best friend. Ever since I was a child, he would visit often, bringing me gifts, laughing with us, and filling our home with warmth. We were close, the three of us.

But everything changed the day my parents died in a car accident. I was only six-an only child suddenly left alone in the world, burdened with the name and legacy of Jeon Enterprises. There was no one else. No relatives. No guardians. Just me. That's when Taehyung stepped in.

At the time, he was twenty-two and one of the most promising top models in our company. He had his whole future ahead of him. Yet, without hesitation, he took me in. He raised me like his own child, sacrificing his youth and personal life to give me a family. He adopted me legally, and since then, he's been both my parent and my home.

I respect him deeply-not just for what he did for me, but for who he is. I know, deep inside, that he gave up a lot for me. Because of me, he never got married. Because of me, he shouldered a responsibility he never asked for. And that guilt stays with me. I turned nineteen this year. It's been twelve years since that day. We live together, just the two of us. My mom used to tell me how she and Taehyung were soulmates. They grew up together. But life played its part, and she ended up marrying my father when she got pregnant during high school. She was only seventeen then

Though my father came from wealth, my mother didn't. Her family disowned her for the pregnancy, never accepting her again-even though her lover was a rich man. In that dark phase of her life, only one person stood by her: Taehyung, her soulmate, three years younger but infinitely more mature and loyal than anyone else she had. And when she and my father passed away, it was Taehyung again who stood by me.

He never let me feel like an orphan. He gave me everything-love, care, protection, and a place to belong. Now, I'm nineteen. Taehyung is thirty-five And this is the beginning of our story.

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A moment later, Taehyung stepped into the kitchen, eyes widening at the sight of his half-naked teenage son. He placed the milk down and crossed his arms.

Jungkook looked up, unfazed, his cheeks stuffed with food.

Taehyung just laughed.

The hallway buzzed with the usual chatter of students heading to their classes. I was adjusting the strap of my backpack when I heard a familiar voice.

I turned to see Jimin jogging up beside me, his signature lazy smile already tugging at his lips. Jimin was my best friend and classmate-probably the only one who stuck with me since the beginning. He had a habit of falling asleep in almost every class and a not-so-secret crush on our homeroom teacher, Mr. Min Yoongi. She was older, sure, but I never judged him. I didn't believe in judging a book by its cover, even if sometimes... I wondered if I should've.

I rolled my eyes. Here we go again.

Even though he was a total pervert sometimes, I still didn't judge him. But, honestly... I regretted my decision to befriend him at least once a day.

Before he could respond, a voice called out from behind us.

I turned around just in time to see Mina walking toward me, her soft smile making my heart stutter a bit. Mina-my girlfriend. My senior. The first person in this entire school, aside from Jimin, who ever approached me like I mattered. Everyone else saw me as a loser.

Yeah, I was rich-but not the flashy kind. I wasn't popular, and I didn't care to be. Most days, I buried myself in books and talked in what people called "alien math language." That's probably why so few students bothered to talk to me. But not Mina. She walked up to me like I was the only person in the world, and in that moment, even with Jimin being Jimin beside me, everything felt a little less lonely.

I quickly pulled out the neatly solved pages from my folder and handed them to her. Mina always said I was smart and intelligent, so she asked me to help with her homework often. She said it would make me sharper, more confident. I believed her. She was thoughtful like that. That's why I liked her. Why I trusted her. As she scanned the pages, she suddenly pouted

Then she turned on her heel and walked away toward a group of friends waiting at the far end of the hall. As she reached them, one of the guys casually put his arm around her waist. She didn't push him away. She laughed. But I didn't mind. Noona had told me he was her best friend. Just like how Jimin was mine.

Taehyung's POV

It was late at night, and Jungkook still hadn't returned from his small date. I chuckled softly to myself as I stood in the kitchen, my hands drying a clean plate from dinner. When did my innocent little Kookie grow up this much? I thought.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips as my gaze drifted to the clock on the wall. Even though I smiled for him, there was always this gentle ache in my chest whenever I thought too deeply about Jungkook. He had lost his parents at such a young age. He still didn't understand how cruel and unforgiving the world could be. And I feared it for him.

I still remembered my own childhood too vividly-how my parents treated me like nothing, just because I was inter'sex. Like I was something broken. Something shameful. They never let me forget it. If it hadn't been for Jungkook's mother, I... I might not have survived. She was the first and only person back then who showed me kindness, who gave me a reason to stay. Because of her, I didn't go through with my darkest thoughts. I owed her everything.

Even now, years later, I still carry those insecurities with me. I never dared to get close to anyone romantically. I was too afraid. Afraid of being laughed at, of being judged for my body. Afraid they'd look at me with disgust. But with Jungkook, things were different. It's been twelve years since he came into my life. My adopted son... but really, he's my everything. My only family. And I am his. We became each other's light when the world turned dark.

He doesn't know I'm inter"sex. Not because I'm ashamed-never again. But because he's still so innocent. So pure. I always thought I'd tell him one day when he's older, when he's ready to understand. And I know my Kookie... even if I told him, he'd never leave me. He'd love me just the same. That's why I raised him like fragile glass-always careful, always protecting him from the bad things, from bad people, bad habits. And maybe that's why, even now, my Kookie is still so soft, still so trusting.

I heard the creak of the front gate and quickly made my way to the door, my heart fluttering with warmth at the thought of greeting him, teasing him about his first date. But the smile fell from my face the moment I opened the door. My heart cracked in an instant. There he stood... my sweet Jungkook, with tears streaming down his cheeks, his hands trembling at his sides, shoulders shaking.

And in that moment, I knew-something had happened. Something had broken my baby.

He didn't answer right away. His eyes, red and glassy, wouldn't meet mine. He just stood there, fists clenched, breathing unevenly. Then, finally, he whispered.

My breath caught.

His words hit me like a wave. My hands trembled as I reached out, touching his arms gently. "Kookie... w-why are you saying this? Did something happen?" But he only repeated it, again and again.

My heart shattered, trying to understand what had shaken him so deeply. This wasn't my usual playful, shy boy. This was someone on the edge of something big-something that scared him. Or maybe, something that already hurt him. I pulled him into my arms without a second thought, holding him tightly as he finally let go-his sobs muffled against my shoulder, his small frame trembling in my embrace.

But deep down... I knew. I didn't know how. I didn't know when. But I knew that this night... These words... This pain in his voice... It would change everything.