Taehyung stirred in his sleep, the soft cries of children pulling him from his dream. His eyes fluttered open, but the room around him looked strange—foreign even. Where was he? Shouldn’t he be in his own apartment, curled up in his bed?

Two small hands tugged at his arms, shaking him insistently. Mommy…? Were they calling him that? Taehyung blinked, trying to focus. He saw them—two toddlers, a boy and a girl, both around two or three years old. They looked alike, standing by the edge of the bed, their eyes bright with anticipation.

Taehyung froze. Mother? He had been single all his life, focused on his career, barely keeping up with his own reality. Since when had he become a parent?

The moment he spoke, the two children burst into tears.

Taehyung had no experience with kids, and the crying made his chest tighten.

Before he could finish, the door swung open. A tall, striking man strode in, exuding authority and anger. He scooped up the children into his arms, calming them instantly.

The boy’s fists clenched, a storm of emotion in his tiny body. Taehyung’s jaw went slack as the man’s gaze snapped to him, fury barely contained.

Shock rooted Taehyung to the spot. Own children? Husband?

Jungkook. The name struck a chord. Taehyung froze as fragments of a story he read the night before flooded his mind—the novel I Can’t Live Without You in This Life. The male lead… Jungkook… no, in this world, Jungkook. The tragic story he’d read: a devoted husband, a heroine who betrayed him, children who suffered because of misunderstanding… And now… he was living it. Taehyung’s hands shook. Mother. Husband. Children. He, Taehyung, had somehow crossed into the novel. And worse… he was taehyung—the very heroine whose life had destroyed everyone he cared about in the story.

Jungkook’s eyes burned with accusation and hurt. “Taehyung… do you know what you’ve done? How you’ve abandoned us?” Taehyung sank onto the bed, head spinning. He had to survive in this world, and somehow… repair the mistakes his novel-self had made. But first… he had to figure out how to be a father, a husband, and… himself.

When Taehyung remembered the novel I Can’t Live Without You in This Life, he had always hated the original taehyung—the heroine who shared his name. In his 10,000-word rant online, more than 8,000 words were spent criticizing her foolishness. Jungkook had been loyal, gentle, patient… the perfect husband. Meanwhile, part bogum —handsome, charming, and manipulative—had been nothing but selfish and scheming. Taehyung could never understand how the book’s real taehyung could have been so blind, trusting bogum over Jungkook, who had always told her the truth. And now… he was living it. He was taehyung in that story. The fool he had scolded online. As Taehyung was lost in thought, the two little cuties slid down from Jungkook’s arms and clutched his sleeves.

Taehyung’s heart melted at their innocent, tear-streaked faces. The softest part of him ached for them. In the book, Vinnie and Gukie were twins. gukkie, the older brother, was protective and gentle, while Vinnie, the younger sister, was sweet and clever. Even when the original taehyung disliked Jungkook, she had always cherished their children

But when parents fought, children’s hearts became fragile. They constantly feared being abandoned by their mother—or their father.

Taehyung looked into Jungkook’s eyes. There was a misty longing in them, a patient love that had endured years of pain and misunderstanding. Thinking of the tragedy in the novel—how Jungkook had sacrificed everything for taehyung—Taehyung’s chest tightened. Even before his death, Jungkook had tried to protect taehyung from guilt, letting her believe he was cruel so he could survive without regret. Why had the author written such an ending? Surely, they could have resolved their misunderstandings… they deserved happiness. Taehyung made a decision. He would change the story. He would save Jungkook.

Children couldn’t stay sad for long, and soon laughter replaced tears.

In real life, Taehyung had been a renowned international chef. Ordinary people had never tasted his cooking—but now he could make it for his own family.

Gukie grinned, equally excited. Jungkook watched the scene, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Then he started moving toward the door.

For a moment, Jungkook thought he was dreaming. In all three years of their marriage in this story, taehyung had never spoken to him first, never looked at him with warmth.

Taehyung knew that Jungkook had been deeply hurt by the original owner of this body, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. Even offering to make him breakfast made Jungkook suspicious, as if he feared being poisoned.

Jungkook felt the warmth of Taehyung’s body, and the unique familiar scent filled his senses.

This was the scene he had dreamed of countless times: Taehyung in his arms, saying he wanted to stay, to make things right. Jungkook wanted to surrender to the warmth, the love, but fear rooted him to the spot. He worried it might be too good to be true—perhaps Taehyung was luring him into a beautiful illusion, only to push him off the cliff when he let his guard down.

Vinnie and Gukie saw the shift in Taehyung’s attitude and ran over, eager to join in. They flung their tiny arms toward them, managing only to hug a leg or two, but their joy was unmistakable.

Seeing their parents reconciled brought pure happiness to the twins’ eyes. Yet, ironically, Jungkook—the one who should have been happiest—looked distant, almost gloomy. He gently pushed Taehyung back. Taehyung blinked in surprise, unsure what Jungkook meant.

Once the door closed, only Jungkook and Taehyung remained.

Jungkook pulled his hand back and walked silently to the window. He drew the curtain aside and stared at the heavy, dark clouds outside, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

Go with part bogum ? Taehyung’s mind raced, recalling the plot of the novel. According to it, he—the original teahyung—would eventually attempt to take the children and elope abroad with bogum since Jungkook refused to divorce him. Jungkook, knowing this, would try to stop them, and the heartbreak would only deepen.

The sharp pain in Jungkook’s eyes struck Taehyung’s chest like an arrow. He bit his lower lip, realizing just how much he had hurt Jungkook before, how deep the mistrust ran. How could he convince Jungkook now… that everything he did today was genuine? That he only wanted to rebuild what they had lost?