Rain fell heavily over the city, blurring the streets beneath the glowing lights.

Jeon Jungkook stood alone outside the hotel entrance,

clutching the thin sleeves of his soaked jacket as

A cold wind brushed against his skin. The party

inside was still loud and bright behind him, but

none of it mattered anymore.

His eyes remained fixed on the black luxury car

That had just stopped across the street.

The driver stepped out first, quickly opening the

Back door with careful respect.

A tall figure emerged slowly.

Polished black shoes touched the wet ground.

Then long legs.

A dark coat.

Sharp eyes hidden beneath the rain.

Jungkook's breathing stopped instantly.

The world around him seemed to go silent.

No…

It couldn’t be.

But the familiar face beneath the city lights shattered every doubt in his heart.

“…Taehyung?”

The name escaped his lips like a whisper he had carried for years.

The man across the street looked at him calmly.

Coldly.

As if they were strangers.

Jungkook felt his chest tighten painfully.

Seven years.

Seven years of searching, waiting, and wondering where he had gone.

And now the person he missed more than anyone stood right in front of him looking completely different.

Gone was the quiet boy who used to hide bruises behind shy smiles.

Gone was the warmth in his eyes whenever he looked at Jungkook.

The person standing there now looked untouchable.

Dangerous.

The rain continued pouring between them as Taehyung slowly stepped forward.

Jungkook’s fingers trembled slightly.

“You’re really alive…” he whispered weakly.

Taehyung stopped only a few feet away.

His expression didn’t change.

“Were you expecting me to be dead?”

The coldness in his voice cut deeper than Jungkook expected.

Jungkook immediately shook his head. “No—that’s not what I meant. I just… I searched for you for so long after you disappeared—”

“Did you?”

The quiet question froze him.

Taehyung tilted his head slightly, eyes dark and unreadable.

“That’s strange,” he murmured. “Because when I needed someone the most… you weren’t there.”

Jungkook’s lips parted helplessly.

The memory hit him instantly.

The accusations.

The screaming.

The crowd outside Taehyung's house.

His father’s angry voice.

And Taehyung standing alone through all of it.

Jungkook had wanted to run after him that night.

He really did.

But by the time he finally gathered the courage… Taehyung was already gone.

Without a trace.

Jungkook swallowed hard as guilt twisted painfully inside him.

“I tried to explain—”

“You stayed silent.”

Taehyung stepped closer.

Close enough for Jungkook to see the bitterness hidden behind his calm expression.

“You promised you’d stay beside me,” Taehyung said quietly. “Do you remember?”

Jungkook lowered his eyes immediately.

Of course he remembered.

Two children sitting beneath an old tree.

Hands linked together.

A promise made so innocently.

“Even if everyone leaves you… I won’t.”

Taehyung let out a soft laugh, but there was no warmth in it.

“I was stupid for believing in you.”

Jungkook felt tears sting his eyes.

“Taehyung…”

For the first time, Taehyung’s expression cracked slightly.

Not sadness.

Something far more dangerous.

Years of hurt.

Years of loneliness.

Years of love that had turned into resentment.

He leaned down slowly until his voice brushed against Jungkook’s ear like a warning.

“This time,” he whispered coldly, “I won’t be the one left behind.”

Then he walked past him without another glance.

Leaving Jungkook standing alone in the rain once again.

Kim Taehyung

Age: 24

Tall, quiet, and impossible to read.

Growing up in a poor neighborhood taught Taehyung to stay silent and endure everything alone.

People avoided him

because of his cold

expression and rumors

surrounding his family,

but none of it mattered as long as one person stayed beside him.

As a child, Taehyung was shy and withdrawn,

secretly holding deep feelings he never dared to confess.

But after his family was destroyed by false accusations,

he disappeared without a trace.

Years later, he returns completely changed.

Now he’s wealthy,

powerful, and feared by everyone around him.

His calm voice and emotionless eyes make it impossible to know what he’s truly thinking.

He acts cold toward the person he once loved the most,

but behind his anger hides years of heartbreak,

loneliness, and unresolved feelings.

No matter how much he tries to move on,

He still can’t forget the promise made beneath the old tree years ago.

Jeon Jungkook

Age: 24

Warm-hearted,

emotional, and stubbornly kind.

Jungkook grew up surrounded by love and attention,making him someone who smiled easily and cared deeply for others.

Unlike everyone else, he never feared Taehyung's silence.

Instead, he stayed beside him through every difficult moment,

becoming the only light in Taehyung’s lonely world.

But everything changed the night their families became enemies.

Unable to stop the misunderstanding that ruined Taehyung's life,

Jungkook was left behind carrying years of guilt and regret.

Even after Taehyung disappeared,

he never stopped searching for him.

Now older and more mature,

Jungkook still struggles to forgive himself for the past.

Seeing Taehyung again awakens feelings he buried long ago,

but he quickly realizes the boy he once protected has returned colder and more dangerous than ever.

Still, despite the resentment directed toward him,

Jungkook refuses to give up on him again.

•

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•

•

•

•

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The rain finally stopped near midnight.

Water dripped slowly from the edges of the buildings

as jeon Jungkook walked home through the empty streets, his mind was still trapped in the encounter from earlier.

Taehyung was back.

Even after hours had passed, Jungkook still couldn’t believe it.

The image of those cold eyes refused to leave his mind.

Jungkook clenched his fists tightly inside his pockets.

Why did Taehyung look at him like that?

As if he hated him.

As if the years they spent together meant nothing.

Jungkook let out a shaky breath before stopping in front of his apartment building.

The old streetlights flickered softly above him,

casting weak shadows across the wet road.

Then suddenly—

A black car stopped nearby.

Jungkook froze immediately.

The tinted window rolled down slowly.

And there he was again.

Taehyung sat quietly

inside the car, one hand resting against his cheek

as his unreadable gaze settled on Jungkook.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Jungkook's heart pounded painfully.

Finally, he forced himself to move closer.

“…Why are you here?”

taehyung stared at him calmly before answering.

“Get in.”

Jungkook blinked in confusion.

“What?”

“I said get in.”

The low voice carried quiet authority,

making Jungkook nervous instantly.

But despite everything, he still opened the car door and sat down carefully.

The inside smelled expensive and unfamiliar.

Nothing about Jungkook felt familiar anymore.

The driver started moving again, silence filling the car.

Jungkook glanced sideways carefully.

Taehyung looked even sharper up close.

His black suit fit perfectly, his posture confident and relaxed.

The shy boy from years ago was completely gone.

“You disappeared without saying anything,” Jungkook whispered quietly.

Taehyung didn’t look at him.

“You lost the right to question me years ago.”

The words hurt more than jungkook expected.

He lowered his eyes immediately.

“I looked for you,” he said softly.

“I really did.”

This time Taehyung finally turned toward him.

His expression remained calm, but his eyes looked colder than the rain outside.

“Then why didn’t you come that night?”

Jungkook’s breathing stopped.

That night.

The worst night of their lives.

Before he could answer, Taehyung suddenly leaned closer.

Close enough for Jungkook to feel his warmth.

“You know what I realized after leaving?”

Taehyung murmured quietly.

Jungkook looked at him nervously.

Taehyung’s lips curved into a faint smile that held no warmth at all.

“The people who promise to stay forever are usually the first ones to leave.”

And for the first time in years—

Jungkook realized He truly came back to hurt him.

Jeon Jungkook barely slept that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Taehyung's cold expression inside the car.

The way he looked at him felt unfamiliar, almost cruel, yet Jungkook still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

The rain had disappeared by morning, leaving the city quiet and gray beneath the cloudy sky.

Jungkook stood inside a small convenience store near his apartment, organizing shelves while trying to calm his restless thoughts.

The soft sound of music played quietly overhead, mixing with the hum of refrigerators nearby.

“Jungkook.”

He looked up immediately.

His coworker frowned slightly.

“You’ve been spacing out all morning. Are you okay?”

Jungkook forced a small smile.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t.

Not even close.

After Taehyung disappeared years ago, Jungkook spent so long imagining what their reunion would be like.

Maybe Taehyung would yell at him.

Maybe he would cry.

Maybe he would refuse to see him at all.

But somehow, this cold silence hurt far more than anger ever could.

The bell above the convenience store door suddenly rang softly.

Jungkook looked up automatically—

And froze.

Taehyung walked inside calmly, dressed in a black coat that made him stand out against the bright lights of the small store.

The entire room felt smaller instantly.

Their eyes met.

Jungkook’s heart nearly stopped.

Taehyung looked away first and casually walked through the aisles as if nothing had happened.

Jungkook stared at him in disbelief.

What was he doing here?

Their neighborhood was far from the expensive part of the city where someone like Taehyung belonged now.

Trying to calm himself, Jungkook slowly approached him.

“You came here just to buy snacks?” he asked quietly.

Taehyung glanced at him briefly before grabbing a bottle of water from the shelf.

“Am I not allowed to?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Silence fell again.

Jungkook hated this distance between them.

Years ago, they used to talk about everything so easily.

Now every conversation felt sharp enough to hurt.

Taehyung walked toward the counter and placed the bottle down carelessly.

Jungkook scanned it quietly while avoiding eye contact.

Then Taehyung suddenly spoke.

“You still work part-time jobs?”

Jungkook blinked slightly at the question.

“Yes.”

“I thought your family was doing well.”

The words sounded casual, but Jungkook sensed the hidden bitterness underneath.

“My father lost most of his business a few years ago,” he admitted softly.

“Things changed.”

Taehyung gave a slow nod.

For some reason, that answer seemed to satisfy him.

Jungkook handed him the bottle carefully. Their fingers brushed for a brief second.

Taehyung immediately grabbed Jungkook’s wrist before he could pull away.

Jungkook’s breath caught instantly.

The grip wasn’t painful.

But it was firm enough to stop him completely.

Taehyung stared down at his wrist silently.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

“You still wear it.”

Jungkook followed his gaze.

Around his wrist was an old faded bracelet made from blue thread.

Taehyung had made it for him when they were sixteen.

Jungkook swallowed nervously.

“I forgot to take it off.”

A quiet laugh escaped Taehyung’s lips.

But there was something sad hidden inside it.

“You’re still a terrible liar.”

Jungkook slowly looked up at him.

For the first time since returning, Taehyung’s cold mask seemed weaker.

Only for a moment.

Then the expression disappeared again.

Taehyung released his wrist carefully and stepped back.

“Throw it away,” he said quietly.

Jungkook’s chest tightened.

Before he could answer, Taehyung turned toward the exit.

But just before leaving, he stopped near the door without looking back.

“If you keep holding onto the past,” he murmured softly, “you’ll only hurt yourself more.”

Then he walked away again.

Leaving Jungkook standing there with trembling hands and a heart that still refused to let go.