Thé silence between them

For the first time in years, they parted on bad terms.

It wasn't a dramatic fight.

No shouting.

No cruel words.

Just frustration, exhaustion, and two people too stubborn to say what they truly felt.

Jungkook left for sea duty carrying the weight of that unfinished argument.

Taehyung stayed behind.

Normally, whenever work allowed, Taehyung would visit him. Sometimes he boarded the ship for a few days. Other times he flew by helicopter just to spend a few precious hours together before returning to France.

But this time was different.

Business responsibilities kept Taehyung occupied.

The argument lingered in his mind.

Days turned into weeks.

Communication became difficult.

Messages went unanswered.

Calls failed to connect.

Both assumed the other needed space.

Both waited.

And both suffered in silence.

Back at sea, Jungkook found himself checking his phone whenever he could.

No messages.

No missed calls.

Nothing from Taehyung.

At first, he told himself Taehyung was busy.

Then he told himself Taehyung was still upset.

Eventually, disappointment settled into his heart.

One evening, while sitting alone on deck, a junior officer approached him.

Her name was Lisa.

She was from Thailand and had recently joined the crew.

Seeing Jungkook sitting alone, she started a conversation.

At first they only spoke about work.

Then about travel.

Then about life at sea.

Weeks passed, and a simple friendship formed between them.

Lisa became someone Jungkook could talk to during long voyages.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

But appearances often tell a different story.

Meanwhile, unable to reach Jungkook, Taehyung's worries grew.

Eventually, he asked for information through professional contacts.

What he learned shattered him.

He heard that Jungkook had been spending a lot of time with a woman named Lisa.

He heard they were often seen together.

He heard they seemed close.

Nobody mentioned friendship.

Nobody explained the context.

The rumors filled in the gaps themselves.

And Taehyung, already hurt by weeks of silence, believed the worst.

That night, he sat alone in their house.

The garden outside was quiet.

The fountain continued to flow.

The swing moved gently in the wind.

Everything reminded him of Jungkook.

Everything hurt.

For hours he stared at old photographs.

Pictures from Greece.

Switzerland.

Rome.

Memories that suddenly felt distant.

A thousand questions filled his mind.

Had Jungkook moved on?

Had he grown tired of waiting?

Had their love simply reached its end?

The uncertainty was worse than any answer.

By morning, Taehyung made a decision.

Without informing Jungkook.

Without leaving an explanation.

Without saying goodbye.

He left.

The house that once felt alive became empty.

Only the animals remained.

Waiting.

Just as Jungkook was waiting.

Far away on the ocean, Jungkook stood on deck beneath a sky full of stars.

His shift had ended.

His first instinct was the same as always.

To check for a message from Taehyung.

Nothing.

He smiled sadly and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"Still angry, huh?" he whispered to himself.

What he didn't know was that Taehyung wasn't ignoring him.

Taehyung was already gone.

And between them stood a misunderstanding neither of them had tried to explain.

A silence that was slowly becoming a storm.

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