Chapter 3

...The Distance Between Us...

The city lights shimmered beyond the balcony.

From a distance, Seoul looked peaceful.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

But neither Jungkook nor Taehyung felt peaceful.

Not standing here.

Not after five years.

Not after seeing each other again.

The silence stretched between them.

Heavy.

Awkward.

Filled with thousands of conversations they never had.

Jungkook gripped the railing.

Taehyung stood a few feet away.

Not close.

Not far.

Just enough distance to remind them that things had changed.

A lot.

And yet...

Not enough.

"Congratulations."

The word slipped from Jungkook's mouth before he could stop it.

Taehyung glanced at him.

"For what?"

"Everything."

Jungkook looked toward the ballroom.

"The exhibition."

"The awards."

"The success."

A small smile touched Taehyung's lips.

"Thanks."

Silence again.

Five years ago silence had been comfortable.

Now it felt dangerous.

As if one wrong word could reopen every wound they had spent years trying to heal.

"I saw your interview."

Jungkook's voice was quiet.

"A few months ago."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow.

"You watch art interviews now?"

A laugh escaped Jungkook.

The first genuine laugh of the night.

"No."

Taehyung smiled despite himself.

The sound was familiar.

Painfully familiar.

For a second it felt like they were twenty-three again.

Sharing coffee in their tiny apartment.

Arguing about movies.

Laughing over absolutely nothing.

Then reality returned.

And the moment vanished.

Inside the ballroom, Vincent watched them.

The glass in his hand tightened.

He didn't like this.

Not one bit.

For two years he had been patient.

Careful.

Respectful.

He knew Taehyung wasn't ready.

Knew there was someone from the past.

Someone Taehyung never talked about.

Someone whose shadow still followed him everywhere.

And now that shadow had a face.

Jeon Jungkook.

Vincent didn't know whether to hate him or fear him.

Maybe both.

Because one look at Taehyung was enough.

The artist who barely paid attention to anyone else couldn't stop looking at Jungkook.

And that terrified Vincent.

Back on the balcony, the conversation continued in small pieces.

Like strangers trying to remember how to be familiar.

"How's your family?" Taehyung asked.

Jungkook looked surprised.

"Good."

A pause.

"My mother still complains that I work too much."

That earned a soft laugh.

"Some things never change."

"No."

Their eyes met.

Some things really didn't.

Unfortunately.

The memory arrived unexpectedly.

A rainy evening.

Taehyung waiting by the apartment window.

Dinner growing cold.

Jungkook calling to say he wouldn't make it home.

Again.

The disappointment in Taehyung's eyes.

The guilt in Jungkook's chest.

Back then they had promised themselves it was temporary.

Just until the company stabilized.

Just until things got easier.

But easier never came.

And eventually they stopped fighting for each other.

The memory hurt.

Even now.

Especially now.

"Jungkook."

His name sounded different coming from Taehyung.

It always had.

"What?"

Taehyung hesitated.

Then looked away.

"I was happy for you."

Jungkook frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"When your company became successful."

The answer surprised him.

Taehyung smiled faintly.

"I followed the news."

Jungkook stared.

"You did?"

"Sometimes."

Sometimes.

The word shouldn't have mattered.

Yet it did.

Because it meant Taehyung hadn't completely forgotten.

Because it meant Jungkook wasn't the only one carrying pieces of the past.

"I followed your career too."

Taehyung laughed softly.

"You're lying."

"I'm serious."

"Why?"

The answer felt obvious.

Because he loved him.

Because he missed him.

Because every article was the closest thing he had to seeing him again.

But Jungkook couldn't say that.

Not yet.

So he settled for the safer truth.

"I wanted to know you were okay."

Something changed in Taehyung's expression.

Only for a second.

But Jungkook saw it.

The crack.

The vulnerability.

The same vulnerability he used to know by heart.

The gala eventually began winding down.

Guests slowly left.

Conversations faded.

Music softened.

Yet neither of them moved.

Neither seemed eager to end this.

Even though they probably should.

"You know," Taehyung said quietly, "I imagined this moment."

Jungkook's heartbeat quickened.

"You did?"

"A few times."

Only a few?

Jungkook had imagined it hundreds.

Thousands.

Entire conversations rehearsed in empty rooms.

Entire apologies spoken to nobody.

Entire futures built from impossible hopes.

"What happened in those versions?"

Taehyung laughed.

"They were all different."

"Any good endings?"

A shadow crossed Taehyung's face.

"No."

The answer hit harder than expected.

Because maybe Taehyung had spent five years imagining the same thing.

And every version ended with heartbreak.

For a while they simply stood there.

Watching the city.

Listening to distant traffic.

Sharing space.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

It should have felt insignificant.

But somehow it wasn't.

Because for five years Jungkook had convinced himself he only needed closure.

Only needed answers.

Only needed one conversation.

Now he realized how badly he had lied to himself.

One conversation would never be enough.

One glimpse of Taehyung wasn't enough.

One evening wasn't enough.

Not when every part of him still wanted more.

Eventually Taehyung checked his watch.

"I should go."

The words immediately created tension.

The end.

Already.

Jungkook nodded.

"Right."

Neither moved.

Neither said goodbye.

The silence returned once more.

Only this time it felt different.

Less painful.

More uncertain.

As if something unfinished lingered between them.

Then footsteps echoed from behind.

Vincent appeared.

Perfect timing.

Or perhaps intentional timing.

His eyes immediately landed on Jungkook.

Then Taehyung.

Then the distance between them.

A distance that suddenly felt too small.

"There you are."

Vincent smiled.

The smile looked friendly.

But Jungkook wasn't fooled.

"We were looking for you."

Taehyung blinked.

"We?"

"My father wants to discuss tomorrow's exhibition."

"Oh."

Vincent stepped beside him naturally.

Comfortably.

Like someone used to being there.

Jungkook hated how much that bothered him.

"Ready?"

Taehyung nodded.

Then looked back at Jungkook.

For a moment none of them spoke.

The atmosphere shifted.

Subtle.

Complicated.

Uncomfortable.

Vincent noticed.

Of course he did.

He noticed everything.

"CEO Jeon."

The greeting was polite.

Professional.

Cold.

Jungkook returned it.

"Mr. Choi."

A challenge hidden beneath perfect manners.

Neither smiled.

Taehyung felt trapped between them.

One was his past.

One could potentially become his future.

And somehow neither option felt simple.

Nothing about this situation was simple.

Especially not the way his heart reacted whenever Jungkook looked at him.

A reaction he hated.

A reaction he couldn't control.

Because after everything—

After five years.

After the heartbreak.

After the loneliness.

A part of him still loved him.

And that was the most frightening realization of all.

"I'll see you around."

Taehyung finally said.

The words were meant to be casual.

But they weren't.

Because both of them understood what they really meant.

This wasn't goodbye.

Not this time.

Jungkook held his gaze.

"Yeah."

His voice was softer than before.

"I hope so."

For a brief second, neither looked away.

Neither breathed.

Neither moved.

Then Taehyung turned.

And walked away beside Vincent.

Jungkook watched until they disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did he release the breath he'd been holding.

Five years ago, he had let Taehyung walk away.

Five years ago, he had done nothing.

This time was different.

This time he wasn't planning to lose him without a fight.

And somewhere deep inside, for the first time in years—

Hope returned.

Small.

Dangerous.

Beautiful.

The kind of hope that could either heal a broken heart...

Or destroy it completely.

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