IN MY HEART FOREVER (TAEKOOK/VKOOK)

Chapter 36

"Bogum hyung" Tae calls him when he sees the other leaving the party, he feels Bogum deserved an apology for how Jungkook treated him.

Bogum looks at Tae first and then at the surroundings, making sure the scary man wasn't anywhere around them.

"Sorry Taehyung, I had my dinner alone without waiting for you." Bogum then contemplated if he should or shouldn't for a moment before ending up saying "Actually, S-some random dude warned me to keep distance from you. Is he your—-?"

"I know and I'm so sorry for Jungkook's rude behavior" Taehyung cuts in.

"He's Jungkook? As in Jeon Jungkook? the Ceo and the host of the party?"

It was Taehyung's turn to be surprised "Jungkook is the host? This is his home?"

"Yes it is. How come you don't know though? The way he threatened me I thought he's your boyfriend or something."

Taehyung lets out a dry laugh with a head shake "He is nothing to me now"

Taehyung suddenly bit his inner cheek for using 'now'.

And Bogum hadn't missed hearing it. "Now?" he asks, curious.

"I worked for him before as well and we...we had a tiny past" Taehyung gives a tight smile.

He wishes Bogum doesn't press the matter any further.

"Wait a sec, so is he the one who used and dumped you?" Bogum blurts out.

Taehyung froze, looking at Bogum, appalled. "W-what d-did you s-say?"

Bogum panics seeing Taehyung's expression. "Shit I'm so sorry Taehyung. I shouldn't have said it, didn't mean to be rude or hurtful, it's just that the words came out the same way I heard them"

"You h-heard? From w-whom?

Bogum explains Taehyung everything Kang told him the day he visited the guest house. Bogum felt bad at how Taehyung's face turned broken with every word he uttered.

"But trust me Taehyung your paintings are truly beautiful, I was on a tight budget so couldn't purchase them back then, now that I know you work here I'll contact you for a painting sometime soon" Bogum cheers him up.

Taehyung nods wordlessly, forcing a smile on his face.

Once Bogum leaves, Taehyung exits too. He starts running to the parking lot, trying to catch his frantic breath.

Uncle Kang...

Taehyung couldn't believe that his Uncle could speak so ill about him.

He couldn't believe the sweetness he showered Taehyung with was all fake.

All the visitors to the hanok knew about Taehyung's past?

The paintings some of them bought were out of pity? Not because they liked them?

Jungkook

Jungkook knows it too...

Is it why he gave him the painting contract? Because he pitied him?

His eyes felt wet.

But he refused to cry, definitely not for a terrible person like Kang.

But why is the thought of Jungkook giving him the contract because of sympathy and not because of his talent making his heart break.

".......ng"

".....yung"

"..ehyung"

Taehyung thinks he hears a faint voice calling him from behind, but he was too busy in his thoughts that he hasn't paid much attention to it.