Priceless Possession | Taekook

Prologue

Unconditional love is the purest form of affection, often first experienced by a child through the care and attention given by their parents. It transcends circumstances, be they financial status, family structure, health, or any other challenges. At the core of human nature is the instinct to nurture and protect one's offspring, ensuring that they feel valued, secure, and loved.

Regardless of whether a child is raised by a single parent or both, whether they are healthy or facing challenges, the fundamental responsibility remains the same: to offer unwavering love and support. This is not just a societal expectation, but a natural duty, deeply embedded in the bond between parent and child.

Kim Taehyung's life was marked by a profound absence of love and care, despite being raised by his father. From the moment he was born, tragedy overshadowed his existence, as his mother passed away just as he took his first breath. Her death cast a dark shadow over his life, one that only grew heavier as the years passed. Born into a poor family, Taehyung's childhood was anything but nurturing. His father, consumed by grief and bitterness, turned to alcohol as a means of coping, and in his drunken haze, he directed all his resentment toward his son.

To his father, Taehyung was a painful reminder of loss—a child he never wanted, who symbolized the death of the woman he loved. Instead of receiving the affection and guidance every child deserves, Taehyung was met with coldness, neglect, and at times, outright hostility. The love that should have been his birthright was something he never knew, leaving him to navigate a harsh world on his own, with only the faintest hope that one day he might find the care and acceptance he had always been denied.

From the moment he was born until the age of nine, Taehyung found a sliver of solace in the care of his paternal grandmother. She was the only person who ever showed him the warmth and affection every child craves. The memories of those years are fragmented, buried deep within his mind, but Taehyung holds onto the vague recollections of her gentle touch and kind words as his only connection to the love he so desperately needed. Yet, when she passed away, Taehyung's world crumbled. He cried for days, his small heart shattered, until he was too exhausted to shed another tear.

The day of the funeral marked the end of his last thread of comfort, but it was also the beginning of a new, darker chapter in his life. Among the mourners, a cold pair of eyes observed him—the eyes of his father's boss, a ruthless businessman whose wealth was built on illegal gambling, seedy hotels, and brothels. This man, devoid of compassion, saw something in the grief-stricken boy that piqued his interest. Whether it was Taehyung's vulnerability or the potential to exploit him, the businessman made a decision that would seal the boy's fate.

Taehyung's father, a mere driver to this corrupt man, was ordered to bring his son to the businessman's estate. From that day forward, Taehyung's misfortune deepened. The house, with its lavish exterior, was nothing more than a gilded cage—a place where innocence was crushed and cruelty reigned. Taehyung, already burdened by loss and sorrow, was thrust into a world of darkness, where he would learn that the small glimpses of love he had once known were but fleeting dreams in a life overshadowed by pain and despair.

*****

Taehyung lay on his bed, the cool air from his recent shower doing little to wash away the weight of his memories. He lifted his pale hands, staring at them as if searching for answers in the lines and veins that mapped his skin. They trembled slightly, a reminder of the fragility that had become his constant companion. With a deep sigh, his mind drifted to the night before—the stark contrast between the luxury of someone else's bed and the hollowness inside him. He had been so vulnerable, lying there like a delicate, broken thing, feeling more like an object than a person.

Tears welled up in his eyes, silent but fierce, as they began to spill down his cheeks. Each tear was a testament to the seventeen years of torment that had carved deep scars into his soul. The memories were relentless, flashing before his eyes in painful clarity: the loss of his grandmother, the cruelty of his father, and the darkness that had enveloped his life since being brought into the businessman's world. It all weighed on him, a suffocating burden that made it hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to live.