𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊✗𝐏𝐉𝐌

- 22 -

Driven by Donghyun's words and his own doubts, Jeongguk sets out to confront Seoyeon. He is aware that the conversation would be difficult, but he's determined to get to the bottom of things. Jinho's confirmation, revealing Seoyeon's abuse of Jimin, added another layer to the complexity of the situation.

As he wanders through the forest to Seoyeon's hut in his wolf form, clothes in his snout, Jeongguk stumbles upon a familiar thicket of tall shrubs. There, he had spent countless hours playing with Jimin behind it, revealing a beautiful flower meadow.

A wave of nostalgia flashes before his eyes, stopping him in his tracks while he steps hesitantly closer. He can almost hear Jimin's laughter echoing through the trees and see his bright eyes when Jimin was sitting on a tree, watching him pick daisies. He proudly held up the white, delicate flowers up to his nose, inhaling their soft fragrance. "Look, my mum said they are called daisies!"

"How do you know?" Jimin asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity when he climbed down from the big oak tree.

"Because we have them at home," Jeongguk replied and held out the flower he picked to Jimin as he came running across the meadow to him. A cheerful giggle emerged from him. "My mum keeps a dried flower and said it reminds her of when she met my dad! She says daisies mean their love is strong like it can even survive bad stuff! My dad brought her a bunch when he was courting her, too!"

Jeongguk takes another step in a trance, laying his clothes down to nudge a flower with his snout. They have been inseparable, spending hours playing in the forest, exploring the hidden meadows, and swimming in the lake.

"She also said that a yellow daisy shows friendship!" Six-year-old Jeongguk reached immediately for a yellow daisy next to him and brightened when he handed it to Jimin, causing him to giggle and hug him. Jimin grinned wide and went to pick a different flower to hand it to Jeongguk.

"How good that we are already friends!"

A pang of sadness pierces his heart, recalling the longing he felt for the growing gap between them. Something had changed, barely noticeable at first. Jeongguk couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he noticed that Jimin had started to keep to himself more and more. He also noticed that Seoyeon was spending more time with them. Jeongguk didn't understand why Jimin was distancing himself, and he was even more confused about Seoyeon's sudden interest in him. When he asked Jimin about it, he offered only shrugs and kept to himself, fuelling the suspicion that had sprouted in Jeongguk's mind: Jimin began to dislike him.

Soon after, Jeongguk started to devote most of his time to learning how to become a head alpha. It meant accompanying his father when they travelled to other packs to negotiate, represent their pack and build alliances. When he got older, he joined hunts and fought off rogues. Yet, a bittersweet pang remained whenever he returned home.

However, one such return from his visit with a different pack was different. Jeongguk found Jimin with his grandfather, picking black cohosh in the richer part of the forest. Seoyeon approached him when he was hiding behind big tree roots, longing for Jimin's company. Jeongguk didn't even try to tell her to go away, knowing by then that Seoyeon was stubborn. Therefore, he didn't even care at this point anymore, hoping deep down she would keep him company and he wouldn't feel as lonely.

She broke the silence first, keeping her eyes on Jimin and his grandfather while she moved the bark between her fingers. "Jimin's acting weird."

Jeongguk was young, not even ten years old by then, but there wasn't a time he wouldn't sneakily steal glances at the other if he had time for that.

Jeongguk's brow furrowed at Seoyeon's words. While the pang of sadness for his lost friendship with Jimin remained, her concern sparked a flicker of curiosity. "Weird how?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.