Enveloped with Love! (Taekook)

CHAPTER XII

January 16th, 2022 - Seoul - Jeongguk's residence

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Jeongguk had sent a reply to Taehyung and he had received nothing. Everyday he checked his mailbox hoping to see a letter sitting there for him, but nothing of that sort happened.

He had been making too many rounds to his mailbox, confusing the security who couldn't understand why he would keep banging it close when he saw it was empty.

These past two weeks have been horrible for Jeongguk. He was sure that Taehyung would write back to him but when days passed with no letter, he couldn't help but panic.

As he had decided, he had gone to the store first thing the next day and brought parchment and some nice ink. He had rushed home and taken more than 2 hours to write what would be his first ever letter to Taehyung. He had read and reread each word to make sure he was conveying his feelings well.

He had hoped that reading his letter, Taehyung would not only feel better about himself but also be tempted to write back. Jeongguk may have started the letter as if he was Jae-Hyun but by the end of the letter, he had written as Jeongguk and what Jeongguk wanted to say to him, not what he thought Jae-Hyun might say. And that was the reason he had signed it off as J and not as the Ex!

Because those truly were his feelings. He had meant every word he wrote and had hoped that they would touch Taehyung's heart. He had even sprayed the letter lightly with his dad's cologne which always managed to calm him whenever he was stressed. And knowing that Taehyung would be struggling based on that very emotional last letter, Jeongguk thought it would help Taehyung too!

But now that he sits in his dialysis chair with his arm on fire, he can't help but let the tears flow. He barely even registered Mrs. Choi gently rubbing his other hand to calm him as he sobbed. He had been trying to be brave for his dialysis since he wrote the letter. The first couple of sessions after he replied were okay, great even as he honestly didn't even register the pain. He was sure that maybe in another day he should be getting Taehyung's reply. Yet, as the days passed without any sign of a letter, Jeongguk struggled more and more with each passing session.

It had begun with a few tears rolling down his cheeks to the point where he actually begged Mrs. Choi to stop. It was not the pain in his arm that was breaking him, it was the pain in his heart. Try as he might, he doesn't understand this reaction he has to Taehyung. What had this boy done to him? How can he feel this way, for someone who he has not even met?

He had spent many days now simply going through the motions of his day. He had lost his appetite and after so many nights of terrible sleep, his eyes had permanent bags. He hadn't left the house except for his one visit to Dr. Jung's office and was also contemplating if he should cancel the upcoming visit from Seokjin and his boyfriend this weekend. He felt drained of all energy and hosting anyone was the last thing on his mind.

Has he offended Taehyung somehow? Did he say something wrong in his letter? Had Taehyung figured out that he wasn't Jae-Hyun and that's why he wasn't writing back?

Did he hate Jeongguk?

No. Please no...

Please don't hate me, Taehyung. I have nothing.. No one except you.. Please , please write to me!

"It's done, honey... You can open your eyes."

Jeongguk opened his eyes, making more tears run down his already wet cheeks as he heard Mrs. Choi's soft voice. He looked at her and saw worry and also some pity in her eyes as she packed up everything.

His arm hurt. Beyond hurt. It felt like his veins were on fire, that his blood was boiling and scalding his skin from within. The cramps were so bad he felt as if someone was twisting all his muscles and pulling them apart from both ends. Don't even get him started about how bad it hurt at the site of his fistula. He wiped his tears with his good arm as he held the other one tightly to his chest.