His Obsession ➸ Taekook ✓

- Thirty-sixth -

"So, are you ready?"

Jeongguk nodded slowly, before turning to the stalls, where a hundred or so women's clothes were on display. Taehyung was right. Why should he be afraid? He'd proved to life that he wasn't the type to take it without saying anything. Those who had hurt him for what he was were no longer. He had killed them all.

Or almost all of them. Minho was still alive. But Jeongguk didn't want to think about him anymore. He hadn't given up on his revenge, but for the moment, he couldn't win against him. Because he was still just as scared of him. Kang Minho terrified him, and as long as that was the case, he would never be able to win against him.

He was still broken, pieces of himself he hadn't yet put back together. He had to rebuild himself first. Regain his self-confidence. Then he could face Minho.

And he knew that when he did, Taehyung would stand by him and protect him. He was no longer alone, and that was a big difference.

Seeing that a small smile gradually appeared on Jeongguk's lips, Taehyung relaxed, reciprocating the smile.

"So," he began, detailing the clothes with his eyes, "do you know what style you'd like to try on? I've brought you here, but we can see another shop..."

But Jeongguk shook his head.

"No, let's stay here for a while." replied the singer shyly. "I'd like some... chic clothes. The ones here look nice."

Taehyung couldn't suppress the smile that formed on his lips, and stepped back a little to give Jeongguk time to explore the stalls. He could hardly believe what was happening. Honestly, he didn't think he'd be able to convince Jeongguk so easily. It was surely proof of the singer's deep unhappiness.

Taehyung had never lied. All right, there might have been some fetishism in his words, but for the most part the gangster just wanted to see Jeongguk blossom. He had fallen under the spell of that mysterious aura around him, that grace that contrasted with the death in his eyes. That look had enchanted him, and maybe he would never have taken an interest in him if Jeongguk hadn't gone through that trauma. They might never have been reunited.

But now he wanted to see the life in his eyes. No more of this emptiness that terrified and fascinated. He wanted to see Jeongguk alive; the singer was almost thirty, but he wanted to bring the little child inside him back to life. He wanted to see Jeongguk blossom, smile and laugh. No more tears, no more insecurity. It wasn't going to be an easy fight, but he was ready for it. Taehyung had never wanted anything in his life, he had always let himself be carried along by his desires.

Now he had a goal, and he would stick to it. Because he, too, could no longer stand to be alone. No one had ever understood him, no one had ever really tried to understand him. They thought they did, they were convinced they had tried, but they hadn't. They wanted to interfere in his life. They wanted to get inside him, to make a place for themselves in his heart, to change him, to make him like what they wanted him to be. That was what Celia wanted too.

Jeongguk hadn't tried any of that. Probably because he was too busy struggling with himself. But for Taehyung, it was important. Because with his wounds, the singer could understand him.

He didn't know about the others, but he was convinced that in this universe, they were made for each other.

He watched silently as Jeongguk passed from one item of clothing to another, and although it took a few minutes for the singer to shake off his shyness and embarrassment, he eventually grabbed a few outfits. And as they piled up on his arm, Taehyung naturally stepped forward to take them from him. He wanted to stop at three outfits, but the gangster encouraged him to take more, and finally only allowed him to stop at the twentieth.