Love's Embrace - TAEKOOK

5

Tae and Jungkook entered Felix's room to find it unusually quiet. They noticed Yeonjun and Hyunjin seated on a bed next to Felix, while Soobin sat on a stool nearby. In a corner of the room, Minho and Han were seated on a sofa.

"Hey Hyung, is everything okay?" Minho asked, placing a hand on Tae's shoulder, concern evident in his voice. Tae, who had teary eyes from seeing Felix in bed, wiped his tears and smiled at Minho. "Yeah, Minho, I'm okay," Tae replied. Minho then reminded Tae about his upcoming patient consultations. "Tae, I have patients' consultations in 15 minutes. Shall I leave? And remember, you have your consultation too in an hour," Minho said. Tae nodded, "Yeah, Minho, you can leave. I'll be there for my consultation, no problem. Can you please take care of checking my patients who are admitted here?" Tae asked. "Sure, I can do that and share the reports on your table," Minho replied. Tae thanked him, and Minho left, but not before winking at Han, who turned around, flustered.

Meanwhile, Jungkook felt a pang of jealousy as he watched how close pretty doc and other guy was. His thoughts were interrupted when Felix began to have a nightmare, lightly screaming with a choked voice. Jungkook and Soobin rushed to Felix and held his hand.

Tae gently moved Jungkook and Soobin aside and spoke softly to Felix, "Hey Felix, you are not alone. See, your brothers are here." Jungkook, feeling possessive, wanted to hold Felix's hand too. Tae understood and started to leave Felix's hand, but Felix held onto both their hands. Tae's hand was slender and warm, Jungkook's was strong but a bit cold, and Felix's was soft and small but cold from fear.

Tae and Jungkook held Felix's hand without hesitation. Felix started to mumble, "M-mom and d-dad," as Tae and Jungkook's hands reminded him of his parents' hold.

When Felix opened his eyes, he saw Tae and Jungkook beside him with worry in their eyes, and teary-eyed Soobin standing beside them.

He was confused at first, but then he realized what was happening and started to tremble. "Ye... Yeonjun... where is Yeonjun?" Felix asked, his voice hoarse. Yeonjun and Hyunjin rushed to Felix's side on the other side of the bed. Tae suggested Felix drink some water before speaking with Yeonjun. Felix drank the water with Tae's support. "Thank you," Felix said softly, turning to Yeonjun. "Are you okay? I'm sorry," Yeonjun said, concerned. "Hey Yeonjun, it's not your fault I slipped. But I am sorry I fell on your shoulder. It's not your fault. Please don't say that," Felix replied.

Yeonjun insisted he was alright, but Jungkook interrupted, asking Felix if Yeonjun had done something bad to him. Tae, rolling his eyes, reminded Jungkook of Felix's earlier words. Jungkook, however, was determined. "Felix, did Yeonjun do something bad to you?" he asked again. Felix, feeling trapped, denied it, saying he had fallen down.

Jungkook shouted, "Liar!" Tae quickly covered Felix with his arms, holding the trembling boy. "Jungkook, don't do that, he is shivering. Give him some time," Tae said.

Feeling the weight of the past, Felix hesitated, then mustered the courage to speak. "I... I was bullied," he whispered, his voice barely audible. Tae and Jungkook exchanged a glance, their expressions softening with empathy.

Jungkook, now understanding the underlying pain, softened his tone. "Felix, who did this to you?" he asked gently, pointing to a faded scar on Felix's forearm. Felix looked down, shivering at the memory.

How could he say that his cousins had bullied him? His brother would get angry and might lash out, breaking their family apart. He couldn't risk that. "I... I fell down," Felix said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jungkook's heart sank, knowing Felix was not ready to speak up yet. "I'm leaving. Soobin, take care of your brother. I'll be here by night," Jungkook said before leaving the room with Han, heading to his office, his heart heavy with the knowledge of Felix's suffering.

[Felix felt a mix of relief and fear. He was relieved that he had not revealed the truth but feared the consequences if the truth were to come out. He knew he couldn't keep hiding the truth forever, but he also couldn't bear to see his family torn apart. As he lay in bed, he prayed for the strength to face his demons and the courage to speak his truth.]

Meanwhile,

Jungkook felt a surge of emotions as he left Felix's room. Anger, frustration, and guilt churned within him. He was angry at himself for not being able to protect Felix, frustrated at the thought of someone hurting his brother, and guilty for not noticing Felix's pain sooner. As he walked down the hallway, his mind raced with thoughts of what Felix had endured. He couldn't shake the image of Felix's trembling form and the fear in his eyes. He clenched his fists, his jaw tight with determination. He vowed to himself that he would find out who had hurt Felix and make sure they paid for it.

But beneath his anger, Jungkook felt a deep sadness. He wished he could turn back time and be there for Felix when he needed him most. He regretted not being more attentive, not noticing the signs earlier.

He felt like he had failed as a brother. As he entered his office, Jungkook sank into his chair, the weight of the situation bearing down on him.

He knew he had to be strong for Felix, but inside, he was crumbling. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and made a silent promise to himself. He would do whatever it took to protect Felix, no matter the cost.