Jungkook and Taehyung are married, but lately the shine seems to be wearing off a bit. Taehyung's a CEO, running a top company which is amazing! But all that success comes with a lot of pressure, and lately, it feels like their whole life revolves a...
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The chill of the approaching dawn bit through Jungkook's thin jacket as he stood by the Han River, the city lights painting the water an ethereal silver. The world around him seemed to move in slow motion, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within him. Taehyung's words echoed in his head, laced with a self-righteousness that felt like a fresh wound.
He closed his eyes, the familiar ache in his chest intensifying. This wasn't new, this feeling of helplessness, of having his life dictated by forces beyond his control. It was a recurring nightmare, a loop that seemed to be playing out again, years after he thought he'd escaped.
Jungkook traced a line along the cold metal railing, the memory of his childhood home flashing before him – a stark, sterile prison with an iron-fisted warden for a father. The air hung heavy with tension, a constant battleground of his parents' venomous arguments. His mother, she was a wilting flower, unable to stand up to the storm raging within his father.
The day of their divorce was etched into his memory with agonizing clarity. His mother, her eyes red-rimmed and voice trembling, had knelt before him, her touch a fleeting warmth in the chaos. "Jungkook-ah," she whispered, "I have to go. But I promise, I'll come back for you, alright?"
The promise, like everything else in his life, had been a lie. His mother remained a wisp of a memory, a ghost haunting the corridors of his childhood.
His father, the undisputed victor in the war, tightened his grip on Jungkook's life. From choosing his clothes to dictating his schedule, everything was meticulously controlled. School, extracurriculars, even his meals – all became tools to mold Jungkook into his perfect image.
One specific incident stood out like a festering wound. It began with a fight, a routine occurrence in their household. This time, however, the argument had escalated into a shouting match that left Jungkook trembling in his room. The urge to escape, a primal scream clawing its way out of him, became overwhelming.
He packed a meager bag, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He knew it was futile, but the desperation outweighed the logic. He slipped out of the house under the cover of darkness, the cool night air a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of his home.
He didn't get far. It seemed like his father had eyes everywhere. He was roughly grabbed from behind, a scream caught in his throat as he was dragged back home. The beating that followed was a blur of pain and humiliation. His father, his face contorted with rage, rained down blows, each one a cruel reminder of his powerlessness.
The days that followed were a nightmare within a nightmare. Confined to his room, a collar – a physical manifestation of his imprisonment – adorned his neck like a twisted trophy. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, the only human interaction the mocking taunts of his father echoing through the locked door.
The memory receded, leaving Jungkook breathless and shaking. The pain, both physical and emotional, remained raw, a constant reminder of his past. He understood now, with a clarity born of Taehyung's words and his own fractured memories, why he sought solace in isolation, why he built walls around his heart.
