Busan Express [Taekook]

28. Bitter Love

"Well... Tae's family is worried sick. He told me you two would move to Busan right after getting married, but I guess it never happened," Jungkook began, his voice tight with frustration.
 
"Who?" Yoongi asked, his tone confused.

"What?" Jungkook responded, caught off guard by the question.

"Who said all this about marriage and moving?" Yoongi pressed.
 
"Taehyung," Jungkook replied, his patience wearing thin.

"Which Taehyung?" Yoongi asked, feigning ignorance.

"How many Taehyungs do you know?" Jungkook's temper flared, but he held himself in check.

"I don't know any Taehyung," Yoongi said defensively, his eyes narrowing.

Jungkook stared at him with a little anger.
 

✦･:*:･✧⁺.★.⁺✧･:*:･✦

Yoongi told him everything, including how he rejected Taehyung that day. The tension between them was palpable as they sat across from each other. 

"Yoongi, how can you be so heartless?" Jungkook asked, his voice low but charged with emotion.

"Look, don't try to pin this on me. I never told him to run away from home," Yoongi retorted.

"Still, he came to meet you. After leaving his entire world behind, why?" Jungkook demanded, his frustration bubbling over.

"Because he's crazy, he lives in a world of dreams. If you know him, you know how childish he can be. Always dreaming, thinking life will go his way," Yoongi replied bitterly.

"And you proved to him that his world of dreams doesn't exist." Jungkook shot back, his words cutting deep.

"It's easy for you to judge. He shows up one day and says, 'Let's get married right now.' What was I supposed to do?" Yoongi protested.

"You could have shown some love, if you had any for him," Jungkook replied evenly.

"Listen, you’re a powerful man, but I don’t owe you any proof of my feelings," Yoongi said, irritation evident.

"There is no need for proof. Your actions speak volumes," Jungkook said coldly.

"Tae never mentioned you. Yet here you are, following him around. What's your deal?" Yoongi asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I'd explain the connection between me and Tae, but a cheap person like you wouldn't understand," Jungkook spat.

"What? What did you just call me?" Yoongi's eyes flashed with anger as he leaned in.

"Cheap. Lousy. A bastard," Jungkook said, rising to leave.

"Watch your mouth. What do you mean by cheap?. You are speaking as if I had promised him to marry. It was always him talking about marriage and the future. I told him to go back home, even when he called from Bongsan. But he never listened. So, let him deal with it. I don't care," Yoongi spat back, his frustration clear.

"Tae hasn't been home for nine months. Alone, somewhere out there. I don't know what he's going through or how he is. And it's because of you!" Jungkook said, stepping closer, his voice trembling with anger. "You don't care? Fine. But he’s suffering for loving someone as heartless as you."

Yoongi remained silent, his face a mask of indifference.

"All this time, it was about you. Yoongi this, Yoongi that. He likes this; he likes that. Just you. Nobody else. And you don't care about him. Great. It indeed served him well; he should get punished for loving a man like you." Jungkook said, disappointment heavy in his voice.

Jungkook turned and walked out, leaving Yoongi standing there, looking away.

As Jungkook walked past the spot where he had last seen Taehyung, he paused, a flood of memories rushing back. He vividly remembered the joy on Taehyung's face the last time they had met, a stark contrast to the pain he now knew his Tae had endured. For months, Jungkook had believed Taehyung was living his best life with his lover, Yoongi. But the harsh reality was far from the blissful picture he had imagined. Taehyung's dreams of marriage had been shattered, leaving Jungkook with a bittersweet mix of emotions: bitter at Taehyung's suffering, yet sweet with the hope that he might have a chance to show his own love.

Anger simmered within Jungkook as he thought about Yoongi. It baffled him how someone as wonderful as Taehyung could fall for a person who seemed to care so little for him. The very idea ignited a fire of frustration in his chest. Taehyung deserved someone who would cherish him, someone who would stand by him through thick and thin. Yet he had ended up with Yoongi, whose indifference had led to Taehyung’s heartache.

Jungkook realized that love was not just about happiness and shared moments of joy. True love involves navigating through the stormiest of weather, not just basking in the sunlight. It was about holding on when things got tough and finding strength in each other when the world seemed to be falling apart. Jungkook felt the weight of this realization settle heavily on him.

He remembered the saying, "You don't get to choose who you love," and now, more than ever, it resonated deeply within him. Both he and Taehyung had learned this truth the hard way. Love was unpredictable and uncontrollable. It defied logic and reason, leading hearts to the most unexpected of places. Jungkook's heart ached with the knowledge that Taehyung had loved someone who hadn’t valued him the way he deserved.

But within this pain, there was also a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Jungkook could be the one to show Taehyung what true love looks like. He wanted to be there for him, to heal the wounds that Yoongi had left behind. The thought gave him a renewed sense of purpose. He was determined to find Taehyung and let him know that he was not alone and that there was someone who truly cared for him, someone who would never let him down.

Determined to find Taehyung, Jungkook took out his phone and dialed a number. When Felix, his old friend, and a private investigator answered, Jungkook wasted no time.

"Hey Felix, I need your help. Can you find out where Kim Taehyung is staying? He's in Bongsan."

Felix's voice was confident on the other end. "That's easy. I can get you his location in five minutes. But I want something in return. How about you get a Louis Vuitton designer to design my niece's room?"

Jungkook chuckled at the request. "Deal, Felix. Consider it done."

Felix laughed. "Alright, expect the location shortly."

Jungkook hung up, feeling a surge of determination. This was his chance to find Taehyung and to be there for him in a way Yoongi never had. As he waited for Taehyung's address, he vowed to himself that he would do whatever it took to make things right.

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Teaser for next chapter

 A raven-haired man stood in the hospital room, gently cradling a 15-day-old baby boy in his arms. The baby was chubby with large, doe-like eyes that sparkled with curiosity. The man, with a tender expression on his face, played with the baby, making funny faces to coax a smile from him.