Love In Contract | Taekook

Chapter 35

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JUNGKOOK'S POV

The next few days are like Groundhog Day. I keep Taehyung for as long as visiting hours will allow me. My time is spent talking to him and filling him in on how Harin's doing in school, and telling him all the funny questions she's had, because I know
how much he hates missing out on time with her.

My evenings are for Harin, helping her with homework, making sure
she feels surrounded by the people who love her, and trying to make things as normal as possible in her father's absence. Namjoon has been over a lot too, making sure to keep the smile on Harin's face.

Nighttime is the hardest. That's when I Google all the possible outcomes of a man in a coma. Everyone keeps telling me to stay positive, to keep the faith that Taehyung will wake up and everything will be okay. But I can't delude myself. I have to keep my feet on the ground. There's a chance Taehyung might not wake up. There's also a chance he wakes up and suffers from amnesia, or lifelong complications. The longer he stays in
a coma, the worse it gets. Of course, I want him to wake up. I wish for it with every fiber of my being. But I have to prepare myself for the worst.

Saturday morning, I open my eyes in Taehyung's bed and spot Harin beside me. Every night, she starts out sleeping in her own bed-only
because I know her father would want her to maintain her routine-but every morning when I wake up from a broken night's sleep of tossing and turning, she's always here beside me.

I drag myself out of bed, and Tan trots behind me while loki stays curled up with Harin. I take the dog for a walk, feed him, and then down a cup of coffee so I can get back to the hospital.

"Jungkook, you have to eat." Annie casts me a dejected glance. "You can't survive on black coffee all day."
"I'm not hungry." She heaves a sigh. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something before Harin wakes up. Can we sit down?" The tone of her voice has the bile churning in my empty stomach. "What's wrong? Did the hospital call while I was asleep?"
She shakes her head. "No, but I need to show you something."

There's a manila envelope sitting on the dining room table, and Annie
slides it toward me as we take our seats. "This is Taehyung's will." I almost vomit on the spot. "Oh, fuck. I don't want to see this." "I'm not showing you this because I think he's going to die. I'm showing you this because I think you could use a pick-me-up." I stare down at the envelope, too scared to open it. "This feels morbid."

Annie ignores me and flips it open, and points to one of the bottom
paragraphs. "We discussed this about a month ago." My eyes scan the page until my vision blurs. "Why would he do that?" I shake my head. "I can't...I can't..." "He wants you to be Harin's legal guardian should anything happen to him. It used to be me, but..." She huffs out a laugh. "I'm getting old, and I think this is the best decision for her."
Me? Me. Harin's legal guardian.

"Why wouldn't he talk to me about this first?" She chuckles. "Probably because he knew you'd say no, like you are right now." Panic licks up my spine. "I... I'm not a mom. I'm no good at this," I stammer. "Look at me. I don't know what I'm doing."
"Sweetheart, you have been the most wonderful addition to this family.
That little girl looks at you like you hung the moon. You've done everything you can to ensure her health, happiness, and safety. And you give her love. At the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"How is this supposed to cheer me up?" This is overwhelming at the
very least. "Because it shows you how highly that man regards you." Annie swipes away a tear. "He has fallen so deeply in love with you, and it has been an honor to sit here and watch it all unfold. So, hold onto that reminder. Hold onto the hope that he's going to come back to you."
The sound of Loki's s meow pulls my attention to the hallway, where he
and Harin step out into the dining room.