Challenging The Fate

chapter 38

The car ride home was heavy with unspoken words. The weight of his mother's revelation sat on Jungkook’s chest like an anchor, pulling him into depths he wasn’t ready to explore. Taehyung drove in silence, his grip firm on the wheel, his other hand resting on Jungkook’s thigh—a quiet reassurance, a silent promise that he was here.

Jungkook, however, barely noticed. His mind was a mess of tangled thoughts. His mother’s words played on repeat.

Your grandmother kept in touch with us.

She sent us pictures of you. She told us how bright, how talented you were.

She asked me to look after you before she passed away.

It didn’t make sense. If his grandmother had truly wanted him to be with them, why hadn’t she ever told him? She had shared every part of their life with him—every struggle, every sacrifice, every moment of joy and pain. Why would she hide something this big?

Unless…

Unless his mother was lying.

The thought sent a cold shiver through him.

Taehyung must have felt his tension because his fingers curled slightly, giving his thigh a comforting squeeze. “What are you thinking?” he asked softly.

Jungkook let out a breath, shaking his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I keep wondering if any of it is true. If my grandmother really kept in touch with them. If she wanted me to be with them.”

Taehyung hummed in thought. “Do you think she lied to you?”

“No,” Jungkook answered immediately. “She wouldn’t do that.”

A long pause. Then Taehyung asked, “Then maybe… your mother is the one who isn’t telling the whole truth.”

Jungkook swallowed. He had thought the same thing but had been afraid to voice it. He wanted to believe that his mother’s sudden appearance in his life was genuine, but something about her words, her carefully placed emotions, felt too rehearsed.

The car pulled up in front of the Kim family home. Warm lights glowed softly through the windows, a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside him. As soon as they stepped inside, Hyuna was there, pulling Jungkook into a tight, motherly embrace.

“My bunny,” she murmured, stroking his hair. “Are you okay?”

Jungkook nodded, though the knot in his chest remained. When he pulled back, Taejun studied him carefully, his deep voice calm but firm. “We won’t tell you what to do,” he said, “but we want you to think carefully. This woman left you, Jungkook. And now, out of nowhere, she wants to be your mother again? People don’t change so easily.”

Jungkook bit his lip. “But what if she’s telling the truth?” he whispered. “What if my father and brother really do want to know me?”

Hyuna sighed, tucking his hair behind his ear like she often did when he was upset. “And what if they don’t?” she asked gently. “What if she’s saying all the right things just to get you to trust her?”

Jungkook had no answer.

For so long, he had dreamed of a family—a complete family. Of a father who would ruffle his hair and teach him how to ride a bike. Of a mother who would tuck him in at night and kiss his forehead. Of a brother who would tease him but always have his back.

He had buried those dreams years ago. And yet, here they were again, resurfacing with a single conversation.

Taehyung, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke. “I don’t think you should meet them alone.”