Did We Love Each Other ✔️

Chapter 24

Jungkook stood in front of a beautiful house, his chest rising and falling in uneven waves. His heart was racing wildly, as if every drop of blood in his body is being pulled toward it, pounding in his ears like a thunderstorm. He swallowed hard, turning his head just slightly, needing an anchor.

Behind him, Taehyung leaned casually against the car, arms crossed against his chest. His eyes held a softness that contrasted with Jungkook’s nervousness, and when their gazes met, Taehyung offered a slow blink, a small, reassuring smile curving his lips—silent words meant only for him.

Jungkook’s fingers trembled as he faced the door again. With hesitant courage, he pressed the bell, the faint chime echoing through the silence around them. His breath caught the instant he heard footsteps approaching, and when the door open, it felt as though his heart stopped completely. Instinctively, he took a small step back, head lowering, his body betraying the storm of emotions twisting inside him.

But when no sound came from the other person, Jungkook slowly lifted his head. His tear-brimmed eyes widened, meeting the sight of a beautiful, almost ethereal girl standing before him. She cradled a small, plump little baby in her arms—the child looked no older than one or two, soft as a puff of cloud. The girl’s smile curved warmly as her gaze settled on him.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Kookie… come inside,” she said gently.

Jungkook’s breath hitched. Almost instinctively, his eyes darted back to Taehyung, as though searching for silent permission. Taehyung met his gaze and gave a small, subtle nod. The girl, however, had already followed Jungkook’s glance, her own expression shifting into something sharp and teasing.

“Hey, alien!” she suddenly shouted, her voice echoing with mock annoyance. “Did I need to hand you an invitation card just to step inside? Or should I throw you a special welcoming party, huh?”

Her tone carried a playful bite that made Jungkook blink in surprise, but Taehyung only rolled his eyes. Without wasting a word, he reached out, plucked the baby from her arms with practiced ease, and strode inside, leaving her standing there, completely ignored.

“This bitch is always like this… stupid tiger,” she muttered under her breath before turning with a teasing smile. “Come, Kookie, get inside. Don’t stare at him with those wide, surprised eyes. It’s normal for him to come here just to see his baby doll.” Her smile softened into something plain but warm. “By the way, I’m Rose… Jeon Rose. Your sister-in-law.”

Jungkook froze at the name, his eyes widening further. Rose… She was the one who had pulled his hyung out of the dark pit of drugs, the one who had stitched broken pieces together and taught his brother how to feel again—how to be human. A rush of emotions surged through him, almost too heavy to carry. Without thinking, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, the weight of sadness and gratitude tightening his chest.

“Hey, what happened? Why are you crying, baby…?” Rose asked softly, worry clouding her face as her gentle hand caressed his smooth hair.

Jungkook’s lips trembled, his voice breaking as he tried to hold back the tide in his chest. “Noona… how can I thank you, when ‘thanks’ feels so small in front of your kind heart? You… you gave my hyung a new life—made him alive again when he was drowning in a darkness I couldn’t pull him from. I failed to stay by his side when he needed me the most, but you… even after knowing his worst, you never left. You carried his pain—both the wounds he gave you and the scars he couldn’t heal himself—yet you still stayed, caring for him like he was fragile, like he deserved to feel happiness, sadness, excitement… love.”

His tears slipped faster, but his voice was laced with raw gratitude. “My hubby told me everything… how much you suffered because of my brother. But still, you didn’t let him go, not even for a second. I don’t know if I’ll ever find words big enough to thank you, noona.”