FORELSKET ( ✔)

19- The Path to Healing

Jungkook stood silently, his gaze fixed ahead, as memories from the past began to replay vividly in his mind. The scene unfolded like a film reel, transporting him back to a poignant moment with Taehyung.

In the flashback, Taehyung had just said goodbye to one of the girls he had been helping. As he turned around, his eyes met Jungkook's. There was a brief moment of hesitation from Jungkook, a pause filled with unspoken thoughts and emotions.

Finally, Jungkook broke the silence, his voice steady but earnest. "I want to help you fulfill the remaining wishes in your diary," he said, the words carrying the weight of his commitment.

Taehyung's face lit up with a warm smile, though he said nothing in response. He simply gathered his backpack, the familiar gesture adding a touch of normalcy to the charged atmosphere. He approached Jungkook with a relaxed demeanor, his eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and mischief.

"Shall I tell you a joke?" Taehyung asked, his tone light and inviting.

Jungkook, caught in the nostalgia and the ease of the moment, found himself unable to refuse. He nodded, his voice soft but clear. "Yes," he replied, welcoming the distraction and the opportunity to connect with Taehyung in that fleeting, precious moment.

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook with a faint smile, his demeanor calm and composed. "Let it be," he said softly. "I won't say anything more. You'll only hear the joke if you're patient enough to wait for it."

He then walked past Jungkook, who stood near the scooter parked close by. Taehyung reached the scooter and prepared to mount it, his movements deliberate and thoughtful.

Turning back briefly, Taehyung continued, "Thank you, but I don't need it. This wanderer has already taken all the breaths she needed from the city's air. Now it's time to take the remaining breaths, like the wind that's about to blow away everything else."

As Jungkook began to speak, Taehyung paused, his attention drawn to Jungkook's words. The room seemed to grow quieter, the weight of Jungkook's story settling between them.

"My father had a gambling addiction," Jungkook began, his voice carrying a mix of sorrow and bitterness. Taehyung, sensing the gravity of the moment, remained silent, his eyes locked on Jungkook as he continued.

"He used to bet money on everything—cards, cricket, you name it. And one day, after losing repeatedly, he gambled away our entire lives. I was only eight years old at the time. I watched in horror as my parents were murdered right in front of my eyes. I was so scared that I hid under the bed, too terrified to do anything to save them."

Jungkook's voice faltered slightly, but he pressed on, his eyes reflecting the pain of those memories. "After that, people tried to offer me support, but I didn't want their help. I was consumed by my own grief and anger. One day, I decided to take my revenge. I hunted them down and killed them one by one, believing that doing so would bring me peace and allow me to finally rest."

He paused, a deep sense of regret and realization settling in his voice. "But I was wrong. Even after exacting my revenge, I couldn't find the peace I sought."

Finally, Jungkook turned his gaze to Taehyung, who had been watching him intently. Jungkook's eyes met Taehyung's, and he continued, his voice softer but filled with a sense of revelation. "But when I helped you that day, it was the first time I slept peacefully. I felt a sense of relaxation that I couldn't understand. It was as if, for that moment, something inside me had shifted."

Jungkook's words hung in the air, the realization of his unexpected solace creating a poignant silence between them.

Taehyung looked at Jungkook with a deep understanding in his eyes. "Because," he began gently, "it was the first time you did something for someone else. Only light can dispel darkness, not darkness itself. Only love can dispel hatred, not hatred itself."

He took a few steps toward Jungkook, his movements deliberate and steady, until he stood directly in front of him. The proximity allowed Taehyung's words to resonate with greater impact.

"That eight-year-old child who hid under the bed in fear is still within you," Taehyung continued, his voice filled with empathy. "He's still there, longing for a hand to reach out to him, for someone's support to pull him from the darkness into the light. Until we become compassionate towards others, our own pain remains intertwined with us and with the pain we cause."

Taehyung's words were laced with a profound sense of reassurance. He offered Jungkook a reassuring smile, a gesture meant to convey comfort and understanding. Then, without another word, Taehyung turned away, leaving Jungkook with a renewed sense of reflection and the weight of his own healing journey.