Perfect

Rainy days

As soon as Jin entered the hotel room that his manager had hastily arranged, whatever happened during the day washed over him, and he broke down in tears.

His manager's voice was thick with regret as he tried to console Jin. "I should've taken the warning seriously," he murmured, guilt lacing every word. "I'm sorry, Seokjin-ah, this is mostly my fault too. But I have good news they caught the stalker. It was do-hee."

But the apologies seemed to only deepen Jin's despair. "What's the point of catching him?" Jin sobbed, his voice cracking. "My reputation is in ruins. Everything I worked so hard for, my career, my life, it’s all been taken from me. And Taehyung... I hurt him. He doesn’t deserve any of this."

The manager sighed as he knelt beside Jin, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Seokjin-ah, listen to me. What Do-hee did, what he leaked, was your personal business. It had nothing to do with the public or your professional life. Your past, the things you’ve overcome, none of that defines who you are now. And as for Taehyung… you didn't take advantage of him. That’s just nonsense. Everyone knows alphas don’t mate unless they want to, rut or not."

He paused, his grip tightening gently, "Do-hee is an evil person for what he did. But are you really going to let him win? Are you going to let him take away your life, your love, and push yourself into isolation? Don’t give him that satisfaction, Seokjin. Don’t let him steal your future, too."

Jin's voice broke as he whispered, "He said I killed my baby too. If Do-hee is evil, then what am I for hurting everyone around me because of my unhealthy habits?" His tears fell harder. "I can’t let Taehyung lose his career because of me. I’m bad for him. I should’ve never let him into my life in the first place."

The manager sighed deeply. "Do you really want to end your life by leaving him?" he asked, "You won’t survive the excruciating pain of being away from your mate. Seokjin-ah, if you think Taehyung will just move on and protect his career, you’re wrong. He’d never do that. Alphas are protective of their mates. He’ll never leave you alone."

He paused, his phone buzzing incessantly in his hand, but he ignored it for now. "And trust me, he’ll come after me if I don’t tell him where you are."

The manager took a breath, trying to refocus Jin's spiraling thoughts. "By the way, Mr. Min called. You know how he is. He doesn’t care about the rumors. He’s already working on a plan to restore your image. Nothing is over unless you decide it is, Seokjin-ah. So, stop crying, and if you love Taehyung even a little, reach out to him."

"I don't want to let him go either," Jin whispered, his voice barely audible as he wiped the tears from his eyes, ignoring the dull ache throbbing in his mark. "But if this could happen once, it could happen again. No one will ever forget this, no matter how personal it is. It’s going to chase me for the rest of my life, and I can’t let Taehyung go through that."

His manager turned to face him, taking Jin's trembling hands in his own. "It's not up to you to decide," he said firmly. "He wants to be with you. He knows what’s coming, and yet he’s still here. So why are you so determined to push him away? You could die from this."

"As long as he’s okay, that’s all that matters," Jin replied, his voice breaking as he pulled his hands away. "I don’t want him to regret choosing me later in life." His gaze dropped to the floor, and he added quietly, "Please, just leave me alone now. I need to be by myself. And I’m trusting you, hyung, don’t tell him where I am. Just avoid him."

The manager sighed, knowing how futile that request might be. "He’ll find out eventually, if not from me," he said, standing up. "What’s your take on Do-hee?"

At the mention of the name, Jin's expression twisted in disgust. "Drag him through the filth," he hissed.

After the manager left, Jin's first instinct was to find his phone. His hands shook as he turned it on, and the moment it turned on, he dialed Jimin’s number. The call was answered on the first ring.

"Where are you?" Jimin’s voice was sharp with anger. "How is he?" Jin asked, avoiding the question.

"How do you think he is, Seokjin?" Jimin snapped, "Why are you both constantly putting each other through this pain? He hasn’t stopped crying since you left. I need you to come back."

"I can’t," Jin whispered, "He can’t lose everything because of this. It never started off on the right foot anyway. Please, take care of him."

Before Jimin could respond, Jin ended the call and immediately turned his phone off, cutting himself off from the outside world once again.

Meanwhile, Jimin put his phone away and turned to Namjoon. "Did you manage to catch his location?"

"Yes," Namjoon replied, nodding. "He’s at the Charlotte Hotel, far from here."

Taehyung, who had been sitting silently, sprang to his feet. But Namjoon quickly interjected, "If you think going there will bring him out to meet you, you're mistaken. If anything, you might lose him all over again."

"So what am I supposed to do? How can I make him trust me?" Taehyung's voice trembled as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "Clearly, he still doesn’t believe in me enough to rely on me." A hiccup escaped him as tears welled up in his eyes. "What do I do? I love him so much, and it’s—" He couldn’t finish the thought as he broke down in front of his friends, his body shaking.

Yoongi placed a hand on Taehyung's shoulder. "I think you should let it be for now, Taehyung. Give him a break—"

But before Yoongi could finish, Taehyung snarled. "He will die. I just can't do that to him. It’ll kill me, too."

"That’s not what I meant," Yoongi said quickly, trying to calm him down. "Listen to me. Go ahead and release a statement, sync it with his entertainment agency. Alright? Then, I need you to do a concert—"

Hoseok interrupted, his voice incredulous. "Are you crazy?"

"Will you listen to me?" Yoongi snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Do a concert. Not only will it help control the damage from the news, but Seokjin will likely come to see you perform. He can’t stay away from you, and if that’s true, he’ll find a way to sneak into the crowd just to be close to you, even if it’s only for a little while."

"And what if he doesn't come?" Jungkook asked, eyes darting nervously between Yoongi and Taehyung.

Yoongi shrugged slightly, meeting Taehyung's eyes. "Then, Taehyung, I'm sorry, but it means he really wants to stay away. But I highly doubt that. Knowing how crazy he is about you, he’s bound to come. If I’m wrong, then maybe it’s over. But then he won’t die either because, deep down, he wants this. It’ll be painful, sure—"

"So it's like betting on things working out in your favor," Jungkook said, cutting in. "Taehyung, what do you think? Will he come?"

Taehyung’s heart clenched, but he knew the answer. Seokjin would come. It was impossible for him not to. But in the unlikely event that the omega didn’t show up, Taehyung was prepared to let him go. The idea was cliché, but it wasn’t all that bad. As he thought it over, though, he wondered where he’d find the energy to face the audience or even perform. Would anyone even bother coming? But all of that didn't matter unless he manages to bring out seokjin to him.

"How long do you think I should wait?" Taehyung asked Yoongi.

"I’d say wait between seven to ten days," Yoongi replied, calculating the time it would take for the bond to pull Seokjin back. "By then, he’ll be desperate to see you. The mating mark will have done its job."

"This all sounds ridiculous," Jimin interjected, unable to hide his frustration. "Why not just go to him and talk, Taehyung?"

"It might sound ridiculous to you," Taehyung snapped, his anger flaring and his pheromones spiking, overwhelming everyone in the room, "but it’s my only chance to see him. You weren't there. You didn't see how he left me behind."

"Calm down," Jungkook urged, stepping in front of Jimin to protect him from the overwhelming scent.

"I’m fine," Jimin reassured Jungkook, but the room's tension only grew thicker as everyone exchanged wary glances because of jungkook's and Jimin’s behavior.

"I need you to eat something, Taehyung," Jimin said softly, stepping forward, trying to reach him out.

"I don’t want to." With that, Taehyung stood and left the living room, "This sucks," Namjoon muttered under his breath.