STAY for a while (Taekook)

💜Chapter-21💜

Declaration

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Tae stood in the bathroom, his grip tightening on the sink’s edges as his knuckles turned white. His reflection stared back at him, but it wasn’t his own eyes he recognized—it was something darker, something haunted. His eyes, normally soft, were now bloodshot, a searing redness that mirrored the fury and disbelief churning inside him. His chest heaved with each labored breath, the news echoing in his mind, over and over, like a cruel mantra he couldn’t escape.

“No, it can’t be… no, it can’t be…”

The words slipped past his lips, trembling with desperation. For thirty minutes, he had been trapped in this cycle, repeating the denial, hoping it would change the truth, but it didn’t.

Tae splashed cold water on his face, trying to shake off the turmoil within him, but it did little to ease the storm raging in his mind. His breathing was still ragged, his heart pounding as the news continued to gnaw at him, refusing to let go.

But he is determined to do one thing.

~~~~~~~~

a piercing scream shattered the tense silence. "Kook!" Jin’s voice cracked, filled with horror as he rushed forward. Tae turned just in time to see Jungkook—a small, fragile figure—collapse, his body crumpling to the ground, eyes closing as if surrendering to an unseen force.

A man with hazel eyes stood frozen, stunned by the scene unfolding before him. His mind refused to process it, his body stiff as if something precious had just shattered beyond repair. He barely registered Joon’s hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him back to reality.

“Tae, Tae!” Joon’s voice broke through the haze, his tone desperate as he tried to reach him. His gaze was fixed on Jungkook, who lay unconscious, his delicate frame now cradled in Jin’s lap, his cheek being gently tapped by Kai. “Kook… bunny?” Kai’s voice trembled as he tried to rouse his baby brother, but there was no response, only silence.

“Kai,” Hobi called out softly, his eyes filled with concern. “Take him to the room.” His words were calm, but the urgency in his voice was unmistakable.

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered, his own panic rising as he carefully lifted Jungkook into his arms. Without another word, he bolted toward the bedroom, Jin running close behind them, expression stricken with fear.

“Tae?” Joon shook him harder, forcing him to respond. “Tae, call the doctor. Jungkook needs a doctor, you know that. Please.”

He blinked, his mind struggling to catch up. The words seemed distant, almost unreal. “Koo… Where is he?” His voice broke, filled with desperation as he looked around, lost and confused.

Yoongi, who had been watching everything unfold with a calm intensity, finally stepped forward. “Bear, go to your room. Kai took Jungkook there,” he said gently, tapping his shoulder, trying to ground him.

Without thinking, he ran, his legs carrying him as fast as they could. The only thing on his mind was Jungkook—he had to be there, he had to see him.

As Tae disappeared down the hallway, Yoongi turned to Jimin, who stood with his eyes locked on the direction Jungkook had been taken. “It’ll be fine,” Yoongi reassured him, though his voice was low, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

“Yes… it will,” Hobi added quietly, though his words were more to himself than anyone else. He motioned for Jimin to follow him to the room where Jungkook was being taken.