Second Chance

Chapter 70

Illogical explanation ahead...
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Taehyung felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if an enormous weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. His mind was blank as he stepped down from the stage. He walked towards his car, his movements robotic, his eyes staring ahead without seeing. He drove to the palace in a daze, his thoughts clouded by a mix of anger, pain, and a hollow emptiness.

The palace loomed before him, its grandeur lost on him in that moment. He entered without a word, the people following him falling into a tense silence. His footsteps echoed through the marble halls as he headed towards his room, his focus singular and intense. As he passed through the lounge, he noticed his mother, the queen, sitting on a couch, waiting for him.

She rose to her feet the moment she saw him, her eyes filled with a desperate need to connect. She stepped in front of him, blocking his path, her hands reaching out to him.

“Taehyung, my son—” she began softly, her voice trembling.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Taehyung yanked his hands away from hers with a sharp, jerking motion. His eyes, once full of warmth, now burned with a cold fury as he glared at her. The queen’s face fell, her expression a mix of sorrow and regret. She knew this reaction was coming, but that knowledge didn’t make it hurt any less.

Seeing her son like this, the queen tried again, reaching out to him with a shaky hand. “Son, please—”

“Don’t call me your son!” Taehyung shouted, his voice echoing off the palace walls. “You lost that right! You lost your son the moment you decided your pride was more important than my happiness.” His words were like venom, each one cutting into the queen’s heart. His face was contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, his breathing heavy with suppressed sobs.

The queen’s eyes filled with tears, and her hands trembled as she tried to reach out to touch his face, hoping to soothe him somehow. “Taehyung, please… I am your mother, and you are my son. No matter what, I will always be—”

“Mother?” Taehyung scoffed, his voice dripping with bitterness as tears streamed down his face. He took a step back, pointing at her accusingly. “Is this what a mother does? A mother doesn’t rip her own child’s heart out. You took away the one person I loved. Why? Because it would have tainted your precious reputation? Was your status so important to you that you never even considered what I wanted? What I needed?”

The queen shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to respond, but Taehyung cut her off, his voice rising. 
"J-Jungkook, my b-bun... He endured so much just to be with me. He even started calling you 'Mom' in hopes of gaining your approval. But what did you do? You shattered him. You destroyed us both," he choked out, his voice breaking as he spoke.

The queen was speechless, her face crumpling in despair. Taehyung’s words were like daggers, each one sinking deeper into her chest.

"You’re not a mother," Taehyung continued, his voice raw with emotion. "You’re the killer of my happiness. You’ve taken everything from me—my love, my joy, my peace. Today, my princess is far away from me because of you. I hate you for that. I will never forgive you, and neither will Dad. You don’t deserve forgiveness."

"No, Taehyung, please," the queen pleaded, dropping to her knees in front of him, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. "I know I’ve made terrible mistakes. I know I’ve hurt you, but please don’t cut me out of your life. I’ll do anything. Just don’t end our relationship."

Taehyung stared down at her, his heart hardening at the sight. "Do you remember how Jungkook begged for mercy, just like you are now? He was on his knees, just like this, but no one showed him any compassion. And as for Dad, he died because of you. You didn’t just take Jungkook from me; you took my father, too. You’ve taken everything. You’re a wretched woman who’s stolen all the happiness from her own child. A mother doesn’t do that. A mother loves. A mother protects. You’re no mother to me."

He turned to leave, but before he could take another step, he glanced back. The queen had collapsed fully onto her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, her body shaking with the force of her grief. For a moment, Taehyung felt a pang of sympathy, but it was quickly replaced by the cold reality of her actions.

Nefa and Bam, both anxious, rushed to the queen. They had been standing near the door and had heard everything. As soon as the queen saw Nefa and Bam, she began crying even harder.

“Please, tell Taehyung not to do this! If he does, I will die a living death,” she cried, like a child, her sobs uncontrollable.

Without saying a word, Nefa and Bam gently led the queen to her room and helped her lie down, hoping she could rest.

Meanwhile, Taehyung entered his room, his mind focused on one thing. He opened a wooden box and took out a photo of Jungkook. He began kissing the picture repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

“Bun, I... Ican’t live without you anymore. Enough is enough. I will come to you very soon. I have taken every bit of revenge for you, and now my work here is done.”

He kissed the photo again, his voice breaking with emotion. 
“I will come to you very soon, and we will be together forever. Promise.”

A sudden thought crossed Taehyung's mind, and he left his room hurriedly, calling for Nefa. He gathered Nefa, Mingyu, and Bam, and they all went together to the cemetery.

As soon as Taehyung saw Jungkook’s grave, he ran toward it and hugged it tightly, sobbing. 
“Bun, today I have avenged you. Now, I have no reason to stay here anymore. I will come to you soon.”

Nefa’s heart ached hearing this, but he felt helpless.

Everyone was lost in their thoughts when, suddenly, flowers began to fall from the tree. This time, however, the flowers only fell on Nefa, Bam, and Mingyu. Taehyung, although standing closest to the tree, remained untouched by the falling petals. This strange occurrence frightened him, causing his heart to sink.

Initially, Nefa, Mingyu, and Bam were happy with the falling flowers, but when they noticed that none fell on Taehyung, they all became alarmed.

Taehyung rose from Jungkook’s grave and walked over to Nefa, rubbing his eyes, tears still flowing. 
“Nefa, is my Bun angry with me? Have I done something wrong? Please, tell him not to make me suffer anymore.” He wept like a child, inconsolable.

No one could understand why Jungkook’s spirit would behave this way, so Mingyu suggested that they all go back to the church to speak with the Father.

Upon reaching the Father, Taehyung tearfully recounted everything that had happened. The Father listened, offered Taehyung some water, and then opened a large book, searching for an explanation or solution to Taehyung’s situation.

As the Father read through the book, his face grew pale, and he seemed lost in thought, wondering how to break the news to Taehyung about what Jungkook truly wanted.

Taking a deep breath, the Father looked at Nefa and Mingyu, who exchanged nervous glances, wondering why the Father appeared so concerned.

Finally, the Father turned to Taehyung and spoke softly, 
“King, whatever jungkook wants, do you accept it? His wish is your wish, correct?”

Taehyung nodded, affirming his agreement. The Father began to explain, 
“When a deceased person showers flowers on everyone, it means they are making their presence known to those they still care about. It’s their way of saying they are still with them.”

The Father paused, looking at Taehyung, whose face was filled with anxiety.

“But when they do not shower flowers on a particular person, it means they have cut all ties with them. They have moved on from that person. They no longer wish to see that person close to them. Their love for that person has ended.”

Taehyung suddenly stood up from his chair, screaming, 
“NO! NO! this can’t be true! My Bun loves me so much!”

He began to pull at his hair, his anguish clear. At that moment, he remembered the last line of Jungkook’s final letter

I love you till my last breath, but I hate you FOREVER.

Taehyung screamed loudly, 
“NO!"

He ran barefoot towards the cemetery, completely oblivious to everything around him, driven only by his overwhelming emotions.

Continue...
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