Reluctant Hearts ✔️

Chapter - 16

☾⋆⁺₊🎧✧ lıllılı.ıllı.ılılıı

playιng: [Hate You] - [Jungkook]

˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･

I wish you went behind my back, and told me lies and stuff like that

I wish you kissed someone I know, and did the unforgivable

Maybe hating you's the only way it doesn't hurt

˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ *˚˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･˚₊ ˚ ‧₊ .:･

As soon as the ceremony wraps up, Taehyung and Jungkook find themselves in the spotlight, surrounded by cheering guests. The whole "Mr. and Mr. Kim" thing feels a bit weird, like a label that doesn't quite fit yet. They move over to the wedding cake—a massive, multi-layered masterpiece that looks like it belongs in a magazine.

Taehyung and Jungkook stand awkwardly close, hands overlapping on the knife. Taehyung forces a smile, trying not to think too much, while Jungkook's face is neutral, almost like he's here in body but not really in spirit. They cut the cake together, and the crowd erupts in applause.

Someone shouts, "Congratulations, Mr. and Mr. Kim!" and Jungkook's hand tightens just a bit on the knife. Taehyung catches it, his own smile faltering for a second before he pulls it back in place. The words feel off, like trying to wear someone else's clothes.

The wedding reception is in full swing, the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and cheerful music filling the air. Taehyung finds himself dancing with family members, the polite smile on his face masking the turmoil underneath. The weight of the day presses down on him, the vulnerability of their earlier exchange lingering. Every now and then, his eyes flicker toward Jungkook, who's also caught up in his own set of polite dances, his smile strained and his posture tense.

As the music changes to a slower, more intimate tune, they're ushered toward each other. The murmurs around them fade as they come face to face again. Taehyung feels a knot in his stomach tighten, the awkwardness between them palpable. Trying to ease the tension, he steps closer and places a hand on Jungkook's shoulder, feeling the familiar warmth beneath his palm. He swallows, his mind racing for something, anything, to say that could bridge the silence.

Finally, in a moment of impulsive vulnerability, Taehyung blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind. "What do you think today would have been like... if things were different?"

Jungkook's expression tenses slightly, and he immediately shakes his head. "Let's not do this," he murmurs, his voice carrying a hint of pleading.

But Taehyung, driven by a desperate need to connect, even if just for a fleeting moment, insists softly, "Just indulge me once, for old time's sake."

Jungkook sighs, his eyes drifting to the floor for a moment as if considering whether to entertain this line of conversation. After a pause, he begins, his voice quiet and laced with a wistful note. "If things were different..." He takes a deep breath and continues, "I would've told you that you still don't know how to tie your tie."

He reaches up, his fingers brushing against Taehyung's collar, adjusting an the tied knot. Taehyung's breath catches at the touch, feeling the familiar comfort of Jungkook's hands, his heart twisting in his chest.