Forbidden Love ➸ Taekook ✓

- Forty-fifth -

Tears rolled down Jungkook's cheeks, tears he couldn't hold back. He tried, but his sobs only increased in intensity. He just felt so empty, so scared. Like a child who had just let go of his mother's hand, lost in the crowd.

Seeing the boy burst into uncontrollable sobs, John panicked.

"J-Jungkook? Jungkook, what's the matter? Please don't cry..."

But nothing helped. The teenager continued to cry, awkwardly wiping his eyes, to no avail, as his soaked hands soon couldn't stop the tears from flowing. His t-shirt was starting to get damp too, and his face was getting redder and redder from the violence of his crying.

"I-I want hyungie... Where is he...? My hyungie..."

John felt really bad, a lump of guilt forming in his throat. He didn't know how to comfort the boy. He wanted to hug him, to whisper to him that everything would be all right, but he knew that would only make the situation worse. Now Jungkook must really hate him. So touching him was out of the question. It would only make him feel worse.

But the boy continued to cry, louder and louder, his sobs making it impossible for him to breathe at times. It broke John's heart. Jungkook had never let anyone see such a part of him. The boy always looked so proud, so arrogant, so sure of himself. To see him shatter before his eyes was just unbearable. John would have looked away, if he didn't know it was partly his fault.

His phone chose that moment to ring. But John ignored it. His attention was entirely focused on Jungkook, who didn't seem to be calming down any time soon. The ringing finally stopped, much to John's delight.

But the object rang immediately afterwards.

John ignored it again. He let the ringing continue until it stopped. Then the phone rang again. John's annoyance was at its peak. This time he took it out of his pocket and, seeing that it was an unknown number, hung up immediately. At least the message would be clear: he didn't want to be disturbed.

The message didn't seem to get through. The stranger called him a fourth time.

"Fucking hell, give me a break..."

John couldn't take it anymore, and he was beginning to realise that this stranger had more patience than he did. So he picked up the phone, more to tell him to piss off than to find out who it was. Especially as Jungkook was still crying in front of him.

"What?!"

"Give him the phone."

John froze. The voice was cold, authoritative. Filled with calm, dangerous anger. He recognized it instantly.

"How did you get my number?"

"I told you to give him the phone."

John had no intention of doing so. Even though he knew the situation was hurting Jungkook, he hadn't changed his mind: Taehyung was toxic for the boy. And even if it was hurting him now, being away from Taehyung could only do him good in the long term.

"No."

A cold, humourless laugh echoed through the object.

"It wasn't a request, Lim. It was an order."

"You're nobody to give me orders."

There was a short silence.

"I bet he's crying right now. He's crying and there's nothing you can do about it. He's crying and all he wants is me. He just wants me."

John swallowed. Because it was true. And he hated that Taehyung was right, especially about Jungkook.

"What happens to Jungkook is no longer your concern. I'm going to hang up now."