Important Business

Part 15

15

Snow was falling quietly on to the busy city from a gray sky. It was also very cold, but Jungkook sat in his warm office, observing the snowflakes drift down.

Christmas was just around the corner, but he wasn't excited for it to come. He wasn't excited in general that time was moving on, because it meant that the 'goodbye' crawled closer.

His set departure in the new year was slowly looming over them and it cast a gloomy shadow over Taehyung and himself. They savored every minute they could spend together, more than they already did, and it still wasn't enough. One would think they would slowly settle down, and the craving to be close to each other would lessen, but that wasn't the case.

He had already talked to Yoongi, asking if he could prolong his stay, but it wasn't up to him. He could only refer the request to higher management.

Could he move to South Korea permanently? What about his parents and brother in the US? What if it didn't work out with them? Was he ready to give that life up once again and move back to New York? His old city? Old job and old friends? Could he move on from what he had built here?

What if management denied his request? What would happen? Would they keep up a long-distance-relationship?

Jungkook directed his mouse to a folder on his desktop and opened it, selecting a few pictures to enlarge them. Taehyung was smiling at him from several photos, and the last one was a scan from a photo booth, the original hanging on the fridge in the kitchen. Several small pictures crammed together in one frame. It looked like a comic strip, with them making silly faces at the camera and at each other, ending in a passionate kiss, with Taehyung climbing into Jungkook's lap.

Jungkook studied the pictures and loved to see their happiness. They looked so carefree and in love, like nothing bad had happened to them or was casting a shadow.

Since that night in November, Jungkook didn't receive any new threats and he wondered if he had won. If he really had scared the asshole away and had protected Taehyung, like he wanted to.

The guy had been young after all. Probably a fucking student, not knowing his boundaries.

But the attack on them was still unsolved and Jungkook was sure the assailant had been someone else. Was it really a coincidence when they had walked down the road that night? That the Sasaeng witnessed the assault by accident?

There wasn't any news from the police, not regarding the attack or the hate mail.

Jungkook still kept quiet about the mail and that he had confronted the guy. Confrontation was too nice a word to describe it. But he still had wanted to let his anger go like never before. Hurting the guy, like he never wanted to hurt anyone else before. How he had kept it together... Jungkook still didn't know.

Jungkook and Taehyung had dreamed of the assault in the weeks after and also both listened whenever they heard a motorcycle behind them. They had talked about how that night had affected them, how it actually brought them closer in the end. But they both could have done without it. The trauma was still there and would only slowly fade with passing time.

His phone buzzed and his eyes focused on the screen, and he felt himself smile.

I am about to board the plane.

See you in a bit.

Taehyung had been in Japan for a few days and was finally coming back. The apartment had been too empty.

Can't wait.

I wouldn't want to miss

your grand Vernissage.