strict brother of teayung

ch 11

The next morning, Taehyung woke up on his own, a rare occurrence. Normally, Jungkook would have already come into his room to wake him up, either with a light knock or a playful nudge. But today, there was nothing—just silence.

The emptiness of the morning felt heavy, and Taehyung immediately understood the meaning behind it. Jungkook was still furious. The absence of his hyung’s usual presence felt more painful than any scolding could have been. It was a clear sign that Jungkook was deeply disappointed in him, and that hurt more than anything else.

Sitting up in bed, Taehyung rubbed his face, still feeling the weight of the previous night. He glanced at the clock—he was running late. Usually, Jungkook would’ve woken him long before now.

Taehyung sighed and got out of bed, getting ready for the day on his own. The house felt quieter than usual, the kind of quiet that made him uneasy. He dreaded what would come next.

Once he was dressed, Taehyung hesitated before heading downstairs. He could already imagine the tension that would be waiting for him. Jungkook wasn’t one to let things go easily, especially when it came to something as serious as last night. And the fact that he hadn’t come to wake him up was a clear sign that he was still processing his anger.

As Taehyung descended the stairs, he saw Jungkook sitting at the dining table, sipping his coffee in silence. Noha and Jugguk were nowhere to be seen; it was just the two of them. Taehyung swallowed hard, unsure if he should say something or wait for Jungkook to acknowledge him.

He stood at the foot of the stairs, fidgeting slightly. "Hyung…"

Jungkook didn’t look up immediately. His eyes remained fixed on his coffee, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice calm but cold.

"Sit down."

Taehyung’s heart sank. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Without a word, he walked over and sat across from Jungkook, bracing himself for whatever was coming next.
As soon as Taehyung sat down, Jungkook abruptly stood up. Before Taehyung could even process what was happening, Jungkook’s hand came down hard across his face, the sound of the slap echoing in the quiet kitchen.

The force of it shocked Taehyung. He had never been slapped by Jungkook before, not like this. His cheek stung, but what hurt more was the look on Jungkook’s face. Tears welled up in his older brother’s eyes, his expression a mixture of pain, fear, and anger.

"You don’t know how much I got scared last night, Taehyung!" Jungkook’s voice cracked as he spoke, his hands shaking. "Do you have any idea what it felt like to get a call in the middle of the night, being told that my little brother was drunk at some random club?!"

Taehyung sat frozen, staring at his hyung, the guilt from last night hitting him full force. He had never seen Jungkook like this—so vulnerable, so shaken. Jungkook wasn’t just angry. He was terrified, terrified that something could have happened to Taehyung.

"You didn’t even tell me where you were going! Do you know what kind of people hang out at those clubs? What could’ve happened to you if something went wrong?" Jungkook’s voice broke as a tear slipped down his cheek.

Taehyung’s heart clenched at the sight. He had never seen Jungkook cry like this, not because of him. His eyes filled with tears too, guilt washing over him like a wave. "Hyung… I’m sorry, I—"

"Sorry isn’t enough, Tae!" Jungkook cut him off, his voice still trembling with emotion. "You could’ve been hurt, or worse. And I wouldn’t have even known until it was too late." He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to regain control of his emotions. "You’re not just my brother. You’re my responsibility. I promised our parents I’d protect you, and last night, you threw that away. You put yourself in danger, and I didn’t know how to help."