Mama I am in love With a criminal (TK)

chapter 11

When Taehyung took a clear look, he saw the familiar brat murmuring to himself. With slow, deliberate steps, he walked forward, his eyes darkened with intent. But the dried leaves on the ground betrayed him with a loud crunch.

Jungkook’s invisible bunny ears perked up, instantly stopping his blabbering. Before he could look down, the branch he was sitting on cracked. Panic set in.

"Ahhhhh! I'm going to FALL! Ohh, Mr. Criminal, ahhh!" Jungkook screamed as the flimsy branch finally snapped, sending him plummeting toward the ground. He was certain half his bones would break on impact.

But—

A man with an impossibly handsome face and a strong, muscular build caught him just before his back could meet the hard soil.

Jungkook, eyes squeezed shut and arms tightly guarding his chest, slowly opened them, expecting the worst. Instead, he found himself staring wide-eyed, heart racing, into a pair of angry, tiger-like eyes—eyes that looked ready to tear through the entire jungle.

For a brief second, and for the first time in his life, Jungkook thought he’d messed with the wrong person. But that thought only lasted for a moment. (What character a development.)

Taehyung’s grip tightened on Jungkook’s waist, his jaw clenched. "Just because you’re my boss's son, whom I respect a great deal, don’t think you can get away with everything. If it weren’t for that, you can’t even imagine what I would’ve done the moment you disrespected me," he growled, pressing each word with a voice so deep it gave Jungkook goosebumps. But this was Jeon Jungkook, after all.

"I. Am. Not. A. Kid," Jungkook mimicked Taehyung’s tone, his eyes narrowing in defiance. Out of everything Taehyung had just said, he only registered the word "kid."

Taehyung took a deep breath, calming himself before speaking again. "You don’t want to wear the clothes we bought?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I don’t want to. And you need to apologize to me for yelling at me for no reason, Mr. Criminal!" Jungkook huffed. Taehyung barely held back a chuckle, thinking the boy had gone completely mad. No one—literally no one, not even his boss—had ever demanded an apology from him. This kid was something else—naughty, yet so naive.

Without another word, Taehyung began walking back to their temporary hideout, still holding Jungkook securely.

"I was thinking of going to get your... what’s it called? Bun?" Taehyung said nonchalantly, his eyes never meeting Jungkook’s, though he could see the boy's face lighting up from the corner of his eye.

"Bun Bun! His name is Bun Bun, okay?! Are you really going to get him today? Oh my stars, when?!" Jungkook, excited like a real bunny, tried to leap into Taehyung’s arms, but the man’s grip held him in place.

"I was thinking about it. But not anymore," Taehyung said with a shrug.

Jungkook’s eyes widened in disbelief. "WHAT? Mr. Criminal, you promised me!" he exclaimed, looking up at Taehyung with angry, accusing eyes, but Taehyung seemed completely unbotherd.

"Promises are meant to be broken, kid. You don’t listen to me, so now you have to face the consequences," Taehyung replied smugly, ignoring the small hands tugging at his collar.

"For your kind information, Mr. Criminal, promises are NOT meant to be broken! They’re meant to be fulfilled and cherished for life! If you break a promise, God will punish you for hurting an innocent heart—like mine!" Jungkook explained, his tone dead serious.

"Really?" Taehyung asked, amused by Jungkook’s explanation but quickly changing the subject.

"Yes! If you break my heart, God will punish you, and I’ll never forgive you either!" Jungkook added, as if it was an undeniable truth.

"Well then, you have two options," Taehyung said. "Either you apologize to me for yelling in my ears, or apologize to the guard whose phone you broke, and wear the clothes we bought for you without any more tantrums."

"What?! That’s not fair! You can’t tell me what to do!" Jungkook was shocked, clearly not expecting such a choice. Both options were uncomfortable, but the idea of apologizing to Taehyung was unbearable.

"Fine, you don’t have to do anything. But no Bun Bun for you," Taehyung said, his smirk widening.

"Noooo! I-I’ll choose the second option. It’s better to apologize to that man and wear those stupid clothes than to apologize to a meanie like you!" Jungkook pouted, turning his face away from Taehyung in defiance.

Taehyung shook his head, amused, as they finally reached their hideout. He set Jungkook down in the hallway.

"Now go and apologize to him, and then put on the clothes we provided," Taehyung ordered. Jungkook stuck out his tongue at him before stomping away toward the guard.

He stood in front of the guard, who looked both perplexed and relieved. "Ajusshi, I’m sorry for breaking your phone," Jungkook mumbled, staring at the ground. The guard was too shocked to reply, but before he could say anything, Jungkook had already stomped back to his room.

Taehyung smiled in satisfaction, completely unaware that the little brat was already plotting his revenge.