The airport was buzzing with the usual clamor of summer vacationers returning home. But for Jimin, everything seemed to move in slow motion. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he sped toward the airport, his heart pounding in his chest. After nineteen long years, Taehyung was back in Korea. The thought felt surreal, almost impossible. How much had changed in that time? How much had Taehyung changed? And more importantly—how much had their friendship changed?
Jimin's phone rang, interrupting his spiraling thoughts."I'm at the exit gate," Taehyung's voice came through the speaker.Jimin could hear the familiar warmth in Tae's tone, and it instantly brought back memories of their youth—their late-night talks, their laughter, and the easy closeness they shared.Jimin swallowed the lump in his throat. "Stay right there. I'm coming."When he arrived at the airport, his outfit of oversized jorts and a loose T-shirt didn't exactly scream 'airport reunion', but Jimin hadn't cared about what he wore. His heart was racing too fast to even think about anything beyond the fact that Taehyung was really here.With no time to make a signboard, Jimin held his iPad high, the name "Kim Taehyung" flashing in bright LED letters on the screen.Then, from the crowd, Taehyung emerged. Jimin froze as he saw his friend walking toward him—no, not just walking, gliding. Taehyung carried the aura of someone who had become a legend in his own right, a figure in a perfectly tailored off-white suit, every inch of him radiating success. He pulled his luggage with one hand and clutched his phone and a magazine in the other, moving with the effortless grace of someone used to commanding attention.But the moment their eyes met, all the distance of years seemed to vanish.Jimin's breath caught in his throat as Taehyung's face lit up, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Jimin!!!"Jimin couldn't help the awe in his voice as he laughed, "Holy moly, look at you! You look hot!"Before he could say anything more, Taehyung threw his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Jimin felt Tae's body tremble, and then he realized—Tae was crying. Really crying."Hey, hey," Jimin murmured, his voice soft as he patted Taehyung's back, trying to calm him down. "You know, it's kind of funny. A guy who looks like a runway model bawling his eyes out in public? That's not something you see every day."But Taehyung wasn't laughing. His grip tightened, his face buried in Jimin's shoulder as the tears kept falling. "I missed you so much. I've been going crazy. All those years... I was so alone."Hearing Tae's raw confession, Jimin felt his own eyes stinging. He squeezed his friend tighter, letting him cry. "I'm here now, okay? Shh... I'm here."They stood there for what felt like forever, two souls reunited after being torn apart by time and circumstance, holding each other in the middle of the busy airport, oblivious to the world around them.---The drive home was quieter than Jimin expected. Taehyung had calmed down, but the air between them still felt heavy with unspoken words. Jimin glanced at Taehyung in the passenger seat, catching the way he stared out of the window, lost in thought. His once vibrant eyes seemed weighed down by the years spent apart."Home sweet home," Jimin said, trying to lighten the mood as they pulled into the garage.Taehyung gave a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.As they walked toward the house, Jimin knew the real weight of this reunion was still to come.---At Taehyung's house, Niki sat lounging on the couch with Bora. The two had become fast friends over the summer, bonding over their shared curiosity about their fathers' mysterious pasts. But ever since Bora had learned about Taehyung, her mind had been in turmoil. Seeing Niki's father would make everything real—too real.The doorbell rang, breaking their conversation. Niki got up, casually walking to the door, expecting it to be Jimin. When he opened it, Jimin greeted him with a smile. "Hey there."Niki was about to let him in when a familiar voice spoke from behind Jimin. "Surprise!" Niki's heart skipped a beat. He blinked in shock as his father, Kim Taehyung, stood before him, smiling warmly."And... my dad!?" Niki gasped, his voice barely above a whisper, confusion and disbelief washing over him.Bora rushed to the door, her heart racing. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the moment she saw him—saw him—her world tilted. There, standing right in front of her, was the man her father had once loved. The man who, in a way, had held her father's heart captive all these years.She froze.Taehyung, with his kind eyes and soft smile, looked at her curiously. He didn't know who she was, didn't realize the weight of his presence in her life. He didn't know that Bora had already decided to keep him away from her father, to preserve the fragile peace of her family. And now, he was here. Bora's throat tightened as emotions surged within her—confusion, guilt, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.Jimin watched the scene unfold, sensing Bora's inner turmoil. His heart ached for her, for Niki, and for the complicated mess that life had thrown their way.---As the night deepened, the house was filled with an odd tension, one that simmered beneath the surface. Bora couldn't shake the image of Taehyung standing there, a living reminder of everything her father had left behind. She glanced at Niki, who seemed equally bewildered by his father's sudden return.In her heart, Bora knew she had to protect the life she had—the family she loved. But as she looked at Taehyung, a part of her wondered if she was keeping her father from something he had longed for his entire life. The thought gnawed at her, but she pushed it away. She had made her decision.She would not let Taehyung and Jungkook meet.
