Lost Love [ Taekook FF ]

Chapter 14

The next morning arrived far too quickly, sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting soft, golden rays across the quiet room. Jungkook stirred slowly, his body aching from the previous night’s emotional toll. His head throbbed from the alcohol, but the real pain was in his chest—a dull, heavy ache that hadn’t left him since he learned the truth about Taehyung.

He blinked slowly, his eyes still swollen and raw from all the crying. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was, but then the memory of last night came flooding back, and the weight of everything settled over him again like a suffocating blanket.

Jin was sitting at the dining table across the room, his head resting on his folded arms, clearly having stayed awake most of the night. A mug of coffee sat in front of him, untouched and cold. Despite his own exhaustion, Jin’s eyes fluttered open when he heard Jungkook shift.

Jungkook slowly sat up on the couch, clutching his head as he let out a low groan. His entire body felt like it had been wrung dry of any strength. Jin stood up, his face softening with concern as he walked over.

“How are you feeling?” Jin asked gently, his voice low, not wanting to overwhelm Jungkook with too much too soon.

Jungkook rubbed his face with both hands, trying to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. “Like hell,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. He glanced up at Jin, his expression weary and hollow. “Did I… say anything last night?”

Jin’s heart broke a little at the question. Jungkook clearly remembered, but he was hoping for a different answer—a way to deny that he had laid his heart bare. Jin sat down beside him on the couch, resting a hand on Jungkook’s knee.

“You told me everything, Jungkook,” Jin said softly, his eyes filled with understanding. “About Taehyung. About… his daughter.”

At the mention of Taehyung’s daughter, Jungkook flinched, his heart constricting painfully. He had hoped, just for a moment, that it had been a terrible dream. But reality was cruel, and the truth was something he couldn’t run from anymore.

Jungkook swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t know what to do, hyung.”

Jin gave him a sad, knowing smile. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. It’s going to take time. But you can’t keep running from it, Jungkook. You can’t keep pretending that you don’t care when it’s eating you alive.”

Jungkook’s gaze dropped to his hands, his fingers trembling as he twisted them together. “I thought pretending would be easier. I thought… if I acted like I hated him, it wouldn’t hurt so much. But now…” His voice cracked, and he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling again. “Now, it’s unbearable. Why can't i get him out of my mind?”

Jin’s heart ached at the sight of Jungkook struggling to keep it together. He knew how deeply Jungkook felt everything, how his heart was so full of love that it overwhelmed him sometimes. But this pain, this heartbreak, was unlike anything Jin had seen before.

“Maybe it’s time to stop pretending,” Jin said softly, leaning forward. “Maybe it’s time to tell him how you feel. Even if it doesn’t change anything, at least you won’t be carrying this alone anymore.”

Jungkook shook his head, fear flashing in his eyes. “But what if it ruins everything? What if… what if he hates me for it? He has a daughter, hyung. He has responsibilities. I’m not a part of his life.”

Jin sighed, knowing there were no easy answers. “You can’t control how he’ll react, Jungkook. But you deserve to let him know. Keeping this bottled up is only going to hurt you more.”