Till death do us part [ j.jk × p.jm ]

chapter- 49

Taehyung meandered down the bustling street, the air tinged with the crispness of the approaching evening. He found himself waiting for the tram that would carry him home, a journey that felt increasingly burdensome with each passing moment. The walls and pillars surrounding him were plastered with vibrant posters advertising Jimin's upcoming fashion show, each one a glaring reminder of the vibrant life they had once shared, now tainted by a bittersweet ache. He grimaced, letting out a sharp exhale as frustration coursed through him, mingling with sadness like an unwelcome visitor.

The sight of Jimin, with his effortless charm and radiant smile, stirred a tempest within Taehyung. He couldn't shake the image of Jungkook and Jimin together, laughing and sharing moments that once belonged to him. Why was this happening? What lay behind this sudden shift in their lives? The questions spiraled in his mind like a relentless storm. Had Jungkook begun to harbor feelings for Jimin? Did he love him? The very thought felt like a knife twisting in his gut, and he struggled to quell the emotions threatening to drown him.

As he wrestled with his thoughts, he was jolted from his reverie by a sharp collision with another passerby. He turned, only to see a man in a black jacket and cap striding away as if their brief encounter had meant nothing. Taehyung shook his head in disbelief, the man’s indifference mirroring the emotional distance he felt in his own life. Resigned, he returned his gaze to the tram stop, where other commuters waited in quiet anticipation. He glanced at his watch; fifteen minutes still loomed ahead of him, each tick of the clock a reminder of his stagnant thoughts.

In an effort to distract himself, Taehyung tried to push Jungkook and Jimin from his mind, but it felt like trying to hold back a tidal wave. Deep down, he recognized the weight of his decisions, the nagging truth that he had made a mistake by letting Jungkook go. Yet how could he have chosen differently when he was engaged to another man? The sudden appearance of a homewrecker had shattered the delicate balance of their lives, dismantling everything Taehyung and Jungkook had painstakingly built together. It was a cruel twist of fate, and the thought of it haunted him like a shadow he couldn’t shake.

As Taehyung’s gaze drifted, he caught sight of the man he had bumped into earlier. This time, the figure stood with a lit cigarette dangling between his fingers, the ember glowing brightly against the backdrop of the twilight. His eyes were fixed intently on the vibrant poster advertising Jimin's upcoming fashion show, the colors swirling like a cruel mockery of Taehyung's turbulent thoughts.

The man took a slow, deliberate drag from the cigarette, and as he exhaled, a plume of smoke curled into the air, lingering momentarily before settling on the poster, shrouding Jimin’s image in a ghostly haze. The juxtaposition of smoke and art felt almost poetic, yet a sense of dread gnawed at Taehyung's insides. It was as if the smoke was a veil, hiding some darker truth.

As the man shifted slightly, revealing more of his face, Taehyung's breath caught in his throat. A jagged scar ran across his right eye, a stark line that hinted at a story etched in pain and survival. The sight sent an instant chill racing down Taehyung’s spine, a visceral reaction that left him momentarily paralyzed.

A flash of memory pierced through the fog of his thoughts—Hoseok’s voice, sharp and insistent: “He has a scar on his right eye. Jimin must have done it.” The words echoed in his mind, sharp and clear, igniting a flicker of fear within him. Could this be the same man Hoseok had warned him about?

Panic surged, and Taehyung instinctively looked away, his heart pounding in his chest.

After a few agonizing seconds, he dared to glance back at the man. To his relief, the stranger was still absorbed in the poster, seemingly unaware of Taehyung’s scrutiny. The moment stretched out, heavy with tension, as Taehyung tried to decipher the man’s intentions through his unyielding focus. Was he merely an admirer of Jimin’s work, or was there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface? The uncertainty gnawed at Taehyung, a reminder that life was seldom as simple as it seemed.

"Are you going to the show too?" Taehyung's voice trembled slightly as he forced himself to speak. He hadn’t meant to approach the man, but curiosity and fear had mingled in a way that pushed him forward. Now, standing just behind him, he waited for a reaction. The man, however, didn’t move. He remained as still as a statue, the cigarette still smoldering between his fingers, not even acknowledging Taehyung's presence.

The silence stretched uncomfortably, but Taehyung, driven by an uneasy mixture of determination and desperation, continued. "I know that man," he said, his tone cautious, testing the waters. "I've seen him several times. I’ve talked to him."

Still, the man didn’t respond, didn’t even turn his head. His indifference was unnerving, and Taehyung felt a weight settle in his chest. The world seemed to narrow around him, the noise of the city fading into the background. He let out a breath, the air tight in his lungs, before speaking again, this time with more resolve.

"I know you're looking for him," Taehyung said, his voice firmer. "And I know where he is."

The effect was immediate. Though the man didn’t move at first, there was a palpable shift in the air, a tightening of the tension around them. Slowly, deliberately, the man turned. His movements were almost predatory, like a beast circling its prey. When his face was fully visible, Taehyung wished he hadn’t spoken at all. The man’s gaze was cold, blank—void of emotion, yet carrying an undercurrent of something dark, something dangerous. His eyes, cold and empty as they were, seemed to pierce through Taehyung, making him feel small, vulnerable.

"Where is he?" The man's voice was low, almost a growl, but chilling in its calmness.

The words sent an icy shiver down Taehyung’s spine. He felt as if the temperature around him had dropped, as if the man’s very presence drained the warmth from the air. The weight of the moment pressed down on him, and for a split second, he regretted everything. This was no ordinary man. There was something almost malevolent about him, a darkness that hung around him like a shroud, threatening to swallow Taehyung whole.

"I—" Taehyung stammered, his courage faltering under the intensity of the man’s gaze. But it was too late to back out now. The man had turned to him, and there was no escaping the cold grip of his attention. Taehyung swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet those empty eyes. "I'll tell you everything," he said, though his voice was barely above a whisper.