NEVERTHELESS || TAEKOOK

16🌸

Chapter 16:- something new

The initial reunion was bittersweet, both of them trying to mask their vulnerability behind small talk and polite smiles. After the painful misunderstandings and the years apart, they had agreed that they needed time—time to heal, time to process everything.

Neither of them had the answers right away. But they also realized that something as strong as their connection couldn’t be rushed or forced back into place. So, they decided to rebuild slowly, with distance to give their hearts room to breathe. The first step? Letters. Handwritten, raw, and intimate—just like their emotions.

The first letter Jungkook received from Taehyung was hesitant, the handwriting neat and precise as if Taehyung had been afraid of saying too much or too little. But it was enough. Enough to remind Jungkook of the warmth and tenderness they had once shared.

“Jungkook, I don’t know where to begin, but I want to say I’m sorry. Not just for what happened, but for not fighting harder to clear things up when everything fell apart. I was scared. I didn’t think you would ever believe me... Maybe you still don’t. But I miss you. I never stopped missing you.”

Jungkook had stared at that letter for hours, running his fingers over the ink, feeling the weight of each word. It wasn’t easy for him to reply. He had so much to say, but finding the right words felt like walking on a tightrope between yarning  and longing. When he finally wrote back, his letter was more guarded.

“it still hurts, Tae. I spent so long believing something that wasn’t true, and I don’t know how to erase that feeling. But I want to try. I think we owe it to ourselves to try. I miss you too tae so much”

And so, the letters kept coming, back and forth between them. Each one a little more open, a little more vulnerable, like pieces of themselves being carefully pieced back together. They talked about the good memories—late-night drives, quiet mornings in bed, shared dreams of a future that once seemed so sure. They also talked about the pain. Jungkook opened up about how he had felt abandoned, how hard it had been to forgive, even knowing now that Taehyung wasn’t guilty of the betrayal he’d been accused of.

Taehyung, in turn, admitted his own guilt—how he should have fought harder to tell Jungkook the truth, how fear and pride had stopped him from reaching out sooner.

The letters gradually turned into long phone calls, late at night when the world was quiet, and it felt safe to say the things that were hardest to speak aloud. There were moments of silence between them where neither of them spoke, but the quiet wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. It was filled with understanding, with the unspoken bond they were rebuilding, bit by bit.

“I still think about you all the time,” Taehyung had said one night over the phone, his voice soft. “I don’t know if it’ll ever stop.”

Jungkook’s chest had tightened at the confession, but he didn’t hesitate in his response. “I think about you too. I always have.”

Months passed like this—letters exchanged, calls that sometimes lasted for hours. They didn’t rush to meet again. It wasn’t time yet. They needed the space to rebuild trust, to heal from the wounds they had both suffered. Slowly, the resentment that had festered in Jungkook’s heart started to fade, replaced by something more fragile but hopeful.

Then came the wedding invitation. A mutual friend of theirs was getting married, someone who had known them when they were still together, before everything had fallen apart. Jungkook and Taehyung were both invited. The idea of seeing Taehyung again in person after so long felt terrifying, yet exciting.

“ You look so Pretty kookie, trying to impress someone?” jimin teased him with raising his eyebrows

And Jungkook blushed furiously because yes he had put extra efforts to look prettier than usual.

“You think he will like it” he asked in a small voice, looking anywhere but not matching Jimin's eyes.

The short blonde's softened and said softly “oh kookie he is gonna love it, no one can resists my boy” 

“Shut up”

On the day of the wedding, Jungkook stood at the edge of the outdoor venue, his hands nervously gripping the small gift he had brought for the couple. The sound of laughter and soft music filled the air, but his thoughts were focused on Taehyung.

He hadn’t seen him yet, but he could feel it—that strange pull, the same one he had felt all those years ago.

Then, as if sensing his thoughts, Taehyung appeared across the garden. He was dressed in a tailored suit, looking as elegant as ever, but there was a softness in his eyes, a vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. Their eyes met, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped.

They approached each other slowly, cautiously, as if neither was sure how to handle the weight of this moment. When they were finally standing face-to-face, it was like the world around them disappeared.

“Hey,” Taehyung said, his voice quiet but warm.

“Hey,” Jungkook replied, his heart pounding in his chest.

For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. There was so much between them—so many unspoken words, so much history. But the months of letters and late-night calls had brought them closer than they had been in years.

“I’m glad you came,” Taehyung finally said, his eyes searching Jungkook’s face for any sign of hesitation.

Jungkook smiled softly. “I’m glad you’re here too.”

They didn’t touch, not yet. But the warmth between them was unmistakable. As the wedding ceremony began, they stood side by side, the distance between them shrinking with every passing moment.

It wasn’t perfect. There was still healing to be done, and they both knew it would take time. But as they exchanged quiet smiles and shared a few whispered jokes during the reception, it felt like they were finally moving forward, step by step, toward something new.

Toward forgiveness. Toward each other.