Collision of Verdicts

The Reconnection

The morning sun crept into the windows of Kim’s Law Firm as Taehyung and Jungkook arrived separately for the first time in weeks. Both felt the absence of the other beside them, a strange emptiness hanging in the air. Though they had tried to hide it, both their minds were preoccupied with the same thought: when would they see each other today?

Jungkook, running a hand through his dark hair as he stepped into the building, immediately scanned the room for any sign of Taehyung. His heart leaped at the sight of him standing at the other end of the hallway, talking to Namjoon. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and a spark passed between them, a silent acknowledgment of the tension they both felt. Jungkook smiled softly, though he tried to hide the butterflies fluttering in his chest.

Taehyung felt the same surge of energy the second their gazes connected. His grip on the file in his hands tightened, his pulse quickening, but he managed to keep his expression composed. Still, the feeling of Jungkook’s eyes on him lingered, even after Namjoon called him into a meeting.

But there was little time to dwell on their stolen glances. Both of them were immediately pulled into critical cases by Jin and Namjoon. The day dragged on with intense focus on their respective assignments, but their thoughts would occasionally wander. They would find themselves thinking about the other, reliving the moments they’d spent together in the last few weeks. The way they made each other feel—it was new, exciting, and somehow delicate. It reminded them of the kind of love people spoke of in books: the pure, fluttering kind that made your heart race and your palms sweat.

Whenever they passed each other in the office—whether it was in the hallway or by the elevator—their eyes would meet. The smallest of touches, like brushing hands while reaching for the same file, sent electric tingles up their spines. Both of them were experiencing something they had never felt before: the innocence of a crush, the beauty of silent admiration.

It was like they were teenagers again, experiencing the thrill of love for the first time. Back in university, they had been so focused on their studies, neither had given love much thought. Now, however, with this unspoken connection between them, it was all they could think about.

Meanwhile, across town in a quiet coffee shop, another story was unfolding.

Jimin sat at a corner table, his fingers nervously tracing the rim of his coffee cup. His heart was heavy, and his mind was a storm of emotions. He had spent the last few years trying to forget the pain, to bury the heartache, but it was impossible. The person sitting across from him—Yoongi—had once been his whole world. They had been university sweethearts, inseparable, their love as deep as it was passionate. But that love had been shattered, torn apart by forces outside of their control.

Yoongi sat quietly, his hands clasped together on the table, his eyes downcast. He had barely looked at Jimin since they sat down. There was a tension between them that had built up over years, the kind of tension that came from unresolved hurt and broken trust. They had been avoiding this conversation for so long, but today, Jimin had decided he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I can’t keep doing this, Yoongi,” Jimin’s voice was quiet but firm, his gaze steady as he finally spoke. “I can’t keep pretending everything’s fine. We need to talk.”

Yoongi’s shoulders tensed, and he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Jimin’s. “Talk about what?”

“About us. About what happened.” Jimin’s voice wavered slightly, but he held Yoongi’s gaze. “I know why you left me, Yoongi. I know what my parents did.”

At the mention of his parents, Yoongi flinched, the guilt washing over him. He had been dreading this moment, the moment where he would have to explain himself. He had broken Jimin’s heart without ever giving him a real explanation. But now, sitting across from him, seeing the hurt in Jimin’s eyes, he knew he couldn’t run from it anymore.

“I didn’t want to leave you,” Yoongi said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I had no choice.”

Jimin clenched his fists, the memory of that day still raw. “You had a choice, Yoongi. You could have fought for us. You could have told me what was happening instead of disappearing without a word.”

“I couldn’t,” Yoongi’s voice cracked. “Your parents… they threatened me, Jimin. They told me they’d ruin my life. They said if I didn’t leave you, they’d hurt my mom. I couldn’t risk that. I had to protect her.”

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat as the memories of that time flooded back. He had begged Yoongi not to leave him. He had cried and pleaded, but Yoongi had walked away without an explanation. Jimin had spiraled into depression after that, even contemplating ending his own life. The betrayal had cut deeper than any wound.

“I would have fought for you,” Jimin whispered, his voice trembling. “I would have stood by you, no matter what. But you didn’t even give me a chance.”

Yoongi’s eyes filled with regret. “I thought I was protecting you too. I thought if I left, you could move on, live the life your parents wanted for you. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Jimin let out a bitter laugh. “Do you really think I cared about what they wanted? I broke off all ties with them after you left. I couldn’t even look at them, knowing what they did to us.”

Yoongi’s heart sank. “I didn’t know, Jimin. I thought you’d moved on.”

Jimin shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. “I never moved on, Yoongi. I loved you. I still… I still love you.”

Yoongi reached across the table, his hand trembling as he gently touched Jimin’s. “I never stopped loving you either.”

The air between them was thick with emotion, years of pain and regret hanging in the balance. They had both been hurt, both misunderstood the other’s actions, but now, sitting together, they realized that the love they had shared hadn’t disappeared. It had only been buried beneath the weight of their circumstances.

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight for us.”

Jimin’s tears finally spilled over, but he didn’t pull his hand away from Yoongi’s. “I’m sorry too. For thinking you didn’t care.”

For a moment, they just sat there, the years of hurt slowly melting away as they held onto each other’s hands. It wasn’t going to be easy, and the wounds they carried wouldn’t heal overnight, but for the first time in years, they felt like they were finally on the path to healing.

After a long, silent pause, Yoongi squeezed Jimin’s hand. “Can we start over? I don’t want to lose you again.”

Jimin looked into Yoongi’s eyes, the man he had loved so deeply all those years ago, and nodded. “I think we can try.”

As they sat there, hands entwined and hearts open, they both knew that this was the beginning of something new—a second chance at the love they had thought was lost forever.

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A small flashback

In the past, Yoongi and Jimin were university sweethearts, deeply in love. However, Jimin’s wealthy parents disapproved of their relationship and threatened Yoongi, demanding he break up with Jimin. They warned Yoongi that if he didn't, they would ruin his life and harm his only family—his mother. Left with no choice, Yoongi abruptly ended things, leaving Jimin devastated and spiraling into depression. Jimin, feeling betrayed and abandoned, cut ties with his family and struggled to cope with the loss. Both believed the other had moved on, but in truth, neither had ever stopped loving the other.