Lost Love [ Taekook FF ]

Chapter 30

Read slowlyyyyy.  Use music for better experience.

[ Dil Kyu Yeh Mera - kk
Main rahoon yaa na rahoon
Roke na ruke naina - AS
Abhi mujh me kahi ]
~♡~

Jungkook moved quietly around Mrs. Choi’s cozy living room, his steps soft as he approached her. The soft glow from the lamp cast a warm light, filling the room with an air of calm. He glanced back to check on Taehee, who was finally fast asleep in her crib, her tiny chest rising and falling peacefully. Satisfied, he turned back to Mrs. Choi, trying to keep his voice low.

"Did Tae come back yet?" he asked, his tone laced with an edge of worry.

Mrs. Choi looked up from her knitting, her face softening. "Not yet, Jungkook. He messaged a while ago saying he’d be late, but…” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s already past 9:30.”

Jungkook’s gaze drifted to the clock, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. He felt his chest tighten, a feeling he hadn’t quite grown used to, and took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "I’m going to go get him,” he said, almost as if reassuring himself.

Mrs. Choi’s gaze held a knowing warmth as she studied him. She’d seen the way Jungkook was around Tae. With a gentle nod, she waved him off. “Go on, dear. he’ll appreciate someone looking out for him.”

Jungkook gave her a grateful smile, a brief spark of relief softening his expression. He turned towards the door, determined but careful, not wanting to wake Taehee.

Just as he reached for his coat, Mrs. Choi called out softly, “Take care of him, Jungkook.”

Jungkook paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “I’ll,” he whispered, a quiet promise buried in his words. Then, slipping into the night, he braced himself, hoping to find Tae safe.

_______

Tae's pov :

The night air was cold, pressing down on Tae as he sat alone at the small, worn table outside the street-side restaurant. The dim yellow glow from the nearby streetlight flickered over him, casting shadows across his hunched figure. Before him, a collection of empty soju bottles lay scattered, some standing upright, others tipped over. Each one was a testament to the hours he had sat there, drowning himself in the bitterness he could taste in his mouth and feel in his chest.

He poured himself another shot, his hands unsteady, watching the clear liquid swirl before he downed it in one gulp. The alcohol burned on its way down, and he winced, but the sting was nothing compared to the ache that pulsed somewhere deeper, in a place no amount of soju seemed able to reach. He set the glass down hard, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, as if he could rub away the sharp memories replaying over and over in his mind.

“You’re a disgrace.”

The words cut through him like a knife, sharp and unforgiving. Tae squeezed his eyes shut, his teeth clenching as if he could will the words away, make them disappear.

“A disgrace,” he muttered bitterly, his voice cracking. He laughed, a sound so hollow it seemed to echo around him. “That’s all I am to you, isn’t it?” he whispered to the night, as though someone, anyone, might hear and understand.

He picked up the bottle again, pouring himself another drink, his movements growing clumsy. His vision blurred, whether from the alcohol or the tears slipping down his cheeks, he didn’t know anymore. But he couldn’t stop drinking. Couldn’t stop trying to fill that aching void, couldn’t stop himself from chasing the numbness he was so close to reaching.