THE HIDDEN ROSE | Taekook

13. Brighter Days Ahead

A week later

The soft morning light streamed through the mansion's vast windows, filling the room with a gentle glow. Heejin adjusted her blazer in the mirror, glancing over her shoulder to the neatly stacked papers on the bedside table. She had been preparing for this day all week, meticulously arranging every detail. Today, they were heading to Seoul National University to get Taehyung and Jimin enrolled. For her, it was more than just a mundane administrative task, it was a chance to give Taehyung something he desperately needed: a semblance of normalcy.

But it wasn’t going to be easy.

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Taehyung sat on the edge of the bed, his head down, absently fiddling with the hem of his sweater. The broken necklace still weighed heavily on his mind, his fingers instinctively brushing over the spot where it once rested against his chest. It had been a week since Aisha's confrontation, but the wound it left in Taehyung’s heart was far from healed. That necklace wasn’t just a piece of jewelry, it was a symbol of everything he had lost, everything he was still trying to hold onto.

“Baby,” Jungkook’s deep voice broke through the silence. He was standing by the doorway, arms crossed, his expression a mix of concern and determination. “You need to get ready. Noona and Jimin are waiting.”

Taehyung looked up at him, his wide, tear-glazed eyes betraying the fear and hesitation he felt. “Hyung... do I really have to go?”

Jungkook sighed, stepping closer and kneeling in front of him. “Tae, we’ve talked about this. You need to get out there. Staying cooped up here isn’t good for you.”

“But what if something happens? What if they find me?” Taehyung’s voice trembled, his hands clutching Jungkook’s shirt as if letting go would mean losing him forever.

Jungkook placed his hands gently over Taehyung’s, his gaze softening. “Nothing is going to happen. Heejin-noona and Jimin will be with you the entire time. And we’ve taken every precaution. No one will know who you are.”

He wanted to believe his kookie hyung, he really did, but the fear was paralyzing. His memories of Daegu haunted him, the whispers, the stares, the suffocating loneliness he had endured during his university days there.

“Hyung... can’t you come with me?” Taehyung’s voice was barely a whisper.

Jungkook froze for a moment, his jaw tightening. The truth was, he wanted nothing more than to go with Taehyung, to shield him from the world and the dangers lurking in it. But his presence would only draw more attention. Their enemies were always watching, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If anyone recognized them together, it could jeopardize everything.

“I can’t,” Jungkook said quietly, his voice tinged with regret. “But I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”

Taehyung’s grip loosened slightly, his shoulders slumping. “I’m scared, hyung.”

“I know,” Jungkook replied, pulling him into a tight hug. “But you’re stronger than you think. You’ve been through so much, Tae, and you’re still here. You can do this.”

Taehyung didn’t respond, but he clung to Jungkook like a lifeline, burying his face in his shoulder. Jungkook held him for a long moment before gently pulling back.

“Now, go get ready. Noona will kill me if you make her late,” Jungkook said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Taehyung managed a weak nod, shuffling off to change. Jungkook watched him go, his heart heavy. He knew how much this meant to Heejin, how determined she was to give Taehyung a fresh start. But deep down, he couldn’t shake the nagging worry that something might go wrong.