Fated by 'I Do'

Chapter 51: Nostalgia

Jungkook sat on the bed, cradling the photo album in his lap, his fingers lightly brushing over the glossy surface of an old picture. His eyes, slightly red and glistening, remained fixed on the image of himself with his best friend a constant presence throughout his college and university years. He smiled faintly, but the weight of nostalgia made his chest feel heavy. Memories of laughter, shared struggles, and the bond they'd built played in his mind like a distant melody.

The door creaked open, and Taehyung stepped in, balancing a tray of food and a smoothie in his hands. He paused mid-step when he noticed Jungkook's faraway expression and the faint tear that slid down his cheek. Quietly placing the tray on the bedside table, Taehyung sat beside him, his presence warm and grounding. He didn't speak at first, his gaze following Jungkook's to the photograph.

Gently, Taehyung reached out and wiped the tear trailing down Jungkook's cheek with his thumb. He tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing in concern. His silent question was clear: What's wrong, bun?

Jungkook quickly shook his head, his lips curving into a small, sad smile as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's nothing," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper, betraying the emotions bubbling beneath the surface.

Taehyung's lips pressed into a thin line as he raised an eyebrow, his expression soft yet insistent. His hand found Jungkook's, giving it a gentle squeeze, silently urging him to share.

Jungkook let out a long sigh, his gaze dropping to the picture again. "It's just..." he began, his voice trembling slightly before trailing off. He bit his lower lip, his other hand absently resting on his swollen belly. Finally, he nodded, deciding to let Taehyung in on the story that weighed on his heart.

"Hyungie, do you know? I had a best friend, Min Garam. We were inseparable, like two sides of the same coin. If someone called my name, they'd automatically ask about her too, and vice versa. We met during high school and stayed together through university. We even worked on a major project together for Korea's National Fashion Week. Though we didn't win, we gave it our all, and it brought us closer.

After that, we planned our first-ever solo trip to Jeju-just her and me. No parents, no responsibilities, just us. It was the best time of my life. Then, after graduation, our university offered us both a temporary internship as lecturers. We accepted and worked there together. Even as professors, we were inseparable. People often teased us, saying we should focus on our futures instead of sticking to each other like glue, but we didn't care.

She wasn't like others, Hyung. With her, I felt normal. No one treated me like an average person because of my wealth or knowledge, but she did. She never cared about my money; she cared about me. We had this routine of treating each other at the cafeteria. It was our little world.

But everything changed one rainy night. We were coming home from university, and as always, my driver dropped her off at the bus stop. That night, just before she stepped out of the car, she turned to me and said, 'I'm getting married... to my ex-husband.' Then she ran off before I could even process her words.

Her ex-husband was abusive, Hyung. A monster. I kept calling her, but she switched off her phone. I texted her over and over, but there was no response. That same night, her parents called me, panicked. She hadn't come home. Her father, who was already a heart patient, suffered a mild heart attack from the shock. Her younger sister was in tears, begging me to tell her where Garam had gone, but I didn't know.

She had said goodbye to me, Hyung, but not where she was going. If only I had stopped her that night, maybe I could have saved her. I recently heard that she suffered five miscarriages because of that abusive man. Five, Hyung. She deserved so much better. And I... I failed her."