BunBun Mine // taekook

Chapter 51

Seeing Taehyung roll up the sleeves of his white formal shirt and approach, Hoseok hurriedly picked up the pace. Gripping the hem of his stick tightly, he hastened past the open gate of Kim's Haven and entered the premises. Inside, he was utterly terrified. He couldn’t trust the disrespectful, corrupted minister walking towards him from the front.

What if Taehyung really did lift him up in his arms out of humour? His honor, his dignity would soar like a bird in the blue sky, or evaporate like the clear, floating vaporous clouds. Essentially, the precious gem of respect, a thing so close to his heart, would be lost forever—gone far out of reach.

He would become a laughingstock to everyone present. Taehyung, with his lack of concern for decorum and an aversion to tradition, wouldn’t hesitate to dismantle the towering walls of respect Hoseok had built within his community. Why had he shown such cowardice and asked to be escorted in? If only he had suppressed his inner turmoil and entered confidently in the first place, he wouldn’t have to listen to these ridiculous remarks.

Jungkook was utterly perplexed by his father’s erratic behavior. One moment he demanded that Taehyung come down to bring him in; the next, he was striding purposefully towards the house. As Taehyung reached them and came to a halt, Hoseok and the rest of the family, including Jungkook, froze in place. Lisa and Suzy’s mother beamed with delight.

Jungkook, standing behind his father, couldn’t catch a clear view of the stoic expression that Hoseok typically wore. But he saw the dark, sharp-edged features of Taehyung’s face—features that never failed to stir something deep within him. Every time Jungkook looked at that face, it felt as though someone stabbed his heart with a dagger, sending a sharp, sudden ache through him. His breathing grew heavy, sometimes spiraling out of control, and at other times becoming slow and deliberate.

A steady rhythm of distant drums played relentlessly in his heart—a melody so persistent it seemed to echo through his being. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, the tremors of his emotions coursed through him unrestrainedly. Even after their marriage, and despite having a concrete place for his feelings, Jungkook couldn’t gather the courage to be bold around Taehyung.

In Taehyung's presence, Jungkook became like a caged bird—a quiet, innocent creature stripped of words. Inside, his thoughts raced endlessly, yet no syllables escaped his lips. He couldn’t master himself in front of Taehyung, though he wanted nothing more than to appear confident and surprise him by standing tall and composed. Jungkook knew this was an impossible fantasy. Even in his imagination, it seemed far-fetched; in reality, it was utterly unattainable.

Is it not natural, Jungkook reflected, for anyone to feel restless in front of the person they love? Even now, as he stole glances at Taehyung over his father’s shoulder, how could he look at the man directly?

It wasn’t possible.

Jungkook knew the admiration in his gaze would willingly surrender to the prison of Taehyung’s dark piercing eyes.

Before coming here, Jungkook had painstakingly written a reply to Taehyung's last letter, his hands trembling with every stroke of the pen. His heart had pounded loudly during the entire process. He knew Taehyung would never take it the right way. The stubborn man might heap mockery on him or, worse, scold him harshly.

"Ugh, Jungkook, have you no sense of shame?" he could already imagine Taehyung saying with a hint of disgust. "How could you write something like this? Where’s your modesty?"

Lost in the realm of such shameful imaginings, Jungkook already felt the heat of embarrassment, as though he was being ridiculed in reality. The thought of whether or not he should even give Taehyung the letter weighed heavily on his mind.