The following morning, Jungkook awoke to the stillness of the room, his eyes heavy with the weight of the last two days. The harsh words, the confrontations, the love now twisted beyond recognition—they all lingered in the air. The room, once a symbol of their shared memories, now felt like a hollow shell of what it had been.
A sigh escaped his lips as he pushed himself up from the bed, his body aching, his heart even more so. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the painful thoughts, to focus on the present. But before he could collect himself, the door creaked open, and his breath caught in his throat. Taehyung entered, his presence filling the space with a tension that made the air thick.
Without a word, Taehyung moved to the dresser, pulling out his wallet, his back turned to Jungkook as if the latter didn’t even exist in the same room. It was a silent statement, one that only deepened the chasm between them. Behind him, the soft sound of little footsteps caught Jungkook’s attention. His heart skipped when he saw Byeol, his precious daughter, walking in with the same bright eyes that always managed to bring a fleeting smile to his face.
"Mumma?" Byeol’s innocent voice pierced through the quiet, and Jungkook couldn’t help but smile, moving instinctively toward her. But before he could reach her, Taehyung swiftly picked her up, cradling her in his arms as if Jungkook hadn’t made any move to approach.
"Today, Appa will take Byeol out," Taehyung said, his voice clipped and authoritative, not even sparing a glance at Jungkook.
Jungkook’s throat tightened as a lump formed, his mouth dry. He could feel the knot of anxiety in his stomach growing, threatening to choke him. "Byeol—"
Before he could say more, Byeol’s voice bubbled with excitement, her eyes wide with innocent joy. "Really, Appa? Is Mumma going too?" she asked, her voice sweet and hopeful, the very picture of childhood innocence.
Taehyung shook his head, his expression hardening. "No, baby, only Appa and you. Chocolate and candies?" he offered with an attempt at a smile, but it was forced, cold.
Byeol giggled, excited, oblivious to the tension. "Yes! But Mumma?" she asked, her gaze now shifting to Jungkook, her small hands reaching toward him, wanting to pull him into the excitement with them.
Jungkook’s heart ached. He reached out instinctively, his arms outstretched, ready to hold her, to tell her he was coming too. But before he could move, Taehyung held Byeol tighter, pulling her away from him. "He’s tired," Taehyung said with a clipped tone, his words sharp. "He said he doesn’t want to."
Jungkook’s eyes widened, his chest tightening with a wave of disbelief. How could Taehyung lie like that? How could he speak for him in such a way, especially in front of Byeol?
Byeol’s little face scrunched up in confusion, her excitement quickly fading as she looked at Jungkook. "Really, Mumma?" she asked, her voice a quiet whisper, the hurt evident even in her young eyes.
Jungkook’s heart shattered at the sight. His voice caught in his throat as he tried to find the right words. He wanted to tell her the truth, to explain that he wanted to go with them, that he hadn’t said he didn’t want to, but before he could even speak, Taehyung’s voice cut through the room like a whip.
"Yes!" Taehyung’s voice was sudden and harsh, sharp enough to make Jungkook flinch, his body instinctively shrinking away from the force of it. "He doesn’t want to. Let it be, Byeol."
Jungkook bit his lip, the tears threatening to spill as he stared at his daughter, her eyes searching his face for an answer that he couldn’t give. His lips pressed into a thin line, his chest heavy with sorrow.
With a deep sigh, he finally nodded, the weight of Taehyung’s control pressing down on him like an iron shackle. He agreed to the lie, because what else could he do? What else was left when everything, even his own love for his daughter, had become tangled in this web of deceit and control?
