TAEKOOK ONESHOT (PART 2)

Chapter 8

Six Months Later

The past six months felt like a whirlwind of change in the Park household. The once-quiet home now echoed with the laughter, chatter, and occasional mischief of three growing boys. Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung had found their rhythm, and it seemed like life was finally moving forward. School had become their safe haven, a place where they thrived, formed friendships, and created memories. For Jungkook, in particular, these six months marked significant growth—a testament to his resilience.

"Mama , where's my water bottle?" Jimin's voice echoed down the hallway as he shuffled around, trying to shove his books into his bag.

"Hyungie, tie my shoes!" Taehyung piped up from the couch, holding up one tiny foot, his other sock half on and half off.

"Jungkook, have you seen my pencil case? It was on the dining table!" Jimin hollered again.

Jungkook, slightly sleepy-eyed but more composed than he used to be, leaned down to tie Taehyung's shoes, shaking his head at Jimin's chaos. "Jimin, check your bag. It's always in the wrong pocket."

Sure enough, Jimin returned moments later with the case in hand. "Aish, you're so smart, Jungkookie!"

Mrs. Park came into the room with toast in one hand and a thermos in the other. "Alright, boys, enough fussing. Sit down, eat quickly, or we'll be late. Mr. Park's waiting in the car."

The boys obediently sat around the breakfast table, with Jimin munching loudly, Taehyung fiddling with the jam jar, and Jungkook neatly eating his toast. They'd grown used to this routine, and it brought warmth to Mrs. Park's heart to see them thriving.

At school, the trio parted ways as usual, with Jimin and Taehyung skipping off to their shared class while Jungkook headed to his own. Six months ago, Jungkook might have lingered in the hallway, feeling hesitant about being apart from Taehyung. But now, he walked confidently, greeting his friends Minhyuk and Yeji at the door.

"Hey, Jungkook!" Minhyuk grinned, tossing a basketball in the air. "Free period later. Wanna play?"

"Sure," Jungkook replied, his voice steady and bright. He hadn't realized how much lighter his steps had become until recently. The constant tension in his chest—the fear, the unease—wasn't entirely gone, but it had dulled to a whisper he could manage.

In class, the teacher had them work on a group project about the solar system. Jungkook, once reserved and quiet, now found himself easily joining discussions.

"Jungkook, what do you think the biggest planet is?" one of his classmates asked.

"It's Jupiter," Jungkook answered with a small smile. "It's massive—and did you know it has a storm called the Great Red Spot? It's been raging for over 300 years."

His classmates looked at him with awe,  and yoonji  leaned over. "You always know the coolest facts."

Moments like these felt small, but to Jungkook, they were monumental. He was beginning to realize that he could belong, even without constantly guarding himself or Taehyung.

Meanwhile, in their class, Jimin and Taehyung were the stars of the show. Taehyung had come out of his shell thanks to Jimin's endless encouragement.

"Okay, class, we're making paper flowers today for our art activity," their teacher announced.

"Teacher, look! Mine looks like a potato!" Taehyung exclaimed, holding up his crumpled paper.

The class erupted in giggles, and Jimin clapped his hands. "Tae, that's not a potato—it's...uh...a creative interpretation of a rose!"