Anger never builds; it only tears down. In the heat of a single moment, it can feel like strength, an armor to hide behind. But when the fire fades, all that's left are the ashes of what once mattered. Anger doesn't solve anything-it devours patienc...
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Every time I look at you, I remember why forever doesn’t feel long enough.
Chapter 30: Van
Fortunately, the painkillers had finally started to take effect. The ache that had consumed Taehyung’s body since morning was now dull and tolerable—still there, still pulsing faintly beneath his skin, but manageable enough for him to move. He refused to spend another day bedridden, especially when Jungkook had already done so much for him. The last thing he wanted was to make him worry any further.
That was how he ended up outside, limping ever so slightly as he made his way toward the nearest convenience store. The evening air was crisp and cold, brushing against his skin like a quiet reminder that he shouldn’t be out yet—but Taehyung ignored it. He had been craving something sweet, something that Jungkook didn’t have in his fridge, and the thought of getting it himself somehow gave him a sense of normalcy. A thin scarf wrapped neatly around his neck hid the faint traces of marks he didn’t want anyone questioning, blending perfectly with the chill of the weather.
He was halfway down the street when the low hum of an engine caught his attention. A black van slowed to a stop beside him. Its tinted windows reflected the pale streetlights, concealing whoever sat inside. Taehyung frowned, his steps faltering. Something about it felt… off. It wasn’t fear that struck him—it was the uncanny stillness of the van, as if it had been trailing behind him longer than he realized.
He tried to brush it off and keep walking, but the soft hiss of the door sliding open froze him in place. From the shadows stepped a familiar figure—Gaeul, wearing a smile too bright, too polite to be casual.
“Taehyung, it’s nice to meet you,” she greeted sweetly, as though this was a friendly encounter between old acquaintances rather than a suspicious ambush in the middle of the street.
Taehyung’s brows furrowed. “I don’t think this was a coincidence,” he said dryly. The words came out sharper than he intended, edged with suspicion he didn’t bother to hide.
Gaeul chuckled softly, tilting her head in mock embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to follow you. It just happened that I saw you here. I must’ve creeped you out, right?”
Taehyung didn’t return the smile. “What do you want from me?” His voice was flat, guarded.
“Well,” Gaeul began, brushing invisible dust from her sleeve, “you haven’t reached out to me yet, and I just wanted to check if you had any updates about the thing I asked you to find.”
Taehyung crossed his arms, eyes narrowing slightly. “Isn’t that common sense? If I didn’t contact you, it’s because I haven’t found them yet. Why are you suddenly asking me about that?”
Her smile faltered for half a second before she laughed again, the sound light but hollow. “Oh, I just thought maybe you’d forgotten. You’ve been quiet for quite some time, and I worried you might have… moved on.”
