Melancholy

Tether

~Unsteady:-{ By:- X Ambassadors }~
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Tae's POV

The mall smelled faintly of polished floors, perfume, and coffee, but I couldn't breathe. Not properly. My fingers traced the silver moon pendant around my neck, the small chain a tether to the boy I had loved three years ago. The one I had waited for.

"Come on, Tae, move it! We're going to spend all day wandering if you don't focus," Jimin grumbled beside me, arms crossed. His tone was sarcastic, teasing—but through the soul link, I could feel the tension, the protective spike of anger that made my chest thrum in sympathy.

"Yeah, yeah, Mini," I muttered, forcing myself to take a step forward. But my brown eyes scanned every face, every movement, searching.

And then I saw him.

Jungkook.

The man who haunted my dreams and memory, standing at a jewelry display, surrounded by reporters and assistants. His hair was dark and permed now, framing his sharp jawline, his tailored black suit sharp as his presence. Dark doe eyes scanned the crowd—eyes that had once searched only for me.

And around his neck... the gold sun pendant caught the lights of the mall, cruelly mirroring my silver moon.

Beside him, a woman stepped forward, elegant and poised, slipping her hand through his arm. She leaned in and kissed his cheek—quick, flawless, confident. My eomma gasped softly.

"Namjoon's cousin," she whispered, eyes wide. "Lee Jisoo... his fiancée. Isn't she lovely?"

Jimin snorted, arms tightening across his chest. "Of course. Handsome, successful, and taken. Lucky you, Tae," he muttered, sarcasm coating every word. Through the link, I felt his disapproval sharpen like a knife in my chest.

I didn't respond. I couldn't. My eyes were locked on Jungkook.

And then he looked up.

Our eyes met.

Shock flitted across his features, quickly replaced by guilt and recognition. The hurt in my gaze made him falter, freeze mid-motion. Jisoo noticed nothing, her hand squeezing his arm lightly.

Jimin's voice was low, almost a hiss: "Oh, wonderful... there he is. The reason my pup's about to implode. You really do pick the worst times, don't you?"

"I can't help it," I whispered, voice trembling. "It's him."

"You really are still staring like a lovesick idiot," Jimin muttered, voice tinged with anger and protectiveness. "I don't like him, and yet—here we are."

Reporters were already shouting. "Mr. Jeon! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the collection?" Another: "How does it feel to bring your vision to the public?"

Jungkook smiled, adjusting his tie. "It's been a journey of balance," he said smoothly, words precise. "Growth, past lessons, harmony. Thank you for your support."

I clenched the moon pendant. My chest hurt. My vision narrowed to him and the flicker of guilt in his dark doe eyes.

"Should we...?" Jimin murmured, hand brushing mine lightly. He felt every throb of pain in me, the tightening of my chest, and it made his fists clench unconsciously. "We should leave."

"Not yet," I whispered, unable to move. My heart demanded I stay, just a second longer.

Jungkook's POV

The flashes stung, the shouts of reporters blurred, but my vision went straight to him. Brown eyes, the silver moon pendant, trembling just slightly in his grasp. Tae. Standing across the crowd, eyes locked on me.

For a moment, I froze. Three years. One year since last seeing him. He was... more solid, grown, but still the same boy who had captivated me with messy brown hair, soft smiles, and a stubborn heart.

I saw the hurt, the longing, and I wanted to reach him. I wanted to apologize for the years I left him waiting, for the silence, the absence. But the cameras demanded my attention. Public persona first.

Jisoo leaned closer, whispering softly, teasing: "Don't look so serious, Jeon. Smile for them."

I forced it. A small, polite curve of my lips. But I couldn't hide the flicker of guilt. My hands itched to hold him, to explain, to beg him to understand.

The reporters shouted again. "Mr. Jeon! What was the most challenging part of this launch?"

"Ensuring that each piece embodies both personal growth and connection," I replied. "It's about balance—between ambition, legacy, and heart." My words were meant for the world, but my mind was fixed on Tae.

He was still there. Brown eyes locked on mine. And beside me, Jisoo whispered again, leaning into me, her hand firm but gentle. I smiled, just enough for her to feel secure, just enough for the cameras to feel content. But the pain in my chest remained.

I wanted to tell him. To say, I never stopped loving you, Tae. I just... had to survive first. But survival had costs. And he... he looked so broken, and yet so steadfast.

Author's POV

The mall bustled around them: flashes, clicking cameras, and murmurs from bystanders. Tae's hand tightened on the moon pendant, every pulse of longing radiating into Jimin through the soul link. Jimin winced subtly, muttering under his breath: "I hate him... can't believe you're still staring, Tae. Move."

The mothers approached cautiously. Tae's eomma murmured, eyes proud yet confused. "Such a handsome young man... Namjoon's cousin, right? And so successful!"

Jimin's mother nodded, smiling warmly at Jungkook, her pride evident. "Yes, very impressive. Tae, be polite, won't you?"

Tae only nodded, silent, the ache coiling through him like a living thing.

Jungkook's eyes flickered again toward Tae, guilt visible in a micro-expression that vanished as soon as Jisoo's hand tightened on his arm. She whispered something playful, and he smiled for the cameras again, laughter soft but controlled.

Tae's chest tightened, brown eyes unwavering. Jimin's body mirrored every heartbeat, every shiver of longing and tension, amplifying his own irritation and protectiveness.

Reporters were shouting names, questions, and commentary. But in that suspended moment, only three souls existed: Tae, Jungkook, and the invisible tether between them. Moon and sun, linked but divided.

Tae's hand pressed against the pendant until it bit into his skin. Jimin muttered, "We should go... now," but Tae shook his head, unwilling to look away.

Jungkook turned partially, just enough to glance back at Tae again. The faint flicker of recognition and guilt lingered, and in that instant, the world paused. All that remained was a silent conversation of glances, a collision of past and present, heartache and longing, unspoken words echoing louder than any reporter's shout.

And for the first time in years, Tae realized: even with time, distance, and new lives built, some ties—the moon to the sun—never truly sever. They only wait for the courage to bridge the space between.
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Chapter 32✍🏽✨
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Hey lovelies hope y'all are having a blissful day🤗 see you in the next chapter 😚💜✨
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Bye👋🏽