Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 126

The Gradient of Home

​The double doors of the Shilla banquet hall groaned open, and for the first time that day, the room didn't just go quiet-it held its collective breath.

​Yoongi led the way, his charcoal-white silk sharp and commanding.

Aen followed, the royal amethyst of her chima skirt catching the crystal light of the chandeliers, fading into that soft, ethereal lavender at the hem.

​"Look at them," someone whispered from a nearby table.

"They look like a dynasty."

​Yoongi didn't scan the room for cameras.

His eyes were fixed on the people who mattered-the Bangtan members, the staff, Manager Sejin, Bang PD-nim, his industry peers, and the friends and family who had been their anchor.

They weren't just guests; they were the keepers of the life he and Aen had fought to build.

​As they reached the first table, Aen placed a hand on the velvet box sitting on the table-the Daprye-pum.

The scent of Wild Iris and White Birch-their own creation-began to weave through the banquet hall, a subtle, sensory signature of their life together.

​"Thank you," Yoongi said, his voice dropping the public 'idol' tone for something much more intimate as he handed a set to Manager Sejin.

"For everything-for being here as we officially begin our life together."

​Aen smiled, her eyes bright as she added,

"It's a blend of Iris and Birch. It smells like the studio, and it smells like our backyard. We wanted you to have a piece of that peace."

​The reception flowed with a warmth that felt impossible for a space so grand.

They moved table to table, the rigidity of the wedding formalities replaced by genuine, quiet gratitude.

They weren't performing; they were hosting.

​But as the evening stretched on, the hum of the crowd began to blur for Carly.

She spotted them across the room and ran toward Yoongi and Aen, her small feet quick against the polished floors.

In her custom miniature hanbok, she looked like a living bridge between them-her skirt a deep amethyst like Aen's, her jacket tailored with the same crisp, charcoal-white accents as Yoongi's.

​Together, the three of them looked like a single, flawless gradient of color.

She stretched out her arms up toward Yoongi, her eyelids growing heavy, a small, sleepy sigh escaping her.

​Yoongi didn't hesitate.

He dropped his guard completely, the "Mr. Min" persona softening into "Dadhie."

He scooped Carly up, her miniature hanbok crinkling against his charcoal-white silk.

She drifted off almost instantly against his shoulder, her small hand clutching his lapel.

​"Look at his face," a PDogg whispered to Adora, leaning in with a smile that was thick with emotion.

"I've worked with him for years, and I've never seen him look that... complete."

​Yoongi didn't seem to notice the cameras or the hundreds of eyes on him.

He just leaned his head slightly against Carly's, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her back.