Obsession | TAEKOOK FF

Chapter 2: Echoes of the Past

Author's Note:
Poor Taetae is trying so hard to stay strong! 😢 He's been through so much, but he's finally stepping into the real world. Who is ready for him to finally meet Kook? Let's go, my Flowers! Fighting! 🌸

​The next morning, the harsh white light of the hospital room woke Tae from a restless sleep. Aside from the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, the room was quiet. Sitting in a chair right next to his bed was Jimin, his best friend from both school and work, fast asleep. The moment Jimin had received the panicked call that Tae was hospitalized, he had rushed over without a second thought.

​Tae watched his friend sleep, deciding not to disturb him. A moment later, the door clicked open and the doctor stepped inside.

​"Good morning, Mr. Tae," the doctor said softly, checking his clipboard. "I'm here to give you an update on your condition. Your physical injuries are stable, and we didn't find any severe internal complications... except for one thing."
​Tae's chest tightened. "Except for what, Doctor?"

​"Except for the substances found in your system."

​"What? Drugs?" Tae whispered, the word tasting like poison on his tongue.
​Shock rippled through him so intensely that he didn't even notice the tears spilling over his eyelashes. He shook his head in absolute denial. It was impossible. He would never touch something like that.

​"We detected a strong party drug in your toxicology report," the doctor explained gently. "It's highly likely that this caused you to lose consciousness and wander into traffic last night. Frankly, you're incredibly lucky. The man who brought you here didn't just save your life-he paid your entire medical bill in advance."

​Tae blinked away his tears, completely bewildered. "A party drug? And... someone paid my bills? Doc, please, do you know who he was?"

​"He didn't leave a name," the doctor replied, offering a sympathetic smile. "But from what the staff saw, he was quite young, tall, and very well-dressed. Definitely a wealthy man. You can be discharged by tomorrow morning, Mr. Tae. Take it easy."

​"Thank you, Doctor..." Tae murmured.
​As the door closed, a soft yawn broke the silence. Jimin stirred in his chair, rubbing his eyes as he took in Tae's pale face.

​"Hey! Tae!" Jimin scrambled forward, his voice thick with worry. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Talk to me!"
​Tae forced a small, fragile smile onto his face, burying the heavy, shattering truth deep inside his chest. He couldn't tell Jimin. He couldn't tell anyone. A toxic wave of fear whispered that if people knew what Kai had done to him, they would look at him as if he were dirty.

​"Eyy, Jimin-ah, I'm fine," Tae lied, his voice steady despite the chaos in his mind. "Don't worry about me, okay? I just need to use the restroom."

​The moment the restroom door clicked shut, Tae collapsed against the sink. He buried his face in his hands, crying silently so Jimin wouldn't hear his muffled sobs. He washed his face with freezing water, scrubbing at his skin until it burned, trying to erase the memory of Kai's touch. Stepping back outside, he put his mask back on, acting as though nothing was wrong.

​Jimin narrowed his eyes, noticing the dark circles and puffiness. "Eyy, Tae... have you been crying? Your eyes are so swollen and red."

​"Huh? Me? No, no," Tae waved his hands dismissively, forcing a laugh. "I just rubbed my eyes earlier because they were itching. That's all."

​"Hmm... okay, if you say so," Jimin muttered, clearly unconvinced but choosing not to push.

​A few days later, Tae was discharged and returned to the university. But he wasn't the same.

​The nightmare followed him into the daylight. Every shadow looked like Kai. Every unexpected touch made him flinch in pure terror, and he spent his nights crying himself to sleep. The cheerful, vibrant, and hardworking Tae had vanished, replaced by a cold, silent boy who hid in the shadows and preferred to be entirely alone.

​Weeks bled into months, and Tae remained trapped in his shell. He barely spoke to his classmates and startled at the slightest loud noise.

​From across the campus courtyard, someone was watching him.
​Top, a star member of the university's swimming team, had been watching Tae sit alone for weeks. Top was effortlessly handsome, boasting a perfectly tanned, athletic build that made him the idol of the campus. His massive fanbase had even started an online community called the Top Wifeys. But despite all the attention he received, the only person Top truly cared about was Tae. He had just never gathered the courage to say it.
​Finally, gathering his nerves, Top approached the solitary bench under the shade of a massive tree where Tae always sat.

​As the days passed, Top made it a habit to join Tae every single noon. He brought an easy warmth that slowly chipped away at Tae's walls. But their quiet lunchtime routine didn't stay a secret for long. Snippets and photos of them sitting together began circulating on the Top Wifeys fan page. The captions were filled with jealousy, and the comments section burned with rage.
​The fan club decided to teach Tae a lesson. They hired a group of thugs to corner Tae after class, dragging him into an alleyway and beating him mercilessly.

​The next afternoon, Top hurried to their usual bench. The moment he saw Tae, the blood froze in his veins. Tae's face was patterned with dark, angry purple bruises.

​"Hey! Tae! What happened to you? Who did this?!" Top demanded, his voice shaking with a dangerous mixture of worry and fury.

​Tae tried to speak, but a sharp pain shot through his swollen jaw. He couldn't even form words. His eyes, completely wrecked and swimming with fresh tears, begged Top to understand the danger they were in. Trembling, Tae reached into his pocket and handed Top a folded piece of paper.

​Top tore it open. Written in shaky handwriting were the words:

​Stop bothering me.
I need to be alone.
Find another friend, not me.
Please.

​Tae's shoulders shook as a fresh wave of tears poured down his bruised cheeks. It broke his heart to push away the only person who had been kind to him, but the thugs had made it clear: if he stayed near Top, next time would be worse. He had no choice.

​Left with no answers, Top could only watch in stunned heartbreak as Tae gathered his things and walked away into the crowd.

​Present Day

​Time moved forward, unyielding and cold.

​Fast forward to the present, and graduation was finally around the corner. Tae was majoring in Marketing Management. Despite his trauma, his sharp, business-minded intellect had never faded. Before they could walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they had to complete a strict three-month internship at a major corporate firm.

​Walking down the bustling streets of the commercial district, Jimin nudged Tae's shoulder.

​"Eyy, Tae, do you have a specific company in mind for your internship application?"

​Tae looked up at the towering glass skyscrapers. "Yeah. I think I'm going to apply at JK's Company. It's the most influential firm in the country right now. If I do well during my internship, it could open a permanent door for my future career."

​Jimin grinned, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Oh, that's awesome! If you're going there, then I'm applying there too!"

​Tae smiled gently, a glimmer of his old warmth returning. "Okay. Fighting!"
​An hour later, Tae and Jimin were sitting in the sleek, high-end lobby of JK's Company, waiting anxiously with their resumes in hand. The atmosphere was professional, pristine, and incredibly intimidating.

​Suddenly, the heavy glass doors of the executive suite swung open, and a secretary stepped out with a clipboard.
​"Mr. Tae? It's your turn now. Mr. Kook is waiting for you inside."

​To be continued...