His Darkest Desire ||Taekook||

chapter nine

It was as if time had stopped in its place—Jungkook sat frozen, eyes glazed, staring into the void for what felt like an eternity. The air around him felt heavier with every breath, the silence so loud it rang in his ears.

Taehyung. That little boy in the basement?

The realization clawed its way up his throat like bile. His chest tightened, and a cold sweat broke out along his spine. That image—the terrified eyes of that child, the echo of muffled sobs behind concrete walls—flooded his mind with cruel clarity. No. No, it couldn't be. But the puzzle pieces were fitting together, jagged and merciless.

And then there was Jimin.

Jungkook clenched his jaw, his knuckles whitening as he balled his fists. Love? That's what Jimin had the nerve to call it? After everything—after this?

His stomach twisted, not with heartbreak, but with betrayal so deep it scorched through muscle and bone. His blood simmered just beneath his skin, each beat of his heart like a drum of war.

"What the fuck has gotten into his brain?" he muttered, almost to himself. "Love?"

He spat the word like it burned his tongue.

Jimin stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Jungkook's face, searching for any shift in expression—anything at all. But Jungkook remained still, lost in a storm of thought, his gaze unfocused and distant.

Jimin hesitated, then parted his lips to speak—

But the door suddenly burst open with a sharp thud, cutting through the silence like a blade.

Both of them turned sharply.

Taehyung stood in the doorway, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. His eyes were bloodshot, and hot tears streamed down his cheeks, tracing the pain he could no longer hide.

"W-what?" Taehyung stammered through his tears, his voice barely holding together. His whole body trembled, as if the weight of what he'd just overheard was too much to bear. He stood there, wide-eyed and disoriented, like the floor had just been ripped out from under him.

Jimin and Jungkook both turned toward him, stunned—neither had noticed him approach, let alone enter. The air in the room thickened with shock and something dangerously close to dread.

Taehyung blinked rapidly, as if hoping he'd misheard, as if the words would somehow take themselves back.

But the silence said everything.

Neither of them had noticed Taehyung standing outside the door, quietly listening.

He had walked away earlier, overwhelmed by everything he had just witnessed. But the sound of Jungkook yelling—raw and furious—had pulled him back, drawn by something he couldn't explain.

He was about to leave again, to walk away for good, when Jimin began speaking. His voice was quiet, almost hesitant, but the words struck deep. Memories. Regrets. Pain.

And then came the name.

Mr. Jeon.

The man who had destroyed his childhood. The man who had taken his parents from him.

Jungkook's father.

Taehyung froze, the weight of the revelation crashing down like a tidal wave. And before he knew it, he had pushed the door open, stepping into the room, the truth still echoing in his ears.

"Tae—" Jungkook's voice faltered as he snapped out of his trance-like haze, finally focusing on the figure trembling violently before him.

"SHUT UP! I don't want to hear it! W-why?" Taehyung's voice cracked, raw and desperate, like something inside him was tearing apart. The thought of his parents—their faces, the loss—ripped through Jungkook's mind, threatening to unleash memories he wasn't ready to face.