ℙ𝕒𝕡𝕒(TK)

XLVI

"SHE IS GONE !"

Jeongguk felt like his heart has stopped beating

Our daughter is gone.

She is gone.

SHE IS KIDNAPPED.

The cops around him were shouting, arguing between themselves, searching for someone to blame on yet it fell into deaf ears as Jeongguk sat still in his position, upper canines managing to tore through his rough lower lips, decorating it red with his own blood. Uncontrollable streams of tears painted his pale cheeks, hair dishevelled as he whimpered, vision blurring every now and then.

"Appa ! I love you so much ! You are the best daddy ever ! Taeggukie loves you so much !"

Jeongguk stiffened up, mind jumbling up, making him unable to think rationally.

Should we just tell them everything ?

And leave her alone with all this monsters ?

Is this how Taehyung felt right before he died ?

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice when one of the cops has come upto him. He flinched when he felt her pointed nails gripping onto his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"I believe in you, Jeon ssi" The old woman said, her dull brown eyes looking for any sign of hope on the younger man's face. "Can I talk to your in-laws ?"

Jeongguk shook his head in dismay, unwanted memories from his, well his and Taehyung's bitter past, making unwanted appearances infront of his eyes. "They were homophobic...kicked hyung out and cut off connection with hyung within seconds of him introducing me as his boyfriend"

"Oh" She gasped, clearly sorry for making him uncomfortable without meaning to "Do you perhaps know where they live now ?"

Another shake of head and she felt like there is no way for Jeongguk to win this battle and live a normal life with his daughter.

"They disowned hyung about 15 years ago..." The doctor whispered out "At that time they lived in Bisan Dong, ward 13" Then he shook his vigorously " I don't know where they live now though..." He stopped for a minute, catching his breath "Don't even know if they're alive or not..."

"And ?" The cop knew that there's something more to the narrative.

Jeongguk lowered his eyes again "I don't know the exact address. Hyung never told me that. He didn't want to invite them to our baby shower. After he went away, I wanted to inform them but" The unsaid words fell quiet but the cop caught them anyway.

"Well..." The woman didn't knew how to console the young father "I've a son as well...but we aren't on good terms since he..." She trailed off for a few seconds "He took up bad habits from his friends..." She didn't know how to get it out "We had an argument and his appa...my husband kicked him out..." There were tears building up in her eyes but Jeongguk wasn't in a condition to wipe them off "and since them we haven't seen him..."

"It happened about 2 years ago..." She quietly spoke.

"His name is Taehyung as well...."

Jeongguk quitely nodded in acknowledgement.

"Kim Joseph Taehyung"

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

" Kim Joseph Taehyung ?" Yoongi made a weird nose at the back of his throat "Why does this name sound so familiar ?"

Hoseok groaned, sitting back against the sofa, hands gripping around his phone. "Tell me you're not taking records of decades ago so seriously !" He sounded agitated but Jimin quickly snapped his fingers in the air, earning the attention of the other two immidiately "Yoonie's got a point!"

The oldest, in response, threw a 'I told you so' look at Hoseok, effectively earning another groan.

"Jeongguk told us the same name when he was on vacation, remember ?" He started "That man with 2 kids, a wife ? Was consoling him when that perverted old man got murdered ?"

Hoseok sat up, vividly remembering the memories of their conversation. "Makes sense...But we are being a bit stupid in here ?" He humoured "There can be like thousands of people with the same name in this country. What's the possibility that Jeongguk's 'Kim Joseph Taehyung' and the toy shop's 'Kim Joseph Taehyung' are the same man ?"

Yoongi hummed. "We need to make a few calls"

"To ?" Both of his lovers were confused.

"To the hotel Jeongguk was staying in and to the police station"

"And for what ?" Hoseok isn't so sure about what his husband is trying to do.

"To know if the man has any criminal records or not"

"A lawyer with criminal records ?" Jimin giggled out at his husband's stupidity but Yoongi just shook his head at him.

"What if he's pretending to be a lawyer ? What if he has a fake license just like Jeongguk did ? What if it's all a pretense ?"

If this doesn't match, we'll be left right infront of the dead end again.