✔ Stigma [vkook]

BONUS

"That's so disgusting!" Taehyung snapped, making sense of so much stuff.

Even the Jeon siblings' awful attitudes towards Jungkook. Not that they were easily forgivable, they deserved to repent for how they made Jungkook feel, but Taehyung could also realize it was a defense mechanism. And he didn't even know all the history.

"My parents regret that decision a lot," Junghyun affirmed vehemently, a humorless chuckle leaving his lips as he swerved his glass and took a sip of the red wine before continuing. 

"When Jungkook's sixteenth birthday came, we had a secret birthday party ready for him. It was a weekday so we had to wait for him to come back from school, but it started to get late and no word of Jungkook." Taehyung started to feel an unpleasant feeling grow in the pit of his stomach, worry and anger coursing through his veins as he thought of the worst scenarios.

"He didn't pick up his phone, and he was with none of his school friends. We started to get angry, thinking he found a boyfriend and was bailing on his family on purpose, so we sent every invitee away. It was only when nighttime came and went, it was that we started to worry." Junghyun stopped speaking, gulping down his glass of wine and letting his gaze fall down, as if ashamed and guilty.

"We called the police the next morning after we went to every hospital and place we could've thought Jungkook could be. Jungkook was missing for 142 hours until police finally found him. Their first and only suspect was Sungjin after we told them everything about his 'interest' in Jungkook. And since he wasn't showing up at college since Jungkook was missing, he was the most probable culprit. His family was the one that helped us find Sungjin's whereabouts."

"Did he- did he hurt Jungkook?" Taehyung questioned with a dry throat and a heart-thumping so hard it felt like it would break his rib cages.

"Physically? No, thank god! But mentally..." Junghyun's voice dropped to almost a whisper, sounding choked. 

"Jungkook went to therapy for two years to manage his panic attacks, and to deal with his fear of being locked away. For years we had to sleep with all doors open, so he could feel free to run if he woke up from a nightmare. It was around that time that we got the bodyguards. They were there to watch out for Jungkook at night and to protect him during daytime."

"During daytime? Wasn't Sungjin locked away?" The gangster questioned with a frown, as to what Junghyun simply shook his head in a vehement negative. "What do you mean? He was caught red-handed!"

"Our father settled with his family to not press charges." Taehyung was dumbfounded and furious. How could Jeon Changwook settle after his son had been kidnapped?

"That doesn't make fucking sense! You're also rich and influential, why did your father coward away?" Taehyung tried his best not to let his voice raise too much and be heard inside the dining room, but it was getting harder as he got wrathful.

"Because money can buy anything we want, but power? With power, you own everything. His parents are diplomats, and a scandal like that could ruin a lot for our own country. It was a lost battle." Taehyung was dumbstruck, a number of curses rolling out his tongue as he got restless.

"Is that fucker at least far away from Korea?" He questioned in a more contained tone.

"His parents promised he would never come back and bother Jungkook again. We just keep hoping they keep their end of the bargain because even if they don't, we can't do anything." Junghyun confessed with a wretched heart and a feeling of powerlessness always lingering over him.

"I swear to God, if that fucker even dares to come near Seoul, I'll do something very stupid and very illegal," Taehyung promised with gritted teeth.