CONTENDER ✔

Epilogue

"No, you shouldn't have come here. We- I- I can't-" Jungkook softly cupped his cheeks when he noticed the troubled male.

"Why are you so nervous? Remember, we were friends and we parted away on good terms." Taehyung bitterly chuckled and removed the hand from his cheek.

"Parted away? Really? You practically ran away!" His eyes were looking here and there, his heart filled with sorrows that he just wanted to empty.

"I know, you- you were hurt by my reaction, but what did you do? You just ran away before I could understand it all! You left me in my miseries and pains." The tears filled in his doe eyes and were reflecting his pains, so clearly.

Jungkook bit his lips when his eyes met with those soft brown ones, the male was smiling yet crying.

"I was afraid of my own feelings, afraid for falling for a- a boy, a boy who was filling up the void in my heart and soul. But instead of believing in my own feelings, I reacted that way, thinking that I was doing right by pushing my feelings back, for my family, for my mother and all. My own priority wasn't there, they were my priorities and I was afraid of disappointing them." The tears started to cascade down his smooth skin, stopping at the bruised lips that he had been biting for hours.

"But in my own chaos, I forgot... I forgot how much it will affect you, your feelings." His eyes met with the dark ones.

"I forgot to give you the love you deserved, hyung." Jungkook clenched his jaw, controlling himself from crying.

"Because- because I was a coward. I was always a coward." He took a deep breath and wiped his tears which were replaced quickly.

"I know, it means nothing now but- but let me be selfish again and let it out, because it's suffocating me and will kill me someday-"

"Taehyung-"

"Please, please.. it's too much now," Taehyung mumbled and took another deep breath because he was so close to breaking down.

Jungkook silently watched him as the other slowly rolled up his sleeve and showed something, that made him feel mixed emotions.

"When I first got that bracelet, I fell for it. Thinking it was Minho who gifted me that, I was happy for our friendship. But the day- the day when I found out that it was you, my heart was pushing me to fall deeper for the real giver, but my mind- my mind kept stopping me."

"When you didn't show up for days after that night, my heart was always longing for y- you, it was- it was crying for your soothing words and voice." A small smile but a broken one adorned his chapped lips and   broke Jungkook's heart.

"Euni, she- she was more intelligent than me and made me realize what stupidity I was showing." He chuckled lightly and due to his movement, more tears fell off his face.

"But when I finally gathered up my courage, you- you were already gone.. gone." The way he repeated the word 'gone', made Jungkook clench his fists tightly.

"That letter is still with me, you write so well... just like the way you wrote the first time when I was sick." He was sure that it was always Jungkook who helped him in his very dark times but he was blind to see that all, too much engrossed in his own thoughts of taking him as a rival, such a fool.

Jungkook closed his eyes when there was a brief silence. He heard the footsteps approaching him but he kept himself in the dark until a soft yet cold hand touched his wrist, hesitantly.