Love me ♡

chapter 25

Jungkook stepped into the cozy café, immediately greeted by the pleasant and fresh aroma of coffee. As he scanned the room, his eyes landed on a familiar face.

"Aera!" he called out, a smile spreading across his face.

"Woah, you did grow a little!" Aera exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"You're just noticing it?" Jungkook sighed playfully. "Anyway, why did you suddenly decide to buy me lunch?"

"I'll tell you in a sec—" Aera's gaze shifted, focusing on something behind Jungkook. "You're here too! Perfect timing."

Jungkook turned around to see Taehyung standing there, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Sit down! Hurry up!" Aera urged, motioning for them to take a seat. Once they were all settled, she reached into her bag and pulled out a card.

"You're getting married!" Jungkook exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I thought you were planning a spring wedding, guess not..." Taehyung chimed in, his tone tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Hyung knew already?" Jungkook asked, his gaze shifting between Aera and Taehyung.

"Yeah," Aera confirmed. "They met over a year ago and hit it off. It was truly magical to say the least."

"Have you decided on a honeymoon destination?" Taehyung continued, trying to maintain a cheerful tone.

"Maldives or—" Aera began to respond, but her sentence was interrupted by Jungkook's ringing phone. "Excuse me," Jungkook apologized before excusing himself from the table to take the call.

As Jungkook left, Aera let out a sigh. "I thought you were getting along well. Why do I sense tension?"

"We weren't getting along; we were just pretending so you wouldn't tell us off," Taehyung confessed, scratching his head in frustration.

"When are you going to stop pretending like you don't know what's going on?" Aera's voice softened. "Jungkook's trying everything he can to get back with you... and I also know you have feelings for him. Did you think I wouldn't notice all the paintings you've been working on in private, all of them of Jungkook?"

Taehyung sighed, his gaze filled with a mixture of emotions. "You're concerned for us, I know. That's why I'm telling you this. I don't know what to do anymore."

Just then, Jungkook returned to the table, and they resumed their conversation about the wedding and the memories they had shared in the art studio. As they left the café, Aera couldn't help but think, "These fools in love..."

In the car Jungkook said, "this is the 2nd wedding invitation I got from someone outside my family"

"first was mine?"

"Yes..were you happy and smiley like this too hyung"

"back then I truly felt like that was the only time I was happy" he said with a sad smile.

The soft strains of music filled the air, enveloping them in a comfortable silence. Jungkook couldn't shake the hope that Taehyung was thinking about the same thing as him — for them to go back to the time when they were truly happy together. 

"Do you want to go to han river?" Taehyung asked. 

"Aren't we just sex friends?" Jungkook scoffed, but he immediately apologized as he saw Tae's hurt expression, "sorry yeah, let's go."

Taehyung nodded and as they travelled tae thought's were filled with something else....his conversation with his ex-wife.

"Eun-ha" Taehyung spoke through the phone. "do you remember what you said before? you told me not to make the same mistake I made with you. I have this person I care about and  I didn't want him to get hurt because of me....but I think I already made that mistake. no matter what I do, things gets worse........what do I do?"

"I already told you. I only had a hard time because you never shared your thoughts with me and chose to run away. Try to trust him a little more and focus on your happiness." she said. Taehyung could feel her warm smile through the phone. 

At han river~

"Jungkook, you asked.. if I was happy? I was." Taehyung asked as they walked side by side, "I was so happy, I thought if this was a dream I dont want to wake up" 

Jungkook focused his eyes on the river. 

"You know when she proposed?so much was going through my mind and you popped into my head...I was thinking ah what am I gonna do with that kid? he used to follow me around asking me to marry him, what would he feel if I got married for real?" Taehyung said.

Jungkook trembled as tears brimmed his eyes.

"Would he get mad if I tease him about the old days, would he be happy for me, would he...congratulate me? but if was as heaven didn't care. Because you confessed your feelings to me not long after. I knew your love was real. I could see it in your eyes, in your tears. that's why...I had no choice but to distance myself from you. When I saw you again after my divorce, I told myself that it was all in the past. If I'd known things would turn out like this, I would've told you everything from the start. "

Taehyung didn't notice Jungkook's tears. His eyes wouldn't dare look at the younger. "If I had knew our relationship was going to end so soon, I would have loved you more. treated you better. I've regretted my decision more than a thousand time."

Jungkook began walking faster. He didn't want to hear about his relationship with Taehyung in the past tense. He was not ready for the apology or for the closure. He didn't want Taehyung to give up.

Taehyung  tried to keep with the fast paced walk, "I don't want you to act like this. Please. I know this is because of me but be the person you were."

Jungkook tried walking even faster and Taehyung gently grabbed him making him stop," Jungkook...Jeon Jungkook I love you."

"what?"

"I love you..." Tae hugged him.

Tears streamed down Jungkook's face. Whatever plan or idea he had flew away, all he wanted was Taehyung to love him. He wanted his painfully unreciprocated love to be reciprocated. All his pain was worth it cause he had the love of his life in his arms. 

"I love you too....and this time, I'm never letting you go." Jungkook hugged him tighter.

If the world were to end right this moment, Jungkook thinks it's alright to die like this. There's no better way than this.

                                                                                                THE END.