Recalling Affection

Chapter 17

"WHAT THE HELL, JUNGKOOK?!"

Jimin stormed into the room, his face flushed with rage, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. His eyes darted between Jungkook, who was leaning casually against the counter, and Saga, whose heart sank the moment she saw Jimin’s expression.

"What now Casanova?" Jungkook sighed, though the edge in his voice betrayed his frustration.

Jimin shoved his phone into Jungkook’s chest, his words coming out in a rapid, almost hyper rant. "You don’t know? You seriously have no idea?! It’s all over the news! EVERY. SINGLE. CHANNEL. And of course, they’re dragging Saga into it too!"

Saga’s stomach twisted as she heard her name. "Wait, what’s going on?" she asked hesitantly, setting her mug down.

"See for yourself," Jimin snapped, gesturing at the phone now in Jungkook’s hand.

Jungkook unlocked the screen and immediately felt his breath hitch. A blurry photo of him, Jimin, and Saga at the airport—meant to be an innocent moment as they waited to pick up Taehyung and Vianna—was plastered everywhere. The headlines screamed sensationalized accusations:

"Jeon Jungkook Spotted With Mystery Woman—Who Is She?"
"Jungkook’s Airport Antics: Romance or Scandal?"

Saga’s face was prominent in the photo, her hand brushing against Jungkook’s arm as they shared the unknown argument. The comments were even worse: cruel words about her appearance, her status, and everything in between.

Jungkook’s jaw tightened as he scrolled, reading the vitriol directed at Saga. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, his voice low.

"Ridiculous?!" Jimin exploded, his hand gesturing wildly. "This is more than ridiculous, Jungkook! You’re an idol. People follow your every move. Did you seriously not think about how this would affect her?"

Saga stepped back, her chest tightening as the weight of Jimin’s words sank in. "It’s not his fault," she tried to interject, her voice barely above a whisper, because she knew how they met their and neither of these where his intentions.

"Of course it’s his fault!" Jimin snapped, turning to her. "You wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for him!"

"Jimin, that’s enough, none of it was anyone of us's intention. She might be your best friend but she is mine sister also." Taehyung’s deep voice cut through the tension as he and Vianna entered the room, their expressions a mix of concern and anger.

"No, it’s not enough!" Jimin shot back, his voice rising. "Do you even know what they’re saying about her? About us? They’re calling her a gold digger, a desperate nobody clinging to his fame. Isn't it disgusting! And one day's meeting can't make you this much concerned because yet you are her best friend's boyfriend nothing more or less than that."

Saga's mind was fogging with all the unwanted information running over. She wasn't able to take this things that her loved ones talking about her loved ones.

Then only Jungkook slammed the phone down on the counter, his patience snapping. "Just shup up Jimin. How dare you talked to him like that huh? You think I don’t know that? You think I wanted this to happen?!" His voice cracked with frustration. "I can’t control what they write, Jimin! I didn’t ask for this!Nothing of these. And mind your language well Jimin. I am warning you for the first and the last time."

"Yeah, well, you don’t have to deal with the fallout, do you?" Jimin retorted, his tone dripping with bitterness. "You’ll move on to your next headline, but Saga? She’s stuck with people tearing her apart because she dared to exist near you."

Saga stood frozen, her breath hitching as the weight of Jimin’s words crushed her. The tears she had been holding back began to spill, unbidden, down her cheeks. "I… I didn’t wanted any of these," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn’t ask to be humiliated like this. No no no no..."

Jungkook turned to her, his face etched with guilt. "Saga, I’m sorry. I—"

"Stop," Jimin interrupted him, while Saga was shaking her head as her tears fell faster. "Just stop, Jungkook." His  voice laced with anger and eyes filled with hurt. "Do you know what it feels like to wake up and see your name next to words like ‘desperate’ and ‘pathetic’? Do you know what it’s like to read strangers picking apart everything about you? My face, my weight, my clothes... my entire existence?!"

Jungkook’s heart broke at his words. He cupped his face to assure her, "I didn’t want this, Saga," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "I would never want you to go through this because of me."

"I know," she said, keeping her hands on his hands on her face, her voice barely audible. "I know it’s not your fault, but it still hurts, Jungkook. You know...know na.... I am not like that. My intentions for you...never wa..was..like...that." Jungkook's heart sank more deeper seeing her, his own eyes started to drip now.

Vianna stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Saga’s arm. "Saga, you don’t have to go through this alone," she said gently, her eyes flicking to Jungkook. "We’re all here for you."

"But you can’t stop them," Saga said, her voice breaking as she looked at Vianna, then at Jimin and Taehyung. "None of you can stop the way they talk about me. None of you can erase the things they’ve said."

Her legs gave out, and she sank onto the couch, her face buried in her hands as sobs wracked her body. Jungkook was by her side in an instant, his hand hovering uncertainly above her shoulder.

"Saga, please don’t cry," he whispered, his voice thick with desperation. "I’ll fix this. I don’t know how, but I’ll make it right. I promise."

"How?" she asked, her voice muffled through her hands. She looked up at him, her eyes red and filled with anguish. "How can you fix this, Jungkook? How can you make them stop seeing me as someone I’m not? They will drag us more and more and more in this pithole."

"I don’t know," he admitted, his voice breaking. "But I’ll find a way. I swear I will."

Taehyung, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his gaze steady. "We’ll all find a way," he said, his voice firm. "This isn’t just your fight, Jungkook. It’s ours too. It's mine too. For my sister and brother."

Jimin, guilt etched across his face, nodded. "I’m sorry, Saga," he said softly. "I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you or Jungkook. I just hate seeing you hurt."

Saga wiped her tears, her breaths shaky as she looked around at the people who meant the world to her. "I don’t know if I can do this," she admitted, her voice raw. "But thank you... for being here."

Vianna’s observant eyes narrowed as Saga began rubbing her temples, her words trailing off mid-sentence. A few moments later, Saga frowned and said quietly, “What were we talking about?”

Taehyung caught Vianna’s alarmed glance. "Saga, are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah… I think so," she replied, her voice distant. She shook her head as if trying to clear it, her brow furrowing.

Vianna exchanged a silent, worried look with Taehyung. It wasn’t the first time they’d noticed these lapses recently—Saga forgetting small details, losing her train of thought. But now, with everything happening, it seemed to be getting worse.

"We’ll talk later," Vianna murmured to Taehyung, who nodded solemnly.

As the group fell into a tense silence, the weight of the situation hung heavily in the air. Outside, the world continued to spin, but inside that room, a quiet resolution began to take shape: they would face this together, no matter how messy or painful it got. Even as new, more personal fears began to simmer beneath the surface.

But Saga's condition started a new equation there.

.
.
.
.
.

See you guys in next chapter..
Till then love you guys..
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕