RED STRING REWRITTEN

28

Taehyung (whispering): “I know, hyung… I feel it already.”

Namjoon leaned closer, his deep voice steady.

Namjoon: “You both are stronger than you realize. To bear all of this alone for so long—it takes courage. I’m proud of you boys.”

Taehyung and Fourth (together, bowing slightly): “Thank you, hyung. We tried our best.”

The morning slowly melted into warmth, laughter, and the sound of stories being exchanged. For the first time in years, Tae felt like he belonged.

SEOUL – Same Morning

The college campus buzzed with the usual noise of chatter and rushing students. Gemini walked in, his face void of expression. No smile, no sparkle in his eyes—just an empty shell moving through the familiar routine. He joined his group—Dunk, Phuwin, Pond, and Joong—who were already sitting in their usual corner of the classroom.

Dunk stared at his notebook, restless.

Dunk: “I still… I still can’t believe everything that happened. I’m missing Fourth so much. It feels unreal.”

Phuwin sighed heavily, resting his head against the desk.

Phuwin: “Same. It feels like he took a piece of us with him. Like he carried away all the laughter, the warmth… everything feels hollow now.”

Pond leaned forward, trying to sound strong, though his eyes betrayed him.

Pond: “Don’t drown in sadness, na. We have to survive for ourselves too. If we keep breaking like this, what will be left of us? Hold yourselves together, please.”

Joong placed a hand on Dunk’s shoulder.

Joong: “We can do this. Together. No matter how much it hurts, we’ll survive.”

But Gemini suddenly slammed his pen down, his voice sharp, colder than anyone expected.

Gemini: “Enough. Please… don’t mention his name in front of me ever again. I don’t want to remember him.”

Joong flinched.

Joong: “But Gemini—”

Gemini (cutting him off, voice hard): “No means no. I said it once, don’t make me repeat it.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Pond quickly nodded, trying to calm things down.

Pond: “Okay… we understand.”

And so, their routine became mechanical. They sat together, talked only about surface-level things, attended classes, and went home without joy. The spark in their group had dimmed.

Jungkook’s Side

Far away, Jungkook drowned himself in work. Meetings, projects, rehearsals—anything to keep his mind busy. At night, he filled the void with loud parties, bright lights, and strangers. But no matter how hard he tried, every time the music slowed, every time he returned home, he found himself haunted by Taehyung’s smile.

He locked his heart away, convincing himself he was moving on. But in truth, every party, every drink, every laugh was just an attempt to erase the ache he carried.

ONE YEAR LATER

The soft morning light filtered through the tall glass windows of Suga and Namjoon’s company building in Bangkok. The place was sleek, professional, filled with the low hum of busy employees moving through the corridors. Taehyung sat at his desk, neatly organizing files, his eyes focused, his posture sharp. He had grown into his role as Suga’s personal secretary over the past year. Though it wasn’t always easy, he had learned to manage schedules, meetings, and endless paperwork.