Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 130: The House That Waited

And beneath the far corner, just out of sight—
A shadow.

I freeze. My breath stills.
It’s not him. Just a kid with a hoodie and headphones.

But my body had already prepared to shatter.

I crouch by Bam and let my hands fall into his fur.

It’s almost noon when we meet back at the house.

No one’s found him.
No one’s even seen him.

The worry has evolved into something heavier now. Not panic. Not dread.

Just that numbness that comes from knowing you’re powerless.

I sink onto the couch.
Tae throws me a blanket.

Wacha crawls onto my thigh like she knows I need weight.

Yoongi reappears from the hallway with a folder in his hands.

“Someone logged into LoveMap from a Korean subnet that shouldn’t exist,” he says quietly.

“It’s not Kook’s account. But it’s tied to our home region. Close. Too close.”

Namjoon takes the paper from his hand.

“You think they used the distraction?”
Yoongi nods once.

Jimin glances between them. “You’re saying this wasn’t random.”

“I’m saying,” Yoongi says, measured, “that whoever’s watching this family waited until we were too emotional to look twice.”

The room holds that thought in silence.
Until Jin oppa finally speaks.

“We’re gonna find him.”

His voice is tired—but unshakable.

“We’ll check every block, every bus stop, every damn ramen shop if we have to.”

Namjoon nods. “He’s still in the city. We just have to reach him.”

I look up, fingers clutched in Bam’s fur.

But what if he doesn’t want to be found?”
And that’s the question no one answers.

Because maybe this time…
Kook doesn’t want to be pulled back.
Maybe he thinks he’s not worth it.

Later, at night—
I find myself on the swing again. The garden feels even colder tonight.

Jungkook’s tree sways lightly in the breeze. But still—no footsteps. No hoodie.

No boy with galaxies in his big eyes, pacing under the branches like he used to.

My fingers curl around the chain.

I whisper to the stars:
“If you find him… tell him I still believe in us.”

The wind doesn’t answer.
But somewhere in the city, I hope he feels it anyway.

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Jungkook's POV

The first night, I slept on a rooftop.

Not far from home—close enough that I could still see the glow of it from the edge of the building.

But far enough to pretend I didn’t belong there anymore.

The city moved beneath me like it didn’t care.

The hum of traffic.

The quiet rumble of the train a few blocks away.