CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, MENTIONS OF ASSAULT, SPIKING, DRINKING, ANGST, & FLUFF
_
Taehyung weaseled his way quietly out of his bedroom, leaving Jimin alone to sniffle and cuddle against one of his larger pillows. He'd return eventually, but not without Yumin. Seokjin had managed to get Yoongi back to his almost normal self: quiet and calm as he sat and observed the chaos still unfolding around him. The eldest had only needed to take a day to himself, the day after Yumin had clocked Jungkook in the nose in fact. He was so full of rage that he couldn't bear to be around the others. Taehyung respected him for that.
The two detectives of the house had gathered together to try and force the others into a happier setting. The more they moped and confined themselves to their beds, the worse things would become. Step one was to get Yumin out of her room and into his own, and then things would set off from there. Taehyung shot a quick text to Kiana, who was coming off of her work shift in a few minutes, inviting her over to their house for a few hours. Today was the day they would make progress. Whether it was negative or positive, they would find out later.
"Baby?" Taehyung called out softly, offering a few knocks on her closed bedroom door. He couldn't hear anything from within thanks to the solid walls that surrounded her, but a few moments later the door creaked open. Yumin peered out at the brunet with tired, half-shut eyes, her face pale and lifeless. It was no longer caked red with tears. She'd stopped crying days ago.
"Can I come in?"
Yumin left the door ajar, shuffling back to her bed and flopping down beside Yeontan. That's where he'd disappeared to. Pushing his way inside, Taehyung shut the door behind him and settled wordlessly beside her. Yumin let her eyes flutter closed so that she wouldn't have to face him, toying with the hem of her sheets as a means of distraction.
Taking a moment, Taehyung quietly took in Yumin's listless form. She seemed nothing but a shrunken shell of her former cuddly, cheery, sound self. It was almost as if the light inside of her extinguished long ago.
"Angel? You alright?"
"I'm fine," sighed Yumin.
"Well, I know that's not true."
"If you already knew the answer, then why'd you ask?"
Taehyung bit down on the inside of his cheek, leaning back with his arm stationed over Yumin's legs. The brunette shifted to peer up at him with no emotion in her eyes. She looked rather bored as if having him in her room beside her was about as exciting as a fifth-period World History class. It unsettled him, but after a minute of silence, Taehyung spoke again.
"Yumin, you've gotta get up. Have you moved at all today?"
"Besides showering this morning and getting up to let you in, no."
"Yumin."
"Taehyung."
"Don't use my full name like that. You know I don't like it."
Yumin stared up at him for a moment longer before turning into her pillow. She hid part of her face from view, eyes fluttering closed with exhaustion as a sigh escaped her pale lips. Taehyung shook his head, pushing himself onto his knees to tower above her. Leaning down, he gently forced her to turn up and look at him, gripping her wrists and pushing them down into the mattress. She didn't look startled, or even flustered, as she normally would've been. Instead, she blinked up at him with a frown, brow furrowed in exasperation.
"If you're not gonna be cooperative, then I'm going to have to make you."
Yumin scoffed, looking off into the distance. "Great. Yet another way I'll be used. What else is new?"
Taken aback by her words, Taehyung released Yumin's wrists, sitting back on his heels to let her slip out from beneath him. He hadn't considered that maybe she wasn't mad at just Jungkook. She was mad at everyone. Feeling guilty for the way he approached her, Taehyung reached out to caress her cheek. The brunette didn't flinch away from his touch as he had expected, but simply leaned into it searching for comfort. Taehyung scooted a few inches closer and finally folded Yumin in his arms, letting her rest her head against his chest with a sigh as her eyes fluttered closed.
"If you won't get up for me, can you do it for Jimin? He's about as happy as you are right now, and I think if he saw you, he'd feel a lot better. You both would."
Yumin glanced up at Taehyung before nodding with slight hesitancy. He knew she didn't feel like socializing, but as soon as she was in his room with Jimin, things would start to turn in their favor.
_
Almost immediately, I regretted following Taehyung into his bedroom. I stood frigid at the sight of Jimin's body, limp beneath the bedsheets with darkened circles under his once beautiful eyes. Now, they looked completely lifeless. I felt like Taehyung was showing me a sick exhibit of a dying person, standing close to the exit with my hands clasped against my chest as if I were a cowering child. I didn't know how to approach either man, let alone comfort the broken one. Jimin looked worse than I did. As expected; he'd never been through something like this before.
"Min-ah?" Taehyung murmured, gently stroking Jimin's matted, blonde hair. The oldest's eyes flickered to life, staring directly at me. Almost through me. His gaze made me nauseous. Taehyung continued to pet Jimin's head as his gaze locked with mine, the blonde shifting stiffly beneath his sheets until he brought himself upon his elbow. He reminded me of a burnt-out college student being woken from a quick, sleepless rest.
"Angel," Jimin beamed, the faint sparkles of eagerness lighting up his dark eyes. He seemed so happy to have me in the room, but all I could do was stand and stare as tears brimmed in my eyes. Soon, they overflowed onto my face, my shoulders shaking as I muffled my sobs against my clothed hand. My eyes shut tightly as if I could disappear from sight by cutting off my vision, but I could feel their eyes burning into my skin from afar.
Soft footsteps padded over to my side, hands gently running over my shoulders and pulling me against a broad chest. I recognized Taehyung's cologne as it stung my nose, burying my face away in his embrace as I continued to cry. Just the sight of what Jungkook's betrayal had done to us all made me feel weak in the knees. Everyone was suffering, including him. It just went to show that I couldn't protect everyone as I had hoped to.
"Hey, it's alright, angel," Taehyung cooed softly, stumbling back with me plastered to his chest. The brunet sat me down on the edge of his bed, Jimin leaning forward to pull me back against him. Taehyung crouched down in front of me with his hands on his knees as he continued to murmur at me softly, rubbing soothing circles against my clothed skin until I peered up at him past my tears. His brow furrowed in understanding, gaze warm and inviting. I felt that if I stared into them for much longer, I'd get completely lost. Soon, I managed to wipe the tears from my eyes, holding the ends of my sweater sleeves against my mouth and nose so they couldn't see my trembling lips.
"Angel, don't cry." Jimin's breath was hot against the side of my neck, the blonde resting his chin on my shoulder and hooking his arms around the front of my waist. He peered across at me with starry eyes, biting down on his plump bottom lip as his gaze traveled all over my face. "It's okay. I-I'm alright, baby."
At the familiar word baby, I wiggled around in Jimin's arms, hiding my face away in the crook of his neck as I straddled his hips. It felt so comforting to be in someone's arms again. The only people I'd gotten close to over the past week and a half were Seokjin and Kiana, but those moments hadn't been nearly as intimate as I had hoped for. I felt Jimin's lips connect to the sensitive patch of skin along my collar, eliciting a whimper from my throat as I pulled him closer. In the beginning, I didn't want to socialize at all, but seeing how badly we needed each other, I had no intentions of letting go.
I hadn't noticed Taehyung leave the room until Jimin laid me down beside him, untucking my head to peer up at his with glossy eyes. He reached up to stroke my face as tears brimmed in the corners of his own eyes. My heart constricted at the sight, my hands cupping his cheeks as I pressed our lips together. An unnerving feeling rocketed through my stomach as if I were scared I'd do something wrong. I had done something wrong: I'd shut my family out when they needed me the most. Jimin's lips moved casually along with mine, a soft moan slipping from his throat making more tears dribble down my face.
"I'm sorry, Jimin," I whimpered. "I'm sorry I shut you out again."
"Yumin, it's okay. It's alright." Jimin pressed our lips back together again for a brief moment and I took the time to savor the long-forgotten taste of his mouth, tongue pulled back hesitantly as it grazed over my top lip. Pulling away with flushed cheeks, the blonde pressed out foreheads together, his hands trembling as they brushed along my forearms. "You know I love you no matter what, angel."
Hearing those words brought more pain to me than they should've. I collapsed against Jimin's chest, crying my heart out as I whispered over and over again that I loved him. And, I meant it. I could hear the sobs lodged in the back of his throat finally come loose as he began to cry into my fluffy hair, fingers gripping my back as he pulled me closer to him.
"Yumin, don't- don't ever leave me, okay? You have to stay with me forever and you have to promise me, alright?"
I giggled softly against Jimin's skin, nodding my head in reply. "I would never leave you. Ever."
"G-Good."
I pulled back to gaze up at Jimin one final time, taking in his distraught face and the paling corners of his skin the blossomed red with a newfound blush. He looked utterly miserable, but the smile that lit up his small face showed that he was still somewhat happy. I could make him happy. I could make us both feel better, and I promised again that I would never leave. Because I never wanted to see his smile fade. Even if it meant that mine would.
_
The brunet pushed through into his hyung's room without warning, Kiana padding in behind him with her hands clasped tightly around her phone. Seokjin peered up at them with a blank gaze as his brow gradually furrowed in confusion. Behind him, Yoongi curled deeper into his backside with a groan, not wanting to see or be seen by anyone. Taehyung flipped the covers off the both of them, grabbing ahold of the eldest's hand to pull him out of bed.
"Tae, what're you doing?" Seokjin hummed lazily, yanking his arm free and turning back into his pillow. It didn't look as if he were getting up anytime soon.
"We're going to go talk to Koo. Now, get up, please."
Seokjin didn't budge. His eyes glazed over as he stared out at the floor, gently caressing Yoongi's hand against his stomach. Taehyung sighed, kneeling down before his hyung and gathering his face in his veiny hands. He wouldn't let everyone waste away as they were. Knowing Jimin and Yumin, they would end up okay as long as they were together, but it seemed not as so for Yoongi and Seokjin. Both lay with dark under-eye bags from lack of sleep, their cheeks partially sunken in as if they hadn't had a decent meal in the past two weeks. Taehyung didn't realize that Jungkook's infidelity had had near the same effect on everyone in the household, including him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd sat down to eat a full meal or had a healthy conversation with someone that didn't end up with them both in tears. Everyone was hurting: he was just the only one to push it down under. Hidden.
"Jin, c'mon. You were the one who wanted to fix things in the first place." Taehyung could feel the stinging of tears in the back of his eyes but refused to let them fall around the people beside him. "All we have to do is get Jungkook's full story. Okay? Can you help me do that, please?"
With a pained sigh, Seokjin unhooked Yoongi's arm from around his waist, forcing himself into a sitting position with his legs thrown over the edge of his bed. Taehyung stood back to his full height, reaching back until his hand brushed against Kiana's forearm to reassure himself that she was still there to help. She was the only one that hadn't come close to snapping yet. The brunet didn't know what he'd do without her there to help him.
"Yoongi, you too," Kiana mumbled. "We need both of you to go through with this."
"Why can't you two just go?" the older boy grumbled in response, staring up at her through slitted eyes.
"Because." Taehyung could sense the brunette losing her patience. "The more the merrier. Please, just get out of bed, Yoongi."
At this point, it wasn't purely on getting the others to talk to Jungkook. It was about getting them up and out of bed for their sake. Being cooped up in bed all week served no one any good.
Taehyung laced his fingers through Seokjin's as the brunet stood, his shoulders slumped forward with exhaustion. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around his waist; the first hug he'd offered his hyung since he arrived in Seoul. To his surprise, Seokjin hugged him back, lightly, pulling him against his chest as they waited for Yoongi to get to his feet. The second oldest seemed a bit stubborn, but still being under Kiana's intimidating glare, he forced himself out of bed and patted at his sweatshirt to cease its wrinkles. His gaze snapped up to Taehyung's as he pulled out of his hyung's embrace.
"That wasn't so hard, now, was it, hyung?" Taehyung smiled softly, reaching out to pull Yoongi into his arms. The brunet cuddled him against his chest, not caring that he wiggled uncomfortably, trying to pry free of his embrace. Finally, letting him go, Taehyung could see the nervous smile tugging at Yoongi's lips as a rosy hue blossomed over his cheeks.
"Okay, c'mon. You two don't look that much like hobos, but we still need to talk to Jungkook."
Seokjin narrowed his gaze at Kiana and for a moment, Taehyung thought he would snap at the smaller brunette. But, instead, a humorous glint lit up his face, giving way to a broad smile that exposed solid white teeth. "Who're you calling a hobo, honey? I'm the cutest thing in this room." A wink, offered at the end of his sentence.
Taehyung shook his head with a chuckle, slapping his hand against the underside of Jin's exposed palm. "No, the cutest thing in this room is Yoongi. More importantly his behind, but now's not the time to get into that." He offered his hyung a smirk with a quirked brow, enjoying the way his cheeks darkened in response.
Yoongi pressed almost frantically against Kiana's shoulder, ushering her towards the bedroom door as he lowered his face in embarrassment. "Oh my god, just go. Go, before I change my mind."
The four of them let out relieved chuckles before making their way down and across the hall to Jungkook's room, located to the far right of the other side of the hallway. His door was shut, as it had remained the entirety of the past two weeks, and Taehyung offered a gentle knock before voicing his desire to enter. He didn't hear a reply, and before he could knock again, Kiana slipped in past him, leaving the door ajar for the others to follow.
Jungkook startled awake, glaring up at Kiana as she padded up to the side of his bed. She stared down at him with her arms crossed over her chest. It wasn't her place to speak, and she turned to Taehyung as he, Seokjin, and Yoongi filed into the bedroom and shut themselves inside. He guessed that he was in charge of the situation. Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, Taehyung fisted the sides of his pants before speaking.
"Jungkook." How was he supposed to start a conversation such as this? Taehyung wished he'd asked Seokjin what he'd done to get the youngest to speak to him, but now it was too late. "We- We need to talk. Seriously talk. You need to tell us what happened that night."
Jungkook's face paled with widened eyes as he stared up at the brunet, unblinking as the seconds ticked on into almost a full minute of silence. Taehyung could feel shivers work their way up his spine but refused to take his eyes off the maknae as he waited for the moment all his secrets would tumble from his lips. Jungkook sighed shakily, gaze flicking back and forth between his and the others until finally, he removed his bedsheets from over his legs and sat up.
"Y-You guys...you have to promise not to get upset with me, okay?" Jungkook's bottom lip began to tremble as his eyes glossed over with tears. He looked broken and completely scared, and Taehyung couldn't help but replay Yumin's voice in the back of his head. If he were innocent, he wouldn't be scared. Only the guilty seek to cower from their secrets. A growl worked its way in the back of his throat, but he cleared it with a muffled cough, trailing his tongue irritably along the inside of his cheek.
"No promises," Kiana mumbled under her breath, glaring daggers into the trembling boy.
Taking another breath, Jungkook started fiddling with his fingers in his lap, staring down at the floor with tears in his eyes. He started off by mentioning the text from Sejin, and Taehyung had to bite his tongue to prevent noting that they didn't have any upcoming sponsorships. They didn't have to work for the next month thanks to Seokjin's arrival back home. He let Jungkook continue, glancing at Jin and Kiana beside him out of the corners of his eyes. They hadn't budged even an inch, standing frigid as they got lost in the details of Jungkook's story.
Rachel had the outfit for the upcoming "sponsorship." He'd drove to her place with the intent of retrieving it and immediately returning home. Something about preparing the outfit for him, although it should've been ready by the time he arrived. Hongju. Fuzzy vision. Headache. Jungkook could barely make it upstairs and eventually collapsed against Rachel's bed. Taehyung froze as he watched Jungkook's hand slide down his stomach and to his crotch, miming Rachel's as she laid her hands upon him. Every word he muttered after made the brunet feel sick to his stomach. Jungkook's eyes swelled with tears until they overflowed onto his rosy cheeks, hiding his head away in his hands as his shoulders shook with sobs.
Taehyung's mouth hung almost agape as he let everything the maknae said settle onto his shoulders. His heart raced, blood boiling in his veins as the only thought that lingered, sensible, in his mind's reach was revenge. To put Rachel under his boot and press down until she was deprived of breath. The brunet knew he didn't like her upon their first meeting for a reason, and seeing Jimin and Yoongi keep their distance from her only fueled his unease. And, then he found out about her past with Yumin, and that only led him to hate her.
Now, he wanted her dead.
"I'm sorry, hyung," Jungkook sniffled, trying to wipe the tears from his face. But, they just kept falling, tumbling down his face like mini waterfalls. "I'm so sorry for everything."
Feeling tears trickle down and catch on his jaw, Taehyung stumbled forward until he could throw his arms around Jungkook's waist. He sat back and trapped the brunet against his chest, feeling his muscled arms wrap around his own waist and hold him close. His gaze snapped up to Seokjin, finding the eldest with his bottom lip trapped between his teeth as he tried so hard to keep his tears from falling. Yoongi had left the room, door standing ajar with Nari in his place, probably to pace his bedroom as he angrily gripped his hair at its roots. Kiana was staring at the ceiling with a finger under her nose, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as her ears burned red. No one knew how to react, but everyone was full of rage.
Taehyung buried his face into Jungkook's matted hair as he ran his hands soothingly down the youngest's back. Jungkook sniffled against his neck, fisting his t-shirt in his hands as if he would lose his hyung as soon as they pulled away.
"D-Do you believe me, Tae?"
"I- Of course I believe you, Koo. Fuck." Taehyung pulled away to cup the brunet's face, wiping his tears away with the pad of his thumb. He seemed so relieved to hear those words, and it finally settled in that he'd stayed quiet for so long for fear the others wouldn't believe what had happened. "I'm always gonna believe you, okay? Always."
Jungkook nodded through a whimper, leaning forward to rest his head against his hyung's chest. "I didn't say anything...b-because I didn't know-"
"You didn't know if we'd believe you?"
"Mhmm."
"Koo." Seokjin kneeled down to run his hand along Jungkook's shoulder. The maknae twisted his head to peer up at him, blinking past the few tears that still trickled down his face. "Did she do anything else? Did she threaten you, hurt you, anything?"
"She- She said if I said anything, she'd...that you guys would get hurt. And, I didn't want that! So, I-" Jungkook seeled his mouth shut, aggressively wiping at his face until it lit up a dark crimson. Kiana exhaled shakily before excusing herself from the room, shutting the door behind her, and stomping down the hallway. She never came back. Seokjin sat on the opposite side of Jungkook and Taehyung, resting his head on the boy's shoulder so he was cocooned between them.
"We'll always be on your side, Koo. I'm so sorry that we didn't listen to you in the beginning."
"It's... It's fine. I wouldn't have believed me either." A pained smile tugged at Jungkook's lips as he squeezed Taehyung's waist tighter. "Yumin probably won't."
"Jungkook." Taehyung lifted the maknae's chin so they could lock eyes, stroking his cheek in slow circles to calm him down. "It might take a little convincing, I'm sure, but you know Yumin has been through something similar." He watched the younger's eyes widen in realization, his lips tumbling down in a pouty frown. "If you just tell her, she's bound to believe you. And, forgive you."
"Yoongi told me what happened the night she hit you," Seokjin spoke up, massaging Jungkook's thigh as he spoke. "She forgave you almost instantly."
"But, she was drunk."
"Even so. If she forgave you that quickly while she was drunk, think of how easily she'll believe you now that she can think sensibly. Yumin will understand that this is not a joke and that can help things progress positively. You've just got to speak to her."
Jungkook nodded listlessly, l leaning back to nuzzle against Seokjin's chest. He welcomed him with open arms, pressing his lips against his cheek and down the side of his neck. Taehyung rested his head against his shoulder, letting a few tears roll down his cheeks and seep into the material of his cotton shirt. He was so happy to have Jungkook back in his arms, but now things had gotten much more complicated for the lot of them.
_
Reluctantly, I pulled away from Jimin, letting his arms flop off of me so I could stand up on wobbly knees. Simply being a mere foot away from him, absent from his embrace, made my stomach twist and turn until a whimper escaped my throat. I'd gone so long without affection and care that I was more than hesitant to let it go again, but Kiana assured me that it would be worth it. While I exited the room, Taehyung filled my place, giving me a once over before squeezing my hand and ducking inside. I spotted Yoongi and Seokjin through the second oldest's open doorway, Yoongi shouting a curse before hiding his face away in his hands. Hell had been unleashed in my own household.
"What's going on?" I mumbled nervously, rubbing my bared forearm as it rippled with gooseflesh.
Kiana glanced over her shoulder at me, her eyes lined red with dried tears. I hadn't expected her to cry at all whilst being here, but something had happened that finally made her break.
"Someone needs to talk with you, Yumin. It's extremely important."
"Extremely?"
Who wanted to speak with me? Everyone else was in another room. My brow furrowed in confusion as I let Kiana lead me down the hall to my own bedroom. She cracked the door open, offering a quick glance inside before shutting it again. The door bounced back and forth on its lock, catching my attention as Kiana stared across at me apologetically.
"What're you-"
"I'm sorry, Yumin."
With that, Kiana grabbed my wrist, yanking me towards her. I stumbled against her chest, but before I could regain my balance, she shoved me into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. Pitching forward, I caught myself on the edge of my bed, whirling around irritably and glaring at my bedroom door.
"Kiana, what the fuck!?" I went to yank the door wide open, but the handle stalled, refusing the budge. I stared, dumbfounded, at it, jiggling the handle until it felt as if the creases of my hand had been rubbed raw. Cursing under my breath, I spun on my heel, making to storm over to my bed, but, I froze in my place.
"That was...aggressive." Jungkook's eyes never left mine. "Are you alright?"
I pointed at the door, feeling hot tears burn into the back of my eyes. "Get out."
"Well, I can't now." He tried to offer a smile, but I snarled in response. I could feel the tears threatening to overflow in the corners of my eyes but kept them hidden, watching as Jungkook lowered his head with a sigh. "Yumin, I know you don't want to see me-"
"Get out."
"Yumin, just- please. Hear me out, just once!"
"Get out."
I stomped up to Jungkook as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing ahold of his collar to force him towards the door. The almost forgotten pain in my chest began to blossom yet again, making my throat constrict until I could no longer speak. I tugged and tugged on Jungkook's white button-up as a button gave loose. I just wanted him out of my sight. My heart seized up in my chest as I felt his fingers slid gently along my arm. Trying to twist out of his grasp, I ended up plastered against his chest, staring up at the brunet as my vision blurred with tears.
"Yumin, please. I just need to talk to you for a couple of minutes. That's it."
It took me a minute to be able to speak, letting my words form in the back of my throat before managing to force their way from my lips. "Fine. Ah-A couple of minutes, and then I-I want you out."
"Okay."
Jungkook released me and I settled on the edge of my bed, leaning forward with my hands clasped between my legs. He sat down on the floor with his legs crossed before me, staring up at me with wide, pleading eyes that threatened to make me give in at that moment. But, I collected each memory I'd stored far away in the back of my head, swearing under my breath that I wouldn't forgive him for any pathetic apology he could muster up.
With a sigh, the maknae began, twiddling his thumbs nervously in his lap. "Angel, I'm sorry for everything these past few weeks. I never wanted it to blow this far out of proportion."
You never even wanted me to know, I mumbled in the back of my head, casting my gaze away and to the floor beside him.
"You know I would never mean to hurt you. What happened that night with Rachel... It was never my intention for things to end up like that."
"Did you sleep with her?" I questioned flat out. My gaze flicked up to meet Jungkook's, watching as he stumbled over his words to find the proper response.
"N-Not- Not the way you think."
"It's a yes or no answer, Jungkook. Did you sleep with Rachel?"
After a moment, the brunet sighed, running a hand through his freshly brushed hair. "Yes."
I made to stand and walk away but remembered Kiana had trapped us in there. My bottom lip began to tremble as I hid my face away in my hands, giving Jungkook a clear view of my pain without letting him see the emotions etched painfully onto my paling face. The feeling of his worn hand slipping around my forearm brought tears to my eyes. They dampened my hands and face to the point where it felt as if I were residing in a swamp as saltwater that burned my skin raw. Jungkook edged my hand from my face, exposing my wet nose and swollen lips with eyes screwed pitifully shut.
"It's not what you think, Yumin. If you'll...If you'll just let me explain what happened that night. Please?"
I had no other choice but to sit and listen, brushing my hair out of my face and letting my eyes open to meet his. Jungkook's once warm, brown eyes were now filled to the brim with tears, chest heavily with each breath he struggled to take as sobs collected in his throat. Whatever he meant to say next, he was clearly struggling.
"When I... When I went to Rachel's, you know it was for work-related reasons, right?"
I nodded, remembering him entering the office as I sobbed into Yoongi's arms, stuttering out that he needed to pick up something. Something for a sponsorship.
"Clothes," I hummed, wiping at my reddened nose.
"Mhmm. When I went to Rachel's, she told me to wait while she prepared the outfit. Something wasn't ready with it. While we waited, I was offered hongju, to which I declined at first, but then accepted."
"But, you had to drive home. You could've gotten hurt."
I couldn't help but admit that I cared for Jungkook's safety that night, knowing the things Rachel could've done to him. The brunet smiled up at me with sealed lips, reaching up to caress the side of my face.
"I know, angel. But, it was just a glass, so, I figured, why not?" He offered a comical shrug, one to which I didn't laugh at. Continuing with a sigh, Jungkook massaged his temples with his free hand, dropping the one on my cheek to my thigh. "I drank the hongju, but after a few minutes, I started to feel weird. My tongue started to swell, my vision got blurry, and I was really thirsty." Jungkook smacked his lips together once for emphasis. "That's when Rachel brought me upstairs to get my clothes. But, there were none."
Slowly, I started to put together Jungkook's story, my eyes widening in terror.
Jungkook glanced up at me, his eyes pulling out into a pained smile as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "Do you know what happened next, Yumin?"
Every horrible memory I'd experienced came flooding back to me at once as if the dam I'd built in my head had crumbled to nothing but dust. I remembered each and every time I'd felt woozy after accepting a drink from Yura, waking up either half-clothed or naked, sometimes with the brunet still panting above me as he used me for his own pleasure. Rachel had spiked my drink plenty a time, mainly to watch Yura have his way with me, or toss me, unconscious, aside while they carried about with their sinful actions.
My mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. More tears trickled down Jungkook's face as he watched me come to the full understanding of what had actually happened that night.
"She- Rachel drugged you," I managed, patting around with a shaky hand until I could clasp Jungkook's palm in mine.
The maknae nodded, scooting forward on his knees until his face was directly beneath mine. "I didn't cheat, Yumin. Rachel used me without my consent and threatened to hurt you if I said anything. That's why I was so defensive whenever someone asked what happened that night. I would never, ever hurt you guys. Ever."
The whole world seemed to give away as I fell forward, wrapping my arms protectively around Jungkook's shoulders to hold him close. I cried into the crook of his shoulder, feeling every emotion in my head shatter and reform with each sob as if I didn't know how to feel. Pity. Revenge. Guilt. Anger. Fear. Confusion. The whole lot. Jungkook's arms circled my waist, pulling me onto his lap as he whispered sweet nothings into my ear.
"I'm so sorry," I forced out against his neck. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you."
"It's alright, Yumin. I forgive you, okay. Okay."
Jungkook pushed me up to look at him, but my vision was still very much blurred with tears. He gently wiped them from my reddened cheeks, pressing his lips delicately against my nose. It had been so long since I'd felt his touch this intimately that it made me feel almost guilty to receive it. After everything I'd done to him in the past few weeks to protect my own hide, I'd done nothing but make things worse.
"I'm so sorry," I continued to mutter, shaking my head as Jungkook tried to reassure me. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I didn't listen, I yelled at you. I-I even hurt you." I reached up to draw my finger along Jungkook's nose, the brunet chuckling down at me past his own tears.
"You were being a real bitch, I'll admit."
I giggled through my tears as I thumped my head against his chest. I would continue to curse myself in my head for the next century, but Jungkook didn't want to hear it anymore. He turned against the bed and laid back with me in his arms, trailing his hands up and down my back as I held onto him for dear life. My tears had subsided into heavy breaths that gradually mingled with the rise and fall of his chest. Feeling his arms tightened securely around my trembling form brought me a small bit of peace, but my heart continued to thud in my chest. I had so many wrongs to right, and now I had placed a bounty on someone's head. And, there was no way I was letting up.
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I didn't have enough energy to edit this entire chapter, so if you happen to catch a typo or what you believe to be an error of some sort, please let me know. 🙏🏽 Other than that, please enjoy. <3