The next day instead of working in the artifact store, Jungkook headed out with Taehyung in search of someone who could possibly recognize the man in the photograph and could perhaps know some information about him as well.
Hoseok stayed behind at the artifact store to keep it running while Jungkook was out.
Taehyung and Jungkook approached many people, but neither of them seemed to recognize Jungkook's father.
"He's still young," said Jungkook as he watched the last person they just approached, walk away.
"What does that have to do with what we're trying to find?" Asked Taehyung confused.
"We're not asking the right people," Jungkook said as his eyes scanned the people walking by on the streets. "We need to ask someone who is older, someone who could possibly remember my father."
"But isn't it the older they are, the less they remember?" Taehyung asked.
"No, that's not what I meant," said Jungkook as he turned to face Taehyung. "All these people that we keep asking are young. They all seem to be a few years younger than us, so they might not know anything. I was only a baby when my mother left my father, so I don't remember anything either. The only ones who remember anything about my father are my mom and Eros. Yoongi and Seokjin were still young, so they might not remember anything either. So, we have to ask someone who is older and who does have a memory of my father."
"What about her?" Taehyung asked as he pointed to an elder woman who seemed like she wanted to cross the street.
"Maybe she can help us," said Jungkook as he and Taehyung approached her.
"Hello ma'am," Taehyung greeted.
The elder woman turned to face Taehyung and then looked at Jungkook. "Hello boys, can you two help me cross the street? I'm not very fast and cars usually honk at me and people scream at me to move out of the way, so sometimes I'm afraid to cross the street on my own."
Neither of them could say no, as this woman in front of them had asked them kindly, Taehyung and Jungkook found themselves helping the older woman cross the street.
After she was safely on the other side of the street, she smiled at them and thanked them for their help. "Do you guys want some ice cream? I'll buy you some ice cream for helping me."
"Yes please-"
"No that's okay," Jungkook interrupted Taehyung who sent him a glare. "But we do need your help on something."
The older woman furrowed her eyebrows confused. "What can I help you with?"
Jungkook held out the picture and the older woman took it from his hands and brought it closer to her face. "Do you recognize him?" Jungkook asked.
The older woman nodded much to Jungkook and Taehyung's surprise. "You do?" They asked in sync.
"Oh yes, I know Junseo. He used to date a pretty woman, Hyejin."
Jungkook's ears perked up at the mention of his father's name and who he presumed was the mistress.
"They were so happy, until one day, Junseo's real wife found out he was cheating and became so angry. Poor Hyejin, she didn't know she was the mistress until she saw Junseo's wife," the older woman said.
"Can you tell us what exactly happened and where we can find Hyejin?" Jungkook asked.
The older woman nodded. "Of course, I can tell you anything you want while we eat some ice cream."
Taehyung immediately smiled, happy that they were going to get ice cream after all. They followed the older woman to an ice cream parlor that was nearby and ordered their ice cream.
Jungkook was about to pay for his and Taehyung's but the older woman insisted on paying for them. Jungkook insisted that it was fine and that he would pay, but the older woman mentioned that she was so thankful for him and Taehyung helping her cross the street that she wanted to pay for their ice cream to which Jungkook finals agreed.
"So, can you tell us about Junseo and Hyejin," said Taehyung as the older woman sat in the booth across from him while Jungkook took the seat beside him.
The older woman ate a few spoonfuls of ice cream before clearing her throat. "Okay, let's begin with Junseo. He was very handsome and very popular among the ladies. He even helped before back when I was younger. I had trouble crossing the street too because I had too many things in my arms and I couldn't see where I was going."
"He helped you cross the street," Taehyung concluded.
The woman nodded before eating another spoonful of ice cream. "Yes, I was so grateful for his help that I gave him some fruit that I was carrying. Junseo told me that he would be taking the fruit to his lovely fiancé, who I also got to meet."
Fiancé? Jungkook asked himself. My mother didn't mention that in her journal entries.
"How was she like?" Jungkook asked as he ate some of his ice cream as well, except his and Taehyung's were in an ice cream cone and the older woman was eating hers in a little cup.
"Hyejin was very lovely, just like Junseo said. She was very beautiful too and she was very happy and excited about marrying Junseo. She even showed me her engagement ring and we gushed about it together," the older woman said with a smile. "Hyejin was so happy and was completely oblivious of what her fiancé was hiding. I remember he gifted her a bracelet too, but something was off with that bracelet."
Jungkook knew the bracelet was cursed, he read it in his mother's journal entries, but nonetheless, he still asked, "What was wrong with it?"
The woman looked around the ice cream parlor before leaning in on the table. Jungkook and Taehyung leaned in as well to hear what the older woman had to say.
"I believe it was cursed," she whispered.
"How so?" Taehyung asked.
"One day, the couple was fine, the next day, I go to their house and from their window, I saw them turned to stone. Can you believe it? Stone!" The woman exclaimed in a hushed voice. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I left. It was very hot that day so I assumed it was the heat that was making me see things."
"What happened after that?" Jungkook asked after the woman stopped talking to eat some more ice cream.
"I went back the next day and from their window, I saw Junseo and Hyejin again. They looked just fine and they weren't turned to stone, but I also overheard them shouting and thought they were arguing. I was also very shocked when I stayed to listen some more and found out that Junseo already had a wife. From the window, I saw her and she was very beautiful. She was so beautiful that she looked like she could have been a goddess."
Taehyung and Jungkook nervously exchanged glances but didn't say anything as they continued to listen.
"Junseo's real wife was angry, she kept shouting and arguing with her husband all while Hyejin looked confused and heartbroken. The poor woman didn't know about her fiancé already being married or that she was the mistress. Junseo's real wife seemed to have figured that out as well, so she let her go. Hyejin found me outside her house and was surprised to see me, so she took me with her and explained to me what happened."
"Did she say what happened to Junseo?" Jungkook asked.
"No, Hyejin didn't mention that part, but if you really want to know, you can go ask her yourself," the older woman said.
"You know where she lives?" Taehyung asked.
The older woman nodded as she took out a piece of paper from her purse she was carrying and a peek before writing down an address. "This is where she lives," she said as she slid the piece of paper across the table. "I'd go with you boys, but I'm tired, so I'll be going home after I finish my ice cream."
"Thank you so much," Jungkook said as he smiled at the woman. He folded the piece of paper and stuffed it in his pocket before standing up.
"Thank you for your help," Taehyung said as he also stood up. "We'll be going now. We really need to talk to Hyejin."
"It was no problem and thank you for helping me cross the street," the woman thanked again. "But before you two go, can I ask you two something?"
"What is it?" Jungkook asked as he ate some of his ice cream that he was taking too long to eat. Taehyung had already finished his.
"Are you two dating?"
Jungkook choked in his ice cream, sending him into a choking fit as he looked at the woman as if she had grown another head. Taehyung patted Jungkook's back, trying to help him to stop.
"Are you okay?" The woman asked concerned after Jungkook had finally stopped choking.
Jungkook nodded before replying, "We're not dating."
"Oh, that's too bad. You guys look like you would be a cute couple.When I saw you two, I even thought you were dating."
Jungkook offered a small smile at the woman before thanking her one last time and dragging Taehyung out of the ice cream parlor with him.