letting in a slant of dusty sunlight that made the room feel suspended in some quiet, forgotten hour. It was warm. Too warm. But not unpleasant — just… wrapped in memory. Jungkook lingered near the doorway, unsure. He felt like an intruder. Like he was stepping into a chapter

of Taehyung's life that hadn't been meant for anyone else to read. In the center of the room, lying still on the bed, was an old woman. Her hair was white, her skin delicate and thinned with age, but her features were peaceful. Worn, but soft. At rest.

Taehyung stepped forward, each movement deliberate, careful — as though he was trying not to disturb the silence that blanketed the room. Jungkook followed, slower, standing a respectful distance behind. Taehyung reached out, his hand resting lightly on her arm.

His voice came quiet, almost reverent. "Grandma... look, I'm here." Jungkook watched silently. At the sound of Taehyung's voice, her eyelids fluttered. Slowly. Her gaze didn't quite focus, but it found him all the same. She didn't speak. Didn't move. Just smiled—a faint,

fragile thing, like an old photograph finally brought into the light. Then, her eyes drifted shut again. That was it. No words. No final message. Just the warmth of recognition, a soft smile, and stillness. Jungkook waited — for something. A gesture, a whisper, a sign.

But nothing came. And then he felt it. The quiet realization,sinking in like cold water. 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴. It belonged to Taehyung — and to her. A private exchange between past and present,between love and memory. Jungkook had no place in it.Not really.

This was Taehyung's world, his family, his memories. Jungkook had no right to intrude on something so intimate, so personal. He had come into a moment that wasn't for him, and as much as he wanted to stay and be a part of it, he realized it was wrong.

Something inside him shifted, a mix of emotions stirring, unbidden. There was a tenderness in the air that made his throat tighten. He didn’t want to be there anymore. Didn't want to take up space in a moment that wasn't his. "Um," Jungkook said quietly, stepping back,

his voice almost hesitant. "I'll be waiting for you in the car." Taehyung, confused, turned sharply to look at him, brows furrowing. "We're still supposed to eat lunch, and you're already thinking of leav—" But before Taehyung could finish his sentence, Jungkook had already

rushed out of the room, moving swiftly down the hall, his steps urgent. Taehyung blinked after him, still processing what had just happened. He was left there, staring at the empty doorway for a moment. A soft sigh slipped from his lips. "Strange," he muttered.

— "You didn't even let me have lunch from my mom's hand," Taehyung said, arms crossed tightly over his chest, voice dipped in quiet accusation. His brows were furrowed, lips set in a pout as he stared straight ahead while they drove away from his house—without eating—

all because of Jungkook's sudden decision to leave. "Okay, I'm sorry about that." Jungkook said, glancing at him quickly, "But you could've packed it and eaten after we got back to our place. That's not on me." Taehyung turned to look at him, lips parting into a small "oh"

shape, and then muttered, "I didn't think of that." Jungkook let out a soft laugh, shaking his head in amusement. "Of course you didn't," he said, his tone warmer now, the earlier tension dissipating. The car fell into silence again, but this time it was lighter.

Taehyung gazed out the window, watching the city blur by. He looked calm, or maybe lost in thought — it was hard to tell. But then, the car jerked slightly as Jungkook slowed down at a busy intersection, and everything changed in a split second. Startled, Taehyung leaned

toward the driver's seat. In the process, his hand unintentionally landed directly on Jungkook's most private area. Omega froze, his entire body going still. His hand lingered for a fraction of a second, and Jungkook's breath hitched, feeling the unexpected touch.

Taehyung, mortified, jerked his hand back like he’d touched a hot stove. His body spun quickly, and he fixed his gaze out the window, his cheeks instantly flushed with heat. His ears turned a vivid shade of red, the color impossible to miss even in the dim car light.

"I—I didn't—!" Taehyung stammered, his voice trembling with embarrassment. "I know," Jungkook replied quickly, his voice calm, but with a trace of amusement slipping through. Taehyung refused to look at him, his eyes still glued to the window as if he could melt into the glass

and disappear from the awkwardness. Jungkook couldn't help himself and let out a low chuckle. "When you're not angry, you're ridiculously cute," he muttered, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Taehyung's ears twitched at the comment.

Trying to give the omega some air, Jungkook turned his attention to the outside world, eyes skimming over the row of high-end restaurants and shops lining the street. His gaze landed on a cozy, glass-fronted restaurant, its warm lights spilling invitingly onto the sidewalk.

He pulled over and parked neatly along the curb, then turned to Taehyung with a smirk tugging at his lips. In his most charming voice, Jungkook asked, "So, my lovely husband… are you hungry?" Taehyung blinked at him, still flustered from their earlier encounter. "W-What?"

Jungkook nodded toward the stylish restaurant across the street. "I said if you're hungry, we can go there. That one looks good." Taehyung's eyes flicked from Jungkook to the restaurant and back. He still looked a little dazed, his cheeks still pink, but his voice was a little

more grounded. "Um… do you think the food will be good?" "To know that," Jungkook said with a playful grin, "we'll have to actually eat there." Taehyung blinked, then gave a small nod, glancing away quickly. "Okay." He clicked his seatbelt open and slid out of the car,

shoulders still a little stiff. Jungkook followed suit, locking the car behind them with a soft beep. As they crossed the street together, Taehyung felt the weight of his earlier embarrassment starting to fade, though the warmth in his cheeks refused to leave.

He stole a quick glance at Jungkook's side profile, trying to mask his awkwardness with irritation. "You better not order something weird and force me to eat it," he said suddenly, his voice a touch lighter now, the edge of his usual rude tone sneaking back in.

Jungkook glanced over at him as they neared the entrance to the restaurant and held the door open for Taehyung. "I wouldn't dream of forcing that sweet mouth to eat something it doesn't like," he replied, his voice soft yet teasing.

Taehyung's cheeks flushed even hotter at the words, but instead of firing back with a sharp retort like he usually would, Taehyung stayed quiet for a moment, his gaze shifting away. They settled at a corner table, Taehyung still feeling flustered. His heart beat a little

faster, the warmth on his cheeks refusing to fade. Finally, he mumbled, not wanting to admit that Jungkook's words had affected him, "Just shut up." Jungkook smirked at the familiar phrase, but he couldn't help but notice the way Taehyung avoided his eyes, lips

pressed together, ears flushed pink. It didn't go unnoticed. The alpha tilted his head, watching him closely, amused and fond all at once. "What's the matter?" Jungkook asked, his voice gentler now. "Why are you so quiet?" Of course, Jungkook already had a good guess.

The image of Taehyung's hand landing on him in the car was still fresh in both their minds. But seeing Taehyung all flustered, out of rhythm like this, made Jungkook want to poke at it just a little more. "I just don't want to argue with you," Taehyung muttered, clearly trying

to play it cool, as though that excuse would satisfy Jungkook. But Jungkook wasn't letting it slide. He leaned in slightly, his tone low and teasing, "Ah... it's not that. You're still shy about what happened in the car, aren't you?" The second the words left Jungkook's mouth,

Taehyung let out a small, scandalized sound—half gasp, half groan—and whipped his head around to glare at him, eyes wide. "I told you to shut up," he hissed, his voice cracking slightly as the flush crept all the way down his neck now. He looked mortified.

Jungkook, however, only laughed, soft and unbothered, clearly entertained by the reaction he'd pulled out of his omega. "You're all red, Taehyung. It was just an accident, I know that. So chill," Jungkook said, lips curled in that infuriating smirk that was somehow too good for

someone's peace of mind. And when Taehyung glanced up at him,he saw that smirk. That stupid smirk was so distracting it made Taehyung quickly avert his gaze,gulping quietly as his heart thudded in a rhythm he couldn't control. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦, he thought,

trying to shake the heat from his cheeks. But it only deepened as Jungkook's low voice reached his ears. "And also, you've got every right to touch me there, so I don't really—" Before the alpha could finish that dangerous sentence, Taehyung practically jumped in his seat,

waving his hand sharply as he called out, "Waiter!" His voice came out louder than intended, almost desperate, drawing attention from surrounding tables. Several heads turned their way, and Taehyung shrank back immediately, biting his lip. His face was boiling, he was too busy

with his own thoughts that he didn't notice the way a couple of alphas at the nearby table had turned their heads—not out of irritation, but interest. They were looking at him a little too long. Their gazes trailing a little too far. Jungkook noticed as he turned around.

The smirk that had been teasing his lips just moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold edge in his jaw. Jungkook's gaze flicked toward the staring alphas like a blade drawn midair. His eyes narrowed, dark with clear warning. He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping back just

slightly, and then leaned over toward Taehyung. "Exchange seats," he said, voice low, firm, and not open to argument. Taehyung blinked up at him coming out of his racing thoughts, confused. "Huh? Why?"

Jungkook didn't bother hiding his displeasure now. "They're looking at you. And I don't like it." His tone was sharp, protective, possessive. "So, before I do something stupid—like break someone's face—just exchange seats with me." Taehyung followed Jungkook's line of sight,

and his stomach turned slightly. A few young alphas were indeed looking at him, one of them not even trying to pretend he wasn't. Taehyung's nose scrunched in disgust, and he quickly looked away. Then looked up at Jungkook, now understanding, and wordlessly stood from his seat.