The moment he made eye contact, they faltered—straightening in their seats, one of them shifting awkwardly under the weight of Jungkook's gaze. And then, Jungkook smirked. A slow, cocky pull of his lips that didn't reach his eyes.

He leaned back in his chair and, just loud enough for them to hear, mouthed, "My omega. You get that?" One of the alphas dropped his eyes immediately, the others turning back to their food with feigned disinterest. Jungkook didn't bother to hide his satisfaction

In front of him, Taehyung was looking down, his fingers absently playing with a tissue on the table. He stopped and met the alpha's eyes, then murmured a quiet "thank you." The words made Jungkook pause for a second. The fire in him—sharp, defensive, territorial—settled

just a bit at the sound of Taehyung's quiet gratitude. It wasn't anything grand, but it came from his omega, his omega who had always been so rude to him. Jungkook's eyes softened as he looked at the omega across from him. The way Taehyung's fingers still lightly crumpled

the tissue, the soft pink lingering on his cheeks, and the quiet way he'd said "thank you" without even raising his voice—all of it tugged at something deep inside Jungkook. He didn't tease. Not this time. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table.

His voice was a notch gentler now. "You never have to thank me for that," he said, tone low. "Protecting you… it's not something I do for praise, Hyung. I just do it for you." Taehyung's gaze flickered up, surprised by the sincerity but not fully trusting.

Jungkook smiled—small, crooked, not his usual smirk. "But," he added, voice turning a little playful again, "hearing it from you... still feels nice." Taehyung rolled his eyes at that, though he wasn't truly annoyed. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Too late for that," Jungkook grinned, sitting back just as the waiter arrived with a notepad to take their order. And then… things just settled. For once, Taehyung didn't spend the whole time tossing sharp words or cold looks his way. He wasn't exactly smiling—wasn't soft—

but he wasn't on the attack either. He sat there,quiet and a little tense,eyes flicking between the menu and the waitstaff passing by. Jungkook, meanwhile,watched him like he was something delicate—like a moment he didn't want to miss. It wasn't peace, but it wasn't war either.

— "We're not there yet?" Taehyung asked, rubbing his temple, his voice tinged with fatigue. "No," Jungkook replied, eyes on the road. "Another half hour, maybe." Taehyung sighed, sinking back into the seat. They'd been driving for four hours straight, and though he wasn't the

one behind the wheel, the exhaustion was catching up with him. "Isn't this too far in? I didn't think we'd be driving this long once we reached Busan." Jungkook slowed the car as the road narrowed, a subtle smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it's pretty deep in.

Be grateful we took my car and didn't ride with Dad and the rest. I'm pretty sure they're still stuck somewhere around Ulsan." While Jungkook talked, Taehyung's eyes drifted to him. He wasn't really listening anymore. His gaze followed the way Jungkook's hand gripped the wheel

casually, his arm flexing slightly. The other hand rested comfortably by the gear, fingers tapping in rhythm with the music. His eyes—those dark, bottomless eyes—focused on the road ahead with calm confidence. And then... they weren't. They were staring straight at him.

Taehyung blinked, startled, only to catch Jungkook grinning, already halfway through his teasing. "Got hypnotized by my handsome face again, didn't you?" Caught red-handed, Taehyung immediately turned away, ears flushing pink. He didn't answer, couldn't.

This—this kept happening since yesterday. Every little glance, every word from Jungkook seemed to throw him off balance. And worse, his inner omega was reacting too. Too aware. Too responsive. He hated it.

He clenched his jaw, eyes fixed out the window now. Trying to pretend he hadn't just been caught staring like an idiot. Trying not to think about how fast his heart was beating.

— For the next half hour, the silence between them lingered as they continued on the road. Then, slowly, a change in the landscape caught Taehyung's attention. The mountain loomed closer, towering and majestic. The trees stood tall, like silent guardians, their deep

green needles swaying in the wind. The air felt different here—cooler, sharper, as though nature itself was breathing in time with him. Taehyung leaned forward in his seat, his eyes wide in awe. The mountain felt so... secretive. It seemed to hold centuries worth of stories,

mysteries hidden in its ancient folds. As the car drew closer, a strange pull tugged at his chest. It was like the land itself was calling to him, waiting, familiar yet distant. The scent of pine trees, the earthy tang of the forest, the faint mist rolling down the slopes—it all

felt so... right. His throat tightened, and before he could stop himself, he whispered, "It feels like home…" The words slipped out before he could even think, the soft confession leaving him feeling vulnerable. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Jungkook, glancing over at him, furrowed his brow. "What did you say?" Taehyung turned to him, startled, then back to the mountain—its shadow sweeping over them like a veil. "What's it called?" he asked quietly. Jungkook followed his gaze. "Jeonghwasan."

The name seemed to settle in Taehyung's chest like an echo, resonating in some strange, deep way. He whispered it under his breath, "Jeonghwasan." Jungkook, noticing the soft way Taehyung said the name, raised an eyebrow, glancing over at him. "First time hearing it?"

Taehyung nodded slowly, still staring out the window at the mountain. But then, his voice faltered slightly as he added, "But it doesn't feel like the first time. It feels like... I've been here before. And something is... pulling me in." His voice trailed off,

confusion clouding his thoughts. "It's so strange. It's like the land... remembers me." He paused, swallowing as his heart raced faster, uncertainty and a growing sense of belonging swirling in his chest. "I don't know why it feels like that... but it does."

Jungkook let out a small breath, glancing at him before turning his eyes back to the road. The trees were thick now, the mountain looming closer. "That's probably just because you're married to me," he said simply, a bit of a grin tugging at his lips.

Taehyung turned to him, confused. "What?" "I mean it," Jungkook shrugged. "No one else might believe in that kind of thing, but these mountains? This place? They do. They know. You're one of us now. One of the Jeons. The land is just letting you know you belong here."

Taehyung stared at him, unsure. "That's… possible?" "Yeah," Jungkook said with a nod. "My grandfather told me stories like this when I was a kid. Said the mountain could feel when someone was part of the pack. Especially our family. It either welcomes you or it doesn't."

Taehyung blinked, then looked back out the window. The trees passed by slowly, like they were watching. "Feels like it's welcoming me," he said softly. "Exactly," Jungkook replied, a little smug. "It's saying, 'Okay, fine, we will take him. He's a Jeon now.'"

Taehyung rolled his eyes, clearly finding Jungkook annoying. Jungkook caught the look and smirked. "Don't worry. There's no magic curse or anything. Just... you and me. And maybe a big old mountain that's way too invested in our love life."

Taehyung snorted. "There's no such thing as our love life." "Obviously it is future love life," Jungkook shot back with a grin. Taehyung opened his mouth, ready to tell him that it wouldn't happen. That nothing like that would ever happen between them—

But Jungkook cut in first, without even looking his way. "Now don't say something that'll ruin my mood." Taehyung stared at him, flabbergasted. "I didn't even say anything!" "You were going to," Jungkook said, completely calm, like he had a sixth sense for

Taehyung's comebacks. "And I don't want to hear it. Let me enjoy this moment." Taehyung shot him a glare for a moment, then let out a quiet, almost reluctant chuckle. "Alright, whatever. It's not like I actually enjoy talking to you or anything."

— "I haven't been here in five years," Jungkook said, walking a few steps ahead of Taehyung. "Still the same, though. Only good thing around here is the scenery." The path was quiet, surrounded by towering trees and crisp mountain air. The car could only take them so far,

so they'd walked the rest of the way up, though it wasn't too long a climb. As they reached the midpoint of the mountain, the pack house came into view. "This is it," Jungkook said, stopping to look at the house nestled among the trees. "Our pack house."

It wasn't big. Not fancy either. Just a modest home with maybe three or four rooms at most. Off to the side were a few smaller huts—simple, old structures that weren't exactly close to the main house but clearly belonged to the same place.

Jungkook turned back to Taehyung with a small smile. "Everything aside... you like this, right?" Taehyung glanced at him, then looked past at the huts, then at the house. He said nothing. Instead, he walked right past Jungkook without a word. Jungkook blinked, then let out a

small, amused sigh. "Rude omega," he muttered under his breath, though the smile tugging at his lips gave him away. He chuckled softly and followed after. "Okay, fine. Don't say anything. Just enjoy being here."

Taehyung didn't say anything back, but he didn't walk too far ahead either. He was looking around—at the worn steps, the old stone path, the huts lined to the side. His eyes lingered on the details, even if he pretended not to care. Jungkook just followed behind, pointing

things out here and there. "That hut was my grandpa's workshop. Well—kind of," he added with a short laugh. "He was just a teenager when they still lived here. The pack house was already fading by the time my dad was born. Neither of us really grew up here."

Taehyung only hummed softly, not commenting, but his gaze stayed curious. Jungkook smiled to himself and kept talking anyway. "That hill over there? Best place for watching sunsets. Not now though, it's spring... too cold to sit long." Soon, voices echoed from the path below,