SHADOWS of Past.

XII

"Tae... what happened?"Mrs Han's concerned voice broke the tense silence in the room. Taehyung stood frozen, his face pale, but his hands trembled with anger and something more—a hint of fear.

Namjoon looked between Taehyung and Jungkook, his gaze finally settling on his brother. The red mark on Jungkook's cheek was impossible to ignore.

"Tae... calm down first, then tell us what happened. Why did you yell—"
Before Yoongi could finish, Taehyung's voice cracked as he pointed a shaky finger at Jungkook.

"H-He was h-harassing me."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Everyone in the room froze, processing what Taehyung had just said.

Jungkook’s face went pale. It felt as though his world had come crashing down. His mind blanked, unable to grasp what had just happened.

Yoongi’s expression darkened instantly. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Without hesitation, he took large, furious strides toward Jungkook.

"How dare you!!!"His fist connected with Jungkook's face with such force that Jungkook stumbled backward, barely managing to stay on his feet.

Namjoon quickly intervened, grabbing Yoongi’s arm before he could strike again. "Enough," he demanded, his tone sharp but controlled. Yoongi glared at him, his chest heaving with unspent fury.

"You’re defending him?" Yoongi spat, his voice dripping with venom. "After what he’s done?"

"I’m not defending anything," Namjoon replied firmly. "But you don’t know the whole story yet. Let Jungkook explain—"

"So you’re saying Tae is lying?"

Namjoon’s grip on Yoongi’s arm tightened, his voice remaining calm yet firm.

"I never said that."

"Oh, shut up, Namjoon! Stop defending his disgusting act just because he’s your brother!"

"It’s not about br—"

Before Namjoon could finish, Jungkook’s quiet, broken voice cut through the chaos.

"Hyung... he’s right. I-I harassed him."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Namjoon turned to his brother, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Jungkook...? What are you saying?"

Jungkook didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. He stood there, looking blank and defeated, his words heavy with guilt.

Yoongi's fists clenched tighter, his rage renewed.
"Namjoon, take your brother out of this house before I beat the sh*t out of him!"

Namjoon glanced at Jungkook, his heart sinking. He knew his brother better than anyone else, and something about this confession didn’t sit right with him. Jungkook wasn’t the type to hurt anyone—especially not Taehyung. But now wasn’t the time to argue.
"Jungkook, let’s go."

Jungkook nodded silently, his shoulders slumping as he followed Namjoon out of the room.

______

Once outside, Namjoon pulled Jungkook aside, his voice sharp yet filled with concern.
"What the hell was that, Jungkook? Why did you say you harassed him? That’s not like you. What really happened?"

Jungkook’s lips trembled as he avoided Namjoon’s gaze.

"I... I deserve whatever they think of me."

"Stop with the martyr act! Tell me the truth. Did you really do what he said?"

Jungkook looked away, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I made him uncomfortable... That’s enough, isn’t it?"

Namjoon shook his head, exasperated.

"That’s not the same as harassing someone, Jungkook! Why are you taking all the blame when you can barely defend yourself?"

Jungkook swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper.

"Because it doesn’t matter, hyung... Nothing matters anymore."

Namjoon stared at his brother, his heart breaking at how defeated he looked. He placed a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder.

"I’ll figure this out, Jungkook. But for now, let’s leave. You need to get some rest."

Back inside, Yoongi turned to Taehyung, his voice softer now but still firm. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Taehyung nodded but didn’t meet his gaze. His mind was racing, replaying the events over and over. Despite his anger, a part of him couldn’t shake the image of Jungkook’s devastated expression.

Mrs. Han placed a comforting hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. "Take some time to calm down," she said gently. "Everything will be alright."

Taehyung forced a nod, though the turmoil in his chest told him otherwise. As much as he tried to bury the emotions rising within him, he couldn’t deny the storm Jungkook’s presence had stirred in his heart.

____________

Yoongi was about to knock on the bedroom door when he noticed it was slightly ajar. He peeked inside, expecting to find Taemin, but his gaze landed on the little boy curled up in bed, sound asleep. His soft breathing filled the quiet room, and Yoongi couldn’t help but smile at the peaceful sight.

"I thought he was here," Yoongi muttered to himself before carefully closing the door, not wanting to disturb the child.

"Looking for someone?" A voice startled him from behind. Yoongi flinched, turning quickly to see Mrs. Han standing in the hallway, a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh, Ahjumma! I—I wasn’t... I mean, I was just..." Yoongi stumbled over his words, his cheeks flushing. "I just wanted to check on him. You know... one last time before heading out."

Mrs. Han crossed her arms, raising a brow at his flustered demeanor. "Heading out? At this hour? Nonsense! You’re not going anywhere. Taehyung and I already made sure the guest room is ready for you."

Yoongi blinked, unsure how to respond, but Mrs. Han didn’t stop there.

"And about him," she continued, her tone softer now, "there’s no need to be so shy. If you keep tiptoeing around your feelings, it’s going to take forever to confess."

Yoongi's face turned a deeper shade of pink, but he didn’t argue.

She smiled warmly. "In case you’re wondering, he’s in the garden."

"The garden?" Yoongi asked, surprised.

"After everything that happened tonight, he needed some air," she explained. "But honestly, I think he needs you more than the fresh air right now."

Yoongi nodded, her words resonating deeply. "I’ll go check on him then," he said softly, his voice laced with determination.

"Good luck," Mrs. Han added with an encouraging smile as Yoongi turned toward the back of the house.

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