CHAPTER - 23

The next day :-

Taehyung woke up with a pounding headache, each throb so sharp it felt like his skull would split open. He groaned, pressing both hands to his temples.

Taehyung (mumbling) - Aah… my head… why is it ach—

Suddenly, his eyes widened, his body freezing mid-motion as the memory of yesterday—the grave, the lifeless body, the screams—hit him like a tidal wave. Panic shot through him, making his legs shake uncontrollably. He sprang up, hands fumbling through his room in a desperate, almost frantic search.

He yanked open the cupboard, fingers trembling as they brushed against the leather cover of the diary Jimin had given him. Heart hammering, he snatched it out and flopped onto his bed, tears already welling in his eyes as he flipped it open.

The first page :

First Month Diary:-

Date – XX-XX-XXXX

Dear diary,

I hate seeing those same scared expressions on my mom's face every time we meet my doctor… She is scared that she will lose me like she lost noona… No, my noona wasn’t a heart patient like me. She… she committed suicide because of my dad… She was willing to die, but I… I don’t want that. I want to live. I want to live to see my Taehyungie every day…

Tae’s chest tightened. He gripped the diary so hard that the pages crinkled under his fingers.

It’s been a month now since he declared his relationship with Jennie. Not gonna lie… she’s beautiful. I wish I could look like her… But you know what? I hate her. I feel jealous… even though I have no right to. God is so unfair… I loved him way before she came. I can bet no one can love him more than I do… but why can’t I be his main lead? Why am I just a side character in his story? I also want to be loved by him… Am I really not worthy of his love? I know just being around him is enough… but sometimes… sometimes I want to be a little selfish. I know I don’t deserve a Greek god like him, but just once… just once, I want to see how it feels to be beloved by Kim Taehyung…

Tae’s hands shook violently, and his breath hitched. A lump formed in his throat as the tears spilled down his face, soaking the diary. He pressed it to his chest, rocking slightly, his body wracked with both guilt and a growing realization of Jungkook’s feelings.

Turning the page, Tae’s fingers trembled as he read

Second Month Diary :-

Date – XX-XX-XXXX

Dear diary,

Today… I miss my noona so much. It’s not that I don’t miss her every day… but today, it’s a bit too much. Only if Dad had shown her love… she wouldn’t have done it. Only if he hadn’t called her a shame… my noona would have never taken that step. She was the only one who listened to my babbles. After she died, I had no one… until I started writing in this diary.

Tae’s lips trembled. His chest constricted.

Aaah… from my daily routine, I remembered Taehyungie looked breathtaking today. That black leather jacket suits him so well… Fuck, I had a wet dream about him last night… Jennie is so lucky to have him. I’m jealous, but… he takes out his frustration only on me sometimes, and it makes me feel special. I have a secret… I know his dad abuses him.

Tae’s eyes went wide, frozen in shock. His grip on the diary tightened until his knuckles turned white.

Taehyung's p.o.v - He… he knew? But… I never told anyone…

He continued, trembling:

When we were in eighth grade, Mom told me to take a leave the next day as I had a cold and needed a checkup. I went to his house to give him his notebook… and I heard noises… his father beating him, him crying… I wanted to help, but I knew it would only make things worse. So I stayed silent… I knew I couldn’t protect him as a 13-year-old, so I let him punch me the next day without saying a word… so he could take out his frustration on me. From that day, whenever he punches me, I feel like I’ve helped him… and I’m willing to help him anyway… hehe.

Tae’s body shook violently. He sank to the floor, pressing his forehead against the diary, sobbing so hard that his shoulders shook with each convulsive breath. He rocked slightly back and forth, muttering in disbelief, his tears soaking through the pages.

Tae’s p.o.v - All this time… he… he loved me. All this time, he protected me… all this time, I thought… I thought I could hate him… but… he loved me. He… he sacrificed everything… for me…

He curled around the diary, gripping it to his chest as silent sobs wracked his body. The room seemed to spin, his heart pounding so violently he thought it might explode. For the first time, the weight of his mistakes, the depth of Jungkook’s love, and the tragedy of what he’d lost pressed down on him like a physical force.

Tae whispered, almost to himself:

Tae - Bunny… I… I had no idea… I didn’t know… I’m so… so sorry…

He buried his face into the diary again, shaking violently, as the gravity of the boy he loved—and the time he had wasted—finally hit him in full.