CHAPTER - 29

A week later :-

The last diary was missing.Maybe Jungkook never wrote the one from that final month, the one after their separation.

Taehyung’s chest ached at the thought. He knew reading it would only crush him further, shatter him into smaller pieces than he already was. But the hunger to know, the desperate need to claw into Jungkook’s last moments, burned stronger than the fear of pain. There was only one person who could tell him. Only one left who carried those memories.

And that person was Jimin.

With heavy steps, Taehyung walked up to Jimin’s house. The evening air felt sharp against his skin, as though the world itself wanted to keep him out. He hesitated before pressing the doorbell, his fingers trembling. A moment later, the door creaked open, and Jimin stood there, his face hard, eyes narrowing the instant they landed on Taehyung.

Jimin (coldly) - Why are you here?

Taehyung’s throat tightened. His voice came out small, almost broken, carrying a pleading edge.

Tae - Can we talk?

Jimin - No. I don’t wanna see your face.

Taehyung’s hand curled into a fist against his thigh, knuckles turning white, but his tone stayed low, desperate.

Taehyung - Please, Jimin… just five minutes.

Jimin’s expression snapped. His jaw locked, his nostrils flared, and suddenly he exploded, voice echoing off the walls.

Jimin (yelling) - LISTEN, KIM TAEHYUNG—JUST BECAUSE I HUGGED YOU THE OTHER DAY DOESN’T MEAN I’VE FORGIVEN YOU. TO ME, YOU’LL ALWAYS REMAIN A KILLER. IF IT WASN’T FOR YOUR BAG, HIS HEART WOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSPLANTED AND HE WOULDN’T HAVE DIED!

The next second, Jimin’s hand shot out, fisting Taehyung’s collar and yanking him forward. His face was trembling with rage, lips quivering as his eyes glistened.

Jimin (spitting the words) - I HATE YOU, KIM TAEHYUNG. I HATE YOU TO DEATH.

Taehyung’s eyes watered instantly, his body stiff as he stared back at Jimin. His voice cracked, not with defensiveness but with raw despair.

Tae - And do you think I love myself? Jimin… I hate myself too. What do you think I’m feeling right now, knowing my bunny—my Kookie—is gone? You think I’m happy? No… every day, I’m going insane. It hurts. It hurts so damn much I can’t even breathe sometimes, but I can’t do anything.

Taehyung’s voice rose, then broke entirely. His hands grabbed Jimin’s wrists, trembling, before he let go, stepping back with hollow eyes.

Tae (hoarse, bitter) - I can do nothing, Jimin. My mom… she has no one but me. I can’t leave her. I must live, even though my soul died with him. My body—my cursed body—can’t die yet. So I’ll live with this burden, this agony in my chest, knowing I killed my lover. The lover who loved me more than anyone, who gave me everything… and never asked me for anything in return.

His tears fell freely now, burning down his cheeks. He wiped them with shaking hands, but they kept coming, endless, heavy with guilt. Finally, his knees buckled. Taehyung collapsed onto the floor, clutching at Jimin’s pants as if he was holding onto his last chance at redemption. His forehead nearly touched the ground as he pleaded, voice shaking violently.

Tae - Please… just five minutes.

Jimin froze. His whole body trembled as he stared down at the sight in front of him—Taehyung, the man he hated, kneeling pathetically, shattered, bleeding out grief. Tears welled in Jimin’s own eyes, spilling no matter how hard he tried to blink them back. He hated Taehyung. He hated the man who had killed his best friend. He didn’t even want to breathe the same air as him.

And yet… seeing Taehyung like this, broken beyond repair, eyes hollow and wet with a pain that looked endless… Jimin couldn’t stop the crack in his chest. He wasn’t blind to the torment.

He turned his face away, wiping at his tears quickly, voice low and uneven.

Jimin - …Come in.

Taehyung rose unsteadily, his legs weak, and followed Jimin inside.

They sat on the sofa, the silence thick, suffocating. Jimin’s shoulders were rigid as he leaned forward, refusing to look Taehyung in the eye.

Jimin (coldly) -What do you want from me?

Taehyung swallowed hard, his hands clasping tightly in his lap. His voice was quiet, trembling.

Tae - The last diary… it’s missing.

Jimin’s gaze dropped, his voice flat, bitter.

Jimin - He didn’t write it.

Taehyung blinked rapidly, his chest rising with a sharp breath.

Taehyung - Why? What happened… after I left him?

Jimin’s hands curled into fists. He finally turned to glare at Taehyung, his eyes filled with venom and grief.

Jimin (spitting out) - Jungkook was broken. When you didn’t pick his call, he decided to meet you. He went to the club to see you. But what he saw there—

he paused, his lips trembling

Jimin - —it broke him. YOU broke him.

Taehyung’s brows furrowed, his voice shaking.

Taehyung - M-me? But… what did I do?

Jimin groaned, running a hand through his hair before snapping. His voice was guttural, thick with hatred.

Jimin - YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DID? TAEHYUNG, I SWEAR—I HATE YOU. I REALLY WANT TO KILL YOU. AND I’M NOT KIDDING. MY BLOOD BOILS EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT THAT NIGHT. THE NIGHT I SAW JUNGKOOK COLLAPSE, CRYING LIKE HIS WHOLE WORLD HAD BEEN TORN APART AFTER SEEING YOU IN THAT CLUB.

Jimin’s chest heaved as his voice cracked, but his fists shook helplessly on his knees. His fury was real, but so was the ache of compassion clawing at him.

Jimin (quieter, reluctantly) - …But when I see you like this—this broken—I don’t know. I can’t stop myself from wanting to console you.

Taehyung leaned forward desperately, his hands wrapping around Jimin’s as though they were his lifeline. His eyes were wide, shining with devastation.

Taehyung - Hate me all you want. You don’t have to pity me, you don’t have to console me. Slap me, punch me, do whatever you want—but please, Jimin, I swear, I really don’t remember what I did that night. Please… tell me. What did he see?

Jimin’s lips pressed tightly together, his whole body trembling. He finally let out a long, broken breath.

Jimin (low, bitter) - That night…