Chapter 27

With the Kims (Night, 11 PM)

Taehyung had woken up an hour ago and was now changing the wet towel on Jungkook’s forehead. Jin was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for all of them. He had made light soup and milk for Jungkook and kimchi rice for himself and Taehyung. Once the food was ready, he carefully carried it to his room, where Taehyung and Jungkook were.

When Jin entered, he saw Taehyung taking care of Jungkook and smiled before setting the food on the table.

“Hyung, his fever isn’t reducing at all,” Taehyung said worriedly.

“He’ll be fine, Tae. Don’t worry, hmm? After eating and taking his medicine, he’ll get better,” Jin reassured him. Taehyung just hummed, still concerned.

Just then, they heard a phone ringing—it was Jungkook’s mobile. Jin quickly put it on silent mode and glanced at the caller ID. It read “Michael.” Jin assumed it must be one of Jungkook’s friends.

His gaze shifted to Jungkook, who was sleeping peacefully with a slight pout. Jin sat down beside him and caressed his hair.

“He’s so cute, isn’t he?” Taehyung said with an adoring smile.

Jin nodded in agreement. “A cute bunny creature,” he said.

Taehyung chuckled. “Even then and now, he always hated being called a bunny,” he added.

“That’s true, though,” Jin replied, laughing softly.

“Should we wake him up?” Taehyung asked.

“Let’s eat first, and then we’ll wake him,” Jin said. Taehyung nodded and adjusted the blanket over Jungkook.

The two ate silently for a while before Taehyung broke the silence.

“Hyung, what made Kook so stressed?” he asked worriedly.

“I don’t know, Tae. Once he gets better, let’s ask him, hmm?” Jin said.

Taehyung nodded. “I hope he’ll be okay.”

“He will, Tae. Don’t worry,” Jin reassured him.

“Who was that noona from earlier?” Taehyung asked, referring to Haein.

“She’s the CEO of Queens. She came with Uncle,” Jin replied.

Taehyung hummed. “Does she know Kookie?”

“Kook said she used to come to the house for work purposes. I don’t think they’re that close,” Jin said. (Little did he know… the author chuckles 🤭)

Once they finished eating, Taehyung went to the kitchen to clean the dishes while Jin tried to wake Jungkook.

Jin sat beside Jungkook and gently caressed his hair. That’s when he noticed a scar hidden behind Jungkook’s bangs. It looked like it had been stitched at some point. Jin’s eyes widened in shock. He had never seen that scar before, and the only accident he knew of was the one involving Jungkook and their mother. However, he hadn’t noticed this scar back then.

“Is this from something else, or was it from the same accident?” Jin wondered. He decided to ask Jungkook about it later.

“Kookie, wake up, bun,” Jin said softly, his voice gentle like a melody.

Jungkook whimpered in his sleep, making Jin pat his chest gently to coax him awake. “Kookie, wake up, bun,” Jin tried again.

Slowly, Jungkook opened his burning, bloodshot eyes.

“Wake up, Kook,” Jin said gently. Jungkook finally stirred and opened his eyes. Jin smiled and asked, “Are you feeling better?” Jungkook stared at him for a few seconds before nodding slightly.

“Here, drink some water, Kook,” Taehyung said, bringing a glass of warm water. Jungkook nodded and tried to sit up. Jin quickly helped him, adjusting the pillows behind him to ensure he was comfortable.

Taehyung held the glass near Jungkook’s mouth while Jungkook held it lightly with his left hand, as his right hand had an IV attached.

“Take small sips and drink slowly,” Jin instructed. Jungkook nodded and began drinking in small sips. Once he was done, Taehyung took the glass and set it aside.

“Do you feel nauseous?” Jin asked softly. Jungkook shook his head no.

“Headache?” Jin probed. Jungkook hesitated but shook his head again, even though the pain lingered.

“Tell me the truth, Kook. I won’t scold you,” Jin said gently. “Do you have a headache?”

After a pause, Jungkook finally nodded slightly.

“On a scale of 1 to 10?” Jin asked.

“Seven,” Jungkook replied quietly.

Both Jin and Taehyung grew worried.

“Don’t worry, your headache will go away after you take your medicine, hmm?” Jin reassured him, his tone soft and calming. Jungkook nodded again.

Jin then picked up the bowl of soup and held it in front of Jungkook. Jungkook just stared at him, confused.

“Here, open your mouth,” Jin said, holding a spoonful of soup near Jungkook’s lips.

Jungkook looked at the spoon and then at Jin, shaking his head slightly. “I-I can eat by myself,” he stammered.

Jin sighed and placed the spoon back in the bowl. “Look, your right hand has an IV, and how will you eat with your left hand? Come on, let me feed you,” Jin insisted, bringing the spoon back to Jungkook’s mouth.

Jungkook hesitated again, shaking his head.

“Come on, Kookie, eat,” Taehyung urged.

After a moment of silence, Jungkook sighed and opened his mouth reluctantly, finally taking a bite from Jin’s hand—for the first time, it seemed.

Jin smiled and continued feeding him. “Is it good?” he asked.

Jungkook nodded as he chewed the vegetables. “Y-you made this?” he asked softly.

Jin nodded and offered him another spoonful.

Jungkook stared at Jin for a while, his thoughts racing. “Is he really showing care? Why is he doing this for me? Kim said these two hate me to the core. Then why are they showing care and love? It doesn’t seem like they hate me or anything. Am I wrong? Ahhh, I’m so confused,” Jungkook thought to himself.

His thoughts were interrupted by Jin.

“You really don’t throw any tantrums, Kook. You cooperate so well. But your Tae hyung? He’ll literally turn the world upside down,” Jin said with a playful smile.

“Hyungieeee!” Taehyung whined like a child.

Jungkook just stared at the two of them with longing eyes.

He wanted to cry loudly, to hug someone and pour out all his problems. But he had no one.

That’s what Jungkook thought, but little did he know that his best friend, who was showing anger and enmity, still cared for him deeply in secret.

His noona, whom he believed hated him to the core, still tried to protect him, loved him a lot, and cared for him endlessly.

His samchoon (Hyunwoo), whom he thought would hurt him like his father and report everything to that monster (Kim) to punish him, was actually trying his best to keep Jungkook safe from that same monster.

His hyungs (Taehyung and Jin), whom he thought they always hated him, loved him unconditionally and would go to any lengths to protect him—they never hated him, not even for a second.

His cousins (Jimin, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Namjoon), whom he thought shared the same hatred for him as his brothers, did nothing but love him unconditionally from the start.

How many misunderstandings could one person have?

Life is full of misunderstandings and lies, but it is up to us to figure out what is right and wrong.

One lie often hides many truths behind it. So never blindly believe anyone—speak directly to the person with whom you’ve had a misunderstanding or fight.

Communication can resolve so much.

Jungkook’s eyes glistened, and an unintentional tear slipped down his cheek. Jin noticed and immediately panicked.

“Hey, why are you crying, Kook? Is it hurting somewhere? Is your head still hurting?” Jin asked, his voice full of concern.

Taehyung also got worried and chimed in. “Hey, are you feeling nauseous? Do you feel tired? Is your head or throat hurting?”

Jungkook shook his head, trying to stop his tears, but he couldn’t. The concern and care from Jin and Taehyung only made his emotions harder to contain.

“A-ani, m-my eyes are burning… t-that’s why… nothing else,” Jungkook stuttered, wiping his tears quickly.

“It will feel like that for a while, but it’ll go away, hmm? After you sleep, you’ll feel better,” Jin assured him with a soft smile.

Jungkook just nodded silently. Jin smiled gently and gave him another bite of soup. Jin was feeding him with love and care, while Jungkook accepted each bite with a heavy heart.

For the first time in years, he felt like someone was truly showing care for him. But he couldn’t bring himself to trust anyone—not yet. He was too afraid to accept love and care, too scared of the consequences.

The only thought running through his mind as he received this affection was: “What if… they also get into trouble because of me?”

That single thought always held him back, separating him from the love and care he so desperately needed but felt he didn’t deserve.

Jungkook shook his head, signaling that he didn’t want to eat anymore.

“Come on, just a little is left,” Jin insisted.

Jungkook shook his head tiredly. “Enough,” he said softly, his voice laced with exhaustion.

Jin sighed and set the bowl aside. He picked up the glass of milk and brought it to Jungkook. “Here, drink this, hmm?” Jin said, holding the glass near Jungkook’s mouth.

Jungkook shook his head again. “Kookie, you must drink it. How else will you get better, huh? Come on, drink,” Tae softly scolded, taking the glass from Jin and holding it near Jungkook’s mouth.

Jin chuckled at Tae’s light scolding.

Jungkook stared into Tae’s eyes for a moment. “What, Kookie? Here, drink,” Tae urged gently.

Finally, Jungkook began drinking, holding the glass with his free hand while sipping slowly like a child. Tae and Jin chuckled softly.

Jin stood and went out to call the nurse. “He ate… what about the medicines?” Jin asked when the nurse arrived.

The nurse nodded and handed him a set of tablets. “Here are the medicines,” she said.

Jin’s eyes widened at the sight of four tablets. “All these?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yes, sir. They are necessary. This one is to reduce his fever, this one for his headache, and the other two are vitamins,” the nurse explained.

Jin sighed. “You’re going to fill his stomach with pills at this rate,” he muttered dryly.

The nurse chuckled. “It’s necessary, sir,” she replied.

“Does he need to take his regular pills too?” Jin asked.

“Not for today, sir,” the nurse reassured him. Jin nodded and went back into the room.

“Here, take these pills too, Kookie,” Jin said, showing him the tablets.

Jungkook sighed but nodded.

“Hyungie, four tablets?” Tae gasped in surprise.

“Yes, bear,” Jin replied with a chuckle.

“Here, take them with the milk,” Jin said, handing Jungkook the pills.

Jungkook took them without hesitation, placing two tablets in his mouth at once and swallowing them with a gulp of milk. He repeated the process for the remaining two pills, surprising Jin and Tae.

“You take pills so easily,” Tae remarked.

“Huh?” Jungkook asked, confused.

“I mean, when you were little, you always threw tantrums and made a fuss about taking pills. You were terrified of them, and injections too. But now, you seem like a pro,” Tae said with a smile.

Jungkook was unsure how to interpret Tae’s words—whether to take them positively or negatively.

“I threw tantrums with you all?” Jungkook asked as he took another sip of milk.

“Yes, you always did,” Tae said with a fond smile.

“W-was I living with you when I was little? Not with Kim?” Jungkook asked, his confusion evident.

“Is that even a question, Kook? You always lived with us, and Appa too. But sometimes Appa went on business trips. Why are you asking this?” Jin asked, confused by Jungkook’s question. He also noticed that Jungkook referred to their dad simply as “Kim” instead of “Appa” or “Dad.”

Kim’s words echoed in Jungkook’s mind:

“They always hated you. They even tried to kill you numerous times, but I saved you. You always lived with me. Your mom also hated you a lot. That’s why I took you here. After I took you, your mom died in an accident. And yes, she deserved it for doing all those things to you.”

Jungkook shook his head, trying to dispel the painful thoughts.

“Just asking,” Jungkook said softly, avoiding their gaze.

“Wait, I’ll call the nurse to change the IV drip,” Jin said, standing up.

“Can’t I remove it?” Jungkook asked hesitantly. He was visibly uncomfortable with the IV in his hand.

Jin shook his head. “Just until tomorrow, then no more IV, okay?” he reassured Jungkook.

Jungkook sighed but nodded in agreement. Jin stepped out to call the nurse, leaving Jungkook to his swirling thoughts.

Hey guys how was the chapter???

I hope you all like it…

Pls do comment.

See i gave you double update even before you all completing the target. Soo now complete today’s targets.

10+ comments for next chapter.

So I made a request of one reader. I hope you all will look into it and ask requests….