Chapter Text
"Cheers to my freedom!" "I can finally breathe,"
Jeongguk raises his glass and smiles from ear to ear. Jimin looks at him briefly before raising his glass. The club was lively with blaring music and blinding lights, and Jeongguk drank like never before, enjoying every moment of his new beginning. After all, he finally got divorced today. Ending his 4-year marriage with Kim Taehyung was one of his dreams since last year, and now that he had succeeded in doing so, he felt a satisfying feeling all over.
Don't get him wrong; it's not like he never loved Taehyung or something. He did. In fact, their marriage was also out of love. But after their wedding, Taehyung's love became too suffocating for him. The other sometimes loved him too much, not respecting his boundaries or wishes. He cared too much and was clingy on another level. Jeongguk did appreciate the love and care and the other's extroverted behaviour, but as they say, nothing is good if it exceeds what is needed. And that was what happened in their case. Taehyung was overly concerned with Jeongguk's health, so he wouldn't let him have a drink or smoke, would always drive him around, afraid that something might happen to Jeongguk if he was not around, was so strict on what Jeongguk should eat and drink, and one of the worst things was after Jeongguk had a small accident Taehyung had sold Jeongguk's bike without his consent, saying that he shouldn't ride a bike anymore. Jeongguk was so livid, and maybe it was from that day on that Jeongguk really started becoming fed up with Taehyung's overprotectiveness and care. The older grew up in a farm in a country side and didn't have much ambitions in his life. Taehyung's life revolved around his farm and animals. Jeongguk blamed his background for being so reserved. Maybe he's like that because he hasn't seen much outside of the farm. On the contrary, Jeon Jeongguk was a highly sought-after and well-paid criminal lawyer in Seoul. He seldom lost a case, and Jeongguk was really ambitious. He wanted a lot of things in life and was maybe too talented to settle into a simple, small life with Taehyung.
Now you might want to ask how these polar opposite guys met each other and got married. Well, Jeongguk had met Taehyung when he came to Daegu, Taehyung's hometown, to attend his friend Yoongi's brother's wedding. And whatever he may say, one fact remains: Taehyung was the most handsome and beautiful guy he had ever met in his life. Even after hooking up with celebrities, Jeongguk had never come across such an attractive person, and to top it off, the guy was well-mannered and sweet, and Jeongguk couldn't help but feel attracted to him. Yoongi had introduced both of them, and Jeongguk noticed the hint of blush on Taehyung's cheeks. So, he wasn't the only one who felt something. And maybe that's why Jeongguk began frequenting his visits to Daegu and Yoongi's parental house, making different excuses just to meet the cute farm boy again. He was blinded by the attraction he felt for the boy. They quickly became close friends, and it quickly developed into something more. Yoongi had raised his concerns about their growing closeness, telling him how this wouldn't work out since they're both very different people and from different worlds. But Jeongguk dismissed it instantly, being too much in love with the farm boy at the moment. At the end, he proposed to the boy and asked him to move to Seoul with him. Taehyung, though hesitant to leave his farm life, in the end agreed and moved in together with Jeongguk after their wedding.
Life was so beautiful for quite some time; the couple spent their time loving each other passionately. Taehyung didn't like the jobs in the city, so he never applied for any jobs. He loved baking and therefore started making customised cakes and cookies at home. The business was profitable too, thanks to Jeongguk's rich neighbourhood and clients. And Jeongguk was, as always, proud of him for working hard. But then, where everything went wrong, Jeongguk didn't know. Maybe after moving in with Jeongguk, Taehyung never had a life of his own or friends. He mostly stayed at home to bake and barely interacted with the people in Jeongguk's circle because he didn't fit in with them. Jeongguk's friends Jimin, Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jin were friends with Taehyung, and Yoongi was already familiar with Taehyung, so he interacted with them at least but still lacked his own circle. Taehyung's entire world was Jeongguk and only him. He devoted all of his attention to Jeongguk, and perhaps that was when things began to fall apart. Taehyung never realised he was being a control freak and made Jeongguk uncomfortable sometimes with his over affection. For god's sake, Taehyung sometimes treated him like a child, as if he were not a grown ass man who was more than capable of deciding what was good and bad for him.
Jeongguk scoffed bitterly, sipping his drink, thinking about them. "That blonde girl has been eyeing you from the time we came," Namjoon says, swirling his drink. Jeongguk turns and looks at the attractive woman, who was no doubt checking him out. He smirked before he turned his head back. "She's hot; she's totally my type," he says nonchalantly. Jimin raises his brows, "So? You gonna fuck her?" Jeongguk hums thoughtfully. "Nah, not now. I am not in the mood today; I want to first celebrate my new beginning," he says as he pours some more drink.
"Not to be that person, but honestly, I felt bad for Taehyung. I admit he was too much sometimes, but he loved you selflessly all this time. It's hard to find such people in this fast-moving world," Hoseok adds in a careful tone.
Jeongguk just remains silent. He knows that; he had seen the hurt in Taehyung's eyes when Jeongguk first talked about their issues. Their breakup was actually ugly. For the last 6 months, Jeongguk tried his best to make Taehyung give up on their marriage, but the older had extreme patience when it came to Jeongguk, so he never took anything to heart. Jeongguk was so frustrated that Yoongi asked him to just be honest with Taehyung about his feelings. But Jeongguk somehow couldn't do that face-to-face with Taehyung. Because as soon as he returns home, Taehyung immediately showers him with all the love and attention in the world that he couldn't bring himself to tell him about.
So, how did Taehyung find out? Well, that was another mess. When Taehyung arrived unannounced at their hangout, he overheard the group's conversation. And Jeongguk didn't really want things to turn out like that, but now that the cat was out of the bag, he didn't have any choice but to confess everything. Taehyung had looked so devastated that Jeongguk's heart hurt at the moment, but he needed to do it because otherwise they both wouldn't be happy ever. So he maintained his calm and told him everything bluntly and without a filter.
Taehyung disappeared for a month after that. Jeongguk was really worried to death and tried every possible way to find him, but there was no news of him. He couldn't express how relieved and happy he was when Taehyung returned on his birthday. For an instant, he forgot about every problem between them and just hugged Taehyung tightly, burying his face in the crook of Taehyung's neck. Taehyung gently patted his back and had brought a cake with him. Jeongguk was in no mood for that, but nevertheless he cut the cake for Taehyung. And it was then that Taehyung placed an envelope in front of him and said this would be the best gift for him. Jeongguk had not anticipated receiving divorce papers. He was so shocked to see the signed papers that he was speechless. A kind of piercing pain had erupted in his chest as he looked at Taehyung's sign. Taehyung caressed Jeongguk's face and kissed his forehead before going upstairs. He left their home that day. Jeongguk shook his head as he tried to clear those thoughts. There's no going back now. Taehyung is a closed chapter in his life now. He did the right thing. He assures himself, but he can't make sense of that very tiny ache he has in a corner of his heart.
"Thank you for taking care of my farm, Hyung," Taehyung says softly, glancing at Inyeop. Seo Inyeop was a childhood friend who had managed his farm and house during Taehyung's four years in Seoul. He had immediately returned after their hearing. He couldn't stand there even for a minute. The city life was never meant for him in the first place. The only thing that had kept him there was Jeongguk, and now that he wasn't his, Taehyung saw no reason to stay.
"It's nothing, Taehyung-ah, but I hope you're okay; the last few days must have been difficult," Inyeop says softly, looking at Taehyung, who gently patted his Yeontan's head. He smiles lifelessly.
" In a way, I'm glad hyung, he has been suffering so much in our relationship that he deserves an escape from me. Now that I look back, I do realise I have overstepped so many of my boundaries and have become almost toxic. I just... I never had anyone in my life to care for or who cared for me. So when I finally got someone, I became a bit selfish. I cared for him in a way I wished somebody would have cared for me. But I never realised when I lost control and became so toxic," he says, his voice breaking towards the end. He wished he had not made Jeongguk so suffocated. He wished he had been a better husband and lover and had maintained their boundaries. But he never had someone to teach him anything or show him how the world works. He was 5 when his parents died in a car crash. He grew up in the Daegu orphanage and later moved out when he was 18. He then started working on this farm, which was the only thing his parents left him apart from their house.
"So, what's your plan now?"
" I need time to sort out my feelings for him. I know I wouldn't be able to love anyone like that; he was my first love. But I will try to be a better person. I will work on improving myself."
"I'm glad, Tae, you did the right thing; if they are not happy with us, we should let them go, but don't consider it only your fault. Jeongguk could have openly talked about this to you, and I am pretty sure you would have changed anything for him, but he didn't and did all that drama and right away asked you to break up."
" Maybe he never wanted to mend our relationship in the first place, I mean I can understand, I am no match for him, I don't fit in his life. It's okay; I too thought that I wasn't made for that life. It was mentally exhausting and lonely there. But now that I've come here and gotten this breath of fresh air, I think I've finally come back to where I belong. Seoul life feels like a fever dream." Taehyung says staring away at nothing in particular. Inyeop gently takes his hands in, softly rubbing on them. "And I'm glad that you're back too, Tae!"
Jeongguk opens the door to their house and staggers inside, his steps shaky from the intoxication. He plops down on the couch and just stares ahead aimlessly. It was too silent for his own good. Taehyung never stopped talking; he would talk about the most random and weird things and never seemed to run out of topics when it came to Jeongguk. He sighed, loosening his tie. It's alright; he's just having withdrawal symptoms. He's just used to having Taehyung around him for 4 years, and that's it. It will get better.
"Thank you so much, Jeongguk; I wouldn't have won this case without your help." Jeongguk grins and hands her back her papers.
"You don't need to thank me, Chaeyoung. I was just doing my job,"
"But still, I want to thank you personally, if you will allow me," the lady says, placing her hand over his. Now Jeongguk was not an idiot; he knew what it meant, but he wasn't sure about that. He takes back his hands and smiles awkwardly.
"Hmm, it's not really necessary, but I appreciate the offer though."
"Come on, Jeongguk, just think of it as going to grab breakfast; I really want to treat you," Chaeyoung says, showing her best puppy eyes. "I know you got divorced, and you're single now," she adds, carefully trying her best to convince the lawyer.
Jeongguk sighed in defeat. But a good breakfast didn't sound too bad. It's been days since he had a proper breakfast. He now eats whatever comes into his hands. Sometimes just a cookie, sometimes an apple, sometimes cereal, or just anything edible; he's too lazy to make anything. If Taehyung had been present, he would have probably had a heart attack if he saw the breakfasts Jeongguk has. The older always made sure Jeongguk had all of his meals with all of the nutrients in perfect balance. Even if the Jeongguk wouldn't have time, Taehyung would walk around after him throughout the house as Jeongguk got ready, feeding him till he felt satisfied. Not to mention the fact that he made really tasty dishes as well. And maybe Jeongguk got so used to it that he feels really lonely at breakfast time, so he tries to reach the office quickly and get some takeout from there. So maybe going to breakfast isn't such a bad idea after all, he reasoned.
"Okay, fine! Let's go tomorrow," he says, giving her a small smile.
They go to a relatively quiet restaurant the next day for breakfast. The model was chatting away happily about one of her latest fashion weeks, how she was the showstopper, how she wore an exclusive piece from Versace, and how everybody was going around asking to take a photo with her. She looked like she enjoyed the flashy life she had. Jeongguk briefly thought about Taehyung's nonsensical blabbering for a moment. His ex-husband talked about the most random things sometimes, ranging from a cute cat he saw in the alley to how he thought about Nasa's latest expedition, and sometimes how the strawberries were so unfairly expensive in Seoul. Taehyung can go on and on about these for at least two days. He smiles a little at a particular memory of Taehyung being so excited to win two free tickets to an amusement park from a random competition in a mall. As if Jeongguk wasn't rich enough to buy him the whole amusement park if he wished.
"Jeongguk, why are you smiling?" Chaeyoung's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he cleared his throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that; it's nothing important. what were you saying?" He adds quickly, not intending to be impolite.
"I was saying, we should do this more often; I think we get along really well," she adds, a beautiful blush adorning her cheeks. Jeongguk really didn't know how to respond to that; yes, she was a nice girl, but to be honest, he wasn't keen on developing this. Luckily, the waiter comes with their food, and they start eating after that. He had ordered Japchae; he doesn't know why, though, because that was Taehyung's favourite food. He seriously needs to do something to stop thinking about Taehyung. Maybe hook up with someone. He's just remembering him out of habit. Jeongguk once again assures himself.
"You have something on your face," Chaeyoung says, pointing towards the corner of his lips. Jeongguk furrows his brows as he wipes the corner of his mouth.
" Where?"
"To the right," she says, suddenly extending her hands and wiping the sauce from his lips. Jeongguk froze and stared at her for a moment. There it was again, a dull ache in his heart, and he felt uneasy and overheated. He coughs and goes back to slurping his noodles silently.
Nothing interesting happened after that; he just listened to Chaeyoung's flexing about her career and then paid for their food and left the restaurant. Jeongguk stops beside his bike as he bids her goodbye. Yes, he had bought a bike after their divorce; he had missed riding it so much.
Jeongguk climbs over his bike and smiles at her briefly. Chaeyoung suddenly hugs him and places a small kiss on his cheeks.
"Think about what I said; I would love if we could meet more," she says in an alluring voice before going back to her car. Jeongguk just stayed there, frozen by the whole interaction. It burned where she kissed, and he wiped his cheeks hastily with his handkerchief. Nothing was wrong, okay? This is perfectly fine because he is divorced; it's not like he is cheating on Taehyung or something, but then why is this ugly feeling not leaving his mind at all?
"Taehyung, don't look at the papers." Inyeop hastily adds, seeing Taehyung with almost the entire newspaper in his hands. Taehyung furrowed his brows, confused. " Why?"
"Just don't, Tae; you know these media, they write whatever they feel like; it doesn't need to be true," he says cautiously. Taehyung dismisses him and opens the newspaper, only to feel his heart break entirely once more.
"Supermodel Lee Chaeyoung was spotted having a cosy breakfast with Criminal Attorney Jeon Jeongguk."
“The supermodel, who is undoubtedly Korea's beauty queen, was having breakfast with the attorney at an expensive Japanese restaurant in Itaewon, and from the photos, it is evident that the duo shares something more than a friendship. Their intimate moments are trending across social media, and fans have given them the cute couple name "Chaekook" too. Jeon Jeongguk, a well-known name in Seoul for his impeccable career records and strikingly attractive features, is certain to be an eligible partner for Korea's beauty queen, despite the fact that he recently divorced from his four-year marriage. Close sources say Jeongguk was never happy in the marriage and had been trapped in it for 4 years. Our hearts hurt for the young attorney, who for sure deserves someone like the beauty queen. Now the whole of Korea wishes for Chaekook to end together. And till then, here are some of their cutest pictures for you guys to gush over”
Taehyung looked down at the photos, his eyes already glistening. In one picture, the girl was holding his cheeks; in another, they were hugging; and in the third, she was kissing Jeongguk's cheeks. And Oh, Jeongguk was on a bike. The lawyer must have been so happy to finally ride it freely. To be honest, Taehyung totally regretted selling Jeongguk's bike without his consent. It was so shitty of him to do it. But after Jeongguk got into the accident, Taehyung was just so scared that he became paranoid. He had lost his parents in an accident, and he couldn't afford to lose Jeongguk too. He was the only one Taehyung had. So, he became a bit selfish. But he had truly regretted it after fighting with Jeongguk. He even had Jeongguk's favourite model of bike booked, which was initially going to be Jeongguk's birthday gift, but he had found another gift that time. a gift that gave him even more happiness, as Taehyung could conclude from the pictures. He smiles bitterly. At least his ending gift was something useful to him.
" Tae...?" Inyeop's soft voice brought him back, and he realised he had been staring at the newspaper for a bit longer.
"Don't take this rubbish to your heart, okay? "It could also be false; the media always twists the truth; don't think about it too much, okay?"
"I am okay, Hyung; he has moved on and is with people who actually deserve him, and he's looking happy."
"Taehyung, you can talk to me, alright? I will be here always; no matter what happens, you will always have me," he says sincerely, glancing directly at Taehyung's chocolate brown eyes. Taehyung hugs him lightly. "Thank you for being here hyung. I will see you later. I have a bit of work to do," Taehyung says before separating and walking away.
As soon as he reaches his bedroom, all his resolve breaks down, and he bursts into tears. Yeontan rushes towards him, trying to lick away the tears. Taehyung sniffles as he takes Yeontan in his arms and buries his face in his fur.
"Was I that easily replaceable, Tan? Was he this desperate to get out of our marriage that he moved on so quickly?" Over the fur, his voice became muffled. " Why didn’t I notice how unhappy he was in our marriage sooner? If I had known I could’ve done anything to make him happy. Sometimes I think since when was he tired of our relationship, was it recently? Or if he regretted it immediately after our marriage itself. I know I wasn't a good husband and that he deserves someone better, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It hurts so bad, Tan. It's hurting me physically to see him with another person." Taehyung sniffles as he harshly wipes away his tears.
" Maybe that's why he never opened up about our problems with me. Maybe he was looking for a chance to escape after all, huh? Why I wasn’t enough for him?” Taehyung slowly touched the pendant on his neck. It had their wedding ring; he just couldn't bring himself to throw it away. He clung desperately to the only thing he had of Jeongguk. He doubts if he will ever move on from the lawyer. He loved him too much for that.
He closed his eyes tightly, hugging Yeontan, and leaned on the wall. He wished things were different. He wished he hadn't been so clingy and wished Jeongguk had openly talked with him to solve their problems. Taehyung still remembers the day his world was completely shattered. The day he overheard Jeongguk saying, how much he was suffocated in this marriage and how he had tried all ways to make Taehyung leave him, but the older was just obsessed with him. Taehyung admits he was overly affectionate, but it was only out of good intentions; he never thought Jeongguk would get uncomfortable with it. In fact, Jeongguk used to like Taehyung's care and clinginess so much. It was what made him love Taehyung in the first place. Then why had it been the very same reason that drove him away from Jeongguk? He knows he has no rights to be upset over Jeongguk, they had divorced and Jeongguk moved on with his life, it's natural. But love makes people suffer, and Taehyung was indeed suffering.
Jimin barged into the Jeongguk's house as he threw the papers in front of him. Jeongguk and Namjoon, who were having a casual conversation, looked at him, perplexed.
"What the fuck is this about Jeongguk? I had no idea you were this desperate."
Jeongguk glanced at him for a few seconds before taking the paper and seeing the article. His eyes widen, and his face pales.
"What the fuck? This, Jimin... I... it’s not what it appears to be, I swear!" Jeongguk stuttered, still peering over the words. Jimin sighs and balls his fist.
"Listen, I supported your divorce because you were not happy in that relationship, and I know you are now divorced and you can do whatever you want, but maybe you should give it some time? At the very least, do it privately. Because I don't want to imagine how Taehyung will feel when he sees this bullshit. It has been, like, barely 2 months since your divorce. He's not a bad person, Gguk, and I very well know that he still loves you. But I do sometimes wonder if you ever even loved him." Jimin asks, his extreme disappointment oozing out of every word.
"Don't talk about shit you don't know Jimin; you have no right to question my love for him," Jeongguk spat, glaring at the shorter guy. "She was my client, and I won the case for her, so she just wanted to treat me to breakfast; that's all there is to it, and that's all there ever will be. I didn't think it would be such a big mess, fuck!!" Jeongguk cursed silently, covering his face with his palms.
"Guys, I think this is a real disaster, like people are shipping you both and they're hating on Taehyung over that one sentence, and they're treating you like some victim and him like an abuser of sorts." Namjoon, who was silent the whole time, speaks after going through the internet.
Jeongguk pulled out his hair, frustrated. So much for getting breakfast. He dials his secretary's number and waits for him to pick up.
"Hello, yes... I know, I saw... Take that fucking article down from every damn site. Prepare a law suit against that news agency; they'll pay for this nonsense and give me the names of the reporter and photographer," Jeongguk mumbles through clenched teeth, his rage palpable. "And yeah, immediately release a statement that whatever shit they wrote is entirely false and that I am not some kind of victim," he finishes and throws away his phone.
"Jeongguk, calm down; it happens; you know how the media are; relax, okay?" Namjoon says with the calmest voice he could muster.
"Thank goodness you never allowed Taehyung's face to be published in the media. At least they don't know where he is or how he looks. I don't even want to imagine anything else." Jimin says, shaking his head.
Jeongguk leaned back on his couch as he stared at the ceiling. He wonders if Taehyung has already noticed this. And if he did, did he really believe this? Did he think Jeongguk moved on so easily? He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. " Taehyung please don't believe this; it's not what it seems like; no matter what happened between us, you were always special to me," he thought miserably. Suddenly, a particular memory flashed before his eyes.
Taehyung leaned against Jeongguk's chest, their naked bodies entwined between the silky sheets as they revelled in post-coital bliss. "Baby,..." Taehyung calls out in a low, deep voice, the sound of which gives the lawyer goosebumps all over. "Hmm..." Jeongguk hums, raking his fingers through the other's silky curls.
"Sometimes I think I don't deserve you," Taehyung says in a low, timid voice. Jeongguk stops his movements.
"Why do you think that?"
Taehyung snuggles even closer, his voice getting muffled over Jeongguk's chest.
"I just.. I am a nobody, Ggukie. I am just an average Korean guy who hasn't seen much outside of a farm, but you're not like me. You're like the brightest star in the night sky, which I look up to. You were like a sunrise in the darkest days of my life. I was so lonely before you, but ever since you came, I've felt all the love and care I never got from anyone before. You make me so happy that sometimes I get scared that I don't even deserve this; what did I ever do in my life to get so much love?" Taehyung trailed off as he raised his head slightly, fondly gazing at his husband.
Jeongguk holds his face gently and trazes his fingers over the other's jaw. "Don't think like that, Tae; you're the kindest and sweetest person I have ever seen; you deserve all the love in the world because you're so special that I can bring the world to your feet, so never think low of yourself, okay? You're irreplaceable,"
Jeongguk looks up from his thoughts and opens his eyes, staring at nothing in particular.