Chp 25- Fields of Familiar Footsteps
It was around noon. The sun was blazing fiercely, yet the farmers in the fields were busy with their work, ignoring the scorching heat.
Officer Jackson was sitting in his cabin when a junior officer walked in. In his hand, he carried a ziplock bag containing someone’s ID card.
The officer took off his cap, saluted Jackson, and said
"Sir, we found one more thing at the crime scene."
Placing the ziplock bag on the table, the junior officer spoke. Jackson picked it up and looked at it, his eyes widening in shock.
"T-this is…"
"Yes, sir. We found this ID card lying in the corner of that small hut."
"This belongs to Taehyung sir’s younger brother, Woojin"
Officer Jackson said, staring at the ID card.
"But… how did this get there?"
Jackson said thoughtfully, then dismissed the junior officer.
"I’ll have to continue the interrogation very soon."
.
.
Jimin and suga reached kim mansion, as soon as they saw jimin, the ladies ran towards her
"Bahu, are you okay?, is your health fine now?" Eunchae said worriedly caressing jimin's hair
"What did the doctor say? Why did the jimin bahu’s health suddenly deteriorate like this?”
Suga looked at everyone and smiled gently, while Jimin lowered her eyes shyly, her fingers twisting together in nervousness.
"Maa, badi maa, please come and sit here first. And Jimin, you sit as well”
Suga said calmly, guiding her toward the sofa.
"In this condition, you need as much rest as possible."
He helped her sit down carefully.
Yoona frowned, confusion clear on her face.
"Brother… what do you mean by this condition?"
Dadi shot everyone a sharp look and said impatiently.
"Hey, boy! Stop dragging this out. Why are you creating such drama? What happened to your wife?"
Suga smiled again, this time, a little brighter. Holding Jimin’s hand firmly yet gently, he said
"Maa, badi maa, dadi.… there’s good news. Jimin and I are going to become parents very soon."
Jimin’s cheeks burned red as she looked down, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. When everyone’s gaze fell on her, the room went completely silent.
For a brief moment, no one spoke...then suddenly—
Yoona and Sulgi rushed to Jimin’s side, sitting close to her and hugging her tightly, their happiness overflowing.
"Wow! That means Jimin bhabhi is going to be a mother!"
Yoona exclaimed, clapping like an excited child.
"That means, for the first time, a tiny, chubby little baby will come into our house!"
Suga nodded with a soft smile. Tears welled up in Eunchae’s and Jihyo’s eyes.
Jihyo and Eunchae gently moved Yoona and Sulgi aside and sat closer to Jimin.
“Bahu,” Jihyo said warmly, placing her hand on Jimin’s head, "today you’ve truly filled all our hearts with happiness."
"I can’t believe it…"
Eunchae whispered, wiping her tears.
"I’m going to become a dadi? Oh God, thank you a thousand times for this blessing."
Dadi slowly walked toward Jimin. Eunchae stood up, making space, and dadi sat beside her. With practiced hands, she took a little kajal from her own eyes and applied it gently behind Jimin’s ear.
"May God protect you and your child from all evil eyes" she said quietly.
"For the first time, you’ve truly brought happiness into this house, and into my heart as well."
She removed a gold bangle from her wrist and slipped it onto Jimin’s hand.
"Keep this safe. From today onward, it belongs to you. And take good care of our little one."
Jimin’s eyes filled with tears. She nodded silently.Because this was the first time Dadi had spoken to her with such warmth—and not just spoken, but accepted her… and gifted her something so precious.
.
.
.
In Jeon house
It was evening, tae and Jungkook both got ready to go to the farm, they bid bye to Mr and Mrs Jeon and walked out of the house together silently without exchanging a word
They walked together on the road which will lead them towards the farm.
The evening settled gently over the fields, wrapping the land in warm shades of gold and amber.
The sun hung low near the horizon, its light soft and fading as it brushed against the mustard flowers, making them glow quietly in the dusk.
A narrow dirt path stretched through the fields, worn smooth by time, leading into the distance where shadows slowly lengthened.
The air carried a cool hush, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds returning home.It was one of those evenings where the world seemed to pause, holding onto the last warmth of sunlight before night arrived.
(The pic is not mine,src:-pintu bhaiya)
Jungkook looked around the village catching its beauty, and taehyung walked just beside her without uttering a word admiring the beauty of the village
It was kind of getting awkward so kook decided to break the ice
"Um are you usually this quiet, or j-just infront of me?"
Tae looked at her and then at front keeping his hand in his pocket while walking
"I don't like to talk much"
"Ooh" Jungkook said looking down and once again the air was left with silence
Soon a group of little boys ran towards Jungkook calling her name loud from far away, they all came in groups and surrounded kook hugging her altogether making kook giggle
"Arre, boys"
"Didi, where did you go to huh?, we missed you so much"
A boy said hugging her waist tightly
"Yeah didi, without you this village feels so lonely"
"There's no fun in playing without you"
"We can't even steal mangoes from lata aunty's tree alone"
"Yeah whenever she sees us, she beats us with a broom"
"Please didi, now you came back, don't go away again, we missed you a lot"
Everyone one by one complained to her making her smile softly at them and tae was just siding on the side watching the heartfelt attraction between his wife and the kids
"Boys, did Lata aunty really chase you all away?"
They all nodded in union making kook wrinkle his nose at them
"Ok, don't worry, I'll talk with Lata aunty, and she'll give you all mangoes everyday from her tree"
Koo said with a smile ruffling their hair
"But didi, you aren't going away again right?" A boy said sadly
"I'm here till tomorrow, and then I'll leave baby"
They all whined
"Whyyy?, why are you leaving?"
"Didi come with us, stay in my home, my mother cooks really delicious meals everyday" a boy said excitedly
Jungkook ruffles his hair with a smile
"I'll come tomorrow okay, but i can't be here for forever my baby love"
"Why?"
"Because I'm married now"
"Married?, just like my mother and father?"
Kook smiled at him and nodded
"Yeah just like your parents" koo replied and then looked at tae who was already watching her with a loving gaze making her look away instantly
"Didi,who's your husband?, does he beat you?, like my appa beats my eomma"
Kook looks at him sadly and shakes his head and kneels down infront of him and kisses his cheek and caresses his hair
"My boy, my husband doesn't beat me, and listens to me, whenever your appa raises his hand to beat your eomma, cut that hand, so that the next time he won't be able to lift his hand for even doing basic things"
Kook said in a firm tone making the boy nod, hearing her words tae's chest swelled up proudly, now it became clear to him that his wife knows how to raise her voice against such things, and she cannot tolerate seeing this happen to anyone. She knows how to protect herself.
"Yeahhh, I'll do it, I'll cut my appa's hand if he raises his hand towards my eomma again, I'm a big boy now, I'll protect my eomma"
Kook smiled at him and again kissed his cheek making the other boys shine
"What?, why are you all whining?"
Kook asked with a confused face
"Because you only kissed him, we want a kiss too" a boy said whining
Kook smiled and leaned down to kiss every little boy's cheek and smile
"Happy my little ones?"
"Yeahhh very much" the boys replied happily
A boy look around and found tae standing near them looking at Jungkook, he frowned and stood infront of Jungkook who was still kneeling on the ground, the boy stood infront of Jungkook like he was protecting the most treasured gem of the world from monsters
"Heyy!!, why are you looking at my kookoo didi like that, go away!!, shoo" the boy said angrily spreading his arms as if his little shield was protecting his kookoo didi
Jungkook's eyes widened when she realised whom this little boy is shouting too, she immediately stood up and pulled the boy gently behind her and looked at her husband who was just staring at the mini version of an angry bird flaring his nose and glaring at him from behind koo, he tried to hide his smile
"I'm s-sorry, he didn't mean it!, don't mind his words, he's just a baby"
Jungkook said hurriedly thinking that tae might get angry hearing the boy's words,but instead tae shook his head
"It's ok, i didn't mind, he's quite protective, he'll be a great man in future"
Tae said looking at the boy who was still glaring at him, Jungkook followed his gaze and looks at the boy who was still staring at tae like he might just eat tae out, she kneel infront of him and cupped his cheeks
"Little one, he's my husband, he's not a danger to me, he'll not harm me"
"Husband?" The boy asked confusedly making Jungkook nodded her head
"Yeah husband"
Listening to this all the boys got angry
"So he's the one who steal you from us"
Jungkook's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head
"What!!, no no"
"Then why are you living with him?"
"Because he's my husband, just like how your father is your mother's husband,and your mother lives with your father just like that I have to live with him" she said trying to make the boys understand and they finally understood
But still a boy flared his small chest out and glared at tae thinking he's looking too intimidating but ended up looking like a little mouse
"Listen here you man, you better take care of our kookie, don't make her cry, and Yes she likes chocolate,but her chocolate everyday" he said trying to say all those in a stern voice but ended up stammering at some part, making tae swallow his chuckle
Kook face planed herself in embarrassment, tae kneel infront of the little man and kept his hand on his little shoulder sighing
"Ok little man, I'll do everything just as you said, buying chocolates for your kookie, and not making her cry, is that fine now?, did i now become a good man in your eyes?"
The boy nodded and soon they boys bid them bye and they ran from there, tae let out a light chuckle looking at their little running form
"I'm sorry from their side, they're all little and—"
"It's ok, I didn't mind, but I have to say it wasn’t just their height that was small,those kids talked as if they were far bigger than they actually were. The children, however, were very sweet and very protective towards you"
They resumed walking towards the field but now not with that uncomfortable silence,they were actually having a conversation
"I didn’t know you had so many child friends"
Tae said,a hint of surprise in his voice. Jungkook smiled, memories lighting up her face.
"So what if I do? Is it wrong to be friends with kids?" she said playfully.
"When I lived here, we all used to meet every day and get into mischief together. There’s an aunty who lives nearby, Lata aunty. She has a raw mango tree. We would secretly go there every day, pluck raw mangoes, and eat them. It used to be so much fun."
"You like raw mangoes?" Tae asked.
"I love them!" Jungkook said, clapping her hands happily.
"Which girl doesn’t like raw mangoes? They’re my favorite."
After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly,
"Do you know how to pluck raw mangoes?"
Taehyung raised an eyebrow at her, then continued walking.
"Not anymore. But when I was a kid, I used to pluck plenty of them. Suga, J-Hope, Woojin, Tzuyu, we all loved eating them together."
A small, nostalgic smile curved his lips as he remembered those days.Jungkook looked at him with gentle, admiring eyes.
"You really love your siblings a lot, don’t you?"
"More than anything" Taehyung replied.
"That’s why I want them to always be happy, no matter what they choose to do in life. I just hope they remember one thing, that their happiness shouldn’t cause pain to anyone else. Be happy yourself, but don’t hurt others."
He said this while looking at the setting sun.Jungkook however was looking only at him.
"You have such beautiful thoughts" she said quietly.
"It’s nothing special. I just think practically and—"
"Ah!"
Jungkook suddenly cried out, clutching herself in pain. Taehyung immediately turned toward her. He rushed to her side, steadying her before guiding her to sit on a nearby rock.
"What happened?" he asked, worry clear in his eyes.
"I-I think something pierced my foot"
Jungkook said, her voice trembling.
Taehyung knelt down and gently took her foot in his hands. Jungkook’s eyes widened instantly. She placed her hand on his shoulder, flustered.
"P-please… don’t touch my foot."
"Stop it" he said softly but firmly.
"You’re hurt. Let me see."
He carefully rested her foot on his knee and examined it.
"There’s a thorn stuck in it. But how did it get through your sandal?"
"My foot twisted a little earlier… maybe that’s when it pierced" she replied.
"It’s okay" Taehyung said calmly.
"Close your eyes. It’ll hurt a little, but I’ll take it out."
Jungkook nodded trusting him and closed her eyes, she felt taehyung observing her foot to check and gently removing the thorn
"Open your eyes" taehyung said throwing the thorn he gently pricked out of her foot
Jungkook opened her eyes and looked at him with wide eyes
"Did you remove it already?, I didn't feel anything " Jungkook asked a little surprised
"I did, can you walk?"
Jungkook nodded as she tries to stand up that's when tae offers his hand,making Jungkook look at his hand first and then at him, tae nodded
"Hold my hand and get up"
Jungkook slowly slides her hand in his clutching on it like her life depends on it and stood up wincing a little first and then wore her sandals
"You sure you can walk?"
Tae asked a little worriedly
"I can, I'm fine, it was just a thorn"
She said making tae nodded,and by now, the sun had completely set in the background
"Okay, then let's go home, it's about to get dark" he said making kook nodded
And soon they both walked back towards jungkook's house
"I'm s-sorry" kook said nervously making tae look at her
"Sorry for what?"
"So much happened today that we couldn’t even make it to the fields. We’ll go tomorrow afternoon,I promise I’ll take you and introduce you to everyone."
"Everyone?" Tae asked confusedly
"Yeah,to the farmers, that lata aunty, we'll even ask her to give us some raw mangoes and if she denied we'll steal them" kook said being a little playful
"Stealing is a bad habit " tae said looking forward with his jaw flexing hard
"Come on,this is an exception,I'm not asking about stealing or robbing a bank, we'll rob a sweet little aunty and her mangoes, I'm very much excited " kook said excitedly and tae looked at her and said
"Yeah i can see that" kook looked away flustered at how fast she becomes so comfortable infront of him that now she's sharing all her secrets with him
Maybe this is the first stage of being till forever in their story,she wished herself the best of luck for whatever is coming ahead in her life.
To be continued