Chp 43- My Safe Haven
Today was a special day, and a wave of happiness was running through Kim Mansion because two couples were getting married today.
They had booked a hall where the wedding mandap was beautifully decorated with flowers.
The entire hall was filled with guests, and every corner was alive with noise and joy.
Outside, Minho and Bogum had arrived with the wedding baraat. Drums were beating, sweets were being distributed, and young girls dressed in cute chaniya cholis were helping hand them out. Everyone was busy with tasks.
Jimin and Soya were helping Tzuyu get ready, even though makeup artists were present. On the other side, Jungkook and Jihyo were helping Yoona get ready.
Seeing Jungkook running here and there, Mrs. Jeon stepped down from the mandap, caught her hand, and said
"Why are you running around like this? Sit down in one place and rest a bit. If your husband sees you running around doing so much work, he will stop the wedding right now."
"Oh, Eomma, it's not like that. There is so much work to do, and guests to attend to. You tell me, has everyone arrived from home? Has Minho brother and bogum arrived with the baraat?"
"They've arrived. All his friends are dancing outside. I was outside too, but what would I do among so many men? So, after performing the aarti for everyone, I came inside. Come, sit with me for a bit. You haven't sat down to talk properly with your mother for days. Do you know how worried I was?"
"I'm sorry, Eomma. I can only talk to you when I'm alone, but no one leaves me alone! Sometimes someone calls me for work, sometimes for something else, and even when I'm finally alone, he shows up and then..." Realizing what she was about to say, Jungkook quickly shut her mouth.
Mrs. Jeon burst out laughing after listening to her.
"Silly girl. It's alright, go and check where your husband is, the wedding is about to start" Mrs. Jeon said, patting Jungkook's head gently.
Nodding with blushing red cheeks, Jungkook walked away.
"Look at her, my child has grown up so fast. May God always keep her this happy."
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Soon the wedding began, and both couples were called to the mandap. Jungkook sat Yoona next to Bogum, and then sat Tzuyu next to Minho.
"Now that you're about to become my bhabhi, why don't we start this new relationship by forgetting all the old hatred?" Jungkook asked Tzuyu with a smile.
Tzuyu nodded yes from beneath her veil, tears streaming down her face.
The girl whose life I set out to ruin in a fit of hatred is forgetting everything and accepting me as her own today. Only a truly great person with a heart as big as yours could be born like this, Jungkook
Tzuyu thought to herself.
Stepping down from the mandap, Jungkook comes and stands right beside Taehyung.
"Don't both couples look absolutely adorable together?" she asked, a sweet smile gracing her lips as she watched them.
"Hmm, they look nice," Taehyung replied smoothly, "but still not as good as us."
Jungkook looked at him, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Hush now! You'll just say anything. Today is their special day."
"That's true," Taehyung sighed, putting on a dramatically tragic expression. "It's their wedding night, too. I wonder when mine will finally happen?"
Jungkook's face flushed bright crimson at the words. Wedding night! This man truly had no filter.
Unable to hide her embarrassment, she quickly walked away, only to return a moment later carrying a brass platter filled with fresh flower petals. Keeping her gaze fixed firmly ahead, she handed him some petals and muttered
"Just throw the flowers on them."
Taehyung chuckled softly at her flustered state. Taking a handful of petals, he showered them over Yoona and Bogum, then Minho and Tzuyu, as both couples completed their sacred rounds around the wedding fire.
Once the wedding rituals came to an end, both couples sought the blessings of their elders as the families prepared for the emotional bidaai.
Minjun broke down in tears as he hugged tzuyu goodbye. On the other side of the courtyard, Yoona clung tightly to Taehyung, weeping bitterly.
"Yoona, my sweet girl, please don't cry," Taehyung murmured gently.
"Bhai! I don't want to leave you, Maa, and Bhabhi!" Yoona sobbed. "I'm going to miss you all so much."
"I'm going to miss you too," Taehyung said, gently wiping the tears from her face. "You'll always be my little doll. Call me every single day, and if you ever need anything, I want to be the first person you call."
Yoona happened to glance over and saw Tzuyu crying in her father's arms, which only made her own tears flow faster.
"If Dad were alive today, he would have been so happy, wouldn't he?" Yoona choked out, resting her head against Taehyung's chest. "Why did he have to leave us so soon? We couldn't even get his blessings today."
A somber silence fell over the room. Tears welled up in the eyes of Jungkook, Jihyo, and Eunchae.
Even Taehyung felt a lump form in his throat. Stifling his own grief, he tightened his grip around her, his voice cracking with emotion as he tried to comfort her.
"Don't say that, sweetheart. He's watching over us right now from above. In fact, his blessings were the very first to reach you today, and I know he's smiling down at you...So what if Dad isn't here with us? You still have me. Don't cry."
Wiping his eyes, Taehyung gently pulled back. Seeing the quiet pain hidden behind his composure broke Jungkook's heart.
Turning to the bogum, Taehyung's expression grew entirely serious.
"Bogum, take good care of my sister. If she ever makes a mistake, please don't be harsh with her and definitely never, ever raise your hand."
"Bhai, I promise you, I will never do that," Bogum reassured him earnestly. "I will cherish Yoona with everything I have."
Satisfied with his answer, Taehyung gave a soft nod and helped Yoona into Bogum's car.
He then walked over to Tzuyu and gently rested his hand on her head.
"I've never seen you as anything less than Yoona," Taehyung said softly. "I love all my sisters equally. Be happy. Minho will take good care of you, but if he ever gives you trouble, you call me immediately, okay?"
Overcome with emotion, Tzuyu broke down and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Bhai!" she cried, the first time she had ever called him that, genuinely and from the bottom of her heart.
Taehyung embraced her back warmly. "Stay happy, and leave all the painful memories of the past behind. If life ever gets tough, just remember that you have three elder brothers standing by your side."
Tzuyu nodded through her tears. The entire Kim, Jeon, and Park families looked on, moved by the sight.
Watching how gentle and protective he was, Jungkook felt herself falling in love with Taehyung all over again, her eyes shining with warmth as she looked at him.
With the farewells finally complete, everyone boarded their cars and began the quiet drive back to the Kim Mansion.
When the convoy finally pulled up to the gates of Kim Mansion, a weary silence hung over the exhausted family. Kim family all filed indoors, their feet aching from hours of standing and greeting guests.
After briefly bidding each other goodnight, everyone dispersed to their respective rooms, eager to wash off the exhaustion of the long day and get some rest.
Inside their bedroom, Jungkook headed straight into the washroom to change out of her heavy traditional attire and freshen up.
Taehyung, meanwhile, walked out onto the private balcony. The night air was cool against his warm skin, carrying a quiet calm that stood in stark contrast to the lively wedding hall. Leaning his hands against the marble railing, he tilted his head back and stared up at the vast, starlit sky.
His mind drifted back to Yoona's tearful words at the bidaai. A heavy ache settled in his chest as memories of his father flooded his thoughts, and a single tear slipped down his cheek.
Behind him, the washroom door clicked open. Jungkook stepped out in comfortable clothes, drying her face with a soft towel. Noticing the empty bed, she turned toward the balcony and saw Taehyung's lonely silhouette bathed in the dim moonlight.
She walked over softly, barefoot, and slipped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek against his back.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered softly.
Taehyung gently rested his hands over hers, placing a soft kiss on her wrist without turning around. "Just... looking at the stars."
Jungkook unclasped her arms and moved to stand beside him at the railing. Looking up at his gentle, sorrowful expression, she reached up standing on her tip toes she gently wiped away the faint trace of a tear on his cheek.
"Dad was there today, hubby" Jungkook said in a tender voice, her eyes full of warmth.
"He saw how beautifully you took care of Yoona and Tzuyu. You didn't just play the role of a brother today, you filled his shoes completely. He must be so proud of the man and father figure you've become."
Taehyung looked down at her, the tightness in his chest loosening at her words. Pulling her gently into his arms, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting out a long, shuddering sigh.
"I just missed him a little extra today," he admitted, his voice barely above a murmur.
"I know" Jungkook replied softly, running her fingers soothingly through his hair. "And it's okay to miss him. But you don't have to carry everything alone anymore. I'm right here with you."
Taehyung pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his hands coming up to cup her face gently. The dim moonlight caught the soft, affectionate shimmer in his gaze, casting a romantic glow over the quiet balcony.
"How did I get so lucky with you?" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.