Chp 47- A Night of Miracles #2
Suddenly, Minho stepped into the center of the room. Without a word, he took Tzuyu's hand and gently helped her up from the sofa. Tzuyu looked up at him through the translucent fabric of her veil.
"That is enough," Minho announced, his voice ringing clearly across the room. "We are going to our room. There will be no further rituals today. You may all leave."
Gasps echoed through the crowd. As Minho began leading Tzuyu away, an older woman stood up indignantly.
"What insolence!" she raised her voice. "First you bring home a bride tied to disgrace, and now you disrespect us by throwing us out?"
"Precisely!" another guest chimed in. "We haven't forgotten what her brother did! How are we expected to accept a girl like her?"
Minho turned around, his eyes blazing with fury.
"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR ACCEPTANCE!" his voice thundered through the hall.
"Tzuyu is my wife. She is not defined by anyone else here. She is Mrs. Tzuyu Minho Jeon! None of you have the right to utter another word against her. If every single one of you doesn't leave this house right this second, I will personally throw you out! Call whoever you want,
I am not afraid of anyone."
The room fell dead silent. Holding Tzuyu's hand firmly, Minho escorted her up the stairs. Watching their son stand tall and protect his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Jeon felt their chests swell with immense pride.
Within minutes, the embarrassed and grumbling guests scattered, leaving the Jeon residence in peace.
Upstairs in Minho's room, the heavy wooden door shut, locking out the noise and hostility of the family gathering below.
Tzuyu stood frozen near the edge of the bed, her shoulders shaking silently as tears finally spilled past her eyelashes, dampening the fine mesh of her crimson veil. The lingering weight of every insult, every whispered judgment about her, crushed down on her chest.
Minho turned around, his stern expression softening instantly as he saw her trembling frame. Stepping closer, he reached out with gentle, reassuring hands and slowly lifted the veil over her head, letting it fall behind her.
"Tzuyu," he said softly, his voice a stark contrast to the thunderous tone he had used downstairs.
Tzuyu kept her head bowed, unable to meet his eyes. "You shouldn't have done that, Minho. They were your relatives. Because of me, you just humiliated your whole family in front of everyone."
"Look at me," Minho requested, placing his fingers lightly under her chin to raise her face. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.
"Those people came into our home to disrespect MY wife. Standing up to them wasn't a mistake, and you are not responsible for their narrow-mindedness. You are my wife now, Tzuyu. No one in this house or outside of it gets to treat you like a villain for something you had no part in."
Tzuyu searched his eyes, finding nothing but unwavering sincerity and warmth. For the first time since entering the Jeon residence, the tight knot of anxiety in her stomach began to loosen. She let out a shaky breath and nodded slowly.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You don't need to thank me for protecting what's mine," Minho said with a small, reassuring smile. "Now, sit down and rest. I'll ask Mom to send up some warm tea for you."
____________
Meanwhile, back at the main house, the heavy atmosphere lingered long after Suga and Jimin had retreated upstairs.
Jungkook was sitting on the balcony edge of her quiet room, her knees pulled close to her chest as she stared out into the darkening evening sky.
Her phone rested idle beside her on the cold tile floor.
Taehyung still hadn't called back, and the sudden harshness from Jiya and Dadi downstairs continued to ring in her ears.
A soft knock at her open bedroom door broke the silence.
Jungkook turned her head to see Jimin standing in the doorway, supporting her lower back with one hand while holding a small tray with two warm cups of tea.
"Jimin didi!" Jungkook immediately scrambled to her feet, hurrying over to take the tray from her hands. "Why did you bring this up yourself? You're supposed to be resting! You should have called me."
"If I waited for you to come downstairs, you would have stayed up here alone all night," Jimin replied gently, walking over to sit at the small table near the balcony. "Come, sit with me."
Jungkook set the tray down and took a seat opposite her, keeping her eyes lowered. "I'm sorry about earlier downstairs because of me, Suga bhai got into an argument with Dadi and chhoti maa"
"Stop blaming yourself for other people's bitterness, Jungkook," Jimin said firmly, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.
"Suga didn't stand up to them just because of you, he stood up because what they said was wrong. You do so much for this family every single day, and none of us are going to let them treat you like an outsider."
Jungkook felt a lump form in her throat at Jimin's kindness. She swallowed hard and managed a soft smile. "Thank you, didi. How are you feeling now? Is the baby okay?"
"We are both completely fine," Jimin smiled warmly, patting her tummy. "The doctor just said I need to avoid stress... which means you and I are going to stay right up here and ignore the drama downstairs."
Just then, Jungkook's phone on the balcony floor began to vibrate, lighting up the dark tiles with Taehyung's caller ID.
Jungkook stared at the screen, her heart skipping a beat as she hesitated to answer. Jimin noticed her expression and gave her hand one last gentle squeeze.
"Answer it," Jimin encouraged softly. "He's probably been worried."
Jungkook picked up the phone, pressed the accept button, and brought it slowly to her ear. "Hello?"
Hearing Taehyung's voice through the speaker, Jungkook excused herself from the balcony and stepped back into the privacy of her room, pulling the sheer curtains closed behind her.
"Hello, wifey! I've been trying to get hold of you for ages. Where on earth was your phone?" Taehyung's energetic voice boomed through the receiver.
"My phone was right here with me," Jungkook replied softly, a gentle pout forming on her lips. "I called you back a few times, but you didn't answer."
"Ah, forget about that right now.. I have news for you!"
Jungkook leaned against the vanity table, her attention completely piqued. "Tell me, I'm listening."
"I'm actually in the city right now. I won't be able to make it back home tonight."
A wave of concern crossed her face. "The city? At this hour? Hubby, is everything okay?"
"Yes, yes, everything turned out fine," Taehyung reassured her quickly.
"Namjoon called me in a panic earlier, Jin bhabhi had a fall on the stairs. I rushed straight here in a hurry without thinking, which is why I was frantically trying to call and inform you."
Jungkook held her breath. "Oh my god... how is Jin didi now? Is the baby alright?"
"There's nothing to worry about anymore," Taehyung said, his tone instantly brightening. "Both Jin bhabhi and the baby are perfectly safe. Hyung has a daughter, Jungkook! A healthy, tiny princess. I was holding her just a few minutes ago.... she's so small, so unbelievably cute"
A radiant smile broke across Jungkook's face, washing away the gloom that had lingered from earlier. "That is such wonderful news!"
"It really is," Taehyung agreed warmly.
"I just got off the phone with Namjoon's father to break the news to him. He's probably on his way to Kim Mansion right now to distribute sweets. Listen, I have to wrap up some paperwork and formalities here at the hospital. Make sure you have a proper dinner and get some sleep tonight.
Don't worry about any housework, I'll be home by tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay, I'll rest," Jungkook murmured, her voice dipping into a subtle, melancholic note. "Just... please come home as quickly as you can tomorrow."
Taehyung caught the faint trace of sadness behind her words immediately. "Jungkook? Did something happen over there?"
"Huh? No... nothing happened at all," she lied softly, trying to sound cheerful. "I just... I really miss you. It doesn't feel right here without you."
A low, affectionate chuckle rasped through the speaker. "Ah... so my sweet wife is missing her husband, is she? To tell you the truth, I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around you and kiss you deep right this second."
Heat flushed through Jungkook's cheeks. She instinctively averted her gaze, her free hand nervously twirling the end of her saree pallu. "What... what kind of talk is that? I'm hanging up!"
"Hey, hey! Don't you dare!" Taehyung teased, laughing softly. "What, I can't even share a little romance with my own wife? It's been nearly twelve hours since I last saw your face, you have no idea how desperately I miss you."
"I do know..." she whispered shyly, her heart fluttering. "I miss you just as much. That's why I'm telling you to hurry back."
"And if I hurry back... what's my reward?" Taehyung asked, his voice dripping with playful mischief.
Jungkook's face turned bright red. She bit her lower lip, twirling her saree fabric tightly around her fingers as a bashful smile spread across her lips.
"Whatever you want... it's yours. Just come back to me."
"That's it, I'm booking a flight right now!" Taehyung declared triumphantly.
"I'll be home by morning. So you better eat and get some sleep now, because when I get back tomorrow, I'm not letting you sleep at all."
"Aish!" Jungkook gasped, hiding her burning face in her hand. "I'm hanging up, you shameless man!"
Taehyung's melodic laughter filled her ear. "You still get so shy with me, you silly girl. Alright, I'll let you go for now. I'll be in your arms very soon. I love you biwi"
Jungkook hesitated, a quiet blush stealing over her features as she struggled to voice the words aloud.
"Come on, say it," Taehyung coaxed gently, playing the helpless victim. "How much longer are you going to tease your innocent husband? My ears are dying to hear it."