The golden haze of summer had faded, replaced by the crisp, biting air of an early autumn afternoon. The leaves on their beloved oak tree, once vibrant green, were now a riot of fiery reds and oranges, rustling mournfully in the wind. This was the day Jungkook had silently dreaded, though he hadn't known it was coming until Taehyung's small voice had uttered the words that splintered his world.
Taehyung found Jungkook sitting under their secret spot, meticulously tracing the wonky 'T' next to the uneven 'JK' carved into the bark. His own heart felt like a shriveled leaf, dry and brittle with a premonition he couldn't shake.
"Jungkookie," Taehyung started, his voice barely a whisper, thick with unshed tears. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, unable to look directly at his best friend. "We're leaving."
Jungkook slowly lifted his head, his big, earnest eyes wide and confused. He blinked once, twice, as if trying to process a language he didn't understand. "Leaving? Like... for vacation?"
Taehyung finally met his gaze, and Jungkook saw the glistening film of tears already coating his hyung's eyes. He shook his head, a single tear finally escaping and tracing a cold path down his cheek. "No. My appa got a new job. Far away. We're moving. Tomorrow."
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Jungkook's small hand instinctively reached out, grasping Taehyung's arm, his fingers digging in slightly. "But... but what about our promise, hyung? Forever and ever?" His voice trembled, the disbelief warring with a rising panic that made his stomach clench.
Taehyung's own eyes welled up again. "I know! I don't want to go, Kookie! Really, I don't! But my parents said we have to." He pulled Jungkook into a fierce, desperate hug, burying his face in the younger boy's shoulder. It was a hug meant to last forever, to somehow glue them together.
Jungkook hugged back just as tightly, his mind racing, a desperate plea forming on his tongue. Forever and ever. He had to say it. He had to tell Taehyung how special he was, more special than any superhero figure or shiny pebble. That he wanted to stay by his side, always. He opened his mouth, a desperate confession bubbling up, a confused mix of "I love you" and "Don't go" and "What about me?" but the words caught in his throat. They were thick with tears and a child's overwhelming shyness, too big and messy to untangle. What did you even say in a moment like this? I like you more than anyone? It felt too small, too insufficient for the enormity of his feelings.
Suddenly, a woman's voice, Taehyung's mother, called from across the park, sharp and impatient. "Taehyung! We need to finish packing, sweetie! We don't have all day!"
Taehyung pulled away, tears streaking both their faces, leaving cold trails on their flushed cheeks. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, his eyes pleading for understanding, for something, anything. "I have to go," he choked out, his voice barely audible. "But I won't forget you, Kookie. Never, ever."
Before Jungkook could find his voice, before he could shove the smooth, perfectly round skipping stone he'd polished just for Taehyung into his hand, before he could even utter a single, coherent plea, Taehyung was already running. His small figure blurred against the autumn leaves, a rapidly shrinking silhouette heading towards his mother's beckoning call.
Jungkook stood there, alone under the vast, indifferent sky, his hand still outstretched, clutching the cold, smooth skipping stone. The word "forever" echoed in the silence, now feeling like a cruel, broken whisper. The weight of his unsaid words, his unexpressed feelings, settled deep in his chest, a hollow ache that he would unknowingly carry, a secret burden, for years to come. He watched until Taehyung's silhouette disappeared behind the row of houses, leaving him with nothing but a profound sense of loss and the cold, forgotten stone in his palm.
His world, once so bright, suddenly felt a lot colder.