The conference hall buzzed with the dull drone of corporate mingling, a symphony of polite laughter and clinking glasses. Taehyung, sharp in his tailored suit, navigated the crowd with practiced ease, exchanging pleasantries and business cards. He was good at this – charming, professional, effortlessly charismatic. Yet, an undercurrent of boredom, a quiet hum of dissatisfaction, was always there. He longed for something real, something that truly sparked. He didn't know what it was.
He was mid-conversation with a potential client about market trends when his gaze, almost accidentally, drifted towards the far end of the hall. The light there seemed to shimmer, drawing his attention like a moth to a flame. And then he saw him.
He was standing near a display, seemingly engrossed in a presentation, but his presence... it was undeniable. Taller, broader in the shoulders, with a maturity that etched subtle lines around eyes that were still impossibly wide and earnest. His dark hair was styled effortlessly, and the way his suit jacket fit his frame—wow. Taehyung's breath hitched. It was like looking at a ghost from a dream he'd long forgotten.
No way. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat demanding attention. It couldn't be. Not here. Not now.
But as the man shifted, turning his head slightly, the angle of his jaw, the curve of his nose, the familiar mole under his eye... recognition slammed into Taehyung with the force of a physical blow. It was him. Jungkook. His Jungkook.
Jungkook, who had once spent hours building pebble constellations for him. Jungkook, who had wiped popsicle juice from his chin. Jungkook, whose small hand had promised "forever and ever" under their secret oak tree.
A wave of dizzying nostalgia, sharp and poignant, washed over Taehyung, stealing the air from his lungs. The corporate chatter faded into a distant hum. All he could hear was the sudden, deafening pounding in his ears and the echoes of a forgotten childhood vow.
Just then, as if sensing Taehyung's intense stare, Jungkook slowly lifted his head. His dark, intelligent eyes scanned the room, sweeping past faces until they locked onto Taehyung's.
Time seemed to warp, stretching thin and fragile. For a long, breathless moment, they simply stared, recognition dawning in Jungkook's eyes too – a flicker of shock, then a profound, almost vulnerable, acknowledgment. It was a silence louder than any shouting, a conversation held solely between two souls who had once known each other more intimately than anyone else.
Taehyung felt a strange pull, a magnetic force deep in his chest tugging him forward. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt for Jennie, or anyone else. It was familiar, yet utterly new, electrifying every nerve ending.
Finally, Jungkook's lips curved into a small, hesitant smile. It was the same shy, earnest smile from all those years ago, yet now framed by the subtle confidence of adulthood. And Taehyung, against all logic, against every professional boundary, felt an answering, involuntary smile spread across his own face, a warmth blooming in his chest that rivaled any summer sun.
He started to move, drawn by an invisible string, cutting through the crowd. Jungkook was doing the same, their steps converging.
Their "forever" had found them again, ready to rewrite everything Taehyung thought he knew about his life.