Chapter 03 : The Letter

The steady hum of the office was a soft backdrop to Taehyung’s thoughts.

The floor-to-ceiling windows let in golden morning light, pooling across the polished desk where files lay neatly stacked. But his eyes weren’t on the documents today. They were distant, resting on the skyline. On something… someone far away.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about Jungkook.

Not since that day.

A knock broke the quiet rhythm of the morning, and Taehyung’s best friend and business partner, Park Jimin, strolled in with his usual bright grin, holding two iced Americanos.

"Morning, husband-to-be," Jimin teased, setting one of the cups on the desk. “Still processing the scandal of the century?”

Taehyung cracked a small smile and leaned back in his chair. “It’s not a scandal.”

“Oh please,” Jimin chuckled, sitting across from him. “You proposed to a boy no one expected you to even notice. A mute one, no less. You shocked an entire family into silence.”

“I’m surprised you’re not questioning it,” Taehyung murmured, sipping his coffee.

Jimin shrugged. “I don’t need to. I saw your face that day.”

Taehyung raised a brow.

“You looked like you’d finally found something,” Jimin said simply. “I’ve known you long enough to recognize that look. It’s the one you give to art pieces no one else understands… except you.”

That made Taehyung chuckle quietly. “He’s more than an art piece.”

“I know,” Jimin said gently, “which is why I support you. I’m just worried for him.”

Taehyung’s smile faded.

“I’ve heard things,” Jimin continued, more serious now. “About how he’s treated. About that house.”

Taehyung didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. The weight in his eyes said enough.

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the office door.

One of the assistants stepped in, holding a pale cream envelope. “Sir, this just arrived. It’s from the Jeon household. Addressed to you. Personally.”

Taehyung stood up immediately, brows furrowed. “Thank you.”

The envelope was delicate, the paper slightly textured, sealed with a small, gold-inked symbol of a crane—modest, old-fashioned.

Taehyung opened it carefully, hands steady but heart unsure.

Inside, the handwriting was soft and slanted. Uncertain but thoughtful.

It was from Jungkook.

__________________________________________________

Dear Kim Taehyung-ssi,

I don’t know how to begin this.

I’m not used to being heard… or seen.

And even now, I’m not sure if writing this will make sense. But I’ll try.

First, thank you.

I never thought anyone would look at me the way you did. Not with pity or curiosity, but… something else. Something I couldn’t name. The way you saw me that day—it felt like I mattered. For the first time in a long time.

But that’s exactly why I’m writing this letter.

Because I can’t let you do this.

You don’t know me, Taehyung-ssi. You don’t know what kind of life I’ve lived… or the kind of silence I’ve been drowned in. I’m not the right choice for you.

You come from a world of beauty, comfort, and freedom. A world where people smile without force and speak without fear. I don’t belong in that world.

And I can’t be the reason your family suffers ridicule. I can’t let you tie yourself to someone like me, when there’s someone better—someone like my stepsister. She’s beautiful, graceful, well-spoken. She fits your world.

I am not someone meant for the spotlight. I barely even know how to stand in it without trembling.

Please, forget this engagement.

I will understand.

And I will be grateful… for the moment you gave me. The moment where, just for a second, I was chosen.

Thank you for that.

Please be happy, even if it’s not with me.

– Jeon Jungkook

__________________________________________________

Taehyung read the letter again.

And again.

Each word dug under his skin like soft thorns—quiet, painful, undeserved.

He could see Jungkook writing it. Sitting alone somewhere, eyes full of uncertainty, hands shaking as he tried to word his unspoken thoughts. He could almost feel the weight of those words, the loneliness hidden between the lines.

Just then, he heard jimin asking while trying to see what's written inside the letter

“...What’s that?”

Taehyung didn’t answer right away. He slowly folded the letter and placed it on the desk like it was something fragile, sacred.

“It’s from him,” he said simply.

Jimin’s brows lifted. “From Jungkook?”

Taehyung nodded.

“And?”

“He wants me to call off the marriage,” he murmured, voice flat. “Says he’s not the right one for me. That his stepsister deserves me more.”

Jimin blinked. “Wait… he’s backing out?”

“No,” Taehyung said softly. “He’s sacrificing himself.”

There was silence.

Jimin sat down slowly across from him. “So… what are you going to do?”

Taehyung looked down at the letter. His jaw clenched.

“I’m going to marry him.”

Jimin raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want someone who fits into my world,” Taehyung said. “I want someone who changes it.”

__________________________________________________

That night, the Jeon household was unusually quiet. The kind of quiet that followed a storm—but before the next one began.

Jungkook sat in his room, alone, staring at his hands.

He had sent the letter early that morning, praying that Taehyung would understand.

That he would take the easy way out.

That he would forget this absurd decision to marry someone who couldn’t even say thank you aloud.

“Trying to play noble, huh?”

The voice came from the doorway.

His stepsister leaned against the frame, arms folded, wearing her smugness like perfume.

“You think writing a sad little letter will make him change his mind? Please. Rich boys like him don’t just see someone like you. It was a mistake. He’ll realize that soon.”

Jungkook looked away, heart twisting, throat tightening.

“I bet he hasn’t even replied,” she scoffed. “You’re nothing but a phase, Jungkook. A pity project. Once the novelty wears off, he’ll move on. Just like everyone else.”

She turned to leave.

But paused.

“Enjoy the silence while it lasts,” she said cruelly. “It’s the only thing you’ve ever been good at.”

And then she was gone.

Jungkook closed his eyes, biting down on the softest cry.

__________________________________________________

But across town, in a penthouse lit by moonlight and golden lamps, Taehyung stood in his living room, looking at his reflection.

He was holding a single box in his hand.

Inside, a ring.

Simple, silver, with a tiny engraved heartbeat on the inner curve.

He picked up his phone and opened his messages.

To: Jeon Jungkook