The next day arrived quieter than most. Sunlight spilled through the wide windows of the penthouse, washing the living room in a soft golden glow that made the space feel warmer than it had in days. Taehyung had been awake for nearly an hour, though he had spent most of it standing by the kitchen island with an untouched cup of coffee in his hand. His thoughts wandered aimlessly, returning again and again to everything Matt had said the previous night.
None of it had been cruel. If anything, it had been painfully kind. Matt had never demanded explanations. He had never asked Taehyung to choose him, nor had he blamed him for stopping before they crossed a line neither of them could return from. Instead, he had spoken only of Jungkook, of honesty, and of courage.
The words lingered with an uncomfortable weight. The sound of a suitcase rolling across the wooden floor pulled Taehyung from his thoughts. Matt emerged from the guest room, dressed casually for the flight, one hand pulling his luggage behind him while the other adjusted the strap of his backpack. His usual carefree smile returned the moment he saw Taehyung, though it carried a hint of exhaustion around the edges.
"You've been awake a while," Matt observed.
Taehyung simply nodded. "I couldn't sleep much."
Matt smiled knowingly but chose not to comment. The silence between them felt comfortable now. It lacked the tension of the previous evening, replaced instead by the quiet understanding that only years of friendship could build.
Taehyung reached for Matt's suitcase before he could protest. "I'll carry it."
Matt raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to."
"I know." Without another word, Taehyung wheeled the suitcase toward the elevator. Matt followed beside him, slipping both hands into his pockets.
The ride downstairs was almost entirely silent. Neither of them seemed eager to fill the space with unnecessary conversation. Some goodbyes did not need many words.
Outside, the morning air carried a pleasant chill. Taehyung placed the suitcase into the trunk of the waiting taxi before closing it gently. The driver remained inside, politely pretending not to notice the two men lingering beside the car.
Matt turned toward him with a small smile. "So..."
"So."
"I suppose this is where we stop pretending we'll see each other every other month."
Taehyung let out a quiet chuckle. "You'll still come to Korea."
"And you'll still avoid London whenever possible."
"I have work."
"You've used that excuse for years."
Taehyung smiled faintly. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Matt's expression gradually softened.
"You know," he said quietly, "I've never regretted meeting you."
Taehyung looked at him. "Neither have I."
Matt nodded once."When we met, you barely smiled."
"You were annoying."
"I still am."
"You are."
Matt laughed, the familiar sound easing something tight in Taehyung's chest. Over the years, Matt had become one of the few people who expected nothing from him. No business advantage. No family connection. No carefully crafted image. He had simply stayed, through failed relationships, endless work, and countless moments when Taehyung had convinced himself that being alone was easier than letting anyone get close.
Even now, after everything that had happened, Matt had asked for nothing. Not another chance. Not an explanation. Only that Jungkook never experience the uncertainty he himself had quietly accepted.
Taehyung lowered his gaze briefly. "I'm sorry."
Matt frowned. "For what?"
"For... everything."
Matt shook his head almost immediately. "There is nothing to apologize for."
"There is."
"No, Tae." His voice remained calm. "You never lied to me."
Taehyung looked up again.
"You never promised me forever either."
The words settled gently between them. Matt smiled, though there was unmistakable sadness behind it. "I think... somewhere along the way, I already knew."
Taehyung remained silent. "You were always looking for someone."
Matt laughed softly to himself. "I just didn't realize it wasn't going to be me."
For the first time in years, Taehyung felt the weight of guilt press against his chest with surprising force. "I wish I hadn't hurt you."
Matt stepped forward without hesitation. "You did."
Taehyung's shoulders tensed.
"But that's life."
Before Taehyung could say anything else, Matt wrapped his arms around him. The embrace was firm and familiar, carrying years of trust, arguments, laughter, and quiet companionship. Taehyung returned it without hesitation. For several seconds, neither of them moved.
When they finally pulled apart, Matt smiled again. "You'll be okay."
Taehyung looked at him, his usually composed expression softer than it had been in a long time. Slowly, he reached up and rested one hand lightly against the back of Matt's neck before leaning forward. He pressed a gentle kiss to Matt's forehead. It was brief yet affectionate. Filled with gratitude rather than longing.
When he stepped back, Matt looked momentarily surprised before laughing quietly.
"I've known you for years," he said. "That's the first time you've ever done that."
Taehyung smiled. "You deserve it."
Matt waited. Taehyung inhaled slowly before speaking, his voice quieter than usual. "You're the best friend I never knew I needed."
For a heartbeat, Matt simply stared at him. Then his smile widened into something genuine. "I'll take that."
He pulled Taehyung into one last quick hug before stepping back toward the taxi. As he opened the door, he paused one final time and looked over his shoulder.
"Don't make him wonder whether he's enough."
Taehyung held his gaze. "I won't."
This time, he meant it. Matt nodded once, climbed into the taxi, and closed the door. Taehyung remained standing on the pavement long after the car disappeared into the morning traffic, watching until it was no longer visible. Only then did he finally turn toward the office building waiting in the distance, carrying with him the quiet certainty that some people came into your life not to stay forever, but to make sure you found the courage to hold on to the person who would.
By the time Taehyung reached the company that afternoon, something felt different. It began with the receptionist. She greeted him politely as always, but her smile faltered for the briefest moment before she lowered her eyes. Two employees standing near the elevators immediately stopped talking the second he walked past them. One of them glanced down at the newspaper folded beneath his arm before quickly hiding it behind a folder.
Taehyung noticed. He simply did not understand why. The elevator ride to the executive floor was unusually quiet. His phone had buzzed constantly throughout the drive, but he had ignored every notification, assuming they were the usual messages from board members regarding the upcoming shareholder election. The morning had already been packed with meetings outside the office, leaving him little time to look at anything unrelated to work.
As the elevator doors slid open, the atmosphere grew stranger. Conversations died almost instantly. Heads turned. Some employees quickly looked away when their eyes met his. Others whispered behind raised hands, pretending they were discussing work.
Taehyung slowed his pace. A familiar unease settled low in his stomach. He had spent years building an impeccable reputation. There had been business rivalries, corporate rumors, even false accusations from competitors, but none had ever spread through his own company quite like this.
He walked toward his office, maintaining the same calm expression he always wore. Only after closing the door behind him did he finally take out his phone. Thirty-two missed calls. Over a hundred unread messages.
His brows knit together. Before he could open any of them, there was a hesitant knock. "Come in."
His secretary entered, looking unusually nervous. "Mr. Kim..."
She hesitated. "I think... you should see this."
She carefully placed a newspaper on his desk. Taehyung's eyes fell to the front page. His breathing stopped. Across nearly the entire page was a large photograph. The picture had captured the exact moment outside his penthouse that morning.
His hand resting gently against the back of Matt's neck. His lips pressed softly against Matt's forehead.
The headline stretched boldly across the page. "KIM GROUP'S HEIR IN SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH FOREIGN MAN?"
Beneath it were smaller lines, each more sensational than the last. "Sources claim the businessman has been living with the unidentified foreign national. Is this the real reason the country's most eligible bachelor has never dated publicly? Is he gay?"
Questions arise as shareholders prepare to vote for the company's next CEO. Taehyung's jaw tightened.
He continued reading. The article was filled with speculation disguised as journalism. It claimed anonymous neighbors had frequently seen Matt entering and leaving the penthouse. It questioned why Taehyung had never been linked romantically to a woman despite years in the public eye. It even suggested that the relationship had been hidden deliberately to protect his corporate image.
None of it mentioned the truth. That Matt had been visiting for only a few days. That he was leaving the country. That they had been friends long before any rumors existed. The paper had chosen a single affectionate moment and built an entire narrative around it.
His secretary shifted uncomfortably. "Sir... every major outlet has already picked it up online."
Taehyung closed the newspaper. "You may go."
She nodded quickly before leaving. The office fell silent again. Taehyung leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the headline. He had always known something like this was possible. His family name guaranteed attention. His position guaranteed scrutiny. But somehow seeing it printed in black ink made it feel different.
Real. His phone rang again. Chairman Choi. Ignored.
Another call. A board member. Ignored.
His eyes drifted back to the newspaper. He should have felt angry. Embarrassed. Worried about the shareholders. Concerned for his own reputation. Instead, only one thought entered his mind.
Jungkook. His head lifted immediately. Where was he? He had not seen him outside. Not at his desk. Not in the hallway.
For a terrifying second, Taehyung imagined Jungkook already reading the article. Imagined him standing somewhere alone while reporters or coworkers whispered behind his back. The thought tightened painfully around his chest. No.
Jungkook had nothing to do with this. He was only twenty-one. Still stubborn enough to argue over the smallest things, still impulsive enough to kiss his boss in the middle of an argument, still young enough that Taehyung instinctively wanted to shield him from every cruel thing the world could throw at him.
Whatever affection had quietly taken root in Taehyung's heart, it was accompanied by an overwhelming need to protect. And now he couldn't. If the media learned about Jungkook... If someone had seen him leaving the penthouse. If anyone connected the two of them...
Taehyung's stomach sank. The article had already painted him as a man secretly involved with another man. If Jungkook's name became attached to the scandal, it would no longer be gossip about a wealthy executive.
It would become a story about a CEO and his junior employee. A power imbalance. A workplace relationship. Every achievement Jungkook had earned would be questioned. People would say he advanced because of Taehyung. That he had manipulated his way upward. That he had been nothing more than...
Taehyung stood so abruptly that his chair rolled backward. His heart pounded louder than it had during any board meeting. He grabbed his phone and dialed Jungkook. No answer. Again. Still nothing.
For the first time in years, Kim Taehyung was not thinking about his family name, his company, or the CEO election. He was only thinking about finding Jungkook before the rest of the world did.