Begin (JJK) BTS 2026 series Book 3 (COMPLETED)

Just Missed

The door is opened by Mrs. Park, who seems surprised to see Binna, looking so flushed, sweating heavily, and still panting.  Binna frowns when she realizes it isn't Jungkook and she almost swoons.  Mrs. Park rushes to brace her under her arm and props her up.

"Miss Jee, What's happened? Are you well?" she asks with rising panic.

"I'm- I just ran too hard. I need..." She pants heavily, almost as though she's about to hyperventilate. "Water. I need water." Mrs. Park nods and helps Binna inside the door. She leads her to a chair near the entrance and her body drops down into it heavily.

"I'll get you some water, please wait just a moment," she says as she turns to rush off toward the kitchen. Binna's head begins to swirl and she is not entirely sure she could stand if she had to. Mrs. Park returns quickly with a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She opens it for her and hands it to Binna who begins to pour the liquid into her mouth, tilting her head back to get as much of it into her as quickly as she can between panting breaths. She looks up at Mrs. Park who is staring at her with a worried expression.

"Thank you, I will be alright in a moment. I'm sorry to have troubled you," she apologizes. Mrs. Park smiles softly, shaking her head.

"Why were you running in this heat?" she asks. Binna's breathing begins to slow.

"I have to see Jungkook, is he here?" She looks up at her, worried. Mrs. Park frowns.

"I'm sorry dear you just missed him, he left a few minutes ago." Binna is deflated. She drops her head into her hands, bending over. She fights tears that she knows are coming to her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Mrs. Park touches her back, and reacts quickly to the feel of her skin. "You're burning up!" She kneels down in front of Binna who lifts her head to look up at her, unable to stop the tears and the pout as she looks at Mrs. Park. She regards her woefully. "Oh dear, let me bring you inside. You need a cold pack maybe." She reaches her arm out under Binna's and begins to lift her. Binna stands, and allows herself to be lead deeper into the apartment. She leads her into the living room and pulls back to study her face in the light from the floor to ceiling windows. She shakes her head, noticing the tears in her eyes. "Miss Jee, I don't know when Jungkook ssi will be back, but I think you should go take a nice cold shower, and cool yourself down. There's a robe in the guest room. Binna begins to shake her head no and starts to rejects the idea but Mrs. Park shushes her. "Go cool down, then come find me in the kitchen. Things will look brighter once you are feeling better. I'll make you a smoothie." She pushes Binna towards the hallway of bedrooms, and motions for her to carry on. Binna turns to look back at her, wondering if this is the right thing to do. She smiles feebly and nods once as she steps down the hall toward the bedrooms.

***

Several drinks have been had, and stories have been told, and most of the incredible tale of Taehyung and Hana's shared history has been revealed. Yoongi sits beside Jungkook on the couch noticing he looks less pleased than the other members, a little more stoic. He leans over to the maknae.

"Jungkookie, you look a little sad. Is everything OK?" he asks, drawing his eyes up. Jungkook looks over at him, then glances back to Taehyung who is still sat close to Hana, stroking her hand as he talks with Jimin.

"I'm fine hyung, I am happy for him, really, I am. I know this is what he wanted," he explains. Yoongi isn't convinced.

"Are you worried about something?" he asks.

For the past hour he's known about Taehyung's news, he's been going over and over in his head how each of them have begun finding other people to share their lives with. It started with Namjoon, then Jin. He had almost gotten use to the idea when Jimin met Dasom, and it felt natural because he was there for all of it. But one by one, they're all being taken away. One by one, they're each replacing the group, their brothers, with a wife, a fiancee, children, a family. What happens when they are all married off with families of their own? Will they still release music together? Will they still be able to go on tour? Performing live is one of the few things that makes Jungkook feel completely alive and in the moment. The glow of the crowd, the adoration, the connection, is what fuels his life. What does he have if he doesn't have that? Why is this happening all of the sudden? It seems too quick. He's not ready. It seems as though all of his hyungs are in a sudden hurry to change everything they had, everything that was great about their lives, as though it isn't enough. Jungkook considers, and watches the others talk and laugh together as he leans a little closer to speak softly.

"Everything always seems to happen to me last. I feel a little bit like everyone is finding their partners and starting their families and I'm sitting here feeling like I'm still 20 and I still have all this time left. What's the rush?" He looks down as he admits this. Yoongi nods.

"What about Hobi? he's not even dating anyone!" he argues.

"For now! He's just the type to fall in love instantly, run off and get married over a long weekend and then tell us about it later." Yoongi laughs realizing it's a distinct possibility. Jungkook looks over at Yoongi, thinking about this producer, thinking about Moon, and what she might mean to Yoongi.

"To be honest hyung, it isn't Taehyung being engaged that is surprising. It's you." Yoongi looks up at him confused.

"Me? Me- what?"

"You and Moon. The way you are with her, the way you feel about her. I just know it's going to be you next, and I thought- well, I thought you and I were gonna be the ones to sit on the fishing boat as old men telling stories of girls we loved and left behind," he laughs a little at himself. Yoongi thinks for a long moment about what he's said before he responds.

"Ah Kookie, I didn't go looking for this. I definitely didn't believe this would happen to me, but you're right," he sighs, "it's her. I'm sure of it, even if she isn't yet."

"I thought you had worked it out?" Jungkook looks back at him surprised.

"I haven't quite convinced her yet, I haven't figured out exactly what she needs in order to move forward. I think I know. I have a plan." He nods, but his brow furrows as he thinks.

"What are you waiting for?" Jungkook asks. Yoongi looks at him, wondering that himself.

"I don't know exactly. I didn't make the right choice to begin with, and I want her to trust me.  I guess I want her to understand that it's different with me. That it's real." He looks down a little sad thinking about how much time he could waste trying to figure out what to do. "You're right, I shouldn't wait." An idea comes to him, he stands up reaching for his jacket.

"What are you going to do?" Jungkook asks, surprised by how quickly he's moving.

"I'll explain later. I need to do something first." He steps up to Jimin and Taehyung. "Taehyung congratulations to you both again, I'll DJ your wedding- for free," he teases as they smile up at him. "But I need to go. Jimin can you get a ride home with Hobi?" He nods watching him curiously. Yoongi steps toward the doorway, pulling out his phone, waving his goodbyes to the others as he leaves.

Jungkook turns and looks at Taehyung and Jimin laughing together, and he smiles as he remembers seeing them when they first came into the dorm; they moved in after he did, and he saw two more big brothers and life long friends walk into his life. At the time, he was so relieved to have other younger members, his hyungs in the dorm were all so much older than he was. He felt a kinship with them instantly and hoped they would understand more than the others, that this was all very scary to be away from home, and from your family, in this massive city, with all these professionals, all these adults.

He sighs thinking back. At least now he knows that Taehyung will definitely be available for the music video shoot and they can officially schedule him. Maybe he and Jimin can come in together on the last day of the shoot. He frowns, remembering the shoot has been postponed, thinking about when it will be rescheduled, and then he wonders just for a moment, again, why Binna called him so late before she even knew the shoot was off.