MY HEART WILL GO ON (Taekook)

EPILOGUE

❝𝑊𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑜, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑎𝑚 𝐼 𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒?❞

~•~

Taehyung 's heart sank as he opened the front door at the end of a long day at work gathering petitions for the tragedy, with Ming-Lee, to his home and saw little Soojin, his and Jungkook's little warrior. 

"What's wrong, Soojin?" Taehyung  asked, his voice laced with concern as he scooped the child into his arms.

Soojin cried harder, burying her face into Taehyung 's chest as he carried her to the living room. Taehyung 's heart broke at the sight of the young girl in such pain. He knew all too well the trauma of losing loved ones in the tragedy, and he feared the worst.

Soojin buried her face in Taehyung 's chest, her tears soaking through his shirt. Taehyung's heart ached at the sight of the child's pain, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. 

"It's okay, Soojin," he whispered, his lips brushing against her hair.

Through sobs, Taehyung 's father-in-law, Mr. Jeon explained that Soojin had been bullied at school. The other students had targeted her with cruel words and ridicule, aimed at her being the daughter of two gay fathers. 

Their contempt had only intensified after learning that Soojin had been hospitalised following the ferry tragedy. Their taunts and jeers now relentlessly tormented Soojin at every turn.

"This is unacceptable," Taehyung  said, his voice firm and resolute. "Soojin is our daughter, and we won't tolerate any form of discrimination against her."

Animated in an unsought for context, he swept the little girl to her grandpa, and Taehyung himself contacted the school authority, obtaining their general number from Soojin's school alumni, demanding answers—

Taehyung  held the phone tightly against his ear, his heart racing with anger and frustration. 

"Professor Shin Jungkyu speaking. May I know who I am talking to?"

"I demand to know what you're doing to protect my daughter from the bullying she's been experiencing at your school," Taehyung said almost immediately, his voice firm and resolute.

The voice on the other end of the line was distant and unsympathetic. "We take bullying very seriously at our school, Mr. Jeon," the school authority said.

Taehyung  scoffed. "If that were true, my daughter wouldn't be subjected to cruel words and ridicule about her two fathers and being hospitalized in the ferry incident," he retorted.

The school authority hesitated for a moment before responding. "We'll be having a meeting with her teacher and classmates to discuss the importance of respect and acceptance," he said, his tone measured.

Taehyung  wasn't satisfied. "That's not enough. You need to hold the bullies accountable for their actions. What disciplinary actions will you be taking?"

The school authority seemed to shrink back over the line. "We'll be monitoring the situation and taking appropriate disciplinary measures as we see fit," he said, sounding unconvincing.

Taehyung 's fists clenched in frustration. "That's not good enough. I demand that you take immediate action to protect my daughter. If the bullying doesn't stop, I'll take legal action and make sure the whole world knows about the mistreatment of students at this school.

"Believe me, I know how irresponsible and selfish authorities could be..."

The school authority was silent for a moment before responding. 

"We'll do everything in our power to ensure the safety of your daughter and all students at our school," he said, sounding more sincere this time.

-

Taehyung  watched as Soojin and her grandpa disappear inside the house, a small smile playing on his lips. "Go get your old man some food," he said, chuckling. 

"Sure Tae, I will make you some pot ramen," Mr. Jeon said. As they disappeared inside, Taehyung  turned his attention to the photo frame of his beloved husband, Jungkook.

Taehyung 's gaze softened as he looked at the smiling face of his beloved husband, and extended his arm forward. 

"Kookoo, my love, I swear to you now," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I will do everything in my power to earn justice for every victim, for every soul wandering aimlessly around now, of the Iseul-Ho incident, no matter what it costs."

Taehyung 's heart was heavy with the grief of the tragedy that had taken his mother-in-law away from them, their family. He could still remember the chaos of it all, the fear and panic that had consumed them all on that fateful day. And now, two years later, the wounds were still fresh.

"But it's not just about us, Jungkook," Taehyung  said, his voice growing stronger. 

"It's about the families, the friends, the community that was shattered because of this tragedy. I will fight for them, for you, for us."

A solitary tear strolled down Taehyung 's face as he made his pledge. He would not rest until justice was served for every single victim, until those responsible were held accountable for the lives lost.

As Taehyung  turned to walk away, Jungkook smiled at his husband, proud of his resolve and determination. 

"I'll be with you every step of the way, my love," Jungkook whispered, his voice a soft breeze on Taehyung 's skin.

~•~

-THE END (OF SEASON 2)-