Sunny Days After Rain | KOOKV

The Unexpected Welcome

Tomorrow was the day he had been waiting for, and today, it had finally arrived.

Today, Taehyung waited impatiently for his visit to see his grandma in the hospital. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, his face still swollen from the previous night's tears. He practiced his fake smile, trying to mask the pain. He glanced at his hand, bruised from Manager Park's tight grip.

He took a bus to the average-looking faculty hospital. Near the entrance, a flower shop caught his eye. He bought sunflowers, his grandma's favorite, a symbol of hope.

Taehyung reached his grandma's room, the sound of their conversation with a nurse in his late thirty's drifting out. He smiled softly as he heard her mention him. He knocked gently and was welcomed inside.

The first thing that struck him was the excitement on his grandma's face, a wide smile revealing all her teeth. "Tete," she exclaimed.

She beckoned him closer with her hand. "Mr. Kim," the nurse said with a smile, "your grandma is currently doing okay! You don't have to worry."

"Really? Thank you!" Taehyung said, relief washing over him.

"Yes. Now excuse me," the nurse continued. "She was waiting for you." With that, he left, closing the door behind him.

"How are you? Are you in pain? If you need anything, please tell me," Taehyung rushed out, his concern evident.

His grandma chuckled. "Your grandma's strong, Tete. Nothing is going to happen. You bought flowers for me?" she asked, pointing at the sunflowers.

Taehyung went to put his flowers in a vase, surprised to see it already filled with sunflowers. "Who bought these flowers?" he inquired, looking at the vibrant blooms.

"I don't know," his grandma replied. "Someone sent them this morning."

Taehyung placed his own sunflowers in the vase, already overflowing with sunshine. He searched for a card but found none. A mystery sender, but the gesture warmed his heart.

His grandma's questions shifted the focus, inquiring about his well-being at the restaurant, his meals, and his sleep. Taehyung responded with a positive facade, describing his routine and what he ate, omitting the harrowing encounter with Manager Park.

Taehyung stayed with his grandma until evening, their conversation filling the room with warmth. He genuinely felt happy and excited for the first time in a while. That night, he drifted off to sleep with a lighter heart.

The next morning, it was his last day of leave from the restaurant. He excitedly made lunch for his grandma, promising to cook her favorite Japchae, a dish she'd been craving. Another day spent with his grandma, another day filled with happiness.

-

The next morning, a strange tension hung in the air as Taehyung arrived at the restaurant. He changed into his uniform, the familiar routine feeling oddly unsettling. Whispers filled the air, but unlike usual, they weren't directed at him. This time, the murmurs centered around Manager Park.

His heart pounded a frantic rhythm. Did Manager Park expose Taehyung's complaint? Or worse, accuse him of harassment? Was he about to be fired? The thought sent a wave of dizziness washing over him. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. How would he take care of his grandma if he lost his job?

Before a single tear could fall, the Executive Chef's voice boomed through the kitchen, calling everyone to the hallway. Taehyung hastily wiped his eyes and joined the others. The air crackled with nervous whispers as everyone gathered – chefs, staff, waiters – everyone except Manager Park.

Then, two figures entered the hallway. A beautiful woman in her forties, presumably the restaurant owner, Mrs. Choi caught Taehyung's eye. Her smile radiated as she addressed the crowd.

"Everyone, welcome! This is Cha Chohee, our new manager."

A collective murmur rippled through the group. "The previous manager had to leave for personal reasons," Mrs. Choi continued. "Please give him a warm welcome."

Cha Chohee, a handsome young man, met the gazes of the staff, a slight smile playing on his lips. A flurry of shy glances flickered from the female staff members in his direction.

"Hello everyone," Cha Chohee greeted, bowing slightly. "I look forward to working with all of you. Please take care of me."

Just then, a deliberate throat-clearing sound cut through the air. As the crowd turned towards the source, the murmuring intensified. Taehyung's heart lurched. He followed their gaze and froze. There, standing beside Mrs. Choi was Jeon Jungkook.

Taehyung's world tilted on its axis. Their eyes met, and a sudden silence engulfed him. The whispers faded into nothingness. All he could hear was the frantic thumping of his own heart. He couldn't breathe. Eight years. It had been eight long years since they last saw each other.

Eight years. Eight years of buried memories, some painful, some…uncertain.

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The bustling crowd seemed to melt away, replaced by a kaleidoscope of memories the moment our eyes met. It was as if time itself had hit pause, leaving me suspended in a world where only you existed. A wave of nostalgia washed over me, vivid recollections of our love surfacing like photographs in a forgotten album. My mind wandered to the dreams we once weaved together, dreams painted in hues of hope and forever. In that fleeting moment, I couldn't help but wonder what our path might have looked like, a life where our love story played out differently.

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