Chapter Text
The house was too quiet.
It wasn’t the kind of silence that felt peaceful. It was the kind that pressed against the walls, that made every small sound echo louder than it should.
Jungkook sat cross-legged on the living room floor, carefully stacking his toy blocks one by one. His small fingers worked slowly, tongue peeking slightly from the corner of his mouth in concentration.
“One more…” he whispered to himself.
The tower wobbled.
He held his breath.
It steadied.
A small smile spread across his face soft, proud, hopeful.
“Papa will like this,” he murmured.
But the smile faded just as quickly because Papa wasn’t home. Neither of them were.. again.
Jungkook glanced at the large clock hanging on the wall. The ticking seemed louder than usual.
7:43 PM.
“They said they’d be home early…” he mumbled, hugging his knees.
The words lingered in the air, unanswered.
---
The front door finally opened at 9:12 PM.
Jungkook shot up to his feet, his tiredness forgotten in an instant. “Papa! Daddy!” he called, running toward the entrance.
Namjoon stepped in first, loosening his tie with one hand, his face drawn and tired. Behind him, Kim Seokjin followed, still in his coat, his expression distant. They both looked… different.
Not the kind of tired Jungkook was used to. Something heavier and colder.
“You’re still awake?” Namjoon asked, forcing a small smile.
Jungkook nodded eagerly. “I waited! Look, I made—” His words cut off as Jin walked past him without stopping.
“I’ll be in the study” Jin said quietly, not even looking in Jungkook’s direction.
The boy froze. His hands slowly lowered and Namjoon hesitated, glancing between Jungkook and the hallway Jin had disappeared into.
“Go to bed, Kookie” he said gently, placing a brief hand on Jungkook’s head before following after Jin.
And just like that they were gone.. again.
---
Mornings in the Kim household used to feel warm. Not loud, not chaotic just soft. Like sunlight slipping through the curtains, like the faint clink of utensils against plates, like quiet laughter shared over breakfast.
Jungkook remembered that or at least… he thought he did.
Now, the mornings felt different. The sunlight still came in the same way, stretching across the long dining table and warming the polished floor. The chairs were still arranged neatly. The table was still filled with food prepared by the house staff.
Everything looked the same but something was missing.
Jungkook sat in his usual seat, his small hands wrapped around a glass of milk. He didn’t drink it right away. Instead, he stared at the empty chair across from him.
"Papa said he’d eat with me today…” he murmured softly, almost as if saying it out loud would make it true.
The ticking of the clock answered him instead.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
He glanced toward the hallway. No footsteps. No voices.
Just silence.
His fingers tightened slightly around the glass. “…maybe he’s just busy" he whispered, nodding to himself.
He took a small sip of milk, even though it had already gone a little cold.
---
Jin didn’t notice that Jungkook left the table early.
Namjoon didn’t notice that Jungkook waited ten minutes longer than usual before finally standing up.
No one noticed the way Jungkook glanced back one last time before walking away.
---
Days passed quietly.
Not the kind of quiet that felt peaceful. The kind that slowly settled into everything like dust that no one bothered to wipe away.
Jungkook started to notice little things.
Small things.
Things that didn’t seem important at first. Like how Jin no longer checked if Jungkook’s tie was straight before school. Before, Jin would kneel in front of him, gently fixing his uniform with careful hands.
“Can’t have my son going out looking messy, hm?” he would tease, smiling softly.
Now..
“Eat your breakfast” Jin would say from across the room, eyes barely lifting from his phone. Jungkook would nod. Even if he wasn’t hungry.
---
Namjoon used to drive him to school sometimes and on those mornings, the car would feel warm, filled with soft music and quiet conversations.
“What did you learn yesterday?” Namjoon would ask. Jungkook would talk endlessly, words tumbling over each other, excited and bright.
Namjoon would listen. He always listened.
Now..
“the driver will take you” Namjoon would say, already halfway out the door.
Jungkook would stand there for a moment, his bag hanging loosely from his shoulders. "okay.." he’d answer, even if Namjoon was no longer there to hear it.
---
At school, Jungkook didn’t talk as much anymore. He still smiled when his classmates spoke to him. He still did his work and he still laughed sometimes but there was something quieter about him now.
Like he was holding something in.
Something too heavy for someone his age to understand.
---
When he came home, the house always greeted him the same way.
Silent and emptiness.
“I'm home.." Jungkook would call out softly, slipping off his shoes. No one answered.
He would stand there for a few seconds, waiting.
Just in case but no footsteps came and no voice called his name so he would walk inside on his own.
-----
Jungkook tried not to think too much about it.
He really did.
“Papa is a doctor” he reminded himself one afternoon as he sat at the dining table, doing his homework alone.
“They help people. They’re busy because they’re helping" He paused, tapping his pencil lightly against the paper.
“And Daddy is important too” he added quietly. “He has a lot of work" he nodded as if convincing himself. “they’re just busy"
The words felt right and they made sense but for some reason…
They didn’t feel enough
---
Evenings used to be Jungkook’s favorite. That was when they were all together.
Dinner. Stories. Small conversations.
Sometimes, Jin would cook personally, insisting that Jungkook try something new. Namjoon would sit nearby, watching them with a soft, amused expression.
It felt like… home.
Now, dinner was different.
Jungkook sat at the long table alone, his feet barely reaching the floor and the food was still warm, still neatly prepared and still perfect. But..
“t doesn’t taste the same..” he whispered, pushing the rice around his plate.
He took a bite anyway because he was told to.. because he didn’t want to waste food.. because maybe—
If he finished everything—
They would be proud of him.
---
Some nights, Jin and Namjoon would come home late and Jungkook would already be in bed, the lights turned off, his small body curled under the blankets but he wouldn’t be asleep.
Not really.
He would listen. To the sound of the front door opening. To the quiet footsteps. To the low murmur of voices.
He couldn’t always understand what they were saying but he liked knowing they were there.
That they came home.
"they’re just tired..." Jungkook would whisper into his pillow, clutching his stuffed bunny closer to his chest. “they’ll talk to me tomorrow"
Tomorrow. He held onto that word tightly like a promise.
That they didn’t forget
But tomorrow always felt the same.
---
One afternoon, Jungkook waited in the living room. He had finished his homework early. He had cleaned his room. He had even practiced writing his name neatly! over and over again just like Jin had taught him.
“K-i-m… J-u-n-g-k-o-o-k” he spelled out under his breath, tracing the letters carefully. He smiled a little.
“Papa will like this” he said softly.
So he waited.
And waited.
The sky outside slowly turned orange. Then darker. Then quiet.
The clock ticked louder with every passing second.
Jungkook shifted on the couch, his legs tucked under him “maybe they’re just late..” he murmured
His voice sounded smaller now. He picked up his paper again, staring at the neatly written name. He traced it with his finger.
Once.
Twice.
“I did it right..” he whispered.
But there was no one there to say it back to him
---
When Jin finally came home, Jungkook had already fallen asleep on the couch. The paper was still in his hand.
Jin paused when he saw him. For a moment, just a moment his expression softened.
“Jungkook.." he called gently, kneeling beside him. Jungkook stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
Jin carefully took the paper from his hand. His eyes scanned the page. Neat and careful.. repeated again and again.
Jungkook’s name filled the entire sheet.
Jin swallowed.
Something twisted in his chest. “you worked hard.." he murmured quietly.
But Jungkook didn’t hear it.
---
Days turned into weeks.
And little by little and without anyone noticing Jungkook stopped trying as hard.
He stopped waiting at the door. Stopped asking if they would come home early. Stopped showing his drawings right away.
Instead, he would quietly place them on the table or leave them in his room and maybe fold them carefully and tuck them away.
Just in case no one looked.