The air carried a chill that stirred through the park, lifting strands of hair across the girl’s face. Jungkook watched her, kneeling beside Taehyung, his gaze fixed. She wore a faded, oversized t-shirt—a garment worn soft with time—that hung over shorts peeking from beneath the frayed hem. A weight lingered in her eyes, a quietude that hinted at stories held close, unspoken. Yet, even through the shadows, her irises sparked with a vibrant warmth, mirroring the sunlight that touched them. She offered a brief, comforting smile to an elderly woman passing on the path, a shy warmth blooming in her expression.
It couldn’t be her. The wounds she’d endured didn’t yield to such effortless composure.
He'd been searching for years—days bleeding into months, months stretching into years. She’d become adept at disappearing, blending into the sea of unremarkable faces moving through their routines. He’d all but resigned himself to a lifetime of searching, convinced she’d vanished into obscurity. To find her here, in the heart of the bustling city—a place he knew she despised—felt impossible. He'd immersed himself in her past, meticulously tracing her movements, and she’d always preferred solitude.
Jungkook glanced at Taehyung, seeking confirmation. He saw the same doubt mirrored in his companion’s narrowed eyes. It wasn’t until she rose from the bench to pull on her coat that he noticed it—a subtle mark revealed as her sleeve lifted. A smudge on her hip, easily mistaken for a birthmark. So unremarkable, so easily overlooked. But Jungkook knew its significance, and a chilling realization settled over him. He watched as she turned and walked away, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across Taehyung’s face.
“Positive,” Taehyung said, his voice low. The smirk widened. “She’s the one.”