4. Early Months
The first months of Jungkook’s life passed under the heavy silence of the mansion.
He was a quiet baby, rarely crying except when he was hungry or afraid of the loud noises outside. His small hands always clutched the edge of his mother’s dress, as if he already knew she was the only warmth in this cold house.
Ji-hyun, though weak from childbirth, poured every breath into caring for him. She rocked him through sleepless nights, hummed soft lullabies, and smiled whenever his tiny lips curved into the ghost of a laugh.
To her, every coo, every stretch of his tiny arms was a miracle.
But to Jeon Min-ho, his son was not a child — he was an heir, a symbol.
Min-ho never once touched the baby gently. He would stand at the edge of the crib, his sharp eyes watching as if measuring Jungkook’s potential. When the baby cried, Min-ho did not soothe him. He would only say in a flat tone
Jeon Min Ho (Mafia Don)
An Alpha does not cry. Even as an infant, he must learn.
Then he would leave, his footsteps echoing down the marble hallway, leaving the wails to be hushed by Ji-hyun alone.
Ji-hyun would gather the crying baby into her arms, rocking him until his sobs softened. She would press her lips against his hair and whisper, as though she could build a wall around him with her words
Jeon Ji Hyun
Cry if you must, Kookie. Cry as much as you want. You are human first… my child before anything else.
Every day, she shielded him from Min-ho’s coldness, feeding him herself, bathing him, singing songs from her childhood. Her love was quiet, but it wrapped around Jungkook like a second skin.
One rainy evening, thunder cracked across the sky, and baby Jungkook startled, his tiny body trembling. He buried his face against Ji-hyun’s chest, muffling a soft whimper.
Ji-hyun kissed his forehead and rocked him gently.
Jeon Ji Hyun
It’s only thunder, my love. I’m here. I’ll always be here.
When the thunder struck again, Jungkook’s little hand reached up, grabbing a strand of her hair, clinging tightly. And in that moment, Ji-hyun realized — even without words, her child already knew. She was his shield. His safe place.
And though the shadows of Min-ho’s empire lingered in every corner of the mansion, inside that small nursery, there existed a fragile light — the bond between a mother and her son.
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