Chapter 13: 12

When Taehyung opened his eyes, he was alone in the room. Sunlight crept through the drawn curtains, bathing the room in gold and shadow. Light always managed to find its way to shine amid darkness. It was an idea his heart believed in, one that had always given him hope. However, when the death of the man from behind had been announced, he had forgotten the very existence of light and had let the darkness overwhelm him. This light had imposed itself on him, bringing him back to a world where hope still existed. Jeon Jungkook, his light.

He stood up and winced as his wounded foot hit the ground. The pain was bearable but remained a sad reminder of the world's unfairness. He left the room. He didn't know how long his sleep had lasted, and the guilt of what he had inflicted on his family was all the more unbearable. He had shown a level of violence he didn't even believe himself capable of. Now that sanity had returned to his mind, he was haunted by the tears he had seen rolling down his little sister's cheeks. She was only eleven. Having never known their mother, she had always regarded Taehyung as one of the pillars of her existence. Her brother, the one she trusted most, had just betrayed her by giving her a glimpse of the darkness with which the world often adorns itself.

The door to her little sister's room was open and the room was empty. It was unlikely that their father had let her go to school. The wall along the staircase was covered with family pictures, and he couldn't help looking at them one by one as he made his way to the first floor. The further down he went, the bigger his little sister grew. He remembered holding her in his arms for hours, rocking and singing to her to drown out the sound of their father's crying. On the day she gave birth, Taehyung had lost her mother and her father had lost the love of his life. He had never really recovered. Their father had struggled to find a name for his daughter. Every proposal seemed bland and inappropriate. One morning, he had come out of his room, his eyes flushed, and told Taehyung that his little sister would henceforth be called Sa-Rang, so that she would never forget all the love she received and could give.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped in front of the last picture. It was the most recent family picture they had taken. Taehyung was surrounded by his father and Sa-Rang. Taehyung was about to leave for the army. Sa-Rang, then nine years old, was showing her displeasure at her brother's prolonged departure. Her father's face, on the other hand, beamed with pride.

"Full of loneliness,

This garden bloomed

Full of thorns

I bind myself in this sand castle"

Jungkook's voice echoed through the living room. Taehyung's courage to confront his family grew. Jungkook's presence reassured him, and made him stronger.

"What is your name

Do you have a place to go

Oh could you tell me?

I saw you hiding in this garden"

Taehyung moved forward and stopped before entering the living room. Jungkook was sitting on the sofa. Sa-Rang had put her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. Her face was peaceful. Jungkook was gently stroking her hair, singing.

"And I know

All of your warmth is real

The blue flower your hand was picking

I want to hold it"

Taehyung stepped forward. Jungkook saw him and relief appeared on his face. He stopped singing and Sa-Rang opened her eyes. When she saw Taehyung, she stood up and ran to him. She took him in her arms.

Their father came into the living room and laid his hand on his son's shoulder. His family had already forgiven him. Sa-Rang finally stepped aside and smiled at him. Taehyung moved closer to Jungkook. Jungkook embraced him and all negative emotions disappeared.

"Jungkook's going to stay with us for a while" his father said, to Taehyung's astonishment.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" the young man asked Jungkook.

Jungkook nodded and smiled. Taehyung detected a doubtful gleam in the singer's eyes.

"Let them try to get at my son-in-law" said his father. "There's no shield more effective than family. A lone wolf cannot survive in the face of ruthless reality. However, there's nothing more formidable than a pack."

Taehyung met his father's determined gaze. He felt Jungkook's hand cling to his arm. His father moved closer and put his hand on the singer's shoulder.

"Jungkook, "Her" is on your side. So now, just watch all those who hurt you fall one by one. And never feel guilty for taking pleasure in their downfall. That is what true justice looks like."

Jungkook burst into tears. Taehyung embraced him. Sa-Rang wrapped his arms around the singer's waist. The father of the family covered the three of them with a benevolent gaze. Now the war could truly begin.

***

The Internet went wild. The video showing Min Yoon-Gi singing a Jeon Jungkook song before it was revealed to the public unleashed passions.

Deputy Park had been watching the video over and over for ten minutes. His gaze grew darker and darker. The beginning of the video was particularly compromising for their business. Jungkook's voice could be heard declaring good-humoredly: "And now, the incredible Min Yoon-Gi with his new song: Let Me Know ". Then Min Yoon-Gi began to sing, performing her song with sincerity.

Deputy Park threw the laptop against the wall.

"Min Yoon-Gi, Min Yoon-Gi, Min Yoon-Gi!"

Deputy Park uttered the name like a curse. He wanted to kill him. Slowly, painfully, make him pay the price for his cursed existence. He lived a miserable life because of Min Yoon-Gi. He had wanted to beat him to destruction, to use him and steal his name to break him, but Min Yoon-Gi would not bow. Fate was on Min Yoon-Gi's side and he couldn't accept it. All his misfortune had begun with Min Yoon-Gi, so it could only end with Min Yoon-Gi.

***

Lee Yoo-Jin closed his eyes to take his heart away from the situation. Jin sighed and stopped the video. Min Yoon-Gi's voice still seemed to echo in her mind. She dropped her head on her lover's shoulder.

"When Min Yoon-Gi left his mother's house for good a few years ago, I thought he was leaving. I even hoped he was trying to go to Jimin. I would have paid for his plane ticket if I could. When I realized that this was just the result of a new torture devised by my son's father, I found myself at a loss."

She raised her head and took Jin's face in her hands. She kissed him to give herself courage.

"I cried so much the day I heard Jeon Jungkook's first song. When I recognized the melody and words of the song Yoon-Gi had sung to Jimin before he went abroad, my heart broke... On the eve of his departure, Jimin arranged to meet Yoon-Gi at the bottom of the garden, taking advantage of the privacy afforded them by the space between the wall surrounding the property and the huge tree a few meters away. They often saw each other there, thinking nobody knew. There's been a security camera there, I'd had it installed years before because I thought thieves might get through there to get onto our property. Yoon-Gi and Jimin never noticed the camera."

She couldn't help laughing slightly as she recalled their innocence at the time.

"Fortunately, I've always been the only one in charge of our security team. Deputy Park never saw a single recording. Luckily, he had no interest in verifying that the property was secure. I had made sure that I was the only one with access to the camera footage when they made this their meeting place. I couldn't help but watch and hear their farewell. Deep down, I wanted to make sure they didn't end their relationship. As a mother, I could see how happy my son was with him."

Memories of those happy times soothed her heart, bruised by the dark turn of events.

"I always knew they were in love with each other, you know... They exchanged unmistakable glances. Since the beginning, it was like they were born for each other. Jimin's father never cared enough to notice."

"You always told me you'd support their relationship no matter what" Jin confirmed. "You arranged for me to become your son's chauffeur so they could see each other without anyone knowing."

"When you finally told me what you'd found out about Deputy Park and the Investors, I realized that the only way to protect them was to keep them apart. Marrying Jimin off to an influential family was the best way to keep him away from his father. Over time, Deputy Park would find new ways to make Yoon-Gi suffer, and attacking the people he loved was a way he often used to make political rivals disappear. Eventually, he would have discovered their love affair and it would have driven him mad. He would have had Yoon-Gi murdered, I know it. And he would have mutilated his body so badly that his own mother wouldn't recognize him. He's a monster. So... I was hoping a break-up would push Yoon-Gi to run away."

The tender smile she'd shown a few minutes earlier had completely faded and tears were now streaming down her cheeks.

"If I could have told them the truth, I would have... But I had no right to speak to Yoon-Gi or her mother, to warn them that the danger was far greater than they could imagine. I was always a prisoner of that dog's threats. One word to Min Yoon-Gi and my life would end. In his twisted mind, Min Yoon-Gi has to suffer for the rest of his life, because without him, Jimin would never have been born. And if Jimin had never been born, then Park In-Jwa's life wouldn't have taken the definitive course he hates so much."

"I thought he needed to have a legitimate heir with you" Jin said, surprised.

She shook her head sadly.

"He wanted to end our marriage after he made sure his mistress became an important media personality. Before he became a politician, he was the head of a big TV station. She went from secretary to presenter by sleeping with the boss."

She laughed evilly.

"They made up a story to explain her pregnancy. The child's father had died. Their plan was simple. He would divorce me, marry her some time later and adopt their child as if it weren't his biological son. They would then have everything they wanted. But their plan failed because I was already pregnant. They wanted to kill me to prevent the birth of my baby and carry out their plan despite this... setback. Without Yoon-Gi, I would have died and Jimin would never have been born."

When she noticed Jin's clenched fists and the anger in his eyes, she kissed him to soothe him. He drew her against him and squeezed her as if afraid she might disappear. He'd always been emotional about what had happened to her in the past, and she sometimes had the impression that he blamed himself for not having been by her side back then.

"All his hatred was directed at Min Yoon-Gi, because he was the embodiment of what he had lost. Because he existed, the child who would bind him to me for good was born. After Jimin was born, his mistress hanged herself. In his twisted mind, he imagined that a three-year-old had murdered the woman he loved."

She closed her eyes and the video of Yoon-Gi singing Jeon Jungkook's song popped into her mind again.

"Now he'll want to get rid of Yoon-Gi" she murmured. "And no matter how many victims he has to take, anyone who knows the truth about Min Yoon-Gi will have to disappear."

***

The next morning, Kim Taehyung rang the doorbell of Deputy Park's house. When they came face to face, they smiled at each other.

Taehyung met Jimin's eyes in the living room.

"I was pleased to hear that Jeon Jungkook trusted you enough to take refuge in your house" Deputy Park said to Taehyung.

"Having him with you will make it easier for us to manipulate him. Do you mind keeping him in your home for a while?"

"My family is happy to put up with him in exchange for the money you're giving us. We'll finally be able to live as we deserve."

"You'll soon be a very rich man."

Behind his father, Jimin began to smile. Park Jimin was aware that "Her" would eventually bring down his father's head. But he decided it was only fair that he stabbed him in the back first.

"Jimin" Deputy Park said. "Sit down with us. It's time you learn how to have power and how to wield it. After all, you're still my heir."

He sat down with them. The trap was slowly but surely tightening around Deputy Park.

"You should take a leaf out of Kim Taehyung's book" Deputy Park told him. "He has a keen awareness of the world and knows who to trust to reach the top.

Oh yes, Kim Taehyung had a keen awareness of the world. And as for hierarchy... If it wasn't the Slayer of Kings at the top, then who was it?