Chương 14: 13

"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."

The young man complied.

"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.

"I look forward to living up to your expectations, Father" Jimin replied.

"I need you, Jimin, to gain Min Yoon-Gi's trust, to learn everything from him. He knows I'm watching him, and he's very cautious. Only someone in his inner circle can give me what I want to know."

"To what end?" Jimin asked.

"You don't need to know."

"I'll give you all the information you need."

Jimin and Taehyung exchanged glances. Deputy Park left them alone in the living room to get into the car waiting for him in front of the house. Without a word, they got up and left the house. Taehyung followed Jimin into the alleyways that would lead them past Min Yoon-Gi's childhood home. Min Yoon-Gi opened the door for them. Once all three were protected by the thick walls, Jimin pulled Yoon-Gi against him and kissed him.

"What are you doing?" Yoon-Gi asked, pulling away from him.

"I'm earning your trust" Jimin replied with a smile.

"I'm happy to see you again, Taehyung" Yoon-Gi said.

Taehyung gave him a slight nod. The seriousness of his gaze suddenly worried Jimin. The urgent look on Taehyung's face challenged his own perception of the situation.

"The situation is as follows" Taehyung said after a long silence. ""Her" has been pressured into dealing with Deputy Park. She is forbidden to talk about Jung Eun-Chae, as well as to reveal the other names on the list of names written in her handwriting on the day she died. I was ordered by Deputy Park to gain Jeon Jungkook's trust in order to better control him and prevent him from talking about you, Min Yoon-Gi. At first, I thought Deputy Park was afraid that his name or those of his associates would be revealed by "Her" because they were on the list, but it turned out that Park In-Jwa's name was never written by Jung Eun-Chae.

Taehyung's gaze grew darker and darker, not because of them, but because of his anger at the situation.

Jimin had always thought of Taehyung as a young man who knew how to be wise and serious while retaining a certain innocence about life. Now he realized how wrong he had been about Taehyung's innocence. Kim Taehyung was disconcertingly strong. The power of his convictions made his aura sparkle.

"Deputy Park's secretary was one of the main culprits in Jung Eun-Chae's death, but that's no reason for Park In-Jwa to want to cover it up. And because everything seems to be leading to you, Min Yoon-Gi, tell me why the circumstances surrounding Jung Eun-Chae's death must be concealed by a man who doesn't seem to have any connection with the case."

Taehyung's words, as dry as they were heavy with meaning, cut off Yoon-Gi's breathing, and he instinctively grabbed Jimin's arm, as if to prevent himself from falling.

"Jung Eun-Chae was raped, destroyed, humiliated, prostituted. Hell itself would have been kinder to her. Suicide isn't the saddest thing, the saddest thing is what a human being goes through before taking their own life. Before showing such violence towards oneself..."

Tears began to roll down Min Yoon-Gi's cheeks. Helpless, Jimin was petrified.

"I don't know" Yoon-Gi mumbled. "I don't know, I just... I knew her. And... I think she knew about the songs I wrote for Jungkook."

Taehyung closed his eyelids for a moment.

"Anyone who knows the truth about Min Yoon-Gi must disappear..." he murmured.

Jin had contacted him that morning to warn him of Deputy Park's ultimate intentions.

"Jimin" he finally said. "Soon, your father will try to kill your boyfriend. And to cover his tracks, he's going after Jungkook's life too. I think he's already made sure to get rid of those who knew Min Yoon-Gi's true identity, Jung Eun-Chae may not be the only one."

"My father's..."

"Your father's crazy, Jimin. He's a murderer blinded by madness. It's impossible to understand him or reason with him. In his eyes, what he's doing is right and just. You should start mourning him now."

"Taehyung..."

"Mourn him. Because I, "Her", will make him pay."

***

All that remained was the horror of the car body hitting the ground. She heard herself expire amid the din. She couldn't see a thing, that night allowed no light and no respite. At least there were no flames. A warm liquid ran profusely down her face, covering her eyelids. But she could not remove her hands from her rounded belly. There was nothing more important than her baby.

"We're going to die together."

The driver's voice was frighteningly calm. He spoke with the breath of a whisper, plunging them into an intimacy that preceded only death. The destroyed cabin forced their bodies to hold together in pain.

"Can you smell the gasoline now? I spilled it everywhere before you got in the car. For the past few weeks, I've been getting you used to the smell by pretending there was a faulty can in the trunk... so you wouldn't suspect it."

She tried to move, but her right leg wouldn't respond. The door wouldn't open.

"Your husband promised to lift my family out of poverty and pay for Yoon-Gi's treatment, but thanks to him, his life is no longer in danger. My little boy will live the life he deserves. I can die now."

Tears mixed with blood. She felt violent abdominal pains. Her breath began to fail her. She was only seven months pregnant.

"Now... I'm going to light a match" the driver whispered. "I think the burning will be painful... But it'll be quicker than you think, don't worry."

"My baby..." she managed to articulate. "My baby..."

"I can't let you live" he replied. "My family would be sacrificed to set an example."

Using love and pain to cling to life, she calmed her breathing so she could speak. Only words could save her now.

"If I die, no one can protect them. My husband never waits for opportunities to come to him by fate. He wouldn't have wisely waited for an accident to happen. Yoon-Gi was severely injured because he needed someone I could trust to kill me. He's capable of murdering his own baby to satisfy his desires, so imagine what he'd do to someone else's child."

"One match... and that would be it."

"On my son's life, I promise to save those of your wife and son."

Blood began to flow between her legs. Pain stabbed her insides. Her heart pounding against her temples deafened her. She didn't know if the driver answered her. While her soul screamed prayers to the heavens, her mind waited for the light of the match. But suddenly, a ringing telephone shattered her terror. The driver picked up, seeing who was calling. She heard the small voice of a child.

"Appa. Good night."

He didn't answer and threw the phone through the window. He began to cry loudly.

After what seemed like an eternity, her body was pulled out of the car before being lifted. She felt the wet grass as he set her down.

"If you survive, keep your promise. Save their lives. I know they will suffer and you will suffer. But make sure they're still alive when Park In-Jwa's downfall comes."

Moments later, an explosion shattered her world. When silence returned, her strength had left her. Only whispers managed to leave the barrier of her lips.

"If there is a god who can hear me, save us all..."

It was then that she heard the child's voice again. She crawled to the phone.

"Yoon-Gi" she whispered. "Give the phone to a grown-up, please."

When she awoke in the hospital, her son was alive and well. At his bedside was Park In-Jwa. She knew he hadn't left her side for a second, just to keep up appearances.

"Now, if you kill me, people will know it was you. An accident or suicide after what's just happened would be far too suspicious. If you take the lives of your driver's wife and son, I'll tell the world the truth about Hoseok. Your reputation and the future of your eldest son against their lives."

"I can't kill you. And I won't kill them. But their silence is as important as yours. The mother knows too much. Never speak to them again or I'll make sure you keep quiet one way or another. Don't forget that you, too, now have a son to protect."

Lee Yoo-Jin woke up suddenly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as memories of October 12th, 1995 came flooding back. Suddenly, she felt violently nauseous and left the bed in a hurry. Jin soon joined her in the bathroom. She finally let herself fall against him. She could no longer control her emotions and began to laugh nervously.

It had been twenty-three years since she'd thought about the scene. She wasn't even aware that she remembered it so clearly. Until that day, all she remembered was waking up in the hospital, the kind look on the doctor's face as he announced the birth of her son. When she was told that her baby was doing well, she didn't want to believe it. Then she was told how Yoon-Gi had found the help she needed to survive this terrible night.

The first time she had seen her son, he was so small inside the incubator. When the image of that moment came back to her mind, she began to cry.

Suddenly, she looked at Jin.

"I think I'm pregnant" she said.

***

Taehyung returned home to find the house empty. His father had gone to work and his sister was at school. He soon found Jungkook dozing on the sofa. Since he was living with them, he had been sleeping a lot, catching up on all the sleep they had denied him all those years.

Taehyung knelt down beside him. He kissed his cheek. He wished that each of his kisses would make Jungkook's woes disappear a little more.

"You're home" Jungkook murmured, opening his eyes.

Taehyung stroked his cheek in silence. Jungkook straightened up and embraced him. Taehyung felt his boyfriend's lips kiss his throat and sighed with relief. Then he withdrew quickly from Jungkook's arms. He took his hand and drew him to his room. He gently pushed the young man onto the bed before covering him with his body. He kissed him passionately as Jungkook wrapped his arms around his neck. The warmth of their breaths mingling made him shiver.

"Let me make love to you" Taehyung whispered.

Jungkook kissed him in reply and then set about removing Taehyung's clothes himself.

***

Namjoon hung up the phone and sighed. Deputy Park was becoming increasingly insistent. He wanted to know "Her"'s identity, and his promises of gifts had just given way to threats.

Kim Na-Eun stared at him, anger blurring the pretty features of her face.

"I told you to give him my name" the forger told him curtly.

Namjoon looked her in the eye.

"I refuse to put you in unnecessary danger."

"You're the one putting yourself in danger! This man's hands are covered in blood!"

Namjoon stood up and approached her.

"I'm Her too. Give her my name." she said.

"Na-Eun."

" He just threatened you, he just told you that you'll pay for your insolence with your life!"

A tear rolled down Na-Eun's right cheek.

"What will become of me if something happens to you?"

Na-Eun's voice became a whisper. Namjoon couldn't hold back and took her in his arms. It was the first time they had ever been this close to each other, but he had dreamed of such an embrace many times before. He held her close and his heart beat faster as he felt her embrace him back. He rested his cheek on the top of her head.

The phone rang again. The ringing filled the room for long seconds before falling silent, leaving only the sound of their hearts beating wildly in their chests.