章節 4: 3

"This morning, the resounding article marking the return of "Her" was shared several thousand times on social media in less than a minute. Before its two-year absence, the "Slayer of Kings" was a sword of Damocles ready to fall at any moment. For the first time, "Her" made public an entire list of names. The list was written in the hand of Jung Eun-Chae, the young actress who committed suicide two years ago. The authenticity of the document was confirmed after analysis by several experts. All those whose names appear on the list are currently being questioned, or will be in the coming days."

The newscaster's voice echoed in the living room of the Taehyung family home. The three faces of "Her" had settled down around the coffee table and were drinking soju, celebrating "Her"'s resounding return. Namjoon's phone kept ringing. As the owner of the online newspaper where "Her"'s articles were published, Namjoon was the only one of them to be known publicly. While everyone had come to understand that he would never reveal "Her"'s identity, they all wanted to know if "Her"'s return was definitive. But the constant ringing was drowned out by the laughter of intoxicated friends.

"It seems that "Her" has decided to get personally involved in the case of Jung Eun-Chae's death. "Her" warned the country that this list of names was only the first page, and that the culprits would all pay eventually. The arrest of Kang Sin-Ik, Jung Eun-Chae's manager at the time of her death and current manager of singer Jeon Jungkook, seems to be the beginning of a real bloodbath."

Silence reigned in the BigHit Entertainment CEO's office. The CEO's guilt was so heavy that it made him hunch his shoulders. Jungkook remained as impassive as possible. The singer knew that the agency resented having entrusted him to a manager with such an unknowing past. Jungkook had resigned himself to being controlled all his life, but Kang Sin-Ik's arrest seemed to have lifted the weight that had been compressing his chest for years. Thanks to "Her", he was breathing properly again. He knew it would only be a short relief, but he also knew that all it took was a moment's carelessness on the part of the predator for the prey to escape. That moment of inattention would be Kang Sin-Ik's absence from his next meeting with Kim Taehyung. His words would not be subject to approval. It would be the predator's moment of inattention that could, perhaps, save his life.

"Suspicions that Jung Eun-Chae had been forced into prostitution were confirmed by the "Her" article. "Her"'s sources were never given, but the veracity of the information revealed has always been proven. There is no doubt that the investigation will confirm "Her"'s claims. Once the executioner has raised his blade, a head always ends up falling off."

The television went off as Lee Yoo-Jin arrived. Jimin sighed as he caught sight of his mother. Instinctively, his half-brother got up to leave. Jimin's mother stopped him with a brief wave of her hand.

"Tonight, a meal with our future in-laws will take place here" she said. "And all four of us will be there."

Jimin noticed how much it cost his mother to include Hoseok in the "we".

"The wedding is in a month" she continued. "In two weeks, we'll announce your engagement. We were planning to do it tomorrow, but because of the icy atmosphere "Her" has cast over the country, we're postponing the announcement. Kang Min-Ah and you, Jimin, will then have to show your closeness and complicity. Dinner is at eight."

She turned her back and left them alone. Hoseok remained perfectly still, his fists clenched.

"That was Do So-Ra on KBS" concluded the newscaster.

Kang Min-Ah's room was always spotless to the point of being impersonal. On the bedside table, two plane tickets were tucked into a book. She took one last look in the mirror. Her appearance was perfect, as always. Only her mind was in ruins, desperately trying to pull itself together with the beating of her heart. There was a knock at the door. It was time to leave.

***

If Park Jimin had learned anything from "Her", it was that knowledge brought more power than money. For this reason, Jimin never took his eyes off Kang Min-Ah. He watched her every move. The way she raised her glass of wine to her lips without ever drinking its contents, her habit of touching the ring on her right ring finger, her polite smile, her self-conscious look, her great appetite, her need to frequently put back her ill-fitting dress that rose unusually high towards her chest...

He had only met Kang Min-Ah three times before today. Yet he found her radically different. The self-confidence that so annoyed Jimin before he went abroad for four years seemed to have disappeared. She seemed a different person, both more alert and more vulnerable.

Hoseok, sitting next to him, dropped something. Jimin turned to him for a moment. Lee Yoo-Jin glared at the culprit. Kang Min-Ah's parents didn't react. As for their father, he smiled, amused. Jimin always thought and hoped that there was nothing in the world their father loved more than them, no matter what they did. That was what made him dangerous and ruthless. He gave them so much love that he didn't have enough for the rest of the world.

When Jimin turned his attention back to his fiancée, her glass, full since the beginning of the meal, had become empty. She declined the offer of a refill.

"Have you heard any rumors about Min-Ah?" Jimin asked his half-brother as he left the table.

Hoseok simply shrugged.

"Why?"

" "There's something wrong with her.

"She looks fine to me."

Before Jimin knew it, he was alone with his fiancée. Now was the perfect time to persuade her to break off their engagement. His keen observations had finally revealed something. When he sent a message to Yoon-Gi, the latter confirmed his suspicions. From the doorway, his boyfriend had noticed the same thing. He had also witnessed the moment when Kang Min-Ah discreetly emptied the contents of her glass onto the black carpet while everyone's attention was on Hoseok.

"How are you, Oppa?"

"I'm puzzled" Jimin answered.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"How come my fiancée is pregnant when it's been four years since we last met?"

The young woman turned pale and fell to her knees. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She didn't try to deny it for a second.

"We'll talk about it later" said Jimin. "I don't care who the father is. I only want you to think of a way to break off our engagement before it's announced."

He took her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. He wiped away her tears and the traces of makeup streaking her rosy cheeks. He brought his face close to hers and kissed her lips so that her lipstick tinted the embrasure of his. Then he loosened his tie and opened his collar a little. This was what their parents expected of them: to be intimate out of sight.

He looked at her. She too loved someone else. She too was burdened by this engagement.

"Until our engagement is broken, I'll protect your secret. So make sure you hide your pregnancy. If my mother finds out, she'll try to break up your whole family."

"Yes" Min-Ah replied. "She must hate illegitimate children. People suspect that Hoseok is Deputy Park's illegitimate son, but nobody dares believe it."

When they came out, their mothers looked at them with satisfaction. They were delighted by what they saw. In their eyes, the marriage had perhaps been consummated before its time.

A few dozen minutes after the Kangs' departure, Jimin left the family home under his mother's resigned gaze. Until the one-month deadline had passed, she had no right to forbid him to see Yoon-Gi, even in the middle of the night.

The journey to Yoon-Gi's apartment seemed endless. It was the first time he would see the inside of his lover's apartment. Yoon-Gi drew him into the darkness as soon as the door was open. His untied tie fell to the floor, caressing Yoon-Gi's bare feet as he pushed him against the door. He grazed his throat with his lips before pressing his body to his, his burning breath bringing him back to life. Imagination and dreams were no match for the sensations he gave him. In each other's absence, their bodies had become perfect for each other. Yoon-Gi's body quivered beneath his fingers. Nothing existed when he kissed, caressed and loved him with all his being. And when he whispered his name, he knew he only existed for him.