"Taehyung, what are you doing? You're going to get shot!"
"So you do care about me."
The very second he turns to say that, the gun goes off and he makes a run for it. Haneul starts wailing, Taehyung is on his knees clutching his side and I'm in shoc...
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chapter twenty-four: sick
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taehyung
I WALK BACK into the house and hang my keys and coat up before storming into the living room.
I find exactly who I'm looking for with his stupid legs up and laughing at whatever he's watching on TV.
I slap him on the shoulder and he yells in pain before pausing it.
"What was that for?" He asks, rubbing the spot.
"Trust me when I say I'll do way worse," I say, watching him stand up so we're at the same level both physically and mentally. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" He asks.
"Don't play dumb with me," I respond through gritted teeth and find my hand gripping the collar of his shirt. "Why did you do it?"
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Taehyung. Take your hands off of me and leave me alone."
He sits back down and I finally let him know what I know.
"You thought I wouldn't recognise it? It's clearly your work, Jaebeom. Apart from that, all I had to ask the nurse was whether she saw a fool with too many tattoos and a penknife in his breast pocket. You had no regard for his body, yet you couldn't resist signing it either?"
He stays quiet, trying to ignore me. So, I lean over to his ear.
"Admit it. Admit you did it." I taunt. "Admit you shot the boy."
Finally, out of frustration, he stands abruptly and covers both ears with either hand.
"Fine! YES! I did it! I killed the artist, but it's for our own good. I was only trying to help you. The guilt is crippling, just don't tell Aera." He cries.
I knew it all along, but still, my eyebrows manage to rise with surprise.
"It's pathetic how easy it is for you to fold under pressure, yet you want to help me?" I tut, shaking my head.
He's shaking from head to toe all thanks to his little admission. However, there's still one thing I'm not sure of.
"Why did you do it? "I ask.
"I just told you." He replies quietly. "I did it to help you. Mr Dong approached me first, saying this would be an opportunity to help with our first plan. He'd help get more influence on the case if I took out the artist for him."
"Did he offer you money?"
He nods quickly. "Bags and bags of it, but I couldn't take it. We both know his money is dirty."
"What makes you think that you've helped me in any way?"
His small smile fades slightly as he recognises my anger. It surprised me too, but there's no going back. I can't even explain it, but a wave of pure rage starts to flow through me.
"Do you not realise that Aera seemed to have some 'closeness' with the guy? Did you not consider how she'd feel if she found out? You of all people, Jaebeom? You're the closest to her!"
He sighs. "You're not getting it. This is finally the chance that will seal the possibility of getting what we want?"
"What you're not getting is the consequence of what you've done!" I sneer. "All I know is, she isn't going to stop until she finds who did this because she knows it wasn't an accident."
"What do we do?" He asks.
"We?" I laugh humourlessly. "We? You are going to either call her or go to her right now and tell her the truth. Fail to do that and I'll tell her myself."
It's his turn to laugh now. "Tell her? Tell me this. What will you do when she starts to ask questions? Or have you already forgotten that there is so much she doesn't and shouldn't know? She'll come to find out about the real reason you decided to marry her, then what? You'll run to your little cheater of a girlfriend?"
I frown and he smiles, satisfied with the reaction he has gotten from me.
"If you know what's good for you," He says. "You'll tell her nothing of what you know. It's best she tries to uncover it and gives up after finding nothing. We need to return to our original plan and stick to it so we can finally get this over with."
"You're sick," I say.
"Any less sick than you? I may be the brains behind all this but you carried it all out on your own. So stay in your place."
This time he doesn't bother to engage in his recent activity and instead switches off the TV and walks upstairs.
I take a seat and end up with my head in my hands, wondering what to do from now. If anything, he's right. I can't let Aera find out other information if she's able to find out who killed Yoongi. For now, I need to deal with Dong.
Then, and only then, will things return to normal, my emotions included?
