The Symbol Of Darkness

㉟That's Crazy

 
An unexpected resolve had taken root in Taehyung’s chest. He thought he would be too devastated to do anything the next day — which he was, honestly — but that resolve urged him to drive to the mansion. 

His head was bowed as he trod to Jin Mo’s office, ignoring every greeting he received. His steps were ponderous, just like his heart. A shroud of void dispassion enveloped his face, tinged with sorrow, and he didn’t attempt to wear any facade when he entered the office. 

Jin Mo was already sitting on the couch, rolling the ice in his glass of whiskey. His eyes assimilated Taehyung’s grim countenance, tracing something strange behind it. Something braising and cruel, nowhere near the pure despondency he had seen yesterday. 

His dark aura fell like a chilling veil over Jin Mo’s form and filled his forehead with creases of worry. He observed him as he extended his hand and placed his glass on the table. Then, he reclined slowly and intertwined his fingers, letting his hands rest on his lap. “Tae.”

Those dark eyes lifted to meet his, and it was the first time in his life, he could say, that he saw such unearthly emptiness, as if the life had been wrung out of him. Disturbing goosebumps broke out on his spine that raised the hair at the back of his neck. The only goosebumps Jin Mo knew were always the ones caused by thrill, and fuck, this new kind of prickling sensation made him gulp. 

“I want you to help me kill someone.”

Jin Mo just stared, his jaw going slack. As if his brain malfunctioned, it could form no words or thoughts. Taehyung had made it clear since the moment he started working for him; he would never kill anyone, no matter the circumstances. And he meant it. Even in situations he was almost killed, he never took the easy way out, which was, of course, to kill first. 

It was a request that truly rendered him speechless, but he impelled his composure to return to him. “I’ll help you in anything you want, Tae. But... what happened? You had said—”

“I know,” Taehyung cut him off in a low, frosty voice. “I found the answers I was looking for.”

A spasm of surprise mixed with eagerness crossed Jin Mo’s face. “You found out who ordered the murder of your parents?”

“Yes. My hyung... He had the answers I was looking for all along.”

“What do you mean?”

A pale glint of despondency sparked in Taehyung’s eyes, dispersing some of the emptiness. “First, I’ll tell you something I haven’t for so long. One of the guys who follow me had talked to me a while back. He had threatened me, actually. He said I’m only alive today because I’m being protected by you. But when they take you down and kill you, they’ll kill me too.” 

Jin Mo erupted in deranged laughs. “They’ll take me down and kill me?” Another blast of cackles spewed from him as he shook his head. “Who is he? Who is his boss? I’ll fucking kill them all.”

“I don’t know who that guy was, but the other guy who follows me is Lee Man Shik. And he works for Moo Chae Yeon.”

Jin Mo’s brows pulled together. “You found Chae Yeon? How?”

“It really doesn’t matter,” Taehyung uttered. “She lives in a mansion at Gangbuk-gu. And she was the one who ordered the murder of my parents.”

“That bitch, huh? That bitch wants to kill you so bad? Why?”

Taehyung lowered his head as a sudden constriction at the back of his throat blocked his ability to talk right away. Unwittingly, he allowed himself to recall clearly every harrowing revelation that bombarded him yesterday so he could impart it to Jin Mo, and it felt as though holes were being drilled into his chest all over again.