The Symbol Of Darkness

㊱So I Was Right

  
The time Jungkook spent with his team yesterday was more soul-soothing than he thought — so much that his appetite returned almost fully, and he ate a whole serving of samgyeopsal with relish. 

He always preferred being alone and bottled up everything inside him when he was in distress. He never imagined going for drinks with his friends would be such a pleasant distraction. It was certainly more fun than drinking alone, he realized. 

Or maybe he just needed the interaction with them so he wouldn’t go insane. So he wouldn’t get hammered and run to Taehyung to unleash the poorly suppressed spate of agony and rage that braised inside him. 

But the more he delved into each one of their memories, the more the rage subsided and only the wrenching agony remained. Because he missed him. He still missed him. He still cared for him. Even though he knew Taehyung deceived him, he still craved his hug. God, he was a lunatic, he thought. How could he still miss him? How could he still want to see him? 

The truth had been shaped before Jungkook’s eyes, and he stared at its ghastly form fixedly. Despite it, he visited the bar Merlina in search of Min Heo. 

With a quick browse, he located Min Heo, who was now standing still and staring at him with round eyes. “Follow me. It’ll only take a minute.” Jungkook didn’t wait for his response. He continued his way to the storage room and soon entered. 

Min Heo trailed behind him as he glanced around and a wave of relief passed through him since no eyes were on him. He scurried to catch up with Jungkook and closed the door. “What is it, detective Jeon?”

“I’m sorry I came here again. I just need you to confirm something with me.” Jungkook unlocked his phone and stared at Taehyung’s photo for a bit in silence. Then, he lifted his eyes to Min Heo. “Remember the guy who had come here with Jong Hoon?”

“The gorgeous guy, yes.”

Jungkook turned the phone to him, showing him the photo. “Was it this guy?”

Min Heo’s brows shot up. “Yes, yes. He was here with Jong Hoon. Did you find him?”

There it was. The confirmation. Although he knew it was him, spikes of something gruesome pricked Jungkook’s chest. Maybe it was because a tiny, buried part of him still hoped he was wrong. But he wasn’t. And it fucking hurt. 

He pocketed his phone then with languid moves as the veil of sorrow that dropped over his shoulders was too heavy to bear. “Thank you for your help. I hope you can live a normal life. I won’t bother you again.” He slouched out of the room without another word. 

His mind spiraled with the harrowing thought of Taehyung, which kept raging in it throughout the day until he couldn’t take it anymore. 

🥀

With no work to do, Taehyung spent his day at home, wallowing in his misery and waiting. Waiting for Jin Mo to call him and tell him everything was ready. 

He didn’t want to be there during the attack. He wouldn’t be focused enough to use a gun if he needed to, and he couldn’t risk killing someone innocent by accident. His plan was to kill the guy who put his gun in his mouth and dug two bullets into his mother’s forehead. Lee Man Shik who killed his father. And Moo Chae Yeon who ordered his parents’ murder and still wanted to kill him. 

His decision clashed with everything he had promised to his father. He still remembered his words vividly, something that filled him with doubts and second thoughts as he waited. 

“Son. I want you to live a good life. A decent life. Even if you want to get into the business, don’t become like me. Don’t kill people. Can you promise me?”