𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊✗𝐏𝐉𝐌

- 24 -

Dawn filters through the hut, painting shadows across Jeongguk's tormented face. Sleep has offered no solace, only haunted replays of Jimin's pained expression echoing Seoyeon's cruel whispers. Every memory, every stolen glance, every shared laugh, now carries the stench of betrayal. Shame, a bitter pill, lodges in his throat.

“How could I have been so blind?” he whispers, remembering her sly smiles and the sweet and flirty gestures. How easily Seoyeon's whispers have warped his perception, allowing doubt to sprout into poisonous vines that choked their friendship.

Jimin's truth, offered with quiet courage, has been a flickering candle in the darkness. “She never deserved to be head omega,” Jimin had said, his voice thick with detest. “She never did.”

Jeongguk can't explain how he knew that Jimin was genuine and telling the truth. He simply knew right then and there. It felt like an invisible bond between them; a faint tug in his chest and a silent language his wolf has always understood, like a yearning that mirrors Jimin’s own. It is as if their very souls vibrate at the same frequency. Now, a familiar warmth pulses with a clarity he’s never known, a silent apology echoing in the rhythm of his own heart.

“She threatened me, accusing me of wanting things I shouldn’t. She poisoned my mind, twisted everything,” Jimin’s words echo in his ears, their raw honesty. “She told me you didn’t want me anymore.”

Can he ever repair the damage, or is he forever bound to the consequences of his own misjudgment, forever haunted by the memory of a lost friendship? He squeezes his eyes shut, the weight of the question threatening to crush him.

“We weren’t laughing about you. Jihno saw my pain, and longing whenever you were near.” Jimin offered a spark of hope. His hesitant acceptance, his willingness to offer a second chance, becomes a lifeline. He has to try. For Jimin and for himself.

With a shaky breath, he traces the lines on his palm and rises from the bed. The weight of the night clinging to him. He no longer allows the whispers to control his decisions. He is determined to go after the truth, even if it means challenging the fabric of their society. It wasn't just about fixing a relationship; it was about forging a path paved on honesty and standing up for what’s right.

Stepping out of the hut, the crisp morning air fills his lungs. A sweep of a wind breeze makes him shiver and tense. But it won’t stop him from heading towards Seoyeon, the confrontation heavy on his mind.

As he navigates through the village, a familiar voice stops him in his tracks. “Jeongguk! Heading somewhere in a hurry? You’re an early riser, I see.”

It’s Taewoo, an alpha with whom he had recently been hunting and who had injured himself. Jeongguk had been looking for Jimin and then they stayed together in a shelter during the thunderstorm before they brought him to the healer’s hut.

“Seoyeon,” Jeongguk blurts before he can stop himself. Should he reveal his true intentions?

Taewoo’s brows furrow. “Seoyeon? I thought you weren’t on… good terms?”

Jeongguk feels him mirror his expression. How does he know? He doesn’t remember telling Taewoo. Jeongguk hesitates. Taewoo's concern is genuine, starkly contrasting to what he has noticed in the pack. “We aren’t. I just… realised some things.”

“I figured things weren’t great between you two. There’s been a certain… tension between you lately. What is this really about?” Taewoo asks, curiosity evident in which makes Jeongguk unsure how to respond. Taewoo and he have only been hunting partners before. They have never talked about such private matters.

Taking a deep breath, Jeongguk meets Taewoo's gaze. "I've just realized some things I did wrong," he admits, his voice raw with emotion.

Taewoo's eyes widen. "This is about Jimin, right?" he states, not as a question but as a confirmation.