The Perfect Mistake

Chapter 5

"No fucking way! It actually worked?" The words tumble out before I can stop them, a mix of disbelief and exhilaration. A rush of adrenaline pulses through me like pure energy surging through my veins. Ji Eun, grinning ear to ear, tosses a grape into her mouth with a look of gleeful pride.

"This has got to be the best thing you've ever done in your entire life, Y/N," she says grinning, her voice tinged with pride.

I stand frozen, basking in the glow of our success, but the euphoria is fleeting. A gnawing dread begins to creep in, coiling around my heart like a cold, constricting snake. What have I done? My thoughts spiral, and I start pacing the room, the reality of my actions settling in like a lead weight in my chest. Jungkook must be furious by now, and I can already picture him tearing through the office, demanding answers. There's no way he'll discover it was me... right? Right?

I try to reassure myself, to rationalize that I'm overreacting, that everything will be fine. But the gnawing doubt won't let go.

My frantic thoughts are interrupted by Ji Eun's panicked voice from the living room.

"Y/N! You need to see this!"  I rush into the living room, feeling my pulse quicken as I see her pale face, transfixed by the news on TV.

A blonde anchor, polished and composed, delivers the words like a hammer to my chest: "Nam Joo, a young man, was found dead in his hotel room earlier today. Authorities are currently investigating, but details remain scarce. We will continue to bring you updates as they become available. Thank you for watching 777 News."

Ji Eun's hand trembles as she scrambles for the remote, finally managing to turn off the TV. When she looks at me, her eyes are wide with terror, her bravado from earlier evaporating in an instant. The room is suffocatingly silent, the weight of what we've done and just heard pressing down on us both.

"This... this can't be happening," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "This has to be a coincidence, right? Maybe it wasn't Jungkook. Maybe we're just overthinking this."

I force a tight smile, trying to appear calm for Ji Eun's sake, even though my mind is screaming that this is anything but a coincidence. The likelihood of Nam Joo's death being unrelated to our actions is too small to ignore. Every rational part of me knows that.

"Right," I manage to say, though my voice is strained. "We're probably just overreacting. We can't jump to conclusions without more information."

But Ji Eun isn't convinced, and neither am I. The anxious energy in the room is palpable, crackling between us like static. She turns to me, her face etched with worry. "What are you going to do now?"

The question hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken fears. I know she's worried about our safety, about whether we'll even make it through the night unscathed. And the truth is, I'm just as terrified. But I can't afford to let that show.

"I'm going to work," I say, forcing steadiness into my voice. "It would be more suspicious if I didn't show up. Besides, I need to gauge the situation, see if anyone's talking."

I leave out the part about needing the money, though it's bothering me as well. My finances are precarious, and missing work isn't an option. But more than that, I need to keep my cover, to see how much Jungkook knows—or doesn't know—before it's too late.

Ji Eun nods, though the worry never leaves her eyes. "Be careful, Y/N. Please."

"I will," I promise, but the words feel empty. As I head towards the door, the uncertainty claws at me, whispering that this might be the last normal day I'll ever have.

*Jungkook's POV

The tension in my office was suffocating. Everyone tiptoed around me like I was a ticking bomb, ready to explode any second. The remnants of the disastrous board meeting still echoed in my head — the humiliating laughter, John's smug grin as he watched me fall apart in front of his eyes. I clenched my fists, still bitter about how that meeting went down. Whoever sabotaged my presentation would regret it.

Despite all that my thoughts kept circling back to her.

Y/N.

Was she behind it? It seemed so obvious and yet... something didn't add up. She didn't strike me as the type to pull something like that, but who else would have access to the files?
Then again, trust meant nothing without proof.
But, it doesn't matter, because I'm going to find the person who pulled this stunt and punish them severely. Even if it ends up being her, my ultimate demise.

I walk into my office clearly in a sour mood only to see Jimin, my old friend and tech mastermind, reclining comfortably in my chair, his gaze fixed out the window.

"Jimin." My voice was laced with warning.
He turned slowly, an amused smirk on his face.

"So, I heard about the board meeting. Seems you didn't have the best time, though John sure did."

How did he hear about this? I made sure to keep it under wraps, but then again, this was Jimin.

"Shut up and tell me what you found." I didn't have time for his games.

Becoming serious, he motioned for me to sit.

"Well, I found your hacker. It was the boy you suspected—Oh Nam Joo. But here's the twist: he was found dead in his hotel room this morning. Suicide. Slit his own wrists."

I went silent, the information hanging heavy between us.

Jimin continued, "I managed to get a copy of his so-called suicide note." He handed me a plastic evidence bag, with a crumpled piece of paper inside. I unfolded it, scanning the words, feeling an itch at the back of my mind.

"Why would he claim he killed himself because of a breakup?" I muttered. "He had no girlfriend."

"Exactly," Jimin nodded. "It's off. I dug deeper into his connections and found a woman from his past. Ji Eun. They were in contact recently."

He passed me another file, this one bearing a familiar face. "But I found something even more interesting, turns out Ji Eun is Y/N's roommate. What a coincidence, or is it?"

*Y/N's POV

Stepping into the office felt like walking into a minefield. Each and every glance felt scrutinizing, each murmur a whisper of suspicion. I moved quickly to my desk, trying to look composed, my heart a stone lodged in my throat. Every step multiplied the anxiety I felt, resounding with guilt and fear, but I had to hold it together. Just another day. Nothing unusual.

"Y/N," a voice called, soft yet firm. I turned to see Jungkook leaning against his office door, his gaze pinned directly on me. I couldn't look away, caught in the dark intensity of his eyes, a look so sharp it felt like he could see into my very thoughts.

"Come in. I'd like a word."

Nodding, I followed him inside, my palms cold with dread. The door closed behind us, sealing me in with him. Jungkook's gaze settled on me, unwavering, assessing.

"Y/N," he began, his voice deceptively calm, "I want to know where you were last night."

I forced a smile, every instinct screaming to get out of there. "Last night?" I stammered. "I-I was home, just catching up on some work."

His eyes narrowed slightly, a predatory glint flashing in them. "Is that so? Then maybe you can explain why I've traced a security breach right back to your IP address."

My heart stopped.

Jungkook's gaze sharpened, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, his voice almost taunting. "I always knew you were hiding something, Y/N." He leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint. "And now, I finally get to find out what."