FREVOR

19

Author pov:

Inside the house, Jin Ah's demeanor shifted from worry to strict resolve. She closed the door with a decisive click and turned to face Niki, her eyes narrowing in frustration.

"Niki, why did you do that?" she demanded, her voice firm and unyielding. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten into?"

Niki, now looking more like a scolded child than the defiant brother from earlier, shuffled his feet and glanced down at the floor. "I just... I thought I could handle it," he mumbled.

"You thought you could handle it?" Jin Ah repeated, her tone incredulous. "This isn't a game, Niki! You can't just get involved in dangerous activities and expect to come out unscathed."

Niki's shoulders slumped, his earlier bravado completely dissolved. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just trying to help with the money..."

Jin Ah's expression softened slightly, but her resolve remained. "I know you're trying to help, but this isn't the way to do it. You need to think about the consequences of your actions. You're not just risking your own life; you're affecting all of us."

Niki looked up, his eyes wide and earnest. "Taehyung is so rich," he said, almost in awe. "You should marry him. He can take care of everything."

Jin Ah's frustration flared again, and she shook her head. "This isn't about money, Niki. You saw how he is. He's controlling, and I don't want you to think that marrying him is the solution to all our problems."

"But he's helping us," Niki argued weakly.

Jin Ah took a deep breath, trying to keep her patience. "I need you to stay like you were today-focused and stubborn. Don't let him manipulate you. We need to stick together and find our own way out of this mess."

Niki nodded slowly, his defiance giving way to a reluctant acceptance. "Okay, Jin Ah. I promise I'll try to do better."

Jin Ah placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Good. Now, let's figure out how to move forward from here. Together."

Niki hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you really going to marry him?"

Jin Ah's expression faltered, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. After a brief pause, she nodded. "Yes," she admitted quietly.

Niki's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

Jin Ah took a deep breath, steadying herself. "If you act like you did today-focused and stubborn-then we can delay it. We need more time, and if you keep doing what you did today, we might find another way."

Niki looked at her, processing her words. "So, you're saying that if I stay out of trouble and keep being stubborn, we can avoid this marriage for a while?"

Jin Ah nodded, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "Exactly. We need to buy ourselves some time to figure things out. Can you do that for me, Niki?"

Niki's gaze softened, and he nodded slowly. "Okay, Jin Ah. I'll do my best. I don't want you to marry him if you don't want to."

Jin Ah smiled, relief washing over her. "Thank you, Niki. We'll get through this together, I promise."
---
Jin ah pov:

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains as I lay tangled in my sheets, enjoying a rare moment of peace. My phone's insistent ringing shattered the tranquility, and I groggily reached for it on the nightstand.

"Hello?" I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep.

"Come outside," Taehyung's voice commanded through the phone, crisp and authoritative.