Heartbound Enemies

8|Deadly Illness

"Seokjin was awake, but Taehyung's world was falling apart."

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"Get up!" Taehyung's father bellowed, his voice echoing in the sterile hospital corridor. Taehyung, still clutching his head in pain, felt the weight of the moment crushing him. His father towered over him, his patience worn thin. But Taehyung couldn't move, his mind was a swirl of flashbacks—the image of Seokjin lying there, bruised and motionless, haunted him, and the headache made it unbearable.

Seokjin's mother, standing a few feet away, glared at them, her eyes filled with disdain. "What a disgrace," she muttered. "Both of you creating a scene in a hospital. Shameful."

Jungkook, trying to help, leaned down toward Taehyung and whispered, "Drink some water." He handed a water bottle to Taehyung, gently tilting it towards him, but Taehyung's father angrily slapped it away. The bottle clattered to the floor, water splashing across the tile.

"Get up, Taehyung," his father ordered, gripping his arm roughly and pulling him to his feet. The grip was so tight it sent a sharp pain through Taehyung's arm, but he didn't resist. Seokjin's mother was now deep in conversation with the doctor, discussing Seokjin's fragile condition, while Jimin stepped forward, trying to reason with Taehyung's father.

"Uncle," Jimin said, his voice calm but firm, "what you're doing is wrong. Taehyung needs help, not this."

"Shut up!" Taehyung's father barked, his voice venomous. "This is none of your business!"

Jungkook, fed up with the way Taehyung's father treated everyone around him, shot back, "Who are you to tell him to shut up like that?"

Taehyung's father ignored Jungkook completely, as if he were beneath his notice, focusing only on dragging Taehyung out of the hospital. Taehyung, feeling the sharp pain in his arm intensifying, finally pulled away. He pushed his father's hand off him and looked at him, his voice trembling but filled with determination.

"I need to see Seokjin," Taehyung said, his eyes welling up with tears. "I need to face what I've done. I want to look at him and feel every ounce of pain I caused. I need to see just how horrible I am."

His father's face twisted with fury. Without hesitation, he motioned to three bodyguards who had been waiting outside. "Take him away," he ordered coldly.

The bodyguards moved quickly, grabbing Taehyung by the arms and dragging him toward the exit. Jungkook and Jimin stood there, watching in shock as Taehyung was taken away. Jungkook, stunned, muttered under his breath, "Did you hear what Taehyung just said? He's... different. He's finally acting like a human being for once."

Jimin, equally shocked, nodded. "I know... I've never seen him like that before."

As they watched Taehyung being forcibly removed, Jimin sighed heavily and spoke quietly. "There's something you need to know, Jungkook. Yesterday, in the bathroom, Taehyung told me something... something disturbing." Jungkook turned to him, his brow furrowed with confusion.

Jimin continued, "When Taehyung was beating Seokjin, he said he saw his father's face. It was like he became someone else, like he was his father in that moment. He felt like a monster... like he couldn't stop."

Jungkook, visibly shaken, whispered, "Seokjin didn't deserve that... Does Taehyung have some kind of... mental issue?"

Jimin shook his head, frustrated. "It's not just that. Taehyung told me his dad hides something—a secret only Taehyung knows. And Taehyung didn't want to give Seokjin or Jennie the red paper in the first place."

Jungkook's eyes widened in realization. "So that's why the game started up again after a long break... but then why did he act like he wanted to hurt them? He was horrible to Seokjin, Jennie, Namjoon..."