Chapter 45

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"Aoi was arrested yesterday, but he'll be out within hours, right dear?" Mrs Jeon's voice wavered, her eyes gleaming with an anxious hope as she clutched her husband's hand. She sought comfort, needed it like a lifeline

"Yes, love" Mr. Jeon replied with calm certainty, his thumb brushing gently over her palm in a reassuring gesture "Although Taehyung's parents are trying to move forward with the case, we're offering them money to silence them. If they don't take it, the case still won't do much harm. Aoi claimed it was self-defense, and we'll testify to that. We'll make sure nothing sticks"

The soft murmurs of Mr and Mrs Jeon filled the house, their voices a twisted lullaby of lies and selfishness. Each word sank deeper into the air, heavy with a mixture of guilt and cold rationalization.

"I-I feel bad for lying, b-but we can't lose our son" Mrs Jeon whispered, her words wavering as guilt momentarily cracked her voice, though it didn't linger for long "It was a mistake, and Taehyung deserved it after what he did to Jungkook. It's not like he's dead"

Their voices blended into a soft hum of justification, echoing through the walls, seeping into the silence of the house. The selfishness in their words twisted like a knife in the air, and for Jungkook, who lay on the floor in his darkened room, it was unbearable. Tears blurred his vision, but he barely noticed anymore-his eyes were always swollen now, always stinging from the constant flood of emotions he couldn't suppress

He shifted, his body heavy and weak as he slumped back onto the bed, the mattress creaking under his weight. His room felt like a prison, the darkness closing in around him as if the very walls were suffocating him. A prison of guilt, shame, and regret

 A prison of guilt, shame, and regret

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It had been a week. One week since the nightmare began, and nothing had changed

"One week..." he mumbled, his voice barely a whisper as more tears threatened to fall. His throat felt tight, raw from crying. One week since Aoi shot Taehyung. One week since the world shattered around him, and nothing had been the same since

He could still hear the gunshots in his mind, could still see the blood splattered on the floor, the sound of Taehyung's screams echoing in his ears. The memory was burned into his brain, an endless loop of horror and regret that played over and over every time he closed his eyes

The worst part was the not knowing. He didn't know how Taehyung was doing. The last thing he heard from his parents was that Taehyung's leg was severely injured-so much so that the doctors were considering amputation. The mere thought sent a wave of nausea crashing through him, his stomach twisting painfully. He hadn't been able to sleep since hearing that, the image of Taehyung, broken and in pain, constantly haunting him

And his parents, cold and detached as ever, refused to let him see Taehyung. They had locked him in his room, claiming it was to protect him, to keep him from further trauma, but Jungkook knew the truth. They didn't want him to feel sympathy for Taehyung. They didn't want him to get close to the truth, to remember that he had been the one to lie, to testify against their oldest son, the one to ruin Taehyung's life

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