Veil of Vengeance | JUNGKOOK FF

Chapter 35

Jeongguk's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove at breakneck speed, the roar of the engine echoing through the dimly lit streets. His mind was racing as fast as the car. Y/N had collapsed earlier, and the thought of her lying unconscious in the hospital left a hollow ache in his chest. He had to be there when she woke up. Nothing else mattered. His knuckles whitened as he swerved into the VIP parking lot of the hospital, the car screeching to a halt.

Without wasting a second, he unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for Y/N's medical file on the passenger seat. His fingers brushed over the edge of the file as he grabbed it, but as he moved to exit the car, something fell. The sound was soft but noticeable—a paper slipping from the file and disappearing under the seat.

Jeongguk sighed in frustration, dropping the file back onto the seat before leaning down to retrieve whatever had fallen. His fingers found a plain white envelope, Y/N's name written neatly across the front in a very neat and clear script.

Furrowing his brows, he sat back up, staring at the envelope. His heart pounded in his chest, curiosity gnawing at him. Was this something important? Something related to her condition? Without thinking, his fingers tore open the envelope, and he unfolded the single piece of paper inside.

It wasn't a medical document.

It was a letter.

And it was from Ji Eun.

The sight of her name hit him like a punch to the gut, his pulse quickening. Ji Eun. The girl who had left him shattered, her death a catalyst for so much pain and confusion. His throat tightened as he started to read, each word sinking deeper into him, unraveling the carefully built walls around his heart.

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My beautiful Y/n,

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I don't even know where to start, but I guess I'll begin with that. I should have told you everything from the start, but I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want to burden you with something that was supposed to be *my* problem.

I've been hiding it from you—the headaches, the exhaustion. It started months ago, and I kept brushing it off. You know how my stepmother is. She gave me painkillers and told me it was nothing. I believed her. Or maybe I just wanted to believe her. I didn't think it would get this serious.

But one morning, I passed out. My neighbor found me and took me to the hospital. That's when I found out. That's when they told me about the tumor.

It's inoperable, Y/N. They can't do anything for me. It's too late. I've been absent from school for two weeks, and that's why. I should've told you, I should've told Yoona, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. You two mean so much to me, and the last thing I wanted was to see you worried or sad because of me. I didn't want to be the reason your smiles faded.

I don't want to die. God, I don't want to die. I want to be here with you and Yoona for as long as I can, but I know that's not going to happen. I'm going to live my life to the fullest, though. I'll make the most of the time I have left, I promise. I'm not going to waste a single second.

But I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have to leave you both so early. I never wanted to go this way, and I certainly didn't want to make you cry. But I know you're going to cry when I'm gone. And that's okay. Cry a little, but please, please don't cry too much. Don't let it break you. I don't want you to carry this weight with you, okay?

Don't blame yourself for any of this. Even if you had taken me to the hospital sooner, nothing would've changed. This tumor would've killed me one way or another. This is no one's fault. Especially not yours.