Veil of Vengeance | JUNGKOOK FF

Chapter 36

Jeongguk's hands shook as he sped through the hospital hallways, his chest tight with the guilt that had been gnawing at him for weeks, if not years. His heart pounded harder with each step he took, but his legs felt like they were moving on their own. The tears were relentless, blurring his vision, but he didn't bother wiping them away. He had no time. No right to care about his appearance when Y/N was lying unconscious in a hospital bed because of him.

When he reached the nurse's station, Yoona was already there, her back turned towards him as she spoke hurriedly to a doctor. As if sensing his presence, she turned around, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of him. She had seen Jeongguk many times over the years—strong, stoic, and always composed—but this version of him was unrecognizable.

His face was pale, his eyes red and swollen from crying, and his chest rose and fell unevenly with his ragged breaths. Yoona's breath hitched as she took the file from his trembling hands. She didn't say much, just a quick, "I'll take this to the doctor," before walking away, her heart sinking at the sight of her best friend's husband unraveling.

Jeongguk staggered to Y/N's room, feeling like his legs were made of lead. Every step felt heavier than the last until he finally reached her. There she was—his wife, his Y/N—lying on the hospital bed, tubes and wires attached to her as machines beeped quietly around her. She looked so fragile, so small, and so painfully still.

His throat tightened as he slowly approached the bed. He sat down beside her, taking her cold hand into his, pressing his lips against it softly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking with each word. "I'm so sorry, baby"

His head dropped as fresh tears spilled down his cheeks, and he couldn't stop them this time. His chest heaved as the sobs wracked his body, and all he could do was cling to her hand as if it was the only thing tethering him to reality. "I was wrong. I was so wrong," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I believed something so stupid... I should have trusted you. I should have protected you."

His hand shook as he brought it to her cheek, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Please come back to me. Please, Y/N. I'll make everything right. I swear I will."

For the first time in what felt like years, Jeongguk allowed himself to be vulnerable, to truly feel the weight of everything he had done. Every cold word, every cruel action, and every moment he had pushed her away—it all came crashing down on him, suffocating him in a sea of regret. He had pushed Y/N to the brink, all because of a lie.

A lie that cost him the one person who never deserved his anger.

He didn't notice Yoona until she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch light but grounding. "Jeongguk..."

He flinched slightly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, but the tears wouldn't stop. He turned to her, his voice hoarse and broken. "I—I'm sorry, Yoona. I'm so sorry."

Yoona's brows furrowed in confusion as she watched him, clearly not expecting this level of breakdown from the usually composed man. "Jeongguk, what's going on? Why are you apologizing?"

Jeongguk swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor. He didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to say the words out loud because once they were out, there was no taking them back. But Yoona had to know. She deserved to know.

With a deep, shaky breath, Jeongguk stood up and walked over to the couch by the window. He sat down heavily, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor, lost in his thoughts. Yoona followed him and sat down next to him, her eyes filled with concern.

He started slowly, his voice low and filled with shame. "I blamed her, Yoona. I blamed Y/N for something she didn't do."

Yoona's eyes widened, but she stayed silent, letting him continue.