SCARRED AFFECTIONS

Chapter 12

One Week Later,

Hyunjin stood outside Taehyung's room, his hand hesitating on the doorknob. The hallway was eerily quiet, the only sound being his own shallow breaths. His heart weighed heavy in his chest, knowing what awaited him on the other side. The past week had been unbearable—not just for Taehyung, but for Hyunjin too. He couldn't bear seeing his once strong, confident older brother like this.

"Hyung..." he called softly, knocking lightly on the door. "Hyungie, are you okay? Please, open the door."

No response. Just like every day this week.

Hyunjin pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear any sign of movement. Faint sounds—the clink of bottles, maybe the soft murmur of Taehyung muttering to himself—confirmed his worst fears. He sighed deeply, pulling out the spare key he kept just in case.

"I'm coming in, Hyung," he said, his voice heavy with worry.

The door creaked open, and Hyunjin stepped inside. The sight was the same as it had been for days—empty bottles of alcohol scattered across the floor, ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, and there, in the middle of the mess, sat Taehyung, completely lost in his sorrow.

Taehyung was slumped on the floor, his back resting against the bed. His eyes, red and puffy from days of crying, were half-closed. He looked like a shell of the man he once was, the powerful mafia leader reduced to this broken figure, drowning in alcohol to numb the pain.

Hyunjin's heart clenched at the sight. This wasn't the Taehyung he knew—the brother who had always been so strong, so protective. The brother who had shielded him from the darkness of their world, always putting Hyunjin's happiness above his own. Now, it was as if all that strength had crumbled, leaving behind only despair.

The room reeked of stale alcohol and cigarettes, the heavy stench hanging in the air like a dark cloud. Hyunjin knelt down beside Taehyung, gently taking the bottle from his brother's hand.

"Hyungie," he whispered softly, brushing the hair away from Taehyung's face. Taehyung didn't respond, his body swaying slightly as he blinked through the haze of drunkenness.

Tears welled up in Hyunjin's eyes. He hated seeing his brother like this—so broken, so lost. Ever since Jungkook had left him, Taehyung had spiraled into this pit of despair. But it wasn't until Taehyung found out about Mingyu, the man Jungkook was now going to marry, that things had truly fallen apart.

Watching the love of his life slip through his fingers had shattered Taehyung in ways Hyunjin couldn't understand. He had power, influence, everything—yet, there was nothing he could do to stop Jungkook from walking away. Nothing he could do to stop Jungkook from choosing someone else.

If Taehyung wanted, he could make Mingyu disappear with a single word. But he wouldn't. He loved Jungkook too much to destroy the happiness he thought he was finding in Mingyu. No matter how much it hurt, Taehyung couldn't bear the thought of Jungkook hating him any more than he already did.

Hyunjin swallowed the lump in his throat, looking around the room. The sight was suffocating—so many bottles, the curtains drawn, the walls seeming to echo Taehyung's silent cries of pain. But amidst the chaos, something caught Hyunjin's eye—a small, open diary lying on the floor beside Taehyung.

Hyunjin's brow furrowed in confusion. Taehyung wasn't the type to write in a diary. He had never been one for words, always keeping his feelings locked away inside. Yet here was this book, carelessly abandoned amidst the mess. His curiosity piqued, Hyunjin hesitated before picking it up.

He knew it wasn't right to invade his brother's privacy, but he needed answers. He needed to understand what was going on in Taehyung's mind—why he was falling apart like this. Maybe the diary would give him some insight.