The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

38: Back & Forth

Seungcheol paced back and forth in the mansion's living room, his fists clenched and his jaw set. He could hardly contain his anger as he turned to Jihoon, his voice booming through the room.

"How could you bring him in here?" Seungcheol barked, his eyes narrowed at Jihoon. "He's a cop, Jihoon! Do you understand how dangerous that is? You've put the entire gang at risk. What were you thinking?"

Jihoon stood still, his expression blank but tense. He didn't speak, not out of defiance but because he couldn't find the words to explain why he had brought Soonyoung back. He had acted on instinct, not logic. Soonyoung had been hurt—badly—and Jihoon couldn't leave him like that.

Seungcheol's frustration only grew when he saw Jihoon's silence. "This isn't just about you, Jihoon. You can't afford to be reckless like this! We're all involved in this mess. One wrong move, and everything we've built—everything I've protected—could come crashing down."

Before Seungcheol could continue his tirade, a soft but firm voice interrupted him.

"That's enough, Seungcheol."

Jeonghan appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, exuding an air of calm authority. He looked at Seungcheol, daring him to challenge his words. Seungcheol's eyes flickered with frustration, but Jeonghan's presence made him hesitate.

"What do you mean 'enough'?" Seungcheol snapped, though his voice was noticeably softer than before. "He put all of us in danger—"

"Did you even ask why Jihoon brought Soonyoung in?" Jeonghan's tone was unyielding, his eyes locking onto Seungcheol's with a mixture of disappointment and challenge. "Or were you too busy yelling to actually understand the situation?"

Seungcheol clenched his jaw, clearly still furious, but Jeonghan didn't give him a chance to respond.

"Jihoon made a choice—a compassionate choice," Jeonghan continued, his voice gentle yet unshakeable. "Soonyoung was hurt, and Jihoon did what any decent person would do. He helped him. You might be the leader of this gang, Seungcheol, but you don't get to tear him down for doing the right thing."

Seungcheol's shoulders tensed, but his gaze softened slightly under Jeonghan's words. He opened his mouth to protest, but Jeonghan held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"This isn't just about your precious gang. It's about people—people we care about," Jeonghan said, his voice lowering but holding an undeniable strength. "And like it or not, Jihoon cares about Soonyoung. You might not agree with his decisions, but you need to trust him. And trust me."

There was a beat of silence, tension still hanging thick in the air, before Jeonghan stepped closer to Seungcheol, his eyes never leaving his husband's.

"You want to be the leader, fine. But you're also supposed to be a brother, a protector. Yelling at Jihoon for doing what his heart told him to isn't helping anyone," Jeonghan said softly. "So stop trying to control everyone's decisions, and start trusting that we know what we're doing. Trust him."

Seungcheol let out a long, frustrated breath, the anger slowly ebbing from his face. He looked from Jeonghan to Jihoon, who still stood quietly in the room, guilt clear in his eyes.

"Fine," Seungcheol muttered, though his tone had lost its bite. "But I don't like it."

Jeonghan smirked, satisfied. "You don't have to like it. You just have to accept it."

With that, Jeonghan placed a reassuring hand on Jihoon's shoulder, giving him a small, encouraging smile. Seungcheol, though still visibly annoyed, nodded slightly in Jihoon's direction, as if to say he'd drop the issue for now.