Tangeled in shadows | Min Yoongi

Chapter 16: A Fragile Trust

Yoona’s head pounded, a dull, throbbing ache that reminded her of where she was. Slowly, the blur of the world sharpened as her eyes opened, and the sterile scent of the room hit her. She winced, her body feeling like lead, pain radiating from the gunshot wound in her side. She remembered the shot—the burning sensation, the sudden darkness.

Her eyes fluttered open, focusing on the figure standing at the edge of her bed.

Yoongi.

He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, staring at her with those unreadable, dark eyes. The room was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of machines and the soft breathing of her crew, still asleep in the chairs around them.

“Yoongi…” Her voice was hoarse, the name foreign on her tongue. It felt wrong, too familiar.

He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving her face. "Smoke."

She narrowed her eyes, her hand twitching toward the sheets as if she could summon the strength to get up. But she couldn't, not yet.

"Why did you stay?" she rasped. "Why am I still alive?"

Yoongi’s jaw tightened, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment before he met her eyes again. “Because I made sure you would be.”

Yoona’s mind raced. She had expected him to kill her after she had been shot, or at least leave her to die. She had been his enemy for years. There was no logical reason why he should have saved her.

“Why?” she demanded, her voice rising. “Why didn’t you just let me die? You should have—”

“Don’t,” Yoongi cut her off, his tone sharp. His hand came down to rest on the bed beside her, close but not touching. “I’m not letting you die, not like this.”

Yoona’s breath hitched. His words confused her, tangled in her mind alongside the pain. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She was supposed to hate him. He was supposed to be her enemy, the man who had taken everything from her. But the way he was looking at her now, with that guarded intensity, made everything more complicated.

“You don’t get to decide that for me,” Yoona said, her voice a whisper now, more vulnerable than she intended. “Why do you care?”

For a long moment, Yoongi didn’t answer. He just looked at her, his expression unreadable.

“Get some rest,” he finally said, his voice low, before stepping back. “We’ll talk later.”

Yoona wanted to argue, to demand answers, but her body was too weak. As she slipped back into the haze of sleep, she felt the weight of his gaze on her.

---

Across the room, Jisoo stirred from her seat, her eyes half-closed as she shifted in the uncomfortable chair. She rubbed her face, still groggy, but when she glanced toward the bed, her exhaustion evaporated. Yoona was awake, but that wasn’t the surprising part.

Yoongi had been sitting at her side all night. That much she had seen. But now, his gaze lingered on Yoona with something she couldn’t quite place. Concern? Care? No, it couldn’t be. This was Agust D—the man they were supposed to take down. Yet there was no denying the way he had watched over Yoona.

Jisoo’s heart clenched. She rose to her feet, quietly stepping closer to Yoongi.

“She’s awake,” Jisoo said, her voice low, but her tone was laced with suspicion.

Yoongi glanced at her briefly before nodding. “She’ll be fine.”

Jisoo crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “I have to ask... why are you keeping her alive? What’s your angle here?”

Yoongi met her gaze, his expression unreadable. “I don’t need a reason.”

Jisoo scoffed, the tension thickening. “Bullshit. People like you always have a reason. What’s your plan, Yoongi? You think you can manipulate her? Use her?”

Yoongi’s jaw clenched. “If I wanted her dead, she’d be dead.”

Jisoo stepped closer, her voice sharp. “That’s not an answer.”

Before Yoongi could respond, the door to the room burst open. One of Yoongi’s men stepped inside, looking frantic.

“We found him,” the man said quickly. “The one who shot her. It was Park.”

Yoongi’s expression darkened, and he immediately stood up. “Where is he?”

“In the holding cells downstairs,” the man replied.

Without a second glance, Yoongi stormed out of the room, leaving Jisoo standing by Yoona’s bedside, her thoughts spinning.

---

Down in the dark, cold basement of Yoongi’s hideout, the tension was palpable. Park sat slumped against the wall, bruised and bloodied from the beating Yoongi’s men had already given him. He was barely conscious when Yoongi arrived, his footsteps echoing in the room.

Yoongi stepped inside, his eyes cold and deadly.

Park groaned as he saw him approach. “Boss, I—”

“You disobeyed me,” Yoongi interrupted, his voice deadly calm. “I gave no order to shoot her.”

“I thought… I thought it was what you’d want,” Park stammered, his eyes wide with fear. “She’s your enemy. She—”

Yoongi crouched down, grabbing Park’s collar and pulling him close, his voice a growl. “I decide who lives or dies. You don’t get to make that call.”

Park whimpered, trying to shrink back, but Yoongi’s grip tightened.

“What I want,” Yoongi hissed, “is loyalty. What you’ve shown me is betrayal.”

“I’m sorry,” Park croaked, his voice trembling. “Please, give me another chance. I won’t—”

Yoongi stood up abruptly, letting Park fall back against the wall. His eyes burned with anger, but beneath it, there was something deeper—something more personal. He had lost control, and it had nearly cost Yoona her life.

“Take him away,” Yoongi ordered his men. “I’ll decide what to do with him later.”

As they dragged Park out of the room, Yoongi stood in the silence, his mind racing. This wasn’t just about Park disobeying orders. This was about how close Yoona had come to dying because of a mistake he hadn’t been able to prevent.

For the first time in years, Yoongi felt a pang of fear—fear that he might lose her.

---

Upstairs, back in Yoona’s room, the atmosphere had grown tense again. Seulgi and Jungkook had woken up, their eyes full of concern and suspicion. Yoona was still weak, but she could feel the weight of their gazes on her. Jisoo stood nearby, her arms crossed as she watched Yoona carefully.

“When are we going to make our next move?” Jungkook asked, his voice low but laced with frustration. “We can’t stay here forever.”

Yoona’s hand instinctively moved toward her side, the pain reminding her of just how vulnerable she was. “We need to wait,” she said, her voice hoarse.

Jungkook frowned. “Wait for what? He’s the enemy, Yoona. We’re supposed to be planning how to take him down, not waiting around for him to save your life again.”

Yoona closed her eyes briefly, frustration and confusion swirling inside her. “I know that,” she snapped, opening her eyes again. “But we’re in no shape to attack anyone right now.”

Seulgi shifted uneasily, her eyes flicking toward the door as if expecting Yoongi to return at any moment. “Jungkook’s right. This is dangerous, Yoona. You’re letting your guard down.”

Yoona’s gaze hardened. “I’m not letting my guard down. I’m trying to stay alive. We’ll make our move when the time is right.”

Jungkook stepped closer, his eyes searching her face. “And when is that? When you’re fully healed? Or when you’re so deep into whatever this is with Yoongi that you can’t see straight?”

Yoona’s heart clenched at his words. She didn’t have an answer for him, not yet. But the truth was, something had shifted inside her, and it terrified her.