The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

51: Second Chance

Soonyoung blinked awake, the sterile smell of the hospital room filling his senses. His body ached, bruised from the attack, but his first thought wasn't about the pain. It was about Jihoon.

"Jihoon..." he whispered, his voice dry and raspy as he turned his head, scanning the room. The bed next to him was empty, and a sinking feeling settled in his chest. Where was Jihoon?

He struggled to sit up, his heart pounding as he looked around the room for any sign of him. Nothing. His breath quickened, panic bubbling up as he pressed the nurse call button repeatedly. Moments later, the door opened, and a nurse stepped inside.

"You're awake, Mr. Kwon," she said kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Jihoon?" Soonyoung's voice cracked, desperation seeping through his words. He tried to push himself further up, wincing at the sharp pain in his side. "He was here, wasn't he? I need to see him."

The nurse's expression faltered for a moment, her smile wavering. "Mr. Lee left," she said carefully. "He's been gone for about a week now."

Soonyoung's heart stopped. "He... left?" His voice was barely a whisper as he struggled to process the words. Jihoon had been gone for a week? He didn't even wait for him to wake up?

"Yes. He didn't leave any further instructions," the nurse said, her tone gentle as if she could sense how much the words were tearing Soonyoung apart. "He did leave a letter for you."

"A letter?" Soonyoung felt a lump forming in his throat, his chest tightening with dread. He forced himself to breathe, his hands trembling as the nurse handed him the folded envelope. His name was scrawled across the front in Jihoon's familiar handwriting.

Soonyoung's hands shook as he opened it, dread creeping up his spine with every second. As his eyes scanned the harsh words, his heart shattered.

Loving you was a mistake...

You're a liability...

We're over.

The words blurred as tears welled up in Soonyoung's eyes, disbelief coursing through him. This wasn't the Jihoon he knew. Jihoon wasn't cold like this—he wasn't cruel. Soonyoung's fingers tightened around the letter, his chest heaving as he struggled to hold back the sobs threatening to spill out.

"He... can't mean this," Soonyoung whispered to himself, shaking his head. "There has to be more to it. He wouldn't just leave me like this."

But the letter was all he had now. Jihoon had walked out of his life without a word, without any explanation other than the cold, cruel lines on the page. And for the first time, Soonyoung felt truly lost—alone in a way he hadn't been since Jihoon had come into his life.

Jihoon was gone.

Just as Soonyoung sat there, staring blankly at Jihoon's letter, the door creaked open. Nari walked in, her face softening when she saw him sitting up, but her expression changed when she noticed the letter crumpled in his trembling hands.

"Soonyoung..." Nari said softly, her eyes flicking to the paper. "What's that?"

Soonyoung didn't answer at first, his throat too tight to form words. He just handed her the letter, his fingers still clutching it tightly before finally letting go. Nari unfolded the letter carefully, her eyes scanning the contents as her face darkened.

She finished reading and let out a sharp sigh, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "Soonyoung, I hate to say it, but Jihoon? He's not worth it."