Shadows of desire || SVT ||

(85) Fire That Ruined Them

The atmosphere in the meeting room was thick with tension, a silence so heavy it felt suffocating. Seventeen members sat scattered around the table, each lost in their own storm of guilt and confusion. Dks head rested in his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Dino wiped away silent tears, unable to shake the weight of the situation, while Hoshi stared blankly at the floor, his mind reeling with guilt.

As Scoups entered the room, every head turned towards him. He paused at the door for a moment, taking in the sight of his brothers—his family—torn apart by the truth that had come crashing down on them. He ran his hands over his face, feeling the roughness of his stubble as if trying to wipe away the exhaustion that clung to him.

He made his way to the head of the table, his usual confidence replaced by a weary resignation. Standing behind the chair, Scoups leaned on the back of it, letting out a deep sigh, eyes closed for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. The silence in the room was palpable, as if the very air was holding its breath, waiting for someone to speak.

When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze swept over the members, seeing the same pain and guilt reflected back at him. His voice was low but steady as he spoke,“Yuri knows the truth now. She knows what happened. She thinks we’re responsible for her mother’s death... for her being taken away from her family.”

A murmur went through the group, some shaking their heads in disbelief, others bowing their heads even lower, overwhelmed with the gravity of what Scoups had just said.

“I’ve spent hours thinking of what to say, what to do,” Scoups continued, his voice strained. “But there’s no easy way to fix this. There’s no right way to apologize for something like this.”

Joshua finally spoke, his voice shaky, “But it wasn’t entirely our fault… we didn’t mean to….”

“That doesn’t change what happened,” Jeonghan muttered bitterly. “Whether we knew or not, we’re still part of the reason she lost her family.”

Scoups nodded slowly, his expression hardening. “And now, she hates us for it. I don’t know if there’s any way to make this right, but I know one thing for sure—we can’t just run from it. We have to face it, together.”

Scoups stood there, his eyes filled with determination as he spoke, "I’ll go and tell her that I did it."

The room went still, and every head snapped up, stunned by his words. Wonwoo, who had been sitting silently, finally broke the silence. "No, hyung, what are you saying?"

Scoups looked back at him, his jaw clenched. "I'm saying what’s right, Wonwoo. It wasn’t your fault. Minghao, DK, Seungkwan, Mingyu, Dino, Vernon... they were just kids. They had nothing to do with it. None of them deserve to carry this guilt or her hatred."

Hoshi stood up abruptly, his voice cracking with emotion. "No, hyung, it was me... I was the one who lit the match. You weren’t even there that night. I did it... I burned the mansion."

Scoups turned to face him, his expression softening for a moment. "We know that, Hoshi. But she doesn’t. And what you did... you did it for me. It’s my responsibility."

The room was tense with the weight of Scoups' words. Mingyu, unable to hold back anymore, stood up, tears brimming in his eyes. "Hyung, no. You can’t take all of this on yourself. We were a team. We all knew what was happening."

Jeonghan, his voice barely above a whisper, added, "You don’t have to do this alone, Scoups."

But Scoups shook his head, resolute. "I’m the leader. I always have been. And as the leader, I have to protect all of you. If someone’s going to take the blame for what happened... it’s going to be me."