𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨 || 𝘑𝘢𝘺𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘯 & 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘪

19

A/N: This author apologises again..so sorry.
I never knew classes would end up being so hectic..Next chapter would be longer, I wrote this one in haste.

"Too late for that, no?Lin?" 

Everyone froze. 

Slowly, they turned toward the source of the voice, their hearts pounding in their chests. 

Standing just a few feet away, was Youngjae. His gaze swept over the group, and for a moment, it felt like the entire world had stopped moving. 

None of them could speak.

Sunghoon's stomach twisted, fear curling its cold fingers around his heart. 

He felt the same dread from before, the one that had rooted him in place earlier when Youngjae had first appeared. 

But this time, it was worse. 

The others could see him now, and the stakes were higher. 

Much higher.

It was Heeseung who broke the silence, stepping forward with a fierce determination in his eyes, his voice trembling with anger. 

"Youngjae, don't do this. You're being used by them, by the superior. You're going to regret it. 

Youngjae scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips as he crossed his arms, his posture relaxed but radiating danger. 

"Don't worry about me, Seung," he replied with a smirk. "I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm the only one who'll be responsible for what happens to me. So, you don't have to worry."

Heeseung's jaw clenched, the muscles in his face tightening as he took a step closer to Youngjae. 

"You don't understand," he said, his voice thick with frustration. "They're just using you as a pawn. They'll throw you away the moment they get what they want, you know it!."

Youngjae's eyes flickered with something unreadable, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. 

He remained unbothered, the arrogant smile still playing on his lips. "Maybe," he shrugged, "but that's my problem, isn't it?"

There was a dangerous edge to his tone now, and the air between them grew even more tense. 

Heeseung's fists clenched at his sides, but before he could say anything more, Youngjae spoke again, his eyes narrowing as they settled on Sunghoon.

"Here's the deal," he said, his voice soft but dripping with menace. "I'll spare Jungwon from Aera—let him go free—if Sunghoon comes with me."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. 

Sunghoon's breath hitched in his throat, and he could feel every pair of eyes in the group turn toward him. 

Ni-Ki immediately stepped in front of Jungwon, his stance protective, ready to shield him from whatever came next. Jungwon's face was pale, his eyes wide with fear as he gripped the youngest's arm.

Heeseung, refusing to back down, took another step forward. 

His voice was sharp, laced with anger. "That's not happening. We're not bargaining with you. You don't get to decide who stays and who goes."

Youngjae's eyes darkened, and his expression hardened into something far colder. "And you think you do?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You don't get to make decisions for my family, Seung. You abandoned everyone."