✓BunBun Mine // taekook

Chapter 40

On the bone-chilling, shallow night, Jisoo called Taehyung. Being a straightforward person, she skipped any pretense and eagerly inquired,

"Mr. Kim, you must be in good spirits, right? The loud crashing of expensive furnitures from our house signaled that you've gotten married. Congratulations."

Taehyung, sitting on the balcony with a cigarette pressed between his lips, stood up, cutting through the cold, and asked,

"Is your brother's arm okay?"

"Did you leave it intact? I saw his arm was bandaged. With his good hand, he smashed quite a few things bought with my father's ill-gotten money. He's been threatening to kill you occasionally. I won't warn you to be careful, though. Instead, I'll tell you-don't spare Jackson Wang if you get the chance."

Taehyung dropped the cigarette onto the balcony floor, crushed it under his foot, and said, "He's your brother by blood. Why are you so indifferent toward him? From the beginning, you've been secretly opposing him."

The sound of Jisoo's prolonged sigh sharpened Taehyung's senses. As he began to speak, she interrupted, replying in a wise tone,

"I don't wrong anyone without reason, Mr. Kim. How can someone like me, who can't tolerate injustice, commit it against someone else? In my short time of life, I've often lamented being born among these despicable people."

"You've never told me why you are secretly against your brother."

"I am not his enemy, I am his sister. The difference between us is that one of us loves committing injustice, and the other despises that love. For years, I have been waiting for an enemy who could stand against Jackson oppa. But I couldn't find one. Then one day, I learned that he wanted to harm you. And you're not someone to be subdued by fear. You stride through the political world like a lion, ruling with dominance. Jackson oppa knew this well. He feared that all power would shift to you-that everyone would follow you, that you'd easily become an Minister through honesty, work, and winning hearts.

Out of jealousy, he stayed on the lookout, plotting ways to eliminate you and seize power for himself. In this decaying world, people become vicious out of greed for power. My brother was already cruel by nature. I discovered from various sources about the attacks he planned against you. That's when I decided that I would ruin him through you-make him the most helpless person in this realm. I wanted him to understand what it feels like to suffer endlessly when someone robs you of your peace.

That's why I contacted you from America. Being my father's most beloved child, I used their weakness for me to my advantage. My principal goal was to ensure my brother couldn't even run for the election. That would be the first step in stripping him of everything. While in America, I blackmailed my father, saying I'd never return to Korea unless you and I got married. My father eventually agreed, though he warned me Jackson oppa would still try to defeat you in other ways. Though they made one my cousin for the minister throne-that isn't unknown to you."

"I don't fear fighting, Ms. Jisoo. The marriage arrangement was entirely a fabricated scenario between us. If I remain honest and loved by the people, I won't lose-that's certain. Even if I don't win, I won't feel the slightest bit of despair. Power isn't my goal. The real strength lies in the heart. Even without being a minister, I can work for people's development. My aim is to devote myself to improving others' lives. One doesn't need power to be the reason for someone's happiness. Yet, I'm not ready to sacrifice my loved ones and die fighting for good. I feel most unsafe around Jackson. Quietly, in the shadows, he can hurt the ones close to me. That's why I agreed to your plan.

On the engagement day, I had your father and Jackson sign an agreement. My sole condition was that if anything happened to my loved ones, Jackson and your father would be directly held responsible. It was pre- decided that during the engagement, not me but my mom, would put the ring on your hand."