THE CONSPIRACY-BANGTAN MAFIA FF ➡️

SEVENTY-FOUR

Today was his second week in his new office. Jae-Chul smiled as he looked around the space. After years of fighting for what should have been his sister's, he now owned the entire building and business. He should have thanked Kim Namjoon for participating in the mission; he would not have succeeded if Han Si Woo had not been killed. His smile widened, and again, he wanted to thank Kim Namjoon for returning her to him.

Flashback

It happened too fast, and his mind couldn't think rationally. The sound of crackling flames drove him insane. He kept calling out her name, hoping she was still alive. But how is it possible? The fire destroyed the car, melting down the metal structure. He slid deeper down the cliff. He still could see her if there was a 1% chance she had been thrown out of the car.

"Jebal!" he said under his breath as his eyes looked around.

"Hwejangnim! Come over here!" Jae-Chul rushed up to meet the manager when he heard his voice. 

When he saw a motionless body lying on the ground, he let out a long sigh, but when he saw a puddle of blood around her head and a few deep cuts on her arms and legs, fear and horror overtook him. He dashed after her, gradually pulling her body onto his lap. 

" Aera!" he exclaimed, brushing her cheek to wake her up, but she did not respond. Another panic attack struck him as he believed she had died. 

"You cannot leave me like this!" he exclaimed, pulling her body close to his as tears welled up in his eyes. He feared that if he lost her, he would be filled with guilt and pain for not being able to tell her they were siblings. 

Kim Bujang placed his finger on her nose to check if she was breathing. "She's still breathing, Hwejangnim," the manager stated. Jae Chul closed his eyes and thanked God for giving him another chance to see his sister. "You're gonna be okay, baby," he whispered, his arms frantically brushing up and down her back.

"We should bring her to the hospital immediately," the manager said again. Jae Chul mustered all of his strength, scooping her limp body into his arms and fleeing the scene as quickly as possible. 

Jae-Chul placed Aera in a private hospital, making sure no one knew about her condition. He used every resource he possessed to ensure her room was isolated and her admittance records were completely suppressed.

Aera had been in a coma for nearly six months. Days bled into weeks, and weeks into months, with the steady beep of the machines as the only sound.

"Hwejangnim," the doctor said gravely during a private consultation. "We have done all we can. Her brain injury is severe. She has been in a vegetative state for almost six months now. We cannot offer any realistic hope that she will recover."

Jae-Chul stood up, his gaze hardening. "You focus on the possible, Doctor. I focus on the necessary. You keep her alive. I don't care about the odds. I won't give up on her," he declared, his voice determined.

He was true to his word. Jae-Chul proved a ritual: he would stay with her in the ward room, his hands holding hers the entire time, praying.

"Aera, please, baby. You need to come back, not for me, but for the life you deserve. I know I missed years, but I swear I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Just open your eyes—just one sign."

He brought her frail hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles repeatedly, a silent, desperate plea. He then pressed her unresponsive fingers to his forehead, letting the cold reality of her condition press against him and clutching them tightly as if his sheer will could transfer his life force into hers. Finally, he leaned down and pressed a long, reverent kiss to her forehead, his eyes squeezed shut. A single tear traced a path down his cheek and onto her skin, pouring all his anguish and resolve into that single contact. "I'm not giving up on you," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.