His First Love

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 — The Angel's Wrath

The hospital room was quiet except for the rhythmic beep... beep... beep of the monitors. The smell of antiseptic burned Jeonghan's nose, but he didn't move.

He sat at Seungcheol's bedside, their hands intertwined, his thumb brushing gently against Cheol's knuckles as though the steady touch alone could anchor him back to life.

Seungcheol lay pale against the sheets, neck bandaged tightly, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Jeonghan's eyes never left him.

The others stood awkwardly near the door. None of them dared to come closer. The weight of what had happened — what they had caused — hung thick in the air.

Finally, Jeonghan spoke. His voice was soft, almost too calm.

"Do you know what it's like to love your family so much... you'd bleed for them?"

His words sent a shiver down their spines.

"I grew up thinking my sister was my other half," Jeonghan continued, eyes still locked on Seungcheol's face. His tone never wavered, but it was sharp enough to cut. "I loved her. Protected her. Believed she'd always be by my side."

He let out a bitter laugh. "But you know what she did instead? She followed me. Took pictures. Edited them until I looked like filth. Handed them to my parents, knowing exactly how they'd react."

He finally turned his gaze toward them, his eyes cold and glimmering under the fluorescent lights. "They didn't care that I was their son. They cared about their reputation. And my sister? She put the gun to my chest herself. Twice."

The boys stiffened. The beep of the machine filled the silence like a ticking clock.

"I crawled out of that hole alone. Dying. Forgotten. Betrayed by the very people who should've loved me most." Jeonghan's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "So when you — my so-called family — dared to accuse me of betrayal, after I gave you nothing but honesty and loyalty... you reminded me of them."

The air turned heavy. Even Jihoon looked away.

Jeonghan stood slowly, his hand slipping from Seungcheol's just long enough to approach the others. His movements were graceful, almost too graceful — the calm before a storm.

Without warning, he raised his hand and slapped Mingyu across the cheek. The sound echoed in the sterile room.

Mingyu didn't react. He couldn't.

Jeonghan moved down the line — slap. slap. slap. Each one sharper than the last, until even Vernon and Jihoon had red marks burning on their skin.

He stopped in front of Soonyoung, who swallowed hard. Jeonghan's voice dropped to a whisper, dangerous in its restraint.

"Never. Question. Me. Again."

Soonyoung flinched but nodded quickly, his eyes wide.

Jeonghan turned his back on them all, returning to Seungcheol's side. His hand found Cheol's again, clutching it as though daring the world to rip them apart.

"Leave," Jeonghan ordered, his voice quiet but absolute. "Get out of this room. And don't come back until I say so."

No one moved at first. Then Jihoon, usually so defiant, gave a small nod and pulled the others toward the door. One by one, they slipped out, casting nervous glances behind them.

When the door finally shut, the silence returned.

Jeonghan leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against Seungcheol's bandaged neck. His whisper was only for him.

"They don't understand, Cheol. But I do. I'll never leave you."

The monitor kept beeping steadily, a fragile reminder that Seungcheol was still with him.

And in that moment, every single person in the Shadow Mafia finally understood.

Seungcheol didn't choose Jeonghan because he was an angel.

He chose him because beneath the halo, there were wings sharp enough to cut.