Tables Turned | JH

Chapter 37: The Heartbroken Truth

As Choyeon and I exit the now bloodied basement, we're both completely silent. Despite having handled the two men from my father's following, I feel even more nervous than I had when we walked in here. Sadly, I put my cigarette out before we exited the basement since I won't be able to smoke in the car, so I've now got nothing help me handle my nerves.

Jimin glances over at us when we get in the car, clearly seeming to sense the tension between the two of us. He wears a frown on his face as he glances between the two of us, trying to figure out what's gone on.

"How far are we from home?" Jimin asks softly, eyes on me as he speaks to Choyeon.

"We're on the other side of the city. It'll take us approximately forty minutes to get back home." She answers with a scratchy voice. Hesitantly, I glance over at her to find tears already in her eyes. She's already looking over at me, lips pursed together but still trembling. I open my mouth to speak, but only end up closing it when I find that I'm at a complete loss for words.

"W-What happened?" Jimin asks quietly, uncertainty in his voice. He's now looking concerned, eyes still on me the entire time.

"Who's side are you honestly on, Hoseok? I know neither side tolerates troublemaking behavior when the peace ball is near. Who's side are you really on and why are you really here?" Choyeon questions, anger and sadness mixed together in her voice. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to collect my bearings before I look back over to her broken gaze.

"Are you going to believe me if I tell you the truth?" I ask, mentally cringing at the pain and sadness seeping into my voice as I speak. Her lips fall slack at my question, clearly not having expected it. I bite my lip as my gaze falls down to her lone hand that's resting partially on the seat between us. Swallowing hard, I reach out and gently take it in mine as I look back up at her.

"I have my reasons, Cho, and I'll tell you the truth. But I have no reason to waste my breath if you won't believe me. After everything that's happened, I wouldn't lie to you about anything unless I had good reasoning for it. And I have no reason to hide any of it any longer." I tell her, trying to ignore the feeling of my heart leaping into my throat with each pulsation. A lone tear stains her cheek, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Okay." She whispers, voice still managing to crack somehow as the word leaves her lips. At the word, a tear slips down my own cheek, catching me off guard but not overly surprising. I heave a heavy sigh, running my free hand through my hair.

"That first day, when you first met me, you'd asked why I had red hair instead of something more natural. I changed it because I'd hoped that it would help cover my identity of who I was. I don't know... if anyone in the Kim Empire knew when I ran away. But I did, I ran off about two month before I showed up here. I didn't want to tell you my real name because I knew... I knew all it'd take is for me to say my last name for you to know exactly who I was. A difference in hair color doesn't change someone enough to cover up the name. I didn't want to be treated like the person that I was forced to be my whole life. I don't work for my father, Cho. I haven't since the moment I left there. I don't work for the Jung Company and I promise that I'm not working against you." I explain quietly, hating the feeling of having to talk about this.

The car falls silent as I finish speaking, both of them probably trying to process what I've just told them. I look down away from them, focusing on my hand that's gently wrapped around hers. Feeling another tear roll down my cheek, I close my eyes and just cherish getting to still hold her hand like this in fear of losing her forever after this conversation.

However, my eyes snap open when I feel her hand rest on my cheek. Eyes wide and lips slack, she's got a solemn look on her face still as she gently wipes the tears on my cheek away.

"Why did you run away? How?" Choyeon's voice is soft and gentle, a subtle curiosity curled into her voice.

"Nighttime. Told the driver I had business to handle on the outskirts of the Company limits. Had the driver drop me off and told him I'd give him a call when I needed picked up, then never called. It's just a matter of planning things out and knowing how to play the game. And I ran away for the same reason you want to get out. I hated it there. I didn't want anything to do with this type of life anymore, I didn't want to be apart of everything that happens here with this shit, I never wanted any of it. And I sure as hell didn't want to have to fucking run the goddamn Company." I answer with a small sigh.

"If you wanted out and managed to get out, why'd you come here then?" Jimin asks, clearly trying to connect the dots. I frown, not wanting to bring it up until an idea pops into my head.

"I'll be honest, it wasn't necessarily my idea. Namjoon actually found me in the hospital, was stuck there because I'd gotten into a goddamn accident at one in the morning. Didn't really give me much a choice as to if I was going to help him or not. I was meant to get inside the Empire and after a few months, have enough information collected to bring it all down. I only came here because if I didn't then I was gonna be locked up. I don't wanna turn you guys in though. I... I can't do that to the two of you." I respond reluctantly. Once again, the car falls silent, but not for long this time.

"You got yourself out of the Jung Company, right? Think you can get the three of us out of here?"