No Going Back

13

Those angry will be happy again, and those wrathful will be cheerful again, but a destroyed nation cannot exist again, the dead cannot be brought back to life.
━
The Art of War
Sun Tzu

≣

The time had come for Taehyung to make a decision.

All afternoon, he wandered around the bed and breakfast in an attempt to sort out his thoughts. That proved to be an obstacle with Jungkook trailing him most of the time, asking both vague and specific questions alike about Min Yoongi, Chief of Security at Korean National Oil.

Taehyung repeatedly explained how little information he had on his boss, yet the younger never abandoned his inquisition. It seemed Jungkook was desperate for answers, demanding to know more of the Chief's views on loyalty and the right for a fair trial. And truthfully, Taehyung didn't have the details Jungkook was after. He had only met Yoongi a few days ago, and beyond the conversation they had during the interview, they didn't get the chance to discuss their philosophical opinions.

Throughout his incessant questioning, Jungkook spoke in mild curiosity, a tone that mixed boredom with intrigue. There was no frantic energy clinging to the boy like an aura, no pacing or wild eyes that might hint at an internal fear. But Taehyung knew to search for more subtle clues, and when he did, it was obvious how much anxiety consumed the younger.

There was the constant licking of lips, a sign of a dry mouth that could be traced back to nerves. There were fingers curling into a fist when questions went unanswered, a sign of aggravation over the lack of material on the Chief. And, of course, there were the questions - often repeated - in the first place. So, so many questions on the man coming to meet them.

It was rather evident to Taehyung that Jungkook was nervous about meeting Min Yoongi.

But Taehyung couldn't focus on the younger's concerns now. He needed to drown out Jungkook's constant yammering to determine his next move.

Taehyung needed to decide whether or not to disclose the valuable information he'd been safeguarding for the past week. Information that would change everything for Korean National Oil . . . for him . . . for Jungkook . . .

But fuck, he was at such a standstill. He knew what he should do, knew coming clean was the right move, but he was afraid.

Just not for himself.

When Yoongi arrived, the first thing the man would probably do would be to interrogate the living shit out of both Jungkook and Taehyung. He'd demand a full recount of all that had happened, separating the two boys to make sure their stories aligned. And then he would dive into the specific details, dissecting everything piece by piece.

And while Taehyung could hold his own with Yoongi and his arsenal of pointed questions, he knew Jungkook would get himself in trouble. It was inevitable and unavoidable. Because while Taehyung was willing to tolerate the lie Jungkook had fed him, he was confident the Chief of Security would not.

Why Taehyung tolerated the lie still remained to be answered. But from the very beginning, he knew that Jungkook wasn't being honest about his role in all of this. And the entire time, the younger remained clueless about Taehyung knowing.

The whole situation was a web of delicately spun lies.

By early evening, Taehyung still hadn't reached a decision. His head throbbed and his neck felt stiff, tension running high throughout his body. And Jungkook had yet to grow tired of trailing him, talking nonstop to the point where Taehyung ordered him to leave. He just needed a few minutes alone to think, to map out every single outcome of how the rest of his life could be impacted. Jungkook reluctantly backed off, saying he'd find his friends to talk to instead.