No Going Back

17

Disorder came from order, fear came from courage, weakness came from strength.
━
The Art of War
Sun Tzu

≣

"The CEO of Korean National Oil . . . I'm his son."

Silence.

Stillness.

Time froze as Taehyung waited for a reaction, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He barely even breathed, nervous that the slightest of sounds could upturn the world around him.

What the fuck did he just do? How could he so carelessly reveal his identity to someone he didn't completely trust?

But the answer was obvious. Watching Jungkook unravel, seeing the uncertainty and betrayal in his eyes, hurt more than Taehyung anticipated. He couldn't let the younger believe this was all a trap; he couldn't let him fear for his life.

So he spoke the words that could very well be his death sentence. He abandoned all logical thinking - put his life on the line - to comfort his own imposter.

"Kook?" Taehyung asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His feet moved incrementally, stepping closer to the boy in an effort to close the distance between them.

But Jungkook retreated, walking backward until his back collided with the closed doors to the balcony. A myriad of emotions flashed over his face: doubt, alarm, clarity, and understanding. He seemed to be processing a wide array of emotions all at once.

And either Jungkook was a phenomenal actor or he was genuinely shocked . . . There could be no in between. It was possible that he knew Taehyung's identity the entire time, playing along until he had the right opportunity to strike. Even now, seemingly terrified and cornered, he could pull out a gun and shoot Taehyung dead. This all could have been nothing but an elaborate scheme, constructed to destroy Korean National Oil from the inside out.

Or . . .

Or Jungkook could have somehow gotten himself involved in a mess he didn't even begin to understand, and was simply along for the ride. No hidden motives, no secret missions, just sheer stupidity.

Taehyung didn't know for sure, but that didn't stop him from speaking his truth. He let his weak and softening heart take control, eliminating all common sense and proper protocol from his mind. After his father became the company's CEO, he was told never to reveal their relationship under any circumstances. The reasons and risks had always been clear enough: Taehyung was a liability; people could use him to influence his father for personal gain.

But everything he learned - the lessons, procedures, and safety measures - meant nothing when the boy he cared about feared for his own life.

Maybe if Taehyung didn't have such a trusting, kind, or fucking peaceful heart, he wouldn't be in this position right now. But he did. He wasn't ruthless or cunning, not harsh or manipulative. He couldn't possibly watch Jungkook convince himself that Taehyung was playing with him or setting him up for defeat. So he threw caution to the wind and opened up.

If this all went poorly, Taehyung had no one to blame but himself.

After another moment of silence passed, Taehyung cleared his throat. He had no idea how to question someone properly, but he was willing to give it a shot. Although Yoongi and Jungkook already met, he didn't want to involve the Chief before Taehyung had the chance to talk with his imposter.

"Have you ever heard of Kim Chinhwa?" He asked, watching the younger's face for the tiniest of movements.

A small shake of the head was the only answer he got. There was no flash of recognition, no widening of Jungkook's doe-like eyes. There wasn't even a victorious smile, an egotistical gloating after finally uncovering the truth. There was nothing at all.