THE MERCY RULE

He saved my life at 2:47 AM on a Tuesday.

I didn't want him to.

Now, thanks to Korea's controversial Mercy Rule law, Jungkook is legally responsible for keeping me alive for one year.

If I try again, he goes to jail.
If I survive, I owe him a year of MY life.

We're both trapped.
We both hate this.

But somewhere between the daily check-ins and 3 AM conversations...
Somewhere between resentment and something that feels like caring...
We stopped counting down to freedom.

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TAEHYUNG: 21, artist, chronically suicidal, didn't ask to be saved
JUNGKOOK: 26, ER surgeon, insomniac, didn't ask to be responsible for a stranger's life

One year.
365 days.
Two people bound by law.

This is the story of how saving someone can destroy you both.
And how being saved might be the cruelest thing that ever happened to you.

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⚠️ Content warnings: Suicidal ideation, mental health struggles, morally complex situations, toxic dependency, forced proximity

💀 Updates every 48 hours
🖤 For readers who like their romance dark and their morals gray
🎭 TAEKOOK AU - Alternate Universe (not about real BTS members)

Don't get attached. This won't end the way you think.

- ASTERVAIN