➛ 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
main masterlist ✰ original writing
fic archives: 2016-2019 ✰ 2020-2022 ✰ wip graveyard
warning: most of my fics are nsfw. dni if you are a minor.
➛ 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬
visual concepts directory ✰ #moodboards by dia
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[looking at people younger than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at people older than me] you have your whole life ahead of you [looking at myself] its over
“Join me,” he had said after telling you about the overseas meeting planned for the end of the week.
“Join you…on your business trip? I thought you said this was an important deal. And that it took months to arrange a meeting with this man.”
Yoongi had smiled then, calm and patient as always. “I’ll be gone for a week, not just the weekend. He wants me to stay afterward so we can visit one of his workshops before we finalize the contract,” he explained. “Travelling alone for that long sounds incredibly boring.”
Then, after a brief pause, he added softly, “And lonely.”
The corners of his lips twitched when he noticed your shy smile.
His gaze lingered on yours before he asked quietly, “What do you say?”
How could you possibly refuse?
— chapter summary | Yoongi’s question shatters everything you thought you had carefully built around yourself. In a single moment, the fragile comfort you’ve been hiding inside begins to crack apart, forcing you to confront truths you’ve spent far too long avoiding. Beneath his piercing gaze, every excuse, every illusion, every carefully guarded wall suddenly feels exposed—leaving you vulnerable in a way that is far more dangerous than you’re willing to admit.
— title: Carousel | pairings: Min Yoongi x female reader | genre: CEO!Yoongi, Arranged Marriage!AU, smut, angst
— ratings & warnings | +18 / M for mature; involves delicate themes related to arranged marriage, family legacy, family betrayal/drama, minor character death.
— word count: 5,875 words
— story masterpost: Carousel | ⤎ previous chapter | next chapter ⇢
— chapter drop date: June 1st, 2026 | main masterlist | mailbox | feedback | ko-fi | patreon | series taglist
𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚕 𝟸𝟺. 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜
— The night of Jinyoung’s car accident —
Rain had been falling all night, and it hadn’t stopped when Jinyoung ran across the dark parking lot.
With his coat pulled up over his head and his briefcase clutched against his chest, he focused only on reaching his car. It wasn’t until he shut the door behind him that he finally let out a breath.
He didn’t start the engine right away. The sound of the rain striking the windshield was harsh and unrelenting, yet somehow muted beneath the voices echoing in his head.
“You better not lie to us, Jinyoung.”
Jinyoung took a deep breath, hoping the voice would fade. It didn't.
“You know we can see right through you, don’t you?”
His body shuddered. Those words still stung as the first time he heard them.
“Watch your back… You know what happens when you mess with us.”
Jinyoung exhaled shakily, forcing himself to breathe through the panic that was rising.
“They know…” he muttered under his breath, the tremor in his voice betraying him. The chill that ran through him wasn’t from the rain-soaked clothes clinging to his skin—it was from the dread that had been following him long before he left that building.
He tossed the briefcase onto the passenger seat and started the car with trembling hands. As the engine came to life, he glanced toward the building’s front—his gaze snagging on the sign glowing faintly through the storm.
JOHO WORLD.
The sight alone sent another wave of fear through him. His pulse quickened. “Fuck… I need to get out of here.”
He knew he had to move. He had to drive and get away—as far away from here, far from those prying eyes he could still feel on him even in the dark, rain-blurred lot.
His eyes fell on the briefcase. Beneath its slick, rain-streaked leather lay something far more valuable than money—perhaps even more than his own life.
The files he kept inside could change everything. His future. Yours. It may even change the future that he had envisioned with you, while deceiving himself to make him believe that he deserved to have it.
Yes—they absolutely would change everything.
But it was worth the risk.
He kept telling himself that, even as the thought of losing you made it hard for him to breathe. But deep down, he knew that every sacrifice, every lie he made, would be worth it if it meant keeping you safe.
Still gripping the wheel, Jinyoung reached for his phone. “That’s right,” he murmured, “I need to warn him…”
His hands had stopped trembling, though his fingers were stiff with cold. He dialed the number. Once, twice—it rang, but no one picked up.
“Come on, pick up,” he whispered. “Pick up the phone…”
When the line finally cut to voicemail, his stomach dropped. “Damn it…”
He glanced at the time. A few hours left before they were supposed to meet. Was that why Jungkook wasn’t answering?
It would only make sense for him to wait and be cautious. But time wasn’t on his side anymore. Not tonight.
He tried again, and when he heard the recorded message play, he began to speak—quietly, cautiously.
“Jungkook, it’s me. Jinyoung.” He came to a pause, then, “I… I think I was right. I was right about everything.”
The words caught in his throat. He could still feel their eyes on him, could still hear the hum of that room full of veiled threats. It made him lower his voice further.
“I can’t explain it on the phone,” he whispered, glancing around the empty lot. “They might’ve bugged me—I don’t know. Fuck, I know nothing anymore.”
He drew in a breath, slow and uneven. “I don’t know if I can make it to your place. I’m not even sure it’s safe to see you. I don’t know where you are right now, but…” His voice cracked. “But I’ll try. I’ll find a way.”
He laughed softly—bitter, breathless—as he thought of you. The last conversation you’d had replayed in his mind: your anger, the disappointment in your voice.
If only he had never received that phone call this afternoon, he would've been having dinner with you at the restaurant across town, which he had reserved a week ago to welcome you home from your business trip. But he couldn't escape it when they called, and he had to lie to you about having work getting in the way of him meeting you.
He hated lying to you. Hated knowing that this might be the last thing you remembered of him.
Soon, your anger would mean nothing compared to what was coming. Which was why he had to do this.
“Listen, the reason why I'm calling you now…I just want to say,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “if anything happens to me before I get to where you are… please…I beg you. Please find her. Find ______. Get to her first and make sure she’s safe. She won’t be if I’m gone. Promise me.”
He ended the call after promising Jungkook to contact him again once he was safe, then fell into a long silence, fingers lingering on the phone. There was someone else he needed to reach out to—but before he could dial his number, Jinyoung froze.
Through the downpour, illuminated by his headlights, a figure stood across the lot. A man in a black raincoat, hood drawn low. Still. Watching.
Jinyoung’s chest tightened.
“Shit…” He fumbled for the gear, slammed his foot on the pedal. The tires screeched against the wet asphalt as he sped away, heart pounding against his ribs.
“I need to get out of here,” he muttered over the roar of the engine as the car sped out of the parking lot, leaving behind the dark figure and the terror that they inflicted on him. His gaze flickered briefly on his briefcase. “Need to hide this…”
Rain blurred the city lights ahead, his vision trembling with every flash of lightning. But one thought stayed clear in his mind—He had to find a way to get those files to Jungkook.
It was the thought which gave Jinyoung the strength to keep on driving. It gave him enough reason to focus. He was the one who started this. Now he had to finish it—before it was too late.
Before you got caught in the crossfire.
— Present day —
“Are you still planning to take me—and my company—down, my love?”
Yoongi’s words strike like lightning. Your mind goes blank. For a moment, you’re not sure if you even heard him correctly. Yet the look in his eyes as he waits for your answer tells you he means every word.
Hiding your shock, you force a laugh. “I don’t understand. What do you…what are you talking about?”
Yoongi smiles. His hands remain on your waist—gentle, but restraining, as if keeping you from leaving.
“Have you been having fun lately with your little spy game, love?” he teases. The warmth in his tone only makes the ache in your chest deepen. “I knew you were good. You’ve been smart about keeping your secret, going behind my back. Have you found what you were looking for?”
A nervous laugh escapes you. “I don’t know what you think I’ve been doing—”
“Did you forget what I told you?” His voice lowers. “I know everything there is to know about you. Everything. Just like how I know that you’ve been meeting with your mother, passing on news and updates after working with me—or how you had an extra meeting with a hacker on your way home from seeing your father today.”
Your jaw drops. “So you were spying on me!”
Yoongi has the decency to look regretful. “Forgive me, sweetheart. It was never my intention to betray your trust. But I had to be careful.” He pauses, gauging your reaction. “I promised to keep you safe, and I meant it. Even if it means keeping you safe from yourself.”
You let out a bitter laugh. “How am I supposed to believe that?”
He arches a brow. “Just like how I’m supposed to believe you’re not plotting anything against me with your mother and that hacker?”
His words cut through you. “No—it’s not like that,” you choke out, breath faltering. “That wasn’t meant to hurt you. I never—”
But what were you doing?
Even as you try to defend yourself, you realize how hollow your words sound. How are you supposed to explain everything without making things worse—without making him trust you less?
“Then tell me,” he presses. “What were you looking for? What’s with all the secrecy, if not to dig into my weakness?”
The way he says it—his gaze unwavering, his voice quiet—makes you feel like your walls may easily crack under the weight of his stare. Yet you still can’t bring yourself to speak. You’re not ready. You don’t have all the answers. And you don’t know how much he already knows.
“I… I can’t tell you.”
Yoongi sighs. “Still with your secrets.” He shakes his head, and for the first time, you see anger flicker beneath the surface. “Then maybe you can tell me about what your mother’s up to—and why she put a mole among my lawyers to sniff around our marriage contract?”
“What…?”
You stare at him, wide-eyed. Yoongi blinks, his brows furrowing in confusion. “You didn’t know.”
No. You didn’t.
You’ve spent weeks trying to figure out how your mother learned the truth about your marriage arrangement—how she managed to twist it into something she could use against you. And now you finally know.
But the truth brings no relief. Only dread. Because the fact that it’s Yoongi telling you this means it’s already too late. He’s already lost his trust in you.
While you’re still struggling to process it, Yoongi recovers first. “What about your ex-fiancé’s company?” he asks quietly. “Does SS Novelties ring a bell?”
You inhale sharply. “I… I don’t—”
But your hesitation betrays you. You think of Miss Ahn and the conversation you shared in your father's office. You think of the data you got from her. Of the files you never got to copy. The pieces you never got to see.
You wish you had the opportunity to look through everything before handing it off to Hoseok.
It's too late for that now.
Yoongi tilts his head, studying you. You have no idea what he sees, yet he doesn’t press further.
"I see," he murmurs instead, as if he can see the answer written on your face.
"What do you see, Yoongi?" you ask him in a small voice.
When he smiles this time, the anger in his eyes has faded. Regret takes its place. "I'm sorry for doing this, and for ruining our night,” he says, his tone low, apologetic. “I know I caught you off guard, and it's a terrible time to do this when things were finally—” he exhales, “—peaceful.”
You almost laugh at his audacity. At least he admits it, though it does little to ease the sting.
He tilts your chin up with his fingers. “But I still have a lot of questions," he murmurs. “Let’s talk in the morning. Maybe by then, you’ll be ready to answer some questions. And I promise—I’ll answer yours.”
His faint smile lifts, though his expression remains unreadable. “You have many of them, don’t you?”
He isn’t wrong. But the shock still anchors you in place, the weight of everything too heavy to move through words.
He doesn’t give you the chance anyway.
Because before you can speak, he leans forward—pressing his lips to yours, quieting the storm inside your chest with a single, tender kiss.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers when he pulls away, his forehead still resting against yours.
The words break something in you. You want to believe him. You really do.
For a moment, you wish you could stay like this forever—with his arms around you, while the rest of the world is forgotten. But reality pulls you back when he gives you one last kiss on the temple and steps away. His eyes soften as his hands slide down your arms, his touch leaving behind a heat that refuses to fade.
“Goodnight, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He kisses the back of your hand before letting go, and you turn away, unwilling to watch him leave. Only when you hear the soft click of the door to his study room closing do your knees finally give in. You lean against the wall, eyes closed, his words echoing in your head.
I’m sorry.
You exhale a deep breath. Your answer comes with barely a whisper. “So am I.”
Just like how I’m supposed to believe you’re not plotting anything against me…?
“No,” you breathe to the empty hallway. “That was never my intention from the start.”
Yoongi locks himself in his study room and tries to calm his heartbeat.
He crosses the room and pours himself a drink, the amber liquid trembling in his hand. He downs it in one go, then pours another—needing the burn to ground him.
He walks toward the window, where he gets a clear view of the city below, hoping that the nightlights flashing before his eyes can distract him. But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get your face out of his mind. The look in your eyes. The tremor in your voice. And then the ache in his chest that came from seeing all of that coming from you. That his words had been the reason why you nearly crumbled in front of him.
Impulsive.
Stupid.
He curses under his breath and takes another drink. But the voices in his head only grow louder.
"Did you tell her?"
Jimin’s voice lingers. No, he hadn’t. He couldn't. There had been many chances for Yoongi to tell you everything he knew, yet he could tell that you weren’t ready to hear them back then. That was what he’d told himself. But now, looking back, he realizes how wrong he might have been. The truth would’ve hurt you—perhaps even more than the pain you've gone through—but not knowing seems to be hurting you worse.
"When was the last time you visited your brother, Mr. Min?"
Jungkook’s voice cuts through next. Yoongi stiffens, swallowing the rest of his drink. That conversation he had with the detective has been haunting him all evening. The question shouldn’t have mattered—and yet, it does.
When was the last time he went to see his brother?
He cannot remember, but he still remembers the trial. His brother’s calm defiance seemed unsettling, as if the sentencing he received back then meant nothing to him. The way he’d kept his head high, eyes sharp and knowing, even as they led him away, made Yoongi question everything.
But what haunts him for years was the last look his brother gave him—the smirk, the words mouthed without sound, directed only to him.
Exceptional work.
Yoongi shuts his eyes and takes another drink. The burn barely registers anymore.
He sets the glass down by the window and stares out at the city. The lights blur in his vision, and for a fleeting moment, he thinks of you again—your quiet voice when you spoke to him earlier during dinner.
“I found out today that they worked together. A long time ago.”
How did you find out about this? Did your father tell you himself?
Yoongi cannot help but wonder. For many years, Yoongi hadn't been entirely clueless. The signs were there, a connection deeper than mere business rivalry.
He’d suspected there was more—something buried between both families. But every trail he followed ended in silence. Both fathers had been careful, too careful.
Generations of secrets that may have been present for decades, long before either you or Yoongi were born, all hidden beneath polished smiles and talks of rivalry. Not even the months he spent getting close to your father had gained him valuable information that may answer his curiosity.
Secrets.
Yoongi turns away from the window and sits behind his desk. His heart feels heavy, though not because of the pile of work he left behind this morning on top of his desk. He opens the drawer, pulling out a thick envelope. His breath trembles as he carefully places it on the table.
Inside are the files he managed to gather for years, starting long before he even got involved in your life directly. Written in these files are everything he learned about Park Jinyoung.
Everything. From his life, his identity, and his past.
And most important of all—his deepest secrets.
The bedroom feels cold, and almost too spacious without Yoongi in it. You don’t quite remember how you made it back here after he left you behind, only that your body must have carried you on instinct, moving you somewhere it thought you would be safe.
Safe isn’t what you feel.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, devastation starts pressing down until your chest feels as if it might cave in on itself. Your breathing turns shallow, uneven. Crying would make sense. It would be easy, almost expected. But the tears never come. Everything inside you is tangled and indistinct, your mind still trying to catch up to how quickly the night unravelled.
How did it come to this?
Things between you had been going so well. Too well. You realize that you've let yourself get swept away by your emotions—by him—until you forgot why this arrangement existed in the first place.
And yet, somehow, Yoongi found out about everything you've hidden so closely.
About your mother. About what she’s been scheming.
“I have my ways to find out everything about you, love.”
Back then, the words had felt intimate. Reassuring. They made you lower your guard, made your heart soften around him. Now, replayed in your mind, they sound like something else entirely. A warning. A reminder that there is nothing you could hide from him—not really. That even the best-kept secrets would eventually find their way into his hands.
Right. That’s just the kind of man Min Yoongi is.
So why did you ever think you could deceive him?
Regret always arrives too late. And yet, every time you remind yourself of what you stand to gain from all of this, your choices begin to justify themselves. You may not share your mother’s intentions, but you did use her plans to secure her support—to keep moving forward. None of it was done with malice.
Not to you, at least.
That is why you haven't been ready to tell Yoongi everything. Why his accusation left you wordless, your thoughts scattering before you could gather them into something coherent.
How are you supposed to explain the truth when Yoongi himself seems to sit at the center of it? How do you fix something when you don’t even know where it broke?
The more you think, the heavier your head feels, the air in the room thickening until it feels hard to breathe. The silence stretches—until your phone vibrates, sharp and sudden.
At first, you're hesitant to grab it. It’s late. You can’t think of anyone who would be calling you now.
Then another voice slips into your thoughts.
“I’ll keep in touch.”
Hoseok.
Reminded of his promise, you rise to your feet to retrieve your discarded purse and pull out your phone. Sure enough, you see his nickname flashing on the screen, along with his message.
[GHOST]: Found something interesting. Check your email ;)
The message is vague, almost playful, but it stirs your curiosity. It gives you something else to hold onto—something that isn’t the hollow ache in your chest. You turn on your laptop and open your email. The file loads quickly, and when the images appear, your breath stills.
They’re candid photographs. Taken some time ago. They pull you back to a period of your life when you were still unaware of what was coming.
The first set shows you on a date with Jinyoung. You recognize the white ruffle blouse you were wearing immediately—it used to be your favourite. He’s wearing the pale blue shirt you bought him for his birthday, the first gift you ever gave him. You remember how pleased he’d looked that night; the dinner was meant to celebrate his special day and your new relationship, after all. Or so you thought.
The next set of photos shifts abruptly with one click, showing pictures of Yoongi. The photos were taken long before you reunited with him—back when he was still dating Bora Kim. Like yours, the photos were taken on the same day, captured at different locations. They appear intimate without being affectionate.
You’re still trying to understand what you’re seeing when your phone rings.
“Did you get the text?” Hoseok asks the moment you answer.
“And the email,” you reply, eyes flicking back to the screen. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Are you saying we were both being watched?” You pause. “We both have pasts, Hoseok. That isn’t a secret.”
He chuckles softly. “Why don’t you open the other files I sent?”
Irritation flares at his tone, but you comply. The next email opens, and your breath catches at the content.
More photos.
Jinyoung appears in the photos again—same pale blue shirt, same hairstyle he had from your date. Beside them are images of Bora Kim, unmistakable in the striking red dress she wore the night she had dinner with Yoongi, shown in the pictures you just saw.
“Hoseok,” you whisper. “What is this?”
“I thought this might interest you,” he says lightly. “Aren’t you curious?”
“Stop playing,” you hiss, drawing another chuckle from him.
“Notice anything they have in common?”
You nod before remembering he can’t see you.
The photos weren’t taken at the same time period—which was obvious, judging from the timeline—but the other parties in this set of photos draw a connection you cannot help but take notice of. In Jinyoung’s pictures, he is sitting in a lounge with a drink in hand. Sitting right across the table was Kim Namjoon, the man whose voice was recorded in Jinyoung's last voicemail.
Meanwhile, Bora Kim appears to be sitting in a similar-looking lounge with a different man sitting closely by her side. Both of their heads bent closely together as they chatted.
The man? It's another one of the cousins you met at Yoongi's office—Kim Seokjin.
“Jinyoung met Kim Namjoon on the same day we went out,” you murmur. Late at night, and according to the timestamps, hours after he’d taken you home.
“And Miss Bora Kim had another appointment after she left her lover,” Hoseok adds.
Your gaze drifts back to Bora’s photos. You try to imagine the threads connecting them—why both of them crossed paths with the Kims. And whether Yoongi ever knew.
“They were both connected to the cousins at some point,” you say quietly. “That’s what you’re saying?”
At least Jinyoung’s involvement isn’t a surprise anymore. The voice recording you found and the phone records Jungkook showed you had already hinted at that much.
But what about Bora Kim? How did she fit into all of this?
Before Hoseok can answer, you ask him, "How did you get these photos? Who took them?"
When you hear him clearing his throat, you already know that you might not like the answer. You were right. “CCTV footage," he says, with little to no remorse in his voice. You can almost hear him smiling, gloating as he explains, "I hacked the system and ran their names through facial recognition. I was tracking the trio's movements based on Jungkook’s last investigation. When I pulled Jinyoung’s data to see his last known movements and linked them with those three, these photos came up immediately.”
Closing your eyes, you try not to think about how much of that is legal—and you’re not sure you want to know. “Do you know how they’re connected?”
Aside from the voice recording you found in Jinyoung's phone and the phone records, there was nothing else that could show you what kind of connection Jinyoung had with them. Nothing that could explain why Jinyoung was in contact with them in the first place.
Jungkook must know more than he let on.
It would only make sense that he would. After all, everything you've come to know about your ex-fiancé was all based on the information Jungkook has been giving you since the first time you met.
He didn't even seem surprised to hear Namjoon's voice in that recording.
“I wish I had the answer for you, but there’s nothing concrete yet,” Hoseok admits. Seems like you are not the only one Jungkook is keeping in the dark. If he had found anything at all. “Other than these meetings and what was on Jinyoung’s phone, I can’t find anything else.”
Right. Of course. It would be impossible to get the answers that easily.
"I'll look up further once I get the chance," he promises. Then his tone shifts, growing hesitant. “But there’s something else you should see.”
Another file arrives before you can respond. "Why don't you take a look?"
After seeing all the photos he sent earlier, you have a feeling that what he's sending you next might unfold something else that might draw concern. So you brace yourself as you open it.
And you were once again right to be wary. Because what you see next makes your stomach drop. "What in the—"
More CCTV footage. More photos of you. Some are recent. Others go back further than you’re comfortable admitting. Every image carries the same implication—you were never as alone as you thought.
One set of pictures catches your eye. They were taken on a rainy evening. You and Jungkook stand huddled beneath his umbrella in one corner of the street. But that's not what draws your attention.
It's Yongguk.
Shielded by a black umbrella, dressed in dark clothing, he blends seamlessly into the shadows only a few feet away, his eyes locked on you.
“You have a shadow following you.”
Once you see him, it becomes impossible not to notice his presence in the rest of the images you see.
Sometimes, his appearance makes sense. He was there during the times you knew Yoongi would be watching. When he was sent by Yoongi to pick you up after your wedding preparation shopping day with Jimin, or when he drove you and Yoongi to various events or dates.
But the other photos unsettle you.
Photos taken when you believed you were alone. Before Yoongi ever formally introduced Yongguk as his bodyguard. At the winery, long before you went back to the city. Near the workshop where you spent your last days with your father's team before your wedding day. Then, you stop at the picture showing Yongguk sitting in a black car, parked across the street the night you went to see Jungkook after having dinner with Yoongi’s parents.
Then you open the last set, and your breath catches.
These are taken at the times you were with your mother.
The lunch date at the golf club. The coffee meetup at the café near your father's office. Then the most recent one, taken on the afternoon you came to have tea with your mother, right in the backyard garden of your parents' home.
In some photos, Yongguk lingers at the edge of the frame. In others, he’s nowhere to be seen—but you can imagine him just out of sight, watching.
“Are you still there?" Hoseok’s voice pulls you back.
Taking a deep inhale of breath, you try to hold yourself together. “Yes,” you answer, your voice small, and your chest tight. It doesn't go unnoticed by Hoseok.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. You can tell that he feels guilty. Even though he was not the one at fault. “I thought you should know.”
Closing your eyes, you can understand where he is coming from. Though all of this catches you by surprise, you know that you should've expected this. You've always known that men like Yoongi always have some skeletons hiding in the closet. You just never expected this to be one of them.
"That my husband has been spying on and following me?" A hollow laugh slips out. “At least now I know why he always seems one step ahead.”
The bitterness fades as quickly as it comes. When you think of your own secrets, his caution almost feels… justified.
“Thank you,” you say at last. Once you no longer feel like your whole world is spinning out of control. “For telling me.”
“Anytime.” His smile is audible, and it steadies you more than you expect. "Well, now that I've done my deed of showing you these photos," he continues, just when you think he's ready to end the call. “There’s something else I need to tell you. I might be hard to reach for a while.”
Your brows knit. That was unexpected. "How long is 'a while'?"
A pause, then, "I'm not sure yet."
You have no idea what to say to that. "Are you going somewhere?" As you ask him this, you hear movement, then something familiar in the background. "That sound…is that what I think it is?"
Hoseok softly laughs. "Good ear. I'm at this private airstrip just outside the city. I'm flying out tonight."
"This late?" You ask him, alarmed. "Where are you heading?"
Hoseok doesn't answer you for a moment, which feels unsettling. "I'm following a trail." For some reason, he seems hesitant. "I looked through the files you gave me today, and I—let's just say that I got a lead."
"What kind of lead are you talking about?" What did he find in Jinyoung's files?
"There was an address listed in one of the files you retrieved from Jinyoung's data. It was only mentioned once, so it was easy to miss if you don't know what to look for," he explains, his voice rising when the sound of the engine roaring behind him grows louder. "I checked within the system and found a building that's been leased since the date listed on the contract you found. Funny thing is, this building doesn’t exist on any map. But the geolocation of the address points at an area in the mountains.”
Your pulse quickens. So there was something. "What are you thinking?"
"Well—" You can almost hear him racking his brain before you hear his reply. "I think…whoever was involved in the deal Jinyoung made might still be using this place." It sounds plausible, and at the same time, quite suspicious. Hoseok seems to think the same. "There are no other records about this place. Nothing geographically, and nothing in the papers. So I figured I'd take a peek to find out what's going on out there."
That doesn't sound too reassuring. "I don't know. It sounds risky to go there in person."
Hoseok laughs. "Normally, I would agree. I hate taking these kinds of risks. But I'll take my chances. I won't be going out there alone, so don't worry too much."
"You have someone there with you?" The alarm bells in your head continue to spike. Considering his current circumstances, it's hard to imagine that any of this is safe. "Does Jungkook know about this?"
The brief silence that answers you makes you feel even more uneasy. "We both know that Jungkook is unreachable, and we don't know for how long. I have to move fast if I want to be back before anyone catches me slipping."
"Can't it wait until he gets back?" You try to reason with him, even if you can already tell it's no use.
"I can't. There's always a possibility that I triggered an alert system while I was looking through some stuff. This is the only window I have if I want to make this happen," he argues. "About Jungkook—I left him a message to let him know where I'm going and what I'm about to do. He knows how to track me down if things go wrong."
The chances that things may go wrong make you wary. The fact that he seems to be taking things lightly isn't helping his case either, nor does it help ease your mind.
"Look, I got this handled. I can't tell you all the details right now, but I'll be fine as long as I'm back within 24 hours," he reassures you. "I promise to keep in touch and let you know if I find something."
A part of you wants to argue and make him stay to keep him out of trouble, but you can hear it in his voice that he is already determined to go. You can only sigh, feeling helpless, but there's nothing you can do at this point to change his mind. "Please be careful, Hoseok."
"You know I'm always careful," he promises. "I should be the one saying that to you. Without Jungkook around, or me, please stay close to that shadow of yours, okay? Whatever Yoongi’s doing—it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to hurt you."
His words surprise you. You want to believe him. But after what had transpired between you and Yoongi tonight, it's hard for you to agree. "How would you know that?"
He lets out a soft chuckle. "That's the problem. I don't know. Let's just say it's my instinct telling me not to worry."
You close your eyes. "I hope you’re right."
"Me too." Hoseok pauses. In the background, mixing with the faint sound of the machines getting ready to go, you hear another voice talking to him before you hear his voice again. "It's time to go. I'll see you soon."
The call ends with the word 'goodbye' hanging at the tip of your tongue. It feels unsettling, even more so when you have no idea why you are feeling as if your stomach is filled with lead.
So many things happened today. Too many things for you to deal with in just one day.
Drained, both mentally and physically, you crawl back onto the bed and rest against the pillows. Your head feels heavy, and so is your heart. Yoongi’s scent still clings to the sheets, making it ache to breathe. As your exhaustion sinks in, you stare at the ceiling with your thoughts settling into something firm.
It’s time for us to talk.
It's time for you to tell him everything. Maybe then, he’ll be able to share his secrets, too.
Your mind is still busy and loud against the silent night when you finally close your eyes. Sleep comes slowly, uneasy and thin. But you know that morning will come regardless. You can only hope that by then, you'll be strong enough to handle the hard conversation that you'll need to have with your husband, before everything falls to ruin.
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