Taehyung's POV
The sharp ringing of my phone shattered the silence in the room. My head was still heavy from last night’s alcohol, and I almost let the call go to voicemail. But for some reason, I reached for the phone on the table and glanced at the unknown number flashing on the screen.
I almost rejected the call, but my finger instinctively pressed the green button.
"Who is this?" My voice was hoarse, lazy.
"Taehyung."
I froze. That voice. Jihoon.
My grip on the phone tightened. I swallowed, trying to shake off the remnants of intoxication in my body.
"How did you get my number?" My tone was sharp.
"That doesn't matter." Jihoon's voice was weak, different from the Jihoon I knew. "I'm here."
I frowned. "Where?"
"Thailand."
I fell silent.
I did tell him to come if he really wanted to see me, but I never thought he’d actually do it. Jihoon was never one to follow anyone’s orders, especially not mine.
"Meet me," Jihoon spoke again. "Just this once, Taehyung."
I exhaled slowly.
A part of me still held a grudge against this man, but another part… for some reason, felt conflicted.
I closed my eyes for a moment before finally speaking. "Where?"
"Hotel Amara, room 1204."
I didn't respond immediately. My breath was uneven, mind restless.
"I'll come."
And I ended the call.
---
I sat on the couch, one hand gripping an empty glass. My head was still throbbing from last night’s alcohol, but my eyes were sharp as I watched Jihoon step into the hotel room.
He looked much paler than the last time I saw him. His face was gaunt, dark circles under his eyes, and every step he took seemed heavy. But I didn’t react. I simply waited for him to speak first.
Jihoon sat across from me, exhaling slowly. "What are you doing in Thailand?"
I frowned. "Doing my job."
"Don't be stupid, Taehyung." His tone was calm, but I could tell he was holding something back. "You never come to Thailand without a reason. I know you're looking for someone."
I remained silent. I wasn’t going to tell him about Mirae.
Jihoon studied me for a few seconds before leaning back, letting out a small cough. "No need to hide it. I already know."
My grip on the glass tightened. "Know what?"
He smirked slightly. "About your sister."
My heart pounded. I tried not to show any reaction, but my hands clenched involuntarily.
"Mirae is here, isn't she?" Jihoon leaned forward slightly, his voice low but filled with certainty. "And she's with Jungkook."
I lifted my head, locking eyes with Jihoon. My gaze darkened. "How do you know?"
Jihoon chuckled mockingly. "Did you forget I have business with Jungkook? I know everything you don't want me to know."
My chest burned with anger. I hated when Jihoon had the upper hand, especially when it came to Mirae.
"I don’t have time for your games, Jihoon." My voice was cold. "If you came here just to show off what you know, you can leave now."
Jihoon only let out a small laugh. "Relax, Taehyung. I just want to help."
I scoffed. "I don’t need your help."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
I stayed silent. Jihoon watched me as if waiting for me to break and admit that I was actually desperate.
"I have information about Jungkook and Mirae." Jihoon’s voice was more serious this time. "And if you really want to know, you have to listen to me first."
I frowned, studying Jihoon’s serious expression.
"Jungkook only saved Mirae from Jimin." His voice was low but clear enough to capture my full attention.
I gripped the glass in my hand, fingers pressing hard against its surface. "What do you mean?"
Jihoon took a deep breath before leaning back. "I know you think Jungkook took Mirae for his own benefit. But the truth is, Jimin was a cruel husband. He did things to Mirae that you wouldn’t be able to accept."
My chest tightened.
I never knew what Jimin did to Mirae. I only knew he tried to keep her away from me, tried to separate us. But I never imagined that he might have…
I swallowed hard.
"Jungkook had his own reasons for taking Mirae from Jimin," Jihoon continued. "And now, it’s not just about saving her. He’s started to care about her."
I let out a short, cynical laugh. "You believe in Jungkook that much? Since when did you take his side?"
"I'm not taking anyone's side." Jihoon's tone was neutral. "I’m just telling you what I know. Jungkook isn’t the type of man to protect someone unless he has feelings for them. The way he takes care of Mirae… it’s not just business. He genuinely wants to keep her safe."
I shook my head, rejecting Jihoon’s words. "I don’t care about what Jungkook feels. What I care about is that Mirae isn’t his. She’s my sister, Jihoon. I should be the one protecting her."
Jihoon shrugged. "But you're too late, Taehyung. Right now, Mirae is closer to Jungkook than to you. If you want her back, you need to ask yourself—do you want to take her back because she’s your sister, or because you can’t accept that she’s chosen someone else to protect her?"
His words hit me like a knife to the chest.
I hated how he spoke as if he understood everything. But deep inside, there was a fear I had been denying all this time.
Did Mirae still want me? Or had she already found comfort with Jungkook?
I clenched my jaw, my mind spiraling with Jihoon’s words. But before I could respond, Jihoon suddenly let out a soft sigh and leaned back into his chair.
"I didn’t come here just to talk about Jungkook or Mirae." His voice was calmer this time. "I came because I wanted to apologize, Taehyung."
I stared at him.
The Jihoon I knew never apologized. The Jihoon I knew always believed he was right, always thought he could control everything.
"Apologize?" I scoffed. "Since when do you regret anything, Jihoon?"
He gave a weak smile. "Since I realized I don’t have much time left."
I froze.
Jihoon took a deep breath before continuing. "I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I manipulated people, ruined lives, turned Emylia into what she is now. All because of me."
I remained silent.
"I was the one who influenced Emylia to kill Jackson." Jihoon chuckled softly, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "Jackson killed Emylia's dad because I told him to. I knew that destroyed her life. I knew she lived with vengeance for years. But after she killed Jackson, I saw her eyes… Taehyung, I turned her into a monster I no longer recognize."
I clenched my fists. "You made her like that, and now you regret it?"
Jihoon nodded. "Yes, I regret it. I know I can't change what happened. I know Emylia may never forgive me, and I know you won’t either. But before I die, I just want you to know… I never hated you, Taehyung."
I shook my head. "Don't talk like you're out of hope. You're not the type to give up."
Jihoon let out a quiet laugh. "You think I don't know my own condition? The poison is eating me from the inside, Taehyung. I can feel my body getting weaker every day. I don’t have much time left."
I swallowed hard. No matter how much I hated Jihoon, I couldn't deny that my heart felt heavy hearing his words.
"So what do you want me to do?" My voice was low, almost a whisper.
Jihoon stared at me for a long time. "I want you to live, Taehyung. I want you to move on without vengeance, without guilt. I want you to forget everything I did… forget me."
I shook my head. "Just like that? You ruined my life, you made Emylia suffer, and now you want me to forget everything?"
Jihoon smiled again. "No. I know it won’t be easy. But I hope one day, you'll understand."
I looked at him. For the first time in my life, I saw Jihoon as a man who was truly exhausted. A man who had finally realized the weight of his actions—but maybe too late.
I took a deep breath, trying to control the storm of emotions in my head. Jihoon regretted it, that much was clear. But I wasn’t a fool. I wasn’t someone who could forgive so easily without conditions.
I stared at him for a while before finally speaking. "I can forgive you, Jihoon. But on one condition."
He raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
I leaned back, watching his reaction before I continued. "You have to save Mirae."
Jihoon's forehead creased. "Mirae?"
I nodded. "I don’t care if she’s in Jimin’s or Jungkook’s hands. I want you to make sure she’s safe. I want you to make sure she doesn’t get trapped in the world that you, Emylia, and I live in now."
Jihoon fell silent, as if weighing my request.
I continued. "That’s not all. If you truly want to atone for what you've done, you have to keep helping her. You have to prove that you're not just talking. I don’t want you coming here just to die with regrets. If you’re going to die, at least make it mean something."
Jihoon sighed softly. "You know I don’t have much time left, right?"
"That’s not an excuse," I said firmly. "As long as you're still breathing, you still have a chance to do something right. And if you want my forgiveness, that’s my condition."
He went silent. His eyes stared at the table, deep in thought. I knew this wasn’t an easy request. But I also knew that if Jihoon was truly sincere, he would do something.
A few moments passed before he lifted his gaze. His eyes locked onto mine, but this time, there was no arrogance like before.
"Alright, Taehyung." His voice was quiet, but clear. "I will help Mirae. I will make sure she’s safe. I will prove to you that I truly regret everything."
I gave a small nod. "Good."
I knew I still couldn’t fully trust Jihoon. But if he actually did what I asked, then maybe, for the first time in his life… he would do something meaningful.
I was just about to stand up when Jihoon suddenly groaned softly and swayed backward.
"Jihoon!" I rushed toward him, but he had already collapsed onto the floor before I could catch him.
Blood started dripping from his nose, staining the ground. His hands trembled, his breathing became shallow. I could see him struggling to hold on, but his body was clearly growing weaker.
"You idiot! What’s wrong with you?!" I grabbed his shoulders, trying to keep him steady.
Jihoon let out a weak chuckle, his voice hoarse. "The doctor told me… I need to rest more. Not to walk too far. But…" He paused, taking a labored breath. "I still came. I had to see you."
I clenched my jaw, trying to contain the mix of anger and frustration boiling inside me. "You came all the way here in this condition?! Are you trying to die?!"
He gave a faint smile. "I'm already dying, Taehyung. Did you forget?"
I gritted my teeth. I wanted to be angry, but his voice was too weak.
I didn’t know why I was still holding onto him, why I still cared. I should’ve let him deal with this alone. But seeing him like this… it felt different.
"Shit." I sighed, wrapping my arms around his trembling body. "You’re so damn stubborn."
Jihoon smiled again, this time even weaker. "I didn’t want to die without seeing you, Taehyung… without hearing you forgive me."
I fell silent. I looked at his face—getting paler, his lips turning blue.
Damn it. I hated this feeling. I hated seeing him like this.
But this was the path he chose, right?
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Jihoon was getting worse. I couldn’t leave him like this. With slightly shaky hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed Ray’s number.
"Ray, I need you right now. Get here fast." My voice was firm. I gave him the location without waiting for questions.
But suddenly, Jihoon weakly lifted his hand, grasping my sleeve. "Taehyung… don’t. I don’t want to go to the hospital."
I stared at him sharply. "Don’t be stupid, Jihoon. You need treatment."
He shook his head and coughed again—this time, blood dripped from his lips. I cursed under my breath. Damn it, he was getting worse.
"I don’t want a doctor, Taehyung…" His voice was raspy, barely audible. "I want… Emylia."
I froze.
Jihoon tried to give a faint smile. "She took care of me… all this time. If I die… I want her to be there."
I gripped my phone tightly. I hated this situation. I hated this feeling. But I knew Jihoon was serious.
Damn it.
With a heavy heart, I took Jihoon's phone and searched for Emylia’s number. My finger hovered over the screen. I never thought I would call her again.
But I had no choice now.
I pressed the call button. The ringing tone played for a few seconds before the line connected.
"Hello?" Emylia's voice came through.
I didn’t say anything for a moment. I could already picture her face—shocked, confused.
"Emylia," I finally spoke, my voice low and heavy. "Jihoon needs you. Come now."