{××××}
"Love is like habitual inheritance of Channels in Korea but it doesn't matter to me."
_ Jimin

Enveloped within the shadows of a life marked by eternal discrimination and the capriciousness of luck and fate, she seethed with frustration. It served as a constant reminder of the vow of love she had made. During a break from college, she found herself seated in the canteen chair alongside her friends, Rose and Jennie. Both possessed gentle and kind-hearted personalities, exuding elegance and fashion in their daily lives.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she thought about something, but she suppressed it and shifted her gaze to her untouched burger, scoffing inwardly. Jennie, ever observant, noticed her expression and bombarded her with a barrage of questions, each one blending into the next.

"What's wrong? Why are you scoffing like that while eating your burger?" Jennie inquired, concern lacing her words. Rose reached out to hold y/n's hand, but she quickly pulled away, adopting a poker face.

"Nothing much, just eat your food," y/n replied dismissively.

"No, there's clearly something going on, and we want to know," Jennie persisted, refusing to drop the subject.

"I said no."

"Okay, fine!"

Y/n overheard girls seated at a nearby table murmuring with gasps. "Oh my God, did you hear what happened yesterday at the Park Empire building? It was attacked by someone, and neither the media nor anyone else knows who's behind it. No leads to the culprit."

"Poor Jimin, I wish I could have gone there to support him," one girl sympathized.

"Let your imaginations run wild, but don't take them out," another girl remarked audibly.

"And now, Jimin is hiding from the media," someone else added.

"But why would he do that?" y/n's friend questioned, prompting her to lean closer to catch their conversation.

"There are rumors that they are mafias, which is why they were targeted in the attack. However, the government can't get involved, so no official case has been filed," one of the girls explained.

"But who started these rumors? How can we believe them?" the girls questioned, their frustration evident.

Internally, y/n smiled while tears threatened to spill onto the table. She tightly gripped the fork, her fingers digging into the fabric of her skirt under the table. She couldn't bear to hear any more. She grabbed her plate and walked away, ignoring the calls of her friends. As she washed the plates, she made up her mind to skip the rest of her classes and visit them. She needed to know the truth. She couldn't bring herself to believe it just yet. She quickly reached the bus stop, and soon enough, a bus arrived that would take her to her hometown. She settled into her seat, feeling a sense of relief. However, her phone buzzed, instantly dampening her spirits.

With a sigh, she checked it, only to find her eyes welling up with tears once again as she read the words that someone had posted online.

"Netizens claim to have proof of Park Jimin's involvement in illegal business activities, having been found associating with highly wanted Italian criminals."

She closed her phone, her gaze fixed on the road, congested with vehicles. The noise of honking horns and the sea of people only served to irritate her further. When the bus finally stopped, she let out another sigh. She knew how much she was restraining herself.

Crossing the road, she looked up at the imposing building before her, 'Jeon Corporation.' There was a reason she had never set foot inside that building. She despised it. But now, she had to go and seek answers.

Entering the building, she was greeted with respectful bows from the security and staff. She was taken aback. She had no idea that Jeon Jungkook had revealed her identity to the office staff. Even at the entrance, her parents hadn't accompanied her until now.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Jeon Jungkook available?" she asked, her voice betraying her sense of unease.

"Ma'am, you shouldn't be talking like that. Come, I will show you here we have some security issues." the receptionist insisted, leading her into his cabin. The staff bowed once again and left, leaving y/n alone with a sense of resignation. As she turned the doorknob, she caught sight of Jungkook, engrossed in a stack of files, wearing glasses, with a cup of coffee beside him. She hadn't seen him work in the office with such dedication before. Memories of their childhood flooded back, but she quickly dismissed them, focusing on her purpose. However, she noticed Jungkook staring at her, his jaw dropping, an air of shock surrounding him.

"I'm not here to see you, oppa. I'm here to ask about Jimin," she stated, surprising Jungkook, who nodded and stood up from his chair, pulling out a seat for her.

"You're here for the first time, and ladies shouldn't stand for too long," he said, attempting to be chivalrous.

"What a gentleman!" she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I'm not joking. I don't know if you're pretending not to have heard anything about your hyung, Jimin," Jungkook replied, his words carrying a serious tone.

Jungkook's words sent a chill down her spine. She wondered how he knew about her sudden visit to the office, almost as if it were a miracle.

"Just tell me," she demanded, causing Jungkook to stumble back.

"Y/n, please, just hear me out," he pleaded.

"I don't want to hear anything. I just need to know what kind of business he's involved in," she snapped, snatching her phone back from him and glancing at the screen, only to burst into laughter. She clenched her fists, a mixture of anger and tears welling up inside her.

"I won't listen to your nonsense anymore. Stop it!" she exclaimed, stomping her feet and storming out of the office, ignoring Jungkook's attempts to catch up with her. Before she could hail a taxi from the roadside, Jungkook pulled her back.

"What the hell, Jungkook?" she exclaimed, yanking her hand away and bursting into tears, embracing him.

"Oppa, tell me. Don't do this to me. What is he hiding from me?" she sobbed, clinging to him.

Jungkook sighed and gently pulled her out of the hug. "Y/n, I also knew this would happen, but everything has a reason. It didn't start with him; it started with his parents. Please try to understand him."

"But why doesn't he talk to me these days? Even after everything that has happened, I hear about it from online news and my friends," she lamented, her voice filled with frustration and confusion.

Jungkook remained silent, unable to provide a satisfactory answer. "Y/n, if you want to know, go and talk to him. He's in his office right now," he finally replied.

As he watched her walk away, he let out a sigh. Jungkook reached for his phone and dialed Seok Jin's number. Jin was always by Jimin's side, available around the clock.

"Hello, Jungkook," Jin answered.

"Move Jimin from his office if you can, or else you guys won't see tomorrow," Jungkook said, his voice laced with urgency.

"What? What the hell happened?" Jin shouted, and Jungkook could hear the commotion and voices of others in the background.

"Just do as I say," Jungkook commanded before abruptly ending the call, rubbing his temples in frustration. He was tired of all the drama. He needed to put an end to it. Little did he know that his sister was in imminent danger.

Pain is more than being loved.

Solitude is anger, but loving is destined within souls.