Paradise

The room dropped dead silent as we dumbfoundedly stared at Hoseok and Minah. I didn't know how to react. I couldn't process what I was seeing... since when did they get together? Minah is with Jungkook... Why- why would she-? Thud thud thud. Heavy footsteps strode into the room. Taehyung appeared in his usual leather outfit and black boots with a troubled expression.

"What's going on? Why's everyone so tense-" Taehyung stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes landed on Hoseok and Minah, huddling on the bed with the blanket over their exposed bodies.

"Y-you said you weren't feeling well..." Jungkook stuttered at Minah with his glassy eyes. He's tearing up. Jungkook clenched his fist and was about to storm into the bedroom, but Taehyung was quicker. He caught Jungkook's arm and tugged him back. Jungkook grimaced at Taehyung and tried to pull his arm free. However, Taehyung only tightened his grip on his infuriated cousin.

"Get dressed. And come out," Taehyung ordered, reaching out to slam the door shut as Jungkook continued to resist him. Taehyung pulled Jungkook away from the door and forced him onto the couch.

"Sora... I think you should react," Yoongi whispered, cautiously eyeing Minho and Mira. Oh, right. They think I'm dating Hoseok... I should be upset. I bit the inner side of my mouth until tears swelled in my eyes. I shakily inhaled, then sat down on the couch with my arms crossed.

"Well... this is awkward," Mira whispered, exchanging glances with Minho.

"We're all as good as dead if Seokjin finds out," Yoongi exhaled, turning to stare at Hoseok and Minah as they stepped out of the room... keeping their heads down in embarrassment. Jungkook angrily glared at Minah and turned away in displease.

"He won't find out about this. We'll pretend as if nothing happened tonight, so no one is allowed to speak a word of what happened. If Seokjin finds out- aish... we're all on edge right now, and you two had to-" Taehyung gritted in frustration, turning to glare at Minah in disappointment.

"We'll keep this confidential until Seokjin retreats, but I doubt you can handle it. I mean- your boyfriend cheated-"

"I'll be fine," I gulped, cutting Minho off as I blankly averted my eyes to Hoseok, who was eyeing me apologetically. I'm worried about Jungkook... it was definitely a hard blow for him. Can he handle it? I'm only mad at Hoseok for messing up our plan, but Jungkook... Minah did him dirty.

"I'll speak with my parents. They made a deal with your parents, so it shouldn't be a problem," Yoongi nodded reassuringly.

"The four of you have to pretend as if nothing happened. We can't let this leak, so keep the personal sentiments to yourself, resolve it in private, and avoid slipping it to the public. Seokjin is going to demand compensation. Therefore, I need all the households to side with us and reject his request," Taehyung glanced worriedly at Jungkook, who suddenly let out a heavy sigh. He needs time to process his feelings.

"Wah~ This is hot news, but I can't even expose it unless I have a death wish," Mira chuckled while shaking her head.

"We're in a huge mess now because someone didn't kill him when she had the chance to," Minho huffed, rolling his eyes at me in annoyance.

"Are you trying to blame me for-"

"If you didn't poison him- We wouldn't be-"

"Stop it! We can't afford to fight each other right now!" Taehyung snapped at Minho and I as we argued.

"Maybe it wouldn't be as complicated if people stayed faithful," Jungkook mumbled sarcastically at Minah, who guiltily looked away.

"Jungkook-" Taehyung quickly called out when Jungkook suddenly shot up from his seat and stormed out of the room. Right, I should throw a fit too. I'm supposed to be upset. Aish... I'm so bad at acting. I hastily got up with an attitude and marched out of the room without another word.

"Jungkook!" Minah cried, dashing past me and after Jungkook as we got to the crowded hall near the party. What is she doing...?

"Don't touch me!" Jungkook angrily snapped, yanking his arms away from her when she tried to grab onto it.

"Listen to me! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO-!? HAHA, WHAT AM I TO YOU!? I LOVED YOU. I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANTED, YET YOU WENT BEHIND MY BACK AND RAILED THAT ASSHOLE!?" Jungkook angrily roared at Minah, causing her to shrink away in fright. The noisy hallway instantly hushed and all eyes averted to Jungkook.

"Oh no..." I whispered while staring at them in disbelief.

"YOU LOVED ME?! I HAVEN'T FELT IT EVER SINCE SHE CAME ALONG! I WASN'T BORN YESTERDAY! THE WAY YOU LOOKED AT HER! THE WAY YOU CARE FOR HER! THE WAY YOU LOOK OUT FOR HER! YOU KEEP CHOOSING HER OVER ME! I WAS IN PAIN, AND H-HOSEOK- HE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME!" Minah cried, turning to glare at me as I stood before them... paralyzed by her words. Why are they fighting in the middle of a crowded place?! Now everyone knows! Aish!

"Aigo... I guess Seokjin will definitely kill us tomorrow," Yoongi dawdled, blankly watching the lower ranks gossip in the corridor. Flashes of cameras were snapping from different directions.

"Sora-"

"Go away!" I snapped angrily at Hoseok when he tried to reach out for me. I made a sharp turn and stomped down the opposite side in frustration. It's all because of him! He knew we were in a critical position with the Kims, yet he dared to put us all at risk! Now the news will spread like wildfire, leaving all the households exposed to Seokjin's vengeance! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Maybe I should've killed Seokjin! I slammed the elevator rapidly and left the hotel on my own... fuming in rage. How are we supposed to oppose Seokjin tomorrow?! ARGH! I was marching along the sidewalk when a black bike pulled up beside me. Taehyung...

"Yah. For once, will you please value your life? How can a supreme alpha carelessly walk down the street without any security? You do realize your equally powerful enemy is trying to murder you, right?" Taehyung asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"I'm as good as dead anyways," I murmured and walked away from him.

"Not yet. Sure, they ruined it, and I'm certain Seokjin knows by now. So, I must keep both of us alive for as long as I can to survive this fight," Taehyung replied, hopping off his bike. He gently drew me back and placed the helmet on my head.

"Why don't you just kill me now and inherit my assets? You'll be unstoppable, and I won't complain," I grumbled.

"Should I? Let's see... if I kill you, Jimin will kill me, and Jungkook will kill Jimin. That doesn't really sound like a good plan because we'll all end up dead," Taehyung chuckled. He effortlessly lifted me onto his bike, and we took off. My parents were already upset about Seokjin. And now they'll be racing home for the elite meeting only to be greeted by the news of Hoseok cheating on me. We could've covered it up, but Jungkook and Minah fought in front of the goddam crowd... shredding the household's ties into pieces. We're really really really screwed this time.

I stopped by Jungkook's room and was about to knock, but I didn't because I figured he needed some time alone. Sighing, I went to my room without bothering him. Jimin didn't come home that night. Right... I need to sort things out with him. This is too much. As much as I hate to admit it, I feel like I'm being cheated on. Sora... he begged you to trust him- I know! I can't help but suspect him! I quickly got changed and collapsed onto my bed in exhaustion.

Aish... Why did I trust Hoseok?! Maybe it was all a scheme to get rid of me. He used to be Seokjin's closest friend... Why would anyone in their right mind ditch a powerful ally? I'm so stupid! Why didn't I think of all these possibilities?! And Minah? Jungkook trusted her, so I never doubted her. Should I be upset with her? Maybe Hoseok took advantage of her frail mentality to break us apart...?

I roughly tugged onto the root of my hair in distress the longer I sat on my bed, contemplating the chances of Hoseok betraying me. If it's really planned out by Seokjin and Hoseok... I'll be responsible for the Jeon's, Kim's, and Park's downfall. Jungkook and Taehyung always warned me about Hoseok, but I was ignorant and brushed it aside. And Jimin... he always agreed with whatever I did even if he knew I was being foolish. Sora, what have you done? Is this why my parents are so upset? What do I do now?- Think of something!- I can't even prove Hoseok backstabbed me... there is no evidence. But Yoongi- I'm sure Yoongi is as clueless as I am. If it's really a ruse, then they've already plotted the next move. I just have to avoid it... What are they expecting from me???

I restlessly rolled around on my bed and smacked the side of my head repeatedly for answers. What does Seokjin want? Everyone knows Hoseok cheated on me now... meaning... Everyone expects us to break up... which means the households no longer have each other's back... What else? So what's his next move? Hoseok will be vulnerable without me... but he still has Yoongi though. And I dozed off without realizing it.

I woke up the next morning to find the bright sunlight beaming right at my face. I rolled over on my bed and checked my phone... 8:23 AM. Groggily, I sat up and scanned my room. Jimin didn't come home. My chest swelled in pain as I ran my fingers through my messy hair. He's taking it too far. I've been so caught up in the wild chaos with Seokjin that I failed to realize I was being fooled by my own boyfriend. Tears formed inside my eyes when I felt the stabbing pain churning inside my chest. No- I don't want to cry. I'm too tired. I got onto my feet and took a warm bath.

I have to prepare for the Elite Meeting in the afternoon. Taehyung asked me to meet him in the morning... so I need to get ready. I took my time in the shower, then came out in my towel when I noticed my phone chiming. 3 missed calls ... from... Jimin . 4 unread messages. .. from Jimin. Sighing, I turned off my phone, and suddenly... a small red beam reflected off my dark phone screen. I immediately snapped my head towards my vanity table in the corner, but there was nothing unusual. I turned around and stared at my phone screen to try and catch the red beam again, but there was nothing.

"Ah... I am going crazy," I chuckled in disbelief. Am I hallucinating? I went to the vanity table and stared at my dim face in exhaustion. I look like a zombie. Sora... you shouldn't go around looking like this. This is exactly why Seokjin and Namjoon knew you were struggling. You look like a dead corpse- Araso! Araso! I'll fix myself! I let out a huge sigh and slightly dabbed the toner on my face, followed by the moisturizer and serum. Even if I can't physically scare them, I can mentally threaten them... and to be able to do that, I need to look well. I'll need to put on a mask of confidence to keep the bloodthirsty monsters at bay.

"Now... you look less dead," I whispered at my glowing skin after the skincare routine. Sighing, I turned to find Yangcha's keychain on the lower shelf. I sat staring at it in utter silence. Please wait a little longer. I'll make it up to you. Noona will punish the culprit... so just hang on with noona for a little longer. Deeply exhaling, I tossed the keychain into the drawer, got up, and pulled on an elegant light pink dress that goes all the way to my knees. I was putting on my heels when Jimin suddenly burst into my room with messy hair and a drained expression. Was he drunk? He must be having a bad hangover.

"Sora- I'm sorry. I tried calling you... I know you're upset, and you have every right to be mad-" Jimin pleaded, rushing up to me apologetically. Ah... he reeks of alcohol. How much did he drink?

"You should wash up and get some rest before the meeting," I weakly smiled, reaching out to pat the hem of his collar, and that's when I noticed... a... red lipstick stain. I froze in my position as my heart wrenched in pain.

"I love you," Jimin whispered while rubbing his fingers against my left cheek, then leaned forward to kiss me as I stared at the bright red stain on his shirt.

"Is love supposed to hurt so much?" I numbly chuckled. Jimin abruptly halted just before our lips met. What is love? Is it supposed to be this painful? No words can describe the sadness I'm feeling right now. I'm hurt.

"S-sora..." Jimin stuttered, searching my eyes anxiously as I blankly stared at him with a straight face.

"I'm just wondering. Don't worry. Get some rest. I need to prepare for the meeting," I forced a smile at Jimin and pushed past him, my fingers coldly sliding off his. I don't know what's going on with our relationship. Have I lost him to the new girl...? Stab. A sharp pain pierced through my chest. I tilted my head backward to keep the tears from slipping just as Taehyung came striding out of his room, dressed in a black suit, a black turtleneck, and black pants. Black is his color.

"I thought you were going to attend the meeting looking like a homeless person, but I was wrong," Taehyung smirked, biting his lower lip as he examined my dress.

"Come on, we've got plenty of things to cover before the meeting," I smiled, lightly smacking his arm. He chuckled and followed me to our parent's workroom. We left the mansion in the afternoon to attend the meeting at dusk. The Jeons and Parks arrived at the conference hall without their sons. Jungkook can't stand seeing Minah again, and Jimin's having a bad hangover, so they both stayed home. That's right, my boyfriend got drunk with his other girlfriend, and who knows what they did. I need to sort this out as quickly as possible before it breaks me into pieces. Taehyung said the probability of us winning the case is slim, so we'll have to keep on refuting and turning things around until the announcer is forced to delay the case, then we'll have more time to deal with Seokjin.

Thud thud thud. The elite meeting hall fell silent as soon as Taehyung and I entered. Eyes were gawking at us from all directions, and the room was hushed in fear. I blankly turned to find Seokjin sitting on the upper seat. As soon as his eyes met mine, Seokjin tensely gripped his desk in anger. I fired him an insulting smile and strode up to the opposite top seat with Taehyung. Our parents settled beside us while I stared unblinkingly at Seokjin from across the room.

"I've never seen him so... pissed," Taehyung chuckled as he crossed his legs.

"He nearly died. Of course, he's furious," I smiled, averting my eyes to the lower rank to find Hoseok and Minah staring anxiously at me. I stopped smiling and cleared my throat. Right... they're the reason things got even more complicated than it should be. Namjoon glanced at Minah and Hoseok. He tilted his head with a cunning smile. He's enjoying it... a vulture patiently waiting for his prey to die, so he can devour their rotten flesh.

"Good afternoon to the superior alphas community. As requested by the Kim's household, we're here today to negotiate-"

"Negotiate? I'm not here to negotiate. I'm here to exterminate her," Seokjin scoffed, darting me a sharp glare.

"She's the supreme alpha, Seokjin-shi," Taehyung dawdled, clasping his fingers together with a dull expression.

"She openly tried to murder another supreme alpha. Based on regulation 13, an alpha of equal rank is forbidden to harm one another," Namjoon clapped back.

"Murder? Seokjin's still breathing though," I laughed at Seokjin, whose eyes bulged open in rage.

"You attempted to murder me! Everyone here is a witness. You broke the rule- which means I am authorized to exterminate you-"

"Did I? Did I try to kill you? Kim Seokjin, I clearly offered you the poison-free wine from my bottle, but you refused and took the poison yourself. How is it my fault?" I rolled my eyes at Seokjin. I must be getting on his nerves because Seokjin is turning red like a tomato.

"Are you accusing the supreme alpha of choosing to consume the poison of his own will? This indicates the Jung is responsible for the poisoning. The wine was served by the Jung's staff on the Jung's property. Therefore, the Jung should be responsible for it," Namjoon laughed, turning to grin at Hoseok's horrified face. Hoseok-ah... Did you betray me...? I can't make up my mind... Should I protect you?

"The Jungs alone can't compensate for the harm done to the supreme alpha," Seokjin's father declared.

"The Min is the Jung's official ally, so we will stand our ground and refuse to settle with the Kim's requested compensation. We believe we're innocent of the incident, and the Kim's unfairly accusing us of committing treason," Yoongi sternly folded his arms.

"How dare you?! The top supreme alpha almost died due to alcohol poisoning on the Jung's property by the hand of another supreme alpha! Yet you dare to deny your involvement?!" Seokjin's father snapped at the alphas in anger.

"Although the incident took place on the Jung's property, it doesn't imply we hold the responsibility for the unfortunate incident. This is obviously planned by another household to use the Jung as a scapegoat to cover their crime. Why would the Jung poison a supreme alpha on our own property? It doesn't make any sense!" Hoseok argued, turning to glare at Namjoon in disbelief.

"We didn't blindly accuse the Jung and the supreme alpha. We've gathered a list of all the witnesses and evidence. Proving the Jang guilty of threatening Kim Seokjin's life. Therefore, if the supreme alpha refuses to confess her crime. The Jung and his allies will be held accountable," Namjoon refuted, slamming a stack of papers on his desk. Ah. I straightened my back in realization. Seokjin's mistake is letting Hoseok go. Hoseok's a survivor. Seokjin never expected Hoseok to side with Yoongi and I. Hoseok is a threat to him. Seokjin is trying to get Hoseok back onto his side because Hoseok is too informed of his household's welfare- so he's trying to corner Hoseok. I can't lose Hoseok... I need him to counter Seokjin.

"The Jang will, of course, support the Jung's immunity in this case because we believe they're innocent. I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this because... Seokjin-shi... you're only alive because I let you. You're only breathing right now because I approved your departure from the island. You should be thankful you're still alive. Also, you manipulated an alpha into poisoning the top three alphas, and they almost died. Yet they never made a fuss over it. Oh yeah, an innocent lower-rank alpha also died because your minions tried to please you. And that's not it. A week ago, your minion, Hyun Jiwoo, tried to strangle me, drowned Hoseok, and even stabbed Yoongi. Look at my bruises. It didn't even heal yet. I almost died under your sinister influences. And last but not least, I saw Namjoon blasting off Hyun Jiwoo's head with my own eyes to protect your immunity because he was ruining your reputation. The brief pain you went through is nothing compared to the number of murders and attempted murders you've directly and indirectly committed," I gritted, leaning forward in heat as the darkness seeped through me.

"Correction. The Kang is responsible for The Jung, Jeon, and Gae's poisoning. Namjoon got rid of Hyun Jiwoo because he was supposed to be eliminated for attempting to murder you. Even if Namjoon didn't get rid of him, he would've met the same fate under the alpha's law in the attempt to murder the supreme alpha. You're lucky the law doesn't apply to you because we're equally as powerful," Seokjin spat in irritation.

"But they did it all to please you. You're the cause of all the incidents. You are the death reaper, they sell their souls to you, and you feast on it," Taehyung blankly smiled at Namjoon and Seokjin.

"Oh, are you trying to turn the table around and pin it all on me?" Seokjin snorted in disbelief.

"You aren't as innocent as you claimed to be. You can't exterminate me with all the blood on your hands," I smirked at Namjoon before averting my eyes to Seokjin.

"Fine, even if I can't exterminate you, you'll still have to pay for the damages. Transfer The Lotte Tower. It's not much," Seokjin smiled smugly at me, causing the hall to gasp in shock as I nervously gripped the edge of the desk. The tower is worth 5% of my total assets. If it becomes Seokjin's possession, it'll grant him the ultimate immunity.

"No. The Jang refuses the request and will not settle this matter," I sternly opposed his request, causing him to tense up in irritation. Not so easy, Kim Seokjin.

"It seems like both sides failed to come to an agreement. Therefore, the meeting will be dismissed as of today. A duration of two weeks will be set before the final meeting to finalize the decision and the consequences," The announcer announced. Breaking the tense atmosphere inside the hall as Seokjin and I sat glaring at one another. I'm not losing this fight.

The meeting ended, so all the alphas got up and made their way out of the hall. We did it. I have two weeks to prepare. Splash. The cold water drips down my face as I silently stare at my reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, So-young came walking in with her arms crossed. She leaned against the pillar by the sink and quietly stood staring at me.

"What do you want?" I asked, dully turning to stare at her. So it's you... What did you do to Jimin?

"It's interesting how this society works. You're the highest-ranked alpha, yet you can barely protect yourself without the support of the lower ranks," So-young smirked, tilting her head at me. The attitudes... She's a bitch.

"It's not that I can't protect myself. It's because I was too lenient with them. And everyone took advantage of my generosity," I replied while drying my hands and was about to walk away when So-young suddenly grabbed my arm.

"You dated Jimin," She smugly turned to look at me. That was out of the blue. Did she just find out?

"So?" I questioned, turning to face her. What's her problem?

"I see why he left you for me. You're a psychopath," She slyly smiled, causing the darkness to loom over me. Wah... How disrespectful. What is she trying to prove, exactly..?

"He didn't leave me. Don't forget you're in a lower rank, so don't expect too much- you might end up with nothing. I might not know the exact reason why you're being like this, but don't you mock me to aid your insecurities? Because at the end of the day, his heart only belongs to one person. Don't bother wasting your time," I smiled, reaching out to lift her chin with my index finger. She was speechless... All she could do was stare at me in frustration. Without another word, I strode out of the bathroom- coming face to face with Minah. Aish... Why won't she leave me alone?

"Sora-" I rolled my eyes and walked off before she could finish her sentence.

"Listen to me! Look, I didn't know about your plan! Even if I don't understand why no one told me about it, I'll accept it. I wouldn't have-"

"I thought of you as a friend. Hoseok and I were a setup. You had no idea about it and yet you went behind Jungkook's and my back to be with him?" I whispered furiously.

"You don't understand! Jungkook isn't the same as he used to be. Sora, no one stays forever. I was hurting. I know you know... exactly what I'm feeling right now," Minah argued as she clutched my arm.

"You're mistaken-"

"I saw the way you eyed the new girl. I wasn't born yesterday. You're jealous she's replacing you just like how you're replacing me. I know it's killing you to see Jimin with her as much as it kills me to see Jungkook with you," Minah argued with her eyes glowing red in tears.

"Jungkook and I have nothing to do with each other! Why do you keep on assuming things?! He loves you more than you'll ever know. Hell, he even got you your favorite limited-edition perfume! And Jimin? You're talking nonsense. I'm not being replaced. He's just using the girl to divert attention," I shot her a piercing glare.

"Do you really trust him? Sora, you out of all people should know trust doesn't exist in this society. I wasn't going to show you this, but did he tell you about this?!" Minah snapped, pulling out her phone, and furiously tapped on her screen before showing it to me. I was very annoyed at first, but my heart immediately sank- the instant I saw the pictures.. . even in the dark... I could tell it was Jimin. He was standing in the Jung's garden kissing... So-young. Waves after waves of pain stabbed my heart. Wasn't that the same day we met on the rooftop? But he assured me-

"Divert attention? Did you do this when you were alone with Hoseok? No, you only did it in front of the crowd. Look at this-" Minah quickly swiped, and there was another picture of Jimin sitting at a fancy restaurant with So-young... smiling from ear to ear... while holding her hands. I felt betrayed... I'm hurt. Why is he doing this? Wae? If he's into her... then why won't he let me go...?

"Why are you stalking him," I gulped, turning to look at Minah in confusion.

"I'm not. The pictures have been circulating among the lower ranks. I was gonna show you how this jerk moves on faster than the speed of light, but... I just found out you're still together. He never told you the details, did he? Sora... are you going to keep on denying it ?" Minah sadly watched me freeze in my spot as I lost myself to the pain of my heartbreak.

"This is none of your business. I won't let my emotions steer me on the wrong path. You could've sorted it out with Jungkook. Instead, you chose to hang on and ended up hurting both sides," I sternly stared at her with a hot lump in my throat. I can't cry... Sora... hold it in.

"He loved me, but not anymore. I doubt he ever loved me. It's just an ignorant attachment. We've been together for years, yet he still thinks I love Lily. I never liked Lily, it was him. I love roses, not Lily," Minah chuckled emptily and walked off without another word. Jimin-ah... you're breaking my heart. Is it time to let you go? Deeply inhaling, I eventually left the elite building and headed home with Taehyung. He kept glancing anxiously at me but didn't say a word. Seokjin's cornering me, and Jimin's breaking my heart. Ah... I'm so pathetic. We got back to the mansion. I instantly took off my heels and stepped onto the cold marble floor, then strolled towards my room to find Jimin buttoning up his shirt.

"Hey... are you okay?" Jimin asked, turning to stare at me worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, avoiding his eyes as I went to my closet room to settle my heels.

"Sora-"

"Do you have anything to tell me?" I sighed, turning to find Jimin leaning sadly against the door frame.

"What do you mean-"

"You look guilty, so if you want to tell me something, now's the chance," I stated. Jimin fell silent as he watched me with a sullen expression. If you're done with me... please let me go. You can't hang on like this. I just want you to be honest with me.

"No. I'm not hiding anything from you. Please trust me. I know you're doubting me, but believe me, the details will only hurt you," Jimin sighed, slowly walking up to me. I felt as if he stabbed me in the chest with a knife. Thud thud thud ... My heart throbbed in immense pain as I stood staring at him. Why did you have to lie? Why are you doing this? You keep asking me to trust you, but I already know the truth.

"Alright. So-young must be waiting for you, don't make her wait," I forcefully smiled at him and walked out of the closet room just as he was about to touch me. Why am I like this?! Sora, if you can't let him go- I'm a mess alright?! I'm dying! I can't do this yet...

"Sora. If you want me to stay with you, I'll stay. You just have to say it. I know you're in pain. But you need to know that you are my priority. Tell me to stop, and I'll stop. I promise you, I'm doing this to save us," Jimin sadly stared at me. Damn those eyes. How deep have I fallen for him?

"Go. I'm not stopping you. I understand," I grumbled without hesitation as I dug through the drawers. I'm not looking for anything. I just don't want to face him. I'm going to cry if I look at him again. Jimin let out a deep sigh and walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the quiet room. I quickly leaned against the drawer to clutch my chest in pain the moment the door slammed shut. Eotteoke? I'm in pain... I feel so betrayed... I feel so small. How can I be replaced so easily?! I covered my mouth and shakily clenched my aching chest. Out of all the pains I've felt... heartbreak is the killer... it literally breaks your soul into pieces and sucks away all your happiness. Why does it hurt so bad? I've fallen too deep for him... too deep... it's killing me.

After a while, I had no tears left to cry, so I numbly got onto my feet and strode out of the mansion to get some fresh air. I walked past the water fountain, circling the property towards the guest mansion that the Park is residing at, and that's when I noticed a slightly opened cellar door by the side of the mansion. I rubbed away my tears and went over to it. Pulled it open to find a flight of stairs leading down into a yolky-lit room. I carefully placed my feet on the polished wooden stairs and closed the door behind me as I made my way down. Cling... cling... cling... The sounds of empty bottles clattering into one another echoed throughout the room. My jaws dropped when my eyes landed on shelves after shelves of liquor lined up inside the cellar. They had this all along? If only I knew earlier, I wouldn't have sneaked out of the mansion to drink. This is heaven.

Cling cling cling... echoed throughout the cellar followed by a muffled sniffling sound. I'm not alone. It's coming from the far end of the cellar. I cautiously made my way through the rows of shelves... towards the source of the sound, then turned around the corner- oh.

"Ah! Kamjagiya!" Jungkook shouted, grabbing his chest in panic when I appeared before him. He quickly rubbed away his tears in embarrassment. Jungkook was sitting against a wooden cupboard... surrounded by empty bottles of wine and a half-filled glass in his hand.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, sitting down beside him.

"Just a little tipsy. You want some?" He smiled, offering me a bottle of wine.

"I don't need the glass," I chuckled, tugging Jungkook back when he tried to grab an empty glass for me.

"Oh? Looks like you're in pain too," He mumbled, taking a sip from his glass.

"Love sucks," I grumbled, then poured the wine into my mouth. A warm burn stung my throat and chest as I flushed the wine down my throat, so I lightly shook my head to ease it.

"Wae?" Jungkook asked, turning to look at me in confusion.

"I think I'm losing Jimin," I confessed while staring at the wine bottle in my hand.

"What happened? What did he do???" Jungkook asked, turning to stare at me with his concerned eyes.

"I don't know," I shook my head and turned to stare at Jungkook with tears in my eyes.

"Aish, love sucks," Jungkook nodded in agreement before taking another sip from his wine glass.

"I think you should get your closure with Minah," I whispered, turning to look at him again.

"Isn't it funny? My real girlfriend cheated on me with your fake boyfriend..." Jungkook chuckled, ignoring my words. He is heartbroken. He never treated Minah right, so he must be regretting it now.

"And my real boyfriend is meeting up with another girl right now," I smiled, emptily staring at the clock... 12:34 AM.

"Aish that asshole. I always knew he was up to no good," Jungkook muttered, leaning back against the wooden cabinet in frustration. We sat side by side in silence... just staring at the floor... lost in our own thoughts... We drank and drank.

"You never told me about your mother," I finally whispered, turning to look at Jungkook... feeling a bit tipsy.

"Eomma? I don't have many memories of her," Jungkook raised one of his eyebrows before turning to look at me with his rosy cheeks. I'm sure he's drunk...

"I guess it's a sensitive-"

"She ended her own life when I was 12. Overdose..." Jungkook mumbled... blankly staring at his hands...

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay. Just hold my hand...," Jungkook shook his head and slid his fingers into mine. I always thought he was arrogant... who would've guessed he had such a tough childhood...?

"I only remember the late memories of her because I drowned at five... lost all my memories, and accidentally injured my head at 12. Lost all my memories again. I got hurt not long after she passed away. Couldn't remember anything but some distorted memories. I remember eomma though... I remember watching her lay lifelessly on the floor... I was there," Jungkook suddenly tightened his grip around my hand. He's hurting... I scooted closer to Jungkook and tugged his head on my shoulder to comfort him.

"Do you miss her?" I asked.

"She was very abusive. The night before she passed away... she tried to strangle me. She told me to die... aggressively slammed me hard into the wall. I fell... hit my head against the corner of the nightstand, and collapsed. I wasn't completely unconscious, but eomma must've thought I was dead. So there she was... in her pretty nightgown walking over to a drawer... my eyes dropped closed for a while... until... thud... the sound woke me up again. My vision was blurry... I couldn't see clearly at first... but then I saw her... in front of me was my mother... she was sprawling on the floor... facing me on her sides... white foams were flowing out of her mouth. She stared right at me... with her huge scary eyes... That was it. I blacked out. Taehyung found me in the room and called appa. He rushed me to the hospital, and I lost all the memories I regathered when I was five. I lost it again," Jungkook quietly whispered. He must've been in so much pain- suddenly, a sharp pain hammered in my head.

"Ah!" I gritted, grabbing onto my head in extreme pain. My visions became blurry and flash - I was watching two distorted figures talking in a room... one of them was sitting on a chair while the other one walked in circles... their voices were too distorted for me to comprehend... I couldn't focus... I was panicking... Wae?- I rushed down a long wooden hallway... towards an oak door at the end of the hallway... I grabbed the handle and was about to yank it open-

"Gwaenchana?!" Everything disappeared again. The pain in my head abruptly stopped. Instead... I found myself staring at Jungkook's glimmering doe eyes. He was worriedly staring at me. W-what was that...? Why was I running...? What was behind the door? What the hell is going on?! Sora!- Shut up! I don't know too!

"I- I'm fine... it's probably the wine," I gulped while rubbing my face with my hands to recollect myself. Aish... I'm going crazy.

"That's what I said when I woke up from the incident. Appa asked me if I could remember anything... and I lied. I told him all I could remember was that eomma got hurt, the truth was... I can vividly recall the things she did to me that night. I told no one about it, and I buried the memories. Do you know what's interesting? Appa showed me our family pictures... and eomma looked so innocent. In every picture... she was always staring at me so lovingly... she was very humble... she was nothing like the memories I had... eomma was an average, you see-"

"Really?" I asked in disbelief. I thought the alphas only married each other.

"Yeah. I was never the third-ranked alpha. I was in the fifth rank because appa married an average. My mother was a florist. She owns a small shop near the south beach in Busan. Appa met her there. She had a crush on him because she thought he was very handsome... hah... Maybe appa is lying to boost his ego, but he said eomma hit him up first, and he eventually fell in love with her. They got married and had me. After she passed... Taehyung's mother set up my father with her sister-"

"Your mom- I mean your stepmom? The mean woman?" I asked in shock.

"She's not mean. She just doesn't like you because she thinks you're an average. She dislikes the average because of what happened to eomma and I. She thinks the average is cursed to destroy the alphas. So naturally, she hated your presence. But the truth is, I'm the one she hates the most. She thinks I'm a half breed-"

"But she was so caring-"

"It's all an act. To satisfy appa. My stepmother despises me because eomma's average blood runs through me. I knew she wanted to eliminate me when I almost died once when I was 13, choked on a huge piece of ice cube, and she sat there watching me choke until appa bursts in to save me. She tried to get rid of me plenty of times... but failed because I always kept my eyes on her. She wanted a child, but appa refused because it would threaten my position. She's in a higher rank, so after appa married her, I became the third-ranked alpha. That's why appa always gave her what she wants," Jungkook sighed, draining the rest of the wine from his glass, so I did the same and emptied my bottle. Why's our life so miserable? It's so complicated and twisted. Oh god... my head's heavy... I'm drunk...

"He must've loved your mother a lot. He's doing everything he can to protect you," I chuckled, turning to smile at Jungkook.

"No. He lied to me, Sora. He claims eomma is a very soft and caring person. He said eomma loved me- but little did he know... I remembered what she did to me that night!" Jungkook gritted in anger.

"He must've had his reasons," I whispered, patting his back to comfort him.

"Why was eomma so abusive? What did I do wrong? Wae- wae...? What did I do to deserve her wrath?" Jungkook suddenly sobbed. I glanced at the heavy tears... rolling down his bright red cheeks. All these years... He's been beating himself over his mother's death...?

"There are things we'll never understand, and it's better if left unknown," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him. He leaned forward and sobbed on my shoulder, so I sat quietly... patting his soft brown hair. I can feel him breaking into pieces. How long has he been keeping this to himself?

"Ah... this is embarrassing. I'm very drunk," Jungkook crookedly chuckled, pulling away from me and quickly dabbed away his tears.

"Hey... it's okay to let it out. I'll be here if you need someone to hold on to," I weakly smiled, reaching out to pat his back. Jungkook gulped and slowly turned to look at me with his puffy eyes. There was something about his eyes... but what is it?

"You know... I think I've finally resolved my feelings after struggling to understand it for a while," Jungkook whispered, looking down at my hand as he gently held onto it. Is he drunk? We're both drunk. Whatever is going on... it's either we're half out of our mind, saying things without meaning it or... we're genuinely emptying our feelings. Revealing things we couldn't utter when we're sober.

"I'm glad you did," I smiled at him, but he kept staring at me in silence. Wae? He's really talkative when he's drunk.

"You..." He gulped... averting his eyes away.

"Me? What? Wae?" I asked, tilting my head at him in confusion.

"I..." Jungkook quickly glanced at me but stopped even before he could start. What's wrong with him...?

"I? What? What is it? Are you okay-" I cluelessly asked, trying to catch his eyes but abruptly fell silent when Jungkook suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned forward. His soft lips landed on mine. I froze in my position with eyes wide open in shock. A strange sensation erupted inside my chest... warmth began spreading throughout my entire body. My heart was racing at the speed of light. Jungkook suddenly pressed me against the wooden cupboard and began caressing his lips against mine as I gripped onto his denim jacket in shock.

"You're the reason my heart hurts so bad... but it feels so good," Jungkook whispered, breaking the kiss to stare at me with his pained eyes. His warm and steady breath... brushing softly against my face as I pursed my wet lips. S-Sora- What the fuck-

"Jungkook-"

"Don't worry, we'll forget about tonight when the sun rises," He whispered, cupping my cheeks, then pressed his lips against mine again. I was still taken aback at first... but the warmth kept on blooming inside my chest. What am I feeling?... Sora... What's going on...? Why am I feeling this way?... T-this isn't right- I-... I tried to resist the feeling, but... Why am I yearning for more of it? No matter how hard I tried to suppress the emotions, I couldn't- so I gave in and wrapped my arms around Jungkook's neck as he grazed his lips over mine.

I finally kissed him back. He smiled and pulled me closer to him while running his fingers through my hair. The more he kissed me, the more I craved for it... it was too addictive- I couldn't help but pull him closer to me. The pain inside my chest subsided, and the darkness faded away as he held me in his arms.

Sora... the warmness you're feeling... you've felt it before... it's not a foreign emotion. You failed to acknowledge it because... all you've been feeling was pain. Sora... this is happiness... happiness?

Is it supposed to feel this good...? I can't even recall the last time I felt it.

This is what pain does to a person when one experiences endless rhythms of pain- it kills their soul... so happiness ceases to exist. The scarcity of happiness results in a vast desert of nothing but hollowness within one's soul, and when introduced to a spark of happiness... the soul fails to recognize the bliss of happiness, leaving it confused and lost in the oddly satisfying pleasure. It is no extraordinary guest. It is happiness.

It is the soul that is numb.