Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 54: The Countdown || Part 1 ⚠️

But to make sure I won't leave them the way I left him.

I swallow hard, my throat burning.
Jin leans forward, voice quieter now, but heavier than ever.

"Tae has been through enough," he says. "More than enough."

I close my eyes, my fists clenching under the table.

"He doesn't deserve someone who's going to hesitate," Jin continues, unrelenting. "Someone who's going to pull away the moment things get complicated."

I flinch.

Because I know what he's really saying.
I know who he's really talking about.

Jin exhales, rubbing a hand over his face before looking at me again.

"And you," he says, softer now. "I know you. I know you, Joon."

My chest caves in.
Because he does.

Jin's voice lowers. "You care. I know you do."

I bite my lip, trying to breathe through the mess of emotions crashing through me.

But Jin doesn't stop.

"That's why you have to decide now," he tells me. "Before you meet them."

His fingers tighten around his drink, like he's trying to hold himself together.

"Because you can't go halfway on this, Namjoon."

His voice breaks, just slightly, just enough for me to hear the weight behind it.

"You can't be in their lives just enough for them to hope-"
He pauses, exhales sharply.

"-and then leave. Because that? That would be worse than never meeting them at all."

I inhale shakily, my entire world tilting.
Jin watches me, gaze unrelenting.

"You need to commit," he says. "Because they don't deserve to be hurt the way you hurt me."

The air thickens.

The past and present collide, smashing into each other so hard I can't separate them anymore.

Jin's words hang between us, raw and open and aching.

I feel everything.

The pain. The fear. The understanding.

And the truth-the one thing I can't deny, no matter how much I wish I could.

Jin isn't just talking about Taehyung, Y/N, and Yoongi.

He's talking about us.
He's talking about what I did to him.

I let out a shaky breath, my fingers pressing hard into my thighs.

And then-finally, quietly-

"I won't run."

Jin still doesn't move. Doesn't react.
But something in his eyes shifts.

"Are you sure?" he murmurs.

I nod, throat tight. "I won't run."

Because he's right.
Because they don't deserve that.
Because I won't be that man again.

Jin watches me for a long moment.
Then-slowly, barely noticeable-
He exhales.

And something between us loosens, just a little.

______________________

⚠️Content Warning: This section contains discussions of past abuse, legal proceedings involving trauma, and themes of revenge. Mentions of confinement, neglect, emotional distress, and present threats are included. Reader discretion is advised.