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

Chapter 78: Breathless Confessions

He exhales sharply, his voice tight with something between bitterness and regret.

"I thought about how stupid I was for not seeing Joon's pain. His suffering. That realization made it worse. Because it wasn't that he didn't love me-it was that he wouldn't fight for me. That I wasn't enough to be fought for."

His breath wavers, his hands balling into fists. "And I never-" He clenches his jaw.

"I never want to feel that again."

Before I can even think about it, my hand reaches for his, fingers wrapping firmly around his wrist, grounding him in the same way he's done for me countless times.

"You are." My voice is steady, firm.

"You are worthy of everything and more. And Joon knows that. We know that. And you will never feel like that again. Not now. Not ever. Because you have us."

Hyung's eyes lift to mine, raw and searching, and I tighten my grip.

"Joon isn't the same person he was back then. He's stronger now, tougher, and he loves you more than anything. We all see that. And now, with us-"

My chest tightens, but my voice doesn't waver.

"We're stronger together. Tougher together. There will be no challenge, no hurdle, no Kim Corporation, no Kim Seungjae big enough to stop us. To stop this."

A beat of silence.

Then, before I can stop myself, I quip, "Your father is an ass."

Jin hyung lets out a startled laugh, head tilting back as something-some of that weight-finally eases from his shoulders.

He nods, lips twitching. "He really is."

But there's something in his eyes now, something warm despite the emotions still swirling within them.

I squeeze his hand.

"Hyung, you are one of the strongest people I know. And not just because of this." I gesture vaguely between us, between him and Namjoon's past.

"But because of everything." My throat tightens as the words push their way out.

"Tae's case. The way you've fought for him, for us, for the people you love. And you forgiving namjoon. You never give up on love."

I swallow past the lump forming in my throat.

"Even after everything, you still choose it."

Hyung's breath catches. His fingers tighten around mine.

I look at him, really look at him. His broad shoulders, his steady hands, the warmth in his eyes despite everything he's endured.

And in that moment, I know-he's heard me. He's felt it.

And even if the scars of the past still linger, I'll spend the rest of my life making sure he never doubts his worth again.

"I admire you, hyung." My voice is steady, even as my pulse pounds in my ears.

"Not just for your strength but for your heart. For the way you love. And that..." I take a deep breath. "That's why I fell for you."

His lips part slightly, his expression shifting into something unreadable.

I hold his gaze. "And every single day, I just keep falling more and more."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy and weightless all at once.

Jin hyung's eyes flicker with something deep, something I can't quite name.

Then, softly, he speaks.