Jeongguk has been driving around for an hour. He doesn't even know what he's looking for and if he did, he doubt he would even find anything.
This isn't what he wanted. Things weren't supposed to get this complicated. He never thought it was possible for things to get this complicated.
Not too long ago, he had it easy. As easy as he possibly could have as a businessman. Although it was a brutal cycle and he had to force himself to convince himself that he was happy, it was his life. And he was used to it.
He made so many sacrifices that he can't even pretend to regret. Because most of them were for Jimin. The one thing that he has always been sure about, even when nothing seems to be falling into place. Even when there seems to be nothing to be sure of. Jimin is a constant. Even in his current state of anger and irrationality, he can understand that.
His phone is ringing in the passenger seat but he ignores it. He drives around the city for as long as he can to try and loosen up. But he keeps his eyes open, hoping for some kind of miracle.
He passes the gas station and would have questioned the clerk if it wasn't closed. He ends up driving by the company building when he catches something in the corner of his eyes. The back of a Lamborghini peaking out from an alleyway.
Jeongguk climbs out of his car, closing the door quietly. When he creeps over to the vehicle, he hides behind different objects on his way, trying to keep hidden. The car is black and when he notices the license plate number, his heart drops.
"I told you to hurt them while you were in there, was that too much to ask of you?"
"I'm sorry, Ro-un-ssi. I tried but I couldn't find them and —"
"You had one job and you fucked it up. I don't care about the money. I have more than I need. You failed to complete the main objective while somehow managing to clear out all of the money from the cash register for yourself. Are you seeing the problem here? Useless. You're absolutely useless to me. At this point I should have done it myself."
Jeongguk's heart hammers in his chest. There's absolutely no way his brother is involved in all of this. Not to mention in charge.
He can feel his blood boiling and his anger rippling throughout his body. He should stay back, keep hidden. But he can't. The anger takes over him and he hurls himself out of place, walking toward his younger brother.
When Ro-un notices him, even in the night, Jeongguk can see the way he pales like a ghost. But it lasts only a second before he's grinning from ear to ear like some kind of psychopath.
When Jeongguk gets about a foot away, he swings his arm forward and lands a punch against the side of his face, temporarily rattling his balance. Immediately after, the pawn has Jeongguk's arms pinned behind his back. He isn't so much brave but definitely strong.
Ro-un's jaw clenches. He drags his fingers by the corner of his mouth, staring at the blood on his fingertips. He looks up at Jeongguk, chuckling.
"What have you done?" Jeongguk asks breathlessly, fidgeting.
Ro-un begins to pace, fixing his hair. He rounds Jeongguk in circles. "It's called process of elimination. Have you ever heard of it?" he asks.
Jeongguk's jaw twitches. His hair falls over his eyes with each jerk and his anger continues to grow with each passing word leaving his younger brother's mouth.
"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure out what was going on. Your life has never been so shitty. It's always been perfect — you've always been the favourite. I wonder how it all could have started to go down hill and so easily? You see, you kickstarted it. With that irresistible blond who you just couldn't keep your hands off of. I do admit, he is pretty. And while I wanted to fuck him, I didn't actually want him."
Jeongguk spits. "Fuck you."
Ro-un stops in front of Jeongguk, staring into his seething eyes. "I may be crazy, but wouldn't years of negligence and always being second best make you crazy, too? I wanted one thing. Just one thing and you were in the way. You and Soomin."
At the sound of his older sister's name, rather than Jeongguk breaking into a destructive rage, he softens. He remembers her funeral and how much of an impact she had on him. How she was there for him when it seemed like he had nobody else to confide in. His eyes start to water and he tries to blink them away but he's tired of fighting. He's exhausted. His legs give out beneath him and he stumbles to the ground.
Ro-un crouches down in front of him, gripping him by his jaw so that they're looking each other in the eyes. "It's over for you. Everything. Now you'll know what it's like."
"You gonna kill me next?" Jeongguk questions.
"That would be too easy," Ro-un replies, twisting Jeongguk's head from left to right. "You're going to confess. Because if you don't, this time, Jimin is going to get seriously hurt."
Jeongguk glares at him, opening his mouth to spit in his face. "How about I bring the dirt I just collected on you straight to the station instead? After all, I did just get a ten minute confessional."
Ro-un stands, looking at the man who has Jeongguk restrained. "Hold him. Tight."
Jeongguk's smile is wiped off of his face as soon as his younger brother's fist collides with his cheek. His head is wrenched and he spits blood onto the ground.
He hits him again. And again and again until he's on the ground, dazed. Jeongguk is on his back, seeing triples of everything when suddenly, he hears an all too familiar and soft voice calling out to him. It's competing with the sound of the Lamborghini engine but not for long as it's soon heard only in the distance.
There are small hands cradling him almost immediately, brushing the hair out of his eyes. Jimin is looking over his body frantically. "What were you thinking?" he whispers.
Jeongguk coughs, lips bloodied. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "Take this to the police station."
"What, why?" Jimin asks. "Who was that?"
"It was Ro-un. He did it. He did everything."
-
Jimin is standing at the front desk of the police station, shaking. He doesn't know why Jeongguk had given him his phone, he wanted to stay back but Namjoon had also insisted he go. He can only assume that they're going after Ro-un.
"Jimin?" the officer asks.
He looks at her. "Jeongguk Hyung told me to bring this to the station. He said it was Ro-un. His younger brother is responsible for everything," he replies, handing her the phone.
She takes it, turning to the phone. All of the sudden a voice recording starts to play. Jeongguk must have been taping the whole thing which is why he didn't fight back.
He listens to Ro-un's intentions, petrified. He was by no means perfect, but Jimin didn't think it would be possible for him to stoop so low. Him being behind the break in at the gas station. And his own sister?
"Jimin?" she questions, but he can hardly hear her. And in fact, he starts to get dizzy.
She rounds the corner, holding his arm, guiding him to one of the chairs. "Are you okay?"
Jimin digs the heels of his palms into his eyes. "That's a loaded question," he whispers.
"Do you know where he is?" she asks.
Jimin shakes his head. "They were by the Jeon business building but I'm sure they're gone by now. I don't know where they would be."
"Okay, sit tight. I'm gonna show this to the Commissioner General and we'll have our unit out there as soon as possible, okay?" she says.
"Please hurry," Jimin murmurs, watching her back as she paces down the hall.
Jimin starts to think about anything that could have pointed to his misconduct, but continues to draw a blank. He was always a handful and disrespectful, but nothing ever jumped out at him that would be convincing enough of him to commit such crimes. He can't be the only person involved in all of this. It takes a lot more than one individual to execute a felony and the thought that they're out there somewhere, existing in the world like a normal person without anyone having a clue makes him sick to his stomach.
Sick enough that he feels like his insides are being squished. The lady at the front desk is sitting next to him once again, but if she's speaking, he can't hear anything. It's all white noise.
-
"Come on, Gguk, get up," Namjoon urges him softly, helping him onto his feet.
"Fuck, how could I have overlooked my own brother?" Jeongguk grunts, slinging his arm around Namjoon's shoulder.
Namjoon keeps his grip around Jeongguk's torso, helping him to his car where Taehyung awaits.
"He's your brother. He shouldn't even have to be someone you need to question. But as fucked up as it is, Gguk, a lot more crimes happen to people by someone they know," Namjoon replies, helping him into the passenger seat.
"Take me to my own car — "
"Absolutely not, you aren't driving. I'm taking you to the station and I'm going to call the police on the way there. We need to get you looked at. They can take care of him." Namjoon buckles Jeongguk into place, closing the door.
He climbs into the driver's seat, looking over his shoulder at Taehyung who gives a soft little nod in return.
"We have to go after him, Namjoon. I can't just sit here while he runs off to God knows where. He has the money. He clearly has the resources. He could be on his way to the airport right now. All it takes is a phone call and he'd have the flight to another country," Jeongguk gripes.
Namjoon shoves a bottle of medication into Jeongguk's chest, pointing to a bottle of water in one of the drink holders before he starts the car, hitting the road.
Jeongguk does so, downing all of the water in the bottle. He turns his phone on and sends Jimin a message while Taehyung phones the police from the back, explaining what happened and providing them with a plate number.
It isn't before long that they make it to the police station. Jimin immediately runs up to Jeongguk and embraces him, looking over his injuries with melancholy on his face.
"We have a unit of officers dispatched. We found his car with the plate number you provided. We're going to catch him," the woman says.
Jimin holds Jeongguk's face gently. "This is going to be over soon."
Jeongguk places one of his hands over top of Jimin's. "And yet I feel no closure. All this time, he was right under our noses and I had no idea. I feel so stupid."
"You couldn't have known," Jimin murmurs, a frown surfacing. "No one could have known. I didn't know. Nobody knew."
"But he's my brother," Jeongguk replies and his voice shakes.
Jimin can feel his own heart crack when he sees how distraught Jeongguk is. He can't imagine how he must be feeling right now.
"People only show us and tell us what they want us to know. We can think that we know them so well and sometimes, despite how well we think we know them, they can be complete strangers. There's nothing you can do to change that. You can't fix what you don't know. You can't fix everything, Hyung. And it isn't your job to," Jimin says quietly, grazing his cheek.
"So go easy on yourself. They'll catch him. You'll get your closure and soon, everything will be okay. Not perfect, but okay."