Tangeled in shadows | Min Yoongi

The room seemed to close in around Yoona as she faced Hyejin, memories flashing before her eyes. Her grip on the gun tightened, but her mind was already reeling, unable to shake the ghosts of a past she had tried to bury long ago.

Years ago, before the bloodshed, before the rivalries became deadly, Yoona had once known Park Jimin-Hyejin's older brother. Back then, her life hadn't yet been consumed by the darkness of gang wars. She had been young, hopeful, and Jimin had been someone she could confide in.

She remembered those summer nights in the city, when she and Jimin would escape their families' lives, sneaking away from the shadows that loomed over them both. For a few fleeting moments, they could forget the families they came from-the secrets, the violence, the bitter loyalties that would one day split them apart. Jimin had a warmth about him, a quiet rebellion against the blood he was born into. And he had brought a light into Yoona's life that had seemed impossible in her world.

But the peace never lasted. The escalating rivalry between their families soon forced them apart. Jimin tried to keep in touch, but the danger only grew, and eventually, even their secret friendship became too risky. The last time she'd seen him, Jimin had promised her they'd find a way to change things.

Then, he was gone. News of his death had reached Yoona only through rumors, whispers in the streets, with no closure and no reason, just the brutal reality of his loss. No explanations. No goodbyes.

And now here she was, standing in front of his sister, Park Hyejin, a cold fury in her eyes, a stranger to the brother Yoona had once loved as family.

Hyejin's smirk faded as she watched Yoona's eyes, noticing the flicker of memory that softened her hardened expression. "You remember him, don't you?" Hyejin asked, her voice barely above a whisper, taunting yet tinged with something that almost sounded like sorrow.

Yoona swallowed hard, her mind racing. "You don't get to talk about Jimin," she said, her voice breaking slightly as she steadied her gun. "He didn't want any of this. You know that."

"Did he?" Hyejin scoffed, taking a step closer. Her men shifted, glancing at each other uneasily but holding their positions. "He was always too soft. You were too soft. I'm the one who saw the truth. And I'm the one left to protect what he couldn't."

Yoona shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "Is that what you call this? Protecting his memory by tearing down everyone in your way?" She glanced around the room, her heart pounding. "He wanted something better than this, Hyejin. He saw a way out."

"There is no way out," Hyejin replied, her voice cold and resolute. "Jimin was foolish to think he could change anything. All his ideals did was get him killed. You of all people should know that."

Yoona felt a sharp pain twist in her chest, her memories of Jimin mixing with the bitter reality in front of her. "No," she said softly, feeling her strength return. "He died because people like you are willing to let hate consume everything. But it doesn't have to be that way."

Hyejin's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and grief. "You know nothing, Yoona," she spat, her voice trembling. "He was my brother. He was supposed to be the one who led us. And when he was gone, everything fell apart. I had to become what he wouldn't. What he couldn't. I didn't have a choice."

Yoona lowered her gun slightly, caught off guard by the raw emotion in Hyejin's voice. For the first time, she saw not just a rival but a sister grieving a brother she had idolized, someone who had been forced to bear the weight of a legacy she never wanted.

"You did have a choice, Hyejin," Yoona replied, her tone softer, almost pleading. "We both did. But you let them turn you into this. You became exactly what he was fighting against."