Closer Than This...(vsoo)

45.

She clutched her hands in her lap, her mind replaying the moment Taehyung’s voice had sliced through the air, sharper than she had ever experienced from him.

Beside her, Taehyung gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. His jaw was tight, his mind churning with thoughts he couldn’t quite organize. The tension in the car was suffocating, and for the first time in months, neither of them knew how to bridge the growing gap.

Finally, Taehyung broke the silence, his voice low and cautious. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you.”

Jisoo turned her head slightly, catching his side profile as he focused on the road ahead. His apology sounded genuine, but the tightness in his tone revealed how much he was still holding back.

“I know,” she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I didn’t mean to upset you or your mother.”

Taehyung exhaled sharply, his grip on the wheel loosening slightly. “It’s not that you upset me, Jisoo. It’s just... you don’t understand what it’s like. That part of my life, of our family’s history, it’s... it’s complicated.”

Jisoo hesitated before responding, her gaze dropping to her hands. “Maybe I don’t understand, but I want to. I want to know the things that make you who you are, Taehyung. Even the difficult parts.”

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, he didn’t respond. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost vulnerable. “Some things are better left in the past. Asking my mother about my father... it’s a wound she doesn’t need reopened.”

Jisoo nodded, her chest tightening. “I wasn’t trying to hurt her...or you. I just thought... maybe it would help to talk about it. To share it with someone.”

Taehyung glanced at her briefly, his eyes softening as he saw the hurt in her expression. He pulled the car into a quiet side street and parked, turning to face her fully.

“You mean well, Jisoo,” he said, his voice steady but laced with emotion. “I know that. But you have to understand... everything we lost, everything my mother and I went through, it was because of him. At least... that’s what I was told my entire life.”

Jisoo looked up at him, her heart aching at the pain etched into his features. “But don’t you ever wonder if there’s more to the story? If there’s something you don’t know?”

Taehyung’s jaw tightened, and he leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve wondered,” he admitted reluctantly. “But what good would it do to dig it all up now? It won’t change what happened. It won’t bring back what we lost.”

“But it might bring you peace,” Jisoo said gently, her hand reaching out to touch his arm.

Once again they left for there apartment, the silence was long and awkward. No one was speaking.

Jisoo kept glancing at him while taehyung kept clenched his jaw, anger and frustration not once cooling down.

The car was parked again, but neither Taehyung nor Jisoo made a move to leave. The air between them was thick, saturated with the weight of the conversation they had just shared. Jisoo, feeling the pull of her curiosity and concern for Taehyung, finally broke the silence again.

“Taehyung, I know you want to protect your family, but don’t you ever want to understand more? I mean, what happened to your father?” Her words hung in the air, almost tentative, as if testing the waters.

Taehyung clenched his jaw, his gaze hardening as the question echoed in the car. “Not this again,” he muttered, his voice tight. “I told you before, Jisoo. My father was the reason Hyung’s fell apart. His greed, his mistakes, the way he destroyed everything...” His voice trailed off, the bitterness coating his words.

Jisoo’s heart ached seeing the rigidity in his posture, the way his body tensed up. She didn’t want to press him too far, but her mind was racing with the puzzle pieces that seemed to be missing.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story...something that Taehyung and his mother had yet to face.

“Taehyung,” she began, her tone softer this time, more pleading. “I am not trying to accuse anyone, and I am not trying to upset you. But if your father was truly responsible for all that pain, don’t you think your mother deserves to know the whole truth? Don’t you think you deserve to know too?”

He let out a deep breath, rubbing his face with his hand in frustration. “You don’t understand. My mother... she’s always seen him as a villain. She’s never questioned it. She refuses to believe anything else, and every time I bring it up, it just brings more hurt. More pain.” His eyes darkened, as if the very thought of his mother’s grief was unbearable.

Jisoo reached out, her hand gently touching his arm again, offering him the comfort he so often denied himself. “But what if there’s more to it? What if your father was... framed? Or manipulated?” She paused, watching his reaction closely, knowing that her words carried weight. “What if it wasn’t all his fault?”

Taehyung stiffened at her words, and for a long moment, he remained silent, the words swirling in his mind. Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet but with an edge. “I’ve always believed it. I’ve been taught to believe it. It’s hard to accept that maybe I’ve been wrong.”

Jisoo didn’t back down. “But maybe now’s the time to look for the truth, Taehyung. Maybe now, after everything that’s happened, you can start looking at the past with fresh eyes. If there’s a chance to clear his name... to get closure for your family... wouldn’t you want to take it?”

Taehyung turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze, and for the first time that evening, something softened in his eyes. “I don’t know if I am ready for that,” he admitted. “It’s easier to hold onto the anger, Jisoo. It’s safer.”

Jisoo squeezed his arm, her voice tender but resolute. “I understand. But just remember, holding onto anger... it’s like carrying a weight that never goes away. Maybe finding the truth won’t change everything, but at least it’ll give you peace. You deserve that, Taehyung.”

The silence between them stretched again, but this time it wasn’t as heavy. It wasn’t the cold, oppressive silence of before. It was more like a space filled with understanding and unspoken words.

Finally, Taehyung let out a slow breath, as though the weight of their conversation had finally begun to settle in. “Maybe you’re right,” he said softly, his gaze returning to the road ahead. “But... I can’t promise anything. Not yet.”

Jisoo smiled gently, offering him the reassurance he needed. “I am not asking for promises, Taehyung. Just... the willingness to consider the truth when you’re ready.”

He nodded slowly, his hand reaching out to grasp hers for a brief moment, as if to offer his silent thanks. They sat in the car, the night stretching ahead of them, but for once, it didn’t feel like an obstacle. It felt like a new beginning...one step closer to unraveling the mysteries that had haunted his family for so long.

As the conversation came to a close, Jisoo let the subject drop, allowing Taehyung the space he needed to process. But the seed of curiosity had been planted. She knew, deep down, that Taehyung’s journey toward the truth was inevitable.

And when that day came, she hoped he would be ready to face it, no matter how painful the revelation might be.

Until then she will just watch and make sure Kim Do-hyun is safe...and so Taehyung.