The Silent Vows | VSOO (18+)

The air inside the safe house feels heavy.

Jungkook is gone. The distant sound of his footsteps has long since faded, but his presence lingers—like a ghost we can't shake off.

Jisoo stands frozen near the table, her hands clenched into tight fists, her breathing sharp and uneven. The light from the broken window casts fractured shadows across her face, making her look even paler than she already is.

I step closer, but she doesn't move.

Doesn't blink.

She just stares at the spot where Jungkook stood.

Like she's still trying to understand how it came to this.

The silence is suffocating.

"Jisoo," I murmur.

Her head snaps up, her eyes locking onto mine. They're unreadable. Cold. Detached.

For the first time, I can't tell what she's thinking.

"We have to go," I say softly, cautiously. "Minho knows where we are now. We can't—"

"Why didn't I kill him?"

Her voice is barely a whisper.

But the way she says it—it chills me.

I study her face, the tension in her jaw, the way her shoulders are locked like she's holding herself together with sheer willpower.

"You're not a killer, Jisoo."

She laughs softly, but there's no humor in it.

She shakes her head. "I should be."

Her voice is raw, almost bitter. "If I had just—"

I don't let her finish.

I step forward, closing the distance between us.

Her breath catches.

I reach out slowly, carefully, resting my hand against the side of her face.

"You're not him," I remind her.

Her lower lip trembles, but she doesn't look away.

"You're not Minho."

She lets out a shaky breath.

And finally, she breaks.

Her forehead falls against my chest, her fingers fisting into my hoodie.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her together.

Because if I let go, she might fall apart completely.

We don't have much time.

Jisoo pulls away first, her expression hardened once more.

"What's the plan?" she asks.

It takes me a second to adjust to the shift, but I match her energy. "We run."

Jisoo nods. "Where?"

Jungkook's betrayal changes everything.

I exhale sharply, rubbing a hand over my face. "I have one contact left," I admit. "Someone who owes me a favor."

Jisoo watches me carefully. "Who?"

I hesitate.

It's a risk.