Chapter 40

With Eunwoo

In a small restaurant miles away, two people were watching the live broadcast.

Cha-Young and eunwoo had been laughing moments ago, eating her snacks. The energy of the event had been exciting.

But then—

The screen changed.

Jungkook appeared.

Eunwoo dropped everything in his hands.

He stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor.

“Jungkook?”

His voice was a whisper.

A whisper filled with shock. With worry.

Cha-Young’s eyes widened.

“No way…” eunwoo mumbled.

She looked at Eunwoo, seeing the panic on his face.

Jungkook… who had been hidden for so long…

Jungkook… who wasn’t supposed to be revealed…

He was there.

Exposed to the world.

And from the look in Jungkook’s lifeless eyes—

He wasn’t ready for this.

1 Hour Ago With Jungkook

Jungkook sat alone in his dimly lit room, staring at the live broadcast on his screen. The event was unfolding just as he had feared—glamorous, grand, full of people who had no idea what was about to happen.

His phone buzzed.

A message from Kim Yoonseong.

“Get ready. Wear the suit the guard gives you. Dress neatly. Get in the car with the guards. I don’t want you to disobey. It won’t be good for you, so keep that in mind and get ready fast. You are going to be at the event.”

Jungkook’s breath hitched. His fingers trembled as he held the phone.

“No… No, no, no…”

He felt the air leave his lungs.

His vision blurred.

His chest tightened.

This can’t be happening.

Not today.

Not when he was already sick, weak, and barely able to stand.

Jungkook’s forehead burned with fever, his body aching from exhaustion.

He had spent the past few years locked away, hidden, just as he always had been.

And now—Kim was about to change everything.

“A-Ani… I don’t want to be there. Why the fuck is he doing this?” His voice cracked, filled with fear and frustration.

He knew what would happen if he was revealed to the world.

He knew the moment his face was exposed, there would be no turning back.

His enemies would find him.

His past would choke him.

His family… they would hate him for being exposed like this.

The sound of the door unlocking made Jungkook flinch. His breathing turned shallow.

A guard entered, placing a neatly packed bag on the table.

“Get ready soon, sir.” The guard’s voice was emotionless. He left as quickly as he had entered.

Jungkook stood frozen. His eyes burned, but no tears fell.

He was too tired to cry.

Too broken to fight.

The door opened again.

It was the nurse.

She looked hesitant, her gaze filled with silent concern. “Sir, the guard asked me to remove the IV. Shall I?”

Jungkook nodded.

She gently pulled the needle from his skin, but Jungkook didn’t even flinch.

No reaction. No emotion.

Nothing.

The nurse hesitated. “Are you okay, sir?”

Jungkook didn’t answer.

She sighed and walked away, but before she left, she whispered, “Take care of yourself.”

Jungkook didn’t respond.

He was too numb.

Jungkook stood under the warm water, his fevered skin burning at the touch. He didn’t feel it.

He was already drowning.

As he dressed in the black suit that Kim had prepared for him, his hands moved like a machine.

His eyes were empty.

His heart felt dead.

He caught his reflection in the mirror.

A puppet.

That’s what he looked like. He thought.

He lifted his hand, staring at the small silver chain around his neck.

A last gift. From his Suho-hyung.

A bitter smile formed on his lips.

“Hyungie… He’s going to reveal me. Won’t you come today?” His voice was soft, broken.

He swallowed hard, his vision blurring. “Eomma isn’t here. Noona isn’t here. I’m scared. Please… someone come. I don’t want to go.”

A single tear slipped down his cheek.

But there was no one to wipe it away.

Jungkook sighed and wiped his face roughly.

“It’s okay… Whatever happens, I will bear it. I will be strong.” He whispered, staring into his own lifeless eyes.

His hands clenched.

“If fate has written that I will die because of this… then let it be.”

He let out a bitter chuckle. “I deserve it anyway.”

The car ride felt like a funeral procession.

Jungkook sat in silence, staring out of the window, watching the city.

When they reached the event, Kim was already waiting.

The door opened.

Jungkook took a deep breath and stepped out.

Kim approached him with a triumphant smile, adjusting Jungkook’s tie as if he was a doll.

“Jungkook, I don’t want any misbehavior. I am going to reveal you today.” Kim’s voice was calm, but there was no room for defiance.

Jungkook stared at him.

Those words were final.

The sentence had been passed.

And Jungkook was the one being sacrificed.

Kim gave him a small pat on the shoulder, forcing a smile. “Have a smile and introduce yourself on stage.”

Jungkook’s lips parted. He looked up at the man who had controlled his life for so long.

The man who had just thrown him into the fire without a second thought.

His heart shattered.

“I’ll do it.”

His voice was empty.

Kim smiled.

And then, he took Jungkook’s hand.

Tightly.

Possessively.

Like he owned him.

Jungkook didn’t hold back.

He didn’t return the grip.

He simply let himself be led forwar

Like a prisoner being taken to execution.

Back at the event

Jungkook’s fingers tightened around Kim Yoonseong’s hand as he was pulled onto the stage. His body felt weak, trembling. The flashing cameras were blinding, and the noise of the crowd was deafening. His breathing became uneven—shallow, quick, suffocating.

Every step toward the center of the stage felt like a step closer to his doom.

The gasps from the crowd.

The murmurs.

The betrayed stares from his brothers and Haein.

He could feel it all.

Jin clenched his fists, his jaw tightening in anger. His entire body trembled with fury as he watched Jungkook being paraded like a trophy.

Yoongi looked ready to tear Kim apart. His hands were shaking in rage, his eyes locked onto the man standing beside Jungkook.

Namjoon and Hoseok weren’t any different. They were worried, shocked, scared and angry.

Jimin and Taehyung sat frozen, unable to process the betrayal.

Hyunwoo’s gaze burned with undeniable hatred. His voice was low, almost a whisper.

“You’re going to regret this, hyung.”

Kim Yoonseong finally stopped at the center of the stage, facing the cameras. Jungkook forced a smile. But it was clear—to everyone—that he was barely holding himself together.

Haein’s hands balled into fists. She could see right through it.

Kim took the mic, his voice booming with pride.

“And here he is—THE YOUNGEST KIM! KIM JUNGKOOK!”

A wave of cheers erupted, but to Jungkook, it felt like he was being drowned. The cameras flashed aggressively, capturing every inch of his face, every twitch of discomfort, every drop of fear in his eyes.

Jungkook bowed deeply, trying to steady his shaking hands.

He couldn’t show weakness.

Not now.

Kim handed him the microphone. Jungkook’s hands were cold as he took it. He forced a smile—small, strained, painful.

He spoke, his voice steady despite the chaos inside him.

“Good evening, everyone. I am Kim Jungkook. I am 19 years old. I am the youngest Kim, and… nice to meet you all.”

As soon as he finished, he passed the mic back to Kim, not wanting to hold it any longer.

Kim beamed with satisfaction, turning back to the audience.

“Yes, my son! The revelation of my youngest son was the big secret I mentioned earlier!”

The cameras went wild. Reporters scribbled notes, people gasped, the audience murmured in excitement.

Jungkook felt suffocated.

His breaths were uneven, his vision blurred.

Jin noticed immediately.

Without a second thought, Jin stepped forward and grabbed Jungkook’s hand.

“You’ll be fine… Don’t worry. I’m here. Just take deep breaths. I’m here, Jungkook. Don’t be scared.”

His voice was calm, he whispered, steady, full of reassurance.

Jungkook nodded slowly. His grip on Jin’s hand tightened.

Jin held on tighter.

“I’ve got you, okay?”

Jungkook nodded again, trying to believe it.

Kim continued speaking, boasting about Jungkook’s achievements, calling him the next great businessman of the Kim family.

But Jungkook hated every second of it.

His body stiffened.

His breathing turned ragged.

He was being stripped of his own identity—reduced to a trophy, a tool, a business plan.

Haein saw it.

Jin saw it.

And none of them could stop it.

Jin suddenly felt Jungkook’s hand shaking violently. Without thinking, Jin moved—blocking Jungkook from the crowd.

Jungkook didn’t hesitate—he hid behind Jin’s broad shoulders.

The moment he did, Jin felt his heart break.

His baby brother—his Jungkook—was terrified.

Jin gently whispered, “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Jungkook took deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

The speech finally ended, and Kim settled into his chair like a king.

“Now, if the media has any questions, you may ask.”

Jin didn’t let go of Jungkook’s hand. Instead, he guided him toward the seats, placing him between himself and Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo immediately handed Jungkook a glass of water.

“Here, Kookie. Drink some water.”

Jungkook took it with trembling hands and drank slowly.

“You okay now?” Hyunwoo asked, his voice gentle.

Jungkook didn’t answer.

Jin’s hand tightened around Jungkook’s.

“I’m here. Don’t be stressed.”

Jungkook said nothing.

He simply focused on breathing.

And for now—that was enough.

When the interviewer started asking questions, one of them asked, “Mr. Kim Yoonseong, how do you feel about being the biggest businessman in the world?”

Kim answered confidently.

Another interviewer asked sarcastically, “Sir, did you force your sons into this world of business?”

Jin forced a smile, as did the others.

“No, I didn’t. They chose this path themselves, which is why I have always allowed them to follow their dreams. Taehyung and Jimin are chasing their dreams. Hoseok is a psychiatrist as he wished. I never forced anyone,” Kim replied.

The room fell silent as the brothers exchanged betrayed glances.

Jungkook clenched his fists under the table.

He remembered.

“Appa, I want to be a basketball player. I also want to be a singer. I don’t want to be in business,” he had once told his father.

“No, Jungkook. You will study business. No more discussion,” Kim had replied coldly.

He had argued, fought for his dreams at 16 years old—when Suho and Hyesuk were still alive. But his father had punished him in the most cruel way.

A burning hot steel rod.

Pressed against his leg.

The searing pain.

The scar that never faded.

Jungkook’s fingers trembled as he thought about it. He never forgot.

Jimin and Taehyung, sitting nearby, thought about the struggles they had endured to chase their dreams. If their hyungs—Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Namjoon—hadn’t supported them, they would have been trapped under Kim’s rule too.

Jin’s mind echoed with his own past:

“I want you to be the CEO. No one else. If you refuse, I will go through with my decision—I will push Taehyung and Jimin into the mafia.”

Yoongi remembered how he had once pleaded.

“Uncle, I don’t want to be a CEO. I want to be a music producer. Please.”

But it was useless. He had been forced into the business world.

Namjoon remembered his fight with Kim, trying to protect Hoseok.

“Uncle, I will join the business, but not Hoseok. Let him chase his dream.”

It had taken endless arguments before Kim had finally allowed Hoseok to become a doctor—while Namjoon had no choice but to take on the burden of business.

Hoseok thought about the struggles, the taunts he had endured just to enter the medical field.

Even Haein’s fists clenched as she remembered how she had stood up against Kim.

“Uncle, I’m already studying medicine. How can I quit and join business? I can’t!”

“No way, Haein. You are joining. If you refuse, then forget about Jungkook,” Kim had threatened.

Eunwoo, watching from afar, remembered the cold, demanding voice.

“Eunwoo, you must study business. No arguments. You can be a basketball player too, but you must also be in business.”

Every single one of them had fought, had been pushed, threatened, and broken.

But here Kim sat—smiling, lying, pretending.

The interviewer turned to Jin.

“Jin-ssi, how do you feel about being a successful CEO?”

Jin smiled, his voice calm yet firm.

“The answer is teamwork. I am nothing without my brothers and my workers. I feel grateful for them. Success is never the work of one person—it’s the power of teamwork.”

Several more questions followed until, finally, the interviewer turned to Jungkook.

“Mr. Kim Jungkook, how do you feel about being the youngest Kim? How do you feel today?”

Jungkook took a deep breath, his voice steady despite the storm inside him.

“It feels… overwhelming, but I’ll do my best. That’s all I can say for now.”

Just as he finished, a random media member suddenly shouted:

“Is it true that your mother, Yoona-ssi, died while saving you?”

Jungkook’s breath hitched. His eyes widened.

Confusion filled his face.

“…What?”

Hey guys how was the chapter??

I hope you all like it….

And ill try to upload next chapter asap…

Sorry for the late update. I thought to update yesterday but I slept. Now only I got my phone so I updated ….

Anyway thanks a lot for your comments on the previous chapter… I felt soo happy

26+ commenta for next chapter