present 

55| “Emptying my head.” 

Nina rushed out of the office after a distressing call from Seon. Jungkook saw the desperation in her trembling voice and offered her a ride without asking questions, and Nina was internally grateful, she wasn't inclined to bombard with unanswered questions. Nina looked like she was about to collapse, clutching her pendant and ring tightly in her achy fist as she stared out the car window with hollowness fashioning within her. Despite being seated, she felt unbalanced and anxious, her worries mounting with each breath.

Last night, in the depths of her slumber, Nina felt the gentle whisper of Taehyung's lips on her forehead, his soft apology and the string of ‘i love yous’. But like a phantom, Taehyung vanished by morning, leaving behind only the traces of his touch. Nina finally understood that with Taehyung, he shared things when he was ready, not when he was asked. She could only hope he would be a little more ready to open up to her.

Nina exhaled, trying to quell the rising tide of anxiety that threatened to guzzle her in its hysteria. Yet, like a persistent leaky faucet, Seon's melancholic voice continued to seep into her consciousness, a steady drip of sorrow that she couldn't shake off.

“Nina, I need to ask you a favour, but please, don't panic, okay? It's about Taehyung... He's in a really bad place right now.” The pause that followed felt like an eternity, and Nina felt someone was strangling her throat in its vice grip. “Taehyung came home this morning in a bad state, he was lost. He's... he's falling apart, and I don't know how to calm him down. He's pushing me away, and it's scaring me. I texted you an address; please, you have to come here. Taehyung needs you.”

Throughout the ride, Nina's fingers flew across her phone's keypad, dialling Taehyung's number with a growing sense of desperation. Each unanswered call felt like a punch was slamming the insides of her flesh and bones as her hands went clammy around her phone. Was he okay? The question echoed in her mind like a mantra. She needed Taehyung to be okay, needed to see him whole and unbroken. The memory of that fateful night flashed before her eyes— Taehyung standing at her doorstep, his body battered and bruised, blood seeping from his wounds. No, God, please no. Nina's mind recoiled at the thought of him hurt again. 

As the car finally came to a halt, the engine's silence was a welcome reprieve, because Nina's patience was thoroughly hanging by a thread. Jungkook's silence was equally unsettling as his stress was palpable, a tangible force had filled the constricted space within her. It was good that he didn't try to comfort her because at the moment, no short-lived words would work. She craved the soothing alleviation that only Taehyung's presence could provide — the smile and the crinkles around his eyes, the serene presence, the reassuring embrace. 

“You aren't coming inside?” Nina turned to Jungkook, her fingers still wrapped around the pendant and the ring like a lifeline. The stone of the ring dug her palm, creating a fake ache, somehow the ring out her mind at ease.

“I think my friend needs you more than me, Nina.” Jungkook said, his voice was low and had a rare warmness.

As Jungkook climbed out of the car, he instinctively opened the door for Nina, stuttering Nina in her place. Nina blinked at him. Despite being her boss, Jungkook never wavered in showing respect and kindness towards her. To Jungkook, Nina was more than just his assistant —  she was the best friend of the love of his life. And the future wife of his best friend. In Jungkook's eyes, Nina was already a family. 

“You don't have to open the door for me, sir.” Nina smiled lightly and stepped out of the car.

“You are a member of our tight-knit circle, no need for formalities.” Jungkook’s expression didn't shift, it was like usual, blank and stoic.

“I asked Aunt Seon, and she told me Taehyung is going through a tough time. She also said you’re the only one who can ease him.” Nina studied Jungkook, her Grim Reaper boss, with newfound curiosity. He looked every bit the same— sleek hair, impeccable suit, luxurious watch, and an aura of shrewdness that demanded attention. Yet, something was different. His gestures, his demeanour, had softened, much like when he gazed at Talia with quiet adoration.

“I'll see him soon.” Nina offered him a nod in response. “And I should leave before that idiot finds out I'm here 'chatting' with you. He'll start plotting my demise, thinking I'm distracting you from his crisis.” He attempted to inject some humour into the tense moment and Nina's lips curled up for a smile.

“He won't…” Nina’s eyes dilated as her ears heated. “He is just a little possessive.” No lies there.

“He is bloodthirsty when it comes to you.” Jungkook's tone was undoubtedly teasing and he jutted his chin at the entrance of the door. “Go, he needs you.” 

Nina's feet seemed to move of their own accord, carrying her towards the grand entrance of the imposing mansion that dominated the landscape. She found herself standing before a door she didn't recognize. A shiver ran down her spine as a buzzing sensation prickled her fingertips, urging her to knock. With two tentative raps, the door creaked open, and Seon's chiselled features filled the frame. Her tired gaze locked onto hers, making her heart skip a dangerous beat.

“Nina, you're finally here.” Seon exclaimed, enveloping Nina in her warm embrace. Without hesitation, Nina reciprocated the gesture, feeling a deep sense of belonging. Seon was always like this with Nina, making her feel loved and adored and treating her like her daughter .Even when societal boundaries and her status as a maid's niece could have created detachment, Seon's kindness and compassion had bridged the gap. 

“Where is Tae? Is he alright?” Nina's gaze scanned the room, searching to trace his presence, but found only the lavish interiors gracing the space. Now that Nina pulled away from the hug, she could see Seon's eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying. The fear lurched in her chest with unbounded anticipation.

“He’s upstairs and refusing to come out.” Seon tangled her fingers, her voice laced with concern. “I tried to talk to him, but he has completely shut himself. He said he needs space and doesn't want to burden anyone with his problems.” Seon took a step forward, but winced when found Nina was still standing in the middle of the room. A frown travelled at Nina’s face and the fright spreaded all over her body like a fire in the woods. 

“What actually happened to him?” Nina asked, her desperate gaze wandering through the sleek, modern wood and glass interior. The sumptuous beauty of the space echoed with a whip of desolation that Nina couldn't swallow. 

The disturbing fear that she had been battling in the back of her head had finally erupted on the surface, leaving her strength frazzled and dilapidated in their wake.

Seon’s unnerving silence pinched Nina, and it anguished her even more after knowing that her Taehyung was behind some of the doors upstairs, distressed and alone like some feral animal, its wild heart beating in the grimy melancholy enclosing him.

“If I tell you what he's actually going through, he will see it as a betrayal, but it's suffocating to see him suffering. Right now I'm desperate to free him from the shackles of his past, to free him from the ghost that haunts him.” Seon exhaled, her pain was raw and exposed. Her eyes brimming with tears as they walked to the couch. 

They settled in while facing each other and for a beat Nina withstood the urge to look away. Because, it was hard to watch the crippling anxiety, harsh defeat and overloaded sadness in Seon’s expression. Nina noticed the black file on the table, and Seon was hesitantly tracing the surface with her fingers, clearly contemplating a decision.

“I heard everything last night. I don't know the details but I know that he lost his family because of Hyeon.” Nina grabbed Seon’s hand, her gaze frantically bouncing at the file and then Seon's glossy eyes. 

“Hyeon Kim is a selfish and rotten bastard to the core. He was furious when Taehyung's mother got pregnant with their second child, a baby girl — a secret he couldn't bear to keep anymore. The marriage was already a burden for him. His father never approved of Nabi, and Hyeon's interest in her was just a fleeting infatuation. Soon, he made a decision to get rid of them. But, he kept Taehyung, his male heir by his side, but discarded the rest. My own inability to give him a child made me useless for him too." Nina's fist clenched around her chain, the ring digging into her skin as her emotions boiled over.

“My Taehyung was consumed by his past, refusing to acknowledge the pain because he despised being weak, vulnerable. And,I see it, the weight of his sorrow growing heavier with each passing day.” Seon's voice trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself, her chest rising and falling with a shaky breath, as if trying to hold herself together from scattering into pieces.

“He improved with time, or so it seemed.” Seon's voice was laced with softness and a splash of sadness. “The nightmares stopped, and Taehyung assured me he was doing fine, that he no longer needed therapy. I believed him, I really did.” Nina's eyes locked onto Seon's, her throat constricting as she swallowed hard, as if the words had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“He was going to therapy?” The raging storm in her guts buzzed with negative energy and Seon’s eyes grew even sadder if that was possible.

“Yes, since he was 13. He has been living a lie since he was a kid. Hyeon deceived him, lied to him that Nabi was dead. When in reality, she was counting her days in a mental asylum, her mind was damaged by his cruelty. The separation and grief of losing his mother and sister, coupled with Hyeon's abuse, drove Taehyung to such a point where he was forced to seek help.” With every revelation, Nina was having a hard time gathering breath into her lungs.

“He was 15, and I could still see him suffering. Unfortunately, the therapies weren't working, and Taehyung was trapped in a pattern of fear and anger. He was terrified to sleep, and when he couldn't, his anger would just burst out. He had a volatile temper. He was impatient and jittery, and sometimes I feared he'd wreck into pieces or destroy everything around him. His stares were unsettling too — he’d gaze into space for too long, and it scared me. It wasn't normal and even Hyeon noticed it.” Seon clenched her eyes shut and Nina placed her hand on her shoulder. 

“Yet, despite his struggles, Taehyung was an incredibly smart kid. He knew how to mask his pain, his resentment towards the world, and that man.” Seon spat out the words, her disdain unshakeable.

“You couldn't tell if he was the same boy who walked into the hallway with a bright smile, joking with his friends and laughing with his mother. His facade was convincing… you couldn't guess if he was depressed or hell-bent on self-destruction. And I thought, maybe, my Taehyung was finally okay. I started seeing happiness in him; he began smiling genuinely, and it was infectious. He was happy, and then I discovered the reason.” Seon darted a faint smile at Nina. “It was you. You captivated him, distracted him from the horrible memories, and made him feel alive again.” The reality of Taehyung was like scalding water splashing on Nina's face, her heart was punching against her ribcage in a fierce, aching rhythm.

“Then he was out of control the night you left him.” Nina felt her breaths abandoning her for a beat and lower lip wobbled.

“I sent Taehyung to a therapist again, and sometimes I gave him sleeping pills just so he could sleep without waking up screaming. His condition was so bad that he began hallucinating Aiya. I just... You didn't see his face, Nina. It was... blank. He was just a shell, breathing but not actually living. My heart still breaks thinking about it.” Seon shook her head, her strong expression cracked on the surface as she recalled the memory. “I never want to see him like that again. I don't want him to go to those dark places again. He’s always been good at hiding his true feelings, but this was different. This was... gut-wrenching."

“Was it because of me? Because I left? Oh my god, my Taehyung was suffering because of me.” A horrifying mumble left her parted lips. The thought alone made Nina’s stomach turn with guilt and nausea. If the answer was yes, she knew she’d never be able to forgive herself. 

“Don't blame yourself.” Seon grabbed Nina’s hand, the warmth melted Nina’s cold self-blaming suffocation. 

“You aren't the reason behind his trauma, but when you left, it triggered a vulnerable part inside him. He couldn’t calm down, couldn’t find ease. He read all the books you left behind, even the ones you didn't finish. He’d sit in the gym for hours, watching the spot where you used to dance. He spent half of his time in your bedroom, and the cycle continued until it became unhealthy, until he couldn’t take it. But I knew nothing could stop him, because Taehyung missed you, Nina—  he missed his red, so much.” Seon's smile was sad, and it made Nina want to bawl her eyes, slam her fist into her chest that couldn't stop aching.

“Taehyung is going through a really tough time, and it’s all my fault.” Seon exhaled in distress and handed her the file, which Nina opened with trepidation. Her eyes broadened as she saw Aiya’s death certificate, the cause of death listed as drowning. 

“But Aiya ran away, Hyeon said it himself.” Nina stared at the certificate and then looked at Seon who was silent. The words from her came flooding back like a drastic wave; “He’s been living a lie since he was 13…” Nina's mind reeled as she connected the dots. She felt a wave of qualms wash over her as she shut the file and dropped it on the table.

“He kidnapped Nabi and brutally murdered Aiya in the backyard pool. He killed Aiya in front of her mother. Hyeon told me all of this the day he brought Taehyung to our house and threatened if I dare to say anything he would do the same to me and Taehyung. So, I decided to stay quiet.”
Nina cupped her mouth, feeling the bile rising to her throat. She was going to puke all over the carpeted floor and might not even stop until she passed out. 

“All this time, I knew the truth. But I hid it to protect Taehyung from the pain. But now, that monster has sent him this… this fucking proof of his inhumanity, and my worst fears have come true. Taehyung is spiralling out of control, and I'm the reason. All these years, I allowed him to believe the lie but all I wanted was to protect my son.” Seon’s sobs were the only thing that helped her to stay composed. 

“I should have killed that bastard, I should have.” Seon’s voice was ragged and her whole body was shaking with pent-up rage and guilt. “If only I was strong enough to tell Taehyung everything, this never would have happened, but he was already so broken, I didn't know how to fix it, I just didn't know how to make things right for him.” 

“It’s alright to make difficult choices when you're trying to protect someone you care about.” Nina’s soft voice filtered in the space and Seon closed, lowered her chin. “Aunt Seon, sometimes, It’s okay to mould the truth to shield your loved one from any harm. You wanted to protect Taehyung and that’s not something to be ashamed of.” Nina reached out and brushed a tear falling from Seon’s eyes, meanwhile trying her best not to break down. 

“Oh, Nina.” Seon pulled her in a hug.“I don't want him to hate me.”

“He won't, your son loves you and he understands that you didn't do it out of malice, but out of love.” Nina mumbled, rubbing the comforting palm over Seon’s back.

A few moments later, Nina was standing in front of the door. She rained the door with ceaseless yet patient knocks but got no response. 

“Tae, it's me. Open the door, please.” 
The touch of helplessness that she often used to feel in the past rushed back with sharp claws, sinking its fangs in her tender flesh and shredding her composure — Nina loathed to stand in this helpless position. 

“Please, let me see you, Taehyung.” Nina was familiar with anxiety though the anticipation she was feeling right now was different. It crawled into her mind in an unrelenting way and refuses to leave. Nina straightened when the door creaked open and the first thing she met were those eyes that always chased her in her dreams. 

“You are here.” Taehyung mumbled and the mere sound was so painful, Nina felt her bones rattling against him. 

Taehyung was standing in front of her with a blank face and empty eyes, his chest punching his black t-shirt with every breath he took. His hair was all messy and his face looked tired, like he has been sleeping for a decade, but his eyes were bloodshot, suggesting he had been crying.

“What happened?! Taehyung, what the hell?!” Nina asked, panic frizzled her voice. Her shaking hands clutched his shoulders and in complete horror, she gawked at the blood matting the left side of his head, drops trickling from the strands of his hair and soaking his clothes.

“Taehyung, what did you do?” She peeked through his shoulder, and saw the room was cradled in ruins, an indication of Taehyung's violent turmoil and overflowing rage. Shards of glass, and shattered frames littered the floor. Furniture was overturned, cushions tossed and torn, and curtains ripped, mirroring the chaos that had ravaged Taehyung’s mind. 

The air was charged with the weight of his devastation and then she caught the wall painted with… blood. Taehyung's blood. 

He slammed his head on the wall.

“It’s me...I killed my sister.” Taehyung’s voice was devoid of any emotions and every muscle of his face was stoic as his eyes… those beautiful, golden eyes were a starless sky, as if whatever light was there had been extinguished. 

Nina’s back stiffened, this grievous sight of Taehyung was a punch in the guts that rattled all the breaths out of her. She didn't know how to reach him, how to pull him out of the dark path of the abyss he’d been walking into. He was consumed by a guilt that wasn’t his to bear, a weight that was crushing him, and she didn't know how to lift it.

“Taehyung, no, you didn't.” Nina whispered urgently as she wrapped her arms around him in a comforting, desperate hug. “Please, I can't see you like this. Don't be consumed by a guilt that isn’t yours to carry. You didn’t kill your sister. He did. He’s the one who took her away from you.” She held him closer, her voice breaking with serrated emotion.

Taehyung cupped the back of her head and pulled away, his hot breath scalding her face. 

“Talk to me?” Her voice was unsure as she asked the question. Taehyung fisted the back of her hair and blinked, waking up from some sort of sleep, and for a fleeting moment Nina thought he would push her away.

Then, Taehyung did what he always did. He pulled her inside and shut the door with a thud, his gestures loud and sure. 

“Oh, Tae, why would you hurt yourself like this?” An agonising expression sculpted her face, and tears licked the lower lashes in a desperate hope to break free. 

“Don’t punish yourself for a crime you didn’t commit.” Her back pressed against the door and she tilted her head, staring up at his soulless eyes with pleading ones. Nina reached out, her fingers gently touching the blood smudging his face. Her throat worked for a gulp, as she flicked away the crimson droplets clinging to his blood-matted hair.

“Talk to me, please.” Nina was begging, and her softness was like a finger flicking a light switch in his head, making everything stunningly bright.

Tension lined his entire frame, and the veins around his neck pounded. He was completely still, but that’s not what robbed Nina's breath. The man fisted his hair in a punishing grip with his head bowed, his body in a position of defeat and utter despair. 

“What…” Taehyung’s lips moved. “I thought I was hallucinating again.” He shook his head and his palms came flat on the wood, on either side of her, making a cage of muscles and bones. 

“I’ve been going out of my mind all day. It hurts, it hurts me so much.” Taehyung whispered, his voice cracking as his lower lip quivered uncontrollably. The pain in his eyes was palpable, a deep-seated agony that seemed to pierce through her very soul. 

Nina let the tears flow, her whole body devastated with cracked sobs as she wept over her broken man and his dismantled heart. Nina mourned over his bleak past and the tragedies that carved him into a hollow shell, so abysmally that his armour was fractured and splintered beyond repair. The very essence of her craved to fix the broken parts of his that he had been cradling so long.

Nina wanted to hide this man in her arms so nothing and no one could even lift their fingers to hurt him.

“Baby…” Nina called under her breath and Taehyung clenched his eyes shut. The term of endearment had Taehyung's soul wrenching. He bites down on his lips until the tang of blood hits his tongue.

“I just wanted to empty my head…it was too much. The voices are ugly. They haunted me, they were telling me I’m the reason she is dead, that I killed my baby sister.” Taehyung's voice came out as if something was strangling his throat, his entire body was nothing more than a bunch of skin and bones while he was mutilated apart on the inside.

“Nothing is your fault. Do you hear me?” Nina gripped his arms, fingers digging his skin to keep him grounded.

“I wanna die.” Taehyung unleashed the menacing confession that was draining him from inside and out. “I wanna kill myself to stop the emotions I'm feeling, everything is suffocating me.” Every tremor cracking on the surface of his spine and every pain bleeding through the splinter of his soul tendril in the chamber of her heart, dusting her breaths with grief. How can one person be responsible for so much pain? How could Hyeon hurt Taehyung this much?

“Aiya was here, I saw her… but she is dead the  why am I seeing her?” His eyes shimmered with tribulation and hopelessness, riddling the agony in her bones and tearing her apart.

“Everything will be fine.” She cupped his face and slid her thumb over the curve of cheekbone to under his left eye as he closed them, wallowing into the welcoming touch. Blood charred her fingertips, though Nina couldn't care about it. “We want to be fine, don’t we?” All Taehyung could offer her was a silent nod.

Taehyung allowed Nina to drag him to the bed, even though his steps were forced and lethargic as she gently grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to sit on the bed. Nina’s heart lifted to her throat when he clasped her wrist, surprisingly in a stronghold. When she veered and met his gaze, longing and desperation lingering in the abyss of those golden eyes cut through her flesh.

“I need you not to go away.” Nina’s nerves galloped at his rugged tone. A flimsy sigh rolled out when Taehyung hauled her closer until she was standing between his legs.

“I’m not going anywhere, Taehyung. I need to tend your wounds. It must hurt a lot, doesn’t it?” Nina’s voice had all shades of compassion and concern, her fingers instinctively reaching up to brush away his hair to see cut, thankfully it wasn't that deep. 

“No, it doesn’t.” A rumble left him and Taehyung’s eyes fluttered closed, his face pretzeling in a mixture of pain and relief as he leaned into her feather-light. 

“But it hurts me to see you like this.”

“Sorry for hurting you.” Taehyung didn't even realise that the corner of his turned down and his lower lip had jutted out in an endearing pout. 

“Sush.” She grabbed the back of his neck and placed a kiss in the space between his brows. “Let me take care of you, baby.” Nina whispered, her lips brushing against his forehead again, a promise of devotion.

“No, don't go. I'm fine.” The brittle begging in his undertone were talons, fiercely clawing at her guts. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, forehead pressing against her stomach and he hugged her tightly. “You are the only one who can make it stop. I mean, the noises in my head, I don't hear or see her when you are with me. Every time you are around me, my heart reminds me I’m not as dead on the inside as I thought.” His hot breath seeped her skin through her shirt and elicited the goosebumps from her neck to her toes.  

Nina didn't need to ask him what he was talking about. Not when she already witnessed it. 

“I won't go, I won't ever leave you mhm.” Nina cooed and Taehyung lifted his head, blessing her with a faint, grateful smile. 

This side of Taehyung was raw and imperfectly perfect, and so human, so much that it physically agonized Nina and loaded her heart with fierce resolution to protect him. This moment was a gift, where Taehyung was open and exposed and he didn't bother to blot out. He didn't conceal the parts of himself that he thought were fragile and vulnerable, that he was shameful of. And Nina vowed to always cherish and treasure this moment and him. She would never let anyone harm her darling man. Not even herself. Never. 

A few moments later, Taehyung trailed after like a puppy at her heels and stands at the door frame while watching Nina to gather supplies from the medicine cabinets though Nina did ask him to visit the hospital but Taehyung being a stubborn prick, declined the suggestion.

Nina gently motioned for Taehyung to sit on the bed, her hands moving with a bird-like grace. She unpacked a roll of gauze, carefully laying out bandages and antibiotic cream beside it. With everything ready, she turned to Taehyung, her movement gentle as she cleaned the blood from his face. Next, she soaked a sterile pad with isopropyl alcohol, her eyes locked on his as she sat in front of him. With calm precision, she begins to clean the split skin on his forehead.

Nina’s heart coiled at the sight of his battered face. The stress was evident on his face along the dark circles. 

“You’re going to wind up with some scars.” she says as she dabs the wound, leaving an uncomfortable sting behind. 

“I already have some.” When Nina was done with her work, her gaze fell to the faint bruises across his jaw from the attack and the familiar, hot fury rushed back.

“He did that…” Nina paused when Taehyung shook his head.

“No, it wasn't Hyeon. It was Ji-hoon who set-up the attack. He’s been harbouring grudges against me since I scarred his face. I suppose he wanted revenge, to even the score. But I think we’re square now. He had his payback, and I’ve had mine.” Taehyung chest lifted for a sigh and he scoffed out. 

Taehyung recalled the phone call from Ji-hoon, during which Ji-hoon’s voice was laced with guilt as he confessed to planning the attack. Ji-hoon also expressed shame for his actions towards Nina. Although Taehyung couldn’t give fucks about Ji-hoon’s apology, he couldn’t ignore Ji-hoon’s offer to put an end to their toxic rivalry, which means he would stay away from Nina. From now on, their paths would diverge, never to cross again. 

“It’s time to move on.” Nina uttered.  Taehyung lifted his head, his eyes caressing every tiny detail of her face. He knew at that moment that she wasn’t just referring to Ji-hoon. She was talking about his past, the weight of which had haunted him for so long. 

“Mhm but don't stare at me like this.” Taehyung snickered. “I look like hell.” 

“My hell.” Nina scrunched her nose. “Yikes. I've to work on my flirting game.” A hearty chuckle left him and he stared at her. Nina Wang was the only thing in this world that had the power to yank him out when his mind descends into another dimension of darkness.

“How are you feeling?” She slid her hand over his and gave it a soft squeeze. 

“Devastated. weak. fucking pathetic.” Unnerving silence hung in the air with the confession. “But don’t worry, I’m not spiraling anymore.” The intensity of Nina’s piercing stare on the side of his face was like a hot brand on his skin.

“Even if you are spiraling and going out of control, I'm not walking away from you.” She inched closer to him and the only thing he sensed was a relief that settled into his marrow, a solace that unfurled through the alcove of his heart.

He mouthed ‘I know’ and another long silence fell between them like a heavy blanket, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, tracing the maps of veins while staring at the ground.

“Tell me.” Nina poked his biceps with her free hand.

“Mhm?” Taehyung smirked, that lazy expression on his face added extra charm in his handsomness. 

“What's going on in that head of yours? just say whatever it is.” Her lips curled around her megawatt smile that he wanted to kiss right away.

“Red.” He breathed out. “Do you think I’m unloved?”

+++

I’ve prepared a set of questions for y'all. 

Q. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this book?

Q. What's one thing you absolutely love about this book?

Q. What are two things you absolutely love about Taenina's relationship?

Q. Who's your favourite character so far?

Q. Which two characters would you like to lock in a room with?

Q. Between Aria and Ji-hoon, who would you like to spend time with?

Q. Do you think hiding the truth of Aiya's death was the right thing for Seon to do?

Q. Do you still dislike Taehyung as much as you did at the start of the book?

Q. Where are you from? (I'm curious)

Q. Is this book worth a re-read?

×××

Finally, I want to thank you for sticking with this book. With just a few more chapters to go, this amazing journey is almost over 🤍