Chapter 15: The Echoes of Truth

The sun had barely risen when YN found herself pacing the length of her apartment, unable to sit still. Last night’s encounter with Namjoon played on repeat in her mind, each word and glance replaying like a broken record. Despite Jisoo's assurances that they would go to the police, YN couldn’t shake the feeling that she was teetering on the edge of something far more dangerous than she had imagined.

Jisoo had stayed the night, refusing to leave YN, alone after everything that had happened. Now, she was in the kitchen, making coffee and trying to keep things as normal as possible, but the tension between them was thick, as if they both knew that normalcy was just a facade.

"Are you okay?" Jisoo asked as she handed YN a cup of coffee.

YN accepted the mug with a small, grateful smile, though her hands trembled slightly as she took a sip. "I don't know, Jisoo. I thought I knew everything, but now it feels like I've just scratched the surface."

Jisoo leaned against the kitchen counter, her expression serious. "We have enough to go to the police. The photos, the documents... It's more than enough to show that Namjoon’s been stalking you."

YN shook her head, her thoughts swirling. "It’s not just about stalking, Jisoo. What he said about our fathers... If there's even a shred of truth to it, I need to know what really happened."

Jisoo sighed, her brow furrowed. "I get it, YN. But what if this is all just another one of his manipulations? He could be trying to confuse you, make you question everything so you don’t go to the police."

"Maybe," YN admitted, "but I need answers. If my father was involved in something anything that Namjoon thinks connects us, I have to find out."

Jisoo stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding. "Okay. But we're doing this together. No more going off on your own."

"Agreed," YN said, feeling a wave of relief that she didn't have to face this alone.

They spent the rest of the morning preparing to go to the police. YN gathered all the evidence they had photos, documents, recordings while Jisoo made sure everything was organised and ready for presentation. But as they worked, YN couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more, something they were missing.

As they prepared to leave, YN’s phone buzzed with a new message. She hesitated before checking it, her heart sinking when she saw the sender: Namjoon.

*We need to talk. I’ll be at the park near your apartment in one hour. Come alone.*

YN stared at the message, her mind racing. The rational part of her knew she should ignore it, go to the police and let them handle it. But the part of her that needed closure, that needed to know the truth, wouldn’t let her walk away.

"What is it?" Jisoo asked, noticing the change in YN's expression.

"Namjoon," YN said quietly, showing her the message.

Jisoo’s face hardened. "No way. You're not going to meet him alone. It’s too dangerous."

"I know," YN agreed, but her mind was already working out a plan. "But what if we use this to our advantage? If I go to meet him, you can stay close by and record everything. We might get him to admit to something on tape."

Jisoo looked sceptical. "And what if he tries something? What if it’s a trap?"

YN took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I’ll be careful. I just… I need to know what he has to say."

Jisoo hesitated, clearly torn, but finally nodded. "Okay. But if anything feels off, you walk away, understand? We’re doing this as safely as possible."

"Deal," YN said, feeling a mix of fear and resolve.

An hour later, YN found herself walking towards the park near her apartment, her heart pounding in her chest. Jisoo was nearby, hidden but within earshot, ready to step in if things went south. YN spotted Namjoon standing near a cluster of trees, his posture relaxed but his eyes scanning the surroundings.

As YN approached, she noticed how composed he appeared, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them. He greeted her with a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"YN," he said smoothly, "thank you for coming."

"I’m not here because I want to be," YN replied, her tone icy. "What do you want, Namjoon?"

He gestured to a nearby bench, inviting her to sit, but she remained standing, arms crossed defensively.

Namjoon sighed, his expression softening slightly. "I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. But there’s so much more to this than you realise."

"Then start explaining," YN demanded, her patience wearing thin. "No more games, no more riddles. Just tell me the truth."

Namjoon nodded, his gaze locking onto hers. "Everything I told you last night is true. Our fathers were involved in something… dark. My father was the mastermind, but your father was his partner, the one who made sure everything stayed hidden."

"My father was a good man," YN snapped, anger flaring in her chest. "He would never be involved in anything like that."

"Maybe he was once," Namjoon said quietly, "but by the time I knew him, he was deeply entangled in my father’s web. I don’t know all the details, but I know enough to understand that their partnership was built on secrets and lies."

YN shook her head, refusing to believe it. "You're lying. This is just another one of your manipulations."

Namjoon’s expression remained calm, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I wish I were lying, YN. But everything I’ve done, everything I’ve tried to protect you from, has been because of our fathers’ sins."

"Protect me?" YN repeated, incredulous. "You’ve been stalking me, manipulating me, invading my privacy for years. How is that protecting me?"

"I had to keep an eye on you," Namjoon explained, his voice tinged with desperation. "There are others who know about our fathers, others who would use that information to hurt you, to drag you into their world. I couldn’t let that happen."

YN felt a wave of nausea as the pieces started to fall into place. Namjoon wasn’t just obsessed with her he genuinely believed he was protecting her from some unseen threat. But whether that threat was real or just a product of his twisted mind was something she couldn’t yet determine.

"Why now?" YN asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Why reveal all of this now?"

"Because things are changing," Namjoon said, his eyes darkening. "The people who knew my father’s secrets are starting to surface again. They’ve been watching us, waiting for the right moment. If we don’t act, they’ll destroy everything."

YN’s mind raced as she tried to process everything Namjoon was telling her. It all sounded like the plot of a conspiracy thriller, yet the conviction in Namjoon’s voice made her doubt her own instincts.

Before she could respond, Namjoon stepped closer, his expression earnest. "You don’t have to believe me, YN, but you need to be careful. The shadows that haunted my father are coming for us too. And if they find out what you know, they won’t stop until they’ve silenced us both."

YN took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you mean?"

"Just be careful," Namjoon repeated, his tone almost pleading. "Don’t trust anyone, not even the people you think are your friends. The only person you can trust is yourself."

With that, Namjoon turned and walked away, leaving YN standing alone in the park, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

Jisoo emerged from her hiding spot moments later, rushing to YN’s side. "Are you okay? What did he say?"

YN shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. "He thinks there’s some kind of conspiracy, something our fathers were involved in. He thinks they’re coming after us."

Jisoo’s eyes widened. "What? That’s insane."

"I know," YN agreed, but a small part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some truth to Namjoon’s words. "But what if he’s right, Jisoo? What if we’re in more danger than we realise?"

Jisoo placed a comforting hand on YN’s shoulder. "We’ll figure it out. But first, we need to get this evidence to the police. They’ll know how to handle it."

YN nodded, though her thoughts were still spinning. As they walked back to the car, she couldn’t help but feel that the shadows Namjoon had warned her about were already closing in, and the truth, whatever it was, would be far darker than she could have ever imagined.

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