Chapter 12: The Puppet Master

The tension between YN and Namjoon had reached its peak. Every encounter, every glance exchanged, felt like a silent battle, a power struggle neither was willing to lose. YN could feel the pressure building, but she couldn’t afford to falter now. She had to stay strong, keep her emotions in check, and most importantly, she had to stay ahead of him.

After discovering the photograph of the child in the window, YN knew she had to confront Namjoon. But how? He was always one step ahead, always anticipating her moves. If she wanted answers, she had to think like him, anticipate his next move before he could make it.

The next morning, YN arrived at work with a sense of purpose. She had decided on her course of action she would force him to reveal the truth, but on her terms. She had spent the night crafting a plan, one that would make Namjoon believe he was in control, only for her to turn the tables at the last moment.

As the day progressed, YN couldn’t help but feel the weight of her decision. Her mind kept going back to the photograph, the haunted look in the child’s eyes. What had he seen that day? And more importantly, why had Namjoon kept it hidden all these years?

That afternoon, YN waited for the right moment. She knew Namjoon’s routine inside and out he would be alone in his office, finishing up some paperwork before leaving for the day. She waited until the office was mostly empty, then made her way to his door.

Taking a deep breath, YN knocked softly. A moment later, she heard his voice, calm and composed as always. “Come in.”

YN pushed the door open and stepped inside, her heart pounding in her chest. Namjoon was sitting behind his desk, his gaze already locked onto her as if he had been expecting her.

“YN,” he said with a faint smile, leaning back in his chair. “What brings you here?”

YN closed the door behind her, keeping her expression neutral. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Something important.”

Namjoon raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Oh? And what might that be?”

YN walked closer to his desk, her eyes never leaving his. “I’ve been doing some digging, and I found something interesting. Something from your past.”

For a split second, YN thought she saw a flicker of something fear, perhaps? in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual composed demeanour.

“Oh?” Namjoon said smoothly, his smile widening. “You’ve been digging into my past? How fascinating. And what did you find?”

YN pulled out the photograph she had found and placed it on his desk. “This.”

Namjoon’s smile froze as he looked down at the photo. For a moment, the room was silent, the tension palpable. YN watched his reaction closely, searching for any sign that she had caught him off guard.

Finally, Namjoon picked up the photo, his expression unreadable. “Where did you find this?”

“It doesn’t matter,” YN replied, crossing her arms. “What matters is what’s in the photo. The child in the window… it’s you, isn’t it?”

Namjoon’s gaze slowly lifted to meet hers, and YN could see the cold calculation in his eyes. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you?”

YN didn’t flinch. “I want answers, Namjoon. I want to know what happened to you, what you saw that day. And I want to know why you’ve been hiding it.”

For a long moment, Namjoon said nothing. He simply stared at her, as if weighing his options. Then, slowly, he placed the photo back on the desk and leaned back in his chair, his expression softening.

“You’ve always been so curious, YN,” he said quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. “Always trying to understand, to figure things out. But some things… some things are better left buried.”

YN felt a chill run down her spine at his words, but she didn’t back down. “I don’t believe that. I think you’re scared. Scared that if I find out the truth, you won’t be able to control me anymore.”

Namjoon chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Control you? YN, this has never been about control. At least, not in the way you think.”

YN frowned, her confusion growing. “What are you talking about?”

Namjoon’s gaze sharpened, and for the first time, YN saw a glimpse of the darkness that had been lurking beneath the surface all along. “You’ve been playing a game, YN. But what you don’t realise is that I’ve been the one pulling the strings. From the very beginning.”

YN’s heart skipped a beat as his words sank in. “What do you mean?”

Namjoon leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ve been watching you, guiding you, ever since we were children. Every move you’ve made, every step you’ve taken it’s all been part of my plan.”

YN felt the room spin around her as the full weight of his confession hit her. “No… that’s not possible. I’ve been the one”

“The one stalking me? The one obsessed with me?” Namjoon finished for her, his smile widening. “Yes, you have. But who do you think fed that obsession? Who do you think made sure you always found exactly what you were looking for?”

YN’s mind reeled as she tried to process what he was saying. Could it be true? Had he been manipulating her this whole time, playing her like a puppet on a string?

“Why?” YN whispered, her voice shaking. “Why would you do this?”

Namjoon’s expression softened, and for a moment, YN thought she saw a flicker of something like regret in his eyes. “Because I needed you, YN. I needed you to be the one to find out the truth. I couldn’t do it myself… but I knew you could.”

YN stared at him, her mind racing with a thousand questions. “What truth? What are you talking about?”

Namjoon sighed, leaning back in his chair. “The truth about what happened in that house. The truth about who I really am.”

YN shook her head, refusing to believe what she was hearing. “No… you’re lying. You’re just trying to mess with my head.”

Namjoon’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious. “I’m not lying, YN. You’re closer to the truth than you realise. But you need to be careful. If you keep digging, you might not like what you find.”

YN’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him, unsure of what to believe. Could it really be true? Had she been nothing more than a pawn in his game all along?

Before she could say anything else, Namjoon stood up, walking around the desk to stand in front of her. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

“You’ve come so far, YN,” he said softly, his eyes locking onto hers. “But there’s still so much you don’t know. So much I haven’t told you.”

YN’s breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him, unable to tear her eyes away from his. “Then tell me. Tell me everything.”

Namjoon’s gaze softened, and for a moment, YN thought he might actually do it might actually reveal the truth. But then, just as quickly, the cold mask slipped back into place, and he released her hand, stepping back.

“Not yet,” he said, his voice once again cool and composed. “You’re not ready for the full truth. But soon… soon you will be.”

YN’s mind raced as she tried to process his words, but before she could say anything else, Namjoon turned and walked to the door, opening it for her.

“It’s late,” he said, his tone dismissive. “You should go home and get some rest. We’ll continue this conversation another time.”

YN hesitated, torn between wanting to press him for more answers and the overwhelming need to get out of there. In the end, she nodded silently and walked out of the office, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.

As she left the building, YN couldn’t shake the feeling that she was teetering on the edge of a precipice, one wrong step away from falling into the darkness that Namjoon had been trying to keep hidden. But she couldn’t stop now. She had to keep going, had to find out the truth, no matter what it cost her.

Because deep down, YN knew that she was in too deep to walk away. And the closer she got to the truth, the more she realised that there was no turning back.

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