the ~ j u i c y ~ chapter we've all been waiting for ♡

Yongguk placed his note on the nightstand next to the bed. It was so early in the day that the sun had not even risen yet. He didn’t want to wake her since it was too early. Before he left, he kissed Mani on the head then pulled her blanket to cover her more. Quietly, he walked out of her room and left to the boat with Lek. 

Shortly after, Mani shifted around in her slumber. She propped one eye open and saw the note he left.

Mani softly chuckled. “So cheesy,” she mumbled. She put the note back on the stand and dozed back to sleep.

After a long six-hour plane ride and a two-hour meeting, Yongguk was ready to head back to Thailand. He didn’t want to make it obvious that Daehyun’s prophecy was right, but at the same time, he didn’t want to raise any suspicions with Mani’s family.

“Yes, mom?”

“Where are you?” Boryun asked.

“I just finished my meeting and I’m off to my flight now? “Why?”

“Well, I have some things I want to talk to you about,” Boryun explained to her son.

“Like what?”

“Bang Yongguk, what is with this tone? I don’t see you for a while and when I ask for some time to see you, you get grumpy?”

Yongguk rolled his eyes. “What is it, mother?” he asked, not wanting to spark an argument.

“Have you been with that tramp?” Boryun asked bluntly.

“Who are you talking about?” he taunted. Yongguk knew who she was referring to.

“You know who. That , Im Mani.”

“Ah, you mean the wedding planner you blindly hired for me.”

“Don’t get sassy with me, Yongguk.”

“Well to answer your question, no. I haven’t seen her since that day you slapped me.”

“Look, I’m sorry that I hit you. I just wanted to protect you from her, Yongguk. I am your mother and I only want the best for you. Had I known she was working for that business, I wouldn’t have injected her back into your life again,” she tenderly explained. 

“I don’t know what you want me to say, mom.”

“Tell me you’re not seeing her. Tell me that the wedding is still going on and that I can trust everything you’re saying to me.”

Yongguk sighed. He shut his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face harshly. “I promise mom,” Yongguk said, “I promise the wedding will continue going on. Mani and I aren’t serious.”

Technically, he wasn’t lying. They weren’t serious. They weren’t anything. Their sparks were flickering but it was nothing official; it couldn’t be.

“Good,” Boryung said on the other line, “I missed you. Next time you’re back, let me know so we can go out and eat together.”

“Yes, mom. I missed you too. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, darling.”

Yongguk hung up the phone. He looked at the ticket number, trying to find the correct terminal to go to. As he walked, he felt a presence following him. Yongguk looked over his shoulder and saw two men following him. He quickened his pace, checking to see if they quickened theirs too. Yongguk saw as they mimicked his speed. He tucked his ticket in his pocket and ran. The two men chased after him, even when Yongguk disappeared in a crowd. He ran to baggage claim and hid behind a large pillar. There was less people in his area so he knew he had to think quick. He couldn’t find the men so he crouched down in his spot, trying to find a new location. 

“What the do they want?” he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, he was yanked up by someone. Instinctively, Yongguk pushed the person and punched them in the face. 

“What do you want from me?” he shouted at the man. The person showed his face to Yongguk. His eyes widened, surprised by who it was. “Yongnam,” he whispered.

“Shut up and follow me.”

The two brothers quickly moved in between a large group of travelers. They shuffled their way in a large gift shop.

Yongnam threw Yongguk a hat, “Here, wear this.”

Yongguk put it on his head and grabbed a random magazine. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m escaping,” Yongnam grabbed a map and pretended to read it, “Looks like you met my friends.”

“What the hell is going on Yongnam?”

“I’m in a bit of a situation so I’m off to Vietnam.”

“Vietnam?” Yongguk threw the magazine back on the shelf, “Yongnam what the hell?”

“Shut the up,” Yongnam warned, “you’re gaining attention. Stop before they see us.” Yongnam looked around, “Mom’s behind on her payment therefore I’m behind on mine.”

“Payment for what? I’m seriously so lost. What does mom have to do with this?”

Yongnam chuckled, “You’re so cute.”

“Shut up, man, and just tell me!”

Yongnam grabbed the back of Yongguk’s neck. “Little bro,” he said in a mocking voice, “do you even understand the capacity of that ?”

“Don’t talk about mom like that Yongnam, she’s your mother too!”

“Why do you think I was gonna take away Mani in the first place?”

Yongguk stopped. Yongnam knew he struck a cord.

“Let me educate you and enlighten your pathetic, narrow-minded, naive little world, little brother.” Yongnam began. “I bet that woman told you some lie like Mani and I ran off together right? Well, guess what. That was a total lie. She bribed Mani to get out of your life and she’ll take care of Maru’s eye surgery. After that, she told me to get out too to stage this whole alibi for you to believe Mani and I had a thing when clearly we didn’t. Your mother is just an evil, rich trying to play God by taking out and bringing people into your life.”

Yongguk didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to hear it from Mani himself. “So you’re saying, this entire time mom was the one who took Mani away from me? Not you. Not Mani. But mom?”

“Look I know this is a lot to take in but we both know how Mani is. She loves and cares for her family deeply. Not only did the deal cover Maru’s surgery but also both of their tuition and her parent’s job. Hell, she even had them relocated and everything. That woman deliberately wanted Mani out of your life and she knew what it would’ve taken for her to leave; her family.”

Yongguk paced to the walk and leaned on it. He didn’t want to believe that his own mother, the person who he thought loved and cared for him, was actually the one who tore his life apart.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” Mani’s voice echoed in his head.

It made sense now. This entire time Mani wasn’t trying to protect anyone but her family. 

“If mom knew, then her family would’ve been destroy