Y/N immediately felt the tension rise as Jin's gaze landed on his wife. His usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be found, replaced by a rare glimpse of his frustration.

"Jin, I—" Jieun started, but he cut her off sharply.

"Don't," Jin warned, his voice low but filled with authority. He walked closer, his attention shifting briefly to Namjoon and Y/N before looking back onto his wife. "What exactly did you just say?"

Jieun seemed taken aback by the sudden shift, but her resolve didn't waver. "I was just asking how she expects me to react around the woman who used to be your crush."

Y/N's eyes widened, and she instinctively took a step back. Jin, however, clenched his fists, visibly holding back his temper.

"That was years ago!" Jin snapped; his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "And you know that. Why are you bringing this up now, Jieun?"

Jieun crossed her arms defensively. "Because I deserve to know what kind of history we're all hiding here."

Jin Hyung sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in frustration. "There's no history. It was a fleeting crush, nothing more. And you're being incredibly disrespectful right now—for no reason."

The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken emotions. Y/N stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, wishing she could disappear as the tension between the couple simmered.

Y/N's face remained unreadable, cold, as the shock of Jieun's ridiculous question faded into steely resolve. Namjoon, furious on her behalf, stared straight into his Hyung's eyes.

"Hyung, she's insecure for no reason," Namjoon said, his voice tight with anger. "And it's more than just disrespect—she questioned Y/N's character!"

Namjoon was not ready to let this go. His rage burned, his protective instinct over Y/N flaring up, unwilling to forgive the insult easily.

Seokjin's face darkened, his usually gentle expression turning fierce. He took a step forward, his eyes locked on his wife. But before he could do or say anything, Y/N reached out, gently grabbing his hand to stop him.

"Please," Y/N whispered, her voice steady yet firm. Jin paused, glancing at her with a softened expression as she stepped forward, placing herself between him and Jieun. Her cold, composed demeanor returned as she addressed Jieun.

"First of all, Mrs. Kim," Y/N began, her voice calm but laced with quiet power, "you have no right to accuse me or comment on things I'm not even aware of. If you have issues in your marriage, take them up with your husband, but don't drag me into this with baseless accusations."

Jieun frowned, her confidence visibly shaken by Y/N's controlled, direct response.

"Second, I've always seen Mr. Seokjin as an older brother," Y/N said firmly, holding up her palm to stop Jieun from interrupting.

"Let me finish, will you?" Y/N's tone was sharp, but calm. "Third, you really need to trust your husband, Mrs. Kim. It seems you're lacking in that department," she sassed, narrowing her eyes.

"Lack of trust?" Jieun scoffed, her voice defensive.

"Yes, Mrs. Kim. Lack of trust. You clearly don't trust him," Y/N shot back. "You assumed I could steal him from you, didn't you?"

"Instead of jumping to conclusions, maybe you should put that intelligence of yours to better use—like trusting your husband, instead of making baseless assumptions," Y/N muttered angrily, her frustration evident.

Jieun's eyes began to well with tears as the weight of Y/N's words sank in, the realization that she truly lacked faith in her husband crashing down on her.

Jieun looked up, her lips trembling as she caught a glimpse of Seokjin's disappointed gaze. "I-I..." She tried to stammer out an apology, but before she could finish, a booming voice cut through the tension.

"Enough!" Soo-Hyun sir stormed into the scene, his expression dark and furious. Jieun flinched, visibly shaken by his sudden outburst.

"How could you...?" he yelled, his voice laced with disappointment and anger. Jieun recoiled, her hands trembling.

"Calm down, Hyun sir," Y/N interjected calmly, stepping in to diffuse the situation. "This was just a misunderstanding, and I believe it's been resolved, yes?" She glanced briefly at Namjoon, who was watching her with deep concern in his eyes, clearly worried.

"I suppose this is my cue to leave," Y/N whispered softly, turning on her heels to walk out of the mansion.

"Wait, Y/N..." Soo-Hyun sir called after her, his voice pleading, but Y/N shook her head gently.

"It was nice meeting you, Hyun sir," she said, taking his hands in hers and offering a polite, albeit hollow, smile. Namjoon, standing nearby, could see through her act—the smile never reached her eyes.
"Y/N," Namjoon whispered softly as he gently shook your shoulder, trying to get your attention. You looked up, and his heart twisted painfully at the sight of your tear-streaked face.

Despite the sadness that clouded your eyes, you forced a smile, the tears still fresh on your cheeks. Quickly, you wiped them away with the back of your hand, as if trying to erase the vulnerability from his view.

"Hey... I really enjoyed the lunch, thanks for having me," you said, your voice shaky yet trying to sound light. The forced smile you gave him only made it harder for him to keep his composure.

Namjoon's chest tightened. He could feel how broken you were inside, but he knew you were trying to hold yourself together. Every part of him wanted to pull you into his arms, comfort you, protect you—but he held back, respecting the boundaries you had set.

Before he could respond, you took a deep breath and said, "See you in court, Mr. Kim." The cold smile you gave him sent a wave of sorrow through him, and without waiting for his response, you stepped into your car and drove away.

Namjoon stood there, helpless, watching as you disappeared down the road. He let out a deep breath, his heart aching with the knowledge that you were hurting, and there was nothing he could do at that moment to ease your pain.

"Just stay safe, Y/N," he whispered into the air, feeling the weight of his emotions pulling him down.

With a heavy heart, he walked back into the house, where silence reigned, but the tension was still thick. The painful realization that he had let you be humiliated before him gnawed at him. He felt ashamed.

Inside, Seokjin's voice thundered as he yelled at his wife, "Are you out of your mind?!"

Jieun sobbed uncontrollably, but Seokjin's anger only intensified. Namjoon clenched his jaw, torn between the mess unfolding at home and his lingering thoughts of you.

Everything felt like it was falling apart.

Seokjin's voice cracked with both anger and disappointment. "Why, Jieun? Why did you do that?!"

Jieun's tear-streaked face looked up at him, her voice shaky and full of regret. "I-I don't know what came over me. I just... it just slipped out," she whispered, her eyes darting to the floor in shame.

Seokjin shook his head, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I trusted you," he muttered, almost to himself. "I thought telling you about that crush was the right thing to do, but you—" His words trailed off as he tried to contain his fury.

"That was really ridiculous, Jieun," their father chimed in, his voice filled with disappointment. He sat with his arms crossed, shaking his head, the weight of what had just happened hanging over them all.

Seokjin's eyes were full of hurt as he glanced toward the door, thinking of Y/N. "What is she supposed to think now? That you're so insecure, you'd accuse her of something she didn't even know about?" His voice trembled, not just with anger, but with the deep sense of betrayal he felt.

"I saw her, Hyung. She was crying. She was hurt. And we—" Namjoon's voice softened as he looked at his father, then back to Seokjin. "We let it happen."

Seokjin's chest tightened, and he couldn't help but agree. Turning his gaze back to Jieun, his voice was laced with bitterness. "You really don't trust me, do you? After everything?"

Jieun's sobs grew louder, her guilt crashing over her in waves. She tried to speak, but nothing she could say would fix what had just happened. The room was thick with tension, the damage done too deep to mend with mere words.

"I-I'm sorry," Jieun whispered, her voice trembling with guilt.

Namjoon's eyes flared with frustration. "A freaking sorry can't swallow your words back, Noona," he spat, his anger palpable. Seokjin, without saying another word, turned on his heel and stormed off, the sound of his bedroom door slamming echoing through the house.

Mr. Kim, who had watched everything unfold with a heavy heart, approached Jieun. He sighed, patting her shoulder gently. "You should apologize to Y/N," he said softly, his voice firm yet compassionate, before walking away, leaving her alone in her remorse.

And just like that, what was meant to be a pleasant lunch had spiraled into a complete fiasco, leaving everyone with the bitter aftertaste of regret.

What kind of fate do I have... Namjoon thought, his chest heavy with a deep sense of regret. He had hoped today would be a turning point, a chance to bridge the gap between him and Y/N, to make things right. But once again, fate had cruelly intervened, tearing down the fragile hope he'd clung to.

Every time... he mused bitterly, every time I try to get closer to her, something goes wrong.

The weight of disappointment settled heavily on his shoulders. He clenched his fists, staring blankly at the ground. Why does fate always get in the way...?

______________________________________

TBC

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