Second Chance (Taekook)

CHAPTER - 59

Unseen Strains

Taehyung was about to turn the corner that would lead him to Jeongguk's personal office, he was abruptly stopped by Mrs. Choi, Jeongguk's secretary, who appeared to be in a rush as she hurried toward him from the opposite direction. She was walking fast, almost as if she had somewhere urgent to be, her steps hurried and her expression more flustered than usual.

"Mr. Kim!" Mrs. Choi called out, her voice slightly out of breath. Her normally composed demeanor was visibly strained, which immediately caught Taehyung's attention. "Sir is not there."

He paused mid-step, a frown forming on his face as he took in the sight of her. "Mrs. Choi? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Her hurried movements and flushed face told him that something was off. She seemed physically exhausted, her breathing heavy as if she'd been running around the building non-stop

"Yes, Mr. Kim," she replied quickly, but the tone in her voice didn't quite match her words. There was a subtle edge of tension in her voice, and her eyes darted around, almost as if she were trying to avoid his gaze. That was enough to make Taehyung uneasy. He knew Mrs. Choi well enough to recognize when something wasn't right, when she was holding something back.

"Just call me Taehyung," he said softly, trying to ease the tension in her. "And can you please tell me where Jeongguk is? I was supposed to meet him."

Mrs. Choi nodded, still looking a little flustered as she took a deep breath before answering. "He's in a meeting," she said, her words quick and clipped, almost as if she were trying to brush him off. "It'll go on for a few more minutes."

Taehyung, however, wasn't convinced. His instincts told him there was more to the situation than she was letting on. He had seen her under pressure before, but this was different. Something was clearly off, and his gut twisted with the growing suspicion that whatever it was, it had to do with Jeongguk.

"Okay, I'll wait in his cabin then," Taehyung said, his tone steady, though the unease gnawing at him was hard to ignore. He started to turn toward Jeongguk's office, but Mrs. Choi's next words stopped him cold.

"Sir, that room is not available," she said quickly, her voice laced with urgency. "There's some repairing going on."

Taehyung blinked in confusion, his steps faltering. "Repairing?" he echoed, his brow furrowing. "Why? What happened? I was just video calling him before I boarded the flight. The room was perfectly fine then." He didn't understand—everything had seemed perfectly normal just hours ago, and now there was suddenly a repair issue? It didn't make sense.

Mrs. Choi's unease only seemed to deepen as she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder as if she were searching for a way to avoid answering. Her discomfort was palpable now, and Taehyung's concern only grew. "Mrs. Choi, what's really going on? You're not telling me something."

Her gaze flickered nervously. She seemed torn, as though weighing whether to speak or to keep quiet. Taehyung's patience was running thin, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this was bigger than what she was letting on. His heart started to race. "Please, tell me what's happened. I need to know," he pressed, his voice sharp now, a mix of worry and frustration creeping in.

Finally, Mrs. Choi's eyes softened, and with a long, deep breath, she spoke in a voice that trembled slightly. "Mr. Jeon... had one of his anger attacks," she said, her words slow and hesitant, as if each one was heavier than the last. "He... destroyed the room. And then... he collapsed. His blood pressure shot up too high. He lost consciousness."

Taehyung's blood ran cold at her words. What? His mind raced to process the information, the weight of her words sinking into him like lead. Jeongguk—his Jeongguk—had collapsed? After an anger attack? He had always been intense, yes, but Taehyung never imagined it could get so bad. His heart clenched in his chest as the image of Jeongguk, vulnerable and hurt, flashed through his mind.