Crushed And Bond

Chapter 27: Reasoning

Lalisa stood frozen, her gaze fixed on the sight before her. Jiyeon and Minhyuk sat on a bench, happily eating ice cream, with Jungkook seated beside them, a smile on his face. Minhyuk, looking slightly bored with the adult interactions, was the first to notice Lalisa. He slurped his ice cream loudly and side-glanced at Jiyeon and Jungkook before his eyes fell back onto Lalisa. His eyes widened in recognition, and he quickly called out, breaking Lalisa's trance.

"Auntie Lalisa!" Minhyuk's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

Jungkook turned his head, his smile fading as he saw Lalisa standing there, a stoic expression on her face. Lalisa took a deep breath and approached the bench, her eyes focused on Minhyuk first.

"Hello, Minhyuk," she greeted, her voice gentle but distant.

Minhyuk smiled up at her, "Hi, Auntie. We were just having some ice cream."

Lalisa's gaze then shifted to her daughter, Jiyeon, who was holding her ice cream cone with both hands. Jiyeon stood up, her small yellow backpack on her shoulders, and walked towards her mother. She turned to Jungkook and bowed formally.

"Thank you for the ice cream, Uncle," Jiyeon said politely.

Jungkook's face softened as he replied, "You're welcome, Jiyeon." But a pained feeling engulfed his heart. She wasn't willing to call him father and the word uncle tore Jungkook's heart apart every time he heard it from his daughter.

JiYeon waved goodbye to Minhyuk and Jungkook, then took Lalisa's hand. They started walking away from the bench, but Lalisa couldn't help herself. She turned back for one last look, only to see Jungkook staring after them with a mix of ferocity and longing in his eyes. Lalisa's heart ached as Jennie's words echoed in her mind, Reconcile with Jungkook. But how? How could it be possible when there was so much hatred between them?

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Minhyuk bounced out of the car as Jungkook dropped him off at home, waving energetically to his uncle before dashing inside. He immediately looked around, noticing the familiar quietness of the house—his father was not home as usual, and his mother, Tzuyu, was staring at him through the kitchen door.

"Hi, mama!" Minhyuk called out cheerfully.

Tzuyu's stern voice followed, "Jeon Minhyuk, keep your shoes properly in place and don't you dare throw your bag in the living room. Put it in your room."

Minhyuk gazed at his mother before grunting loudly and walking back to put his shoes in place, then trudging to his room to freshen up. After freshening up, he wanted to play some games, but before he could do so, his mother snatched the console from his hands.

"No games until you complete your assignments," Tzuyu said firmly.

So, the seven-year-old Minhyuk could only slump at his desk to do some minimal addition and learn some spellings. Once he finished his homework, he headed to the kitchen for dinner. When he saw what was cooked, he exclaimed loudly.

"Mom! You made saeu mandu! My favorite!" Minhyuk's face lit up with joy.

Tzuyu managed a small smile, "Yes, I did. Now sit down and eat."

Minhyuk happily hugged his mother before thanking her and gulping the dumplings down. Tzuyu looked at her son, and her heart couldn't help but feel sour. She had neglected her son for so long. Initially, neither she nor Mingyu, were prepared for this child. Minhyuk had often grown up without his parents' support. But Tzuyu couldn't do the same every time. Minhyuk needed a family, and they had to provide one for him.

While he was eating, Minhyuk smiled happily at his mother before talking about what happened in class.

"Mom, today Cheo-suk ate too much again and got a stomachache. It was so funny," Minhyuk giggled.

Tzuyu smiled, "You should tell him to be careful. Eating too much isn't good."

Minhyuk nodded, "I will. Oh, and you know about Jiyeon, i told you about her onece, remember.

"Yeah, your lovely friend" Tzuyu asked, curious.

 "What about her?"

Minhyuk continued, "Today she shared her lunch with me and Aunt Lisa seems to cook amazing food. It was so delicious. Aunt Lisa is very good to me. You know, Mom, we met her at Uncle's company. You seemed familiar with her."

Tzuyu froze suddenly, the face of the matured young woman flashing in her mind. She forced a smile before hesitantly asking, "What is the full name of the girl you mentioned?"

"Jiyeon Manoban," Minhyuk replied casually.

Tzuyu's mind raced. So her son already met Jungkook's daughter. But Minhyuk's next words shook her to the core.

"And I know mom she is my sister"

Tzuyu's eyes widened, her heart pounding as she processed what her son had just said. How did Minhyuk know? Did Jungkook tell him. She smiled weakly at him, hiding her inner turmoil.

"Finish your dinner, Minhyuk. We'll talk more later," she said softly.

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The walls of the operating room seemed bleak, their sterile white surfaces almost oppressive. Surgical instruments glinted ominously under the harsh lights, and the steady beep of the holter monitor filled the room. Lalisa stood at the operating table, her hands deftly maneuvering the tools of her trade. On the bed lay the unconscious Jung Yusung, surrounded by various surgeons from her medical team. As the lead surgeon, Lalisa was in charge, and everything seemed to be going fine.

But then, chaos erupted. The steady beeping turned into a frantic alarm. Heart rate down. Brain dead. A sudden heart attack. The monitor emitted a screeching sound, and then there was a straight line. The room fell silent, except for the accusing beeps of the machine. Everyone's eyes turned towards her, filled with blame and anger. They looked at her like ferocious beasts, their gazes piercing her soul.

Everything seemed to spin around her. The pain of the moment, the betrayal she felt, the taunts of her colleagues, and the memory of her divorce swirled in her mind. "No!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the empty room. "I didn't kill him! I didn't!" Tears streamed down her face, her voice breaking. "I didn't... I didn't..."

Lalisa jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breathing was rapid and shallow. Nightmare, it was only a nightmare.... She took a deep, calming breath, trying to steady herself. She glanced over at her daughter, Jiyeon, whose tranquil face brought a semblance of peace to her chaotic mind. Lalisa's hand gently ran across Jiyeon's long hair, seeking comfort in the simple act.

Seven years had passed, yet that day still haunted her. The nightmare was terrifying, a constant reminder of the worst moment of her life. How long was she supposed to suffer from the past? It was enough. She really needed to prove her innocence now, to escape the web of the past. The key to her freedom lay in Jungkook's hands. The file—she needed it at any cost.

She knew what she had to do. She would have to reconcile with him, no matter how difficult it seemed. She had to talk to him tomorrow. She had to....

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{ a/n: Sorry for the late update, was busy with life, I hope you enjoyed 😊}