Work Text
But mama I'm in love with a criminal
And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Mama please don't cry, I will be alright
All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy
Jimin's pov
|12th of February 2020|
“Yoongi! Hey Yoongi, look at me!” Jimin pleaded while holding the other man in his hands, shaking him desperately with trembling hands, spreading blood everywhere
Jimin was used to blood. He saw blood every day while dealing with all sorts of nasty, sometimes disgusting crimes. The sight of it was nothing new to him, yet this was the first time he was scared to see the dark liquid, covering his hands; the first time since his mother, anyway…
Jimin held Yoongi close to him, cradling his weak body in his embrace, whipping slightly for and back, begging Yoongi to stay awake; not to slip away from him. He had to stay awake, had to stay with Jimin. Jimin promised himself, to protect those dear to his heart; To never let anyone take them away from him.
Not again.
And Yoongi, Yoongi was strong. Yoongi would fight to stay with him.
Yoongi would never give up, right? He doesn’t know how to give up.
Jimin looked at his trembling hands, covered in blood; it was such a dark color of red, dripping off of his fingers. It wasn't his blood. Each drop sliding down Jimin’s hands, embracing Yoongi’s pale, cold skin and painted his body in red; and it seemed as if it wasn’t Yoongi's blood either.
Jimin didn’t want it to be Yoongi’s.
It was supposed to be Jimin's blood. Why wasn’t it? His head was hurting, his heart was threatening to break out of his rib cage, and Jimin; Jimin was scared.
The unfamiliar emotion numbed his body, leaving him motionless.
This wasn’t happening. It had to be a nightmare; Just a bad dream and Jimin would be waking up any moment now. Right?
“J-Jim…Jimin…” Yoongi’s small voice brought Jimin back to reality. Yoongi coughed and tried to form a sentence, sounding raspy and almost inaudible.
His usually strong and convincing voice sounded so weak and quiet right now, it was almost unfamiliar to Jimin’s ears. The voice Jimin never expected to sound this powerless, shaky, and frail. “You…you did-” Yoongi started the sentence. “…you- fuck.” Yoongi suddenly coughed, spitting a mouthful of blood on the ground, covering his pale lips in dark red. “You did…great, Jimin. This is how it was supposed to be from the beginning. Don’t...please...stop looking so sad.” Yoongi broke into a faint smile, the blood dripping down the corners of his mouth. “It will be over soon.”
Jimin believed in Yoongi’s confidence, he always seemed so powerful to Jimin, almost unbreakable. Jimin hated him for that. How could something like this happen, then? Why was he bleeding in Jimin’s arms? When did Yoongi become vulnerable?
“Yoongi.” Jimin opened his mouth, lips trembling. “Y-Yoongi, don’t close your eyes, it’s okay, you are fine, Yoongi!” Jimin thought he was shouting, yet his voice was barely a shaky whisper; a plead.
Yoongi’s eyes rolled back, his lids closing slowly, like a curtain falling down.
“Yoongi, what are you doing? Hey! No!” Jimin felt panic overcoming him. “Don’t you dare die on me, Yoongi! No! Not you! It should’ve been me…” Jimin felt tears burning his angry, desperate eyes. “Don’t you fucking dare leave me alone! Yoongi, look at me!” Jimin screamed, shaking Yoongi’s body and let the tears unleash all over his cheeks.
There was no reason to hide anymore. Jimin was hurting right now. He didn’t want Yoongi to die, not when their story wasn’t over. Jimin knew, their story was supposed to go on; they weren’t over, it wasn’t supposed to end like this.
He needed more time.
“Jimin…” Yoongi called with a shaky breath, lifting his hand slightly and putting it down on Jimin’s trembling chest. “J-Jimin, I...” Yoongi drawled, his head lolling to the side, his body losing all tension and his hand falling away onto Jimin’s lap; weighing him down.
Suddenly everything seemed fast and slow; light and heavy.
Yoongi didn’t finish what he wished to say.
And all Jimin could hear and feel was a white, crushing noise inside his head.
***♠
Jimin’s pov
|The previous year, Korea, 2019, 1st of February|“Damn, those fools! Why would you murder someone in a hotel room? Isn’t it obvious we’ll find out who booked the room? Who visited and why they were here?” Park Jimin, 26 years old detective/criminal investigator, was focused on the crime scene he was just assigned with from his detective bureau.At first glance, you would take Jimin for a thin and frail office worker, but under the layers of his suit, there was hiding a well-sculpted body that went through hell and back while training to climb up to his current position.His hair was a dark shade of chocolate brown, an almost brunette tint to it, bangs flat against his head and stylishly rigged to unfold the flawless forehead. His sharp jawline created a vivid contrast to his pinkish, plump, and velvety lips. His little and delicate nose was the missing piece of his exquisite features. Together, they were creating a unique sight; always leaving a strong impression on allies and enemies alike. It was hard to forget such a beautiful face as Jimin’s.“I’m not so sure, detective… The person who booked the room was the victim, which means there are no obvious traces of the killer.” Kim Namjoon, Jimin’s partner, commented on the situation while flipping through the booking files from the hotel.Kim Namjoon, 28 years old, was a tall man, much taller than Jimin himself, well built, brown hair and cute dimples around his lips always on display. You would have taken him for the kindest, defensive man in Seoul, if not for his perfectly sober, firm, and down-beat stance at work.He was the best partner Jimin could ask for, because they shared the same work ethics; Like Jimin, Namjoon was always eager to solve their assigned cases as smoothly and fast as possible. They were both determined, and their dynamics fit, therefore it was easy for them to collaborate on solving the various mysteries of the tremendous city that was Seoul.On top of that, Namjoon had a great sense of humor and two left hands, but Jimin liked him nonetheless because he was the smartest man he had ever met in his life. Working alongside Namjoon was an experience that Jimin would never like to miss again“There are signs of aggression on the victim’s face and body. It’s full of cuts, I believe from a knife; From the looks of it, the killer was very angry or upset at the victim. Maybe this was an act out of effect?” Jimin voiced his assumptions while observing the dead body.Jung Hoseok, their forensic scientist, was crouching down by the victim and noting down all the details he could observe. “This isn’t a usual crime.” He spoke with a serious face. “Although there are many visible signs of aggression on his body, this man wasn’t killed by them. I’m afraid it’s something different.” Jung moved forward and opened the victim’s mouth with his glove-cladded hands. “See this? The inside of his mouth is telling us a different story than his body. It looks like he drank poison, maybe cyanide, but I can’t tell you more until I get him down to my lab and run some tests.”Jimin nodded along with the forensic scientist’s statement. Once again thankful for Doctor Jung’s professional approach and remarkable observation skills.Even if Hoseok’s face had soft features and gave off a sense of safety and gentleness, Jimin knew that the heart-shaped smile of the pathologist was hardly ever-present on the man’s face. Jung Hoseok was a man of many secrets and Jimin respected that.All of them had secrets, which, Jimin was sure of it, were the reasons why they’ve chosen this field of work and which made them so good at it.“This leaves us with two possibilities: Either it was a staged suicide, or someone forced the victim to drink poison.” Jimin’s eyes observed the victim’s body again, before looking at Namjoon. “I saw some security cameras in the hall and lounge. Maybe we’re lucky and can identify the victim and his supposed killer. Try to get the recordings from the manager. Until then, everyone inside this hotel is a suspect and is to be kept here for questioning.”“I’m on it, detective.” Namjoon saluted jokingly and made his way out of the hotel room after he gestured to the police officers to proceed with photographing the dead body. ♠ After hours on end of questioning, Jimin was finally on his way home; Driving his car through the heavy traffic of Seoul’s rush hour. He looked around the other people, who were rushing away from work, rushing home, rushing for someone they loved.Jimin didn’t have anyone to rush to.He was a lone wolf, leading his life with the sole purpose of bringing justice in people’s lives. A workaholic, through and through.The only person Jimin held dear to his heart was Kim Taehyung, his best friend, but he wasn’t in Seoul right now, hadn’t been for a while and Jimin hadn’t seen him in a long time. He missed him, missed the only person he could talk to in the misery of the quiet nights that haunted him with nightmares.So Jimin was alone, and it was fine because it was his decision to be alone. It was easier this way.He had chosen his path in life a long time ago. He had a terrible childhood and rough upbringing, but he always knew he wanted to join the law enforcement; Yet, after he discovered, that the whole system was corrupt and full of empty promises, he decided to leave the police. He didn’t want to waste another year of his life and his energy on cases upon cases, fueled on the police promises, to look into the unsolved case of his mother’s death.He left the police and joined a private detective company; Investigating his mother’s death on his own and chasing for his own justice.Jimin didn’t need any distractions. He needed to find his mother’s killer.That was everything he was focusing on right now, besides his work, of course.He worked hard and relentless for years, earning himself a position and reputation as one of the top detective’s in his line of work. Various cases of murder and psychopaths granted him the experience and knowledge on how their minds worked, what they wanted, and how they operated. Jimin knew that every step was bringing him closer to his mother’s killer; And Jimin wanted nothing more than to chase that man down.Lost in his thoughts, Jimin was startled by the sudden buzz of his phone. He quickly connected it to the audio system of the car and slid his finger over his phone’s screen to answer the call of an unknown number. “Yah, Chim, how are you? Have been trying to get in touch with you for days, but I didn't find the right time! I’m coming back to Seoul tomorrow!” Jimin was surprised to hear the warm, low voice of none other, than his best friend. Jimin’s heart was suddenly filled with a burst of happiness.“Uh, Taehyungie? Seriously? That’s great news! Will you have some free time on your hands? I know you need to meet your brother and grandparents but please make some time for me as well! I really want to see youuuu.” Jimin jokingly whined his request, giddy to hear Taehyung’s playful response.There was a long pause and Jimin almost thought he said something wrong, but then Taehyung’s giggles reached his ears and it downed on Jimin, that the other was still in the US and that’s why the connection was a bit delayed.“Aww, Jiminie! Of course I want to see you, why do you think I’m calling?! Knowing you, you’re working 24/7 – maybe even more.” Jimin snorted at Taehyung’s remark, but his lips parted in a big smile. Just hearing his best friends already lifted his spirits so much. “So you’re the one who has to make time for me, yes? You have to take one whole day off to catch up with me and I don’t take no for an answer, Chimothy!” Taehyung bantered and Jimin could almost see him sitting on his bed, shouting down his phone and grinning his boxy smile.“Well, if you really insist...” Jimin snickered his response. “How about the day after tomorrow? Is that good for you or do you need some more rest?”“Nah, that sounds perfect! I’ll let you know when I arrive and then we can plan out all the details for our DATE! Jiminie~ I can’t wait to see you after a whole year!” Taehyung sounded as if he were jumping up and down, while laughing and Jimin bit down his lower lip to contain his own giddiness.“Me too, Taehyungie… Me too.” God, he really missed his best friend.They ended the call soon after, but Jimin still smiled to himself all the way back home. ♠
Jimin is lying in his bed and trying to watch his favorite K-Drama, when he hears loud voices coming from downstairs. He clicks his tongue, annoyed by the disturbance, but then the voices become louder, angrier and he recognizes one of them to be the man who always comes over to request money from his mother.
Normally the man leaves rather fast, but this time they seem to quarrel and he suddenly hears his mother’s angry, high-pitched voice shouting. His mother never raises her voice. Her voice is always gentle, kind and endearing.
The sound makes his skin crawl, sending shivers down his spine. He never thought a simple thing like a sound could spread so much terror through his body. Jimin can feel anger and fear in her tone, giving him a feeling of panic and alarm.
Jimin is going down the narrow stairs, eyes unfocused and body trembling. He grabs the railing for support with his left hand and feels his cold fingertips quivering against the wood. His limbs functioning purely on muscle memory. He hears his mother shouting again. He hears her voice but can’t seem to understand any clear words. It’s just her heart-piercing voice, and Jimin is terrified.
Jimin is having a feeling of déjà vu, he knows what is about to happen, but still, he hopes it won’t.
Maybe this time it will be different.
Jimin is standing at the entrance to the living room. There’s a man shouting at his mother and holding up a knife at her. His mother, his delicate, fragile mother, argues with him, seems angry, but not as scared as Jimin thought.
Suddenly the room goes completely silent and he realizes, that the man is looking straight at him; A sick smile splits his ugly features and Jimin feels, knows, that the table has turned dramatically on them.
“So THIS is the reason, I see. You used the money to raise this bastard of yours, this worthless piece of shit!?” The man gestures at Jimin and snares out a laugh. “What a dumb bitch you are!”
“SHUT UP!” His mother’s trembling, but firm voice cuts through the air. “Don’t you DARE come into my house and insult my child!” His mother’s usually lovely and young features turn into a grimace. She looks hateful, suddenly she looks so much older to Jimin.
“Consider the deal we made as non-valid, Mrs. Park. You’re of no use to us anymore.” The man speaks over his mother as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening right now. Jimin wants to say something, wants to do something, but it feels as if his vocal cords are dried out as if his limbs are numb and not his at all. What deal? What is this man talking about?
He looks over to his mother, who is looking right back at him. Her hard features soften as she looks into his eyes and for a split second, she smiles at him. It’s supposed to calm Jimin down, but he sees the fear in her gentle eyes, and it scares Jimin to his very bones. It’s this look in her eyes that makes him step forward to reach for his mother; He wants to embrace her, to protect her. To tell her, that everything is going to be alright.
“Where do you think you’re going, puppet?!” The man suddenly blocks his way and holds up the knife to his face. Jimin stops right in his tracks, feeling nothing but pure fear running through his veins. “Well, I gotta admit this bastard of yours is not that bad lookin’. Maybe I’ll have a bit of fun with you, hm? I’ll show you to be a good slut. It’s gotta be in your genes, just like your mother’s, hm, puppet?” The man moves closer to Jimin and grabs his wrist in a bruising hold.
“Don’t t-touch me!” Jimin reacts on instinct and tries to pull away from the man’s hurting hold. The man only laughs and grabs his lithe wrist harder, almost breaking it.
Jimin doesn’t know how or why, but suddenly he’s on the floor. The man is above him with with-eyed, terror-stricken eyes. Jimin sees his mother behind the man, as she stabs a shattered, bloody piece of a vase into the juncture of the man’s neck. The piece of glass sticks in deep and immediately blood surges out. The man tries to gasp for air, but his mouth is full of blood. He looks down on Jimin and tries to reach for him again, but only falls to the side, a puddle of blood forming around his body.
“Jimin!” His mother’s panicked voice tears him away from the man’s wide, dead eyes. “Jimin, it’s going to be alright, sweetheart. Don’t move! I’m going to call the ambulance and you’ll be alright.” She kneels down next to him, eyes full of tears.
Jimin doesn’t know why she’s so scared, he tries to sit up and hug her, but at the movement, he feels an agonizing sting in his ribs and cries out in pain. He looks down his body and sees blood soaking his shirt. He needs a moment to realize, that the black handle he’s seeing is the one of the man’s knife; it’s blade now buried deep inside Jimin’s flank.
With trembling, pale hands, he reaches for the knife and pulls it out of his body. He doesn’t realize he’s screaming and crying until his mother hugs him and tells him that it’s going to be okay.
His mother’s shaking fingers card through his hair and it calms him down. She tells him that they’re going to be okay now and he believes her. He hurts and he’s scared, but he believes her.
She stands up to call for an ambulance and that’s when Jimin sees a pair of eyes outside the window of their living room. Jimin knows it can’t be true, but the eyes of the man look yellow to him, like a demon’s, like a monster’s. “MOTHER!” He calls in fear and tries to stand up, but the pain and blood loss prevent him from moving. She follows his eyes, sees the man, and moves between Jimin and the windows, just as Jimin hears a shot;
Jimin’s mother is lying next to him, her gentle, soft eyes staring back at him;
She protected him.
But something is wrong with her eyes, they don’t sparkle anymore.
His mother is lying in a puddle of blood, covering the floor underneath her in crimson and black.
Her eyes are dead.
And it’s Jimin’s fault.
♠ |2nd of February 2019|Jimin surges forward with a gasp in his bed and instinctively reaches for his ribs. He can almost feel the pain of the knife, but knows, that it’s not there. His hair is damp, and his skin feels clammy with sweat and tears as he rubs his face.He doesn’t know how often he dreamt about his mother’s death. Can’t recall how often he woke up screaming and crying at the memories, that his brain is forcing him to relive since he was sixteen years old.Shock, trauma, distress, and anguish, all of them lingering somewhere inside of Jimin; Waiting for the night to unfold, for slumber to take over Jimin’s guard, so they can eat him alive. Punishing him, torturing him, for not being able to protect his mother. For being too weak and helpless.He knows they wouldn’t disappear until he found the man who killed his mother. The man whom his mind sometimes depicts with yellow eyes and a monstrous grimace.Eyes, that were lacking any kind of emotion or empathy.Jimin had a deep feeling, that something was about to happen. Something was coming for him and he was ready. He would fight whatever came his way.He ran a hand through his hair and looked over to the alarm clock on his nightstand. 5 am. Well, just in time for work. ♠ “Good morning, Detective Park. You seem like you had a rough night.” One of their interns greeted Jimin when he entered his department.“Murder waits for no one.” Jimin just said as he made his way to his office. He wasn’t in the mood to indulge their interns’ gossips about his private life. The young man just ducked his head and moved out of Jimin’s way.Jimin entered his neatly organized office, put down his briefcase, and occupied himself with paperwork. He was just typing out reports on their last week’s cases when a sharp knock sounded on his door.“Come in!”“Good morning, Detective Park.” Jung Hoseok greeted him. “I finished my examination on yesterday’s victim and the results of the lab just came in. I thought you’d want to know as soon as possible.” Jimin nodded and stood up, not wanting to waste another second, and followed the older man to the lower floor of the building.Jung Hoseok was the best forensic scientist of the entire department; the best Jimin has ever met. He was incredibly smart, dedicated, and always took initiative on his own. He was as passionate as Namjoon and Jimin, that’s why they worked so well together and were the pride of their department.Once in the lab, Doctor Jung took a clipboard and quickly scanned over the results. “Just as I thought. The poison that killed our victim was cyanide mixed with Leander, a highly dangerous substance and there are also traces of blueberry juice and alcohol.” He closed the clipboard and looked up at Jimin. “It seems like some kind of a killer-cocktail.”“What the actual hell? So poison, right? Are we sure this isn’t a suicide? A mistake or something?”“So the question of a suicide still remains…” Jimin mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.“Good morning, Detective Park!” Jimin turned his head to Namjoon, who just stepped into the lab, dimples, as always, on display. “I’ve looked through the security camera footage and came across a hooded man, that entered and left the victim’s room around the estimated time of death.”“Yet,” Doctor Jung jumped in. “There were no signs of resistance or force. It’s as if the man wanted to get marked like this as if he wanted to drink the killer-cocktail.”“This sounds like a crazy ritual to me, to be honest.” Jimin scratched the back of his head thinking about the number of possibilities that were available. It wasn’t the first time they had a strange case, but this was on a higher level entirely. He just knew, that there was more to this whole ordeal. This wasn’t just a simple kill and run out of anger or greed.“There is more.” Namjoon addressed Jimin once again with clear concern in his voice. “We found this under his bed.” He handed a file over to Jimin.The file seemed to be a map of the city, some locations were circled, different letters were placed near each circle. There were seven in total. “V, K, S, A, G, J. U.” Jimin read aloud and wondered. “What is this supposed to mean? It looks like some kind of code; Maybe names?”“Or a message?” Dr. Jung suggested.“Guess we’ll find out soon enough. We need to check out those locations, maybe there are more clues there.” Namjoon stated and Jimin nodded in agreement, while still studying the map.“If I find anything else, I will let you know as soon as possible. Nevertheless, you should be cautious regarding your field research. I know you always are, but somehow this whole case seems very strange.” Doctor Jung added in a serious voice.It seems as if Namjoon, Doctor Jung, and Jimin had the same gut-wrenching feeling regarding this case. One more reason to not rush into things without thorough research.“Sure, doctor, thank you for your hard work,” Jimin assured the man, to which the other nodded and smiled slightly.“I will go report our findings to Chief Inspector Kim, then,” Namjoon announced, to which Doctor Jung grinned and Jimin rolled his eyes.“What?” Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows at them.“Why not just write a report, like usual, hm?” Jimin cocked his left eyebrow, expecting something from Namjoon.“Where’s the fun in that? Also, this way it’s so much faster.” Namjoon winked and left the room, leaving Jimin with a tired smile and a shake of his head."He's literally acting like a teenager.""A teenager with a huge crush." Doctor Jung giggled. ♠ Jimin made copies of all the files regarding this case and took them home with him. It wasn’t often, that a case piqued his interest to the point where he wanted to go over it in the privacy of his home, but this case enthralled him and Jimin was, somehow, happy, that something exciting was happening. ♠ |3rd of February, 2019|“Chim!” Taehyung’s mellow voice reached Jimin’s ears.“Oh my God, TaeTae!” Jimin finally saw his best friend again after a whole year. “Look at you! You look gorgeous! You matured so much, and oh my, your hair looks amazing!” Jimin gushed and met Taehyung halfway in a bone-crushing, yet warm hug.Taehyung was such a gracious being. Since he met him, Jimin always saw something very special in Taehyung. Not only in the way he looked - because he was the epitome of human beauty, a perfect face connected to a perfect body, long eyelashes, burnt umber hair, tall stature and flawless skin –The crème de la crème, but-Jimin didn’t love him for his beauty. No, Jimin adored Taehyung for his sunshiny soul.Taehyung had such a sweet-tempered heart, he was always there for Jimin and Jimin tried to do the same for him. They were healing each other’s wounds, filling each other’s loneliness, helping each other fight for their dreams with such vigor; Jimin knew he wouldn’t be where he is now without Taehyung’s constant presence in his life.“Thank you, Chim, but I can’t say the same about you, what about those dark circles under your eyes? You were supposed to be rested today, you knew I would come.” Jimin knew Taehyung would scold him for looking tired, but he didn’t expect the new case to be that thought-provoking, so he can’t blame himself either.“Yeah, I know, but I just couldn’t sleep last night; I’ve got my hands on a case and it’s really different, there’s something I can’t decipher about it. It’s really intriguing, Tae.” Jimin explained, with a soft voice and round eyes.“Oh? What case? Care to share?” Taehyung winked as he threw himself on Jimin’s sofa. He made himself comfortable and homey.Taehyung seemed to be really happy to be back home, which warmed Jimin’s heart. Taehyung’s cheerfulness and lightheartedness always were contagious for Jimin, so the moment his friend entered his house, Jimin already had a huge grin plastered on his features.“Ah, Tae…you know it’s confidential.” Jimin chastised.“But I’m your best friend, Jiminie!” Taehyung mumbled while stuffing his mouth with the chocolate waffles he brought Jimin as a present.Jimin rolled his eyes at his friend’s curiosity. “And that doesn’t top work, though,… so that’s enough about me and my boring detective life,...how was the US? Was this year better than the last?”Taehyung’s gaze froze for a second, his whole body stiffened. Jimin frowned at the sight. He really wished that everything was going well in his friend’s life. Taehyung wouldn't react like that out of anywhere; not if he didn't have something on his mind that was bothering him.It went by as soon as it came, though. Taehyung shook his head and was his usual self, stuffing his face with sweets and grinning his typical boxy grin.Jimin brushed it off, maybe Taehyung just remembered something.“Well, I worked so much this year too.” Taehyung faked a tired face and whined. "It was so exhausting...."“Really? Where? Didn’t your university scholarship cover all your expenses?” Jimin asked curiously.Taehyung left South Korea for a generous scholarship in the US. Apparently, he was so good in the photography field, that one of the most prestigious Universities decided to contact him personally and offer him a fully funded 2-years study scholarship.Jimin was so happy that his friend was finally able to pursue his dream of becoming a famous photographer.He remembers being scared of loneliness as well since his only friend was about to leave for another country, but he was already a full-time detective back then and figured, he could fill the gap in his heart with a bunch of extra work. What a fool he was. Nothing and no one could ever fill the gap of one Taehyung.“Uh, it was, but I was offered a job at this super amazing company that I simply couldn’t refuse.” Taehyung explained proudly.“Wow, Tae, I’m proud of you,” Jimin answered while having his head in the fridge, trying to get something to drink for both of them. “What company, do I know them?”“It’s confidential,” Taehyung said in a serious voice before he barked out a laugh at his payback.“Oh, young man, you can’t fool me like this.” Jimin handed Taehyung a glass of wine.“Well. You caught me. I can’t. But you wouldn’t know the company, anyway. So let’s leave it at that and let’s move on to some more interesting topics than woooooork, Chim” Taehyung took the glass and pouted at him.Jimin laughed at his antics and was just happy to spend some quality time with his best friend. Taehyung was right, after all, there were more interesting things to discuss than boring work. ♠ It was 3 am when Jimin’s phone started ringing like crazy.“Hello?” Jimin answered in a drowsy voice.“Sorry for waking you up like this, Detective, but it seems that we have a problem.” Doctor Jung’s voice cut through Jimin’s sleepy mind, as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.“It’s alright Doc. I’m awake now, so tell me what did you find?”A thing about Doctor Jung was that he was a night-owl, and each time he discovered something interesting to share with his coworkers, he would be more than likely to call them right on the spot. Jimin and the rest of the department were used to this peculiarity of his, it was just a small price paid in exchange for his faultless labor.“The man we identified entering the hotel building at the time of the murder, he wasn’t seen by any of the staff members and he wasn’t spotted talking to anyone. He went past the reception trying to be as invisible as possible and went straight to the victim's room. He couldn't enter his room if he didn't have a spare key or something else since we just found out that the victim was there, hiding. All of this can mean that the hooded man received help from someone on the inside. Or he was allowed inside by the victim itself."“Ok, thank you for the information, but…” Jimin really appreciated the Doctor, with his whole soul, but his mind wasn’t working properly at 3am and the information didn’t seem to be more important than his sleep, so Jimin tried to end the call and go back to his slumber.“Detective Park, the victim requested protection from the hotel staff, he made extra payments and told everyone specifically to leave him alone. He didn’t expect any visitors, he was hiding.” The Doctor’s voice lowered in tone. “I think the map could be the reason why he was murdered. Either the killer had the information or needed the information from it.”“…so you’re telling me, this man was murdered after all? It wasn’t suicide?” Jimin felt awake suddenly. “But why would he let the murderer inside his room willingly, when he was hiding, then?” Jimin furrowed his brows, this whole case didn’t make any sense at all.“I think it’s something in between, I don’t know, it’s weird, the signs of his body tell me something while what actually happened pushes me to believe something else, I just hope we’ll come across some other clues…” The Doctor sounded just as confused as Jimin felt.“Okay, thank you for the info, Doc. I will look into it with Namjoon first thing in the morning.”“Have a good night then, Detective Park.”“Yeah, you too.”Jimin plumped back on the mattress running a hand through his already disheveled hair. How was he supposed to sleep when everything around him was moving at a lightning speed and nothing made sense? ♠ |7th of February, 2019|Jimin hated criminals. He hated those people who decided to kill instead of finding a way to resolve a problem. Was it that hard to act like a decent, civilized human being?But Jimin was working with psychopaths, not human beings; they were less than animals, they were ruthless creatures.He was driving his car as fast as possible since he received another call from his office this morning. They said it was important.The police reported another murder case, which seemed to be tied to the previous one, and decided to let the specialists handle it. The Police were clearly overwhelmed by the situation. ♠ “The train station this time? Where was the security, how was it possible for this to happen?” Namjoon was clearly angry with the people around him. As soon as Jimin spotted him, he patted his back and took a look at the victim on the ground not too far away from him.The scene looked so familiar, her body was covered in scars and a ridiculous amount of blue liquid was dripping down her chin. Her opened eyes completed the image of an indubitably frightful view.“Holy fuck, this woman was so young.” Jimin took a better look at the body, his features engulfed in compassion and empathy.“That’s what I was thinking as well, Jimin,” Namjoon said in a quiet voice. “And guess what we found on her.”Jimin turned his face towards Namjoon who handed him a file. Inside, there was the same map like they’d found on the previous victim.The only problem was that the letters were placed differently this time.It made no sense, if they tried to decipher something through the first found map, now everything went to shit because it didn’t make sense anymore.Jimin felt the way a headache began to envelop around his head, digging its tentacles deep past his skin, right into his skull.It seemed as if they joined a game, that was already at full play. They didn’t know the player, the deck, or the rules.It was crucial of them to act fast unless they wanted to come across other victims. ♠ Later that night Jimin tossed and turned in his bedsheets, he was dreaming about his mother’s death again; the eyes of his mother’s killer were haunting him.He woke up, body trembling with fear. Jimin was scared and he didn’t like that feeling at all. He had the feeling that the darkness was suffocating him, choking him. He flicked on the lamp on his nightstand to cast away the shadows and tried to regulate his racing heart by taking deep, but shaky breaths.Jimin was a secretive person, he kept his thoughts and feelings to himself, but this time, just for once he wanted to talk about it.He needed someone to calm him down, to remind him that this was reality, that he was not trapped in a never-ending nightmare of merciless eyes, streams of blood, and dead gazes. Before he knew what he was doing, he dialed Taehyungs number and listened to the ringing sound while he pressed the cold surface of his phone against his ear.His best friend would listen to him, would calm him down with his soothing words.Seconds that felt like hours passed, while Jimin listened to the ringing sound. Jimin thought that Taehyung was just sleeping deep and did not hear his phone, so he waited and let it ring longer, but Taehyung didn’t pick up.Jimin ended the call and dropped his phone on his lap. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply;He managed to calm down and nestled back in his pillows, leaving the lights on for comfort. There was a nagging question in Jimin’s head, though: Why didn’t Taehyung pick up? Taehyung always picked up his phone when Jimin called him, even when he was in the states.Jimin argued with himself, that his best friend didn’t hear his phone or simply turned it off while sleeping, but the uneasy feeling left him restless.Over the course of the following days, Jimin tried to call Taehyung repeatedly, but he never answered.Taehyung was nowhere to be found and despite the fact that Jimin knew, Taehyung was a quick-witted one, he feared for his best friend.Four days passed without any response from Taehyung and Jimin grew restless.Panic seized Jimin’s whole body and clenched his heart.Taehyung was missing. ♠ To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
RM - mono.
Yoongi’s pov
|7th of February, 2019|
*the same day Jimin realized Taehyung was missing*
“Fuck…this ain’t it.” Yoongi spat angrily while watching the news on TV. “This was supposed to be secret, why the fuck are they trying to make a scandal out of it?!”“It’s the news, hyung. They’re putting their hands on everything, trying to scandalize it, so they can attract more viewers.” A calm voice interrupted Yoongi’s rambling.Yoongi looked at his younger brother sitting on the ragged couch in the middle of the room and smirked at him. “What are you doing with my packet of cigarettes? Wanna join me on lung cancer?”“I’m thinking about burning it before you realize they’re gone.”“Get your hands off, brat.” Yoongi ripped the packet out of his brother’s sneaky hands and took a cigarette, placing it between his lips. His cigarettes were his only friends, his first love, how could he let the younger burn them? Nonsense, they had more importance than his entire life.He lit the cigarette and took a deep puff out of it, feeling the smoke running through his lungs and body, numbing his nerves. A feeling of peace, relaxation and a calming emotion took over his stressed mind, a feeling that only a heavy smoker like Yoongi could understand.After inhaling a couple of lungfuls drags Yoongi felt ready to face their problems, with a clear mind.Yoongi turned his head to the creaking sound of the opening door, as Jungkook stepped inside the empty room, that they housed in momentarily. “I think we are fucked.” Jungkook said, stoically, as he pushed the old door closed with force.Yoongi puffed out smoke and dragged his eyes over the old, yellow-greyish walls, pieces of drywall were missing everywhere and deep cracks, probably caused by earthquakes, were only adding to the sinister atmosphere of the rundown room.The smoke from Yoongi’s cigarette only amplified the ugly feeling of an old, abandoned house. They managed to get a TV and an old couch to sit on, but that was all the interior they had.“They are looking for us, Yoongi.” Jungkook’s voice echoed in the small room.“Oh, really? What gave it away? The spreading news on TV or the fact that we’re hiding right now?” Yoongi rolled his eyes in annoyance.“Then…what are we going to do?” Jungkook ignored his sarcastic remark and asked instead.“Wait, Jungkook. We will wait until it’s safe for us and we have the chance to move away from here.” Yoongi looked out the dirty window and let his eyes run the shapes of Seoul City.“But the people who died…” Yoongi’s brother started a sentence with a small voice. “Yoona and Mark…they…did nothing wrong. Hyung, there will be more victims if we don't act soon. We need to help them, Hyung.”Yoongi felt irritation rising up his spine. Of course, Yoongi knew that, did they take him for an idiot?„I know that!” He snapped, inhaling the smoke of his cigarette too fast and coughing a little. „Fuck- I did everything I could; It’s not my fault those idiots were not fast enough and got themselves killed!” Yoongi throw away his cigarette without care and kicked the couch out of irritation and anger.His brother jumped a little at Yoongi’s unforeseen outburst and looked at him with wide eyes; His gaze torn between fear and concern.And Yoongi…Yoongi didn’t want his brother to look at him like that. He was supposed to protect the younger after all, yet his brother was in danger because Yoongi took the wrong path, deciding to go against the law and drag his brother and Jungkook into this whole shit-show.The least he could do, had to do, was to keep them both safe.Yoongi rubbed at his face and dropped his hands in defeat. „Sorry, kid. I know you mean well, of course, I do care. It’s just... that everything is a mess right now and I need time to think; to sort things out and keep us safe. You two are my priority, first and foremost.” Yoongi looked from Jungkook to his brother with stern eyes. „You know that, right?”The younger boy held his gaze and nodded. „I know... It’s just that I haven’t seen you this... tense and scared, like, ever and I guess it’s scaring me.”“I know, Shortcake, but everything is going to be fine. I promise.” Yoongi gulped down his own fear and looked at his brother with all the confidence he could muster, brother granting him a shy smile.„We should move again tonight.” Jungkook’s voice broke the silence that stretched out afterward. „The police are not looking for us, yet, but I have a feeling that the CIA will trace us down if we stay too long in one place.”„Fuck, of course they will. They will trace us down to the moon and back for that motherfucking thing, Jungkook; And just ‘cause the news didn’t mention our names, doesn’t mean that there aren’t lookin’ for us.” Yoongi turned his head and looked through the window again. „But you’re right, we should move tonight.” ♠ |3rd of July 2004|
*Yoongi - childhood memory*
“Hey, hyung, let’s play football together!” The giddy voice of his younger brother reached his ears.
“Shortcake, you know I’m not into these kinds of games where you have to move a lot. Let’s play, I don’t know, I-read-this-book-and-you-shut-up?” Yoongi suggested sarcastically from where he was lying under a tree in their garden.
“You're no fun.” The young boy pouted, looking at his brother with his arms crossed. “Grandma promised you would play with me!”
Yoongi, a 15-year-old teenager, rolled his eyes and put the book he was reading down. “Are you sure that grandma promised you this?”
“Mhm.” Shortcake, as people around their neighborhood called him, nodded with pride in his eyes, knowing he won the argument already, because Yoongi would never refuse something their grandma proposed.
“God, ok, I’ll beat you at football and then you leave me alone. Deal?” “Deal.” Shortcake yelled excitedly.
The sun was warm on their skin, the wind was gently ruffling their hair, cooling their heated bodies down, and Yoongi played football alongside Shortcake for the rest of the day. He didn’t finish the book, but to hell with it, he loved to make his little brother happy.
“If it isn’t lanky, spanky Yoongles and his little baby SISTER! If your arms were any thinner I’d mistake you for spaghetti!” A familiar voice mocked them from behind and Yoongi didn’t even need to turn around to know whom the voice belonged to. He hated the neighbor's children who always made fun of them and attacked them for the simple fact that they didn’t have parents anymore. Yoongi was pissed.
“This place is owned by us, the people with actual parents, not you, maggots! Just get lost already and give us the ball, it’s not for little girls anyway!” They snickered.
Yoongi was normally a calm and composed boy, but when someone attacked his little brother, he’d beat the shit out of them. He turned around, dropped the ball to the ground and made his way towards the boy who was looking at Yoongi with superiority and arrogance plastered over his face, a group of other kids standing behind him.
“H-hyung, let’s go back inside, please, just give them the ball.” Shortcake’s little, scared voice sounded behind him.
“Mhm. They won’t be needing our ball, Shortcake. They won’t be able to even lift it in their condition.” Yoongi smirked at the group before him.
“Wat’cha talking about, Yoongles? What cond-?”
The boy didn’t have time to finish his question because Yoongi punched him right in his guts and effectively threw him on the ground with that hit. The boy gasped in pain and rolled over to his side.
“Anyone else got anything to say about my brother, hm??! Let’s hear it, losers!” Yoongi stepped over the boy on the ground and lifted his hands in invitation to the other boys.
The other boys looked at their cowering friend, helped him up, and then left as soon as they came, running like little puppies with their tails between their legs.
“H-hyung…you hurt him…” Shortcake looked at Yoongi with tears gathering around the corners of his eyes and a big downcast pout on his quivering lips.
“Buddy, I did that because he hurt you, okay?” Yoongi crouched down and placed his hands gently on his little brother’s shoulders.
“But…is it really okay to hurt him because he hurt me, Hyung?” Shortcake sniffled and rubbed at his eyes.
“No one is allowed to hurt my brother or talk shit about our family, Shortcake. Of course, violence is not always the answer, but sometimes you’ve got to defend yourself, cau se ain’t nobody else is go ing to do it.” Yoongi booped Shortcakes nose and smiled at him. „Hyung will always protect you.” ♠ |7th of February 2019|
*present*
Yoongi got out of the stuffy building and took a deep breath of the fresh winter air. He reminisced in some old times with his brother.Things hadn’t changed much since his youth, Yoongi thought. They were still young, still powerless, and still alone. It was them against the world, only this time, it was even worse than when they were children.They had no one to help them and other people were putting their own fate into their hands.And Yoongi, well… Yoongi hated that.Yoongi was the kind of man who didn’t care at all, about anything or anyone, except for his brother. He had a sweet spot for his brother, he was the exception to everything. He was the reason Yoongi was doing what he was doing right now.Other than Shortcake, everyone on the planet could die and Yoongi wouldn't even shed a solitary tear. They weren’t anything special. People around him always led normal, simple and in Yoongi’s opinion, boring lives. They don’t have a goal or a dream. Nothing that makes them outstanding. They were just living, offering fake smiles and fake hospitality.The people he needed to protect right now weren't necessarily part of that majority, because they helped him with his escape plan and now he had to help them in return.It doesn’t mean he liked the idea at all.Yoongi hasn’t been happy since he was young, playing football with his brother, eating together with their grandparents.Those times were Yoongi’s happiness, but they were gone now. They disappeared together with Shortcake’s innocence. His brother was a murderer now, as much as Yoongi himself was one.Everything they've done until now was to protect their own lives, but life was always about choices, and they chose their own well-being above others.They didn’t have anything to fight for anymore since their normal lives were practically gone, but, despite that, they were still trying desperately to live on.Why?Even Yoongi didn’t know.In fact, Yoongi didn’t want to live that much but he didn't want to die either. He felt indifferent to the whole affair, really. What he knew for sure, is that he wanted to protect his brother.His brother was the only reason he kept on fighting.He looked around the neighborhood they were staying in and lit a cigarette. Smoking was the only activity he loved. Besides that, he just lived, nothing else. As the smoke filled his lungs, he threw himself bodily on a cold bench.Deep inside his heart, Yoongi knew he was a hypocrite, because slowly but surely, he became exactly what he hated the most. A person who lived without a purpose, as all he did was try desperately to hang onto the thread of life, in order to protect his brother. And what frustrated him the most was the fact that he had no will to change that.He laughed at himself mockingly, then fixed the street he faced with a blank stare.They needed to change their location soon.Again. ♠ Hours later, Yoongi entered the hovel that they temporarily used as a makeshift domicile. What he didn’t expect was the sight he was welcomed with.Blood.There was blood everywhere.Yoongi was shocked. Inside the room, there was his brother with Jungkook and a new addition to the decrepit decor. Namely, a dead body. His stomach was sliced, shredded. Yoongi was able to see his intestines, and the sight, no matter how used you are to seeing gore things, was disgusting and made him want to puke.“What the fuck????” Yoongi gasped with a shrill voice.“Uh, hyung.” His brother offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we are just cleaning.”“Cleaning? What the fuck? Who’s that and why is he dead? What happened?” Yoongi felt his head spinning in confusion.Jungkook stood up from the ground where he was cleaning the blood with a towel and starred at Yoongi. “He deserved to die.”“Who is this man?” Yoongi fixed his eyes on Jungkook and asked again.“Hyung!” Shortcake approached Yoongi. “It looks like this man is a spy. I think he might be from the FBI, but he has no identification on him. He threatened us, told us that this is the end of us if we don’t give him your location.”“He was looking for me?” Yoongi asked in surprise.“Mhm.” Jungkook confirmed with a nod.“Did he say anything else?”“In fact, he did.” Jungkook elaborated. “He told us that he knows our plans and that they know our hideouts. He told us to give him the microchip, but we pretended to know nothing.”“And then he pulled his gun at us, telling us he wouldn't need us anymore if we didn’t have the information he was looking for. He was about to pull the trigger, Hyung.” His brother stated and Yoongi’s eyes widened in shock. He felt his heart racing up and panic overcoming his body.“But Shortcake was faster and stabbed him with his knife. " Jungkook explained.“W-wait, Shortcake, you killed him?” Yoongi whispered.“... I had to protect Jungkook…” the younger shrugged and looked to the floor; Eyes swimming in unreadable emotions.Yoongi looked again at the dead man. He was killed with anger, fuelled with hatred. His brother was slowly turning into a monster and Yoongi knew it was all his fault.“Let’s clean this place up and move the fuck out of here.” Yoongi cut through the awkward silence that was stretching out.“Shall we dispose of the body?” Jungkook asked as he went back to cleaning the floor and collecting the used knife and gun. “I don’t know, but the entire house is full of our fingerprints.”“That’s why we are cleaning with ammonia,” Jungkook reassured Yoongi, knowing exactly what he was doing.Yoongi stopped looking around and started cleaning with them. It took them almost two hours to clean the entire room, the only untouched item left is the corpse. It was 8 pm when Yoongi decided it was time for them to leave. “We don’t have time to get rid of him. Let’s just disappear, you didn’t touch him, right?”Yoongi’s brother and Jungkook shook their heads in affirmation.They grabbed all their things and left the room, leaving the dead body and a message that Yoongi had written beforehand. ♠ It was the middle of the night when the three of them arrived at their new location. They didn’t answer their phone calls, even though Yoongi received one from their grandma. They needed to stay hidden, at least for now.They went into the woods, where they burned the majority of their things, keeping only the necessary stuff. Afterward they made their way to an old abandoned house, which they had in store as their plan B. It wasn’t safe but would do the deed for the night.“Remember guys, we leave as soon as the sun rises, adapting to the skin of our new identities.” Yoongi reminded them.“...which are?” Shortcake asked in an unsure voice.“From tomorrow on we will be university students.”“Wait,” Jungkook stated from his spot in the room. “Isn’t that too risky, though?”“No, Jungkook, they won’t look for us in a student dorm, they will look for us in places like this,” Yoongi explained matter of factly and hoped, for the love of his cigarettes, that he was right. ♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
I'm trying to be honest with my happiness
Don't know why I'm bad at this, uh
And I don't wanna sit in all my sadness
I know it's a habit of mine
Trevor Daniel - Past Life
Jimin’s pov
|11th of February 2019|
*four days after Jimin realized Taehyung was missing*
Jimin picked up his ringing phone and answered it. “Detective Park speaking.”“A dead body in Gangnam was discovered. It doesn’t seem related to our case.” Namjoon informed him and that was all the information Jimin needed.„I’m on my way.”Jimin put down the phone and got out of his office as soon as he ended the call. He informed the other officers that he was going to be out on the field and took Hoseok with him. They got into the car and Jimin drove silently until they arrived at the location Namjoon texted them. Jimin was glad Hoseok was with him right now and not Namjoon or somebody else. He liked Namjoon, he was the best partner Jimin had ever had, but after the past few days he needed someone who was silent and let him be. Hoseok was a nice co-worker and he was smart enough to shut up in serious situations, whereas Namjoon liked to joke around and ask questions all the time.Jimin was stressed. Taehyung hasn’t answered his phone for four days. Jimin was convinced that something had happened to his best friend and he was worried sick over him. He even drove out to Taehyung’s grandparents, but he wasn’t there either. His grandma knew nothing and Jimin didn’t push her with questions, so as not to alarm and worry her. ♠ “It seems that the body has been here for a couple of days. I’d say three or four, but I’ll know for sure after my examination in the lab.” Hoseok inspected the body calmly as usual, taking a close look.“It’s different. It isn’t the same as the other victims.” Jimin stated, looking at the body’s eviscerated stomach. "This one was killed with anger, hatred. Or he was a psychopath. Either way I feel like we are dealing with a different case.”“But the room looks neat, whoever killed him definitely did some cleaning up afterward.” Namjoon spoke as he looked around with a magnifying glass. “I can’t see any fingerprints...and it smells like ammonia. It's exactly what you need to get rid of fingerprints.”„Do you think the cases are connected?” Hoseok asked him and Namjoon.“Let me think for a second," Jimin said, while also pointing to one of the officers taking photos to change the angle. "At first glance, they appear to be disconnected, but I’m starting to consider them somehow linked to each other. The cases are bizarre, even more so than our usual murder cases.”Namjoon turned to Jimin. “Detective Park, you have to consider the facts and context too. Not only what you want them to be.”“Don’t worry, Detective Kim. I will make a murder board at home and put down all the hard facts. They won’t be slipping through my fingers.” Jimin assured.“If you say so…”“Namjoon…” Jimin made a puppy face and approached his co-worker. “Could you help me with something later?”“Sure, just let us finish here.”“Thanks! You’re the best!” Jimin thanked Namjoon in a sweet voice.He returned his attention back to the crime and gestured for Hoseok to move aside and let him analyze the body himself.Hoseok was the one who determined the cause of death, but Jimin and Namjoon had to find the person responsible for it and the reason behind it.Jimin noted that the victim didn’t have any personal documents on him. So, either he didn’t bring any or the culprit removed them.„This will pique your interest, Detective Park,” Hoseok said and before Jimin could ask him, the other lifted the victim’s shirt, or what was left of it, and revealed a message written on its skin.„ Give up. We’re already a step ahead of you. ” Jimin read the English words aloud. „Is this a message for the police or for someone else...” Jimin wondered as he looked back at Namjoon and Hoseok.“This message looks to be addressed to someone who knows the killer, though. We don’t know him.” Namjoon speculated while Hoseok busied himself with taking pictures of the message.“Yeah, maybe we aren’t the only ones looking for this killer. Maybe there’s more to it.”“Good news you have a murder board, then. We’ll definitely be needing it.” Hoseok stood up and noted some things down. ♠ “So, Jimin, what is it you need my help for?” Namjoon asked, as soon as they stepped out from the crime scene.Jimin sighed and allowed himself to look sadly at Namjoon. They went into a nearby café to discuss Jimin’s request. “It’s about a friend of mine, he disappeared.”“And are you sure this is something to worry about? He might be just taking a few days off and will come back soon. People disappear all the time and come back, right?” Namjoon said cautiously.“I’m sure, Joon. He’s my best friend, I know him. He wouldn’t just disappear for days without at least calling back or texting me."“I understand. How can I help you? Do you want me to try and track him?” Namjoon suggested and Jimin was so glad to know that the other had his back.Jimin nodded. “Or maybe…you could convince Inspector Kim to look into it? To make it a case?”“Jimin, there’s no way he’ll do that.” Namjoon sighed. „You know he won’t.”“Ah, but maybe if you ask him, he’ll at least consider helping. He’s cold, but has a soft spot for you, Joon.”“Ugh, do you really think so?” Namjoon looked at Jimin with hope in his eyes and stuttered a little „O-Ok. I’ll try but can’t promise you anything.”“Thank you, Namjoon, I appreciate it.”“No worrie-” Namjoon was cut short by Jimin’s phone ringing.“It’s Dr. Jung.” Jimin frowned at his phone. He took another sip of his coffee and answered. “Detective Park.”“Detective, together with the lab, we’ve found fingerprints on the victim, that aren’t his.”“What? That’s good news! Did we get a match for them from our database?” Jimin quickly stood up, while leaving money on the table and gestured for Namjoon to follow him. „We’re on our way now.”„Yes, we did, but it’s not something we expected. You need to see this yourself.” ♠ “Miles Gilbert?” Jimin repeated the name, after inspecting the file on him, that he got from Hoseok.“So, it’s a foreigner. Not a Korean.” Namjoon stated.“Why are foreigners killing people in our country, now?” Jimin asked.“That’s for you to find out.” Hoseok shrugged his shoulders with a small grin.Miles Gilbert. Jimin studied the short file again. There was just a name, a birth certificate, and a short notice saying that he was currently in the country- but no record of how he did it. No picture, no address. They had no idea who he was, but the police was already tracing him.“So, we have nothing on him. No picture, no ID.” Jimin stated with a tint of suspicion to his voice.“He might have entered the country illegally or under an alias, if he’s a criminal he could be a precarious one after all,” Namjoon replied him. Jimin just nodded and kept on thinking for a while before deciding to say yes to the challenge.“Miles Gilbert, I’d like to have a chat with you,” Jimin mumbled to himself, it was finally the time he was getting his hands on something.Namjoon gathered everyone around him. “We have proof that Miles Gilbert’s fingerprints were on the last victim we identified. There is no correlation whatsoever with the other cases, for now.”“It’s just a hunch, but I have a feeling they are connected.” Jimin declared war with Miles Gilbert and decided it was time to get to work. ♠
Namjoon’s pov
|11th of February, 9 pm|Namjoon was nervous.Not because he had to enter their Inspector’s office, he tried to convince himself.Alright, maybe it was exactly that, but not because he feared the man. It’s because he was attracted to the older man. Their Chief was a stern and reserved man, some may say scary man. But Namjoon thought that this is just how he liked to be portrayed inside their department.His intelligence, looks, behavior, and the air that surrounded him, were a handful of the reasons why people were scared of their chief; But for Namjoon those exact same reasons were the cause for his infatuation. Everything about their Chief gave him shivers. Everything.He knew he was far from achieving anything in that area, though. He accepted the fact, that he was treated like a normal detective and was thankful that they had a formal relationship. It was more than others had in their department.Namjoon enjoyed each moment he could spend with the older man. Five minutes with their Chief would get Namjoon by for a couple of days, then he he could run around with a happy smile on his face.Namjoon braced himself and knocked on the Chief’s door, where he was standing for a couple of minutes now.“Come in!” The immediate answer came from inside.Namjoon opened the door and found the Chief Inspector looking over some files.“Good evening, Inspector Kim!”The inspector raised an eyebrow. “Detective Kim, I don’t remember calling you in.”“I-I know! Sorry for interrupting you from your important work.”“So, what brings you to me, then?” Inspector Kim asked while leaning back in his leather chair and regarding Namjoon with a quirk of his perfect eyebrow.“I have a small request, a favor if you allow me to be direct,” Namjoon admitted, going straight to the point. „It’s personal then, I figure.” Inspector Kim caught up fast.„Yes, it is. A friend of mine has gone missing and I don’t trust the police to find him; All they do is shove files around, we both know that.”“What makes you believe I’ll accept it?”“This is a private detective department, if a person disappears go to the police, we are investigating murders and serious cases.”“What if he was murdered?”“What if he wasn’t, detective? Spending money and wasting time on childish things like these isn’t what we do here. I thought you knew this already.” Inspector Kim put his glasses down and raised his head, looking at Namjoon with his arms crossed.“Of course I do, Inspector Kim. I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t think it was a serious matter. I promise we’ll make it fast and won't waste our resources.” Namjoon prayed to god and all the deities out there, that the Inspector would bulge.Inspector Kim looked at him for a long minute with raised eyebrows and then sighed. “Detective, I am only allowing this because I trust you. I hope you know what you’re doing; Because if not, there will be consequences.”Namjoon gulped. “Understood.”“Make it fast and report to me when you’re finished. Don’t tell anyone about this.”“Yes, sir!”“Dismissed.” Inspector Kim said curtly, returning to his work and not sparing Namjoon another glance.Namjoon scrambled out of the office as fast as possible and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He made it. Now, all he needed to do is tell Jimin. ♠
Jimin’s pov
|01:34 am, 14th of February, 2019|
*a week after Jimin realized Taehyung was missing*
Jimin was standing in front of his current case-board or „murder-board” as he liked to call it. He had laid out all the evidence they gathered so far, written down the connections and his assumptions; Now all he needed to do was to find evidence and prove that his suspicions are right.Miles Gilbert committed the crimes, Jimin was sure of it.In the meantime, Jimin and Namjoon were looking for Taehyung and his whereabouts. Taehyung had been missing for a week exactly. Since Jimin didn’t have any updated information about Taehyung’s residence they checked his last workplace, the company in the U.S. They didn’t get far with it though, because the firm appeared to be a ghost company, there was hardly any information on Taehyung; What really got Jimin into a spin though, was the fact that there were no official records of Taehyung arriving in Korea.So either someone compromised the files and deleted his arrival or Taehyung didn’t arrive under his name; Jimin knew that something was wrong with his best friend the moment he saw him, but Jimin had hoped it was just his arriving back from a different culture and settling in again.Now though, ...Now, Jimin just wanted to find Taehyung. He wanted Taehyung to be safe and sound by his side.Jimin gathered his gun and called Namjoon while leaving his house. ♠
Yoongi’s pov
|12th of February, 2019|
*one day after Jimin discovered the corpse in Gangnam*
“Am I not allowed to contact my old friends?” Shortcake asked Yoongi worriedly.“yet Shortcake. We need to make sure that we’re safe and not being tracked.”“But, I think they might be worried...” Shortcake bit his lips, pleading Yoongi with his eyes.“Look, we want to live, any mistake could cost us our life, you know that, right?.” Yoongi sighed.“But he could help us-”“I don’t need anyone’s help.” Yoongi scoffed, cutting Shortcake off in disbelief.“...But he’s a detective, he could-„ Shortcake started again.“What? Him? The guy you always talk about? You expose yourself to that kind of danger? Are you out of your mind? I thought my little brother was smarter than that, don’t call him, not now, not a week later, he would definitely be a pain in the ass. I hate detectives and cops and everything in between.”The younger boy frowned at his brother but let the subject drop. ♠
Taehyung’s pov
|14th of November 2018, the USA|
*a couple of months earlier*
“Chim, I think I’m coming back at the end of the semester,” Taehyung told his friend excitedly over the phone, he missed Jimin so much, he was ready to take a plane any minute.
“Woah, Taehyungie, that’s great, but what about school? How can you leave in the middle of the school year?”
“Well, it seems that my exchange program will be finished at the end of the first semester and that’s why. I'll tell you more when we meet.”
“Can’t wait to see you, buddy, until then, take care of yourself.”
“You too! I’ll call you later!”
Taehyung ended the call and noticed that he wasn’t alone in the room.
“Who were you talking to?” The other boy with a bunny smile asked him and Taehyung felt his heart beat faster at the sight. The man in front of him was breathtakingly beautiful. Taehyung definitely forgot what the question was after five seconds of staring at the person he was so obsessed
with. “Hello? Are you there?”
“Uh, yeah, sorry, just an old friend.”
“Ok, anyway, I came here to tell you something important about the Center for Cyber Intelligence. The Professor discovered it and told me.”
“What is it? You’re kinda scaring me when you look like that.” Taehyung tried to smile and shake off his nerves.
“The program we’ve been working on is not what they told us. It’s actually really dangerous...apparently, they’re creating it on behalf of the President, and they have big plans with it.”
“W-wait, and how did you come across that kind of information? Did the Professor just tell you? Just like that?”
“He told me because I’m the head of the Programming-Team and I think he trusts me...” A mischievous smile appeared on the younger’s boy face suddenly. “Wanna investigate further?”
Taehyung smirked. “Do you really have to ask?”
♠
Jimin's pov
|14th of February, 2019, Seoul|
* present*
“What the hell is this place?” Jimin looked around, shocked, as they jumped out of his car. It was a huge building with a hundred rooms and it didn't look dangerous at all.“It’s a dorm for students, Detective,” Namjoon said calmly.Jimin scoffed. “I can see that! I meant, why are we here? This can’t be right.”“Maybe your friend just moved here and goes to University?” Namjoon suggested.“Are you out of your mind? He has a house here, why would he pay rent to live in a dorm?” Jimin looked at him with wide eyes, not believing his ears.“To get away from his parents or whatever, how would I know how your little friend’s brain works?” Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows at Jimin in mock offense.Jimin sighed. „You’re right Namjoon. I didn’t really tell you anything, so of course you wouldn’t know. My friend, Taehyung, he has a bachelor’s degree in Technology Studies and is currently studying arts, because that’s what he really loves. He was in the States for the last two years with a scholarship and now he’s back in Korea. He lives with his grandparents in their house and he really loves them dearly. He wouldn’t run away from them. Something is definitely wrong Namjoon...”„... Alright Jimin. Calm down and let’s search for him. Our research led us here for a reason.” Namjoon smiled at him, trying to calm him. Jimin nodded and managed a small smile back.They made their way to the main building, found the room with all the student files, and entered it after Jimin checked that no one was there and lock-picked the door. They could have used the mandate Namjoon obtained with the Inspector's help but they wanted to avoid the unnecessary fuss. After all, detectives in a student dorm would create quite some fuss and rumors.They both took piles and looked through the files separately, shuffling through papers silently. “Pff, why would anyone name his kid Shortcake. What a ridiculous name. Poor boy, his parents must’ve hated him or really liked bakery.” Namjoon giggled at a file.“Namjoon, seriously? We have a job, not mocking these students.” Jimin mumbled while working through another pile of names.“Yeah, yeah sorry.”They went through every file, but his Taehyung was not there. It was as if he simply disappeared from the earth. Jimin pinched the bridge of his nose.„He’s not here Namjoon. Where the hell is he...?” Jimin was really worried.“Then we must have taken a wrong address, Jimin, he has to be somewhere in Seoul.” Namjoon reassured Jimin, offering a kind smile. “We’ll find him. I promise.”“I know we will, but I want to find him in once piece. I hope he wasn’t involved with anything dangerous, God…” ♠ |15th of February, 2019|*the following day*Jimin was in his office stressing himself over the pile of files he had in front of him. He was extremely pissed off. He reached a wall. He couldn’t make any new connections between the first two cases and the guy with the torn apart stomach, he couldn’t find Taehyung and his phone was constantly ringing.He was outnumbered and felt like his brain had stopped working, he couldn’t keep on going like that.Jimin needed help and that’s what he hated the most. It was well known that Jimin didn’t like anyone meddling in his cases and he especially hated new, inexperienced and over-eager officers. Yet he knew he needed help, before he ended up in the hospital from overworking himself like this. He looked at his phone for a couple of seconds, before picking it up. „Tell Officer Yang to come to my office asap.”
“Yes, I will send him right over, Detective Park.”
“Thank you.”Two minutes later a young, child-looking man with glasses and braces entered the room with a huge smile stamped on his face. “Detective Park? I heard you called for me?”Jimin looked at the younger man once again, contemplating if this was really a good idea, but he knew he needed help. "Officer Yang. I need your help with some files.” Jimin said while gesturing for the other to come in and close the door.„R-really? But I thought you hate working with new officers...” Officer Yang started but shut his lips when Jimin just raised a delicate eyebrow at him daring him to say something more. „B-b-but I’m honoured to help you Detective Park a-and to learn something from your experience!” The younger scrambled to say immediately, looking one second away from a panic attack.„Well then, let’s begin, Officer Yang. Preferably now.” Jimin said in a flat tone.„Of course!” Officer Yang screeched and launched forward, knocking over some files in his hurry. „Oh my god, I’m sorry Detective Park! I’m going to clean this right away...” Jimin sighed long and deeply, willing himself to calm down, while the younger fell to his knees, gathering the sheets and rambling on.This was going to be a long day. ♠ Yoongi's pov|15th of February|
*the same day Jimin decided to take Officer Yang under his wing*
“Ok, we have changed the locations to different ones, all of them are new, no matter what Yoona left behind they have nothing,” Yoongi smirked when he handled a new map to Jungkook.“That’s great news, we are good for now, right?”“The Seoul Police Department is looking for a man known as Miles Gilbert. There is a bounty for anyone who could bring any information about him.” A low voice was heard coming from the TV.Yoongi wanted to answer Jungkook that yes, they were good but, as soon as he heard the TV, he realized that he was dead wrong. “Well... I think something must have gone wrong...” Yoongi stretched his nape and decided to light a cigarette.“They are closer than we expected.” ♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
There's no escape
When fire meets fate
Ruelle - Fire Meets Fate
Jimin’s pov
|18th of February|It felt suffocating. Having all the information they’ve got their hands on in front of him but not being able to make a certain connection was driving Jimin mad. Something was surely slipping off his fingers, but he couldn’t place his hands on it. The more time he spent in the office, the smaller the room became, the walls were getting closer and closer, the cold air of the room was freezing Jimin’s brain, and it was getting harder to think with each passing minute. Luckily, Jimin’s frenzy has been disturbed by a knock on the door. It was Namjoon.Jimin sighed. He entered the office excitedly as if he was about to bring great news. Jimin didn’t want false expectations, so he raised one eyebrow suspiciously. “Jimin.” Namjoon took a seat in front of Jimin’s desk and crossed his arms confidently. “Inspector Kim called me and he assigned us a special case. He said the deadline for us to decide whether we'll take it or not is tomorrow.” He dropped a file on Jimin’s desk and waited, eyes begging for Jimin to accept it already. “What case? And why do we have a choice?” Jimin raised his eyebrow suspiciously, again. It was unusual for Inspector Kim to ask them if they are willing to agree to a case before assigning it. The cases are usually assigned directly, depending on certain circumstances. “Namjoon, we are already busy with the most recent case, and we are deeply buried in shit with it, why would I want a new headache?”Namjoon averted his eyes around the room. “This is not about him, alright?” Jimin smiled knowingly. “Mhm. It surely is not.”“Look, he asked us because he believes only we are capable of doing it. And I kind of want to prove him right. We are more than capable to solve whatever is to come. If not us, then who?” Jimin rolled his eyes tiredly, leaning in his chair. He felt a headache starting to cover his temples. Namjoon was.. a bit too attached to Inspector’s Kim presence, to say so. But he was smart, and would not accept a case unless he is excited about the case as well. Jimin started massaging his own temples. “If you say this is not a personal matter, then I will consider it.” “You know me better than that.” Jimin nodded, an attentive expression on his face. He was getting curious. “Please hand me a file with the summary of the case. I’ll take a look over it and let you know if we can handle it or not.” Namjoon agrees, sharing a confident smile with Jimin. “Just for the record, the case has been sent by the CIA. They wanted a partnership with our office, they need our help. It’s... exciting.”Jimin’s face morphed the moment he heard the word. “What? The CIA? A partnership with us? How in the world is this possible?”Namjoon sighed, placing another file on Jimin’s desk. “I wanted to let you go through it yourself, but... I guess I could make a summary now.” He skipped a few papers until he reached a certain list with names. “It appears that the police didn’t accept the case, because the government won’t let them get that involved with the CIA. They have a point though. But we have all the resources to accept the deal. A great amount of money is involved, and… there’s nothing illegal about it. It is just risky. The case has already reached the media partly… some information has already been leaked to the public, you might have seen it on the news.” Namjoon explained carefully, trying not to overwhelm Jimin. “So, it is a big deal after all.” “I do believe it is. And not only that, it is a great catch for our department, but the case might pique your interest more than you think.”Jimin frowned skeptically and opened the file. His breath hitched when his look had fallen over a certain name. Miles Gilbert.On black and white, right under his nose. He blinked several times to make sure he was seeing correctly. “Namjoon. Why didn’t you mention this from the start? This is connected to our case. This is actually going to help, my god.” Jimin was practically quivering with excitement, holding the paper with shaky hands. The list presented a couple of names, with Miles Gilbert topping it. The group of people was accused of stealing a secret cyber microchip, noted as Top Secret and very important for the US Government. The list was connected to a large number of victims. Wounded and dead. There has also been a confrontation between the CIA and Miles Gilbert and his associates. The word dangerous appeared several times in the report handed to Jimin. It was fantastic. It was exactly what he needed. “This is him, Namjon. I am convinced of it.” Namjoon sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I did not tell you about it from the start Jimin… because we have his fingertips from one corpse, but it has no correlation to the other victims as of now.”Jimin and Namjoon have always been like that. One of them, Namjoon more specifically, would act based on the facts he had. He wouldn’t take a step forward unless he knew exactly what was going to happen, and he wouldn’t believe Jimin’s theories unless proven to be the truth. On the other hand, Jimin liked to be ahead of his enemy. Intuition and alternative plans have always been his hidden aces. He linked cases trying to think from the perspective of his enemy, follow their steps, create strategies and finding clues based on that. They were quite the opposite, but one would be surprised to see how well the two of them worked together. That’s why, most of the time, Inspector Kim would partner them for certain cases. “Namjoon, you don’t need to believe me, but you will see, soon enough.”“We have no proof Jimin.” Namjoon reminded Jimin, as he always does. Not wanting to start an argument, Jimin decides to change the subject soon. It is better to focus on what they had in front of them. Palpable facts. “Why there is no picture of his face? It is mentioned that he has been working for the CIA, yet there’s no picture attached. It is impossible that they don’t have one?” Jimin frowns at the file, and at the lack of details on the suspects. Namjoon laughs ironically. “I have no idea who these guys are, Jimin, but they are good.” “What do you mean?”“They have someone in. Before they stole the chip, they made sure to get rid of any trace of their existence. All that the CIA knows is that they are here, in Seoul, and there are some details about their looks.” Namjoon informed, pointing at the file in front of Jimin. “Check this out.”He pulled out a paper from the file. “Miles Gilbert, Kurt Theodore, and John Cook, right? Those are not Korean names. Whether it’s fake identities or not, they managed to put not only us but the CIA, in a difficult situation.” ♠ A few hours later, after Jimin managed to look through the case, he asked the rest of the team to join him to share the information they’ve got. Hoseok rubbed his chin, eyes narrowed, attention focused on the paper he was holding. “Well, this means that the three guys at the top of the list are leading the operation. If we manage to get one of them, we might be able to convince them to spill some information. Even the location of their leader.” “We don’t have a visual representation, but we know they are Korean and some extra information,” Namjoon informed the team. “ Miles appears to be shorter in height, blonde hair - at that moment, dark eyes, thin figure. His passport presented him to be 28 years old when he joined the CIA project.”Jimin scrunched his nose at Namjoon’s words. “How is that supposed to help us?” “I agree with Jimin…” Hoseok joined the conversation again. “They are quite meticulous. Most likely, they look completely different now.”Namjoon beckoned with his head, gesturing that he was on the same page with them. “Let’s see what we’ve got on the others.” He continued. “Theodore is tall, brown hair, dark eyes, normal body proportions, 26 years old. He appears to be happy all the time, but the coworkers described him to be mysterious, sometimes changing his demeanor radically.” “Are you sure you are not describing Jimin?” Hoseok snickered, trying to light up the mood. Jimin just narrowed his eyes at him, slapping his shoulder with a file. “Focus.”Hoseok lifted his hands defensively and signaled Namjoon to keep going. Namjoon fake coughed and continued. “John is younger than the rest. He looks like a teenager, baby face, but very well built. He is described to be a pensive person, always spacing out. Many coworkers mentioned his smile. It was very bright, but rarely seen.” Jimin inhaled deeply. “We have close to nothing.”“And the same amount of information comes for the rest of the guys. Based on their looks, they could be walking the streets freely and we won’t even notice them.”“I suppose we need to give them a bit of time.. and see whether they make the next move. We need something to trace, right?” Hoseok just confirmed everyone’s thoughts. Well, if Jimin’s suspicions were true, they already had some sort of a lead, but no one wanted to hear about it unless he had actual proof. “All men between twenty-five and twenty-eight are suspects unless we prove the contrary. They know someone is watching them, they must feel scared and cornered, so they will make a mistake.” Jimin announced confidently, watching the excitement grow on the faces of each one of his colleagues. Inspector Kim was right to hand the case to their team. The case was a once-in-a-lifetime catch for them, there was no way in hell the suspects would slip through their fingers. ♠ Jimin liked his murder board. His home office would have been completely useless without it. It was sprawled all over an entire wall, pins and string linking maps, faces, and sticky notes from one side to the other of the wall. Jimin took a seat on a stool in front of the board and started thinking. His eyes focused, mind working one hundred miles per second. He was nibbling on his thumb. The more he looked at the information he had, the more excited he got. Jimin started laughing to himself. The universe was playing a good damn prank on him. They got Miles’ fingertips before the CIA managed to send them the case. Maybe Jimin had to forget about his mother’s case for a while, and focus on this new challenge. His guts were telling him that this case was going to help him get back on track. Miles Gilbert was a challenge; it was Jimin’s challenge. That’s why Jimin became a detective to begin with. He was more than ready to use his brain and skills, just enough to prove himself who he really was. Miles was the perfect opportunity, and Jimin just gladly took it. ♠ |19th of February|Jimin breathed in the cold air of the winter morning. The sensation was burning his sinuses, freezing his brain. No sight of snow or wind that morning, just pure cold. It was the perfect morning for a run. It was Jimin and Namjoon’s day off, and as agreed the previous evening, Namjoon came to join Jimin on his morning workout. Afterwards, Namjoon promised Jimin to help him with the mysterious disappearance of his best friend. Jimin wasn’t ready to let go of his best friend. He had just returned from the US, acted partly suspiciously with Jimin, and then disappeared with no trace. He was hiding something from the start. If only Jimin would have tried to convince him to open up a bit…“Morning, detective, nice outfit.” Namjoon complimented Jimin as soon as their eyes met, sharing a warm smile, contrasting the weather outside. One of Jimin’s favorite places to run was the Namasan, which led to the forest. The area was usually abandoned during mornings, so it was just the two of them, running through the dead nature of a cold winter. “Same goes for you, Kim.” Jimin replied with a friendly wink as well. “Come on, last one has to pay for coffee, old man.”Namjoon just laughed in reply, dimples on display, and took off after his partner. Jimin steadied his breath, enjoying the nice feeling of running beside his friend. There was no rush, so they created a pace and focused on the burning sensation of their muscles, feeling the cold air strike the skin. Namjoon’s presence has always been calming for Jimin. Maybe they weren’t best friends, because there was a certain barrier between work and personal life that both of them liked to respect, but that didn’t prevent the two from getting closer. There was a bond between them, created based on years of experience and time spent together. Jimin wasn’t the type of person to get close to someone that easily, and preferred spending time at home to share his free time with others. He didn’t like to share many things with anyone besides Taehyung and his mother, but it didn’t mean he did not enjoy Namjoon’s company. Maybe he didn’t quite show it, but Namjoon knew and understood. He appreciated Jimin’s space but was ready to help him whenever he looked like he needed a shoulder. It was quite peculiar, the way he allowed Namjoon to slowly but surely get closer to him. Jimin hardly ever trusted someone, but these days he was inclined to believe that Namjoon was on his green list. Namjoon and Taehyung. That’s about it. “Careful!” Namjoon interrupted Jimin’s train of thoughts, running a few meters ahead of him. He managed to jump over what appeared to be a twig. Jimin took the warning to his heart and decided to pay more attention to his surroundings. Shortly after though, in the name of irony, Namjoon lost his focus and tripped. Jimin didn’t have the time to avoid him and unexpectedly bumped into him, losing his balance and almost ending up on the ground. “What the hell?” Jimin cursed and started laughing, looking around for the object that caused the collision. “It must have been a-” Jimin approached the mysterious object and raised an eyebrow with suspicion. “What exactly is this thing?”Namjoon inspected the object as well, then looked at Jimin with a dumbfounded expression on his face. The object was a goblet-shaped glass. In the middle of the woods. “And what is it doing here?”“Namjoon, don’t touch it. There’s something on it. Is this… a blue liquid?” Jimin narrowed his eyes, crouching down to have a better sight without touching it. “This seems familiar.”“Jimin…” Namjoon raised his gaze just enough to inspect the area surrounding them, only to spot traces of the blue substance hollowing the frozen snow at the edges of the path. “This is indeed unpleasantly familiar…” Namjoon started approaching the patches of blue liquid, and Jimin followed him, warily. Following them, not too far from the main alley they reached an abandoned wooden shack. It looked vandalized, and a huge S was written on the side of it. Namjoon approached the construction, placing his hand on the sprayed letter. “It’s just graffiti, already dry. Jimin approached the building as well, knocking on the door just in case someone was there. When no reply came, he turned his head towards his partner and both nodded, agreeing to enter the shack, just for a quick check. “I just think that-Oh my fucking god.”Jimin’s eyes widened in shock the moment he entered the unit, covering his gaped mouth with a hand. As soon as Namjoon’s eyes landed on the view, he covered his eyes with his palm, face distorting in disgust and sympathy, and turned around. “Dear God.”It was a dead body. And it seemed recent. Jimin took a deep breath and got closer to the lifeless corpse, looking at it attentively, searching for the cause of death. His eyes were still wide open and the corners of his mouth covered in a blue substance that Jimin and Namjoon were already too acquainted with. His skin was covered in scratches, and the smell of Leander and Blueberries got stronger. “It’s the cyanide gist.” Jimin declared with a loud groan. “Fuck this shit. Who knows how many corpses like this are around the city?”“We need to call the others.” Namjoon quickly pulled the phone out of his pocket, dialing the office to ask for reinforcements. ♠ “This is pure luck, for you two to discover it before anyone else did.” Hoseok stated, inspecting the corpse attentively.. “It’s the same pattern, almost identical to the other murder.”“Fuck. Ok. Nothing else? Nothing new?” Jimin asked, hoping Hoseok will at least have something new for him. A new fingerprint, a different sign, anything. Hoseok shook his head, apologetic expression on his face. “Detective, that’s the thing... it looks like suicide, the body has no trace of aggression on it, except for those scratches. If we take a closer look, they could definitely be counted as self harm. The man drank that damned liquid and just waited to die I guess.” Jimin didn’t question Hoseok’s verdict and his capability of inspecting such a situation, but he was close to popping a vein. He crossed his arms and directed his gaze to the specialist. “The door, Dr. Hoseok. The door was closed when we entered, but the body was there. Do you think that a poisoned man can come from the main alley, here, by himself, and make sure to close the door? Oh, did I mention he was poisoned?” He faked the calmest smile he could possibly offer. Hoseok replied with a sigh. “I said what I said based on my first analysis. Maybe the autopsy will tell us something different, but until then, do you have any other ideas?“Most likely…” Namjoon continued. “He was forced to drink the gist in the woods, given the circumstances, and he has been transported here afterwards. Whoever was with him, didn't leave until he made sure the victim was dead. They closed the door and left.” “No prints on the handle of the door, Detective.” An officer reported, and Jimin just nodded in acknowledgment. “We expected as much. They wouldn’t be that careless. We know how they work after all.” Jimin ran a hand through his hair tiredly. The adrenaline of the situation made him forget about the freezing cold. “Officers, please look for fingertips everywhere. We shouldn’t oversee small details. Just in case they made a mistake.”The three officers that came with Hoseok proceeded with following Jimin’s order. Jimin got out of the shack and started looking around the unit, searching for anything else that could have caught his attention. He watched the wooden wall he had already inspected with Namjoon. “Of fucking course!” He bumped one of his fists against his palm. “Why haven’t I thought about it yet? Namjoon!” He called for his partner and waited. I wasn’t just random graffiti. Namjoon hurried outside. “Did you find anything else?”“Yes. The huge S. It is another letter. I need the coordinates of this location now.” Namjoon just instructed one officer to do so and joined Jimin. Jimin felt grateful (even kissed himself internally) for getting a picture of the maps he had gathered at home. “Exactly what I thought.” He grinned at Namjoon, leaving the other one mouth gaped. “So, the letter S on the map indicates this shack.” Namjoon confirmed Jimin’s thoughts. “Detective Park!” Hoseok called them from the inside of the shack, a bit too excited. “We have a phone, the phone of the victim!”“Oh my.” Jimin shared a bewildered expression with Namjoon. ♠ “Here you go, have this shirt.” Namjoon handed Jimin a shirt as soon as they entered his office. The sports clothes they had on at the moment weren’t the best choice for a working day. It was supposed to be their day off, but a detective doesn’t really get days off. Jimin got used to the fact that many of his holidays have been ruined by impromptu cases or series of events. Furthermore, he wanted to be there, present with the rest of the team. It was his case, after all. Jimin quickly removed his t-shirt, putting on the white shirt Namjoon had offered him. Truth to be told, it was a number or two larger than Jimin’s size, but it would do for the moment. “I didn’t know you had got a tattoo,” Namjoon smirked, eyebrow pointing upright, curiosity more than anything.Jimin rolled his eyes for the effect. “Thanks for peeking.” He muttered, offering a sarcastic smile. He didn’t mind changing in the same room with Namjoon, they have been colleagues for years, and it wasn’t the first time when they were seeing each other half-naked. Jimin just needed something to relax the tense atmosphere a bit. Since they have found the body, a gloomy atmosphere has surrounded not only them but the entire department. “Didn’t intend to, but you know, curiosity,” Namjoon replied, innocent dimples confirming his integrity. “ Never mind, is it what it says?”“Great eagle eyes, detective.”“What can I say, I have a good vision.”Even though a part of him wanted to explain to Namjoon what’s the meaning behind his tattoo, he didn’t feel ready. It was a long story and, even though he knew Namjoon could be trusted, it was neither the time, nor the place to start talking about it. Maybe some other time. Maybe some other time Jimin would share the story behind his tattoo with someone else, not only Taehyung. ♠ Due to Hoseok’s hard work and connections, he managed to get the laboratory results earlier than expected. He explained to Jimin and Namjoon that the person found dead in the wooden shack died poisoned. His body presented similar aftereffects as the ones previously investigated. “The poison… this substance.” He displayed a file with numerous chemical formulas. Jimin sometimes was wondering whether Hoseok thought they knew what they meant. Sometimes, he was so immersed in his work that he insisted on providing all the additional information he had on the specific case, just to make sure he got his facts right. This was just a small proof that Hoseok was a passionate forensics expert, and Jimin adored that about him. “It works fast.” He continued. “It kills you in a matter of minutes, depending on your body resistance. The victim has no time to feel pain or register what’s happening, but it would be enough time to administer an antidote, as long as there is one. We have nothing on the antidote at the moment, but will be working on it.”“So… it takes some time between the moment you swallow the poison and die, right?” Namjoon asked for confirmation. “To be more precise.” Hoseok continued his explanation. “It can take up to one hour to die, but you will pass out in a matter of seconds. If there’s no one around you, there are 99% chances you die there. No traces, just that.” A clean method, used in many circumstances by criminals all around the world. It wasn’t surprising, but annoying, especially in their context. “Then..” Jimin furrows his brows, not really sure whether his idea was good enough to be said out loud. “Maybe if we try to recreate their steps, understand the game and manage to get our hands on one of their people?”Namjoon nodded, seemingly thinking about Jimin’s idea as well. “If we could save one of the people that are supposed to die before the toxins completely kick in, we could administer an antidote and squish some fresh info out of them.” Doctor Jung smirked, enjoying the confidence of his colleagues. “Good idea, but how are you guys gonna find the locations of the next victims?” And that’s something Jimin was close to figuring out. “It’s a classic pattern to be honest, I need to unravel how the locations indicated on the maps are connected, and that might be the answer to our questions.” “Then I’ll be making sure we produce the antidote as quickly as possible.” Hoseok approved with a nod of his head. They were making a good team, and Jimin was going to use it to their advantage. “It appears that we’ll need it sooner than later.”“Guys!” Officer Yang announced his presence as well, in a not-so-loud voice. He was working on it, Jimin was quietly proud of him. “We found some important information in the phone of the victim. Most of their texts are coded, but there is a picture named “safe places.jpg”, and… it is a map.”Jimin’s eyes widened in a matter of seconds, the speed of blood burning his veins with excitement with each detail completing the puzzle. “And…” Officer Yang continued, a small smile playing on his lips. That’s when Jimin knew. They had something important this time. “There are text exchanges between the victim and this guy named Theodore. The only person that has been in contact with the victim.”Okay. Okay. It must ring a bell. Not picturing exactly why it sounded so familiar to Jimin’s ears, he asks for a copy of the details to be sent to his office email. “I shall look into this myself, then. Thank you, officer!” ♠ “Theodore…” It didn’t take much for Jimin to sort his files, yet, his mind was in chaos, and he was aware of it. He needed to calm down and think things through, no rush needed. He was convinced he saw the name Theodore somewhere previously but didn’t know where, or why. Copies of all three maps collected from the crime sites are now hanging neatly on Jimin’s murder board. The most recent was one that Jimin didn’t like at all. Despite knowing that it indicated new clues, it also indicated that their enemy has changed the strategy a bit. The map marked new locations this time. To put it more clearly, Jimin linked his victims to the maps. Victim number 3 was found dead on a location marked with an S, on Map number 1. Map number 3 had a location marked with S as well but on the opposite side of Seoul. The first two victims died in locations marked with letters on the maps they had with them, an easy pattern to follow. However, the 3rd victim didn’t follow the pattern of the previous murders. The situation didn’t help Jimin with his plan of finding the 4th victim before they die. Sighing his frustration away, Jimin took a copy of the last map and started linking locations randomly. Nothing logical made much sense anyway so…That’s when he started laughing. When all markers were united on Map number 3, Jimin noticed all the lines had a common juncture. A location. They all met at the student dorm Jimin and Namjoon had visited a few days ago. It couldn’t be something more but a coincidence, at least that’s what Jimin was convinced for now. He made sure to make a note on that detail somewhere, just in case, then put the maps aside, to look into something else. He pulled out a file containing the text exchange between the victim and the said Theodore. At a first glance, it was just a simple conversation, nothing suspicious about it.
Phone owner: unknown
Most likely a code. The coded words were the sugar, the cookies, the cafe, and the tea. The victim wanted something from Theodore, and he wouldn’t meet with him unless he agreed to his request. Nothing more or less. Jimin put the words in bold on his murder-board just to make sure they would be easy to find if something related comes up and then...Jimin realized…Theodore. A bit of memory flashed before Jimin’s eyes, and instantly he opened a copy of the CIA case. There was a Miles, a Theodore and a John. Jimin was convinced it was the same Theodore. Theodore was one of Miles’s accomplices. Too many clues indicated one thing. The small detail could have been exactly what he needed to prove to his colleagues that the murder cases and the CIA’s case were linked. Jimin went through a short recap to make sure he got his stuff right. There were three victims, death by poison, and one victim, killed brutally, presenting Miles Gilbert’s fingertips. There was no actual correlation between the two cases. Miles, Theodore, and John were working together.At the moment, Jimin was convinced the Theodore found in the phone of Victim number 3, was Miles Gilbert’s Theodore. If Jimin could get his hands on some more solid evidence, he could finally link the cases and chase Miles as their primary suspect. It was the first piece of evidence linking Miles with the poisoned victims. He was convinced Miles was the criminal, in both cases, but he was also convinced he wasn’t an easy catch. He liked to play smart.Well… good thing was that Jimin liked to play games as well. And he trusted his instincts more than anything. So, let the game begin. ♠
Yoongi’s pov
|18th of February|
*a day before Jimin and Namjoon discovered the corpse at the wooden house*
“Bloody hell. He hasn’t been answering our texts for the past two days, we should have realized sooner.” Yoongi almost smashed his phone against the table upon reading one of the most recent news headings. His brother, though, had seemed way calmer than he was. Yoongi had yet to work on the way he controlled his emotions.“I know it looks bad but I destroyed the SIM, don’t worry, they shouldn’t be able to find much based on that phone.” The younger replied, eyes preoccupied with playing a rhythm game on his phone. “What did you tell him, though?”“We just exchanged a few words about the meeting, it was coded anyway. Oh, and I asked about the map, though, no one could possibly know what the texts were about.”Yoongi nodded absently, eyes fixed on the window, watching the winter devour the life out of nature. “That’s exactly what I warned them all about. Do they have a death wish or something? I feel like I’m wasting my time. What’s the point of creating these maps if they won’t follow our instructions?”“Well…” His brother smiled as if he was enjoying every bit of the situation. “Now he’s dead. Lesson learned. Who’s next? Hm?”Yoongi smashed his cigarette in his ashtray, frowned eyebrows on display. There was no point in getting angry, right?The younger stopped playing his game and changed his focus from the phone to his brother. “No matter what we do, hyung, all of us are in constant danger. They helped us and risked it all for us, no matter how much I’d like to say we should hide on our own… we can’t. Their lives are in danger because of us.” Yoongi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, contemplating. “Seoul isn’t a safe place anymore. All of us will end up dead if we don’t think a step ahead of them. The FBI agents and whoever keeps killing our crew.”Jungkook entered the small, cold living room with a bag of groceries. “Shall we organize a meeting or something?” He suggested calmly, catching the last phrase. “Nah… that’s too risky now.. just call Romeo. We need his help, again, I’ll meet him and give him the details.” Yoongi didn’t like the fact that he had to rely so much on his friend, he hated to feel indebted even more, and right now, he felt indebted with his life to Romeo. “Ok boss!” The younger’s eyes were currently focused on an instant ramyun pocket. “Cut the bullshit, Jungkook, I’m not in the mood.” ♠ The cigarette smoke. Yoongi never thought he would see the light of the day when the smoke of the cigarette was the only thing keeping him away from setting something on fire. The fingers holding the fag were shaking, eyes unfocused while his ears were listening to the dreadful news on the TV. It wasn’t like he didn’t expect it would happen sooner or later, he just hoped he had more time. But he didn’t. The name “Miles Gilbert” was officially on TV, practically, the case was officially handed to South Korea. The CIA made the case public, and now he not only has to deal with the FBI agents but with local police as well. What was the next move? The Interpol? He wanted to laugh but the fear was controlling him. The fear of not having a perfect plan, and a perfect plan B. He lit a second cigarette as soon as he finished the first one and pulled out his notebook. Instead of going insane, he started scribbling a few words down on a blank page. He had always had control issues, but life had taught him how to keep them at bay and use the anger constructively. He wrote random words, verses, keywords, and eventually ideas that could help them stay alive. He took a drag from the Lucky Strike stick and smirked, much calmer this time.He needed a new plan. ♠ Long story short, Romeo was Yoongi’s childhood best friend. Their bond was built up on both legal and illegal memories and adventures, on poverty and sleepless nights, on drugs and alcohol, but most importantly, on a strong friendship and trust. He has always been a great guy to Yoongi, but the rest of the world was his enemy. Romeo was a reputable drug dealer in Europe, banished from Portugal and the UK. He had a small little girl with a woman he had met in the UK, and even though they are not a couple anymore, Romeo tried his hardest to send as much money as possible to the two, making sure the young child would grow up surrounded by everything she needs at least, if she couldn’t have a father. Yoongi couldn’t condemn his life decision, because each of them had to fight their own battles. “Man, it’s been fucking weeks!” Romeo exclaimed excitedly as soon as he spotted Yoongi. His eyes looked tired as always, but still held a warm gaze whenever he was looking at him. Jungkook chose a public restaurant for their meeting since a crowded place was less likely to attract eyes on them. Yoongi responded to Romeo’s excitement with a friendly bear-like hug. The image must have looked ridiculous since Yoongi was way smaller in height than his friend, but he was happy to see him nonetheless. “How you doin’?”“Had better days.” He replied nonchalantly, still laughing as if he had no care in the world. “What do you want me to do, Miles?” He winked, speaking in a low voice. Yoongi’s gaze went from calm to terrified real quick. “Let’s.. stick to Yoongi, huh? Since Miles Gilbert is wanted internationally.”Romeo’s expression morphed into a more serious one. “Right, I guess we are here to discuss business.”Yoongi just nodded in reply, ordered a beer for him and one for his best friend.“So, to put it simply. We cannot use the locations on the first map since it’s not safe anymore, so everyone needs to be redirected to the new map and the new locations. Yoongi received his beer, took a sip, and licked his lips. “Well, that’s the problem, I think they have gone rebellious or something, I don’t know. They wouldn’t listen..”“I know, I heard about the guy who was found dead yesterday in the woods, location S on the first map.”“I think the police have the maps now. Old and new. Shortcake sent him the new map as well on the phone...” Yoongi scratched the back of his head. “It’s bad.”“Not the police, Yoongi.” The words lingered on Romeo’s lips, waiting for a reaction from Yoongi.“What?” Yoongi took a while to process the words. “It’s a private detective office. The CIA had hired them for the case. And you know how it is… private offices do their job three times better than the police.” Romeo handed the information, worry visible in his eyes. “So… I have professional detectives after my ass?” “I mean...after that chip you’ve stolen, if it makes you feel better.”“Great then, good thing no one knows my face! Yet…” Yoongi paused, keeping back the laugh threatening to burst. It was getting overwhelming. “They are going to find me, Romeo, this is just a matter of time."Romeo sighed but still looked at Yoongi with those eyes, the knowing eyes, the we-can’t-give-up-just-yet eyes. “Yoongi, I know this will sound crazy, but I can’t see any other option available.”“What?” “Okay. Just think about it, alright?” Romeo reassured Yoongi it was just a simple suggestion before presenting his idea. “They know Miles Gilbert, but your passport now says Suga.” Romeo managed to get three fake identities for them before leaving the US. Legal identities, stolen from dead people, age closely to theirs. Practically they were all set.Yoongi went to America using the name of Miles Gilbert, but returned to South Korea as Suga, while Min Yoongi was still far from all the dangers he was deeply buried in. “I still can’t believe you found a person of my brother’s age named Shortcake and gave him the identity."“Mhm, you know I have my secrets, Yoongi.” Romeo winked. “Now listen to my proposal. Why don’t you get closer to them? To this detective office? Find a link, meet someone, an officer, anything, you are an expert when it comes to infiltration. Play your cards, make them follow a false lead. You are smart Yoongi, I know this is risky, but you are the only one who could fool them. You can convince them they’ve got the wrong person, it’s your choice, but keep them away from Miles Gilbert for as long as possible.”“Hmm, that’s a good plan, but …”“Yoongi, they will look for you everywhere but under their noses.” ♠To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Yoongi's pov
|22nd of November 2018|
“Yoongi hyung, what do you think about this? The program?” Yoongi’s younger brother asked him with excitement in his voice, an excitement that Yoongi didn’t like one bit. He didn’t like it because the emotion written on his brother’s face conveyed that he was ready to enter the world of danger, a world of death and uncertainty, a world where once you get in, there’s no way out.
All of this, and for what? That was exactly why Yoongi didn’t like Jungkook. It was Jungkook’s idea and it was plain as the nose on your face that he didn’t think of the consequences at all.
Yoongi puffed from his cigarette, facing his computer, avoiding making eye-contact with the younger. “It’s too dangerous.” It was ridiculous, why would he accept something like that.
“Come one, Yoongi! We should help Jungkook! I know it’s dangerous, but I can’t just watch everything crumble into pieces, especially not when we are responsible for it.” Shortcake explained with conviction.
Yoongi finished his cigarette, taking his time to form a proper answer for his brother. He deserved to know why he was against their plan. “Look, you want to help Jungkook., you have good intentions, but Jungkook thinks and acts like a child, like a spoiled brat that has nothing to lose. We came here, in the US, to participate in this CIA project to learn, to gain some personal development, to make good money to help our family, not to destroy our lives. We are powerless, Shortcake, we don’t have the power to change the world, just… we should let it be.” He turned his back to his desk, inspecting a golden apple. “You should stay out of stuff that might get you killed.” He threw the apple towards his brother, offering a shy smile. “Go back to your work. And eat this, you look like you lost some weight.”
The younger’s expression changed visibly, obviously not liking Yoongi’s answer. He closed his eyes, probably counting till 10 to not lose his temper as Yoongi taught him, and sighed. “I didn’t ask for your permission, Yoongi. I came here to ask for your help because I trust you and your abilities, but I am not a child anymore. Actually, I am tired of you acting like you still have to protect me. I want your cooperation, not protection, I am old enough to make my own decisions.”
“I see.” Yoongi nodded calmly, forming a thin line with his lips. “Well, I told you my point of view. You two are not getting my help.”
His brother kept his gaze for a few seconds, staring right through Yoongi like he could read his mind. “Fine.” He turned around and smashed the door behind, leaving the room in a hurry.
Yoongi watched him leave, and after the door was finally closed he smashed the pack of cigarettes against his desk. “Goddamit!”
Yoongi tried to understand, Yoongi tried to resonate with him, he tried to and wanted to, but no matter how long he would think of it, he couldn’t understand why the two boys wanted to do something so dangerous for the sake of others.
How would Yoongi benefit from that?
There was not a single reason for him to get into something like that.
There was no way he would agree.
Yet, after a couple of minutes, he called Jungkook to his office, not exactly knowing why, but needing to know more, without giving his brother false hope.
When Jungkook entered the office, Yoongi instructed him to keep the conversation they were about to have private. “Does my brother know that you’re here?”
Jungkook shook his head in denial and took a seat near Yoongi’s desk.
“Alright, ‘s good then. Keep it that way. Now tell me everything you know about this project, tell me why you two are this eager to risk your lives for it.”
Jungkook nodded and, in an instant, his facial expression changed into something akin to thrill. A thrill that Yoongi has never seen on Jungkook’s face. It was like the younger has finally found purpose, something to fight for, something Yoongi couldn’t really understand at that moment.
“Ok so… I don’t have access to all the information I need, not yet, we are just mere workers after all… However, I’m the head of the project in my department, which led to someone reaching out to me secretly. So uh, to be able to explain this properly, I’ll tell you everything step by step.” Jungkook leaned on Yoongi’s desk, searching for the right words. He knew he had one chance to convince Yoongi, and Yoongi was thrilled to see how and if this one conversation would be able to change the way he thought.
He had no idea that one conversation would not only change his mind but, also change the way he viewed life, change him.
“My team was given the duty to design the technology of this said microchip that’s supposed to uphold a program, the program that all of this special division works on.” Jungkook started carefully.
“All of us here, working in this building….” Yoongi interrupted him. “We are assigned to a special division, split into departments and teams. What you are telling me is that, since you are the head of a technological department, you were contacted by someone who told you that we were actually being lied to, am I getting this right?”
Jungkook agreed with a sharp nod. “Only a few people know about it, and they are not working on the projects per se, they are directing it.”
“My brother mentioned something about a virus?”
“So, long story short, the program is designed to spread a virus. The microchip stores a program that is directly connected to a few American military bases all around the world. When someone decides to use it, all they need to do is to connect it to a pc, and if you go past the complicated cipher that we are creating right now, that by the way can be hacked by people like me, you will have access to the whole software.”Jungkook paused to make sure he wasn’t talking too quickly. Yoongi liked the way his eyes were on fire, yet he tried to stay composed. It was clear as a day that the topic was very important to him.
“So, the virus?” Yoongi fake coughed and Jungkook regained his composure, going back to his explanation.
“So, this software is connected to a few military bases. When it is activated, it has control over a few missiles that once they are launched and reach the stratosphere, explode, and spread a virus. Why? I was told it was because they want to use it as a back-up plan, in case a biological or a technological war arises, this is an easy way to sicken the population.
Yoongi didn’t want to accuse Jungkook of naivety, but it really did sound like a Conspiracy theory, so he took everything with a pinch of salt and just waited to hear Jungkook’s answers. “Alright Jungkook, I get what you mean, but I can’t help but think... this can’t be true?...they told us we were working on something else? Our project is about something else. Why would they need us for such a dangerous thing, when there might have been more specialized people that could have created it?”
“They lied. Your brother is on my team, that’s why I reached out to him first because he knows exactly what we are doing. We are the cybersecurity department, and we are now creating some unbreakable codes that only a few people are going to be able to break. I know I said before that the hackers might be able to get their hands on it, and it is true, but still, we are using the most recent technology out there to keep this safe. Doesn’t it look a bit too much? It made me a bit skeptical.”
Yoongi started to think of it. As much as he could remember, when they accepted to be part of the project, he didn’t care at all what it was about. He knew they were going to make lots of money out of it, work with other Asians, and gain exceptional work experience for his CV. However, those who hired them did tell them what it was about, some project that was part of the “disease intelligence” field, and it was meant to create easier ways to help people out of epidemics.
Jungkook asked for a cigarette, most probably to stop himself from being so nervous, and Yoongi gave it to him. Jungkook took his time to look for his words, which Yoongi used to think deeply of everything that has happened till that moment.
Truth to be told, all Yoongi did since he joined the project was do his part of the job and didn’t ask questions. No one told him anything, but it wasn’t like he cared enough to ask, so he couldn’t really contradict Jungkook,. All he did was study the toughest cyber threats and come up with ways to prevent them, to protect the software the department was making. He was a digital engineer, while Jungkook and his brother were digital targeters, with more authority over the software itself than he had.
After a few drags, Jungkook continued, emotion in his eyes. “When I found out, I was scared. I didn’t want to believe it either, because I knew that if it was true, whoever came up with this idea was sick. I know that’s how our world works right now, but I don’t wanna be part of it. I don’t want to create ways to protect a deadly weapon.” He shook his head, dread in his eyes. “No, not only that I don’t wanna take part of it, Yoongi, I want to get rid of it.”
Yoongi just nodded. “I see.”
Seeing that Yoongi didn’t question what he said anymore, Jungkook regained some of his courage. “The project is almost finished, we can’t back down now, it would make us suspicious. But Yoongi…” He pinched his nose and a grin replaced his previous grave look. “I know how to decipher the codes. I, and only a few others, would be able to take it out of the building. This is why they reached out to me.
Yoongi smiled at that. He liked Jungkook. He was full of himself, but that was because he knew exactly what he was capable of, and even though Yoongi wouldn’t admit that out loud, Jungkook had him at that.
“You know this is quite dangerous, right, what do you plan on doing?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow and lit a cigarette, trying not to give the younger boy the impression that he was agreeing foolishly to something that dangerous.
“I want to steal it, Yoongi, steal and run, with, or without you guys, I’m doing it.”
“Why are you so sure everything will work out smoothly?” Yoongi asked, not understanding exactly what was getting him so pumped up.
“Well…’” Jungkook answered with a contorted smile. “I am not, but if you helped me, it would have been much easier. That’s why I told your brother first. I wasn’t close enough to you to come and ask you myself.”
Yoongi acknowledged what Jungkook said with a nod of his head. “I’m going to think about it, Jungkook.”
Even though he tried to hide it, Yoongi noticed how Jungkook’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Oh, cool! I guess, um, if you want more details, we can meet and discuss everything after work?”
“If I do agree, yeah, but, you must keep this in mind. I am going to do this only if I know my brother is going to get out of it safe and sound. His safety will always be my top priority.”
“Yoongi, I can’t promise you that, but what I know is that all of us are smart, and if we plan this properly, with patience, it will work out. On the 24th of December, the project is going to end. We need to have everything planned by then.”
Yoongi crushed his cigarette, making a decision that was about to change his life. ♠
|25th of February|
*several days later*
It’s been hours since Yoongi had been sitting on the couch, trying to scroll through his phone, watch the TV, find a movie, whatever was fine with him as long as it could take his mind off his problems. However, it wasn’t the case, because no matter how much he tried, Yoongi couldn’t, for the name of God, think of anything else but what Romeo had told him. His younger brother had a friend. That friend lived in Seoul. That friend was a detective. Yoongi didn’t necessarily like to sing his own praises, but his math was pretty good, and as one plus one is two, that guy might have been the closest and the easiest lead to what he needed. People say time is money, and in most cases, it’s true, but for Yoongi, right now, every wasted second brought them closer to being caught. Plus, Yoongi hates wasting opportunities.He scrunched his nose, trying to form his words properly for what he was about to say, a short and effective speech that will get his brother on his side. What could possibly go wrong?“Jungkook! Is my brother with you?” Yoongi asked the younger, since he saw him earlier around the house, almost excited about whatever he was doing. “If he is, would you please tell him I want to discuss something with him? Thanks!!” “Hyuuung?” Yoongi’s younger brother entered the room, singing his name with a cute boxy smile plastered on his face. “Did the smell from the kitchen reach your nose?”“I-” Yoongi was about to hate this. “Don’t answer that! I know it did.” Shortcake grinned and clapped, impressing Yoongi with his overwhelming happy vibes, he was surely in high spirits. “I cooked pasta with Kook! And… me, as the nicest brother out here, I’m gonna give you a portion as well!” “Not if I want to live.” Yoongi joked without ill intentions, wearing a warm smile on his face. When his brother pouted, Yoongi mouthed a quiet “I was kidding” and patted the empty space on the sofa, inviting the other to sit. His brother did as he was told, but not without a quick eye roll. Yoongi prayed to all the forces of the universe that the conversation wouldn’t ruin the mood. It wasn’t every day that he managed to catch such a smile on his brother’s face. Without stalling further, he went straight to the point. “So… I have a proposal or more like a plan, but I need your approval and your trust for this one.” His brother quirked his eyebrow and his expression changed from happy to somber real fast.“I like seeing you happy, you know that, right?” Yoongi was sincere, he would always be with his brother, and even if he knew that the truth could affect him, he built his relationship with his brother on the trust they shared, and he didn’t intend to change that now. “I know you like it here, just the three of us, living in this student dorm, studying, pretending everything’s okay… but I want to remind you that that’s just it, pretending.”His brother nodded and interrupted him. “If this is you trying to remind me that we are on the run again and we can be arrested any time, it’s okay, don’t worry, it comes to my mind every five minutes.” Sarcasm tasted bitter when it wasn’t coming from his own mouth. But he couldn’t get emotional, not right now. “We are running out of money and I don’t think Romeo can support us forever. CIA and Seoul PD are looking for us, and good news, a private Detective Office as well. We are walking on thin ice here.” He explained calmly, knowing that his brother already knew most of that information. He didn’t want to make him feel worse, it was just a small reminder, it wasn’t the time to let their guard down. His brother sighed, looking as if he surrendered. “What is it that you are thinking of?”“Romeo suggested that I go undercover. Creep into the detective office or the police department, anything, to make them take a wrong lead. All we need now is time, and how else would we be able to get our hands on it, if not by stalling them?” Yoongi couldn’t see the way his brother’s blood disappeared from his cheeks. “Wait, this is too dangerous even for you hyung, plus Jungkook and I are already working on something and-”“Taehyung.” Yoongi didn’t use his brother’s real name too often, he liked his nickname more, but when the situation was serious enough, he preferred to go from older brother to a real partner in crime, because after all, that’s what they were. “I need to contact your friend, the detective. Please put me in touch with him... I won’t harm him, I promise, I just need a lead.” “W-what?” Taehyung’s eyes widened in shock. “What??” Yoongi sighed hearing Taehyung’s rage unleash. He expected this but hoped for the opposite. “How could you believe I would accept this? No, hyung, I won’t, ever, play my best friend’s life like this!. Don’t you dare bring this up to me ever again, we have hundreds of options and leads left, my best friend is out of the question.” “Taehyung, if I had a better idea, I wouldn’t have asked something like this of you, but it’s for our safety.”“Then I prefer his safety to mine.” Taehyung left the room smashing the door close, making Yoongi jerk at the forceful noise.Yoongi hated lying to his brother. However, survival was more important. Time for plan B. ♠ |26th of February|
*the following day*
Yoongi knew exactly the importance of his best friend for Taehyung, but sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan. Yoongi’s didn’t go according to his plans either, his escape didn’t go according to his plan either. Therefore, Yoongi had to make a decision. He had to choose between his brother’s trust and safety. Yoongi decided to choose Taehyung’s safety.As a result, the previous night Yoongi sneaked into his brother’s room, took his phone and searched through his recent text messages. As expected, it wasn’t hard to find him. It was the only person Taehyung texted besides his family and Jungkook. Because his time was limited, and Yoongi couldn’t afford to wake Taehyung up, he quickly texted himself the number and the name and deleted it from Taehyung’s phone afterward. It’s for our own good, it’s for our own good… Yoongi’s mind kept on chanting that inside of his head because he had to do it, no matter how hard it was to go against his brother’s will. After he managed to get back to his own bedroom, he opened his laptop for a brief research.
Jimin.
Surprisingly, Jimin was one great detective and a well-known one in Seoul. At first, Yoongi thought he might have gotten the wrong person, but after checking a little further, he discovered that he indeed did study at the same High-School as his brother and was his age. It was easier than expected.Park Jimin was his name, and Yoongi was about to meet him soon. ♠ |28th of February|
Jimin’s pov
*two days later*
The office had been silent for the past few days, only small cases, court cases, but nothing that would pique at his interest. Not now when his mind was focused on something much more important. The case he was responsible for right now was hanging in the air, with the information gathered, Jimin had no accurate lead, and he couldn’t afford burning daylight. To get his mind off, he occasionally went back to his mother’s death case, investigating a few mafia rings he suspected to have come in contact with his mother, maybe by lending her money. It wasn’t easy to find a lead on that either, especially since his mother died several years ago and Jimin had a hard time putting his hand on something, anything. On the bright side, Jeong-in, or Officer Yang, has recently helped Jimin with the research and in exchange, Jimin allowed him to join the CIA case team. He didn’t like apprentices one bit, but Jeong-in was a nice one, extremely dedicated to everything Jimin told him to do since day one, hence he decided to take him under his wing.It was Thursday evening when Jimin decided to give Jeong-in a call, asking his subordinate to join him for a coffee. ♠ Baristas was Jimin’s favorite bar, a place where Jimin kind of grew up in. He used to crash in there whenever he needed a strong drink or maybe just a good coffee, when he had a bad day or a good day, whichever it was, he loved the place. Even though he preferred to go there alone, today Jimin considered he could use some company. The dim light welcomed Jimin as if he was home. He loved how familiar he was with the place, with the pleasing smell of freshly brewed coffee, with the red and yellow lights radiating through the massive salon that was decorated by the elegant and fancy bar arranged in the middle of the lounge.Jimin dragged Jeong-In to the bar, to his preferred seat, ordered a Cafe Latte, and waited for the younger to make his order. Jeong-in seemed excited, smiling timidly from time to time towards Jimin, as a thank you for letting him join.It’s been quite a while since the last time he went to such an elegant but cozy place, and maybe he needed just that after a long and tiring day.To make someone smile. The orders arrived, and Jimin listened endlessly to Jeon-in and his funny stories. Jeong-in was such a passionate agent, and so full of energy, it almost made Jimin feel old and lifeless. And maybe he wasn’t old, or lifeless, but he was tired, that was for sure. He had to take a break from the routine, to clear his mind because it wasn’t his body that was exhausted, it was his mind. While listening to one of Jeong-in’s high-school trip stories, that by the way made Jimin miss Taehyung even more if that was possible, he couldn’t help himself but observe the silhouette of what appeared to be a man his age, two or three tables away.This mysterious man seemed to be effortlessly attractive, at least to Jimin’s taste. Jimin couldn’t understand what got him so thrilled about the image in front of him. It wasn’t like Jeong-in’s story wasn’t interesting enough… but there was something special about this black-haired guy, lazily drinking his Whiskey. For a moment Jimin almost thought the guy was about to fall asleep while observing the glass in front of him attentively. “Detective? Are you ok?” Jeong-in blurts Jimin out of his bubble quickly when he realized the detective started to space out. “Oh, sorry, it's just…” Jimin quickly ruminated through his thoughts to find an excuse. “I started thinking of my best friend that’s missing and I got a little bit distracted.” Well, it wasn’t even an excuse, since recently, Taehyung and his absence started living in Jimin’s mind rent-free.“Detective,” Jeong-in said with conviction, touching Jimin’s shoulder, looking straight into his eyes. “Don’t worry. We will find him! I know I’m just a novice, and I’m still learning, but together, we will find him, safe and sound, and I’m going to help you.” He nodded as to convince himself too. A sheepish smile threatened to appear on Jimin’s lips as the younger promised to help him. He was so full of life, so confident, looked so young, yet there wasn't that much of an age difference between them. But Jimin couldn’t help but wonder. “I really do appreciate your words, officer.” Jimin smiled. “But allow me to ask, why are you so willing to help me?” The younger’s eyes widened at that, a little bit of red coloring his cheeks. “What do you mean? Because you gave me such a great opportunity, to be able to learn from you, and you always give me feedback, which is highly appreciated!!”Jimin listened to Jeong-in’s words attentively, squinting his eyes, before speaking again. “Well… it’s not really like that, I’m always giving you extra work, especially recently, I’m doing it to help you, but…” Jimin stopped, raising one of his eyebrows. “Well, you know, who likes extra work?”The truth is, that’s why Jimin didn’t like novices that much. He didn’t like them because they were young, head in the clouds, and slacked frequently. Jimin has never been like that, so he didn't want to deal with such teenagers. However, Jeong-in didn’t seem to be the type, and that was exactly the reason why he took him under his wing.The younger sighed at Jimin’s reply, then smiled wholeheartedly. “Look, Detective, I have always admired you and I love my job, how will I be able to become a good detective in the future if not through learning from the best?” Jimin sipped from his drink, almost rolling his eyes at that. He liked this casual conversation he was having with the officer. It eased his mind. “I know people in the office consider you pretty harsh on the others...” Jeong-in continued. “ And on yourself” he empathized on that, “but I think it’s the opposite, you are kind and hard-working and I want to solve a lot of cases with you and improve my skills in the process..”Jimin smiled wholeheartedly at the officer’s word and took another sip from his drink. Each time he got distracted from the conversation with Jegon-in, his eyes were drawn away by a certain figure in the cafe. Jimin didn’t realize he was staring again, well, not until the brunette turned his head, met Jimin’s eyes for a split second, and checked him out, running his eyes over his body boldly. Well, not something that Jimin expected.Trying not to gulp, he started wondering whether the guy noticed the way he stared at him a few minutes ago. Jimin almost rolled his eyes at himself, scoffing. What if he had been checked out by a nice-looking guy? That was normal, he was good-looking, he wore his hair perfectly today, he shouldn’t be holding his breath when he barely made eye contact with someone. Remaining as unfazed as possible, Jimin focused on his drink again. Jeong-in was on his phone right now, checking his text messages, making Jimin wonder if he had a lot of friends. He must have, after all, Jeong-in is so energetic, sociable, radiating good vibes. Maybe the opposite to what Jimin was, at least at this point in his life. Lost in his thoughts, Jimin barely noticed that the guy who stole his attention for the past half an hour stood and, put his leather jacket on, and approached the bar. Jimin almost got startled the moment the man in question placed the empty whiskey glass and the check on the bar, waiting for the bartender to collect it. While waiting, the mysterious man turned towards Jimin, smiling smugly, to which Jimin made sure to react properly. He turned back to his coffee, or what was left of it, sipped, and almost choked on it in the process. Saving him from the embarrassment of dying there in front of the good looking guy that, by the way, had cat-like eyes as Jimin has never seen before, Jeong-in patted him on the back, acting like the good subaltern he was and started talking to him, distracting him from the guy that, most probably, was still looking and watched the whole scene.“Thank you, Jeong-in, I think I’m so tired these days, I don’t even have the ability to swallow properly at this point.” Jimin giggled uncomfortably.While Jeong-in reassured him that everything was alright, Jimin started to scold himself internally. He couldn’t, for the love of God, understand what was the reason behind the sudden pull he felt towards a man that was a complete stranger. He kept on reminding himself he was not a teenager anymore, there were other things he should be worried about. After a few moments, when Jimin was sure the guy has already left, he decided it was time to leave, so just when he wanted to ask Jeong-in if they could end the night, Jeong-in coyly pulled his sleeve to draw his attention, eyes excited at the image displayed on a TV, hanging on the wall of the bar. “The dead body was found today in one of the most well-known student dorms in Seoul, the cause of death is still to be confirmed.”A sense of dread ran through Jimin’s body after hearing the news, not exactly knowing why, but having a feeling it might have been related to his mysterious case. Maybe the deaths weren’t related, maybe Jimin was just paranoid, but whatever it was, it made him feel extremely uncomfortable. “Detective…” Jeong-in turned to him, displaying his phone’s screen, showing Jimin the 12 missed calls from the office. Both Jimin and the officer were outside working hours, but when something very important happens, especially when it is related to a case they were working on, they will get updated on the situation, and if possible, they will be present at the crime scene. Seeing the 12 missed calls, and feeling his own phone vibrating, Jimin changed his mind and started to think that maybe he wasn’t paranoid and there is a possibility he should be there, at the crime scene, right now. After taking another glance at the TV, he was able to see that the police were already there, and one or two of his colleagues were there as well. “Was someone else poisoned?” Jimin asked Jeong-in while putting on his coat, preparing to leave. “I don’t understand… I don’t know, should I call the office back?” Jeong-in shrugged his shoulders. “Nah, it’s okay, let’s just pay the check and go.”Just when he turned back to the bartender, he heard a deep raspy voice that almost gave him a jolt. When he turned his head to the side, Jimin met again with the feline eyes that he decided to forget, and this time, it wasn’t just a small exchange of gases, this time, the guy was talking, making what one would call, an unnecessary remark.“Quite a lot of criminal activities lately.” He smirked as if he knew more than he should. Maybe it was just a remark, but Jimin suspiciously raised one of his eyebrows. “Yeah. Quite a lot.” “What are the police and the detectives doing? It appears Seoul is in danger, and there’s no one to blame, not even now.” The man with the dark-haired commented again, making Jimin even angrier. He didn’t even know if he was angry at the comment, or at that annoyingly good-looking face. However, Jimin did not have time for that. “I’m sorry, um…” Jimin met those quirky eyes once again, smiling awkwardly. “We have somewhere else to be, bye.” He dragged Jeon-in by his sleeve, and in no time they were out of the Cafe, leaving a whole mystery behind.That guy had uncertainty written all over his face. Jimin didn’t like uncertainty. And he definitely didn’t like that guy.Ok, maybe that was a lie.“Do you think we are gonna be chewed out for missing all those calls?” Jeong-in interrupts his train of dumb thoughts on their way to the car. Rolling his eyes, Jimin got in the car. “Give me a break, it’s past working hours.”Switching the car engine on, Jeong-in started contacting the people at the office, letting them know about the crime that happened, which, contrary to their expectation, wasn’t related to their case, at least not directly. “Anyway.” Jeong-in started after the heavy atmosphere slowly faded away. “What was with that weird guy at the Cafe? Seriously, I felt like he had been watching us for the whole time.” Jimin sighed. If that was the case, he didn’t notice, he was too busy staring and trying not to get noticed. “I have no idea, really. Maybe he was feeling alone?” He replied, letting out a dodgy laugh. “He looked suspicious, detective,” Jeong-in replied, giving him a dismissive shrug. Maybe. Indeed, he seemed suspicious when he mentioned the crime on the TV, but the more Jimin thought of it. The less he could see why did it feel suspicious.…Then it clicked. “Am I remembering this correctly? Did he say "detectives"?” Jimin spoke his thoughts out loud. It couldn’t be. He didn’t have access to that kind of information, the public can’t know whether a certain crime was investigated by the police or if it was passed to a specific private office.Or did he? ♠ “I mean…” Jimin frowned looking at the patch of blood blending with the dirt on the ground. “ I think I get why they wanted us to be here now…” He ran a hand through his head, looking exhausted. “FBI Agent shot with a Glock 17.” Hoseok mentioned while carefully inspecting a bullet that had managed to go through its target’s shoulder and was laying on the ground. “FBI Agent?” Jimin asked, more curious than anything. “Absolutely.” Namjoon approved. “Badge found on him.”“Ok but…” Jimin crouched down, inspecting the body with his eyes, mind elsewhere. “This guy died by simply getting shot. It is unrelated to the crimes we’ve been investigating recently. At least the way he was killed is different. Our criminal has some kind of a pattern. But… why is the FBI here… ?”“Maybe… they are looking for something as well. Or someone.” Namjoon raised an eyebrow, looking at Jimin, waiting for confirmation.“Do you think the CIA would not trust us enough to handle the case so they sent their own agents to search, as a back-up?” “I mean… it’s just a thought.” Namjoon shrugged. Well, that was it. Jimin was worried. While inspecting the surroundings of the park he found himself in, after the rush of adrenaline had run out a bit… he could finally realize something that almost slipped through his fingers earlier. “Guys… this place, this campus is the center of the map. It does not bear a sign like the other places do but… I have a feeling this was an important location as well. This cannot be a coincidence. We have been here before.” Namjoon grabbed Jimin by the sleeve of his shirt, dragging him aside for a few moments, making sure nobody could hear them. “Detective, I know this sounds suspicious, but we checked this dorm, right? We couldn’t find anything...”“Yes... I’m aware... But still... I have a feeling Taehyung is in danger, Namjoon. I know it doesn’t seem related but, Taehyung disappears, we have our sources telling us he is here, when searching, there’s nothing that could help us, and on top of everything… someone dies, randomly, while I still can’t get a hold of him.” Jimin reminded Namjoon of the past events, looking conflicted to say the least. “Jimin.” Namjoon narrowed his eyes for a bit, deeply thinking of a different hypothesis. “ What if Taehyung is here, actually, using a different identity for who knows what reason? Like, he doesn’t want to be found, but it doesn’t mean it has anything to do with what happened here now, right?” Upon hearing that, Jimin’s eyes enlarged for a moment, taking into consideration what Namjoon said. ‘If that’s the case… Taehyung is in danger and might get hurt.”“As well as the rest of the students living on this campus.” Namjoon pointed, eyebrow lifted. “Yes. Exactly. Namjoon, you are a genius. We need to investigate the dorm, see if there’s anyone suspicious amongst the students. And no, we do not have to do another “quick” file investigation, we need something official. A public investigation would definitely determine our enemy to act, one way or another. If we stumble upon Taehyung in the process, it’s just a win-win situation. “Alright then… let’s get to work. Who knows, we might even find someone that matches the descriptions received from the CIA.” Namjoon responded with a broad and unmistakable wink. ♠
Taehyung’s pov
|25th of November 2018|
The keyboard was attached to Taehyung’s hands at this point. Typing, and typing… and typing… all day was the only thing that could distract his attention from the restless thoughts eating at the back of his mind.
To get things straight, he stopped typing for a while and closed his eyes. He was irritated. Jungkook and Yoongi were definitely planning something behind his back and, no matter how much he tried to ignore it and pretend he did not know it, he couldn’t. He was not as dense as they thought he was.
Sometimes, he would get tired of pretending he was strong and alright for the sake of the others. The fact that he liked Jungkook was, as well, an inconvenience. He didn’t want to look weak and powerless in front of Jungkook, therefore, keeping it all to himself sounded like a great idea.
Well… just sounded like it. Taehyung was too intrigued and keen on helping Jungkook to stay put.
Thinking of it, Taehyung’s fingers were hovering above the last text conversation he had with the younger boy.
Their conversations seemed plain, with no substance to their conversation, but that's because… That was how Jungkook was. He was not like Jimin, he was the opposite.
Taehyung took a liking to Jungkook the day he met him, the day he started working at the Cyber Security department. Jungkook was peculiar, had a bizarre way of communicating, and for the life of him, he seemed the most antisocial person Taehyung has ever met. All he cared for was his work, the project, and making sure everything he left behind was spotless.
It was a challenge for Taehyung. A mystery box that he just... Had to open.
He didn’t expect to have fallen for him in the process.
Still, Taehyung didn’t mind. He wished to get to know Jungkook and be friends with him. Something about him was captivating Taehyung with a vigorous force.
And, with time and patience, Jungkook opened up a bit, the overlay of tension started to dissolve, and at the moment, Taehyung considered them to be friends. Jungkook was a calming presence for him, they had a lot of things in common and, if you ignore the part where Jungkook doesn’t know how to express his feelings at all, Taehyung would say that Jungkook started to trust him.
Other than that, Taehyung couldn’t guess what’s going through Jungkook’s mind, and he would not be able to tell how Jungkook feels, if he does feel anything about him.
That, only time will tell, because Taehyung had no plan to go in that direction.
The most important thing, at the moment, was returning to Korea, safe and sound. If possible?
What Taehyung liked about Jungkook was that he was so determined to achieve his goal. As soon as he found out that all this time they have been working on something harmful to people, he decided to find a way to destroy it.
It was a bit late, but not too late, and asking Yoongi for help seemed like a good idea.. At the beginning a t least. Yoongi was definitely smart, they needed his sharpness, however, the fact that he bore a considerable amount of overprotectiveness when it came to Taehyung would definitely slow things down.
There must have been a way for Taehyung to change his brother’s mind, he just had to-
“Hey, Tae.” Jungkook entered the room like a storm, interrupting Taehyung’s train of thoughts.
“Jeon Jungkook.” Taehyung replied, not bothering to face the main character of his most recent thoughts.
“Uh… Are you mad?” Jungkook asked hesitantly.
“Am I?” Taehyung raised his eyebrow, knowing Jungkook wouldn’t see him but hoping he could feel it in his voice.
Jungkook humbly approached him without offering a reply. He dragged a chair near Taehyung’s desk, fumbling with the laces of his hoodie. “Listen, Tae, whatever you think it is, you are wrong. No one will let you out of this, I.. I will make sure of it. “
“Well.. I am not part of it at the moment, Jungkook. I know you two are onto something, yet, here I am…” The last thing Taehyung wanted to achieve with this was to sound petty, but he couldn’t help it when he knew so much about it, wanted to get started with the plan, yet Jungkook and Yoongi seemed to be doing this for days without even mentioning a thing to him.
“It was hard to convince Yoongi, Tae. Now that we did, I need to let things go his way. He accepted to work together on this, you included, but we need his plan. He is thinking of something now, and he is doing it alone, he had to be in contact with me because I provided the relevant info that he needed, but rest, I don’t know much either as of now. We have to wait for a bit longer, I guess… But trust me, just stay put, he will need us just as much as we need him.”
Taehyung was tired of whatever this was and he just nodded. Turning his head for the first time towards his friend, his gaze met Jungkook’s and he hated how the entire world stopped, it was just him and Jungkook, and the anger vanished forthwith. Now, Taehyung didn’t even know why he had been mad to begin with.
Jungkook’s eyes were different than usual this time. The usual coldness, that apathy that described Jungkook’s entire being was replaced with a sheer of hope.
Taehyung wanted to believe too.
♠ |28th of February 2019|
*same day Jimin and Yoongi met for the first time*
Taehyung was laying in bed, his gaze fixed on Jungkook’s back, who was playing on his laptop. Usually, Taehyung would just tag along and play whatever Jungkook was playing, spending hours on end judging games and their communities. Nonetheless, today, Taehyung was not in the mood to play, he was not in the mood to watch Jungkook either. The thoughts in the back of his mind were weighing heavier than usual.He missed his best friend, he’s just had a fight with his brother, Jungkook couldn’t care less about his feelings (which was worrying Taehyung more than it should) and their lives were in constant danger. He kept on trying to convince himself that it was normal to feel that way, that he had all the rights in the world to feel scared, but seeing Jungkook and Yoongi acting so cool and strong, made him feel so weak. Taehyung wasn’t weak, he just didn’t know how to hide his feelings the way Jungkook and Yoongi did. However, he did not know how to accept it, thus he felt lost and empty. After spending what felt like hours just staring into blank space, Taehyung decided that he needed to cool his head a little. He clearly needed to calm down, it wasn’t as bad as he felt it was. He was sure of it.. He just needed to clear his mind of all the uneasy, rousing thoughts. He put his jacket on and left the room without announcing he was leaving, or even looking back. Jungkook didn’t care anyway. Arriving in the park located in the proximity of their dorm, he walked for a few minutes, trying not to think of anything, just enjoying the freezing air of the winter. He wondered if a cigarette would have calmed him down, the way it calms Yoongi or Jimin down whenever they have something on their mind. “I finally found one of you. Seems like I’m the lucky one today.” Taehyung perceived a high-pitched voice coming from its surroundings and he looked around to make sure there weren’t other people there. When he realized that he was alone in the park that late in the night, he turned his face towards the direction where the voice was coming from. And he froze. There was a man with an arrogant smile plastered on his face, approaching him leisurely. He was dressed in a specially designed suit that he was convinced he saw before. It was the FBI's specially designed attire. Taehyung was kinda screwed. No, he was big-time screwed. How was he supposed to get out of this situation? Think. Think. Think. Act cool? Act scared? Run? Stay? Talk? Oh yes, say something. Stale. “Are you talking to me?” He looked around again, pointing his finger towards himself, acting dumb. He tried to stop his legs from shaking before the other guy realized how scared he was. “Look, kid, if you are smart enough you will stop playing this useless game and come with me without trying to resist.” The man informed him while calmly pulling a gun out of his pocket. “If you listen to me, it will hurt less when they kill you.” If the man’s face wasn’t ugly enough, the wrinkles beneath his eyes grew pronounced with the wicked smile he showed Taehyung. Taehyung wanted to spit on his face. “I don’t know what you are talking about?” Taehyung kept going with his act. “W-who are you?” He stared at the man, with a look of uncertainty written on his face.“I’ll tell you all about it later, kid.” He took Taehyung’s wrist forcibly, dragging him along with him. Taehyung was unarmed, a bit scared. Ok, maybe more than a bit. If he was being kidnapped by the FBI right now, he would ruin Yoongi’s plan. They were going to use him as a hostage to make sure Yoongi would give them the weapon back. That couldn’t be happening. Not when Taehyung wanted so much to help them and be useful. But here he was again… he was about to ruin everything and after all, his brother was right. He wasn’t like them. Maybe if he would be able to save Jungkook and Yoongi, at least-A flash and a horrendous noise tore through the side of his left ear, and a moment real he had realized that someone had shot the FBI agent. Terrified, Taehyung turned his head towards the agent, who, even now, in his final moments has a crooked smile on his face, “I am not the only one. They will find you.” And, unfortunately, those were his last words, collapsing to the ground, creating a crimson puddle of blood on the ground. Taehyung froze there, panic-stricken, looking at the dead body in front of him. His mind had yet to catch up to the events rolling in his sight. “Taehyung!” Someone called his name, dragging him from the crime scene. “Move, move faster.” Taehyung recognized this voice, it must have been a dream. Did he faint already? “Do you think you can run?”Taehyung nodded. And they ran. They ran and ran until they were far from the park until Taehyung couldn’t breathe anymore until he felt his limbs give up.“Ok, so, what the fuck, Tae? You scared the shit out of me!” Jungkook caught his shoulders with both of his hands, turning his body towards him firmly, giving Taehyung a long stare, a burning glint in his eyes. “Why did you leave? Especially alone??”“Huh?” Taehyung barely managed to get out of the earlier shock, just to understand his current situation. Did Jungkook just say he was scared for him?No, wait. Did Jungkook just save him? His eyes grew wider and wider with each passing second. “Why, I mean.. How did you find me?”“Try using your brain cells, Tae. Of course I came searching for you the moment I realized you disappeared on me.” He ruffled Taehyung’s hair and showed his bunny teeth. “I can’t believe you are alive. That was a fucking close call.”“We have just left a.. Dead body… in the middle of a college campus.” Taheyung mentioned as they started going back to the safety of their dorm. “I mean, at least it’s not you. And there will be no proof. So let’s go.” Jungkook reassured Taehyung and the latter just followed him. They will have to tell Yoongi, and they will have to find a better hideout. ♠ “Fucking bastards!” Yoongi cursed, a shocked look clinging to his face after he patiently listened to Jungkook’s and Taehyung’s little telltale. “I mean, I almost got killed but thanks” Taehyung mentioned, reasoning to Jungkook’s actions. “Taehyung, you wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place if you didn’t decide to take a walk in the middle of the night. Alone.” Yoongi massaged his temples, sighing. “Are you alright?”Taehyung nodded. “Thanks to Jungkook…”“Good. Good job Jungkook.” Yoongi smiled at him sympathetically. “Now, I don’t think this is necessarily bad. We know they know our location, so we need to move. If we disappear, it will look suspicious.” Yoongi scratched his chin, thinking of the best way to get out of the situation. “They don’t know our actual identities or real age, we are here as students and…” Yoongi’s face was covered by a radiant grin. He clearly had an idea. “You two stay here, pack your bags. I’ll get us out of here. And traceless.” He winked and rushed out of the room. ♠ |29th of February|
Jimin’s pov
*the following day*
Today was Jimin’s day-off, so he decided to talk to the person he trusted the most. His mom. He drove to Busan, smiling at the sights that brought him childhood memories. He didn’t think of the bad ones, he preferred to take in whatever brought back memories of him and his mother, playing in the park or going to his favorite ramyun restaurant. Not wanting to waste the day, Jimin woke up early and managed to arrive in Busan before the afternoon. It was a beautiful day, even if the coldness of the winter didn’t leave them just yet, the sun was shining and the fresh air invigorating. “Morning, mom.” He smiled, placing the ravishing ornamented flowers on her well-maintained grave. “I know I’m late…” He scratched the back of his neck, throwing an apologetic glance towards the cloudless sky. “Everything has been hectic recently. We had been handed a top-secret case from the CIA, Taehyung is nowhere to be found.. People keep dying.” Jimin took a deep breath and replaced the frown on his face with a genuine smile. He didn’t want to show his mother that he was weak. “I am not giving up, though. You know how much I resent murderers. My only purpose at the moment is to stop as many of them as possible. I will find Miles, I’ll end this case, and I’ll find out who dared to take your precious life away.” He nodded to himself, a new will to fight flourishing within his body. “I promise, mom, I’ll make sure you will be able to rest in peace one day.” Jimin’s confession revitalized him. “Next time when I come and see you mom, I’ll make sure to come with great news.” He grinned and turned around with determination. The mess in his head had finally started to have shape. Jimin had leads, great leads, and all he needed now was proper evidence. He was convinced Miles Gilbert was behind the crimes in Seoul at the moment, and he would make him pay for every single drop of blood he spilled. ♠
To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
One misstep, you're mine
And you better stay clever if you wanna survive
Once you cross the line
You'll be wishing you would listen
When you meet your demise
|28th of February|
Yoongi’s pov
*the day Yoongi and Jimin met for the first time*
Luck. Some say life is all about luck and fate, some say that no matter how much you fight hoping to achieve something if the said fate is against it, you won’t. Yoongi likes to think otherwise though. Yoongi thinks that life is something that only you can control, and the directions you go in are always the results of your choices. He didn’t know whether he made the right choice trusting his instincts, going against his brother’s wish, risking his safety for yet another dumb idea but here he was. Before starting to make an action plan, Yoongi had done a bit of research. Based on the information he managed to get on Jimin, which wasn’t much, he at least managed to find out that the detective was an expensive one, to say the least, and very popular amongst private investigators. Among all the choices he had on approaching him, he chose one of the most exciting ones, betting on Jimin’s intelligence. Since he was a good detective, Yoongi was sure there were high chances to have the detective chase him, as long as he played a mystery card. And maybe it was fate that helped Yoongi’s plan go smoothly, but maybe Yoongi wouldn’t admit to that, because he was convinced that his cards have been played meticulously well. Yoongi almost dropped his cigarette the moment the detective exited the tall office building, followed by a younger and full-of-life officer. He figured he was going to follow his car, just for a bit, maybe overhear a conversation, anything that could turn into an opportunity, but the odds were on his side that day when Jimin mentioned the name of a bar. He had the man and the location. Yoongi smirked, finished his cigarette while thinking of a couple of scenarios on how to approach the detective, then after a couple of minutes he took a taxi, asking for the fastest route. He arrived at the bar before the detective had the chance to. He congratulated himself and ordered a Whiskey on The Rocks. To his delight, not many minutes later Detective Park and his partner joined the bar. Yoongi put on the laziest expression he had on hand (not that it was difficult for him) and waited. Waited for the best opportunity. To say he was completely taken aback by the further series of events would be an understatement for Yoongi. He was savoring his drink the first time when he felt he was being watched. But he wasn’t being watched the way he expected, no, the detective was eyeing him, sometimes just with the corners of his eyes, other times entirely, with no shame. His stare would be lingering more than necessary on his body, and the plump, rosy lips more than inviting almost formed a seductive smile. The distance didn’t quite help Yoongi see it clearly, but he was burning to have confirmation.He didn’t think too much into it. He didn’t even remember if the move was a planned one, or whether he was hypnotized by the charms of the detective, but Yoongi played along. It felt so natural to reply to Jimin’s flirty look with one just as enticing as his. It was alluring. Everything about the detective was appealing, and Yoongi started considering that he shouldn’t have gone for Whiskey on an empty stomach. One thing he knew for sure, Jimin was a good catch. It wouldn’t hurt admitting it, right?Before meeting Detective Park, Yoongi has been in contact with Romeo for a while, who helped him with all the information he’s got his hands on. However, being there, under the glim bar lights, it was hard to decide what information to use in order to lure a detective with. When he finally made up his mind, he made sure it was a small detail, not too small to go unnoticed, but small enough not to make Jimin suspicious.He took a great gulp of his drink, smirking. Just when he was going through a few scenarios in his head on how to approach the detective, he had been distracted by the TV presenting the most recent headlines. “Crime at the Student Dorm! Shocking News.”Yoongi’s heart started beating faster, chaotically. His guts told him it was related to his brother. He needed to go back as soon as possible but-He couldn’t waste the possibility he had on hands either. He took a deep breath and started counting, to calm down. He was there on a mission. As soon as the headlines announced that that victim was a man around 40 years old, he calmed down further, at least knowing that Taehyung and Jungkook were still alive. Instead of panicking, he turned it into the best opportunity and approached the bar where the detective and the younger officer were discussing the headlines on the news. He pretended to inspect the beverage list, eyes changing their focus from the bar to the TV on the wall in the direction of the detective. It was his chance. “Quite a lot of criminal activities lately?” He said out loud, making it look as if he was saying that to himself. The detective turned quickly to him though, eyes sparkling with curiosity, and replied. “Yeah, quite a lot.” He answered in a low voice, eyes lingering on Yoongi expectantly more than necessary, he raised one eyebrow. He appeared agitated.
It’s going well.
“I wonder…” He took another look at the TV and paused before resuming his sentence. “What are the police and the detectives doing? It appears that Seoul is in danger, and there’s no one to blame… not even now.” He didn’t know how he did it, but by the furrow of the detective’s eyebrows, it seemed that he managed to anger him. There, for a moment, Yoongi indulged himself into throwing a glance at the detective, he had no idea why just looking at him felt calming, relaxing but it wasn’t the usual type of soothing vibe, it was the calm before the storm. Yoongi felt drugged.Jimin’s demeanor changed a bit, appearing more relaxed after he shared an exchange of glances with him. He didn’t know what made the detective-
Did I just smile at him?
The detective excused himself shortly after, and left the lounge with the officer, not giving Yoongi another chance to continue his plan. At least it was the perfect timing. Something was telling Yoongi that the detective will be back, so he was ready to celebrate his accomplished mission with another drink. Well, not before finding out what happened to his brother and Jungkook... ♠ Constantly panicking for Taehyung and Jungkook would eventually be the death of Yoongi. He didn’t even have the time to enjoy the fact that they were alive and unscratched, because he had to go back to creating alternative plans. Yoongi’s mind was a constant rollercoaster of thoughts, every path, every turn, every person was just an opportunity to keep them longer alive, if used correctly. He couldn’t allow himself to take a break, because the constant, alert rhythm was exactly what kept him going. Following the most recent events, Yoongi was convinced now that detectives and the police would soon raid the dorm in a way or another because all the evidence they had was pointing at the student dorm. One of the good things was that both he and the other two were ghostlily attending the university with clean records. Their identities were much younger than their actual selves, which would keep the detectives away from them for at least a while. He needed to find out sooner or later which detective office had his case, and it was obvious that detective Park knew to some sort of extent the answer to his question. At least there was a high probability that Yoongi was betting on. Even if Detective Park turned out to be less helpful than Yoongi hoped, it was his best lead at the moment. Yoongi was close to finding out the information himself, because whoever would raid the student dorm, was the one handling the CIA case but, just knowing wasn’t enough. Someone working in the field would be much more helpful. He gulped his black tea before dialing Romeo. He needed to let his friend know that Jungkook had just killed an FBI Agent and things weren’t looking spectacular for them. It made sense though, that the other spy that they had killed earlier that month was also an FBI agent, and now Taehyung and Jungkook had officially joined him on the list of murderers. Not any kind of murderers. All of them had killed FBI Agents. Good thing was, Yoongi always had a plan B. And a C, and a D. ♠ |1st of March 2019|
Jimin’s pov
*the following day*
Early mornings have never been Jimin’s favorite, but his work molded him into adapting to them. He doesn’t remember a day when he had been sleeping later than 7 am, but he rarely had time to think about it. It was a cold, grey morning, indicating that Spring was still far away, in books, movies, paintings, but not in Seoul.Two officer cars were leading the car string, Namjoon’s and Jimin’s following suit, making their way toward the student dorm for an official investigation. Although everything happened fast, and time changed its running rhythm for Jimin, he couldn’t look back, not unless it was to double-check facts. At first, Jimin felt as if he hit a jackpot the moment he saw the news on TV the previous night because it wasn’t him that made a move, it was the enemy. But now, the doubts had returned. Following Miles’s steps, only taught Jimin that he was fast and precautions. He was convinced that the chances to find him at the dorm would be limited to zero, especially when the interrogation was a predictable step on their side.That day wasn’t about catching the enemy, but about seizing the smallest mistake left behind, that could had given them a solid lead. ♠ To say the whole student dorm building was in a chaotic state was an understatement. Students were running from one door to another to wake their colleagues up and spread the news that courses have been suspended for the day and anyone who avoided the interrogation would be top the suspects’ list. They rendered the whole building in chaos, and Jimin regretted putting students under so much pressure. He was in front of the interrogation room during a small break, watching students here and then passing the area with big, confused eyes. Knowing some wanted & dangerous criminals lived amongst them must have been a scary thought. Obviously, they couldn’t interrogate the entire dorm, but they requested at least one person per room. Up until now, they had got nothing. Nobody seemed suspicious or matched the description in their records. Jimin started wondering whether it was a good idea to start the investigation to begin with when Namjoon got out of the investigation room, hand holding what appeared to be a bottle of water, and approached him, a look of despair on his face mirroring Jimin’s. “These guys are not what we are looking for Jimin…” He took a large gulp of water, letting out a loud sigh. “It’s getting frustrating, some of them are stubborn, some others are too passive to the situation, and others are scared. If our enemy has been here, he’s smart, I'll give him that.” Jimin agreed with his partner's thoughts on the situation. He didn’t like interrogating students either. “I doubt we will get what we are looking for here… The investigation was predictable. They left, and I knew they would eventually… but damn, I hoped we might get a name or something at least. All we did was give them more time...” While sharing his opinion with Namjoon, Jimin’s eyes darted to the side of the corridor, head tilting a bit, following what appeared to be a familiar face. “Taehyung?” His eyes opened widely, running towards the familiar silhouette, gripping his shoulders and turning him around with one swift move. As soon as Jimin realized that, instead of Taehyung, he was facing a stupefied young student he took his hands off him as if burnt and took three steps back, “Excuse me! My bad! Thought you were someone else.” The student just nodded and left as quickly as possible, leaving the half-embarrassed, half-frustrated Jimin behind. He face-slapped himself, not even wanting to see the look on Namjoon’s face. Namjoon had been watching the whole situation with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I don’t know whether I should be laughing or worrying, Jimin…”“You didn’t see that.” Jimin demanded and Namjoon just averted his eyes to the side, pretending he was paying attention to the window displaying the dorm yard, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “I think we are both tired, let’s get a coffee and get back to work.” The elder, Namjoon, suggested, sparing Jimin the further embarrassment. Jimin hummed, accepting Namjoon’s suggestion. ♠ Tired of seeing that their strategy didn’t work out the way it was intended to, Jimin tried a different approach this time. “Please don’t worry.” He smiled calmly, reassuringly at the agitated rookie. “You don’t match the description,” Jimin explained and saw the boy letting out a sigh of relief. “However, I would like your help, if you are willing to cooperate.” The student nodded in approval. “I don’t have many friends here, actually, so I don’t have anything to hide.”That was just excellent. Jimin handed him a file with the three suspects, a few details listed under each name. He looked at the student again, face collected and calm demeanor. “Do you know anyone matching these descriptions? No pressure or rush, but anything would help.” He smiled again. The student seemed much more collected than before, almost intrigued. “I don’t think I have ever seen three guys matching these, especially not together…”“It’s alright if you didn’t see them together though. But if there’s anything suspicious about someone, that might help.”“Wait.” The eyes of the student brightened. “There are these two guys, I have no idea what university they attend, but I have never seen them at any lecture or on the corridors of the university. They are both tall and… have weird hair colors. Like pink or something.” “Okay, this sounds actually great!-”“There is one more guy, that’s suspicious…” The student gulped, a little unsure. “I don’t want to provide wrong info but… there’s this guy, that’s close to a girl I sometimes help with her projects. She calls him Sugar, it seems to be a nickname, she talks about how mysterious he is, always missing his classes and something about him is off… I don’t personally know him. Just heard of him. Might consider interrogating him.“This is great, Suho, I do appreciate this information.”“Just… wanted to mention that I don’t know whether these three are close or not. Never seen them together.” Of course, Jimin would take any information with a pinch of salt, as he always would, but it felt like a good start. “I am sorry, I don’t know any more than this…”“It’s more than enough,” Jimin reassured once again, bubbles of hope exploding in his stomach. “You might have saved lives with this information.” He called the investigations off for that day. He had to talk to that Sugar guy personally. ♠
Lil Wayne - She Will
|1st of March|
Yoongi’s pov
*student dorm interrogation day*
“And…” Taehyung started speaking, his lips dry and eyes tired, as he was watching past the window of the truck they were in, leaving houses and homes behind, direction? He wasn’t quite sure. “You said we would stay at the dorm for a while.” He sighed. “I guess we were unfortunate.” “I mean... “ Yoongi ruffled his hair, smiling, a bit of hope flashing in his eyes. “We are just moving, always a step ahead. Not mentioning…”“Yeah, yeah I know… we wouldn’t be in this situation if that FBI dude didn’t die there… I know.” “Bingo!” Yoongi smiled sarcastically, not believing his bad luck. The student dorm was a great hideout, and they could have used it for a long time if they were a little bit more careful. Well, this time Yoongi wanted to be a bit positive, at least they left the dorm before it was too late. And Yoongi made sure he would leave no traces behind. He grinned visibly. “What was that for?” Taehyung asked, one eyebrow raised with suspicion. “What have you actually done?” “In fact, ask your boyfriend, it was his idea.” Yoongi winked, pretending he didn’t notice the way Taehyung blushed and turned into a crab. He didn’t reply, but for some reason or another, he got flustered whenever Yoongi would make such a remark, especially in Jungkook’s presence. Turning his eyes to Jungkook and scanning his features though, he couldn’t perceive any reaction, contrary to his brother, he seemed to ignore the remark, eyes pensive, lost in thoughts. However, a few moments later, Jungkook’s expression switched, smile on display. He turned his head towards Taehyung. “We paid some dudes~ considerably so if you ask me~ to use our fake identities for a while, at least until things calm down. They even dyed their hair to look like… us!” Jungkook grinned, mirroring Yoongi’s face.Taehyung lowered in his seat, hoping Jungkook just ignored the stupid remark and forgot about the demand of the explanation.“I mean… wow.” Taehyung was rendered speechless. Yoongi looked at his dejected expression and didn’t know what to make of it. It must be that he felt left out sometimes, since Yoongi and Jungkook always come up with plans together, and not all the time he manages to keep Taehyung updated, unless it was necessary. He needed to work on that though since communication was key in their situation. Sighing, he murmured a few words to himself, thoughts running a thousand miles per minute in his head. “I am dying to hear who are the detectives handling the case.” Jungkook heard him. “We will find out soon.” ♠ “As we already knew, it is a private detective office. One of the best in Seoul.” Jungkook spoke slowly, dragging on his words longer than Yoongi had the patience for. “The surnames of the Detectives handling the case are… Park and Kim.”
What?
“Fuck this shit!” Taehyung stood up from his chair, eyes wide, anger and desperation combined, dripping from his eyes. He turned to Yoongi, who couldn’t say he wasn’t a bit shocked himself. “Please… please promise me we won’t hurt him.”What? One single question was floating in Yoongi’s head. He mentioned several times during the past few months that he didn’t believe in luck, but he started reconsidering. A bit confused at Taehyung’s words, Jungkook checked his phone again, to confirm the message he had just received, then darted his eyes back to Taehyung, expression changing. “Is one of these guys your detective friend, Tae?”Taehyung didn’t reply, eyes still begging, fixated on his brother’s. Yoongi knew it wasn’t fair, but felt a bit amused, especially at the way Jungkook’s stare turned into exasperation. Jungkook rolled his eyes, continuing. “You can’t let a friendship kill us, Taehyung!”For a split second, Taehyung turned to Jungkook, confused and a bit disappointed. As much as Yoongi wanted a scene to get born out of that, he needed to stay focused on the matter at hand and let the youth solve its issues later on. “Now that we think of it...” He managed to quickly get Taehyung’s attention back on him. “Taehyung, I guess you haven’t been in contact with him for a long while, right? We should consider this as a potential threat. What if he gets suspicious?” At the moment he avoided Taehyung’s initial question. Of course his plan wasn’t to hurt the detective, or any detective. It was the opposite, actually. Yoongi needed him now more than ever, but Taehyung didn’t need to know that. Yoongi felt as if he hit a jackpot. Inhaling an inaudible sigh, he collected himself, connecting his eyes to his brother’s, looking expectantly, waiting for an answer. He needed to be careful and not let Taehyung know that he had already contacted the detective, and he was positive they were about to see each other again, soon . More frustrated than anything, Taehyung threw himself against his chair, head resting between his hands. “What do I tell him? How will I explain everything? What if you are right and he gets suspicious?”Jungkook’s frown dissipated at that, empathy showing on his face now. He got closer to Taehyung and patted his head. “I will help you think of something.” What a quick change of attitude. Yoongi wasn’t a big fan of drama, but the dynamics between Jungkook and Taehyung were something worth watching. He repressed the smile threatening to surface on his lips. Taehyung looks up at him, not quite satisfied with Jungkook’s words. “Weren’t you rolling your eyes seconds ago? Why are you so willing to help me?” Jungkook’s eyes widened a bit, this time with endearment at Taehyung. He tried to hide it, but Yoongi noticed it. “You act like a puppy, I can’t not help whe-“Stop! Don’t continue that sentence unless you want to be added to my murder list.” Taehyung sounded way too serious, so Yoongi removed himself from the conversation quietly, quickly going into a different room, eyes meeting Romeo’s, who was calmly talking to someone. Yoongi waited for Romeo to finish the conversation he was having and approached him, eyes warm and thankful. Romeo saved them once again. “I still can’t find my words to thank you for providing us a place to stay.” Yoongi said, eyes carefully inspecting the cozy, spacious kitchen. Romeo lent them, for free, one of his properties, a small, elegant farmhouse located on the outskirts of Seoul. Yoongi sometimes was wondering how did his friend manage to accumulate such wealth, consisting of money, land, and properties but questioning him was useless at that point. “I mean, you were just lucky that the previous tenants left recently and this place was empty. But, as you may know, I can only keep the three of you here, Yoongi… and you need to promise me that we are done with the maps.” He crossed his arms over his chest, tone graver than usual, sending chills even to Yoongi’s back. “I need to show you something.” Yoongi took a sharp breath. This did sound like another issue. Will it ever stop? He waited for Romeo to pull the phone out of his pocket and display a few pictures. Yoongi’s eyes were fixed on the dead body. It looked familiar yet again. “I know this guy…”“My men managed to find him before the detectives or police did, but he died of poison. Same pattern. He has been tortured and then killed, just like that. I still have no idea who does this.”That’s when a thought sparked through Yoongi’s mind, finally catching up to Romeo. “Where was he found?”“Letter K on the very last map.”“The one that no one had printed, right? Does this mean that… could it be that we were betrayed? The detectives, or anyone but our guys, can’t have access to this map, except for us and our guys.”“And to be honest, this guy appears to have died before the FBI agent was killed by your brother.” Romeo mentioned, eyes knowingly.
No way.
It made perfect sense up until that point. “It means that whoever tortured and killed him, let’s say the FBI agents, convinced him to unveil our location. The dorm location.”“Yup.” Romeo nodded, finally looking lighter after he managed to share his thoughts with Yoongi. “They don’t go after you directly, they go after the easy targets then get bits of information, trying to be closer to you.”“And everyone gets more and more scared… seeing how so many have died by now…” Romeo just nodded, understandingly this time, eyes lost in distance. By this time, Yoongi knew that their enemies were of three kinds. One, the detectives, two, the FBI, and three… the ones that tortured and killed their team. Up until recently, Yoongi thought that it was the FBI that was killing their men, but he started getting more and more unsure. Up until now, from the details gathered, it didn’t appear that the FBI killed anyone. Taehyung and Jungkook encountered and (unfortunately) killed FBI agents twice, but they had never mentioned being interrogated or any sort of poison. It would make sense to have the FBI interrogate their men then kill them since they liked to work tracelessly, but the FBI wouldn’t leave bodies behind, or any sort of clues. This meant, there was someone else, a third party involved.People died poisoned, and soon after their location had been unveiled to the FBI, they managed to get in contact with at least one of them. There was a high chance they were related but indirectly. “I think I've just realized something.” Yoongi spoke in a murmur, waiting for Romeo to regain his focus and listen to his words. “The CIA might have hired some sort of assassins to get rid of our men, this way it was easier to get closer to us. They don’t want me dead, cause I have the microchip, but they don’t care about the others. Most likely the FBI didn’t want to do the filthy job. But the CIA was desperate enough to find an alternative.” Romeo turned to him, grin playing on his lips, eyebrow raised. “Then I guess they are locals. We shall find out who the assassins are.” ♠
Jimin’s pov
Jimin stormed out of the room and stopped to a halt in the hallway, deep breathing and tapping his right foot against the floor, trying to calm his nerves down. He had just finished interrogating the guy named Sugar, and hell, he was far from being his culprit. “Just a student. A simple rebellious student.” He let out exasperated, tiredness getting the best of him. Officer Jeong-in followed him outside shortly after. “So…?”Jimin put on the best, fake, enthusiastic, ironic smile on his face. “The only illegal action this dude could have conducted by now is drug dealing which, by the way, is not my fucking problem.” He blinked several times, feeling as if he was going insane. “Maybe… we’ve been set up or something?”Jimin tried his best to slow down his heretic breathing since he wasn’t about to let emotions get the best of him now. “I… yes, and no. You might be right, or wrong. One thing is clear. We won’t find anything here.” The younger officer just nodded, defeated.“Let’s announce the whole crew, we are done for today.” ♠ The detective didn’t want to go back to the office with his colleagues and didn’t want to spend time with anyone else but himself. He needed a short break, it was essential for his mental state at that point. Throbs of pain were already eating at his temples, and he wondered whether he should start getting some more sleep. Yes, he definitely needed more sleep, but as soon as he got home, instead of jumping on the inviting and comfortable sheets of his warm bed, he found himself back in his office, a pile of files in front of him, eyes unfocused but mind searching for something, anything. What if there were small details he had missed? That one small detail could change everything. One thing led to another and he found himself with the maps they had collected from victims in front of him again. His restless train of thoughts had been interrupted soon enough by a phone call. He lifted his eyebrows in curiosity. It was Hoseok. “Detective Park speaking.” “Good evening, detective. I have just found some information that might pique your interest.” Hoseok chirped calmly; Jimin felt that he was hiding a tint of excitement behind his words.“It better be good news.” Jimin sighed in his phone, drowsiness getting the best of him.
“We decided to conduct some further investigations and… found something relevant. We analyzed the original map papers that had been collected from the murder scenes and we found something helpful. The fingerprints match the ones present on the victim found in the abandoned house in Gangnam, the guy who was murdered, with a knife.”
Jimin felt a rush of adrenaline dissipate his sleepiness right away, back straightening and eyes widening at the information. He forgot how to breathe for a couple of seconds. “That’s Gilbert.” He barely managed to form the words. Jimin could feel Hoseok’s smile through the speakers of his phone. “Exactly, Detective, this means you have been right all along. There was indeed a correlation between the two cases, and there is actual proof.” Hoseok continued, stating some facts as if he had been agreeing with Jimin the whole time, but now that he had a confirmation, he was finally able to voice his opinion. “Holy shit.” “Welcome, now, if you excuse me,” Hoseok chirped again in Jimin’s year, excitement and easy-going attitude more evident now. “ I’m about to investigate the corpse of an old woman who was-” “Hoseok, please, no further details required.”
“Yeah, right, have a nice evening!”
Inspired by the positive news, when Jimin put his eyes on the evidence in front of him, it was as if he was a new man, eyes faster and mind sharper. From behind his desk, a relatively long distance between him and his murder board, his eyes landed on nothing in particular. That’s when he saw it. Jimin carefully put his phone down on the desk and didn’t move. His eyes landed on the letters highlighted on the map locations. The distance helped him see the letters from a different perspective. There were the following letters: S, G, U, A, V, K, J. But this time, Jimin saw a slight correlation. Rearranged, the first set of 4 letters meant SUGA, which led his mind to the student nicknamed Sugar. That couldn’t be a coincidence. He wrote the information he’d just collected, but also wrote down the rest of the letters, trying to stay away from getting too excited too soon. After all, nothing was confirmed. He made sure to note down the other three letters as well. J, K, VThe 7 letters were present on each map, just in a different order, but they were also accompanied by other letters that were not repeated, so Jimin decided to focus on those present on each map, since they meant something. Maybe Gibert preferred sweet things, with much sugar. Maybe Gilbert simply liked the word sugar. Or maybe, he liked to use the name Suga or Sugar as a nickname. And maybe, he had been there, in the dorm, and maybe Jimin almost had him. But he slipped right through his fingers. ♠ In the past, Jimin had been constantly keeping tags on his mental state and he used to proudly declare that, with the help of his therapist, he was doing pretty great. His childhood trauma was still hunting him in his sleep, especially during cold, dark nights, when he had nothing to focus on but his constant numbness.The situation nowadays was a bit different. He was preoccupied with more than one case, he had an actual enemy he was looking forward to meeting, and his brain was running a thousand miles per hour continuously, even before going to bed. He didn’t know what to feel now…The pressure was coming from multiple directions, and the suffocating feeling had been nice for a while, as he had finally found purpose. But... this purpose of his, and the surplus of tension urged him to do things he didn’t even imagine he would do in different circumstances. Therefore, there he was. Direction? Baristas. Purpose? Unknown. He reasoned with himself, thinking that he really deserved a break, some peace of mind, a drink or two. And maybe… only maybe… he would get to see the mysterious cat-like eyes once again, giving Jimin the opportunity to ask a question or two. The unnecessary knowledge the guy had on the case didn’t sit right with Jimin. Call it curiosity, or whatever. Jimin had to know. ♠
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi had always liked his coffee black, with no sugar, honey, or whatever addition that could have ruined the bitter, intense taste, as well as the morning rush of energy that comes with it. He desperately needed that specific rush of energy now, waiting patiently, internally preparing himself with countless scenarios for the moment when Detective Park would rush in the lounge, tired but curious, perfectly ready to fall into Yoongi’s trap. It was too late for the detective to escape the tight grip of his sharp claws. With that in mind, Yoongi smirked, only to himself, confidence pouring off his demeanor. The detective had countless reasons to show up that day at Baristas, and Yoongi didn’t care which one would be the trigger point. As expected, less than 20 minutes later a tired-looking, wearing what Yoongi would describe a wrinkled face on display, Detective Park showed up at the lounge, beelined the tables, and reached the bar without bothering to check his surroundings and ordered a drink. He chose violence, Yoongi liked that. Yoongi decided to wait for a bit longer. And to his joy, after a great gulp of whiskey, the detective’s left eye caught Yoongi’s presence in his peripheral vision. He didn’t turn to him completely, but Yoongi felt noticed. He barely contained himself from smirking at that. Not too keen on wasting his time, Yoongi decided to spice things up in the slightest, standing up and reaching the bar area nonchalantly, pretending he did not necessarily recognize the detective. He ordered a beer, eyes stuck in the bartender with a boring attitude. He felt the way the detective was boring his eyes in his head, expectantly. Was he actually looking forward to meeting him again? Guess Yoongi would find out, sooner than he expected. The detective coughed discreetly, enough to catch Yoongi’s attention, enough to have a reason to engage. “Why do you look so familiar?” The detective bit his lower lip, inspecting Yoongi from head to toe. Yoongi barely had the time to raise an eyebrow as the other turned his focus back on the bartender, but kept talking, looking more bored than anything. “Are you alone here? If you join me I’ll pay for that drink.” Yoongi catches a smirk at the corner of his mouth. Yoongi grinned, eyes full of confidence, challenging. “What makes you think I need company?” The detective kept his smug look on his face, searching for a good excuse. “Actually…” He rotated the barstool a bit, enough to face Yoongi again, leaning on his arm, against the bar counter. “I am the one that would like some.” Yoongi relaxed his facial muscles but didn’t forget to scowl. His expression told the detective a clear no, but he approached him and took a seat at the nearest stool anyway.He sighed as received his beer, and eyed it before taking a gulp, enjoying the few seconds of silence. “You said I look familiar. Have we met before?” Yoongi asked after putting the beer back on the bar, pretending to be clueless. Jimin raised an eyebrow, turning his eyes to him. “You don’t remember? You were about to start a conversation with me the other day. Rings a bell?” Yoongi faked his astonishment, mouth slightly agape. “Oh, I think I remember.”The detective rolled his eyes. “Are you disappointed I didn’t recognize you straight away?” Yoongi took another gulp of his beer, smirking. “Hmm…” he touched his lips with his pointing finger, contemplatively, sending a shiver down Yoongi’s spine. He looked hot, damn. “Maybe.” Quickly, Yoongi pushed whatever dirty thought he had at the back of his mind and replaced his smug look with a friendly smile. “You seemed to be quite in a hurry. Yesterday, I mean.” The detective just nodded at that. “Yes, didn’t get to make the honors.” He offered a hand to Yoongi. “Detective Park Jimin. Nice to meet you.” “Well...” Yoongi accepted his offer swiftly, with a casual & cool demeanor on display, not letting the weight of the word detective affect him one bit. “You look like a detective, to be honest. Min Yoongi, art student, majoring in music production.”
Art major Yoongi, really?
“Oh.” The detective mocked a bewildered expression. “What is a young, good-looking student doing in such a lonely place, alone, every night, Min Yoongi?” Yoongi almost choked on his beer before he rolled his eyes, forming a reply. He didn’t expect Jimin to be such a flirty guy, such an easy target. “I am one of those misunderstood artists.” He was still facing the bar, not quite meeting Jimin’s eye stare. He hid a grin behind his hand but made sure the other heard it. “I like being alone, contemplating about life, and drinking my life away.”“Ohh, typical.” The detective commented dismissively, Yoongi almost felt offended. “No at all, actually, quite special I am.” He turned to Jimin, winking. That was when his eyes met Jimin’s, and for a second, a slight second, Yoongi forgot why he was there and what was his purpose. He took his time to analyze the gorgeous features of the detective, the plump lips, the smiley eyes. His face was beautifully sculpted by the attractive, sharp jaw, and even his nose was… cute?!And the body beneath the scoffed shirt… Yoongi would bet, it was absolutely bomb. Contrasting his appearance, the hardened bags under his eyes were accentuating a different story. He was tired, fatigue evidently stealing his colors away. Yoongi almost forgot he was the reason behind all of that. “Anyway.” Yoongi continued when Jimin replied with a simple shrug. “What are you doing here, alone, detective?” Jimin ordered a beer for himself before turning to him, an easy-going smile plastered on his face. “I have no idea.” Yoongi grinned at that. “Cheers, for loners in Baristas.” “Cheers.” Jimin knocked his beer bottle against Yoongi’s and returned the smile. Before Yoongi had the time to say anything else, Jimin’s phone started ringing, and he immediately snapped his head to the side to check. His face morphed, life draining from him as a terrifying look covered the entirety of his pretty features. At that, Yoongi allowed himself to steal a curious glance. He barely managed to hide his grin the moment he saw the name on the light-up screen.
Taehyung.
His brother couldn’t have had a better timing. ♠ To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jimin’s pov
Jimin entered Baristas with a sole purpose. He needed a drink, something strong preferably. Whiskey. After he finally got his shit together, Jimin managed to inspect his surroundings a bit, not necessarily searching for something, but someone . His breathing hitched in his throat as soon as he felt his presence. The dark-haired guy was there, as if the powers of the universe made a truce that night.
A truce that was about to change lives.
He tried to keep his obvious staring hidden from the other, but he was dying to put a name on the mysterious face. Jimin didn’t know when he had become so obsessed or why. Was it because of what he said? Was it because of his appearance? Jimin had to admit, it was hard to keep his eyes to himself for too long, the guy was looking ten times better than the other day. The only thing that didn’t change was the lounge, and the table he was staying at. Jimin relaxed, repeating in his mind that he came to Baristas to take a break, to stop thinking too much, to ease his mind, to stop the constant worrying. And maybe he could do just that. “A Heineken please.” Jimin heard the mysterious man speaking, closer to his ear and much quicker than he expected. His voice was raspy and had the quality of making Jimin shiver to his core. He eyed him, because lets be honest, who wouldn’t? And started wondering, again, what brought him there. He didn’t necessarily want anything from the good-looking guy, he didn’t intend to hook up with him, or to get closer, but he needed to know why and how did he have information on the case. Maybe it was just instinct playing its cards accordingly. But again, was it the detective within himself, or the gay within himself? Jimin had yet to find out. “Why do you look so familiar? Hmm.” Jimin blurred out without thinking, literally, surprising even himself. “Are you alone here? If you join me I’ll pay for that drink.” What was he even doing? He wasn’t even prepared to have a conversation with the guy. He was scared he wouldn’t keep up with it.
Time to look like a loser in front of the hot guy, go get it Jimin.
“What makes you think I need company?” The hottie replied with a cocky smile playing on his lips almost expectantly. Wow.
You started this, Jimin, now keep going.
“Actually…” Jimin was in full-on flirt mode at that point. He rotated the barstool and faced the other guy, eyes inviting. “I am the one that would like some.” The guy seemed to accept Jimin’s proposal because he took a seat close to him, an unapproachable expression still planted on his face, and Jimin almost believed him, if it wasn’t for the slightest smirk that escaped seconds ago. “You said I look familiar. Have we met before?” Started a conversation, and something about his tone told Jimin something was off. However, he totally dismissed that and dived straight into the conversation.
Only if he would have listened to his instincts sooner.
“You don’t remember? You were about to start a conversation with me the other day. Rings a bell?” Jimin replied with a cocked eyebrow, tone challenging. He didn’t even know what game he was playing, but it thrilled him. At that point, Jimin felt like an animal trying to seduce his prey.
It couldn’t be the other way around.
“Oh, I think I remember.” The guy replied, mouth slightly agape, eyes looking more comfortable as he now realized they had met before. He rolled his eyes in response. “Are you disappointed I didn’t recognize you straight away?” The other guy smirked, igniting something in Jimin’s stomach. His eyes were burning with mystery and something more. Jimin wanted to know everything about it. That smirk could kill, not even Jimin could counter that one. He decided to counterattack with a sweet move. “Hmm…” He touched his lips with one of his pointing fingers. “Maybe.” He pretended not to see the other guy get slightly, almost visibly flustered. “You seemed to be quite in a hurry. Yesterday, I mean.” The man fake coughed and Jimin was already getting tired of not knowing his name. He nodded to acknowledge the remark. “Yes, didn’t get to make the honors.” He smiled confidently but sweetly. “Detective Park Jimin. Nice to meet you.” The odds might have brought him there alone, but he didn’t forget who he was, and he would lie to say he didn’t like the power his title held over others. “Well...” Jimin accepted his hand, touch burning his skin, sending a shiver of excitement straight to his stomach. “You look like a detective, to be honest. Min Yoongi, art student, majoring in music production.”The way he empathized on the word detective didn’t sit right with Jimin either, but he decided to lose his focus on the beautiful grin he was offered instead. “Oh.” Jimin almost squealed, but he was lucky he had matured his skill at controlling the emotions showing on his face. He admitted. Jimin would cut off one of his legs for the beauty of Min Yoongi. The name and his profession fit him endearingly. “What is a young, good-looking student doing in such a lonely place, alone, every night, Min Yoongi?” That was a flirt line, Jimin was aware of that. “I am one of those misunderstood artists.” Jimin managed to catch the smirk Yoongi hid behind his hand as he was leaning on his arm, eyes focused on anything else but Jimin. Jimin had to change that. “I like being alone, contemplating about life, and drinking my life away.”“Oh. Typical.” Jimin commended in a colder tone, faking a bored expression, almost as if he lost his interest. That’s when Yoongi turned around, eyes meeting his. He winked flirtily, taking Jimin aback. “No at all, actually, quite special I am.” For a few seconds, none of them said anything. It was as if time had stopped for a bit, in a cliche way. Jimin tried to read as much of Yoongi as possible during that moment, his intentions, his life aspirations. He wanted to know what he was getting himself into, because it might have been too late to take a step back. It had always been easy for Jimin to read someone, just by looking into their eyes, but it wasn’t the case with Yoongi, though. It felt suffocating, dangerous, but at the same time challenging. The more he stared into those beautiful, penetrating dark pupils of his, Jimin realized that Yoongi’s eyes were devoid of emotion. He knew something was wrong, he felt it in his guts, but he was tired of being skeptical. He wasn’t ready to trust, no, he was far from that, but he was ready to let his guard down slightly and try something new, risky.“Anyway.” Yoongi continued, pretending that the past few seconds didn’t exist. “What are you doing here, alone, detective?”Good question, Jimin thought. Not even he knew the answer to it but liked where this was going. “I have no idea.” He shrugged a reply, almost mocking himself. However, when Yoongi replied with a grin, Jimin knew. The reason behind their meeting was insignificant because they were meant to be there that day, to meet, and to get to know each other. “Cheers, for loners in Baristas.”
At that time, Jimin had no idea that someone with such a beautiful, easygoing and friendly personality, could eventually ruin the last spark of life living within himself.
“Cheers,” Jimin replied cheerfully, almost ready to continue the conversation when his phone started buzzing. Instinctively his head snapped to the side in the direction of the phone, only to freeze on the spot, feeling the way his soul started leaving his body.
Taehyung.
He thought he started shaking at some point, but couldn’t remember clearly as he quickly dismissed Yoongi and excused himself.“Taehyung? Kim Taehyung is this you? Are you alright?” He tried his best to control his voice, just in case his best friend needed him. “Oh, God, Jimin, I’m so sorry I haven’t returned your phone calls recently, I had a problem…” Taehyung was alive, seemed well, maybe a bit anxious? And he had a problem.“Wait, what? What problem? Are you ok?” “Uh, yes, nothing big I just… Couldn’t contact you earlier…” Taehyung replied in a warry voice and Jimin started feeling his blood slowly but surely boil. “Excuse me? Um… Ok? Tae… I had literally thrown Seoul upside down, contacted your grandparents, lost sleep over it… I… I am glad you are ok but I don’t know what to say.” Jimin started inhaling deep breaths, counting to ten. He didn’t know whether he felt angry, or relieved, but at least Taehyung was alive, well, and perfectly capable of talking. “Listen Jimin, I had to travel back to the US on short notice and lost my phone on the plane. It was...about my brother, um, family business, he needed my help with something and I... didn’t quite think of letting others know, I’m sorry I worried you, but I’m back. And everything is fine now…”There was a pause on the line after that. Jimin didn’t know how to reply. He exhaled, massaging his own temples trying to make it make sense. The leads had somehow indicated that Taehyung had been at the student dorm, but in fact, he wasn’t. He sighed eventually. “Alright Tae, I am glad you are safe. Where are you now? Do you need my help?”“Actually I’m home now, I will try to get some sleep but I was wondering whether you wanna meet up with me so I can explain… I feel kind of bad now…” Taehyung’s voice was almost pleading Jimin to accept his offer, and suddenly, he felt himself being covered in inexplicable drowsiness as if all the most recent events had finally caught up to him and he was too tired to refuse or demand explanations. “Fine, Tae, at least please don’t leave home for a while, Seoul isn’t safe anymore. I’ll tell you more about it later, but I have a bad feeling that you are in danger.”“Wait, what?”“I-” He turned around for a second, just to see Yoongi waiting for him, eyes focused on his phone, foot-tapping against his barstool. It wasn’t the right time and place. “I promise I will explain when I see you. Please stay home.” Jimin ended the call soon after that, finally letting out an exhale of relief. He went back to his barstool, glancing at Yoongi, this time with less flirty intentions but with tiredness in his eyes. “I apologize, I had a… problem with a friend.” He ran a hand through his hair to make sure he doesn’t look his age and fatigue. “I think he’s in danger and… well… I’m a detective, I should protect him.” Briefly, Yoongi replied to Jimin with nothing but silence and an indescribable look. It should have ringed a bell in Jimin’s head, but it didn’t. The odd, unfamiliar expression on his face dissipated quickly, replaced by warm, concerned eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other but…” He paused, a bit fidgety. “You can talk to me if you need to, you know?”Jimin appreciated his offer but had to decline since he didn’t feel safe enough with the stranger, not enough to share his private life matters with him. “Thank you, but there’s not much to talk about, I’m just overwhelmed.” He thanked him with a weak but grateful smile. “I totally understand!” Yoongi nodded, eyes burning with sympathy. Jimin felt hypnotized by the way this man managed to go from the hottest catch in the bar to someone so warmhearted in such a short time. He was too great to be true. Jimin forgot why he came to the bar to begin with. The moment Yoongi touched his shoulder with his palm to comfort him, Jimin flinched instinctively, getting a bit closer. “I don’t plan on making you uncomfortable, I could just leave if you need some time. I mean… we could hang out some other time.”Jimin didn’t want Yoongi to leave. His sole purpose of coming to the bar was to take a break from his worries, not to go back home, alone, and bury himself in unanswered questions. But he didn’t have the time to open his mouth and reply, because Yoongi continued. “Or… you can stay here and... I don’t know, we can keep each other company. You can tell me your story, I can tell you mine, and who knows, we might even help each other.” Jimin didn’t need Yoongi’s help, but his presence. “Why would you help me? We barely know each other.” He couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical. Yoongi nudged innocently in reply. “Well… I don’t have anything better to do, and you look like you could use some company.”That was exactly what Jimin wanted to hear, even though he refused to let it show. Looking at Yoongi made Jimin feel that there was still something special, mysterious about him that he wouldn’t find in other people surrounding him. At a first glance, he looked young and youthful, but beneath the whole masquerade, Jimin saw something more, a puzzle that he had no idea whether he wanted or could put together. “I won’t take offense with that and rather accept your offer.” He smiled and waited for Yoongi to return the gesture. He seemed genuinely friendly and eager to get to know him better. Jimin hoped that was the case, because, after that moment, he spent another two hours in the presence of the dark-haired guy, talking about everything and anything. Nothing too personal, but enough so that the two could say that they were friends now. Jimin thought he knew better than to trust a stranger, especially those with puzzling & intriguing personalities, deep dark eyes, and courteous smiles. That night Jimin decided he wanted to give Yoongi a chance. ♠ |2nd of March, 2019|
Taehyung’s pov
Smile again - Blackbear
“Hi lil shortcake!” Taehyung was peacefully scrolling through some cake recipes on his phone when Jungkook clamorously jumped on the bed, beside Taehyung, ruining his mood to a certain extent. “Jungkook… I almost had a heart attack. Didn’t hear you come.” He slapped Jungkook’s shoulder lightly. “What’s with the good mood?”Jungkook smiled sweetly in reply, contemplating before forming a response. “I guess I just wanted to keep you some company, like good ol’ days.” Taehyung rolled his eyes at that, not really remembering the good ol’ days . However, he was aware that recently, the relationship between him and Jungkook wasn’t as warm as before, because constantly running away for your dear life eventually builds up unimaginable amounts of stress. None of them had too much time for themselves, and when they had, they would spend it separately. It made Taehyung’s heart ache, but at the same time, he was alright with that. Because the more time he spent with Jungkook, the more it hurt, knowing that the latter would never share his unrequited love. “We share the house.” He bit a reply, hating Jungkook’s denseness. “Right. But you seem really…weird? I mean…”
Yes, because I’m trying to hide some obvious feelings, you dumbass.
Jungkook got closer to Taehyung, in a lying position, turning to him, and leaning on his hand, watching Taehyung contemplatively, almost worriedly. “You have always been an odd human being, but recently… I feel like something has changed.”Instinctively, Taehyung turned as well to Jungkook, facing him, inches apart. He stared, not saying much. He wanted Jungkook to understand his feelings, without him having to say it out loud, he wanted Jungkook to know how much he wished to touch his soft lips, his straight but delicate nose, his feathery lashes. But Jungkook was there, prettily watching him, having no idea how much Taehyung would have loved to kiss him. Taehyung distaste him. “Jungkook…” Taehyung broke the silence, knowing that what he was about to say wasn’t going to change much, but felt like saying it anyway. “Jungkook, do you know?” “Know what?” Jungkook raised one of his brows curiously. “That I’m gay,” Taehyung stated plainly, a tuckered tilt to his tone. Jungkook looked dumbfounded for a few moments, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, indicating his lack of words. “I… never thought about it before. Your sexuality, I mean.”“At least you know now,” Taehyung replied, a polite but slightly apologetic smile on his face, hoping that Jungkook would finally get it; he would get his point and what it actually implied and left. Left him alone. However, Jungkook didn’t. “Uh, if we are at it then, I’m more than glad to admit that I’m bi. I just… never cared too much to come out to anyone. I am not looking for a relationship, neither now nor before so…”
Ouch.
Well, Taehyung didn’t even take that as a rejection. Jungkook appeared too clueless to actually understand the implications of what Taehyung meant at the beginning of the conversation. But he didn’t understand him. Jungkook had always been wearing this unbreakable passive mask on his face, hiding his feelings so well, he believed himself too. Even if Taehyung wanted to take the mask off, and help Jungkook find himself, and enjoy the blossoming tickling whenever he would blast in feelings, allowing them to overflow, he couldn’t. He sighed internally, and tried to change his frame of mind quickly, and lighten the mood. “Great! Now we know more about each other.” He smiled, pinching him and getting slightly away from him, facing the ceiling now. “Hey… Tae…” Jungkook leaned closer to Taehyung’s face once again, demanding his attention. Taehyung wasn’t far from pushing him away at that point. “Hmm?” He eventually replied. “Sorry… I just…” He stopped again, staring at Taehyung for a second that left like three hours, making Taehyung’s breath shorten with expectation. Maybe he felt Taehyung’s distress, eventually, because his eyes widened with realization and guilt covered his whole face. “I just wanted to apologize for being so awkward with words and feelings all the time. You know I’m… new to this… to opening myself. I am sorry if I hurt you…” Taehyung started laughing then, genuinely, no harm hidden behind it. It wasn’t the irony that caused it, but the fact that Jungkook was purposely cute and spoke so sincerely that not even Taehyugn could understand him. “It’s alright, Gguk…” He said subsequently. “Time will help you get out of your cocoon, and I’m pretty sure your butterfly wings will be one of the best things I’m about to see (that if we don’t die too soon, obviously.)” Jungkook laughed at that, satisfied and looking a bit touched by Taehyung’s words. Taehyung continued. “I wanna be here to witness that though, Jungkook, because we are friends. And I’m here for you. I’ll always be.” The huge bunny smile on Jungkook’s face was all that Taehyung needed at that moment. He murmured a whispering thank you, not saying anything afterwards, letting a comfortable silence settle between them once again, because now, more than ever, they needed each other without forcing unnecessary words and conversation to weigh on their shoulders. They just needed each other, and Taehyung was pleased to know that Jungkook realized that as well. He needed him, although he didn’t know in what way yet. After a few minutes, Jungkook broke the silence though with an unexpected question. “What happened to the detective?” “Hm? Jimin? Called him recently, I think he’s still a bit suspicious but I’ll meet him soon and convince him otherwise.” Taehyung explained, attention focused on the ceiling. “Is he gay too?” Taehyung was lucky he was laying in bed and didn’t have a chair to fall off from. “What?”“Is he?” Jungkook repeated the question, pretty serious. “What if he is though?” Taehyung asked with an arched eyebrow.“It’s just… times are though, we don’t want you romantically involved now…”
What?
What did Jungkook just say?
Taehyung couldn’t believe this guy. But… wait. “I don’t think you should worry, he’s just my bestie.” He faked a mocking smile. “Even though… he turned out to be such a fine man.” He bit his lower lip, watching Jungkook’s reaction with the corner of his eye. Jungkook just stared at him with a frown for a couple of seconds before taking a pillow and smashed it against Taehyung's head. “Hey!” “Just… be careful,” Jungkook warned worriedly for one last time before he stole Taehyung a forehead kiss and left the room, leaving Taehyung there alone, dumbfounded. ♠
Lorde -Everybody wants to rule the world
|28th of November 2018|
Jungkook’s pov
“This is far from being an easy task, young boy.” The voice of the professor was hoarser than usual today, yet he still lit a cigarette, eyes searching for any form of doubt in Jungkook’s eyes. Jungkook respected him and he understood his reticence, but he was determined to prove him wrong. Jungkook was perfect for the job at hand.
The man nodded with a smile when Jungkook’s fiercely determined eyes didn’t change. “I’ve spoken to many. Many of those whom I trust. I do believe there are ways for us to make this work, there are many who are loyal to me, and that still hang onto the frail string of true justice. However…” He paused, more to focus on his cigarette than to find the words, because the old man always knew what and when to say. It was in his blood. “When working with people, there’s always a possibility that at least one of them would betray you, at least if you are unlucky.”
Jungkook almost sighed but held it back. “I will, obviously, appreciate their help, but most of the details will be confidential, and only the ones hundred percent involved will have access to details. My suggestion is to keep the team as small as possible.”
The man nodded and let the silence cover the room, eyes lost, unfocused for a few moments. He was in his sixties, or at least that's what Jungkook had assumed based on the creak lines below his eyes., the way he held himself, and the way he spoke. He was wise, old, and a mystery to most of the people surrounding him. Even to Jungkook.
“Why are you doing this?” The professor eventually broke the silence, turning to Jungkook with smiling, curious eyes.
Jungkook averted his eyes for a couple of seconds. He thought of this before, he had an answer to the question but didn’t like how it sounded out loud.
However, he wanted to answer the question. “I…” He thinned his lips for a bit. “It was my fault, and before you say it was not, because I couldn't know, please know that it doesn’t matter. If people will end up hurt… if the world will suffer because of this, I don’t think I could live with myself. I need to do the right thing this time.”
“Mhm.” The man murmured understandingly. “But, are you doing this for the people that might get hurt, or for yourself?”
Jungkook frowned, surprised by a question he never thought of before. “What do you mean?”
“Are you doing this to protect the people that may fall victims to this weapon, or to prevent yourself from having your conscience stained?” The man rephrased just to confirm Jungkook’s previous assumption. Maybe he was testing him.
Was it his honesty that was being tested? Or was the answer actually going to balance whether the professor would trust him or not? The cigarette smoke was calmly consuming it, slowly, making Jungkook nervous. Time was passing. He knew the answer, but was it going to be the correct one?
Was there a correct answer to the question?
“I won’t get away with an unstained conscience, professor.” Jungkook eventually found his words. “I am aware there will be risks I’ll have to take, decisions to make, comrades to lose, and when it comes to myself… I’m sure they will turn me into a news headline, a villain. I don’t even know if I have a chance to go back to my previous life but I’m willing to risk it all for the better good. I know it sounds courageous, naive even, but I am not going to let a damn software ruin an entire continent.” Jungkook didn’t even know there was so much conviction within himself, but his tone said all.
The professor raised both his eyebrows, challenging Jungkook. “But as I said before, you don’t have to do it. We are not even sure if they plan on using it. It is indeed a biological weapon, but only to be used in the eventuality of a war.
Jungkook widened his eyes. He thought he was being tested because both the professor and him knew the answer to that. “Yes. But that eventuality is a possibility, and I don’t want to be part of it. Maybe you are right, maybe I am doing this out of selfishness, but I can’t stand behind, I can’t let this happen. Not when I know I can do something about it. Both you and I know that this government wants money and power, and doesn’t care about anything unrelated. We can’t let this software fall into their hands.”
The cigarette was completely burnt at this point, but the man still crushed it in the ashtray, ears twitching with interest at Jungkook’s words.
“Actually, that thing has no way of being used correctly. It shouldn’t exist at all. People don’t need to die, or get sick, just because they are caught in the crossfire between greedy leaders. I know there’s not much I can do, but if there is, I will.”
The man laughed then. Jungkook didn’t even know whether it was a good or a bad thing, but he laughed, and Jungkook watched and waited until he eventually replaced the humorless laugh with seriousness.
“Your innocence and youth make me feel young again.” The man sighed, age showing on his features once again, accentuated by a slight form of resignation. “You know? I was there when they mentioned the idea for the first time, and they were so eager to feed us all the shit. It was a confidential meeting. Only a few of us knew the truth. They said it would be created because the enemy would do the same anyway, and we need an ace up our sleeve. But they promised we wouldn’t use it unless it is absolutely necessary.” The professor explained, loathe pouring from his fiery eyes.
“They convinced everyone. They compared it to a bomb. No one wants to use them, but we still have them, because we need to fight back if there’s a need. If there’s gonna be war again. If they give us death, we need to reply with the same thing. An eye for an eye. Even in this day and age.” He finished, looking rather tired.
Jungkook let his small, hopeful, naive heart speak for himself this time. “But I can’t imagine how and why. Why are we even mentioning wars when we can solve things diplomatically? We have the power to do so.”
“Because, young man, if you don’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. This is how the world we live in works. Syria is still at war, civil war, but a war nonetheless. Afghanistan, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia are all the same. Armed wars, people die and starve every day, you can find blood everywhere on the streets, and we, such a huge nation, would do nothing about it because they have the resources that we need. Humanity and nature don't matter for them, it’s all about power and money.”
Jungkook had found himself not able to reply to this. He felt that the professor wasn’t done just yet.
“I am a diplomat, and as long as I’m alive, I will do my best to negotiate situations instead of letting them resort to cruel methods. The prospect of a biological weapon sounds better, because it doesn’t impact the planet directly, but they don’t think of the consequences. No matter how much they would try to tone it down, a virus is a virus. It would spread.”
“But you still had to watch them go ahead with the plan…” Jungkook murmured, eyes focused on his lap, thinking of the professor and how powerless he must have felt at that moment.
“Yes.” The man nodded. “It was me, against some of the most powerful people in the USA. But I chose you, and I would like to work with you, as long as you are convinced you won’t regret it later. I know you are capable, but I needed to know that you wouldn’t be influenced by me, or anyone else. ”
“Actually... “ Jungkook met his eyes again, smiling. “I have no idea why you didn’t reach out to me earlier.”
The professor returned the smile. “Because it wasn’t an easy decision to make. I had to go through some background research, and only when I found out that the majority of the people working on the software were being lied to, that's when I decided.”
Jungkook just confirmed his statement. “We all came here knowing we would work on a project intended to save lives, not the other way around. Who would have known…” He said that with a sour taste on his lips.
“You were the first to catch my attention, the most intelligent yet mysterious one. I liked researching your work, and bits of your past. I chose you because you have logical thinking abilities, and you tend to analyze situations objectively. I didn’t know whether you would agree with this, but I’m glad I did reach out to you eventually. There’s still time.”
When Jungkook first joined the CIA, he was surprised to see that the density of the project was beyond imaginable. It was split into different departments, with more than a hundred people involved. Jungkook was more than excited to participate, because he was going to work for the CIA, on a project that wasn’t necessarily confidential, a project that was about to shine bright on his CV, and give him future opportunities and experience. Everyone Jungkook had met there was special in a way or another, above the average, that was for sure. The CIA needed brilliant minds, and obviously, the truth had to be hidden behind a rigged lie.
At the time when he made up his mind and left his country, Jungkook was fed up with his family and the pressure they dropped on his shoulders without ever considering his wishes. He didn’t want his father’s company, he was fascinated by cybernetics, technology, and the AI world.
He ran away from his family to follow his dream.
Joining the project wasn’t an easy thing to do. He had to go through a six months training period, computer training more specifically. He had to work with advanced softwares, but it was fascinating in a way. Jungkook was glad he had this opportunity, and more than anything, he was proud he managed to get the hang of them before most of his colleagues.
That’s when he met Taehyung, and his older brother Yoongi, and obviously, the professor, who was a project coordinator, respected by higher-ups and mostly everyone in the company. His opinion was always considered first and most of the final decisions had to go through him before being approved.
Jungkook learned there that he was about to work on a project meant to save lives, cure them, more specifically. The software they were developing was supposedly an antidote, and Jungkook’s department was about to be responsible for creating the impenetrable interface, to make sure it would be kept safe at all costs.
It was brilliant. Jungkook had never felt more determined to work on something, so he worked his ass off, days and nights, until someone had finally noticed him, and named him head of the department. His accurate leading qualities and the lack of empathy when it came to organizing and making decisions for the sake of the project, helped him create teams based on skills.
The CIA named the project Operation White Card.
When the professor approached Jungkook months later, they were already halfway through the project. That’s when he told him the truth, in hopes that they would be able to create a small team that could deceive the CIA and destroy the software, along with everything related to it. Or at least that was the plan.
Jungkook trusted the professor. He knew he wasn’t lying.
He didn’t need much to agree to the plan. A plan that might ruin his life, nonetheless.
“Thank you for trusting me, Professor!” Jungkook eventually nodded, a spark of confidence flickering in his eyes. He had finally found purpose. “I am accepting your proposal.”
The professor also paid his respect in return, bowing his head in gratitude. “I am sorry to burden you, young man, I promise I will do everything in my powers to cover you, the team, and help you get out of here victorious and unscratched.
Eventually, Yoongi, Taehyung, and other 20 people joined the team and started planning, step by step, how to run away with the software, leaving no traces behind. Jungkook was determined to accomplish his mission.
At least that was the plan. ♠ |2nd of March, 2019|
Jimin’s pov
Jimin ran his hands over the black letters on the white paper, as if touching them would materialize some facts. The lab results. Indeed, the fingerprints on the original maps found on victims were the fingerprints found on the corpse in Gangnam. Miles Gilbert’s fingertips connected the two cases now, yet Jimin hated him with the bottom of his heart. They had a name, a description, but not an actual face to link them with. In times like these, Jimin felt that he was running away in circles. Progress was turned into regress. Who was he looking for? What did he miss? Was his enemy that good? His mind was full of questions; Why did Gilbert create the maps? Why were the maps left with the victims? Why did Gilbert use different murder methods, when they already found a pattern?Jimin had to take into consideration the possibility that Miles Gilbert might be working with others as well, people who do the dirty work for him, or maybe he wanted to confuse them, the police.Or maybe he made a mistake. Either way, Miles was winning at the moment, cause Jimin felt lost, and he didn’t like that one bit. He sighed, turning around on his office chair, facing the huge window behind, shortly focusing on the moody, rainy weather. He was happy Taehyung was alive and well, but it didn’t mean he could relax one bit. The more time passes, the more people are in danger, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. Innocent people would die. People like Taehyung, his friends, people like… Yoongi. The man at the Baristas. “Coming to think of it…” Jimin frowned, speaking to himself out loud, carefully turning back to his desk. He started tapping his pen against the dark, wooden surface. “Yoongi did know some confidential information on the case, right?” He murmured, frown deepening on his forehead. Jimin had high hopes Yoongi would be a trusted friend in the future, but he couldn’t ignore such an important detail. He needed to do a background check and ask the other mad straightforward. Where did he get that information from? Jimin felt as if his future was hanging on the answer to that question. It felt weird.♠ |2nd of March|
Yoongi’s pov
*the same day Jimin received the results from the lab*The cigarette tastes differently on Yoongi’s lips, depending on his mood. Excitement, confidence, and fear felt differently when they were accompanied by a burning stick. As a fact, heat and boring days have always been the enemy of his cigarettes. He hated to smoke them in those situations. Today, Yoongi, as he always did, associated the taste with the situation, with the mood. The taste told him it was a good day, he felt confident. He was seated in a couch across from Romeo and two of his associates. He dragged deeply and offered a smile. “Everything goes according to the plan. We managed to give that detective a hard time.” He smirked, thinking of the way Jimin must have been feeling at the moment. “Little did the cat know the prey was under its nose.” Romeo commented, sharing Yoongi’s grin with one of his own. He knew of Yoongi’s double agent mischief since he was the one that came up with the idea after all. He had been helping Yoongi decide on the specific details of the situation ever since. Yoongi straightened his posture a bit since he was there to discuss business and watched the other two men carefully. They didn’t know all the details; He didn’t know them well enough to be specific. “I still need more time. The ultimate goal is to hide it so that no one, but me, would know its location.” Romeo bowed his head a bit understandingly. “I will help you win time on your side, at least as much as I can, at least for the plan with the detective, but we can’t stall way too much, we need to make sure almost everyone will think the chip is destroyed. Our team and the CIA.” “I don’t want to interrupt but…” One of the two men seated on each of Romeo’s sides spoke, uninvitedly if you asked Yoongi. He gestured to him to speak. “Why don’t you just destroy the thing?” Even though the idea of letting others know about this irked Yongi’s nerves, he needed at least two/three more people to help with this aspect of the plan. He had enough reasoning to understand the question, he just wasn’t in the mood. He shifted his position, throwing a leg over another. He took a sip from his glass of wine before speaking again. “Because, you see... my life, and my brother's, depend on it. If the police ever decided to threaten us in any way, this is the only shot we have. Blackmail. I’ll know the location, so they would be needing me. They wouldn’t risk doing anything that might have it destroyed.” The man wanted to open his mouth again, but instead, he threw an understanding glance in Romeo’s direction and bowed his head. Romeo has always been way too kind to Yoongi, so some of his associates and subordinates were bound not to understand their bond, respectively why did they have to risk their own lives to help Yoongi and his team. But Romeo knew to choose wisely. He chose people that knew better than that, at least for important matters. Yoongi would have done the same if their situation were switched. It was more than a friendship, what they had. Yoongi trusted him with his life and hoped that Romeo did the same. Yoongi almost smiled victoriously after that. Now he needed to focus on the detective and ways to deceive him. “Oh. I think this goes without saying but.. Don’t let either Jungkook or Taehyung know about any of this. I will do it myself when the time comes.” “I have an inkling you are completely right with this. They wouldn’t like your plan, at least Taehyung…” Just when Romeo was about to finish his sentence, his phone rang. “I think it’s important. I’ll take this.” He swiped the screen and put it close to his ear. “Yes?”It was a matter of seconds until Romeo’s face morphed into pure shock, and all the blood in his cheeks evaporated. Yoongi’s heart started beating fast in response to seeing Romeo’s reaction, but he waited patiently. Romeo ended the conversation, holding himself back from throwing something out the window. “What happened, Romeo?”… he didn’t reply. “Romeo… I said… What happened?” Yoongi repeated, trying not to sound desperate. “Eric, Seattle Eric was found dead.”Yoongi widened his eyes. “That’s- I talked to him yesterday, he was pretty close to Taehyung. Shit. How? Who found him? Does this mean he was killed right after that?” “He was poisoned, just like the others.” Yoongi wanted to smash his head against the table at that point. “The hideouts don’t work anymore, we need to get rid of the maps because our men keep dying, and we can’t obviously do anything about it. No matter how much we warned them…” He needed to calm down before the panic would have gotten the best of him. He lit another cigarette. “You are not going to like it…” Romeo checked his phone and the email with the details offered by his informant. “The detectives found him, and we have no idea what evidence he has on him.” “Taehyung exchanged texts with him yesterday, I just hope he managed to get rid of that phone at least.”“We really need a new strategy, to stop our people from dying, that would cut us some slack, because everything the detectives have at the moment, came with the victims. We need a new plan.” Yoongi’s mind was still stuck on one specific detail. “If Eric had any proof on him, we are completely doomed.” ♠ |2nd of March|
Jimin’s Pov
Jimin pushed the throttle pedal, no longer patient when his phone rang again. It was Namjoon. “We found an old CIA identification hidden in the victim’s room.” Jimin gulped, wetting his lips, trying his best to focus on the road ahead. “Namjoon, please let anyone touch anything before I’m there. Two minutes.” He ended the call, fingers tapping on the steering wheel nervously. They found another victim.♠To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lies come hard to disguise
Let me fight it out
Not wild about it
Lay your seeded judgments
Who says they're part of our lives?
morgxn - notorious
Yoongi’s pov
|2nd of March|*same day* A few hours before the emergency meeting Romeo and Yoongi called upon that day, Yoongi decided to put all the information he gathered for the past days together, to be prepared in case a time comes when questions would need to be answered. As soon as people in his team started disappearing, Yoongi explored countless possibilities and variables, searching for answers. Plausible answers. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, though, because Yoongi’s subordinates weren’t shot or simply murdered, the victims appeared to be part of something bigger, planned, something that Yoongi tried desperately to understand. He had to look up the internet, search old newspapers, go to public libraries, look everywhere possible, research mysterious types of murders. Right before his previous meeting with the detective, something peculiar piqued his attention. Everything about it seemed ridiculous, but it felt particularly familiar. It wasn’t a murder technique, as he expected, but some sort of a game. A mind game that drove people crazy, pushing them to their limits, encouraging suicide. The game spread throughout Asia in the ’90s, becoming popular amongst gamblers at first, but that lured teenagers on the dangerous side of the game soon after. A game of life and death, where the player was sometimes given the chance to choose between life and death, and where there had always been a smarter game master that played with the mind of the weakest. And countless players died. There was no one to put the blame on because it wasn’t pure murder, it was still counted as suicide by the authorities, therefore, no game master had ever been accused of murder, because, at the end of the day, they didn’t hurt them, not physically at least. A game about the power one holds upon their old lives, a game that anyone with enough confidence and some basic knowledge would dare to play. But that was the thing, it was tricky, it seemed easy and fun, and the rewards that came with the fame of becoming a popular game master were tempting to say the least. Secret contests became a thing, like an underground battleground, where only the best of the best would dare participate, where people placed bets, it ignited fights, and the popular underground gangs were soon to use the game for different purposes. And it was just a game, a game about mind control. What linked the game to the way Yoongi’s subordinates were murdered? The weird, unnecessary amount of scratches found on the corpses, and the poison.The scars bore by the players were the unique characteristic of the game. Players would take pride in the amount of scars on their skin, as it symbolized experience in the game. As time passed and the game started to be banned in most countries, the players would eventually hide their scars, and only show them off during the secret rounds held underground. For a long time after that, authorities kept on finding several victims with signs that resembled those on the players, but closed the cases eventually, systematizing them as suicide cases, or simple disappearances. Maybe Yoongi was a bit too intrigued by the whole thing, so he decided to go into further research, looking up the basic rules of the games. The game started as a usual trivia game, where during each round, players had to answer questions, trivia questions. However, what made the game special, and way too sadistic, even for Yoongi’s taste, was the fact that each wrong answer would come with punishment, a mark on your skin. Sometimes, most of the time actually, games would end up in a tie, and the more ties one survived, the closer they were to the game master title. The game master was the one asking the question, the one that entered a danger zone only when the game could no longer end in a tie, and someone had to win. If one gets too many wrong answers, they reach the final stage of the game. The final stage of the game is the actual mind game, where the poison comes in. The game masters placed two cups filled with a liquid of identical smell and color on the table. One of the two contained lethal cyanide poison, the other one didn’t. The game master had no power over the decision of the player, he had the right to choose whatever cup they wanted to drink, and the game master was bound to drink the other one. However, the game master, as well as the player, was allowed to try and manipulate each other. If the player was good enough to manipulate the game master, he would eventually take their place after their death. However, those situations were rare. There were times when people would earn the title of the game master without actually defeating another game master, through experience. A certain amount of games played was involved. Its name was Game of Life . The more he searched it up, the more Yoongi started to understand why people were so drawn to it. It was a simple question. People like challenges, and the game was a sinister hell of a challenge. His question was, why would his subordinates accept playing the game? They were smarter than that. Therefore, he kept on thinking about it. He reached a simple conclusion. The game wasn’t played by the rules anymore. The victims were either threatened to play or forced to drink the poison. It was an easy way of getting rid of Yoongi’s people, so whoever was looking for him out there, had their cards sorted perfectly and played them to their own advantage. The detectives had no way of finding out about this, or if they did, it would take a lot of time. Time that Yoongi didn’t have, so he couldn’t let his fate into their hands.At times Yoongi thought about it, about the game, and ended up laughing at himself. If someone was brave enough to dare him to play the game, he would accept in the blink of an eye. He was dumb enough to play the game. A game that wasn’t a game, in its true sense, not anymore, but a weapon. ♠
Jimin’s pov
“What do you think, detective?” Hoseok asked, carefully wiping his glasses. “Is this the hand of your main suspect?”Jimin didn’t even know what to think anymore. He was happy they had new clues, but at the same time, something made him feel like running in circles. He inspected the dead body attentively again, thinking about the victim for a few seconds. The poor guy was in his twenties, whole life ahead, and here he was, lying on the ground, foam at the corners of his mouth and a ruined chance at the future everyone deserves. “Yes, this is obviously linked to Miles Gilbert. However, what’s bugging me is the fact that he’s an ex CIA Agent.” “Which, by the way,” Namjoon interrupted. “Appears to be on the list of suspects we were given by the CIA. His name on the list was “Eric”, which matches the CIA identification we have found on him. We also found a fake ID on him, which further proves that all of them have alternative fake IDs. He used to go by the name Seojiuk in our records.” “It was definitely one of his men…” Jimin continued contemplatively as if something didn’t quite make sense. “Why would he kill one of his men?”“Are we sure he killed him, though, detective?” Namjoon pushed ceremoniously, trying not to look as if he was questioning Jimin’s judgment. “I think we need to take into consideration that there’s a third party involved at this point.” “You mean a third murdered?” Jimin frowned, not really liking the direction of the conversation. “All evidence that we’ve found up until now lead to him, I don't want to deviate from the actual facts.: “But the pattern leads to nowhere, detective. I strongly recommend we keep our eyes open, and minds even more.” Namjoon suggested, containing his calm and demeanor perfectly unchanged. It felt like a punch on Jimin’s face. He didn’t like to admit that Namjoon might have been right. But Jimin wasn’t stupid. He approached Namjoon. “Detective,” He lowered his voice, to make sure he wasn’t going to be heard by everyone at the murder scene. “Bring me proof. Bring me the damn proof, and I’ll bow my head and admit you were right. I’m not gonna believe he’s innocent until proven otherwise.” Hoseok was the only one eavesdropping on the conversation, so he jumped in the moment he felt Namjoon tensing. “Gentleman, we are all right and wrong until proven otherwise.” His voice was cold as ice, making a point with his words. “I don’t give a fuck about who’s right or wrong, but we need to find out who’s doing this, and we need to do it quickly. We are past the amateur stage.” Hoseok was right. Jimin needed to take Namjoon’s advice into consideration. He sighed, getting back to the victim, and trying to think of Namjoon’s alternative. The body hasn’t been touched and the evidence was still in its initial place. There wasn’t anything else that might be of help. Not at a second glance. Then Jimin exhaled and looked around him. He quickly took his own phone out of his pocket, confirming what he should have done minutes ago. “The location we are in at the moment is a location marked on the second map we found.” “Wait, let me check.” Namjoon joined, eyes huge and curious. “Yes, that’s true.” He consequently admitted. “What if the locations on the maps are places where Gilbert lures his victims in? Two of the victims we have found up until now were found dead on locations on these maps, and the others had the maps with them. It has to mean something.”“You are right, detective. It has to mean something.” Namjoon scratched his chin, examining the map on Jimin’s phone. “We need to organize a team and send them to check every location marked on the maps.” Jimin sighed, agreeing to Namjoon’s suggestion.He couldn’t help but wonder, though. Why would Gilbert kill his own people? ♠
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi inspected the small crowd gathered before him, silently counting the numbers on his team and on Romeo’s. Romeo bought 5 people, whilst there were 10 left in Yoongi’s team, besides Jungkook and his brother. “Thank you everyone for coming on such short notice!” Yoongi raised his voice to greet the small crowd, nodding towards them. Romeo secured a garage for the meeting, close to the location he provided for them to live in for a while. “I called this meeting at this hour with purpose. It’s time to admit that our plan with the maps has miserably failed, and I refuse to see any more of our people die.” He jumped right to the subject since stalling wasn’t his thing. “Can we at least know what happened to them?” One of the guys in Yoongi’s team asked. Yoongi remembered him well as he was one of his Cyber Security colleagues. “I’m gonna be honest with you. We are a team, so I’ll be as transparent as possible. It’s a trap. I don’t know who exactly does this, but they’ve got our hideouts using the maps.” Yoongi confessed, knowing his words were a great weight for his team, but also knowing the importance of honesty in such a situation. He needed a team that would follow his advice, not go against him. “What type of trap? We all thought it was the FBI that killed them…” Another guy replied, voice a bit insecure. That’s what Yoongi and Romeo told them at first because they didn’t have a proper answer at the time and it would have been useless to share an incomplete answer. It would have led to chaos. “And this is why we gathered all of you today,” Yoongi replied calmly, displaying a serene look, showing them that there was nothing to worry about. They’ve got it under control. “Unfortunately, our friends weren’t simply killed, but were compelled to commit suicide.” An ocean of murmurs erupted in the garage, echoing in the empty space filled with people only. “However..” Yoongi raised his voice after he shared an understanding look with Romeo. “Whoever is following us, uses a mind compelling game as their weapon. It’s a simple trivia game, but the more you lose, the closer you are to death. I see no reason behind explaining the rules of the game because each of those that eventually played the game ended up dead. I think our enemy uses it as a murder weapon. They died poisoned, and none of the places investigated by the detectives hinted to anyone else being in their company.” “So… can we assume that they were forced into playing the game?” Another man asked, and Romeo replied to him this time. “Yes, that’s the only thing we can think of now.” “I don’t think that any of us would play it willingly. As far as I remember, each one of us has brilliant skills and we are not stupid.” Zimo, a Chinese guy in their team replied in the name of the others. “Did they find them based on the locations on the map?”“Might be.” Romeo simply replied. “Or might not. We could have a spy between us. We cannot exclude this possibility, because the maps, at the moment, have been collected by the detectives. My question all along has been, how did they get the secret locations?” Fear and distress started settling on the faces of each one of the members of the team, except for Romeo’s guys, Jungkook and Taehyung, since they had already been informed of the situation. “Okay, it makes sense,” Zimo replied a bit calmer than the others, eyes fixed on Romeo. “But what are we going to do now? What’s plan B? Should we leave the country or something?” “As you were promised…” Yoongi replies instead. “Even if I might not be able to help till the end, you will be able to leave Korea and go back to your families, but we need to get rid of the CIA first. We cannot do that unless they know the software is back in their heads, or I’m dead. So I ask you for patience, once again. It is the only way to survive this.” “And hence…” Romeo kindly smiled towards them. “We are going for a change of tactics. Your identities are safe, so as long as you stay low-key and pretend to be a normal person, it would be impossible for them to find you. Either the detectives or the FBI. To be frank, we think that the FBI contributed to the death of our friends. It could be that they wanted someone on the inside, someone from here, to do the dirty work. Someone who knows the underground rules.” “So a third party?”“Bingo!” Yoongi pointed in the direction of the guy. “It had been my fault for underestimating the CIA. They would do anything at this point to put their hands on the software, and our heads. The FBI wouldn’t do the dirty jobs themselves. But we did meet FBI agents for the past weeks, that almost got us, but they didn’t kill. I think that the FBI searches for information, the guys with the game clean after them. I do believe they are working together.”“That’s smart actually…” Zimo replied after consulting himself with the other guys. “Even if we want to go public about the software, we cannot put the blame on the FBI or the CIA. They would call us a group of nonconformists playing the game, publicly, and the public opinion would be on their side. Who in their right mind would play the game, right?” “Exactly, since they used this method, our team is officially involved with the game, and we would be stamped as some sort of sectarians, rebels, and the list only starts here,” Yoongi explained, continuing with more specific facts. “That’s why, from now on we need to receive separate locations that no one, but I and Romeo would know. If you guys want to communicate, you can still do it, but in public places, and act as if you are citizens here. Most importantly, don’t reveal your locations to each other.” The team just nodded in reply, finding the plan safe for the moment. “We are sorry for the discomfort and for the danger you’ve been put under for the past few weeks. As we speak, your belongings are moved into the new locations only I and two of my men know of. You are going to be safe now. The detectives would reach the locations on the map any moment, so we are glad we managed to organize this ahead of time.” Romeo reassured them. “Also, I really feel like this needs to be mentioned. Almost every victim acted on their own before they had been found by the enemy. They had ignored some of my and Romeo’s instructions, which led to chaos. This is why I must ask all of you again, please stop acting on your instinct, please be extra careful, any of you could be the next victim if you draw enough attention upon you. We are a team, we are trying to keep you alive, please, lay low, don’t do anything reckless.” Yoongi told them with sincere words, guilt a burning pain in his stomach. He needed to put up a strong front in front of everyone, but he felt himself crumbling into pieces each time he thought of the people that died, all because of him. Yoongi hated responsibilities, especially such as this one. Why was he here? He hadn’t been made for this. He turned his head, watching his brother bit on his lower lip nervously, most likely feeling just as responsible as Yoongi did. He closed one of his fist not to let emotion show on his face, digging his nails into the skin. He, Jungkook, and Taehyung had actually hurt people while escaping from the USA. They deserved whatever was happening to them now, but the others were just collateral victims. Yoongi couldn’t let any more of them die while accepting the fact that his brother had become a criminal. And it was his fault. “You had previously asked about a plan B.” Romeo interrupted Yoongi’s thoughts, making one last announcement. “If the enemy finds you, as soon as it happens, you guys need to contact us. There will be a few disposable phones that each of you will receive. Do not use the phones for anything else. This could be a good opportunity for us to trace the enemy and save you. I hope none of you will happen to be in such a situation, but if you will, we need to be prepared. Stall as much as possible, don’t touch the drinks. Don’t let them win.”And maybe Yoongi and Romeo didn’t mention what they planned to do after that, and they had no intention to do so, but one thing was clear. They were done playing nicely. Yoongi was ready to add a new murder on his list if it meant to save one of his friends. ♠ Jungkook’s pov Jungkook had never been the one to get too attached to people or situations unless it included computer games or something he had been really keen on doing. Like for example, the entire ordeal with stealing the weapon from the CIA. It gave Jungkook purpose, but now he was not so sure whether he made the right choice. Not anymore. During the entire speech, he stayed silent, listening and watching, observing the faces of the people in the room, the dread and uncertainty slowly but surely crawling on their faces. No matter how much they tried to mask their reactions, it was there. The fear. Jungkook couldn’t trust Yoongi’s plan completely. What if they wouldn’t make it in time to save their people if one was in danger? What if they would be forced to drink the potion? They had no proof that these game masters weren’t violent to begin with. What if the next victim was going to be Taehyung ? Jungkook had to do something about it, so he waited patiently with the words on the tip of his tongue until Yoongi was alone. He needed to talk to him and him only. Just like they used to. ♠ |28 th of November 2018, the USA |
“Thank you for coming, Yoongi.” Jungkook let him into his room, trying to hide the build-up expectations for what was to come. It wasn’t only that Yoongi agreed to work with him, but he actually started working on their plan. “The Professor told me there’s a bunch of people ready to help us, insiders, so we are not alone, but we must be very secretive.”
Yoongi acknowledged his words with a nod and took a seat at Jungkook’s desk, placing his notes in front of him. “It’s settled.” He gestured to Jungkook to join him, pointing at his notes. “The team consists of around 20 people. We leave on the 1st of February, next year, which means, we have around one month to steal the microchip and disappear into thin air. Everything is planned with approximation and I even took into consideration the possibility of around four/five days of setbacks.”
“Excellent. Now all there is left is… identities. We will be on the run, hiding for a few weeks after we leave, right?”
Yoongi replied with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow, and Jungkook just knew he had made the right choice to ask for his help. Yoongi was smart and had good connections, so having him on their side was about to be a benefit to the team. Jungkook ended up being correct about that. He waited patiently for his reply.
“Do you remember Romeo? The guy that provided us with the American identities.”
Jungkook met Yoongi and Taehyung for the first time on a social media platform a few years back, right before being contacted by the CIA. To put it shortly, the CIA has contacted several people of similar age from all of Seoul, with what appeared to be great qualifications and a higher than usual IQ score. After they had been contacted, they were presented to each other by joining a private group chat.
All of the people contacted there have taken a test, and out of four hundred people, only one hundred did pass, but they have been allowed to register to the CIA with nicknames, to keep their own identity private as much as possible.
For the sake of that privacy, Yoongi proposed to the whole group chat that he would be able to offer alternate identities, provided by a friend of his. A few people of the one hundred in the project actually accepted the proposal, including Jungkook.
“Yes, I do remember.” Jungkook gave him a weak smile. That was the first time he got in contact with Yoongi and Taehyung, and that’s what brought them closer. “I am curious tho, what’s in it for him?”
Yoongi frowned, letting a few seconds pass until he finally decided to give a proper answer. “Because he’s my best friend, and he is willing to help if I ask him. I trust him and he does trust me, I don’t think he needs to gain much to help.” He lit a cigarette, breathing it the toxic substance, covering Jungkook’s room in a terrible smell. He handed Jungkook the pack too. The younger one accepted it and lit his own cigarette, almost choking on the smoke.
Yoongi dismissed it as it didn’t happen, and continued. “He not only will help us with our identities, but he will help us to get to South Korea safely, and will provide us a place to stay for a little while.”
Jungkook nodded but didn’t like it. Who in their mind would assume such a responsibility, just for a friend, for nothing in return? It sounded fishy, but Jungkook wasn’t the one to question Yoongi, not when it was so hard to convince him to help. Besides, it sounded like the best alternative they had at the given moment.
“So we cannot just… go back home, right?”
“Exactly. This is exactly why I did not want to agree to this in the first place. You kids might not understand the impact this will have on our lives later, but if everything goes according to the plan, we might stand a chance to go back to our normal lives after a few months. They know where to search for us, and we cannot go there as Min Yoongi and Jeon Jungkook, they will eventually discover our real identities. Up until this entire ordeal…” He gestured with the hand holding the cigarette, drawing smoke circles in the air. “Passes.”
And maybe Jungkook was still a kid, not really knowing how to face crucial situations and make drastic decisions. Maybe Jungkook did not know how it was going to change his entire life, but at that moment, his vision was clouded. He had no purpose previously, everyone had disregarded him, his existence, and his intelligence, including his ass of a father.
It was for the first time when Jungkook could actually do something meaningful.
“However, Jungkook, I will mention this once again to make myself clear. Taehyung will always be my 1st priority. I’d damn the plan if his life is endangered.”
Jungkook didn’t get it but pretended he did. He never cared that much about someone specifically to risk it all for them. “You know… Miles… I mean- Yoongi, I still wonder why you agreed to help. I do believe there’s much more to you behind those bored, dark eyes of yours. Whatever you are hiding, I know it is there.”
Yoongi almost started laughing. “You are still naive Jungkook, even though you are just a few years younger than me.” Jungkook tried not to feel insulted, but it wasn’t that easy, not when Yoongi put it like that. “Actually I didn’t like you at all. Not you or your plan, but my brother was obsessed with the idea of helping you, he does care about you. As soon as I realized that, I knew there was no going back.” He confessed with little to no remorse, leaving Jungkook with a pretty bitter taste in his mouth. “I offered you part of my trust, by helping you Jungkook, it does not mean I’m going to tell you anything about my past, and I advise you to use this trust of mine wisely.”
Well, Jungkook didn’t like Yoongi at all either, but he knew he was smart. He was looking up to him, secretly obviously, and curiosity was stronger than his sense of pride at that moment. He was calm, calculated, but everything around him and Taehyung gave Jungkook creeps sometimes. Red flags everywhere. They were perfect for the mission, Jungkook had never thought he would actually get that close to either of them.
Especially Taehyung.
♠
Hell raising, hair raising
I'm ready for the worst
So frightening, face whitening
Fear that you can't reverse
Au/Ra - Panic Room
|2nd of March, 2019, Seoul|So Jungkook cared, and maybe way too much for his own good at this point, which he did not expect. He cared for both Taehyung and Yoongi, they were the family he had never had. His feelings were different for each, Yoongi was the older brother figure Jungkook was looking up to, while Taehyung was the friend who he must protect. He couldn’t place a name on what he felt when it came to Taehyung, but it came with anxiety and fear. The urge to protect, even if it meant he would himself be endangered. “Jungkook, you said you wanted to have a word with me, isn't it?” Yoongi reached out to him first, eyes tired but still full of concern. Yoongi didn’t like to admit or show it, but he did care, and Jungkook saw it in his eyes. Getting closer to him and living with him for a few months already, the way Jungkook did, he had the opportunity to see different sides of his, mood swings and learned to read his eyes by now. “Yes, I need to talk about a few things with you…” Jungkook waited for Yoongi outside of the place they used for the short notice meeting, smoking a cigarette quietly. “Is there something wrong?” Yoongi asked curiously, lighting a cigarette, eyes not leaving Jungkook’s face for a second. “How do I put this… I feel like everything is getting out of hand. Taehyung isn’t himself lately and… I think all of this is affecting him, and not in a good way. It might be just me but things are getting too dangerous, we can’t risk his safety. If he ever gets caught I-”“W-wow, hey, Jungkook, please, breathe.”Jungkook frowned his eyebrows at him, why was Yoongi so calm? It was irking his nerves. “I know you are worried for him, I am too, but whoever wants to get to Taehyung would have to get over me first. Don’t worry, I will do all I have in my powers to protect my brother. Instead of worrying this much, use all of this energy into finding ways to stay safe for a while.” Yoongi gave him a cold stare, and Jungkook knew what he was thinking. Jungkook was the cause of everything, after all, it was his plan, yet here he was, acting a bit way too immature, waiting for Yoongi to keep them alive, complaining when the best option available had been laid out in front of him. “I never expected it would come to this…” Jungkook finally confessed, less offensive this time, fragile and small in front of Yoongi. He felt useless. “I know. It is my fault, and that’s why I’m ready to help, I want to… n-no, I need to. Just hiding drives me insane. I don’t care whether something happens to me, I have nothing to lose, but Taehyung… I shouldn’t have involved him…” Yoongi looked at him, waiting to finish, expression unreadable. Jungkook didn’t like it, he wanted to know, the answer to so many questions was missing. “For now…” Yoongi puffed his cigarette, changing his focus from Jungkook back to the car where Taehyung was waiting for him. “It’s true that we need to stay alert and prepared, but stressing over it is going to drive us insane. I understand you care about Taehyung, and I’m glad you do but… Taehyung isn’t that helpless, you know? I mean, you’ve seen him. He is not weak, he is even smarter than I am and far more courageous. He can deceive anyone if he’s feeling that his life depends on it. Of course, I try to protect him, he's my brother and my responsibility, but I know he can do it without my help. He’s more than he shows, you know better.”Jungkook saw it all. Blood on his hands, the look in his eyes when he killed that man a few weeks back, the anger, the hatred. It was all to protect Jungkook and himself, but Taehyung was capable of many things, Jungkook was shocked to find out that day. But if it came to a moment when they would end up outnumbered… Jungkook was sure of it, none of them would get out alive.It wasn’t that he thought Taehyung was weak, but let’s say the dangers were too big. Yoongi saw the look in Jungkook’s eyes then too. It made him smile.“Stay by his side, Jungkook. Help him get stronger, get stronger together. Waiting doesn’t mean wasted time. It gives you the opportunity to work on yourself. Train, prepare, learn. Taehyung trusts you, and I do too. Help each other, and… don’t hurt him.” Yoongi rested his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, as a reassurance that what he said was true.“Why would I hurt Taehyung, though?”Yoongi averted his eyes, not looking at him anymore. What did he mean? He cared about him, why would he be the one to hurt Taehyung? Jungkook had never cared about someone before as much as he does for Yoongi and Taehyung now, he wouldn’t ruin everything, especially because their days could have been counted. At least he would die surrounded by the people he wanted to. “Taehyung is strong, but personal feelings could ruin everything we have at the moment if not treated correctly. When he gets too attached, it hurts him, and so he acts on it. Just… you get what I mean.” Jungkook’s eyes widened. He got it. He knew exactly what Yoongi meant, but he hoped he didn’t. Jungkook wasn’t ready to accept such a reality. Yoongi was right, so damn right. Feelings are their strongest enemy at the moment, they could ruin everything. Yoongi was waiting for a response, so he had to give one. “I promise I will be careful Yoongi and… thank you.” He gulped around the words. “Thank you for being the family I’ve never had.” ♠
Lorde - Biting Down
|3rd of March, Seoul|
Jimin’s pov
*the following day*Jimin doesn’t remember when was the last time he had a proper sleep. He went to bed earlier after a long, long time, but his tiredness wasn’t enough to help him fall asleep. A new victim has been added to the list, and instead of the clues helping him, they started clouding his mind. It used to be simple. In order to find a murdered, Jimin had always thought that he needed to think like one, and most of the time, it worked, bringing him closer and closer to the truth, but this case was different, Jimin was missing too many details and his enemy was always a step ahead. The more he thought of it, the more frustrating it became. Jimin took a day off. He needed to take his mind off of everything for at least one day, rest and meet his best friend, make sure he is safe and warn him. However, he still woke up early, he still worked on a few files he needed to catch up on, and he still spend around forty minutes in front of his murder board. The previous day, their team had inspected each place indicated on the map, and they found no one specifically, but proof that people indeed lived there, just a few hours before they arrived.Which led Jimin to think that he indeed was right, the next potential victims had been there, but somehow they disappeared as if predicting that the locations were about to be disclosed. The enemy now knew that the detectives were in possession of the maps, which allowed them to be one step ahead and eliminate the important evidence. All Jimin was left with was a pile of dead ends and the letters on the locations on the maps. He checked the letters again, tried out combinations hoping he would find some names at least, hoping that those specific letters were Miles’s weakness and mistake, but today either, Jimin couldn’t find anything. It was just the letters. 【S A G U V J K】 ♠
Taehyung’s pov
Taehyung prepared for the worst. Jimin had been his best friend for years, and indeed he was understanding to a certain extent, but Taehyung had no excuse to disappear and worry Jimin like that, not in Jimin’s eyes, and he was aware of that. Jimin couldn’t and should never know that Taehyung was in trouble. He needed to walk on thin ice around him, careful not to say or do anything that might endanger him or his brother. As much as he trusted Jimin, he was a detective, and some things should be kept secret in the given situation. But instead of unleashing the bottled-up frustration that must have been there, on Taehyung, when the two of them met, the first thing that Jimin did was to offer him a kind smile and hand him a present bag. Taehyung battled his eyelashes shocked. He almost started rambling. “Chim? W-what is this?” “Hi, Taehyung, nice to see you… alive and well.” Jimin offered another kind smile. “This is for your brother, not for you, by the way. I’m passively-aggressively mad at you but it will go away eventually if you explain yourself.” He winked and Taehyung sighed after holding his breath for what felt like an eternity. Knowing that Jimin was mad at him but not angry in the true sense of the word made Taehyung feel better. Not the best, but it was a normal, Jimin-like reaction, so a step forward. He’s got this. All he needed to do was to use the oh-so-perfectly-shaped excuses he prepared and repeated countless times before meeting Jimin. “I promise I will.” He smiled, taking Jimin’s in his hold with a rather forceful bear hug.“Anyway, who is this for then?” Taehyung pointed towards the present bag as he and Jimin started heading towards their favorite cafe at the mall, without needing to verbally agree on it. “You told me about your brother, and how he has been having problems, and well, I have never met him before, but he’s your brother after all so I just thought… he would be happy with this. Just, I hope your family is alright.” Jimin handed Taehyung the present, who accepted it happily, warm at heart. He definitely didn’t deserve Jimin, such a smart, kind-hearted friend.
Jimin shouldn’t be friends with a liar.
Jimin shouldn’t be friends with Taehyung. It hurt admitting to it but lying to Jimin hurt even more. “I’m sure Suga will love it!” Taehyung mentioned with a boxy smile, putting on the ever-so-happy facade he was brilliant at.“Wait, Suga it’s your brother’s name? Why didn’t I hear about it before?” Jimin frowned his brows with a heartfelt smile on his face. The question got Taehyung off guard. He had called Yoongi like that around Jimin since they were younger, but he also called his brother Yoongi around him. He just hoped Jimin was not going to make any stupid connection. He had rarely brought him into their conversations, or at all, be it present or the past. He didn’t say Miles, he didn’t say his true name purposely just in case. Calling him Suga came naturally, it is not related to anything directly and shouldn’t be a problem, right?“I doubt it’s the first time I’m calling him like that around you… like, I know I don’t talk about my brother that much but I was quite sure you knew that. It’s his nickname. We have nicknames for each other, do you remember?” Taehyung tried to turn it in his own favor. Did it work?“Uh… I don’t… I’m sorry Tae I’ve been such a mess recently and…” Jimin stopped in his tracks and his face drained completely of blood, remaining pale and staring into blank space. Should Taehyung just run away? It was the perfect moment, actually. “Jimin, you are scaring the shit out of me, is there a ghost beside me or…?’Taehyung considered running away and did the aftermath. It was going to be bad, if, by any chance, Jimin made any connection, it was either Jimin that would kill him, or Yoongi himself.Rip. “J-Jimin? Seriously, man, what’s going on?” He acted dumbfounded, trying his lack for one last time. Jimin shook his head several times, taking a deep breath. “Sorry Tae, I… I think I’m working too much for my own good.” Tension has finally left Taehyung’s body, not completely but mostly, so Taehyung could sigh for the second time that day, as saved from the awful claws of near death. He didn’t say anything wrong, yet he still needed to be extra careful around Jimin as he appeared to be skeptical and much more paranoid than usual. Taehyung’s best friend could turn into his worst enemy even with just taking a turn in the wrong direction. Taehyung looked at Jimin apologetically. “You don’t seem that well, Jimin, when was the last time you slept for more than 5 hours?” They finally reached the cafe and took a seat at a table in a secluded. Taehyung felt safer there, surrounded by the walls of the cafe he used to hang around in during high school, with Jimin or without, it brought nice, safe memories back. Things were different back then, easier. As Jimin placed his order, he finally looked Taehyung in his eyes and indeed he was right. The dark circles below his eyes were no joke. “I’ve been obsessed with a case lately..” Jimin started.“When have you not?” Taehyung half-joked, because Jimin had been like this before. He hung on to cases like his life depended on it, and knowing him so well helped Taehyung play along, pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “No, Tae, you don’t really understand. It’s hard for me to put it but.. this time it is more dangerous.”“Jimin… do you… want to talk about it? You mentioned how it is dangerous to me on the phone and now, joking aside, but… are you alright? Are you in danger? Do you need my help?”Jimin shook his head. “No, I definitely do not want to involve you any more than this. I just want you to be careful.”Taehyung nodded, carefully, trying to find his words. “What… should I be careful for, Chim? Why were you so scared I didn’t pick up your calls? I’m convinced this has happened before... You know that I’m an airhead sometimes…”“Tae… I’m going to put this as simple as possible for you. There are great criminals involved, and I have no idea whether it was a coincidence or not but when you had gone missing, I searched for you, all of my leads pointed to a student dorm, in Seoul, but it makes no sense as you mentioned, you haven’t been in Korea, right?Taehyung frowned. He didn’t expect exactly this, but he knew Jimin was going to ask questions. “Wait, Jimin, I left South Korea using my personal passport, I have proof I took a flight out and one back in. Shouldn’t you guys have access to this type of info?” Taehyung hadn’t left South Korea while he was missing, and he had no proof he did, but trusted his instincts, knowing damn well that Jimin would trust his word. “That’s the problem, Taehyung… I trust you, but if the registers say differently, it means someone has something against you. Maybe someone is setting you up for something, while you are sitting here clueless.”“But… who?”“Just… you need to watch your back, Tae. Keep an eye on everyone around you.” Jimin was a smart detective, but he shouldn’t have believed Taehyung. Jimin’s weakness was trusting people. His weakness was trusting his best friend. Taehyung hated himself for what he had become. He hated himself for being happy when Jimin believed his lie without questioning it. Taehyung was a potential victim in Jimin’s mathematics now, which meant… he couldn’t be the criminal. “Maybe it could be someone you know from the US? Can you think of anyone?” Jimin continued, hope sparkling into his eyes. But Taehyung shook his head in denial. “I might have made a friend or two, but nothing deep or personal, you know I easily get attached… and the US was very chaotic for me, I barely had time for coffee breaks.”Jimin leaned against the table, frustrated. The conversation was getting nowhere and Taehyung felt more relieved than anything. “Well, Chim, I promise I will stay close to home until you say the danger goes away. I have a bad feeling. Maybe I am not the one in danger and you are…please be careful.” He placed his hand on top of Jimin’s, soothingly. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, you know you are my second brother and I love you…” Which was the truth. Taehyung loved his friend and wanted his well-being. “I love you too, Tae!” Jimin smiled kindly and Taehyung sighed because it ended fine. Or at least that’s what he thought. “Now, Tae, you won’t believe if I tell you what happened recently.”“What?” Taehyung’s heartbeat raised (again) because he didn’t know what to expect.“I’ve met this guy,” Jimin smirked.“Oh god, Chim!” Taehyung relaxed, smiling sincerely for the first time that day. “Since when do you… just… “meet guys”? He quicked an eyebrow provokingly, feeling in high school again.“It’s nothing, absolutely nothing, but…it distracts me…” Jimin started playing with the small spoon by the coffee cup, like an embarrassed teenager.“What’s his name? Where is he from? Is he hot? Do you have a picture? Start with the beginning!” “Yoongi.” Jimin said sheepishly. “His name is Yoongi.”Taehyung choked on his tea. ♠ To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
If I stay with you, if I'm choosing wrong
I don't care at all
If I'm losing now, but I'm winning late
That's all I want
Cecilia Krull - My life is going on
Jimin’s pov
|3rd of March|Jimin stopped mid-sentence the moment his friend choked on his tea and started coughing chaotically as if surprised by the mention of Yoongi’s name. Jimin didn’t remember ever mentioning him to Taehyung, so it caught him off guard. “Tae? Oh my God, are you alright?” He quickly moved beside him and slapped his back a couple of times. “What happened?”Taehyung’s eyes were red and filled with tears from the sudden obstruction of air, but he nodded before managing to reply, trying to reassure Jimin. After he finally caught his breath, he managed to lift his head and reply. “I’m fine, really, just the tea took the wrong path I guess…” He looked embarrassed at the situation, but Jimin calmed down a bit. More lighthearted this time, he teased Taehyung a bit. “Just when I thought you happened to know a very good-looking Yoongi as well.”But Taehyung’s eyes flickered at that, Jimin was sure he saw it, something was wrong. It wasn’t the first time Taehyung acted peculiar lately, as much as Jimin wanted to brush it off, something was making him feel uncomfortable. Taehyung quickly changed his expression, replacing it with a hearty laugh. But Jimin didn’t believe him completely, something was definitely off. “I don’t know a “Yoongi”, Jimin, I’m just a little surprised you found interest in someone after so much time. But don’t get me wrong, it is a good type of surprised .” Taehyung encouraged him with a warm look in the eye, but took Jimin’s hand placed on the table into his, slowly caressing his skin. “Just… promise me… the same way you made me promise I should be careful with everyone around myself, please do the same. The enemy might strike closer than you think… who…” Taehyung looked worried, more worried than he had ever been, it almost scared Jimin. “Who knows what people are capable of nowadays. I think you put yourself in too much danger for your own good recently. Please… be careful.” Jimin understood Taehyung’s concerns, he really did, but there was nothing to worry about. Jimin had never been serious about Yoongi, it was just… something to take his mind off his worries. Plus, they met through a coincidence, in a bar, Yoongi had never reached out to him, but Taehyung didn’t know that, so it was only natural for him to worry. Jimin didn’t trust that easily. “Tae, I… it is not even that serious, okay? I met him just a few times, nothing happened, I just thought I would tell you because… I missed talking about stuff like this with you…” He tried to put Taehyung’s mind to rest and he appeared less tense after that. The evening passed by eventless after that, them going in and out different topics and catching up on daily, cordial stuff. Taehyung had also explained what had happened with him and his family during the time he disappeared for a while, making Jimin feel better because even though Taehyung had a lot on his head at the moment, at least he didn’t do anything dangerous. Throughout the entire evening, Jimin remained wary as Taehyung’s attention wasn’t on his words all the time, eyes wandering around the lounge, inspecting people, getting lost and impatient. Jimin didn’t ask him about it, he didn’t mention it either, but he made a note to try to find out whether anything was wrong with him later on. Maybe Taehyung was just distressed, right?When they parted ways that evening, they promised each other they would talk more often, and rest as both of them appeared to need it. Taehyung asked Jimin once again to watch his back and keep him updated in regards to Yoongi, while Jimin continuously reassured him that nothing big would happen anyway. After Taehyung disappeared, Jimin checked his phone and realized it was barely 5pm, so his day off wasn’t over just yet. He quickly took a short note in his phone, more like a reminder to himself that Taehyung's brother was nicknamed Suga. There was no way Taehyung or his brother could be linked to the case, but Jimin saved it anyway, just in case it might count as useful information in the future. After that, he switched the notes app with a texting app and smiled into his phone as an idiot idea hit his head. He sent the message without thinking twice, only then realizing. “Oh God, this looks like an appointment more than anything…” He said to himself, only to be surprised by the quick reply. ♠
Taehyung’s pov
Taehyung had never been this angry in his entire life. He was ready to kill his own brother, that was for sure. How could he, his own brother, the only person he was supposed to trust the most, lie to him like that? He smashed the door of the apartment with a loud blow as he entered it, hungry eyes searching for his older brother. “There you are! You are an absolute piece of shit, Yoongi!” He screamed from the top of his lungs, fists ready to punch him.At the sudden commotion, Jungkook who was in the room as well turned around, exchanging a weird and confused set of looks with Yoongi who was sitting on the couch, smoking his cigarette in peace.“Uh, why the hell are you insulting me out of nowhere?” Yoongi asked calmly, curious eyes watching Taehyung approaching. “Don’t even give me that look! How in the world, did you think, for a single fucking second, that you could get close to Jimin, behind my back, without me finding out?!” What bothered Taehyung wasn’t the fact, per se, that Yoongi and Jimin met, what bothered him was the fact that Yoongi was just using him, endangering him for whatever stupid plan he had come up with. Yoongi then stood up from the couch, approaching Taehyung bit by bit with a defensive yet guilty look on his face. “I can explain that.” “What in the world is happening?” Jungkook curiously butted in just to receive two, not one, death stares. He quickly backed down, watching the two brothers unleash. “There’s nothing to explain. You promised you wouldn’t contact Jimin, then proceeded to somehow get under his skin, and don’t even deny this, I know you are trying to use him.”Yoongi sighed, already defeated. “Taehyung.” He used his older brother's low tone that Taehyung hated so much. “Jimin is the detective responsible for our case, he’s after that frustrated ass of yours and guess what, if we do nothing about it, he will help the fucking CIA to catch and kill us. All of us.” And what if he was right? There must have been another way. “What about staying low-key and waiting for the enemy to make the next move? Why are you doing this? What if something is going to happen to Jimin, or you, or us, because of this?”Taehyung backed down a bit, putting some more space between him and his brother, feeling as if he could explode any second. “Jimin is smart, Taehyung, he is so very smart, that if I don’t intervene and try to… deviate him a bit, he is going to catch us. He’s very close, he’s the head of the case, and he not only knows but predicts my every damn step. My only advantage at the moment is the fact that he does not know my identity.” “And how are you planning to do this?” It was unbelievable. Yoongi was literally unbelievable. “Okay, listen. This is my plan. I become friends with Jimin and I deviate his plans by bullshiting my way in, just by misleading him a bit, he doesn’t have to know we are brothers. It will give us some time and he might give up on the case, meeting dead ends only.” “And why didn’t you tell me to do this? Why did you tell me to stay away from him? Just so that you can play with his feelings all that you want?” Yoongi rolled his eyes at that. “Come on, Tae, this ain’t about feelings anymore. I don’t give a shit about that anymore and you shouldn’t either, not when this is a matter of life and death.”“He is not dumb, Yoongi, he will find out.”“I am trying to be careful not to, alright? That’s why I’m doing this myself. Because you? I trust you Taehyung, but no offense, when it comes to your best friend, you get way too emotional for your own good. If I gave you this responsibility, it would have been way riskier.” “But he will never trust you with confidential information on the case, you are aware of that, right?” Taehyung insisted, not as angry anymore but irritated nonetheless. “Maybe he will if I do this correctly, if you stop acting like a teenager and let me think of an actually good way to do this.” “Yoongi.”“Taehyung.”“You need to promise me you won’t lay a fucking finger on him,” Taehyung warned, still not satisfied with the decision his brother took. He was still in shock for being lied to that way. How could he ever trust his brother ever again? “But this is ridiculous, Taehyung. We are trying to survive here, he’s our enemy. Who is more important? Is it him or your life? Me? Jungkook?” Of course he had to play the Jungkook card. “Yoongi, you need to understand that Jimin had never hurt a fly, while we are actual murderers, I see blood on my hands even when it is not there, do you understand me? I don’t want Jimin to end up hurt because of our actions. That’s it.” “Okay. I won’t promise, but I will try my best not to hurt this detective particularly, are you satisfied?” Taehyung just looked at him once again, disappointment in his eyes and left to his room, smashing the door behind him. He was angry, scared, frustrated. Jungkook followed him. ♠
Baby, I tried, but I think we might be lost
Seven feet down, 'bout to bury my loss
The roles have now changed, so who can you trust?
It's hopeless for us, so hopeless for us
Always Never - Hopeless
Jungkook’s pov
Taehyung was face down against one pillow when Jungkook entered the room and shut the door closed carefully, not to startle him. Jungkook could understand most of what had happened, and he saw Taehyung’s point, as well as he saw Yoongi’s. But maybe Taehyung needed him more. “Tae, if you don’t want to talk, it’s fine, I understand, you don’t have to.” He carefully sat at the edge of the bed, looking at his friend’s body. “Jungkook, we’ve been knowing each other for some time now. I think it is time I tell you some things about my past that you don’t know…” Taehyung broke the silence, lifting his head and getting closer to Jungkook, hair ruffled, tears glistening in his eyes. The second his eyes met Jungkook, he forgot how to breathe. Jungkook couldn’t place the feeling that he had while looking at him but… he was beautiful. Was that the right word? His cheeks were reddish, his skin was shining, and … his wet, pink lips resembled a fresh strawberry. Jungkook liked strawberries, he wanted to taste them, see whether Taehyung’s lisps tasted like strawberries too. Wait, what was he thinking? Jungkook shook his head when he realized he was staring like a freak with parted lips and an inexplicable urge to do something about it. He tried to reply to Taehyung who was now staring at him curiously, brows knitted together in a furrow, looking even better, more inviting, Jungkook was scared. He was scared of himself. He asked Taehyung to save his words and ran to the bathroom, locking it behind him. He washed his face with freezing water a couple of times and stared at himself in the mirror shocked. Did he really intend to kiss Taehyung back there? Was it his mind, or his heart that was yearning for Taehyung and his lips? Jungkook wasn’t a kid anymore, he was aware of the fact that he hadn’t got laid in a damn long while, but he jerked off constantly, just for the record, to keep his sanity intact, so that shouldn’t be the problem. He’s been around Taehyung for such a long time, and he never felt the need to touch him crawling on his body the way it happened seconds ago. What happened? What changed? As much as he could take his thoughts into consideration, an intimate relationship, or a relationship with Taehyung at all was the worst idea Jungkook could ever think of. Of course it wasn’t because of Taehyung, he was perfect, precious and beautiful. But it would only hurt them both, Jungkook cannot get attached easily, and even if he does get attached to Taehyung in that way, he would still end up ruining everything so no. It was out of the question. Jungkook closed his eyes, hating to watch himself in the mirror. He knew it, it was there all this time, but somehow, he managed to ignore it. That specific sensation, the annoying stomach ache whenever he was staring too much at Taehyung, when he got too close to him. It had been there since they met. Maybe it was Yoongi’s fault and the implications of their previous conversation. Jungkook managed to keep himself back just fine until Yoongi mentioned hurting Taehyung. Jungkook wasn’t stupid. How could he hurt Taehyung’s feelings if he didn’t accept them to begin with? No, Yoongi was just the trigger, it was completely Jungkook’s fault. Jungkook let his walls down and succumbed to his feelings, fear & longing included. It was his fault. Jungkook shouldn’t have let Taehyung or Yoongi in, because it was making everything much harder.He went back, pretending nothing happened.
Nothing changed.
♠
Taehyung’s pov
“Jungkook? Everything’s fine?” Taehyung asked as soon as Jungkook returned with rosy cheeks and the tips of his hair strands damp. “Yes.” He quickly joined him on the bed again, taking one comfortable pillow in his arms and found a comfortable position. “I assume this is going to be a long story.”“Your assumption is correct.” Taehyung winked, feeling a bit better than before. At least Jungkook was there, willing to listen to him. Even if it wasn’t much, it was enough to dissipate Taehyung’s rage. As Jungkook listened carefully, Taehyung started telling him some things about him and his past. “My parents died in a car accident when I was in kindergarten. I don’t remember my parents at all now, but my grandparents say I was really sad and lonely back then. The house we all lived in became empty and cold.” Jungkook listened to him with interest, without interrupting. Taehyung didn’t know much about Jungkook or his family, all he knew was that he hated his father, which meant neither of them had the privilege of growing up being loved by their parents. Taehyung found a bit of comfort in that. Jungkook would understand. “But you see…” He continued. “My grandparents hated that I was growing up alone now, without parents or a brother,” Jungkook frowned at that but let Taehyung continue.“One day, grandma asked me if I felt alone. Of course I said yes, I was just a kid, right, everyone in kindergartens had families, while I had my grannies. They were amazing, I don’t remember lacking anything, but… I heard her talking to my grandpa one day, they were talking about my parents, she was very sad. That’s when my grandpa said something I would never forget. If one life has been lost, another one has to be saved.” “Wait… does that mean that you and Yoongi…” Jungkook concluded, and Taehyung nodded. “A few months after I eavesdropped on that, I got home from kindergarden meeting this cute, shy boy, sitting on our couch, eating grandma’s cake. They introduced him to me as my new brother. I remember I started crying when I first looked him in the eyes. We have been really close ever since.” Taehyung had to bite on his lower lip to keep back the sob he had been holding.Jungkook didn't seem to notice it, too shocked by the news. “This explains why you two guys have different surnames… and different looks! Oh shit. This is… wow…” “Yoongi wasn’t just a brother to me, though. He had been a brother, a parent, and a best friend. Our bond has always been strong. I used to be so eager to share everything I had with him, and he had always been so considerate toward me and my grandparents, even though he was older. He made me feel strong, special, and contrary to the tough front he puts up all the time, he is a softie… for me at least.” “Definitely, for you only.” Jungkook rolled his eyes and Taehyung just giggled. “Well, brothers or not, it is obvious you guys would do anything to protect each other which is… really cool. I think protecting you, or trying to do so gives him purpose.” Taehyugn wanted to tell Jungkook he was part of them too, but…“Thank you for telling me, Tae.” Jungkook thanked him and offered a warm smile. “I’m sorry you two guys had a fight tonight.”“It’s okay, it will go away… but don’t tell him I told you.”“I promise I won't.” Jungkook nodded. “ There’s still one thing I don’t understand though… What's the deal with this detective?” “Well… that’s another long story…” Taehyung smirked, watching him with interest. “Wanna hear?” “Definitely.” ♠
So you go your way and I'll go mine
And if we're meant to, I'll meet you there
We can't speed up the hands of time
But if we're meant to
5SOS - Meet you there
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi knew he fucked up with Taehyung, and he kept on doing so after he had the argument with him, knowing it was going to make things even worse. Yoongi couldn’t refuse Jimin, he couldn’t say pass to such an opportunity. And Jimin was the one that texted him, not the other way around. No one could blame Yoongi at this point, not even his brother. He just prepared the grounds, and Jimin came to him on his own accord. The detective wanted to meet him at the Baristas, so there he was, waiting, a bit anxious, a bit excited, he couldn’t place his hands on the feeling. It was easy to spot Jimin the second he entered the pub, dressed in casual clothes, something Yoongi hadn’t seen before that day. He was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, hugging his thighs perfectly, deliciously even, a beautiful baby blue pullover and flimsy coat on his shoulders. Yoongi’s jaw almost dropped because what the hell? He quickly reminded himself he was not on a date, and the purpose of him being there was far more serious than what it appeared to be. But it didn’t mean he had to keep his mouth shut.“Oh, wow, where’s the detective I met the other day and what have you done to him?” He remarked as soon as Jimin approached his table, offering him a grin. “Hey? Um, what’s wrong, this is how I usually-” Jimin actually blushed at that, taking Yoongi aback. What game was he playing anyway?“Just joking.” He quickly offered a reassurance smile, offering Jimin to take a seat. “Obviously.” Jimin charmed a smile before sitting down. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” Yoongi ordered a cup of dark coffee for himself, waited for Jimin to place his order as well and asked him the obvious. “So… to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?” “Such a smooth talker.” Jimin rolled his eyes and prepared his answer. Yoongi expected a lot of things, but definitely not that reply. “Isn’t it obvious? A date.” Yoongi almost choked on his coffee, feeling his cheeks starting to burn. He did not expect Jimin to be that direct, especially not with how shy he appeared to be. He pinched his leg under the table just to remind himself he was sitting at a table with his enemy, not a potential lover. Even though the said enemy looked dazzling, beautiful, breathtaking aaand- Yoongi should have stopped thinking at that point. He needed to stay focused and play his part. As simple as that. Yoongi looked at Jimin with a small, penetrating look, analyzing him. “Glad I accepted then, detective.”“Jimin.” Jimin raised his head, meeting his eyes with clear intent. “Call me Jimin.”“Jimin.” Yoongi repeated, eyes fixed on him, lips dry around the name. The tension could be cut with a freaking knife and Yoongi barely got there. This was going to be fun. “Um…” After a few moments of silence, Jimin broke eye contact, looking embarrassed more than anything. “I thought it was obvious I was asking for a date…now that I know you didn’t know… I feel a little bit weird for making you come while you might not be interested.” His voice was silky, plump lips forming a small pout. Yoongi had a serious, really serious question now. Did anyone, ever, have the balls to say no to Park Jimin? How was he… a detective? Yoongi felt seduced. He was losing important ground there. “I wouldn't be here if I wasn’t interested.” He replied quickly, giving Jimin the reaction he was waiting for. He wasn’t good at flirting but he needed to try at least. He couldn’t fail it so miserably. When Jimin smiled, a great weight was lifted off his chest. After half an hour of chit chatting and awkward flirting (on Yoongi’s part), Yoongi decided to try his luck and actually find some things out about the detective. He needed to get at least something from him that evening. “Now, Jimin, why don’t you tell me about yourself a bit?” He asked enthusiastically, and when he saw Jimin’s eyes avoiding his stare, he pushed a bit further. “I spoke so much today already and I am not the talkative type, come on, let’s get to know each other.” Jimin’s pointing finger went over his pink, glossy lips, automatically urging a gulp on Yoongi’s part, one that was not (hopefully) audible. “Hmm. Okay, I’ll tell you about myself on one condition.” Yoongi raised one eyebrow. “And that would be?”“Take me to a club tonight.” Jimin grinned mellowly, knowing Yoongi wouldn’t resist. Wait, a club? A fucking club? “W-what?” Yoongi asked with his mouth agape. Of course he would not go to a club. Not with Jimin, not with anyone. Not ever. “Don’t give me that look!” Jimin pleaded, and there was something in his eyes. Irresistible. How could he say no? “No.”“Come on! I’ve been nose up in my work for months, let’s just have some fun.” Jimin suggested again, this time offering a charming, challenging smile. The decision that Yoongi took after that was totally not affected by Jimin’s grin or whatever. He took that decision because going to a club with Detective Park Jimin would actually strengthen their bond which would result in him winning the detective’s trust. Given the context, he had to say yes eventually. Yoongi had no choice. Right? And in exchange for accepting the proposal, Jimin stayed true to his word and told Yoongi some stuff about himself. Yoongi found out that Jimin was a single kid, his dad abandoned him and his mother wasn’t alive anymore. When talking about it, Jimin’s eyes weren’t as bright as they usually are, they were filled with regret and anger, it triggered Yoongi’s curiosity. He also learned that Jimin had a best friend called Taehyung, which he pretended he totally didn’t know, and of course, Jimin told him some stuff about his profession and how it kept him going for years. Yoongi noted everything carefully in his head, being sure some of the information might come handy in the near future. He had also noted the fact that Jimin wasn’t looking particularly for a relationship because he was not one to trust easily. Yoongi had no idea why he felt the need to memorize that piece of information. In return, Yoongi told Jimin a bit of himself and his fake past, how he loved to compose music (which wasn’t a lie though) and come up with lyrics, which appeared to impress Jimin to say the least. “Promise me to show me your music one day.” Jimin sheepishly touched Yoongi’s hand that was resting on the table, a small smile playing on his lips. Yoongi had bit the inside of his cheek, hiding the embarrassment he was going through behind one of his best, most non-ironical giggles. He had no idea how to flirt back but it was obvious Jimin was doing so and part of him wanted to play the game by his rules.
That wasn’t a good sign, but Yoongi loved to ignore red flags.
Jimin’s hand was small and soft, he wanted to hold it back. “I will, but it ain’t that deep, honestly.”He didn’t hold his hand back. Jimin rolled his eyes. “Come on, you don’t have to be modest. You seem to be hiding a lot of secrets, and I am convinced your music speaks for itself.”
Oh, and Jimin had no idea how right he was.
♠
This dream isn't feeling sweet
We're reeling through the midnight streets
And I've never felt more alone
It feels so scary getting old
Lorde - Ribs
Taehyung’s pov
|Ten years ago, Seoul, Taehyung was a high school student|Taehyung had always been a loner. Blame it on himself, but he didn’t like being surrounded by fake people. Since he was in middle school, people have tried to bully him for several reasons. Firstly, he wasn’t filthy rich, secondly, he was openly gay, thirdly, he had a dangerous brother that used to throw glares at everyone who dared to look in a certain way at Taehyung. So he did focus on getting good grades, hoping that his brother and his grandparents will, one day, be proud of him. He wanted to be successful and follow his photography passion, but at the same time, he participated in multiple national math competitions and so on, just like Yoongi did, proving to him that he was nothing less and they deserved to call each other brothers, even though it wasn’t by blood. When he got into high school, he wanted to do things a bit differently, making Yoongi promise him he wouldn’t protect him anymore, because he had to learn how to take care of himself. And well, it worked well, because he went unnoticed through the first months of high school. He didn’t make any friends, but he wasn't bullied either. He didn’t mind that. Taehyung thought that his brother was everything that he needed, but that’s until he met the one guy that changed his life. Park Jimin. A few months into the first high school semester, Taehyung already knew everything there was to know about his classmates and the gossip going around. Even though he didn’t like to get himself involved, he enjoyed listening, watching, observing, and learning from others. And there it was Park Jimin, one of the most beloved guys in his grade, one of the smartest guys in their class, a charming sunshine, always surrounded by people, laughing and giving off this positive, energetic vibe Taehyung didn’t know how to describe. That day, Taehyung found him crying, alone, hiding somewhere far away from the giggles of the other students, hidden behind a tree with an empty lunch box by his side. He had never seen Park Jimin like that. Devastated. That was the word. To this day, Taehyung didn’t know what pulled him towards Jimin back then. Maybe he was simply curious, because why in the world, would someone as charismatic as Jimin be alone and in such a state. To be honest, Taehyung didn’t like guys his age because they pretended to be tough when, in fact, all of them were cowards walking in bunches of sheep. Jimin didn’t seem to be like that, he was naturally a pleasant person. Taehyung just got that vibe.So, he approached him.“Hey there…” He said, voice close to a whisper. “Are you alright?”“Leave me alone.” It was short and cold, Jimin didn’t even turn around to see who was asking the question. Taehyung frowned, wondering whether he should have left. “I just thought… never mind.”The Jimin turned entirely towards him, eyes red and full of anger, almost spatting at Taehyung. “I just… I just need to be alone, what the fuck do you care anyway?” Taehyung raised one eyebrow, watching Jimin’s features. He looked so ugly crying, yet Taehyung’s heart broke, even if just for a little, seeing him like that. Jimin was right, he didn’t care. “You know what, you are right.” The more he looked at him, the more he realized that Jimin didn’t in fact want to be alone, but Taehyung wasn’t going to beg Jimin to let him help or listen. It wasn’t every day that he tried to make a conversation in regards to something that wasn’t related to school. “I’m just gonna leave.” He turned around with a shrug.But he didn’t make it really far. “W-wait…”That moment, that slight second was exactly what changed everything. That one decision Jimin took that day, to maybe accept the weird, quiet classmate by his side on a bad day.Taehyung stopped in his tracks but didn’t say anything, he just turned around, looking at Jimin, staring at the ground for some long moments of silence. “I’m sorry, I just… am too used to people that I can’t rely on.”“I know,” Taehyung replied without thinking twice. It was the obvious truth laid in front of them.“You know?” Jimin frowned, confused look on his face. Maybe he didn’t realize that up until now. “Well, yeah, it’s obvious. As you can see, I don’t have many friends so I can’t explain it, but I see it. Observing has its own perks.”“Right.” Jimin nodded, eyes clearer. “Thank you… Taehyung.”Taehyung didn’t reply after that, Jimin just threw himself back on the cold ground, hugging his legs and resting his head against his knees. Taehyung joined him, sharing the quiet of the afternoon with him. They could hear the muffled voices of the students a bit farther away, it felt good. He smiled at him, and Jimin understood. He didn’t have to say anything at that time, and it was exactly what Jimin needed. Later on, Taehyung found out that Jimin’s mother had died just a few days prior to the first time they sat together at the back of the high schoolyard. And hell, it hurt. It hurt seeing Jimin struggling to accept a reality he didn’t want to live in, not when his mother was all that he had. But that’s when Taehyung decided to be for Jimin, that one person Yoongi was for him. Unexpectedly, the worst thing that had ever happened to Jimin, led to one of the best things that had ever happened to Taehyung. ♠
Taehyung’s pov
|Present, 3rd of March|“And… Jimin decided to eventually become a detective, when I decided to do what made me the happiest, capturing other’s happiness with the sound of a click, capturing nature and art in its raw form, photography.” Taehyung finished with a pretty smile on his lips. Jungkook was still watching him with his mouth slightly agape, looking endeared at the story, making Taehyung’s heart beat faster. He rarely saw Jungkook like that. “Wait… you went for a photography major and still ended up being contacted by the CIA, how even?” Jungkook asked further. Taehyung replied quickly, eager even, glad to hear Jungkook so invested in his story. “I think that was due to my performance in high school, I mean, I don’t want to brag about it, but I have always been good at math, just like Yoongi, so I participated in several contests in the past, and I’m very experienced in computer design.”Jungkook nodded, eyes lost behind Taehyung’s shadows. “I never had a friend like you have Jimin, but I get it. I understand why you want to protect him so badly… but still Taehyung. It is his job, he chose it. It was just… utterly misfortunate for him to receive the case from the CIA.”“Yes, Jungkook, I totally agree with that, but wouldn't it be lovely for us to discuss shit before we actually do it? Maybe we could have found another way, but what’s done is done…”“I think Yoongi knows how important this detective is to you. Instead of fighting, just talk to him, let’s find a way to use Jimin without harming him. I’m sure Yoongi can do that, right?”
Right?
Taehyung’s eyes swallowed up with tears, knowing that there was no way in hell it was going to end well. Neither for them nor Jimin. Jungkook held him in his arms until he fell asleep. ♠
Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott - Antisocial
Jimin’s pov
Jimin hasn't had that much fun in forever. It was already 1 am, and all Jimin remembered doing for the past few hours was dancing, singing, and laughing at Yoongi while downing all kinds of sweet, strangely colored shots.Sometime during the past 30 minutes, Jimin decided he liked Yoongi, and it wasn’t the alcohol, he swore it wasn’t, Yoongi was just too nice to be true. It seemed so real, so raw, everything about him was awkward but so charming at the same time, it drove Jimin crazy. Whenever he looked at him, Yoongi was watching. His hair was a bit damp from too much dancing and the insufferable heat inside the club, shading his pretty black eyes, but Jimin could see past that, there was a spark to his eyes Jimin didn’t recognize before. And his smile, oh whenever he smiled, it felt like it actually reached his eyes.Jimin made a fool of himself after a couple of shots, since he had no fucking idea how to dance or behave in a club (mostly because he hadn’t been to one since he graduated), but it was all worth it, because Yoongi laughed, and his mouth was so pretty when he laughed, showing Jimin the beautiful gums above his teeth. It was so cute and different from the Yoongi he met in the bar a few days back. He was a goner for him but tried to stay back and let Yoongi handle the pace of their interactions. He did remember flirting with Yoongi, even dancing with him, but things were blurry past that.
Yoongi’s pov
It was 3 am and Jimin was already sleepy, eyes void of excitement and he looked as if he could pass out any second. Yoongi sighed and decided to take him outside the club, and figure out how to send him home. It looked like the entire night played out in his favor after all. It wasn’t because Jimin got drunk, because it took him a while until he got completely wasted as he was now, but they got closer. Jimin’s smile was for him and for him only, and Yoongi had no idea what to do with that knowledge, it made him feel tingles on the insides, but the good kind of tingles, it must have been a good sign.He couldn’t admit it, not to himself nor to anyone, but he felt good in Jimin’s presence, and it was hard to get his eyes off him. His charisma was out of the world, the way he danced and talked with such a nonchalance pulled at Yoongi’s heartstrings. He almost forgot why he was there to begin with. As soon as they managed to exit the club, Yoongi lit a cigarette and inhaled the taste of his guilty pleasure. Whenever he spent more than a couple of hours without a cigarette, it felt numbing. He needed this one so much. “I… had so much fun.” Jimin was seated on a bench, shoulders covered by Yoongi’s leather jacket, looking at the empty streets.He started sobering up just a bit, but his voice was funny still. Yoongi chuckled a bit at seeing him. “Why don’t you stop smoking? It’s bad for your health.” Jimin continued, trying to pick up at Yoongi again. He teased him for the entire night. Yoongi rolled his eyes. “I’d rather die than stop smoking, but seriously Jimin, why did you drink so much? How am I going to get you home?”“Huh?” Jimin quirked an eyebrow then started laughing at something only he found funny. “Oh.”He stopped for a second, eyes wide. “I need to get home somehow right, haha.” He then continued to laugh again. “I just wanted to forget about my worries, about work, about Gilbert, about this specific pois-” He quickly shook his head, stopping mid-sentence. He must have realized he shouldn’t have mentioned certain things.“What do you mean?” Yoongi carefully tiptoed around the question, taking a seat by Jimin’s side. Instead of replying to the question, Jimin frowned at him and pouted. “Actually, I just remembered you are a fucking liar.”“What?”“You know about the case I’m handling, you knew and mentioned that the day we met. You knew all along, yet you didn’t tell me.”“Wait Jimin, I have not a single idea what you are talking about.” Yoongi knew that was why Jimin went back to search for him. His plan had worked, but there was no way in hell he would be dumb enough to admit to that. “Stop lying, huh?”Yoongi sighed, massaging his temples. “You are drunk, I can tell you tomorrow.”“So you know I’m handling that case.” Jimin deadpanned, and Yoongi felt a bit bad for him, seeing him in that state, vulnerable. Yoongi was just playing with him at that point, but it was playing out in his favor, he couldn’t back down. “No, I barely know what you are talking about. If this is about the case on the news, I did not know, up until now, that you were handling it.”Jimin’s eyes widened. “But you knew it was handled by a private detective office.”“Yes, because a friend told me that, and I'm invested in this case particularly since I found it… interesting. But I didn’t know you were a detective to begin with, until you told me.”“But…”“Whatever you think it is, I am sure it is just a coincidence,” Yoongi explained carefully, turning to Jimin with a smile. “Look at me, it makes no sense. I am at the Baristas more often than you would think, but I haven’t seen you there before, I have no idea what you think right now but it doesn’t even make sense for me.” Jimin watched him with big, doe eyes, and dilated pupils. He looked cute drunk, and nothing compared to his true self. “Right, s-sorry for assuming weird stuff, it must be my paranoia speaking.”“If there is something wrong, you know, you can talk to me about it, and you don’t have to do it now when you are tired or drunk but, well, we are friends, right?” Yoongi played his best card and waited until Jimin eventually nodded sharply. “Okay, it’s about work, and I can’t really talk about it, just… I feel like I am always a step behind, and I need to do something about it. I allowed myself to have this night and… forget about everything. The moment I step foot back home, I’ll have to go back to my stressful life and actually catch this motherfucker that I’m searching for. Oh, only if Jimin knew that the motherfucker was standing right in front of him, offering reassuring smiles and listening carefully to each word spilled through his mouth, waiting for him to make a mistake.
Oh, only if he knew.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, Jimin, but if it makes you feel better, I’m sure you’ll catch this dude.” Yoongi ordered an Uber, made sure Jimin got home safely, and then went back to his quiet place, mind full of thoughts and variables. It was an eventful night, but Yoongi knew it was just the beginning, and with close to no regrets, he grinned to himself as he dived into his bed.Park Jimin was one step behind and Yoongi was set on keeping things that way.♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You Are - Alex Holmes, Dark Point
Jimin’s pov
|5th of March|One day. It’s been over one day since Jimin had managed to, ceremoniously, make a fool out of himself in front of Min Yoongi, and this had barely left his brain ever since he woke up with a horrific headache. Well, at least for as much as he could, since he woke up early in the morning, just as usual, to return to his world of mysteries.That being said, Jimin had to admit that Yoongi made himself at home in his mind, but luckily, he had some more pressing matters he had to focus on, so he managed to push overthinking aside for a while.He might, or might not have time for that later. In the meantime, Namjoon helped him catch up with the information on the case. Not much had happened while he had been missing, but Jimin shared his thoughts on the code names with Namjoon, those he thought he could get from the maps, and Namjoon agreed that the lead should be taken into consideration, even though not convinced hundred percent. With each passing hour, Jimin felt a small feeling of insecurity in his guts. He was running out of time, but he didn’t know where to start. One mistake could ruin everything in a blink. The first thing he saw after his meeting with Namjoon, was Hoseok, just as proactive as usual, with a huge smile plastered on his face. A smile that didn’t reach his eyes though. He was very fun to work with, but Jimin couldn’t shake the eerie feeling sometimes. He swallowed his thoughts and met him with a smile. Jimin approached him, but Hoseok seemed lost in his work, talking to himself while looking at some papers. The closer Jimin got, the more he realized he couldn't understand a thing Hoseok was saying. He seemed rather… agitated. “Morning!” Jimin eventually spoke. “Everything alright?”Other two officers in the office had their attention on Hoseok, indicating that Jimin was right. Hoseok was acting differently.As soon as he spotted Jimin, Hoseok’s eyes lit up. He gestured to Jimin to follow him in his office. Hoseok took a seat at his desk and invited Jimin to sit in front of him, hands shaky, as if something important had happened and Jimin didn’t know whether to be scared or prepare for the worst. “I didn’t want to talk about this, but I think… I am sorry Detective, I think you are the only one I could talk to about this, I wanted to keep it for myself but I feel like it is distracting me at this point.” Hoseok confessed rather quickly, taking Jimin by surprise. So it wasn’t related to the case. “Hoseok, you know we are more than just work colleagues, right? We are partners, and you can always count on me.” Communication was key in their team, and that’s how Jimin and Namjoon managed to get that far. It wasn’t easy for Jimin to keep his past aside, but whenever he needed help, Namjoon had always been there to support him with advice. Whatever was happening to Hoseok, seemed serious, and if he decided to ask for Jimin’s help, he would never say no, even if it wasn’t related to the case, or their work at all. Hoseok waited for a while, searching for his words, and Jimin tried to offer him one of his reassuring smiles. “I want to tell you about this because you are the first person that comes to my mind, the first person that I think would understand why this is so important to me, why I need help. I think we both have a pass still hunting our every step.” Well, where was the lie? He didn’t know much about Hoseok, he never tried to look into him, and they have never talked outside work, but maybe Hoseok has a reason for hiding behind shadowed smiles. Jimin recognized the insecurity in his voice as if it was his. He just nodded, letting Hoseok continue. “It’s about my family. I’ve been trying to solve a case for years now. I never gave up, but I had to put the matter on hold as I couldn't get anywhere.” “Do you think I can help?”Hoseok's eyes froze for a second, insecure, not knowing the answer to the question himself. “Honestly, I don’t know…” He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “But I think I need your help. I’ve finally got a lead, but you are the detective here, and your brilliant mind will surely be of help. I don’t doubt it for one second.” Jimin felt the pride spark in his eyes, but he didn’t let it show, not when Hoseok needed him. “Alright, I will help, Hoseok, just-Jimin’s phone started ringing desperately. He apologetically looked at Hoseok and they both decided to postpone it until later.But after that conversation, Jimin’s mind was filled with questions. Who was Hoseok, actually? Did he smile a lot in his free time?What made him so dedicated to his job? Was he in danger? ♠
Namjoon’s pov
Namjoon had been called to the Inspector’s office for a meeting, and as usual, he had no idea what to expect from his superior. In a way, he was anxious. Maybe it was about the case, maybe Kim decided they weren’t competent enough to solve the case. Some time had passed since they had been handed the case, and they didn’t make much progress. The CIA must have been impatient. “Good morning!” He spoke as soon as he closed the door behind him, posture as immaculate as possible in front of the most respected man in their office. “Good morning, detective, please take a seat.” The inspector instructed and Namjoon followed quickly. He didn’t have the chance to sit in front of the inspector much in his career, so he figured it must have been important. “First of all, please allow me to apologize for not trusting you with that case a few weeks ago. It turned out that both you and detective Park had outdone yourself and even managed to find a few links between Park’s missing friend and the CIA case. It was pleasing to hear, good job. The timing was off, indeed, but you two had a lead there.” Namjoon’s eyes widened, half shocked, half emotional because he expected a lot of things, but not this. Inspector Kim actually congratulated him and Jimin. Wow. He almost stuttered the reply. “Thank you, sir! We just did what he had to.” The Inspector nodded with a faint smile shortly, so short Namjoon almost thought he imagined it because soon after that, his cold, stoic expression was back in its place. “But unfortunately, I have to give you some bad news as well, today, detective.”Namjoon braced himself, and let his superior continue. “I’ve been in contact with the CIA recently, and they didn’t hide their dissatisfaction and the fact that we have close to zero progress on the case.”When Namjoon thought about it, he let his eyes land above the ground. It wasn’t necessarily embarrassing, they were human after all, both he and Jimin did their best to follow the best leads they’ve got. Their enemy is good, the CIA was unreasonable, but it wasn’t unexpected. “However, I told them about the leads, I offered the status of the case, and I myself felt dissatisfied with their reaction. I wanted to give you an update on the case, but don’t fret too much about it.”“W-hat?” Namjoon raised his head again, eye level with the Inspector. The Inspector rolled his eyes, placing a lazy leg over the other. “It’s not like there’s much they can do about it. The contract they have is with us, and they wouldn’t risk having all the confidential information given to us go public. They wouldn’t risk working with a second detective office.”“Did you convince them to give us more time?”“No. I demanded more time.” The Inspector even dared to smirk when saying that, making Namjoon feel kind of sick on the inside. “As a result of the most recent interaction I had with them, I got my hands on some bits of extra information that we need. The CIA couldn’t care less about the list of runaways, what they actually care about is the top guys on the list that have the software. Desperately so, they sent the FBI agents to do what we couldn’t. They want us to know as little information about that software as possible. It irks my nerves.”Oh?“This means…”“That we need to get out hands on the software before they do, detective. We need to catch those guys, but we need them alive and unscratched. I have something in my mind. Just, trust me so I could trust you.”Namjoon let the inspector speak, watching his eyes burn with determination. The more they advanced with the case, the more questions started popping up, questioning the reasoning behind the CIA’s actions, whether they were saving lives by working with them or ruining them. It has never been about the people . The CIA didn’t care how many were about to die, they had one ultimate goal. They wanted the software.“That’s for today.” Inspector Kim eventually concluded. “Please fill Detective Park on the missing information. In the meantime, you will need to give the CIA something, anything, that will make you seem closer to the enemy.”Namjoon stood up, paying his respects to his superior with a sharp bow of the head. “Thank you for trusting us with the case, Inspector.” Inspector Kim waved him off. “No need to thank me, you two had already proven to me that you are more than capable of solving this.” ♠
Jimin’s pov
“Maybe there are more people trying to find that software if it’s that important. Maybe the CIA is not the only organization chasing it, maybe there’s a third party involved as well.” After he processed the information received from Namjoon, Jimin tried to look at the situation differently. He couldn’t say it was a certain lean, but Jimin decided to widen his perception a bit. “There’s another thing that’s been bugging me for a long while…” Namjoon continued. “There are two patterns of murders. Maybe some had been the work of Miles Gilbert, and the others… by someone else. Maybe Miles has an enemy of his own…” Jimin closed his eyes, trying not to deny Namjoon’s opinion vehemently. Because, something told Jimin Namjoon might have been right, but he didn’t want to believe it. “I know this Miles… he’s incontestably our enemy, detective…” Namjoon said after seeing Jimin’s lack of response. “But we can’t turn our backs to the whole truth either. What was bugging Jimin the most was the fact that all the evidence they put their hands on led to one single person. Miles Gilbert left his touch everywhere, in one way or another. But Namjoon’s point of view made sense too. What if Miles had an enemy of its own?“Alright, detective.” Jimin decided. “Give me until tomorrow, then. Let me try to look into this perspective too.” They wrapped the meeting up quickly after that, so Jimin returned to his office and took a small break, checking his phone. As soon as he saw two missed calls from his new friend, Yoongi, he dialed back. “Hello?” The other replied instantly. “Hi.” Jimin spoke sheepishly. “Sorry for not picking up, busy day at work.”“Sounds like good news.” Yoongi chuckled from the other side of the line, making Jimin’s stomach jump ever so gentle at the sound. His lough was the opposite of his personality, it was childish, cute. “I thought you wouldn’t be able to work for days after last night.” Jimin rolled his eyes, a bit annoyed. “That’s it? You called to make fun of me?”“Just a little,” Yoongi replied cheerfully. “But that wasn’t my only intention, I was wondering… uh, well, would it be okay if I pick you up from work?” Jimin smiled at his phone as if Yoongi would see him. “I mean... Why not? Be here at 7, that’s when I’m done with work.”
“See you later, then.”
♠
Monsta X - Destroyer
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi lit a cigarette and started smoking it quietly while waiting in front of Jimin’s office building. He felt quite strange, waiting there, in front of one of the most renowned detective offices in Seoul. He’s been there before when he used to follow Jimin around, to find out as much information about him as possible. He couldn’t shake the eerie feeling, he felt like he was doing something wrong. Taehyung was right, Jimin was a nice guy, he didn’t deserve being played by Yoongi the way he was, but at the end of the day, even though he wasn’t aware of that, he was Yoongi’s biggest enemy. Getting closer to the detective helped Yoongi put his hands on information he wouldn’t have dreamed of at first, but Jimin got sentimental, and Yoongi almost slipped too. It was a mistake and he shouldn’t have let his guard down. Yoongi was just lucky the game was playing in his favor for now, and Jimin was going farther away from the truth.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Yoongi started laughing thinking about whoever invented that saying because he took it quite literally nowadays. He shook his head thinking of the ridiculousness of the situation. Yoongi was convinced now, he will sooner or later end up with a bullet in his head. He was playing quite a dangerous game, playing with Jimin’s feelings. Jimin was sensitive, affectionate, corny, but that’s only the side he had shown Yoongi. But Yoongi knew better than that, the last thing one should do to Jimin was lying to him. Betray him. Play with his trust. Yoongi did all of it. The danger he had put himself under was huge. Jimin had the power and the resources to ruin all of him. It was so bad, yet the idea was appealing to Yoongi to a certain extent.
I must have lost my mind.
“Hey, shortie, waited for long?” Jimin’s sunny voice interrupted his thoughts, rendering him awake and back to reality. “Shortie?” Yoongi raised one eyebrow, with challenge to his voice. “That makes it two of us then.” He snorted, please as soon as Jimin’s smile was replaced by a pout. Jimin studied him for a couple of seconds. “So, where to?”Yoongi shrugged, not showing Jimin that he had something in mind. “I don’t know, let’s take a walk?”“On feet?” Jimin asked with a surprised look on his face. “Yeah? Don’t you have two?”Yoongi watched Jimin’s reaction with the corner of his eyes, pretending he was totally unaffected, but enjoying every bit of it. The detective had a hard time keeping his composed self in place, and maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were still close by his office, or maybe it was because of his immaculate, classy outfit, that didn’t allow him to play as much as he would in different circumstances. Or maybe, he just didn’t want to play Yoongi’s games that day. “Yes, I am perfectly able to use my feet, but so does my expensive jeep, waiting in the parking lot.” He followed Yoongi, who already started walking ahead. But then he stopped in his tracks because well, if the detective really wanted to stay locked up in the car, who was he to-“Okay, fine.” Jimin eventually agreed, stopping just to look at the clear evening sky. “It’s not that cold outside today.”The two agreed on heading to the closest park. They stopped at a coffee to go shop, bought some coffee and croissants as Jimin wished, and then started walking again. Time spend with Jimin, was more exhausting than anything for Yoongi, and not because Jimin’s presence was bothersome, but because he had to pretend. He needed to pretend he was this nice guy, all clean record, dedicated to his studies, happy family, happy life blah blah. He had to keep his guard up constantly, focusing not to get tangled in his own lies.“So, I don’t know if I should mention it to be honest…” Yoongi slowed his pace down, searching for his words. “I am sorry to hear that you have it that hard at work.” He placed a cigarette between his lips, habitually. Jimin’s response wasn’t unexpected. As soon as his eyes widened, Yoongi figured it was because he couldn’t remember much from the previous night. He had to get there somehow, to that subject. “You told me a couple of things… last time I saw you.” He explained, watching Jimin’s reaction and testing whether it was alright to push further with the subject or leave it for another time. Jimin nodded as realization hit him. He gestured towards a bank in their proximity. “Let’s… sit for a bit, hm?”Yoongi joined him on the bench silently, playing with the cigarette between his fingers before ashing it on the ground. “I am sorry for mentioning all that the previous night, I honestly I should have kept my work aside when it comes to you. It has nothing to do with you, I must have been tired, and there’s that… maybe… you could just forget about it?” He asked from Yoongi, and waited patiently for a reaction. Yoongi chose his words carefully before speaking. “Look, Jimin. If you want to keep all that for yourself, that’s cool. I won’t push further, but if you feel the need of letting go of some of it… I don’t mind listening to you, especially if I can be of help. I’d be interested in listening, or even helping you.” He spoke reassuringly, not letting his voice give away his emotions. Yoongi hated puzzles, yet he found himself often buying them, and wasting days and nights on end, searching for patterns on each piece, trying to develop strategies and solve them quicker, easier. As soon as he started one, he was obsessed with finishing it. As much as he hated them, he was constantly wrapped up in puzzles. Seeing situations like uncompleted puzzles was Yoongi’s way of keeping himself composed. Every piece had to fit in a certain place. No matter how much time it would take, with enough patience, everything must fall into place eventually. The situation he found himself in right now, Jimin’s confused little eyes, the way he was tiptoeing around his feelings… was just a game of puzzle for Yoongi. “Why, though? Why are you so eager to help me, Yoongi?” Jimin asked skeptically this time. Now it was the time for Yoongi to find out whether the piece of the puzzle he had chosen was about to fit. Yoongi laughed lightly to himself, enough so that the detective would notice it. “There are several reasons why I’d help you, and I don’t think there’s any need for me to hide it from you at this point.”Jimin frowned faintly as his plump lips formed a curious pout, fixing Yoongi with his gaze. “Don’t worry, it ain’t such a big deal, I killed no one!” Yoongi quickly replied in his defense.
As if.
Jimin didn’t laugh though, so Yoongi just continued what he started, hoping it was going to play in his favor. “I think you must remember the day we met, right? The news on the TV was about some interesting case that day, it intrigued me, I think I even told you something as far as I remember.” “Actually, yes, you did mention something that piqued my attention.” Jimin agreed instantly, his eyes alert. “I knew that the case wasn’t handled by the police,” Yoongi revealed the unspoken secret, hoping Jimin wouldn’t act on impulse. He seemed patient though. Yoongi took that as a cue to continue. “I am obsessed with puzzles, Jimin. But not the classic ones. I like the human brain and it fascinates me to what lengths do some go in order to fulfill their deepest hidden desires. I’m always up to date with the latest crimes that happen in Seoul. I even have a few friends in the police department, they tell me enough to satisfy my thirst… If I could put it like that.” “Wait, but that’s confidential information, Yoongi..” Jimin tensed visibly, so Yoongi took a deep breath. He can do this. “Yes, I am aware of that… that’s why I trust you not to tell anyone. I wanted to be honest with you because solving mysteries is part of my hobby because I have a couple of connections and because I know stuff… that might help you.” He smiled reassuringly, praying. Jimin’s shoulders slumped after that, face features gently relaxing. He sighed. “There are several reasons why I should totally scold you right now, Min Yoongi…”
…scold?
“Uh…” A smile replaced Jimin’s previous frown and Yoongi’s heart pace started to come back to normal. “Firstly, whatever you are doing is unethical, and dangerous, secondly, illegal. Why didn’t you become a detective or something if you like solving puzzles?”Yoongi laughed, mocking himself. “Isn’t it obvious? I am not qualified for that, physically and mentally, I am too lazy to dedicate my life to such a … consuming job. After I met you I just realized further that it isn’t for me.” Jimin nodded, trying to hide the sympathy in his eyes. Yoongi pretended to feel dejected at that point. “I assume we all have different stories, so it’s not my place to judge.”Yoongi pulled the pack of cigarettes, ready to put one between his lips when he realized Jimin was still staring at him. “Want one?” He asked politely.Jimin pushed the pack from his vision. “Do you want to see me dead that much?”“Not as much as I’d like to see myself,” Yoongi replied amused, enjoying Jimin’s face morph into something remotely close to dread. Yoongi almost rolled his eyes at that, it was just a joke. He liked to joke about death, provoking it. In the spur of the moment though, Jimin reached Yoongi’s side with one of his palms and pinched him. Yoongi escaped a high-pitched laugh through his teeth the moment Jimin’s fingers touched him. Since he had always been ticklish, he tried to fight back, returning the gesture by pinching Jimin as much as he could, but the result was different. Compared to him, Jimin was well built, stronger, and trained. It was easy for him to handle Yoongi and keep him in one place. Yoongi’s laugh died with Jimin holding his arm above his head, staring at him with a different demeanor. It was for the first time when Yoongi felt that Jimin was totally in control, it made him feel small, restrained. His presence shifted, he wasn’t the cute, innocent little guy Yoongi had been seeing for the past couple of days, he was hot, powerful, strong. Yoongi felt excitement bubbling up in his stomach. Jimin’s duality was something he was looking forward to exploring in the following stages of the dangerous game the two of them were playing. ♠ “So, truth is… there is one case that’s been bugging me for the past couple of weeks.” Jimin eventually surrendered to Yoongi’s charms and agreed to let him help with the case, as long as Yoongi wouldn’t ask for concrete information, and they would keep it between them. Yoongi listened patiently as Jimin continued. “Let’s say I am searching for a fugitive. This guy has killed a lot of people and ran away from the US, to hide in Seoul.” As soon as Jimin started talking, Yoongi had a hard time calming down the pace of his heartbeats. The rush of adrenaline running through his veins fogged his vision for a couple of seconds, however, with small, unnoticed breaths he tried to steady his heartbeat. He didn’t expect Jimin to actually tell him about him or mention him in any way. Of course, that was an extremely good sign, Jimin trusted him a lot at that point, Yoongi had to be even more cautious from that point onwards. “Is he an American?” Yoongi eventually asked, showing his interest. Jimin shook his head. “He’s Korean. Anyway, this fugitive is not alone, he’s working with many people. Some of them had even ended up dead. But that’s what we are still trying to figure out. How and why they died.” “So this is the case I’ve heard about on TV that evening, right?” Yoongi asked for confirmation, which Jimin returned. “The media doesn’t know much though. Most of it had been covered up. They talked about the poisoned victims, but we found further victims involved, killed by force or guns. It’s a mess, and the pattern stops there, where the victims start. They are all related somehow to this group of fugitives.”Yoongi watched him, mouth half-open with interest. “Wait, before we go past this point, are we sure the poison is not related, in any way, to suicidal acts?”“Well, of course, we went that path too and investigated this possibility too. Actually, it was our first lead, but it’s far from being suicide. We still found signs of aggression on their bodies.” “Dammit!” Yoongi started fixing a point with his eyes, tapping the ground nervously with one of his legs. “What kind of signs?”Jimin watched him worriedly, not knowing where was the sudden shift in Yoongi’s attitude coming from. “Uh, small knife cuts, some new, some old.”“It means that I might have been right, Jimin!”Jimin’s eyes widened with interest. “What do you mean?”“I’ve been looking into this for a while, this case was similar to something I looked into a while back and I just… I didn’t want to reach the wrong conclusions or tell you something absurd when it wasn’t even my place to do so…”“Yoongi, what is this about? You are worrying me.”“Jimin, no, detective.” Jimin’s eyes shone at the mention of that. Yoongi had him exactly where he wanted to. “You need to promise me that you will listen to me and actually look into this after you get home today.”“Yoongi, just tell me what this is about, you are confusing me now!” “Alright, so there’s this game… not many know of it. It used to be played underground and quite a lot of people died because of it in the past. The way these victims died… it’s almost identical to the way the people that used to play these forbidden games lost their lives. The only confirmation I needed to show you this was… the clean cuts.” He pulled the phone out of his pockets and quickly searched for the articles on Game of Life he had saved, handing Jimin the phone. Jimin walked his eyes through the article, taken aback by the new amount of information he was facing. Yoongi had thought about this for a few days now. He promised Taehyung he wouldn’t hurt Jimin, and he knew there must have been ways for him to use him to the benefit of them both. Yoongi had one enemy he had close to no information about, while Jimin didn’t even take into consideration the existence of a third party. So Yoongi though, what if, instead of trying to lie to Jimin and have more chances to fail, he would wrap up the truth with a pink bow tie and let him help instead.Knowing whoever tried to kill Yoongi’s friends would help both him and Jimin eventually, or make it seem so, while Yoongi had actually been honest and pretended to be the one helping. On top of everything, this plan would get Yoongi closer to Jimin, who would trust him even more. Right?
That’s how the piece of the puzzle fell into place perfectly.
“W-wow…” Jimin eventually said, wetting his lips with his tongue speechlessly. “This… Min Yoongi, I don’t know what to say, you are a genius for connecting them. And just from the news?”“It’s not much when you have so much free time on your hands, believe me,” Yoongi replied nervously.“I just… I need to look into this properly. I still don’t know why the fugitives would kill each other using this method, maybe… it’s a thing for them. Maybe the man I am after isn’t at fault completely, maybe they play this game between each other and…”
Oh no. No, he shouldn’t go there.
“But… have you considered someone else is involved? Maybe your enemy has an enemy of its own? I don’t see the reasoning behind running away if they don’t care about their lives anyway, right?” Yoongi suggested, eyes full of sincerity searching for an answer in Jimin’s gaze. Jimin closed his eyes, trying to calm down and focus. Yoongi had no idea what type of nerves he pulled at but he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. He knew this was going to overwhelm Jimin. “You don’t have to listen to me, though…” He offered a new bottle of water from his backpack. “Here…” He smiled calmly. “You are the detective after all, what I said was just my assumption.”A few minutes after that, Jimin turned to Yoongi, eyes full of determination. “I need to go, Yoongi. I really need to look into this, but thank you, thank you so so much for this.”“T-Thank you for trusting me, Jimin. Be one step ahead, do it for me, alright?” He winked, letting Jimin blush faintly for a couple of seconds before whispering an honest “take care”. Jimin disappeared soon after.Watching him go made Yoongi feel a shiver run down his spine. It worked perfectly, better than expected, yet he started feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.
Yoongi promised himself he wouldn’t get attached, not to Jimin.
Yet what was he doing? What did the pain in the upper part of his stomach mean?
He lit another cigarette before dialing Romeo. ♠
Tell me we can make this real
If we can follow what we feel
I'm running but I've reached the edge
And now I'm falling, so promise that you'll catch me
Yellow Claw & Flux Pavilion - Catch Me feat. Naaz
Jimin’s pov
Jimin felt stupid at this point. He tried his best to make sure nothing escaped his vision, yet his research was worse than he imagined, given the fact that Yoongi, who had access to less information than he and his department did, managed to find out something that important in a short period of time. Maybe Jimin forgot to keep track of what was actually important, and focused on small, insignificant things, ignoring the truth flatly laid in front of him. “This is so fucked up, Jimin…” Namjoon started speaking, leaning against his own kitchen counter, watching Jimin with big, inquiring eyes. Jimin started massaging his temples since a new headache has made its appearance in the past couple of minutes. As soon as he left Yoongi alone in the park, Jimin had one direction. Namjoon’s apartment. Namjoon prepared a coffee for his partner and let Jimin speak. They reached the conclusion that Namjoon should read the article himself before discussing the subject. While waiting for the other to do his own research, Jimin played a couple of possible scenarios in his head. He trusted Namjoon more than he did trust Yoongi, yet the man knew less than the other. Jimin considered him close, a friend even, and now it was the time for him to be honest and ask for a pertinent opinion. He knew Namjoon had all the right to judge him after hearing him out, but Jimin was tired of doing everything alone. It was concerning their case, not his. “I will be honest with you, Joon…” Jimin spoke after sipping from the black, Turkish coffee prepared for him. He looked confused. “So I guess you are wondering how did I come across this article, right? Look, I could be lying to you and say I just happened to find it but I want to tell you the truth, so please, bear with me until I finish.” And Jimin told him about Yoongi, trying to include as many details as possible so that Namjoon could create an opinion on the situation and maybe without condemning Jimin for trusting him. “So Jimin… You ended up telling this friend of yours… about the case we are working on?” Well, he didn’t have to put it like that. “Not much, as I said, it’s just the basic stuff that appeared on the news too, nothing concrete!” He quickly explained, scared Namjoon might take it the wrong way. But instead of getting mad, Namjoon’s eyes looked filled with worry and uneasiness. “I don’t even know where to start, Jimin.” He sighed, getting closer to Jimin, eyes never leaving his face. “You are right, this guy is right, this might be the cause of death we’ve been looking for, but it needs to be researched, we need to talk to the entire department, it’s like… we’re entering unknown grounds and I have no idea where to start exploring them.”Jimin nodded in approval, happy that Namjoon actually considered this new lead. Each passing second was filling Jimin’s veins with a tingle of hope. “But Jimin… you know this brings us in front of two possibilities, right?” Namjoon spoke as if hit by a realization, one that Jimin was looking forward to hearing. “Yes, Namjoon. I’ve thought about it. So there’s this, one, Miles Gilbert and the squad are just a bunch of crazy dudes playing this game and dying for fun or two, Miles has an enemy that follows him and kills his guys using this fucked up method or something. Maybe they aren’t even playing the game, maybe it's just the killing method that’s being used. I have no idea at this point.”Namjoon stretched his chin, lost deep in thoughts. “It makes sense. We need to look into this, until then, please stop telling this friend of yours further information on the case. I mean, we have been lucky, he gave you a good fucking lead, but how do you know you can trust him?”Jimin’s eyes lost their focus for a couple of seconds, thinking of a reply. How did he know he could trust Min Yoongi? Yoongi did nothing but be the perfect friend for Jimin. He took care of him, helped him, he seemed honest and-
Jimin had no idea why he did all that.
“Is it so hard to believe that someone would help without ulterior motives?” He eventually asked Namjoon. “I mean, he is just a normal guy.” “Maybe… you should run a background check on him?”Jimin frowned at Namjoon’s proposal. “Yeah, since it is totally normal to run background checks on our friends, without using a mandate, Namjoon.” He raised one eyebrow at the ridiculousness of Namjoon’s suggestion. Yes, they were exposed to danger, but it wasn’t fair for him to doubt Yoongi like that, he had no right to access private information like that. Namjoon didn’t reply to that, which made Jimin’s blood boil just a bit. He got it, he was constantly being told to watch his back, both Namjoon and Taehyung told Jimin not to trust Yoongi, and he was mature enough to see their reasonings, but they didn’t know Yoongi. They didn’t know his smile, his honest eyes, his serene laugh. They didn’t know him at all.“I will be careful, Namjoon, I promise, alright? I won’t tell him anything that might represent a danger for us.” After a long, stoic stare, Namjoon gave in, shoulder slumping as he threw himself against a chair. “Okay Jimin, I do trust you, but please, be careful and stay safe.” ♠
Self-destructive tendencies
That I have are killing me slowly
But that's fine
I like the way it feels
Vorsa - Self Destructive
|6th of March|
Yoongi’s pov
Thief,
Criminal,
Liar,
Runaway,
Worst brother.
Piece of shit.
Yoongi’s body was covered up in unprinted tattoos, unable to be seen by the human eyes, but they were there, labeling him. Yoongi could see, even feel each word burning his skin. No matter how many times he tried to cover himself with a new tattoo, making sure no patch of skin was left empty for a new mark to make its appearance, he kept on seeing them, more and more obvious with each passing day.He dragged from his cigarette and closed his eyes, facing the gray, dull sky of the harsh morning. He felt like laughing, mocking himself. Yoongi had always managed to put up this cold, emotionless front, as if nothing and no one could touch him, fooling almost everyone around him, even himself, yet there he was, feeling lost, running with no direction. He thought of himself so highly, though he was smart enough to outplay his enemies and get away with anything unhinged. But he fucked up.Yoongi fucked up the second he let his guard down around Jimin. He fucked up the second he stared into the detective’s eyes and thought, even for a second, that he deserved the smiles Jimin offered. As if the smiles were for him, and for him only. As if the existence of Min Yoongi and his persona in front of Jimin was real. As if anything of the facade he was playing was real. Yoongi set himself up for failure the moment he stopped seeing Jimin as his enemy, as he should have. That’s how he fell. Now, Yoongi was many things, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew it was just a matter of time until Jimin would run a background check on him. The moment Jimin would know, everything ends for them. Maybe Yoongi earned them a couple of weeks, maybe telling Jimin about the game was a smart move, but time had thought Yoongi that being one step ahead isn’t all the time the best solution. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and explore different perspectives. Everything was going to change, soon, but no matter how much he thought of it, all paths lead to one end. Yoongi had made up his mind. It was a desperate plan, it required a lot of patience, broken promises, and broken hearts. There was no going back, though. He had to do it. It was going to take both the CIA and the detectives aback. It was the ace up his sleeve.And it was the only thing he could do to save his brother.
Yoongi was going to plead guilty.
♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ruelle - Monsters
Yoongi’s pov
There was just the slightest amount of sorrow in Romeo’s eyes, and it wasn’t hard for Yoongi to read it. He’s been knowing Romeo since forever, and no matter how supportive he was, sometimes, the scowl on his face was just a facade Yoongi easily could unveil if he wanted. “Is this really what you wish for, Yoongi?” His friend asked for further confirmation, calculating a few possibilities after Yoongi presented his plan to him. If Yoongi was to surrender, there were high chances Romeo could no longer keep in touch with him.“I think it’s our best option,” Yoongi said with certaintinity, there was no space left for fear left in his gaze. “You know we had a couple of other alternatives, right? As I said countless times, I will help Yoongi. As long as I can, I will. This should be the last resort.”“Romeo, you are like a brother to me, and you have helped me without receiving anything in exchange for a lifetime. I don’t even know how to reward you.”“There is no need to, Yoongi, I never did it because I wanted something in return. I did it because you are my friend, and because I have the resources.” Romeo reassured, eyes warm, looking at his best friend with sympathy.Yoongi didn’t like that. They have been friends since they were young, they both started from zero, yet here he was, dependent on his best friend’s tactics and money. He was thankful, but it wasn’t it. “We are outnumbered, Romeo. Even if we keep going on like this, we can just stall, because eventually, they are going to catch me. I’m tired to risk lives because of this stupid plan I agreed to months back. I have to find a way out myself, this is my war, not yours. I’ll just need your help with a couple of other things and then… it’s gonna be alright. I promise.” Yoongi promised, trying to hide the jitter in his voice.“What about Jungkook and Taehyung? Going to prison will definitely ruin their lives…”“Yes, that would be the case if I haven’t already prepared for the worst. I’ll take it all upon myself. I’ll make sure they will get the shortest sentence after I will admit to the crimes. I don’t have anything to lose for now, but they definitely do. They will return to their normal lives sooner than you think.” He winked, ignoring the hollow feeling in his upper stomach.
What if Yoongi will rot in prison? He would do it for his brother.
“Just promise me to take care of them when they return, since I won’t be here.”Romeo nodded quickly, taking a step closer to Yoongi. “I will do all I can to make sure they will live eventless, happy lives, Yoongi.”“Thank you.” Yoongi smiled kindly, the promise bringing back memories. Memories from the old good times when they were young, powerful, and thought that nothing could destroy them. “Always for a brother.” Romeo eventually hugged Yoongi. It felt like it was the last time they did it. It fact, who knew, it could have been, right?After they parted, Romeo returned to Yoongi with a paper and a couple of things printed on it. He was back to business mode. Yoongi sighed and waited. “I have five potential hideouts. You can choose where to hide the chip and no one has to know its location. Not even me.”Yoongi shook his head then. “I will have you come with me, Romeo.”“But-”Yoongi patted him on the back. “In case anything happens to me, and you need to protect Taehyung, Jungkook or even yourself, use it, do you hear me?”“Nothing will happen to you, Yoongi.”“Just a precaution, okay?”The other nodded. It was about time for the game to end.
Or at least, that’s what Yoongi thought.
♠
Taehyung’s pov
Taehyung’s mind hadn’t stopped running a thousand miles per hour since he last spoke to Yoongi about the new change of plans. “That’s the end for us.” He deadpanned, looking dead in the eyes while staring at the plain wall in front of him. He knew it would come to this eventually, but he didn’t want to consider it. Not until now. He knew it was, first and foremost, the most correct and obvious thing to do, but he didn’t know what made Yoongi draw this particular line.Was it Jimin?“The problem is that he intends to take the blame upon himself, Tae…” Jungkook mumbled, his gaze mirroring Taehyung’s, just as perplexed. “I don’t understand why he insists on doing that, we were in this together, and it was my idea. Yoongi doesn’t have to do it.” Deep inside, his blood was boiling, and Taehyung could feel it in his voice. He knew, though. Yoongi might have not shown it, but he was soft-hearted and such a good guy. He knew Taehyung was in love with Jungkook, he knew Taehyung would suffer leaving Jungkook behind in prison. So Taehyung understood Yoongi’s decision, but it didn’t mean he agreed on it. “Yeah, I definitely won’t let him take all the blame. We won’t. What’s the use of a brother if he will spend the rest of his life in prison?” Taehyung rolled with his office chair back to his desk, going back to the pile of papers stacked up there. A pile of files that was consisted of all the crimes they have committed, calculating an approximative sentence. “What triggered this change of plans, anyway?” Jungkook sputtered suspiciously while sitting in front of a computer, where he kept on scrolling endlessly, he was distressed.“I think I have a hunch…”“Your friend? You think that after Yoongi learned about him, he ended up to the conclusion that we stand no chance?” Jungkook speculated, not really understanding the extent to the relationship between Yoongi and Jimin. Taehyung though, already has a vague idea of what was happening, mostly from what Jimin constantly told him.“Or…” Taehyung spoke his mind. “Jimin is a nice guy, Kookie, there is a high possibility he made my brother, Min fucking Yoongi, feel guilty… Like he may regret what we have done? He doesn’t want to ruin him? Us? Maybe… maybe Yoongi was touched by Jimin and wishes we would have done things differently.” “But we talk about your brother here… Tae… we know him. He’s many things, but not weak.” Jungkook had a point, Taehyung thought, but he didn’t know the things he did. “But you don’t know Jimin.”Jungkook let the silence settle in the room for a while, thinking of Taehyung’s words. Taehyung knew that this was exactly what had happened, but he didn’t know if the turn of events was a good or a bad one.“When Jimin finds out about me, he will hate me for the rest of my life, but if that’s the case… I will make sure he will know the entire truth.” Taehyung declared with determination, nails digging into the wooden desk.“So… that’s it, Tae? Is this the end?”“Yes, however…” A small grin appeared on Taehyung’s lips while turning to face Jungkook. “I’ll make sure to turn this into our favor.” ♠
Yoongi’s pov
It felt hot. Very hot. Yoongi didn’t know where the heat was coming from. Was it the fireplace in his proximity? Was it the champagne? He turned his gaze just a bit to the side to find his hand holding a semi champaign filled flute. But it wasn’t that, Yoongi was soon to realize as he came back to his senses. It was actually Park Jimin, straddling his lap, head fallen in the crook of his neck, panting into his ear while his lips kept on touching his skin, featherlessly. It felt so good, it made Yoongi stop thinking. He didn’t remember how did he end up in that situation, his mind felt groggy. He didn’t care. Jimin’s ass was so plump and fit so well in his lap, Yoongi couldn’t help but let out a loud moan as soon as Jimin moved his hips forward, creating a bit of friction. It felt right, Yoongi didn’t even question it. Instead, he focused on the muffled giggles Jimin kept on giving out while playing with his earlobe. It was ticklish, and each time Jimin moved his tongue on Yoongi’s skin, the sensation went straight to his now hard dick. Yoongi moaned again, letting out a raspy sound. He tried not to question it. Whatever was happening was the apotheosis of the word wrong , but… None of them said anything, just bathing in the feeling. Yoongi was relaxed, pressed against the coach, while Jimin started sucking harder on his earlobe, making it messy. He made sure to expose as much of his skin as possible, for Jimin to be able to reach, touch, savor it. His response was a short, hip trust against Jimin’s ass, while he kept his hips in place. When their clothed hardons touched, Jimin whined cutely, then pressed Yoongi even further against the coach, starting to grind against Yoongi with a slow, painful pace. They must have been at that for a while, until Yoongi realized Jimin’s tongue was playfully exploring his mouth now, keeping a low pace and humming in appreciation each time Yoongi’s hand traveled to his ass, squeezing it and bringing him closer if it was even possible at that point. The dazzling feeling was something Yoongi had no idea he desperately needed. It felt so good to have all of his senses invaded by Jimin, he totally forgot who he was, and what was his purpose in life. Lost in the way Jimin sucked at his tongue, he almost didn’t realize Jimin’s hand slipped between their flushed bodies until he felt it groping him through his pants. Yoongi let out a quiet “fuck”, and let Jimin have his way. Jimin was such a tease, Yoongi kind of expected it since the moment he met him, but it felt much better than imagined, the moment he started to work his hand around his zipper, slowing getting into his pants, distracting him with pretty smiles and kittenish kisses. He let out a groan as soon as Jimin’s hand touched his cock, sheepishly getting it out of his jeans. The detective wrapped two of his fingers around the tip and smeared the precome all over it, enough to tease Yoongi straight to paradise. What had he done to deserve this? The kiss continued, Jimin letting Yoongi bite at his lower, plumb lip, while he kept on groaning quietly into his mouth, matching the sounds he made with Jimin’s. They created a rather pleasurable harmony, one that was perfect for dirty porn movies but sounded like a serenade to Yoongi’s ears.He became really sensitive and impatient after a while, and as soon as Jimin noticed that, with a devilish grin on his lips, he jumped off Yoongi’s thighs and dropped to his knees with a quick movement. Yoongi didn’t have enough time to process what Jimin’s intention was until he was facing his dick, parted, hungry lips inches apart from Yoongi’s dick. Jimin’s swollen lips were now dangerously approaching his cock, and Yoongi was dangerously on the verge of coming on the spot only by looking.The detective was going to fucking suck him off, and that was it. Yoongi decided that was the best day of his entire fucking life.Jimin moved closer and-“Yooongi, wake up, it’s fucking afternoon, you never sleep this much, did something happen?” Yoongi was quickly brought back to reality by the horrific sounds of his brother, screaming at him to wake up. He frowned, quickly getting mad about it. It was unpolite for someone to interrupt Jimin while he was just about to suck the life out of him. “Yoongi? Do you hear me?” He heard another knock on his door. As the realization hit him, he quickly opened his eyes and stared at the bulge in his pants.
Fuck, fuck.
He dragged the covers over his body instantly and changed his position, making sure it wasn’t obvious. “Yes, I’m awake!” He replied as Taehyung opened the door and walked towards his bed.As soon as he realized Taehyung was about to drag the covers off him, with a terrified face he kept them in place. “I’m gonna get off myself, just leave me alone.”Suspiciously, Taehyung made a face. A disgusted one. “Are you… having a morning erection?” “Get the fuck out!” Fast and always prepared, Taehyung didn’t need to be asked twice. He ran towards the door, avoiding the pillow flying in his direction. “We need to leave in 30 minutes, just saying.” He smashed the door behind him and Yoongi could hear him running back downstairs to the living room. He sighed, placing a hand over his face.
fuck.
He seated abruptly, staring at the bulge in his pants. It was still here. Yoongi felt embarrassed beyond words but- He really didn’t want that dream to end. It was infuriating. The more Yoongi thought of it, the more he stared at his hard-on, it didn’t go away. The thoughts were still there, with Jimin’s breath fanning over his cock. It was infuriating, disturbing, and…He was wondering whether he was mad because he had a wet dream and Jimin was the cause of it or because the dream ended before getting him satisfied. His stare was constantly on his own erection. It demanded attention, and Yoongi… he closed his eyes. No, he shouldn’t. He opened his eyes again, trying to wipe off the image of Jimin on his knees in front of him. He would go take a cold shower, the boner would go away, and hopefully, the incident isn’t going to repeat itself.But Yoongi’s mind was playing tricks on him that morning. Not only that the image of Jimin was still fucking there, but now he was hearing him, his moans, the beautiful sounds he made…Yoongi relaxed back against his pillow, slipping a hand in his boxers. It was just a quick jerk off, it was his little secret. It wouldn’t hurt a fly.He had no idea how the dream was going to unfold, but he still remembered bits of it. They felt so real, so as he wrapped his hand around his cock, he pictured Jimin on his knees once again, sheepishly licking the tip of his dick with his tongue. He imagined how he would play with it, putting his swallowed lips around it just enough to cover the tip, letting saliva drip down, making it messy, driving Yoongi crazy. He fastened the pace of his hand around himself, now portraying Jimin going down on him, plump lips cutely moving along its length. And Yoongi would definitely pull at his hair, helping him go deeper, faster, but still careful not to hurt him. The moment his cock would start to hit the back of Jimin’s throat, he would have tears around the corner of his eyes, moaning against his dick. The built-up pressure in Yoongi’s stomach didn’t allow him to think further, as with a few more flicks of his wrists he started covering his hands and boxers with white spurs. There was only one thing left in his mind at that point.
fuck.
♠ Another day, another date. Yoongi agreed to meet Jimin again when asked because he couldn’t afford to say no. Not as long as he wanted his plan to continue.Before meeting him, he tried to collect himself and his thoughts, making up his mind. He tried to reason with himself, he didn’t plan to get under Jimin’s skin like that from the start. He was many things, but he didn’t like to take advantage of other people's feelings.He wanted to get close to Jimin, he wanted to become his friend maybe, gain his trust but never had Yoongi expected their relationship to escalate that way.
Or did he?
However, right now, Yoongi had a choice. He could end everything before it had a chance to start, before Jimin could actually get attached, before anyone could get hurt. Including himself. Yoongi was human, after all, he hardly ever got attached, but he wouldn’t lie when it comes to the detective. He was aware of the way he held his gaze more than necessary. He knew there was something to their relationship he couldn’t hide, even from himself. He just didn’t like to admit it. At all. But Yoongi had the chance to put an end to it. Yet there he was, on another official date with Park Jimin.
It was just for his plan, to make sure it would work out smoothly, then he will disappear completely.
♠
Bring Me The Horizon ft. Halsey - ¿
|10th of March|
Jimin’s pov
Jimin’s plan for the day was to take Yoongi out on a fancy date at one of his favorite restaurants, where he had the chance to pay for the whole meal, and show Yoongi his appreciation for his previous help. But as life does not always go as planned, Jimin had to postpone the date by a few hours, missing the reservation he had made and having to ask Yoongi to come a bit later because of some urgent meetings at work. Jimin would lie to say he wasn’t a bit disappointed. What options were left, now? To take another walk in the park? No, not again, it wouldn’t be special enough, nor intimate (just in case Yoongi finally decided to try taking a further step).Another restaurant? No, because Jimin didn’t want to take Yoongi to just any restaurant. He knew Yoongi didn’t care about it, but he had made up his mind way before, he wanted to make an impression.So here he was, staring at his own reflection in the mirror of the restroom of his office. The dark circles under his eyes were still visible but he felt like there was no use in hiding them anymore. He sighed, he spent way too much time stressing over ways of impressing Yoongi, it felt ridiculous at this point. He felt so small while looking in the mirror, scared even. He felt like running, but he had no direction. Why was he so… obsessed with Yoongi?Jimin was a bit scared of himself, like the way one does while looking at the ocean beneath his feet, standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to jump. Would Jimin jump, though? Cluessly about the dangers that hid in the cold, deep water?What was he doing at this point? He promised himself, it was just a distraction, but why wasn’t it feeling like it anymore?Jimin thought he had one purpose, and it was related to his work. He made a promise to himself he wouldn’t allow any distraction to get him off track with finding the one that killed his mother years back. He shouldn’t be here, he shouldn’t get distracted. But Jimin was bad at spotting the red flags recently, so there he was, checking himself out in the mirror, making sure he looked good enough to leave a good impression on his date. He sighed. He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do, but something inside Jimin cracked the moment he met Yoongi. He didn’t want to let go of him. He wasn’t ready to.He wasn’t good at human interaction, and if Yoongi found him interesting enough to hang out with him, it must have meant something. He could use some emotional support, maybe it will be easier for him to work with someone waiting for him at home. Maybe Jimin had the right to be selfish sometimes, he deserved to have someone just for himself, someone who cared if he lived or not.He placed his hand above his ribs and tightened the shirt in his grip. The tattoo was a constant reminder for Jimin that he will have to complete his mission one day. What was left for him to do was figure out if Yoongi was there to help him or to distract him.Jimin hoped it wasn’t the latter. ♠ As he expected, when Jimin exited the building Yoongi was already there waiting for him. Same black hair, same ripped jeans, a black wrinkled t-shirt with what looked like a skull imprinted on it, accompanied by his classic leather jacket, serving looks for Jimin’s legs to go weak as per usual. At least, Jimin got used to the looks by now. He knew how to control himself around Yoongi and keep himself composed. What he wasn’t used to though was… whatever had gone through Yoongi’s mind to show up with a motorcycle. Jimin had a hard time not letting his mouth drop open at the sight. It was a black and rather old model, with long silver bars at the front, a simply styled handlebar, that looked inexplicably hot in Yoongi’s proximity. By the looks of it, it was a chopper. Up until today, Jimin didn’t like the idea of motorcycles, he found them dangerous. However, the image of Yoongi leaning against one, cutely waving at him, with his usual attire, cigarette placed between his lips… Yeah, Jimin changed his mind. Motorcycles were cool. “Evenin’!” Yoongi said while Jimin approached him, the pout around his cigarette instantly turning into a smile as Jimin got closer. He gulped before reaching him, taking in the view before him, Yoongi’s perfectly pale skin, the calm and collected demeanor, when Jimin was everything but that in his presence. “Hi!” Jimin replied as nonchalantly as possible. It was already getting darker outside, but the weather started to get more bearable as the spring was finally fully embracing their city. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting, I ran out of the office as fast as I could.” He omitted the restroom check-up.“Mhm. Not really, just got there, lit this guy.” He made a short gesture with the hand holding the cigarette, presenting it to Jimin.“That’s…uh, that’s good.”“Yeah, so, um..”“Yoongi, what’s with that?” Jimin suddenly decided to break the awkward silence, hand gesturing towards the vehicle behind Yoongi. “The cigarette?” Yoongi raised one eyebrow suspiciously. “No, obviously, the motorbike?” “Oh, she’s my girl, I decided to take it for a walk because it was a nice and warm day, y’know?” Yoongi patted the motorbike’s saddle as it was his pet and gave Jimin a knowing smirk. “What? I know she’s a little bit intimidating but I hoped you’d like it.” A fake pout followed and Jimin didn’t know what to make out of it. Out of the entire situation, should he just jump on the back of the chopper and ride it with Yoongi? No way in hell.“I think it’s nice, and it looks extremely expensive, maybe almost as much as my car? I didn’t know you owned something like that.”“I don’t like to make impressions based on what I own, Jimin.” Well, that was hot, Jimin had to give that to Yoongi. He rolled his eyes though, showing Yoongi how unaffected he was by whatever was happening. “Well then, um, I wanted to go eat something and I made a reservation, sadly, it’s too late, and…” Jimin looked around a little bit and checked the sky. “I don’t know what to do now.”“Go somewhere else to eat if you are hungry?” Yoongi suggested with a carefree shrug. It was obvious he didn’t care about such things as Jimin did.“We could do that…but…” Jimin started to play with his foot at that point, looking at the ground. He really hoped Yoongi would say it instead of him.“Or… we could cook?”Jimin’s eyes went wide at that. “Uhh, what do you mean?”“I mean, do you know how to use a kitchen, right?”“Oh!” Jimin continued with a dumb smile plastered on his face. He had Yoongi exactly where he wanted. “I usually take take-out food but I know how to make scrambled eggs?” He still laughed awkwardly, stealing a glance to see whether Yoongi was ready to throw another one of his cocky remarks. “Ok, then, Park Jimin, I’ll show you how to cook. But, um, if that’s alright for you, we could crash at yours? I don’t think that my place is fit for cooking.”“Ok then, we could go to mine then.” Jimin thought about it for a few seconds. It should be fine as long as he would keep Yoongi far from his home office.Yoongi jumped on the motorbike and turned his head to Jimin, frowning. “Coming or?”“Uh… my car?”Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Are you saying no to my beauty? Who are you to say no to her?”“But it looks dangerous…”“Oh, come on, detective, I’ll drive legally.” He winked and Jimin couldn’t refuse further.So yeah, he jumped on the back of the chopper, put on the spare helmet Yoongi gave to him, and put his life in Yoongi’s hands. Obviously, on the way to his apartment, he had to hang onto Yoongi’s body like his life depended on it, secretly enjoying the closeness he haven’t felt before. ♠
The Weeknd - The Hills
Jimin’s residence wasn’t too outstanding. Indeed, he lived in an expensive apartment block in Gangnam on the 13th floor, with a nice view towards Han River from the living room. Apart from that, the place was pretty plain. The walls were simply white, rooms filled with grey and brown furniture, with no extreme decorations. The place was neat but practically lifeless, but Jimin didn’t mind it. He didn’t have much time to focus on his surroundings, he just needed a place to sleep in, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a silent, private room where he could work overtime if needed. The nature of his job had him prepared for such. He welcomed Yoongi inside his apartment after parking the motorbike in the underground parking lot, mind and heart still at back his car back at the office building. He would have to take an Uber to work the next morning but well, the things he did for Min Yoongi. “It’s not much…” He mentioned while taking off his shoes, waiting for Yoongi to do the same. As soon as they started walking towards the living room openly connected to the kitchen, Yoongi’s eyes went huge, walking them over the furniture, most likely searching for a bit of Jimin’s personality in the way the apartment was styled. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make much of it. “Being a detective sure comes with its benefits, huh?” He smirked suggestively towards Jimin, making him faintly blush. “I don’t think of myself as a rich one, though. I don’t have much, actually.” Jimin excused himself while putting his coat in the hanger. “But you do afford to live here, have that expensive car, and order take-out food daily.” When I eat. Jimin shrugged. “I am busy with work most of the time, that’s why… I avoid cooking.”“With a kitchen like that, I’d literally cook from morning till dawn. But yeah, I get you.” He scratched the back of his head, looking around a bit awkwardly. “Yeah, um, right, I’m a terrible host, I hardly ever have anyone home, want a beer?”Yoongi faced him and Jimin could swear he spotted a smirk. “I have to drive back, remember?”Oh shit, Jimin forgot about that. That meant the alcohol was out of the question.“Yeah, I didn’t think about it.” He answered a bit embarrassed, leaving his office briefcase in the living room. “I’m going to change into something cozier, please make yourself at home, take in the kitchen, the living room, whatever.”“Oh, yeah, thanks, I will.”Jimin entered his room and quickly took out a pair of black jeans. They were tight, not the most comfortable, but simple enough. To be honest, he didn’t like tight jeans but his ass looked great in them. Yoongi wasn’t the only one allowed to tease him with hot looks. He put a random white shirt on and went back to his guest.Upon going back, Yoongi was half-buried into the was the fridge, probably thinking about what kind of plate he could make with what Jimin had. Luckily, Jimin had restocked the day before because he wanted to have Taehyung over anyway.Yoongi took his time choosing his ingredients, mumbling to Jimin about how important is to eat healthy in order to live a long life, until he finally decided on steak with vegetables and a side dish consisting of jasmine rice and spicy kimchi. Jimin smiled at the image of Yoongi sitting in his kitchen so casually, counting vegetables. It felt domestic. But there was a problem, an extremely obvious problem eating at the back of Jimin’s mind. Yoongi was there, in his house, preparing to cook for him, they were casually talking about peeling carrots, exchanging secret, intimate glances at each other. Jimin felt it, the tension filled his kitchen. Yet there they were. Jimin couldn't help but wonder… would any of this lead to something? What were Yoongi’s intentions? What were they? Jimin had so many questions, but he was too stubborn to ask. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe it would have been better if he waited for Yoongi to make the first step. But again… maybe it was Jimin’s only chance to turn everything in his favor.If he could at least steal a short, lil kiss from Yoongi today, he would call it a day. His eyes landed on Yoongi’s cooking figure again, eyes focused on the kitchen counter, skillfully handling the ingredients, already turning Jimin’s kitchen into his. It turned Jimin madly insane, he couldn’t resist him anymore. He waggled his way towards the counter, hesitantly leaning his head on Yoongi’s shoulder, starling him. He didn’t move, though. Maybe it was a good sign.“May I help?” Jimin asked with a sweet voice, waiting for Yoongi’s response. Jimin’s eyes darkened the moment he realized Yoongi’s hands were now frozen on the tomatoes he had just taken out of the fridge. So he did have an effect on him, huh?“A-actually… y-yes.” Yoogni replied with a huffed voice, turning around with a swift move without realizing the movement would only get them closer. Jimin didn’t intend to move. Their lips were a couple of inches apart, Jimin could feel Yoongi’s breath fanning over them. He was so close, so fucking close. But Yoongi leaned back against the counter sooner than Jimin expected, wetting his lips clumsily, before he turned around, moving back to his tomatoes. “I'm going to let you handle the vegetables, you can chop them until I prepare the meat.” He looked flustered, disappointment filling Jimin’s guts. He didn’t understand why was Yoongi holding back. He sighed, accepting the task he had been given, organizing the vegetables. All he needed to do was chop them, it wasn’t such a hard thing to do, it wasn’t the first time Jimin was touching a kitchen knife but… to say he was distressed would be an understatement. He started to work on the vegetables clumsily, fingers shaking a bit. He didn’t want to make a fool out of himself, but he felt Yoongi watching him, his every move as if the previous interaction wasn’t enough of an embarrassment for Jimin.“Jimin, you really don’t know how to chop, don’t you?” Yoongi giggled, leaving the meat on the oven tray, closing the space between them yet again. Jimin didn’t like the idea at all, he was already a trembling mess, he didn’t need more of it. But Yoongi seemed oblivious to the entire deal. Or he wasn’t, purely enjoying playing with Jimin’s emotions. “Look, put your finger like that, then with the other hand you keep the tomato like this, so you won’t cut your pretty fingers, then, you cut down like this.” He placed his own hand above Jimin’s, slowly moving the two of them at once for a demonstration. Jimin didn’t pay attention to any of it, obviously. He already had a hard time choosing between focusing on Yoongi’s breath on his neck or the beautiful, veiny hands, holding his own. Jimin was very close to fucking everything up and just-.Yoongi stopped the movement and Jimin took the opportunity to let the knife down and turn in Yoongi’s hold, holding his gaze. He couldn’t fail a second time, right?Yoongi gulped instantly. He stared back at Jimin, his gaze not leaving his eyes. The stare was so intense, his eyes felt like a dark ocean for Jimin, he felt like diving in it. “Go back to work, detective, we need to finish quickly if we want to eat this evening.” Yoongi retracted quickly, as if electrified, voice not betraying what the eyes did. Jimin turned back to the counter, shoulders slumped and a couple of curses on the tip of his tongue. ♠
Yoongi’s pov
Min Yoongi was the dumbest individual on the planet, he was sure of it. He had no idea why did he propose such a stupid thing, going over to Jimin’s place. What was he? A masochist? Being alone with the detective felt like the epitome of torture, and the evening had barely begun. Especially after the eventful morning he had gone through. And of course, he was not shy nor flustered, but he just had to keep himself back for the better good. That moment, Yoongi didn’t wish for anything else but to throw that fucking steak out the window and eat Park Jimin instead. But he couldn’t do that, it would only hurt Jimin. The moment Jimin will eventually find out about who he actually was, was closer than it appeared. Playing with his feelings only to serve the betrayal afterward would just ruin the detective even further. And it wouldn’t have been that bad if it wasn’t for Jimin’s obvious flirting and his open suggestions, not because Yoongi didn’t know how to refuse him, but because he was doing it against his will. He had to force himself to hold back, it was infuriating. He would have joined the game Jimin was playing, coming up with cocky replies until he had him pinned against the first wall, but Yoongi couldn’t trust himself at that point. If he tasted it, he would have gone all the way, there was no going back. He couldn’t handle complicated at the moment. He was great at many things, but feelings. He shouldn’t have started it to begin with, but it was too late now.The only thing option left for him in the current situation was playing dumb, shy, and oblivious. So to say, Yoongi tried to keep the distance for as much as possible for the rest of the cooking time. The oven was now deliciously cooking the food there and the mouthwatering smell started to gradually fill the apartment. Yoongi dragged a chair mini bar in Jimin’s kitchen and watched the other prepare some coffee. Looking around Jimin’s place, he came up with an idea regarding the biological weapon, and he was looking forward to discussing the plan with Romeo, taking a couple of risks into consideration. After making a note of it, his eyes landed curiously on the door leading to Jimin’s office. The detective didn’t specifically mention it was his office, but it was the only room that seemed to be locked in the apartment, the only room that Jimin avoided throughout the entire evening up until now, and Yoongi was dying to find out about the secrets hidden behind that door.“Thank you for cooking for me… Yoongi.” Jimin startled Yoongi the second he placed the steamed cup of coffee in front of him, bringing him back to reality.He pushed the wandering thoughts away and reminded himself Jimin couldn’t find him suspicious in any way for now. “No worries, Jiminie, and it wasn’t just me, we did it together, remember?” He smiled politely, watching Jimin’s face retorting as soon as he remembered.The detective rolled his eyes and took a seat near him. “If me chopping off my fingers counts as cooking then sure, why not.”Cute. Yoongi thought Jimin was cute. No more denying it.“Mhm, the coffee smells so good, I’d very much smoke a cigarette.” No, he actually needed one.“We can go to the balcony if you want? Sorry but the residence won’t allow inside smoking and I don’t want to cause problems so…”Yoongi shrugged, smiling softly. “Fine with me, let’s take the coffees with us and admire this damn city.”The two left the living room, entering what appeared to be a large balcony, just as neatly organized as the rest of the house. Yoongi spotted two chairs and a small glassy table. Jimin placed an ashtray on it and sat down, covering himself with what seemed to be a fluffy cover blanket. He noticed that he had one placed on his chair too, so he made sure to put it around his shoulders. “So, um…” Jimin wetted his lips, eyes fixed on the view beneath them, the beauty of Han River in its majesty, and the lingering city lights. “I told my colleagues about that game you mentioned… they agreed to look into it.”Yoongi almost held his breath. “Seriously?” He acted surprised, high-fiving himself internally. “Well, that’s great, isn’t it?”Surprisingly, Jimin sighed. “Not necessarily…” Jimin turned his body just a bit to face Yoongi now and watched him with a thoughtful look. “Because if you were right… we have to look at the bigger picture. It’s good that we have a new lead, but if it is true, it means we have many more enemies than we thought we did.”“What does it mean?” Yoongi raised one eyebrow curiously, pretending he didn’t know what Jimin was implying.Jimin didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, probably considering what was alright to disclose to Yoongi and what not. “When this case was dropped on us and I gladly accepted it because I thought… Look at me, I’m Park Jimin, I’m the best, I can definitely handle this one. But I was wrong… this is not as simple as we thought.”The next thing Yoongi did wasn’t necessarily at all. He could have just refrained himself from doing that, but there he was, placing his hand softly over Jimin’s, offering a reassuring smile. “Look, Jimin, I’d like to help you, but that’s the extent of my expertise . I’m practically a loser that likes digging up theories… That’s all I can do, I just hope it is not that dangerous… I trust you and I know it will be over soon. Sooner than you expect.”
He didn’t lie there. It will definitely be over soon, just not as Jimin expected.
Jimin blinked several times, eyes staring at Yoongi’s hand cupping his. “I-I hope so too.”“Listen to me…” Yoongi kept his hand in place, squeezing Jimin’s. He didn’t need to do this either, but he couldn’t hold back. “Please listen to what I have to say because you might want to remember it one day.”Yoongi lost. He had lost to Park Jimin. To his eyes. To his own heart. He lost it all. “Yeah?”“I agree with the saying “trust no one” because these days, people are fucked up and cynical, even the closest friends can turn into enemies if given a suited context. So I understand, it is not an easy thing to ask, but trust me. No matter when, and no matter the context, if you need my help, I will do my best to help. No matter the context. Remember this.”Jimin frowned his brows confusedly, mouth half-open. “Whether it’s about a trip to Singapore or if you want me to help you with your work or whatever, I’ll do it for you, ok? No matter the context. ”“Wait…” Jimin retracted his hand, leaving Yoongi’s palm empty, touching the cold surface of the glass table. “Why should I trust you after saying that even the closest friends can turn into our greatest enemies?”Yoongi laughed softly at that, eyes not leaving Jimin’s once. “Alright, you don’t have to trust me, detective, just trust my words that I will be there for you, no matter the context .”Just to shut him up, most likely, Jimin nodded his head. “Alright, Yoongi.” He offered a cute, still confused smile. “I promise I’ll come to ask for your help if I feel too much pressure, okay? And you can do the same too!”Yoongi was highly doubting it.The rest of the evening went by eventless. They ate discussing random topics, from music to TV Shows, friendships and families. Jimin didn’t disclose much about his own, so Yoongi did neither, but it felt comfortable finding out how much the two of them had in common, specifically music-wise.“So…” As it was already getting pretty late, right after they finished eating, Yoongi helped Jimin with the dishes then made up an excuse to leave. “Thank you for having me over, detective.” He winked, pretending not to notice the soft blush in Jimin’s cheeks or the expectations readable into his eyes. Fantastic. Yoongi had one job. He had to open the door and run.“You don’t have to thank me for anything, Yoongi, you are a good… friend after all.” Jimin didn’t hide the disappointment in his eyes the moment he mentioned the word. Well, Yoongi would lie to say that he felt satisfied. He knew Jimin was going to be mad after today, but as he kept on reminding himself, it was for the better. It wasn’t like it would have lasted, anyway.“See you soon then.”“Yeah.”Just when Yoongi was about to take a step further and bypass Jimin to reach the door, Jimin stopped him, getting closer-It was a dick move, Yoongi was aware of it.He took Jimin into a friendly embrace.“Thanks, Jiminie, again, seriously, I felt great!” He turned around without looking back. “Have a good night!” ♠
Hoseok’s pov
Hoseok’s days were just the same. Work, home, maybe a bit of food, sleep, work again. He somehow had fallen into a routine recently, and he tried to focus on it instead of the haunting past rushing back into his life at such a time. It made him feel relieved, yet… he tried to run away when he had the opportunity. Work helped him stay sane. It was moments like this, coming home to the serene silence that he was looking for to. As soon as he opened the door to his apartment, he got out of his shoes and started preparing a warm bath. He deserved it, especially now, when he was closer than ever to the truth he had been trying to prove to his family for the past few years. Not that he had specific evidence, but he was getting there. The second he started preparing a new change of clothes, the comfortable silence he was so used to was ruined by a pretty agitated knock on his door. He sighed, tiredly, and opened the door, just to be left bewildered. His parents haven’t visited Hoseok for the past 2 years. He opened the door awkwardly, letting them inside. “What brings the two of you here? Especially so late in the evening, did something happen?”“Good evening to you too, son.” His father replied sarcastically as he got rid of his coat. “Nothing bad happened, don’t worry, we came.. For a different reason.” He continued, voice warmer this time. That’s when Hoseok realized. His parents bought along with them a very beautiful bouquet of flowers. The number of irises was even. That could have meant only one thing. Hoseok sighed, letting his parents get comfortable while preparing some tea for the pair. He cared for his family, and sometimes even visited them. The visits have never been long though since Hoseok preferred to avoid a specific subject, and his parents had the talent to always bring it back in the most uncalled ways possible. And now, they were there specifically for that, for a conversation Hoseok was not prepared to have, and would never be. “So…” He placed down the two empty cups. His mother was the first to pour the tea into her cup, mixing it meticulously with half a spoon of sugar. “Son, I must assume you know why we came today, right?”“It’s the anniversary. The fake death anniversary.” Hoseok wasn’t in the mood for it. Hoseok’s mother took a sip of the steamed cup of tea and placed it on the table calmly. “Hoseok, darling, can we drop that already? Can you stop calling it like that? For her sake at least?”Hoseok sat down on the armchair, close to his mother. “Mom…” He counted to three to calm down. “For her sake, I won’t acknowledge such a thing.”“It’s been seven years.” That was the first time Hoseok’s father spoke directly.It’s been seven years since Jung Dawon, Hoseok’s sister, disappeared with no trace. After that, everything had been chaos. Hoseok’s life changed drastically. The Jungs tried everything to find her, but with all the money thrown left and right, all they could do was convince the police into conducting investigations for a month after her disappearance. After that, they closed the case. He had never even considered giving up. This is how it all began. Hoseok enrolled in the Police Academy and refused to accept what his parents called “his sister’s death”. He became a police officer while still attending his science and medicine studies. For years, he had tried to dig up the case as an apprentice officer, but instead of helping with the case, the police refused wasting time on what they called “dead-end cases”. He was a gifted student and later officer, it didn’t take that much for him to change his profile. He worked as a forensic scientist for two years before he realized the Seoul Police Department wasn’t the answer he was searching for. He switched to a private Investigation Company, which gave him more freedom, a better salary, and exciting cases. Working for a private department was totally different from working for the Public Police Department. The cases that ended up there were usually secret, more complex, and well paid. Also, the equipment they were using was high class and the team he was part of was full of smart, strong-willed people.He managed to pay to open a case for the disappearance of his sister, and he had the time to look into it between other cases. He was given access to all the data he needed, he had the resources, the necessary help, and the privacy needed. Inspector Kim even proposed Hoseok to have a detective help him. He would gladly accept upon that offer by asking for Jimin’s help when the time was about to come. At the moment, he already had a couple of leads and was almost convinced his sister was alive. Even though nothing was confirmed as of now, he refused to commemorate her death with his parents.“Yes, father, it’s been 7 years since she disappeared, not died.” He replied politely, holding his anger back. “Just because you haven’t seen her dead body, it doesn’t mean she is alive, Hoseok. You need to wake up to reality.” The tone of his voice was anything but nice, it irked Hoseok’s nerves. He wasn’t in the mood to fight with his father. Not again.“Stop speaking to me about dead bodies. I am pretty sure we have looked into all the dead bodies in Seoul at that time, none of them was her. She left without a trace, but she did not die.”“Where is she now, then?” His mother joined. “Hoseok, look, look around you, you are constantly drowning yourself in work, lying to yourself, searching for ghosts, you don’t have a life anymore, all you do is that. Why won’t you let her rest in peace, son? She wouldn’t be happy to know you turned into…this…” She concluded, eyes wandering about the walls of the apartment to make a point. “But how would you think she would feel knowing you didn’t even fight for her? Maybe she needed us, and we weren’t there for her. Honestly, mom, I won’t agree with you on this. If you thought that you could just come here today to change my mind, you were wrong. You are wasting your time, both of you.” Neither of the two said anything after that. “I guess there isn’t much to do then.” His father eventually said, voice resigned, tired. “I assume it’s time for us to leave.”“I’ll see you out.” Was his only reply.His mother looked at him, sorrow in her eyes. “You know we will come back, right? You have to accept her death eventually, Hoseok…and when you feel ready, we’ll be here for you.” She placed her hand on his shoulder and patted it maternally, giving him a kind, small smile.A smile that didn’t make it to Hoseok’s heart. “Don’t bother to come if it’s going to be about her. I mean, it’s not like you ever came for me but, don’t anymore.”His father looked into his eyes disapprovingly and headed for the door, followed by his mother.Hoseok wasn’t in the mood to take a bath, not anymore. He jumped straight into bed, phone in his hands, double-checking Jiwon’s message. It was still there. He felt relieved. Jiwon was a very good detective, Hoseok trusted her instincts. Whatever was happening brought him hope. ♠
This is just another dream to
Slip away
Because of my tendency to
Make mistakes
But I'll fake another smile
Just to blend
As I secretly pretend that
I'm not here
Reasons - Matt Van
Yoongi’s pov
Since he was younger, Yoongi had been having sleeping issues. He tried several methods of falling asleep quicker but ended up realizing only exhaustion would help him actually do it.It didn’t always work either, especially if there was something on his mind, especially if that something increased his heart rate. Especially if it hurt, because it wasn’t palpable, it was all in his head. He lost track of who he really was, and Yoongi hated it the most. The fact that right now, it was one of the most unfortunate moments for him to feel such things, to be drawn in an ocean of uncalled emotions. It made it harder for him. He had to betray him. He had to willingly ruin Jimin and his trust in people forever. The more he waited, the closer he got to “what ifs”.Yoongi had to put a stop to it all, the sooner the better, because it was no way he was falling in love with Park Jimin. ♠
Jimin’s pov
“And then… he simply left?” Jimin explained, frustrated beyond words, recreating the scene he had gone through just a few hours ago for his best friend. Taehyung frowned his eyebrows, indignantly. “So you want to tell me that you were about to kiss him, for the third time in the course of two hours, and the dude simply left?”Jimin nodded, considering banging his head against the first wall nearby. “Man, he’s a loser, Jimin, you are such a catch,” Taehyung concluded, still lost in thoughts.“Well, that’s what I thought. Maybe the feelings are requited. He just wants to be my friend, which is cool, but he should stop giving me the fucking signals, you know?”“Hmm.” His friend scratched his chin, still running scenarios in his head. “What if he is the type of guy that likes taking his time? Maybe you should just… wait a bit longer?”“Come on, Tae!” Jimin stuffed a mouthful of chips into his mouth before going back to speaking. “We are not in high school anymore, we don’t need to wait for three months for the first kiss.”“I’ll do that if that meant I’ll get the guy I have my eyes on.”“No, Tae, you wouldn’t. You just say that because you are not in my shoes.”“Jimin, just, no, you are completely wrong.” Taehyung countered quickly as if he actually was in the same situation and Jimin was the one not getting it. “This is getting nowhere. You are too greedy, listen to me, you are too into this, you shouldn’t have let him in your house like you’ve been knowing each other for years.”“All we did was cook, Tae.”Taehyung still looked conflicted. “You don’t even know what he’s after, Jimin. Really now, he’s pretty creepy if you ask me, like he’s pining after you but then he avoids contact when you are the one initiating something? Shouldn’t this raise a flag? A red fucking flag? What if he ends up hurting you?” The look in his eyes changed suddenly, he wasn’t confused anymore, but sad. Actually sad. Jimin couldn’t help but accept his opinion. Taehyung wasn’t wrong either. Something was going on, after all. “So, what should I do then…?” He pushed the bag of chips away because he didn’t even want to eat anymore.Taehyung looked down at his own hands, balancing his words before meeting Jimin’s eyes again. “Set boundaries. Pause your feelings, push them away for as much as possible. Try it out for like one month, see whether he is the one who is going to take the next steps. I trust your judgment, Jiminie, don’t let him hurt you. He didn’t convince me he deserves you up until now, so no, you don’t get my approval on this.”Jimin sighed, rolling his eyes. “Ohh, ok, fine, Tae, I’ll do that. For a month. See you in April then, if things actually go my way, you are gonna treas us to our favorite restaurant.”“Challenge accepted.”♠ To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Stray Kids - Wow
|14th of March|
Jimin’s pov
Suga
That’s how Taehyung called his brother, and ever since, Jimin couldn’t get the word out of his head.
It must have been a coincidence, yet Jimin couldn’t help himself, he put a note of it on his murder board, just in case. He’s been busy day and night, working on multiple cases, taking care of files, and making sure he wasn’t neglecting them whilst focusing on the CIA case.
It was stressful, nerve-wracking, Jimin didn’t remember when was the last time he slept more than five hours/ night, but he was motivated. It kept him going, he wasn’t going to fall a step behind. He tried not to think of it, he tried to ignore the fuzziness, sometimes replacing it with black coffee and cigarettes.
He would keep on going forward.
Luckily, he had Jeong-in help with most of the work. The apprentice was going to be an excellent detective one day, given his detail-oriented nature and the skills he possessed. Jimin had been thrilled to find out the officer was gifted when it came to IT and programming. He was sure the man was going to be very useful to their department in the near future, so he made sure to teach him all the tips and tricks a future detective needed.
An unpolished diamond. Jimin was going to take care of that himself.
After making this precious discovery, Jimin was struck by a brilliant idea. He asked Jeong-in to take a look over the maps and the codes printed on them, in hopes he would decipher the code behind them.
“Detective Park? May I?” Jeong-in pushed the door to his own office, late in the afternoon, just before Jimin’s shift was about to end.
“Sure, come in.”
“Alright, so… where do I begin…?” The officer didn’t seem happy about the result, but Jimin was already used to bad news. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but the maps don’t seem to hide a specific cipher behind the letters.”
Jimin put the files in front of him aside and gestured to the officer to take a seat in front of his desk. “Names, I thought they might be names. Was I wrong?”
“Actually, it could be code names or aliases, of course, there are lots of combinations there, but if they are using some kind of aliases that are known only between them, it’s useless information. There’s nothing that could actually help. Aliases or code names would be useful only if we had someone infiltrated on their side but like this…” He shook his head, disappointed.
Jimin thought of his words carefully. “But we had previously found a link, at the student dorm, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. But the guy at the student dorm was named Sugar, well… nicknamed. The point is, they could have used that as a distraction.”
“And the combination on the maps wasn’t
Sugar.”
“Exactly. It was
SUGA.
It’s the only clue that we have. Just in case, my colleagues are investigating this. It’s hard to find someone nicknamed Suga in the entire Seoul, but it doesn’t hurt to research this a bit.” Jimin swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling something weighing on his chest.
Why did all of these clues lead to Taehyung? Why were they related? It was a coincidence. It couldn’t be related. He met him several times, and nothing he did or said seemed suspicious to Jimin, in any way. Or… was it?
“Thank you, officer. You did more than enough for this case, I think you are excellent at what you are doing. Keep going.” Jimin hid his worry behind a small smile, encouraging the younger.
The officer replied with a huge, satisfied smile on his face. “Thank you! I didn’t do much, honestly, but we are not giving up. Please, do not hesitate to count on me.”
♠
Maybe Jimin should have talked to Taehyung about it. Maybe Jimin should have just told him the truth.
But he didn’t.
“Detective!” Namjoon ran towards him in a rush the second he spotted him exit his office.
“Namjoon?”
“We need to talk. Like right now. This is urgent.” He quickly dragged Jimin to a desk in the main area of their lobby. Not many workers were at the office that late in the evening. “We found information on Game of Life, the game your little boyfriend has told you about.”
Jimin frowned, a blush creeping on his cheeks. “Not my boyfriend… yet.” Hopefully, because the last time he saw Yoongi it didn’t go that well.
“Not the point.”
Right, the case.
“Okay, so? What did you find?”
“Okay, um… Take a seat, because this is way bigger than you thought.”
?
Jimin was scared to ask.
“So we found some records of similar cases, investigated by the police. Recent ones. The game creates victims of young ages, still, and all of them are classified as death by poisoning. However, these incidents are hidden by the public/ media, due to the panic it could create if such news would be undisclosed.”
Jimin listened carefully, trying to process what his partner had just told him. “Wait, does this mean there are other victims too?”
“Yes, a lot of them, apparently. Police tell their families it was suicide, and that’s about it. Suicide is common these days… unfortunately, so, they are covering these suspect deaths with the pretext of suicide.”
But why didn’t the police do anything about it, then? Aren’t they investigating? Question after question started popping up in Jimin’s head, confusing him further.
“Alright, if this is bigger than we thought, if the police don’t touch it… maybe it’s some kind of organisation that’s behind all of it. There must be someone who makes sure the game keeps on going right? But why haven’t we, detectives, heard of this before?”
“I can answer that question for you…” Both Namjoon and Jimin turned their heads towards Jeong-in, who, accompanied by Hoseok, were just preparing to leave the office. “I started looking into this, but, obviously, I need some more time to make sure I’m correct. Many of the victims of these games have been involved in suspicious underground activities. Maybe it’s all related to dangerous mobs, hence, the police do not get involved.”
Hoseok stretched his chin, balancing the words of the officer. “What if the game isn’t a game anymore and it’s more like a method of killing used underground?”
Jimin hadn’t considered this before, but hell, it made so much sense. “So, do you think it could be used as an assassination method?”
Namjoon nodded his head, agreeing to Jimin. “Maybe there’s an organisation handling this, or maybe they play between each other, we cannot tell now, but it makes a lot of sense.”
“An organization that takes care of the dirty work, without leaving traces behind.” Jeong-in joined Namjoon. “I mean, we could only assume…”
Jimin took a deep breath. “Alright, we can’t be sure, that’s a fact, but this is a good start. Namjoon was right, whoever killed the victims we’ve been investigating, isn’t Miles Gilbert nor his friends. They were victims of this game, weren't they?”
The four of them remained silent for a couple of moments, digesting the information.
“Guys…” Namjoon spoke, worry showing on his face. “This might go beyond the case we are working on, we will have to talk to Inspector Kim about it. We’ll need a bigger team to properly look into this.”
“One thing is sure, at least. The game is directly connected to our case and to Miles Gilbert. If we manage to arrest him, we’ll have a great chance to find even more information on this.”
“Wait…why would he tell us?” Hoseok raised one of his eyebrows skeptically. “I mean…I know some torture methods, but I don’t think we are allowed to use them here…”
Namjoon slapped Hoseok’s nape once. “No, we won’t use those. I have a better idea.” No one failed to notice Namjoon’s smirk. “There is a chance that these people had also killed Miles' people, isn't there? Which means…”
“He will want revenge too.” Hoseok continued for him.
“Bingo!” Namjoon winked in reply.
♠
On his way home, Jimin stopped at a convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes and some groceries.
Just when he was heading back to his car, he spotted a young man gesturing towards cars, mostly for hitchhiking.
“Hello? Excuse me? Do you need a ride?” Jimin smiled brightly, trying hard not to scare the guy.
The other man, a little bit startled, turned to Jimin, and as soon as he heard the question he put on a bright bunny-like smile. He looked pretty.
“Yeah, sure, if you don’t mind, I’m in a huge hurry and I have no money left so I can’t take the subway nor a taxi right now…” He stretched the back of his nape, looking embarrassed. Jimin gestured to him to hop in the car.
“I’m going towards Hongdae, where do you need to be?”
“That’s great, I need to be in Mapo-Gu as soon as possible.”
♠
On their way, Jimin had learned that the young man’s name was Jungkook and he was a photography student, living with his boyfriend. Jimin didn’t ask him more about it, as they exchanged just a couple of information about each other, conversational stuff.
He omitted details such as the fact that he was a detective.
“My best friend, Taehyung, is a photography student too! Maybe you know him!” Jimin mentioned at some point, missing the times when he and Taehyung shared the same room at the student dorm.
Curiously, Jungkook choked the second Jimin mentioned Taehyung, but quickly collected himself and denied knowing any Taehyung.
Taehyung had come back from the USA only recently, after being offered a scholarship for his master’s degree, so it was only natural not to have known all the photography students.
When he let Jungkook off in Mapo Gu, the other insisted on getting his phone number to pay back for the ride but Jimin kindly refused him this time, Namjoon was right. No more strangers for a while.
But talking to a stranger felt like fresh air for Jimin. Interacting with a normal person felt surreal. Back when he was a student, Taehyung chose a management subject, but after finishing it, Jimin enrolled in the police while his best friend started studying photography while getting a remote part-time job.
Jimin got an apartment, and Taehyung continued living in the student dorm, but he seemed happy with his decision, and it was all that mattered for Jimin.
♠
Stray Kids - Any
Jungkook’s pov
Jungkook was aware of the fact that Taehyung was extremely possessive when it came to his best friend. The last thing Jungkook wanted was for him to find out about their coincidental meeting with Jimin and get the wrong idea.
No matter how much he thought of it, he had to tell Taehyung before Jimin had the opportunity to mention it.
“Tae…” Jungkook approached him as he found him in the living room, covered in a fluffy blanket. “I need to tell you something real quick, and you just have to listen to me without thinking too much into it, okay?” He put on a cute smile and dropped down on the sofa, right beside Taehyung.
The warm look in Taehyung’s eyes dissipated completely the second he heard him, and Jungkook was suddenly thinking it was a bad idea after all. “What happened? Are you alright?” He got closer to Jungkook, hand on his shoulder.
Well, he wasn’t quite alright. Not right now when Jungkook was trying to focus on the best, and fastest explanation possible, yet Taehyung decided to close the space between them and be breathtakingly beautiful for no fucking reason.
Why did he smell like strawberries? It was frustrating.
“Yes, I am alright.” Jungkook collected himself quickly.
“Alright then, what’s this about then?”
“Okay, so your detective friend Jimin gave me a ride here, home, but it was a complete coincidence I swear to God.”
“What?” Taehyung put some space between them, looking at Jungkook suspiciously.
“So I ran out of money and I needed a quick ride back home so I just thought I’d hitchhike. There was this guy getting out of a convenience store close by that noticed me and he offered me a ride. I didn’t know it was Jimin until later when he mentioned your name throughout the ride.” Jungkook didn’t meet Taehyung’s eyes, praying to the powers of the universe he wasn’t going to assume some shit.
But then, instead of replying, Taehyung burst out laughing, even holding his stomach, leaving Jungkook wide-eyed and speechless.
“Have you lost your mind?” He eventually asked, upon noticing Taehyung wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
“Wait,” Taehyung asked for some more time to calm down. “This is so funny, what the actual hell, what are the chances?”
“So you are not mad?”
Taehyung just shook his head while wiping a tear from the corner of his right eye. “I believe you, and I think the universe is playing some kind of trick on us. But I appreciate the fact that you told me. I mean imagine if Jimin told me he met this cute Jungkook guy with a bunny smile on his way home, without me knowing of it? Insane.”
Cute?
Jungkook’s smile dropped instantly, eyes growing big at the affirmation. As soon as he realised it, a blush crept on Taehyung’s cheek. “Nevermind.”
“Did you just say I’m cute?” Jungkook wasn’t going to pass on such an opportunity.
“Not necessarily.” Taehyung just shrugged, completely collected.
“But you just said it?”
“Hypothetically, I said what I thought Jimin would say!” Taehyung explained without looking back at Jungkook, creating an electrifying tension between them that wasn’t there before.
Jungkook didn’t know what to call it, but he liked the feeling. “Tae…”
“Just forget it, alright?”
“I think you are cute too.”
“W-what?” Taehyung’s head snapped instantly into Jungkook’s direction, utterly shocked by the affirmation, searching for any sign on Jungkook’s face that he was about to say he was joking.
But he wasn't.
Jungkook felt his own cheeks burn with whatever was that as Taehyung started staring at him, inches away. Curious, expectant, big yes practically glued to him.
And Jungkook kept on staring, getting lost into Taehyung’s eyes. This hadn’t happened before. Maybe he stared at Taehyung, more than necessary, in the past, but to have him stare back like this… was new.
He was so close, Jungkook could just lean in and kiss those lips.
And what if he did? What if he would just touch his rosy cheeks, just for a bit, to feel Taehyung's flushed skin under his fingertips before leaning in, tasting the cuteness out of him?
“Hey, brats. Whatever you are doing, drop it, we have a business to take care of.” Yoongi opened the entrance door, startling both Taehyung and Jungkook. Jungkook quickly put a consistent distance between them, cheeks still flushed and confused.
Jungkook shook his head, he needed to calm down.
Kissing Taehyung would have been a mistake, he was actually glad Yoongi decided to appear at the right moment, who knows what would have happened otherwise?
Plus, it couldn’t be that he actually wanted to kiss Taehyung.
And it couldn’t be that Taehyung actually wanted to kiss him back.
No fucking way.
♠
Throughout the years, Jungkook had developed a great skill of spacing out, blocking unwanted thoughts from his mind whenever it was necessary. Given his past experience with his father and the way he grew up, he used it more than often. Thanks to it, Jungkook learned, proudly even, to ignore all of his insignificant problems, until eventually, they would either go away, or Jungkook would realise it wasn’t something to dwell on anyway.
It didn’t mean that the pain in his upper stomach would simply vanish. Sometimes, it was amplified.
And sometimes Taehyung would notice, even though Jungkook wished he didn’t.
“Jungkook, what happened? Why do you look like this…?”
Hours later after the previous incident which, by the way, both pretended it didn't happen, Taehyung found Jungkook spacing out, eyes devoid of emotion.
“How do I look?” He asked, eyes still fixed on a specific dirt spot on the floor.
“Void of any kind of emotion.”
Taehyung noticing all these things about him made something curl in his stomach. He still wasn’t used to it.
“I called him again…” He eventually spoke, throat dry. He wasn’t sad, maybe just disappointed.
Taehyung let out a quiet “oh” and took a seat beside Jungkook. He waited for Jungkook to say it, but Jungkook couldn’t bring himself to do it. A part of him didn’t even want to tell him, it wouldn’t change anything anyway.
“He didn’t answer…” Taehyung was the one to say it, pointing out the obvious, disgusting truth.
“It’s kind of funny.” Jungkook didn’t want to talk about the disappointment he felt, but he could use letting some of the pent-up frustration go. The anger, the rage. “I’ll be locked up for who knows how much time, but the son of a bitch, my fucking father, doesn’t give enough shits about me to answer a damn phone call.”
Taehyung just nodded, leaning his head on Jungkook’s shoulder to offer a bit of comfort. Jungkook felt the knot in his stomach grow bigger, he didn’t like it. It hurt, more than it usually does, he felt like throwing up.
“I don’t give a shit either, I never did, so why does it affect me now? I hate it. It’s not like I know what to tell him, you know?”
Taehyung hesitated for a couple of seconds before he reached out to one of Jungkook’s hands, and held it in his own. “I know, Kookie. You have always tried to push those feelings away, and you managed to do so perfectly by replacing them, keeping yourself constantly busy… and I get it. But maybe you need to finally acknowledge the fact that these feelings… have always been here. You just ignored them. Now, we are in a delicate situation, it’s normal for them to rush back, it’s only natural for you to feel like this.”
Jungkook felt his eyes burning. He hated the way Taehyung had always known what to say in this kind of situation, how he managed to read him like an open book, and had the courage of speaking whatever was on his mind with such ease. A maturity Jungkook didn’t have.
He shook off the feeling, quickly, changing the topic to something more relevant. “Taehyung, I’ve been busy dwelling on my own shit, or better said, trying to ignore it, but I’ve never asked about how you felt. You are in this position because of me, too. How are you handling it? Are your grandparents going to be alright? What’s your plan?”
Taehyung sighed, noticing Jungkook’s sudden change of topic. “Yeah, Yoongi plans to help us get free from there quickly, so he just came up with an excuse. He told grandma we are going back to the US for another undetermined period of time… He’s got us
covered.
” Taehyung sounded bitter about it all, and Jungkook could understand why.
Yoongi made all the important decisions recently, without asking for their opinion.
Jungkook leaned his head against Taehyung’s too. Words wouldn’t help them at that point anyway, and he knew Taehyung felt it too. They were each other’s comfort. A safe place, someone they could completely trust.
Jungkook feared not to ruin it one day.
Because he only had Taehyung.
But it wasn’t the same for Taehyung. He had his brother, his best friend, and his family.
Jungkook was afraid to fall in love with Taehyung.
Or maybe admitting to it, because he had already fallen for him long ago.
♠
|25th of December, 2018|
“Everything is out and about. The program had been officially launched and approved by the testing team. The biological weapon is fully functional. The virus could be used at any given moment to infect and kill, efficiently, as a large-scale attack.” Jungkook spoke in front of their team, a crowd consisting of maybe around 30 people, including their Professor, Taehyung, Yoongi, and the CIA agents involved in their secret operation.
Some of them were about to join them upon leaving toward South Korea, and the others were about to stay, covering the traces left behind.
Following Jungkook, Yoongi continued by letting everyone know the getaway plan had been ship-shaped. “The departure will happen by the end of January. Every detail should be revised by then. The security used to protect the microchip is pretty advanced, but luckily, part of us here are the ones that developed the algorithm behind the security system, hence, there are high chances for the entire operation to be a success.” Every person in the crowd received a small file with dates and times for upcoming meetings. Thanks to Taehyung, their schedule had been planned thoroughly and, if everything goes as planned, there will be enough time for everyone to be informed about their involvement in the operation.
“As we have already discussed before…” The professor raised his grave voice, certainty and conviction behind his words. “People will get hurt, some of us might even die, we cannot guarantee your 100% safety, but if the virus spreads, thousands will die. You have a choice now, though. If you wish to leave, it’s time for you to do it. Once this meeting ends, there’s no way back.”
But no one left.
“Well then…” Yoongi nodded with a smile of accomplishment on his lips. “Let the operation Black Card begin.”
The operation meant to erase the White Card, and all of its implications
.
♠
My parents didn't want me, why would you? (Why would you?)
You're the best so I will do what I will do for you
I've got problems in my brain, you help me ease the pain
sadeyes - you deserve better
Jungkook's room was a complete mess, and so was his life. Jungkook's room, always immaculately clean, looked as if a bomb exploded there.
Maybe it was a good sign, though. Something changed. After so many years of living a continuous, boring routine, Jungkook broke through it.
That's why he started searching for his phone, clinging to the thin string of hope tickling at his insides. He wanted to let his father know he was about to go back home.
Jungkook wasn't stupid, he didn't have many expectations, he knew his father all too well, he simply did not care about Jungkook's whereabouts, especially after he decided to fly to the US without his consent. Jungkook just left, thinking that maybe, his father would realise that he was a dickhead and he could lose his son eventually.
But it didn't happen.
Not much has changed since Jungkook left.
After the third ring, Jungkook's father actually picked up, almost startling Jungkook. With half a shaking voice, trying to sound as unimpressed as possible, Jungkook announced to him he was about to come back home.
His father acknowledged it, and hung up the call quickly after that, leaving Jungkook standing there, phone still in hand.
The smile slowly left his eyes and face, soon replaced by the oh-so-familiar feeling. The emptiness. The ever so present emptiness. He was impressed at the lack of response his body started to give with every disappointment his dad would serve him.
Hollow, void of life and emotion, Jungkook let his phone slip from his hold and fell on his back on the mattress, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
There was a knock on his door that Jungkook barely processed.
"Hey, Jungkook, you alright?" Taehyung's voice was quiet, almost inaudible, soothing. Jungkook didn't like it. It made him feel all kinds of ways.
"Yes, all good, just wanna sleep." He closed his eyes, cueing for Taehyung to leave him alone. He wasn’t in the mood.
Taehyung sighed, mouth closed for a while. Jungkook hoped he contemplated leaving.
"You don’t seem good to me, though…" Taehyung spoke eventually, and Jungkook felt his presence getting closer.
"I don't want to say something that I'll regret later, just leave me alone, I'll be fine in half an hour at most, believe me. Please…" Jungkook insisted, eyes still closed. "I need to be alone."
"When are you not, though?" Taehyung sat at the edge of his bed, back to Jungkook. "I have no idea what happened, but I can't help if I don't know."
"You don't have to know, Taehyung."
"All you ever do is sit alone with your problems and all, telling me it will go away and all that and I get it. I get that you are used to this, you indulged in this solitude. But it didn't help you feel better. Have you ever considered trying to talk to someone about whatever weights you have on your heart?"
Jungkook’s breath hitched in his throat. He opened his eyes, seeing Taehyung’s thin figure facing the opposite side of the room.
How was it possible for Taehyung to break something inside Jungkook every time he wished, why was it affecting Jungkook in any way?
He was scared to know the answer to that question.
Whatever Taehyung said was convincing, but not enough. Jungkook didn't need anyone to help him deal with his shit, he was doing excellent. Even if things didn't turn out the way he wanted, it didn't hurt as much as it used to.
Progress.
He didn't say anything.
"Look… I'll leave if you want." Taehyung turned around, caressing Jungkook’s hair just for a couple of seconds before standing up.
Each time he let Taehyung leave after he offered to listen, it broke Jungkook’s heart a little. It was ridiculous.
"W-wait…"
Taehyung stopped in his tracks, still facing the door.
"Just… stay here…" Jungkook said with a hoarse voice.
Taehyung could have gone mad, Jungkook was being insufferable to him, as he had always been was, yet there he was, nodding, turning to face Jungkook with a comforting smile on his pretty lips.
Jungkook thought it was a bad idea.
"I haven't talked about this before. Not out loud, not ever…"
Jungkook knew Taehyung found him cold and insufferable at first, he didn’t even know how they ended up being friends, Jungkook can't just make friends. He never did.
But Taehyung, he was different. Somehow, they got along so well that Jungkook didn’t process it at first.
Recently, it started to feel as if he saw through Jungkook’s facade more than he himself did. It scared him at first, then, it fascinated him. Now it drove him mad.
“You know, Taehyung… I’ve been working my entire life on what I have now. On the protective walls built up around me. I managed to stay safe, me and myself. It felt lonely, but no one could hurt me. So I’ve been good. Why are you trying to break those walls down?” Jungkook thought it would be harder to talk about himself than it actually was.
Or maybe it seemed easy because it was Taehyung there listening to him.
Taehyung didn’t reply for a while, just offered a small grin. “I didn’t intend to break your walls, Jungkook. But now that you mention it…”
It felt like a bad idea, but Jungkook liked it. That bad idea particularly. Opening up to one person only, because that person was Taehyung.
“Let’s keep those walls up Jungkook, I’ll make a breach only I know about, and you will let me in whenever you feel like it. How does it sound? Hmm?” Taehyung offered with a wink, and Jungkook frowned.
How did he always find a way to Jungkook’s heart, and why?
Jungkook would allow Taehyung to do it though. Create that fucking breach, because he was emotionally incapable of saying no to him, and because he needed it.
The lack of response didn’t discourage Taehyung, instead, he started smiling, already knowing that he convinced Jungkook, with just a couple of words.
Why was it so easy for him?
Jungkook smiled back.
“I don’t remember my mother…” Jungkook began, the smile slowly fading from his face as he started reminiscing about his old days. “She died after my birth and I’ve been living with my dad and his multiple wives my entire childhood. I don’t know how to put it but… the person in the family portraits, when he was with my mother… is not the man that I know and remember. Since I was young, he had always been like that… cold.
Taehyung nodded, smile also fading. “So losing her changed him…”
“Well…” Jungkook half laughed, ironically. “Not that I know, right? I’ve never met the man that people say he was. I often think that he hates me, after all, my mom died because I was born. He didn’t like the exchange, I guess..”
“Jungkook…”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Taehyung, don’t pity me. This is just my story, it does not affect me that much anymore, alright? I just don’t care about it, about him, about it all. I don’t know how to.”
At least, that was until Jungkook met Taehyung and Yoongi. His entire childhood, he busied himself with studying days and nights, reading books, and exploring as many fields as possible, obsessed to fill his empty heart with anything and everything. As long as it kept him distracted, he liked it.
He was shy and scared, hence, he couldn’t get along with many in school. Instead, he found himself safer and more invested online, playing video games. There, he did not have a face or a story.
It was just Jungkook, and no one asked anything.
“But he is rich, Taehyung, and most likely this is one of the reasons why he turned out like that. He thought that money would fill his voids, and maybe it did, or it left him completely lifeless. The point is, I had everything I needed, from books to computers to whatever. I think the only thing he had ever wanted from me was to take over his company after his retirement, which I won’t. That’s why I left, somewhere he wouldn’t follow me.”
Taehyung let out a little ‘oh’, still processing Jungkook’s words. Jungkook didn’t remember when was the last time he got so invested in talking about something.
“I hate him, just as much as he hates me. Because I turned down his offer, whatever was left of our relationship was ruined.”
Taehyung wetted his lips, showing his intentions to comment on that, but decided against it after a while, letting an almost unnoticeable frown cover his features.
“I know Taehyung, I know our stories are totally the opposite. I know you wished to have a father, whilst I have one but… it’s useless. A parent is not a parent if they are not there for you when you need them.
“I wasn’t judging you or anything, I’m just thinking that… you deserve better. It ain’t fair…”
Jungkook actually felt a bit better about it. Sharing his story with Taehyung made it feel like it wasn’t that bad. Maybe he had to hear it out loud in order to realise… he was doing better than he expected.
“I was so jealous of you and Yoongi at first, not gonna lie. I was jealous of what you two had.”
“But you are now one of us, Jungkook.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m so confused right now. I have people to care for now, and it’s scaring me, you know? I feel like I’m becoming weaker, and the moment I called my dad and let my guard down, it hurt more than expected.”
Taehyung moved a little closer, so he could look Jungkook in the eyes, gaze intense and full of emotion. Jungkook gulped because he had no idea how to deal with that. “But maybe… it’s alright for it to hurt, because, at the same time, you are allowing yourself to be loved, and maybe it is new for you, but it’s going to help you heal. Feelings, of any kind, should not be repressed. If you want to suffer, it’s alright, I will suffer with you, if you want to smile, to be held, to laugh with someone, I’ll be there for you, because you are my friend. It’s just a small price to pay. Replacing emptiness with emotion is hard, but better.”
Jungkook’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t deserve Taehyung. He was broken beyond repair, he knew he should have stayed away, but he couldn’t refuse his kindness. It made him weak, too weak to run away.
Like that, he allowed Taehyung to hold him, and hope that, maybe, just maybe, the change is for the better good.
♠
|8th of March, present|
Yoongi’s pov
“I sometimes wonder where you hid this brilliant mind of yours for the past few years.” Romeo grinned while inspecting his surroundings. They have already hidden the microchip and were about to wrap up and leave before getting caught.
”You know what they say. The cat looks everywhere for its ppray but under its nose.”
♠
|14th of March|
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi was about to have his last date with the detective today. Not that they had many, but as the deadline was getting closer, Yoongi knew he should put a stop to everything before it was getting too late.
Plus, there wasn’t much time left.
Because Yoongi’s plan was to surrender the following day, on the 15th of March.
Min Yoongi, Miles Gilbert, and Suga were about to face Detective Park Jimin, which meant, today was the last day Jimin would watch Yoongi with endearment and innocence.
It was the last time Yoongi was seeing Jimin’s pretty, smiley eyes.
With a tinge of regret, Yoongi made the first step. He had been thinking for the past few days, of how much Jimin had managed to leave an imprint on his life. He was way more intelligent than Yoongi expected, a challenge, always keeping Yoongi on the edge of risking it all for just one kiss.
But he resisted him, resisted it all. It was just feelings after all, and feelings are bound to fade eventually.
Yoongi continuously told himself that…
Jimin was supposed to be just a small piece of a bigger
puzzle
.
So why did Yoongi feel like he was about to make the greatest mistake of his life?
♠
To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Troye Sivan - Strawberries and Cigarettes
Yoongi’s pov
“Oh, hello Yoongi!” Park Jimin appeared, 5 minutes earlier than established, with the usual bright smile on his face. Taking to Jimin was a bit awkward at first, especially after the last incident, when Yoongi made it obvious he avoided Jimin’s flirting attempts. He texted him several times, evading the subject skillfully, pretending nothing out of ordinary happened and they were still good, gradually restoring the friendship to what it was. “Detective.” Yoongi acknowledged him with a smug smile of his own, getting a short eye roll from Jimin. “You up for a walk?”Jimin scrunched his nose, not really fond of the idea. “Again?”“Actually, I’m pretty sure you are going to enjoy this one, but we will have to use your car first.” Yoongi had thought of this for days. There weren’t many places he would actually enjoy being physically, and if there were, he preferred keeping them for himself. But Jimin deserved the world, whist Yoongi was going to take it from him. In exchange, he wanted to give him a memory, to give up on something he loved so much, turning it from his to Jimin’s. It was the least Yoongi could do.The second Jimin will get there, it wasn’t going to be his place anymore, it was going to be theirs . Jimin didn’t oppose the idea this time, so the pair headed to the closest parking lot, where Jimin parked his car, Jimin leading the way with little distance between them. During the walk, Yoongi took his time to admire Jimin’s walking figure, eyes running all over his body way more than necessary, uninvited thoughts crossing his mind. Well, the thoughts weren’t sinful or anything, appreciative to be more correct, but uninvited nonetheless, because, at that point, Yoongi was past the accepting phase. Things were clear, Jimin and Yoongi were enemies, the only problem was that Jimin wasn’t aware of that. Yet. He was soon about to find out, though. “Yoongi?” Yoongi snapped his head in Jimin’s direction, tearing his eyes from his body, feeling a rush of blood climbing up to his cheeks. “Why are you so quiet?”“Oh?” He stretched the nape of his head, smiling awkwardly while still walking, catching up with Jimin. “I was just lost in thoughts I guess…”“Thinking of?” Jimin smiled, turning his head to Yoongi, curious eyes meeting his.“You.”Now, you would imagine Yoongi was a smart man, with cocky and intelligent remarks, always ready to come up with well-planned excuses. Not today though, today, Yoongi’s sharpness was replaced with honesty. He regretted many decisions he took up until now, just for today, he wanted to simply do what he felt like. “M-me?” Jimin’s eyes widened quickly, cheeks blushing furiously with the spontaneity of Yoongi’s words.“Honestly…I was wondering if you will like the place I am about to show you.”Jimin just stopped, smiling, turning to him. “I probably will.” Yoongi had to stop too in front of him, hoping that Jimin would move already and things wouldn’t escalate, but Jimin did not. He had developed this habit of staring at Yoongi, gaze so piercing, it made Yoongi feel he saw through all his lies and secrets. All his flaws and insecurities. And every time it happened, for Yoongi, it lasted more than it actually did, like time would just pause and it was just him and Jimin, and the world disappeared for a while. There hasn’t been a person, in Yoongi’s entire life, that made him feel like that. It was unknown, weird, and scary. He could make a mistake he would later regret at any time, but he could not control it. Whatever it was, it took over Yoongi every time it happened. “Here, this is my car…” Jimin eventually said, voice so low, Yoongi almost missed it, big, innocent eyes not leaving his for one second. Yoongi couldn’t help but lower his gaze to Jimin’s plump, glossy lips. Yoongi would make that mistake today, he was going to do it,But Jimin was the one that made a step back this time, eyes leaving Yoongi’s face and warding off in a different direction. “If you want to smoke, you better do it now because I won’t allow you to smoke in the car.”
Oh
Right
It was better off that way. Yoongi shouldn’t kiss Jimin after all.
He managed to destroy the awkward atmosphere quickly. “You know me so well already.” He winked, pulling a cig out of his pack, lighting it, while Jimin was watching him. Then Jimin started laughing innocently, eyes turning into crescents, melting Yoongi’s heart for no fucking reason. “What?” He managed to ask, confused yet endeared. “What's the problem this time?”Jimin just shook his head. “I guess it’s fun to watch you and your cigarette obsession.”“Shouldn’t you try to stop me instead of laughing?” Yoongi quirked one eyebrow. “I mean, it would make me a hypocrite. I don’t smoke as much as you do, but I still do smoke occasionally.” “Oh? I didn’t know you did, I mean, I don’t remember seeing you smoke.”“Right, because I’d be too hot for you to handle.” He replied smugly, to which Yoongi replied with a shoulder pump, that ended up electrifying him instead of making things funnier. Whatever was happening, it started driving Yoongi crazy. ♠ “Turn on the music, it’s too quiet here, isn’t it?” Yoongi needed a change of atmosphere as, from the moment they stepped into the car, the tension filling the space was so thick, he could cut through it with a knife.He turned on the music and a soft tune started. A chill one, not at all Yoongi’s genre.
Remember when we first met?
You said "light my cigarette"
Jimin drove without saying a word, but Yoongi couldn’t help but observe the way his cheeks turned rosy, eyes way too focused on the road than necessary. “I don’t think that we share the same taste in music.” He eventually said. “Maybe I should change the song.”“What’s this? Though? I don’t mind it.”“Well, it’s just chill romantic music,” Jimin answered timidly. Yoongi didn’t have a specific preference when it came to radio music. Actually, he doesn’t remember the last time when he listened to other types of music besides rap. He liked writing verses and obviously analyzing rap, but more than that, it’s been quite some time since he had even considered music and genres.“I don’t really invest that much time into listening to music recently.” However, as he saw that it was an interest for Jimin, he decided to continue the conversation. “Who’s the artist? What’s the song about?” Another faint blush crept on Jimin’s cheeks, but Yoongi didn’t give it attention at first. “It’s- It’s Troye Sivan! He makes really good music.” “Oh, I think I’ve heard of him, he’s a romantic. Didn’t know you were one too.” Yoongi tried to hide his grin, but he just couldn’t, not when Jimin was getting flustered right beside him.
Long nights, daydreams
Sugar and smoke rings, I've been a fool
But strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you
He still didn’t feel like the song was his type. Yoongi liked rap, hip hop, emo rap, yet there was something special about this song.Actually, he must have heard it before, but completely ignored it and its meaning. It was more suited for teenagers. But that was the thing…He felt like one when he was with Jimin. It made Yoongi feel comfortable, he enjoyed Jimin’s presence way too much. The high contrast between the uncertainty of the moment, the thrill, and the comfort and certainty it gave him. It was all new and terrifying because Yoongi was giving it up. ♠ He took Jimin to a secret sightseeing place on Namsam Hill. Not many knew about it, hence, Yoongi kept it a secret, for himself, so he could escape there whenever he needed to be alone and far from the flickering lights of the city. Far from everything that could hurt him. It was getting late now, and the sad had already set, so it was just him, Jimin, the stars, and the city, somewhere far away beneath him. He had visited the location countless times, but it had never made him feel so at ease, it had never been so beautiful before Jimin was there. Okaaay, maybe Yoongi was a little bit way too affected by that song played earlier in the car because since when had he become that cheesy?But each time he meet Jimin’s eyes, that smug smile of his, all of his thoughts were gone. Yoongi had really lost it, wasn’t it?“Take a seat.” Yoongi gesticulated towards an old thick branch on the ground. It didn’t look comfortable, but better than anything at all. Jimin accepted Yoongi’s suggestion and took a seat, while the other joined him. “Want a smoke?” He asked again, this time feeling it in his guts that Jimin would accept it. He was right. “Yeah, I could use one this time,” The detective smiled, leaving Yoongi weak in the legs. He felt like he was about to make a mistake that night. He watched the way Jimin quickly placed the cig between his plump, soft lips. He lit it for him, way too warry of the way Jimin’s eyes stared back into his, unanswered questions glistening there with the spark of hope that hadn’t left him up until today. Yoongi decided to keep this moment in his memory, deeply buried in his heart. It might help him stay alive for a longer time. Jimin puffed the smoke out of his mouth quite skillfully. “Gosh, I’m not an addict, but I do it on special occasions.”Yoongi took a drag too, way too used to the feeling by now. “So, am I a special occasion?” He barely whispered. Maybe regret was starting to give him away. The confidence he used to have while flirting with Jimin was slowly fading into nothingness. Jimin snorted, rolling his eyes. “Definitely not you, but this view of Seoul, it’s definitely a special occasion, can’t deny that.”Jimin got him flustered, but he avoided the bullet with a sly change of subject. “I used to come here during high school, hiding from all the people and the noise of the city. I like Seoul, but only when I’m out here, above it all, where you can’t see its ugliness no more, and it becomes pretty.”Jimin sighed, puffing a cloud of smoke. “You seem like you had a lot of time for yourself, to explore. When I was young, compared to you, I used to stay locked up in my bedroom day and night… until my mom passed and I gave all my time to studying. I had to join the law enforcements in order to solve the case. Whilst all this happened… I missed everything else. It’s moments like this when I realize that I reached this age without enjoying life that much…”“But you had your best friend, right? I doubt he let you waste your youth like that.” “I mean yes, I did, without Taehyung… I don’t think I would have made it this far… We had fun sometimes, but my mind was somewhere else...” Jimin turned to meet Yoongi’s eyes, smiling this time. “But I don’t regret it. I think it happened the way it should have.”“And, you are still young. You shouldn’t let your full-time job take your youth away from you.”Jimin just nodded, but Yoongi doubted he considered it. And oh, how he wished he would have been the one to help Jimin go through a change. He wished to show him it was possible to enjoy life through small, insignificant things. But Yoongi was no philosopher, nor was he following his own advice, because compared to Jimin, his youth was indeed crazier but just as depressing and lonely. It's just that… Jimin didn’t have to know that. “You know, you should come here more often. Whenever you feel like to need a break. It used to help me a lot. With or without me, I’m pretty sure it will help.”“Silly!” Jimin pinched him, a pretty pout forming on his lips. “Why would I come here, without you?”Yoongi shrugged, trying to hide the intense wave of emotions. “Who knows?”“You sound like you expect SWAT walking in on you at any moment.” Jimin laughed, but Yoongi couldn’t share the fun of the joke. “What would you do if that was the case?” He asked deadly serious, almost starling the detective.Jimin frowned. “Wait, are you serious? Come on, it wouldn’t happen. But if it does… I promise I’ll come to visit you in prison.” He winked, to which Yoongi laughed. He laughed because Jimin might visit him in prison soon, but not to check up on him, maybe to spit on his face…Jumping off the cliff sounded like a better idea at that moment. “Ok then, I’ll wait for you.”“Not like you could leave the prison.”“Oh, I am extremely smart, I’ve watched Prison Break, is there something else I need to know about breaking out of prisons?”Jimin rolled his eyes and laughed, body shaking with laughs until he leaned his head on Yoongi’s shoulder, sighing. Yoongi’s heart stopped beating for a moment. What was he supposed to do?He shook off whatever unwanted thoughts invaded him and decided it was time to play his last card. It wasn’t necessary, but he enjoyed playing the game by his rules, and he had to win it his way. “I can’t wait to finish university, to try my luck with the underground music.” He changed the subject, taking in the right direction. “You want to become a rapper?” Jimin asked, waiting for confirmation, already knowing about Yoongi and his music passion. “Mhm… I have worked my entire life for this… now all I have left is… making sure I’ll get my beats and verses to the right people.”Jimin snickered playfully. “That’s way cooler than me. I can’t way to see the headlines, Min Yoongi, overtaking the music industry with his meaningful music. Oh, maybe you will actually be approached by companies. I’ll totally support you.”“I mean, yeah, most of what you said is planned, except for one thing. It won’t be Min Yoongi.”“Oh?”Yoongi just nodded, eyes losing some of their life. “It’s gonna be Agust D.”“What?” Jimin considered it. “August? Does it have anything to do with the month of August?”“No, not August, Agust D.”“What's the meaning of it, then? Isn't it too complicated?” There was a knot in Yoongi’s stomach. He hoped Jimin wasn’t going to think of it now, it was too soon. He wanted to have this night for him and Park Jimin. But with every word spoken, Yoongi could feel Jimin’s voice vibrating, and with each vibration, he knew that something wasn’t right. He wasn’t supposed to feel the way he did.“Homework, you should go home and next time you see me, you better know the meaning behind it. But don’t think about it now, let’s leave it for later.” He disregarded it, keeping his voice low, not to let Jimin know about how close he was to a panic attack.“So, when will I be able to see you again?” It took Yoongi some good seconds to be able to reply to that. “Sooner than you expect.”“You know?” Jimin raised his voice more than necessary. “I think you wouldn’t get along with Taehyung. Like, your vague answers would annoy him to death.” He grinned, and upon meeting Yoongi’s eyes, kind of lifeless at that point, he quickly apologized. “My best friend, I mean…”
Alright, Yoongi, don’t ruin the evening, you can do it…
“Actually…” He then faked a smile back, making sure he looked at serene as possible. Only half of it was fake, in fact, because just having Jimin there in front of him was enough reason to put a smile on his face. “My younger brother sounds a lot like this Taehyung of yours. I’ll make sure you two guys meet soon.” “That would be amazing!”Yoongi hand’t considered kissing Jimin up until today. It was too risky. Maybe it was that stupid song that Yoongi couldn’t get out of his head. Or maybe, it was the fear that he was about to lose everything. Maybe it was the setting, the serene spring evening, the silence embracing them, the flickering lights creating the perfect atmosphere.
Or maybe, Yoongi was just in love, but too afraid to admit it.
But when Jimin lifted his head off his shoulder and looked at him, Yoongi didn’t hold back anymore. He allowed himself to feel, he noticed his heart beating faster, but he didn’t put space between him and the detective. He wanted to let that feeling live within him forever. The anticipation. The butterflies. And in all seriousness, it wasn’t anything special about the moment, but for Yoongi, it was something he had never experienced before. So it was unique.Who would blame him?It wasn’t Jimin, one breath away from him, it was the stars he loved, the music he wrote, the fresh air he adored, and cigarettes without which he couldn’t live.He leaned in. Suddenly, it was summer, he was sixteen, and stars were shining above him more than ever. With his eyes closed and countless contradictory emotions battling inside him, Yoongi tasted the lips of the most beautiful man he had ever known, tasting like strawberries lip balm, and cigarettes. And maybe it was time for him to finally admit it, once and forever. He was in love with Park Jimin, and he had been for a while now. So he kissed those lips slowly, taking his time, trying to hide away his hunger, the desperation, the regret that everything was about to come to an end before it even began.Because he was there with Jimin at that moment, it was all that mattered. Fleshy lips slowly moved against his, while quiet moans ruined the silence surrounding them, an electrifying tension that Yoongi had been too afraid to touch for a long while. He could barely hold back, pacing himself and holding Jimin close.
And like that, the night full of stars was the only witness to the kiss that marked the beginning for one and the end for another.
♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Alec Benjamin - If I killed someone for you
♠
Jimin’s pov
Yoongi kissed Jimin. And Jimin’s stomach had been filled with butterflies and emotions, it was beautiful, everything he had ever wished for. Everything he had been waiting for. He should have been up in the 9th cloud by now because it was Yoongi the one that kissed him, it was him that had started it. It had to mean he wanted something more…But it didn’t make Jimin happy, not the way he expected it to. Something about the way Yoongi had kissed him, something about the way he had looked in his eyes, it was off. Jimin couldn’t put a name to the feeling. Maybe it was his anxieties playing up, but something told him it wasn’t that. He kept his insecurities to himself for the rest of the date , enjoying the secret, shy glances Yoongi would steal from once in a while, aware of the ever so present tension. Maybe they were both too aware that they had shared a long kiss, but none of them mentioned it afterward. That kiss changed everything, but nothing at the same time. It was quite unusual, the way they danced around each other, looked at each other but didn’t mention a single thing about the possibility of actually getting in a relationship. Jimin thought that he should wait. He had to wait for Yoongi to make that first step, and maybe, eventually, it would come, if not for the worst would happen, and Yoongi would eventually admit it was a mistake. Jimin had a hard time seeing through Yoongi’s emotions, but even when he did, he looked rather remorseful than happy and hopeful, so Jimin just started avoiding his eyes. And even when he left Yoongi off somewhere around his neighborhood, he didn’t ask a thing. He smiled, shaking off the uncertain feelings and saying his goodbyes.
Without knowing it was the last time.
Without knowing it was his last chance.
♠ |15th of March, 2019|Jimin had never been the type to dwell on things without taking action. He liked to be pragmatic if possible to avoid wasting his limited time. So he avoided thinking about the situation with Yoongi. He soothed himself with the thought that there was enough time for everything. Maybe the right answer to whatever was going on between them was taking things slow. In the meantime, he decided to fulfill his best-friend duty and meet Taehyung as promised for a coffee and give him a short update on the situation. He took his time putting just the right amount of make-up on his face, considering it’s been a long time since he had been out and about. He didn’t even think for a second about the case, it was his day off, he wanted to keep it that way, at least this time but…He couldn’t help it. He could feel it glaring at his back. The murder board, sitting gracefully in his office, alluring him to take a look. Just another look.What if he would find a new clue that he had overseen previously? After all, he was a detective, he was observant and he had worked on his skills for years. And he was right, this time again. Even though sometimes, it was better if he didn’t. Fate wasn't on his side all the time, but on the justice’s side. Some things, he would rather not notice, yet he still did. He cursed through his lips upon being hit by a particular thought. Again. One he had tried to push away for the past couple of hours.
Agust D.
He still remembered clearly the way Yoongi mentioned the name but avoided getting into too many details, letting Jimin do his homework and trying to figure, whatever this was, out by himself. Jimin was tiptoeing around the concept because he remembered every second of the previous night, and somehow, mentioning that nickname was the only moment of the evening when Jimin could read through Yoongi’s gaze and tell for sure what he was feeling.
Sadness.
He looked sad.
Jimin approached the murder board and placed a couple of notes, laughing, because it couldn’t be true.
Agust D
He reversed the words. D t s u g a.
Suga.
Jimin was just listing down the thoughts that have been haunting him for the past day. He didn’t want to think about it, but they just… did not want to leave his mind. He laughed again, but it wasn’t funny.Was he so obsessed with the damn case that he started linking his personal life with his work? Was he going mad at this point?There was no way in the world things could have been linked. It was just too much, if Yoongi indeed was Suga and Miles Gilbert at the same time, which was an abominable figment, he should have told him he wanted to use Suga as his stage name from the start. Why the bother, right? It wasn’t like everything was a conspiration to make Jimin seem like the ultimate idiot, in the end. It simply couldn’t be. So the only explanation for everything that was going through Jimin’s brain was that he was that going mad. He was so obsessed with the case that he became suspicious of everything and everyone. This was exactly why he needed to take a break and just fucking relax so that he could go back and actually use his brain at its maximum potential. A funny coincidence, wasn’t it, though? It couldn’t have been more than a coincidence. It was impossible for Yoongi to be related to the case, though, to the US, to the missing people. He gulped and tried to ignore the knot growing huge in his upper stomach, suffocating him. He wasn’t supposed to feel like that, he was supposed to trust Yoongi. The only person in his life that should not be related to his fucking work. Min Yoongi was just an innocent student.But Jimin’s will was controlled by his own masochistic thoughts, so he kept on staring at the murder board. Park Jimin was a detective before everything else, so he took the marker and made sure to write Min Yoongi on the note that he placed above the others, followed by a few questions marks and a thin line that linked his name to the words he tried to place together before, near the neatly written words “Sugar” and "Suga." Min Yoongi was now a possible suspect. But Jimin didn’t believe it with his heart. It was just his duty not to ignore it. He took a deep breath and quickly left the office room, putting his jacket on. He could handle that later. There were still two hours left until he had to meet his best friend, but he couldn’t stay locked up in that room anymore. He had to get some fresh air and get his mind off everything that's been pressing him. Hoseok will tell him about Yoongi’s past if it was the case, he will be able to find an alibi for Yoongi soon and then he could sleep soundly. There was no need to think too much into it. ♠ Considering he had some free time on his hands, Jimin considered looking through a couple of stores at the mall. He could use a new white shirt, after all, the other 23 were already boring him to hell.In his haste, Jimin didn’t pay too much attention to the people surrounding him. At some point, someone unexpectedly brushed his shoulder against his. Jimin barely even raised his gaze, but it took him a couple of seconds to process who he was staring at. The other guy suddenly started rambling in English.“Sorry f-f-for not paying attention!!” He stuttered hesitantly. Jimin blinked several times and considered seeing a psychiatrist. It wasn’t such a weird occurrence to see an English-speaking person in South Korea. What was weird, was the person who spoke it. “Ugh? Jungkook? The kid with the hitchhiking? I thought you spoke Korean?”“I’m sorry, I, um, I, it’s….panicked…?” Jungkook used Korean this time, but the stutter did not go away. “Jungkook.” Jimin put on a kind, reassuring smile while placing his hand on the other’s shoulder, suggesting him to calm down. “I don’t know what made you panic like that, but, please speak in Korean? I mean, I know English, but why go out of the way like this?”“Kookie!! Where are you? Oh, look at y-” A third person started looking for him and stopped in his tracks when his eyes met Jimin’s.It was Taehyung. What the fuck. Jimin was confused. He definitely had to see a psychiatrist. The sooner the better. “Tae?” “Jimin?A coincidence. That must have been it. “Shit. First Yoongi, now this? I mean… Did you two know each other? Wow?” Jungkook cursed in English and then asked Jimin the question in Korean.Did he just say the name Yoongi ?Was it Yoongi?The last time Jimin checked with his doctors, his hearing was just fine.He must have had some sort of disease, he was sure of it at that point. But Taehyung glared maliciously at Jungkook before returning to Jimin with a fake smile. Jimin knew his best friend very well. Something was going on. “Jimin, excuse us, this is my disabled friend. His brain hasn’t been working properly for a while.” He smiled creepily, again, then returned another glare to a startled Jungkook who seemed to have a high interest in the patterns on the floor.“But I’m pretty sure I know Jungkook. His brain worked just fine the other day?”“Jiminie, let’s talk about this later? Jungkook was just leaving anyway and um, we had to meet in like 20 minutes, right?” Taehyung insisted and Jimin, confused as he was, let the matter aside and watched the way Jungkook approached Taehyung, whispered something into his ear and Taehyung nodded. Then Jungkook took a step back and Taehyung slapped his nape, cursing him shortly before the younger disappeared through the infinite sections of clothes.Jimin stared at Taehyung who had, once again, a look on his face that Jimin wasn’t able to put his hands on.Was he nervous? Angry? Did that Jungkook guy really say Yoongi ?Ok, but let it be. There must have been thousands of Yoongis in Seoul, wasn’t it?The two walked in silence toward the first Starbucks cafe at the mall. Jimin’s brows were still knitted in a frown, not willing to say anything unless Taehyung would explain himself and the odd circumstances before he started being suspicious of whatever that was. Did his best friend lie to him too? Who was Jimin supposed to trust then?If his best friend had a boyfriend, why was he hiding it from him?“Jimin, let’s…sit here.” Taehyung gestured to a secluded table in the corner of the cafe. “Alright.”“I know you are mad.”
Oh damn, he was.
“You don’t say.”“Look, this is not how it seems, Jungkook is a friend of mine, I... it's such a long story, believe me, but I just…he doesn’t see me like that, this is why I kept the matter away from you…for now." Taehyung started rumbling, and it wasn’t that Jimin didn’t try to follow, but he was definitely missing something. “Wait.” Calmly, Jimin took a sip of his latte. “None of whatever you are telling me makes any sense. Jungkook was in my car days ago, he mentioned living with his boyfriend, casually chit-chatting with me without making me question him for one second. It all came naturally. Why does this make me feel like I wasn’t supposed to know you two know each other?”Taehyung didn’t reply. So Jimin assumed. “Don’t tell me he is your secret boyfriend…”“How, in the world, did you come to that conclusion, Jimin? Why wouldn’t I tell you if I had a boyfriend?” Taehyung asked, eyes sad and heartbroken look on his face. Jimin should be the one heartbroken. “Well, because now it makes all sense why he blushed when I mentioned your name.”“Wait- Did he… Did he blush when you mentioned my name?”Jimin raised one eyebrow suspiciously at Taehyung’s sudden mood swing. “Yes?”“Jimin, I swear to God, Jungkook is not my boyfriend.”He didn’t look like lying. Not this time though. Jimin sighed and started massaging his own nape, fatigue causing him to feel nauseous. It was just… not the time to deal with this too. Taehyung doesn’t have to tell him about his crushes or whatever. Taehyung was playing mindlessly with the cover of his cup, eyes way too focused, causing Jimin some kind of distress.“You don’t have to tell me about him.” Jimin eventually said.“But I want to… it’s just that… you’ve been so busy lately, I didn’t want to burden you with this… Jungkook is a very good friend. But he… is not my boyfriend. I wish he were, but that’s a long story.”“That’s why I am here…” Jimin smiled cutely and then started listening to his friend and the story about him and the guy he met in America at the internship. It eased the mood and soon enough, Jimin managed to put his troubles aside and be focused on his friend and his existential crisis.And it felt better. He felt good, whenever he was with Taehyung, the younger had the power to make him feel young again, a teenager, when the biggest issue of them all was that his crush did not return his feelings.
Crazy, right?
♠ “So he kissed you…” Taehyung concluded after Jimin had related most of the previous evening to him, and contrary to Jimin’s expectations, he didn’t seem to be too happy about it.“Yeah… he finally kissed me. And it was like… the most beautiful thing that had happened to me in a long while.” Jimin continued, pretending he didn’t notice the bitterness in Taehyung’s voice. What was it about anyway?Taehyung took his time before opening his mouth again. “I’ll be completely honest.”All Jimin wanted was a bit of support, why did Taehyung have to…“I want you to be happy. I can’t lie, it’s hard for me to accept this, because I've been with you through life and death , and I know that you hardly ever fall for someone, but when you do, you hit the rock bottom, which might be dangerous. He… seems to be into you, but maybe it's not enough.”Jimin tried to understand Taehyung’s point of view, and to a certain extent, he was right. But whatever was happening now wasn’t about being right or wrong. Taehyung had always supported Jimin’s decisions, no matter how dumb they seemed, they would embrace the repercussions together. Taehyung would pick up the pieces if that was the case because Jimin had done the same several times. So why was Taehyung so different this time? His reaction was unnecessarily undue.“Tae, I’m not a teenager anymore, you know I could handle a heartbreak if that was the case. I couldn’t just… pass on this opportunity because of what-ifs , and I’m sure you are aware of that.” Taehyung returned Jimin a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes this time either, as if he knew something Jimin didn’t know of. As if, he knew Jimin was making a mistake. What was so wrong with him wanting to find his other significant other? The next time Taehyung spoke, the subject changed abruptly along with Taehyung’s tone, which suddenly became soft and regretful. “Alright, Jimin, you are right. You have the right to make your own decisions, but I feel like it’s my place to tell you this as a best friend. No matter what happens in the future, whenever when you are hurt or feel betrayed if that’s the case, please remember, I will, no matter what, be your best friend. Even if I can’t be there for you, I would still love you, and if you come and ask for my help, I will. No matter the context.”
No matter the context
Jimin stilled. Well, that sounded familiar. What’s gotten into him?Taehyung then smiled, brushing the gooey atmosphere off without giving Jimin the chance to reply. ♠
Everywhere I go, my shadow, it follows behind
Doesn't matter where I travel, my shadow, it finds me
Something that I've come to realize after all this time
I can't escape my shadow, I can't escape my shadow
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi had received a text message from Taehyung, the younger yelling at him for not telling them Jimin’s location. Yoongi just rolled his eyes at that. In the morning, Jungkook had been a bit hesitant regarding going with Taehyung to have some fun at the mall for the last time, and the reasons behind it well... were blurry in Yoongi’s head. Jungkook didn’t tell them specifically, he just insisted that Jimin shouldn’t see them together before Taehyung was meeting him.For Jungkook’s sake, Yoongi did ask Jimin what were his plans for the day, and he told him that he was about to stay home and chill until the afternoon when he was gonna go out with his best friend. Yoongi didn’t know exactly why Jimin had a change of heart, and honestly, he didn’t care.He had other matters weighing on his chest. He didn’t even know how to call whatever he was feeling. Was it anxiety? Fear? Regret?The thought that things could have been done differently hunted him, but it wasn’t like he could back down now.It had been his idea all this time, so he had to fight one of his weakest demons. The one that insisted to give up, the one that made him feel anxious, the one that took away his will to keep going. But Min Yoongi never gave up. It wasn’t the time to start doing it now. Watching his cigarette burn, the fifth in the past 30 minutes as far as he could recall, he tried to observe his thoughts a bit. There was an unsettling feeling making his stomach cluster, he was feeling restless. But it was only natural to feel like that. He was about to get arrested for a shit ton of crimes, and by the looks of it, his sentence could keep him locked up in prison forever, if he was lucky enough to survive. That was the case if his plan wasn’t gonna go accordingly. Worst case scenario, but Yoongi had to be prepared. But this time, his plan didn’t have a 100% success rate. There could be many derivates that would make it crumble to pieces. He needed to play it well and… he also needed a bit of sheer luck. So, first things first, he had to get Jungkook and Taehyung out of prison as soon as possible, and after that, he could focus on his own safety. He thought of Jimin. There weren’t many times in his life when doubted himself, but when it came to Jimin… Yoongi realized his own heart was fragile and unforeseeable. So the detective was cut off the list. Yoongi had no intention whatsoever to meddle with the broken pieces that were going to crack. The next few hours were going to be crucial for their relationship, but he was completely aware of what was to come. Jimin’s feelings for him won’t just die. They will still be there, just that they will turn into something completely different.
The more you love, the greater the hatred.
He still regretted kissing him the previous night. All he wanted to do was give him something in return for his feelings. All he wanted was to give up his secret, safe place, to Jimin, who needed it more than he did, but Yoongi succumbed to his own feelings and ruined everything once again, including his own heart. And now, not only that he dragged himself into a black hole of misery, but he dragged Jimin down with him too, all the while he would have to pretend it was all a lie, all a game. Just another one of his mind games. An easy win, when the truth was truly far from there. Maybe that’s just how it all had started, but everything changed. It changed the moment Yoongi’s eyes landed on the detective, at the baristas, the first time they met. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was too late now, and running away from the truth wasn’t gonna change a thing now when it was all going to go to shit anyway. He sighed, lighting up another cigarette. The 6th. If the CIA wasn’t going to kill him, smoking surely would. He mocked himself, inhaling the bitter taste of the stick. Maybe it wasn’t going to be that bad. Maybe he will learn to hate Jimin too, eventually. They say that the best remedy for a broken heart is hate.He unlocked his phone, checking the time. It shouldn’t be long until Jimin was going to show up. He had to be ready. ♠
It won't ever let me go
It goes everywhere I go
It won't ever let me go
This shadow, this shadow of mine (shadow of mine)
We grapple, we battle, but we
Are shackled for eternity
We grapple, we battle
We're shackled, we're shackled, we're shackled
Jimin’s pov
Jimin hoped that seeing Taehyung would actually help him get out of that stupid mind space, the distressing feeling constantly gripping his inside and making him feel like he could throw up at any moment. The uncertainty.Something was happening and he didn’t know what. He didn’t want to think of it but he had to. So there he was, back home, already stuck to the murder board, eyes focused and heart shaking. He knew something was so… so wrong. Maybe he had already started to realize that a couple of days back, but he refused to believe it with his whole being.
No matter the context.
Jimin bit his lower lip with anxiety and started linking leads. He had to do it, no matter how much he didn’t want to believe it.—----------------
Min Yoongi had a younger brother.
Min Yoongi wants his stage name to be Agust D. > reversed S U G A
—----------------
Jeon Jungkook is Taehyung’s friend. They both had been in the US.
Jungkook mentioned the name Yoongi > Taehyung tried to cover the event
—----------------
Kim Taehyung had disappeared from South Korea for a while, telling Jimin he had been to the US. >The investigation told Jimin differently
Kim Taehyung had a brother Jimin never met or saw.
After writing these down, Jimin’s eyes traveled to a lower note on the murder board.—-----------------
Miles Gilbert
Kurt Theodore
John Cook
—----------------Now looking at the three names, he took a couple of steps back and tried to pace down his heart.—-----------------
J, S, V, U, A, K, G
—-------------------
Suga
JK
V
It couldn’t be possible.With shaking fingers Jimin started scribbling again.
Min Yoongi > Miles Gilbert > Suga
Kim Taehyung > Kurt Theodore - were they brothers? He and Yoongi?It couldn’t be actually true. But the last missing piece of the puzzle… was all there, under his nose.
Jungkook > John Cook > JK
That’s when Jimin couldn’t feel his legs anymore. His whole body was shaking, his mind was blurry, covered in particles of ruined thoughts. Everything he had believed in up until now was gone.It was all a lie.Jimin felt like throwing up. The first thing he did the second he had control over his body, he dialed Jeong-in.“Officer, please tell me you are free, I have an emergency and I need you to help me with it!” He controlled his voice from shaking as much as possible.“Uh, 'm not, but I’ll make time for you, Detective, what’s the emergency?”“Look up the name “ Min Yoongi ” into our database, right away please.”“Do we have a mandate?”“Jeong-in, please!”“Ok, detective, let me one sec just um, um…Min Yoongi did you say? That’s quite strange, I found some guy in Seoul, age 29, but most of the details of him are missing as if there is a glitch in the system? Not even a current address, nothing, it’s like he doesn’t exist, this is weird… Detective?”Jimin dropped the phone to the ground. This couldn’t possibly be real, it wasn’t.Min Yoongi wasn’t his enemy, Min Yoongi wasn’t Miles Gilbert, his best friend couldn’t be involved, it couldn’t be true, why would they?Then it clicked.It fucking clicked.Taehyung came back from the US after an internship he had never told Jimin anything about, then Jungkook, his friend, whom Taehyung had met in America. Everything matched. It was way too much information coming together to be a coincidence. Jimin had been blind all this time. He refused to see all that evidence lying under his nose, but everything made so much fucking sense by now. The only reason why it had been so hard to find Miles Gilbert up until now was exactly that Jimin let him control him and his feelings. He had been played.When Taehyung realized he couldn’t get the information they needed from Jimin, Yoongi, or maybe Miles fucking Gilbert made an appearance, playing a different, much more dangerous card. He crawled under Jimin’s skin, took advantage of his feelings, and got everything he needed from him. And Jimin? He had been so weak, that he gave it to him. With a cherry on top. He was burning now. Betrayal and anger altogether covered his body in shivers. Jimin didn’t want to believe it. It had been way too meticulously planned, and all of it, for what?Is this one of their plans, all over again? Is Jimin being caught in a bubble and had been for the past few months? Controlled by the Yoongi?
Yoongi, whom Jimin trusted without a single doubt?
It was all his fault. Why did he trust him?And Taehyung? Kim Taehyung? Jimin’s one and only friend?
Why?
Jimin had been living under a lie. His entire life. Because at the end of the day, he was alone, with no one to trust. Not even his best friend. Even Jungkook, there must have been a reason for he had wanted to get into Jimin’s car. It was just… so much to process. Jimin had to get up, but he couldn’t. His legs wouldn’t move.
Everything was a lie.
Searching for Miles Gilbert had given Jimin so many sleepless nights, and all of this time Jimin had only… dreamed about ways to kiss him?He felt like ripping the hair off his head. Embarrassment. Shame. He was fooled in the cruelest ways possible, and not even his detective skills didn’t help him realize it sooner. So what did he have, after all?
Nothing. Park Jimin was left with nothing.
When his phone started ringing, Jimin considered smashing it against the floor, but when Hoseok’s name popped up on the screen, Jimin reminded himself that there would be time to grieve over his feelings later. The only thing left for him, the only thing that would help him move forward is to throw those people behind bars. He had to bring them before justice because maybe Jimin wasn’t left with anything after all.He was left with his undeniable sense of justice that no one could shatter. “Detective Park.” He picked up the phone and the second his colleague mentioned his name, he just knew. “Hoseok.”“I’m not going to get into details now, but this is urgent. I have managed to get my hands on two addresses of guys with the name Suga, as we talked about it the other day. One of the guys is 67 years old, and the other is in his twenties.” That was him. Walking the streets of Seoul under a fake name. Amazing. “Text me the address, I’m on my way there.”“Wait, detective, won’t you need backups? I thought of sending two troups.”“No, Hoseok, not yet. I’ll have to make sure it’s him. And believe me, I will know. If I find him there, I’ll call you back. Please stay put.”“Sure thing, detective. Take care.”“Thank you, Hoseok.” ♠
Trapped in my head
They say boys don't cry, so don't let them see
The hell that made itself a part of me
But I'm tryna feel something
'Cause numbness ain't nothing to me
But boys don't cry, so don't let them see
Jimin had to focus now. He knew he needed to give himself some time to process everything, but not too much time because his own feelings might quickly get in the way of what he had to do. What if he was wrong? Maybe there was a small chance he was being mistaken. Maybe he will check the address Hoseok had given him and he will realize Miles Gilbert is someone else Jimin doesn't even know. Because there were things that still didn’t line up. Like, how was he so sure Taehyung was involved to begin with? He had no correlation with the letter V on the maps. That must have been it, maybe Jimin was just too paranoic.
Or maybe he just wanted to convince himself that was the case.
Because there was no way in hell that all of that is true. So that was it. Most likely Suga was Miles Gilbert, but he couldn’t also be Min Yoongi, and he will prove himself this theory as soon as he checked the address he had been given. ♠ The moment Jimin stepped out of his car, it got harder to breathe. Time stopped and Jimin felt nauseous, but he kept going. He was… fucking scared but he had to do it. He was scared he was going to prove himself he was right. He was scared he was right all along, and the world he had been living in didn’t actually exist. But he moved forward, step by step. He needed to face the truth, no matter which one it was.As soon as he was in front of the door, he simply knocked, face pale and fists clenched. He was there just for a double-check. He wasn’t going to arrest anyone. Just a double-check. The door opened torturously slow, but Jimin felt a weight lifting off his chest the second his eyes landed on the guy at the front door. It wasn’t Yoongi. It was just a tall guy, long brown hair in a ponytail, young, maybe in his 30s and-“Brother, I think this is the moment.” The guy opened his mouth as if he acknowledged Jimin’s presence, but ignored it altogether. He turned around, talking to someone else. But that’s the moment it was all over for Jimin. Dark, mesmerizing lifeless eyes, black hair gently falling over his eyelashes, short and slim figure, the man Jimin couldn’t have mistaken for anyone in the world. Jimin couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. As Yoongi approached, Jimin froze there and watched. He was stunned and numb, all of his senses simply stopped working.
Fucking shit, Park Jimin, just use your gun already.
But who was he trying to fool? As if Jimin was capable of pulling the gun out of his pants when he wasn’t even capable of thinking.“Y-Yoongi?” He managed to get out, he had to do something. He had no idea why, he had no idea what was going to happen but he couldn’t just let him get away with everything.“Detective Park,” Yoongi replied, opposite demeanor to the usual he used around Jimin up until today. He knew, he knew Jimin knew the truth now, and he didn’t give a single shit. “Excuse us, we have a couple of plans today.”
You are under arrest. Come on Jimin, say it.
Four words. Get the gun out of your fucking pocket. “I-”Yoongi looked him in the eyes, eyes devoid of any kind of emotion. “I’ll see you later.”What did that mean?“W-wait!”But Yoongi didn’t. He moved right past him, leaving Jimin there, still petrified. He managed to turn around and watched the way Yoongi approached a car. He managed to move his hand, pulling out his gun.
Come on, Jimin. Just shoot.
Yoongi didn’t explain a thing. He didn’t deny a thing. He had been Miles Gilbert all along and acted as if Jimin finding out about it was just part of another one of his plans. But Yoongi turned around, facing him from distance, so Jimin couldn’t shoot. He watched him in the eyes, and read on his lips.
“It’s over.”
And then he disappeared. ♠
So tell me can you take the pain
Cause' this a warning I won't change
But then again it's not like you're perfect
You bring the bad right out of me
You hold the gun I'll pull the trigger
My blood is spilling out cold
Jimin didn’t remember how much he stood there, but at some point his skin started to itch and burn, he wanted to dig his fingers into it and just rip it off his body.Yoongi, Taehyung, Jungkook. It was a lie. It had never been real. He’s been through so many crime scenes, he met countless criminals, but Jimin had never been so unable to react the way it happened just now. All of it was because he trusted and believed, all of it was he let his own feelings blind him. So it was all his fault.Min Yoongi had never existed, it was just a ghost living in Jimin’s imagination. He was living proof that love can make one blind.But Jimin had to put it behind. He had to move forward.But the hot, wet liquid tickling and falling off Jimin’s cheek was the living proof of something entirely different. No matter how many walls one builds around themselves, betrayal would still tear them up to pieces. Because Min Yoongi was Jimin’s hope and he was now gone forever.Because Taehyung was Jimin’s only remaining family and he was too, gone forever.Because Jimin was left with nothing, and no matter how strong he would have been, he couldn’t hold back the pain.He was so foolish letting them play with him like that. But that was the exact reason why he was going to turn the tables in his own fucking table.Jimin wasn’t going to play, not anymore. He wasn’t going to lose the fight Miles Gilbert had started. Not now nor never. ♠
But when I near you I feel flames
I touch the fire I get burned
I feel this rush beneath my feet it's like I'm falling
Is this love
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi was facing the main entrance of Jimin’s workplace. The headquarters of their private detective department. Jungkook and Taehyung were standing two steps behind him, eyes focused.Yoongi had just a couple of moments to process everything. Maybe Yoongi was selfish, but he came here prepared to keep the pure truth to himself. Like that, Jimin would learn to hate him soon, and it was going to be easier for both of them. Things were going to change significantly, and a new wall will be quickly built between them, putting to a stop all the feelings they had shared up until that moment. Because they were going to live on opposite sides, Yoongi was about to hide behind bars, whilst Jimin was going to be the one watching him suffer with satisfaction. Or that’s what Yoongi wanted to happen. He needed it to happen. It didn’t matter if it was going to hurt. It didn’t matter if he would suffer, maybe it would be easier to keep it all to himself than to take responsibility for Jimin’s feelings and his own mistakes. He will have to hide his feelings, and no matter how much his heart beats for Jimin, he will pretend it had never happened. It was his fault for falling for the wrong person, and now he was going to face the side effects. So, here he was again, standing in front of the building, exactly where he had previously been the very first time he had met Park Jimin. But he was not alone this time, he was there with Taehyung, Jungkook, and their well-planned deal.He took a deep breath before pulling out his gun and shot.
Once.
Twice.
There was a second of dead silence followed by screams. Shortly after two bulky men came into view from the main entrance, confused expressions on their faces, but guns pointed at Yoongi. But that’s the moment when Yoongi dropped his gun on the ground and raised his arms in defense, smirking. “I go by the name Miles Gilbert and I’m here to hand myself over. I’m willing to cooperate as long as Detective Park Jimin is the one asking the questions.” To be continued…♠
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Run Boy Run - Wookid
♠
|28th of January 2019|
Yoongi’s pov
By the time the CIA's top-secret software project had been successfully finalized, so was the escape plan. Yoongi, Jungkook, and Taehyung, along with the other people that joined them had managed to plot the escape plan.
Nothing of it could have been possible without the professor’s help. He had always been there for the team, acting as their eyes and ears, providing them with information, keeping them aware of the potential threats, and giving them proper advice.
At that point, patience was one of the aces hidden in their sleeves. Waiting for the most opportune moment was exactly what they had to do unless they wanted the FBI to expect an attack.
Therefore, the breakout date was settled to the end of January, the 28th to be more precise. The date that wasn’t holding any special meaning, it was just an ordinary winter day.
And so the day came faster than a blink of an eye, and when it came, the whole team was ready.
When the day arrived, they were ready. All of them went through their particular tasks over and over again; focusing on what they were best at while considering the fact that the plan could go wrong at any given moment.
Yoongi was extremely perceptive. He liked to have a backup plan for everything, that’s why he made sure to create at least one plan b for every possible situation.
Having Romeo, his friend, on his side was also a huge asset to Yoongi and his team. Without his help, their plan would have been convicted to failure.
He was now hidden, waiting outside of the CIA quarters, alongside a great number of men, ready to act at any moment.
At the moment, the team was located inside a huge, abandoned farm building. Its location was pretty close to the CIA building, where the microchip was secured, approximately one mile. The very reason why they were all shaking hands with death right now.
The building was massive but deserted looking. They positioned their portable equipment there, which required under five minutes to be collected before any danger occurred.
The operation was well planned, but they had to be working contretemps, divided into two main units.
The first unit was led by the professor, working from inside the CIA quarters and a different location. They were to remain there, trying to cover the other unit’s steps as much as they could.
The second unit, which was led by Yoongi’s alias Miles Gilbert, was the escape team. They were readying themselves to steal the microchip and run away with it as far and quickly as possible.
Felicia was one of the CIA agents helping them. She was part of Yoongi’s unit, and she was responsible for controlling the security cameras, alongside Sonbin. Sonbin was to leave the US with the rest of Yoongi’s unit, while Felicia was to stay behind in the US, to make sure the CIA was not going to be able to track them down too soon.
The professor, along with five other people, was in a different location; unknown to Yoongi and the others, so as to not be suspected after the operation was completed.
He was communicating with them via disposable phones and they were even able to send each other files without being exposed, using a private network.
But back to the most wanted item: the software
The final version of the software, which was a single, unique copy, was installed on a microchip, similar to a micro sd-drive. It was protected by a couple of high pass-codes and surrounded by a lot of security guards.
It was 9:47 pm.
The plan was about to unfold.
“Agent Choi here. Are you copying this?”
“Miles Gilbert here. 10-1. What’s your twenty?”
“I am right in front of the main gate of the headquarters. I’ve got my eyes on the two security guards at the gate. I’m ready to go, stand by.”
“Copy that,” Yoongi answered through his earpiece and sighed with anxiety. It has begun.
“I’m in. I told them I forgot my keys, they let me in without problems. Copy.”
“Copy.” Yoongi pressed the button on his earpiece and then turned around. “He’s in.”
Agent Choi was part of the escaping unit. His job was pretty simple: He had to enter the building, dressed in his usual attire as a CIA Agent, and follow Felicia’s orders, who was helping him to find Fred.
Fred was working on the research team, so he had access to a large variety of security cameras, spread across the entire building. But he was not the only one, the building was very well guarded by dozens of surveillance cameras well maintained and observed by security guards, always ready to pinpoint any wrong movement.
“Found Fred. Copy. He is secured.”
Fred’s job was to hand his pass card over to one of the other workers that helped him when his shift was over. After that, he had to hide inside a locked storage closet for about thirty minutes, until Choi’s arrival.
While the two agents were inside the building, they received safe directives from Felicia and Sonbin about which routes to take, as to avoid the security cameras and guards.
Taehyung, who was standing behind Yoongi, was to report each step to the professor and his team.
Both Fred and Choi advanced until they arrived behind the security room.
“We are currently applying the decoy plan. Copy.”
“Copy that,” Yoongi replied quickly before reporting to his unit. “They are using the decoy plan as prepared.”
Felicia looked satisfied for now, as the plan was conducted as planned until that point.
Choi entered the surveillance room and started talking to the agent in charge of security that day, still applying the decoy plan, asking for him to help find the missing keys.
It took Choi over three minutes to get the agent out of the room.
In the meantime, Fred effortlessly entered the security room and connected his phone to the main system.
After that, it took Sonbin no more than one minute to connect his own system to the main CIA database, while using a pass-code the professor gave them through the earpieces.
One of the greatest benefits of having the professor on their side was the fact that the man had unlimited access to a large amount of information and to the database, that so many craved.
After the data was transferred successfully, Felicia took care of the security cameras, by replacing the live stream of the cameras with pre-recorded old ones, which were prepared for this exact moment, so that they could walk freely without being discovered. After the process was completed, only Felicia had access to the actual live feeds.
Next, Sonbin connected to the main database and used his ten minutes to clear the entire database of their names and private information, leaving nothing behind; not even records of their personas working there.
By the time the staff was back in the surveillance room, they were finished with that part of the plan. Yoongi was watching everything carefully, counting the minutes and the seconds.
So far everything worked as planned.
After Fred was done with his part of the plan, he made his way to one of the backdoors and let Jungkook inside.
Choi, with Felicia’s guidance, managed to avoid any possible threats from the security guards on his way to the lab. Once in front of it, he brought up the copy of one of the worker’s fingerprints, which they collected months ago, and opened the door of the lab that hid the microchip.
Upon entering the lab, he was unable to do anything but wait for Jungkook, because he didn’t know how to decipher the pass-codes, that guarded the software meticulously.
He connected his phone to the database, however, to provide the hacker-duo with more information.
Meanwhile, Jungkook arrived at the lab, signaling Choi that he was ready to begin, while Fred was on watch outside.
“Ok, now, you have exactly two minutes before the patrols will arrive in front of the lab and they will discover that something might be wrong. Jungkook, are you sure you can do that in two minutes? Copy.”
“It will be done in one minute and ten seconds. Copy.”
Yoongi resisted the urge to roll his eyes because he had to remain focused on the live feeds.
But Jungkook was an excellent choice for the job. Nobody could beat him to it. He was the fastest of them all when it came to technology. Besides that, he was working very well even under pressure. Another ace in their sleeves was that Jungkook worked to create the software, while Yoongi worked on the security code for months. They knew everything there was to know about it.
Basically, nothing could go wrong.
Jungkook opened the safe successfully and it revealed a minicomputer asking for the code they created.
He entered several digits and letters, his eyes reflecting the speed of his working hands through the monitor.
True to his word, it took him less than half a minute to open the safe, revealing the chip. It was, however, protected by two other codes. Any other thief wouldn’t have known that, but they were clearly aware of it.
Jungkook connected another little device through the USB slot of the main safe and unlocked the remaining codes so that the system would not trigger the alarm.
He took the microchip carefully and replaced it with an exact replica of it, in no more than two seconds. It had a unique design, which Taehyung and his team worked on, so normally, it would have been impossible for an outsider to replicate it. But it wasn’t an issue for them.
It fit perfectly, so Jungkook reactivated the security systems, closing the safe and leaving everything untouched. He didn’t have to worry about fingerprints, because he was wearing gloves.
With Felicia’s precise guidance they managed to exit the building through the backdoor in less than a minute, using the sewer system to avoid further security issues.
Choi left the building the same way he came in, namely, by walking through the front door, waving his keys to the guards, and telling them that he found them.
At 10.35 pm Jungkook, Choi and Fred reunited again and took a car towards the barn.
Yoongi was on edge during the whole operation; barely breathing, in fear of anything going wrong.
But thankfully, they managed to get their hands on the software unscathed.
Or at least that’s what they thought.
♠
It was 1.45 am. Yoongi, Jungkook, Taehyung, and the rest of the escape unit were on the way to the airport, in three vans, where a private plane was waiting for them. Another courtesy of the professor.
It wouldn’t have been an overstatement to say that the plan wouldn’t have worked without the professor, because it was true. The whole operation was possible because of his unlimited help and careful directions.
Providing them with a private jet to fly with was the best possible option available. No one was about to ask questions, the vehicle was small and it was easy to avoid being radared.
Yoongi was about to leave the US as Miles Gilbert, a fugitive and an ex-CIA agent, and arrive in Korea as Min Yoongi, a university student. He couldn’t believe his luck.
Everything was going just as planned.
Until it didn’t.
He looked outside the window and there they were. Two black SUVs were tailing them. He could recognize an FBI SUV anywhere by now. Yoongi analyzed them for months. He knew them, he was even expecting them.
So he took a deep breath and started scheming.
There was no way he could tell the chauffeur to accelerate, it would only cause more problems.
They weren’t in an action movie and a car race wouldn’t do them any good. They would only end up being tracked until their arrival at the airport, the escape plan vanishing into thin air.
There was only one thing Yoongi could do: He had to proceed with Plan C.
Plan C was one of the many plans carefully assembled by Yoongi and Romeo for the past few weeks.
They took a detour to the airport, changing their lane, so that anyone following them, wouldn’t know where they were heading exactly.
Yoongi took his phone out of his pocket and looked at it.
“What are we doing, Mr. Gilbert?” The chauffeur asked worriedly.
“Let me think for a second. Slow down, but don’t let them know we noticed them.”
“Alright.”
Yoongi thought it over and over in his head. He was in the car with Jungkook and Taehyung, so his plan was a little bit dangerous, but if played well, it had a little small chance of working out.
He was unable to understand how the hell they found them in such a short period of time. Everything was very well executed. Where was the problem? …or who?
A mole was amongst them. That was the only logical explanation for why they had been found out; because someone leaked the information.
Shit.
“Ok, call the other two cars and tell them to continue the drive.”
“Ok.”
“Then stop our car.”
“W-what? Are…Mr. Gilbert…are you sure?” The chauffeur’s voice was shaking with worry. Understandable. The man was part of the professor’s team, but he didn’t know the details of their mission.
All he had to do was to follow Yoongi’s or better said Miles’s orders.
“I said you should stop the car.”
“Y-yes, s-sir.”
“Great.” Yoongi turned from his front seat to analyze the people behind him. “John, Theodore, I will confront them. I have a plan, but you have to listen to me. Don’t leave the fucking van.”
“What the fuck, hyung? What are you talking about?” Taehyung asked him anxiously.
Yoongi sighed. “Listen to me, Shortcake. I put my trust in you, alright? You have to listen to me. Both of you promised me, that you’d do as I tell you.”
Jungkook visibly tightened his hold on Taehyung’s arm and nodded. “We will, Yoongi.”
“If you come out of the van, all of us are dead. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He unlocked his phone and messaged Romeo a simple “C”. Then he put it back into his hoodie.
“Stop the car now.”
The chauffeur did as told. The car came to a halt and the FBI cars stopped too, probably confused as to what was happening.
The other two vans continued driving, while Romeo probably was already informing them to change their route once again.
He opened the door and stepped outside, looking at the ground. It was still winter but the morning sun was blinding Yoongi. Fuck Virginia and its sunny days.
When his eyes left the ground and met with the FBI agents he smiled. Seven fucking guns were pointed at him.
What a great start.
Yoongi raised his arms cautiously. “Why, hello fellas. What is this about?”
First. Stalling.
“Drop the play, Gilbert. We know you have it.”
“What do I have?” Yoongi continued his charade, raising one eyebrow with more confidence than necessary.
“The Caregiver, the software. We know you have it.”
“Why would I have it?”
“You thought you were smart, Gilbert? Guess what, you’re not. Your little friend Freddie spilled. We know exactly what you were doing.”
What the fuck.
“Who?”
“He’s with us. Do you want to have a chat with him?”
Yoongi’s gaze darkened for a couple of seconds. There were two possibilities.
“The code you and your friends created, you know that it auto checks the contents of the microchip every two hours, right Gilbert? Why would you even try?”
“You couldn’t have found me that easily.”
“True.” A tall woman, Samantha Patrick, stepped out of the last car that was tailing them. It seemed that the agents completely forgot about the existence of the other two vans, that were now closer to the airport than they had imagined. “But I always have my men under surveillance, and I knew you were up to something.” The woman responsible for the security of the microchip and his boss said. “So, Fred, my man, made sure to tell me everything I needed to know.”
Yoongi bit his tongue. He needed a little more time.
Fred got out of the car, pointing another gun at him. Another gun pointed at him.
Eight.
Yoongi laughed, while Fred had an extremely calm expression planted on his face. “You thought I’d help you Koreans? To steal from my own fucking country? Think twice, scumbags.”
“Oh… The bitter taste of betrayal Freddie. To think you could do something like this to me when I trusted you so much.”
“You don’t know me at all, Gilbert.”
At that moment Yoongi knew. Fred was still with them, otherwise, he would have told the FBI Yoongi’s real name and not his alias.
So Yoongi continued bluffing, exchanging hurtful remarks with Fred and buying time.
All of a sudden one of the other men released a warning shot, losing his patience. Yoongi’s ears ringed, going deaf for a couple of seconds.
They were short on time, it was time for him to act. He took a small plastic bag out of his pocket, lowering his body and head. “Take one fucking step and I’m smashing it.” The CIA couldn’t afford to have the unique copy of the microchip, not after that many months of hard work.
Yoongi made a sign with his other hand and the van behind him drove off, leaving him alone.
Them, he turned around watching it leave, pretending to be scared to death. “What the hell? Fuckers? How dare you leave me behind???!!” He shouted after the van from the bottoms of his lungs.
When two of the FBI agents wanted to follow their van, Samantha stopped them.
“Don’t follow them,” Samantha ordered. “It’s him that we need, and we have him. He’s enough of a fool to have the real thing with him. He doesn’t trust other people. I bet he’s holding the real microchip.” She smirked, approaching Yoongi. Yoongi took a step back in return.
“Lower the fucking guns, or I swear to God I’m fucking smashing it!”
“No, Miles, you wouldn’t!”
“Try me!”
“Hmpf.” Samantha laughed. “Alright then. Drop the guns, everyone.”
All of this was happening in the middle of the highway. Cars and trucks were passing by them, making it difficult to hear each other without yelling.
In the spur of the moment, Yoongi managed to see it.
He might be able to make it out alive.
Suddenly, seven motorbikes appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding Yoongi and shielding him, while shooting at the agents at the same time.
♠
Taehyung’s pov
Taehyung was scared to death for his brother.
“Where a-are we going?”
“We are taking another route towards the airport, Mister Theodore.”
“What about Yoongi? Why did we leave him there? Jungkook? Jungkook answer me!!!”
As expected. Jungkook seemed to know what was about to happen, he was way calmer than Taehyung was. They hid everything from him… again.
“Tae.” Jungkook took Taehyung’s face into his hands and looked into his eyes. “Listen to me. Yoongi wouldn’t step a foot out of the car if he didn’t have a plan, you know that right?”
“N-n-o, what if, what if he wanted to sacrifice himself?”
“Come on, Tae. He didn’t even want to do this whole thing in the first place, let alone get killed because of it. You know damn well, that if Yoongi does something, it’s because he has a plan. Yoongi wouldn’t let them kill him.”
“What about the microchip?”
“It’s safe.”
“It’s with him.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, we have it, ok? Now, calm down.”
“B-but, that’s even worse! If…if they find out that he doesn’t have it…”
“Taehyung, please! Come back to your senses. We promised we were going to do this. We have to trust him, Tae. We have to do, what he told us to. We need to get to that damn plane, alright?”
Taehyung didn’t want to listen to Jungkook anymore. He didn’t want to listen to anyone, for that matter. All he wanted, was to kill the fucking driver, take the wheel and drive back to his brother.
“Taehyung.”
He needed to go back to him.
“Taehyung, will you trust me?”
He didn’t trust anyone besides Yoongi, and Yoongi wasn’t there at that moment.
“Taehyung.”
“No, no. Jungkook, let’s go back, please!”
“I will beat you up if that is what it takes to shut you up. Tae, I won’t let you destroy this.”
“Yoongi would kill you for that!”
“Exactly! Because he will be alive! Now, let’s not get me killed because I’ve beaten you up and do as we were told, alright? I promise that we won’t leave the country without him. We will wait.”
“Jungkook, I swear I’m going to kill you with my own hands if he doesn’t come back!”
“Good. That’s a good plan. Now, relax.”
And so, Taehyung did. He inhaled and exhaled several times. He needed to trust Yoongi until the end.
Yoongi had come back.
♠
Yoongi’s pov
Romeo’s rescue unit distracted the FBI agents long enough for Yoongi to jump on behind a driver, on one of the seven motors. He took the gun from the guy driving and shouted. “Go!”
They pulled off immediately.
At that exact moment, three shots were fired and Yoongi didn’t think twice, before lowering his head and body as far as possible to protect himself from the bullets. The driver was shot in the back of his head through the protecting helmet, blood spilling all over Yoongi’s face.
It was a dick move maybe, but it was a matter of life and death now.
“Fuck!” He cursed, grabbing the handles of the machine frantically, barely managing to avoid a crash.
He pushed the driver’s dead body off the machine and sped up the vehicle.
His only thought was that he had to escape. He had to live.
He fired all the bullets left in his gun at the agents behind him.
He clearly hit some of them, but it was too late to look back and wonder whom he shot and if he killed anyone.
With only three of the motorcycles left, they took the fastest route towards the airport, escaping their pursuers.
Yoongi arrived three minutes before the planned departure, with the microchip on him, intact and untouched.
Samantha was right after all.
Yoongi wouldn’t trust anyone to hold the thing for him.
♠
“Alright.” Romeo took off his seatbelt and raised his body so that he could see everyone. “Yoongi, seriously, I can’t believe your guts.”
Yoongi smirked. “Me neither.”
“Anyway, I have good news and bad news. Good news: Almost everything worked out as planned, so the FBI won’t be able to look for you and for the country you flew to, for the next two or three days. We have the microchip and we have everyone on the team safe and sound.” Romeo briefed the situation as soon as the plane was safe now in the airspace of the US.
“As expected, Fred was working as a double agent helping us until the very end.” He continued, explaining the confusing situation.” Apparently, the FBI discovered our clownery because of the code, and they contacted Fred instantly. He wasn’t able to contact any of us from that point on, because he was being watched and interrogated. However, he bluffed by telling them we were leaving by trains and to Texas. He had to tell them the route, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been believed.”
“Good, I almost shit myself right there, when I saw him.”
“There is bad news as well. Very bad news, Yoongi.”
“Um, yeah…I know…sorry for your men…I didn’t mean to let them die…”
“Not just this…You, with your own gun, killed Samantha Patrick, Yoongi.”
No, he didn’t. It couldn’t be.
“W-What?”
“Also, another FBI van followed Jungkook and your brother on their way to the airport. They pulled the trigger Yoongi. Both, John and Theodore, are now wanted internationally.”
Yoongi felt the weight of a thousand kilos on his shoulders.
Not only did he kill his former boss, but he also let his brother become a murderer as well. Things could only get worse from that point on.
Nothing was ever going to be the same.
♠
“We are arriving in half an hour. You know what you have to do, right?”
“Yeah, of course. Hide.”
“Yoongi, I know we talked this over, but I think you’ll need to use the third set of identities I prepared for you. I don’t think you should go back to your real names and lives for a while. Let things settle for the moment.” Romeo suggested as a last request for his friend.
Yoongi knew he was right.
They wanted to go back to their normal lives, of course. But that was out of the question now, after they killed fucking FBI agents and the head of the Cyber Security of the CIA.
So, yeah. Once again, they had to listen to Romeo.
“Ok, we’re stepping out of the plane as…”
“Suga, Shortcake, and Justin. Sounds good?”
“Why did you pick such names, Romeo? It will make us look suspicious.” Taehyung asked, still confused and shocked to the bones. Not much of what had happened made sense to him, and the only thing that gave him closure was the fact that all of them, managed to get on the plane still safe and sound.
“I am doing my job, alright? And I made so many efforts to find a dead man named Shortcake, so I could give his identification to your brother. Why can’t you appreciate my existence?” Romeo asked with an expression of utter betrayal on his face.
“Sorry, Romeo. Really, sorry. Without you, all of us would have been dead a long time ago.”
“I know Yoongi. But without you, I would have been too. Several times. So, don’t forget to call me as soon as you reach the location we discussed and continue to let me assist you on this.”
“I’ll prepare the maps with the locations as soon as I’m there,” Yoongi confirmed with a nod.
“I’ll make sure that they reach everyone safely.” Yoongi cleared his voice with a fake cough. “Listen, everyone. Once you leave the plane, you go to the public locations we assigned to each one of you. As soon as you get to your location, grab a taxi to get you there and lock yourself up there, until further notice from us.
“You will have to listen to us.” It was Romeo’s turn to speak. “So, please take your passports from Minchu over there.” He gestured towards one of his men. “Then follow the plan.”
And so they did.
They thought that everything was over.
But actually, it was only the beginning,
♠
Was I stupid to love you?
Was I reckless to help?
Was it obvious to everybody else
That I'd fallen for a lie?
You were never on my side
Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?
Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die
Jimin’s pov
*present*
Jimin tried to start the engine, but it was as if all of his energy had been drained from him. He was unable to move his hands and his entire body was frozen.
It was too much information; too much betrayal. But he knew that if he didn’t do something right now, he would be unable to do anything later. He needed to act.
He had to use all of his remaining willpower to keep going. Not to let Yoongi step on the last bits of pride Jimin was left with.
When his phone started ringing, the sound echoed unnecessarily loud in Jimin’s head.
Everything was too loud, too much.
But Jimin answered the call with shaking hands.
“Jimin, you need to come to the office, right fucking now.”
“N-Namjoon, what happened?”
“There is a guy… Jimin there is a guy in front of our headquarters. It’s… Jimin… He says he is responsible for everything. He claims that he is Miles Gilbert.”
Jimin tried to process everything that was happening. He really tried, but it was impossible to grasp. Did Yoongi just hand himself in? What was it about? What game was the man playing?
“He says he won’t talk to anyone unless it’s… you. I don’t know why he insists, that it’s got to be you. We can’t do anything until you come here and talk to him. I mean, he could be a mad man for all we know. We have nothing on him, just his statement that he is the one we’re looking for. He won’t say anything else without you.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes, Namjoon.”
“Hurry up, detective.”
Jimin ended the call. It was now or never.
He started his car engine and rushed to the office, driving at the speed of a car racer. It didn’t make any fucking sense. Why would Yoongi, no, Miles Gilbert, play him like that just to surrender himself a moment later?
It has to be a reason;
Jimin had to know;
It wasn’t making any sense. He was definitely bluffing or playing them.
What if Yoongi was waiting for Jimin, just to kill him? But would that even matter at this point?
Jimin laughed to himself. What was the point of living anymore anyway? There was nothing left for him. No one he could trust, ever again. Everything was shattered into pieces. So why would he care anyway?
He sped up even more. He didn’t even care about the traffic or the people on the streets, or about his life for that matter. He just felt anger, boiling under his skin; burning him alive.
He was taken for a fool. No, he made a fool out of himself.
He allowed his greatest enemy to enter his life, to play and manipulate him however he wanted. And his only mistake was
trusting him
.
And his best friend. No, his former best friend had played him too. They were a bunch of liars; Everything Jimin knew, his entire life; was a lie.
Nothing was ever going to be alright again.
So, if that was the case, he might as well beat the hell out of Miles and Taehyung; and maybe spit into their faces, because they played with his feelings, with his trust. Maybe find a way to ruin them.
He hated them. They destroyed everything. What was left, except for hate?
He had to function on something, and his only fuel now was hate.
He jumped right out of his car as soon as he arrived in front of the building, not even bothering to lock the door.
He stopped right in front of the stairs, frozen. Namjoon was right.
They were still there. Yoongi, Taehyung and Jungkook?
All of them were patiently waiting;
for him.
Jimin previously thought that he couldn’t bear to see them, especially Yoongi. He thought, that he would fall apart and end up crying. But seeing him there, right in front of him, gave Jimin power.
“You fucking piece of shit!” He threw himself at Yoongi and pulled at his collar in the spur of the moment. But the only reply he got from him was a sick laugh.
Jimin punched him once, twice. But the piece of shit kept on laughing. “What the fuck? Why the fuck are you here?”
“Oh, but detective Park Jimin, wasn’t this what you wished for? To have me into your custody? Was I wrong after all? Should I just… leave?”
The disgust in his voice. The superiority. The wicked look in his eyes. It was nothing like the Yoongi Jimin knew.
It was an entirely different person. Jimin hated him to the core.
So he didn’t waste any more time. He turned Yoongi around brutally and cuffed his hands behind his back.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before interrogation.”
Namjoon and a couple of officers watched the scene wide-eyed, confused as to why was Jimin so convinced he was the guy. What did Jimin know that they didn’t?
“But, tell me Jiminie, did you figure it out? Right before everything happened, did you connect the dots?”
Jimin shut his mouth and tried to remain calm. He wanted to punch him again and again, but he had time for that in the interrogation room.
He proceeded with arresting Jungkook too, whose expression was telling him nothing. It seemed like he didn’t care.
And when Taehyung’s turn came, Jimin didn’t spare him a glance. Taehyung was quiet, too quiet.
It should have hurt Jimin, it should have ruined him all over again to have Taehyung there, cuffed, after everything that happened, but all he felt at that point was endless numbness.
Jimin didn’t give a single shit anymore. It didn’t matter now.
Taehyung wasn’t saying a word and that alone, explained everything in Jimin’s eyes.
It turned out, that he was right after all. Everything he gathered on his board at home was true. They were all in this game and Jimin was the only one who didn’t know shit. He ignored his gut, lied to himself, and had been played, like a fool.
“Move.” He pushed Yoongi forward, while other officers joined them and helped Jimin to lead them inside the building, towards the interrogation rooms.
Before they could enter, however, Yoongi stopped abruptly and turned around towards Jimin sneering. “Just keep this in that beautiful mind of yours, Detective Flower: You didn’t catch me, I surrendered myself. I lost only because I wanted to. It’s your win only because I decided it to be. You didn’t do shit.” He turned around, spitting on the floor of the entrance. “Fuck, I’d really like a cigarette right now.”
To be continued…♠
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
So you wanna start a war
In the age of icons
So you wanna be immortal
With a loaded gun
♠ |15th of March, 2019|~the day Yoongi surrendered~
Jimin’s pov
Jimin still didn’t get it. He didn’t want to believe it. Everyone was in a rush, everyone was talking, debating, everyone was watching. The office was chaos and Jimin just stood there, three feet apart from the interrogation room, still stunned.His best friend.Yoongi. Cuffs around their wrists and mouths sealed. Jimin was shocked, but he couldn’t feel anything else besides that. It was just… numbness. He thought he would feel betrayed, sad, angry, or something along those lines; but with each passing minute, he just felt numb and warmed up to the idea that this was his reality now and that he won’t ever be able to have someone trustworthy around him.He didn’t even care anymore at this point.Not about Yoongi, not about Taehyung.
Thugs.
To think he almost fell in love with a convict? Jimin wanted to laugh, but it wasn’t funny enough to do so. Yoongi was a murderer, and that’s the only thing Jimin could see now. A murderer which he had chased for so much time; not Min Yoongi, the boy whom he started to develop feelings for.And maybe it was better this way; easier.And truth to be told Jimin was affected, deep down. His pride had been stepped on, his skills as a detective had been underestimated and he was taken for a fool, which he didn’t like at all.The rest? The fact that he lost two important people on the same day, who could have meant the world to him? That didn’t matter to Jimin. He simply didn’t care.He decided at that moment that he wouldn’t let them hurt him anymore. No one will ever hurt him again. It was enough of a shock to realize this bitter truth.Jimin's biggest weakness was that his logical mind always suffered over his feelings. Even when he knew that something was up, that something was strange, he shoved that logical side away, prioritizing his own feelings. He was proud of his skills, of the way his mind was working, under pressure or not, he managed to grow up making logical decisions, focusing on improvement, progress, and logical thinking, and this alone had a great impact on his career. But when it came to his personal life, as soon as he trusted someone and felt something for them, he acted on pure instinct for those people. That’s why he had to put barriers between himself and other people. That’s why he tried to stay away from people. That’s why it was so hard for him to get close to someone. He wanted his brain and mind to stay focused.He failed to do it, hence the situation he found himself in.Now everything was gone; and all Jimin could do was stare through the one-sided window that showed the inside of the interrogation room, with coldness and apathy.Namjoon was currently inside the interrogation room. He was trying to convince Miles to speak, but apparently, it wasn’t working at all, and Namjoon, who was so much more enduring compared to Jimin, was losing his patience, looking as if he was ready to throw punches at any second.Jimin smiled, turning his back to the unfolding scene.He would not talk to min Yoongi ever again. Not even for an interrogation. They had him in custody. All they had to do now was to make them talk, and Jimin sure as hell wasn’t the one to do so.He was much too angry to come anywhere near Yoongi without sending him to his sure death. ♠ “Detective Park, you, more than anyone else, know why you must do this.” Inspector Kim insisted, eyes concerned while looking at Jimin. The air inside his office was stale, Jimin could read the fear well hidden behind his eyes. He could even smell it. The situation they were facing was unprecedented.But they had to do something about it sooner than later, and it was obvious at that point, Yoongi wasn’t going to cave in that easily. Jimin was currently sitting across from Inspector Kim, in his office. The three convicts had been in the interrogation rooms for the past four hours with no progress whatsoever. Time was running fast and Inspector Kim was determined to pursue this case. He wasn’t a man that accepted ‘No’ for an answer, but that didn’t mean Jimin wouldn’t try. “With all due respect, Inspector, but as I see it, my job here is done. I brought Miles Gilbert here. You can do the rest without me. You have plenty of skilled detectives beside me, send one of them to interrogate him.” Well, that wasn’t a hundred percent correct. Jimin didn’t bring Miles there personally, the man presented himself before the months of the wolves. But Jimin wasn’t incorrect either. Inspector Kim sighed and looked into Jimin’s eyes, with a tired look in his eyes. “Detective, it’s no use to send anyone else because Gilbert won’t cooperate. You’ve seen it yourself. Even Detective Kim, our best interrogator, failed, it’s useless if it’s not you.”Jimin was losing his patience. It was getting ridiculous. Why did it have to be him?“Force him then!” He looked the Inspector dead in the eyes. Why won’t they leave him alone now? His job was done. They captured Miles Gilbert. They could just call the CIA, they would collect the monster and everyone else would be happy, right? Why didn’t they?What were they waiting for?Why was Inspector Kim so insistent? Jimin needed a break; he deserved a break after all of this.“You know very well that we can’t do that, Detective. We have no solid evidence on him. Nothing. All we have as of now, are indications, speculation, and his statement. I know he is the culprit, I know as much as you do, but knowing does not suffice, we need evidence.”“Take his fingerprints. Just do something.”“Can’t have a mandate without evidence. Come on, Detective. Think, be reasonable. Don’t let your personal feelings interfere with your work and professional life.” The inspector then said with a firm voice, leaving no room for argument this time. He appeared to get tired of Jimin’s childish excuses.
Deep down Jimin knew the inspector was right.
But Jimin was tired, and angry, his temper was going south with each passing second. Everyone has bad days, right? Well Jimin had a horrific day“Is really no one here qualified enough to make that scumbag talk?!”“Watch your mouth, detective. You yourself are not in the position to point fingers and talk about qualifications, don’t you think?” The inspector raised an eyebrow at him and Jimin felt his blood rush to his face.Inspector Kim was right. He had been used and manipulated because he let idiotic feelings like trust and affection control him. He never said he didn’t regret it. “He won’t speak unless it’s with you and if we want him to turn in, then you need to go there and listen to him. Do your duty, Detective Park.”Jimin preferred to jump off the roof at that point, he- He nodded, eyes fixed on the inspector. He knew that he had to do it, but he didn’t want to let it sink in. He didn’t want to see Miles Gilbert, not unless he was allowed to ruin that pretty face of his. At least. ♠
Blockbuster - TXT Yeonjun feat. Enyphen
Why?
Why did Jimin agree to it?Jimin could have found a way to avoid this. He could have explained the entire situation to the inspector. He would have made several points. Convincing enough. But he didn’t, because deep down, his pride did not allow him to step aside. It was insane. The dumbest idea he had ever had, yet here he was, standing right in front of Min Yoongi.
Or better said, Miles Gilbert;
Jimin took a couple of deep breaths. He had already made a plan. He would treat him like any other convict, shoving any remaining feelings for the person in front of him aside.Which wasn’t as hard as he expected it to be. Seeing him wasn’t as hard as he expected it to be. The betrayal was fresh and Jimin didn’t have the time, nor any reason to find him the littlest excuses. One thing Jimin was good at, was his job, not the person in front of him was part of his job, so Jimin shut him out. He never existed. Min Yoongi was dead to him. “Now, now.” He calmly moved the empty chair aside so that he could sit properly in front of the convict, eyes sparking with hunger. He wanted nothing but to ruin that face of his, but he had to stay composed. He placed a blank paper on the empty table and a pen nearby. “First things first, how should I address you? Mr. Gilber? Mr. Min?” He asked with a smile. But it appeared that not only that Min Yoongi had no remorse whatsoever for what he had done, but he put up his mind to get on Jimin’s nerves. “Detective!” He said with much more satisfaction than Jimin would have expected. “I’m delighted to see that you have finally agreed to show me that beautiful face of yours, again .”The smile on his face was sick. Jimin felt like throwing up. Calm down Jimin, calm down, you know better than that. “I asked a simple question. Come on, I don’t have all day.”“Just choose whatever you want Detective , either Yoongi the love of your life, or Miles the cause of your sleepless nights and nightmares. The choice is yours to make.”“You know what? I’ll go by Miles since Min Yoongi doesn’t exist for me and I don’t have any idea who that might be.” Jimin smiled serenely (again) and took the pen into his right hand. “Now, Miles, I have heard that you won’t talk to anybody but me, I don’t need to know why, I just want you to confess to your crimes and I’ll then decide how many lives you’ll end up rotting in here.”Yoongi exhaled with a twisted smile on his face. “Can I have a smoke beforehand? I feel like smoking since you’re putting so much pressure on me on here. It’s hella stressful.”Frankly, Jimin didn’t give a shit about the way Yoongi felt, but sure. “As long as lung cancer gets the best of you, be my guest.” He offered another girn, before handing him his pack of Davidoff Whites. Yoongi took one cigarette, placing it between his lips slowly, savoring the way Jimin was visibly less and less patient. “Will you light it for me?” He asked with a glint of amusement in his eyes. What was he being so insufferable for?More importantly, what was his plan? His plan was to get on Jimin’s nerves, but there must have been a reason behind that.Jimin, obviously, did not light the cigarette for him. He threw the lighter in his face and once again Yoongi’s lips escaped an unnatural laugh.“Start talking or I’ll burn your face with that cigarette.” Jimin was patient, but not that patient. “I like marks. Especially if you’d give me one.”Jimin stood up suddenly and reached for the door. It was an easy one, he should have been able to handle him, but he was so close to punching him in the face… Maybe he wasn’t the right one for the job. Namjoon could do it. “Ok, ok detective, I’ll talk.”Jimin stopped in his tracks, hand still on the door handle. “My real name is Min Yoongi and I’m Kim Taehyung’s stepbrother. We grew up together, raised by our grandparents.”Jimin’s brain froze for a second there, trying to make the connections, trying to process whatever had already been said. Brother? With Taehyung? For real? All this time? Well. “I don’t care about your sappy life story. The microchip. I want to know about that.”“Why the rush, detective? Unless I tell you the full story, you won’t get the spicy details. Plus, I’ve got all the time in the world on my hands.” Yoongi grinned again. Jimin truly despised him at that point. “And I’d rather do anything else than spend another second stuck here with you.” Jimin returned yet another smile.“Such a bad turn of events though, isn’t it? You have to.” Alright. Jimin will wait for the best opportunity to murder him. That’s what he was going to do. The only plan that helped him relax. Good. It was set then. Fortunately, Yoongi continued with the important stuff next. “I had no intention to steal any microchip at first. Long story short, you see, I was working for the CIA with Taehyung and Jungkook. We were given some unexpected information and later on, we decided it wasn’t a good idea for them to keep it.”Jimin raised an eyebrow because he didn’t understand anything of the shit Yoongi was talking about.“The software on that little chip is a biological weapon, meant to destroy continents if necessary.” As if Jimin was going to believe that. “Do you think I'm into conspiracy theories?”Yoongi rolled his eyes at Jimin’s question.“Why do you think the CIA is so obsessed with that thing? Do you think they really care about us? About the fact that we ran away? They don’t give a fuck about people, Jimin. They want the software back. It’s about millions of dollars that would be wasted if that shit was to be destroyed.”“This is ridiculous. Let’s say I believe you. Why would you risk so much then? This is purely dumb.” “Because we created the damn thing without even really knowing what it was. We had no idea it was going to be that dangerous and most importantly, we had no idea its purpose served as a freaking biological weapon.”Jimin knitted his browns in a frown, still not getting him.“There’s not much to it, Detective. We stole it, ran away, and before boarding the plane, I killed some FBI Agents that were following us. I killed the head of the department I was working for, unintentionally, obviously, but it might have angered them even more. Honestly, it wasn’t the plan to kill absolutely anyone, but at that moment, it was either me or them, I shot to escape.”“Why did you decide to come back to Seoul, of all places?”“We simply thought they wouldn’t bother following us here, plus, we had different identities here, which is the reason why it was so hard for them to find us up until now. We just wanted our lives to get back to normal.”Something still didn’t add up to Yoongi’s little telltale. “Why did you continue to kill people after getting back to Seoul?”“I killed two more FBI agents that targeted my brother and his friend. Again, it was either us or them.”Only two? Jimin let out a short laugh. “What about those that died poisoned?”“Well.. that’s a different story.” “You said we’ve got all day, right? I’m all ears.”“Well, Ji- Detective, as you might already know, those people that died were part of my team. They were innocent compared to me, honestly. And the plan was going great, honestly. I created a couple of maps to provide them with safe locations, but they started being killed one by one. I had no idea how and who did it, the only lead I had was that game we talked about. I was honest when I said I needed your help back then, I couldn’t find the truth behind those murders alone.” Yoongi seemed much more serious now, reminding Jimin of the one he used to trust, and he didn’t like the feeling at all. He couldn't trust Yoongi again. He was definitely lying. Everything was making way too much sense to be true.“And then why are you here? Why did you turn yourself in?”“Because this is the only way to protect Taehyung and Jungkook. Believe it or not, I hate both you and this shithole of a private detective department, I don’t really give a shit about law and money and whatever is happening here. I’ll be frank with you, I had to get close to you to get the information I needed. Honestly, my initial plan was to lead you in the wrong direction, convincing you to give up on the case, but things took an unexpected turn later on. I couldn’t protect them anymore, we are not safe out there.”“And what made you think you are safer here? You are literally a call away from an entire CIA swat team if I reach out to them.” “Well, I bet all I had on your insight.” “So you and that brilliant mind of yours thought that I would just agree to help you and your friends after using me like a pawn in your sick games?”“Not a pawn, more like a mean for the purpose, a toy if you wish. But I enjoyed playing with you.” Yoongi winked at Jimin with a mischievous look on his face.Just when Jimin thought he wasn’t that bad after all, just when Jimin was ready to hear a bit more of what he had to say. But that was the last drop. Jimin stood up abruptly, puffing one last time from his cigarette, before he smashed in on Yoongi’s pants, giving him a visible burn on his skin.A shocked noise escaped Yoongi’s lips.“I’m done with you Gilbert. You better answer the rest of the questions to whoever is here and give them the microchip before I kill you with my own hands.”“I don’t have it, detective.”Jimin stopped at the threshold again. “What?”“I don’t have it. I’m here just for protection; I am not that dumb. You would simply call the CIA, hand them the software, and us to get rid of the case. It would have been too easy for you that way. But don’t worry, detective, I know how to play my cards in my favor.”“Gilbert, you stepped on a very dangerous field and you’re playing with fire.” “I’m the only one who knows the location of it and I can arrange to have it destroyed if you don’t help me protect my brother.”“You’re a piece of shit, Gilbert. If you think things will go your way, you are deadly wrong.” Yoongi laughed. “Thanks for the cig and the burn . Really loved it, detective. Come back and do it to me again sometime. I’ll be waiting.” Yoongi whispered so that only Jimin heard him. Jimin didn’t turn back to look at him, he didn’t want to see that face ever again.How was it possible that the cards were still in his favor? How did he manage to turn the tables like that?All of this was part of his plan and Jimin couldn’t do anything about it, his hands were tied. ♠ “I’m really sorry Jimin, I can’t make this one talk either. We have nothing on them, unless they confess, which is why they are here, right? So why wouldn’t they just… talk?” Namjoon seemed to have little to no energy left. Taehyung squeezed every bit left of it out of him. “That guy is like a brick. He won’t even blink, much less talk.”“I really don’t think I could bear to face him as well, Namjoon.” Jimin massaged his temples, the migraine getting worse with each hour getting by. The past 24 hours had been simply hell for Jimin. He went from heartbroken to restful in just a couple of hours and the only fuel to his energy for the moment was black, unsweetened coffee and his urge to punch them all. “What else there is to know, anyway? Gilbert told us everything. I mean, if he tells the truth.”“Yeah, everything but the location of the microchip. We can’t send them to the CIA. He might be telling the truth and if that’s the case, those guys don’t want them, they want the microchip. They are just going to solve this their way.” Namjoon didn’t look as tired as Jimin was, which was the greatest outcome of the day. Together, they might get closer to a conclusion. “And if what he said about its intended purpose is true…” Jimin didn’t even know what to believe anymore. “…it’s fucking twisted.” Namjoon agreed with him. Good part? They weren’t alone on this. A big part of the team was there to help, and insight was something needed in those hard times. Hoseok assisted in the interrogation. They all did, as it has been recorded. “So, just for the record… let’s go through a recap. Gilbert confessed to more than 4 crimes, second-degree murders as he insists his intention has never been to kill any of them. He can root in prison. What about the other two?”“Gilbert insists they did not commit any crime besides stealing government-protected property,” Namjoon replied, still not fully convinced. “Fine. I’ll make them talk…” Jimin took a deep breath, brushing a hand through his hair. “I really hate this, but I’ll make it short. I managed to listen to Miles without breaking his nose. I’m sure I’ll manage five minutes with the other two.”Namjoon approached Jimin, watching him with understanding sympathy. He placed a hand on his shoulder, slightly clasping it. “You’re doing great Jimin. I know how hard this is for you.”“I just want to go home, Namjoon. I just want this to be over.” ♠ This time Jimin approached the situation a little bit differently.Taehyung wasn’t just a convict, but his former best friend. Jimin deserved a couple of explanations.He was mad, he felt betrayed, but most importantly, sad . It was hard for Jimin to understand what was happening, and each time his mind reminded him of the countless times he had mentioned Yoongi in Taehyung’s presence, and the way the other acted so clueless, it made him shiver, and not in a good way. Okay, Jimin didn’t expect Taehyung to tell him the truth from the start, but he had helped his brother for a long time to play pretend, watching Jimin fall. He was there, knowing the truth all of this time, and encouraged Jimin to keep going ahead blindly.He wanted him to fall into his brother’s trap.
Why?
Jimin thought he knew Taehyung. He knew his friend would never just play with others’ feelings for the sake of it. Finding out Taehyung was an accomplice to all of this had been the hardest part and the most shocking one. He had no choice but to hope Taehyung was going to be honest. Jimin entered the room where Taehyung was located and spotted him just the way he expected he would: Taehyung was sitting with slumped shoulders, fixing a spot on the table in front of him with a cold, almost lifeless gaze, lacking any sign of emotion.Jimin sighed and placed himself calmly on the chair in front of Taehyung, waiting for the other to react.Nothing. Taehyung said nothing. What did Jimin expect? An apology?“Kim Taehyung.” “Jimin.”Jimin couldn’t look dejected, he couldn’t show him any sympathy, because he wasn’t going to go easy on him just because he was his former best friend. “You know why I’m here, right? I heard from my colleagues that you won’t speak. Did you know that silence could give you some more years added to your sentence at this point?”“I was waiting to talk to you.” When he spoke this second time, Taehyung did meet Jimin’s eyes with his stare, but it was still indecipherable. Jimin felt like speaking to a statue.Jimin just nodded, replying with an equally lifeless stare. “Alright then, do you want me to ask the questions, or do you want to talk freely?”“The latter.”“Please, be my guest.”“First of all.” Taehyung licked his bottom lip, slightly worried. “In order for me to speak, I need to get some benefits out of it.”“Yes, a lighter sentence, I could do that.” Jimin rearranged his white paper in front of him, trying to avoid looking Taehyung too much into his eyes.“No, I don’t need that.”Jimin raised an eyebrow curiously. “Oh, what then?”“I need you to do me this favor as a former best friend Jimin, not as a detective. Believe it or not, I knew this day was about to come sooner or later, and I have nothing more to ask from you than the following request.”Jimin was too emotionally drained to process and answer, so he just gestured to Taehyung with a hand to continue and tell him about the request.“I want our families to remain oblivious to all of this. I don’t want our grandparents and Jungkook’s father to find out we are in jail. Cover us up, tell them we are out of the country, anything could help, just don’t let them know the truth.”Wait, not a shorter sentence in exchange for this?Hearing those words Jimin’s mind was already strolling through memories of Taehyung’s grandparents and the kindness they shared with him.He felt so sad, but he couldn’t let it show. Jimin found himself in a painful position. He understood Taehyung’s request. He would have done the same. Taehyung wanted to save their grandparents the shame that would fall upon them after hearing such incredulous news about their grandsons.“Please Jimin.” Taehyung continued, licking his lower lip again.“It’s the only thing I’m asking for.”Jimin sighed. “Alright, Taehyung, I’ll see what I can do about that. Now, talk.”Taehyung nodded and after requesting a glass of water he began talking. “Yoongi is my stepbrother. My family adopted him when I was very young. I didn’t get the chance to introduce you two before, not because of this, but because he had always been busy with his things and we were busy with ours. The fact that you didn’t meet him before was just pure coincidence. A coincidence that he used to his advantage.”It was hard for Jimin to believe that.“However, remember when I told you about the job I got in the US? The internship? It was some kind of a CIA internship I signed up for with my brother. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it and that’s the reason I kept it a secret. You know how that feels, you know the importance of privacy in big organizations.”Which was true. Jimin noted down only the important things.“I think Yoongi must have told you already, that we didn’t know what we were doing there until Jungkook found out from the coordinator of the project that it was a biological weapon. It was Jungkook’s and my idea to steal it and run. Yoongi opposed it at first, but he had no choice since I would have done it anyway with Jungkook and he wanted to protect me. There’s still not a single day that passes without me having nightmares about it, without me wondering what could have happened if we didn’t steal it.”Jimin wondered for a second if he would have done the same if being in their shoes.“I didn’t think of the consequences, all I wanted was to follow Jungkook. But he didn’t know better, we acted foolishly, but organized. We managed to steal it, but not without collateral damage. It wasn’t part of our plan.”Jimin nodded, taking notes of Taehyung’s statement.“I called you before we were supposed to come back to South Korea. I thought that everything would be just fine, that everything would go according to plan. But after we came back here, everything was falling apart. Everything was fucked up. I didn’t want Yoongi to find you, Jimin. Believe me, he approached you behind my back and when I found out, it was already too late. It was either my brother’s head or my best friend’s feelings. What would you have done?”“Don’t know since I don’t have siblings, proceed.”Taehyung looked down at his hands for a couple of seconds, before opening his mouth again. “We still have the microchip and Yoongi won’t give it to you. I don’t know much, but there’s one thing that I can tell you: Jimin, you know the difference between justice and what’s happening now. You know damn well that this is two-faced. Think about it, talk with whoever you need, but I need you to find a way to destroy that weapon before the CIA gets its hands on it and more people are predisposed to die.”Jimin fake-laughed. “Come on Tae, you will stay here for such a long time, I don’t think that the biological weapon should be one of your concerns, not anymore.”“Jimin, you don’t understand. They won’t stop with us. They don’t want us, they want the weapon. We know where it is and you have us right now. That means that they’re going to reach out to you. You are going to be next in line to be exposed to danger.”But Jimin was already foreseeing this. The danger was not them handing the biological weapon back to the CIA, the danger was going to come if they are not going to give it back.“Save the rest of the talk for yourself, Taehyung. I don’t want to listen to it anymore. How many people have you killed?”Taehyung gathered his fingers together in a fist before meeting Jimin’s eyes. “Don’t know about the USA, but here it was one man.”“Yoongi told me differently.”“I know, Jimin. He’s just trying to be a good brother, that’s all.”“I need a margin for it anyway.”“Not many, I shot five bullets and the car was moving.”“Ok, thank you for your cooperation. I’ll talk to my superior about the request you made earlier.”And with that Jimin closed the door behind him, without looking back. ♠ Jimin was standing next to Namjoon, Hoseok, Jeong-in, and another two officers in Inspector’s Kim office, waiting for a decision to be made.Jimin summed up the stories he had heard from Yoongi and Taehyung, while Namjoon told him everything he’s got from Jungkook. All in all, it seemed that their stories matched. Everything except for Yoongi’s statement about who killed people and who didn’t.That meant two possibilities: Either Jungkook and Taehyung were lying to protect Yoongi’s back or Yoongi lied for them.It didn’t matter though, after their confession, there wasn’t much he could do for Taehyung and Jungkook; Even though, deep inside of his heart, Jimin wished differently.Jimin hated criminals so much. He hated people who thought the solution to something was killing and Taehyung, more than anyone else, knew how Jimin felt about it.He really wished Taehyung wasn’t one of them, but after the interrogation, things seemed pretty clear. Taehyung was nothing more than a scumbag along with Yoongi and Jungkook.It felt sad. The three of them were instantly added to Jimin’s blacklist, a list of people he couldn’t stand to lock eyes with.It was tough to come to terms with that fact, but after such an eventful day, there was nothing left to impress him.“Hmm. That’s really interesting, Detective Park. So you’re telling me that Miles Gilbert gave you the option to cooperate with them?”Jimin nodded at inspector Kim. “Yes, Sir. He probably thought they could get away with this, that way...”Hoseok stretched his chin and raised his hand shortly to say his opinion. “Sorry to interrupt, but why would they want to get away at this point if they themselves came to surrender? Why did they steal the weapon if they weren’t ready to face the consequences, in the first place?”“Because they thought they could vanish and that no one was going to find them,” Jimin replied quickly, already scared that the conversation was going to take an ugly turn. “They had a point.” Namjoon joined Hoseok. “I mean, their friends did get killed by some kind of a gang, and by that point, they were in greater danger than us searching for them. Why would they want to be released, only to be poured into the hands of their enemies?”“That’s…” Jimin wasn’t sure he was ready to have this conversation. “Exactly, detectives.” Inspector Kim continued, with a twisted smile on his lips. “We have to think about this thoroughly. I initially planned to call the CIA the first second we had them in our custody, but something stopped me.” He looked intrigued, Jimin didn’t like it at all. “I felt that there was something more about them. I had to know why they would surrender willingly, after all this time. I had to know why they would come here with empty hands, after all that chasing.”“And? Did you come to a conclusion?” Namjoon asked shyly. “No, this is why I need more time.”“Inspector, please think about this, they killed people, they are criminals, no matter what’s the reason behind it, there must have been another choice, we can’t give them the supremacy of not being guilty since we know the truth. Let’s not find excuses for them.” Jimin wanted his point to get through. He really didn’t understand what was there to be analyzed. The goddamn fuckers confessed. Why would they bother to reason with them?“Detective Park, I am the one who takes the final decisions here. If you want to change that, fight to replace me. Until then, you have the right to vocalize your opinion and I have the right to not listen to it.”Calm down Jimin, it’s alright, you can’t burn two people on the same day. He collected his thoughts before speaking again. “I completely understand.” Jimin smiled sympathetically. “But, keep this in mind, I will be the first to resign from this post if I’ll have to go against pure justice for the sake of satisfying your curiosity.” And with that, Jimin left the office.He did not intend to believe Yoongi or Taehyung. Moreover, he was ready to pledge that they should receive the worst penalty there was to be received.If he had to pull out teeth for the sake of finding out the location of that stupid weapon, he was ready to do it. Jimin was angry, tired, and full of hate.There was no justification to kill people and steal from a government, no matter the allegedly positive intentions behind it. The whole story was pure bullshit, Jimin was sure of it. ♠
I can't help but be wrong in the dark
'Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts
I can't help but want oceans to part
'Cause I'm overcome in this war of hearts
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi, throughout his entire life, never knew the concept of sadness. At least not like this. He felt disappointed, he knew what it’s like to be a failure, he has got his fair share of unpleasant experiences. He had also felt anxious numerous times, whenever he would get into a fight with members of his family, especially with Taehyung. Apart from that, he knew the concept of having fun, of happiness. He knew that it was a rare feeling. He had fun when he used to steal beers from the nearest convenience store with Romeo during their teenage years. He had fun whenever he used to play with Taehyung in his childhood. He had fun attending parties and hooking up with pretty people just for the sake of it. He had fun clubbing with Jimin. But sadness? That was something new.He didn’t even know if he was sad or full of regrets, but he did know that the chest pain he was feeling was coming from the bullshit he was going through.He was mad at himself for playing Jimin. He was mad at himself for dragging his brother into the mess they were in. He was mad at himself for failing to protect them, but above everything, he was fucking sad for the fact that he had to act like he didn’t care.He managed to do it his entire life, it was easy because that was basically who Min Yoongi was: A guy who didn’t care much.But it became a burden now. Everything felt like cracking into millions of pieces and Yoongi was damn aware, that he won’t be able to put them back together. Ever again.Staying alone in a cell was much harder than he expected. He had all the time in the world to think. What could he possibly think about?
What ifs;
Yoongi hated what ifs, yet here he was. What if he didn’t run away from the CIA, but simply came back to Korea and met Jimin through Taehyung? They would have all been happy, right?Maybe with the cost of losing their bond with Jungkook. Maybe he wouldn’t even have had the chance to meet Jimin, but at least they might have been free.His eyes were burning after so many hours of trying to keep them focused, not to slip a single tear. His name was Min Yoongi and Min Yoongi never cried. He needed to act tough. It was so... Difficult though. After all, he really did fall in love with Park Jimin and there was no reason left for him to deny it anymore.At first, he had to deny his own feelings in order to focus and not play with Jimin’s feelings further, he had to stay back. But now, Jimin hated him so, so much . Why would he lie to himself anymore? It was between him and his own feelings. Yoongi had the right to admit to his feelings. It was easier that way. Painful, but easier. He had to learn to live with it. There was no hope left for him, of getting out of there, and there was definitely not a single chance for him to have a nice conversation with Jimin, ever again.No matter how much he was craving for it, even in the gone moments, in which he acted with so much frivolity towards Jimin.Besides coming to terms with his new and monstrous feelings, Yoongi also had time to think about what was left for him to do. Jimin was about to, if he didn’t yet, call the CIA to come and collect them.After the CIA puts its hands on them, it can lead to only one possible outcome. Their finality. However, Min Yoongi had a plan.A nasty one, but he did have a plan and was ready to use it, even though it will add to the amount of hate Jimin had towards him.It was the most favorable option he had, and he was ready to use it. He had to. ♠ |16th of March, 2019|
Jimin’s pov
Jimin woke up at 5 am, as usual. He managed to fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed, thankfully, after exhaustion caught up with him. His morning routine did not feel the same though. Not anymore.Deep down he knew, nothing was going to be the same.The whole deal was fucked up. Miles Gilbert was still there because Inspector Kim Seokjin decided him to be.His mind was clearer now after a couple of hours of sleep, so he headed towards the shower and spent a good half an hour there, letting the hot water fall, taking away with it all the grime, the misery, and the resentful feelings he had gathered for the past couple of days.All he wished for was to feel nothing. He needed that numbness now more than anything in order to function properly for the upcoming days. He had to handle the upcoming storm. And truth to be told., Jimin desperately desired more sleep, food that he couldn’t devour, and probably some vitamins, since his body was beginning to look weak. Terrible. Dark circles appeared under his eyes, visible signs that he was deeply affected by the recent events. But he couldn’t show them he was weak. Jimin was not one to show his weaknesses to people around him, so he had to man up. He needed to do it. He was perfectly fine and was about to prove to everyone, and himself, just how well he could handle this situation.He was the one who made the mistakes, so he would be the one suffering the consequences. He will bring Yoongi down, even if he had to fight Inspector Kim and get his position in jeopardy over it. He was determined to do it.He stopped his train of thoughts and exited the shower. After drying off and getting dressed, he covered the dark circles under his eyes with concealer; No one needed to know, just how much this whole situation affected him. ♠ Upon arriving at work, Jimin was surprised to see that Namjoon and Hoseok were already out of the office, working on the case. “Why didn’t I receive a call?” Jimin frowned at the remaining officers in the station.“Detective Park, we were informed by Inspector Kim that you have the rest of the week off since the case was…a little bit personal.”Jimin blinked a couple of times.
What?
“What? Who the fuck said I needed a day off? I’m completely fucking fine. Move out of my way!”The officers exchanged a couple of worried glances between each other and let Jimin pass to his own office. He opened the door, threw his suitcase, and dialed Namjoon’s number.“Oh, Detective Park, how’s your day off?”“Cut the bullshit, Namjoon. I’m at the office. Where are you at?”“Uhh? Why would you come? Inspector Kim told me-“If I hear that name once more today, I swear to god I’m going to-”“Ok, Jimin, ok. We’re investigating a crime scene.”“A crime scene?”
The devil never stops. Jimin should have considered this long ago.
“Yeah, it’s somewhere in… Look, Jimin, I didn’t think you should have found out like this but… it’s the address you received the other day… the address where you found… Miles Gilbert at.”“What?”What? Did that mean, what Jimin believed it meant?“Namjoon, please don’t do anything before I’m there. Fucking shit, I should have been the first one to know about this!”“Sorry Jimin, we’re-” Jimin cut off the phone call and ran towards the elevator.Jimin’s heart was pumping blood at full sleep. He was shaking and his legs weren’t working properly anymore, there were thousands of loud thoughts screaming at him, but there was only one that stood out the most. If Yoongi didn’t leave the house that day to surrender, Jimin would have been investigating Yoongi’s death right now. To be continued... ♠
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
How do I make you stay
When it's easier to let you go?
Nobody knows what we know about it
No one needs to know
Jimin’s pov
Time passed slower than Jimin wished it would. His blood was pumping rapidly, whilst a knot in his chest made it hard for him to breathe. He was overwhelmed by the rush of emotions, too many and too confusing at once. The second he arrived at the crime scene, he stepped out of the car and felt his stomach curl into a ball. Jimin was now familiar with the location, the huge, well-maintained farmhouse he had found Yoongi in just a couple of days before. Yoongi was there just a couple of days before. With each step he took while getting closer to the house, his emotions intensified. He couldn’t ignore it anymore, the memory of what happened forced itself into Jimin’s vision, and all he could see before his eyes was the image of him, standing there, staring at the wooden front door as Yoongi passed by him, eyes cold and pensive, as if they always been complete strangers. The feeling, the chest pain was suffocating at first. Jimin felt as if someone was holding his heart in a tight grip; and every second of Jimin’s memory, every painful feeling, just contributed to the ache.Stabbed in the back by the only man he wanted to call his;Before the pain could consume him, he stopped in his tracks. He needed to remind himself that there was only one truth that he had to digest. He was just a mere pawn in Yoongi’s chess game and nothing else.What he was going through right now, all of it is because of him. Just for a bit, Jimin could feel the anger coming back. Truth be told, the pain was there, ever so present but the sadness and disappointment were stronger. He was just a mere pawn in Yoongi’s chess game and nothing else. He meant nothing to him. He felt like throwing up, as cold shivers ran down his spine, shivers which he had to shake off, he couldn’t let the memory distract him. He was more than that. The entire yard, including the stairs, was now full of officers who restricted the area, investigating the crime that happened inside the house.Jimin exhaled several times and tried his best to hide his emotions while walking toward Namjoon, who spotted him just in time. “Detective Park, mornin’.” “Namjoon.” Jimin didn’t bother with the honorifics, just nodded his head instead before approaching. “What did I miss?” he rather stated than asked, both expression and voice, cold.Namjoon ducked his head a bit, seemingly embarrassed. Jimin was sure his intentions weren’t to make him feel excluded, but with all the things going on he wanted everyone to understand that he was not to be left out once again. "Sorry, Jimin, we really believed you needed a break and this…this isn’t exactly something that would make you feel at ease… Yesterday was a tough day and- ” “Namjoon. Do I look like I want to talk about all of that? I requested a report, not a therapy session.”Namjoon was quick to nod his head in agreement, gesturing for Hoseok to join them. As Hoseok hand Jimin a file with the rapport, Namjoon summed things up for him a bit.“Alright, so it’s the poison game again. There are two Korean men who don’t seem to be part of Miles’ CIA team this time. Not as far as we know at least. We have no fucking clue who these two people are, to be frank. They seem to be normal citizens, with nothing on record. We had time to do a short inspection of the house and there is no evidence of Miles Gilbert ever living here, there are no traces of him at all.”“I’m going inside.”Hoseok didn’t say anything to Jimin, just lifted the yellow tape that marked the crime scene to let Jimin enter, following after him with Namjoon.Jimin was welcomed by a nasty sight. ♠ Two men were slumped on the couch, blue liquid drooling out of their mouths and they almost appeared like junkies on a high, except for the wide-eyed expression on their faces and the fact that they were not breathing.They were for sure Asians and if Namjoon’s report was true, then they might have also been killed unintentionally. Which made Jimin wonder…“Who called the police? Who found their bodies?”“It was an unknown call. It was made on a disposable phone, the trace of it lead to a trashcan around this neighborhood.”“I thought about it for some time…” Hoseok commented. “Isn’t it suspicious? Why would you call the police and simply run away? Whoever did it, must have had a good reason not to be involved.”Well of course. It was so fucking easy.Jimin rolled his eyes, wondering why hasn’t he thought of that earlier. “Of course, Yoon- I mean Miles Gilbert didn’t work alone, it would have been impossible for him to plan and execute something this big by himself. There had to be someone else who took care of him, and that someone else was probably the person who made the call. These two dead guys might even be collateral damage for all I know.”Namjoon frowned his brows, but he could clearly see Jimin’s point. “It makes sense. There have to be other people who worked with Miles, which means they probably have the location of that weapon, and they managed to hide him and the others until they surrendered. The other CIA fugitives are still on the run, so there has to be someone who’s helping and protecting them still, right?”Jimin heard Namjoon out and felt how everything was falling into place in his mind, creating and finally completing the bigger picture step by step, clue by clue. He wasn’t able to see it completely yet, but it was there.They were getting closer. He felt tension and expectations slowly building up in his stomach. “We all know that Miles and his team were running from someone else, not us,” Hoseok added. “Maybe they didn’t lie. Maybe Miles was honest when he declared he was safer behind bars than out here.” “If…” Jimin exhaled heavily. He tried to force the words out of his mouth, but his chest felt tight and the air around him suffocating. Something was tingling behind his eyelids, forcing him to come to a bigger realization, bit by bit.“If Miles and the other guys wouldn’t have come to the station the other day there’s a high possibility that they would have been dead by now.” Namjoon took over the wheel for Jimin and finally spoke the undeniable truth, that Jimin wasn’t able to put his hands on.Yoongi could have been dead.Taehyung could have been dead. Poisoned, laying on the couch, instead of those two guys they were still investigating.Jungkook would have been dead too, the location of the biological weapon unknown and Jimin would have had no confession whatsoever regarding who Miles Gilbert was, what the truth behind it was, and he would have been faced with a dead end.Jimin breathed out through his nose and his shoulders loosened some of their tension in relief. Wait, was he relieved because Min Yoongi was alive?No, shit no, the fucker could have died for all he cared. But on the other hand, Jimin was indeed relieved for the fact that Miles Gilbert was alive because as much as he didn’t like to admit it, they needed him. They needed information that only Miles Gilbert was able to provide them with.That was it, that was the only reason Jimin was relieved. Nothing else. He felt nothing else but hate and anger towards Min Yoongi and that was how things were supposed to be.He took a deep but shaking breath and went back to Hoseok, to discuss further if the bodies had anything new to reveal to them.The dull ache in his stomach was still there, stopping him from keeping a normal breathing race and slowing his working process by a percentage of 20%, but it was fine. Jimin was tired and he needed to push it away, the harder he worked the closer he got to his old, confident self.If only that damn feeling would disappear, rather sooner than later. ♠
Halsey - Heaven in Hiding
Once Jimin got back to the station he didn’t waste any more time and rushed toward Yoongi’s cell. That wasn’t the time for him to sulk and be emotional, he needed to talk to Yoongi and get the much-needed information, he could think about everything else later.As soon as he met Yoongi’s eyes he was again welcomed by that smug look of him, which made Jimin go nuts. As if he knew Jimin would go back. He wanted nothing more than to pull out Yoongi’s teeth one by one, but he had no other choice but to try as hard as possible to ignore that feeling and get straight to the point.Deep down, Jimin knew his actions and thoughts were completely immature, he knew that when it was about Yoongi, something in him stirred and turned him into a child, a ball of anger that had no intention to see behind his own motives.He even felt stupid for acting like that. Everything he has done since Miles Gilbert stepped into the department building, was to rant, refuse rational thinking, deny everyone’s opinion except for his own and throw hate. It was completely wrong.He had to stop, he had to act like the smart, intelligent adult he believed he was and think twice before saying something. It wasn’t like him at all to let himself be controlled by his own emotions. He made a mistake. Alright, it was time for him to repair what could be repaired.This meant he needed to talk to Miles Gilbert and get all the information he could from him, no emotions involved no more.Jimin was ready to do that.“I have no time for your bullshit right now, I need answers.” He began as soon as he sat down across the table. “Two guys were found killed in the house where you’ve been hiding. If you know something, spit it out. Taehyung already confessed his crimes, and I’m ready to discuss lessening his sentence if you cooperate.”Yoongi’s eyes suddenly widened at the mention of his brother. He didn’t seem affected by the fact that he could have been dead by now, but the mention of his brother made him visibly concerned.Yoongi was slowly tasking in the information and offer, while Jimin watched him calmly and waited. That was great, Jimin was on the right path. He was calm and composed. Yoongi was going to be grateful this time and-He smirked at him.A fucking smirk. What was there to smirk about? Jimin prayed to God. He couldn’t fuck this up. “So, after all, you didn’t call the CIA telling them you have us in your custody, didn’t you, sweetheart?” Yoongi confirmed, eyes not leaving Jimin’s for a second. “Not yet, sweetheart.” Jimin hated him after all, but it didn’t mean he’d be a fool for Yoongi again. All Jimin needed were answers. “But I will; and sooner than you can imagine if you don’t talk.”“Actually, Detective Park Jimin, I think you will want to keep us here for a longer time than you had expected.”Jimin raised his eyebrow cockily, knowing there was absolutely nothing Yoongi had on him for him to make such a stupid statement. “You, Gilbert, have no fucking idea of what I’m capable of. If I want your help, I’ll get it, then I’ll make sure you sulk in misery for the rest of your pathetic life.”Yoongi let out a superior laugh, an annoying look diverted in Jimin’s direction. “Give me a cig and I’ll explain.” Jimin rolled his eyes. “If you think I have time for your bullshit, you are fucking wrong.”How could he take Yoongi seriously when he was so mad annoying? But he might have realized that sooner than Jimin expected. His stare was now rather stone cold, terrifyingly serious. “Believe me, you want to hear this before the others will.”What the fuck?Jimin threw his packet of Davidoff Whites towards Yoongi and patiently waited for him to light the cigarette. He didn’t know why he was still willing to listen to Yoongi’s crap, why couldn’t he just punch him in the face and leave?Surely the case that was holding him back. Of course, it was. He needed Yoongi to talk, and the guy was stubborn enough to back off if things didn’t work his way, so Jimin complied. At least that’s what Jimin told himself.He had to reason with himself somehow.“Okay, so, here’s the deal. Detective Park Jimin, I have strong evidence against you that you plotted with me behind the police’s back to hide the biological weapon, and that it is currently in your possession. If you want me to keep silent about it, we don’t leave the quarters of this department. It’s as simple as that.”It took Jimin a couple of good seconds and half of Yoongi’s burned-down cigarette to comprehend what Yoongi had just told him. Did Yoongi just threaten to blackmail him?He wasn’t able to move his lips, since nothing Yoongi said made any sense to him. Jimin locked eyes with Yoongi and watched him calmly, calculating whether this was yet another one of his schemes or a mere bluff.He would have loved to know the fucking location of the weapon, so he went through the dialogues he had with Yoongi inside his mind, thinking that maybe Yoongi dropped a clue, but he came up with nothing.After a couple of minutes of silence between them, Jimin spoke up again. “Ok, confess then, they are going to find out you lied, simple as that.” “Detective…” Yoongi dared to smirk once again like the asshole he was. “You don’t understand the gravity of the situation. I said that the weapon is in your possession and I have strong evidence against you. Plus, I could give your friends out there some intel I know from you since you liked to relinquish in my presence. That would only sustain my points.”Jimin felt his pulse resonating at his temples violently and a headache, greater than anything he ever felt took his head into its possession.If the weapon was somewhere near Jimin, he just needed to find it, right?“Don’t even think about searching for it. You can’t find it. It’s a loss of time. However, while we spend time here together, I might agree not to testify against you, if you stop threatening me with Taehyung. I might even allow you to get to know me, as in the real me, what ‘bout that?” A sickening smile showed Yoongi’s gums as he raised his eyebrow waiting for an answer from Jimin.The whole world was spinning around Jimin. He couldn’t think straight anymore. “You are a fucking psychopath!” Logical thinking be damned. Gilbert was insane.Yoongi’s smug look didn’t leave his face for one second. “I prefer creative.”If there was any air left in Jimin’s lungs before, it was gone now. His head was spinning, and he felt sick to his very bones, to his very existence. He needed to get out of there, he needed to get out of Yoongi’s presence, he needed oxygen.It was too much. Jimin raised to his feet and with shaking legs he stumbled over towards the door, making his way out of the suffocating room.Before he could make it out, however, he heard Yoongi’s enthusiastic, wickedly chirpy voice yelling after him, that he’ll be waiting patiently for an answer. ♠ The first thing he did after leaving the interrogation room was to run over to Namjoon and tell him to delete the video of the conversation held between him and Yoongi in the interrogation room.“Jimin, what the fuck, you know I can’t do that, right?” Namjoon hushed out, looking at him confused.“Namjoon, for god’s sake, it’s extremely important. I’ll tell you everything later, I promise, I just need to go look for something. Oh, and remember, don’t do anything regarding the case, just wait for me to be back. It will be extremely important!” Jimin explained in a serious tone and left, not even waiting for Namjoon’s answer. He knew that he could trust him. ♠
Namjoon’s pov
Namjoon considered Jimin one of his best friends, even though he didn’t know the nature of the relationship Jimin considered them to have. He hoped he considered him close and trusting as well.He knew Jimin pretty well and silently observed the way everything that happened affected him. However, to be affected was one thing, but to act differently and change your principles regarding work due to a personal matter was something else entirely. Namjoon hoped Jimin wouldn’t do something that stupid and put them all in danger. He thought about completing Jimin’s request and deleting the video. It was an easy thing to do but against the rules. Namjoon wanted to help Jimin, but he needed to know why there was a need to delete it.Namjoon’s fingers were hovering between the play button and the delete button.He wasn’t ready to make a choice. His heart wanted to help Jimin, but his logical thinking told him to wait.In the spur of the moment, Inspector Kim appeared like a hurricane inside the surveillance and security control room, looking for Namjoon.Namjoon’s heart jumped in his chest with all force and didn’t give him time to use his brain anymore.He pressed delete. He did it in the spur of the moment and hoped, that he didn’t just make a big mistake. “Inspect-”“Finally, here you are!”“Did something happen?” Alarmed and caught off guard, Namjoon stood up and went for an eye-level conversation with the inspector.“I was looking for you, we need to discuss something, without Detective Park. Where is he anyway?” Inspector Kim frowned and Namjoon started fidgeting because, yes, he wanted to help and protect his friend, but he was unable to do shit if Jimin was secretive and worked on whatever he did by himself and kept Namjoon in the dark.Namjoon needed to say something, he had to answer his superior, but at the same time, what was he supposed to say?He fixed the ground with his eyes, trying to think of something to help Jimin. To help himself as well, because he put himself in the same danger Jimin was in right now. The only thing that came to his mind was, that the truth, in times like these was the best solution. He hoped that was the case, at least.He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair before offering inspector Kim an awkward smile.Act normal, Namjoon, like it’s not a big deal. It is going to be fine.“I, uh, well, Jimin, I mean Detective Park told me he needed to take care of something which is of great importance and left in a hurry. He… he told me to trust him and that he’ll be back soon.” He decided to skip the part where Jimin told him to delete a certain recording. And that he did it. That was the least he could do. Inspector Kim massaged his temples with his index fingers and locked his eyes with Namjoon. “What is he doing anyway? Ok, let him be for now. Detective Kim, I have to talk with you right now. I have… thought about it…and I can’t tell Jimin. Not yet.”Namjoon widened his eyes, not knowing what to expect.“If what these men told us is true, which seems to be the case in my opinion, why should we hand them over to the CIA? I know we are a Private Detective Department and I know what we should and should not do. But, I’m the Chief Inspector in this office and I can decide if the rules are worth to be ditched or not.”Namjoon’s legs felt weak. “W-what does it mean, sir?”“What I mean is: The CIA wants the biological weapon, which we don’t have, more than they want the people who stole it. If we hand Gilbert and his case back to them, they get nothing out of it, and neither do we.”Well, that was true.The inspector continued. “What concerns me the most is the fact that at the same time with this case, we encountered the poison problem, which didn’t stop, right? They’ll take Gilbert and let us take care of the other murders without any help. Now, there’s a high chance we will fail the case. It appears to be much bigger than it is, and we don’t have connections that could help. We need an informant that will help us, and that could be Miles Gilbert.”Namjoon felt an awkward feeling bobbing inside of his stomach. Every bit of what the inspector told him was right but, Jimin…“The other thing that concerns me is that weapon. Say we let the US Government take it back. What are they going to do with it?”“That’s…”“They are going to use it.”“But…even if, speaking strictly theoretically, we hide it from them. They will just create another one-”“Of course, they might do that. But we have a choice here. We can at least do something about this one, why choose to ignore it and feel guilty knowing that we could have done something about it?”He had a point. Again.“What do you mean by having an informant, Inspector?”“That’s something we can decide later on when we reach a unanimous decision.” “What about Jimin?”“What about you, Kim? Do you agree with me? Do you want to do this? It’s just a suggestion after all. The way I see it, you can disagree.”“No, I mean, yes, I agree. I thought about it too just… not to such extents…”“Alright. Let’s keep this far from Jimin, for now at least. Don’t let him do anything stupid, like calling CIA or things like that.”Namjoon was suddenly scared, cold sweat running down his neck. What if Jimin was doing something stupid like that at this very moment? He needed to get ahold of him as soon as possible.“I’ll try to stay with him as much as possible and keep an eye on him.”“Thank you, Kim, it’s always a pleasure to work with you!” And the inspector left as soon as he finished his sentence, leaving a flustered Namjoon behind.Shit Namjoon, get a grip, there was no time for getting flustered. “Right, Jimin!” ♠
Jimin’s pov
Jimin turned his house upside down looking for anything small that looked like a stick, a microchip, but all of his efforts were in vain.He tried to remember all the places he’s been with Yoongi, where he could have hidden the thing, but there was nothing. It felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. The more he searched, the less he was able to think. Was that the feeling of becoming insane?What if Yoongi was bluffing? What if that was another one of his mind games, trying to create a diversion when god knew what he was actually up to?Jimin stopped in the middle of his living room, feeling frantic, shaking with adrenaline and doubts. He looked around and finally took out a cigarette, lighting it with shaky hands. Damn the building rules, the last thing he could do before he lost his mind, was to smoke a damn cigarette. He inhaled the familiar taste, ran a hand through his messy hair, and calmed down a bit, nicotine poisoning his nerves.It was frustrating. Jimin was unable to figure out if Yoongi was lying or telling the truth. He was unable to read his expressions, to understand what he was thinking and that frustrated him beyond reason.After all, he knew nothing about Yoongi. He didn’t know his personality, his character, his facial expressions. Everything that Yoongi showed him, was just a charade and Jimin was hardly coming to terms with it. He felt near tears, but at the same time wanted to laugh out loud.“What do I do mom? What the hell am I supposed to do in this kind of a situation?” He whispered towards the picture of his mother, hanging on the wall to his right. “Why us? Why is it always us? Why do people always target our lives to make us feel miserable?”Well, Jimin was a hypocrite. He knew he was at fault for some of the things that happened, but it just didn’t feel right. Why wasn’t he allowed to trust without doubting the person of being a fucking criminal? Why couldn’t he have a normal life?Sure, he chose to be a detective and that fact alone made him a potential target, he was aware of that, but Taehyung? His best friend? It still didn’t make any sense to Jimin.A thing was clear to him, though. He made a huge mistake by putting his trust in Yoongi.It was Jimin’s word against his and Yoongi had a good point.Jimin did talk to him about the case, not much, but enough to put himself into a doubtful position.Calling the CIA would make Yoongi talk, but he would talk too much. Yoongi was revengeful enough to drag Jimin into his shit. At least that was what Jimin believed after their latest encounter.Maybe Jimin didn’t know him at all, but it was clear as day that Yoongi was capable of many immoral things, and lying was a thing he could do easily. Jimin experienced that with his own body.There were two possible outcomes: First. Yoongi was lying and Jimin was safe, after all.Or, second. Yoongi was telling the truth and the weapon was indeed in Jimin’s possession, which meant that Jimin quite possibly would end up in jail alongside Yoongi and Taehyung.It was such an uncomfortable feeling in Jimin’s chest. The whole idea of Yoongi using him like that, the conflicting feelings he still held towards him, and the fucking situation, as a whole.It wasn’t easy, not at all. It wasn’t easy to fall in love with someone today and hate him tomorrow. It took a lot of strength to keep composed, to put the feelings (those that were left at least) aside and think logically, think straight.Jimin didn’t even know how he felt about Yoongi. Not anymore. He knew that hate was temporary, love was something that couldn’t exist in their relationship anymore, but he needed to keep going, to be there, to look into Yoongi’s eyes with a cold stare, and learn to forget.He needed to teach his heart not to hate, but to stay unbothered, he had to remain calm, and focus on what was important. He needed to be numb.Jimin took the last drags of his cigarette and went back to the issue at hand.Yoongi had been in his home, he was inside Jimin’s car several times, he was around him for uncountable times, but it didn’t matter how many times he searched all those places, how long he looked for it, he always came up empty hands. It was a dead end.Even Taehyung could have been the one to do it. The only thing that he was sure of, was the fact that Jimin had been set up and there was no way out of it.He needed help and had to tell Namjoon, maybe even Inspector Kim the truth. His team needed to know everything in order to help him. ♠
Ruelle - Secrets and lies
“Did you do it?” Jimin asked Taehyung as he entered the interrogation room, without further ado.“What?” Taehyung grimaced, gaze oscillating between confusion and nonchalance. “Did you hide the weapon?” Jimin felt incredibly exhausted. There was no way Taehyung did not know about it. Whatever Yoongi did, he must have told at least his brother, Jimin was sure of it, but he was in no mood for playing Taehyung’s little games. Not anymore. So he made sure he got the right attitude for the next interrogation. “What Jimin? You need to be more explicit because I don’t understand what you are implying.” He seemed genuinely confused, but Jimin tried not to give up just yet. He put his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers, leaning closer to his (ex) best friend. “Your brother told me the biological weapon is in my possession.”It took Taehyung a couple of seconds and several blinks. “He did what?”“He is blackmailing me with this. Don’t act like you don’t know about it…”“He? Did? What?” He repeated the question, empathizing with each word, pure confusion on his face. “It is impossible…he, did he say that? Jimin, are you sure you didn’t misunderstand?”Jimin’s patience was running very low…“Why would I come and tell you this if I wasn’t sure Taehyung? I searched everywhere there is no trace of that weapon. He is either bluffing or you guys managed to play me. Again.”Taehyung, though, had a different story to tell. “Jimin, you need to listen to me very carefully, if Yoongi said that to you, it means it’s the truth, but I was completely unaware of it.”“The truth?” Jimin scoffed, feeling amused. “Like all the things he had said to me in the past couple of months?” Jimin raised his eyebrow, sarcasm bitter on his tongue. He didn’t know if he could trust any of Yoongi’s words since everything he has said to him before was a complete lie. “N-no! Jimin, he told me, us, that he has a plan, but I thought he wanted to convince you to help us, not this! I’m-… I don’t know what to say, but he is capable of something like this…” Taehyung seemed like he started freaking out, it was unnerving, even for Jimin. “You do remember when he came to your house, don’t you? I was so fucking confused, why would he go there when I specifically told him to stay away…it makes…I’m so, so fucking sorry Jimin, but it makes so much sense. He must have hidden it then…” Taehyung stopped to a halt, taking a deep breath before continuing. “The only reason why I refuse to cooperate with you is that if the CIA gets its hands on us we are dead meat.” His eyes were sincere, pure even. Jimin knew those eyes.He swallowed visibly. Shivers were running throughout his whole body while listening to Taehyung’s shaking voice. He was being emotional, scratch that, he was an emotional wreck. He looked the same way as Jimin felt, but he, like Jimin, was good at hiding it. At least he had been until now.“It’s not like I can do something about it. My hands are tied unless I find the weapon. And you know what, Tae? Your plan is fun and games until my coworkers find out, and if they decide to believe your brother and not me, I might end up on the other side of the table, with you. All of us will be handed to your friends at the CIA and God knows what will happen then.”“Which is why…you must not let that happen Jimin.”“I have to tell them the truth.”“Tell them to help, Jimin.”“How do I know you guys are going to cooperate?”Taehyung threw his hands in the air, a sign of pent-up frustration.“For God’s sake! This is what I said the first time you walked through that door!” Taehyung gestured towards the entrance. “I will tell you everything I know, just don’t call CIA.”♠ Jimin got out of the interrogation room with fewer answers than he had when he got in. That’s when he saw her. When he raised his eyes from the ground, Jimin spotted a middle-aged woman, gesturing like crazy to the left and right. People around her were moving at a hectic speed and Hoseok was trying to explain something to her.Approaching her, Jimin was able to make out the words she was saying and it became more and more obvious that she was speaking English.“Hello? Hoseok? Is everything fine?” Jimin approached his co-worker without further ado since Hoseok didn’t seem that happy with the situation. “Good evening! My name is Victoria Serrera, CIA Special Agent and Investigator. Nice to meet you, Mister…?”It wasn’t like Jimin asked her anything, but oh well.“Detective Park Jimin, can I be of any help?”“Oh, exactly one of the men I was looking for!”Jimin turned to Hoseok, exchanging a bewildered look. He signaled Jimin, behind the woman’s back, that he needed to be careful.Jimin got it immediately. They were in trouble. They did not call the CIA, but apparently, the CIA managed to find them. At the worst times possible. The woman looked like she owned the place by the gestures she was making and it meant that she didn’t come with the best intentions. She wanted to pursue them, and she used her higher rank to persuade them to do so.At least she believed so. “Me?”“Exactly! The detective working on Miles Gilbert case, right?”Surprisingly and thankfully, Namjoon too made his appearance, touching Jimin’s shoulder softly, letting him know he was there, not just physically, but here for him, having his back, quite literally.“Good evening! I’m detective Kim Namjoon. I’m Detective Park’s partner.”“Oh, another great encounter, these people here are a mess, I couldn’t talk to anyone until now! I requested the files that the department has on the case, but no one was able to get them to me yet and I’m not that patient.”“Oh! Miss Serrera! To what do we owe the pleasure?” Inspector Kim appeared too, with a beaming smile plastered on his face.” It felt extremely out of context, but who was Jimin to ask questions? “Inspector, happy to see you too, would you mind urging your people to hand me the files on Gilbert’s case?”“Of course. We are sorry for this great hazard, but this morning we discovered another poisoned dead body and we are trying to figure out who the culprit is. I assume you have no idea what I’m talking about, right?”“Of course not!” The woman frowned, appearing completely clueless. “What kind of poison?”“Right, I am sorry for asking. I’ll bring you the files myself right away.”Jimin, with a visibly scared look on his face, turned to Inspector Kim. Namjoon was still facing the woman, trying to create some kind of diversion, by starting a conversation with her, all the while Inspector Kim approached Jimin discreetly and whispered into his ear. “I’ll handle it, don’t worry. Don’t say a word about them. Act like they are not here.”It appeared as if the team knew already. All of them communicated through subtle looks and gentle smiles. It was like they knew Jimin was in danger and wanted to help him. Or as if they had their own motives to hide them. Whichever it was, it wasn’t important at the moment. Jimin needed Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook to be kept a secret, at least for now. He decided to play along now and ask questions later.He approved with a nod of his head and turned back to the other three people.“Jung, come with me, I need you to help me with the files!” Inspector Kim winked toward Hoseok, and the other complied without further asking questions.Jimin spotted Inspector Kim reaching for Officer Yang from the corner of his eye, and he sighed in relief. The Inspector was definitely up to something. “So.” The impatient lady went back to addressing him and Namjoon. “Tell me, what do you think about the case? Any progress?”Jimin had no idea what Namjoon had in mind, but they were going to have to improvise. He decided to jump in.“What we know by now is, that…” Jimin started thinking of a crucial point in their investigation. He was sure the inspector was not going to change the information they have on the case. They were too low on time for that. The Inspector was going to erase data, but not all of it. He had to figure out to which point of the investigation would his superior decide it was safe to share with the CIA. As plausible as possible. What would that be? “We actually have a lead.” Jimin continued. “But it’s confusing. We received a list of fugitives and some of them have been identified dead recently. We didn’t know exactly whether the crimes were made by Gilbert himself or someone else, which is what we are trying to figure out.”“Oh, I’m sure it’s him!” The lady commented immediately, which had Jimin’s suspicion grow. “Who else could it be? He’s a dangerous criminal. He stole from our Organization, who knows what those poor people have done if he decided to kill them?”“But we have no proof of that, Miss…” Namjoon continued. “And weren’t they in the same situation? I thought that everyone on that list is equally to blame.”“But Gilbert has the microchip.”Bingo.“Alright, but as far as we know, it has nothing to do with the crimes we’ve been constantly encountering.”Exasperated, the woman threw her hands in the air. “He’s the criminal. We know this for sure. If I say this, then you should listen to me, we are the CIA, maybe they managed to erase the data we had on them, but we still know who they are and what their personalities are like. You should listen and do as I say. I need you to bring me that man alive!”It was so odd, the way she was extremely obsessed with Gilbert, but didn’t give a shit about the others.“Here you go!” Inspector Kim popped up as quickly as he left, handing the woman a folder with the case file. A modified one, Jimin was sure of it.“Thank you. Now, the reason I am here is the following: The CIA sent me here to warn you. You are the only department in Seoul that knows about Miles Gilbert and the microchip. We can’t waste any more time. Do you understand? It’s the government that is asking for it, let’s not cause a big deal out of it.”Inspector Kim smirked and Jimin raised a brow. They had just been threatened and the Inspector was basically smiling. “What’s this microchip?” He asked, a gentle smile still in place. “Classified information.”“We don’t even know what we are looking for, why did those people steal it?” The inspector didn’t back down.“Because it’s worth a fortune, of course! It’s a very important and expensive software, that’s all you need to know.”“Ah, and…” He approached her carefully. “I don’t know if you are aware of this fact or not but… a couple of FBI agents have been found dead around the city and I was wondering…what were they doing here if we were already handling the case?”“The FBI?” The woman laughed awkwardly. “We did-”“Listen, Madam. I understand your concern regarding… all of this, but the next time we see FBI agents meddling with our business, I will personally drop the case. We had a good lead until they showed up and made the convicts act with much more vigilance than before.”Did Inspector Kim just turn the events in his favor? Yes, yes he did.The CIA thought they had been extremely cautious and didn’t expect them to find out the truth. As if they were idiots.After a few more exchanges of sharp words, the woman left with another warning, letting them know that if they wouldn’t solve the case for them, there will be consequences. Jimin didn’t even understand what kind of consequences she was referring to, it wasn’t like they were obligated to do anything. ♠
Like blood in my veins
Darkness is sinking
Darkness is sinking me
Commanding my soul
I am under the surface
Where the blackness burns beneath
Ruelle deep end
It wasn’t an easy thing to do.Admitting to your own mistake, and asking for help. Jimin didn’t like to let others know he couldn’t handle things alone. But that’s the thing about working in a team, and it’s something Jimin had only learned recently.It’s alright to rely on others sometimes. Especially when you are supposed to count on each other. His team had been nothing but understanding for the past few weeks when he had been a complete wreck. Now it was about damn time to see beyond his own stubbornness and talk. “I… I really… need to tell you guys something…” Jimin raised his voice, with a docile tone, waiting for the eyes in the room to turn to change their focus to him. He was now surrounded by the closest people in their team (almost).Inspector’s Kim office was as lifeless as it used to be, but now it was filled with people; Namjoon, Hoseok, Seokjin, Yang, and another two officers. “Well, we thought so too, Detective Park.” The inspector spoke with his usual, noisy professional voice. Jimin could only wonder… Did he suspect something?“We need to know everything you know about Miles Gilbert. I decided to let you devour the information for today at least, I even suggested you go home because I know this whole situation was kind of harsh on you… but right now we are running out of time and we have to reach a decision.”“It’s not something you will like to hear. None of you…”“Is everything alright, Jimin?” Namjoon was wearing a concerned look on his face. “Actually… no… it’s not. But I need to ask you something. I need all of you to put your trust in me, so I can do the same and tell you everything. If this goes wrong or gets interpreted the wrong way, I can get in real trouble.” His voice was breathy but unhurried. He had to do things right this time. Inspector Kim didn’t say anything, but he looked somehow emphatic. A kind look that Jimin had rarely seen in the man’s eyes. It gave him a great sense of confidence.“Where do I begin?” He smiled awkwardly and got straight to it.” Yoongi… or Gilbert, or whatever… I met him some time ago in a bar with Officer Yang. We continued running into each other since then pretty often. It never crossed my mind it could have been anything other than pure coincidence. But long story short, that was Yoo- Gilbert’s plan from the start. He got under my skin, trying to convince me his intentions were good, that he wanted to be my friend… So I took the bait.” He took a deep breath, not daring to look anyone in the room in the eyes. It was harder than he thought it would be. “On the other friend, Kim Taehyung, one of the other two culprits that we had caught, had always been my best friend since… well, teenage years. They are step-brothers, which kind of smothered their plan. Taehyung already knew a shit ton about me, it was easy for him to share with his brother, and well, their plan was smart. I had no idea who was I getting closer and closer with.”He finally mastered the courage to look around the room, meeting eyes watching him with interest. He continued.” “They surrendered because they needed our help, it was their only option left. We were not going to catch them before the other enemy did, but, Gilbert didn’t come here empty-handed. If I learned something about this man for the past few months, as a friend or as the enemy, always one step ahead of me was that he always had a plan B.” His heartbeat echoed like a hummingbird in his chest at that point. “After this morning’s crime scene, I headed straight to Gilbert and requested another interrogation. That’s when the plot thickens, I demanded answers, but instead of getting out anything from him, he simply told me that the chip is in my possession; if I’d be to call the CIA he’d be saying that he and I worked together. It’s his word against mine. If it turns out that the software is in my house or car or who knows what went through his head, I am dead meat.”That’s it. It was out and about. “What the hell…” Namjoon voiced, mouth slightly agape.Jimin looked at him, smiling a sad and defeated smile. “I ran home and I searched everywhere. There was no trace of it whatsoever. It’s small and I don’t even know what it actually looks like. It could be anywhere. I came back and spoke to Taehyung in hopes that he knows something about it, but he claims he didn’t know anything. He was surprised, but not that surprised. He said his brother was more than capable of thinking of something like this.”The room fell quiet for a good couple of seconds after that, everyone processing the fresh information, clearly taken aback. After a while, the first to speak was the inspector. “It looks like a good plan to me. It makes so so much sense. That man is a genius. He got close to you with the sole purpose of hiding the weapon, so he could threaten you with it, after surrendering to us. They needed protection from the start, and this was the clever way to get it. It’s sort of desperate but… a good plan nonetheless..”“Well… it’s their lives we are talking about…” Hoseok pinched the head of his nose, body leaning against the edge of the desk. “I think it would be a good plan to listen to what they have to say, figure out what they want from us. We can’t keep them here forever and they must be aware of this.”“Well… it’s not like we want to call the CIA now, isn’t it?” Inspector Kim added, matter of factly. “Wait, so you do believe me?” Jimin asked in a low, hesitant voice, eyes wide and chest filled with the slightest pinch of hope.Inspector Kim rolled his eyes. “Of course, we do, detective. You had been played, it could have happened to any of us. Your only fault is, you being a human.” He looked at Jimin with calm but interested eyes. “This case is getting more and more exciting to me. Especially since that woman dared to threaten me in my own department. Giving up is not an option, I want to know the truth.”He exchanged a set of knowing looks with Namjoon, which Jimin didn’t get at all, and smiled at Jimin. “So I have a plan.” The smile got unexpectedly mischievous. “We’ll make Gilbert our secret informant and we will get him to help us catch the poison gang. It’s a win-win.”“What about the CIA?” Namjoon asked worriedly before Jimin could even think about saying something. Anything. “Well…I am in the mood of playing a little bit more with them after today’s events. There’s nothing they could possibly do now.” The inspector replied with a confident grin.“Miles Gilbert is still a murderer, Inspector.” Jimin wanted to make sure they were not going to deviate from their moral principles. No one in the room could deny he was right. They were talking about criminals, and Jimin stood by his values more than anything. For his entire life, Jimin had been rightful and moral, giving up on that now was not something he could easily do. His principles didn’t allow him to do that.“Hmm. And so you are Jimin, aren’t you? A culprit. Because that’s exactly what you would be in case we choose to listen to Gilbert’s confession, right?” Inspector Kim asked him, slightly smirking.“But- that’s literally...-” Jimin stuttered out.“Detective Park, please, for the first time in your life, let me have the honor to work with you and stop complaining. I am saving your ass, as we speak!” Seokjin offered an amused smile, but his eyes told a different story. He wanted Jimin to understand that they either do the right thing or they risk it all for an alternative option. Jimin’s gaze fell to the ground. “You are right.”“Great. Now, you have to go and make a deal with Gilbert.”“W-what? Why me again?” Hi snapped his head up, eyes focusing on everyone in the room, begging for help. “Guys, any help?”“Jimin, you know you are the only one who can make this work right?” Namjoon’s tone was sympathetic, but it did not help. ♠
How do I make you stay?
When it's easier to let you go
Nobody know what we know about it
No one needs to know
Yoongi’s pov
|17th of March, 2019|*The following day* Yoongi had never thought that the ticking sound of a clock could be so annoying, not until now.He hated to waste time, he hated to wait, he hated to have the time to overthink.He didn’t want to overthink everything that had happened, but at the same time he couldn’t help it, it was the only activity that kept him sane when being locked behind bars.Theoretically, because practically he was locked up in a room with bulletproof glass that kept him there, inside the department, but same difference. He was held in that cell, but he was unable to reach out to Taehyung or Jungkook; or at least Jimin, and find out what was happening in the outside world.He was now waiting in the interrogation room, again. He didn’t even know what was their next step. What was Jimin’s next step after he played his last, almost dangerous card? He saw Jimin so many times already, it was clear as a day that he couldn’t have concluded. Not yet, he was mad and possibly even scared.Maybe they finally decided to call the CIA. Maybe that was the end. Yoongi’s plan was nothing but brilliant, dragging Jimin into his entire mess. Everything had been planned carefully weeks back, hiding the microchip at Jimin’s home, keeping it a secret from Taehyung and Jungkook…It was flawless, but Jimin was mad enough to go down with him. If that was going to be his decision then, well, it’s all over. And truth to be told, making Jimin go down, hurting him… has never been Yoongi’s plan. He just wanted to blackmail him, supposing the odds would be in his favor.But it still hurt. It hurt like hell when he had to threaten Jimin. Yoongi’s heart squeezed in his chest the moment he threw the figurative bomb at him and Jimin’s confident gaze was replaced with yet another terrifying look. It was the part Yoongi hated the most. Why did he have to care for that detective so much? Why did he have to fucking have feelings for him? It would have been so much easier if he didn’t.What was he going to do if Jimin called the CIA after all?He didn’t want to drag Jimin into his mess. He even promised Taehyung, that he will keep Jimin out of that kind of danger, but Yoongi went against his word, not even considering it twice.He just made the plan and decided that, if things were to go down, he will use it. He didn’t consider feelings, Jimin, or anything else. Just their safety. The plan had a 100% success rate.But well, all that was before Yoongi was thrown inside an empty cell for the past 48 hours, alone to overthink shit and possibilities.So he didn’t want to admit it, but he was close to failing in going through with his plan because he wouldn’t be able to drag Jimin into the crossfire of all this.The clock kept on ticking and at any moment a detective could come through the door he was staring at giving him the worst news possible. He could almost taste the bullet, that was undoubtfully coming for him.Each time his mind and thoughts wandered to his brother, shivers were going down his back. He had to protect Taehyung, he had to do something. But if the CIA came through that door and he told them about Jimin, it won’t help Taehyung, nor Yoongi.The plan was good only to the point where Jimin was going to act accordingly and help him.If he decided not to believe his words, Yoongi was screwed. He didn’t have any other cards up his sleeves left. It was the first time in his life when he felt barehanded and left to the mercy of another human.Yoongi had no other options left.His thoughts and feelings were terrorizing him.The fear.The regrets.It was just-“Gilbert.” Jimin entered the room like a storm fire and Yoongi’s heart froze for three seconds.
Sometimes I feel I'm hanging off the deep-end
But I'm sick of playing games with my demons
Let me show you what I believe in
He couldn’t decide if happened because he feared for the person who entered the room could have been a CIA Agent or because Jimin was the one who entered the room and he was so damn hot, dressed in his usual detective attire, hair just the perfect amount of messy. Yoongi chose to go with the second option. It must have been the detective.He must have gone insane, wasn’t he? He was closer to death with each passing second and the first thing he thought of when he saw the detective was how well he would have looked bent over the desk in the interrogation room. Just saying, Yoongi could have pictured it perfectly. Get your shit together, Yoongi.“Detective! What a pleasure.” Yoongi opened his dry mouth and spoke as soon as he got his composure back. To his immense surprise, Jimin threw a packet of cigarettes at him. Without questioning it, Yoongi took one of them and placed it between his lips, lighting it immediately. “Water?” Jimin asked dryly and Yoongi wondered whether he was dreaming or started to be low on conscience due to the lack of sleep.He didn’t question that either and just took the bottle of water from Jimin and drank its contents in one go.He made sure to let his eyes linger on the detective’s face the entire time he was in the interrogation room because, well, who the fuck knew if he was going to ever see him again?Why was he so nice to him, though?“You must be wondering why I am here…” Jimin fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair for a second before continuing. “I decided with the rest of my team to listen to your story. I mean, you threatened me with this shit, and, alright, I understand your point of view, you want us to keep you here, and? What are you going to do here? What do you truly want?”Yoongi needed a full second to process the question. Did Jimin just say he wants to hear him out?He was caught off guard, so he narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. “What are you scheming?”“I literally just said I am going to hear you out. Are you going to tell me or should I call the CIA and we’ll be going down the drain together? Hm?”Down the drain together? It doesn’t sound that bad, to be honest. Yoongi was not a sucker for love stories, but that sounded like a good one.“So.” Yoongi raised his brow. “You want to stay close to me, after all, isn’t it? Couldn’t resist?” He didn’t even know what he was doing, all he knew was that he loved to tease Jimin, he loved to see him go nuts.Plus, he wanted to keep his image; a bad reputation is everything he had. He couldn't afford to have Jimin think of him as less than a dick. “I can’t wait to get another opportunity to punch you.” Jimin leaned back in his chair, more relaxed this time, grinning even. And it wasn’t the usual, natural type of Jimin grin. No, it was a fierce grin and Yoongi couldn’t decide whether he liked it or not, but his heart raced up a bit (and his dick might or might not have twitched a bit.)“I wouldn’t have taken you for the sadist type, but we can work on that, too.”Jimin closed his eyes to calm down and Yoongi sensed the danger. He needed to talk before getting another leg burnt. Not like he didn’t like it but maybe in other circumstances.“Just keep us locked here. Send me to prison or you can keep me forever in here but release my brother and Jungkook and offer them some shelter at least for a while. I can help you guys. I know lots of shit about the people the murderers playing that game. I just need to know they are safe first; they weren’t supposed to be here, to begin with.” Yoongi quickly became all serious, hoping that Jimin would, at least this time, agree to his request.Jimin replied with something totally different instead. “Taehyung proposed me something.”The room fell silent then. “What?”“Ok, listen to me, I hate to say this, I hate it so much you can’t even begin to imagine, but it’s kind of the only option available. He said… that you guys could help, more than just with being informants, I mean.” Jimin exhaled and locked eyes with Yoongi. “Work with us. Like actually work with us, we need your skill. We will grant you access to the case. Help us find the people who killed your friends by poisoning and we’ll lessen your sentence. Taehyung’s and Jungkook’s too and might see what we can do about the CIA thing. But we need all three of you.”“What? What are you getting out of this?” Yoongi was in a complete state of shock, but he tried not to let it show. Jimin rolled his eyes. “Look. I’m not the only one to decide this, it’s about the entire team… they kind of want to know the entire truth about the microchip and why the CIA is so eager to get it back. They don’t want the CIA to have it back yet.”“Well, you have it.” Yoongi offered a nonchalant grin, testing Jimin’s nerves, again.”“Yoong- I mean, fucking, Gilbert shut the fuck up with that gibberish because-”“I’m telling the truth, detective. Anyway, yeah, of course, I will work with you to find those who killed my men. But I won’t give you the microchip.”“You said that I have it, like literally two seconds ago.” Jimin deadpanned, crossed his legs placing his intertwined hands atop his knees; and boy, did he ever look better in Yoongi’s eyes.Yoongi let his eyes wander from his hands to his eyes, trying to appear as calm as possible, yet feeling anything but. “But only I know where it is. You need to work your way towards my heart if you want to find it, detective.”“I’m not spending another minute with you in here, we are done.” Jimin wanted to sit up but was stopped by Yoongi’s prompt voice.“Detective!” °Yoongi sounded almost alarmed. “Give me a pen and a piece of paper. I’ll tell you a phone number. Send the message “shortcake” to that number and you’ll receive a message with everything I know on the Game of Life.”Jimin turned to Yoongi with a victorious smile on his face and was quick to hand him paper and a pen. He scribbled down the phone number and sighed.Jimin left the room without another word and Yoongi was left there for other three more minutes before an officer escorted him back to his cold cell.Once back into the loneliness of the room, he realized, that he wasn’t that sad anymore.They were safe.Taehyung was safe. Jungkook was safe. He was safe. Jimin was safe. (to a certain degree, at least.)There was a new feeling inside Yoongi’s chest. Hope, it was Hope. He smiled to himself because once again, the odds were in his fucking favor. They weren’t only going to survive, but they were going to work with the detectives on the case. Shit. To be continued… ♠
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Eden - wake up
Taehyung’s pov
It wasn’t like Taehyung wasn’t expecting to feel weird being all alone in a cell, but it didn’t necessarily bother him. He was fine with the silence. Maybe he needed to be alone during times like that.Why? Anxiety wasn’t something new to Taehyung, but the recent events amplified the uneasiness. He was scared for himself, his brother, his family, and Jungkook. The position he was in was disadvantageous, he couldn’t do much to save any of them. There was so much bottled-up frustration, always ready to be spilled on the first person that came into view, therefore, the fewer people around him, the better. He needed time to think, as to understand what was about to happen. And he had been alone for such a long time already. No one talked to him since Jimin asked about Yoongi and the whereabouts of the microchip. He was now curious. What was Yoongi’s plan? What did he do? Will something bad happen to them? To Jimin?Taehyung cared a lot for Jimin. So naturally, he wanted him out of the question, he wanted to protect him. Yoongi had used an unexpected strategy Taehyung knew nothing about; he trusted his brother, and he wouldn’t have done something unless he really thought it thoroughly.So there was a huge conflict going on right now between Yoongi and Jimin. Taehyung was intrigued, what was Jimin going to do? If Yoongi threatened Jimin with the whereabouts of the software that could mean Yoongi used Taehyung’s plan. The plan implied suggesting the detectives a deal for them all to work together in order to find out who’s behind the poisoning game. It was a plan Jungkook and he meticulously prepared during the last days of their freedom in hopes of striking a deal with the detectives, before it was too late and the CIA caught up to them. Other than that, Taehyung felt sorry for Jimin; His heart ached for his friend. It wasn’t easy to accept the fact that he had to betray his best friend, but Taehyung knew that it was the only way to assure a situation that wasn’t dangerously close to a frightening ending. He had to accept the consequences. A Jimin’s friendship in return for their lives. There was no time for crying or suffering, though.Taehyung only had time to brace himself for either them getting handed over to the CIA or, preferably, the detectives offering them a deal. Apart from those thoughts, Taehyung’s mind was, and would always be, filled with one person and questions about him: Jungkook.How was Jungkook coping with the situation? How well was he handling the feelings? He was the only one who didn’t know absolutely anything about what was happening outside of his cell, after all. He was the only one out of them all who was interrogated only once. That was draining up Taehyung’s mind. He really hoped, that Jungkook was well and trusted him and Yoongi to get them out of this situation, sooner rather than later. While lost in his thoughts, Taehyung heard some steps approaching his cell and decided to stand up and check if he was getting a visitor. To his surprise, it was Detective Kim Namjoon.“It’s time for another conversation.” The detective spoke, opening the glass door of the cell. Taehyung lazily approached the door and waited for the detective to accompany him into the interrogation room.What could detective Kim Namjoon want from him?“Take a seat,” Namjoon suggested with an unreadable facial expression, and Taehyung complied, close-mouthed, as he always liked to be. Sitting down, Taehyung realized that there was an empty seat next to him that wasn’t there the last time he entered the room.
Please, God. Please let it be Jungkookie.
“You will be having company this time.”
Jungkook. Please.
Five minutes later, which seemed like an eternity for Taehyung, he heard another set of steps approaching the room. He gulped. The door opened and revealed two glistening eyes that widened in shock as soon as they landed on his face. It was Jungkook. “Jungkookie!” Taehyung raised to his feet but Namjoon was soon to place him back on his seat. “You are not allowed to talk to each other. You are here to talk to us.”Taehyung turned his head back to Jungkook and let his eyes linger on his face a little more. Jungkook had never taken his eyes off his face either since he entered the room. As soon as he sat down next to him, Taehyung nodded, an action to which Jungkook responded by ducking his head forward too. They didn’t have to use words to communicate because their connection was deeper than that. Much deeper. All they needed were looks. As soon as Taehyung saw Jungkook’s eyes, he was able to read behind his deadpan facial expression. They were alright, both, and for now, that was the only thing that mattered. That and Yoongi, but Taehyung knew that Yoongi was the smartest of them all. So he figured, that Yoongi was not with them, because he had already spoken with the detectives. It was their time now. That’s what he wanted to believe, at least. However, the more he sat there in silence, nails digging into the material of the chair’s wood, the more he realized, that he wasn’t exactly calm. He was agitated, and anxious. He still needed to know what his brother was doing. “Where is my brother?” Taehyung asked when he finally admitted to himself that he wanted to know just that. His body itself needed to know about his brother, he needed to know if Yoongi was safe, before functioning properly. “You aren’t here to ask questions; you are here to answer them.” The officer that led Jungkook inside the room warned.“We have the right to know this at least!” Jungkook protested to which Namjoon rolled his eyes shortly. At least Taehyung knew that he and Jungkook shared the sentiment. Jungkook cared for Yoongi like he would for a brother, which for Taehyung, was an endearing feeling. Only if they weren’t in a fucking interrogation room. “He’s fine. Alive. Now, to the real question. What does “shortcake” mean?” The tall detective asked, and that was the moment Taehyung knew. Jungkook kicked his leg under the table softly with his own and Taehyung observed the way he was trying to hide a grin. That was it. They were going to do that. Taehyung felt his blood boiling with something akin to excitement. “You mean the plan? Yoongi told you about it?”“What does that mean?” Namjoon repeated. Taehyung exhaled. Alright, you have one chance. “It’s a codename for a plan. We have all the information about that game somewhere safe and if we-”“Stop.” Namjoon interrupted which caused Taehyung to look at him suspiciously. Did he say anything wrong? “You, Jungkook, right? Continue.”Oh. It actually made sense. Jungkook licked his lips nervously looking between him and the detective. Taehyung nodded once again to assure him that everything was alright. “If you ever asked us for help in return for protection, we were to send everything we had on our files about the ‘Game of Life’ to you through a connection. Anyway, that’s not everything and you must understand that a lot of precious information is not necessarily there. It is in our brains.” Jungkook pointed towards his own head with his index finger. “That’s just a sample for you to trust us.” He finished without a trace of the hesitation he previously held. The detective asked both of them again, to explain everything, just to make sure none of them were lying. Taehyung understood that this was just a precaution.“Alright.” The detective crossed his hands in a ball of fists and offered them both a smile. “We’ll be doing this, if you by any chance lied to us, we won’t call the CIA to collect the three of you, we’ll call those game players and we’ll let them play whatever game they want with you.” The smile was still there.The guy was kind of scary, Taehyung thought.♠
Gizzle - Get loud For Me
Jimin’s pov
“The message was sent and we received a private link that redirected us to a dark web page, secret IP, with a lot of information about the ‘Game of Life,” Jeong-in explained to everyone currently gathered around him and assigned to tell everyone else how it worked. Namjoon came after his interrogation with Taehyung and Jungkook and announced to everyone involved, that he, personally, trusted their words and that they should proceed with the sending of the message, as Yoongi instructed. Jimin didn’t even know what he wanted to do at that point, but he knew one thing for sure: It was their only option.“Is there something new? Something we don’t know about them?” Namjoon asked carefully with suspicion in his voice. “Well, here is a lot of info, detective,” Jeong-in answered after he turned his laptop toward Namjoon. “There are theories that we didn’t necessarily think of, but there are a lot of coded words, like events that happened or people that were killed, but everything is coded.”“Which is where we should get Miles Gilbert and the others in, right?” Jimin asked the thing he didn’t want to. It was obvious. Yoongi wasn’t going to hand everything over without him getting something out of it. They needed his help. There was a lot of data, but indecipherable. That must have been the plan from the start.“Exactly. So, we need them to help us solve this case.” Inspector Kim decided for their entire team.“How will we do it?” Hoseok joined. “Yes, they agreed to help, and we agreed to use their knowledge, but we can’t do it in these circumstances. We keep them here locked up in our cells, but other cases are still in process and as much as I don’t like to admit it, these cells we have in here are strictly for the prisoners we keep here for interrogations. They need to be sent to a penitentiary.”Namjoon looked at Jimin with a knowing look and Jimin didn’t want to let him say it, didn’t want to hear it. It was a bad idea.The worst idea.“We can’t keep them here,” Namjoon spoke, looking directly into Jimin’s eyes. “But we all know damn well that we can’t send them to any prison in Korea.”“Because if we send them to a prison: a. we won’t be able to reach them that easily and b. Seoul PD will find out about us keeping them here, without reporting them, they will ask questions, we will need to answer, people will find out that Miles Gilbert is in our possession and therefore, the CIA too.” Inspector Seokjin added to Namjoon’s statement and Jimin knew.He just knew how bad of an idea it was, yet they were about to apply it. “We are going to put them under house arrest.” Hoseok was the first one who had the balls to say it. “And keep them under watch 24/7.”“Somewhere close to here.” Inspector Kim added. Jimin looked at each one of them, carefully, to see if the decision was unanimous. Of course, everyone was looking to agree. He was the only exception. Could he say no? No, because the plan was good. They had to keep them close and therefore putting them under supervised house arrest was the best solution. They were their informants after all and normally informants were free to go wherever they wanted, but that was not possible in this case. The three of them ended up behind bars because they needed protection, so to free them and keep them close and trust them would be a great mistake. Gilbert said not only once, but several times, that they were in great danger outside. They needed close proximity to the agency and their protection. “And we can keep them there, under watch, while the people that want to get them killed believe they were transported to a penitentiary or something, right? I mean, there are several men in this department that know about their existence in our custody. I suggest we restrain the circle of people knowing about the plan and create a diversion.” Jimin shared his idea and everyone turned towards him with shocked expressions. “What? I’m angry at them, not stupid. I still have my brain and know how to use it.”Namjoon lifted his shoulders. “That’s great then, we all agree on something.”“We should prepare a diversion to send some other three inmates and see if someone will get their tail and if that’s the case, we could catch a lead. Meanwhile, you need to go and tell them the conditions.” Inspector Kim decided while everyone agreed to the plan. It was a good plan for the start.“I’m going to look for a place to rent discretely, close to here.” Jeong-in offered and Inspector Kim thanked him with a nod of his head. “As Jimin suggested, we need to restrain our circle. We will be creating a special team that, from now on, will be responsible for this case. It’s going to be a long-term project and a lot of risks will have to be taken. Only the ones who are willing to take the risks and are determined will be able to join.”Everyone looked around each other and nodded. “I’d like Detective Park and Detective Kim in from the start.” Inspector Kim voiced his wish. “And, Dr. Jung, we would like you to join it too since you were always there to help with the case. I can be the team leader, helping you guys with everything I can from the inside.” He smiled and turned towards Jeong-In. “I would like to be assisted by you, Officer Yang. If you accept my proposal, you will be officially given the title of technician agent. I know you are extremely skilled in this field and we could use such skilled hands and brains as yours.”Jimin’s heart skipped a beat at the image of Jeong-In's smile and the way it covered his face entirely. He was proud of him; it was a good achievement to be praised by Inspector Kim himself.And yes, he was exactly what they needed.“Also, if you might allow this to happen, I’d like to suggest adding Detective So Jiwon to our special team.” Inspector Kim added his last suggestion, to which some cocked their eyebrows. “I worked with her for years and I respect her. She can be trusted.” “I totally agree!” Hoseok was fast to join him. “She will definitely be of huge help. She’s been a close friend of mine and I know her, she’s smart, strong, and has a lot of other qualities that will prove to be important for the team.” Jimin knew Jiwon, she was a good Detective, but felt a little bit insecure about the fact that they needed to share the information they had with yet another person. Almost everyone in the department knew about the case. Everyone was talking about it, but the real data was strictly hidden and shared only between them. It would be hard to accept and trust a new Detective on the case, especially since Jimin was so used to working with Namjoon exclusively.However, he trusted Hoseok, and he was ready to take the risk if that meant that they will be closer to the truth; that they haven’t even gotten close to yet. Jimin sighed. “Alright, Jung, please talk to her and explain everything there is to know about the case, don’t leave anything out.” “Will do, detectives. Thank you for letting her join!”Two seconds later, Inspector Kim clapped his hands once to bring everyone’s attention back to him. “Now that we have discussed this, let’s get to work!”♠
Hoseok’s pov
“Thanks for accepting to join the team, Jiwon. I love them all, they are good friends to me, but you can imagine I feel even better knowing that I can stay closer to you. You know I could never be comfortable around them, not the way I am when I’m with you.” Hoseok told his friend while the woman was seated at her desk. He was leaning on the desk, limb body after a long and exhausting day, his chin supported by his right hand. He was looking at her smilingly because he was happy with how things turned out.“I honestly was a little bit jealous. This case is one of the biggest turn-ons in this fucking building but it was already taken and I wanted to be part of it for a long time .” She straightened her posture and smiled confidently at Hoseok. “I assume you put some good words in for me so that everyone accepted, right?”“Heh? Well yeah, kinda.” Hoseok used his left hand to rub at his nape. “Thank you.”“No worries.”“Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something…”It got Hoseok’s attention fast, he felt the change in her tone and he just knew. It was something about their special connection, since they were such close friends, it was easy for Hoseok to know when a serious topic was about to be approached. “What is it?”“So, I told you everything I knew about what happened with that undercover mission some time ago, and it wasn’t of much help, just hope, but…there is this thing, we are working on parallel cases and I shoved her description into some of the officers' files to tell me if they happen to see her.”“What do you mean?”Jiwon took her time to find the right words to explain the situation. “Ok, well, we work on tracing mob activities in Seoul and try to trace the source. Our main lead is Geom-eun Munjayeol (Black String). The biggest mob that runs Seoul’s streets in the underground. We always trace mob activity as much as we can but it’s hard for us to get on the inside. We are going back and forth. It’s a war. Anyway, we managed to get one officer in, to deal their shit undercover.”Hoseok blinked several times to process everything she told him. Wow. He knew Jiwon was working on mafia-connected dirty work but it was bigger than he thought. He was just a forensic, he didn’t dare to dig that deep. He wasn’t a detective, so he didn’t have the right; didn’t feel the need either to be perfectly honest. There was something about the underworld that always creeped him out and made his skin rise with goosebumps.But there was no way back, now.“Alright, but what does it have to do with my sister?”“Our undercover officer met with a girl named Dawon for a deal.”Dawon was Hoseok’s sister’s name, but this proved nothing; It was most probably just a coincidence.“Okay, but it could be just anyone named Dawon.”“Yes, I thought about that too. I didn’t even know whether I should tell you, but he told me that the description fits, to a certain point, and I thought we’d give it a try. This girl is part of Geom-eun Munjayeol, the gang I was talking about. The place where I worked undercover has a connection to them and I, too, saw a girl that resembled your descriptions.”Jiwon was Hoseok’s best friend, the one who had known about Dawon since the beginning. She never lost hope in finding her. She was the one who helped Hoseok to keep fighting. She was the one that sent him that message a couple of weeks ago when his parents visited him. A message telling him to keep his hopes up, this wasn’t the time to give up. “It’s the only lead we have anyway, right? We should take our chances… we could be wrong… but it might just be her.” She spoke again. Hoseok’s heart rate increased at a high speed, happiness and hope overtaking his body, wetting his eyes with unshed tears. Was he really going to find his sister?All the years no one believed him were about to come to an end, probably. At least he was closer to an end. It was finally something palpable, real information, not only speculation. It was the first time Hoseok was convinced that he had been right all along and he was about to prove his parents wrong.He felt it. He really might find his sister, alive and well. His stomach jumped at his internal enthusiasm. “And she might just use her real name there, having nothing to lose, we can’t know the motives anyway…”“God, Jiwon, you are an angel, how can I ever thank you?” Hoseok raised to his feet and approached her with pleading eyes. He just couldn’t leave things like that. He owed the women his life. “Jung, listen to me.” She carefully opened one of her drawers. “You told me about how this Game of Life thing works, right? Well… I think you will want to hear this. You and your entire team.” She pulled a file out of the drawer. It contained a blurred picture. “This is a pic of the goods that were dealt by Officer Chan and this Dawon girl.” The picture didn’t show their faces since both dealers were carefully covered. “Let me see.”“What do you see here?”“That’s a flower? On the cover of the box?”“Not any flower, Jung. That’s Leander.”“Holly shit.”♠
Jimin’s pov
Jimin was with Jeong-in, looking for a temporary home for Yoongi and the other two. Of course, at first, he opposed the idea of keeping them around, but he knew they needed them to be close, he knew they needed them, so what else could he do? Stand by? No, he would have gone crazy if he decided to stand by. He needed to do something.“Detective Park!” Hoseok rushed towards him, startling both Jimin and Jeong-in with his excitement and energy. A rare sight. “Hoseok? Is everything alright?”“Please! Call for the entire team for an urgent meeting, we need to discuss something.”Jimin felt a rush of blood running through his veins. Hoseok was never that excited if it wasn’t for something really important.In a matter of seconds, everyone gathered around Hoseok in the main room of the facility. Jimin stood as close to Hoseok as possible to be sure to catch everything he was about to say. It could have been really important. “Ok, guys, sorry for not telling you about this earlier but I didn’t have any reason to burden you with my story until… well, now.”“What is it about?” Inspector Kim asked, and Detective So Jiwon placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, beckoning him to continue with an encouraging smile. Jimin observed the entire thing and decided to approve of her for now. She really seemed concerned about Hoseok.“I have a sister. I know it might sound weird to some of you since I never mentioned anything about her before, but she disappeared without a trace when I was very young. My parents gave up on her, believing she was killed or something. I didn’t want to give up on her, though. I didn’t want to join them in mourning her, because I just knew, that she wasn’t dead. Therefore, I kept looking for her. Jiwon here was the only one who knew about it and helped me with everything in her possibilities since the day I started working here… Anyway, long story short, there is a girl that fits my sister’s description inside Geom-eun Munjayeol, a mob gang that runs Seoul’s underworld.” At that affirmation, Inspector Kim raised one eyebrow. He knew about it. “The girl was recognized by one officer that is working on a case with Detective So, who is currently undercover. Guess what they discovered? They were dealing fucking Leander essence or something like that.”Jimin’s mouth was agape. “What?”“I know there is a lot of information, we will tell you everything about it!” Detective So Jiwon assured the team. “I have no intention of hiding anything from you, I just thought that this information might be useful, and we might have a lead.”“No, this is the best lead we ever had on this case!” Jimin opened his mouth, interrupting. “We, we just need to get in! I mean, of course, we can’t know for sure, there might be a lot of people using Leander since it is a well-known essence for poisoning but… we need to see with our own eyes.”“Yes, but it’s not that simple… it’s extremely dangerous. It took us years to infiltrate a few officers.”To that, Inspector Kim smirked; and it was a smirk that gave even Jimin shivers. What was he plotting now?“Get our beautiful prisoners here, let’s have a little chitchat.” Namjoon finally said, seeing eye to eye with the inspector. ♠
Eminem fear Juice WRLD - Godzilla
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi woke up by the sudden movement he heard in the proximity of his cell. He raised his head with a cocked eyebrow, asking himself what it could be now? Did they take the deal after all? He sighed in exhaustion. He was tired, mentally and physically. A comfortable double bed would have been wonderful, but he knew damn well that it was the last thing he would get, for the following years at least. An officer approached the glassed door of his cell and opened it without saying a word. He entered and cuffed Yoongi behind his back. After a few seconds of silence, he told Yoongi to follow him. It was pretty weird, since, until now, he had always been accompanied by detectives out of the cell, not by officers.He followed the officer through the corridors of the building towards the common area of the department. He passed it several times before and observed that there were people gathered around to discuss all the time, what seemed like very important stuff. Not a conference room, but it still felt important. It was the main lobby, the place where all the officers and detectives met to discuss things.They passed it and climbed a set of metallic stairs. Each step he took created a loud noise, his boots hitting the cold surface. He was guided through corridors towards a room that was pretty isolated and far from the main entrance, where there seemed to be no additional security. It was silent; the room was probably empty.Were they going to torture him or something? It wasn’t like Yoongi didn’t take the option into consideration but-The door opened and revealed a spacious room with a huge desk placed at the end of it. It was decorated with three large sofas and a coffee table placed in the middle of them. The walls were covered in huge art paintings, extremely expensive ones and beautiful. Yoongi would recognize the artists anywhere. He was a sucker for art after all. The view of the pleasurable decorated room wasn’t what caught Yoongi’s attention the most, though. It was the fact that it was full of people. Detectives Park and Kim were standing next to the desk, where a tall and extremely handsome man was seated. Yoongi instantly knew that he was important since he emanated an air of superiority that no other person in that entire room could contest. Jungkook and Taehyung were seated on one of the sofas, looking just as confused and alarmed as he felt, but didn’t dare to show on the outside.Standing next to them was that guy dressed in a long white coat, a scientist or whatever, Yoongi couldn’t actually care less, and another woman who seemed to be a detective too. She didn’t wear an officer’s uniform.The other sofa was occupied by two officers, who were typing on their laptops.Yoongi’s mind was working a mile a minute. Why did they assemble them here?“So good-looking!” The handsome, important man almost screamed at him. “Detective Park, now that I see him with my own two eyes, I have to admit, I can’t judge you at all. He’s a catch.” The man smirked and Yoongi felt an itching under the skin of his fisted hands. After two seconds of breathing the same air as that man and Yoongi was already annoyed. Good thing he was cuffed, otherwise, he would have punched him. Yoongi knew he shouldn’t, knew he had no reason to do that, but at the memory of him and Jimin, having something, his heart jumped shortly and made him turn his eyes towards the detective in the cause, hoping for a reaction. Anything.Jimin didn’t bat an eye.Of course. He didn’t say anything, just walked towards the sofa occupied by his brother and Jungkook, as the officer guided him. He exchanged a set of looks with them, but both of them shrugged their shoulders, a sign of disarrayYoongi rolled his eyes. What kind of game were they playing now? He wanted to sleep. He was hungry. He just wanted something meaningful to happen, even if it was for him to die or something, he wanted some action, anything, no more useless chitchats.“Alright.” Jimin approached them with Detective Kim following him and sat down on the sofa right across from them. “You know why you are here.”Of course, he knew. Jimin was ever so beautiful; Yoongi had to ignore everything that was happening to acknowledge that. Even though his eyes seemed tired, even though his face was slightly thinner and his lips weren’t forming beautiful smiles anymore. Regardless, there was still something about him that grabbed Yoongi’s heart and smashed it with each look they exchanged. It was so powerful, so tense. He knew that Jimin hated him, but Yoongi couldn’t help but love Jimin’s dangerous side as well. He was fascinating and Yoongi wanted to know everything about it. But not now with all those people inside that damned room, so he rolled his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek, swallowing whatever remark he wanted to throw at Jimin.So yes, he knew why he was there. There were two possibilities and he hoped it was the one with a positive outcome for him. He hoped they accepted the deal.
shortcake.
“We agree to the deal. Which means, from now on, you will need to cooperate with everything we ask of you.” Jimin said curtly.Yoongi cocked his eyebrow. “Well, yeah, we will, that was the deal.” Yoongi didn’t have time to lose his composure, but the relief he felt was massive. Jimin gestured towards Detective Kim, which meant it was time for him to speak. “We discussed some things…” Detective Kim started. “We can’t keep you here, inside this building. It’s too dangerous. The entire department is under inspection several times a month. They can’t know about it.”“What do you suggest?” Yoongi had to process everything quickly. It was happening. “House arrest.” The guy with the lab coat, the scientist, answered and Yoongi’s head snapped at him. What? “We have a small apartment close by, prepared for you and your two friends. You will be kept under watch 24/7.”“It’s not like we have anywhere to go…” Taehyung raised his voice for the first time. “It’s not like we can trust a word you guys say.” Jimin was fast to counter. “Now, I hope you appreciate the hazard.”Hell fucking yes. Yoongi was looking around him at everyone with his eyes popping out of his orbits. Were these guys for real? Was he really about to receive a fucking bed and a toilet and a shower and all? With Taehyung and Jungkook? “You know that by us doing this, you will have to do whatever we tell you. And no contact to the outside world. In case that little head of yours comes up with the brilliant idea of contacting your friends .” Jimin dimmed his eyes at Yoongi with a knowing expression. He was such a dick, he knew it already. He knew they had someone on the outside and he was about to torture Yoongi about it as soon as he will have the chance.Yoongi was supposed to feel scared or something like that, he was literally at their mercy. But instead of that, he felt a tension bubbling inside of his stomach, which he recognized as enthusiasm. He was about to be at Jimin’s mercy, and yet, it felt fucking exciting. “So.” The tall and handsome guy who had been watching the entire scene silently raised to his feet and approached them with a disturbingly serene expression plastered on his face. “Don’t think we… correction, I did this, only for you to help us get a lead on the game of life case. No. Hah, hah, no way. There is more to it.”“The microchip,” Yoongi said with a deadpan expression.“Bingo!” The guy snapped his fingers right in front of him. “You are smart, Gilbert, I think I might get too attached to you. I hope you won’t die in the process.”Yoongi was glaring at him now. Process of what? Taehyung and Jungkook seemed to share the sentiment.“Ok, onto business then. I feel like you are too confused so I might help and enlighten you three a bit. I’m Inspector Kim if you ever needed to address me. A pleasure to meet you.” He stretched his hand waiting for a handshake. Towards Yoongi. Yoongi who was cuffed. Yoongi balanced inside his mind how good of an idea was to spit into that handsome face. He kept his glare.“Oh, my apologies, I totally forgot.” Inspector Kim smirked and turned around, facing one of the officers. “Uncuff them. They are outnumbered and we have guns, they won’t lift a finger.”But Yoongi could still break his neck, though. He turned his face towards Jimin who was tapping his feet on the floor. He didn’t seem to like the way this inspector Kim stalled.“So, here’s what you need to know…” The inspector proceeded to explain the whole situation about the lab guy, Dr. Jung, and his sister inside Geom-eun Munjayeol and the fact that they are dealing Leander. Yoongi listened carefully because he was really interested. He wanted revenge for his people after all and he will have a place to stay in, which he was more than thankful for. He needed to return the favor, which meant cooperating, which meant thinking.He needed to use his brain.He listened to everything the inspector and the detectives told him but something didn’t add up. “So, you have an officer inside but that’s all?” He turned to Dr. Jung. “And the hope that it’s your sister?” “Correct, that’s everything we have.” Dr. Jung nodded.Yoongi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No but wait, let’s assume, for a moment, that really is your sister, how would that information help us?”Taehyung was the next to speak. “I have a question. You said that she disappeared. What if she was kidnapped or something? What if she doesn’t can’t cooperate with us?”Jungkook nodded, agreeing with Taehyung, and continued. “It’s suspicious if you think about it. She could have been part of the gang and still be with your family, if that was a choice, right? So, why did she never reach out to you?”“Maybe she doesn’t want to have anything to do with your family. Maybe she hates your parents.” Yoongi concluded their theory. Hoseok’s eyes doubled their size at their questions. He looked stunned. Jimin opened his mouth next. “No point in assuming things without facts. We need to find out what’s really going on. It’s the only route we can take for now.” “An undercover mission.” Yoongi guessed.The woman next to Dr. Jung was fast to contradict him. “We have been after these people for years, it’s incredibly hard to infiltrate them. They are very cautious, we barely managed to get some officers in. Many others ended up dead.”To that, Yoongi smirked. “Right, because, well, a cop is a cop to the core, and it will always be obvious and easy for the gangsters to discover it. But we are not cops.”“Yoongi, that’s… dangerous… ” Taehyung looked at his brother with furrowed eyebrows and concerned eyes.“Yeah, but we know how to get under other people’s skin. I mean, look at me?” He turned towards Jimin to get the reaction. “Imma shove a gun up his ass.” Jimin hurried towards him in a blink.Taehyung was fast to jump between them. “Jimin, ignore him, not now.”“Who said I’m not up for it?” Yoongi grinned knowingly. He didn’t know why he took so much pleasure in annoying Jimin, but he loved it.He was a dick and he knew it. Fuck it, what was there for him to lose anyway?“Shut up already!” The inspector shut all of them up. “The point is that Yoongi’s suggestion is really good.”“And we don’t have to worry about our officer’s life. I couldn’t care less about them.” The woman responded with calm, a boldness to her tone that went straight to Yoongi’s heart. He decided he liked her. She was the kind of a smart bitch you don’t mess up with. “We can’t… send them undercover without something on hands. A starting point.” Hoseok pointed out.“But I have connections,” Yoongi suggested in reply. “I’ll make some calls and I’ll get inside. I would have done that myself without causing all this trouble if I knew by the time I was out there that Geom-eun Munjayeol was a potential lead, but I didn’t know anything about the gang. Now, that we know the gang, I’ll put my hands on some info, no worries.”“Alright then. You three will infiltrate the Geom-eun Munjayeol.” Inspector Kim finally cast the die.“But…” Jimin bit his lower lip, which Yoongi found extremely hot. He found himself trying to wet his lips but his mouth was running dry. “We can’t trust them to come back. We still need to send someone with them. To make sure they won’t escape.”“Right, Jimin. Good idea, you go too!” Inspector Kim patted his back and Yoongi was about to break into a laugh at Jimin’s expression. He literally sabotaged himself. “No way. I’m not going.”“Jimin…” Detective Kim approached him with a sympathetic face. “You know them better than any of us. You will know how to handle them… ”“I don’t know shit, Namjoon! The fact that we are here right now is proof, that I don’t know anything genuine about them.”“Wait, listen.” The woman joined the discussion. “I have a better suggestion. Jimin is right, we can’t permit them to go alone, but we can’t let Jimin go alone, either. He will be outnumbered. Let’s form a team and we will go together. Six of us, three detectives and three convicts.” “Sounds like a plan.” Hoseok excitedly approached her. “Objections?” Inspector Kim asked, knowing damn well that Jimin was outnumbered and he had to accept it.“Fine, but if everything goes to shit, it will be on you this time, Inspector.”“I like to take risks; you know me.” Inspector Kim winked and Yoongi started to think he might stop hating him. He definitely was something. “It’s decided then. We’ll go with this team. Officers, please guide these three men towards their new nest. Detective Kim, please prepare the officers that will be on guard for today, and two days from now we will allow Gilbert to make a call. Until then, young man, you better think carefully about who you will decide to call. You have only one chance.” Inspector Kim warned Yoongi with a playful expression on his face. Just how much did that man enjoy what was happening?“What if I don’t call the right person? What if something goes wrong?” Yoongi wanted to know, had to know.“Well, since we’re not going by the rules anymore, I’ll let Dr. Jung test his torture methods on you. And Jimin will likely want to join in.”“You are a bunch of freaks.” Jungkook addressed the elder without a sign of respect in his voice.“Yeah, be a freak to get along with a freak, right? We are very much alike sweetheart.” “Let’s not start something again and just end it already,” Taehyung suggested. He was right. They needed to rest in order to think of the best solution. Yoongi really hoped Romeo was ready to help him with this, even though it wasn’t part of any of their plans.Romeo was the only one who could help him.Romeo was his only friend out there.♠
Little May - seven hours
|18th March 2019|
Jungkook’s pov
It felt weird. The first thing Jungkook felt the moment he entered the apartment he was about to live in for the following days, was a mixed feeling of excitement and fear; and he couldn’t make much of it. After so many days in that cell, where his head was filled with anxious thoughts, despair, fear of the unknown, heartbreak, the realization that his life was over, and the fucking loneliness that affected him to the bones (a thing that wouldn’t have happened before he met Taehyung and Yoongi), he felt weird. He thought he won’t ever be able to spend time with Taehyung and Yoongi ever again and yet, there they were. On the threshold of a new beginning.“Come on, Kookie! Move, I want to see the room too!” He heard Taehyung’s voice coming from behind his ear, where he placed his chin softly and granted him a huge smile. He didn’t see the smile, but he felt it in the way Taehyung spoke.He couldn’t believe this was really happening. After everything that went down, he simply couldn’t realize what was happening.His entire life, Jungkook tried to be detached or at least not to show emotions in front of other people; he tried to stay unbothered, he really didn’t have much to fight for, but this moment right now felt so different. Complicated, yet simple. A mess, but a beautiful one. After a few seconds, Jungkook was finally able to breathe again. He tried to chew down some air and this time, it filled his lungs, he felt the air breathable once again, and after those days spent locked in there, when he felt like he won’t be able to breathe without a knot in his throat ever again, it was finally gone. He felt lighter.“Kookie?” Taehyung’s soft voice reached him.Standing there frozen, Jungkook didn’t even know what to do. He didn’t want to turn around, his vision became blurrier with each passing second. He felt like a fucking child. Maybe, he was still one, after all, he didn’t have the time to grow up, right? He just acted like an adult his whole life when he knew damn well that he was a child and so easily breakable. He tried so hard to protect himself from being hurt because he was afraid.Jungkook didn’t cry for what felt like forever, and here he was, not being able to see one meter ahead because his vision was full of unshed tears.He didn’t even know the reason for the intense emotion he felt right now. He didn’t know why the tears bubbled out of him like a bottle of bottled-up champagne. He tried to stop them, but to no avail, they were streaming down his face and clenched jaw, while he was staring at the room he was going to live in, at the bed he was going to sleep in, maybe even share with Taehyung.“Are you…? Are those… Jungkook? Are those tears?” Taehyung tried to make him turn his face towards him, tilting his chin towards him with a soft touch of his fingers, but Jungkook was fast to turn his head back ahead and wiped his tears with his sleeve.“I’m fine, Tae, sorry, this is just… overwhelming.”“Hey… Kook…” Taehyung made a huge step to pass the threshold and entered the room, then turned around to face Jungkook. He cupped his cheeks with both of his hands and just then Jungkook realized that his eyes were glistening too. Taehyung added a little pressure to his cheeks and showed him a smile, a genuine one. “Kook, it’s fine, alright? We are together, we are finally together, and we won’t have to stay apart from each other from now on, even if we want to!” He laughed a little and then returned to that kind smile of his. “We can hope again, alright?” One finger carefully caressed one tear off Jungkook’s cheek, and he was so…speechless. Maybe Taehyung was scared too. “I know it must have been the hardest for you since you knew nothing about what happened on the outside.” Taehyung reached closer to him and placed his hands around his shoulders, pushing his head into the crock of his neck, making Jungkook shiver. He felt Taehyung’s breathing against his body, warm and steady, and Jungkook missed it so much. He raised his hands and placed them around Taehyung’s waist, pulling him a little closer, and closing the space between them.He rested his head on Taehyung’s shoulder and let the remaining tears fall. He didn’t exactly know why he felt like that, but maybe it was just fine.It was alright to let them fall sometimes, right?Even the bluest sky is sometimes covered with dark clouds, that sooner or later will shower the earth beneath with loud drops.So, it was alright for the time being.To be continued…♠
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Graham Lake - Run em Down (feat. Avelino)
|29th of March|
Jimin’s pov
Jimin took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes completely, taking the entire view before him in. They had finally arrived in front of one of the most grandiose places that Seoul had to offer, finely dressed up for the masquerade that was about to take place, both literally and figuratively.The building itself was massive, antique, and exuded a sophisticated aura. The walls were of a cinnamon, tawny brown, that you can only see on the old, most exquisite buildings. It was surrounded by lavish sculptures, noting that the place was created only for the rich to lay their eyes on. The magnificent, blurry windows stood high and soaring, not only protecting the insides from curious eyes, but also from danger, made of bulletproof glass, gatekeeping the greatest secrets that Seoul had to offer during nights like this. The construction was surrounded by a stunning, sinuous fence, which appeared to be there only to add ambiance to the beauty and design of the building.Jimin knew better than that, though. He knew that the fence was there to protect the inhabitants from possible danger from the outside, too.Good for those who wanted to be protected, bad for those like Jimin, who might have needed a quick way out.And let’s not assume Jimin didn’t come prepared for the special occasion, with the sole intention of blending with the pompous crowd perfectly. He had dyed his hair a platinum nuance of blonde, conferring him a worth-a-million look. Besides, he took care of his haircut, finessing the undercut and putting on a neat, elegant look. He wanted to look slightly different from what he did before, to not draw further attention to himself. The mask was about to do the rest of the job.It felt a bit goofy to wear a mask during the 21st century, but as Romeo had explained previously, mobs paid much attention to etiquette and tradition, especially high-ranked criminals. They loved everything to be fancy, upscale, and obviously, unreasonably overpriced.However, a masquerade was common only for the wealthy community of Korea.As well as offering details about the party, Romeo had also explained to Jimin and his colleagues that there was a specific etiquette that had to be used around those types of people, around the wealthy gangsters, hiding secrets and lies behind the posh masks. Speaking of Romeo, he was one of Yoongi’s closest friends. Jimin didn’t know much about him, though. Just his name and the fact that Yoongi trusted him and asked him for help.Certainly, Jimin found it quite suspicious, the fact that Romeo accepted for nothing in return. But then again, Jimin was known to be the type to question everything and everyone, especially during times like this… And Yoongi trusted him and his intentions blindly and helped him bring solid arguments to the table, convincing the rest of the team, including Inspector Kim, that he should be their henchman. Jimin couldn’t be the one to ruin their plans a second time, wasn’t he? Hence, he settled on being just skeptical and remained quiet otherwise. And truth be told, Romeo did help them a lot. Firstly, he told them everything he knew about the Geom-eun Munjayeol, contributing to their research with useful tips and connections. The Geom-eun Munjayeol or Black String was one of the most feared mobs in Seoul. They were pulling the strings in any criminal related activity in the underground world of Seoul. You name it, they control it.And so, Jimin had learned a lot about them for the past couple of weeks.It was common knowledge to any cop or detective that Geom-eun Munjayeol’s connections ran deep and wide. They had connections to Singapore, Hong Kong, Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and more, but no one knew the extent of their network.Or not yet, because Jimin was set on digging. He planned to find out everything about them, strip them naked, and then use the information to tear them down until nothing but ashes would be left on the surface. They not only filled the black market with drugs, illegal medicines, weapons, and all sorts of illegal stuff, but they also created secret, sick connections with the government and the police departments. They ran the city the way they wanted it to, silently, viciously.The Police had no chance against them at that point, not that there weren’t departments willing to do that, but the bribes were far more important than that. It was easier to make a deal than to start a war. It was a common government model, used mostly everywhere.When did ever, one private detective department tear down an entire mob? In movies, maybe, in the real world? Maybe once or two in the past. The chances of success were low but existed. If there was the slightest possibility to prevail, Jimin wanted to be the one leading the operation. The department team led by Detective So Jiwon tried to make their way inside the mob before. They did manage to get their hands on some high-priced intel, but they had been utterly precautious, too scared for a direct approach.They were well aware they stood little to no chance.However, this time it was different. They were going in prepared, and again, Romeo was the one that got them off the hook, offering one precious piece of information. Anyone, as long as they had money to do so, could win an assassination deal with the mob. Geom-eun Munjayeol would kill someone and make it look like a suicide. They were popular, well-known even, for cutting this type of deal. They used various methods, and upon putting his hands on this information, it wasn’t hard for Jimin to put two and two together. There was a high chance their previous case and the poisonous murders were linked to the mob and their peculiar assassination methods. It was exactly as Jeong-in assumed, but this time they had real proof, not only speculations.Yoongi also seemed to be on sentiment with Jimin’s thoughts, as he suggested Game of Life might have been weaponized. From there on, the thread was spread into two different possibilities, whether they were paid to do it or they wanted to do it with a certain motive behind their actions.Neither option brought good news, hence they were here today, ready to unveil the truth. The first step on the list was finding Jung Dawon, confronting her and deciding whether she was or she wasn’t Hoseok’s sister, and proceeding with their plan.The most crucial part of their mission was making sure, their coverage was not going to be disclosed by the end of the event. Jimin focused on the view surrounding him again one more time, fixing his tie and then the mask on his face. It was a charming mask, colored in a glorious black, housing only half of Jimin’s face. It was manufactured mostly of lace, fashioned with graceful and intricate patterns. It gave off a unique sense of gratefulness and elegance, fitting Jimin’s delicate features flawlessly. Following suit, Yoongi came into view right behind him, stepping out of the huge, pasty Lexus that had been rented, especially for this occasion by the department. Contrasting Jimin’s appearance and his impeccable, cream suit, Yoongi was wearing a faultless black suit, simpler, but just as charming. There was something about it, about the way it was worn by Yoongi, one finesse that wouldn’t be perceived the same way if worn by someone else. He dyed his hair blonde too just to make sure he was going to be unrecognized, and it was hard to deny it. He looked gorgeous, Jimin loved everything about his look, about him, but the knot in his stomach created an inner turmoil inside him, as his feelings were in a constant contradiction. They were changing constantly, sometimes, Jimin felt warm and felt like kissing him, some other times, Jimin wanted to lurch himself onto him, rip his clothes off and maybe fuck him into oblivion… but then there were the other times, and the predominant feelings, when Jimin wanted nothing but to erase him from the face of the earth, erase him from his memory… with heart and soul.Yoongi’s mask was different from Jimin’s. Silvery, consisting of tiny, shiny patterns and curves, giving it more of a medieval style. The mask complimented Yoongi’s onyx-colored eyes. It simply pulled you to look into that deep and sharp stare, into the black ocean of those pupils.
Jimin couldn’t stand him.
Yoongi smirked. “You ready, Swan Princess?” He asked with that annoying smile of his, Jimin was actually grateful he couldn’t see the smugness in his eyes completely, as the irritating view was obstructed by his mask. He would lie to say he didn’t get used to Yoongi’s stupid comments by now. They spent a lot of time together these past few days, to prepare the plan, and Yoong had never missed a chance to provoke Jimin with one of his rather shortsighted remarks.But Jimin had only one option, and that was, to adjust. He had learned to accept and ignore (when possible obviously). More than often Yoongi drove Jimin up the wall, figuratively, because as much as he hated to admit it, they were still Yoongi and Jimin, and the physical connection did not just simply disappear. It was there, and Yoongi loved to make use of it, flustering Jimin with every chance he got. Reasons for Jimin to hate him even more!Jimin coughed. “Let’s go.”“Right, after you!” Yoongi gestured with his hand, propelling Jimin to roll his eyes. They darted towards the main entrance, walking over the red carpet covering the set of stairs beneath their feet. Heavily armed guards were standing to their left and right, ready to approach and take care of anything, or anyone, suspicious.Good thing they were well prepared.Following Jimin and Yoongi, there was the rest of the team. They decided to group into three teams, Jimin and Yoongi (it wasn’t Jimin’s idea, but everyone else agreed to pair them because they knew each other and it could have been easier for them to work together), Namjoon and Taehyung because they looked to be getting along and Jiwon and Jungkook. The last pair wasn’t the happiest with the choice of grouping but they had to roll with it. During the first 15 minutes of the mission, none of them were to wear earpieces or any kind of communication devices to avoid raising suspicion among the enemy’s guards and security. However, there were multiple communication devices hidden in each of the bathrooms of the main ballroom, devices that had been prepared beforehand. As planned, they got past security disguised as a team of weapon dealers, willing to make a new, prosperous deal with the Geom-eun Munjayeol.The masquerade wasn’t a party per se, it was more of a business meeting disgusted as such. All kinds of wealthy men or illegal business conductors met and made deals, unveiling a new, totally different world to Jimin, who only got the chance to get small glimpses of it when dealing with gang activity at work. It was not required to be part of the Geom-eun Munjayeol to get inside, but one required proof that they were to be trusted, by at least leading businesses on the black market, or having contracts of illegal sales. How did Jimin and Yoongi manage to get their hands on something like that, you may ask? Jimin hated to admit it, but this was on Romeo again. He wasn’t only evidently way too informed of illegal deeds, but he conducted not one, but plenty of illegal arrangements. Most likely, this was the reason why he refused to meet with their team directly and resorted to helping them via phone calls and intermediatesAnd he refused to talk to anyone else but Yoongi which seemed fair enough, as Jimin would have arrested him if he had the chance to do so.Nonetheless, Romeo provided them with a waterproof backstory & papers. Tonight they were going to attend the event as business leaders trying to expand on the illegal weapon market, reaching out to the Geom-eun Munjayeol and their vast connections around the world in order to seal a sterling deal.Upon entering the building, they had been led through some sophistically decorated corridors until they reached the huge ballroom.The vast room was modern and refined, with a glassy ceiling that held sparkling and massive chandeliers. The tables and the chairs were covered in silky, crimson fabrics, and expensive marble on the floor, as the whole room was cast in light, coming from various sources and directions, giving off a warm, yellow atmosphere.Numerous people were attending the event, but given its massive size, it didn’t feel crowded at all, almost cozy even. There was a calming ambiguity of music playing in the background, making everything seem imposed and over the top, giving Jimin shivers, and goosebumps running down his spine. Everyone there looked so accustomed to this charade, it made him feel suffocated, nauseous, and notably out of place.Okay, maybe Jimin was freaking out a bit. If anyone would get suspicious of them and their backstory, they were instantly dead fish. Every second spent there was a second closer to death, Jimin knew it and felt it on his cold skin. They were surrounded by enemies; nothing could save them if anything was to go wrong. He gulped nervously, body stiff and cold feet, constantly wetting his lips, trying to remind himself that it was going to be okay, it was big, but the night would end eventlessly. But then he felt a warm hand touching his shoulder. He rushedly turned just to meet Yoongi standing to his right, looking at him with concern swimming in his usually droopy eyes. Even if he didn’t see it, Jimin knew there was a slight furrow between his eyebrows. He made it so obvious he was scared, even Yoongi noticed it.
Screw it!
Jimin was supposed to detach himself from the present moment, he had to push his emotions to the side and never let them show, especially not in front of his enemies, especially not in front of Yoongi. “Everything fine?” Yoongi asked in a low whisper, voice rather worried than cocky.Jimin didn’t like it. He rolled his shoulder swiftly, shaking Yoongi’s touch from his body. “Perfectly fine, no need for your concern,” He offered a cold reply instead of whatever Yoongi might have been expecting. “Right.” Yoongi laughed a little bit nervously instead of offering a Min-Yoongi-specific-remark, rendering Jimin speechless.
Why?
What was the matter?Could have been that Yoongi was affected too? Scary even?Jimin redirected his focus to the big hall and the situation at hand, walking his eyes over the unknown silhouettes in the range of his eyesight. He then spotted Namjoon, who was already watching him with a comforting smile on his lips Jiwon then came into their vision, a confident smile on her lips. “We will not interact directly until the end of the mission. As soon as we put our hands on the transmitters, we get in touch with the headquarters. Hoseok and Inspector Kim must be expecting us.”Then she left, leaving Jimin alone with Yoongi and the most important mission. “Let’s go,” Yoongi said, signaling towards one of the bathrooms, where the communication devices that were prepared for the two of them were waiting.
In This Dark Time - Aime Simone
Following the plan, Jimin got into the bathroom first while Yoongi was waiting for him outside, acting as natural as possible, accustomed to such places and events. Jimin quickly rushed towards the third stall, removing a small piece of tile from the wall. He grinned the second he saw the transmitters, but removed them from their hideout in haste, in hopes to get out of there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the bathroom wasn’t empty anymore. A well-dressed, tall man was right behind the sink, wishing his hands and humming to a song. When Jimin put his eyes on his reflection in the mirror, he realized the man’s cheeks were red, and his pupils were dilated. There was a high possibility he was doped, it wouldn’t have been uncommon for an event like that, where mostly everyone could do whatever the hell they wanted, as long as they were influential. He rushed to another sink in his proximity, trying to appear as normal as possible, washing his hands calmly and ignoring his presence whatsoever.“Why is such a beautiful bird like you alone in here? You don’t have a partner or something?” The man spoke, voice low and interested.
What?
Jimin had no intention to get into any kind of conversation with this man. The way he spoke with Jimin didn’t sit right with him. The implication behind his words could have meant only one thing. However, he couldn’t be rude, he had to find a way to avoid conflict politely. Jimin was on a mission, he couldn’t draw any unwanted attention. Instead of replying, he reached out towards the door with quick steps.Unfortunately, he wasn’t fast enough. The guy caught his wrist, not very satisfied with the way Jimin responded (or did not) to his insinuation. “Hey, I was talking to you! Don’t you know how disrespectful it is to ignore someone as important and high-ranked as me?”His veins were filled up with burning rage at that point. Who the fuck did he think he was to dare talk to Jimin like that? He pulled his hand back. “Excuse me, sir, I don’t know you, and as I have made it obvious, I have no intention to do so.” He lifted his head, wide-open dead eyes, glaring at him. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful; I’m just not in the mood for these things. I have business to attend to.” He kept the tone of his voice calm, offering a polite smile after finishing the sentence. He then turned around, reaching for the door.“Oh, so you’re someone’s bitch, aren’t you?” The man smirked, making sure to have Jimin look at him again by grabbing his shoulder and forcing himself upon him.Jimin rolled his eyes internally. Seriously?He had to remain calm… for the sake of the mission, he had to keep himself from causing any trouble, which meant, not pissing off important party attendants. But, someone’s bitch? Really?His eyes were shadows of anger, and the more time passed, the less he was capable to hide it. The man approached him slowly, as Jimin paced step-by-step back until he had reached the wall behind him.At this point, Jimin couldn’t hear the bullshit the man was saying. All he knew was that he wouldn’t shut up, and Jimin had to think. He had to find a way out-“I’m sure you have such a pretty body hidden behind this expensive suit.” He complimented, now searching for a way to grab Jimin’s hands.And maybe Jimin was about to end the fucking mission. He would take it upon himself. It wouldn't be the first time when he ruined everything, wasn’t it?To hell with the fucking mission, damn everything. He could do anything but touch him. That’s where Jimin was going to draw a line. He had to break that cunt’s nose, here and now.“Hyungwin?” Yoongi burst inside the bathroom calling Jimin by his undercover name and interrupting him seconds before he could ruin the enemy’s face.He was still towering over him, and if one didn’t know any better, they would think the danger was still there, but Yoongi, more than anyone, knew Jimin could have gotten out of the situation himself. But it would have been less quiet. It was better that he decided to intervene.“Excuse me, sir? What do you think you are doing to my business partner?” Yoongi flared up the moment he stepped into the restroom, eyes focused on the intoxicated businessman. “You better fuck off before I decide to play with your intestines.”“M-Mister M-Min? What are you doing here?” A glint of fear mixed with recognition appeared on the man’s face, now submissive to Yoongi’s glare.
Mister Min? Why did he recognize Yoongi, especially since he was wearing a mask?
Seriously? What was that supposed to mean?“None of your business, get your filthy hands off him, and don’t you dare approach him again.”“I didn’t know he was yours, Mr. Min!”“He isn’t mine. He’s no one’s property. He’s my lover. Now get lost.”Jimin watched the entire exchange with pure confusion. What the actual hell? Why did that guy call Yoongi Mister Min?Why did Yoongi come for him?Why didn’t he run away as soon as he got the chance?A shower of questions flooded Jimin’s brain, as the tension he had felt previously was slowly dissipating, and he was now coming back to reality. Everyone in their department was convinced that Yoongi’s intentions were pure and he truly wanted to help them; But Jimin? He could never trust Yoongi, not again.
Trust, such a little word, with such a heavy and hard-earned meaning.
Naturally, Jimin was utterly in shock, as to why Yoongi was helping him.“Uhm…” Yoongi coughed as soon as the guy left them alone. “Sorry for calling you, my lover…I- I shouldn’t have… I wanted to make it look real.”That was the plan from the beginning, all of them were attending as partners, what got Yoongi stuttering like that?And why was he so shy all of a sudden? Why was he apologizing? Jimin felt so many things, at once, it was dizzying him. Yoongi wasn’t supposed to be kind to him. He was a dick after all.“Why did you come? You could have run away.”“I am a lot of things, detective, but I never get back on my word. I made a deal, and the deal was to help your department until the end, isn’t that correct?”
Right. As if that could have stopped someone like him.
“I could have handled that myself, though,” Jimin explained, eyes avoiding Yoongi with the cost of his life. He felt embarrassed by his own feelings even though he was the only one aware of them. He was embarrassed by the fact that the moment Yoongi walked through that door, his heart started beating rapidly, with unwanted emotion.It was a wrong feeling. It confused Jimin even further, but at least he could blame it on the rush of adrenaline running through his body at that moment. Whatever happened there, was an unexpected obstacle in their mission, and he must have been scared not to ruin it all, which resulted in the disturbance he was feeling.Yet, he felt like looking elsewhere but in Yoongi’s direction. He hoped he won’t have to meet his eyes for a long period of time, actually, for the rest of the evening would be perfect. Where was the perky Yoongi he was getting used to for the past weeks? He liked that one better since this one made him overthink shit and Jimin did positively not need that right now, or ever.Yoongi was nothing more than a culprit and a partner in this mission. As soon as the mission was over, Jimin would stay as far as humanly possible from him.♠
Yoongi’s pov
In contrast to Jimin and his feelings, Yoongi wasn’t confused at all. He didn’t come in to help Jimin because he wanted Jimin to thank him or anything like that. To Yoongi, it was part of his job to protect his teammates, with no ulterior motivations behind it.But it hurt…It hurt that Jimin still hated him. Yoongi felt it in the way Jimin was looking at him. It felt as if he wanted nothing but to rip Yoongi’s skin off with his every glance directed his way.During the time he had been waiting for Jimin to return from the restroom, his sole purpose was to make sure no one too dangerous would get in so that Jimin would make it out safe and sound. After the minute they settled on had passed, he knew something must have gone wrong.He knew the man got into the restroom but didn’t render him a threat, not when he knew the person, and he knew he was just the bodyguard of one of his old acquaintances. They spent quite some time together in the past, maybe hence the reason he recognized him.But as two other minutes had passed and there was no Jimin in sight, he started to worry. It wasn’t like he thought Jimin couldn’t protect himself. He knew Jimin was more than capable to do so. But Yoongi didn’t forget why they were there, and he didn’t forget that laying low was their first and foremost mission.Jimin couldn’t do much in that case, he had to intervene if something dangerous was happening there. Gladly, they managed to detour the inconvenient situation with finesse (or at least as much as he could). He placed the transmitter inside his ear and pressed the power button to switch it on.“Miles here.” He spoke in a low-pitched voice, walking amongst people, Jimin following him just a couple of steps behind.“Park here too. We are all good.”From the other side of the line, they could simultaneously hear Inspector’s Kim voice. “Great, night owls! You are the first pair who made it through.”“I thought we decided not to call them like that!” Hoseok’s voice chimed in from the background.“You came up with the idea, Jung!” Inspector Kim countered as both Jimin and Yoongi exchanged a set of incredulous looks. It felt as if the Inspector and their forensic were having the time of their lives. “We are returning to the main event, searching for Romeo’s man. We will proceed with the deal as soon as we spot him.”“Guys, you need to wait a little longer, we have to make sure the entire team had managed to collect the communication devices before preceding with the mission,” Hoseok explained with an apprehensive tone. Jimin frowned at that. “What are we supposed to do while we wait?”“Enjoy the masquerade. Who knows, it might be your last.” Inspector Kim giggled in his earpiece and Jimin took the finger off the button so the Inspector couldn’t hear him anymore.“Seriously, I detest him sometimes.” He mumbled.“Oh, come on, he’s not that bad.” Yoongi grinned as he turned to Jimin, waiting, hoping for a positive reaction. For some reason, the dauntless detective was now avoiding his eyes as if his life depended on it. Yoongi didn’t even know what he expected, so he just walked alongside him.They reached an empty table, pretty close to the dance floor. As one waitress spotted them, she quickly approached with a tray of refined wine-filled glasses. They both took one so they wouldn’t look suspicious and took small, insignificant sips. It tasted extravagant on Yoongi’s tongue, he actually liked it and would have had more than one glass if it wasn’t for the mission and its implications.
Alec Benjamin - Let Me Down Slowly (Acoustic)
A soft sound of a guitar note started to play in the background, and Yoongi stopped to focus on it, listen, and feel. It warmed his insides, it was beautiful.He glanced in Jimin's direction thinking that maybe… His eyes met Jimin’s and his cheeks colored in a pretty, faded shade of crimson.
“This night is cold in the kingdom
I can feel you fade away
From the kitchen to the bathroom sink and
Your steps keep me awake”
The dance floor was already full of people dancing, mostly in pairs, enjoying the tune with regular, faint movements. Yoongi didn’t know what possessed him then, he had no idea what went through his had. It was so fleeting of him to think of something like that, but maybe whatever had happened next was rather instinctual than planned. But it felt like the right thing to do.Jimin watched the swirling couples with so much admiration and want, it was just right.
“Don't cut me down, throw me out, leave me here to waste
I once was a man with dignity and grace
Now I'm slipping through the cracks of your cold embrace
So please, please”
He must have wanted to be there, dancing to the song, with someone he adored holding him for dear life, and looking at him as if he was the most precious person in the whole universe. But Yoongi knew he couldn’t offer Jimin that. He knew it was impossible and stupid…Yet…“Want to dance?” He asked in a deep, steady voice that did not betray his inner turmoil.Jimin almost broke his neck with the sudden movement, as he turned to Yoongi, eyes meeting his stare with puzzlement. Yoongi knew the answer was about to be a clear “no”, it was ridiculous even, yet, Jimin did not reply, but stared at him for what felt like forever for Yoongi. And then he approached him. “Only because this song is too good.” He nodded his head, getting a bit closer, surprising Yoongi on all counts. He suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline and became strangely nervous.How does one even dance, anyway? This was a bad idea. “We have to waste some time anyway, isn’t it?” Jimin added, seemingly more to assure himself, than Yoongi.“R-right…” Yoongi held his hand out for Jimin to take it, and it took him a few seconds to adjust to the idea, but eventually, Jimin took it.Yoongi guided them to the dancefloor, still nervous and not quite convinced it was a good idea. But he started with slow movements, dragging Jimin closer to him, slowly moving to the tune and trying to ignore the inner turmoil going on inside him. He placed his trembling hand on Jimin’s waist and tried not to freak out. He hadn’t been so close to Jimin in such a long time. He was now finally able to smell his cologne again, the sweet and obsessing fragrance that brought Yoongi back fond yet distant memories. Although they were close, Yoongi didn’t dare look Jimin in the eyes.His simple presence, their closeness, was enough for now. More than Yoongi even expected or deserved. Enough for a long time actually. Yoongi was happy he was able to touch Jimin, to hold him close, even if it was just an ephemeral moment, Yoongi wanted to live it as if it was his last.It could have been his last chance, like each moment he had with Jimin.Maybe, that’s why every emotion Yoongi was intensified and heightened at an incredible pace.
“Could you find a way to let me down slowly?
A little sympathy, I hope you can show me
If you wanna go then I'll be so lonely
If you're leaving, baby, let me down slowly
Let me down, down”
Yoongi could have said so many things. He wanted to say so many things. Jimin was right in front of him, it was only the two of them, and it was the best opportunity for Jimin to hear him out. It might have been his only chance, because who knew when was he going to spend time alone with Jimin again, when will Jimin be that close to him, to make it possible for him to talk freely?Still, with all that knowledge, Yoongi decided against doing so.
“And I can't stop myself from falling down”
Funny the way all of Jimin’s cheesy songs affected Yoongi more than they affected Jimin himself. But he couldn’t lie, they were always in the right place at the right time.Yoongi then finally mustered up the courage to lift his stare, eyes traveling from Jimin’s tie to his eyes, lastly looking eyes with him, exchanging a quiet, yet meaningful glim.He smiled, not knowing what else he could have given Jimin. It wasn’t a happy smile necessarily, but it was a content one. He accepted his fate, accepted that everything they once had was gone, but at least he got to feel this last moment, together. Maybe Jimin would understand that this was Yoongi’s way of saying thanks. And he could only wonder…What was going through Jimin’s head? Heart even? What was he looking through him, but not at him?Yoongi was sad, more than anything, but then again, it was the fate he had chosen, and it was his fault things were like that. That fact will never change.
Stephen - Play Me Like A Violin
Yoongi’s little bubble was shortly crushed the moment a sudden set of noises broke both of their ears.“We did it!” Jungkook’s voice rumbled through the small earpiece.“You mean I did it, kid.” Another voice, who Yoongi presumed was Jiwon, deadpanned in a sarcastic, not as an excited voice.“I really hate women and you’re just further proving my point.” Jungkook continued, kicking up a fuss.“Shut up or I’m going to pull out those bunny teeth of yours,” Jiwon replied in a sweet yet venomous voice. Still on the dancefloor, Jimin rolled his eyes and Yoogi even let out a quiet snicker. They left the dancefloor and returned to the empty table, where their glasses of wine were expecting them.Another indignant voice managed to find its way through the earpiece. “Wait? What did you just say to Jungkook?” Yoongi recognized it as his brother’s. Jimin shortly laughed this time too.“Anyway!” Namjoon’s voice came between, fake coughing to get the attention. “As we are now finally connected, it’s time for us to begin. We are going to look for Jung Dawon while Jimin and Yoongi are going to discuss with Bogum, Romeo’s man.”“Alright, night owls, we will be waiting for you to complete your part of the mission. If you need anything, don’t forget to call for help, using the mini devices hidden in your hair.” Inspector Kim clarified, gaining a couple of eye rolls in the process.“I told you to stop calling them night owls, it’s bullshit, Inspector!” Hoseok’s horned in again.“Are you insinuating that your superior, is wrong, Jung? Do you think my methods are efficient enough?” The Inspector asked with one sarcastic, concerned voice.“Yes, that’s right! You should listen to Inspector Kim. We all should, plus, night owls sounds really good!” And that was Kim Namjoon. Yoongi learned for the past few days how the guy was literally whipped for the Inspector’s ass. Anyone could tell at that point.The meeting was cut short after, as everyone shut the communication devices down to proceed with their tasks. Jimin and Yoongi headed towards the balcony.As they were heading for the balcony, Jimin slipped over a puddle of wine that was spilled on the ground.
Fortunately, Yoongi was there to quickly catch him.
From the sudden impact, Jimin’s mask untangled from behind his ear, falling off his face for a whole second. Yoongi was fast to catch it and place it back in its place, delicately tying it back again, fingers softly brushing through Jimin’s hair, hovering in the same place maybe more than necessary. But who could have blamed Yoongi? His hair felt soft to the touch of his fingers, and yet again, he was so close to him, it left him breathless. And it was a bad sign, this closeness, it was getting addictive.Jimin and his presence could easily become an obsession for Yoongi. Soon after that, Yoongi took a step back, and checked their surroundings, to make sure no one has spotted the scene or Jimin’s face. He exhaled, eyes now on Jimin. He hated that mask he was wearing, even though it fit him perfectly so, Yoongi couldn’t read his facial expression, and he was dying to know whether Jimin felt it too.The tension. The unspoken words. Was it real, or was it only in Yoongi’s imagination?Upon arriving on the balcony, the clear air of the night hit them both. Yoongi happily grabbed his pack of cigarettes and lit one, letting the toxins of the stick do their job and numb his anxiety, just the littlest. To his surprise, Jimin pulled out his Davidoffs, too, placing a cigarette between his plump, moistured lips. The image was entrancing to Yoongi. “Miles, tell me, how did that guy know you? Why did the guy in the restroom recognize you?” Jimin puffed through his lips, dimming his eyes judgingly, implying that Yoongi has been lying to him. Again.“Ah, that? That guy’s a dick. One of an old friend’s men. Nothing that special, I met him several times and knew he was an ass. When I saw him walking through the bathroom door, I knew it couldn’t be good news.”“Oh... so that’s it.”“Yeah…” Yoongi checked their surroundings, making sure no one was listening to them. “Look, detective, I know I have a bad reputation, but stop suspecting me. I have no reason to betray you right now. Everything that is happening at the moment is quite beneficial for me and my friends. You and your team are actually helping us find the guys that tried to kill me. Several times. Why would I want to jeopardize that? And besides, if it was really important, I would have told you up until now.”“Have you ever been a gang member or something?” Jimin asked another question instead of answering, eyes meeting Yoongi’s, but voice cold, stoic. It was hard for Yoongi to decipher his tone. “No,” Yoongi answered sincerely. “I know people working for gangs, street gangs, I know about the gangs, I heard about their names and I have had some deals with them in the past. But that’s because my best friend is well acquainted with this type of things but…no. I have never been part of any of them.”“Okay.” Jimin nodded, turning around to face the heart-stirring view of Seoul at night. The balcony wasn’t that high, it was situated on the fourth level of the building, but it was high enough to offer a breathtaking view above to the pretty, faint lights of the streets laying underneath them.“Good evening, gentlemen!” A voice broke their silence, urging them both to turn their necks towards the guy they suspected to be Park Bogum. “Where are the others? I expected six people?”“Good evening!” Yoongi approached, bowing respectfully. “You are going to end the deal with the two of us. Our other friends are here just to make sure we are going back home tonight safe and sound.” He smiled politely, already not liking this Bogum guy. “Oh, does this party look dangerous to you, Mister…?”“Suga. You can call me Suga,” Yoongi filled in, smoothly.“That I’ve been told. Bogum. Park Bogum.”“And I’m Hyungwin.” Jimin presented himself with his fake alias too.Another waitress approached them and Bogum reached for a flute of something that looked like champagne. “Ok, tell me about the deal.” He gestured towards Jimin and Yoongi to take a drink too.Yoongi respectfully took another glass of champagne, then nodded at their business partner. “We deal weapons straight from Russia. We have a connection through a guy that delivered our goods constantly for a good period of time. They offered us a new arrangement, which means a greater amount of weapons. We’ve been activating in this field for a long time now and the entire team has decided it was time to take the next step. However, since we are a small group, we wouldn’t be able to handle it alone, especially since the greater districts of Seoul are under your control.”Bogum listened carefully and smirked. “And what makes you think I’d need your weapons? I have my own dealers from Thailand, and we are doing pretty good.”“It’s Russian-made, the best they’ve got. And it’s not only about the quality, but the prices are very convincing as well. As I’ve heard, the Geom-eun Munjayeol doesn’t have strong threads with Russia, or am I wrong? We can pull some strings and make that happen.” Yoongi finished his speech and took a little sip of the sweet liquid in the flute. He took out his pack of cigarettes to light another stick.After a lungful of smoke, he turned his eyes towards Bogum who was currently lost deeply in thoughts.Then, Yoongi turned his eyes towards Jimin who shortly rearranged his mask and smiled reassuringly. “We don’t hold enough power to represent something to the Russian mafia, but you do.” Jimin intervened, sounding as convincing and confident in their powers as possible. “And we can make it happen if we work together.” He suggested with a low and polite voice. This made Bogum smile.“This is quite tempting, guys.”“That’s what we were hoping for.” Jimin smiled at him again and this time, it didn’t sit right with Yoongi. He didn’t like that one bit. Why would Jimin smile at him, this was just a mission, it wasn’t like the ideal was real or anything, he didn’t need to be smiling like that.He dragged from his cigarette, keeping the smoke inside his lungs for a long moment. The cause of his unusual thoughts must have been the alcohol, he hasn’t had a drink in weeks.“That’s great then.” Bogum returned his stare to Yoongi. “I accept your offer. We will contact you at some point, to clear all the remaining details. Please enjoy the rest of the night!” He took Yoongi’s hand, and Yoongi made sure to shake it with a stronghold.Bogum turned back to Jimin and approached him shortly. “You are a soft one. I like you.” He slipped a little piece of paper inside Jimin’s pocket and winked at him. “That’s for personal matters. If interested, feel free to call me.”Jimin offered a polite, almost cute smile, before offering a farewell bow. Yoongi was going insane.
How dare he?
“I will contact you soon, Suga, have a good evening!” And with that, Bogum turned his back, leaving the two alone on the balcony. Yoongi’s cigarette was now long forgotten and the ashes fell to the ground. He finally moved to face Jimin, but Jimin’s eyes were transfixed on the view of the city. And he was silent. It was a time of silence Yoongi couldn’t get used to.Silence reminded him of the silence he had to endure while he was being kept inside the lifeless cell. Silence gave him a lot of anxiety, but at the same time, it gave him peace. Yoongi was acquainted with silence, but one thing he couldn’t stand was Jimin’s silence.
Jungkook - Stay Alive
And maybe he wanted to say a couple of things, at least to have a conversation, to talk about themselves, like they used to when they were Jimin and Yoongi, not the detective and the notorious Miles Gilbert. But that’s how Yoongi felt, Jimin… well, he was obviously thinking differently. He didn’t want to spend his time with Yoongi, not talking actually having a conversation.So Yoongi kept quiet. The only sounds disturbing the serene quiet are the muffled sounds from the bass playing music inside, rejoining the sound of almost inaudible, soft drags and puffs of their cigarette intake. It felt maddening. Yoongi didn’t know how to do it, he wasn’t good at whatever was going on between them now. He was used to teasing Jimin, even if he would only snap at him in return, but the palpable tension, the quiet, the uncertainty...What was he supposed to do? Yet it was the worst moment possible for Yoongi to even try to discuss, or rather explain himself, to Jimin, when they were responsible for such an important mission. Even if it was just the two of them, even if only the thought of having the chance to talk about them with Jimin was creating havoc in Yoongi’s body, sending burning shivers down Yoongi’s back, full of expectation and hope.But if not now, then when? Would he have such an opportunity again anytime in the future? Yoongi doesn’t want to muster false hope within himself.Yoongi could never apologize for what he had done because he knew the outcome, he knew Jimin didn’t want to hear it. But Yoongi was stuck, he was stuck between hope and misery. He understood the gravity of what he had done, he knew the impact his action had on Jimin, and he knew he fucked him up. But how would Yoongi explain to Jimin that have it had been any different person, he would have done the same, but maybe differently? How would he explain that it actually tore Yoongi’s heart apart to continue fooling, and lying to him? Because Yoongi, he had fallen in love, but there was no way Jimin would ever accept that was the reality. He had to come to terms with it, with the fact that they might not be able to talk like they used to ever again, and Yoongi understood. Jimin deserved an apology. Jimin deserved the world, but all that Yoongi could give him was a bunch of bullshit.Maybe it was time for reaching consent at least. Yoongi couldn’t keep things between them like that forever. “Jimi- I mean, detective…”Jimin turned around with half of his body, eyes slightly wide open, shining with curiosity.“Night owls, are you copying this?” Jungkook broke Yoongi’s bubble in seconds, bringing him back down to earth, maybe ruining Yoongi’s only chance to make things better.Both Jimin and Yoongi pushed the buttons of their earpieces to reply“Copy. What happened?” Yoongi was the first to speak.The moment was now gone.“We have found the girl.” Jiwon is the one who answered this time. “At least we think it’s her.”“We can’t be sure though, she looks different from the original photo we have from Hoseok!” Jungkook added.“Of course, she does, idiot, she’s mostly 10 years older!” Jiwon sounded like she smacked Jungkook’s head.“Ouch! Then why can’t you confirm it’s her?”“Because we are too far from her, brat!”“Um, children.” Jeong-in’s voice was the one who connected to their devices the next. “Sorry to interrupt your fight, but if what you are saying it’s true, this is really important. Everyone, please, listen to me very carefully. Detective Park, your earring has a little camera device attached to it. Can you go for a drink or something and walk by her, so that Hoseok can confirm or deny the visual?”“Why can’t we just take a picture with our phones?” Namjoon asked in confusion.“Because it’s too risky, what if you get caught?.”“Plus, I don’t need much to recognize her, you don’t need to get too close, Jimin, I will recognize her anywhere,” Hoseok assured Jimin.“Alright, we will go then.” Yoongi pushed the button to reply, voice calm but professional.“Good luck, we are waiting, ah, and Jimin, remember that all you have to do in order to turn de camera device on is to remove the diamond from it!” Jeong-in explained.“Copy that,” Jimin said. “Let’s go.”However, the second the two rushed back inside, they met again with Bogum, who looked just as confident as he did minutes ago, but this time he was followed by two men. They looked really important.Shit. What a terrible timing.“Oh! Hyungwin and Suga! Glad you are still here! I think we can discuss further details concerning the deal right now! My friends right here are intrigued by your proposal.”And well, that wasn’t the plan. The whole weapon ordeal was meant to be just a decoy for them to get inside the masquerade. They didn’t want to spend too much time around gang members and certainly, they didn’t want to make friends with them.Romeo promised them that after they proposed, they would be left alone for the rest of the night. Apparently, Romeo was wrong, and their plan was too good. Sounded too good.It brought attention to them. Attention that they did not want. Yoongi cursed internally, but Jimin was quick to elbow him, reminding him they would manage to handle it. They had to. And they couldn’t waste time. “Tell them I’m off to the toilet. I can do it myself and be back in a matter of seconds.” Jimin suggested with a big smile on his lips, not to make their exchange look suspicious.“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Yoongi was not convinced. “We can’t afford to miss her, Yoongi, it’s our only chance, alright?” He whispered before offering another kind, almost alluring smile as the suspicious men were approaching them. “Excuse me, sirs! I will be back shortly! Shall I bring any drinks?”“Don’t worry, Hyungwin, we are good.” Bogum shoved Jimin off quickly, probably too excited that he got his boss’s attention on him and implicitly, on his new business partner.On the other hand, Yoongi wasn’t as happy. Jimin disappeared shortly from his sight and the three men started asking questions with a despicable hunger in their eyes. They did not only look powerful; they radiated an aura of strength and danger; Yoongi had a very bad feeling in his gut.♠
Taehyung’s pov
Taehyung was paired with Namjoon for the mission. He liked Namjoon and considered him to be nice and kind, great overall to cooperate with.However, in the beginning, he felt differently. At first, he didn’t like him. He didn’t like anyone besides Jimin from the department of detectives. Of course, ideally, he would have partnered up with Jungkook, they know each other very well, and would have been much easier for them to complete a mission alone, but he also understood why the detectives were cautious. And Namjoon turned out to be better than he expected. He grew closer to Taehyung’s heart much faster than he would have expected, and he didn’t know whether that was good or bad news. Nonetheless, the man was smart, adored art maybe just as much as Taehyung did and he had quite the information to share with him, exploring both psychological and philosophical concepts. Taehyung was fascinated with his sheer knowledge.And maybe, in a different life, he would have loved to be close friends with Namjoon. Taehyung liked to think about it like that, it comforted him. The possibility of a different reality, where his choices wouldn’t have been so crisp, oppressed by fate and bad decisions. He was now with Namjoon in one corner of the ballroom, waiting for Jimin to contact them. It’s been two minutes since he left to do his job, to approach the presumed Dawon, and nothing has happened yet. He didn’t want to worry though. He knew it must take some time to find a certain person in an ocean of people like the one they were witnessing right now.He took a sip of the juice he was holding with his right hand, trying to focus on anything but his anxiety. It was such a long day. Actually, it was a long week. Scratch that too, a long year.Right after they moved to their new little apartment, they didn’t have too much time for sleeping, resting, or at least peace of mind. Nothing as luxurious as that, no. They always had at least one detective over, if not more, constantly, to discuss details about their upcoming mission.During those days, Taehyung thanked the Gods that Yoongi had such a good friend as Romeo on their side.Initially, Inspector Kim gave them only one chance to contact someone that could get them inside. It was obvious that Yoongi was about to choose Romeo, yet Taehyung noticed that Yoongi was a little bit terror-stricken too, because… one can never know when someone was ready to turn their back on them.Romeo already did more than enough for them, he didn’t have to help them with this mission particularly.Yet, he did.Taehyung didn’t understand it at first, but Yoongi explained that the bond between him and Romeo was formed purely on friendship and trust. Taehyung thought there must have been more to it, that maybe Romeo was after something too, but right now, those questions were to be avoidedRomeo accepted to help them and admitted quickly to Yoongi that he knew about the gang and that he had connections. He accepted to help them under the condition, that they weren’t to drag him or his name into it. After a series of phone calls and data exchanges, they concluded that the dealer they were looking for, Dawon specifically, will likely be present for a grand event, a masquerade that was about to be organized for the 17th anniversary of the Geom-eun Munjayeol. The event was about to take place in two weeks' time from the moment they started working together.All that Romeo had to do was to create a way in for them, to place a good word to the right person at the right time. And that he did.And he also offered tips and tricks, some good intel on the gang, and some useful information that was meant to help them get in and out unnoticed. Enough for them to muster the perfect infiltration plan. He told them about Park Bogum, who is one of the guys that’s responsible for new deals. He usually decides if potential deals proposed to the gang are worth going to their superiors or not. They didn’t need their deal to make it through, they just needed it to be convincing enough to make the Geom-eun Munjayeol believe it was the sole purpose for their presence there.The preparations took several days. Everything had been carefully planned, from communication devices to dividing tasks, backup plans, and so on. Besides, the department had also conducted psychological tests on the detainees before being hundred percent ready to send them in. Inspector Kim wanted to be convinced that the three of them weren’t maniacs or psychopaths that would get away as soon as they get their chance, or even worse, ruin their chances of success for that to happen. Quite fair, if you asked Taehyung. After several tests and a series of uncountable questions, they were ready to go.Taehyung hated the pressure. He didn’t like the plan depended on them entirely, and the risks were still high enough, but at least Jungkook was there, and he had him by his side. He was not alone. Yoongi had also been stressed out, as he did the most work, taking part in every meeting that had been called with the department, be it day or night. He had been present, mind, and body. He got no more cards up his sleeve, he had to work with the team. It was either that or absolute failure. It was something new for Yoongi, not having to work with others, but being out of choices, and out of control. He had to depend entirely on the department and its willingness to help. Eventually, they managed to adapt. Taehyung really hoped that it would end well for all of them, one way or another.Safe, at least.Taehyung knew Yoongi was crippled because of the whole ordeal with Jimin, but he also knew that it wasn’t the right time for him to talk to any of them about it. His brother was…secretive as shit, while Jimin…still hated him.Taehyung took one last sip of his orange juice and checked his watch. Six minutes had passed already, and Jimin did not show up. It could only mean something bad happened. “Namjoon? Is my earpiece broken because…?” Taehyung looked at Namjoon.“No, I haven’t received anything from Jimin either. Wait.” Namjoon pressed his earpiece shortly pretending he was arranging his hair. “Cover me. Night owls. Yoongi, Jimin, are you here? Everything alright?It was silent for a couple of seconds.“Inspector Kim here. Detective Park, Gilbert? Please answer if you can hear us.”Another set of seconds flew by and Taehyung felt his stomach drop. “There isn’t time for jokes, seriously, Yoongi? Jimin? Is everything alright?” This time Taehyung was the one who spoke.Silence again.Not a good sign indeed.“Everyone please calm down,” Jeong-in spoke. “It appears to me that both of their connections were interrupted, the signal of their devices is lost.”“Could they be somewhere where the signal is off?” Jiwon suggested.“Not really, I made sure you are using one of the best communication networks. There are two options, either they are somewhere below the ground level, in a basement or something, or their communication devices had been broken.” Jeon-in explained in a hurry, more agitated than he previously was. “Either way these aren’t good news. We have to go after them.” Taehyung suggested.“Wait, Taehyung, no…” Namjoon turned towards Taehyung.“Guys, let’s say Jimin and Yoongi are in danger. If you go after them, it will end up in a mess, more of you might be wounded and the mission will fail. I suggest leaving them on their own for now, they are more than capable of protecting themselves and have each other for support. You work together, search for that woman, take a quick photo of her and reach for Hoseok. After that, we can go look for them. This way we have a high possibility to accomplish the mission and make it out of here safe and sound.” Inspector Kim suggested, with a clear, authoritative voice.“I think Jimin would want us to proceed as suggested…” Namjoon said, after a couple of seconds.“Yoongi too…” Jungkook added.“N-no, we can’t leave them behind!” Taehyung wasn’t taking their shit. He didn’t want to risk his brother’s life. Not again.“Tae, remember what I told you in the van? Yoongi always has a plan, Yoongi is a smart guy, and Jimin, your best friend, I’m sure he is too. They would want us to finish our task. Whatever happened, let’s not waste their efforts, right?” Jungkook tried to reassure Taehyung, once again being the support pillar Taehyung so desperately needed. Certainly, he wasn’t convinced, but they were right. It happened all over again. Him against the whole world.The whole world was against his brother.He hoped they were together at least. He hoped they were still alive . “Right…” Taehyung agreed, with an uneasy feeling.♠“Taehyung.” Namjoon gave Taehyung space for some moments, he knew it was important for him to recollect his thoughts and maybe muster the courage to keep going. “It’s time. Can you do it?”Taehyung nodded.“Okay, let’s do it quickly so that we can go and look for Jimin and your brother.”“Guys, before trying to take that picture, can you approach her and tell us a little bit about her facial features?” Jeong-in requested, spiking Taehyung’s levels of anxiety. It was really risky of them to go and take a picture, but right now, with Jimin and his communication device gone, it was their only option.“We are on it.” Jiwon was the one who spoke this time. “She’s short, slim, her hair is straight and reaches her shoulders, and she has a round, soft face. Cute, small eyes. Her lips are very similar to Hoseok’s, and her skin looks smooth. Overall, I’d call her very feminine. She’s pretty tough and looks her age. I think it’s her. I saw her a lot in Hoseok’s pictures and I’m pretty sure it is her, even though she is older now. The mask she wears doesn’t hide too much of her face.”“Jesus fucking Christ, Jung, don’t cry on us now!” Inspector Kim commented through the earpiece.Taehyung frowned at that. What did Inspector Kim expect? The guy just learned that his sister is alive after years of searching for her, all on his own.“I-I-‘m sorry…I, it’s just…you don’t understand…it seems like I’m dreaming, Jeong-in pinch me, please! It must be a dream!” Hoseok’s muffled words were breaking everyone’s hearts in shambles. But there wasn’t time for that now.“Do we still need to take a picture?” Taehyung was the one who spoke.“Yes, please take a quick snap and send it over.”Seemed simple enough, but it wasn’t an easy thing to do.Taehyung and Namjoon met with Jiwon and Jungkook, pretending to exchange phone numbers so that they had to take out their phones.While the other three pretended to be immersed in a conversation, Taehyung took his phone out of his pocket and took a snap of the chandelier that impressed him.He managed to take a video in which he caught the woman’s figure. He sent it over to the department and waited.Two minutes in and Jeong-in with Hoseok confirmed it was her, none other than Jung Dawon. The plan was now ready to unveil. ♠Namjoon was the first to act. He was the perfect person for the job. He was tall, handsome, and well-prepared for it.He approached Dawon, with a confused look on his face. He asked her for directions, explaining he was looking for a specific person. She didn’t suspect him, therefore agreed to help. As planned, if the target was to be cooperative, Namjoon would engage in small talk, asking about frivolous things, using his charms, just to stall the time as much as possible. While all of her attention was on Namjoon, Jungkook approached them and accidentally bumped into Namjoon, consequently spilling Champagne on her shoes. He immediately excused himself and bent down to clean her shoe with a handkerchief. In that matter of ten seconds, he made sure to place a small tracking device on her shoe.All they needed was to know her location. They had to know where she was headed after that particular night and act quickly after that. Anything else would have been useless, they weren’t in the right place to cause a scene or to try to explain the situation to her. It was the best and safest solution. After the plan was successfully conducted, Namjoon excused himself and reached for the balcony of the ballroom, where the rest of the team was waiting to discuss further steps.They needed to find and possibly save Jimin and Yoongi.♠
Jimin’s pov
Jimin was walking slow-paced towards the location he received from Namjoon. He knew he shouldn’t have left Yoongi alone, but he trusted himself to finish his mission quickly and return to his partner. After all, it wasn’t something difficult.He still didn’t trust Yoongi but leaving him alone shouldn’t have been a problem since even if he wanted to disappear, he wouldn’t do it. Not without Taehyung. And Taehyung was well protected right now.So Jimin decided to do what he had to do and go check up on the girl that they believed and hoped to be Hoseok’s sister.But that’s when the plan started to crumble. While trying to sneak through the ocean of bodies in the ballroom, he caught with the corner of his eyes a figure following him.At first, he tried to push the thought aside. There were a lot of people walking through that big hall, searching for people. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. However, the reassuring thoughts didn’t stay with him for long. There was so much he could have risked if he wasn’t going to be careful. Jimin was a detective, and for the past weeks, he had learned the hard way, that when his gut told him something, for fucks sake, he should have listened to it.
Stop reasoning with what his brain wanted to happen and actually see the facts.
He slowed his walking pace, even more, reaching the closest wall. He stopped there, pretending to search the crowd of the huge hall. Looking for something, someone. When his eyes traveled in the direction where he was coming from, he couldn't see anyone suspicious, but he was convinced they were there. He didn’t know why he was being followed, but he had to get rid of that person before something terrible was going to happen. He considered the options he had. He couldn’t jeopardize the mission or ask for anyone’s help since they all had their own tasks to finish. So, he had to get rid of his stalker alone.He thought of contacting Yoongi for a split second, telling him something wasn’t right. Then he denied his only chance to do it. Yoongi was his partner because he needed to watch over him, not the other way around. Jimin was a big boy and he had to take care of that on his own. And, on top of that, he couldn’t even think about reaching for Yoongi’s help.He might alarm the others. The top priority for Jimin right now was that the mission was conducted successfully. Therefore, he would take care of himself alone.Jimin checked his surroundings once again and found a corridor to his right. An idea popped into his head and he started walking again, this time towards that certain corridor and as he already suspected, he felt tailed once again.Fuckers, who the fuck was tailing him and why? Jimin was completely unarmed, all he had on him were his muscles. But, at least, he was sure he could take the guy down.At least he hoped it was just one guy.When he took the corner of the corridor, he walked another three or four steps and stopped in his tracks. “Why are you following me?” He stopped and turned around. The guy wasn’t big at all, seemed around Jimin’s height and he sighed in relief. He was sure he could take him down.He was masked, and the second Jimin met his eyes made his stomach turn with disgust. He didn’t know why, and obviously he had no idea who was he, but the look in his eyes was atrocious. His eyes were shining with pure malice. It gave Jimin shivers. He knew he had only one chance. He had to take him down fast.As the other man didn’t reply, he took a step closer, trying his best to calm his nerves. He hated it when people didn’t talk when he asked them to. “Did you know that your boss might be really angry if they knew you bothered such a new opportunity like me and my friends? We are business partners.” Jimin frowned, speaking out loud, making sure the guy would understand the gravity of his actions.“Cut the act off, detective, it’s enough with the charade.” The man finally talked back. And at that, Jimin’s eyes widened in surprise. He stopped in his tracks. How did the guy know? He needed to contact the others right now –The moment his hand reached for his ear he felt a piece of cloth covering his mouth and he soon realized it was covered in chloroform. Before having the chance to process what was happening to him, the man coming from his back took him by surprise, and Jimin inhaled the substance deeply. It quickly went to his brain, numbing his body functions in a matter of seconds.The last thing he managed to process was the rough material covering his head altogether before everything turned into complete, pitch darkness. ♠
VALORANT - Die For You (ft.Grabbitz)
Now there's only one thing I can do
Fight until the end like I promised to
Wishing there was something left to lose
This could be the day I die for you
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi and Jimin were like north and south. Their ways of thinking, their priorities, their actions, everything proved that up to this point. They were both aware of that fact at least. Knowing this, worried Yoongi deeply. Jimin would sacrifice his own safety for the sake of the mission. But this is exactly the reason Jimin and Yoongi were opposites.
Yoongi would sacrifice the entire mission and all of its implications, for Jimin’s safety.
With the given circumstances, Yoongi considered having prolific reasons to worry, as minutes passed by and Jimin didn’t return to safety, to him. To be more specific, five minutes had passed since Jimin had left Yoongi alone with Park Bogum and his superiors. He managed to get rid of them in two, leaving them with one soon-to-be unfulfilled promise, but he couldn’t be anything but restless as Jimin did not return as he promised. You see, Yoongi wasn’t paranoid, he was a factual person. It was in his blood to be as perceptive as possible, to analyze only possible outcomes. Outcomes that can get the closest to the reality he was living in. Thus, he would be able to prepare for any contingency. And Yoongi knew Jimin was just as factual as he was, hence, he’s been able to be on Yoongi’s traces for such a long time, offering him no other choice but to surrender eventually and play a reverse card, fighting to win his enemies over. He wouldn’t have been able to deceive Jimin endlessly. Jimin was smart and good at what he did. If he said two minutes, then two minutes it was.But he wasn’t back. Jimin was missing.Yoongi balanced his options now. Should he contact the rest of the team and wreck them all?Practically, that would have been inefficient, a bad move. He couldn’t give a shit about the mission at that point, but what if Jimin was alright? That was a possibility too. If he didn’t kill Yoongi by now, he would certainly do it if Yoongi was the one to ruin the mission. He obviously couldn’t use the transmitter, as everyone would be able to hear him trying to reach Jimin, which meant, chaos. So he did the next thing he and Jimin settled on in case anything was to happen to their communication devices. He sent Jimin a message.Another minute passed, but the answer was yet to come.Yoongi left the balcony to look for Jimin.He was a bit desperate, but the more he searched, the more time passed, and the chances of him finding Jimin were quickly narrowing down to zero. He couldn’t afford that, so he started asking people around, whether they saw him. He described his clothes, mask, hair color, and anything that could help others remember him, but he failed lamentably, as everyone was oblivious to it and couldn’t provide any sort of help.The more he looked, the more desperate he became. He was facing the whole hall looking for Jimin when he decided he couldn’t do it alone. He needed help. He analyzed his surroundings and realized that to his left there was a table with a lot of people watching him.God, he must have looked desperate.He didn’t hesitate and tried to evade the crowd by walking towards a corridor that seemed to lead to a toilet. That should do it. He could find a bit of quiet then and maybe contact the rest of the team. But that’s when he saw it. The corner of his eyes caught the entire scene. Six people were surrounding Jimin, who was already knocked out, on the cold concrete floor. He felt sick to his stomach. Yoongi had lost it. He didn’t think for a second. The only thing he knew, the only thing he saw, was Jimin.Yoongi had to save Jimin. It all happened very fast.He jumped at the first guy that was blocking his view, throwing a punch at him with such force, he might have dislocated the guy’s jaw. Collateral damage, he thought.But the other four were still holding Jimin, giving Yoongi enough time to try to calculate his next move. The second Yoongi came into their view, they dropped him and his unconscious body on the floor.Yoongi saw it all, vision getting blurry with rage. How dare they?The next guy that came at him managed to punch Yoongi’s stomach, but that wasn’t enough to knock him to the ground, not when he needed to save Jimin. He pretended to feel hurt for a second just to gain an advantage, then he hit the guy’s face with his forehead, causing the nose of his opponent to start bleeding. He didn’t waste another second and caught the guy by his shoulders, kneeling him with his grip, and pushing him to the ground.At least that gave him time.Two more guys came at him at once and Yoongi didn’t even feel hurt or exhausted, he was feeding on rage and adrenaline. He might have taken a couple of punches and felt he might have broken a rib during the process, but when one of the guys came at him again, Yoongi broke his nose, the guy crunched down, and that moment Yoongi jumped over him to knock the other guy over.He turned around and broke the guy’s neck, with a short, swift move. And there he was, only one was left, and that’s how close Yoongi was to saving Jimin. But then he looked his opponent in the eye. Something felt wrong, and he didn’t have much time to process his smirk. He turned around and was stunned to meet another seven pairs of eyes. They had surrounded him. Well, what did Yoongi expect? It was their party after all. They must have called for help.But he didn’t give up, he fought back as long as he could. He started to feel the pain from his open wounds affecting him, but he didn’t give up, he had to stay strong.It was negligence on Yoongi’s side, but he knew he was outnumbered. He had never trained for something like this. Yoongi had lost. Yoongi lost Jimin, and himself altogether when one guy was towering over him on the floor, keeping him still while another was injecting something into his body.It was only a matter of seconds until his limbs went limp, eyes shutting close as Yoongi was losing the last bits of control and sanity.
He needed to save Jimin…
♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
lil peep - star shopping (prod. kryptik)
Jimin’s pov
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Jimin tried to pry his eyes open but his eyelids weighed way too much, it had become a difficult mission for him to do so. Struggling to discern whether he was daydreaming or getting back to his reality, an unknown feeling of anxiety started to crawl on his skin. He kept on trying, pushing his body and mind to his limits, he had to get up, he didn’t remember why, but it was of utmost importance for him to be awake and in an alert state. He blinked a couple of times, but it was still dark, way too dark. Was he going blind? Was he still dreaming?For a moment he felt panic clenching his gut, but then, slowly, he managed to come back to his senses, and it started making a bit more sense. His vision was just fine but rather the room he was in was so dark, that it hardly made a difference.Simply opening his eyes a couple of times didn’t completely help him regain consciousness completely. No, the opposite actually, Jimin was still feeling like floating, wishing he was daydreaming, mind fuzzy and confused beyond limits.
Where was he?
But then he started feeling. Pain. It was uncomfortable, and with each passing second it became more and more obvious, his body screaming at him. Something was wrong, way too wrong for him to be that relaxed. The position he was in was entirely uncomfortable; his legs felt weak and wobbly, his arms were stiff, and his body as a whole was fighting an agonizing fight with itself with aching bones and bruised skin. At some point, he started moving his hands, slowly, with a lot of effort, but everything hurt. Each time he touched his skin, it burned.On top of that, the air around him reeked of a strong and unsettling smell.Too sinister to be in a dream. Iron, which could have meant one thing only.
Blood.
He tried to move his body again and realized he was not cuffed or tied up, he was free to move, but he was skeptical about doing so. His vicinity was obscure, he didn’t know what or where to touch. He decided to take it slow and safe, by just standing up. He mused that couldn’t harm him, but as soon as he stood up, he felt blood rushing speedily to his ears and landed back on his knees and hands with a dizzy head.He waited until the ringing in his ears disappeared and reached out with his hand, figuring he could crawl to a wall and steady himself, so as not to get dizzy again. Reaching out again and again, he made his way forward a little and yelped in surprise, when he felt something mellow and delicate under his shaking touch.Like another human being. Whether it was alive or not, Jimin was soon about to find out.“Holy fuck.” He mumbled, still trying to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t alone. He stood frozen in place, breathing in deeply, willing himself to calm down and focus. As the seconds ticked away and his mind became clearer, the memories of what happened earlier came flashing back to him, in a blur and obstructed, but he remembered.He remembered being followed and abducted, the reason and people behind it, still unknown. The only memory that crawled back to his mind was the fact that his kidnappers knew about his real identity.Moments later, his eyes finally started to get used to the darkness and he started to make out silhouettes of the objects surrounding him. To his surprise, he wasn’t in a small storage room, he was in a spacious room and another human body was laying on the floor in front of him. His hand was still touching the other’s body, it felt warm and raised slightly with each intake of breath, so the other was alive and, seemingly, unharmed. The warmth of the other made Jimin also grasp, that it was quite cold inside the room.Jimin couldn’t make out who that person was and didn’t know why he was there, but Jimin had a feeling that they both were trapped by the same people, for similar reasons; So he figured, they might as well work together to get themselves out of this situation.Jimin breathed out a heavy sigh and counted to ten. He was not alone, and that was a good sign.He felt his way to the face of the other human and slapped him twice on the cheek, not enough to leave a bruise, but with enough force to, hopefully, wake the other. The man’s skin felt soft under his touch and as he breathed in, familiar.And then, the scent. It all came back at once, pushing Jimin back to his senses fully, with the help of one of his most strong, palpable memories. He recognized him. Jimin needed him awake.The man growled and stirred a bit, but didn’t seem to wake up, so Jimin started to shake the man’s body by his shoulders, lifting him up a bit in the process.“Come on, big guy, wake up.” He whispered in his direction.“Come on, grandma, just five more minutes.” The other slurred out. The voice was rough, soft, and familiar, Jimin knew it way too well.Yoongi.Now knowing exactly whose presence delighted him, Jimin started to lose his patience. Consequently, he dropped the body out of his hold with little to no remorse. A loud thud and a growl followed. “What the fuck was that for?” Yoongi groaned and, at least, Jimin was sure he was awake now. “What the fuck is happening? Where I am, who did this to me? Why can’t I see shit!?”“Shhh, shut up you idiot. It’s me, Jimin.”“Oh?” Three seconds of silence followed. Jimin let Yoongi have them, as he, too, had previously needed some good amount of time before reaching a reality check. “Oh fucking shit, Jim- Detective Park, you are alive!” Yoongi screamed in a whisper and tried to reach for Jimin but Jimin tried to evade the hands coming his way as much as possible. “Now that you seem alive and awake. Answer the following question: Gilbert, why are you here, too?” Jimin questioned in a distant and frigid voice, waiting for a plausible answer. When he noticed Yoongi wasn’t going to open his mouth he rolled his eyes and tried again.“I said...”“I know what you said, but my name is not Gilbert and you know that! I was wondering when were you going to actually-”“So, you are telling me you didn’t answer my question because I called you by your… name? Gilbert, your name, this is your name, the only name I know in correlation to the person that you represent.”“Are you seriously going to do this now, detective?”“Do what, Gilbert? You started it!” Jimin threw his hands in the air in exasperation. Damn each move hurt. “I asked you a far more important question than this and you were too stubborn to answer it!” “Alright, alright. I came after you, I fought like ten guys, you were already passed out, and I couldn’t manhandle them. They injected this shit into my neck, I think that’s the reason I can’t move much yet.”Jimin sighed. At least he was with Yoongi and not a stranger and they might figure a way out. He reached to his right and tried to touch the wall there, hoping he could discover a door or anything that could be used for escaping. “We need to figure out where we are.”“And why we aren’t tied up.” Yoongi continued. “We might be surrounded by dangerous shit?”“Yeah, maybe.”“W-wait, detective, I have…my lighter…on me?”“What the fuck?”“And the cigarettes, dude, this is insane, I won’t die today, they left my Luckies untouched!”Yoongi was so lucky Jimin’s body was still weak, he would have shaken him a bit more otherwise. “Gilbert. You are happy because you can light your cigarettes? When we can use the fucking lighter to light the room?!”“Oh.” Yoongi must have just realized it. “Yea, true, I knew it. We can do that too!”“Of course you did.” Jimin rolled his eyes, taking the lighter out of Yoongi’s hold, and lighting it up. The little flame lit the room in dim light, flickering some, when Jimin moved his hand slowly, creating long shadows and obscure silhouettes. Jimin realized where the horrible smell came from. The room was full of meat hanging from the ceiling.“This explains why it’s so cold in here. We are in a basement meant to keep this fucking pork meat intact.” Yoongi remarked.Jimin turned the light off and turned it on again, approaching Yoongi with it this time. He was wrinkled and full of blood.“Is this your blood?” He frowned.Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. “I hope not, I don’t know exactly. Probably some is mine, some isn’t…”“Jesus…no wonder you can’t move, your face is extremely bruised too.” Jimin judged by the state of Yoongi’s face. “Give me a cig.” They were in a not-so-lucky position for the moment. Both of them were hurt and they needed more than at least two or three hours of sleep to recover, which, Jimin knew they didn’t have. So, at least he could try smoking to calm the unsettling feeling picking at his nerves.“What if we explode?”Jimin rolled his eyes. He knew Yoongi wouldn’t see the gesture, but at least he knew about it and it made Jimin feel a little bit better. “We won’t, Gilbert. Now, give me the damn cig.”“You have yours too though.”“I can’t find my jacket, dumbass.”“Alright then, smartass.” Yoongi threw his packet in Jimin’s direction and Jimin lit himself one Lucky Strike. The taste was literal shit.“How can you smoke something that tastes like cancer on a stick?”Yoongi took the packet back and lit himself one too. “All cigs are cancer, detective.”“Yeah, but this is like the prescription of an early death.”“Oh, come on, detective, since when do you care if I die?”There was a moment of silence. The question really an expected one. Why did he have to make it so complicated for Jimin? Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut, or at least use a smarter choice of words?“Of course, I don’t care if you die, but I care if I die because right now, I am smoking these deadly things.” He emphasized each “I” that left his mouth.“A cig or two won’t kill you, it’s not like we are going to share the same packet of cigarettes from now on, right?” Yoongi blew a lungful of smoke out of his mouth. “You are a detective, I’m a criminal, we live in different worlds, and that’s it. You don’t have to worry. Let’s just… figure a way to get out of here alive so you can stay away from me and lung cancer.” Yoongi said in a breath. Jimin didn’t like what he said.Jimin just wanted Yoongi to keep on being a dick so he could return a cocky remark, not this.It was as if, his old friend, Yoongi, was trying to come back, to make his way through, reaching for Jimin’s heart, and Jimin didn’t like it. He wanted to believe that Yoongi was nothing but a joke, Yoongi was only a production of his imagination and things should stay that way.Yoongi, the boy that Jimin used to know was a lie. The guy in front of him was Miles Gilbert.And he was right. “Good point.” He sighed. Jimin took another drag of smoke. “Why did you come after me?”“Because you are my partner.” He answered without missing a beat.Right.“Do the others know?” “No, I knew you cared a lot about this mission so…so, I didn’t want to ruin it.”“How did you know though, that…I was in danger…?” Jimin asked, brows furrowed but replacing his usual bitter tone with a gentle one.Yoongi smashed his cigarette on the ground and let the last drag out of his mouth. “You said two minutes.”“What about it? I could have been lost.”“Detective… I didn’t have the time to learn a lot about you but… what I know is that you are damn good at what you do.”“Why would you say that? I failed in every aspect of my job.” Jimin laughed in a self-conscious way, more like to himself.“Yah! You only failed your last mission, and that’s just because I was too good.”Jimin felt the smirk on Yoongi’s face, even though he didn’t raise his gaze to see it.“Piece of shit.”“That I am…” Yoongi admitted and Jimin was satisfied with the answer. If only Yoongi would have stopped talking at that point specifically, but of course, he didn’t. Yoongi reached for the packet of Luckies and lit another one. “Sorry, I feel like I need this in order to continue... Um, detective, I need to tell you something…” Jimin could tell it was something hard to admit for Yoongi, judging by the audible gulp he made. He didn’t want to hear it.He had a feeling he knew the direction where the conversation was going and he didn’t feel like they had time for it right now; actually, Jimin didn’t want to have that conversation at all; ever.“Don’t. Just…don’t, you don’t need to tell me anything.” Jimin stopped him before he could continue. He truly didn’t want to hear any kind of explanation.“Detective, you really don’t know the real me at all, and I know it’s my fault, to begin with, but I do really mean what I am going to say now.”“ But I don’t want to hear it!” Jimin shook his head, resisting the urge to stubbornly cover his ears, like a little child.“But you will.” Yoongi went on, voice steady and much too heavy for Jimin’s liking.“Don’t-” Jimin started but was cut short by Yoongi’s next words.“I’m sorry, Jimin.” The words left Yoongi’s mouth and there was no going back. It echoed in the entire room, the sound bouncing off the walls straight into Jimin’s ears, making him want to go deaf.If Jimin accepted his apology at that point, well, it would have made everything way simpler. But…“You are not. You are such a liar, God, don’t you dare say you are sorry.” He countered, willing his mind and body not to outburst with anger. He just wanted to make himself clear before it was too late. “Why would I believe you? Give me one single reason to do so! See? You have none.”“Detective…” Jimin couldn’t make his facial expressions, but he already hated it. He knew Yoongi looked apologetic, very similar to the person he used to know. He knew by the way he sounded, and it was all dark around them, it was so hard for Jimin to keep the memories away. And the way he called him, that “detective” started to piss him off to no limits. Why didn’t he just keep his mouth shut, for the better good? “I knew what I was about to do, I know what I did, but it doesn’t mean I wanted to do it, alright? I did it because I had to do it.”Jimin didn’t believe him. Let’s be honest here, whatever Yoongi did, however, he did it, helped him play his cards flawlessly. His plan had been perfect, spotless, he walked Jimin over entirely, ruining everything he had built throughout years of mind and body training in a couple of months. He let out a sarcastic laugh before speaking. “So you tell me, that’s what you do? You fuck with others’ minds and even feelings just because you have to do it? That’s a rule you are living by or something? Your morality?”Yoongi’s tone was a bit harsher this time, accusing even, as if it was Jimin who was at fault for not understanding, not him for doing it, to begin with. “You just don’t take morality into consideration when what’s the most important for you is in danger, alright? In this case, it was shortcake and Jungkook.”“You mean Tae?”“Yes.”Jimin laughed in another mocking tone. “Fine!” He crossed his arms. “Let’s say you lied to me for the sake of your brother. Let’s say that fooling me, detective Park Jimin, in this whole situation, was the only way for you to save your little brother. Then what about the rest? Why did you kill people during this entire process?”Jimin had always been pretty straightforward with his views on this. He knew how he felt about it, and there was one thing that would never change. He would never try to rationalize murder. He would never try to look for justifications behind it. There was nothing to be excused. “I killed only enemies, detective, I killed them because I had to save my own life. Call it selfish, because it is, but it was them or me, and my team! Do you think it’s easy? To wake up every night in a cold sweat trying to wipe the blood off your hands, that isn’t there, but somehow never leaves!? I am tainted for life and hell if I give a damn, but the biggest mistake I had made was dragging my brother in this with me. I know this, ok?”He took just a small pause before continuing, trying not to raise his tone too much and not letting his feelings get the best of him. Jimin could feel it in his demeanor. “But I don’t regret keeping him alive. If by killing another, I could make sure that he was safe and sound, then I would do it again in the blink of an eye, right this instant.” Yoongi’s words were fierce, he spoke with conviction, it was confusing and maybe a bit too much for Jimin to handle. He wanted to say something back, but right now, something about the way Yoongi spoke, sent his mind through a memory journey that went way back in time, when he was a teenager; when his mother had been killed effortlessly in a couple of seconds, right before his eyes. The anger in Yoongi’s voice, the hidden resentment, it all reminded Jimin of himself. And then, even more so, it reminded him of his mother. His mother had killed the man that attacked them to protect Jimin. She literally cut his throat, without thinking or seeing past her desperate mother instinct, trying to protect what was the most precious thing to her, her son.And then Jimin understood. He diverted his gaze from Yoongi’s face toward the ground.Yoongi continued telling Jimin his story, voice still low, remorseful, and full of feelings. “You can’t imagine the way the first time I killed someone felt. I was, like, I literally dodged a bullet, I shot in each direction I could without even looking and I ran off after my guys. It wasn’t just Shortcake, there was Jungkook and other people too. People that helped me get this far, I needed to go back and protect them. I -…” Yoongi went on, explaining himself to Jimin.Jimin didn’t understand much. He didn’t know the story. Yoongi was probably telling him about the time when he escaped from the CIA when they stole the microchip. He didn’t even care at that point, all Jimin knew was that it hurt. Each word that left Yoongi’s mouth was an arrow flying straight to his heart, torturing it. All the bottled-up feelings, that Jimin tried desperately to contain, were threatening to spill out, at any given second. He didn’t know what to say. He was rendered completely speechless. “I… see.” Was all Jimin managed to get out of his mouth, his mind a complete mess? He was starting to see reason in Yoongi’s actions, and his sense of justice told him constantly that he shouldn’t have. Yoongi shut his mouth close upon noticing that there was a change in Jimin’s attitude. When he spoke again, his words were heckled by stutters “I-… Yeah… I…I really did….and I am sorry you had to be dragged into this shit. It’s all because of me. Everything is, I am damn aware…I am sorry...” Yoongi’s voice dimmed with each passing second.Jimin wished he could have said something, but he had so many reasons not to. It would be a lie to say, that he didn’t feel empathetic for Yoongi and his story, because he did. Contrary to popular belief in the department, Jimin was a very emotional soul, his heart always went out to people in need, for people who suffered, even if they brought it upon themselves as Yoongi did. Nonetheless, Jimin couldn’t bring himself to forgive Yoongi; he didn’t deserve Jimin’s sympathy. “I know… you are sorry… but sorry isn’t enough. It will never be enough.”Or at least, this is what Jimin wanted to believe, because right now, all he could think of, all Yoongi made him think of, was the memory of his mother’s last moments before she died. He tried to look in Yoongi’s direction, but it was dark, silence, and the image of his mother was cob-webbing his vision. Time ticked away slowly and just as Jimin was about to open his mouth to ask Yoongi what was on his mind, both of them jumped at the sound of someone approaching the door and unlocking it with heavy sounds.The door opened gradually, and it definitely weighed a ton by the sound of it, and a tiny flicker of light fell upon them. The moment the man entered the room, he reached to his right and flicked a switch.Immediately the room was bathed in bright, almost blindingly white, light.“Wait.” Jimin frowned his eyebrows as soon as he spotted the entrance of the room. “You have to be fucking kidding me.” There was a freaking light switch in the room?“I think you had enough time for sleep, kitty cats, it’s time to have a chitchat with us.” The bulky man approached both of them and Jimin, from the position he was standing in, knew they literally stood no chance. Not now in their current position.It would have been useless to fight back.
Bohnes - Middle Finger
The guy stepped up to Jimin, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and dragged him across the floor to the door. Jimin wanted to walk on his own, but his feet were still not listening to him. “Come on, detective, depending on the outcome of the interrogation both of you will starve to death or you’ll gonna receive some food.” The guy chirped.Jimin felt Yoongi’s worried stare lingering on the back of his head. “Make sure to come back alive, and if they say anything about me, don’t trust them!” Yoongi shouted at him and that was the last thing Jimin heard before he was dragged out of the room, the door slamming shut and locked with several heavy-looking chains. The guy held Jimin’s hands to his back and tied them firmly, the plastic digging into Jimin’s wrists painfully. Great. At least he knew the door wasn’t an option.Jimin looked around and identified the building they were being kept in. Now all he had to do was to survive the interrogation.Jimin had trust in himself, though. He knew he could do it.
He will.
♠
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi was left alone and his mind started working at full speed. Jimin was in danger, again, and the only thing Yoongi could do was sit and wait, which was eating at his mind. He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair, it was finally the first time in weeks that Jimin and Yoongi had something close to a normal conversation.He wanted to be happy about it, to feel relieved, but obviously, he couldn’t do so, not when Jimin was in great danger and he was just sitting there, useless. He was beyond scared for him. There was a high chance the enemy was going to torture him. Jimin was the detective between the two, and they took him because of that. They knew he was a detective, and the question of “why” gave Yoongi an unsettling feeling.Jimin didn’t deserve any of this. Yoongi should have been the one on the receiving end, Yoongi should be the one to suffer. Jimin deserved only happiness and a lot of resting time.The silence was upsetting, everything was.Because answers won’t come even if Yoongi broke the walls, questions jumped around in Yoongi’s head, like a heavy ball, but no matter how hard he tried, the answers to them were out of his reach; for now at least. So, not to go mad with worry, he busied himself with one task. Something he was good at. A plan. He needed to create an escape plan.♠
Jimin’s pov
Jimin found himself walking through endless, barely lit corridors. The bulky guy was walking a step behind him, pushing him every now and then, urging him to walk faster, only resulting in Jimin stumbling forward and rolling his eyes in annoyance.He decided to make the best out of the experience by analyzing his surroundings, maybe he could spot a way out or anything to help them with this situation at hand.They turned a corner and Jimin found himself in front of the door at a dead end. His friendly masked escort shuffled past him and knocked twice. Two seconds later the door was opened and as expected, Jimin was quickly thrown and tied up to a chair.Jimin took in the surroundings and realized the room was a copycat of the one he was being held in with Yoongi, except for the meat. This one was empty, the only things filling it being three human beings that looked at Jimin with disgusted glances. Well, it wasn’t like he expected warm welcoming hugs.None of them were wearing masks, and none of them looked familiar to Jimin. They were just some mafia guys, too full of themselves, thinking they were holding power over him. Jimin resisted rolling his eyes at such a cliché display, their power meant nothing to him. They meant nothing to him. If they were drowning in the Han River, he’d push them underwater even further.Disgust ignited a shiver running down his spine. “Detective Park Jimin, to what pleasure do we owe your visit?” One of the guys stepped forward and bent down a little so he was eye-level with Jimin. Jimin wasn’t about to talk though. He turned his gaze towards a wall, it was far more enjoyable than the sight of this pig. And truthfully, the walls resembled those of an old building, though he wasn’t convinced they were taken too far from the one they were partying in just a couple of hours prior. Maybe, that was the same building. “I asked a question.” The guy continued and Jimin smirked. So what? “We know you are up to something, why else would you be here with Min Yoongi, Romeo’s pet?” The guy spat on the ground, wiping his nose with his right hand. At that Jimin raised his eyebrows. “Speak, toad-eater.”Jimin returned his gaze to the man in front of him with a confused expression plastered on his own face. Why does the guy know Romeo and Yoongi?It didn’t make any sense. Or it did. Because Yoongi might have specified some time ago that some of the guys there knew him since he was Romeo’s friend.But a friend is not a pet.“How do you know who I am?” Jimin finally asked, too used to asking questions instead of offering answers. The guy wasn’t happy with Jimin’s choice of words, of denying him answers. In a matter of seconds, Jimin felt the way his nose began pulsating from the impact of a fresh fist he received in his face. A good start.“You think so highly of yourselves, you cops, literal pieces of shit. Thinking the world revolves around you and we are stupid enough to stay in the dark. Do you think you are the only one who knows shit? Think twice about that.” Jimin received another punch, this time it wasn’t that forceful, but it hit his maxillary and the sensation wasn’t necessarily pleasurable.The guy turned around and started laughing. “I know about you since you were a kid. Everyone around here does.”Jimin’s eyes widened for a short second and his breath hitched.“Your mother killed one of our partners before her well-deserved death, so you decided to become a cop, to come after us, to revenge her, that’s why you are here today, right? Do you think you are smart? You are not. And not fast enough either. This is just cliche, and predictable, detective.”Jimin took some time to process what he had just heard, heart pumping blood at a high, exaggerated speed. This guy had just admitted his friend killed his mother. Which meant, Jimin’s mother was killed by someone inside this gang. Jimin had been right all this time, she really was involved with some mafia shit.But no, that was not important now, the important thing was that Jimin had an answer now. The answer to so many questions.Jimin remembered how some nights before he received the Miles Gilbert case, his nightmares started to change. like it was a sign. And maybe, it really was, because since Jimin had received that case file, his entire life turned upside down. But everything is linked in some way, and that’s a good sign. He hoped at least.Maybe it wasn’t that bad that he met Min Yoongi.That was the moment Jimin knew, that the Geom-eun Munjayeol was going to fall apart. It had to, and Jimin was going to make sure of it.He inhaled deeply and counted to three in his head. He needed to focus. The gang thought that Jimin was there because he wanted revenge for his mother, which meant, they didn’t know the real reason for their visit tonight. The mission was still intact.“Everyone knew that sooner or later you would come for revenge, but it was later than I thought, gotta admit. But don’t worry, your late arrival only gave us enough time to prepare.” The tall guy smirked while he trotted out his accomplishment.It was a lot to take in, but right now, Jimin shoved any shock he was in, aside, and used his detective skills at his best, because, mission-wise, even though this turn of events was unexpected, it was in their favor.“How did you know I was here?” He asked. He had to play their game in order to stay safe.“You dropped your mask, dumbass.” Right. They must have spotted him then. Alright Jimin, time to play dumb. He quirked his eyebrow, letting the other continue his speech.“You were new assets, so naturally, everyone’s eyes were on you, angel, and guess what, a change of hair color wouldn’t be of so much help when you are one of the most renowned detectives in Seoul.”It was a masked ball, for fuck’s sake. Who would have thought?It was his fault. His negligence. Again. When will Jimin learn?“What has me curious, though, is why Min came to save you. Hmm. That sure is weird. And why is he here to begin with?”“I don’t know who the fuck this Min is you are talking about. I came here with that blonde guy, his name is Suga. I bribed him to tag along, I needed support for my cover.”If Jimin told the truth about knowing Yoongi, Romeo would be dragged into this mess as well and he didn’t want that. They still needed the guy. He was of great help, even though everything about him stank, like rotten rats.“And the other four detectives?”Four detectives. These guys were so dense. That was the moment Jimin decided to stop talking. He used his voice enough for now. Any other information he provided, might be used against him later.The guy questioning him didn’t like it when he realized Jimin was not going to cooperate anymore. And that’s where they started to try and make Jimin talk in various ways. Jimin didn’t remember when it started and when it ended, because all he could remember was a lot of pain.They punched him until he ended up on the ground, then they started to ask questions again. Jimin was stubborn though, keeping his decision close to his heart, he had no intention to let out another word. They resorted to the next step. Knives. He took a small breath, biting his lower lip. They won’t kill him, they wouldn’t, so he was safe from that at least. The rest, Jimin could handle. He was strong and had been through a lot, this was nothing. He will endure it. Just a little bit more. It was going to be over, soon. He needed to think that way.He was going to be back at home, in his comfortable bed.He was going to…go back to Yoongi, and tell him the truth, and Yoongi will be happy because the mission was saved.Jimin had cuts all over his back, face, and arms, and when the interrogator was fed up with the silence he stabbed Jimin in his thigh, the sharp blade piercing through his flesh and muscles, pain surging through Jimin’s entire body, as if the knife-edge pierced its way straight to his heart.However, it only earned him a series of screams that escaped Jimin’s mouth. After that, the tall guy left the room in a rage and screamed at Jimin. “It is far from being over.” He heard him say. Jimin exhaled, giving himself permission to pass out, at least this way he could rest for a little while.♠
YUNGBLUD, Halsey - 11 Minutes (Audio) ft. Travis Barker
Jimin woke up a second time that night to an unbearable pain in his ribs. However, pain wasn’t what made Jimin pry his eyes open, but the soft caress of fingers he felt tangled in his hair, followed by quiet murmurs. He opened his eyes slowly, even though it took him a lot of effort to do so, and was met with the beauty of two onyx eyes staring back at his own widely. He used to hate those eyes so much. He couldn’t bring himself to bring that feeling back now though… Why was that? What triggered the sudden change in his heart? Where was the lack of distaste coming from?He was too exhausted to find an answer to that now.And on top of that, that was a really breathtaking pair of eyes.“You’re awake.” Yoongi broke the silence, stating the obvious.Slowly, Jimin tried to move upwards from the position he was in, with his head in Yoongi’s fucking lap. It was such a simple task, but it took him a great amount of time and power to make his body move. His bones felt as if they were on fire, slowly and agonizingly burning to ashes.“How long have I been out?” he asked, after coughing several times.“Not much, some minutes I suppose,” Yoongi answered with a small, relieved smile on his face.“Yeah, ugh…ouch, alright.” Jimin reached for the wall near him and crawled towards it until he managed to get himself into a position in which his back could lie against it.“They told me they will be coming back for me in the morning. I don’t know what happened there, but they threw a bottle of water and some bread at me after dropping you back here.”Jimin sighed. “Great. I need to tell you about what happened.” He searched the room for water before continuing. As if reading his mind, Yoongi reached quickly for the bottle and handed it to Jimin.“I think I should clean your wounds…especially the one on your thigh…” Yoongi suggested, and Jimin was too drained to deny the fact that he really needed that. Pride let aside, he needed to be taken care of.He eagerly gulped down some water and handed the bottle back to Yoongi who ripped some pieces of his own shirt, soaking one of them in water.“I have a plan,” Yoongi explained while approaching Jimin’s face, starting to clean his swollen left cheek with the damp cloth. “But I need you to work with me, in order to make it work.”Jimin nodded and Yoongi took it as a sign to continue. “Since they sent only one guy after you, I’m sure they will do the same when they’ll come back for me. They think too highly of themselves, which means they are not too important in the mafia. They are small. We will wait until they come after me, and then, I will go towards them like I am willing to go, you ask him a question, distract him for a second, and I’ll break his neck-”Jimin frowned at him. “Seriously?”“Alright, I will just knock him out…”“Great.” Jimin nodded and Yoongi continued, still cleaning Jimin’s forehead. “I need to tell you what they asked me… It really is important.” Yoongi nodded, waiting expectantly for Jimin to go on with what happened.“Oh, before you start, please unbutton your shirt, there’s a lot of blood on it, so I suppose there are pretty ugly cuts there too…” Jimin complied, removing half of his shirt, and revealing his bruised skin. He only revealed the left side for now, keeping the other side of the shirt on, to keep him warm. At least a little. The temperature was extremely low and Jimin felt cold.He didn’t know if he felt like that because of the cold or due to his loss of blood, but he was shivering.Jimin didn’t feel exposed or embarrassed in front of Yoongi. They’ve known each other for quite some time now and they both were aware of the situation they were in. Jimin needed the cleaning. He wasn’t uncomfortable either. In contrast to what he would have expected, he felt calm and relaxed. Yoongi’s presence had a calming effect on him.
Peculiar.
He felt content like he had been knowing Yoongi forever, even though he only knew the lies Yoongi had told him and that he was a criminal, a murderer.Yet, it didn’t feel like it. It was an odd feeling. “They…ok, alright. It’s good news and bad news. Remember when I told you about my mom? The way she was killed right before my eyes when I was 16?”Yoongi murmured an “I do”, eyes still fixed on Jimin’s stare, empathy and curiosity swimming through the dark shade of his irises.“Well, I’ve been trying to find at least a lead, through the years, I tried to find these guys with whom she was involved, and I couldn’t figure shit out.” Jimin ran a hand through his sweaty hair. “These guys… t-they told me they knew her, they told me they knew me, they saw me the second my mask fell down for that couple of seconds.”“Wait… was that why they knew who you were and that you work as a detective?” Yoongi frowned. Jimin nodded before forming a reply.“The guy that tried to interrogate me was pretty straightforward and dummy, he didn’t know much besides violence, didn’t use any strategy, he didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut either, so I gathered some information.” Jimin managed to spot a small smirk firming at the corner of Yoongi’s mouth. “I was not a target, but they made sure to keep an eye on me as often as they found fit. I’ve been tailed many times without realizing, he knew my whereabouts, my daily schedule, etc. They were expecting me to come back for revenge. - ouch”. Jimin flinched as Yoongi pressed a little too hard over one of his shoulders.“Sorry…” Yoongi mumbled.“The moment they saw my face they put two and two together.”Backing away from Jimin a little, Yoongi changed his focus from the wounds to his face. “Well… I’d say you killed two birds with one shot. It’s in our advantage, whatever happened there. They don’t know the actual reason behind our undercover mission and it’s mostly impossible for them to find out at this point. We can carry on with the mission as planned, I mean, after we get out of here, obviously…” He looked around before scratching his name, awkward laugh lighting up his face. With a cold stare, because Jimin couldn’t help himself when he remembered it, he looked into Yoongi’s eyes and continued. “They said they knew about you too, they knew you by your real name, but called you Romeo’s pet .”Yoongi flinched at that. “What?”Jimin nodded. “Do you have a ready explanation for this too? Or should I go back to assuming?”Yoongi raised one of his eyebrows, it was bruised, but the cut just made him look even better, it was annoying Jimin so much he wanted to roll his eyes. “The fuck should I know? I didn’t know he was so deeply buried in this gang-related crap?!”“But those underlings knew you.” Jimin accused him again.“But I don’t know why?!” Yoongi exhaled once, twice, trying to calm down and Jimin watched him with dimmed eyes, still not convinced. “Alright, I promise I will ask him why they knew us, why they knew about me, maybe he knows the guys, shouldn’t be a big deal, it could help us more. Come on detective, I told you, I have nothing to lie about now, I want to solve this as much as you do.”Jimin sighed. “I know… But it’s suspicious, everything about you is.”“’m sorry…” Yoongi redirected his gaze towards the ground, taking another cloth, and soaking it in water. He gestured for Jimin to take off the other side of the shirt and so Jimin did. He placed the shirt on the right shoulder this time and when he lifted his gaze again, he was met with Yoongi’s petrified one.“What?”“Didn’t know you had a tattoo.”“So? What about it?”Yoongi stood like that for a moment, stunned, until he started laughing childishly. Jimin frowned.“What’s this about?” Jimin asked feeling irritated.‘I…” Yoongi shook his head, faking an awkward laugh. “Don’t mind me, honestly, I am imagining things. Your tattoo brought back some memories.” He stopped laughing, taking the bottle of water to drink some drops of its contents.“What kind of memories?” It shouldn’t be important, Jimin knew they had other things to discuss, but the way Yoongi reacted…he wanted, no, he needed to know why, at this point.“Alright, I will explain, but you have to promise not to laugh at me or something like that.” Yoongi kept back his composure, trying to look more preoccupied with the cuts on Jimin’s body than the matter at hand. The blood already stopped flowing and there were only trails of dried blood left.Jimin nodded with hooded eyes at Yoongi, looking at him expectantly.“Remember when I told you about the fact that I loved music and I like to write it?” Jimin really didn’t want to think of the times when he believed Yoongi was a nice person, but he rolled his eyes and nodded in acknowledgment anyway.“It wasn’t a lie. I used to write a lot when I was young, especially in high school. I had this notebook, full of songs, and I wrote one that was called “Nevermind”, the same thing your tattoo says.”Jimin’s eyes widened in shock, emotion flooding his entire body.“It’s a funny coincidence.” Yoongi continued. “It disappeared years ago, but I still remember some parts of the lyrics, I am aware it was so gawky but…”“Tell me, Yoong i. Say a verse of it at least.”Yoongi’s head snapped towards his direction, eyes wide and shook, and whilst Jimin knew the reaction was provoked by him calling his name out loud, he was more interested in the answer than Yoongi’s surprise. It took Yoongi some seconds to get out of his shock and started to murmur a little bit of his song, maybe trying to remember a bit of the lyrics. Jimin was waiting.“I don’t give a shit I don’t give a fuck, Like I always said hundreds of times every day, “Never mind me”, I can have a taste of failure and frustration and bow my head.”With each word spoken Jimin’s mouth opened too, to recite the words, because he knew them wholly. He had never heard the melody, but he thought of it as a pretty, encouraging poem. “Never mind. It’s not easy but engrave it onto your chest. If you feel like you’re going to crash then accelerate more, you idiot.” Yoongi finished the bridge of the song with an utter shock plastered on his face while Jimin couldn’t do anything, besides return the sentiment.“Why?” was all that Yoongi could ask. Why did Jimin know the lyrics, too? It was Yoongi’s song. “I can’t believe it. I- I found the notebook on an empty street days after my mom died, right after I met Taehyung. I-…I supposed it was a poem notebook or something like that…”Yoongi was obviously speechless.Jimin continued with stuttering words leaving his mouth. “B-but the song, I discussed it a lot with your brother and he… he helped me understand the meaning of it. We decided… I decided to become a detective after finding this notebook.” It was so shocking that Jimin forgot for a second where he was, who Yoongi was, and why they were there.Yoongi took the last cloth, this one wasn’t soaked in the water though. He gave it to Jimin with trembling hands and Jimin knew what he had to do with it.“I engraved it to my chest… the name of the song, or poem or whatever…as a promise that I will find the person responsible behind my mother’s death. I- I was young and didn’t know anything about the world… but it was more like a promise to myself that I will do my best until I am wise enough to do it.”The words tasted nostalgic on Jimin’s tongue, but when he noticed Yoongi still couldn’t move, or more to say, recover from the shock, he tried to change the position of his stabbed leg and managed to draw the cloth around it. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it hurt and leaked blood with each move, so he tied the cloth firmly around the upper part of his thigh in order to stop the blood flow. It hurt, but Jimin’s been through worse.Eventually, Yoongi leaned his back against the wall next to Jimin, sitting close to him. “You wanted to know who killed your mother…”“Yeah…” Jimin murmured, still shocked at the realization he wore Yoongi’s words, on his chest, on his ribs.Why didn’t Yoongi say anything?They were Yoongi’s words.
Yoongi’s.
“Who are you?” Jimin whispered, gaze turning to meet the cal-like eyes he cared for more than he liked to admit. Frustration at its peak. “Min Yoongi.” Yoongi smiled sincerely at him and Jimin scoffed at that. “W-wait, don’t get mad at me again, I didn’t mean to be sarcastic, it’s just… You think everything I told you about myself was a fat-ass lie.”“Because it is?”“No, it’s not detective, I didn’t even plan on leading things in the direction they went, it just…happened. Sometimes, things just happen and we can’t do anything about it.”“What do you mean by “happened”, seriously? It’s pretty obvious you were playing your cards in one specific direction.”“No, that’s the thing, I wasn’t,” Yoongi confessed frustratingly. Jimin blinked several times, confused, trying to follow.“I… alright, the plan was simple. Make detective Park Jimin your friend. Get him out for a beer or two. Find out some shit. Forget about him.” Yoongi listed.Jimin couldn’t understand, then why the whole process of making him fall in love with him, why the fucking date where Yoongi kissed him, why?“Look, I really understand that you hate me and your reasons for doing so are quite clear, but I need you to know that I didn’t lie for the most part of our…dates. It was me, I’m not a spy or something like that, I acted the way Min Yoongi would, and things escalated quickly… because of that. Because I didn’t know how to be professional with you. Because I fell in love with you, the moment I laid my eyes on you in that damned bar the night we first met. What I feel for you is not fake. It never was. I didn’t mean to do that, but it has become my weakness.”Tears. There were tears forming behind Jimin’s stinging eyes, fogging hiss vision. He really didn’t want to allow them to fall, but he was overwhelmed by Yoongi’s confession. Maybe this had been too much, even for Jimin. He knew that if he was to open his mouth, nothing good would have come out of it. Jimin would have turned into a mess, a broken mess, and it wasn’t the time for that.Even if what Yoongi said was true, it didn’t mean Jimin could do much about it. Not now at least.He needed time.“You are my weakness.” Yoongi’s voice pierced through the new silence of the room.And this time, Jimin believed him. He rested his chin against one of his knees, hugging it closer. Life wasn’t fair. Jimin hated it. “And you were mine.”After that, none of them dared to say another word, and that might have been for the best, after all.♠
Yoongi’s pov
They stood there without exchanging words for what felt like hours, but Yoongi knew it could have been only minutes. He didn’t want to disturb the silence. After all, it was the best outcome he could have wished for. He even surprised himself with the confession he had just made. It had never been part of the plan for him to be locked up in a stinky basement, with none other than detective Park Jimin, confessing his undying love.But now that he did, and Jimin remained quiet, it could mean nothing but the fact that he was processing, ruminating. A good sign. There was a chance, that Jimin might have believed him; It was a low one, but a chance nonetheless.And it was enough.No words needed.But Yoongi, well Yoongi was an expert at controlling his words, using them correctly to wrap others around their fingers, however, all this applied to everyone but Park Jimin. Yoongi was no longer able to control his words, and even more so, feelings, when around Jimin. “Detective…” He almost bit his tongue upon opening his mouth again. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?“Hm?” Jimin murmured sheepishly, probably too lost in thoughts, overwhelmed by everything that was currently falling on his shoulders. Yoongi couldn’t blame him.“What if… I’m going to help you?”Jimin raised his head in a slow, steady motion, quicking one of his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”“Catch those guys that killed your mother. Revenge her.” Yoongi explained.… “Why would you do that?”“Because you deserve it. It won’t be easy, because we need to start from scratch if we make it alive out of here, I mean.”Jimin nodded, not one hundred percent convinced, but listening, presenting some interest. Maybe it was a good thing that they had ended up locked up together, given the circumstances. Yoongi sighed, letting silence cover the room all over again.Yoongi just needed to wait for Jimin now. He needed to wait for him to be ready to talk, to say out loud the unspoken words, the unspoken truths, to maybe confess the feelings he held inside, despite their nature. Eventually, he would do it, Yoongi was convinced.He just needed time.“Let’s eat that bread,” Jimin suggested, surprising Yoongi. “We need strength for the moment we are going to leave.”“It won’t be easy, we don’t even know what direction we should go to…”Jimin reached for the bread and stuffed his mouth with some of it. “I think I saw an emergency exit or a door that leads towards that, I don’t know, I hope I was right.”After a while of muffled sounds, Yoongi came to a decision. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and reached for the bottle of water to wet his lips a little.“It’s our only bet.” Yoongi he said, agreeing to Jimin’s part and taking the remaining crumbs of bread into his mouth. “Do you think you can walk?” He turned towards Jimin after he finished eating, with a wary look on his face, pointing at his wounded leg. Jimin held his thumb up to sign that he was going to be just fine.“I think the food helped me to gain some strength back. The wound isn’t that bad, not deep either. I just need to be careful not to remove the cloth.”“Alright. Then let’s relax until the moment comes when we can strike and get the hell out of here.”Jimin nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with his statement.“Let’s work together, detective,” Yoongi suggested and pushed his fist towards Jimin, waiting for a response.“Jimin. You can call me Jimin now.” He reached for Yoongi’s fist with his own and bumped it. “Let’s work together, Yoongi.” A weak smile appeared on the detective’s face and it made Yoongi swallow hardly.Eyes wide and mouth slightly parted, Yoongi just moved his head, resembling a nod, an understanding one, and a thankful one, without making another comment, in fear not to ruin the progress that had been made. He fake-coughed, trying to regain his composure.This was another good sign.
Jimin. You can call me Jimin now.
♠
Le Malls - Come Through (feat. Ari G.)
When Yoongi woke up, he did it to a loud thud coming from the direction of the door. He noted, that he felt quite rested, so he guessed that at least 4 hours passed and it must have been morning by now.Jimin too woke up in an instant at hearing the sounds. His body stiffened and his eyes turned towards the door, alerted. Yoongi diverted his eyes to Jimin’s direction and they nodded to each other understandingly.The time has come.A masked guy unlocked the door and pushed it forward with his foot, making it hit the wall at its right with a loud noise. They had to make an impression after all, right?“Skinny one. It’s your turn.” The man voiced with an annoying tone and Yoongi stood up from his position compliantly, trying to look as dejected as possible.“What is going to happen to us?” Jimin asked with a whine, making the guy redirect his attention toward him.“What? Is the place too uncomfortable for a prince like you?” He smirked and by the time Yoongi reached him, he punched the guy in the face with all the force he had left.“You don’t have to be a prince to find this shithole uncomfortable.” Yoongi spat on the ground, not far from the guy’s head, rolling his eyes.“Yoongi! Watch out!” Jimin shouted from behind and Yoongi barely finished his speech when the guy was back on his legs and maneuvered his own punch into Yoongi’s direction.Thanks to Jimin’s warning, Yoongi had enough time to avoid the hit, and kicked the guy in his balls with one of his knees, making him crunch down. The guy didn’t have time to recover from the hit when Yoongi took his head into his hands and kicked him not once, but twice, with his knee in the face, making him fall to the ground with a bump, quickly.“Well, I expected him to put up a fight.” Jimin laughed, lifting his body from the ground and slowly making his way toward the door where Yoongi was waiting for him.“He wouldn’t have had to put up a fight if I were given permission to break his neck in the first place,” Yoongi explained in a low voice, stretching his head past the door and checking for possible enemies.Jimin just rolled his eyes and joined Yoongi near the threshold of the room. “It’s empty.”“Alright. Where to?”“Wait!” Yoongi went back inside and approached the lifeless-looking guy. “He has a gun. Ohh, and a knife.” Jimin smirked as Yoongi handed him the gun. “I prefer it bloodier.” He winked, then turned on his feet, facing the hallway. “And I prefer it quick.” Jimin raised his eyebrows, grabbing the gun and slightly pushing Yoongi to move ahead. “The exit door is around ten meters into this corridor.”“Holy shit, it’s so dark.”“We are basically in a basement.”“Can’t you let a second pass without being the smartass detective that you are?” Yoongi quirked his eyebrow and Jimin let out a laugh.“I am who I am.”They both kept their mouths shut and moved forward until they reached a door with a green “exit” sign over it. The light that came from the direction of the room they were in, reached the door and it made it easy for them to spot it. “That’s too easy.” Yoongi narrowed his eyes.“Probably locked. Let me try to use the hairpin Officer Yang gave me.”“Try it first, it might be unlocked,” Yoongi suggested.“Are you stupid? How could it be opened, use your brain a little.” Jimin screamed with whispers. It was times like this when Yoongi felt an internal need to punch him, but he knew better.“So cocky.” He said and approached the door himself, taking his chance.It opened.“Bitch, I should be the detective here.” Yoongi mocked.Jimin stopped in his trucks for some moments before coming to the realization that he was wrong.“What the fuck.” He stated more than asked.“They aren’t that smart, prince .”“Alright, alright, let’s go already. And be quiet.”“Wait!” Yoongi stopped Jimin before he had the chance to make another step. The door that opened and had the exit sign above it didn’t open to reveal the outside of the building, but another corridor that might be the lead to the real exit.However, this one wasn’t completely dark.“Are you seeing those green lights on the walls?” Yoongi asked Jimin and the latter hummed in affirmation.“Alright. Let me teach you a trick then.” He quickly reached for his pocket of Luckies and lit a cigarette.“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jimin straightened his pose and lowered the gun, changing from the previous stature into a beaten-up posture. He looked so done.Yoongi was fast to drag smoke and blow it in the corridor’s direction, quickly giving shape to sharp and thin red and green lights, that were moving at a slow pace to guard the exit.“Laser beams,” Jimin whispered in awe and Yoongi couldn’t be prouder of himself. “How did you know?”“Just a trick I learned from movies.”“We need to reach the panel on the other side to stop them.”Yoongi hummed in agreement. “ I don’t think they are dangerous, because if they were, they would have been visible without the smoke, but they might trigger an alarm or something.”“Alright, I’ll go.” Jimin decided for both of them.“Wait…” Yoongi stopped him again by reaching for his shoulder. “Your leg…”“I can use it. It’s not that bad…” Jimin narrowed his eyes once again to see the rays clearer and calculate. Yoongi kept on blowing smoke toward them so they remained visible. “I can do this. I am flexible.” Jimin winked toward Yoongi and easily slipped past the first three rays.Damn, that was hot.Yoongi, mouth agape and all, almost forgot he needed to keep on blowing the smoke. Jimin managed to pass almost half of them when one ray moved extremely close to his butt, getting Jimin close to falling. But true to his words, he was indeed flexible and quick, so he jumped on his tips and avoided it, then he reached the most complicated part.He lifted one leg, leveling it to his head, to avoid a certain green ray, before finally making it towards the other end of the room, alive and unscathed, and without setting off the alarm.Yoongi felt his mouth go dry. Hell, was there anything the man couldn’t do?“Now, how do I stop it?” Jimin dimmed his eyes while getting closer to the panel.“There must be a stop button or something?”“It’s not,” Jimin concluded, scratching his chin contemplatively. “Alright, I’m going to try my luck!”“Jimin, don’t! It might trigger an alarm!”“I trust my guts.”Yoongi prayed that Jimin’s gut was accurate and remained silent. He closed his eyes and covered them with a hand, all the while Jimin pressed the button that let out a low beep. Yoongi untangled his fingers to peek and he discovered that the room was back to being completely dark.“Told ya, my guts never lie!”“It was only one button, wasn’t it…?”“Yup. On and off.”Yoongi sighed. At least Jimin was proud of his doings.As soon as they reached the second door and were ready to open it, they heard it.The sound of muffled voices.Whispered voices. And there were many of them.Both went to a different side of the door and nodded at each other, Jimin on the right side with the gun raised and Yoongi on the left side, with his knife in hand, waiting. The door was meant to open outwardly, so they waited.Yoongi knew it was their only chance, and they needed to fight.♠
Meduza, Becky Hill, Goodboys - Lose Control
Namjoon’s pov
*16 hours earlier*
Namjoon and the rest of the team had gathered on the balcony with the sole purpose of deciding how they were going to find Jimin and Yoongi.They concluded that under their current disguise and circumstances, they stood no chance of finding them; Also, the chances of their disappeared teammates to still being in the building were pretty low, to begin with. Inspector Kim suggested that they returned to the headquarters to prepare a steady plan.Truthfully, it hadn’t been easy to decide what to do next. The team was agitated and everyone’s nerves were on the edge. It was past midnight already and any wasted second could decide over the life of a friend.“We need to go after them, the sooner, the better…” Jungkook suggested, all the while Jiwon, unimpressed, rolled her eyes at him.“Where do you intend to go, smartass? We have no idea where to go!” She encountered and Namjoon sighed. She had a point.“This is why I’m working on it, guys!” Officer Yang hollered from behind his laptop, hands constantly working, never taking them off the keyboard.“And how are we going to get there? We can’t just ambush a place full of gangsters…” Taehyung showed his concerns and at this, everyone nodded in agreement.“You’ll have to move silently and remain invisible.” Inspector Kim explained. “I will place a SWAT team outside the premises. They’ll be waiting for a signal to cover your backs, if need be, they will start shooting. However, preferably, we won’t do that. The less noise, the better.”“Exactly, it is extremely dangerous as it is anyway,” Hoseok slipped into their conversation.“Yes, it is, but that’s the job we signed up for.”“Holy fuck.” Hoseok’s face paled. “I’ll pray for you guys.” He placed a reassuring hand on Namjoon’s shoulder.Namjoon sighed again. If the SWAT team really opens fire, that meant one thing: A crossfire, easily resulting in a bloodbath. And of course, a cross-fire between a mafia gang and a SWAT team could only start an underground war. Furthermore, the entire ordeal would totally ruin their cover, so, as the inspector had mentioned, it was best they did not have to resort to that. Namjoon could only trust, that the people going inside, would make it out alive, with their training skills and experience.“Jungkook and Taehyung should stay here.” He eventually suggested. It was only natural.“The hell I will!” Taehyung widened his eyes, almost jumping at his neck. “We’re talking about my brother and my best friend, here! I can’t just sit with my hands in my lap and do nothing! I won’t!”“But you aren’t trained for this, at all!” Namjoon argued.Inspector Kim was visibly lost in his rummaging. “True, it will be too irresponsible for us to let you go.” He agreed with Namjoon.“B-but! I know how to use a gun!” Taehyung countered. “And I am extremely cautious, I can do it!”“I’m sure you do, but not under my watch.” Inspector Kim concluded.“Oh come… on!!!” Taehyung almost whined.“Guys!” Officer Yang interrupted their conversation. “I received signal from Yoongi’s earpiece for like 3 seconds, it’s not much, but enough for me to localize them.”All the eyes in the room turned to him. “It’s an old slaughterhouse, still in operation though. Seven kilometers from here.”“Alright then!” Inspector Kim clapped his hands. “Let’s go and get our teammates back!”“W-wait, what about us?” Jungkook tried again, looking at the inspector with hope and determination. The inspector moved his eyes from Jungkook to Taehyung for a couple of seconds and sighed deeply.“I won’t be held responsible for anything that happens to you, you hear me?” He said, crossing his arms and looking at them firmly. “Try not to get yourselves killed.”Both Jungkook and Taehyung nodded in unison.“And stay out of our way.” Jiwon dimmed her eyes at them, insinuating they could only destroy the plan.“Don’t worry detective So…” Namjoon opened his mouth. “I know they might not look like it, but they can handle this kind of situation pretty well. I trust them.”“Then why did you suggest leaving them here, in the first place?” She raised her eyebrow, suspicion in her stare. “Because it will be dangerous, and I can’t guarantee their safety,” Namjoon explained calmly.Jungkook rolled his eyes at that and put his arm around Taehyung’s shoulder. “No need to worry, captain, we can take care of ourselves.”♠Getting inside the building wasn’t difficult, while the facility was still in function, it wasn’t properly or heavily guarded. Probably, their enemies underestimated them and their power of finding Yoongi and Jimin. While Namjoon and the others entered the building through the sewage system, the SWAT team took their positions, remaining invisible, and waited for their signal.They followed Officer Yang's instructions through the narrow and horribly stinking corridors, quickly reaching a ladder that lead them into the basement of the building. It was rather dark and extremely quiet, but they used lanterns and pushed forward to the locations, where Yoongi’s signal came from. “Shit, I think I heard something,” Taehyung whispered, quickly placing himself into a defensive position at the right side of a door from where he heard to voices coming from.“Listen, try to be fast and efficient. Focus on taking them down one by one. Don’t make too much noise and don’t let them alert others or call reinforcements!” Namjoon instructed eyes and body focused.“Alright, headshots if possible,” Jungkook said with a devilish smirk on his face.“You are enjoying this too much, kid.” Jiwon mocked.“Aren’t you? They kidnapped our friends. They need to pay for that.”“Whatever.”“Shh, they are approaching.” Taehyung tightened his grip on his gun and lowered his body again.“Jungkook, kick the door open.”“Alright.”“On three, kid,” Namjoon said.“Three, two, one!”Jungkook kicked the door open on “two”.One knife and one gun, aimed at them from the other side of the open door, whilst they had four guns pointed at their enemies.But as soon as Namjoon laid eyes on the guys he lowered his gun, as did the others, mouths slacked in shock.“Jiminie?” Taehyung whispered in shock, standing up from his cowered position.“What the fuck, Taehyung?” Jimin retorted, equally as shocked.“Oh my God guys, you look like shit!” Jungkook stated, whilst Jimin and Yoongi joined them, leaving the hallway they were in.“How did you get out? What happened? God, I have so many questions!” Namjoon moved closer to Jimin, hugging him for a second.“Why don’t we get out befor-” Jiwon started saying.“Freeze, you assholes!” A grave voice interrupted from above them and all six turned around to be met with two masked guys, guns aimed at them.Taehyung and Jungkook exchanged a set of looks and that’s when Namjoon knew, they were up to no good.“Guys don’t do anything re-“ Namjoon started, but didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Jungkook and Taehyung seemed already to have their minds set on what was to come. “On three.” Jungkook spoke, disregarding Namjoon and his presence altogether.Taehyung nodded.“Three.” Yoongi dismissed the counting, jumping to the last number, confident grin on his face. Both Taehyung and Jungkook pulled the triggers of their guns in sync, shooting the masked guys between their eyes, and spreading their brains and blood all over the sewer walls.“That was… unnecessary.” Namjoon pointed out, with a heavy sigh.“But badass,” Jiwon smirked and signaled them to follow her.They needed to leave the building before more enemies appeared.♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Britney Spears - Criminal
Jimin’s pov
|2nd of April, 2019|The wind was warm and gentle that morning. It was just the beginning of April, but Jimin was driving with the car window rolled down, letting the soft spring breeze caress his cheeks and tousle his hair.It’s been some time since he had been driving down these roads. Memories were quickly rushing back to him, making him uneasy, so he reminded himself to deeply breathe in and out, as to calm down. At one point he held his breath for so long in his lungs before letting it out in a quick exhale, that it actually made him feel dizzy. More than a month had already passed since he last visited his mother. Jimin hummed to a song playing on the radio, unconsciously singing along to the lyrics in his mind. It was a Britney Spears song, Criminal. Truly ironic, if one would ask.He didn’t really know why, but the song felt right for the atmosphere, for him at the time. After everything that happened, it left him feeling incomplete, but now Jimin finally began to feel right, to feel fine.He was content, even though chaos surrounded him, still.Nothing was necessarily solved or even going in the right direction if Jimin was, to be honest. They were still heads-deep into crap with their case. They didn’t have the microchip or any clues as to where they could find it. The CIA was demanding answers and heads were going to roll soon enough. They still didn’t know who poisoned Yoongi’s men and why. Jimin’s leg still hurt like a bitch, along with the other wounds he wore on his body, but…But, Jimin felt right today.He felt right because today he was going to tell his mother that he had finally found the people who took her away from him. Jimin was going to bring justice upon them, avenge his mother’s life and she would finally be able to rest in peace.Jimin’s perception of rightful justice shifted over the last few months and he knew, that this, his sense of justice was slowly shifting into what he used to describe as two-faced.The unfurling road ahead of him looked peaceful, reflecting Jimin’s own calmness.This was his second day off after he had been kidnapped and Jimin should have probably used this precious time to rest and heal, but he just couldn’t stay at home; Not with the chaos they were still surrounded by, tapping on his shoulder and ruffling him, like an unfriendly reminder, every time Jimin tried to relax.He simply couldn’t rest, not when he had so many things to tell his mother. She was patient, of course, but Jimin wasn’t. He needed to let her know now. He needed to overcome some distance - both geographically and emotionally - and acknowledge his feelings and emotions.He looked in the rear-view mirror and snorted out a short laugh as he caught a glimpse of his bruised-up face. Damn, they really got out of there alive on pure luck. Small wounds such as those on Jimin’s face were incomparable to what could have happened.He was lucky Yoongi followed him back then.
Yoongi.
Yoongi, the mystery Jimin was still trying to solve, desperately.Yoongi, who confessed his love to Jimin.Yoongi, who had lied to Jimin for months on end.Yoongi, whom Jimin didn’t seem to know at all. Questions like “What if Yoongi was lying to him again? What if all of that was still part of his games and schemes? What if he was playing Jimin as well?” swirled in Jimin’s head, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care anymore.He was so done with speculating and sabotaging himself at that point. Months ago, he ignored his guts, which only resulted in bringing him into the worst situations he ever had to face in his life.This time, Jimin was going to trust his gut feeling, which told him that Yoongi was sincere; That Yoongi was good (for him). Yoongi didn’t push him or asked for anything from Jimin except for his time, to apologize and come clear.And Jimin gave him his time because Jimin wanted closure more than anything. Yoongi was aware, that Jimin wouldn’t want to continue whatever twisted relationship they had had in the past.They both needed closure to move on without regrets or grudges.But, not only was Jimin willingly forgiving Yoongi, he even started justifying Yoongi’s actions. His emotions were now in a constant internal battle between wanting to understand Yoongi’s course of actions and cursing himself for wanting to do so, in the first place.Jimin reasoned with himself, that Yoongi had done immoral things, illegal things, unforgivable things, and yet…Yet, it felt wrong, it hurt his heart to condemn Yoongi because there was a part of Jimin that understood. It didn’t mean that Jimin was approving Yoongi’s behavior, but he understood, and that was something new for Jimin. Something that he was daintily exploring.Jimin parked his car near the cemetery of his hometown, where his mom was waiting for him and lit a cigarette, thoughts still gravitating around Yoongi.While it was true that Jimin came to understand Yoongi’s motives and had somewhat forgiven him for his past actions; it didn’t mean that Jimin had forgotten everything Yoongi had put him through.Jimin finally admitted to himself, that he still had feelings for Yoongi, but they were complicated and conflicted because Jimin’s trust in Yoongi was shattered into little pieces and it would take a lot of time and actions to mend that particular wound; if it was even possible to mend it.Nothing would change that, not even Yoongi’s selfish, naïve even, confession of love.Jimin smirked, shaking his head at the memory of Yoongi’s words. For such a smart person, Yoongi could be reckless at times.As Jimin’s gaze wandered over to the cemetery’s entrance, a smile fell from his lips and he suddenly remembered the one thing, he and Yoongi didn’t have.
Time.
Jackson Wang - Oxygen
Eventually, Yoongi will go back to prison, he was a criminal after all.Jimin was painfully aware he shouldn’t even entertain the thought of a “them” because there was no future with Yoongi. Their time was already slipping away through their fingers, like the stream of a river- unstoppable and unforgiving.Jimin exhaled, looking ahead, taking in the opposite side of the cemetery, taking in the threatening shape of the city, the monster lying and waiting behind the trees that obstructed Jimin’s view. It was so clean, calm, and terrifying.He took another deep breath and decided then and there, that if his time with Yoongi was already limited, that if their end was already determined and inevitable, he wanted to make the best of it and reap the moments of the now.Yoongi changed something inside of him; or rather, Jimin changed because of Yoongi. He made Jimin realize that nothing is black or white entirely, that it is good in evil, and vice versa. It scared Jimin to no amount, how much he actually cared for Yoongi; How alive he felt because of Yoongi.Yoongi was like a breeze of fresh air and Jimin wanted to breathe him in until his lungs burned with aches and then breathed some more.♠The view was beautiful for a cemetery, with luscious green, but neatly cut bushes in different shapes that gave off a serene kind of atmosphere that underlined the peacefulness of the site.Jimin was alone, except for the chirpy voices of the birds that were moving around different types of vigorous colored flowers, with various patterns and scents.He approached his mother’s well-kept tombstone, bend down to brush his fingers over the engraving of his mother’s name, greeted her then placed a bouquet of sunflowers, her favorite, in the metallic vase next to her tombstone.A couple of seconds passed, as he simply just looked at his mother’s name. Images of gentle, brown eyes, loose, wavy hair, and a soft white dress, tousled by the wind (god, she loved wearing those lose-fitting dresses), flashed before Jimin’s eyes and he let himself feel the ache of missing thrumming through his chest before he inhaled deeply and sat himself down briskly on the neatly trimmed, lush grass, crossing his legs.“Hi, mom. I missed you…” He picked lightly at the sharp, little strands of grass before him. He felt strangely nervous as if his mother was really sitting in front of him, her gentle, but firm gaze fixed on Jimin’s face. “I found them, mom.” Jimin lifted his eyes to his mother’s grave. “I finally found the people who took you away from me.” His eyes dragged back to the grass between his hands and he exhaled, shakily. “I always assumed, that there was some shady business behind your tragedy, but I didn’t dare think you were so deeply involved with the biggest mafia families in Korea, mom… well, thinking about it, it makes sense though. You always went big.” Jimin huffed out a tiny laugh, thinking about his little mother’s very big personality and character.If she were there, she would have had told Jimin that it was fine, that he didn’t have to do this, that she was fine, she was doing well, and that he should enjoy his life, but Jimin knew, that he could not rest and enjoy anything really, until he brought peace to his mother, by finding her murderer.She died because she was protecting him. She gave her life for his and not only that he wanted, but he needed to bring her justice.“…I know you can tell… but chasing the shadows of those criminals these past few months, finding…” Jimin hesitated for a second, not knowing why he felt so anxious. “… finding Yoongi… and everything that came with him; It changed me.” Jimin shifted his hands behind him and leaned back, looking into the clear blue sky.“Come to think of it, you and Yoongi are so much alike. You both have this protective nature towards the people you love, and you are both so frustratingly stubborn, as to convey yourself to them. Too prideful, yet too fragile at the same time… Maybe that’s why I felt so much for him, from the moment we met. Maybe that’s why it feels like I know him since forever… Like he knows me, better than I know me.” He mumbled the last bit, lost in thoughts.A gush of wind ruffled through Jimin’s hair, as he watched a thin cloud in the shape of a lopsided heart move in the distance above him.“He’s a criminal, a wanted potential murderer. He’s stubborn, arrogant, self-righteous and so, so cocky.” Jimin doesn’t know when he started smiling, but he found his lips twitch upwards when he thought about Yoongi. “He would do just about anything for his brother. He’s selfless, kind, and gentle but would never admit to it. He’s annoying the living life out of me.”“And I love him.” Jimin breathed out the words. “I’m so helplessly in love with him, and… and I’m scared because our time is limited. I know he will leave me soon… but until then, until then, mom, is it alright if-” Jimin swallowed down the tight feeling in his throat and tried to hold back the tears prickling the corners of his eyes. “… if I accept his feelings and let myself be dragged by the tidal waves of these messy emotions?”
Waves of emotions that will drown me sooner or later….
He felt the tears sliding down his cheeks and choked on a sob. When Jimin cast his eyes down again he was met with his mother’s eyes. She wasn’t frowning. She wasn’t angry.She was smiling. A gentle and soothing smile.Jimin felt calmness embrace his whole body at his mother’s understanding and reassurance. Naturally, it was all in his head, but in his head, his mother accepted him, which meant that he forgave himself and was finally content with his decisions and feelings.It was going to be a long ride, so to speak, but acceptance was the first and most important step.It was a strange combination of feeling like he knew Yoongi like no one else did, yet at the same time knowing nothing at all about him. Not his past, nor his best friend’s name, his favorite food or color… It was strange loving the man, despite all that, because Jimin knew to his core, that Yoongi was a good person.He let a few moments pass before he started talking again, letting the concept of his mother accepting his choices settle within his heart.Then he smiled again. Contently.“I was so mad at Taehyung, mom. His betrayal felt the strongest to me; it hit me with such a force, I felt like a lost child, all over again. I wanted to kill him for doing this to me, but when I saw him again, I realized that I could never hate him. It took me weeks to see his point of view and admit, that I would’ve maybe done the same as he did – I don’t know, it’s hard to tell outside the situation, but I finally realized that he didn’t betray me, but was loyal to his brother. Taehyung… is like a brother to me and I still love him. I think I always will.”Taehyung needed Jimin, now more than ever, because it was a critical point for him, and his actions reflected the fact that he was so insecure and scared about their future. He was lost. And Jimin wanted to help him and be there for him.They all needed some sort of help. Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook; and whilst Jimin didn’t know how much of it he could offer to each of them and in what content, he was more than willing to try. He wanted them to be safe and happy because he couldn’t hate them.And he was done pretending to do so.Everyone in their team already accepted the facts and truth, so now it was Jimin’s turn.Jimin sat there for who knows how much longer, talking to his mother and sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings with her.It was the calmest he felt in months.Finally, he said goodbye, promising her to come back soon and that he would try taking better care of himself – body and soul - and asking her, to carry on looking after him and guiding him. He kissed the tip of his pointer finger and brushed it over the engraved lines of his mother’s name then made his way back home.♠
Bryce Fox - Horns
|4th of April, 2019|
*two days later*
The moment Jimin stepped into the building of their department, he was welcomed by pure chaos.Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook were seated in three separate chairs, surrounded by Jiwon, Seokjin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Jeong-in, and the eight of them were engrossed in what seemed to be a noteworthy argument.When they spotted Jimin’s presence in the room, every single one of them shut his mouth. Jimin felt eight pairs of eyes on him and some nervous giggles. He furrowed his brows at the sight, approaching the group of people with slow steps, a scanty uneasiness tingling at his skin.“Good… morning?” He finally managed to say, after what felt like forever.“Oh! Jimin!”“Detective!”“You are back!”“You look healthier than ever!”Jimin was assaulted by warm but unusual welcomes straightaway.“What is everyone doing here?” He stepped forward, ending up almost in the center of the group.“We… were discussing if…” Namjoon started with a slight agitation in his voice.“They were wondering whether you should continue being part of the team or not.” Yoongi stated blatantly and to everyone’s shock.Jimin sighed, exasperated with the situation, and was grateful for Yoongi’s straightforwardness. He already expected them to consider leaving him out of this operation since he appeared to be the most affected one out of them.“It’s just a suggestion, detective.” Namjoon continued, throwing daggers with his eyes at Yoongi.He wanted to mock them all. Was this even something to consider? After all he had done for the case? “Honestly, you know you can’t leave me out of this, right?” He crossed his arms, left eyebrow lifted.Inspector Kim fake-coughed to draw the other’s attention to him. “Detective Park, that’s the reason which caused this little… dispute. I will be honest with you. Everyone here agrees that you need some time to heal, but at the same time, you are an important piece that completes our puzzle.”Good point, at least they were on the same page with that. He just sighed again, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, there was no time for him to act like a teenager, but the conversation was useless at this point. Futile. “Well, guys, I’m here to put an end to your little dispute.” He mirrored Inspector Kim’s words. “I was part of this mission since the very beginning and I will see it through to the end. I just needed some time off to clear my head and refocus, but the only way you could bring me to step aside is by putting a bullet between my eyes and we all know no one here would do that. Never mind that you need me, because, let’s be honest, I simply am that good of an asset.” Jimin said the words confidently, shifting his weight slightly to one foot and accentuating his hip by it.“’s Hot.” The words tumbled out of Yoongi’s slack lips, seemingly without him even realizing it; Eyes fixed on Jimin’s very soul, it seemed.Jimin felt blood rushing toward his face. Calm down, Jimin, you are twenty-six and this is not a teenage K-drama, damn. Plus, once again, that was not the time and place for something like that.A strange silence and stiffness stretched out between the group for a couple of seconds. “ALRIGHTY, then that’s settled!”Inspector Kim announced rather loudly and thankfully broke the strange atmosphere. Jimin met the Inspector’s eyes, as he was taking a step toward Jimin. “I need to ask you for a favor later, Inspector Kim,” Jimin said, waiting for the other to nod understandingly before he turned back towards the group.The atmosphere shifted quickly, as everyone in the room proceeded straight to the case. That meant, whatever discourse had been going on previously, was just a charade, they might have cared for his well-being, but the team wanted, no, needed him, and there was no better confirmation than whatever had just happened now. Them agreeing with Inspector Kim with such nonchalance spoke for itself. “So, let’s recap our hard facts. We have a location for Jung’s sister and we know that the Geom-eun Munjayeol is apparently behind the murder of Jimin’s mother. The good news is, that they don’t know about our existence and approach yet.” The Inspector listed.“The bad news is that…” Yoongi spoke up. “They didn’t tell us anything about the poison. So, we still don’t have any useful information about that. They didn’t mention the CIA or Miles Gilbert at all. It seems like the guys we met don’t know anything related to that.” Yoongi’s eyes were roaming over every inch of Jimin’s face and features, making Jimin feel giddy and naked under his deep, focused gaze.That was highly inappropriate and Jimin did not like it one bit. He couldn’t decide whether it was the way Yoongi was eyeing him or the way that made him feel. “But.” Namjoon continued what Yoongi had yet to finish. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that our assumptions are wrong since we only can guess based on the information you’ve been giving us since the kidnapping.”Jimin nodded along, keeping up with the train of thoughts. “Those guys were mere underlings, just some brutes. They wouldn’t have any important information or secrets of the Geom-eun Munjayeol, that’s for sure.”“And this is where I come in, guys,” Hoseok continued, voice dripping with concern, Jimin could feel it in his bones. Hoseok was sitting with his elbows propped on his thighs, hands interlaced and chin propped up on them, fixating an invisible spot on the ground.“Just like Jimin, I had some time to process and think these past few days. …About the fact that Dawon is alive, just like I was always…” He sighed and licked his lips.Everyone’s attention was entirely on Hoseok.“I was wracking my brain trying to answer the question as to why? Even if she was forced in some way, I am sure she could’ve found a way in all these years to let us, her family, know that she was still alive-”“I don’t think it’s that easy though,” Jungkook spoke up, interrupting Hoseok. “To fool the mafia and return back home; I don’t think we should make assumptions.”“I am not making any assumption, Jungkook. Maybe you should let me finish what I want to say, before jumping to conclusions yourself, how about that?” Hoseok smiled at him through tight, thin lips, clenching his jaw in an obvious manner, that he was irritated by the younger interrupting him. Jimin had never seen him so agitated.Jungkook seemed taken aback as well, he ducked his head, cheeks slightly blushing, and mouthed a silent “sorry”. “Anyway, I don’t know what happened to her and maybe she didn’t have a choice at first, but she does seem to have it now, and seeing that she hasn’t contacted anyone, I believe that she decided to “stay dead” so to protect her family.”“Contacting you after all these years and out of the blue seems rather risky and dangerous for all of you. I probably would have done the same.” Jimin stated his agreement and silent comfort.“You know your sister best; even if you haven’t seen her in a long while, if you have the feeling that she’s avoiding you with the purpose of protection, then I am sure you are right about it.” Yoongi joined in.If you’ve told Jimin some weeks ago, that they all would be working together like this, he would have thrown you into jail, or straight-up shot you. But now, the site of them all together as a team, made him feel oddly good and content.He wondered, for how long this feeling of peace would last. He knew that sooner, rather than later war was about to flare up and destroy it all. He gulped. Hoseok looked between Jimin and Yoongi, nodding silently. “You’re right. I believe in her and that’s why I need to be the one interrogating her.” He sat up straight and looked at Inspector Kim with a serious expression.“Jung…” Inspector Kim looked at him with something close to apprehension. “I know you want to see your sister, but you are a forensic doctor, not-"“I was a cop before I became a doctor. I know what I’m doing and won’t bring my team in danger or jeopardize our operation, Inspector.”“It’s not that I don’t trust your skills, but she’s still your sister and this is dangerous.” The Inspector spoke cautiously.Hoseok was obviously preparing to say something back, however, before he could do so, Yoongi spoke up. “I know you’re afraid because of a conflict of personal interest, Inspector Kim, but honestly.” Yoongi huffed out a small chuckle. “By this point, everything is a mess already and there is no clear line between personal and professional interest here, not anymore.”The words hang there for a second or two before everyone was looking around at each other. Yoongi was right, they were all personally connected to the case in some way or another.“Besides, if I were her, I’d most likely talk to my brother than spill my guts to the cops or detectives, like a rat.” Yoongi briefly looked over at Taehyung. “On the streets, it’s all about loyalty and credibility, there’s no way she’d talk, even if you torture her.”Yoongi was right. Jimin and everyone else in that room knew that. Inspector Kim was looking intensely at Hoseok and seemed conflicted, a crease being visible between his brows.“Look, I’m not planning in doing anything rash. I just need answers to my personal questions, as does the team for the operation; and for us all to get what we want, I need you to let me talk to her. My sister is not an innocent little girl that is waiting for me to take her home. I know that, Inspector Kim. I really thought this through.” Hoseok said, gaze unwavering and locked with the Inspectors.“And if we do this right, she might be able to help us in the future, acting as an informant.” Jimin chipped in, smiling as he caught the perfect opportunity, the exact moment the Inspector gave in.“Fine! God damn it.” The Inspector threw his hands in the air, giving in. “I don’t remember when the last time was, that any of you actually listened to me, your superior .” He sighed dramatically and then turned to Hoseok. “You better not screw this up, Jung.”A small smile appeared on the doctor’s face before he quickly hid it behind his usual stoic expression. “Of course not, sir.” He said, confirming with a firm nod. ♠Hours later Jimin was seated in the chair behind his office desk, hands intertwined on the desk before him. He was looking at the smooth surface and breathed deeply through his nose, trying to stay calm.“You wanted to see me?” Taehyung asked the moment he slid in and closed the door behind him, approaching Jimin slowly. He looked as nervous as Jimin felt.Jimin wasn’t looking into his eyes. Not yet, anyway. He was afraid that if he did, his feelings would get the best of him and he wouldn’t be able to say what he intended to in the first place.“I need to tell you something, Taehyung,” He said, surprised by how steady his voice came out.“If you want to tell me again that all of this was just a professional team-up I totally get it and-” Taehyung started to rumble.“Taehyung.” Jimin interrupted him firmly and took a deep breath. “Sit down and just listen to what I have to say. Please.” He didn’t want to sound pitiful, but he felt like that. Both of them needed this.Taehyung mumbled a soft “Okay, Jimin.” and sat himself down in the chair across from him.“First of all, I want you to know, that I still stand by what I told you. I don’t like being lied to and being deceived, no matter the intention- It’s simply not right and I hate it, Taehyung.” Jimin started, speaking calmly.“I-” Taehyung opened his mouth, reply already prepared, but Jimin wasn’t having it. He needed to tell Taehyung what he held back for such a long time.“You were my friend, Taehyung. You were literally the only person left from my past and you actively decided to destroy all that by simply not being honest with me. You should’ve told me and asked for my help. I… I know I often come off as unapproachable and cold, but you were my friend, Taehyung. My best friend. You, of all people, know how I truly am. All you had to do, was ask for my help.”After the silence stretched out without Taehyung saying anything back, Jimin raised his head and looked straight into his eyes. Taehyung was biting his lower lip harshly, hands in tight fists in his lap, looking at Jimin with sorrowful eyes.“That you didn’t trust me enough to ask for my help, hurt me the most, and I should hate you for it, Taehyung.”“Jimin…” Taehyung rasped out, voice strained, … barely there.“But I can’t.” Jimin smiled sadly. “I can’t hate you. Not even for a single second, no matter how much I try.” Taehyung’s eyes widened marginally, surprise and confusion swimming in them.“I didn’t want you to be dragged in any kind of danger, Jimin. It… I was already in this whole mess and out of my own stupidity! I just… I wanted you to be safe and away from all this shit. That’s also w-why…” Taehyung shook his head, trying to gulp around his stutter. “W-why I told Yoongi to stay away from you, as well.”Jimin sighed, leaning back in his chair.“I understand your reasoning, Tae. I really do. But. I need you to understand, that you can always come to me and ask for my help. No job or moral compass would ever stop me to help you.”Taehyung searched Jimin’s eyes and then nodded. “I am sorry, Jimin. I should’ve- I mean, I do know that… a-and I’m really regretting losing you over it. You have no idea how much I just want everything to go back to the way it was before.” Taehyung looked down at his lap, wrenching his fingers. “For us to be friends again.” He mumbled softly, sadly.Jimin watched him squirm for a little while. “I forgive you. I will never forget what you did, and it will take time for us to… rebuild a relationship, but I want to start over somehow.”Taehyung snapped his head so forward so fast, it surely must’ve hurt. “You do??” He asked with wide eyes, hope shimmering in them.“I do.” Jimin huffed out a chuckle. “I know, that you’re not a bad person, Tae. You are an extremely stupid, dumb, and dense guy, just as much as you are one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known… Especially when it comes to decision making – but you’re not bad… and I want to give you a second chance.”Taehyung’s mouth popped open in surprise and his eyes grew as large as saucers, joy overcoming his prior conflicted facial features. “Jimin, I-” He started, enthusiastically.“But!” Jimin interrupted him, yet again. “I have conditions.” He finished.Taehyung furrowed his brows, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and looking positively like a lost, but hopeful puppy. “What kind of conditions?”“First of all, no more lying. If you’re in trouble, you come straight to me and fucking ask for my help.” Taehyung’s lips twitched into a small grin as he nodded his agreement.“Secondly, no more killing people.” Jimin continued.Taehyung nodded, and a woeful look replaced his previous expression. “I never wanted to kill them in the first place, Jimin… it was us or them.”“I know, Tae, I know. But we need to learn new ways of getting the bad guys out of our ways, without putting bullets into their heads, hm?” Jimin raised one eyebrow, feeling strangely like a mother giving a lecture to her bratty kid.Taehyung frowned at that. “Um, right, forgot about that. Those guys deserved it, plus, it was him or all of us. We saved your ass.”Jimin sighed again and massaged his forehead. Who was he kidding, he was the mother giving a lecture. “I am serious Taehyung.”“It doesn’t matter. I will end up in jail anyway…”After Taehyung said that, Jimin straightened his posture, looking sternly into his friend’s eyes. “Listen, you idiot. Our department and I will do anything in our power to help you, as much as we can. Of course, I can’t promise you anything, but Inspector Kim has some connections and maybe we can negotiate a deal with the Feds. But for that, you need to continue to help us and behave, Tae. Do you understand?”“Okay, Jiminie. I trust you.” Taehyung looked genuine when he nodded his understanding.“Good. Now listen here. I will train with you and also show you, how to properly and safely use a gun, but you have to promise me that you will use what I’ll show you for self-protection and defense, only. No more raising your death toll.”“…. But what if there’s no other way than to kill the person?”“Taehyung.” Jimin exhaled, feeling exasperated and slightly frustrated. “Don’t ask me stupid questions, that you know the answer to. If your life depends on it, it’s self-protection and that, of course, is an acceptable exception. But… I don’t want you to turn into a monster, Taehyung. That is not who you are.” Jimin concluded.Taehyung was contemplating Jimin’s words, looking deep into his eyes with an unwavering, somewhat blank, expression.“Alright, Detective Park,” Taehyung said, at last, smirking just slightly. “We have a deal.” He reached out his hand.Jimin shook his hand and nodded approvingly. “You better not screw this up, Kim.”Taehyung’s handsome face split into a silent grin. “‘Course not, Sir!”♠Jimin, for what seemed like the nth time this day, took another deep breath after glancing through the rear-view mirror, at the back of his car.Yoongi sat there, looking out of the window. Dull, almost choking air surrounded him.Jimin went back to paying attention to the heavy traffic of Seoul, clenching the wheel in his hands. They would be at Jimin’s penthouse very soon.After his conversation with Taehyung, Jimin finally asked Inspector Kim for his favor. He told him, that he was going to drive Taehyung back to their secret hide-out and asked for permission to take Yoongi with him. Inspector Kim, of course, asked him what ever for, with a raised eyebrow; So Jimin decided to be honest and told him, that he wanted to get Yoongi to admit something to Jimin. He explained that he needed to know the truth to his question and Inspector Kim, after measuring him seriously, nodded in understanding and granted Jimin permission.No one else was allowed to question Jimin’s resolve at that point. Even the Inspector gave him permission for that. Now, was it a good idea for Jimin and Yoongi to share the same air, alone, again? Well, what could have gone wrong, anyway? They already got used to it, in different circumstances, obviously, but they did.Yoongi didn’t even waver when Jimin had told him to tag along, instead, he just nodded and followed the Detective. Jimin really hoped, that this was a good idea and that his plan would work out. If Yoongi was going to be honest with him, Jimin would…Jimin would be honest too.♠
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi had no idea why he was sitting in Jimin’s car. It was weird, awkward, and… a bit scary. Was Jimin finally gonna murder him? Once and forever?No, Jimin wouldn’t go so low, it goes beyond his principles, but would he beat the shit out of Yoongi? Well, that was a possibility. And Yoongi would not fight back because he did deserve a good beating. Yoongi was overthinking things. As far as he remembered, things started to go well with Jimin and him. So, what did he do? Where did he go wrong? They were heading towards the detective’s damn penthouse. He didn’t know what he planned on doing with him there.What Yoongi did know though, was, that Jimin never did something out of the spur of a moment and without a good reason, hence, he had a very bad feeling about it all.Jimin was entirely too quiet. No talking. No teasing. No cursing. Nothing but thick silence. Heck, Yoongi wondered if the other was even breathing.Yoongi liked the serious Jimin, but now it made him fidgety.Actually, he might have had an inkling as to why Jimin was bringing him back to his place, which usually, in any other situation, could be convenient, because Yoongi always had a plan, right? He liked to have something up his sleeve.Unfortunately, this time, Yoongi didn’t. He was blank as a new word document. With blinking cursor and all.It was the second time in the past month that he felt like heading straight into a dead end. This time though, he wasn’t sure he could – or rather, wanted - to find a way out.“…-gi!” Yoongi got startled and almost took a leap when the car door suddenly flew open. He was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn’t even notice that Jimin maneuvered his car into the underground parking lot of his building. The head of said man popped into his view with a mixture of annoyance and amusement on his face. “You coming or what?”He felt his pulse pacing under the palm of his hand, which he had pressed above his heart. As soon as he realized it, he immediately pulled it down with embarrassment. He didn’t trust his voice, so he nodded once sharply and moved out of the car, following Jimin to the elevator.With every echo of their steps in the mostly empty parking lot, the atmosphere grew heavier, an ominous feeling clenching at his guts and charging his nerves like wires. The moment they silently stepped into the elevator to ride up, he felt goosebumps raising on the skin of his neck. He shook his shoulders uncomfortably, but as subtly as he managed.It wasn’t the first time they were alone, so Yoongi assumed that Jimin didn’t hate him the way he did before. Yoongi even thought that things between them became more comfortable after they worked together to escape that maze-like basement. So why was he back to acting stone-cold towards Yoongi now? Not that it didn’t kind of thrill him, but still.
Why?
The elevator was spacious, but Jimin was still standing so close to Yoongi, that their arms brushed every now and then, evoking a tingling feeling; and that’s when Yoongi realized, that he actually wasn’t scared to be alone with Jimin, but excited.They were dancing around each other ever since Yoongi admitted to having feelings for Jimin. Lingering gazes and subtle brushes of skin on skin – but more than anything, it was in the things they left unsaid, they left in the space between them, that’s threatening to swallow them whole.A brisk “Ding!” announced their floor and Jimin was leading the way to his apartment, leaving the door open for Yoongi, as he simply stepped inside.Yoongi closed the door behind them, shrugged off his shoes, and stepped into the large, comfy space of the living room. Jimin was already sitting in the armchair with his legs crossed. When their eyes met, he gestured for Yoongi to sit on the couch across from him, with a movement of his head.After Yoongi settled down, they looked into each other’s eyes for some seconds, with nothing but the low humming of Jimin’s refrigerator sounding all the way from the Kitchen.Finally, Jimin licked his bottom lip and huffed out a short, but audible breath. “You know what this is about; Why I brought you here.” It was not a question, it was a statement. He wasn’t in for playing games.Yoongi looked at him with a stoic expression on his face, trying as much as possible not to show Jimin his emotions. “What if I say no?”So, maybe Yoongi liked to tease Jimin and push him to the edge. Sue him. Maybe he liked being provocative, maybe he was just a masochist – by this point, none of that mattered anyway. He was alone with Jimin, all of the Detective’s attention was solely on him and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so thrilled and alive.Jimin smirked at that, plush lips curling attractively upwards and attentive eyes measuring him, weighing him down endlessly. “Now, we both know that you are an idiot, but you are not stupid. You know exactly what I want from you, Yoongi.”
And by god, did Yoongi like how his name sounded from those beautiful lips?
Yoongi, beside himself, chuckled, shoulders shaking with the action. “Detective, you know I can’t give it to you.”“And why’s that?” Jimin raised an eyebrow, tension already visible in the twitching of his fingers.“Because it’s the only ace I’ve got left up my sleeve, detective !” Yoongi snapped abruptly, anger bubbling up under his skin.Jimin flinched slightly, taken by surprise by Yoongi’s sudden outburst. He only took a second to recover though, clenching his jaw and narrowing his eyes. “You have got to be kidding me, Yoongi! Are you saying that, after all, we’ve been through, you still can’t trust me?”“That’s-.” Yoongi growled in frustration, shaking his head. “That’s not what I’m saying!” He didn’t even know why he was so keen on keeping the microchip’s location a secret, but anger was crawling up his spine like an army of ants. It’s not about him not trusting Jimin, but Jimin not trusting him.“Look, this wasn’t the deal we agreed on to begin with. Our help and intel in exchange for the department’s protection. That, and nothing else, was the deal, Jimin.”Jimin throw his head back and laughed out loud. Not a sincere, authentic laugh, no.A sinister, hurting laugh, full of spite.When he found Yoongi’s eyes again, his face was the one of a man ready to commit murder. Jimin’s eyes were burning with anger and he clenched his jaw so tightly, Yoongi saw it getting sharper with every grit. “You’re so full of shit Yoongi and you fucking know it!” He spat, in a low, calm voice. The lowest Yoongi has ever heard and it was so different hearing Jimin’s usually soft, airy voice coming out so dangerously, so… sexy. Yoongi’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he was fearing it was tenting the shirt over his chest.“Why are you suddenly so keen on getting your hands on it anyway?! Didn’t I give you enough already, Jimin? Don’t I deserve your trust, too?” Yoongi wondered and then huffed out a bitter laugh. “Or is it, because I’m not worth as much as that damn thing? Did you, at last, decide to sell me out and push forward your precious career?!”Yoongi didn’t even have enough time to regret the words that he was only saying just to hurt Jimin before he felt the harsh, stinging pain of Jimin’s fist colliding with his jaw.“How fucking dare you say that to me, you little thwart?!” Jimin was on him so fast, Yoongi’s mind was spinning. Jimin grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt, pulling him forward and simultaneously leaning down into his space. He felt Jimin’s knee dip the couch between his parted legs and their faces were so close, he was able to count every single one of Jimin’s eyelashes. He tried to close his legs on instinct, but only succeeded in squishing Jimin’s – hard-muscled and perfect — thigh closer to his crotch, and his gut clenched with pure adrenaline and flaming, all-consuming desire.“I’ve done everything in my power to protect Jungkook, Taehyung, and you, even though I could’ve let you rot in a cell and throw the freakin’ key away!” Jimin was growling against his lips, hot breath breaking on every syllable. Yoongi realized his body was slightly shaking, as he licked his lips, tasting the distant flavor of copper on his chopped bottom lip. “Even though I didn’t owe anything of that to you, Yoongi!” Jimin’s sounded so angry and oh, so passionate; every word carried so much more emotion because his Busan accent was showing since Jimin had lost the last bits of control over his composure.“I- I know, Jimin.” Yoongi started, surprised by how docile and shaky his own voice came out. “I’m sorr-.“ But Jimin interrupted him.“Fuck you!” And suddenly, Yoongi’s brain activity screeched to a halt, as Jimin pressed his lips against his.Yoongi’s eyes grow wide as he unconsciously grabbed the hem of Jimin’s button-down with his hands. Jimin’s kiss was blazing. He pressed those plush lips that Yoongi adored against his own, mind and body not keeping up with what was happening then and there. But Yoongi was taking too long to reciprocate, too long for Jimin’s liking at that moment anyway, so he bit his bottom lip once, sharply, sliding his tongue right past it. Yoongi straight out groaned in response, body jerking with emotion.The kiss was wet, emotional, angry even, tongues battling for dominance, teeth colliding with rash movements. Jimin was being bold, he was clearly not thinking at that moment, everything was happening too fast, all at once, and Yoongi…Yoongi wanted to prove he was better. He was going to get even bolder and leave his own conscience behind. Fuck the CIA, fuck detectives, fuck that damned microchip, it was just him and Jimin now and he was not going to lose the fight. He groaned, jerking his hips forward, trying to meet Jimin’s leg, searching for friction, but Jimin beat him to it, catching on sooner than Yoongi would have thought. He pushed his knee further between Yoongi’s legs, pressing against the now-growing bulge of his jeans.There was nothing romantic about it, yet it was meaningful. It was everything Yoongi had ever feared and simultaneously wished for. Jimin broke away from their hungry kiss to take a breath, but Yoongi was not having it. He dragged Jimin down by the collar of his button-down, pressing his body up against his again, curling both of his hands in Jimin’s hair, taking Jimin’s lip between his teeth and harshly pulling at it. God, he wished to do that for what felt like an eternity. He needed Jimin close and then closer still.Jimin responded to the new kiss hungrily, only the sound of their loving battle filling the ominous silence of the room. Seconds or even minutes passed as Yoongi was no longer sober enough to see past the concept of time and space, he was drunk.
Drunk on Jimin.
Jimin gripped both of Yoongi’s wrists in his hands and sat up straight, denying Yoongi of those plush, heavenlike lips that tasted of honey and blood. “Aren’t you bein’ greedy?” Jimin looked down at him, brown pupils blown wide with lust and anger, lids heavy. Yoongi needed a second to remember who he was and how to form words. He wanted to prepare a smart-ass reply, he knew he could do that, if it wasn’t for the fact that Jimin was a fucking tease, rubbing his knee on Yoongi’s clothed length, angelic yet vicious smile decorating his lips. Yoongi was too weak for that. Instead of words, his reply consisted of a low groan.Jimin’s grip on his wrists tightened at the sound and Yoongi‘s lips parted, letting out desperate huffs. “Yeah? You like that.” Again, it wasn’t a question. Yoongi looked up at Jimin, eyes glazed over, and chewed on his bottom lip. Jimin was right, he liked that, but he didn’t want to say it — yet. But as fast as Jimin was on him, he was suddenly gone, retracting his body and his searing touch from Yoongi. Yoongi was about to go mad in the absence of his touch. His body instinctively followed him, but Jimin put him in place quickly by pushing his shoulder back against the elegant coach. Jimin smiled before he sat on the armchair nearby, spreading his legs wide, the tight material of his pants stretching over his delicious thighs, giving Yoongi an unrestricted view of his visible bulge; showing him just how much this whole situation was affecting him as well.“Get your ass naked and come over here,” Jimin ordered, rather than saying, popping the first couple of buttons on his shirt open. It was the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, it all spoke for itself. Jimin was not going to make a second offer, and Jimin would not let Yoongi turn the tables in his favor.No, this time they were going to do this Jimin’s way, and Yoongi, well he had to comply, but not without turning the odds in his favor too. If Jimin was a tease, he was going to be one too. He rushed to his feet, stripping down his jeans and underwear tortuously slowly, eyes not leaving Jimin’s face for a second. “How could I ever deny my Detective’s orders?” He replied with a specific cockiness of his own. Jimin’s eyes were transfixed on him, with him. He wanted this just as much as Yoongi did. He had always done but had been very good at hiding it. He moved closer, straddling Jimin’s lap, gaze steady, unsettlingly calm, driving Jimin out of his mind. Visibly annoyed, Jimin forced Yoongi forward, crushing his lips against his, hands gripping his now naked ass. Yoongi was vulnerable in that position, he had never been that vulnerable in front of Jimin, and he certainly didn’t want to lose ground.He wanted to feel Jimin was his, just as much as he felt he was Jimin’s. He jerked his hips closer to Jimin’s body as his hands started taking control, rummaging over Jimin’s body, skin, touching and feeling as much as the other’s smooth, hot skin, mouth still busy with Jimin’s swollen lips.It was such a far-out feeling, they were both hungry for each other, but instead of putting the hunger out, with each movement of his lips against Jimin’s skin, Yoongi felt that he wanted more, needed more.He needed everything that Jimin was willing to give him.
He was going insane.
Not parting from Jimin at all, he pulled Jimin’s shirt out of his pants, sneaking his cold hands under it, leaving tangible shivers and goosebumps on the detectives’ skin. He was longing for every bit of skin he felt under his palm, he craved it since the very moment he laid eyes on Jimin.This might have been his only chance to feel Jimin like this, so he took it.He was greedy. But only for Jimin.He couldn’t think properly, even if a feeling inside of his head told him it might be wrong and that Jimin might regret it later, and might not even want to touch him ever again. It just didn’t matter now. Everything that mattered was Jimin’s hands on his skin, Jimin’s lips against his. Jimin’s body under his.Yoongi’s mind was stuck on everything that was Jimin, Jimin, Jimin. Wrong always felt better to Yoongi, anyway.One of his hands was tangled in Jimin’s hair, pulling at it grimly, evoking sharp sounds from Jimin, while his other hand was working on unzipping Jimin’s pants. He needed to get his hands on that cock he had wanted to touch for such a long time already, as Jimin connected his lips to Yoongi’s neck, sucking and biting marks into the sensitive skin.Their movements were hasty and every action evoked a reaction from the other. Jimin bit the lobe of Yoongi’s ear sharply, Yoongi moaned and pulled at his hair roughly in response. Jimin spanked his ass and gripped his cheeks firmly, pressing his fingers against Yoongi’s rim with every other stroke.It was far away from romantic, or soft. It was harsh, wild, and stormy. They were both acting like two animals that finally caught their prey and tried to consume it whole. But it was everything Yoongi had ever wanted.Finally, Yoongi managed to unzip Jimin’s pants, pulling him out. The skin of Jimin’s cock felt hot against his palm, the weight of it everything, everything that Yoongi wanted to feel.Jimin pushed him closer still and growled into his ear. “Come on, don’t get shy on me now, Yoongi. Stroke it like you mean it!” He said with a calmer, raspy voice, licking into the shell of his ear.Yoongi pushed their shirts out of the way, wrapping his hand around both of them, stroking and squeezing hurriedly, playing with Jimin’s shaft every now and then, just to hear some more of the beautiful sounds he was making. Yoongi wasn’t aware that he had closed his eyes, but he opened them slightly when he heard rustling and a silent “click”. Jimin was pouring lube all over one of his hands, god only knows where he got it from. Yoongi’s confusion must’ve shown on his face, because Jimin cocked one eyebrow and smiled up at him, devilishly.God, how could someone be that attractive, that didn’t seem fair at all to Yoongi.He pulled Yoongi down into another bruising kiss, playing with his tongue, sucking on it. It felt dirty and messy. Yoongi groaned and lost every train of thought as he felt Jimin’s lubed-up finger circling his rim and then, without warning, pushing past it, while his other hand was busy leaving bruises all over Yoongi’s skin.He loved how Jimin just took, took, and took whatever he wanted and Yoongi was more than willing to give everything he had.As Jimin was hurriedly opening him up, Yoongi groaned and kept on doing so, not necessarily because it felt great. No, not yet, but he did groan because it was Jimin doing that to him, and it was exactly what they both needed. He couldn’t keep the mewling and growling sounds coming out of his mouth at bay, even if he wanted to try — which he didn’t.“How’s that feeling?” Jimin asked against his lips, biting the tip of Yoongi’s tongue.“It… it hurts.” Yoongi slurred against Jimin’s lips.“Hmm, I suppose.” Jimin pushed another finger in, leaning in and biting Yoongi’s neck. Yoongi’s skin burned with that. “You like it though.” Jimin bit him again then slowly sucked the spot, leaving a wild bruising color on Yoongi’s pale skin. Yoongi's hips snapped at that, pushing them upwards, moving against Jimin, body screaming for more. “I don’t like it, I love it. Hurts so good.” It left a lingering feeling under Yoongi’s skin, a wonderful mixture of pain and pleasure that was taking over Yoongi’s whole being. “Yeah? Hmm, how about this, then?” Yoongi’s eyes were closed, but by Jimin’s tone, he just knew he had one eyebrow cocked and a sinful grin on his lips. It was one of Yoongi’s weaknesses. Jimin bit another spot on Yoongi’s neck harshly, just at the juncture where his shoulder and his neck met. “Does this hurt?”Another shiver went down Yoongi’s spine and he jerked wildly in Jimin’s tight embrace. He would’ve felt embarrassed if it didn’t felt so fucking delicious. Just as Yoongi grew used to Jimin’s fingers and the pain started to succumb into a low thrumming, Jimin wiggled another finger past his rim and pressed deeper inside of him, scissoring on the way out.“F-fuck!” The word stumbled out of Yoongi’s trembling lips.Yoongi felt another suffocating wave of pleasure and pain crushing his lungs. He clenched around Jimin’s fingers violently, his muscles working constantly on relaxing. Deeper, he needed Jimin to go deeper.“Hmm? What is it, Gilbert? Can’t handle it? Am I going too hard on you?” Jimin asked, voice vacant of any true concern, but dripping in mirth and edging Yoongi on. He stopped fucking his fingers into Yoongi, instead he was massaging the walls, circling with the tips of his fingers.“No...” Yoongi swallowed down another groan. “Jimin, god, stop teasing me and get to work already!”“What do you want then, hmm? Say it out loud. Beg for it.” Jimin placed soft, barely there, pecks on Yoongi’s forehead this time, lips barely touching his skin. And well, what was Yoongi to say? The situation clearly did not go as Yoongi planned, or imagined, he had never expected to find himself enjoying being the one on the receiving end, but, honestly, he should have seen it coming. Jimin could be the sweetest person on earth, but he was two-faced and full of surprises, and Yoongi has had the honor of getting to know all of these sides of him.Jimin could be fierce, vicious, and just as much in control and in charge as Yoongi could be. Their relationship had always been a battle of dominance. Yoongi loved that for them, it brought adrenaline to the relationship and he was looking forward to exploring more of it if time allowed them to, but this time, he just wanted to feel Jimin, and anything he was willing to offer Yoongi.“Just-.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. Here he was, half naked on Jimin’s lap, fingers up his ass, suddenly feeling shy of all things; that’s something only Jimin could do to him. He swallowed down his embarrassment and tried to do it with pride, for - literally- fucks sake.“Just fuck me, Jimin. Give me everything a-and… make it hurt.” Yoongi cursed himself for the slight stutter.Jimin slowed down his movements, pulling his fingers out, a perfect (devilish) smile on his face. Yoongi was at the junction between heaven and hell, the look in Jimin’s eyes said it all. He was looking at him so hungrily. Feral with desire and lust, it sent shivers down Yoongi’s entire body.There was no need for words, their eyes spoke a language of their own, and so Yoongi just knew, felt, what was only natural to happen next. He pushed his body up, moving to the armrest of the couch, looking for the support he knew he was desperately going to need very soon and braced himself for Jimin.For a second, there was only silence settling over the room, after Jimin got rid of his pants and shirt completely and approached him, body sticking to Yoongi’s from behind, arms wrapping around his chest. He put his chin on Yoongi’s shoulder, and neither of them said a thing. It was quiet, but the quietness was screaming at them both, as they breathed in sync and felt each other’s hearts pulsating.Yoongi thought that they were closer than they had ever been, body, mind, and soul. So close that it hurt and no matter how riled up Yoongi was, he closed his eyes, basking at that moment. Whatever they had created, whatever they had going on, it wasn’t good or bad, it was strong, and it was destroying them both at full force.Yoongi watched as Jimin bent down to get a condom from his front pocket, tearing apart the foil and rolling it over his length with more calmness than Yoongi could muster at this moment. Jimin stroked himself slowly while placing his perfect body behind Yoongi’s perked-up ass and without further ado or waste of time, bottomed out. He and Yoongi were one and lost grip on all reality. It wasn’t heaven, after all, Yoongi decided. It must’ve been hell because he was drowning in a pleasure so passionate, so consuming and burning - he felt like he would burn into ashes along with it.It was harsh, fast, and desperate, but it was coming from both of them, and Yoongi got lost in the feeling. He gave up control.
Only for Jimin. Everything for Jimin.
“For you.” Yoongi’s words spilled without him realizing doing so, but Jimin must have heard him, as his movements became more agitated, violent almost, pushing deep into him, letting out quiet huffs as he moved in sync with Yoongi. And it felt so perfect for a while, Yoongi couldn’t help but focus on the emotions he was going through. What if this is really the first and the last time they are going to be that close?The mere thought hurt Yoongi again, he wanted to enjoy the moment, he wanted to be in the present, to be happy for it, so he started focusing on the way his body felt against Jimin’s. He focused on the pain and the pleasure coming all at once, and then he focused solely on feeling Jimin’s breath against his nape. They were just edging each other now. Yoongi could feel it in the way Jimin’s movements grew slower, but deeper, and so he adjusted to his speed, dragging out on the feeling as much as possible, letting Jimin come first, himself following seconds later, body shaking violently, muscle tensed and jaw clenched. It felt intense, blissful, infinite even, something Yoongi had never experienced before. ♠Jimin let his body fall on top of Yoongi’s for support, pinning him down with his full weight, trying to calm down from the high, body still shivering, heartbeats rapid and irregular.“Fuck.” Yoongi mumbled into his hands.“You’ve got that right,” Jimin mumbled into his skin.♠
Tussin - Sensibil La Lumina feat. Azteca & Amuly
When he finally came back to his senses, Yoongi was still on Jimin’s couch, head leaned against his shoulder, the loud silence of the room finally bringing them back to the cruel reality they were living in. His legs were thrown over the armrest as he was resting against Jimin, who was now fixing a blind spot on the floor, eyes blank, void of emotion. Yoongi didn’t know what to make of it but decided to take a bit of comfort in the way Jimin’s fingers were softly carding through his hair, massaging over the lower part of his back.He moved, leaving Jimin’s hand to fall back on the couch, eyes still not meeting Yoongi’s. “What are you doing?” Yoongi eventually decided to break the silence, and that was all it took to shake off Jimin’s haze. He refocused his eyes on Yoongi, forcing a small smile. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”“Do you want to talk about it?”Jimin shook his head instead. “Let’s take a shower.”♠Yoongi was leaning with his back against the wall, steam surrounding him from the shower's hot water, as Jimin shampooed his hair. It was silent yet again, but Yoongi didn’t want to say anything, or even worse, initiate anything. He was beyond confused but preferred Jimin to make the first step, he had to—It interrupted his thoughts and took him entirely by surprise as Jimin’s hands traveled up his shoulders, soft touch leaving a cold shiver on Yoongi’s back as he tangled his shampooed fingers through Yoongi’s long hair, massaging it gently, body leaning against his. Yoongi took a sharp breath before he found it in him to lean into his touch. He felt content at the care Jimin was giving him but the fog in his mind was slowly fading away, reality catching up to him and anxiety clawing at his chest.It was wrong, it felt wrong. Jimin seemed calm and composed this time as if he had everything figured out by now, and the only thing that was left was for Yoongi to do the same. But it wasn’t that simple. Yoongi knew that, Jimin knew that. “Yoongi, I can hear you thinking,” Jimin mumbled faintly, Yoongi almost missed the words. He turned around to face Jimin, to stare right into his eyes, hoping that he could see through them, and eventually understand a few of his thoughts. “Jimin… this, whatever this is, can’t just happen like this, I am-”“I am too Yoongi. Whatever you are feeling right now, I am feeling that too.” He stared back at him, brows furrowed, gaze almost mad, but not directed at Yoongi necessary. “But I don’t mind it.” He sighed eventually, face relaxing just the slightest. “I don’t think I can stay away from you anymore, we are working together now and all I think about whenever you are in the same room with me is… you. It makes it so difficult for me to keep going, it’s frustrating because we both want the same thing and I am so tired of holding back.”“Are you… saying that this isn’t just a one-time fling ?” Yoongi was thrown off balance, still trying to come to terms with Jimin’s affirmation. “I know this ain’t the right time for jokes but… Do I really strike you as the type of guy who likes work-related one-night-stands?” One of his eyebrows shot up at the question, but instead of making Yoongi feel better, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. “You know this is not what I meant, this is never going to work out, Jimin.” He couldn’t even look at Jimin anymore, it felt suffocating to stay in that hot shower at that moment, he had to get away, he just couldn’t be there anymore and-“I want you, Yoongi.” Jimin’s words weren’t loud, but Yoongi felt Jimin’s affliction scream at him as those words tumbled out.Yoongi’s chest was hurting, there wasn’t much he was able to say, he didn’t know what to say, he knew he was right, there was no future for them, there had never been, it had always been a mistake,… but he wasn’t strong enough. He had never been strong enough to stand up to Jimin, or go against his feelings for him. His brain was fighting it, telling him to let go, to get away, to run as fast as possible.He did the opposite, yet again. He closed his eyes before turning around, catching Jimin’s wrist in the process, taking his palm into his, and maneuvering it against his chest. Jimin didn’t have the time to process Yoongi’s intentions, and maybe that’s why he let out a surprising sound the second Yoongi glued his lips to his. He didn’t want to do it, but he couldn’t help himself, he wasn’t strong enough to stay away.Not when Jimin was melting in his arms, not when his lips moved with just as much ferocity as he did.
Yoongi’s heart was hurting.
There was no future for them.
He couldn’t say much, so he kept on kissing him, lightly – with every word he couldn’t say out loud.Eventually, the unconsumed anger dissipated, turning the kiss into something soft, slow, and gentle, as it was nothing but feather touches, no rushing, no desperation, no tongues, just lips playing with each other. Their lips felt like petals brushing together in the soft wind.Yoongi leaned his forehead against Jimin’s and whispered. “Jimin, if we really get into this, we will hurt each other. This will destroy us both.” He gave him another kiss on his lips, then looked back into his eyes, meeting a sad gaze.“But you would suffer for me, Yoongi – wouldn’t you?”Yoongi blinked several times, dumbfounded, and nodded, heart beating fast. He was ready to suffer for half of his life just to get one moment of Jimin in his embrace.“I’d walk blindly through a crossfire, just to let you hurt me, Jimin.” He pulled Jimin into another kiss and Jimin willingly obliged.♠After the shower they were sitting on Jimin’s bed in pairs of Jimin’s underwear and some shirts, drying down the last drops of their hair.“Bring me your laptop,” Yoongi instructed, while he dried his hair as well as possible. He felt refreshed and content. Yoongi was a new man now.Jimin quirked his eyebrow at this but did as he was told, and in no more than a few seconds, he was back from his office with the laptop, which he handed over to Yoongi.Jimin joined Yoongi on the bed and waited expectantly.Yoongi pressed down on the micro SD slot of the laptop, ready to impress Jimin with his witty hiding place, but when the slot opened, his eyes went wide as saucers.He looked over at Jimin, with his heart racing inside his throat.“Please tell me you found it the other day and you’re just fucking with me right now.” He pleaded, eyes full of hope and fear.Jimin looked at the slot, then at Yoongi, then at the slot again and it clicked, but he furrowed his brows immediately and looked up at Yoongi, with an equally fearful and bewildered expression.They weren’t saying anything, no words needed to be shared, to know that Jimin did not, in fact, find the microchip.Yoongi’s mind was racing a mile, a millisecond. His eyes were fixing an invisible spot in front of him and he didn’t even realize, that his hands were now shaking with anger, bubbling up from his stomach, until he felt soft, warm hands on his own and looked down at Jimin’s hand uncurling his own from the death grip he had on the laptop. Jimin took his hand in both of his, intertwining their fingers.“Who, Yoongi?” Jimin asked, voice but a whisper.“H-He was there at every step of the plan, Jimin.” Yoongi was still looking at their intertwined hands. “He helped me with everything. Arranged everything. Even, even- I thought, really thought, I could trust him.” He mumbled the last part, the ugly, bitter feeling of utter betrayal clenching his insides and making him sick.“Romeo,” Jimin concluded.Yoongi lifted his gaze from their hands, looking into Jimin’s eyes, defeated. Blank of every emotion and wit, that made out the person that was Yoongi. “I fucked up, Jimin. I-, I- ruined fucking everything by trusting one person!”Yoongi let his eyes wander around the room again, looking lost and, for the first time in forever, really scared.“Yoongi… Yoongi, look at me.” Jimin brought his attention back to him, cupping his cheek with one hand and squeezing his hand with the other. “Yoongi, calm down, okay? You are not alone in this. You have a whole team now behind you. And you have me, Yoongi. We can work this out.”The more Yoongi was gazing into Jimin’s eyes and listening to his words, the more he felt his racing heart calming down and the wheels of his brain starting to work again. Right, Yoongi had Jimin now. It shouldn’t be that hard for them both to figure something out.“Jimin. Jimin, he doesn’t know, that we know.” Yoongi said the first thing that popped into his mind.Jimin hummed, nodding in agreement. “That’s right… which means, that if we play our cards well and think this through, we might find a way…” Jimin caressed the knuckles of Yoongi’s hand, seemingly in thought.Yoongi squeezed Jimin’s hands in his, feeling reassured. “We need to talk to the others.”Jimin nodded once, eyes flaring with determination. “Let’s go.”♠To be continued...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
♠
Walk through the fire - Zayde, Ruelle
Jimin’s pov
Fire. Fire was running through Jimin’s veins. As endless as emotions were flooding his heart and mind all at once, he used all the power he could muster to push them aside as far as possible, it was not the time to be feeling right now, he would save that for later. Much later. He was drowning in a discomforting uncertainty, yet he didn’t want to get out of it right now. Perhaps, deep down, he knew that getting to understand his own feelings would bring him nothing good at this moment. Feeling uncanny was nothing new to Jimin, but now his life as a whole, felt like a bottomless abyss with no direction, no specific purpose and no way out to be seen at all. He got trapped in a maze of thoughts, assumptions, and risks he didn’t intend to stop. Worst-case scenario, Jimin might have to face death, yet he wasn’t scared of death, not of his own anyway. But he wasn’t alone anymore, he was surrounded by people he wanted to keep alive and his anxiety peaked at the mere thought of seeing the ones he held dear to his heart suffer.Jimin had to survive for them. He had to fight alongside them, he needed to keep on moving forward and defeat the undefeatable.Namjoon, Inspector Kim, Officer Jeong-in, Hoseok, Taehyung, Jungkook, and… Yoongi. Jimin would protect them all and would let himself be protected by them. He would keep moving forward and help his team and friends. His mind was made up as he knew exactly what he had to do – Yet, why was his decision hurting him?With each confident step he took forward, a new thorn was piercing his heart, a tightness that was only getting worse as he was looking at Yoongi, who was walking ahead of him, hurriedly but with a stern purpose.Maybe he was sad because he was getting out of the comfortable, safe bubble he had created with Yoongi today. This bubble made him feel emotions that were not supposed to be there and gave him a chance to taste a fruit that he had denied himself for the longest time. The bubble was in itself a fragile thing though and it vanished as quickly as it came to be.But this one moment gave Jimin the chance to breathe in deeply, hold the air for what felt like an eternity in his lungs and while breathing out he came back to the chaotical world he was living in.At first, Jimin thought it was maybe just unresolved tension, pent-up frustration, pining, anger, and desire, all bottled up, ready to spill at any given moment. And, the bottle did spill, but Jimin didn’t get rid of a handful of emotions, as they were still there, ever so present. Replaced with something else? Maybe. Gone? Not a chance. Not to dwell even more on the subject, Jimin decided to put an end to this endless train of thoughts by adding a positive note to the situation: he might have it bad for Yoongi, it might be the greatest mistake he had ever done, but for now, it gave him a purpose. He had a reason to be strong, move forward with the speed of light, move past the barriers he built around himself, and most importantly, surprise the enemy.Whether he was ready or not to move past whatever had just happened, the clock was ticking and he didn’t have much time left. There was no time for regrets. The moment they reached the elevator, his arm lunged forward and caught Yoongi’s wrist slightly, making him jolt in surprise. But when their eyes met, Jimin realized, Yoongi’s eyes were kind to him, he looked desperate, yet kind to Jimin. “Hey, Yoongi, we… will find a way together.”Perhaps, Yoongi’s heart was also filled with all sorts of feelings, the nasty kind, as he had just realized his best friend might have betrayed him, therefore Jimin understood if Yoongi’s response was filled with uncertainty. “I hope so…” Yoongi said, his worried smile melting away as he stared into Jimin’s reassuring eyes. Jimin loved Yoongi’s eyes, be it confidence, skepsis, sympathy, or any other feeling, Yoongi’s eyes always reflected his emotions in front of Jimin. Maybe that was the reason Jimin still believed in Yoongi, despite the plates of lies he had fed Jimin with. If there was just the slightest shadow of truth behind them, that little truth reached out to Jimin, it was all in his gaze. It was inevitable for Jimin to fall prey.Beautiful yet dangerous – A gaze Jimin would love to admire for eternity.“We’ve reached the underground parking.” Yoongi broke eye contact first, forcing himself to hide a reaction. The connection was there, but there was no time for it. Jimin too, should not be losing himself in that maze, that was not the time or space. Despite the intimate, quiet moments none of them really understood, their relationship was bound to be awkward. The ride to the headquarters of their department wasn’t as quiet as it’s been the one to Jimin’s apartment, yet the conversation was meaningless, devoid of anything of importance. They were restless and no words could have changed anything. The nature of their relationship could only be determined with time. Right now, they had to wait. As soon as they arrived at their destination, Jimin was quick to jump out of his seat, and followed by a rushed Yoongi, they hurried towards the front doors of the building. This time, Jimin didn’t cuff him, trusting Yoongi was no longer a risk. Jimin headed directly to the Inspector’s office. The office was bathed in dark orange, as the sun was already low and preparing herself to be swallowed by the oncoming night. Fortunately, the office workers were already gone as Jimin knocked twice on the office door, “Inspector Kim”s plate shining in its splendor there as always. Jimin knew he would find him there. “Can we?”Shortly after that, he heard a muffled “sure” and upon entering his office, Jimin’s eyes fall directly on the washed-out figure of his superior. He would not be happy about the news. These last days had been completely insane around the office and even someone as steadfast as Inspector Kim Seokjin was caught in the perpetual mess.“Park? Min? To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? ” His eyes were scanning them suspiciously, already prepared for the worst. “Did you find what you were looking for?” Jimin swallowed awkwardly, trying to find it in him to say the words, to uncover the truth, to lay it all down on the table, the fact that they were undoubtedly, unceremoniously and irrefutably fucked (quite literally in some cases). All he needed was a small gesture of reassurance, a reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore - as Yoongi tugged at the sleeve of his jacket, making sure the gesture was going to pass unnoticed by the Inspector. “Actually, we’re bringing bad news…”“There is some good news as well, if it’s any comfort ” Yoongi added cautiously.Inspector Kim took off his glasses and slowly placed them on the desk in front of him before folding his hands, full attention on them “Oh? That sounds exciting! Please take a seat and delight me. ”The two did as they were told and sat down on the two chairs in front of Kim’s desk.“So, Yoongi agreed to hand the microchip to us.” Jimin began, just a tiny bit afraid the Inspector might be suspecting something was going on between them, but there was no reaction following the statement, so he took it as a cue to continue. “However… shortly after that, we noticed it was missing. Like it vanished.”“It vanished.” Inspector Kim repeated in a stoic tone, eyes wide and incredulous.Jimin nodded. “Yes, it did.”Not to further prologue the agony, Kim turned his eyes to Yoongi. “And what’s the good news?”“I know who took it,” Yoongi replied with all possible haste. “But I don’t trust many people here, so… I wouldn’t advise sharing this piece of information outside your office yet. ”“Alright. ” Inspector Kim nodded, agreeing to keep it a secret between the three of them for now. Jimin would have been able to tell the story himself after the countless times it had been replayed in his mind, yet he didn’t intervene as Yoongi told Inspector Kim everything he previously told Jimin about Romeo: their close bond and the plan they’ve been crafting together for years, with Yoongi not realizing he was being completely set up.Kim listened to the whole story carefully, without displaying emotions other than interest, but when Yoongi finished his monologue, the Inspector leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh, now being just as perplexed by the whole situation, as both Jimin and Yoongi were. “So, the good news is that Romeo doesn’t know that we know the truth. For now, he still thinks you have no clue this is happening, am I correct?”“Correct,” Yoongi confirmed.“Then, we’ll have to try to keep it this way. We need to think this through. I need both of you to come up with a plan, fast. Subsequently, I will do the same.”“And I already have a couple of things in mind.” Yoongi said, “But I need one night to think everything through and can come back to you as soon as the morning comes.”
♠
Halsey - Castle
Not long after leaving the office, Jimin realized Yoongi wasn’t following him anymore. He stopped in his tracks, turning around just to spot Yoongi getting lost in the painting hung up near the inspector’s office. He was spacing out, though.“Penny for your thoughts?” Jimin asked.“I… do you want me to tell you about what I have in mind? What I’ve thought of?”Jimin was quite surprised to see Yoongi ready and confident to share his plans with him so soon, but he figured it was a good sign. Yoongi didn’t have to plan alone, and Jimin didn't have to, either. There were two of them now. “Okay, sure, let’s go to my office, I can give you a ride to the apartment after that.”
♠
Jimin closed the door behind them carefully and made a beeline toward his desk, leaning against it.Yoongi copied Jimin’s moves, staying in the same position as Jimin. He took his time, searching for his words, perhaps organizing his own thoughts a bit. Jimin was patient, giving him the time he needed. “I need to find a… less obvious way to get closer to Romeo, I need him to think I trust him.”Jimin nodded, just letting him know he was paying attention before Yoongi continued. “What if… I play my own way through the games? I’m starting to think he’s deeply involved with them. It makes much more sense if this is the case… Him knowing where the targets have been hiding all the time, knowing their weaknesses, it was a simple yet effective card to play on his part.”But as the reality of Yoongi’s words sank in, Jimin felt a shiver of terror running down his spine. “You mean the Game of Life?”“Exactly. I mean… I already know a lot about the game and I think I can do it, become a Game Master. ”Jimin shook his head, trying not to let despair show on his face.“Wait, Yoongi, we might have Hoseok’s sister that will help us to get closer to him, why would you possibly want to play that dangerous game?”“Jimin. I don’t play safe, I win.” He replied, almost sounding harsh, cold shivers running down Jimin’s body once again at the tone of his voice. “We will obviously need her, but we can’t count on her cooperation. Playing these games might be our only, actual chance to get closer, find some more about him and you know, not look suspicious. It’s obvious I can’t ask him anything unless I want to compromise our plans. This... is our best shot.”“Okay.” Jimin eventually said heart far from being at peace with the idea. “But he could still be suspicious of you. What if you playing the game will raise questions?”“I will make him think that it is my actual plan, to infiltrate and find out about the mafia, going alone into the lion’s den. I will ask for his help, he won’t think I’m trying to deceive him.”Jimin sighed, infinite scenarios already running through his head. “Yoongi, you have no guarantee that you can win a game, not to mention that there are so many game players you have to defy in order to reach him? What if he doesn’t play the game at all?”“I’m not doing it to play against him. I will do it to get my hands on important intel through game masters. They surely know a lot.”There was a squeezing sensation in Jimin’s chest, he can’t simply just… accept it. “I… I don’t like that Yoongi. I – I don’t want you to do it.”But when Jimin met Yoongi’s eyes, he could only see determination. Jimin could swear to god, that man doesn’t know fear. “It’s how I survived until now, Jimin, we have the best plan right before our noses, I can’t just overlook it for something as insignificant as… me being in danger. I’m always in danger, like right now.” “Yeah, but if you die, the plan and everything you left behind will go to shit.”“If I die it means I wasn’t good enough. Jimin, I won’t die.”Jimin looked at him with more purpose this time, judging him. “And do you think it’s okay for us to put all of our money on you? With the costs of jeopardizing the mission? Maybe you are one all-in type of a person, but I am a thinker, Yoongi, and I will not allow this to happen.”“Why are you so afraid of me dying, anyway?” Yoongi turned around taking a step closer to Jimin, eyes fierce and expectant.“You know, damn well, this is not about that .” Jimin narrowed his eyes as well, knowing Yoongi wanted to lead the conversation in a specific direction, and what Yoongi didn't know right now was that his games weren’t that hard to play for Jimin, not anymore. “I asked why you’re afraid of me dying, Jimin? Huh?” Yoongi crowded him, voice getting even lower. Jimin could already picture Yoongi’s smirk if Jimin was going to fall for his trap. So he had two and a half options. Roll his eyes, say some terrible things to him, or kiss him. The third was not really an option hence he didn’t fully include it in the option list. “I simply don’t want you to die.” He replied, voice as unaffected as possible.“You would have said something different a week ago.” Jimin snorted. The fucker is so full of himself now, huh? “You know what? I take my words back. The plan is bad, but you can die for all I care.”
Carl Storm - Run
Yoongi rolled his eyes before returning to his initial place. “I will try to think of some other ways to do this, too, alright?”The answer was far from reassuring, but Jimin felt at ease. He offered Yoongi a satisfied smile. “This sounds great… You are good.” He replied, hand instinctively traveling up to Yoongi’s hair, fingers lingering a little too long through threads of blonde hair. The air shifted, and Jimin had no idea why he did it, but Yoongi felt the change in the atmosphere too. He grabbed his hand, slowly lowering it down, before letting his gaze fall on Jimin’s eyes. It was intimate, the way they looked at each other and no matter how much they wanted to put a stop to it, the in-between strings pulled them closer.Jimin felt again like drowning, getting lost in the ocean, or maybe into the figuratively Black Sea. A storm of glistening black doesn’t hold back from hauling Jimin whole.“You know, Jimin, I’m not that good.” Yoongi’s eyes darkened as he moved his body to stand in front of Jimin, almost hovering over him. It made him feel small, the cunning grin on his lips, and the way Yoongi was controlling the mood drove Jimin insane. He wanted to fight back, but he was defenseless, he couldn’t defy Yoongi this time.Instead of fighting it, Jimin decided to let go of that unreasonable urge to be the powerful one. Maybe it was okay for Jimin to let Yoongi win one argument.
Or his heart…
At least this time, he didn’t reply. Instead, he remained in that exact same position, prey under Yoongi’s hungry eyes as he watched him fiercely, eyes not leaving Jimin’s for one second. Jimin felt shivers running down his spine as Yoongi’s hand traveled up until it reached his shoulder. He threaded his fingers through Jimin’shair, tangling them with black curls, fingers daintily dancing with them before sinking them deeper and pulling at those soft threads harshly.Their lips smashed together in a brutal, untamed kiss, washing Jimin of all of his senses. Jimin knew Yoongi was going to kiss him, there was no way he wasn’t with the burning hunger in his eyes. Yet, somehow it still took Jimin off guard, sending him spiraling into a chaotical tornado of feelings. It wasn’t tender. Yoongi was in full control and Jimin succumbed heart and soul to his wishes. He liked it. It was passionate and scorching, Jimin lost it. He wasn’t existing outside the kiss anymore, he lived in there now, with Yoongi pulling at his lower lip with his teeth before sliding his tongue past his swollen, reddish lips. Their playful battle of tongues kept going on for an eternity and a half, pushing Jimin past his limits, reaching edges he didn’t know he could reach with something as simple as a French kiss.Yoongi knew the effect he had on Jimin, it was unspoken, but he felt it, and he didn’t hesitate to push some more buttons as he daintily placed his palms on Jimin’s thin waist, tugging him even closer, until their bodies were entirely pressed together. His palms were roaming Jimin’s body, pulling Jimin from heaven straight to hell as his dick kept on twitching against Yoongi’s. It was getting too much, too hot. He managed to break the kiss just for a mere second to let out a muffled “What’s gotten into you?”Yoongi responded with a casual grin against his lips. His voice was low and intimate. “We don’t have a tomorrow, but we have right now, this moment. I don’t want to let it pass.”Jimin couldn’t process the words, didn't have the time to anyway, as Yoongi rolled his hips against him before biting at his lower lip again, grin still in place, gaze categorical. He was not waiting for a reply.They were both hard, a hot mess, but there was no way they were going to go for it a second time that day. He tried to break the kiss again.“Yoongi..” He managed to say, but Yoongi wasn’t having any of it as he sneaked his hand between their bodies, groping Jimin through his pants. “Fuck.” Jimin cursed, giving up on his sanity. If Yoongi wanted him, then so be it. He pushed his hips further against Yoongi’s palm, soft moans escaping his lips. He doesn't process it at first, but Yoongi stops to a halt, lips, and palms still in place all over Jimin’s body, but eyes now open with stupefaction.There was a knock on the door.“Fuck- fuck, fuck.” Jimin shouts silently. “Um, who’s that?” He yelled at the door while rearranging his clothes, putting his shirt back in place in his pants with one hand while combing his hair with the other.”“It’s Officer Jeong-In, detective, can I come in?”“Uhh…” Jimin looked around hastily. “Yoongi, sit down, now!!” He pushed Yoongi towards the chair and then bypassed the desk, sitting down, still working on his hair. “Try to look as casual as possible.”Yoongi looked positively delighted, snickering away like a teenager who got caught making out with their crush by the crush’s parents. “I have a boner, Jimin.”Jimin slapped his own cheeks twice with his palms. “Hide it.” After a couple more moments of bickering and rearranging, Jimin finally invited the waiting officer inside. “I’m sorry… um… did I interrupt… something?” The young officer seemed insecure.Jimin cleared his throat. “No! Not at all, we were…”“Discussing important matters regarding a future plan.” Yoongi enlightened Jeong-in, seemingly more relaxed than Jimin.“Um, I… okay.” Officer Jeong-in kept on looking between Jimin and Yoongi awkwardly. “I saw light coming through your office and I thought of coming to tell you something.”“Go ahead then.” Jimin gestured.“Okay, I’ll jump straight to the point. We localized Hoseok’s sister, but the subject moved only for a short period today. It must be because she wore the shoes again today. We shouldn’t wait for too long before making a first move. It’s too dangerous. The location is a hotel around Insa-dong. We can’t risk losing her.”Jimin nodded, eyes more focused now, reality slowly but surely kicking in. He took a deep breath. “That’s correct, Officer. We can’t risk losing her. I’ll set up a meeting for tomorrow morning. We will discuss further details with the entire team and act as quickly as possible. Jung Dawon is an important pawn in this game, we can’t act recklessly.”“Yeah, but we have new assets to our team, so we have some advantage on our side, don't we?”“Yes, we’ll make sure of it.”
♠
Carl Storm - with u in the morning
Taehyung’s pov
~three hours earlier~
Being locked up in an apartment wasn’t sensational. It wasn’t great for Taehyung or his feelings, especially so, since he is such a free soul that loves wandering around all day — and night if possible. However, being locked up in an apartment was a way better alternative to being locked up in a cold cell. And thankfully Taehyung wasn’t alone. His days were brighter now, he had hope and wasn’t dreading death as much as he did just a couple of days ago. He was getting better.And one thing that was of great help was the fact that he had been able to focus all of his energy on one thing alone: helping the detective team they were now part of with creating fake scenarios and solutions to problems that might arise in the near future. It was an important task that he had been given, plus, he worked on it together with Jungkook. It helped him take his mind off of negative thoughts or possible variations of his own future because none of them looked too good.For all he knew, he could be spending the rest of his life in prison, nonetheless, everything began slowly to move in their favor. Some of the past events happened too fast, and Taehyung had barely time to process any of them, but at least the situation was hopeful.None of it was safe of course, but either way, at least there were new options in sight, options they had run out of before surrendering to Jimin. Back then, there was only one thing they could do: run.Now, the decision was theirs to make. He, Jungkook, and Yoongi could either choose to stay safe and protected behind bars forever or risk it all and fight alongside the detectives. Obviously, they chose the latter. None of them was the type to stay back and watch. They were men of action. “Hey, Tae, want some coffee?”Lost in his own chaotical thoughts, Taehung barely registered Jungkook’s voice coming from the kitchen. However, when he did, his heart jumped just the littlest.
Oh how much he hated letting himself be this affected by his simple presence.
“Sure, Kook.” He replied steadily, trying to shake off the fluttering sensation.He failed miserably though as his mind was now focused on one thing only: Jungkook. Speaking of Jungkook, Taehyung hasn’t exactly had the time to sort things out with him. If there were any things to be sorted. And look, Taehyung might have been dense sometimes, but he wasn’t a fool. He could feel it. There was something going on between them and, for a fact, he was convinced Jungkook was aware of it too. Even if he wasn’t in love with Taehyung, the way Taehyung was with him, the tension was so palpable, it was impossible that Jungkook didn’t feel it. Whatever they had was more than just a friendship. Taehyung had been best friends with Jimin since high school, he knew what friendship felt like and that was not it. They were affectionate, sure, and he loved Jimin, but Taehyung never even once wanted to get wrecked by Jimin in his entire life.With Jungkook… well, that was a different story.He felt it in the lingering touches, the intimate gazes they shared when no one was looking, the unanswered questions, and the uncontestable understanding between them, a connection only the two of them had.Jungkook was aware of it, yet neither of them was going to act on it. And maybe it was for the best because despite his bravery, he was afraid of talking about the said connection to Jungkook, he wasn’t ready to hear Jungkook’s answer, he wasn’t ready to face him denying it.For Taehyung, Jungkook was like a tornado. An undeniably vigorous storm that could cause havoc at any moment, with a miserable past constantly haunting him, an intelligence that many couldn’t even dare to conquer, and most importantly, a lack of affection that goes way back. Taehyung didn’t dare to have expectations.As if all that wasn’t already enough, they haven’t been exactly threading through clear water the past months. It would be dangerous to make a step in the wrong direction, especially if Jungkook wasn’t ready for any of it. It might only bring them both misery.Being aware of the facts didn’t mean Taehyung was happy about them though or made things easier. Sometimes it was breaking Taehyung to pieces having Jungkook by his side all day, eating with him, chatting with him, even sleeping next to him, yet having to hold back constantly. He couldn’t touch him, hold him, or be honest with him. “Here Tae…” Jungkook offered as he entered the bedroom, making his way to their bed. It pulled Taehyung out of his miserable bubble, bringing him back to an even harsher reality. He bit his lower lip, forcing all those thoughts away, they weren’t good for him. A sweet smile was on Jungkook lips as he handed Taehyung the big cup of coffee and leaned against the mattress next toTaehyung.“What’s up? Why are you hiding in here, all alone?” He asked, sipping from his own cup of coffee. “Is there something bothering you?” You don’t want to know the answer to that question. Taehyung thought to himself, making sure his thoughts didn’t reach his eyes.“Nothing much, just… a lot of things are happening.”Jungkook agreed with him with a nod, not saying much for a while. He was enjoying his coffee, Taehyung should have done it too. But he forgot about it, and then it was too late, as Jungkook’s fingers were now in his hair, sheepishly entangled with threads of disheveled curls. Taehyung avoided his eyes, scared of being exposed. He might be able to keep his mouth shut, but his eyes would give him away immediately. As Jungkook played with his hair, Taehyung eyes were fixed on the cup of coffee in his hands, trying to ignore the shivers going down his spine. It was just Jungkook playing with his hair, nothing he didn’t do a thousand times before, yet for Taehyung it felt like the first time. The stronger their connection gets, the more receptive and sensitive Taehyung gets whenever Jungkook was in his presence. Making any type of contact with him was more often than not driving him insane nowadays. It was ridiculous, but it was just how his body reacted to Jungkook.That’s why he tried to avoid him for a while, however, right now, he didn’t think he could do it, not anymore. He changed his focus from the mug and let his eyes fall on Jungkook’s face.“Everything‘s good with us, right?” There was a shy tint to Jungkook’s voice that Taehyung didn’t understand, but he let him continue. “I know we haven’t been able to spend time together recently but… given the situation… I wouldn’t say any of us is to blame.”Taehyung’s reply was just as shy. “I guess you are right. We used to talk a lot more in the past, and now we don’t, despite living in the same place. The irony, right?” He tried to cheer Jungkook up with his voice, and when a faint glint of pink covered Jungkook’s cheeks, Taehyung rendered the mission successful.
Adorable.
He had to go easy on him, Jungkook was very attached to their friendship. He must have mustered a lot of courage to say this to Taehyung, needing to get reassurance out of Taehyung himself. Jungkook was making progress, despite the chaotic times they were living in. And it was alright even if Jungkook didn’t say everything he was feeling out loud, because Taehyung understood. Looking into his eyes was more than enough for Taehyung to know what was going through his head. Jungkook might have been a mystery to most people surrounding him, but to Taehyung, he was an open book. To get his point across, Taehyung offered Jungkook an open, boxy smile, teeth on display. “Don’t worry, Kook, I think most of our reactions and mood swings are excusable, given our current situation. Besides, you are handling it amazingly, despite being alone for such a long time, you managed to keep up with me and Yoongi and look at us now. We wouldn't be here if it wasn’t for your help, I hope you know that. So please, don’t force yourself to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable for my sake. For me, it is enough that you are here, with me.”Jungkook’s eyes went wide, not shocked, but surprised, maybe at Taehyung’s clemency. He struggled to find the words to reply. “I- how did you, um…” He scrunched his nose cutely. “Doesn’t matter, thank you, Tae, I don’t know how you manage to say exactly what I need to hear at all times, but I really appreciate it.”Taehyung laughed airily. “Nah, it’s not me doing it. It’s us. Our bond. You need to understand this is just how we operate, okay? Even if you don’t want to accept or don’t know about it, we are connected, by circumstance and some feelings.”Jungkook didn’t laugh when he replied, instead a little frown made him appear sad and scared. “I just… I wish we could stay like this forever, inside this apartment, hidden, safe, and protected, maybe convince Jimin to bring us a PC and we can just play games until we get old.” When his eyes met Taehyung’s, he realized he worried him, so he faked a breathy laugh.”But we need to… move forward.”Taehyung pressed his lips into a thin but confident line as he nodded. He didn’t notice the shift in Jungkook’s behavior at first, but as he looked at him after he placed his mug on the floor by the bed, it took Taehyung off guard. He moved a little bit closer, just looking at him. He gulped as his eyes fell on Taehyung’s lips and Taehyung’s heart rate increased in a flash. He needed to stop Jungkook from giving him heart attacks all the time. Jungkook avoided his eyes when he spoke up. “Taehyung, listen…” Taehyung didn’t know what to expect, he didn't know what was about to come next, and he certainly didn’t know how to react. He should have backed down, yet he didn’t, he kept on looking at Jungkook expectantly.“Yeah?” Taehyung tilted his head to the side, searching for Jungkook’s eyes. Jungkook kept on fidgeting. “I… can I… Is it okay if I touch your face?”Taehyung almost dropped his cup, still full of now lukewarm coffee. “What? Why?”“Let me try this again, um, would you feel like… it’s wrong for me to touch your face?”Taehyung frowned, as he screamed internally at his stupid heart to stop being so damn loud. He placed the coffee on the nightstand and turned to Jungkook. “No? I mean, it depends on more than one thing. Do you want to search for pimples or something like that?” He tried to make a joke, failing miserably for what it was worth.Jungkook didn’t seem to be in the mood for joking, and Taehyung’s stomach dropped to the ground. Jungkook’s look darkened, even though he couldn’t stare right into them. “No, Tae, I just…” His hand traveled up to Taehyung’s face, thumb caressing it, tracing his features softly, going from his nose to the eyebrows, then back to his cheeks. Taehyung’s heart was threatening to rip its way out of its ribcage.
Lips.
Jungkook’s thumb brushed slightly over Taehyung’s lips.“You are… so beautiful, handsome, flawless,” Jungkook said in awe as he kept on tracing Taehyung’s features with the faintest touch. Taehyung should have stopped him, but he didn’t have it in him. He needed to focus on not letting Jungkook show he was shaking, he needed to calm down and breathe, without being an agitated mess, but he was convinced his cheeks were rosy to the point Jungkook would laugh at him at any given second.He needed to do something, he couldn’t hold back anymore, and it was all Jungkook’s fault. With all the controversial feelings he was experiencing that moment, the second time he caught Jungkook’s finger brushing over his lips he managed to draw the courage to open his mouth just the slightest bit, testing Jungkook’s reaction. Jungkook’s gaze was fixed on his lips as if he was under a spell. His thumb remained there, over Taehyung’s lower lip. Taehyung was barely breathing, but he licked his lower lip, touching Jungkook’s finger in the process, visibly surprising Jungkook when he did so.“Tae...” Jungkook said in a low whisper, pushing his thumb past Taehyung’s lip, while Taehyung took the tip in between his lower lip and his front teeth, playing with it a little.Jungkook kept on staring with his mouth open.“I…” Jungkook murmured again. “I wonder how you taste.”Taehyung’s sanity snapped. The last bits of sanity he managed to hold on to, went right through the window in that exact second. He let go of Jungkook’s finger, leaning closer. “Let me show you.” Jungkook didn’t have much time to react as Taehyung leaned in, planting his lips on Jungkook’s. He closed his eyes, taking the moment in.At first, Taehyung went slow, so slow, he barely felt Jungkook’s lips against his. He wanted to make sure Jungkook wanted this just as much as he did. But Jungkook didn’t break the kiss, so Taehyung smiled against his lips before taking his lower lip between his teeth, biting it ever so softly. Jungkook’s breathing was getting agitated, Taehyung took that as a good sign. He wanted to let Jungkook feel good. He licked over Jungkook’s lip before taking it between his lips, sucking on it softly.He let go, opening his eyes and checking on Jungkook, but when he did break the kiss, Jungkook’s eyes looked hooded, captivated, and hungry.“Screw it,” Jungkook whispered, and it was him that leaned in this time, kissing Taehyung more eagerly, moaning softly through it, lips molding easily together, ripping Taehyung of all of his senses. He had desperately wanted this for years, and now he is desperately holding onto the kiss, afraid the moment might be gone at any second.He tasted like coffee, cigarettes, and something he had never thought he would be able to taste. He tasted like Jungkook, and now that Taehyung got a taste of him, he would commit murder if he had to let go ever again.Senses intoxicated with Jungkook, he couldn’t hold back any further. He pushed his tongue past Jungkook’s lips, smashing their lips together. They could barely breathe, but Taehyung didn’t care, not when his tongue was touching Jungkook’s, not when Jungkook tilted his head to the side to give Taehyung better access and moaned into the kiss, literally edging Taehyung into an abyss of sensations he hadn’t felt before. The kiss was desperate and urgent.His hands were roaming all over Jungkook’s chest, finally touching every curve of his, feeling him up close, getting lost in everything he had been dreaming of for the past months. He was barely registering this was reality and not just another wet dream.And Taehyung didn’t care about the aftermath of all this. He didn’t care anymore, it was his chance, and he wasn’t going to let go of it. So he confidently lowered one hand between their bodies, firmly groping Jungkook’s hard-on. He was convinced he wasn’t the only one who needed to be desperately touched, and true to his thoughts, Jungkook replied with a loud groan. Happy with the response, Taehyung climbed over Jungkook, placing his legs on each side of his thighs, straddling him, trying not to break the kiss for one second, smashing their teeth in the process.Better positioned, Taehyung slid his hand inside Jungkook’s sweatpants, taking his leaking cock out, applying pressure to the tip with his thumb, listening attentively to the new, different sounds Jungkook made into his mouth.He was set on having Jungkook crumble under his touch. He started stroking him, still not giving up on the kiss, but breaking it shortly here and then to allow Jungkook to moan and breathe when his thumb brushed over the head of his cock teasingly. He knew he was being a tease, but he had been waiting for too long, he didn’t want the moment to end too soon, or at all. To his surprise, Jungkook was just as hopeless as he was. He must have been touch-deprived for a long while because his reply urged Taehyung to slow down. “Tae, I could come any moment now.”Taehyung felt the same way though, so he hastily unbuttoned his own pants, taking his cock out. “Try to lean against the mattress,” he suggested, and Jungkook placed both of his hands on the sides of his body, leaning his weight on them. Taehyung closed the space between them leaned his forehead against Jungkook’s shoulder and both of their cocks in his large hand. He started stroking at a fast, enthusiastic pace. Between moans and erratic breaths, Taehyung felt like crying, reaching an unimaginable pleasure, getting high on the moment, on Jungkook and his body. His muscles tensed up when he opened his eyes, letting his gaze fall upon the two rock-hard, cocks in his hand. He couldn’t last any longer at the sight, and with a couple of strokes, he started shaking, feeling his own body ascend as he started moaning and cumming all over Jungkook’s shirt. He hardly registered Jungkook coming too under him just a few seconds after him, their bodies a pile of a hot mess.They collapsed on the bed with Taehyung on top of Jungkook and remained like that for a long while, even after they managed to breathe evenly.
♠
Jungkook’s pov
Clean and tired, after taking a hot shower, Jungkook drowned in the bed he was sharing with Taehyung and closed his eyes. While Taehyung’s breathing evened, signaling that he fell prey to a deep slumber, he let his senses roam free, without thinking about anything of much importance.He didn’t fall asleep, instead, he was bathing in the whole warm feeling that was now clinging to his entire body. There were chaste traces of Taehyung on his body, and Jungkook couldn’t think of anything but his palms and long fingers roaming all over his body, his soft touch, the fearful intimacy of their contact. It was hard for Jungkook to believe whatever had happened between them was real. He felt ecstatic, heavenly, like in a daydream. Jungkook didn’t want to ever leave that fantasy of them behind. He shouldn’t have done it, he would certainly regret it later, but not now. Right now, Jungkook felt dazzlingly good.He had always found Taehyung stunning, it wasn’t new. He had always dreamed of him and yearned for his touch, yet having a taste of it, only amplified his helpless desire. He and Taehyung have something both of them acknowledged a long time ago, it was unspoken, but ever so present. Jungkook dreaded that one day would come when he wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore and he cross the borderline he obsessively tried to create between them. And that day was today. Stupid Jungkook had crossed the line today, despite knowing there was no way back, despite knowing both he and Taehyung would get hurt. He wasn’t ready for any of what was going to come, not mentally, or emotionally. Jungkook shouldn’t get more attached to Taehyung than he already was.One day in the future maybe.But not today, and it will tear both of their hearts apart.It felt good. Warm. Just this time. He said to himself. Just for this time.
♠
3am - Boy Epic
Yoongi’s pov
Yoongi was a man of silence. He loved silence, yet, whenever he was in Jimin’s presence, he was used to continuous chaos, an exchange of neverending replies, a fight of the wildest of wolves.But the second Jeong-in left Jimin’s office, an awkward silence settled over the room and Jimin didn’t seem to try to break it. Yoongi, despite his usual self, tried to cooperate, he opened his mouth a couple of times, he wanted to bring back the issue at hand, to discuss it but nothing worked on his side.“Do you want me to walk you back to the apartment?” Jimin finally broke the awkwardness himself, and maybe that was exactly what Yoongi had needed at that moment. “Fresh air. I could definitely use some!”Jimin offered him a reassuring smile. Yoongi had a hard time reading it, but he took it, just like he loved to take everything Jimin offered him.
♠
The weather outside was warm, humid even, a bit peculiar for the usual spring weather in Seoul, but it was perfect for a refreshing late-night walk. These days, during lunchtime, Yoongi counted clouds in the sky on the fingers of one hand, yet despite the sun embracing the day with good intention, the wind had been pretty intense. Only recently, the temperature raised and reached unexpected peaks. Yoongi had barely had any time to observe the weather changes though. Except for his cigarette breaks, he would rarely be outside. Speaking of cigarettes, the second he stepped outside, Jimin handed Yoongi a new pack of Lucky Strikes. Recently, Yoongi had to cut down on his daily dose of cigarettes as he couldn’t leave the apartment or office building at any time he pleased. Getting hold of a new pack was a pain in the ass.He took Jimin’s offering, skeptically, eyebrow quirked.The smile on Jimin’s face was apologetic. “Figured you could use a pack.” He cared for Yoongi too much for his own good, and Yoongi felt bad about it. It felt too easy. After everything he’s done to Jimin, he still found it in himself to think of Yoongi and his needs. Yoongi wiped the questioning look off his face as he accepted Jimin’s gift. There were many things on his mind these days, but he would need to find a way to pay Jimin back soon, or at least thank him for everything he’s done for them. It was quite funny, thinking of it, just a couple of days back, he had similar feelings towards his best friend, Romeo. He felt like he owed the man his life, yet, his misplaced trust brought him nothing but misery. It was such a nerve-wracking situation. Was it Yoongi’s fault to begin with that he asked for his help to do something wicked and unjust? Or was it Romeo’s fault for betraying his best friend?Yoongi couldn’t decide just yet. He and Romeo had history, he hardly came to terms with what had just happened. However, more important now, was for Yoongi to make sure that Romeo will be completely surprised when Yoongi ends up ruining his plans. Yoongi was happy though he still had enough time to play his cards in his own favor. Romeo was convinced Yoongi trusted him blindly, because he simply did, up until today, that is. He even knows the address of the apartment Yoongi lives in right now. And Yoongi will have to use facts like this against him. “Thanks,” Yoongi murmured in Jimin’s direction, taking one cig and placing it between his crispy lips.Jimin hummed in return and lit his own cigarette. Davidoff. Not so many things changed about them, but everything between them did. While Yoongi remained loyal to his Luckies, Jimin had also done the same with his Davidoffs, they were the same two people that kissed under the night sky just a couple of weeks back, on Namsan Hill, yet, everything was different now. There was no beginning and no end for either, they simply walked together into the danger ahead of them, into a nameless relationship, and an uncertain future.They slowly walked down the street, clothed in the light of the lighting poles l. Time didn’t matter to them at that moment and that fact settled in the air surrounding them, neither had any plans of rushing. Today had been a small intake of fresh air, no one knew when they were going to have another one. It was dark outside and the wind was barely touching their faces, but a chill, fresh air tickled their noses.Yoongi thought it was the perfect timing for him to share a little background story with Jimin. He was aware it might be hurtful, talking about it, but Jimin needed some context just as much as he needed Jimin to know his past. So he began sharing his story slowly, timidly. “I’ve been friends with Romeo since middle school. We were twelve at the time.” Jimin raised his eyebrows in surprise, obviously shocked about Yoongi‘s decision to have this conversation, but it definitely piqued his interest. Yoongi was pleased with that reaction. Truthfully, he wasn’t the type to talk about himself a whole lot, unless it was to his advantage or he could use it against someone else. But with Jimin, it was different. Everything about Yoongi was different when it came to Jimin.He smiled to himself for a second, hundreds of images portraying past events unwinding at the back of his mind. It was Jimin walking by his side now, with a curious glance at the pretty features of his face, and Yoongi knew he owed Jimin the whole story.Surprisingly enough, he was genuinely excited at the thought of Jimin knowing about such an important part of his life. It was a weird ticklish feeling, a buzz of excitement he haven’t felt in ages: the excitement when someone was genuinely listening to what you have to tell them about yourself, and, they found it interesting enough to listen.Yoongi liked that Jimin made him feel that.
Yoongi liked everything Jimin made him feel.
“Me and Taehyung… we were the black sheep of the town. We were born in Daegu and we lived on the outskirts of the city in a small modest home with our grandparents. I mean… his… I was the one adopted…”Jimin didn’t say anything, just walked along Yoongi, listening carefully and smoking his cigarette in the meantime.“We had little to no friends in our childhood. The neighbors judged us and our grandparents for adopting a kid off the streets when they weren’t well off. It was practically us against the whole neighborhood, but I didn’t mind. I was happy to protect my brother whenever I had the chance. With time, the kids in the neighborhood didn’t even dare to look in our direction.” He smiled at the memory, content with the images in his head of a little Taehyung playing around the streets with him. “Everything changed the summer before I got into middle school.” He continued. “I kept on spotting this weird, skinny, scared kid hiding behind the trees separating our home from the neighbor’s to smoke his stolen cigarettes. At first, I decided to try to drive him away. I didn’t kick him in the butt, but I wasn’t far from it. Shorty said he was spying on us, so he kept on throwing stuff at him, we didn’t want any potential harm in the proximity of our house.” Yoongi gesticulated with the cigarette between his fingers, earning a small chuckle from Jimin.“Do not tell me this is Romeo we are talking about!”“I…” Yoongi sighed. “I honestly can’t remember exactly how it happened or when, but we became friends after a while, he offered me cigarettes, and I refused for a while, I was grandma’s good boy, but…”“You grew into a bad boy to protect your brother.” Jimin continued for him.Yoongi chuckled. “Don’t say that, I’ll cringe! But I kinda did pick on bad habits sometime around that time. At first, it was all fun and games around the neighborhood, like stealing inoffensive shit from the neighbors, mocking the other kids, and making them fear us. Romeo has been bullied too, we were growing up, and we felt like we deserved that revenge. Soon enough, the bullied became the bullies. We were fighting on the streets, smoking, drinking everything that came into our sight, the cheapest alcohol if possible, all the while my grandparents and brother thought I was a great kid. They used to call me “angel”. Still do.” Yoongi shied away a little bit, a blush covering his cheeks. “I was nothing but a devil.”“Still are, nothing but a devil,” Jimin commented, a look of disbelief on his face. Yoongi continued though. “Romeo’s fam was fucked up. He took his time to open up, but my suspicions were confirmed when he did. His family was poor and violent, his childhood was traumatizing, and… I guess he found solace with me. And I did find whatever I needed at the time in him. It was fun until it got serious. Drugs, street gangs, fights.” Jimin didn’t seem surprised, he probably expected it. Yet, it didn’t make the story easier to tell.“I became an addict at the age of 16, to the point I lost myself. I think my grandparents must have had a hunch about what was going on, but I pushed them away whenever they tried to talk about whatever was going on with me. I was a little shit, and none of it stopped until I was hospitalized over an overdose at the age of 18. I’m going to stay away from unpleasant details.” He offered Jimin a weak smile. “It was bad, wasted years of my life that left many scars.” Yoongi felt a shiver running down his spine, his whole body trying to reject the memory.“Hey.” Jimin stopped walking, grabbing Yoongi’s shoulder to make him stop as well. He reached inside his pocket and grabbed the pack of cigs, he lit one for himself, and it took Yoongi mere seconds to forget about his past and trauma, eyes fixed on the beautiful detective in front of him, ethereal features illuminated by the playful flickers of the light coming from the nearest lamppost.Jimin looked at him, and his eyes were warm, empathic, a bit sympathetic even. “You don’t have to go into detail about that if you don’t feel like it,” Jimin explained, right after exhaling a lungful of smoke. “The thing about the drugs, it wasn’t like we were rich kids, so we dealt drugs, procured money, and kept a lot of it to ourselves.” Yoongi felt more relaxed talking about it to Jimin than he thought he would. “After I OD’d I decided to move to Seoul, stop doing drugs, and start making a life for myself. Romeo came too, but he had never given up the drugs. He’s not a junkie, not anymore, he might still have some from time to time, but I know he made a change as well when we moved. I scared him, both of us, so we started doing other things. I enrolled at the university after a year of working two jobs, and I started trying to take my music path. All the while, Romeo remained an underground figure, his name starting to be renowned by the street gangs of Seoul. I don’t know when it happened but… He stopped telling me about it some time ago.”“And you guys… continued to be as close as you’ve been before?” Jimin asked, not accusingly, but curiously. “Yeah, we kept on hanging out, crashed at each other’s place from time to time, went clubbing together or to concerts. It was a fun time, even if we couldn’t help each other with much advice, at least we were there for each other, offering a reassuring shoulder to lean on. We always listened to each other. That’s how our relationship worked. ““What about Tae?”Yoongi smiled contently thinking of his young brother and those old times. “He moved to Seoul sometime around my last year of uni. I moved in with him for a while, and I loved seeing him grow up… up close.” “Taehyung… wait, he told me your grandparents lived with you?”“Eventually…after a while, I helped Romeo with some of his deals and earned enough money to afford an apartment for our grannies, here in Seoul. They sold the old house in Daegu, for us to get something bigger, and that’s where we lived until we were offered the scholarship to the US.”“And Romeo helped you with everything you’ve been through...with no ulterior motives.”Yoongi nodded. “It was mutual trust. I have no idea what triggered him to betray me, when it started or when he stopped being my friend.”Yoongi kept silent after his last sentence and Jimin kept it that way until they arrived in front of Yoongi’s apartment. “Thank you for telling me, Yoongi. About yourself .” Jimin’s words were quiet but held much importance. Yoongi had shared the story with Jimin not only to give him the very much-needed context but also to lift something off his chest. It had hurt him greatly to be betrayed by his long-lasting friend, but for Yoongi, the past months had been so intense, there was nothing left that could surprise him. And Jimin’s reaction was kind as he’s been receptive, without getting mad at Yoongi for his past or for trusting his friend. After all, it’s in human nature to go ahead and trust the people one surrounds themselves with. Furthermore, Yoongi was well aware, Jimin knew exactly how he felt, as he’s been through something similar, only the cause for Jimin’s pain had been Yoongi. “I wanted you to know… about all of this.” Were it for the case, or because Yoongi was determined to share more about himself with Jimin, it didn't matter. Most importantly, it made him feel better.
♠
Tommee Profitt, brooke - Can’t help falling in love (DARK)
After Jimin had left, Yoongi was left with a ticklish feeling, lingering. Before entering the apartment, he greeted the officer at the entrance, then explained that Detective Park had accompanied him there. The officer dismissed him with a bored sigh.Upon entering the hallway, Yoongi was welcomed by an eerie quiet and pitch blackness. Strange. It was unusual for Taehyung and Jungkook to be asleep at this hour. He turned the lights on after taking off his shoes and quietly approached the kitchen. Before managing to switch on the lights in the kitchen, his breath got stuck in his throat, almost tripping over the threshold, realizing there was someone there, in the kitchen, sitting in complete darkness. “What the fuck?” He cursed as he reached to his left to switch another light on. As soon as there was light, he found Taehyung standing there alone, leaning on his elbows, a blank stare on his face, unfocused eyes full of vacancy.Yoongi frowned. “Taehyung?”As if he was brought back from a daze, Taehyung turned his head just a bit, enough to look at his older brother. His eyes widened but then faked a smile.“Hyung? Where have you been? Is everything alright?”Yoongi scanned him with reservations before reaching for the fridge. He took some snacks out. “Busy. Tired. I’ve been with Jimin all day, then Inspector Kim.” He mumbled around the rice cake pieces he found in the fridge.“Any good news?” “I suppose.” Yoongi turned towards him, dimming his eyes. “What’s gotten into you?”Taehyung sighed. “I, it’s nothing, hyung, I was just thinking.”“Yea, it’s a good sign that we are still thinking, but I’m sure there’s something else.” Yoongi cocked an eyebrow and took another bite. “Isn’t it…?” He tilted his head to the side of the bedroom with the closed door. Taehyung shrugged. “It’s ridiculous, hyung, I don’t even think I should waste your time with it.”Yoongi sighed and placed the plate of garaetteok on the counter, then joined Taehyung by the window, leaning against the sill. “I would never disregard your feelings or think they are a waste of time. Plus, I always knew something was going on between you two. I have eyes, you know?”Taehyung frowned. “That’s the thing, Yoongi, nothing is going on between us, even if… there could be something, it’s not the moment nor the time for it. And I’ve been proven I was right all along. Jungkook doesn’t know what he wants, and I don’t want to talk to him about it. I don’t want him to feel obliged to do something, anything. He needs to do it himself.”Yoongi was proud of his brother, he had always been very considerate towards others’ feelings. Really, Taehyung was a kind person. “Shortcake.” Yoongi winked at him. “I know exactly how you feel. The thing is, we will meet a lot of people that will make us wait. Some of them are worth the wait, and some are not. It’s up to you to determine whether Jungkook is that type of someone for you, that deserves your time, or not.”“What if I’m wrong? What if I’m making a mistake?”“There is no such thing as being right or wrong, Taehyung in situations like this. You can’t control your heart. And even if you make a mistake, as long as you listen to your feelings… that’s going to be the right decision. At least, you won’t regret it later.”“You know...” Taehyung smiled, hearing his brother’s words, but not quite feeling them. His stare was void and Yoongi hurt for him. “It makes me sad, knowing he is not as certain about us two, as I am, it truly does, but I also know he’s been through a lot, we went through a lot. It’s… hard to reach a conclusion. But I know… something is going on between us, and I should just wait for him to open up, at his own pace.”Yoongi looked at him with sympathy in his eyes. “So I guess… you know what you’ve got to do, you are just tired of waiting.”“And scared of losing,” Taehyung added.“Tae, we’ve been fighting destiny for the past months quite a lot, don’t you think? But I trust everything is going to be alright, eventually. Don’t let him get sidetracked. I know it won’t be easy, but you are his light, Tae, I’ve seen it in his eyes.”Taehhyung looked at him skeptically, “Wow, that was deep. You seem to be in a specifically good mood and I’m scared to ask why.”Yoongi diverted his eyes to the side, avoiding the question altogether. “I’m gonna make some tea, want some?”Taehyung’s eyes dimmed, swimming with suspicion. “Yoongi, spill it. Everything.”“It’s not a big deal! Definitely not enough for it to be discussed.”“Hyung!”“O- Okay, but you need to promise me not to mention it to anyone.”“What did you do…”“I… Kinda made out with Jimin twice again.” He quickly turned around, focusing on the teapot as Taehyung’s eyes were threatening to get out of their sockets.“You did what?”“Shhhh, it’s a secret dumbass. I mean, I think.”Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest. “If you make him suffer again Yoongi, I swear to god.”“It was his idea, ok?” Yoongi reached back for some more garaetteok. “But most importantly, there is one thing that you must know and you won’t like it; we need to get rid of Romeo, and we can’t let Jimin know about it. I mean, he will… Eventually, find out, but he will certainly not like it, so we need to proceed with caution. I will need your help, shortcakie.”“What’s your plan?” Taehyung frowned. “A secret for now. We’ll see what happens and if it could work.” Taehyung took a deep breath as he watched his brat of a brother incredulously. “So what you are trying to say is, everything is going to go down shortly, so you are just… trying to make the most of what’s happening right now? What if you end up being murdered? By Jimin? You would totally deserve it!”With a dumb smile plastered on his face, Yoongi started wiggling his eyebrows. He felt a bit stupid, a bit too old to be acting like that but, at the same time, things were finally going in his direction after a very long while, so he was not going to pass out on that opportunity.And now Taehyung was smiling too. It’s been a long time since they’ve had a brotherly conversation like they had that night.
♠
Later that night after Yoongi spent some more time with his brother, Jungkook emerged from the darkness of his room, looking like he had been sleeping for the past 48 hours. When he and Taehyung first made eye contact, the tension in the air was so thick, it could have been cut through with a knife. However, Yoongi managed to ease Jungkook into a conversation and eventually, most of the awkwardness dissipated. Something serious must have happened between the pair, but Yoongi trusted his brother would eventually break Jungkook’s shell. The evening turned out to be better than expected, as they got to have a productive late-night kitchen conversation, something that truly hadn’t happened for a long time.
♠
After both Jungkook and Taehyung went back to their bedroom, Yoongi opened the door to the apartment and asked the officer to send a message to Inspector Kim. Even if reluctant at first, the officer agreed to it and sent his superior Yoongi’s text.
♠
Au/Ra - Assasin
Seokjin’s pov
-Min Yoongi wants to see you, alone.Greetings, Officer San.
Received 11:42
-
It wasn’t like Seokjin was an early night type of person, yet he liked to make sure he had finished all of the work by 7 pm, to give himself at least some free time to live his personal life. However, sometimes there were exceptional instances when the work of an inspector didn’t finish with his shift. These exceptional instances happened more than often, and today was one of those days. The office building was basically empty except for a couple of officers working their night shift. He was so lost in the pile of files in front of him, only the buzz of the phone snapped him out of them. Taking off his glasses, he wondered who was sending him a message this late at night. He sighed as he took off his reading glasses, and stretched a bit in his seat. He could use some days off and some time spent at the gym.He yawned before laying his eyes on the received message. With one eyebrow raised, he weighed whether it was worth it or not to solve the issue right now. It truly wouldn’t change a thing if he went home, had some good hours of sleep then returned to discuss whatever it was with Yoongi, early in the morning. A rested mind is a weary mind. He-He could’ve done that, but given the current circumstances, Seokjin felt too restless to fall asleep or give up on the case for the night. He needed to talk to Min Yoongi this instant. It took him just a couple of seconds to decide. He put his coat on and headed straight to the exit of the building. -I’ll be there in 10.
Sent 11:54
-Seokjin had always been well known for his great communication skills and his ability to work under extreme conditions and lots of pressure. Private departments reached out to him twice a month, but he knew better than to change his team. He was excellent because he was able to work with people he trusted. His moves had always been calculated, and he had never acted on instinct, even if it may appear like that sometimes, he liked to do all the work behind closed doors, without sharing the thought process with others. He had never made a decision because someone else told him to, however, he didn’t hesitate to make a change of plans whenever whatever he thought was the right thing to do started to take a different direction. He loved to look past appearances and read people as they truly were. That’s why he liked Min Yoongi. Seokjin had been able to see past his unbreakable stance the second he laid his eyes on him. He saw past his action and, most importantly, past the reason he was convicted for. The man stole American government property. Fuck if Kim Seokjin cared about all that. Min Yoongi was a good man, with righteous intentions. His only mistake had been the fact that he had been surrounding himself with the wrong people, from the very beginning. All Seokjin could think of the past few days were Min Yoongi, his team, and their current situation. During the past few hours, he came up with a plan. He put it all down on paper, and it looked not only tempting but promising too. All that was left for him to do was to have Yoongi hear him out. And now, Yoongi himself offered Seokjin the opportunity to speak to him, so he took it.Seokjin’s entire life had always been about his work. Many found him boring, yet for him, it was a reason to be alive. Difficult cases were exciting, fascinating even. And even if sometimes he got himself too involved for his own good, he couldn’t live without it. Especially not when they had their hands on cases like the CIA’s one. On top of that, stumbling upon Min Yoongi made everything even more intriguing and controversial. It made him feel alive again. It gave Seokjin the chance to choose between what’s the right thing to do, justice-wise, or what’s the right thing to do, from every other point of view. He even had to reevaluate his values for this case. The perfect case wrapped up in a beautiful lie. Seokjin laughed to himself proudly as he headed to Yoongi’s apartment. The CIA lied to Seokjin’s department and tried to make him follow their orders blindly. Too bad he had other plans.
♠
“Inspector Kim? You didn’t have to come all the way here, especially this late at night.” Yoongi greeted the inspector as soon as he entered the apartment, eyes still shocked, after hearing the news that Inspector Kim was going to meet him personally at that hour. Seokjin waved a hand reassuringly. “I wanted to talk to you in particular anyway.”Yoongi frowned a little bit with suspicion but helped Seokjin inside. The apartment was quiet but clean, Seokjin noticed, as he was welcomed to the kitchen and asked for a late-night coffee. Yoongi quickly fetched an instant one for him with the help of the cheap espresso machine that came with the apartment.He figured Yoongi wanted the conversation to happen in the kitchen to make sure the other two wouldn't be able to hear them.“I suppose you didn't come all the way here just to listen to what I have to say.” Yoongi suspected, and Seokjin let a small smirk show on his face, indicating his guess was correct. “You may begin, then.”Seokjin took his time to balance the idea, then he nodded. “Very well.”Yoongi sat across the table in front of him, a cup of tea in hand. He opened the window and placed an ashtray and his pack of cigarettes on the table. “You can have some if you want.”Seokjin murmured a polite “thank you” but didn’t take the cigarette just yet. “I will start by telling you that the plan is not complete, we need to work out the details of what I came up with together if we want this to work. Also, this must stay between us two. No one can know, not Detective Park, nor Kim Taehyung, no one.”Yoongi seemed very confused, and Seokjin couldn’t blame him for that.After all, he had been surprised by his own idea. “I came up with a plan, a plan to get rid of the CIA, forever.”Yoongi’s eyes widened at the words, but he quickly readjusted to pay attention to Seokjin’s plan. Satisfied with the reaction and his amazing skill of keeping calm, Seokjin meticulously told him about his plan. Yoongi listened to him carefully and didn’t waver. In fact, Seokjin could see the excitement reflecting in his eyes.After Seokjin was done explaining, Yoongi placed his chin on top of his crossed hands and bit his lower lip nervously.“It’s going to be dangerous but it seems like a very good plan. My only fear is that I’ll end up hurting all of them, again.” Seokjin nodded, agreeing to Yoongi’s statement because well, indeed that was going to happen. “It is very dangerous, and it won’t be an easy thing to do, I am aware of it, which is why I am giving you the chance to choose whether you are willing to do it or not.” Seokjin took a sip of his coffee, balancing the bittersweet taste on his tongue. It was good. “Anyway, none of this is possible unless we get our hands on the microchip.”Yoongi smirked at that, a determined frown between his eyebrows. “And that is exactly why I wanted to see you. I might have the perfect plan to make that happen, but I need to ask you for another favor before that.”Seokjin cocked his eyebrow. “I’m listening.”Yoongi nodded. “I promised Jimin I wouldn’t do this, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it‘s our best chance. I want to play my way up inside the mafia until I can go face to face with the leader, while Romeo will help me through that. He won’t expect me to suspect anything. Not at the beginning at least.”Seokjin grinned and lit a cigarette in interest. “On the other hand, we shall use Hoseok’s sister and make her spill enough information to help us play your friend. Deceiving him with his own weapons, isn’t it?”“Correct.”“How do you plan to come alive out of this?”“I have my tricks.” Yoongi winked. “I’ll play dirty if I need to, the game is not that important, but me playing it and making Romeo think I’m falling into his hands is. He needs to think he has me in his trap.” Seokjin took a long drag of his cigarette, then tapped it above the ashtray. “You know, I tried to decipher his plan, I mean what l his plan was from initially, but if you look at the bigger picture, it’s obvious that the man wanted you to play the game from the beginning. And now, we can use that against him. Perfect timing.”Yoongi grinned as well this time. “It’s dangerous, Min Yoongi. I like you. Let’s make sure we get Jung Dawon on our side, and, like it‘s said, let the game begin.” “Thank you for helping us, Inspector.” Yoongi burned out his cigarette in the ashtray.Seokjin stood up from his seat and looked at him earnestly. “You have nothing to thank me for, Min, you might lose whatever trust was left inside those who surround you. I’ll be giving you a few days to decide whether you truly want to do it or not.”Yoongi fixed the window for a few seconds before he turned back towards Seokjin. “If that means I’ll get to save my brother’s life, then I don’t mind losing everything myself once again.”
♠
To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
5 Seconds of Summer - Teeth
Yoongi’s pov
6
th
of April
Infiltrating Jung Dawon’s den, or so to speak, her hotel room, wasn’t just a simple mission. Planning took days on end, as the team had meticulously gone over every detail a hundred times, alternating action courses based on potential denouements.
The said mission had one goal, and that was to win Dawon over. However, it wasn’t going to be an easy task, and the team knew better than to underestimate her. Therefore, for the past three days, the floors of the building have been busy with officers, detectives, and employees, each trying to make sure their part was strictly taken care of.
Fortunately, Officer Jeong-in managed to hack into the Holiday Inn Express Seoul Hotel system pretty quickly and found Dawon’s check-out day, which was supposed to be the 8
th
of April, a Monday.
The infiltration would happen on Sunday.
Yoongi felt at ease being part of the plan. He was involved in strategy creation, and brainstorming was anything but challenging for him. He got to work closely with the detectives and had access to all the information needed, which not only excited him but kept him motivated. Well, maybe the thing that made him excited was rather related to his quick make-up session with Jimin than anything else, but that was a secret not even he would admit to.
It would have been the
almost
perfect deal if it wasn’t for his guilty conscience constantly reminding him of the upcoming events.. Inspector Kim's plan was good, brilliant even, but thinking of the consequences tore him apart.
He didn’t want to lie to Jimin again.
Yet here he was, ready to do it.
“Hey, everything’s good?” Jimin joined him outside where Yoongi was quietly enjoying his cigarette and basically regretting life decisions. He turned around to face the detective, throwing a lazy smile at him. “Yeah, just a bit tired I suppose.”
Even though the situation was anguish and Yoongi’s feelings were a mess, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t enjoying the thrill of it. Each time he looked into Jimin’s eyes, Yoongi felt a suspect amount of controversial emotions. Surely, Jimin was very special to him, he was the sweet light that brightened his path, yet, Yoongi stopped denying it long ago, Jimin was also the devil that brought up the nastier and dirtiest thoughts inside Yoongi’s mind. With each exchanged look, with each shared breath, the two of them were getting closer to what Yoongi would like to call the ‘Holy Grail’ of their ultimate love. But what was to come after that?
Devastation, wreckage, leaving nothing behind but regrets and broken hearts.
Yoongi didn’t care, not now, not when Jimin was watching him. They were short on time, and with every passing second, Jimin got closer and more quiet, while his breathing increased with expectation. Yoongi could feel his hot breath on his face, but then Jimin took a sharp step back rushing to light his own cigarette, trying to avoid the wind that kept on messing with the flame, a smirk hiding behind his plump lips.
“So, tomorrow’s the day, hopefully, Everything will work out so we can proceed with the next step.” He said after taking the first drag of the cigarette.
Yoongi hummed in return. Yeah, sure, the mission they were preparing for was important, but what Yoongi was preparing was by far worse and more
frightening
. Yoongi couldn’t even share this fear of his with Jimin, because the said
fear
had, in fact, nothing to do with the mission itself, but with the consequences, with the possibility of him losing Jimin, for good.
Jimin had never ceased to be his weakness.
“It’s gonna pass quickly, don’t worry.” He smiled, taking a step closer to the detective, threading his fingers through Jimin’s neatly styled bangs. “I like your hairstyle, it looks hot.” He grinned.
Jimin rolled his eyes as he caught Yoongi’s hand, removing it from the proximity of his hair. Yet he didn’t let go. “The hairstyle?” He cocked his eyebrow.
“Nah, you are right,” Yoongi replied. “You look hot with it.”
“Mhm.” Jimin closed the space between them after he took another drag of the cigarette and then blew it out. He brushed his lips over Yoongi’s and whispered. “Don’t you like it when it’s a bit messier though, like when we are in bed?” He parted from Yoongi’s lips and locked his eyes with his, suggestive, biting his lower lip.
Jimin was Yoongi’s sweetest dream and his worst nightmare. He was unpredictable and liked to play with Yoongi’s emotions.
Yoongi’s dick twitched at the statement. “Jimin, we are out in the open and you are dangerously close to giving me an erection.”
“It’s called torture.” Jimin grinned back at him.
“Fuck you!” Yoongi cursed, threw his cigarette on the ground then dragged Jimin to the side of the building, taking a turn around the corner, pinning him against the wall.
“I’d want to try that.” Jimin kept his gaze fixed on Yoongi’s lips when saying the dangerous words as if he was desperate to catch his lips with his own.
Yoongi smashed his mouth against Jimin’s, pinning him against the cold wall.
“Fuck, Yoongi, you really need to stay the night with me someday.”
“What?” Yoongi’s eyes widened, parting from Jimin, eyes searching him desperately, trying to make sense of whether he was serious or not. “How are we gonna do that?”
“Just… kiss me, we’ll find a way.” Jimin shut Yoongi up with another kiss and Yoongi gladly accepted melting in Jimin’s embrace, holding him fiercely, afraid he could disappear into thin air any second.
A rushed noise coming from the other side of the building made them stop in their tracks, ruining the bittersweet moment. They managed to back away from each other safely by the time they heard the quick steps approaching them.
A few more noises came, and-
“Detective?” Namjoon took the corner of the building and his face almost dropped to the ground when he spotted the two of them. “Ugh. I, was…um… did I? Interrupt something?”
Yoongi looked at both him and Jimin and well, their clothes were wrinkled, their lips swollen, shining with saliva, one could definitely tell something happened there.
“Um, not really, we were smoking a cigarette?” Jimin reassured him.
“Um, you mean this one?” Namjoon showed him the long-forgotten but still burning cigarette that Jimin must have dropped in their haste. “I picked this up when I got out… I heard some noises… the cigarette was left like that on the ground… I thought something was happening…” Namjoon explained, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Yoongi didn’t know Namjoon too well or the extent of what Jimin told him about their relationship, but the guy surely didn’t know something was going on between them, not like that.
“We, okay Namjoon, we, were…, anyway, can you keep this a secret please?” Jimin looked at his partner apologetically and Yoongi had no idea what to say.
A thing was clear, Jimin was not supposed to be even sparing a glance towards his direction. Not only that it was clearly against his morals, but Yoongi was a piece of shit, so, concluding, he didn’t deserve whatever he had with Jimin going on right now. Yet, there they were…
But what was he supposed to say anyway?
He didn’t regret it, he liked it.
“... Jimin, I really think I need a moment to process this but, I’m not going to tell anyone if that’s what’s worrying you, I guess…” Detective Kim scratched his nape awkwardly and turned around. “I came to smoke, so I’m just gonna do that.” Then he took the corner back to the front of the building.
Yoongi looked at Jimin awkwardly while Jimin face-palmed himself. “This wasn’t supposed to go like this, no, this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What… what do you mean?” Yoongi’s heart started beating faster for a second. Weren’t
they
supposed to happen, or what?
“No, Namjoon wasn’t supposed to know about us. Yoongi, no one is, not now when things are… like this…” Jimin sighed, a tired look now resting on his face.
Yoongi couldn’t disapprove.
Upsetting or not, Jimin was right. They weren’t a ‘thing’, and even if they would eventually be, the current circumstances would never allow them to go public about it. Furthermore, neither of them actually dreamed of a future together, from this point on, it seemed impossible. Yoongi had to accept it.
The Most Beautiful Boy - The Irrepressibles, Felsmann, Tiey
Yoongi didn’t know what to say, but after a while, Jimin did, and Yoongi truly hoped a certain subject was not going to be brought up, he didn’t think he could handle it, and he didn’t want to fight Jimin.
“Yoongi, please answer this question of mine…”
The way the words left Jimin’s lips… sounded sad.
“Yeah?” It sounded like Yoongi needed another cig. He lit a second one, eyes on the detective.
“I don’t even know how to put my thoughts into words but I’ll try…” He bit his lower lip, eyes focused on Yoongi’s cigarette rather than his eyes. “Do you think we are worth it? Us?”
Yes.
Yoongi meant to say, he truly wanted to say
yes, we are worth it, we should give it a try, I want to be with you,
yet… he would lie to Jimin. He would break his heart again.
“I don’t mean you need to be stressed over this question. Let me explain.” Jimin continued, after noticing the visible distress on Yoongi’s face. “The other night you said you feel many things for me, but it doesn’t mean you are willing to take the risk. I want to be honest, I don’t want to risk it either if you are not willing to. So what do you want from
us?
Are we just fooling around or do you… want us to be for real?”
Yoongi took a deep breath. He wanted to be sincere and Jimin deserved his honesty. He leaned against the wall behind him for sustainability. It wasn’t going to be easy.
“Honestly, I have no idea what’s happening to me, to us… I can’t put my fingers on the connection we have, why is it so strong, all of this is so new to me, I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m fucked up, I am aware of it, I am hard to
love.
I will never be right for you, Jimin, but I am selfish. I couldn't bear the thought of someone else having you, so that means one thing.
“And that would be?”
“I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. Yet I just know… we are going to hurt each other, and I am so… afraid. I don’t want to be your
pain.”
“Yet I’ve already said I am willing to let you be
it
for me. Be my love, desperation, pain, and happiness, I am willing to let you in, but I need to know you are going to do the same.” Jimin’s eyes shone with emotion and anticipation, holding Yoongi’s heart in a tight grip.
He cannot promise Jimin he won’t hurt him again, it would mean he would lie again, but he could promise him his
heart
, sincerely.
“I will not promise not to lie or hurt you again.” He took a step closer to Jimin, watching him eye to eye, more conviction replacing the previous uncertainty. “But I love you, Jimin. And this will never change, my feelings for you have been real since the first day I laid my eyes on you. I love you and I will love you regardless of how this will end. If you let me be your pain, I’ll hand you my heart.”
Maybe this wasn’t the answer Jimin was looking for, but Yoongi was sure, his words and feelings went through, this time at time. Their eyes were searching for each other’s, making sure there was no shadow of doubt left between them.
“Alright then.” Jimin seemed to reach a conclusion this time. “I will trust you. Whatever you are going to do, whatever you are up to, just know that I am here, and if you ever decide to tell me about it, I will listen to it, and if you decide against it, and you don’t want to talk to me about what’s bothering you, it will still be fine, because I decided to trust you.”
Yoongi was rendered speechless.
He knew, yet he didn’t know the extent of Yoongi’s plan. Jimin knew something was happening, Jimin knew Yoongi was hiding something from him.
Jimin had no idea how much he wanted to share his secrets with him.
“Thank you, Jimin.”
Their foreheads touched as Yoongi closed the space between them. They didn’t kiss this time, but let their breaths dance together in a harmony of sounds and emotions. A quiet revelation of their feelings. A steady start leading to an uncertain future.
Yoongi’s pocket buzzed with the signal that he’s got a text message, reminding them they’ve got important stuff to take care of.
♠
Anihhilate - Metro Boomin, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, Offset
“So, let me get this straight, Romeo has just sent you a text announcing that one of his men was killed? Poisoned?” Inspector Kim asked Yoongi, eyes going over the said message with a calmness Yoongi could not explain.
Yoongi, Jimin, Inspector Kim, Taehyung, Jungkook, and Namjoon were now in the Inspector’s office. Right after receiving the message, Yoongi, and Jimin went straight up to him, aware that something about the message was not right.
Romeo
Hey Yoon, we found one of our guys dead, poisoned, two hours ago. We have no idea how this happened, but I need to talk to you soon, so contact me ASAP.
“Yes, that’s what the text says.” Yoongi nodded.
Inspector Kim pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do you think about it?”
“I have a hunch. But it’s kinda sickening.” Yoongi replied.
All the eyes in the room were turned to Yoongi, waiting for him to say exactly what he didn’t want to. Sighing, Yoongi took his time searching for the right words. Not everyone in the room knew about the disappearance of the microchip, which was exactly why Yoongi didn’t know if he should continue speaking.
Well, Taehyung and Jungkook were clearly on their side, Namjoon as well, but still, it was a risky move.
“You have the choice to tell them or not.” The Inspector said, basically putting the decision in his palms. After a brief look in Jimin’s direction, his heart felt lighter. They supported his decision.
It was going to be a hit to Taehyung.
“Romeo stole the chip.”
It was a second of silence before both Taehyung and Jungkook stood up, eyes confused and angry, more than anything. “What, you? Are you sure, Yoongi? How is that possible?”
Yoongi told them about how he hid the microchip with Romeo inside Jimin’s home, and how it disappeared from its place, Romeo being the only accomplice knowing about the location of the weapon.
“I just…, this is fucked up, I’m so sorry hyung.” Jungkook placed a reassuring hand on Yoongi’s back, all the while Namjoon was silent and was watching them attentively.
Taehyung was very disturbed by the piece of information, whilst Jungkook came to terms with it quickly, more phased by the fact that Yoongi had been betrayed than the consequences of what was about to happen.
But they didn’t have time to mop over it.
“So, going back to the text message.” Yoongi fake coughed to take the attention of the room upon himself. “If what we know until now is true, and Romeo is an ally of the people who are poisoning others, this was his next move. He tries to both find out if I know about the disappearance of the chip and make sure I still trust him, by pretending to be the victim.”
“But, somebody just died. Why would someone die if he has the microchip? Why would someone else die if the whole ordeal with people dying was
to steal
the microchip? Why would this make any sense now?” Taehyung asked, scratching his chin.
“And, why didn’t they give the weapon to the CIA yet?” Jungkook asked with a raised eyebrow. “We all thought they were linked. Those that poisoned our friends and the CIA.”
“But maybe we were wrong all along,” Jimin said. “Maybe Romeo has other plans with it, how could we know?”
“But… to kill his own people only to prove to me he is innocent?” Yoongi dimmed his eyes with doubt in his stare.
“And that’s considering you didn’t find out about the chip, right?” Jimin shrugged. “He might try to prove to us the game masters don’t know about you being here, which is supposedly right, they shouldn’t know where you are, so the search for you should still be ongoing, right? Given the fact that he wants us to believe the microchip is still in your possession, he must want us to think that people are still looking for you to find the chip.”
“And it’s hella plausible.” Namjoon joined. “Just think about it, if you didn’t know about the weapon being stolen, this would have passed a test with A+ guys, the plan would have been impeccable, and we would have never doubted him after finding out crimes were still going on.”
“Only if we didn’t know the truth.” Yoongi scratched at his chin contemplatively. “But this is ridiculous, did he literally kill one of his people to make himself look innocent?”
Taehyung frowned at that. “No, come on Yoongi, it’s not that hard, he wouldn’t kill his people for nothing. The text message is mostly a lie, he wants you to call him, he wants to test the waters. I’m pretty sure no one died.”
Well, this made a lot of sense.
“Then let’s give the man what he wants.” Inspector Kim grinned.
♠
It was just Yoongi and the Inspector left in the office now.
He dialed Romeo and waited for the call to be answered. After three beeps, Romeo picked up. Yoongi put the conversation on speaker.
“Hey, Yoongi? How are you, man? I’m glad you were able to contact me.”
Yoongi rolled his eyes. It was disgusting. “Hey man, I’m fine? I suppose, just as fine as I can be after the recent news.”
“Look, it would have been futile if you sent me your team to check the victim, we took care of it, but it’s fucked up. I thought they would give up on looking for you or at least I thought they found out something was fishy since the mafia found you at the masquerade. I thought they’d stop with that and try a B plan or something else… but apparently, they are still in the dark, still looking for you and the chip.”
“Who was killed and how? Why did they go after one of your men?”
“He was one of the new guys, he was hanging around a girl that survived our CIA mission, I think that’s how it happened, they must have thought my man was one of yours, and caught him in the game.”
That was it. Yoongi seized the opportunity and took it.
“Romeo, look, I’ve been thinkin’, I need to do something about it. I can’t just stay here and watch people die, but I don’t know what. I am locked here and I have no outside connections. The detectives accepted us being here but it doesn’t mean they would let me walk freely.”
“Um, you want me to suggest something?”
Exactly that. Because Yoongi wanted to know precisely what Romeo’s plan was. He wanted to know what Romeo wanted.
So he would let him say it.
“Yeah, give me something. Help me. I’m willing to help if possible… You know, it’s kinda weird thinking here all by myself without you buddy, I used to think of every strategy with you, so, you know just how much I trust you.”
“Ok, so, Yoongi, let’s, um, get this straight, the weapon is still hidden, right?
Yoongi has to save a laugh for later at that.
“I mean, yeah, it’s not like I’m visiting Jimin’s home daily, and he doesn’t look like he knows about it, he still tries to persuade me to give it to him.”
“That’s perfect, at least we still are the only ones knowing about it. Now let’s just hope the detective won’t find it and lie to you.”
Romeo was talking too much about it. If Yoongi wasn’t sure before, now he is convinced that Romeo stole the chip. He was obviously testing the waters, confirming their theory.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“Yoongi, I know this sounds crazy but it might work.”
“What’s that?”
“Why won’t you play the game until you reach someone who actually knows stuff? Get yourself some training with the game with the help of the detectives and do it. They are gonna play it with you because they want the microchip, but if you win every game, you will climb closer to who’s behind it.”
Well, wasn’t this just too convenient?
Yoongi took a brief moment to let Romeo know he was processing and debating with himself whether his idea was good or not.
“What if I’m not gonna make it, Romeo? You know it’s risky man.”
“Since when are you scared of something being risky, Yoon? Don’t you want to get over with it already?”
“What am I gonna do when I meet who’s behind all of this?”
There it was a pause.
“Fight Yoon, you will deceive him. Make him stop, the blood bath needs to end.”
And Yoongi couldn’t agree more.
But he will do it in his own way.
“I will have to negotiate with the detectives, but if I manage to trade this plan for at least Taehyung’s life, I will do it. It’s a good plan. Now, find me one of these players that are looking for me, and text me a date and a time, and I’ll make sure to be there.”
“I will do my best. And Yoongi?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m honest when I say, prepare, prepare for it with everything you have, it’s not gonna be easy to deceive them,”
Yoongi smirked. “Never thought any different.”
♠
When Yoongi ended the call, he put the phone down, finally meeting the Inspector’s gaze.
“You were right, Min, he wants you to play the game.” The inspector said, indecipherable expressions in place.
“And he doesn’t seem to suspect anything.”
“But, he is not stupid either. Right now, Min, he thinks you are falling right into his trap, and one way or another, this is exactly what you are doing. Did you tell Detective Park?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Alright, let’s keep it like this for now.”
♠
Lilith - Halsey feat. Suga
Hoseok’s pov
7
th
of April
Disappointment. Hoseok was scared of being disappointed. The plan was good, the mission was definitely going to go ahead, he knew it would work out eventually, but it’s been over a decade since he had last seen his sister, and didn’t know what to expect.
She cut the ropes, ran away, and made sure her family was not going to search for her, not anymore, ditching her bright life for an underground, dark one even Hoseok was scared of.
He feared not recognizing her.
Frankly, he wanted to meet his sister, his long-forgotten sister, the person who’s been on his mind the most for the past few years, the person whose disappearance turned him into what he was today. Yet, he will have to meet a culprit, one of the bad guys, the enemy.
And the entire team put their bets on him. He was the only one able to make her talk. And he will, but it will break his heart, piece by piece.
“Come on, Jung, you ready?” Namjoon interrupted his train of thought, pulling him out of memory lane. They had arrived. The engine of the SUV was turned off and Namjoon was already taking his belt off.
Hoseok didn’t want to waste any more time, so he just hummed in agreement and opened the door, getting out of the car. Behind their vehicle, was Detective Park, followed by Detective So. The team nodded simultaneously at each other, then proceeded with following the instructions given by Jeong-in through their earpieces.
The mission wasn’t undercover this time. They were about to meet Jung Dawon in plain sight, regardless of the possibility of other people finding out about them being there. Dawon wasn’t one to be trusted or fooled, whilst Geom-eun Munjayeo already knew about their plan.
They’ve got one shot, there was no room for failure today. Badges on plain sight, they went through the reception quickly, presented the warrant, and rushed to the said hotel room. Obviously, she was signed up at the hotel using an alias, but the receptionist recognized her face as soon as Namjoon showed her a picture, so she rushed to offer the basic information they needed.
The room was empty except for some clothes and shoes scattered around.
“I don’t think we have much to search for here…” Namjoon was the first to enter, looking around carefully, avoiding direct contact with any object.
“She’s not dumb, maybe word got to her that the police are starting to get involved,” Jimin said, gloved hands carefully checking a few empty drawers.
Whilst every detective in the room focused on searching for relevant evidence, Hoseok was struggling to find something that would remind him of his sister. Nothing there
felt
like her.
“So, I think we have to wait for a while before she returns-
Before Detective So got the chance to finish her sentence, the door handle moved, and Namjoon quickly got to the door side.
There was no way they would allow her to escape.
Not now.
The door was slowly pushed and instead of revealing a surprised figure, Jung Dawon entered the room unbothered. The deadpan on her face was terrifying. She looked around the room unimpressed as her eyes laid on the three detectives. Then her features almost twisted when she spotted him, her brother, but she was quick to hide her bewilderment, and she was good at it.
Hoseok had to keep back the sigh of disappointment. If he had believed, even for one brief second, that she needed help, he was now convinced otherwise. She was doing just fine.
The woman placed her backpack on the ground carefully, then she sat down on the edge of the bed, eyebrow cocked and arms crossed.
“Took you some time, Hoseokie. Thought you would find me sooner.” She grinned at her older brother as if the two were completely alone in the room.
Of course, she had been expecting him.
There were so many things Hoseok wanted to say at that moment. He was the only relative she had left who didn’t give up on her, he was the only one who truly
cared.
She didn’t seem fazed by it.
Hoseok looked at her one more time and decided to cherish her existence. She was alive and well, he was right, and the years of search have not been a waste of time. His sister was alive, and from now on, Hoseok was going to sleep at night with a rested heart.
Betraying her family, and
him,
implicitly, was her decision, and from that point on, Hoseok was going to act accordingly. She was smart, vicious even, and he was not going to let her get away with it. Feelings would be put aside from that point onwards. Jung Dawon would receive the treatment any of her allies would.
As his eyes laid on Detective So, Hoseok had received a nod of confirmation. They were there with him, for him, and they trusted him.
“I am sure you know I am here for a different reason, sister.” He took a step closer and slowly sat beside her, leaning against the edge of the bed. The plan wasn’t to make her feel threatened but to win her over.
She offered an exasperated, fake smile. “Then what are you here for? Do you think I’d talk?” She looked around the room, eyes scrutinizing each detective. “Is this your brilliant plan? Did you think that bringing my brother here would make me all emotional and I’d talk? Just like that?”
Detective So laughed at her plain affirmation. “What a pretty face you have here, wouldn’t it be a shame if someone ruined it?” She grinned, turning to Hoseok. “I’ll give you two five minutes. If she won’t talk till then, I’ll make her.” She turned around and, followed by the other two detectives, they left the room.
“Dawon,” Hoseok spoke first this time. “I came here prepared. I know you wouldn’t cooperate willingly, just like that, but you have to believe me, I am here to help.”
Dawon dragged a lungful of smoke from a cigarette she had just lit. “Damn, and such a pity that the hot guy from the masquerade was a detective.” She whined, completely ignoring Hoseok’s words.
“Dawon, I’m being serious.”
“Me too, brother!” She rolled her eyes. “Do I look like I need your fucking help?”
“I want to offer you a deal. Heard you like deals.”
“Don’t think your deal would satisfy me, though.”
“Leaving your family behind and choosing a different path has been your choice.” Hoseok’s tone changed a bit to a more serious one. “Doing what we ask you to will soon not be a choice anymore. We need intel on the Geom-eun Munjayeol, and if you agree nicely to help us, we will offer immunity in return. You can be our insider, and we will protect you, Dawon. When this all ends, I’ll make sure you can come back to your life unscathed. But I need your cooperation.”
Cigarette ashes hit the floor of the fancy hotel room. “What makes you think I want out? I am here because I want to. I chose this… I-”
“Dawon, we want to take them down, and we will proceed eventually. You either go down with them or survive with us.”
“What if I don’t want to cooperate? What then?”
“We will take you in, and my friend, Detective So, will make sure you will.”
Dawon sighed and looked at Hoseok exasperatedly. “Look, I don’t know much myself, alright? All I do is mind my own business and keep dealing.”
“Your deals kill people, Dawon.”
She contemplated for a while. “I will talk under my conditions.”
The door suddenly opened and revealed the three detectives entering the room. “Time’s up.” Detective So announced.
“Just in time for hearing my conditions.”
“Conditions?” Detective So raised her brows. “Don’t we want too much?”
Namjoon sighed. “Let her talk.”
Detective So raised her shoulders. “Be my guest, princess.”
“I will talk, but after that, you won’t look for me ever again, you won’t involve me in any of your bullshit and any files you have on me would be erased. I want the world to believe Jung Dawon is dead. You would leave me alone forever.”
“Well, less than we wanted but we take what we can get,” Jimin said and took a chair, placing it in her proximity. “We are all ears.”
Upon hearing his sister’s words, Hoseok had a hard time getting rid of the lump in his throat. Her conditions indicated that he wouldn’t be able to see or contact his sister ever again. He wouldn’t be able to get her back and he couldn’t save her because… she didn’t need to be saved. She was set on keeping her dangerous life going. She was part of Geom-eun Munjayeol and this was never going to change.
It was heartbreaking but at least she was alive, healthy, and more than capable of surviving. Hoseok would have to embrace the cruel truth and simply use her for the case.
“I’ll tell you the basics of the Geom-eun Munjayeol.” Dawon began talking, bringing Hoseok back to earth, and lit another cigarette. “The mafia is split into three main groups.” Her tone was cold yet invested. “The names are Orion, Lyra, and Draco. Orion is the biggest and most important group, they take care of the hotels, brothels, human trafficking, and money. Everything that happens eventually reaches their ears. Lyra is the group that I’m part of. Trafficking, from drugs, pharmaceuticals, and whatever can’t enter Korea freely, to weapons. Then, the one that made the Geom-eun Munjayeol what it is today is the assassination group. They use different methods of killing people for money.”
“Bingo,” Jimin exclaimed. “Tell me Dawon, what do you know of Game of Life? Does it ring a bell?”
She smirked at that. “Heard the CIA prefers that one.” She winked. “Leaves no real proof behind. Smart, indeed.”
“What else?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know much. I have a low position here, knowing things means you are closer to danger, death. I stay out of it as much as possible. The best one can do is focus on their task, when being part of something as big as this organisation.”
Hoseok turned to Jimin just to notice the lost, contemplative look on his face. They were definitely all agreeing on one thing. The information was secured, but they had reached a dead end. They needed to push further for her help.
“Alright. One last question.” Jimin said. “Do you know this guy that likes to be called Romeo?”
At that, Dawon’s expression instantly changed. She threw the cigarette on the floor and smashed it with her foot forcefully. “No, and I wouldn’t want to!” She almost snarled.
Jimin’s eyes widened. “So, you
do
know him?”
Dawon rolled her eyes. “Yes, but I’m not going to talk about him. That’s it, I told you everything I know, now respect the deal and leave me alone once and forever.”
Hoseok knew it was over, but something surely happened at that
name
, Romeo triggered something in her.
Hoseok sighed loudly before raising his voice. “Dawon, you are right, this is the deal, we are going to respect it, we are leaving, but, here… this is a phone number you could reach out to in case you change your mind.” He looked sincerely into her eyes. “We don’t like that guy either. Oh and, he might know about this meeting, so be careful.”
“What? Why would he?” She asked, brows frowned.
“That’s all I can say Dawon, if you want to help, we could cooperate, you just need to say it.”
“Not gonna happen, Hoseok.”
“Just think about it, we will be waiting.” And with that, Hoseok was the first one to leave the room.
“Also…” Detective So still had something to say. “May I say… if… by any chance, you are going to ruin the deal and say a word about today to any of your friends, I’m going to take care of you myself, and you will not like that.”
She was the last one to leave the room, leaving Jung Dawon behind.
♠
BTS - Interlude: Shadow
Taehyung’s pov
9
th
of April
Taehyung thought it was going to get better, they were going to get better, closer.
Instead, it got worse.
It was everything he was afraid of.
Jungkook slowly faded away from his hold, slipping through his fingers as a new barrier was put up between them.
Jungkook stopped opening up to Taehyung, he stopped looking at him and interacting with him.
Now everything between them became just awkward, uncomfortable. Even sharing breakfast with Jungkook had become unbearable to Taehyung. He didn’t know what to say, or how to start a conversation. He felt suffocated yet had no idea of how to act in order to dissipate the awkwardness that’s been lingering between them like an unpleasant nightmare.
He just stood there and ate his food in silence, not daring to spare a glance in Jungkook’s direction.
The silence was penetrating, and Taehyung had no idea how he got into this situation. He should have been more enthusiastic about the fact that he was alive, he had a comfortable place to stay in, his brother was fine, and
he
was there, Jungkook was there. They were together.
Yet, all Taehyung could do was mope like a little kid over the things he wouldn’t be able to say too soon, and it’s not because Taehyung was a coward, it’s not because Taehyung was afraid, it was because he knew how Jungkook’s mind worked. Jungkook was the one who had to take a step forward, it was
he
who wasn’t prepared for whatever happened between them.
Taehyung took his coffee and opened the door to the balcony. As he was already used to, he needed an escape. The air was warm and fresh, perfect for a spring morning. He took a gulp of the contents of the mug and let the fresh air clean up some of the anguish gathered in the middle of his stomach.
He didn’t get the chance to finish his coffee when Jungkook joined him on the balcony and wordlessly lit a cigarette. He leaned against the handrail and turned his head towards the street underneath them.
Why did he have to join too?
The silence between them was thick and filled with emotions, they both knew what it was about, and they both waited for the other one to finally say something.
Will one of them have the courage to just speak?
Was it that hard? Taehyung kept on asking himself the same question.
Again and again.
But as he replayed any possible scenario inside of his head, no conversation had a good ending, he didn’t even know what to say, what to ask. He knew exactly how he felt but he wasn’t capable of putting those feelings into words, especially with the current situation they were in.
The smallest mistake could destroy everything, and Taehyung didn’t want Jungkook to occlude what was left of the breach he created for him.
He turned his head to Jungkook and observed him quietly for several moments. Jungkook knew Taehyung was standing there, looking at him, yet he didn’t turn to face him fully, so Taehyung let his eyes linger on his friend for a few more moments before he planted a sad smile on his face and averted his gaze to the opposite side, getting back into the living room.
When he made it inside, he realized that his phone was ringing, so he quickly took the call just to hear Jimin’s voice who wanted to talk to him about something, and it was related to his brother.
♠
Yungblud - Machine Gun
One hour later, someone from the office picked Taehyung up and brought him to the department’s headquarters.
Taehyung was not going to lie, he felt like a kindergartener, they were all the time accompanied by an officer or a detective, but he knew it was for the best. There were so many dangers awaiting them, so safety was no longer what it used to be before. Now safety meant that an armed officer would always be with him.
♠
“So, she said she didn’t want to work with you after all, and you have a B plan,” Taehyung stated after Jimin explained to him how the meeting with Jung Dawon went. After going through the details, Jimin told Taehyung he already thought of something he could do and gave him the details of his new plan. A plan that involved Yoongi, without Yoongi’s knowledge.
Taehyung thought it was pretty good.
“Yeah, what do you think, should I go with it?” Jimin asked again, and honestly, Taehyung felt relieved that Jimin trusted him with this. It meant Jimin still had faith in him, so Taehyung was going to do the same.
“Yes, Jimin, I actually think it’s like the only option that could work. So, I’ll be here with you, and I promise to keep my mouth shut around Yoongi for a while. If you say he is up to something, then that will make two of you.” Taehyung grinned at Jimin.
Jimin reciprocated the smile and nodded, thankfulness written all over his face. “Thanks, Tae.”
“No worries, Jimin, you’ve done so much for me, and if my brother is missing some brain cells, I’m going to help you while you help him find them!” He grinned again and Jimin smirked.
“Anyways, Tae, you look tired, and must I say, you don’t have a lot of work to do, so allow me to ask this question, what is bothering you?” Jimin asked with a worried expression, to which Taehyung just gulped at first.
He actually already debated on talking to Jimin about Jungkook but wasn’t sure just how he was going to do that. Jimin knew a small part of the story, but Taehyung was well aware that his friend would be more of a help, advice-wise than his constipated brother could have ever been.
Taehyung sighed. “It’s Jungkook.”
“I knew it… the brat… he looks like a brat I knew he must have been one!”
“Jimin…”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry Tae, I’m going to listen to you.” Jimin raised his arms in defense.
“It’s… he knows… Jimin, he knows how I feel about everything, and somehow… I can feel it… I know that he feels it too, but something just doesn’t click. It doesn’t work, I can’t find the words to talk to him, and he doesn’t either. It’s like we are running in a vicious circle and I have no idea how to get out of it. He has never been good with expressing what he felt, but now, it’s like he’s been closing up even more. And I feel a little bit helpless…” Taehyung entrusted Jimin with what he felt the exact same way Jimin did and it felt good. Taehyung missed it.
“I honestly have no idea who Jungkook is, Tae, but he sticks to you like a velcro, it’s obvious he’s dependent on you at this point, you can’t just hide that, it’s all over your faces that you two have something going on… it just needs to be worked out. It would be easier if you guys just… Look Tae, we have so little time to feel happy and enjoy our lives, everything surrounding us is a mess, so naturally, we seek affection, but when we are about to get it, we tend to stop to a halt and take a step back because… we are too afraid not to lose something we don’t even have yet, right?”
Taehyung listened carefully to each word Jimin told him. But Taehyung had already decided, he wasn’t scared.
He was just waiting.
But waiting for what, though?
“But it doesn’t feel right Jiminie, it feels like he is not ready.”
“Taehyung, tell me, since when have you been telling yourself this, now?” Jimin cocked his eyebrow.
Taehyung furrowed his brow. “um… months? Maybe?”
“And? Aren’t months like…? A little too much? Is he not ready, though, Tae?”
“I…”
“Kim Taehyung, this is bullshit. Look, it’s okay to wait for someone you love, and you waited, but what you two are doing now is literal torture, and I don’t like seeing you two torturing each other like this.”
“What if he says no and that’s it?”
“You will have to learn to move on Taehyung. And I will help you. But will he? Say no? Let’s not fool ourselves, that kid would pull out a knife if he saw someone else touching you, he just hasn’t realized that just yet.”
“And what am I supposed to do now then? I feel like if I spend another minute like this I’ll go insane!” Taehyung whined frustratingly.
“Taehyung! You are such a brave and smart human being, I’ve known you for years, and nothing could ever stop you from getting whatever you wanted, so this time shouldn’t be different either, you will go and tell Jungkook exactly what you feel, you will tell him you need to take a step towards somewhere, even if it’s nowhere, even if it’s going to be towards a blooming relationship between you two, you would never know if you two don’t communicate. He might feel like he’s not ready, but just wait until he is faced with the situation and we will see what his answer is. Maybe he is scared as well, but you would never know if you don’t start speaking your heart.”
“I mean…” Taehyung opened his mouth after processing Jimin’s words. “You are kind of right, I could even tell him we could take things slowly and all, this is a good idea, I’ve been blinded by all these dark thoughts but, I need to get out of there, shit’s getting real out here as well and, well, I have Jungkook and I’m tired of sharing that damn bed with him every fucking night without even sparing a glance towards him! Oh my god Jimin, watch me! I’m gonna do it!” Taehyung stood up suddenly, now full of hope and willpower.
“And that’s the Kim Taehyung I know!” Jimin giggled sweetly and Taehyung was so thankful for having his friend back.
Maybe things could go back to
normal
again.
♠
Play With Fire - Sam Tinnesz, Yach Money
Yoongi’s pov
Well, one could so much define
normal.
Because their lives have been everything but normal for the past few months.
Yoongi was waiting for Jimin to finish his work for the day in the front of the elevator when the light of the hallway became dull, a sign that they had, again, been staying overtime for Jimin to finish some extra paperwork.
In the meanwhile, Yoongi spent his time in the department getting to know the detectives better. It was true that they weren’t best friends, but if they wanted to work together, they needed to get to know each other better, right? Besides, it wasn’t like Yoongi had anything better to do.
“Hey, I’m ready.” Jimin joined him in front of the elevator, his expression was a little bit tired but he wasn’t any less hot than he was on any other day. Yoongi swallowed watching him, then briefly turned around as his mind was struck by a completely nuts idea.
His lazy smile suddenly shifted into a grin as he followed Jiin inside the elevator, and as soon as Jimin pushed the
closing door
button, Yoongi randomly pushed seven different floor buttons. Jimin’s face was now covered in confusion, but Yoongi didn’t answer questions. He pushed him swiftly against the wall, right beside the button panel.
“How do you feel about dangerous shit, Jimin-ah?” Yoongi’s voice ghosted above Jimin’s lips, leaving subtle goosebumps on Jimin’s skin. He could feel him shudder with anticipation.
This was exactly what Yoongi expected. God, Yoongi would eat him alive one day.
“I-, uh, what do you mean?” Jimin played innocent.
Yoongi rolled his eyes. Time wasn’t on their side right now, so he was going to get straight to the point. His lips were quickly on Jimin’s skin, ghosting over the side of his neck. “You better keep pressing that “closing doors” button if you don’t want us to get interrupted.”
Not only that Yoongi loved the thrill of the situation they were in, but Yoongi loved the taste of Jimin’s skin, he would kiss him everywhere, anytime, and wouldn’t give a damn if people were to see them, because he wanted the world to know, Jimin was his, and he was Jimin’s, and no one but
he
was allowed to do the things he was doing to Jimin.
“W-what are you doing Yoong-“
Jimin didn’t get to finish his sentence as Yoongi shut his mouth with his own. Body pressed against his, one leg dangerously close to Jimin’s crotch.
“I’ve decided I want to get a taste of you, Jiminie, would you let me spoil you?” Yoongi asked, voice low, raspy as he took Jimin’s ear lobe between his lips and started sucking on it sweetly. That earned him a quiet moan from the detective and damn, that was enough of a sign that he was given the green sign.
“I- Here?” Jimin asked between ragged breaths, as his body was getting hotter by the second, while Yoongi continued playing with his earring, sucking on it along with his lobe, breathing ghosting over one of Jimin’s most sensitive spots.
“All you have to do is to press that button, detective, keep the door closed and we are all safe, right?”
“Y-eaah, I suppo- ah, Yoongi...” Jimin couldn’t contain another gasp when Yoongi’s hands that were hovering all over his chest traveled down a bit towards his navel, dangerously close to Jimin’s now hardening cock.
Yoongi let out an audible grin when he pressed his knee softly over the bugle in Jimin’s pants.
The elevator took the first stop on the eighth floor, and when the doors were ready to open, Jimin kept on pressing the button repeatedly until the elevator just gave up and started going down again to the second floor.
Yoongi took the opportunity of Jimin getting distracted by it and quickly palmed him through his pants, enjoying the sound of Jimin’s shaky breaths.
“Do you like it, detective?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow, admiring Jimin’s face, and the way his features twisted with the pleasure he was giving him. He took Jimin’s state to his advantage and let him melt into his arms as he went back to fiercely kissing him. With him distracted, Yoongi carefully unzipped his jeans and worked his way inside Jimin’s boxers without much effort.
Jimin was almost squirming under him when Yoongi’s long and cold fingers touched his unclothed cock, taking it out and starting to deliberately stroke it.
The elevator took another stop at the second floor and Jimin’s shaking hands were hovering over the buttons, excitement and fear combined being written on Jimin’s features. The door opened by an inch when Yoongi went down and without further ado he took Jimin’s cock in his mouth, getting a generous series of unknown sounds out of Jimin’s mouth.
Yoongi gave the slit a few kittenish licks. “I wanted to do this since the moment you put the cuffs on me, detective, I wanted to suck you off right then and there,” Yoongi said in a dangerously low voice and took Jimin’s whole cock into his mouth.
Jimin covered his mouth with his free hand and with the other one he was prepared to press the button for the next time the elevator was going to take another stop.
Yoongi sucked and used his tongue to cover as much of Jimin’s cock as possible, to make him feel and shake with pleasure. The pleasure Yoongi was offering in a thrilling moment like that. His tongue would wrap around the head each time his head bobbed up, edging the shuddering detective under him.
This time, when the elevator announced they reached another floor, they were on the fifth level of the building. Several voices were heard from behind the elevator’s doors.
Yoongi grinned, breath ghosting over Jimin’s cock as he started to suck faster, harder, as his life depended on it, while Jimin visibly became desperate and was torn between keeping on pressing the damn button and just giving in to the pleasure and exposing themselves in front to whoever was there to witness.
Just when the door was about to open again, Jimin became even more insistent, if that was even possible, by pressing the button and the door remained closed. Just when the elevator was about to get going again, they heard someone from outside shouting “Hey, keep the door open for us please.”
At that, Jimin looked at Yoongi and their gazes met. Yoongi could tell, Jimin was terrified at this point, so he moaned around his cock and kept on sucking. Jimin let out a crying sound of pleasure and then he screamed “Yeah, sure!” Right before he pressed the button again to the tenth floor, hoping they would leave that floor already.
Luckily the elevator didn’t open the door, it just took off to the upper part of the building.
After Jimin regained his concentration and could focus back on Yoongi, Yoongi felt a switch in Jimin’s demeanor and before he could process what was happening, Jimin pushed him back a little and turned him around, with his back against the wall of the elevator.
“If you keep playing with a detective’s feelings, you might get hurt, sweetheart,” Jimin smirked and Yoongi’s widened in surprise.
Holy shit.
“Open your mouth and now you keep the door closed.”
Dear deities, yes. Holy yes.
Yoongi followed Jimin’s instructions and opened his mouth, letting Jimin fiercely fuck himself against his mouth.
Yoongi was lucky he didn’t have a gag reflex, but the whole action itself was crazy arousing, so he had nothing left to do but to start stroking his own cock in his pants while Jimin fucked the hell out of his mouth.
Oh, the button.
He forgot to press the button.
Jimin kept on fucking himself against Yoongi’s mouth when they reached the tenth floor of the building, and Yoongi loved what was happening so much, he loved the feeling so fucking much, Jimin was so into it and the sounds he made were out of this world.
All he cared about was how he and Jimin felt right now. By the sound of it, they were both close to bliss. Heaven.
Fuck the button.
Jimin didn’t seem to care about it either when the elevator announced that they reached the level with its sound and the doors started moving.
Yoongi kept on stroking himself until he felt Jimin slowing down and spilling inside his mouth with a series of high-pitched noises coming out of his mouth.
The doors were wide open but Yoongi couldn’t care less, he felt so good that nothing was important at that moment.
Yoongi just moaned through Jimin’s whole orgasm, while he took care of his own cock. With Jimin’s beautiful sounds, it didn’t take him long until he managed to finish as well, making a mess out of the inside of his pants.
They were both panting really hard when Jimin pulled his cock out of Yoongi’s mouth.
Yoongi managed to get back in two, slowly and with a series of short curses, his body still shaking and weak from the previous orgasm. When he was at eye level with Jimin, he turned to the elevator’s door on wobbly legs and he realized they were out in the open.
That was the moment when it hit him.
Holy shit.
That was…
“No one’s here,” Jimin said carefully after he put his cock back in his pants. He pushed Yoongi’s back against the elevator wall. “It would have been your fault if someone saw it.”
Yoongi averted his gaze to the side because Jimin’s piercing gaze might have been too much at that moment. “I…, You know me. I like taking risks.”
Jimin rolled his eyes. “I have no idea how you are still alive by now, Min Yoongi.”
Yoongi grinned. “Keep close and you’re gonna see for yourself.
♠
Won’t you stay? – One Hope
|13
th
of April|
Days passed in a blur when Yoongi spent time with Jimin and the other detectives at the headquarters of the department.
They were going back and forth between short make-out sessions and detective work. From time to time, when Jimin was too busy with his own work, Yoongi would join Inspector Kim in his office, preparing every small detail of their secret plans.
Yoongi hadn’t told Jimin about it, and he didn’t think he was going to. However, with each passing day, the sentiment of guilt was eating at his mind and it became worse.
He wanted to tell Jimin, but he knew Jimin wouldn’t approve, or wouldn’t approve without getting himself involved as well, and Yoongi wanted Jimin out of any direct possible danger for now. He wanted him to get out of this alive.
Right now, Yoongi didn’t want to protect just Taehyung, he wanted to protect Jungkook and Jimin as well, and for it to work out, he needed to be the one who did the dirty work.
Sometimes, Yoongi just wished he could go back to his normal life, he could have Jimin with him, safe and sound, without having to go through the havoc he was going through. But he knew it was just a hopeless thought, so instead of moping over his life choices, Yoongi preferred to take matters into his own hands and pray that one day it would be over.
Lost in his thoughts, Yoongi barely managed to realize his phone received a text message sent by an unknown sender. He quirked his eyebrow when he spotted the little light covering his phone. He sighed and took the phone, sliding it to the side in order to unlock it and read the message.
Unknown sender
25
th
of April
Game set: 1
Players: Min Yoongi vs. Gamemaster
Location: Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu
Yoongi read the message several times. A sour taste covered his mouth because, well, it was happening, and it was sooner than he expected.
He lit a cigarette and tore his gaze away from the phone. He laughed to himself because, oh god, was he really ready for it?
He unlocked the phone again and dialed Inspector Kim's number.
After a few seconds, he picked up.
“It started, I have a date and a location.”
♠
To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You’re like the ecstasy I take
When I just wanna disappear
The love you give me is a curse
And I just want to make it worse
You’re like the ecstasy I take
When I just want to disappear
Feeling like a million
Million - SMNM, Compulsive
Yoongi’s pov
|15th of April|Days and nights have blended together ever since Yoongi received the confirmation message, as he buried himself in work. He couldn’t even see Jimin, except for the times when they were discussing proper business.Yoongi’s decision to proceed with his plan without Jimin’s knowledge was the best he could think of, yet the anxiety was creeping to the surface, questioning his own decisions and the plan itself. He had to constantly remind himself the plan was good, that it was well constructed and the sooner it was done the better.Nights weren’t his friends anymore, the bed felt cold, the air suffocating, and he felt lonely in his pursuit of success. He had never encountered such feelings in the past but now, when he let his guard down a bit for Jimin and the team, he became vulnerable and more emotional than ever. Yoongi hated it, that he couldn’t love but remain emotionally unscathed at the same time. As tired as he felt when the night came, sleep eluded him.He felt restless, and he couldn’t stop overthinking. The more he tried to ignore it the harder it got. He didn’t like it one bit, because Yoongi wasn’t the type to overthink; Yoongi liked to plan, and as soon as the plan was designed, he would take the next step. No doubt, no fear, just the adrenaline of moving forward.Things had changed. He didn’t want to disappoint Jimin, the bond they had created was stronger than ever now, yet he knew how easily everything could simply fall apart. Jimin trusted Yoongi so much, he wanted him in his future. Maybe things were foggy and not even he knew how everything would unfold, but in Jimin’s vision they would be together. He wasn’t afraid to let Yoongi know that.However, when Yoongi told Jimin he felt the same, he lied. Yoongi had lied his whole life but hated lying to Jimin. Nevertheless, he lied. He lied because he knew that the strong bond they created implied no more secrets while Yoongi still had secrets, and he was pretty sure that when there would come a time when Jimin found out the truth, found out that he lied again, everything they built up until then will fall to pieces.Yoongi kept on staring into the darkness of the room, night after night, mental exhaustion freezing his body, anxiety keeping him awake. Sometimes he wondered, was there a way to get rid of them? Of the thoughts? How? How was it possible when deep inside he cared so much, maybe too much? It felt impossible to stop thinking about it. Losing everything he’s got, watching it slip through his fingers felt worse than not having it to begin with. Yoongi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He constantly reminded himself he had to be rational, all of it was supposed to be for the best, to end something that should have been ended long ago. And to protect his brother, his friends, and Jimin. After more than two hours of trying to fall asleep, Yoongi got up from his bed waddling towards the kitchen. He took a bottle of whiskey out of the cabinets and poured some of its contents into a glass. He drained it, frowning.
It tasted like shit, really.
Yoongi liked it because it tasted like shit. Bittersweet. Exactly like the chaotic amalgamation of emotions he felt.He let out a sarcastic laugh, mocking himself before lighting a cigarette and opening the window. A soft, deliberate shuffle of slippers echoed in the quiet, signaling that he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. He spun around only to witness Jungkook with dark-circled eyes, collapsing onto one of the chairs at the table.“Mind if I join?” Jungkook mumbled in a tired voice. Yoongi just shrugged, following Jungkook’s movements with his eyes. Pouring himself a hefty measure of whiskey, the young man downed it in a single gulp, slamming the glass against the table. “Can’t sleep?”Yoongi snapped out of his reverie when he realized he was staring at Jungkook, his mouth hanging open before he finally spoke. “Um, no, I,…it’s been a tough week,” he responded, body facing Jungkook now.Jungkook lit a cigarette as well, it was Benson and Hedges. Cheap and strong. He narrowed his eyes at the rough taste after inhaling the smoke and laughed mockingly at Yoongi. "I couldn't sleep either and... I overheard you. I came here to talk, away from Taehyung's ears," Jungkook admitted, his voice quiet like a confession.Yoongi squinted, his eyes narrowing. "I see,"“Yoongi, you… are doing a lot of stuff nowadays while we are stuck here between these thick walls. You don’t want us to get involved, I figured that out at least, but keeping us in the dark like this will drive both of us insane, you do realize that, do you?” Jungkook's voice mirrored Yoongi's fatigue, the dim light from the lampposts casting a faint glow over his weary features.To be fair, Yoongi didn't dwell on it too much. This had been his way of protecting them. While he might not have been as communicative with them as he should have been, they should still acknowledge and be grateful for what he did.“Jungkook…” He inhaled deeply from the cigarette. “Whatever I’m doing now is no one’s business besides me, it’s not like I know what the outcome is gonna be, I’m just doing my best, preparing for shit that’s about to happen, but telling you all of it …when no one knows it except for the Inspector, it’s only going to make it harder for all of us.”“What do you mean, Yoongi?”Jungkook pulled another extended drag from the cigarette, the smoke lingering in the air. He looked at Yoongi with scrutiny. He was judging him. “This is dangerous, isn’t it?”Yoongi sighed, trying to find a way to trail off. “Jungkook, all of us are in danger right now, and the clock is ticking, the more time we waste, the closer they get to us. Romeo knows too much and I have to find a way to be a step ahead. If he decides he wants to question you or Taehyung, it’s better if you don’t know about it. Think of it, Jungkook, here you are the safest, there are guards outside the door twenty-four-seven, if you get out the chances of him and his men finding you are higher. I don’t want that.” He didn’t want to sound harsh or pick a fight with Jungkook. All he wanted was for him to understand.He continued. “Look, Jungkook… I promise I’m going to do my best to protect you… I know what I’m doing.” The reassurance he tried to offer was as much for Jungkook as it was for him.Did he truly know what he was doing?“Yoongi, we are a family, please… this is a mistake, let us help you, we are more capable than this and you know it!” “Jungkook…” Maybe Yoongi shouldn’t make decisions for others, but he had much to learn yet. “I think this is the best for you two. Let me handle this.”Jungkook burned down the cigarette and looked into Yoongi’s eyes. “Fine. Your choice.” He acquiesced and didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation.The silence that settled after that didn’t sit right with Yoongi, but Jungkook didn’t leave him alone at least, he stood there looking into blank space being quiet for a long while. Yoongi kept on staring at him, thoughts running miles a second. It was Jungkook who broke the silence again.“Yoongi, look, I’m sorry for being this insistent…” When he spoke this time, Jungkook looked more compliant. “I know you are doing your best to protect us… it is just… I need to get out of here or else I’ll go crazy…”Yoongi sent Jungkook a wary look, before being hit by a realization. He didn’t like seeing Jungkook so deprived of life. Maybe a different approach would do it. “Jungkook, is this by any chance... related to Taehyung?” He replaced his serious stance with a playful smirk, hoping Jungkook would ease a bit. Jungkook’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. “I- I don’t know, really, of course, it’s him as well… but, besides that, I want to help.” Jungkook was stuttering and Yoongi couldn’t help but be happy to see the tension in the air dissipate. Maybe the change of subject was Yoongi’s salvation card.He knew it felt like hell to be constrained not to leave a house. It felt like a prison. Sharing that particular place with a person you don’t know how to act around anymore could be even worse. Yoongi felt sorry for Jungkook and for Taehyung however. He knew he was being unreasonable. He wanted to clear the air, maybe just a bit. “Look, Jungkook, what if I try to compromise? I’m gonna take you to the department sometimes, even if I won’t get you involved in my stuff, I’ll try to get you out, Taehyung as well, I’ll talk to Jimin about it and we can find a way.”It took Jungkook a while until he spoke again, but his face lit up a bit. “Thanks, Yoongi, it means a lot.”When Jungkook lit another cigarette and stared at a specific point on the floor, Yoongi figured out that Jungkook wasn’t fully satisfied. And maybe, this time, it wasn’t about the outcome of their conversation.“So… Taehyung, huh?”Jungkook twitched once before turning his face to meet Yoongi’s. His cheeks turned red and his stare was avoidant. His reply was blunt despite Yoongi’s expectations. “I don’t think I can stay away from him anymore.” It was short, quick, heartfelt. His face looked as if he was going to explode. Yoongi could have said he was cute.“What do you mean, Jungkook?” Yoongi asked him already knowing the answer, he knew what Jungkook meant by that, but he also knew that Jungkook needed space and he needed to say it himself.“I tried to distance myself, to… be able to avoid making any stupid mistakes.” The younger admitted, the air around him changing again, looking like a lost puppy that made Yoongi’s heart shrink. He was still young after all, a young adult who didn’t know what family meant until he met them, a young adult who didn’t know there were people in this world that would care for him willingly.Yoongi didn’t judge Jungkook for the state he was in. If anything, he knew exactly how suffocating it was to feel conflicted about your inner feelings and not be able to do anything about them. He wasn’t blind, Jungkook and Taehyung were destroying whatever bond they used to have, shattering it into pieces, and not even he could understand the reason behind this outcome. “Jungkook, I’m just as bad as you are when it comes to feelings, but if you still consider my opinion, I’d say that the wall you two put between the two of you right now is a mistake. You used to be very good friends, before anything else, and if you can’t be more than that for now it doesn’t mean you have to destroy what you already had. Taehyung is sad, you are too. You two need to get your shit together, we can’t go far if we are not here for each other. It’s all we have, it’s not easy, I know, but let me say it again: It’s all we have. Each other. ” "I don't want to cause him any more pain," Jungkook explained, reflecting on Yoongi's words.“I believe you, but you are making things worse, it’s obvious now.”Jungkook put the now-empty glass of whiskey in the sink and smiled warmly at Yoongi. “I will think of a way to repair this.”“Jungkook, remember you can still be friends, at least try that, it would make both of you feel better, alright?”“Yeah…” Jungkook nodded. “Thanks, hyung.” Yoongi nodded back and watched Jungkook leave back to his bedroom. They don’t deserve to go through all of it. They deserved to live their youth at its best, and Yoongi couldn’t help but feel like he was standing in the way of their happiness, heart aching with regret. ♠
Babylon – 5 Seconds of Summer
Jimin’s pov
|17th of April |“Inspector, you called for me?” Jimin inquired upon entering Inspector’s Kim office.“Yes, detective, please take a seat.” Inspector Kim gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “I think it’s time we have a conversation.”Jimin frowned his eyes unknowingly while following Inspector’s Kim suggestion and sitting down. He didn’t know when he started to get along with Inspector Kim Seokjin, but he really did, and he liked him a lot now. Maybe he misjudged him in the past because he was cold and didn’t like to communicate with his subalterns, or at least that’s what he thought of him before giving him an actual chance. Now things seemed different, and as Jimin got closer to his superior, he realized he was a man of his word, and despite his cocky attitude, he had only good intentions and wanted their plan to work out without casualties. “What is this about? Should I be scared?”Inspector Kim sighed. “Not really, I want you to be honest with me, Detective Park, because I’d like to give you a piece of advice.”Jimin nodded and waited for the question. “What is your relationship with Min Yoongi right now?” Inspector Kim asked with what seemed to be an almost amused look on his face if Jimin didn’t know differently. If it wasn’t obvious already …. Jimin wanted to say but kept it to himself. He didn’t know what his relationship with Yoongi was, so it would be pretty weird to put a tag on it, especially in front of the inspector. However, Jimin knew it was an important question and Seokjin must have had good reasons for asking something like that. He knew he shouldn’t be lying.He took a deep breath before answering. “We are… a thing I think.”Inspector Kim nodded, accepting the answer without asking for further details. “I knew it, obviously, everyone saw it in one way or another. But I wanted to talk to you about it. Detective… Jimin, we have been working together for a long while now and I know your principles are very strong. You are one of the best detectives I’ve ever had, and I’m sure you know it.”Jimin was a little bit taken aback but bit his tongue so as not to interrupt the inspector.“I want you to know that whatever me and Yoongi have planned ahead, we did it because it was the best decision we could think of, no one wants to see you feel betrayed or anything else. You need to keep your calm and not let the relationship you have with him drag you down. I can trust you to do that, right? I know it’s not easy, but-“Jimin’s mind went blank. So, Yoongi was hiding something from him. But it wasn’t just Yoongi, it was Yoongi and the inspector. Great news. Fantastic even.“Detective, are you listening to me?”Jimin’s train of thought was quickly interrupted and he was brought back to reality. “Y-yeah, I’m sorry, I was just… yes, I understand.”Inspector Kim sighed. “I don’t think you do, though.” Jimin didn’t reply to it. He didn’t want to admit to his uneasiness.“Please consider my words and try to make sense of what’s happening.”Jimin was really confused, but he knew the inspector wouldn’t have called him in to discuss it unless it was important. Unless he trusted Yoongi. Jimin should be doing the same.He needed to focus. Yes, the relationship with Yoongi was important, but they had some other things to be taken care of. Inspector Kim took out a file from his drawer and pushed it towards Jimin. “I discussed something with Yoongi and we reached a conclusion. It was hard to convince him, I’m not going to lie, but I think it’s for the best.”Jimin took a closer look at the file. “What is this?”Inspector Kim smirked. “A suggestion.”♠Jimin got out of the office a little bit lightheaded after the conversation he had with Inspector Kim. It was a lot to dig into but at this point there was nothing that could surprise him anymore. With his mind in the clouds he barely had time to process the broad shoulders he bumped into moments after he left the office. “Namjoon?” He said a bit shocked, as if it wasn’t normal to meet the other detective mid-department.“Jimin. Glad to see you here.”“I was just looking for you, mind sparing me a second?” Namjoon asked shyly, looking like he was about to ask him for a casual round of chess if Jimin didn’t know any better. Well, fuck. Jimin hasn’t thought about explaining things to Namjoon. It didn’t even cross his mind with everything going around. He was perfectly aware, as Seokjin said earlier, that everyone in the office knew about his affair with Yoongi but he didn’t feel like explaining it to anyone, especially to Namjoon who warned him several times to be cautious when it came to Yoongi, even before he betrayed him. He paused, inhaling deeply before giving his answer. “Yeah, sure thing Detective, you deserve it.”Namjoon guided Jimin to the main room of the floor and took a seat on a couch, Jimin following his example. “Look, Jimin, I don’t want any explanation.” Namjoon began.Jimin frowned. “You might not, but I owe you one, Namjoon, you are my friend.” Even though Namjoon tried not to pester him into explaining the current situation, Jimin knew that deep down that’s what it was about.“Jimin, I might be many things, clumsy being at the top of the list, but I’m not oblivious. I figured out everything that’s happening with you and Yoongi and I wanted to tell you that… I don’t mind, I just wanted to chat with you for a minute and ask if you feel okay, if you are handling things well.” Namjoon formed a small smile, cute dimples on display, giving off a reassuring aura. Jimin considered his friend’s question. Was he okay? “I… I am handling things as well as I can, I think…” He chuckled nervously. “Hey… you have every right to feel weak sometimes, I hope you know that.” Namjoon patted Jimin’s shoulder. Jimin tried to give him a sincere smile in return. “I try to focus on what’s important now, on the case, on how we’ll survive. I… I keep training whenever I’m at home, I try to do everything possible to be prepared when I’m going to face the real danger out there.”“Jimin… we are going to face it, together, you are not alone, and you are allowed to take a break, just so you know.”Jimin shook his head, not even wanting to think about it. “Namjoon, I don’t want… I can’t lose focus, not now, because… because if I lose focus now I’m scared I won’t be able to get back on track, I can’t allow it and-”“Jimin, quit rambling, we both know that’s bullshit, you are running away from something. What is it?” Jimin didn’t know how to answer that. “I… “ He took a shaky breath. He wanted to approach this, in a sincere way but he didn’t want to let his feelings get the best of him. “I’m scared of many things, Namjoon. I’m scared of losing the people close to me because of the dangers that are about to come, all because of me; I don’t want to be the reason I’ll lose them, I want to protect both my sanity and all of you. And yeah, I want to protect the bonds we created. I can’t and I don’t want to think of the worst because I’m scared, I- I can’t get there, I don’t want to, I don’t want to attract it.”Namjoon rose to his feet and took a bottle of water from a table placed nearby. He handed it to Jimin, and when he saw that Jimin was done drinking, he smiled again and hummed before opening his mouth. “Jimin, will you listen to me for a bit? It’s just the two of us in here, let me help you.” Namjoon suggested.And whatever that was supposed to be, Jimin was scared and didn’t want to go there, he just wanted to get up and leave, it was enough opening up for now.Namjoon must have observed Jimin’s shift in attitude because he was tense now as well.“Jimin, please relax, listen to me.”Jimin wanted to leave, he didn’t want to listen. “Have you ever thought of… the worst? Imagining it? Facing it, even if only in your thoughts, have you ever tried it?”Jimin’s eyes widened in terror for a moment, because no.No, no, no. He didn’t want to do that. He was strong and mature, he wasn’t afraid, and he didn’t need to go there.“Namjoon…” Jimin took another sip of the water to calm down. “Let’s not do this, please, I’m fine, okay, I don’t want to do it.”“Jimin, trust me, I can help.”“I…”Jimin sank further into the couch. He knew this was a bad idea.“Thank you.” Namjoon nodded his head. “So, what do you fear the most?”Without thinking much about it, Jimin just spilled everything he knew he was afraid of, everything that was hidden in the back of his mind. He just, won’t have to think of it, right? Just say it, no thinking. Should work. “… I’m afraid that… any of you could die, I’m afraid that Yoongi and Taehyung would betray me again, I’m afraid of …dragging any of you into danger because of my stupid decisions…”Namjoon placed a hand on his back for support. “Okay Jimin, think about any of us dying, then what?”“I… don’t want to think about it, Namjoon.”“Do it, Jimin.”And without his own consent, Jimin’s mind went there. He saw his friends die one by one, in the worst circumstances possible, he saw himself watching them, he felt the world sink around him, he saw himself there, crying, surrounded by agony, he saw the way everything was falling apart. Shortly after, his body started shaking. “Jimin, look at me please,” Namjoon asked him in a gentle voice.Jimin did, he looked into Namjoon’s warm eyes and he was still there and very much alive, as well as everyone else. “You know what Jimin, if that worst-case scenario happens, it’s not going to be the end of the world, because life moves on, even if one of us dies, it’s because we chose to be there and put ourselves in danger, but you will still have the rest, and you will move on with life, and instead of destroying yourself, you will have to understand that it wasn’t your fault, you will have to understand that you could have done nothing because it’s not your choice. Since it’s not your choice, it shouldn’t be your concern either, it shouldn’t stop you from sleeping soundly at night, right? The fact that we are all here, in this exact situation, means that we chose to be here. We know there is a possibility we could die, but that’s it, if I die, I want you to understand that I died with closure because at least I helped and I didn’t stand by. I’m pretty sure it’s the same for the rest of our team.”Jimin took a deep intake of air, then exhaled, reasoning with his friend’s words. Namjoon was right. “B-but it doesn’t mean this has to happen, Namjoon. No one has to die for us to solve the case.” Jimin stated, almost for himself.“Of course not, Jimin. But it’s okay to think about it sometimes, to let the fear surface, you need to know and face your fears in order to become stronger and a better version of yourself. I’m not saying that you are not strong, all I’m saying is that bad things can happen, and you are aware of it, and by trying to push the thoughts away you are going to lose focus at some point. You need to accept them, we all need to.”Jimin was momentarily left speechless by that revelation. It fueled a renewed determination in him to work even harder toward their goal. Despite the looming losses of time and people, Jimin was determined to ensure it wouldn't be in vain.“And, if Yoongi or Taehyung decide to betray you, if things don’t go as smoothly as planned, it doesn’t matter, Jimin, because you are strong, and you will get over it. It doesn’t mean you should let those fears control your actions now. Don’t think about how you will feel if that happens, think about the fact that life goes on, live in the present, and whatever comes, you are going to face it and will get over it, surpass it, and become a better version of today’s Jimin.” Namjoon caressed Jimin’s back with soothing, short moves. Jimin didn’t know Namjoon was so good at stuff like this until now.He was rendered speechless. The urge to contradict Namjoon was gone because he was right. It wasn’t that bad when he thought about it. Life goes on, there is always a new day after the silent night. Jimin considered himself blessed to have someone as supportive and caring as Namjoon in his life.♠
Lauv – Light Rain
Jungkook’s pov
|18th of April|It was a sunny morning when Jungkook decided to consider Yoongi’s advice. Even if he knew it wasn’t going to be easy and he knew he wouldn’t be able to repair what he destroyed that easily, it was worth the try;Taehyung was worth the try.He was worth everything in Jungkook’s heart, so instead of hiding it, Jungkook decided to show Taehyung how important he was. Now all that was left to do was put the plan into action. It seemed easy in his head but not anymore when Jungkook found himself in the living room, waiting nervously for Taehyung to get out of the shower. He was scrolling in vain on one of his social media accounts, sitting on the couch when he heard the door from the bathroom click. Ok, Jungkook, you have to do this, and you will manage to break at least a part of the awkwardness between the two of you. You can do it. Jungkook encouraged himself. It couldn’t get worse anyway. Taehyung had already changed into day clothes while his hair was still wet, strands of brown chocolate hair covering his eyes. Godammit! How was Jungkook supposed to concentrate when Taehyung was the human embodiment of etherealness? His brown hair had grown longer since they moved in together and it was curly since he didn’t bother to straighten it anymore the way he did before. Taehyung in this natural form was simply stunning and Jungkook hoped he would never try to style his hair ever again.
Focus, Jungkook.
“T-tae? Want some tea?” Jungkook blurted out without thinking. Taehyung was startled at the sudden voice; he wasn’t used to talking to Jungkook anymore probably. They barely exchanged a few words a day. Jungkook intended to change that. “Uh, yeah, I could use some,” Taehyung replied after a while in an unsure voice. Jungkook hated himself for making things this awkward, for making it impossible for Taehyung to converse with him without the force of the powerful wall between them destroying the mood, and it was Jungkook who made things like that to begin with. Sighing, Jungkook busied himself with preparing the tea, and by the time he returned to the living room with it Taehyung’s hair was already dry and even curlier. Jungkook felt weak in the knees.
Focus!
Jungkook placed the cup of tea in front of Taehyung and joined him on the coach. “Your hair grew longer!” Jungkook started a conversation with what seemed a very intelligent remark, at least it sounded intelligent in his head. Taehyung stopped mid-sipping the tea. He almost choked. Jungkook wanted to bite his tongue, maybe it was not that intelligent?“Did it? Oh, yeah, it did.” Taehyung said, chuckling nervously, untangling a few strands of hair at the back of his head with his fingers.“It… It looks great, Taehyung.” Jungkook remarked again, feeling his cheeks getting warmer. Damn it now, it used to be easier to be around Taehyung. “I mean, your curly hair looks great!” He threw Taehyung a way too exaggerated grin.This time Taehyung really choked on his second sip of tea. Jungkook hurried to pat him on his back to help him get back some air in his lungs. Did the tea taste that bad?
Jungkook, can you do anything right for once?
Taehyung turned to Jungkook with a pinch of red on his cheeks. “Thank you, Jungkook.”“Yeah, uh, no problem!”It took him a while, but Taehyung formed a boxy smile, Jungkook’s favorite, and it kind of melted his heart. “Let’s… want to watch a movie together?” Jungkook suggested, hoping he wasn’t asking too much. Taehyung cocked one eyebrow, studying Jungkook’s face for a while that felt like forever, but then he hummed in agreement. “Only if I get to pick,” Taehyung grinned cheekily.At that, Jungkook rolled his eyes and felt relief rushing through his veins; he laughed and handed the remote to Taehyung. “Okay then, we are watching To All the Boys I've Loved Before,” Taehyung stated enthusiastically.“Oh Jesus, that’s literally a piece of shit !”“Jungkook, you said I get to choose? Hmm?” Taehyung pouted and batted his eyelashes at Jungkook.Damn it with the movie, what Taehyung wants he will get. ♠
Jimin’s pov
|21 of April|Jimin was wrapping up the files of a side case when Hoseok entered his office, his expression reflecting inner conflict. Jimin’s brows shot up instantly upon seeing him, worried something wrong must have happened.“Detective Park!” Hoseok exclaimed before swiftly joining Jimin at the side of his desk.“Hoseok? What brings you here? Did something happen?”“Actually yeah. I need to tell you something, but I don’t know how… I am a bit shocked, myself…” Hoseok admitted, cocking his head to the side. Jimin’s confusion didn’t leave his face as Hoseok continued. “I received a call from my sister.”Jimin took a couple of seconds to process the information, eyes cautious, tinged with worry. “Well, did something bad happen?”“Oh, not really…detective, in fact, it is the opposite. She said she changed her mind, she wants to help, but I don’t know how and what made her change her mind.” Hoseok’s demeanor gave away his fear.Jimin took a deep breath. This was extremely good news. They needed Hoseok’s sister more than ever. Hoseok continued. “She as we both know, she did a lot of dirty stuff and I kept on thinking about it. She must have a really good reason to accept our offer, unless…”“Unless it is a trap.”Hoseok nodded. “Yes, unless it is a trap. She told me she wants full protection and all, so I told her I’d talk to all of you and go ahead with the procedures.”Jimin stood up from his office chair, approaching his colleague. He placed his palm on his shoulder, reassuringly. “Hoseok, tell her that if she wants this to work, she can come here and make a statement, telling us everything that she knows. We don't want to expose her to more danger; our intention isn't to use her as bait. However, I'm confident she knows something more. She wouldn't come here without at least having some information.” He offered Hoseok a frail smile. “We will protect her, don’t worry.”Jimin understood that this would be challenging for Hoseok, evident in the persistent worry etched on his face. After hearing Jimin’s calm words, however, he relaxed a bit. “Thank you, Jimin, let’s get this done soon.”♠
Mantra – Bring Me the Horizon
Yoongi’s pov
|25th of April| The day had finally arrived for Yoongi to embark on his first round of the game of life. Determined, he was set on emerging victorious, no matter the challenges ahead.His brain had already memorized the rules and information about the game, yet, while waiting for the game master his eyes couldn’t leave the Rules Leaflet.
Game of Life - Set of Rules and Information
Number of players: 1
Number of game masters: 1
Number of trivia questions: 18
First Part of the game:
The player must answer the questions.
If the player gets more than 10 questions WRONG, the game ends in a tie and no further consequences or outcomes take place.
For each wrong answer, the player receives one scratch, self-inflicted with the WEAPON.
The WEAPON is a small penknife provided to each player for the game. The player has the option to bring their own penknife for sanitary purposes.
All electronic devices and potential cheating sources must be surrendered to the game master at the beginning of the game.
If caught cheating, the game master has the discretion to decide on the punishment.
If the player answers more than 8 questions correctly, regardless of order, they progress to the second part of the game.
It's a solo journey with 18 challenging trivia questions ahead. May the odds be in your favor!
Second Part of the Game:
Mind-Deceiving Game:
The game master prepares two drinks, one of which is poisoned.
Only the game master knows which drink is poisoned.
Objective:
The player's goal is to deceive the game master into drinking the poisoned drink.
Outcome:
If the game master drinks the poisoned drink, they die, and the player wins the game.
If the player drinks the poisoned drink, they lose the game and die.
May the deception be in your favor. Choose wisely.
Additional game rules:
Intentional Wrong Answers:
The player has the option to intentionally answer questions incorrectly to avoid progressing to the second part of the game.
Prestige Points:
Players accumulate prestige based on the number of games played. More games translate to higher prestige.
Becoming a Game Master:
Winning the game does not grant the player the status of a game master.
To become a game master, a player must win against 20 other game masters.
May your strategic choices and victories lead you to the path of becoming a seasoned game master.
♠The meeting place between him and the game master lived up to his expectations, creepy, eerie air filling the cold room he was waiting in. It was part of an old building with molded walls and rusty pieces of furniture thrown here and there. When he entered the place, Yoongi studied the structures of the room and came to the conclusion that it must have been an old, abandoned bar. It was spacious and the only source of light beaconed from a flickering bulb. There was a suffocating smell in the air, reminding Yoongi of what death must have been like.While waiting, he went over all the rules again and again, making sure there was no electronic device on him, just to make sure. Sighing, he took a seat on one of the two empty chairs under the light bulb and lit a cigarette.Yoongi knew the rules by heart now. He knew he could always choose to give the wrong answer, he had the choice, he could end the game in a tie and get out of the whole process alive. However, Min Yoongi didn’t like to lose, so no matter how many times he thought of it, he was set on winning. Winning meant giving the right answers to the questions, and that was going to definitely lead him to the second part of the game, yet, as much as he knew there was a risk, Yoongi couldn’t bear the thought of losing something he believed he could win. He didn’t completely disregard the idea of answering the questions wrongly intentionally. Giving up the game at that point wasn’t necessarily a sign of weakness, per se. Winning the game depended a lot on the game master and how well the player could read him. He could easily tell if he stood any chance at all through the second part or not. If the game master is too difficult to read, he would make that choice, take that chance, and play safe. He would protect his own life while still enjoying the thrill of the game, the thrill of having the chance to choose. It was common knowledge that game masters were experts in mind games and no matter how easy it seemed to deceive them, it wasn’t all that easy. Players weren’t necessarily weak when ending games in a tie, they knew they needed a lot of time and preparations to finally sit face-to-face with a game master, trying to deceive them. Even in those cases, most of the players ended up dead. It would be very reckless to think one can deceive a game master who has such a record behind without experience, and the best example for that were the victims that were tricked into playing the game. Yoongi’s teammates. If you had no idea what the game strategy is, any person who would start playing would act on instinct and try to answer as many questions correctly as possible. They were not stupid, they were simply clueless, not being aware of the true colors of the game, which led them to inevitable death.And Yoongi, instead of playing safe and sound, decided to take the matter into his own hands and prove something, more to himself than anyone else. Min Yoongi was going to win the second part of the game. After a few more minutes of waiting, Yoongi could hear a loud set of steps approaching the room. He smirked, crushing the cigarette in an empty, half-broken glass, as he waited for his opponent. The man who sat down in front of him at the wooden table was in his forties by the looks of it. Dressed casually, his face was already covered in wrinkles that typically accompany age and perhaps the weight of playing with people's lives.“There’s no need for introductions, Min Yoongi. I know you, but all you have to know about me is that today I’m your game master. We could meet again, you could meet another one, or you can never see the light of the day again. The choice is in your hands.” The man showed Yoongi a sickened grin, yellow disgusting teeth on display. Yoongi kept a laugh to himself. It was obvious the man knew exactly what he was doing, he didn’t have a particular smell, at least it didn’t reach Yoongi’s nostrils, and yet, Yoongi could smell his confidence. As to keep his strategy intact, Yoongi didn’t want to tinge that confidence, he was meant to stay silent and observe. Play the game and win. He just nodded at what had been said to him.“Let the game begin then. Do I have to repeat the rules?” The man asked simply, lighting a cigarette.“No,” Yoongi replied shortly.“Very well.” The man took out a small notebook of his pocket and turned to a blank page. “Question number 1,” He said briefly. “Which Korean city hosted the Asian Games in 2002?”“Busan,” Yoongi tried to keep his shock at bay, he tried to keep his voice stable, but he didn’t expect the first question to be this easy.Or maybe that was the strategy behind it.“How many years are there in a century?”“100.”“What is the largest river in North Korea?”“The Amnok River.”“What is the main religion in Thailand?”“Buddhism.”With every answer, the man didn’t tell Yoongi if he was right or wrong, he just wrote the answers to the questions down in his notebook.
4 questions till now.
Yoongi decided it was time to give his incorrect answer now and see what was about to happen.“Which year did Princess Diana die?”“2010,” marked Yoongi’s first incorrect answer. The man didn’t raise his eyes from his notebook. He just scribbled what seemed to be an x beside question number 5 and waited.Yoongi brought up the penknife from his pocket and put it on the table. The lack of reaction the man showed was incredibly well-trained. These game masters were always aware the players could be holding dangerous objects with them and yet their confidence was never touched through any means. It was like the knife wasn’t there, like Yoongi could never jump at his throat and simply kill him.That. That was exactly what made the game masters so feared. They didn’t fear death. They played and played until they were about to face it, murdered by their weapons; They acknowledged that they deserved it, so instead of being scared, they embraced it, fully aware that they were the ones instigating the fear.Yoongi lit another cigarette and yet the man didn’t make any new move besides looking in his notebook and smoking his own cigarette. As Yoongi sat there, fidgeting with his lighter, he couldn't shake off the knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. With each flick of the lighter and every inhale of smoke, he tried to calm down the racing thoughts in his mind. Yet, the nicotine offered only fleeting relief.Yoongi took the penknife and cut himself briefly. The scratch was approximately 1,5 cm long, give or take, as Yoongi knew the previous victims had their cuts in similar dimensions. While Yoongi pressed the blade against his skin, a surge of adrenaline coursed through him. The sharp sting of the blade sent a shiver down his spine, and he winced at the initial contact, however, he did not show it.Instead, Yoongi clenched his jaw, determined to push through the pain and prove himself in this twisted game.When he put the penknife back on the table, the game master raised his gaze from the notebook and looked into Yoongi’s eyes for several seconds, barely blinking.Yoongi didn’t look away either. The man’s stare was indecipherable but after a while, he smiled. “Job well done. That will leave a beautiful mark there. Next question.”Game masters were not just cruel; they were downright sick, Yoongi remarked in his head. “Which island was formerly called Formosa?”“Taiwan..”5th correct question.“Devil’s Triangle is another name for?”“Bermuda Triangle.”6th“Which city in South Korea is known as the ‘tech capital’ of the world?”“Daegu.” He smirked.7th. The expression on the man’s face was still giving Yoongi a hard time reading it.“Name the largest planet.”If it couldn’t be any more obvious, this was probably the easiest question by now. And the 8th. The game master wanted Yoongi in the second part of the game as much as Yoongi wanted it himself.“Jupiter.”8th. The man closed the notebook with a thud and placed it on the table, a smirk replacing the previous expressionless look on his face. ♠
Madness - Ruelle
"So, young man, you're in the mood for taking some risks today, huh?" The man crushed his cigarette and locked eyes with Yoongi, the grin on his face telling a story on its own. Ever since the meeting had begun, Yoongi hadn’t shown emotions on his face. This time, though, he raised one eyebrow, letting confidence take over the reins. “You really think I’d come here unprepared? Game master, let me tell you something.” He leaned closer, smirk in place, eyes narrowed, calculated. “You are taking the same amount of risks as I do. You must know I have my own assets.”The man put on a bored expression. “You call that a risk? Nah. I know what I’m doing.” He took two empty glasses from the old abandoned and dusty bar behind them. His steps echoed in the cold, eerie room as he returned to his seat. He carefully poured the contents of two, separate yet identical bottles. “This is the risk you are taking.”The game had already started. The game master’s purpose was simple. He had to deceive Yoongi, and the easiest way to do so was to make him lose his confidence. To start questioning himself and fear the outcome of the game.“You still don’t get it do you?” The game master asked. “One of these glasses in front of us will take a life. I am convinced it isn’t going to be mine.” Yoongi’s eyes were impassive. He wasn’t afraid. He just lacked experience. “Don’t worry. You will get it as soon as you choose one of these two drinks. It won’t take long.” He continued speaking, eyes watching Yoongi with scrutiny.“Bet I will,” Yoongi replied, eyes void of any palpable emotions, yet the tension started to fill the air.“I heard things about you, Min Yoongi. Some say you have a brilliant mind.” The game master spoke again, looking Yoongi dead in the eyes. “Let’s see if this brilliant mind of yours would deceive the science of deduction.”Yoongi held back a laugh. Maybe the game master would have intimidated him if he didn’t know better. If he didn’t do his research properly. But Yoongi knew his words were just part of a desperate trial, a fight to win the process and avoid the verdict.His voice was not giving away his fear if there was any. “All you have to do is use your brain. Think. And you know, Min Yoongi, what frustrates me the most, is that people are so stubborn and refuse to think . Do you know how many have died in front of me, just because they couldn’t use their brain? This brilliant mechanism we have been born with.”Yoongi was shifting his gaze between the two glasses and the man’s face. "Bet you've got quite the sharp mind too, don't you? It doesn’t take a genius to know you can’t be a game master unless you understand how this works. ” Yoongi's face contorted, almost spitting out a sarcastic retort.“The chances are… you shall experience it too. My sharpness.” His confidence wasn’t flickering. “Might even be the last thing you see.”Yoongi kept the eye-rolling to himself. The man was convinced he could win based on his previous experiences, but Yoongi was not an easy player. He knew exactly what he got himself into.“So, take the right glass and drink from it, and you live, take the wrong one, you die.” The man repeated the rules. “I know which one is poisoned. You don’t. Wouldn’t be a game if I didn’t, would it? The best part is… the choice is yours to make.”“And…” Yoongi decided to play his game. “You drink the other one. If I happen to choose the unpoisoned drink, you meet your demise.”“Exactly.”“Alright. Let’s spice the game up a bit then.” Yoongi said with confidence. “If I choose the correct drink, before succumbing, you tell me a tip about the people you are working for, whatever it may be.”The game master laughed. “Why would I agree to this?”“Because.” Yoongi took his time to light the third cigarette, for the effect. “You're aware I'm here on someone's behalf, and I'll reveal why and who, but only if I lose," Yoongi declared.The man scrunched his nose, his creases even more prominent now. He was weighing his options in his head. “Why would that be of interest to me, Min Yoongi?”“Cut the acting, we were both sent here with a purpose.”“But my purpose, Min Yoongi, is to have you dead.” The elder grinned, which didn’t impress Yoongi this time either. Even more so, it made it look like a try-harder. “And mine, game master, isn’t, and wouldn’t it be interesting to find out the real truth?”Yeah, Yoongi was bluffing a bit, but he liked to take his chances. The man considered Yoongi’s proposal for a while. “Alright. Same rules. You choose, we drink at the same time. I won’t cheat.”Yoongi smirked. “You like making people think they have a choice.”The man shrugged his shoulders. “I’m giving you one right now.”Yoongi looked at him for a few seconds, dragging smoke from his cigarette. Stalling has always been a good strategy. He had to run through his options. He needed more time to read the game master.“Take your time.” The game master sank in his seat comfortably. He knew it as well. “It’s like a game of chess. One move. One survivor.” That’s the moment when the game master pushed one of the glasses towards Yoongi. “Here, a move.”Yoongi narrowed his eyes, closely studying the man's face.“Did I just give you the poisoned glass? Or the other one?” He sneered at Yoongi. “Which one would it be? Hmm? You can still choose mine.”Yoongi was quiet. Thinking. The man kept on talking. “Is this a bluff? Double bluff? Or a triple bluff?”“But you know what, game master.” Yoongi grinned, making sure his opponent wouldn’t even get a taste of what he was feeling. “You know it’s still a small chance I’d take the right glass without even trying. Without even thinking. It could be pure luck. And I am a man of good luck, game master.”The man laughed. “My previous record says otherwise.”"Perhaps luck's on your side as well, but remember, luck has its limits. What could cut short your streak is someone luckier than you," Yoongi retorted, a smirk still playing on his lips.“Y’all have patterns. Players like you. At first, I was unsure myself, always a little adrenaline added to the game. But while the piled games behind me, it started to get boring. Your way of thinking, your weaknesses, are laid out in front of me like a map.” The game master asserted. “This game has never been about luck, Yoongi. This game has always been about synapses.”Yoongi rolled his eyes. He placed his hands on the table and readjusted his position. “Either way, this game will be your last.”The man just laughed, mockingly. “You are rushing towards your death.”Yoongi lifted his shoulders in a nonchalant gesture. “Let me get this, though. You risk your life, over and over again, just to see strangers die in front of you. Why? What gives you the satisfaction?”The man didn’t answer and didn’t seem to plan on answering. “It’s time to play, Min Yoongi.”“Ohh.” Yoongi rested his hands together under his chin. “But I am playing, and it is my turn.” Now, it was his turn to flash a sickened grin at the game mastThe man didn’t reply.“You have wrinkles on your clothes. You live a lonely, desolate life with no family and no one to care for. Must feel so frustrating. Watching life flash by, accomplishing close to nothing. You know there’s a chance you die today, yet, you are putting on an act. But do you truly want to continue this? Game master, you are living in misery; your appearance speaks for itself. You don’t feel like taking care of yourself, there’s no reason for you to do that. You are expecting death.”While speaking, Yoongi could see the man’s gaze darkening. It became evident to him that he managed to hit some sensitive spots.He continued. “Since you have nothing left, and everyone around you left you at some point in life, your life lacks any type of achievement. You know how to use your brain, but it led you nowhere. And now? You are taking your gratification from deceiving others. You and all of these game masters have this in common. See? I do see the patterns too.” Yoongi gazed directly into the game master's trembling eyes. He was angry.And anger was the easiest way to make someone lose control. Control over their own body, mind, and right decisions.“Yet.” Yoongi stretched his chin. “Yet, you wouldn’t put yourself in such a situation just for that. You are doing it for the money. Where is your money going to go after you die?”The game master tried to hide his now visible anger with a short grin. “You are right. I have something to fight for after all.”“Even if they are not fighting for you.”“Let’s play the game, Min Yoongi. Choose.”Yoongi leaned back in his seat. “Okay, but what if I chose not to play either? I could just walk out of the door, right?”The man swiftly drew the gun he had concealed in his pants. Yoongi sighed; he had anticipated this moment.“You either die because I kill you, or you die because of your bad choices, Min Yoongi. There, you don’t have a choice. Funnily enough, no one has chosen the first one just yet.”That was it. Yoongi smiled confidently. “I’ll have the gun. Shot me.”The man’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. “W-wait, what?”It was obvious, he had never pulled the trigger before. He wasn’t going to do it now, either.“Shoot me, game master.”With no further ado, the man raised the gun, pointing it at Yoongi’s head. He pulled the trigger. Yoongi didn't even flinch. The gun wasn't loaded.The game master’s eyes were still in shock. “How?” He said, taken aback. Maybe this was all Yoongi needed to prove he was not the typical player. All he needed to shake the game master, to make him fear the outcome. Yoongi stood up from his chair. “I know the eyes of a murderer. You are too much of a coward to pull the trigger of a loaded gun.”Yoongi was out of any danger now. However, he didn't bring the game to an end just yet. With a calculated move, he seized the glass in front of the game master, prompting the other to reclaim his own. The tension hung heavy in the air as the game continued, each move loaded with anticipation.“I see you’ve made your choice. You think you are so clever, Min Yoongi, aren’t you?”Yoongi would lie if he said his hand wasn’t shaking a bit. But he knew had to do this. He was certain which glass held the poison; he could discern it in the elder's expression.“Let’s get this over already,” Yoongi suggested. “Shall we?”As both of them brought the glasses to their mouths, just as the liquid touched their lips, a gunshot echoed, instantly rendering Yoongi deaf to everything around him.♠To be continued…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
♠
obey - bring me the horizon, yungblud
Jimin’s pov
|25th of April|Jimin was looking attentively from his hidden spot, waiting for Yoongi to stop with the rambling and just finish the game without touching the poisoned liquid. The poisoned liquid that could potentially kill either him or the enemy that they also desperately needed to interrogate. One second of distraction could cost them not only their lives but also the entire operation- and yes, the priorities were set in that exact order.His attention slipped for just a moment, a mere second of distraction, as he caught sight of Yoongi taking a swig from the damned glass.That was not expected, not part of the plan. Yoongi was not supposed to drink. He was not supposed to actually play the game.His mind went instantly blank. Yoongi wasn't supposed to be drinking from that glass!No matter who took the poison-infused drink, it wasn't part of the plan. Jimin needed them both unharmed and breathing. He might not have been in cahoots with Yoongi, but his alliance was with Seokjin, and he had a clear understanding of how things were meant to unfold.His heartbeat increased with the speed of light; he didn’t think twice. He just knew he had to intervene. He drew his gun, grateful for his sharp reflexes, and fired. The sound rendered their ears deaf for a mere second, and Jimin could see the bullet travel through the air in slow motion, breath held back, as he waited for it to reach its target without ruining the entire plan. The bullet didn’t get stuck in the man’s calf but did enough damage to put him to the ground, confused and in pain. Yoongi’s face was not only puzzled but frightened, joined by a faint hint of anger. His brows furrowed, curiosity evident in his drawn-in eyes.“Why didn’t you let me finish?” He asked Jimin demandingly. He looked like he wasn’t having it. None of it. But Jimin wasn’t having it either..“Are you out of your mind Yoongi? That wasn’t the plan. You don’t touch the drink.” Jimin said sternly, slowly walking closer to him, revealing his hideout."W-wait," Yoongi signaled to Jimin, motioning for him to stay put, then he approached the man, crouching down to ask him something.All that Jimin could hear was “I don’t break my promises” before the man whispered something in Yoongi’s ear. After that, Yoongi nodded and kept on staring at the man. The medical team rushed to take him in and make sure the poison would not kill the man. “What did he say?” Jimin approached them, his demeanor a mix of curiosity and perhaps a hint of hurt.Yoongi continued to shake his head, his expression contemplative as he mulled over possibilities.“Yoongi?”Yoongi turned to Jimin and gently took his hand, guiding it to his chest, where his heart beat erratically, pumping blood chaotically. “Thanks for being here for me Jimin, but I needed to know if I won the game or not.”Jimin sighed. “We… we were going to check the drinks anyway.”“Yeah, but … I promised him I wouldn’t cheat.” He leaned into Jimin’s space, nosing his face against Jimin’s cheek, a sign of relief, Yoongi finally knew it was over, at least for now. “You… are you okay?” Jimin looked at him. “Did you get to drink, though?”Yoongi nodded. “Don’t worry, I drank the harmless one; they better take care of him soon because he took several gulps already if you want him alive…”“We are on it!” Hoseok cut him short as he approached. “Why are you looking like you lost even though you won, Yoongi?” Jimin studied Yoongi's furrowed brow with concern evident in his eyes.“We need to talk.”♠
do or die - dpr arctic, dpr ian
Yoongi’s pov
|1st of May|Despite his initial resistance, Yoongi felt relieved that he had ultimately accepted Jimin's proposal. It all started weeks ago when Jimin realized something was off about Yoongi and together with Inspector Kim, he decided to propose an idea to him. He knew Yoongi wanted to play the game, but he also knew Yoongi was not going to follow their instructions step by step. He would endanger himself for the sake of the outcome. Yoongi loved to take risks, while Jimin was all about safety.He came up with a plan that could satisfy both parties. Jimin would be there for Yoongi whenever he played the game, protecting him in case any of the games turned out to be a trap. Jimin's role would be to refrain from intervening unless Yoongi's life or the plan were endangered.Initially, Yoongi declined because he was eager to play the game and gain the experience necessary to one day confront Romeo, whom he was increasingly convinced was one of the game masters. He felt he needed experience, not a babysitter.Jimin, however, refused to let him dive into these dangerous games without a backup. Eventually, they reached a compromise. The plan was simple. Jimin would stand by until the end of the game waiting as Yoongi made his choice between the two drinks.Jimin insisted that Yoongi shouldn't touch the drink, and although Yoongi accepted Jimin's proposal, he knew deep down that he would disregard it. Yoongi was determined to play for real, and nothing was going to deter him.Jimin’s biggest fear was that the antidote might fail. Even though, after months of research, Hoseok and his team had developed a fairly effective solution, Hoseok warned the team that he wasn’t willing to take any chances. He advised Yoongi not to drink the poison at all, as the antidote could have different effects on each person, and it was far from perfect. He insisted they proceeded with caution. For backup, Jimin and Namjoon agreed to have a medical team on standby in the hideouts, ready at the end of every game, just in case anything went wrong. And it wasn’t just about the poison—Game Masters were unpredictable, giving them even more reason to have backup.The whole game was filmed till the moment Jimin pulled the trigger. They needed proof that Yoongi won the game and the detectives didn’t intervene. Yoongi needed to prove it was his victory.“Alright, Min, I did it.” Officer Jeong-in interrupted Yoongi’s train of thought as he turned around in his office chair. “It’s posted.”They agreed to post the video of the game on the game's social media page, which was accessible through the dark web, a server where all the players congregated and discussed. Throughout the video Yoongi's face remained obscured and his voice was altered. Their goal was simple: to demonstrate that the game master was no longer in control because he had lost. With this move, they introduced a new player into their world, someone prepared to ascend the pyramid, ready to take down whoever was at the pinnacle.Jeong-in made sure to mute the video whenever the game master mentioned Yoongi’s name, so he would remain anonymous. A game master who lost might as well be considered dead; once out of the game, the players wouldn't concern themselves with him any longer. It was imperative to ensure everyone knew he was out of the game. But instead of letting him die the department got him into their custody. After his recovery, they were planning to interrogate him and hope they would get some extra information, though Yoongi doubted the man would say anything more than what he had already told him. The man was undeniably intelligent, a formidable opponent whom Yoongi might have respected under different circumstances.“Thanks, Officer!” Yoongi mouthed to Jeong-in, his voice low.“Is it done?” Jimin joined too.“Yeah.” Yoongi nodded.“Then let’s get to the next step. Gather everyone.”♠"So," Jimin began as Hoseok, Yoongi, Inspector Kim, Namjoon, and Detective Jiwon joined them. He turned to Yoongi. "So that's the plan. You need to play at least 20 games, assuming you win them to get Romeo's attention and eventually face off with him. And then what? We arrest him, and that's it?"Evidently, it wasn’t going to be as easy as it sounded. Playing over twenty games would take months and Yoongi couldn't just confront the game master whenever he pleased. He needed to maintain his connection with Romeo without arousing suspicion, or at least try to do so.Romeo was the one who helped Yoongi get through with the players but Romeo never told Yoongi he was sending them. Yoongi was sure that Romeo was deeper into the mafia than he let it show; he could have been responsible for a lot of what was happening for all that he knew. So many questions remained unanswered, so much unknown lay ahead, and the dangers were far from being distant.On top of everything, the CIA still thought that Yoongi had the microchip and for now he had no way to prove he didn’t. There was a lot to take in, with each passing day bringing more uncertainty than ever before, but they needed to persevere. At least this time he wasn't alone.Yoongi was also sure that if he played his parts well, with the help of the department the chances of them getting out of it alive were increasing considerably. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "There's no way he would just hand over the microchip that easily. I'm assuming we need more than just arresting him to retrieve it, so we'll need a solid backup plan," Yoongi stated, contemplating their next steps. "That's where I thought we could enlist Dawon's help. Perhaps she could assist us in reaching someone close to Romeo. However, right now, I'm not so sure about this."At that, Hoseok frowned. “What do you mean? She said she wants to help us.”Jimin placed a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder with a worried look. “Hoseok… we need to tell you something.”“What? I’m not following.”Yoongi was fidgeting a bit, not sure Hoseok would take in the news happily, but he needed to get it off his chest, and they needed to trust Hoseok. “During the game I raised the stakes, convincing the game master that if I won he’d have to disclose some crucial information he possessed about who was behind everything,” Yoongi explained carefully. “And… before Jimin arrested him, he told me to be careful because Dawon isn’t who we think she is.”Hoseok's reaction was palpable; he remained silent for a few seconds before exhaling loudly and fixing Jimin with a stern stare. “I never said I trust her either, she might be lying. And we have even more reasons to doubt her now.”“But…” Yoongi continued for him. “She’s our best shot for now.”Inspector Kim listened to their conversation attentively, before joining with a definitive statement. “So we proceed with the initial plan.”This time it was Detective Jiwon who nodded and spoke. “We don’t have to trust her, but even the littlest of help might get us closer. She could slip up after all. She is not a child, she knows playing with us could end up very badly for her. I’m not her biggest fan, but we need to listen to her before we reach a conclusion.”“Alright then. Let’s get Jung Dawon here.” Namjoon stated and everyone gave him approving looks.♠
black swan & fake love - instrumental version
Jimin’s pov
Despite their initial intention to interrogate Dawon thoroughly, she requested a meeting with all the individuals involved in the case. She emphasized the need for a casual conversation, as she had some important revelations to share. It felt like she was a step ahead of them and Jimin couldn’t help but wonder. After discussing it with Inspector Kim the team decided to do as she asked, seeing as she had no authority over them in the current situation. Plus, Dawon seemed like she could use their help.They convened in Inspector Kim's office, the same place where they initially designated Yoongi as their informant, and this time they brought Taehyung and Jungkook along. Considering their familiarity with Romeo, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all.Dawon came to the department undercover. She didn’t want to be seen with officers or detectives, and she asked the department if they could help her get there unnoticed, which they did. As she entered the office Inspector Kim removed her cap and face mask, revealing her face. She was dressed casually, giving off a youthful appearance. Her demeanor hinted at a mix of nerves and determination as she prepared to share her revelations with the team.“Thank you for accepting my requests. After the way I treated you all last time I didn’t think you’d be so kind.” She smiled sheepishly before she sat on one of the empty armchairs from where the entire room could see her. “Thanks, Hoseok.” She smiled at him warmly. The situation gave Jimin an eerie feeling. She knew too much to act this innocent. No one said much, introductions weren’t needed at this point. After a few seconds of silence, the woman spoke again. “I’m sorry Hoseok. I lied when I said I wanted to turn myself in and requested full protection, but I really needed this meeting with you, all of you, and I couldn’t think of a better idea.”A shiver ran down Jimin’s back. He observed silently, refraining from intervening as he couldn't determine if her words could be trusted. There was a lingering doubt in his mind; she could be lying at this very moment. However, as he met her gaze, her eyes conveyed a sincerity that was difficult to ignore.“What do you want then?” Inspector Kim asked her, going straight to the point.“I want to … make a deal with you.”The irony.
The dealer wanted a deal.
"I know none of you would accept a deal with me right now. It sounds stupid, and honestly, I wouldn't trust myself either. Don't worry," she reassured them with a smile, as if discussing something as mundane as shopping. "But please, let me tell you my story before you decide whether to accept my offer or not. It took me a lot of time to make this decision, to come here and expose myself like this. But as you all have run out of options, so have I, and things aren't looking very good for me. Things have taken a bad turn."Jimin's brows knitted together in a thin line as he regarded Dawon with suspicion. Again.What could she possibly reveal so that it would help them that much? They wanted a deal with her. They had hoped to persuade her to provide some valuable intel, but now, with Dawon standing right in front of him, Jimin wasn't sure what to expect.She looked very sure of herself. On the other hand, Hoseok appeared visibly restless. “Okay, so how do I put it?” She continued talking after she realized everyone was ready to hear her out. “We had a past together. We were in a relationship.”“What?” Yoongi was the first one to react, almost jumping to his feet.“You mean” Hoseok looked at her with his eyes wide open. "So, you're saying that Yoongi's friend, who's a criminal and has ties to the mafia, was dating my sister?" Hoseok's head tilted slightly to the side, a puzzled expression spreading across his face. "I... I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, given what I know about you, but... Wow, Dawon, your standards..."Dawon’s smile was sardonic. “My standards? You must not know love, Hoseok.”Hoseok's face noticeably paled at her words, and he briefly glanced at Jiwon before nervously shifting his gaze to the floor. When he glanced to the other side of the room, he noticed Jiwon wearing a similarly suspicious expression. Perhaps Jimin was just reading too much into it.“I’ll continue, then. So the main reason why I left home years ago was because I wanted to live with Romeo, but I knew the life I was planning to live was a dangerous one. I didn’t want any of my family involved so I just… disappeared.” She sighed and threw an apologetic look at Hoseok before continuing. “It was so fun at first, we did illegal stuff together, we made a lot of money, and because Romeo wanted me to be as safe as possible, I was in charge of the smallest deals. It went smoothly for a while, but we broke up last year after he started being obsessed with all of the secrets he had.”Yoongi raised his hand to halt her. "So, you're suggesting that you know things about him that we don't, am I correct? While I was in the US, you were with him. You knew what happened to him, and perhaps what changed him, don’t you?"Dawon shook her head. “If only it would have been that easy. I didn’t know, I don’t know now either, all I know is that he distanced himself from me. We started fighting all the time, I couldn’t stand him anymore, especially when I realized he started killing people. I hoped it wasn’t the truth, but when I found out he was in charge of most of Draco’s assassination deals… I realized some things. I never approved of his methods," She admitted, her tone tinged with disapproval. "Taking others' lives was not fair play, and unfortunately, that's what he started to do."Yoongi was all ears, fully tuned in to Dawon's words, and Jimin could tell just by looking at his face.“Why are you here, though?”Dawon looked at everyone surrounding her and let out a deep, soundless breath. “I joined Geom-eun Munjayeol because of him, he promised he would protect me, and it was true, but now I’m scared. I’m scared that even if I want to get out, there’s no way I would be able to do it alone. This is my only chance. I have no feelings left for Romeo and I certainly think he is not the person he was back in the day, he is dangerous now. I don’t like how they use that old game to take others’ lives, that needs to stop and I’m willing to help you catch him.”Silence covered the room for a few seconds. “Even so…” She resumed… “This place has been my home for years. I couldn’t just leave the mafia, they would come after me.”“How?” Jimin asked, “How are you going to help us catch him?”Dawon locked eyes with Jimin for a few seconds and grinned. "I'm going to go back to him," She declared, her tone determined. "I'll resume my role as his girlfriend and earn his trust enough for him to confide in me about his plans." “Out of the question.” Hoseok almost raged. “That’s too dangerous.”She frowned. “Hoseok, I’m going to do whatever I have to do in order to get out of it alive.”“And how do we know your feelings won’t get in the way, Dawon? How can we be sure you’ll do it without giving up? What if you don’t hold up your end of the deal when we’re too deep in to back out?” Yoongi deadpanned.“Let’s sign a contract. It will be immunity in exchange for my help, if I don’t help you till the end, you will lock me up for all the bad things that I’ve done. I am putting my freedom at stake to prove to you that I am willing to help.” She said without missing a single beat.“What if you run away again.” Hoseok did not seem to trust her either, and that spoke a lot about the situation.“I simply won’t, brother. I guess we will just have to trust each other now, like you did with these little men you have here.” Her eyes shifted toward Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook as if she already knew what was happening. And clearly, it wasn't difficult to figure out.Certainly, as long as she hadn't told Romeo the truth and what she knew by now, maybe there was still some hope left.Yoongi looked like he was already considering her words when Inspector Kim spoke up. “Okay. Here’s the deal, Miss Jung: you will sign the contract, but we will have you under close observation. I’ll assign my own officers undercover, and we’ll either work together or you’re out—because I can’t afford to fail once we’re in.”She nodded, determination etched into every line of her face.“I don’t like it at all, it’s going to be very dangerous, what if he finds out? Dawon? What if he will kill you? We already know he’s sick in the head.” Hoseok said despite his sister’s confidence.“Then she will have to be convincing enough not to be killed,” Taehyung spoke up this time. “It’s the best shot we’ve got— this might actually get us somewhere!”Hoseok sighed defeated. “So stubborn. Okay.”“Miss Jung, you will be assigned to Detective Jiwon’s division, you two will work closely together and Jiwon will help you with everything you need.” Inspector Kim instructed.“Yes, sir!” Jiwon agreed.“Are we sure we want these two in the same team?” Jungkook narrowed his eyes.Inspector Kim laughed lightly. “Trust me, Jungkook, when two women have the same purpose, they will join forces and nothing can stand in their way.”Jiwon and Dawon shared a brief glance, their eyes meeting for a moment before both nodding simultaneously. Jimin felt a sense of satisfaction; it seemed like things were finally falling back into place.♠
seesaw/i need u remix - suga
Yoongi’s pov
|15th of May|Time flew by swiftly as everyone worked diligently towards their goals. Days passed and Yoongi kept on working on his CIA plan with Inspector Kim and even though it looked like a perfect plan they still had a lot of details to prepare. On the other side, Yoongi tried to hide as much of it from Jimin as possible, telling him he was helping Inspector Kim with his work since he had too much time on his hands.Yoongi sensed that Jimin didn't fully believe him, but as long as Jimin didn't ask any questions, Yoongi was content to leave it at that.It pained Yoongi to acknowledge that he was treading on thin ice, knowing that once his mission was over, Jimin might choose to part ways with him for good. It was a painful reality to accept, but deep down Yoongi believed it was for the best.Even when he crashed over at Jimin and they were sharing a bed sometimes, his eyes wouldn’t find sleep. He would spend hours looking at the ceiling hoping he would find a way to tell Jimin the truth.Yoongi couldn't bear the thought of breaking Jimin's heart again. After all, there was a real possibility that Yoongi could lose his life in the process and Jimin didn't deserve that kind of pain. Jimin had been through enough already, and Yoongi couldn't bear to see him hurt again, especially not for such a prolonged period.He decided it was for the best to keep it to himself and even if he was going mad, it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter as long as Jimin was sleeping soundly next to him, with his heart at ease, not knowing Yoongi was going to rip it out his chest once again.Yoongi liked to keep his promises but he wouldn’t be able to promise Jimin he would get out of it alive, because he can’t know.…And Yoongi didn’t want to break a promise he would make to Jimin. Not again.Lost in thoughts, Yoongi flinched the moment his phone started ringing. When he checked the display he saw there was an unknown number there.It must have been Romeo. Yoongi took a deep breath and accepted the call. “Yes?”
“Yoongi! Glad to hear you are still alive.”
Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Romeo, hi, yeah sure, told you I’d be good at playing that fucking game.”
“I was impressed when I heard that one of the game masters was dead. I mean, he is dead, right? You killed him?”
Romeo called with the sole purpose of finding out if they arrested the game master instead of killing him? He must have been feeling insecure. Yoongi was sure Romeo was up to something but he couldn’t exactly tell what. He had the chip but he didn’t give it back to the CIA. Did that mean that they broke the deal? Did they have a deal to begin with? It was all so complicated and the worst part of it was that Yoongi couldn’t just ask.Yoongi had grown accustomed to seeking answers from Romeo, his life long best friend, about anything and everything, but now he had to exercise restraint, a concept he was still trying to adjust to."Yeah, he died from poisoning," Yoongi admitted, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and determination. "He was older... and, um, Romeo, the thing is, the detectives aren't aware of it. Only one of them knows, the one who assisted me, so it's risky to keep discussing it with you. But what's important for you to know is that I won, he lost, and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon."Yoongi hoped his point got through.
“Oh, hahaha! Of course Yoon! I’m sorry if I put you in danger right now, just wanted to make sure you are alive and well, I’m glad to hear you are back. But be careful, a little bird told me it gets harder with every game you play, especially considering how much you despise seeing people die.”
"Things change, brother," Yoongi replied, his grin oozing with confidence. "Let me share a secret with you. I heard Geom-un Munjayeol is thriving these days, and you know what? It all started with them killing my US team—my people. Funny, right? But here’s the thing: the best things often end the way they started. So watch yourself. I know you have ties to the mafia. Don't get too close, or it might end the same way—my people dead again. And by that, I mean you."
“Wait, Yoongi? Am I hearing this right? Are you threatening me?”
“Oh my god, brother, no way! I’m just telling you to be careful, I don’t want to hurt you!” “I see.” And the line went dead. ♠|22nd of May|“Yoongi! I need to talk to you.” Detective Jiwon gently shook Yoongi awake from his deep slumber, finding him drooling on Jimin's desk in his office.“Oh, what now?”“Move your ass, dickhead, I got in contact with Dawon and it doesn’t look so good.”Yoongi lifted his head groggily, wiping his face with his sleeve. He followed Jiwon to the main office and found Jimin and Namjoon already waiting there.Jimin smiled at him sheepishly before putting back his stoic expression on his face.“So, what did Dawon say?”Jiwon sighed and sat at the desk. "She mentioned that it's not as straightforward as she initially thought," Yoongi exchanged a knowing glance with Jimin and Namjoon. "Something triggered Romeo, and he's been targeting a lot of innocent people through GL (Game of Life). Additionally, she mentioned that he seems to wield considerable power, although she couldn't pinpoint exactly why. She has a hunch that he might know the head of Draco, but unfortunately, people don't trust her right now, so no one is sharing such information with her. She advised us to be patient.""What about the CIA? Did she find anything out?" Namjoon asked, his expression composed.“Yeah, well, about that— she mentioned she doesn’t think Romeo works with the CIA, or at least not anymore, because no one even brought it up. The people who’ve been dying aren’t connected to Yoongi or the US anymore; he’s just gone on a murderous rampage.”“It must be me. I was the one that triggered this.” Yoongi said guiltily.“What do you mean?”“Well, when I talked to him on the phone I kinda… I was a bit aggressive let’s say, but not too aggressive, friendly aggressive, I didn’t know he would start playing the game impulsively like this.” Yoongi admitted. “He must be a little scared,” Jimin added. “I mean, he might be scared of you, Yoongi. And a scared cat is a dangerous one.”♠
still with you - jungkook
Seokjin’s pov
The more Seokjin contemplated what lay ahead, the more a sense of confidence washed over him. It was a pleasant sensation, one he welcomed amid uncertainty.Seokjin had always been a bit of a loner, enjoying the respect he earned from others. He appreciated the peace of working alone, tackling problems solo - it was just his nature. But lately, things have started to shift.Ever since he met Jimin and Namjoon, who got the jobs at the department around the same time, he sensed something was different about those two. They weren't your average detectives; they harbored ambitions that Seokjin rarely encountered nowadays. In a world where people seemed to care only about money, the perks of working as a detective were undeniable. However, Jimin and Namjoon were different. They didn't seem to be motivated by personal ambition or material gain. They genuinely cared about their work and were committed to upholding justice. For the first time in a while, Seokjin found himself admiring their dedication and genuinely liking them as colleagues.Liking them didn’t mean he would treat them differently than the others, he made sure not to treat them any differently from the rest of the team. This might have been why Jimin always appeared defensive around him, perhaps assuming Seokjin harbored some dislike for him.As time passed, they found themselves forming a special team, providing Seokjin with the opportunity to get to know each member even better.Now, Seokjin felt a shift within himself. Spending more time with his team, he came to realize that they were more than just colleagues—they were important to him. He wasn't just their superior; he had become their friend. For the first time in his life, Inspector Kim Seokjin discovered the true depth of the term "friendship."They didn’t need to go out for drinks every night to be friends, nor did they have to share their deepest secrets. All they needed was to be there for each other, understand one another, and move forward together.He would be lying if he said he didn’t get attached to the others too, especially Yoongi. Seokjin admired Yoongi for his intelligence and his unwavering priority of always ensuring his brother’s safety. Maybe Jimin too.He didn’t have siblings and never thought about how that would feel, but seeing Yoongi and his brother and how they cooperate to stay alive and protect each other. It all made sense now, it was endearing to watch them. Seokjin was determined to help them until the end of their fight. “Thinking of something good?” Namjoon approached him with a small cup of tea while Seokjin was lost in thought, unaware that he was smiling shyly to himself.“Thanks, Namjoon.” Seokjin took the cup from Namjoon’s hands and blew on it gently before taking a sip. "You’re welcome! I’m an expert at making tea. Some might say there's no strategy to it, but it actually requires a lot of skill and experience." Namjoon grinned, taking a seat across from his wooden table, facing Seokjin with a serene expression.“I meant to say, thanks for inviting me over,” Seokjin corrected himself with a chuckle, “but yeah, I'll make sure to enjoy your meticulously prepared tea."Namjoon’s presence was comforting; that’s how Seokjin had always perceived him—a comforting embrace enveloping him whenever he felt like he was on the brink of insanity.“Oh, you don’t have to thank me for it, Inspector. We’ve spent a lot of time chatting recently, talking about every little thing at the department—but I thought doing something different might be fun.” He scratched his nape awkwardly. “To be honest, Jimin used to keep me company from time to time, but now that Yoongi’s here, it feels like he’s abandoned me. Yeah.”Seokjin grinned again, calling Namjoon out playfully. “Namjoon, please—it’s Seokjin, for God’s sake! How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that outside working hours?”Namjoon scrunched his nose. “I look at your face and I see ‘inspector” written across your forehead; I can't get used to it.” Seokjin sighed and took a sip of Namjoon’s tea which, actually, was truly delicious. Namjoon's eyes widened, focusing on every muscle in Seokjin's face while he tasted the tea, eagerly awaiting some kind of praise.“How is it?” He asked curiously when he realized Seokjin wasn’t going to tell him.“It is….” Seokjin took his time to watch every feature of Namjoon’s face, his nose, his big eyes, his sharp brows, honey skin… “enjoyable. It’s enjoyable.” He looked at Namjoon with a playful smirk, but all he got in exchange was Namjoon deflating and sinking into the armchair, at which Seokjin couldn’t help but start laughing. It was genuine.Perhaps that was why Seokjin found Namjoon's presence so endearing. Namjoon was humble, kind, and funny, with no ulterior motives. He seemed almost pure, if Seokjin could describe it in a word, and it was a stark contrast to Seokjin's own life and way of existing.“I hope you don't mind,” Namjoon announced when he heard the doorbell.He came back with a handful of bags. “I ordered some tteokbokki. I'm a bit of a disaster in the kitchen, and I didn't want to risk poisoning you.”Seokjin helped him unload everything. “When I thought you would surprise me with some extravagant meal cooked by you, I didn’t view you as an amateur Namjoon.”Namjoon’s cheeks blushed a bit at that, probably from embarrassment. “I- I am bad at cooking Insp- Seokjin, and that’s a fact, please accept me as I am.”“Well, it’s alright because— while I might not be a tea specialist, I can definitely be a good cook.” Seokjin snickered, food already waiting to be devoured on their plates. “Besides, this is very good.”Namjoon rolled his eyes for the first time that day. "I suppose it's not as good as your cooking then."Seokjin nodded with his mouth full of tteokbokki rice cakes. “I’ll have to prove it to you one day, won’t I?”Namjoon smiled mischievously. “Oh, not so fast. It shouldn't be this easy! I'm going to invite everyone over, and we're going to put you under a scrutinizing test.”“It’s a deal then.”♠|June|June had approached quicker than anyone had expected and while the department still handled side cases, the mission had not been at a standstill, not even for one second. Yoongi continued playing the game, assisted by Jimin and the entire team and while he was persistent, under continuous improvement, they started capturing game masters one by one, ensuring their bodies were completely free of poison before taking them into custody.While Jimin did not agree to it, Yoongi still made sure to risk it and drink the poison in the cups during a couple of games, but not for all of them, since during a couple of games they managed to capture the Game Masters right before they got to the final part of the game.Yoongi, though, played not only to capture the Game Masters but because he needed the experience. And he needed to become better, even the best. Not only did his life depend on it, but their entire mission did, and so, he focused on the different types of game masters he’d encountered and the psychology behind each and every move they made. It was crucial he was one hundred percent prepared the day Romeo was his opponent.While going through this rampage, he worked closely with the team and Dawon, making sure Romeo was completely unaware of their actual plans. ♠
Anything Anymore - LZRD, Jake Miller, JVNA
Taehyung’s pov
“It’s all here, Inspector.” Taehyung handed a pile of completed profile analytics to Inspector Kim, his eyes a bit tired but still confident. He had been working on them with Jungkook and Jeong-in for an entire week—a list of available and unavailable information on all the Game Masters they had managed to capture over the past month.There weren’t many, but Jimin was planning to interrogate them one by one soon. They wanted to gather as much information as possible—through both legal and illegal means—to ensure they’d done their homework before the actual interrogation. The procedure was kept secret, known only to their internal team.The process wasn’t supposed to allow Jungkook and Taehyung into the investigation—not headfirst, the way they did. Jeongin insisted that their help would be beneficial. After all, they had worked with the CIA and knew ways of collecting information that the other officers in their department didn’t. The legality of the procedure wasn’t necessarily questioned. Working with Yoongi hadn’t been fully approved by the higher-ups either, but Inspector Kim was excellent at handling directives. His job was to ensure their mission was completely covered, with no trace of suspicion regarding their collaboration. He had done an excellent job so far.Allowing Jungkook and Taehyung on the case also gave them the chance to get out of the secluded apartment they’d been trapped in for months. It allowed them to wind down and gave them a new purpose. Working on the informational side of the case didn’t put them in direct danger, and Yoongi agreed to it immediately."This is... quite a lot. Great job," Inspector Kim remarked as he carefully flipped through the countless pages in front of him, his eyes objectively scanning over the information. “We have our little secrets.” Jungkook winked, coming up behind Taehyung.“Thank you for sharing them with us and… our little prodigy Jeong-in,” He showed them an appreciative smile, approving of their work, before dismissing them.Jeong-in had left home early and it was just the two of them and the inspector left at the office now, along with the officers working night shifts, and the one following them. They weren’t allowed to walk unsupervised. But it was a small price to pay compared to the months of white walls and scrutinizing silence. Walking from the building to get to the apartment was one of Taehyung's favorite parts of the day. Now that summer had finally arrived, walking at night, surrounded by the fresh scent of greenery on the street, the warm breeze, and Jungkook by his side, brought him a sense of closure. He didn’t ask for anything else, not for now.The guard was walking at least fifteen feet behind them, giving them enough privacy to have quiet conversations, enough to not become a burden. “Do you think... Yoongi’s home?” Jungkook asked, a mischievous glint in his eye, implying he was busy with something... more personal. “Yeah, he’s surely not.” Taehyung rolled his eyes, thinking about how Yoongi had started spending more nights at Jimin’s place than at their so-called “home custody”—which, by the way, was a complete lie. While Taehyung only realized this now, he had believed the apartment was just a temporary location offering them safety and a comfortable place to live. Now, not being trapped inside anymore, he understood that what they had was a privilege. Yoongi had made sure of that.“We could watch something…” Jungkook suggested as they spent more time in their living room now when Yoongi wasn’t around. They basically claimed the apartment.Going down the stairs, Taehyung almost tripped in the process, tiredness catching up to him. Jungkook caught him. "Be careful," he smiled a small, warm grin Jungkook had started showing Taehyung recently, a soft side of him Taehyung hadn’t gotten the chance to explore before.Taehyung looked around embarrassed. “I’m tired I guess… but if your proposal includes me being allowed to fall asleep on the couch while we are at it, then I accept it.” He grinned.“But sleeping on the couch is so uncomfortable!”“Noo, it’s literally the best.”“Says you, who never have to worry about it. I’m the one putting you back to bed every time it happens.” Taehyung blushed at that. He was still trying to get accustomed to Jungkook’s unspoken gestures of love. There was a silent, mutual understanding and tension that had finally settled between them.The good kind, one that created ticklish expectations. Jungkook’s eyes were smiling when Taehyung looked at him, before exiting the building. Taehyung wanted to kiss him, but he didn't. Maybe one day. He felt like they both needed to heal after the excruciating experiences they’ve both been through. And it felt better like that. No rush, no doubts, no second thoughts. Taehyung accepted things as they were; he was more than pleased with the way they fell asleep night after night, cuddling, finally breaking down the old, cement walls that had been building up around them.The walk toward the apartment was quiet but serene, refreshing.Taehyung fell asleep in Jungkook’s arms on the couch that night and woke up in his bed the next morning, neither of them saying anything about it. It had started to be part of their daily routine.♠
pretty little secret - emma steinbakken
Jimin’s pov
“The onions... the way you are chopping them...” Jimin chirped behind Yoongi, getting closer to him as Yoongi was completely immersed in his late-night cooking. It was eleven p.m., but Jimin had suggested Yoongi join him in cooking something quick tonight. It had started happening more often recently— Jimin’s pretext to spend time with Yoongi, and the night, even.He hadn’t considered it until now, but the scene in front of him reminded Yoongi of the first time he was at his apartment. There had been walls of secrets between them, yet the tension had been thick enough to cut through.Jimin had wanted Yoongi then, and still wanted him now, but he hadn’t had the chance to explore his desires the first time it happened. Yoongi had pushed him away, and it had taken Jimin a lot of time to understand what it had meant for them at the time. The way Yoongi had rejected him wasn’t meant to hurt Jimin more than necessary.Yoongi’s grin was full of intent. “I am chopping them properly. Skillfully. It’s how it should be done. You should stay and watch me. Learn from the best.”Jimin leaned his chin on Yoongi’s shoulder, hugging him from behind. “I guess I should watch you do it, hmm? What else should I learn from you?”"Well..." Yoongi continued chopping vegetables for a rich instant ramyun. He shook his head from side to side, pondering all the thoughts that came to his mind. “There’s a lot of things I’m great at, my brain works pretty fast under pressure, that's one thing.”“I see. Pressure, you say. What kind of pressure?” Jimin closed his eyes, inhaling Yoongi’s scent as he nuzzled into his neck, pressing his hips against Yoongi’s.“Any type.” Yoongi continued, seemingly unaffected. “As long as it challenges me, I’ll make sure to come out of it victoriously.” Jimin knew that. Yoongi was an expert at taking successfully planned risks. Risks with a high chance of success. Jimin smirked into his neck, as he started mouthing at the skin. He didn’t feel hungry, not anymore.His palm slid under the counter and found Yoongi's soft bulge, applying pressure, teasing, adrenaline rushing through his veins. The mere thought of Yoongi pinning him against that very counter made Jimin stone hard.Yoongi stopped chopping the green pepper, for one second, head falling back, eyes closing, a quiet groan leaving his lips. Jimin had him in his palms already, he knew it. “Do you feel challenged?”Yoongi regained his composure, fake coughing, shaking his head, going back to his work. “Not really.” His voice gave out his lie, as well as the now hard bulge in his pants, the concrete shape of his cock Jimin could easily trace now with his slender fingers. He slid his palm in his pants, fingers searching directly for the tip, Jimin knew which were his weak spots by now. Some other days he would spend hours on end playing with it, under the covers of his bed, licking it until Yoongi would come just from that. His weak, yet favourite spot to receive Jimin’s attention. But Jimin didn’t want Yoongi to be teased now, he wanted Yoongi to fuck him senseless, into oblivion. Today he wanted Yoongi’s determination, so he spread just a bit of precome over the tip of Yoongi’s cock, before pushing his hips once again against Yoongi’s ass checks, to let him know he was hard and impatient, to make a statement. He started stroking him sloppily. He needed Yoongi to give up cooking. “Are you still hungry, because I know something that tastes more delicious than those tomatoes…” Jimin’s whisper surely tingled Yoongi's ear."Sounds tempting," Yoongi replied, still focused on his food. He placed the chopped vegetables into the designated bowl, then proceeded to clean the counter with a wet wipe, methodically clearing away anything in the way, setting up the stage for something else. “But would that… delicious something be ready to be devoured?”“You don't even have the smallest idea,” Jimin chuckled innocently, but Yoongi had had enough. He turned around, his lips smashing against Jimin's as his hands roamed over his body. Jimin's skin turned mushy in his hold as Yoongi worked his way around his trousers, pulling them down, hands not leaving his body. Jimin, now chilled as the fresh air hit the uncovered part of his body, quickly jumped and wrapped his legs around Yoongi, hot cock rubbing against Yoongi’s clothes. He needed to be touched, he felt so hot, he couldn't stand it not happening anymore. Yoongi’s hot breath was all over his neck, collarbones, lips sucking in Jimin's skin with hunger, leaving behind purple marks and a pleasurable pain that Jimin did not want to stop. He slammed Jimin’s ass against the counter and then pulled him back in, sticking his body to his own, as their lips met again in one harmonious song of muted moans and silenced declarations of love. Jimin didn't want to wait, didn’t want to drag it out, but Yoongi was taking his time, seemingly consuming each part of his body, as his lips traveled from Jimin's sensitive nipples to his cock. Jimin closed his eyes to let it sink in. The myriad of emotions, the sensations, the pleasure, and the excitement— all that Yoongi could give him in just one single moment, washed over him the second Yoongi took him in between his lips, sucking, slurping around it, devouring Jimin’s soul through the action, playing with his balls while his tongue was aggressively exploring every inch of Jimin’s cock.His head fell back against the cupboard behind him, conveniently behind him— there to support Jimin for his dear life. Yoongi’s tongue did not leave his cock as his fingers found his hole and started prepping him. He wasn’t in a rush, but the experience already had him knowing Jimin’s body and how quickly he could adjust. In no time Yoongi’s lips were back on Jimin’s and his cock between Jimin’s asscheeks.Jimin pulled him in, and as soon as he was fully burring inside, Yoongi stopped moving. It happened every time they had sex— there was always a moment of adjustment, a shared pause to take in the situation. The huffs and desperate puffs slowed down. Jimin opened his eyes to look at Yoongi, his hand traveling over his face, tracing his features.A moment to admit to their love. Yoongi whispered a quiet, “ I love you ” into Jimin’s ear before he started pounding into him with gracefulness. It was a moment when nothing around them mattered anymore—just them and their connection, limitless pleasure, and loud moans. Acknowledging the moment was cathartic for them both.It didn't happen all the time, but this was one of those moments when Jimin came untouched, and Yoongi followed quickly after, harmoniously climbing down the highs of pleasure together. “This is exactly what I wanted to do to you that day, Jimin. You have no idea how many times I thought of it after that, how many nights...” Yoongi said before pulling out of Jimin, dripping forehead falling over Jimin’s chest. “The good thing is that you don't have to hold back anymore.” Yoongi grinned before pressing a kiss to Jimin’s forehead. 'Let’s get cleaned up. ♠
empires - ruelle
The silence was as eerie as it could get. Jimin could only hear the cold words spoken, echoing in the room. It was the sixth time he had witnessed Yoongi playing the game yet he couldn’t get used to it. Maybe it was because of the implied danger connected to it, maybe it was because he had to constantly witness Yoongi morph into a completely different person, devoid of emotions or any type of remorse.A version of him that reminded Jimin of the Yoongi who betrayed him to ensure his plan worked flawlessly. Although with the passing of time Jimin had started to see behind Yoongi’s actions, and he understood, the lingering feelings the whole scene brought him back were still uncomfortable.Yet, despite everything, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for Yoongi. He did it in a way no one else could.The confidence in his eyes, the stoicism of his voice, the conviction, the power he held over his opponent. Yoongi was not only talented, he was skilled. He crafted his talent and he was continuously improving. Compared to his first opponent, this one looked scared of him. The more scared they looked, the easier it was for Yoongi to capture them within his claws.“You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to. Admit to your loss.” Yoongi grinned as his opponent, this time a much younger Game Master was looking at him, eyes full of confusion.“But the rules… The rules say we need to drink it.”“Fuck the rules. You will certainly die because of these rules.” The confidence was melodic and natural on Yoongi’s tongue, as ever. He even looked sympathetic toward the Game Master, who once thought he stood a chance against Yoongi.“Do you really wish to die today? Do you feel like you’ve truly met your purpose on earth? Through this game? Really?” Yoongi spoke slowly, clearly, letting his opponent know he was in control of the situation, while the GM’s eyes desperately flicked between the two cups of drinks. He was powerless, as the game allowed Yoongi to choose first.“Stop fucking with me and choose your fucking drink.” He almost raged. Jimin flinched from his hideout, but Yoongi simply smiled at him. “Sure.” He grabbed the drink of his choice and downed it in one go. Jimin’s legs went weak at once, but he tried his best to trust Yoongi. He wouldn’t be that reckless unless he knew he had already won.The GM’s face morphed as he realized the drink Yoongi chose was definitely unpoisoned, and what was left for him was immediate death.Too lost in his own despair, he didn’t notice the other person sneaking up behind him until the cold barrel of the gun pressed against his temple. Yoongi smiled detachedly, his gums fully showing as another officer came into view, handcuffs ready to restrain the man.“It’s over,” Jimin spoke quietly into his ear. “You have the right to say nothing, but you will not get an attorney too soon.”“W-wha-t?”“This ain’t police darling. We are going to deal with you properly.” Jimin helped the officer handcuff the game master, eyes not leaving Yoongi’s face. “And with that one, we crossed the sixth off the list.”“And this is the sixth time I’m trying to stay composed while you clearly can’t follow orders,” Jimin deadpanned, his hands still busy with the man he had just cuffed, who was watching them with a look of fascinated confusion on his face, eyes lost and a touch of disbelief written between his brows.“Jimin! You need to trust me. I’m that good. Stop worrying.” Yoongi’s voice was sleek, oozing confidence—maybe too much. It made Jimin roll his eyes.“Stop drinking that shit.”“Stop telling me what to do…”“Stop acting like teenagers and let’s get going.” Namjoon stepped between them, an amused smile on his face. “Dawon’s back, and she’s got some interesting stuff to share with us.” ♠to be continued...