These Things Take Time (Yandere! Supernatural! Taehyung X Reader)
These Things Take Time (Yandere! Supernatural! Taehyung x Reader)
Synopsis: There's something wrong with your boyfriend Taehyung. At least, you think it's him.
16.5k
Trigger warnings: yandere behavior, psychological gaslighting, violence, gore, some heavy making out, strong language, AFAB reader (she/her) I'm sure I'm missing some but you know me and what I write lol
Authors note: just a real quick thank you to @bigbuffjoonie and @mustardpop for having beta read and brainstormed with me literally a year ago about this fic that I never published until now.
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He passionately thrusted her against the wall, mouthing at her neck while muttering disgusting things that he was going to do to her.
It was foul…
It was taboo…
It was…..
Your fingers paused and hovered over the keyboard, the constant clicking of your writing coming to a sudden halt.
Your eyes scanned the last few lines, lips instinctively mouthing the words and checking the overall flow of the plot.
Your two main characters were about to fuck each other’s brains out after a long ‘will they or won’t they’ that spanned well over a dozen chapters.
There should be a feeling of torture, a feeling of relief, a feeling of frenzied lust that just couldn’t contain itself anymore and combusted within the contents of these pages.
That is what you desperately wanted your loyal readers to experience when they get to this scene.
Yet when reading the long-awaited buildup, you felt nothing.
You cared for every character you created like a mother does their child, them getting their happy endings was just as important to you as it was to them. So why did you feel so numb and dissociated from everything you’ve been typing the past hour?
You released a disillusioned sigh and leaned back into your chair. Your eyes stung from staring at a screen for so long and your limbs ached to be stretched with hours of immobility.
Writer’s block was a bitch.
Unlike other skills, writing was one of the few expertise that working harder at it won’t guarantee a better outcome. You could type away until your fingers were bruised and bloody, but it doesn’t mean anything you wrote would be worth shit. Writing was a talent and it came and went as it pleased. And right now it was gone.
Which left you very depressed and your editor very pissed.
You gave up the fight and reluctantly closed your laptop. Then stood to your full height, to give your back a much-needed stretch.
‘I tried today. And that’s okay. I’ll try again tomorrow.’ You thought to yourself, half heartedly taking your therapist’s advice to acknowledge your efforts and not just the outcomes.
When in a creative slump, it has been said that reading other works can be a source of inspiration. Can’t be a good writer yourself, then go out and read a good writer. With this thought in mind, you slowly exited your office and descended down the stairs.
Last week your mom sent you a book she recommended, and you’ve been so busy trying to finish your own novel that you just tossed it somewhere and haven’t touched or looked for it since. Though, you were almost certain you caught sight of it on the coffee table yesterday.
When you stepped into the living room, you spotted a familiar figure standing by the large bay window.
The sight tugged a small fond smile onto your face.
Taehyung was your boyfriend of six months.
He was strikingly attractive, tall, kind and clearly didn’t know his own worth because not only was he dating you, but he also agreed to move into this secluded farmhouse while you tried to finish your book. He assured that he could use this time and space to focus on his paintings as well, but you knew deep down he just didn’t want to leave you alone out in the middle of nowhere.
Right now only his profile was facing you, his alluring feline eyes staring at the raining scene outside, dark brows furrowed in heavy thought. He looked to be biting on his lower lip, a habit you’ve never seen before, but you supposed you two have only been dating for a few months so there was probably a whole world of little quirks you didn’t know of yet.
The scene was a bit intense, as you weren’t used to your usually cheerful boyfriend looking so ponderous. Yet you shrugged it off and just assumed he was most likely brainstorming his next painting. Taehyung was your first artist boyfriend and your friends did warn you that they could be a bit dramatic.
You quickly surveyed the room and indeed located the book on the coffee table. While reaching for it you called out, “Hey love?”
Taehyung snapped his neck at a speed too fast for your liking, instantly facing you with eyes wide and blown out in what you could only assume was shock.
You giggled, thinking he was too absorbed in his own world that he probably just now noticed your presence.
“I know I said I wanted pasta for dinner but how about we order some chinese instead?” You asked. Taehyung didn’t say anything, eyes still wide in unknown revelation, entirely unmoving. You continued, “This weather makes me not want to do anything, and I know you complain about the delivery time but we could just reheat the food if it gets here cold.”
It seemed like forever but Taehyung eventually nodded.
He then turned to face the window again.
You inwardly sighed and guessed he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of chinese. He always complained that you didn’t take care of yourself and how you needed home cooked meals rather than greasy takeout. But when creatively burnt out like this, you tended to just reach for the doordash because the act of cooking seemed entirely too much for you.
Hoping to butter him up, you tipped toed from behind and wrapped your arms around him. You nuzzled your face into his back and took a deep breath, enjoying the familiar scent of his outrageously expensive cologne. His body seemed to melt into your hold, tense posture suddenly limp and calm.
You reached up and pecked his cheek, grinning when you caught sight of his lips twitching upwards. Harmless manipulation complete, you trudged out the room with a lukewarm “Thanks honey!”
You skipped up the stairs and made a left into a hallway, quickly getting into the bedroom and preparing to plop into the heavenly crumpled mess of sheets and blankets, when an unexpected sound caused you to still.
The front door was opening.
Afraid of a possible home invasion, you rushed out to see what was happening.
The door was wide open and emerging into the home…was Taehyung.
His hair and jacket was drenched from the rain, four or so heaping grocery bags in his hold as he looked up the stairs at you with a tired smile.
“Hey baby, can you give me a hand with some of this? I got some sauce for the pasta and picked up some other stuff we were running low on.”
Time stood still.
Your jaw dropped in bewilderment.
Your mind struggling to process this odd collapse of reality.
The nearest grocery store was, at its quickest, still a twenty-minute drive into town.
There was just no way Taehyung was able to leave and get back in the same time it took for you to get up the stairs and into your room.
No one can be in two places at once.
What the fuck was going on?
You just saw him. You just talked to him. You just smelled him. You just touched him.
Taehyung’s gaze worriedly ran up and down your face, correctly detecting that something was dreadfully wrong. He kicked the door closed behind him and rather ungracefully dropped the bags, hastily stepping over some of the falling items to race up the steps and take you in his hold.
“Y/n? Baby what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost! Did something happen while I was gone?” He fretted.
“I-w-what-you-j-just-living room…” You stammered, not even being able to bring yourself to voice what was happening.
“What? What about the living room? You’re not making any sense.”
You gulped, looking up at him with fear. “T-Tae, I could’ve sworn I just saw you in the living room. I talked to you.”
Your boyfriend’s face dropped.
“Y/n, get in the bedroom and lock the door behind you.”
You irritably huffed while blinking away oncoming tears, realizing Taehyung didn’t quite understand what you were saying. “No! Not like an intruder! It was you.”
“I’m right here Y/n. I just got back from the market. I haven’t been home in the past hour. There’s no way you just saw me in this house.” He slowly explained, as if you were having some mental breakdown and needed to be talked off the ledge.
Your temper rose. “No shit Kim Taehyung! That’s why I’m scared! Do you have a twin brother or something? Or did you come into the living room before going back to the car to get the groceries?”
Taehyung backed away from you, clearly put off by your outburst. “No? First off, you know I’m an only child. Secondly, why would I come in and let you talk to me before going back out in the pouring rain, bring in groceries and then pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about when you said you saw me in the house just now?”
You glared up at him, now feeling foolish for even being scared in the first place of something that most definitely had a logical explanation.
Your boyfriend always had a more playful side than you and this was most likely the first trick he was trying to play in your very young relationship.
“I told you I don’t like pranks, Taehyung. You can pull them on your friends all you want but you promised to never pull one on me.”
He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “I’m not pranking you! It probably was an intruder who looked kinda like me and instead of letting me go and investigate, you're arguing with me?”
“It wasn’t an intruder! He didn’t take anything!”
Taehyung laughed incredulously, “Great, you're defending some robber over your own boyfriend now? I almost feel jealous.”
“There’s nothing to be jealous over because the guy was you!” You exploded.
“Which isn’t possible!”
“Go look then!” You relented.
Taehyung didn’t need to be told twice. He swiftly ran down the stairs and went through the entire house, searching for an unseen man who managed to trick his girlfriend into thinking he was him.
He found no such person.
It was only while you both wordlessly unpacked the groceries while licking the wounds of your little spat did Taehyung make a point that chilled you to the bone.
“Y/n, when you saw me…how did I look?”
You raised a brow at him. “I don’t know? You looked just fine.”
“Okay…and your working theory is I parked outside and came in, talked to you, then went back out, just to enter through the front again like nothing happened?”
You meekly shrugged, “Yeah I guess that would be a good trick.”
Your clever boyfriend pointed at the window, where it was still raining heavily. “I would've been soaked then, Y/n.”
That was the first incident.
— Dinner that night was a tense affair.
At least until Taehyung solemnly apologized for being so bad at hiding his true identity.
He then fessed up to being the Korean version of The Flash.
Against yourself, you bursted out laughing.
Maybe it was all the anxiety of the day that made you loopy, or your desperate need to just return to normal but you apologized for snapping and blamed your overactive writer's imagination for everything.
Taehyung said it was okay and that you actually looked hot when angry, you knew for a fact you didn’t but took the compliment nonetheless and suggested an early night in.
And just like that your first couple fight was over.
Yet that night when you were in the arms of your slumbering boyfriend, with his peaceful snores rumbling in your ear, all you could think about was the other Taehyung.
You regretfully lied to your boyfriend.
You knew for a fact that it wasn’t your imagination.
You were never the type of writer who got so immersed in your work that you began imagining things and confusing them for reality. If anything, you were too grounded in reality. In addition to this, you highly doubted that multiple weeks of writer’s block would even allow for such a vivid mirage to occur.
And the most damning evidence of all, if it was your imagination…why would your mind conjure up the exact replica of your boyfriend? The very man you live with and see everyday for hours on end? Wouldn’t it be a character from your book? Or at least someone you haven’t seen in a while?
It all didn’t make sense, but you didn’t have enough information to say what it was, you just knew what it wasn’t.
You rolled over and buried your face into Taehyung’s chest, practically praying for the mystery to soon be over and solve itself quickly.
It was most likely the overthinking and looming dark corners of the bedroom, but you began to feel like someone was watching you through the small gap in your ajar bedroom door.
– A few days passed and you have almost forgotten about the incident.
I mean, maybe not entirely but you were at least willing to chalk it up to a freak incident.
Scrolling through some discussion boards online showed that your story was actually pretty tame to what other unexplainable experiences some people have had. At least the other Taehyung didn’t try to scare or hurt you. It just seemed like he was doing his own thing really, like he was lost in his own world staring out that window. Thus you concluded that you weren’t in danger, and it therefore wasn’t worth freaking out about.
Mainly because your editor was on your ass and there was nothing productive about thinking of him when you were already so late on a deadline.
Naturally, you attempted to throw yourself into your writing, which was proving to be as fruitless as ever. Yet you knew giving your editor anything was better than nothing, leading you to sending half-assed drafts to him and enduring long calls about how your writing was okay, but not great.
You and Taehyung have been off too.
There was no more fighting or even words exchanged about the fiasco. However there still was an uneasiness between you two. You doubted that Taehyung believed your imagination excuse, but you also knew that he didn’t trust your original recollection of events either. Your boyfriend sort of walked on eggshells around you, almost as if you’d somehow think he was the imposter whenever he’d step into the room. You would be lying if you said you weren’t a little offended by it.
Luckily, Taehyung was currently immersed with his art, rarely leaving his little workspace. You wished you could say the same but you felt like you were simply writing in circles without actually getting anywhere. It was hard to not be jealous, but at least you were given some space away from him after a rather unresolved fight.
Meanwhile, you were planning to take a day or two off of writing, to just let your mind wander and relax so that maybe the next time you sat behind a laptop you could actually produce something worthwhile.
Of course it would just so happen that it would fall on the very day you get sick.
Waking up that morning you felt feverish and lightheaded, telling yourself that you could just use fifteen more minutes of sleep and you’d probably feel better.
You woke up five hours later; feeling even more feverish, lightheaded, and now nauseous.
You trudged downstairs to the kitchen and popped back some painkillers with a glass of water, already fantasizing about getting back into your warm and comfy bed once again.
Except what could make your bed even warmer and comfier? Taehyung.
Your boyfriend was always the more affectionate one between you two, you often practically had to push him away when you were trying to get work done. But now that you were willingly going to ask for his affection, there was no way he’d let you go uncuddled.
Any awkwardness in the relationship was long forgotten as you stomped towards his workspace, a demand to be held heavy on your tongue. You were too sick and exhausted to try to navigate relationship politics, but the whole point of a boyfriend was that he was supposed to provide attention on demand, right?
You reached his door and feebly knocked, trying to be polite to his artistic process and not just barge in.
You heard some shuffling on the other side and soon enough your boyfriend was in front of you. Taehyung hadn’t shaved his face in days, a faint goatee gracing his already intimidatingly handsome face. His black hair was messy and fluffy, a gold chain gracing his neck and drawing attention to his lack of shirt and gray sweatpants.
He grinned at you, “What’s up baby?”
You pouted up at him, momentarily not even ashamed to resort to such cheap tricks, “I feel sick and want to be cuddled back to sleep.”
“Aww poor thing.” He crooned while leaning against the doorframe. “Why don’t you head back up to bed and I’ll be up as soon as I can? I just finished a sketch and really need to focus on the next few steps before I can quit for the day.”
You huffed, kind of annoyed that he wouldn’t even take a break to hold you.
He rolled his eyes at your reaction, “Don’t look at me like that, honey. When the muse strikes, I gotta paint. Otherwise I don’t know when I’ll get the next chance for inspiration. You understand, right?”
“Yeah, I’m just really crabby and being held sounded really good.”
Taehyung chucked, muttering to himself a “cute” before leaning forward and pecking your lips. “I promise I’ll try to be quick. Go drink some water and wait for me. I’ll bring you some soup when I’m done.”
You just nodded and left him to his work. Instead of the bedroom, your feet somehow led you to the living room.
Maybe you should watch some tv while Taehyung worked? You already slept a lot today and if Taehyung was gonna be in bed with you later, perhaps it was a good idea to stay up for a little bit. Besides, you’ve been avoiding this part of the house ever since the incident and you needed to get comfortable in your own living room eventually.
Such a reminder of that rainy day caused you to cast a wary glance at the bay window, oddly feeling both relief and annoyance that nothing was there.
You plunked down onto the couch and wrapped a throw blanket around you, searching your usual streaming services for some comfort show to watch.
It was halfway through an episode of some show you’ve already watched countless times, when you heard footsteps approaching.
You looked up and saw your boyfriend, looking as cute and messy as before. Except now he held a sheepish smile on his face as he held up a steaming mug of something.
“What’s that?”
He took a seat next to you and gently handed the drink over. “Hot chocolate. I know protocol is tea whenever someone is sick, but I know how much you hate the taste.”
You fondly smiled and took the mug, flustered that he remembered such a minor detail about you. “Thank you love but you didn’t have to. You should be focusing on your work. Don’t let me distract you!”
Taehyung shook his head and threw an arm around you, holding you tight against him. He craned his neck and looked down to you, almost meeting you nose-to nose to connect his gaze with yours. Suddenly a serious expression replaced his formerly sheepish one.
“Actually, I wanted to talk.” He said, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I-I wanted to say sorry.”
“For what?”
He licked his lips, “I know we’ve been kinda out-of-sync ever since you said you saw someone and I didn’t believe you. But, it just didn’t make sense. Like, how is that possible? Whatever the case though, I shouldn’t have made you feel like you were going crazy or something.”
You raised an eyebrow, “So you believe me then?”
“Yes. I know you wouldn’t lie. I don’t know what happened but…I know you know what you saw.”
A warm feeling spread across your chest, temporarily putting your sickness on the back burner. In truth, you weren't sure if the situation even called for an apology but you felt so pampered that your boyfriend cared enough to. “I-I’m sorry too, Tae. I shouldn’t have assumed you were being mean and pranking me. Snapping at you wasn’t cool.”
Taehyung just shrugged. “Nah, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”
You secretly agreed that you were in the right but still, if he was being a big enough person to say sorry so should you. You turned your attention back to the drink in your hands, taking a sip.
You nearly moaned in pleasure when the flavor graced your taste buds.
“What did you put in this?”
“Oh just some cinnamon and-”
“Ginger.” You interrupted, knowing without a doubt that it was the other spice.
“Yup. Why? Is something wrong?” He asked, probably worried you didn’t like it.
“No! It’s perfect.” You said before gulping down more of the nostalgic hot chocolate. “When I was a kid, I had a babysitter who would make her hot chocolate with cinnamon and ginger. Mrs Fritz was her name, a really kind old lady from down the street. I was her favorite so she made hot chocolate for me all the time and watched me for free whenever my parents went out.”
Taehyung hummed, a small smile on his face as you fondly recalled one of the biggest figures of your childhood. “She must’ve had great taste.”
“Mrs. Fritz had impeccable taste.” You good-naturedly corrected with a giggle. “I miss her. When other kids wouldn’t play with me she would stay inside with me and color or read me these cool stories.”
“I would’ve played with you.” Taehyung grumbled, in all likelihood noting how you grimaced at the memory of not being all too popular as a kid.
“Haha, you definitely wouldn’t have! I was such a dork and actually hated playing outside. Kid me much rather be at home watching some old movies or something. Not to mention I was quite an ugly little girl.” You laughed.
Tae gasped dramatically, “That’s not true! You were adorable!”
“You saw like one picture of me at eight! And my mom did me all up for that picture! Trust me, I didn’t look that good at all.”
Taehyung looked like he wanted to argue further, but realizing you were right he just dropped it with an unconvincing, “Whatever you say.”
“But anyway babe, you really can go back to painting. I don’t want to keep you. If I had any inspiration right now, you wouldn’t be able to tear me away from my laptop.”
His arm tugged you even closer. “Nope, I’m alright where I’m at right now. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I left my sick girlfriend all alone?”
You blushed, logically aware that you could handle yourself but emotionally over the moon that this beautiful man didn’t want you to. Selfishly, you wanted to take advantage of his presence even if it came at the expense of his art progress. So you placed the mostly empty mug on the coffee table, fishing out your phone from your sweatpant pocket and setting it there too.
You then curled up into his side, suddenly feeling so drowsy.
Taehyung held you closer, even playing with your hair as you lost the battle with your increasingly heavy eyelids.
You felt him press his lips against your forehead in a drawn out peck, as his nose ticked the crown of your head. He inhaled deeply, his everlasting love for your shampoo revealing itself once more.
“You okay?” His baritone voice whispered.
“Yeah. I just took some medicine that’s probably making me all sleepy.” You mumbled back.
You didn’t hear anything else, just felt as he rested his head on top of yours, presumably also closing his eyes to rest.
Slowly but surely feeling the mechanisms of your brain shut down, the darkness steadily taking over as the sound of the tv became more and more distant.
A notification from your phone caused you to open a single eye, quickly scanning the screen on the coffee table.
Taebear: Hey almost done over here! Do you mind turning down the TV a bit tho? Kinda distracting :(
Before you can even gasp, the medicine-induced darkness consumed you completely, effectively and brutally knocking you out.
That was the second incident.
–
“So like I was saying, I dumped his ass because what the fuck do you mean you ‘don’t know what we are’? I met his damn parents, Y/n!”
The voice blarred over the phone speaker, as you hummed rather noncommittally. “What a jerk. You can do a whole lot better, Lisa.”
You were in the laundry room, slowly taking clothes out of the dryer and folding them as you spoke on the phone with one of your closest friends. About once a week you two would have a call and catch each other up with your lives. Although, Lisa led a much more interesting life than you and usually had a crazy story to share every week, while you just reacted to it. It was kinda like a one listener podcast, but you didn’t mind as you were always very entertained with her.
“Thank you! I don’t know where I keep finding these guys. You really got lucky with Taehyung, all the other men our age are such assholes.” She groaned.
You wanted to laugh, but at the mention of your boyfriend’s name you froze.
Not catching your silence, Lisa continued, “Anyway, how are you and Taehyung doing? What’s it like to live together only six months into a relationship?”
“Actually…we had our first fight.” You told her. “Maybe. I don’t know. It may not even be considered a fight so much as a disagreement but I’ve been feeling a little awkward.”
“Oooh, what happened?” She didn’t even try to mask her excitement.
“It…I…Something happened and he didnt…I don’t know, Lisa. I’m going to sound crazy but I feel like I’m experiencing a glitch in the matrix or some shit.”
She pushed, “Try me. Remember when I used to be a flat earther? I’ll believe anything.”
Lisa made a good point, she was always down for conspiracies and even proclaimed herself a supernatural expert. So you relented, “Okay. Look, I don’t want you to laugh at me or anything because I’m being completely honest. I’m telling you this because I desperately need theories.”
“I promise I’ll give you a theory! Just get to it!” She barked over the phone, anxiously awaiting your story.
“Um, so earlier this week I went downstairs and saw Taehyung. I talked to him about ordering out instead of cooking, hugged him then went up the stairs. Then not even a second later Taehyung came home with groceries, telling me he wasn’t in the house at all when I said I saw him.” You paused, waiting for her to interject.
“Huh…” She trailed off, stumped herself with what that could mean.
“And yesterday, I went to Tae’s workspace to try to cuddle but he said he needed a bit more time with his painting and then he’d meet me upstairs. I went to the couch to wait and he suddenly came in and apologized for not believing me earlier. We cuddled and talked then…I got a text from Taehyung asking me to turn the tv down because it was distracting him.”
You took a deep breath to calm your rising nerves, not liking how you were managing to scare yourself all over again. “Lisa, how was I in Taehyung's arms when Taehyung wasn’t even in the room with me?”
“How did this other Taehyung act? Was he any different than your actual boyfriend?”
“I mean, the first time he didn’t say a word and I left the room quickly. The second time he was so sweet and…I don’t know. Maybe even nicer than my actual boyfriend but not like suspiciously so.”
“And there’s no difference between him and Taehyung? Same height, voice, birthmarks, everything?”
“Yes.”
A brief silence as she no doubt was working with a theory. “And you’ve never had experiences like this before you moved into that farmhouse?”
“None.”
“Ah-ha! It’s probably a ghost then!” She assured triumphantly.
You, however, weren’t so sure she solved the case. “A ghost that looks exactly like my boyfriend?”
“Well, crazier things have happened. You know, scientists say that each person has around six doppelgangers out there somewhere. What if this ghost was your boyfriend's doppelganger?”
“Still, why would he act like he was my boyfriend? Like, this ghost must have a different name and background than my Taehyung so why does he go along with it whenever I call him Taehyung and treat him like a boyfriend?” You questioned.
“The afterlife can get pretty dull. The ghost is probably just bored and noticed that Taehyung looks alot like him, so he’s using that to his advantage to mess around.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” You grumbled, pissed at the prospect of you being a little plaything to a bored spirit.
“I know babe but ghosts are mostly harmless. If it really starts to bother you, maybe get a medium to move him along or whatever.” Lisa advised.
“Yeah, maybe.” – Mom: Look what I found!
The text came with a video attached, and you clicked it without thinking much.
A chubby little girl of about three to five years of age was badly hiding in a school cubby. Her mini feet sticking out and wiggling as the rest of her body was covered by a hung up winter coat. The cameraman sighed dramatically from behind the scenes, asking loudly, “Oh where could Y/n possibly be?!”
The girl giggled and a new figure slowly snuck into frame, approaching the cubby with a large grin.
The preschool teacher suddenly reached into the cubby and snatched the girl up, holding her up in the air as if the toddler was a prize of some sort. “Gotcha!”
The mini version of you laughed in her hold, kicking the air in glee. “Miss Addison you found me! You’ll find me anywhere, right?”
The young teacher nodded as she placed you on your feet. “Of course! I have a really good Y/n sense! I’ll find you anywhere.”
“Even the moon?” Innocent you asked, most likely just having learned about the star.
“Yes, I’ll find you on the moon if I have to!” Miss Addison chuckled.
The video ended and you went to type your mom a half-hearted reply, mostly inquiring how she still even had that clip after all these years.
While doing so, you caught yourself wishing that you could show this to Taehyung and prove that you were indeed not the best company as a child, your teacher had to play hide-and-seek with you because no one else would.
Yet, it wasn’t Taehyung you had that particular conversation with. Rather other Taehyung.
Or as you and Lisa had nicknamed; ghost Taehyung.
You failed to tell your boyfriend about the second incident. He woke you up an hour or so later with his promised bowl of soup, softly scolding you for never turning down the tv.
Deep inside you were sure that he was already convinced you were crazy from the first time his replica showed up. You didn’t seek to push that theory even further. Mostly because you didn’t want him to admit you to a psych ward, but also because of another glaring reason. The first time you were sure that Taehyung himself was messing with you somehow, which prompted you to accuse him, but this time around you knew for a fact he was innocent.
Instinctively, you didn’t feel threatened by the doppelganger spirit. If anything you sorta wished he’d pop up again with a ginger-cinnamon hot chocolate. It was kinda weird that he was acting like your boyfriend when he wasn’t, but he didn’t try to be too intimate with you or anything. The lease on the farmhouse was only twelve months so you could put up with a friendly ghost for a while if need be.
The only creepy thing was that you weren’t sure how you were going to tell if you were talking to the real Taehyung or not. Thankfully, the sick day incident seemed to be the last one, the last few days being almost eerily mundane.
The door to your bedroom suddenly slammed open, revealing your beaming boyfriend.
He held up a champagne bottle with one hand and two glasses in the other. “Guess what just happened!”
You sat up in bed and placed your phone on the nightstand as he giddily approached you. “What? Are we celebrating something?”
“Only the Bauhaus Gallery agreeing to schedule a showing for my latest collection!”
You jumped up in surprise, instantly wrapping your arms around him and plastering his face with kisses. “Oh my god! Tae! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! When is it?!”
“Next Friday at eight.” He chuckled through your kisses, fully basking in your attention.
The Bauhaus gallery was an uppity German gallery in town that apparently served as a who's who in the world of painting. Personally, you didn’t get what the big deal was, but Taehyung made it one of his career goals to have a show there. He always said that his career would really take off if he could showcase his work at such a place.
You pulled back and began thinking out loud as Taehyung worked on the bottle, “Wow, okay! I need to get a dress. And we should invite some friends to support you. Oh! Namjoon and his wife would probably try to buy a painting so we should see if they’re free-”
Taehyung cut you off with the resounding pop of the bottle, “Yeah yeah, we can plan that all out later. Right now I just wanna celebrate with my pretty girlfriend please.”
You quieted down and held the glasses as he poured. He then placed the bottle aside, took a glass and held it up for you to clink. You did so while your boyfriend declared, “To my collection and girlfriend; both beautiful and priceless!”
“You better announce that again at the afterparty!” You laughed, covering your blush.
You both finished the drinks rather quickly, him with a refreshing “ahh” and you with a cringe. Champagne really was overrated in your opinion, having no idea why it was the token celebratory drink. The glasses were then shoved somewhere aside, courtesy of Tae.
You laid back down in the bed, Taehyung unhurriedly following suit and even climbing on top of you at a leisurely pace.
Taehyung’s face was now inches away from yours, his every breath tickling your skin. His previous mood of joy shifted into something more…sultry. Cat eyes darkened, fully taking you in with a steadily growing smirk. The artist licked this bottom lip in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed, before quirking one brow up in faux inquiry. His voice was low and husky, purring into your ears, “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve fucked.”
You snorted, “Gee, that’s hard to believe when you put me in the mood like that.”
“You like a man who's upfront.” He shrugged, not wasting a second more as he leaned down to slowly melt his lips against yours.
The intimate sensation felt almost foreign, the last few days having only been filled with obligatory pecks due to you two being so caught up in your work. You almost forgot how talented he was at making you feel special.
You kissed back just as slowly, feeling the intensity of his lips and taking the time to reacquaint yourself with them. It was gentle, deep, and meaningful. He kissed you gingerly, carefully, but that’s not what you wanted. Not after all this time. Pent-up sexual frustration caused you to knot your fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against you.
Taehyung groaned softly, low in his throat while encircling you in his arms to gather you against him. You two rolled over in the bed, tangled in the sheets, still locked at the lips.
His tongue slips into your mouth, tender but demanding. You swirl your tongue against his, moaning into his mouth as his hands snuck up to twist in your hair and grip you impossibly closer. Taehyung’s slight stubble prickles you, but somehow the extra sensation just excites you even more. Your boyfriend's lips pull back and meet their ultimate home at your neck, him now mouthing fervently at the sensitive nerves there as you gasped for air.
As you felt hotter and hotter, Taehyung answered your unsaid prayer and positioned his thigh between your legs, obscenely brushing against the place you needed him most. Knowing you like the back of his hand, he purposefully tensed his thigh as you not-so-subtly grinded against it, all the while he sucked and nibbled at the spot just below your ear.
A tug at your clothes.
Softly biting your earlobe, he whispered, “Be a good girl for me and take this shit off.”
Just when you were about to oblige, an unexpected sound cut through all the haze and caused you both to freeze.
It sounded like a…bang?
From somewhere deep within the house.
It was so loud and shrill, it effortlessly echoed off the walls of your humble bedroom. If you had to describe it, it was as if someone had just thrown a bowling ball with all their might.
Undoubtedly snapping into protector mode, Taehyung immediately jumped off of you and reached under the bed to retrieve a metal baseball bat.
“Stay here.” He ordered, already marching out the door before you could even protest.
You fearfully obeyed, reaching for your phone in case 911 had to be called.
Your once warm and flushed body was now icy with panic. Sitting upright in the bed, you strained your ears for any idea of what was occurring downstairs.
But alas, the house remained freakily silent. Almost as if that brutal sound was in your head and nothing more.
This did nothing to help your anxiety, a cold sweat quickly forming.
Minutes passed, you waited with bated breath for something. Anything.
But nothing ever came.
Your worry grew tenfold.
The longer Taehyung was away, the more you felt weighed down with dread, heart nearly in your throat.
‘What was happening downstairs? Was Taehyung okay? Did he find something? If there was a struggle, surely you would’ve heard it by now, right?’
Then ultimately, as the seconds ticked on, ‘Was your boyfriend going to come back?’
At the ten-minute mark, you made your decision.
Now concerned for your boyfriend’s safety, you sprung out of bed and ran out of the room. Your body purposefully moving too fast for your mind to catch up and halt your movements in the name of self-preservation.
“Taehyung?!” You desperately called out as you practically plummeted down the stairs.
“In here!” A croaky voice answered, sounding like your boyfriend but oddly…defeated?
You correctly traced the voice to his workroom, stepping into the space and seeing a scene that swiftly broke your heart, effectively replacing all your fright with woe.
Taehyung was on his knees in front of an easel, head bowed down.
The easel held a half-done canvas.
It was a sketch of two people, a man and a woman that closely resembled you and Taehyung.
It was partly painted, the scene depicting a warm sunny day at the park that looked alot like where Taehyung had taken you for a picnic and officially asked you to be his girlfriend. You were in Taehyung’s arms, kissing his cheek as he smiled his signature box-smile. You could recall that precise moment easily, you had just said yes to being his and sheepishly pecked his cheek, embarrassed by the old man on the bench a few feet away that eyed you two like a hawk.
It was a wonderful piece of unfinished art, not only due to the sentimental value but also the artistry and time that clearly went into it.
If only there weren't angry red sloshes of paint that cut through it, ruining the picture and turning it into something that looked like a horrible bloody mess of goo and not the romantic day it was.
“I-I was going to gift this to you….on our seventh month.” Taehyung’s voice was watery.
You didn’t even know what to say.
All of his hard work and thought was simply…gone. Erased. Ruined.
It would’ve been the equivalent of someone breaking into your laptop and deleting your entire novel’s draft. What would you even do? If roles were reversed, would there even be a way for Taehyung to console you? To make matters worse, it was his gift of love to you. He didn’t make that painting for himself, a buyer, or a collection…he made it for you.
Your empathy made you almost cry for him, but you knew that would be the last thing he’d want to see right now. His guilt would only grow.
You walked further into the room and got on your knees beside him.
Wrapping your arms around him, you cradled his head in the nook between your head and shoulder while rocking the two of you. “Tae baby, I’m so sorry.”
He didn’t say anything for a while, although you felt wet teardrops on your skin.
“Who would do this? It doesn’t make sense why someone would break in, take nothing and just destroy my gift?”
You didn’t know either, but you wanted to make him feel better. “Listen, I think it was the perfect gift. It’s really the thought that counts and I’m just happy that you even thought to make me something like that. Especially in the middle of working on your own collection, it must’ve been hard.”
Taehyung pulled back, regarding you with a tearful but hopeful gaze. “Really?”
“Of course! I was literally going to just get you a watch or something. That gift kinda would have made me look bad.” You attempted to joke.
He shakily smiled, even chuckling a bit before pulling back entirely and standing to his full height. Tae then held a hand out for you, pulling you up as well.
Not wanting to be in the room anymore with that awful mess, you gradually pushed him towards the door, eventually up the stairs and into your bedroom.
You both sat on the bed, him with his head in his hands and you awkwardly suggesting yet another early night in.
But instead of agreeing and attempting to join you under the covers, Taehyung continued to sit almost painfully still at the edge of your bed.
Then, he spoke.
“Y/n, you were lying when you said that guy was probably just a figment of your imagination.”
It wasn’t a question.
He knew.
He believed you now.
–
It was now the official opinion of the house that a ghost was indeed roaming around somewhere.
You wanted to pat yourself on the back because truly, your taste in men was superior.
Taehyung wasn’t one of those horror movie boyfriends that was convinced every unexplainable occurrence must’ve had a logical explanation. It only took that one experience for the artist to admit that something weird was going on, and although he never saw the ghost himself, Taehyung believed you when you said it looked exactly like him.
You were happy that you two were on the same page…well, mostly.
Taehyung reasoned that the lookalike ghost must’ve been the one to ruin his painting.
You don’t know why, but somewhere deep within, that accusation just didn’t feel right. Without thinking much, you had told your boyfriend that destroying his gift didn’t seem like something ghost Tae would do.
Obviously Taehyung was bewildered at your sudden defense of the spirit’s character and demanded to know how you could be so sure that it wasn’t him.
Feeling that your hand was forced, you fessed up to the second incident in which you ran into the other Taehyung. You explained that he was sweet, brought you hot chocolate and even held you as you fell asleep. It was only after the real Taehyung texted you that you realized it wasn’t your boyfriend, but by then it was too late.
Your boyfriend was understandably furious.
For one, you never told him that you were cuddled and taken care of by another man, dead or otherwise. And secondly, this spirit seemed to be taking too much of a liking to you. The artist was a weird mixture of jealous and protective, following you around the house and barely leaving you alone in fear that his replica would show up and snatch you away.
You thought he was overreacting, but Taehyung's determination to get rid of the ghost only grew as the days passed.
One day you took a break from writing and went downstairs to refresh your coffee, when you paused at the sight of your boyfriend waving an odd burning stick around the living room in a fashion that somehow made sense to him.
“Sage cleanses the home of negative energy and basically tells unwanted spirits to fuck off.” He told you as if you were the idiot and not him- wildly thrashing his arm around in a puff of smoke and demanding that his evil ghost twin left the premises immediately.
You shrugged, “Just don’t set off the smoke detector, please.”
The next day, Taehyung informed you over dinner that he called a security camera company and had ordered a set to be installed in your home.
“Don’t you think that’s kinda a big fucking thing to not run by me?”
“I’m sorry baby, but I knew you wouldn’t have agreed.” He apologized without seeming even the tiniest bit apologetic.
“If you knew I wouldn’t have wanted it then why do it anyway?!”
“Because as the man of the house it’s my job to protect us and I would like to witness everything that’s going on. Next time he comes out and tries to touch you, I will be able to see it from my phone and confront him.” He then reached for his water and took a self righteous sip before muttering under his breath, “That is if the sage didn’t kick him out already.”
“Man of the house?!” You echoed incredulously. “You call twirling around with some burning twigs and yelling at a harmless ghost being the man of the house?”
“He’s not harmless! Why are you so convinced that it’s just a casper that we’re dealing with?!”
You opened your mouth to retort, but snapped it shut when you realized you didn’t really have any reason to believe he wasn’t dangerous. So you just focused on the main glaring issue, “Nevermind that. I just don’t like how you made a big decision without telling me. Are we not equal in this relationship? It wasn’t even worth consulting me about?”
Taehyung didn’t say anything.
It would seem that he understood your point, but was stubbornly holding onto his just a tad more.
Appetite ruined, you stormed away in a display of vexation.
Not wanting to go to sleep beside him either, you stayed all night in your office and tried to just focus on editing the latest version of your draft.
Somewhere along the way, you managed to fall asleep on the keyboard.
You blearily awoke hours later to the sound of the door firmly shutting.
Groggily you sat up and twisted to see if anyone else was in the room with you, all the while rubbing off the key imprints on your cheek and leftover drool.
No one was there.
When you turned your attention back to the desk, you softly gasped in surprise.
A plate of grilled cheese sat there, still hot.
Alongside it was a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
One sip and you instantly recognized the ginger-cinnamon.
It wasn’t your boyfriend who left this.
The sage didn’t work.
–
Ralph was a man of about fifty years of age.
Tall, lumbering, calloused and not necessarily easy on the eyes, he shifted awkwardly at the entrance of your delicate farmhouse as Taehyung listed off the places in the home that he’d like covered.
Ralph was to set up the cameras while you and your boyfriend went out for a quick errand.
The gallery showing was tomorrow, and so was the little afterparty that you had arranged to take place. You did so without really realizing all that you would need for hosting. The guest list was an intimate circle of seven, but given you and Taehyung were running out of groceries for even just the two of you, you figured a trip to the market was needed to properly prepare.
You rolled your eyes and waited for your boyfriend to finish his little pep talk, sighing in relief when Ralph was finally free to disappear into the living room with his bag of tools.
“Ready?” You asked Taehyung, not really waiting for an answer as you stomped past him and out the door.
He followed you wordlessly to the car.
The ride into town was stiff and awkward, neither one of you saying anything and music not even playing in the background as Taehyung drove.
You both were still angry at each other.
Well, more like you were angry at him and he was correctly trying to not poke the bear by instigating useless chatter.
The cameras were overkill in your opinion and a giant waste of money. You both were artists, which means a severe lack of steady income. You needed to be smart with what you threw cash at because no one knew if your next book or his next painting would even sell. Nothing was ever guaranteed.
You felt for him that his gift was wrecked, but you weren’t lying when you said that the thought was all that really mattered to you. You genuinely didn’t care either way, it would’ve been nice to have the painting, but it was just as nice to know that he was painting one for you.
If you were a betting woman, you would bet that this was more about Taehyung’s unfounded jealousy than anything else. Usually you would find harmless jealousy kind of attractive, but not when it went into installing cameras into your home at the “low” price of a couple hundred dollars.
You thought of this in a quiet rage as Taehyung pulled into the grocery store.
He parked, you both got out and walked inside before grabbing a cart.
“Let’s split up.” You said, your tone leaving no room for argument.
“Fine. What do you want me to get?”
“Get the drinks. They’re mainly your friends so you’d know what they’d like more than me. I’ll get some stuff for a charcuterie board.” You ordered, just wanting to get back home as soon as possible
He nodded and swiftly went over to the alcohol section as you made way into the food aisles.
You were looking at the different types of crackers and wondering what the fuck the difference was when a sudden call of your name took your attention.
“Y/n?”
The voice was light and airy, tone warm and nostalgic to the ears.
No way.
It can’t be…
You swirled around to face the owner, nearly choking on your spit when you realized your suspicions were correct.
Park Jimin was as gorgeous as ever. The cherub face was just as you recalled, somehow both ruggedly handsome and softly docile. His eyes crinkled behind a pearly smile, a small hand coming up to swiftly brush through his dyed blonde hair as he approached you.
“I thought that was you.” He chuckled. “How have you been? It’s been so long.”
You managed a wry smile.
Jimin was once your college boyfriend of one year, five months, and eight days.
But hey, who was counting?
“I’m doing okay.” You choked out, not liking how he quickly frowned at your strained tone. If there was one man you could never lie to, it was Jimin. “How about yourself? Did you open up that studio you always wanted?”
The truth was you knew he did. Before meeting and dating Taehyung, you were guilty of occasionally checking his social media. It simply couldn’t be helped. Jimin was the longest relationship you ever had. The first man you ever really loved. And your first ever heartbreak.
“Um, yeah I did! I heard you published your first book last year. I bought a few copies myself…” he trailed off sheepishly, suddenly avoiding eye contact. “It uh, was really well written. Are you um, working on anything now?”
You bit your lip, not sure how you felt about the man you were once wildly in love with reading your novel after years of not talking. Much less buying more than one copy to support you. “Y-Yes I’m writing my second book.”
He nodded, a proud expression on his face as he pursed his lips in thought.
“I’m sorry this is…weird.” He finally huffed. “I really didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
You sighed with some relief, thankful he felt the same way. “Same. After you said you wanted to date other people I really didn’t expect to say another word to you like, ever.”
Jimin laughed, “Haha, what? Your memory continues to suck, Y/n. If anything it was you who ghosted-”
“Y/n.”
A much deeper voice cut through the air, bringing all the attention to a new figure descending upon the scene.
Taehyung strode up from behind you, placing an arm around you and regarding the other man with a brooding look of regard.
“Whose this?” Your boyfriend asked, purposefully deepening his already deep voice.
You inwardly rolled your eyes, noting how the artist was practically puffing his chest and glowering at the much shorter man.
“Taehyung, this is my old friend Jimin. Jimin, this is my boyfriend Taehyung.”
The two stiffly nodded at each other, you dodging the questioning look Jimin secretly shot at you for being described as ‘an old friend’.
A pregnant pause hung in the air.
“So…how long have you two been together?”
Before either you or your boyfriend could answer, a pretty lady suddenly skipped into the aisle and grasped onto Jimin’s arm.
“Babe, I can’t find the oat milk! I thought you said- Oh hello!” She just now noticed you and Taehyung, smiling politely and not-so-subtly nudging at Jimin to introduce her.
“Oh, um, this is Molly.”
“His girlfriend! And you two are?”
“I’m Y/n and this is my boyfriend Taehyung.” You introduced. “Jimin and I went to school together.”
“Really? I never get to meet any of Jimin’s old friends! We should have a double date or something!” Molly was an over the top girl, your ears almost ringing at the volume she exuded. But she seemed nice, so you smiled warmly at her and vaguely agreed.
Another brief, awkward and only slightly painful silence.
“Actually…” You trailed off in thought, an idea forming in your head but you didn’t know if it was a good one. Yet it was too late. Before you could even backtrack, all three sets of eyes were on you, eagerly waiting for you to finish the thought. “…what are you two doing tomorrow night?”
“Was just gonna drag Jiminnie to see this new movie! We can totally blow it off though!”
“Well, my boyfriend is a really talented artist and he has a showing tomorrow night. We’d love it if you two could make it.”
You felt Taehyung stiffen beside you, but you paid it no mind.
From what you understood about showings the more people, the more eyes, the better. It was harmless, wasn’t it? Jimin bought multiple copies of your book, and you’d invite him to a gallery showing to please his over hyper girlfriend.
Even, right?
Molly beamed, asking for your number to exchange the details.
You did so, pretending not to notice how both Jimin and Taehyung bore their stares into you.
When finished, you waved goodbye to the couple as they made their way to the dairy section. You and Taehyung then continued your own shopping in a rushed manner- your boyfriend grumbling about having to get back in time for the cameras.
The ride home was a bit more talkative, with Taehyung asking how you knew of Jimin and what made you two friends. You answered the questions rather honestly, just leaving out the parts about how your friendship blossomed into something more.
You weren’t exactly trying to be deceitful. It was just that he was under a lot of stress and paranoia the last few days, you didn’t want to push his poor nerves any further. If he was willing to set up a bunch of cameras to keep some ghost away from you, you didn’t want to push your luck by mentioning that Jimin was your ex boyfriend and longest relationship.
Besides, it wasn’t like Jimin was any kind of threat. You would never entertain the idea of going back to the guy who dumped you. He also now had Molly, so clearly you both moved on.
Taehyung pulled the car into the driveway, asking if you could handle the few bags as he went in to talk to Ralph and sort out the last few steps of installation. You agreed, watching him jog into the home as you gathered all the groceries and took your time to get inside.
You beelined straight to the kitchen with the newly bought food, raising your brows when you saw Taehyung staring at something intently on the counter.
“What is it?”
Taehyung didn’t answer.
You walked up behind him and stood on your tippy toes to spot over his shoulder what he was looking at.
It was a note, in messy and hurried handwriting.
“Sorry but the cameras could not have been installed. It won’t work here. -Ralph.”
–
If there was any man on top of the world tonight- his name was Kim Taehyung.
The Bauhaus gallery was swarmed with countless people, all clamoring to gaze upon the latest Kim collection and ponder the intricate meanings behind each piece. They wore luxury clothes and drank fancy wine that you couldn’t even pronounce, their tax bracket clearly a couple pegs above yours. There was of course some idle chatter, almost every corner of the building being filled with some pretentious snob rambling about the brush strokes, artistic style and commentary your boyfriend was allegedly trying to make with his art.
Such a crowd was not something you were accustomed to.
Thus you clung to Lisa, both idly sipping at wine and watching your boyfriend from afar as he charmingly answered questions.
“You know, he’s going to make thousands of dollars tonight.” Lisa thought out loud. “These rich types will outbid each other like crazy.”
You shrugged nonchalantly. You were happy for him, and knew he deserved it but you would be lying if you said he wasn’t in the doghouse.
“Still mad huh?” Lisa correctly assumed, reading your expression. “What happened after the camera dude disappeared?”
“Taehyung was really upset and called the company to demand his money back. They refunded him entirely, apologized and even sent someone to get the company van. I guess the Ralph dude was an alcoholic and everyone just kinda accepts that he skipped town.” You explained. “I tried to calm him down but he sorta snapped at me about how I never even wanted the cameras so I was probably just loving it all.”
Lisa lowly whistled, “Damn. Well, he probably snapped about the cameras but I promise you it wasn’t just about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You invited your ex to his showing.” Lisa lectured, as if you were a child who didn’t even understand what you did wrong.
You stuttered, “B-But he doesn’t know Jimin is an ex! I told him he was just an old friend.”
She rolled her eyes, “Y/n of course he would see right through that. There's always going to be chemistry between Jimin and you, he probably picked up on it and is aware you’re not telling the complete truth about what you two were.”
“He’s just overly jealous. He wants to fight our ghost too. At this point, every man is a threat to him.”
At the mention of your ghost, Lisa’s eyes practically sparkled. “Oh I can’t wait to go back to your place! I want to feel the haunted energy for myself.”
Now it was your turn to roll your eyes, “It’s just like any other home, Lisa.”
“That’s because you don’t have a psychic sense to save your life, Y/n.”
You didn’t know whether or not to be offended by that, so you decided to distract yourself by scanning the room for your boyfriend’s invited friends.
Kim Namjoon was an old boss of Taehyung that remained good friends with the artist even after he dumped his job to take up painting full time. Currently, he and his wife Jennifer were talking rather seriously to a thin-lipped curator, most likely about purchasing one of the artworks displayed.
Right across from where you and Lisa stood, Taehyung was conversing with his former coworkers; Jin and Hoseok. They appeared to be laughing about something, their lightheartedness standing out in the overly serious room of people.
If you craned your neck a little to the left, you could spot Yoongi and Jungkook hiding in a corner away from everyone else, almost perfectly mimicking you and your close friend. They both nursed their drinks quietly, occasionally sharing words but mainly just waiting out this event.
You always kind of thought that Lisa and Jungkook would make a good pairing if properly introduced and pushed. So you turned to your friend and was just about to suggest you guys walk over, when she made a face at something behind you.
“Uh oh, here comes the ex.” She mumbled.
You turned around to indeed see Jimin and Molly approaching.
Jimin wore a suit, dress shirt unbuttoned at the top to reveal some of his sun kissed chest. His blonde hair was properly done this time, brushed to the side and back to fully expose his forehead. He raised a hand and waved, rings catching the light and nearly blinding you in the process.
Beside him, Molly looked as pretty as ever in a blue sweetheart dress that complimented her figure. Yet, she looked rather irritated. She attempted to give you a smile in greeting, but it looked more like a grimace.
Jimin spoke first, “Hey, I’m so sorry we’re late. I’m hoping we didn’t miss too much?”
You wanted to be annoyed but without meaning to, a giggle escaped you.
“Things really don’t change.” You told Jimin, a knowing look simmering in your eyes. While dating, you guys were often the couple that showed up late to any event. Most people assumed that it was your doing because you were the girl, when in all actuality it was Jimin.
Jimin shamelessly grinned, “I’ve gotten better, I swear.”
You didn’t believe it for a second and he knew it.
You both shared a laugh, staring at each other fondly like old friends reliving the old times.
It was hard to believe that you were joking with the man you once thought you’d never get over or forgive. Countless nights were spent eating your feelings, hysterically crying and obsessing over all the videos or pictures you couldn’t bring yourself to delete.
But there are some people in life that as soon as they come back, it’s like they never left.
And it was almost as if Jimin never left.
You two continued to gaze into each other, lost in your own comfortable bubble when a sudden throat clearing broke the haze.
“Um, actually the showing is almost over.” Lisa informed, her and Molly visibly looking left out of the nostalgia.
Your ex had the decency to look guilty. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! Maybe we can all just get drinks? There’s a nice bar two blocks down. I can buy a round for everyone?”
“That’s sweet but we have a little after party planned back at my place. I live kind of out of town though, so it’s okay if you can’t make it.”
“No! We can make it! What's the address?” Jimin seemed eager.
You told him, him pulling out his phone to save it into his gps system.
Molly was silent all this time, which was kind of worrying as your first meeting with her led you to believe she was the bubbly type. Now that you mentioned it, it looked like she was avoiding looking at either you or her boyfriend, focusing on a spot on the wall somewhere behind you.
You opened your mouth to maybe ask if she was alright, but quickly shut it when you realized that could be overstepping some boundary.
Fortunately, Lisa seemed to have enough of this entire interaction and grabbed your arm while saying, “Me and Y/n were just going to go to the restroom! Please take a good look around and enjoy her boyfriend’s work! See you guys at the after party!”
Your friend then swiftly dragged you away, barely leaving you enough time to smile apologetically at the couple.
When you both entered the restroom, Lisa simply marched up to the sink and began fixing invisible smudges in her makeup as you shifted awkwardly beside her.
“So…” She started, looking you up and down in the mirror. “Please tell me you know Jimin is still in love with you.”
“W-What?! No way!” You spluttered.
“Y/n it’s so obvious. I actually felt bad for his girlfriend. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.” She rolled her eyes, almost disappointed in your lack of awareness.
“It’s just been forever. It’s hard to not hyperfocus on eachother, we’ve both changed so much. Also, why would the guy who dumped me out of nowhere still be in love with me?”
She released a deep sigh, “He knows he made the shittiest mistake of his life and is now regretting it when seeing you and your talented boyfriend doing so well.”
You chuckled at the thought of someone looking at your relationship and being jealous.
“Listen, just remember tonight is Taehyung’s night and fighting or not, he’s still a wonderful boyfriend overall. And Jimin is your ex who broke your heart. Inviting him to your place after this might’ve been too much. I suggest you keep your distance.”
“Lisa, thanks for the advice but I honestly was just being friendly. He seemed sorry that he missed most of the showing. Besides, I’m going to be too busy hosting to have a deep heart to heart with him or anything.” You explained, a little offended that she thought you were going to play part in some dramatic reconciliation.
A sudden announcement echoed outside the restroom doors, your ears straining to hear a gallery worker asking everyone to gather on the main floor for the artist’s speech and thus the final part of the night.
Saying nothing more, Lisa and you made your exit to join the audience.
– The clock was nearing midnight.
Your usually quiet farmhouse of a home was not at all quiet.
Your boyfriend's friends were merrily talking and drinking, once in a while their masculine laughs would sync up and reverberate through the halls. They all conversed and lounged in the living room, the largest part of the house that could fit all of them comfortably. Yet, you and Lisa stayed in the kitchen, making the drinks and finger foods, as you indulged in harmless girl talk.
“The one with tattoos is so hot, Y/n. Please tell me he’s single!”
“Jungkook? I’m pretty sure he is. Taehyung told me that Namjoon is the only other one in the friend group that’s in a relationship.”
“Okay, so far so good.” She paused to pop a stuffed mushroom in her mouth, humming in thought. “What’s his type though? Like, would I have to make the first move? Does he like a straightforward girl? Because he hasn’t so much as looked at me tonight.”
“I’ve only met Taehyung’s friends once before so I don’t know their types or anything. I do think Jungkook looks a lot manlier than he actually is. He’s very kind but shy so you’ll have to talk to him first.” You explained while opening another bottle of wine for the two of you.
Lisa frowned at the thought, not used to being the one that had to chase.
You poured two glasses, handing her one with a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I can introduce you two. It’s kind of a good thing he’s avoiding you like the plague, Tae once said he only acts like that with pretty girls.”
Your friend lit up like the fourth of july.
“Hey babe!” A familiar deep voice called out.
You looked around to see your boyfriend stepping into the kitchen, a buzzed smile on his face and a slightly glazed film over his eyes.
Moments like these made you realize how much of a lightweight your boyfriend was. It only took one or two drinks for him to get tipsy. But it was still his night and he was already home amongst loved ones, so all you could do is smile endearingly at his slightly intoxicated self.
“Yes, handsome?”
His boxy grin grew, “The boys want more beer.”
“Already?! I put out a twelve pack! People need to be able to drive home, ya know!”
He laughed, “Baby, my friends can drink a gallon each and still be able to drive home with their eyes closed if need be.”
“Well I don’t have any more beer up here. Just wine. There might be some more in the basement, though.”
He nodded in thanks, turning his back to presumably go to the basement and retrieve the drinks.
Lisa waited for him to get fully out of earshot before leaning over and dramatically whispering, “How is Jimin and that Molly girl doing?”
You shrugged, “Last time I was in there, Hoseok was making conversation with Jimin and Molly was all over Yoongi.”
“Damn, trouble in paradise?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t seem too bothered and she seemed a little drunk. She might just get overly friendly when she drinks.”
“And you’re still convinced that he’s over you?”
You rolled your eyes but ultimately stayed silent, aware that the couple was acting sorta strange but also not so sure that you were the cause. You took your wine in one hand and a plate of appetizers in the other, motioning for Lisa to grab the rest and follow you.
When you both entered the living room, you were thrilled to spot Jungkook sitting alone on one of the loveseats. You quickly set the food down and pulled Lisa along with you, approaching him with a friendly smile meant to put him at ease. Considering the way his eyes widened at the sight of your friend, you didn’t know how successful you were.
“Hey Jungkook, it’s been a while!” You greeted.
“Y-Yeah it has been. How’s your erm, book going?”
“It’s doing okay, thanks for asking. Have you met my friend, Lisa?”
He briefly scanned your friend, nervously gulping before saying quietly, “…No I haven't.”
“Oh well, Lisa was just saying how much she liked your tattoos.” You nudged her, prompting her to say something.
She just nodded in agreement, suddenly meek.
He blushed, “Thank you.”
“Actually, Lisa, weren't you saying that you were thinking of getting a tattoo?” You pretended to think out loud, as if you weren’t outright playing them. You didn’t wait for her to answer the rhetorical question, “Jungkook, don’t you do tattoos now?”
Now on a topic of interest he was for sure confident in, Jungkook practically jumped in his seat, “Yeah! I do! I’ve only tatted myself and some friends but I hope to work on more people.”
You watched with a smirk as Lisa moved to sit next to Jungkook, her now explaining what she’d like done and Jungkook asking questions about placement, size and color.
You felt sure enough in them to leave them alone, now inhabiting your little corner as you finished your wine while taking in the scene.
Yoongi and Molly stood by the window, and were obviously the most inebriated. He was the type to ramble pointlessly when tipsy, and she giggled at every little thing he said, playfully shoving his shoulder once in a while. You knew for a fact that Yoongi was too deep in his own self-epiphanes to notice her bad flirting, either that or he was just trying to talk to anyone who was willing to listen.
Namjoon and Jennifer were sitting on the couch and talking to Jin, laughing at whatever odd impression he was attempting. Beside them on the loveseat, Hoseok was politely nodding along to small talk from Jimin. Being one of the friendliest and most calming of the group, it made sense that Hoseok was the one trying to make your ex boyfriend feel included.
Content to just watch your guests for a while, you stood by your lonesome and slowly sipped at the remnants of your wine.
Playing host wasn’t exactly your forte, so you were enjoying the little lull while it lasted. Unlike your boyfriend, your social battery tended to max out at the two-hour mark when in group settings.
And as much as you loved the people in your home (with maybe the exception of your ex and his girlfriend), you couldn’t wait for them to get out so you could take a long, hot shower and head to bed.
The stress of the last few days was really tiring you, and you just knew that as soon as the excitement of the showing and sold paintings wore off, Taehyung was going to continue his spat with you about the cameras.
When you and Jimin dated, you two were always on the same page. Fights very rarely happened. And Jimin was such a people pleaser that if literally anything slightly upset you, he would practically fall over himself to make you smile again.
Taehyung was the first boyfriend to genuinely pick a fight with you, being more stubborn than you about matters you didn’t necessarily want to back down from either. Your relationship conflict resolution skills were being tested, and you just didn’t have the patience or experience to keep fighting much longer. You would call a truce or some type of compromise, if it weren’t for the fact that there was no way to really keep both of you happy.
A few minutes passed as you pondered this to yourself.
Seemingly materializing out of nowhere, a mysterious arm wrapped around your waist.
The suddenness of it all caused you to jump and release a very unflattering squeak.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
A deep chuckle rumbled beside you, Taehyung smirking lazily before diving face first into your neck and nuzzling it in some sort of drunken stupor.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” You groaned, trying to forcefully shove his face away from you. “Where’s the beer you went to fetch?”
Your boyfriend expertly dodged your shove and dove back into your neck, mumbling against the skin something about not being able to find more drinks.
The vibration of his lips on such a sensitive spot made you want to squirm, but his halfhearted mumbles took your attention a bit more.
“No beer? I could’ve sworn-”
“Hey Y/n!” Someone interrupted with a call across the room. You looked up to see Lisa trudging over with a determined look on her face and a fogged up look in her eyes, perhaps a bit more tipsy than you remember leaving her. “Aren’t you going to show me where exactly you saw the ghost?”
Your dear friend most likely thought she was being discreet and having a normal conversation at a perfectly appropriate tone. But no, she was actually speaking way above a conversational volume, causing everyone else in the room to halt their conversations and turn to look at you.
“Ghost?” Jin laughed.
“You saw something in this room?” Hoseok inquired with a trembling voice, most likely regretting having come over. Beside him, Jimin quietly shook his head to himself.
“No way, Y/n doesn’t believe in stuff like that.” Your ex confidently informed the group.
At the sound of your past lover’s voice, you felt Taehyung stiffen beside you. The artist untangled himself from you, standing to his full height and facing the guest with an unknown expression.
“We had a little bit of a ghost problem, but it’s taken care of now.” He paused, and you could nearly hear his smirk when he went on to declare, “I got rid of it.”
Yoongi laughed boisterously, having to hold himself up with the wall to prevent falling over. “I’m sorry, but the image of little Tae boxing a little sheet with two holes for eyes is really sending me.”
Half your guests laughed at the thought. The other more believing half still stared at you inquisitively.
An awkward silence.
“Ghosts are real.” Jennifer started, effortlessly drawing all eyes to her. “I used to live in a haunted house when I was a kid.”
She put her drink down and folded her hands across her lap, suddenly immersed in thought and careful about what she was about to share.
“In my childhood home, there was a garden in the backyard. Almost everyday, at sunset, I’d look out the window and see this lady circling the flowers and humming to herself. After ten minutes or so, she would disappear into thin air. I told my parents but they never believed me.”
She paused, either for dramatic effect or to recollect.
“Until one day, my mom saw her too. And when she went out to confront what she thought was an intruder, the lady disappeared before her eyes. My mom then did some digging about the history of the house and it turns out, the previous owner was outside gardening when she had a heart attack and died.”
A pregnant pause hung in the air as everyone silently digested the anecdote.
“That’s fucking terrifying, please tell me your parents moved houses after that.” Hoseok broke the silence first, pleading with watery eyes.
Namjoon’s wife laughed, reaching for her drink once more. “How is it scary? The lady was just checking on her garden in the afterlife. However, I then grew up really interested in supernatural stuff.” She turned to you. “There’s some tell-tale signs that a home has a spirit attached to it. Cold spots, shadow figures, whispers, scary dreams and the biggest of all: always feeling like you're being watched, even if there’s no one else in the room.”
You quietly thought to yourself. Were there any cold spots in the home? No. Any shadow figures? Nope. Whispers and nightmares? Nada.
But…the last one, being watched when no one is there.
If you really focused on your intuition, you faintly felt that even now amongst all these people, you were being watched by something unknown.
Goosebumps raised on the surface of your arms.
Chills ran down your spine and you shivered, the reaction causing Taehyung to grasp you tighter against him in what was supposed to be comfort.
You felt even more cold.
“We haven’t had any of that. Really guys, it’s taken care of.” Your boyfriend told the room, effectively shutting down the paranormal subject.
You assumed Taehyung felt a bit defensive of his ghost expelling skills, either that or he genuinely wanted another topic of discussion.
You then felt a little bad, it was still his night after all and here you were unintentionally ruining it with your little ghost stories. The focus of the room should be on him and his achievements, not everyone's supernatural beliefs and stories.
“Taehyung is right, it’s all resolved. But I’d like to ask all of you to fill up your glasses one last time, and raise them with me, ” While they did that you quickly scanned the room, “Um, except maybe you, Yoongi. Feel free to sit this one out, bud.” You laughed as the drunk man just grumbled at you, defiantly snatching another beer and holding it high while swaying on his feet.
Hopefully he wasn’t the one driving home.
You cleared your throat, “I'd like to propose a toast to our own Taehyung. Everyone in this room knows it was only a matter of time before your artistic genius was recognized by the world, but that doesn’t make us any less proud than we are of you tonight. To the first of many showings! To Taehyung!”
“To Taehyung!” the room loudly parroted back, everyone thrusting their drinks of choice in the air before knocking them back.
The artist beside you laughed and shook his head, “Really, guys it’s no big deal. Just a few paintings that I’m lucky even got sold. But thanks so much for making it. Most of you-” he snapped a side eye where Jimin sat, “have supported me so much, I’m just happy to have such a great group of friends.”
Said friends all smiled and nodded, although a few caught on to Taehyung’s subliminal dig and warily looked over at your ex.
Jimin pursed a tight smile, clearly trying to be nice and not make it obvious that he was the outsider at the party. You caught his eye and shot him a sorry look, but he shook his head in what was clearly meant to say “don’t worry about it.”
Your boyfriend continued, “However! ‘Friends’ don’t really beat ‘love of my life’. So without getting into all the lewd details of how I plan to spend my night celebrating, I’m going to need you all to start clearing out,” Taehyung smirked. “Y/n is a screamer.”
“Ew!” Lisa shouted, beside her Jungkook was suddenly unable to make eye contact with you.
The older men in the room just cackled. You slapped the artist's chest while trying to hide your blood red face.
Taehyung ducked and mouthed at your ear to whisper, “Sorry baby, but you know it’s true. And don’t act like you don’t want them out sooner rather than later.”
You wanted to be mad, but understood he was tipsy and riding on the high of his showing. So instead you played along and harshly whispered to him, “I doubt you can make me scream tonight. It’s not right to be misleading to your friends.”
He tiled your head to make you face him.
Taehyungs’ left brow twitched in vexation, his lips pulling back in a little growl. He looked around to make sure the guests were distracted with finishing their drinks or saying their goodbyes to each other. When he confirmed no eyes were on you two, he secretly placed his hand at the back of your head, running his long fingers through your hair and stopping right at the ends, to quickly form a fist and pull.
It was just one short tug, but the power of it made you gasp.
You would be lying if you said it didn’t make you a little wet too.
You had no idea where this came from. He never pulled your hair. Your boyfriend wasn’t rough and was one of those really progressive artists types that viewed any kind of manhandling in the bedroom as sort of sexist. But when you peered up at him, with the doe eyes he said he loved so much, and saw the clouded nature of his gaze, you just knew that inebriated Tae was very different from sober Tae.
Black and white, really.
‘I’m in for quite the night’ you thought to yourself while biting your lip, inwardly smug at how Taehyung transparently honed in on the action.
“Um, hey I think I’ll take my leave first.” You looked up to see Jimin awkwardly shifting in front of you two, a blacked out Molly in his hold.
“Oh god! Is she okay?” You exclaimed, noting the poor girl looked dead.
The dancer chuckled, “Yeah, she just gets really hyper when she's drunk then passes out after a bit. Ironically, sleep is all she needs I guess since she always wakes up good as new. No hangover.”
“Here let me show you out. I can help put her in the car.” You offered, already detangling yourself from Taehyung. He made a small sound of protest and made move to hold you tighter.
You placed a hand on his shoulder and consoled him with a smile, “You wanted people to leave, so we should help everyone get home safe. Can you check on Yoongi and maybe see if Namjoon and Jennifer can take him home?”
He looked conflicted, carefully sizing Jimin up through his peripheral. You wanted to roll your eyes. Although tipsy Taehyung was apparently a sexy beast, he was also an immature toddler who needed to be tricked.
You got on your tippy toes to whisper in his ear, “The quicker we get people out, the quicker you get me all to yourself.”
That seemed to convince him as he reluctantly stomped away in the direction of the couple, shooting one more guarded look at the dancer.
With that you led Jimin to the front door, even helping him put Molly’s heels back on before stepping out into the driveway and walking him to his car.
Silently, he opened the car and laid her in the backseat, tucking her in with his jacket. Then he shut the door, but instead of walking around to the driver spot, he turned to you and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
“So….”
“Look, I’m sorry about Taehyung. I didn’t even tell him you were an ex but he’s just been really possessive and weird lately. It’s not just you.” You informed him, hoping to make him feel better.
Jimin just waved it off with a chuckle, “No, I get it. You’re really gorgeous, kind and talented. I also struggled with jealousy when we were together. Can’t really blame him.”
You hoped your blush wasn’t too prominent as you said, “Yeah, but you were always nice to people regardless of feeling possessive. He was just rude. Again, I’m sorry.”
“Well, you can’t really date someone breathtaking if you’re going to be an insecure prick about it.”
You gaped like a fish at the implication you were still breathtaking in Jimin’s eyes. Words were suddenly hard to come by.
It was silent for a moment, the tension between you two as thick as it can possibly get for two past lovers.
“Y/n…why didn’t you tell him we dated?”
“L-Like I said, he’s already been acting jealous and I didn’t want him to focus on that when it was his night. Besides, It’s not like-”
“I broke up with Molly.”
“…What?”
“It happened on the way to your after party, she was upset that I still held a candle for you. And yeah, I couldn’t drag her along when I never felt half of what I felt for you, for her. I just said it without thinking, terrible timing of course. But that’s pretty on brand for me, I suppose.” He attempted a joke.
You smiled politely, although you had no idea how you should feel.
He continued, “I just thought I should say sorry because the reason she was such a drunk and sloppy mess in your home was because I carelessly dumped her on the way there.”
“It’s um, okay Jimin. She wasn’t the only drunken mess tonight. I hope you two manage to stay friends.” You said, then after a beat added, “And that you find what you’re looking for.”
“Listen, I know you're with Taehyung and happy but, I think there was some kind of misunderstanding about our breakup. I’m not trying to be a homewrecker or anything, but can we get a coffee sometime and just…talk?”
You smiled, finding no harm in the offer. “Sure-”
“No.”
You gasped and whipped around to see Taehyung standing behind you, arms crossed and hell in his eyes as he glowered down at Jimin.
How did he get there without being spotted or heard?
It's like he fabricated out of nowhere.
“I suggest you get in your car, leave and never speak to her again.”
Your ex held his hands up in surrender, “Look man, I wasn’t trying anything-”
“What kind of guy goes to their ex when she’s clearly in a happy and healthy relationship, and tries to drudge up the past in the name of closure? Fuck your closure. You lost her, and now I have her. And trust me, she has better things to do than getting coffee with the guy who broke her heart.”
“Please, Taehyung-”
You were cut off.
His voice was the lowest you’ve ever heard it, eyes pitch black and face blank as he calmly finished, “It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic. And if I see you again I’m going to break your kneecaps and skin you alive, you little spineless boy. Run along now. While you still can.”
The threats were so visceral and promising, coupled with a man who looked downright murderous yet somehow calm. As if he had done it before and doing it again would be more so an inconvenience than a whole life-ending ordeal.
In this moment, you didn’t know your own boyfriend and you were terrified with this new persona.
No one moved or spoke, in fear one step or word would make Taehyung good on his promise.
You and Jimin were paralyzed, like two helpless deer in the presence of a blood thirsty wolf, the only hope was to stay still and go unnoticed. You met your ex’s eyes and while he did look afraid, he was focused only on you and your proximity to Taehyung.
Jimin was fearful. Not for himself, but for you.
And while you wanted your ex to run away, you were also scared to be left alone with someone so different from your usual Taehyung.
How could a few drinks and some jealousy cause such a behavior?
“Hey what’s going on here?”
Namjoon and Jennifer were babysitting a toddling Yoongi, the couple was also making way to their vehicle when they spotted the scene. The so-called ‘leader’ of the gang was quick to pick up on Taehyung’s aggressive stance, probably prompting him to get involved.
You felt your body lighten in relief.
Namjoon was always good at calming people down and taking control of situations.
Like a switch was turned on, your boyfriend grinned at the oncomers and nodded over at the dancer. Seemingly happy as a clam he chirped, “Nothing, hyung! Jimin here was just leaving. His poor girlfriend had too much, I think.”
Namjoon didn’t quite believe that, you and Jimin still looked rigid with alarm after all. Nonetheless, he played along for everyone’s sake. “Really? Maybe you should leave now then Jimin, get her in bed as soon as possible. It was nice meeting you.”
Jimin took the hint with grace and wordlessly ducked into his car, not acknowledging anyone else as he mouthed to you “call me”.
He started up the car, then slowly backed out of the driveway, and eventually down the road.
“Dude, are you sure you’re okay? It looked like you wanted to kill him.” Namjoon asked the artist.
Before hearing whatever bullshit was going to spew out of his mouth next, you promptly whipped around and stormed back into the house, making sure to purposefully shoulder-check your boyfriend as hard as you could in the process.
What the fuck was wrong with the bastard?!
Talking as though he was some offender or even a murder, just because your ex wanted to catch up?
You were so dreadfully embarrassed! Jimin must’ve thought you lost your mind after him and went off to date some real weirdos.
If you weren’t already on a lease with the man, this probably would’ve been the part where you blocked him and made it your personal mission to never see him again.
Instead, you busied yourself in the kitchen and washed most of the dirty dishes your guests left behind. You hoped Taehyung was wise enough to leave you alone, if the jerk knew what was good for him.
About 15 minutes had passed, and the kitchen was nearly as spotless as it was before the party had started, thanks to your furious cleaning and scrubbing. The house was now silent, and you were just debating putting all your spices in alphabetical order when you heard a shuffle behind you.
You snapped around and instantly scoffed at the sight.
Taehyung was leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets and fixing a sheepish look at you.
“So…that got a little out of hand.”
You barked a disbelieving laugh. “More like you got out of hand, Taehyung. Threatening people like you’re some felon! Wouldn't be a surprise if there’s a rumor spreading about me dating a serial killer now."
“Y/n, I’m sorry. But please let me make it up to you.”
“Make it up to me? Your actions cannot be undone Taehyung! I cooked and cleaned after your friends and tried to make this night special for you. I just wanted you to have a nice night and be nice, and you flip out over a platonic coffee date? Who do you think I am? A slut who will open her legs to any ex who talks to me?!”
“W-what? No- Of course not! Please don’t think-”
“What the hell am I supposed to think, asshole?! Even if Jimin still had feelings for me, it would take me reciprocating them for anything to happen! You clearly don’t trust me, and if that’s the case, then what are we doing here? Should we just become roommates or something?”
A painful struck his face, watery eyes met yours when he choked out, “Do you even hear yourself? Why would I try to fight your ex if I truly didn’t love you? You’re mine, and I love you so much it’s just…I can act a little crazy sometimes.”
You sighed, turning your back on him to lean on the sink in exhaustion.
“I thought you were different from other guys, Tae. That caveman shit is extremely degrading to not only you, but especially me.”
“I’m sorry…it’s just a primal part of me that I can’t turn off. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”
You shot a look over your shoulder at him, still pissed.
He shot his hands up in the air, as if in defense. “You can still be mad at me all you want.”
“You’re sleeping on the couch for a week.”
“Done.”
“And….And you’re forgetting all about those stupid cameras.”
He quirked a grin, unknown mirth dancing in his eyes. “Sure.”
“At the end of the week, you will personally apologize to Jimin via a phone call or letter.”
His smile dropped, your glare sharpened, “Umm..fine okay. It won’t be sincere though.”
You rolled your eyes, “Doesn’t have to be, it’s the right thing to do so you’ll do it.”
“…anything else?”
“Not for now. I’m going to bed soon so if there’s anything you need from the room, get it now.”
He wordlessly turned around, and you then faintly heard him going up the stairs.
Biting your lip in deep thought, you proceed to wipe off the last of the counters.
Could you forgive him? When he was willing to do all that to appease you?
If you were being honest with yourself, you could feel the irritation already start to melt away a bit. You hadn’t expected such a 180 in his stance, he went from threatening Jimin with murder to begrudgingly agreeing to apologize within only a matter of half an hour or so. You thought you would have to at least give him the silent treatment for a bit before you could even bargain a “sorry” for your ex. Taehyung was usually much more stubborn…
Nonetheless though, you were still upset and embarrassed about the scene.
You hated when men got violent around you, it made you feel so unsafe and small. You thought Taehyung was different, him even poking fun at the meatheads who would pull stuff like that at the local bars you would frequent while dating. So what changed?
Footsteps slowly descended back down the stairs, telling you that Taehyung had returned from your bedroom and it was safe to go up.
You left the kitchen, turned off the lights and passed through the hallway. Briefly you stopped, just short of the stairs, to see your boyfriend grumbling to himself while arranging some blankets on the couch.
A sudden and chilling thought ripped from your lips before you could even quietly ponder it.
“Taehyung…how did you know Jimin was my ex?”
He stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to face you with a blank look.
“Uh, Lisa might have slipped up and told me.”
You relaxed, unknowingly releasing a breath you had been holding. “Hmm, okay. We’ll talk tomorrow then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight baby.”
“Oh! Let me get some water first, can you check that the doors were locked?” You asked while skipping back towards the kitchen. You hated waking up with a dry mouth and always kept a glass of water on your nightstand, restless bathroom trips be damned.
You didn’t hear any response to your request, but you paid it no mind, assuming Tae probably already double, if not triple, checked the locks being the worrywart that he was.
Right next to the kitchen entrance was the basement door, and it was shut.
Yet, something stopped you in your tracks.
The light under the basement door…it was on?
“Well I don’t have any more beer up here. Just wine. There might be some more in the basement, though.”
It couldn’t be….could it?
Your intuition was hollering at you from within.
A force greater than you pulled you to the door handle.
Against yourself, you opened the door to the basement…
And choked back a horrified scream.
At the bottom of the stairs lay Taehyung.
Unconscious, pale and bleeding horrifically from some head wound that was forming an inky pool under his crumpled form.
It wasn’t your Taehyung that returned upstairs.
So...this has been sitting in my drafts for over a year lol. I do have a dramatic ending in mind and some final scenes but yea, I don't think I could finish this unless people actually wanted it so let me know if this is a plot you kinda liked? I never tried flat-out supernatural horror like this. Anyway, happy October guys! Love you all. Luna :)
More Posts from Deeprebelsoulpsychic and Others
What would the familiars do if they realised their master had gone to TW to escape them?
Why would you do such a thing..? They’ve waited so long to meet you, to serve you, to love you, and yet... and yet... You ran away?
(an incredibly long answer under the cut!)
The situation: They meet you again in Twisted Wonderland, but you tell them you came here to escape them. They don’t take it well.
Heartslabyul is absolutely heartbroken, but they’re the most understanding of your decision to run. They were your familiars the longest, so taking care of you came naturally to them. Even now, your safety and happiness is the top priority to them.
Ace seems like he’ll shatter if you touch him, the shock rendering him frozen. After all he did to find you again, you tell him you don’t want him? Deuce digs his nails into his palms, wide-eyed, but takes a breath and manages to give you a wobbly smile. He gently pulls the trembling Ace away, whose desperate cries are starting to escape his throat.
Cater laughs, breathless and unbelieving. Relief and grief rush in like torrents, and it doesn’t take long before his laughter turns hysteric. Tears keep pouring out and it takes Trey yanking his hands away from his face, where his claws almost dug into, to pull him out of it. Trey’s face is twisted in deep sorrow, but he’s keeping his own tears in as he murmurs something to Cater. At his words, they both snap their gazes to Riddle, whose expression hasn’t changed.
Riddle’s face is carefully blank, like your declaration of wanting to escape didn’t hurt him at all. He’s staring intensely at you, trying to burn the image of you alive and well into his mind and then... he turns away, barking orders out to the others. “Let this be our final service to you,” he says to you, voice breaking. “Let us take care of you one last time.”
After all, the rest of your familiars won’t take the news as well as they did. Heartslabyul gathers themselves as best as they can, their sobs fading into shaky breaths. They’ll have to force the others back into the mirror. It’s the least they can do for you now.
Savanaclaw’s reaction is particularly explosive. Their group is made up of strays with nowhere to go, who found a home in you, and now even you don’t want them.
Jack is snarling, trying to bite off Ace’s head for stopping him from moving any closer to you. He doesn’t get it, he doesn’t understand why this is all happening. It just doesn’t make sense. Why would you abandon them too? What did they do wrong? Why didn’t you tell them they were wrong?! Cater grabs him by the neck and pushes him away, his anger morphing into howling agony as the grief sets in.
Ruggie is being held back by Deuce and Trey, but his hands are reaching out to you. His words are incomprehensible through his tears, as he claws at empty air and digs his feet into the ground. Why are they forcing him to leave? He just got to see you again! Why won’t you meet his eyes? What’s wrong? Why won’t you look his way anymore..?
Leona glares at you, betrayal etching itself on every bit of his body language. Riddle stands firm in front of him, tense and ready to put him down if takes a step towards you. Leona’s hands twitch, as if wanting to tear you apart, and Riddle nearly attacks him before he just... closes his eyes. When Leona opens them and looks at you again, there’s nothing but resignation left. He seems soulless as he leaves, having lost everything that mattered to him.
Octavinelle doesn’t believe you at all. They keep talking like they haven’t heard you or Riddle’s commands to go back through the mirror, as if this really was just a happy reunion. The way their eyes glaze over gives away their denial, if Azul’s shaking hands didn’t already.
Heartslabyul can’t risk anything with Jade and Floyd. As soon as their smiles turn too sharp, they’re trying to restrain them and force them back. Floyd is immediately kicking and screaming, his voice shrill and desperate as he claws at Cater and Deuce. He’s threatening to destroy the entire place and their original world too, if you don’t come home and stop him, if you keep refusing to return! The last glimpse you get of him as he’s forced into the mirror is the promise in his eyes that he will follow through on his threats.
Jade is just as violent, though his voice is leveled as he unblinkingly meets your gaze. Ace shoves a hand over his mouth, to muffle his increasingly descriptive threats to everyone you used to know in their world. Trey hisses in pain as Jade’s nails scratch him over and over, but they manage to push him into the mirror, Ace pulling away his bitten hand. Jade’s eyes never leave you as he goes.
Azul crumples to the ground all on his own, falling to his knees as he begs you to come back, to come home. He’s a complete wreck, as the sounds of the frantic twins fade away, his wailing sobs louder than even Floyd’s screams. He grovels, head pressed to the ground, for you to please please please please-- You can’t even make out what’s he’s asking of you anymore, as Riddle drags his limp body into the mirror.
Scarabia can sense something’s off as soon as they arrive. Kalim’s smile crumples at the sight of Heartslabyul looking so resolute, Jamil tensing behind him in response.
The two of them hear you out, Kalim interrupting more and more as you talk. Eventually, he won’t let you speak anymore as he begins to ramble about all the things you’ve missed since you’ve been gone. He can’t bear to hear you talk about wanting to leave them. It’s too much. Kalim can’t stand still, his entire body buzzing with nerves and pent up sorrow, eyes darting everywhere. When he reaches a hand out to you, as if to test the validity of your claims, and Deuce grips his wrist with a grim expression, he breaks. Ace catches him when he falls, curling into himself as sobs wrack his body.
Jamil is silent and motionless up until Kalim breaks, where he then suddenly snaps his gaze from you to the Heartslabyul boys. His voice is low as he begins to speak, before it rises in volume the longer he goes on. He’s blaming the Heartslabyul group for forcing them back, for letting you leave them, for being cowards--but not once does he blame you, unable to turn the brunt of his anger on you even now. He leaves with Kalim, giving you a last, longing look, and another scathing glare for the others.
Pomefiore is grief-stricken before you even have the chance to say anything to them. Vil looks like the world is ending before his eyes, causing Rook and Epel to both pick up on the severity of the situation instantly.
Epel’s expression gets worse and worse the more he hears, torn between erupting with anger or crying his eyes out. He ends up doing neither when Cater scoops him up, who didn’t want to risk keeping him around any longer than they need to. Epel’s furious demands to be put down are desperate pleads for a little more time with you by the time he reaches the mirror.
Rook hasn’t said anything the entire time, choosing instead to give you a deep bow and a flawless smile, before he departs. Judging by the stern, disapproving look Rook gets from Trey as he passes by, he has no intentions of letting things end here. However, instead of loudly announcing his plans like the twins did, he says nothing, leaving a chill in your spine and a terrible omen in the air.
Vil watches you quietly through it all, studying your expression. If there was even a slight chance that you would want to return, to come home to them, he would’ve pushed relentlessly for it. And yet, seeing you now, standing tall and firm on your decision even through all their tears, he can’t find anything to say. The resignation that slowly consumes his gaze looks eerily similar to Leona’s, that loss of purpose to continue living. Still, even as his heart shatters, he wishes you the best, his walk to the mirror slow and unsteady.
Ignihyde seems like they expected this from the start. Idia isn’t at all surprised by your decision, even if Ortho is frantically looking between the two of you in a panic.
Ortho is gentle as he questions you, prying for answers for how it all ended up this way. At your every response, he whips his head around to look at Idia, watching for a reaction. When the most he gets is a sneer, he turns back to you and presses you again if you really, really, want to leave them like this? Isn’t this... too cruel? When Idia walks forward, Ortho is pulled back by Deuce, then Trey draws them both close for a hug.
Idia’s march towards you is halted by Ace and Cater, both of whom are already growling. Idia eyes them for a moment, then turns his attention to you and Riddle behind them. Recognizing that they won’t let him get any closer, he starts his rant there, blaming you for ruining him, for ruining every single one of them, and then just running away from it all! That you can’t just leave after everything you’ve done! They’ll never be the same anymore! How are any of them supposed to live past the fact that you don’t want them?!
Cater and Ace force him into the mirror before he says anything worse, his words abruptly cutting off as he’s pushed through. Ortho looks to you like he wants a final hug before he goes, but he hangs his head, and leaves without another sound.
Diasomnia is full of mixed reactions. Half of them are smiling, the other half is devastated. The Heartslabyul boys can’t decide how to divide the work, the response from Diasomnia being too strange. They cautiously surround you, extremely on edge with Malleus grinning at them.
Sebek is absolutely dismayed. Words are failing him, and he can’t gauge what to do based on Malleus’ face either. He settles for his own honest reaction, which is to start bawling and begging for another chance. Whatever they did to upset you, they can fix it! Everyone treasures you so much, you must know that, right? You know they’d listen to whatever you say! So why..? Lilia holds a hand out, quieting him instantly as he turns his attention elsewhere.
Silver isn’t faring any better, realizing how serious you are about this. He’s completely crushed, frankly, and he just wants to go lay down and fall asleep and never wake up again. Then the fear seeps into his expression as Malleus laughs, and Silver turns towards him, disbelief evident in the way he breathes a barely audible no.
Malleus and Lilia are both watching you like you’re just throwing a tantrum. Lilia coos, delighted over how resolute you are. He nods at your every word, as if he’s simply indulging your whims. When you demand he go back through the mirror, how proud he is at your display of courage comes through in the way he claps enthusiastically after your speech. He herds a shocked Sebek and a worried Silver away into the mirror, smiling all the way.
Malleus hasn’t stopped grinning since he caught sight of you, but his expression melts into something softer, more fond, as the other three leave. He gestures at the world around you, your “Twisted Wonderland”, and he asks you how much you know about it. When you can’t come up with the answer he’s looking for, the pure delight on his face is a sight to behold.
“You’ll be home soon, then,” Malleus purrs, his heavy, burning adoration for you flooding his gaze. “Grim does not disappoint.”
And with that, he’s gone. The Heartslabyul boys don’t seem to know how to react, wearily looking around for any signs that someone else was still around. When their search comes up empty, they turn to you, waiting for you to take it all back and come home with them. When you say nothing, Riddle nods, and pushes the rest of them through the mirror.
The Taste of Deceit( Hyung line Part One)
Request
Yandere Masterlist
Warnings: Violence, Dark Characters with Darker Intentions. And the plot would only get darker from here. Disturbing imagery, allusions, blood.
Word Count: 14k+ (Yes, I lost myself in the flow)
(GIF credits to the owner. I do not own them)
Kindly excuse the typos and errors
*****
The night was young and the stars were restless.
The night was young and the club was booming.
The night was young…
yet it felt like the darkest hour when his eyes met hers.
(Y/N) worked as a bartender at an elite bar in the city- sort-after, high-end, but oddly lowkey. It was subtle, but an experienced pair of eyes would point out the oddities with ease.
As he sauntered towards her section, she busied herself with arranging the glasses and the mixers.
She had sworn to herself that she would stay out of trouble, and the broad-shouldered man with lips that seemed to be the carrier of kisses from paradise looked nothing less than trouble- big, deep trouble.
“What specials do we have tonight?”
(YN) almost flinched at his voice, but her actions remained smooth as ever as she arranged the glasses. She managed to put up a smile though
“Cosmopolitan, French 75 and Paloma.”
“Cosmopolitan with olives please.”
Even his voice was honey-like. But it held an unusual edge to it– some rare kind of honey- light but the right amount of sweet.
“I haven’t seen you before.”
He stated as a matter of fact.
“I joined a few months ago,” she replied
“I visited here last week.”
“I used to work the morning shift, it’s my first day in the evening shift.” she replied softly while handing him his drink.”
He smiled as he sipped from his drink but his eyes never left hers.
“Hope it’s not too overwhelming for you?”
“A little.” she admitted sheepishly “But my colleagues have been incredibly helpful, I think I will be settled soon.”
He hummed before finishing off his drink with a swig “I am Jin,” he offered his hand for a shake.
With a somewhat hesitant smile, she took it– his hold was firm but his hands felt warm and smooth, just like his eyes.
The night was young and the stars were restless.
The night was young and the club was booming.
The night was young, yet when he smiled,
it felt like slow electricity pulsing through the air
Jin– Kim Seokjin.
(Y/N) noted. The description that she was provided did no justice to what she was experiencing at the moment– his aura, his appearance, everything hit her at once.
The night was still young
And it was a long way ahead.
But officer (Y/N) (L/N) was determined.
“Liya. My name is Liya Grace.” she introduced herself.
The night was young
And she had taken the first step
—------------
Kim Seokjin was many things, Liya came to know that with her two years spent with him. He was a perfect gentleman, and he remembered exactly how many teaspoons of sugar she liked in her coffee and he oddly remembered the days that were otherwise insignificant to Officer (Y/N)- the person behind the mask of sweet and charming Liya Grace.
Little things mattered to Kim Seokjin, (Y/N) had realised– when Liya would cook dinner for him and wait up to reheat it even if her eyes would be droopy. When she would remember what tie he liked on certain days. When she would help him with fixing his tie and cuff links. Or when she would bring him his coffee to his home office every two hours.
One might misunderstand those as his expectation at first glance, but no– he never expected or assumed that he was not of the kind.
But the little gestures of care and devotion made him happy. It assured him that his partner was just as devoted to him as he was.
And was he a sincere lover– to the extent that (Y/N) felt a prick of guilt every time she replied to his soft, quiet declarations of love.
Jin was a lover straight out of a woman’s daydreams.
One would never believe how the hands that touched her so delicately were the ones that pushed his enemies to their dooms.
But (Y/N) knew. She knew because she had witnessed him strangle men twice his size with ease– it was like buying bread to him- mundane business.
His eyes would be chillingly nonchalant and they were the windows for the sinister beast in him to peek through.
But only (Y/N) knew of this side of him– undercover officer (L/N)(Y/N) who was quick and quiet and never even breathed loud but took all the pictures right, and never forgot to set bugs in his office. Officer (Y/N) was subtle and clever, after all.
Liya Grace, however, was naive and oblivious, believing in whatever her beloved boyfriend fed her. He owned chains of hotels, exclusive nightclubs and restaurants. What was odd with that? Some red wine sprinkled on his white shirt? Happens! Why would not she believe him?
That was not technically a lie. Jin did own all of them. But they were the surface, the strong shields protecting his underground illegal weapon dealings– his real business.
It would have been so easy to fool any ordinary civilian, but (Y/N) was no ordinary civilian.
“You’re late. Again.”
“I’m sorry Jagi, you know well that I am– it’s those old investors, always looking for loopholes in my projects.”
Potential buyers
(Y/N) corrected him mentally as she scoffed and turned away pretending to be upset
“Liya–love, you can’t be angry at me now, it's only–uh– a bit late…” he trailed off as he glanced at his limited edition watch.
“It’s two in the morning Jin.” she huffed while reheating his dinner
“Hmm, pretty late, but you are still awake sweetheart.”
“Yes”
Just getting some confidential documents.
“I wanted to talk.”
“Everything alright Jagi?” he sounded concerned but her smile soothed his frown
“Just considering visiting my parents. Haven’t seen them in a while.”
“Why? I mean is everything okay there?”
“Oh no, I just miss them.”
There was another thing (Y/N) had noticed about Kim Seokjin. He liked to keep her for himself.
He was a possessive man, more so emotionally than physically. It was normal for lovers to be possessive, but his sense of possession extended a bit too far.
And it made (Y/N) squirm sometimes– she could swear it was just her being uncomfortable, but deep down, she knew that there was a sinister edge to his love and it made an eerie anticipation bloom in her heart.
“Why not we go to meet them this weekend? You can finally introduce me to them then?”
“Oh Jin, no need of that, you already have a tight schedule.”
There was no way that she could let all her hard work go down the drain.
“But Liya, I have to meet them someday.”
“Sure Jin, I want you to meet them too, but I want to see how they would take the news of me already living with my boyfriend– they have always been a bit protective of me and I want things to go smoothly so bad...Let me set the ground first. Hm?”
She managed to muster up her best puppy eyes and Jin finally relented and nodded with a sigh. He was in a hurry to put a ring on her finger, so eager in fact that she already had a promise ring occupying her finger.
“When do you plan to go then?”
“Tomorrow?”
Jin smiled and nodded “Just don’t stay away from me long, okay?”
—------
“Liya! I have cooked your favourites.”
Her father greeted her on the porch as soon as she arrived.
“Dad I missed you!”
Her father smiled and pulled her in for a hug.
“You have the pigeon feed?” he whispered into her ears without a single muscle faltering.
She hummed, still smiling.
There could be no chance taken. It was Kim Seokjin after all, and underestimating him would be foolishness. The department knew that Kim Seokjin had eyes everywhere and one slip-up could cost them not only all their hard work but also their lives.
“Hurry up, your Mom is setting the table.” he ushered her in as they played the perfect father and daughter for the hidden hawks.
—----
“Here.” (Y/N) handed them a Pendrive. It was the one that contained recordings of his office, some pictures of classified documents and some codes
“Excellent Officer.” her ‘mother’ hummed as she examined the item.
“Now that the pigeons will be feeding, let us have dinner too.” her ‘father’ quipped in– finally at ease now that the documents were in their hands.
—------
(Y/N) had excused herself back to her room. It was cosy yet oddly familiar– detailed to perfection. A typical room that screamed ‘I spent my teenage years here’. (Y/N) felt exhausted. Not only because she had been putting up a facade for so long but also because the ring on her finger sat heavily– mocking her as it gleamed under the nightlight. But most of all, it was the booming questions in her mind, screaming at her for answers.
She dug into her purse to retrieve a Pendrive. Another Pendrive that held the most crucial information, the deepest vulnerabilities in Kim Jin’s empire, in his security system. The Pendrive contained information that could easily lead to his encounter– no more pieces of evidence required.
She gulped, fiddling with the tiny device. She had always known what she wanted, what she was doing. But not this time.
What was she doing?
Why couldn’t she—why did not she submit the most important Pendrive to her superiors?
It would take them no time to bring Kim Seokjin and his empire of illegal weapons into ashes and yet….
“What’s wrong with me?” she huffed out breathlessly.
Finding no convincing answer, she settled for going to bed. Maybe a bit of rest would do? She had been pretending for so long, acting as the perfect, oblivious little girlfriend to a man so subtly dark, it had taken a toll on her mentally and emotionally.
—----
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip drip drip dripdripdripdripdrip
.
.
.
Gurgrlegurlegurlegurglegurglegurgurgurgle—
“Huh?”
It was disorienting to wake up to the sound of an open tap. Without much thought, she stepped into the bathroom, cringing at the wet sensation. It was tap left open and the basin was overflowing. Turning the tap off, she waited for the water to settle down.
The drain was blocked.
She did not remember blocking it. She had not even stepped into the bathroom.
She pulled out the lid, unlocking the drain as thoughts began to flood in. It was an in-built instinct within her. She never dismissed anything that even felt remotely off.
And at the moment she felt like something was very, very strange.
The sound of splashing and gurgling of water felt louder than it actually was. The silence was no longer blank, or even remotely cosy. It was instead eerie.
Something just did not feel right.
Rushing to the closet, she searched for any weapons that they have provided her in the room. She let go of the breath that she had been holding as she felt a gun kept between a bundle of empty boxes.
Fishing it out, she checked if it was loaded before pocketing the pen drive and slipping out of the room as quietly as possible. It was two o'clock in the morning, and while the silence was expected, this silence felt like holding one’s breath– it was filled with anticipation.
Making her way down the carpeted stair, she remained glued to the wall while her finger wrapped around the trigger. She gulped silently as her foot reached the bottom of the stairs. The door seemed locked, the kitchen was empty—
The backdoor!
Carefully gliding around along the walls, she reached the bedroom near the backdoor. The safety of her colleagues mattered the most to her at the moment.
Much to her relief, she saw them asleep on the bed. Noislesslyy shutting the door, she made her way to the backdoor. It appeared perfectly—
No.
It was unlocked.
One twist of the doorknob gave away the fragility of their safety. Her ears tried to pick up any noise behind or around her while her eyes searched for her other colleagues roaming around in disguise. The house, past the lawn, was supposed to be occupied by her colleagues too. She quickly searched for the torchlight she knew was kept there. Gripping it with a tinge of desperation, she blinked it at the house window.
No response.
She tried again. They were supposed to have their eyes on this house for the whole damn night!
No response.
Feeling the panic beginning to build, she took a deep breath in and out. She had been spying on one of the country's biggest underworld figures, there had been people she had taken care of before.
Everything would be under control.
She tried to soothe herself as she made her way back to the bedroom, leaving the door unlocked. If something went wrong, the backdoor would be their safe exit.
As soon as she stepped into the bedroom, she reached out for them, fingers almost twitching to shoot anyone other than her colleagues.
“Sir, wake up.” she whispered as quietly as possible. Not getting a response, she tapped on his covers “Sir, Ma’am please—”
She felt cold at the sensation of the warmth she was familiar with–--warm and wet. Her throat closed up as she felt around the covers. It was all damp and warm inside but her colleagues were still and cold.
She yanked her hand out with a shaky gasp, only to be further horrid at the sight of her tainted hands in the darkness of the room— she could see it clearly–even under the street light.
There was a faint noise of something shifting that had her pointing her gun at the darkest corner of the room. Her heart thumped in fear and anticipation as she pointed her gun at the darkness.
It was at that moment when her anticipation came to a heavy halt— Jin stepped out of the dark corner, taking up the space near the window instead. The streetlight and moon rays falling on his form gave him an eerie illumination.
“Why wait now?… Here I am. Pull the trigger.”
His inaction was far more chilling than his acts of violence. He was just standing still– and nonchalant and yet, the darkness in his eyes was far deeper than the dark corner he emerged from.
“Is it not what you were sent for, after all?” he drawled, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Now you even have a reason.”
his eyes flickered to the bed momentarily before settling back on her as he tilted his head slightly
“What’s the matter Officer (Y/N)(L/N), pull the trigger.” the amusement was clear in his tone.
She would not pull the trigger, even if it was the right thing to do, she would never do that.
And Kim Seokjin had realised it before her.
She hid away the pen drive, her hands shook as she pointed her gun at him and her fingers froze at the mere thought of shooting him.
She shook her head, trying to push back her tears as the realisation began to dawn upon her, like a nightmare merging into reality.
“E-even if I tell you why, you would not believe me.” she breathed out.
It was pathetic. How would he believe her if she told him that she had just realised that she was in love with him? For real.
Why would he believe that even?
The corner of Jin’s lips lifted up slightly at her words.
“Oh Jagi, I know you inside out…” he trailed away as he sauntered towards her.
His movements reminded her of the first time she had met him. Two years ago.
Today was the day– the day they first met.
She stepped back, half in shock, half in caution, her hands lowered far before she had realised.
“Why did you keep the other pen drive to yourself? You had two of them.”
He knew, he always knew.
“How long?”
Jin’s lips tugged up with smugness.
“The moment our eyes met I knew that you did not belong there.”
She took in a sharp breath.
“Assuming that I had never known of you– confidence.” he continued to take predatory steps towards her.
She truly felt like a cornered prey– so small and helpless. His towering form seemed to have engulfed the whole room- and he, her whole existence. She flinched internally when her back touched the wall.
“But assuming that my sources would never know about you– overconfidence.” he smiled as he reached her. The kind of smile that made her feel cold
There was no way out.
“If you plan to kill me, just get over with it now.” the words felt foreign on her tongue, but she meant them.
“Oh Jagi…” he drawled as if sharpening his sword “ I only intend to teach you a sweet, sweet lesson…I do love you after all.” she forced down a whimper as he leaned closer to her, his lips touching her earlobes
“After all, you love me too, and you shall scream that to the world tonight”
****
Min Yoongi was many things.
He was subtle, he was lowkey, and yet he was powerful, he bathed in money and influence and guess what– he was a well-known face on the top magazines, billboards and newspapers.
He was one of the leading industrialists after all.
To the world.
Behind closed doors ran the chaos and spills of the underworld– white power, red ink and sharp edges.
Min Yoongi was many things, but he was not always very patient– especially during crucial interrogations. His business was vast and deep. And to run such a vast business empire– one he had built himself, he needed money– a flood of it.
People looked up to him as an inspirational figure– the ideal rags-to-riches man. But to build such an empire by the age of thirty-two, one needed something extra, and Yoongi had nothing– nothing other than a hawk’s eyes and a razor mind. So he used them instead and created a whole ring of underground business. The profit in the market required heavy investments and it came not only from big investors, it was pumped from the underground.
Who would suspect that the man making gaping charities, arranging free scholarships and educating millions of children would be the one running a whole underground business?
The police, who else?
It was an open secret among the top officers. They knew what went on behind closed doors and dark basements in his posh offices and luxurious hotels. Too bad, Min Yoongi was always ten steps ahead.
It had turned into a cat-and-mouse game, they would hunt for evidence, a loophole and Yoongi would hunt for the one digging those holes.
The man’s head was pulled out of the cold water. He coughed and wheezed, struggling to breathe through the remaining water dripping down along with blood.
Yoongi sighed. Twenty minutes– twenty fucking minutes and no information regarding the infiltrator. Though it was no new thing, it was a matter of increasing concern because he had not been able to get hold of the mouse yet.
The man being interrogated was one too, but Yoongi knew that he was not the spy he should be concerned with.
“Here’s how this is going to be young man…” he began with a cigarette clasped between his lips. He paused briefly to light it up. “You tell me who has been collecting information about my organisation and I give you an easy death.”
Yoongi’s eyes flicked up, finding the dilated pupils of the man, blood and saliva running down his busted lips. He spat out two of his bloody teeth into the water and coughed. He gasped again as one of Yoongi’s men took hold of his hair, ready to dunk his head into the murky water again.
Yoongi rose his palm this time, halting his men’s actions. Pulling the cigarette away, he blew out smoke into the air, momentarily blurring his face “Let me rephrase it..If you do not reveal your partner, I will make sure that you continue to breathe.”
Nearing him, Yoongi leaned closer, whispering in his ear
“Besides, your sister would make up for the loss of our money for our clients. Now, that would be perfect, don’t you think?”
Yoongi smirked as the man clenched his jaw and shuddered. He gripped his shoulder and squeezed the bruise hard, making the man scream.
“Think about it, hero– your charity might cost you your sister’s life. She just entered college, didn’t she? Tsk tch tch, she must have so many dreams…” he threatened with a voice dripping with mock concern while his eyes held a promise of acting through his words.
The man shut his eyes, gritting his teeth before looking dead into Yoongi’s eyes
“Raven”
Was all he said before pushing out a tiny bottle from his tied hands, it had been there between his palms. It happened within the span of seconds, one moment the man was there, and the next, he shoved the bottle in his mouth before dropping dead.
Cyanide.
“Where were your eyes?” Yoongi gritted out as he looked at his men with fury “Where.the.fuck were you looking when he had this in his fucking palms?”
His men trembled but said nothing, only hanging their heads in shame. Min Yoongi with raised voice was a threat, but he with a cold, low voice with gritting teeth was a warning that barely stood between one’s life and his gun.
Surely, the police officer's body was not the only one which would be laying there.
But to their utter surprise, their boss’ fingers, instead of going for his gun, went to his head, running through his long hair.
He took a few puffs from his cigarette before dropping it on the wet floor and viciously crushing it with his heavy shoes.
He sighed, closing his eyes, the thin cut running through his face could be seen in its complete glory with his eyes closed– it began from his forehead and sliced straight through his left eyebrow, and eyelid, ending on his upper cheek, parallel to his nose. It was faded but only added to the grim aura he carried.
“Find out who is Raven. And don’t be lousy fucky this time.”
That was all he said before marching out of the place.
Min Yoongi was many things but he was not a man to step back from his words, even if it was something he had promised himself.
No blood on his hands on her birthday.
—---
The front light of the shop flickered before dimming considerably while Yoongi’s car pulled up in front of the flower shop. It was decent, but in Yoongi’s mind, needed a ton of renovation. It was already past midnight and his only regret was that he could not be there to wish her on the strike of twelve.
The door sign showed ‘closed’ but he rang the bell anyway, his heart thumping on hearing the muffled sound of her ascending the stairs.
His lips curved into a smile as soon as the door opened.
“You came? I thought you were busy.”
“And I thought I told you to wait for me at my place. Yet I find you here, sleeping with just a single lock at the main door.” he commented as he walked inside.
The flower shop was on the ground floor, and the floor above was where she lived. It would seem odd, special in a way– a business tycoon and a florist. But it would turn bizarre at the revelation of his true identity. A man marred with the underground murk and a sweet florist, oblivious to the monster she was letting in almost every night at her home.
“I baked some cookies.”
“Mhm? I got you some fried chicken with cheese and beer.” her eyes lit up at that and she smiled, raining heavens on his heart.
“Oh, Yoongi, you always know what I want!”
Her voice dripped with delight as she made her way upstairs, while he locked the door, making eye contact with his men stationed just opposite the flower shop, under the guise of some construction workers.
He sighed in delight as her delicate floral fragrance engulfed him while he followed her upstairs.
“Wait for me in the bedroom, I will bring the food. And–what is this? A cake? You even brought me a cake? Oh Yoongi, you did not need to.”
He shook his head and smiled, taking her hands into his.
“But I wanted to.”
His hand slid to her lower back and the other hand guided her hand to his shoulder as they began to slow dance in the kitchen, the food long forgotten at the kitchen counter.
Fishing out his phone, he clicked to play a retro romantic track– slow, lovely and oh-so poetic. He smiled at her, stealing a fleeting kiss on her forehead as they continued to move, like a slow-burning flame that would ignite one’s soul.
“Happy Birthday my love.” he whispered ever so tenderly as she looked up with glistening eyes.
She tucked her head on his chest, relishing the moment in silence.
—----
One of the best leisure activities had to be sitting on the bed and enjoying one’s favourite meal along with one’s favourite person, Yoongi realised that while placing another piece of fried chicken on her plate. She smiled at him, a smudge of ketchup on her lower lip and it made her all the more adorable to her. All he wanted was to protect her, love her and be loved by her.
He scrunched his nose lightly while wiping the ketchup with his thumb while she munched on the chicken with stuffed cheeks.
Min Yoongi was in love with her, he knew it, she knew it too and he hoped that she would trust him too, enough to believe in his love through thick and thin.
“Gina…” he began as he took her hands in his, not minding the crumbles and oil “Do you trust me?”
She blinked “Yoongi, where is this coming from?”
“Just tell me, do you trust me to never hurt you? To love and protect you with my life?”
She frowned before nodding, but that was not enough for him.
“I need words Gina, do you trust me, love?”
“Yes Yoongi…” her voice shook but there was a crack of uncertainty.
He would admit that it did hurt him, but he also knew that this was nothing beyond normal human behaviour– blind trust was a luxury and he would taste that luxury soon, he only had to be patient. He knew that her trust would falter with his next words, but he needed to do what was required.
Taking a deep breath, he grasped her hands firmer “Gina…I love you, and I did not wish to lose you…so I hid something from you, but now I must come clean for the sake of our love.” licking his lips, he continued “Gina, you know me as the world does, a philanthropist business tycoon, one with multiple companies under his banner, international projects, the rags-to-riches guy and what not…But the truth is beyond that, darker than that.”
Her frown deepened at that “What do you mean?”
Yoongi sighed and continued “I have an underworld business, Gina, I have my hands dipped in everything murky you can possibly imagine.”
He felt her stiffening at his words and as she attempted to pull away from his hold, his fear began to take the shape of reality. With each attempt to pull her hands away, his hold coiled tighter like a hungry snake. His jaws ticked at her futile attempts
“You promised to trust me, didn’t you?” his hand crept to her forearm
“Y-Yoongi…”
“I love you, I love you so much Gina, don’t try to take that away from me.” hissed, turning desperate “I love you too much to let you go. I have everything prepared for you love, you will love the mansion, it has a vast garden and even a patch of woods, there are flowers, beautiful flowers, and the room I have prepared for you is your dream room, Love. We shall move to our room soon after the wedding.”
“Wedding?” she whispered out incredulously as if it were the most bizarre thing to hear from him.
“Of course Jagi, are we not going to marry soon? I love you Gina and I thought this would be a perfect time to come out clean. I want to keep you safe love, pack up hmm? I have had the mansion all readied.”
“No” she whispered, making Yoongi pause
“No?”
He scowled, tightening his hold to a painful extent before jerking her closer to him, ignoring the whimper his actions and eyes had elicited.
“What do you mean by No?” he snarled before closing his eyes and looking away– his tongue pushed against the inner wall of his cheek to show his thinning patience as he remained unfazed by her struggle to slip away from his bruising hold. “Gina…I told you that I love you, didn’t I? I came clean to you like a good lover. Isn’t it your turn to show appreciation and fucking listen to me? You are so fucking unsafe here I cannot protect—”
He was cut off by the sound of a click that tore through the otherwise heavy silence like an arrow in a dead forest
He looked at her, hold loosening before she mouthed--
RUN!
But there was no time for that other than reaching for his gun strapped on his shin but the moment his fingers touched the gun, he felt the piecing of a bullet. Chaos ensued as a figure in black jumped down from the attic, opening the foldable ladder that dropped from the ceiling, and reaching the bed.
Yoongi felt hands forcing him down before he elbowed the assaulter. His palm was already suffering a bullet wound but his eyes never left her– his Gina, or that was the name she had used. She shook her head, tears now streaming down in full force.
“Min Yoong, you are under arrest!”
How were there so many men in the room? Boots rang across the floor as many men in uniform stormed the room, forcing him down further. But his eyes remained on the woman sitting in front of him, nursing her bruising wrist yet looking down at him with the sorrow only a true lover could.
Her eyes widened as he smiled at her– a genuine smile that came from the realisation that she did warn him to run, that she had pain in her eyes.
“What’s your name?” he whispered softly making her her eyes widen. “Your name…”
“Oi! You are under arrest for being involved in illegal business, you just confessed that!”
One of the officers spat out as he snatched away the necklace she wore roughly, making her wince and Yoongi's jaws tick.
“We have it all recorded you scum!”
He waved it in front of him before landing a heavy punch, making Yoongi’s head whip to the side, a bruise already forming while blood trickled down the corner of his lips.
But he did not care, finding her frightened eyes once more as her hand jerked to reach him, only to be stopped midway by the officer “What’s your name?” he asked again
“Get her out of here.” the senior officer barked before the subordinate approached, his actions and tone much gentler than his superior as he helped her get up from the bed.
But before went out, she turned to him one last time, eyes filled with emotions, while Yoongi focused on pushing his heel against the sole of his shoe– one press of the sensor and his team would be ready. He smiled at her as she disappeared from his sight.
Soon, Love…Very Soon.
—-----
The journey to the police station involved being shoved into a heavily guarded van with too many armed men.
Twenty men for one person? Even with a bullet wound?
He liked the fear.
His eyes met with one of the amateur officers, young, naive and so fucking idealistic perhaps– a version of his in his early teens. Yoongi smirked as he watched him gulp subtly.
Good.
As soon as they reached the police station at an ungodly hour, he was shoved into an overly guarded prison, the captain watched him from outside as one would while inspecting a feral animal.
The middle-aged man held his gaze as Yoongi made himself comfortable behind the bars, sitting on the bed near the wall, his form faintly visible in the darkness.
The captain held his phone to his ear before speaking up, breaking the tense silence that felt like a bated breath
“Mission Raven Completed,”
He whispered out, his eyes holding Yoongi’s gaze in mockery as he cut the call and slipped his phone into his pocket
“Your game is over Min Yoongi.”
Yoongi sat still, his feline eyes shining with amusement under the minimal light reaching his prison.
“What? Aren’t you scared? The whole world will come to know your true face in a few hours!” he snarled at him.
Yoongi knew that he had made many, many enemies along his climb to the top of the underworld rings. And this captain seemed to take things a bit too personally. But what did he know of the ‘games’ he played?
“ Captain Jiwok…” he watched in satisfaction as the smirk was wiped out from the man’s face “My game has just begun.”
Before the man could speak any further, a deafening boom shook the whole building as rubble began to fall, he watched the building burst into bedlam, throwing his back into laughter while his eyes twinkled in delight.
****
A sunny day, the bright colours of the summer and the gentle breeze playing with the new, tender leaves and the playful petals of brightest and softest blooms.
It would make anyone smile. But not the mistress of the Jung Estate–(L/N)(Y/N), who could only resentfully look on as the servants, maids, dogs, cats, butterflies and even insects enjoyed their freedom of embracing the outside world– all but her.
The sprawling estate encompassed a vast garden with water channels running around in symbols, hosting a range of koi fish, one more stunning than the other and a number of servant quarters that housed the staff.
The place would look idyllic to anyone who would first set their eyes on it. But underneath the beautiful estate, laid metal doors, bloody walls and unending, dark body chutes. One might find that shocking, but not (Y/N) – to her, the Jung Estate was an extension of the master of the property– Jung Hoseok– an angel’s face and a devil’s soul. But (Y/N) doubted that he had any soul at all.
Taking her eyes off the garden, she focused on the elaborate lunch spread out for her. At least she had a choice of food, she thought with contempt as the maid served her more rice.
“Would you like dessert after lunch Ma’am?” Lia, her personal maid enquired.
“No thank you.”
“They’re all your favourite Madame.” she pressed ever so gently.
Sighing, (Y/N) nodded. Dessert might do her soured mood some good.
“I will bring them right after you are finished, Madame.” Lia beamed
(Y/N)’s lips tugged up subtly with an amused smile as she continued to eat her lunch. Hoseok, her husband always told her how much he loved her smile. And yet, he had turned the reason behind its decline.
Jung Hoseok was probably the most feared man in the country and she had made the foolish mistake of walking right into the lion’s den one sorry evening.
—-----
“Madame, sweet buns along with mini butter croissants.”
(Y/N) had smelled the delicious aroma before the oven-fresh delicacies came within her sight. After all, something to truly smile about, without making her cheeks ache.
“You should have your lunch, Lia.” she offered softly, aching to be left alone, truly alone, without his people following her like some…fucking guard dogs!
Lia, the dedicated girl was obviously not at fault– she was just doing what she was paid so heftily for– taking care of the mistress of the Jung Estate.
The Mistress of Jung Estate…Ironical, really, when she could not even step out of the iron castle without his consent. And if he were to go out of the city, even the garden was out of her reach. Even his pet had more freedom than her.
And yet…
And yet he would claim to love her the most, adore her more than anything and appreciate even the most mundane thing she would do.
Huffing as such thoughts crossed her path, she violently tore the delicate croissant into two before—
Croissants were not supposed to make any tearing sounds! Or were they?
This time, she looked closer, only to two torn pieces of the same paper peeking out of the halves of the delicacy. (Y/N) frowned as she pulled the pieces of paper out before joining them. Only to part her lips in surprise at the sight of the message written there.
A phone number!
She crumpled the pieces of paper, hiding them away in her fist before carefully peeling apart another croissant– the same number!
This had to mean something, this could not be a coincidence.
Her stomach flipped as she gulped an uncomfortable lump in her throat.
What is this?
The question rang louder than all other thoughts in her head as she delicately folded the paper and walked up to the closet before hiding the paper in one of her shoes.
Thankfully, there were only two such croissants and the rest had only warmth and aroma stuffed inside them, so were the sweet buns, simple and delicious. The incident felt more like a dream but (Y/N) knew that it was not.
—--
“Who prepared the dessert today?” (Y/N) prayed that she sounded absolutely nonchalant as she fiddled with her food, pretending to mix the sauce with the rice.
Sitting on the terrace, she could have a wide view of the spread-out property– all lit up and quiet, except for nature’s sounds.
“Oh, did you not like it Ma’am?” it was the butler serving her this time– breakfasts and dinners were his responsibility and she had no clue why this was a rigid routine.
“No, it was delicious, that’s why I asked…”
“I am glad Madame, Lia herself prepared the dessert.”
(Y/N) kept her eyes down, afraid that her eyes would give away the surprise. Somehow, she managed a mundane “Oh, I see.” but all she did was restrain herself from frowning.
She did not even remember when she fell asleep, in his absence, sleep seemed to come easy and deep. But this time, somehow she woke up with a start in the middle of the night. It was quiet but tense and while she was alert as soon as she woke up without the usual grogginess she would feel, the goosebumps all over her skin told her that something was just not right.
Squinting her eyes, she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness when she spotted–
“Lia?” she hissed, annoyed that the girl was there inside her bedroom and had given her a nightmare-worthy scare.
“Lia, is that you?” she felt her parched throat before recognising her rising fear— what if it was not Lia but one of Hoseok’s rivals? What if the person wanted to hurt her? The silhouette matched that of her personal maid but she had not seen the person’s face yet and—
To her slight relief, Lia revealed herself as she stepped near the bed “Madame, you are awake at this time?”
What kind of question was that?
“What are you doing in my room at two in the morning?”
Lia only smiled at her counter-question, but there was something condescending about it.
“Don’t you feel better? More refreshed than mornings?”
“Wh-what? What kind of question—”
“I assume you’ve got the number and are smart enough to hide it in a safe place?” she cut her off,
(Y/N) gulped, feeling increasingly uneasy with the situation. She was alone, vulnerable in her room with her supposedly personal maid who seemed…just off.
Lia sighed and tilted her head “Don’t worry, I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you.”
“Help me?” she could feel her voice crumble at her words.
Help her as in helping her get out of the place? But who would dare to?
“No, woman, I am not a rival’s spy or something if you are worried about that. I work for the government.”
(Y/N) gasped quietly at that. Why would the government of the nation take the pains of infiltrating Hoseok’s home to rescue a simple girl? She gulped again, feeling her mouth grow increasingly dry.
“Don’t,” Lia’s voice was quiet but strong, halting (Y/N)’s movement immediately as she reached out for the water bottle placed on the nightstand.
“I was just feeling thirsty?” she could not help but feel fear beginning to grip her in the face of the uncertain situation.
“You can drink that once we’re finished with the conversation woman. You drink that right now, you will fall asleep again.”
“What?” (Y/N) frowned while Lia rolled her eyes with a slow shake of her head
“You are such a naive girl, no wonder you are still stuck here.”
She sighed before explaining
“Don’t you feel weird? It is only the butler who serves you breakfast and dinner, prepared by him in the boss’ absence? Don’t you wonder why you feel so sleepy, even after breakfast? You sleep until noon and yet feel tired after dinner”
“So…” (Y/N) gulped, feeling her stomach beginning to flip “So, y-you are saying that the food, the water is compromised?”
“‘Compromised’? Don’t soften this up now, you know what it is, just acknowledge it.”
“He–he won’t–I mean he couldn’t have—”
Lia smiled again, the same condescending smile that rubbed the ugly fact on her face and made her stomach churn.
“You are saying that—that the food and water I consume are…drugged?”
She knew that Hoseok’s ‘love’ was toxic, but this was straight out of some nightmare-inducing psychological thriller. She let out a shuddering breath as the horrible realisation dawned upon her. It was sick, absolutely sick.
“You see, morning and night are the only times when guards change shifts and take breaks, he could not take any chances. You are after all his most treasured possession.”
She drawled, and her words slapped the bleak reality of her marriage right on her face. Was it even a marriage? She felt like a prisoner before, now she was reduced to a precious little pet.
Weren’t you always his fucking pet?
Her subconscious mocked her as she felt tears beginning to gather.
“It took me a while to figure out what was he giving you, but today I managed to slip an antidote in your dinner. How does it feel to wake up refreshed?”
When she did not answer, Lia threw something beside her, making her flinch
“In case you realise how deep you are in. All you need is to call.”
(Y/N)’s eyes remind of the buttoned cell phone, she did not even hear Lia leaving– she left as quietly as she came.
But she left behind a storm brewing in (Y/N)’s mind.
—-------
Despite knowing the consequences, (Y/N) tucked the phone away in some safe corner and drank the water, she was absolutely parched. Everything was too much to take. She knew that Hoseok was no saint, but this made her sick to her stomach. She feared Hoseok but now…now she was terrified of him.
The sky rumbled before her eyes found the window gigantic window of the place– big droplets of rain had begun to dot the glass. From that height, the sky seemed nearer, yet all the more distant– it was just a better, clearer sight, especially when one could leisurely watch the thunderstorm up close– clouds flashing, clashing and the skies illuminating with blinding cracks.
No one seemed to notice, or care, but her. It felt like it was only her– just like her four years old relationship– it was only her there. She was the one making the effort, she was always the one apologising, she was the one making her plans, her schedule flexible, initiating dates and she was the only fucking person in a relationship involving two.
And it took her a whole bad fight and a slap on the face to realise that. It was the worst fight the two had, and also perhaps the third major one in a span of four fucking years– so used to ‘sweeping things under the rug’ and ‘keeping the peace’, she had was, for once glad to let it all out– the bottled disappointments, suppressed anger, resentment, frustration hurt, envy, jealousy– every ugly emotion one could come up with when they had to carry the weight of a dying relationship and when she was spitting the facts on his face, he retorted with a slap that shook everything– the relationship, her perspective, her beliefs— everything shuddered and began to crumble with nothing.
Noted, she had pulled his parents’ failed marriage in a fit of rage but reacting with violence? Was it ever okay?
Thankfully, she knew the answer. She did not even remember how she simply picked up her phone and wallet in dead silence after he stormed out of the house in tears. She had her vision blurred with unshed tears as well, but she did not let them escape her eyes, at least not until she drove back to her apartment. She had seen her first-ever serious relationship crumbling into nothing and she had no clue how to deal with that.
After days of crying herself to sleep and being on autopilot, her friends decided to intervene and drag her away to the fancy event. She had blocked him from everywhere but she was not sure if he even tried to contact her. Even in the glittering and gilded place, she could not stop thinking about him and the relationship she had dragged on for such a long time, but not romantically. She could not bring herself to do that after what had transpired that evening.
“Ma’am, a drink for you.”
(Y/N) frowned as the bartender slid a fancy-looking shimmery drink in front of her. While her friends were busy chitchatting and flirting with people they knew, she had excused herself to the quieter part of the gigantic hall, a bar. But she had not ordered anything yet.
“But I did not order anything.”
“The gentleman bought you this.”
Not all drinks were free and the drink definitely looked like it had soaked up a fortune. Her eyes followed the bartender’s gaze and found a man she had never seen before leaning against the other end of the long island.
He looked sleek and mysterious and every last thing she wanted at the moment. While he smoked and raised an eyebrow, she smiled apologetically before shaking her head before getting off the barstool and making her way back to her friends.
She did not know what she needed at the moment, but she did know what she did not need.
As the event dragged on (Y/N) had begun to feel more uninterested. Maybe such high-class parties were more suited for her millionaire friend who had thrust the invitation card in her face. (Y/N) knew that all she wanted was to make her feel better but the event was quickly turning her eyes droopy.
Bidding her friend goodbye with an excuse, she sighed in relief the moment she walked out of the hall, as the door closed, she was greeted with a silent hallway leading to the exit of the building.
“Hello there” the voice made her jump as she turned around, only to find the same man just a foot behind her.
“Oh, didn’t see you there.” she mustered up an easy smile as her feet remained in the direction of the exit.
The man hummed and assessed her with a ghost of a smile on his face, the tilt of his head had a few strands falling on his exposed forehead. He was an attractive man, no doubt, but she was just not interested. He seemed well above twenty-five, even past thirty perhaps.
“Did you not like the drink, Pretty?” she cringed internally at the nickname.
“I am in a hurry actually, thank you for the drink by the way.”
His lips tilted into an amused smile “Let me have the honours to drop you home, pretty.”
“I have my car.”
She had come with her friends and she had no car, but a cab would always be nearby in a posh locality.
“Oh yeah? Let me walk you to your car then.”
She tried to rack her brain for some excuse but the glint in his eyes confirmed her fears, he knew that she had no vehicle to return home and he was taking advantage of her situation. Even if he only intended to flirt, he was making her easy.
“There you are!” the loud and buoyant voice startled her.
`
The man cornering her turned around, giving her a view of another man approaching them.
“And there I was, searching for you in that hall!” the new man beamed with a blinding smile before turning to him “Hi Juk, you’re here too.”
“Mr Jung, I did not that she is—”
“She came with me.” he declared, finding her gaze briefly before flickering back to…Juk– or whatever his name was.
She understood what he was trying to do and played along.
“I was searching for you too!” even if her voice showed her relief, she did not care anymore.
Oddly, she felt less threatened in the smiling stranger’s presence. Juk came up with an excuse before walking back into the hall, leaving them alone. His gentle gaze fixed on her before his smile turned soft.
“Are you okay?”
“Eh yes, yes, thank you—I should get going now.” she bowed to show him her gratitude as he shook his head.
“Ah, it’s nothing, sometimes people here get pretty intense. I’m used to this.” he explained before realisation flashed in his eyes “I never saw you here before?”
“Yes, I came here with my friend.”
“And you are leaving alone?”
“Yes, I was bored.” she slapped her hand over her lips immediately as the realisation dawned upon her. But it was too late.
Now what if he was the host?
“N-No I mean–I’m sorry—.” she was immediately in damage control mode, but he only waved his hand, laughing.
“No, no, I appreciate your honesty…I’m Hoseok by the way. Jung Hoseok.” he offered her his hand for a shake.
“(L/N)(Y/N).” she shook it with a smile.
—-----
When she opened her groggy eyes again, the room was illuminated with the sunshine filtering through the curtains fluttering. She rubbed her eyes as they began to close again.
Wait, she would never leave her window open at night?
“Good afternoon, Love!”
Her actions paused as she rose from her bed, pushing away the comforter, only to find Hoseok standing in front of her, dressed in his casual olive t-shirt and sweats. Her eyes widened in surprise, the conversation with Lia floating back in her mind.
But he did not give her much time to think, instead, he got on the bed and pulled her for a searing kiss, never minding her morning breath or her stiffness.
“I missed you so much Jagi!” there it was, the deceiving smile that had blinded her to all the bright red flags once.
His arms engulfed her, pulling her towards his chest as he hummed in delight “You were sleeping when I returned, so I made breakfast for you myself.”
Schooling her expression and keeping her voice steady, she hugged him back “Thank you Hoseok.”
“Oh, no need to thank me, Love. I have been gone for a while, haven’t I? It must have been hard for you.” his voice dipped to a tone of regret before he pulled away and cupped her face “Being locked in here all by yourself. But you know it's for your safety, don’t you?”
Gulping, she dropped her gaze and nodded. He smiled in return before kissing her once more. “There, there, nothing to worry about anymore. You can even go to the garden unattended! But why bother about a garden when we have a whole vacation planned?”
Surprised, she looked up, earning a coo from him as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Like, out of this place? This city?”
Hoseok nodded “Now, freshen up, I will serve you some breakfast. Okay?”
With a nod and a small smile, she made her way towards the bathroom, feeling increasingly uneasy in his presence. As soon as she was out of the bathroom, she was relieved to find no trace of her husband in the room. The bed was freshly made and crisp, everything seemed right in place, speckless.
A vacation…
Lia’s words never left her mind, not even for a moment since she woke up. Did she want out?
Yes. Of course, she did. And she knew that deep down, Hoseok knew that too— she never asked to be here. That was why she was not even allowed to step out of the mansion in his absence.
But the real question was…
Was she safe?
She pondered as she held the phone in her grip.
****
She cursed herself as the thick rain pounded on her back while she jogged her way back home. Had she brought an umbrella, she could have avoided this situation. She hated getting wet in the rain. She hated such stormy evenings overall.
“Shit!”
She cursed out loud as she slipped down on the ground, her one leg folding painfully in the process. Gasping out in pain and shock, she tried to steady herself.
Breathe (Y/N), keep calm, you are almost home, you can have a good sleep and—no, not a peaceful sleep maybe but you will be taken care of.
Nodding to herself, she rose from the ground and continued her way home with a limping foot while the sky rumbled unpleasantly over her. She should have slowed down before.
Her apartment was quiet when she entered it. Closing the door with a huff, she took off her now, soaked shoes but gasped when she rose after putting them away.
There was someone in the apartment with her!
She cursed herself before hastily switching the lights on, only to fall into a fused state of relief and annoyance.
“Namjoon!” she hissed “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? And why were you just standing there like a creep?”
Namjoon chortled and folded his arms over his chest “Why? Did I scare you little bird?”
Rolling her eyes, (Y/N) shook her head “I’m not a little bird Joon.”
“Oh Little bird, you are dripping.” he cooed as he made his way towards her.
If there was someone who could simultaneously get on her nerves and warm her heart, it would be Kim Namjoon, her boyfriend of six months- Kim Namjoon.
And she wondered often how come he was a college professor. At the rate he lost and broke things while managing to look like the most innocent soul with round eyes and full cheeks and–no wait, he was annoying at the moment!
“There, there.” he gently patted her with a towel and yet had the audacity to tease her in between “You look like a dunked kitten by the way.”
She simply sighed. There was no stopping him, she had realised that. He was like a child sometimes, really.
“Move, I have to get changed.” pushing her laughing boyfriend away, she made her way to the bathroom.
“Hey kitten, I have turned on the heating, be careful not to burn yourself!” he called out from behind as she slammed the bathroom door shut.
(Y/N) had met Namjoon in the most cliche place possible– a coffee shop. One moment he was passing by her seat and the next, he was tripping on plain ground and the entire content of his ‘extra-large’ cold coffee was all over her.
Before she could even turn around with smoke leaving her ears, he was on his knees apologising profusely with repeated bows, so much that he had hit his forehead twice on the table in the frenzy and his ID was on the ground, taking a dip at the spilled, frothy cold coffee.
The rest? Looking at them, anyone could have guessed the rest.
It was hard to believe that a man this clumsy was teaching at a reputed college. She often wondered ‘How did he survive this far’, especially when he tried helping her in the kitchen.
He was banned from the kitchen for a reason.
When she entered the living room, Namjoon was busy cleaning the muddy footprints near the apartment entrance.
“I ordered us some chicken ramen with some snacks and beer.” Namjoon perked up as soon as he saw her enter the room
“Finally, something good to look forward to!” she beamed
“Oh, was work not good?” his smile faded with a frown of concern replacing it.
(Y/N) smiled and shook her head dismissively “Oh nothing, just the usual running around. We have weirdos coming in with bizarre complaints” she scoffed
“So, where else people would go if not the police?”
“Joon, there were claims of alien sightings.” she huffed, rolling her eyes as she plopped on the couch “Thanks for cleaning up though. I am so tired.” (Y/N) could not stop the wince when she tried to stretch her legs.
People might consider that once someone joins the police force, they attain immunity against injuries and pain– the fact was, she and officers like her, were only human.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, I just slipped while jogging back home.”
“(Y/N), how many times have I asked you to not rush? It's even more dangerous during the rainy season!” he was immediately by her side, bunching the loose gown she wore to her mid-thigh. He winced at the sight of the bruised shin and knee. “Look what you have done to yourself now.” he chided as he gently ran his fingers through the darkening bruises.
“I’m a police officer Joon.” she scoffed, attempting to pull away, but he would have none of that
“So? You are still human. Moreover, it has barely been a year since you joined.”
“A year Joon, a year has 365 days.”
Namjoon simply smiled and for the first time, the warmth was missing “Oh, little bird…I bet you’ve seen nothing. The world now rivals hell.” he leaned closer and placed a peck on her knee “So, be careful what you fly into.”
Although his eyes held a playful glint, they darkened under the light, ironically, they seemed to swallow the light falling on them, not reflect. It felt like she was starring at the eyes of a stranger, a man she had never seen before and—
Ring! Ring-ring!
The doorbell rang, shoving her out of the trance as she flinched– eyes darting towards the unanswered door, the smart LED mounted on the wall– anywhere but him.
Namjoon rose and walked up to the door in silence. Looking through the peephole, he unlocked the door and opened it, while she rushed to cover her legs and look decent.
It was their dinner.
“Dinner’s here!” he turned to her with the paper bag dangling from his hold as soon as he shut the door.
His smile was warm, the one she knew– it was her Namjoon.
“Don’t worry, I will set it up. Why don’t you play the sitcom we were watching last time, hmm?”
She smiled as he walked towards the kitchenette. It was so usual of him– he was Namjoon, her boyfriend. Why did it feel different then?
Shaking her head, she moved to switch on the TV– she was just tired.
—-----
There was a thing about being in the police force. One comes under numerous circumstances, meet numerous people and remembers most of them. It was a part of the training, or maybe the experience she had over a year of joining the Police.
The spies, the police, and the military had somewhat of a peculiar kind of instinct– in fact, they were trained to follow their instinct, trained to not hold the gaze for too long without the necessity and to never stare at the back of the head of the people they were supposed to keep an eye on.
The training, perhaps makes the observation and the intuition stronger– like their subconscious would no things before their conscious mind would find out.
Even after days after Namjoon’s visit, (Y/N) could not forget the moment– the brief, dreamlike moment that, even for a part of a second did make her see her boyfriend under a different light. Even if it was just for a moment, the Namjoon she knew seemed to have turned into…someone else- someone who made her…uneasy.
So aside from the cases she already was handling along with being a part of a confidential project, she took it upon herself to research more on Namjoon– her boyfriend. He had told her that he had discarded his surname, he was just Namjoon– even his ID showed that– ‘Namjoon’.
And that made it all the more difficult for her to dig more about him. It had not bothered her before. In fact, she had not even bothered to dig up about him, she never felt like he was hiding something or even remotely pretending. He was an unsuspecting College professor– a clumsy, endearing gentle giant who loved bonsai, flowers and everything small and cute.
Until that one night.
It is just to ease my tension. Just to ease my suspicion, it's nothing probably.
She kept telling herself as she searched through digital file after digital file without a trace of anything familiar. At one point, she even thought, why bother anyway? It might just have been the light doing its trick, or maybe her tired brain making up things.
But there was something that distinguished a person in uniform from an ordinary civilian– their reliance on their gut feeling. Even if people might find it strange, the police relied heavily on their gut feeling.
So if her gut feeling sensed something, she was trained to go with it– no matter who or what. She might be an amateur, not a speedy learner like her colleagues but she knew her job and she knew was, at the end of the day, a police officer.
—----
“The police in Busan have discovered a shipment... cocaine.” there was an emergency meeting held as soon as the station’s in-charge received an e-mail. “But they are suspecting that it is not the whole shipment.”
“Sir, what is the amount?” (Y/N)’s colleague Han raised the much-awaited question
Their superior’s eyes turned grim as he sighed.
This did not seem good
“48 kilograms.”
The room fell into a tense silence.
“And how do we know that it is not the whole shipment? 48kgs of cocaine is no joke.” (Y/N) spoke up this time.
“Yes, (Y/N), but the shipment was most probably for Gangnam. I had some people working for the police keeping an eye out. Those people are cunning– they evaded the Busan police– I had spoken with the station’s in-charge there and got to know that only the shipment was discovered, not the dealers.”
He switched on the projector and the screen showed a map of major cities in the country but there were places marked.
“You see these places? These are the places we have foiled major shipments in the past year.” he pointed at the flagged locations “But there is a worrying pattern here. These are the areas where most hotels, resorts, and other tourist destinations are. And before last year, neither these places nor such a jump in the number of drugs was detected…You know what this means, right?”
“There is a new snake in the town?” (Y/N) guessed
Their senior nodded “Yes, most probably– you see, this person is experienced, cunning. They know what happens in the streets, they know how things work and yet we get are able to sack the major shipments, but not a single dealer…It seems deliberate.”
“Deliberate? Those cost billions Sir,” Han was right, but so was her boss.
“Hmm, but we have no idea how vast this empire is, do we? It is the underground we’re speaking of, Han, these people are powerful dangerous, cruel and cunning. You never take them as fools. That might be your last mistake.”
Han nodded at his words before he continued -
“For now, we need to increase the patrol. Patrol officers here, keep vigilance and let some officers loiter around in civil attire, we need to keep an eye out for this area, we have quite a few tourist places here. Dismissed for now.”
With that, the sounds of screeching and pushing chairs filled the room as the officers made their way out of the room one by one.
“Officer (Y/N), please wait, I have a discussion with you regarding the burglary case.”
“Sure sir.”
As soon as the room was empty he walked up to the door and closed it.
“Sir, the case has been–”
“Closed, I know, this is regarding the shipments.”
“It's a mind game (Y/N). I’m sure of it.”
“May I know the reason, Sir?”
“This time, they have targeted Busan. It's like a flag of ownership and victory, not a missed shipment. Whatever actual shipment was headed for Gangnam, has already reached there while the police were distracted with this one. It's like a declaration– they have their hold beyond this city now.”
“But 48 kg of cocaine costs a lot Sir, and Han was right, whatever shipments we have found over the years, they cost billions.”
“And..do we know if those belong to this new…snake?”
(Y/N) frowned at his response
“The underworld, (Y/N) is no stranger to brutality. As I mentioned before, this new player knows the streets. They’re experienced. Do you really think that they will make such an amateur mistake? Not a single dealer caught, no man caught. They are mocking us, making us run around like puppies and I have a name for the snake…”
“A name?”
Her boss nodded before handing her his phone. There was a message from an unsaved number. A message with only two letters.
RM
“So–so who is this?”
“Can be anyone, a business tycoon, a philanthropist or whatever, but a looming figure in the underworld with eyes and ears everywhere. Ever since the last major drug dealer was shot dead in Dubai last year, we have been receiving anonymous alerts on such shipments.”
“So, you are suggesting that this…person has replaced the notorious Don? He was a Godfather, Sir and wasn’t his son about to take up—”
“And where is his son (Y/N)? Vanished, we have no idea where he is but this is not their pattern, we know that. Their businesses are sealed– legal or illegal, their bank accounts were frozen, properties here sealed– the family is not a threat now (Y/N). But this…” he pointed at his phone in her grip “This is. They are a clear, looming threat and it is so obvious that they fear no, nothing. It's like a game to them.”
“So, what do you want me to do?”
Her superior sighed and nodded as he took his phone back “It is not easy but I know I can trust you on this. I am forming a team, and I will update you soon about that but for now, we know that this RM knows the street well, maybe they belonged there once. Take a few days off and take a sweep of the street meanwhile. We need to have more information.”
“Sure, Sir.” she squared her shoulders
He nodded “Okay, you can go now, do not let anyone suspect anything until I inform you of the rest of the team.”
“Sir.” giving him a salute, she turned to walk away.
“And (Y/N).”
“Yes, Sir?”
“Be careful. We have a cunning and venomous snake here.”
“I will keep that in mind, Sir.”
“Okay, you can go now.”
—-------------
The place looked as peaceful as ever. The aroma of roasted coffee beans, blended with that of butter and chocolate– it was a typical cafe. And the same cafe she had met Namjoon for the first time. And as she watched the couple sitting across the place, the same seat she had been sitting on months ago, her meeting with Namjoon, her interaction, it all felt surreal. Their story was indeed novel-worthy! Like a perfect romcom—
Perfect…
(Y/N) froze completely for a moment when the realisation struck her– her chewing, her fiddling, even her breathing and blinking.
Each movement spent with her boyfriend flowed in and each moment seemed so…Perfect.
Beautiful anything, (Y/N) knew one thing about the world…Nothing is perfect.
Yes, there were some shortcomings here and there but the meetings, the bumping into one another again…Everything was indeed perfect.
She gulped, then blinked.
No, she was thinking too much. Namjoon was a true gentleman. A man she was falling for, she really liked him. Maybe–maybe even loved him? She was not much sure about love but she knew one thing for sure, her job’s stress was spilling over on her personal life and affecting her personal relationships.
Before her thoughts could spiral any further, the chair in front of her was pulled out and her boyfriend took a seat in front of her, boring holes into her form as he made himself comfortable.
“Oh, Hi Namjoon.”
Namjoon did not respond immediately, he just sat there, staring right into her eyes, fingers folded into a contemplating posture. For the first time, (Y/N) realised that indeed, it would not be difficult for him to take control over a class of even hundreds– he had a commanding presence.
“You have not been answering my calls,” he stated.
There was no questioning regarding the possible reasons. There was no trace of ‘questions’ in his tone at all.
“Yes, I have been a bit busy lately– just the usual, police things.”
Namjoon simply hummed, eyes still searching hers without a shift. “What are you getting, little bird?”
“Uh…Coffee?” she was left baffled at her own reaction.
It was Namjoon, just Namjoon. So why did she feel… scrutinised? She was reminded of the night she had seen a glimpse of…something in his eyes.
“So– what would you have?” her gaze dropped to the menu card in front of her.
“The usual.” she nodded to a waiter passing by
“Would you like to order Ma’am?”
But before she could speak up, Namjoon ‘s voice intervened “One cappuccino frappe and a caramel macchiato along with some choco-chip cookies please.”
As soon as the waiter was gone, he reached out for her hand on the table and sighed “You scared me (Y/N).” his eyes looked so soft and vulnerable, she thought she was crazy. Something had to be wrong with her to doubt a man like him.
“I’m so sorry Joon, I was so stressed about my job I…” he squeezed her hand gently and nodded.
“It must be stressful, right? See, you have dark circles forming.” his fingers reached out and traced the subtle bags forming under her eyes. “But please let me know (Y/N), let me know that you are okay, not too stressed, no hurt…I was so worried!”
Guilt encompassed her as she stared at his vulnerable gaze addressing her. He had been so worried about her and there she was, letting her investigative brain rush to conclusions and scenarios.
“I’m...I’m so sorry Joon, I should have informed you– I was so wrapped up in things and—” she stopped herself lest she would accidentally let something confidential slip out. And no matter who it was, having a loose tongue as a police officer was unacceptable.
“It’s okay, I understand Baby. Just never...” his hold on her hand tightened with a pause “Avoid me again.”
—-----
Everything was settled. Han, her, Dok and Kyong were in the special team. They met up at Han’s place in order to discuss their strategy.
“So we have a layout of the regions where we found drugs worth millions and from different cities. Each time, different location and different day.”
“Where’s the pattern though?” Han questioned,
“In the fact that everything time, it is a city, a town at least, no remote area.”
“Yes.” (Y/N) added. All eyes turned to her and Kyong nodded “Not yet.”
“So, where do we begin?” Dok asked the much-anticipated question
“ As we know, we are on leave on paper. This is a highly confidential mission. First thing first, Sir asked us to be lowkey. No matter what we need to risk, just don’t get caught. The department would refuse any connection without activities here.”
“If it's a special mission then, why not involve the intelligence?”
“We are yet to receive any message from the higher-ups,” Kyong explained
“So we are on our own?”
“Definitely,” Han added.
“What we can do now is to track where the recent shipment was supposedly headed for– Gangnam. Why don’t we all spread to different high-profile clubs? Meanwhile, tell our informants to be on high alert, especially in Gangnam and nearby localities, even universities and colleges.” (Y/N) proposed.
“You’re right. Shall we go tonight?” Dok proposed
“Yes, we can but would not this be obvious if anything happens tonight? We found a shipment yesterday.” Kyong suggested,
“The weekend then?”
“No (Y/N), the weekend is just too obvious. If anything does happen this weekend, it might be planned too, maybe to distract us—right–Kyong, your best informants are active nearby airports, stations and docs right?” Han perked up as if a fuse went off in his head “Tell them to be active tonight and especially this weekend. We can spread it in different clubs in Gangnam. If anything happens there, we shall also alert the informants and the police near dockyards, train stations and transportation areas. Because if they do plan to distract us, they might be up to something much bigger. Shipment, I assume, for now. We can catch them red-handed.”
“But where would be the official orders? Like, we are involving police officers from other regions Han.” Kyong had a point.
“Well, right, we can speak to Sir, right? He will provide us with the required.” Han proposed.
“Han is right, if this is a special mission at the department level, there is no way that the higher-ups have no idea. And even if they have no idea and Byuk Sir is risking it all for this mission, he has to have some loop ways out. He can manage and he can help us all manage.” (Y/N) agreed.
“But, wait, we were supposed to just collect information, not arrest anyone.” Dok pointed out.
“Well, not this RM, we can’t reach to such a level by ourselves, but maybe get out hands on this…RM’s men? Won’t this be a breakthrough?” Kyong argued.
“And would alert them further? We don’t even know if this is a man, woman, organisation, or group–we are in complete darkness!” Dok pointed out and he was right.
“Dok’s right. We will only collect information, a full-fledged operation would happen only after approval from the higher-ups, we don’t know who we are dealing with Kyong and if something goes wrong, the whole department and especiallyByik Sir would be under fire. We have to first find out this…RM’s reach and standing.”
“Seems obnoxiously confident to me, deliberately giving away billions worth of shipments,” Han added.
“And we will let them be confident. Won’t take long to turn into overconfidence– one misstep and we can have them.” (Y/N) spoke up and everyone nodded in agreement.
“This weekend then.” Dok reminded.
“This very weekend Dok,” Kyong assured.
—-----------
“Are you free this Weekend?” Namjoon asked as he poured her some wine.
They were dining in a moderately fancy restaurant to celebrate his promotion as the Department Head. Now he would be responsible for all the inter-section activities and event organisations for the Literature and Culture Department of the University.
“I wish I were Baby, but I need to help a friend out. She’s a colleague, her mother is sick, I need to take care of her baby for a day.”
“Oh, what happened?” he asked before sipping his wine.
“Cancer.”
She hated the fact that she was having to lie to him. But what was needed, was to be done.
“Oh, the type?”
“I don’t know much, it has been rough on her, I’m trying to help as much as I can.”
Namjoon hummed before smiling “It’s okay, Jagi, we will get to spend a lot of time later. Just take care of yourself, hmm?”
“Yes, sure Joon.” she smiled back, but guilt continued to tap within.
But it would be alright. Once she was done with this case, she would make up for the lost time with her Joonie. She reassured herself.
—------
“Okay, I’ve reached, Dok,(Y/N), Han?” Kyong’s voice was clear despite the thrumming music across the floor littered with moving and blinking streaks of neon. The earbuds were incredible though.
.
“Yes, I’ve reached. Over.” (Y/N) responded and followed.
“Okay, you have your informants inside?”
“Yes.” (Y/N) replied, as she neared the bar, body language relaxed and dressed up to mingle with the crowd.
She ordered a drink– her eyes met with that of the bartender. They flashed with recognition and he nodded and prepared her drink. He poured yellow syrup over it.
A subtle sign that he was suspicious of someone in the nightclub.
“Here you go Ma’am.” he smiled and leaned further for the final garnishing, and as he leaned, he managed to whisper out “A man in a white shirt, scotch on rocks– corner seat.”
Taking her drink, she turned around and looked around the area. It was too chaotic and dark. And if there was someone, she did not want to seem even remotely suspicious. Fishing out her phone, she connected with another informant in the place– a waitress.
“Man in a white shirt, scotch on rocks, a corner seat. Use a bug.”
For an hour, whatever she had heard had been irrelevant but then, something caught her ears
“Yes, whole forty-eight, the shore, where else? Let's talk upstairs…”
From where she stood, she could see the man, partially visible under the shadows– he was a middle-aged, bulky man. But he was not alone, there were three more people. As they moved, (Y/N) slipped further under the shadows, pretending to be just another girl on call. Yet, from the corner of her eyes, she could see them beginning to walk towards the more private space of the club.
Under the shadows, she was about to stalk them when, with a beep, her team reconnected with call.
“ This is Kyong. We have information regarding a suspicious shipment at the dockyard, I repeat, we have information regarding a suspicious shipment to be loaded at the dockyard within an hour. Over.”
“Kyong, I think we have a suspect here. Over.” (Y/N) informed.
“We have to move to the dockyard first (Y/N) give the tell your informants to stay alert there. Over.” Kyong spoke
“Kyong, this might be important.”
“(Y/N), this is more important, you are alone there anyway. Just meet us near Cafe 18.” he named the meeting point in coded language.
Sighing, (Y/N) threw the door leading upstairs one last look before reconnecting with her informants
“Keep an eye, bug the place is possible. Also, keep tonight’s footage ready. I’m leaving now.”
—-----
To their utter disappointment, there was no suspicious shipment discovered at the dockyard. Everything was in place. But the people the informant was suspicious of had vanished into thin air as well– tightening the knot on the case further.
“It's far more complicated than I had expected,” Dok spoke out, running his hands through his hair.
After such a hectic night, the four of them decided to call it a day and grab some dinner at a good, old ramen shop.
“This is only our first attempt Dok, we can’t lose hope like that.” (Y/N) patted his back.
“It makes no sense, they are in the CCTV footage but they never reach the dock.”
Wait–CCTV footage!
“Oh right, I think I have found a lead.” (Y/N) dropped her chopsticks and perked up. She prayed that at least the bartender would have his hands on the CCTV footage.
“Really? What?” Han asked,
“See, I have the recordings, I already sent them to each of you, just listen.”
Fishing out their earbuds, they listened to the part of the recording she had sent them.
“Sounds familiar? He did not use anything directly, not an amateur for sure but the words, forty-eight, shore. Don’t they ring a bell?”
“They surely do. Can we have access to tonight’s footage?”
“I hope so too. By tomorrow I guess?” (Y/N) prayed what she said would come true.”
“Okay, as soon as you get hold of that, inform us. Han, is your girlfriend home?”
“No, she has gone to her parents’.”
“Perfect.” Kyong clapped his and together.
—------
“Have you watched the footage yourself?” Kyong asked as Han began to set up his laptop.
“No, I came straight here.” (Y/N) replied with her eyes still stuck on the laptop screen
“That's a good move, what if people are keeping an eye on us too?”
“Quiet possible.”
As soon as Han clicked on ‘play’, the strenuous task of analysing the video began. But four pairs of eyes were far better than one.
(Y/N) could feel her patience waning. The man and those people with him had been so exceptionally discreet, there was no trace of them in the footage even after hours of watching and—
“Wait, wait wait! Rewind that.” she jumped up as soon as something caught her eyes.
“What, this?” Han was clueless.
She tasked and took the laptop before rewinding the footage again. Narrowing her eyes, she zoomed in.
“It's him, the man.” she declared and placed the laptop in front of everyone.
“I see. We need to save this picture, take a screenshot Han.” Kyong suggested as he clicked a picture on his phone too.
It was thankfully, not blurry enough to be unrecognisable, and the fact that they had not reached the end of the video made them more hopeful of catching something else.
Han clicked on play again before they discovered the people with the man as well. One by one.
“Hmm, there are three more men and a woman. But only their backs are visible until now.”
“Wait!” (Y/N) yelled out, catching them off guard.
“Did you find something?” Han asked as he paused the video once more.
(Y/N) liked her lips and took hold of the laptop. Rewinding the part, she watched closely again. The second man…Even though his back was to the camera, he was too familiar to her.
After a few seconds, they all turned to the side to take their seats. There, she could see his side profile and her legs were fast turning brittle.
“You have seen anyone from here (Y/N)?” she could not answer Dok.
Instead, her eyes stayed on the frozen screen, she zoomed in and a wave of nausea hit her.
Namjoon...
It was Namjoon!
Her boyfriend Namjoon. She would recognise him anywhere– from the way he walked, to his back, his hair and now his side profile. Too many coincidences could never be a coincidence.
“(Y/N), you know him?” Kyong asked.
Yes.
She wanted to scream a ‘yes’ but she just could not.
“No, I was just…taking a good look at them.” she deadpanned.
—------
“Hello, this is (Collage Name) College, how may I help you?” the receptionist’s gentle voice echoed through the phone, but it only turned (Y/N)’s heartbeat erratic.
“Hello, I would like to leave Professor Namjoon a message regarding the upcoming semester.”
“Let me check Ma’am, please let me know your details.” she enquired
“ Choi Hana, Guardian of his student.”
“I request you to stay online, please…Yes, thank you, Professor Namjun you asked. Let me transfer your call to the Economics Department.”
“Economics Department? But isn’t he a professor in the Department of Literature and Culture Studies?”
“Ma’am we only have Cultural Studies Department. Literature is a separate Department. Shall I forward this call, Ma’am?”
“Okay.” (Y/N) managed to squeak out.
After a few beeps, another voice greeted her.
“Good afternoon, this is the Department of Economics of (College Name) College, how may I help you?” another woman’s voice filled her ear.
“Can I speak to Professor Namjun, please? I am a guardian of one of his students”
“I am sorry Ma’am, he is attending the Department meeting right now. But you can leave a message.”
“He is the department chairperson, right?”
“No Ma’am, not anymore, he was, two years back.”
“Oh?”
“Yes Ma’am, would you like to leave a message?”
“Sure, please let him know that…that I would be thankful to him if he could give me an appointment to meet him. It's an urgent matter.”
“Surely ma’am, would you like to share your name and contact?”
“Yes, uh, Choi Hana.” she gave the email address she used for her undercover investigations before the line was cut off.
(Y/N) felt her throat close up and her eyes turn blurry. The park was scarcely populated during the afternoons– thanks to that. But she would still not risk breaking down in a public place. Se ought to hold herself up like a true officer.
Leaning against a tree, she tried to gather herself together. But with each passing moment, her lips quivered just a little more.
No. Not now. Now now!
She tried to school herself. But nothing seemed to work. One stubborn tear managed to escape her eye anyway.
I loved you.
Another tear followed.
I trusted you
Then another.
But she managed to stop herself from bursting into a fit of tears and the scream that was itching her chords with deep, calming breaths.
A drink.
Yes, that was what she needed.
—-----
By the time she was home, the sun had already set, but it was a pleasant evening– ideal for walking home. She was not drunk, or even tipsy. It was just a buzz but it could not make her feel any better.
The apartment was plunged into tense darkness when she stepped in. Her fingers twitched, ready to reach for her gun at any moment, but she kept her body language calm– casual and unassuming.
“How was babysitting?”
She jumped at his voice. But it was too dark for her to see.
Before she could reach the light switch, Namjoon switched on a table lamp, illuminating the space enough for her to see him sitting on the sofa but somehow making her own apartment appear threatening.
With him in it, t did not even feel like her own place. She no longer felt safe with him.
Switching on the lights anyway, she schooled her expressions to that of being pleasantly surprised, even though her throat felt parched. Sometimes, working in the police paid off immensely.
“I was babysitting yesterday Joon,” she replied, putting away the titbits she had bought on her way home.
Namjooon gave her the heart-melting smile her heart had fluttered for. She managed to smile back at him as she made her way towards the kitchen. The delicious aroma of her favourites hit her. Switching on the kitchen lights, her suspicions were confirmed as takeouts from her favourite ramen stall awaited her at the kitchen island.
“I missed you awfully today. Couldn’t help myself.” Namjoon's hot breath teased the back of her neck, making goosebumps appear all over her body.
“Oh, Joon…you didn’t have to.”
“I don’t mind doing this for you, Jagi.” he placed a kiss on the back of her neck as she held back a grimace, keeping her smile plastered on her face.
Her heart stung bitterly as his lips tenderly traced her cheek and the side of her neck. She was greeted by his warm smile and soft eyes as he turned her around, fished out his phone from his pocket and played her favourite song. Perfect for slow-dancing to.
“What has gotten into you?” (Y/N) chuckled, keeping her composure as he led her steps, twirling her now and then.
“I love you so much, Jagi. You know that right?” his fingers wrapped gently at the back of her neck as he pulled her into a breath-robbing kiss.
“Yes, I know that.”
Now that I know your true face.
His lips descended to the side of her neck as he pulled her closer.
Bear it.
She told herself.
Do not let him be suspicious.
“Then why are you trying to investigate me?”
His voice dropped into something heavy and unrecognisable and everything stilled. But before she could think of anything, she felt his fingers pressing at the side of her neck and her eyes rolled back.
*****
Pheww! It was a long part, but I enjoyed writing it and hopefully, it would not disappoint you all!
Instinct | Taehyung x Reader
Pairing: Hybrid Taehyung x Reader
Word Count: 3.6k
Warnings: 18+, Yandere, Obsession, Stalking (in the animal sense lol) Fear, Blood, Murder, Kind of Cannibalism? Hunting Animals and Humans, Depictions of Dead Bodies, Non-consensual touching, Human Experimentation, Depictions of Gore, Break In, Attempted Murder, Light Spice at End, Insinuated Dub-Con, Taehyung is kind of a switch tbh
Preview: He was huddled in the middle of the road, his arms wrapped around himself as he remained crouched on the wet pavement. But you knew he was looking at you. His golden eyes were glowing back at you, like a predator glaring at you from the depths of the jungle. There was something inside you that knew that he was dangerous, an echo of intuition from thousands of years before you. But you were a modern human, you were good at ignoring your instincts.
A/N: I wrote this in two days due to your guys' interest in the prompt. I chose Tae instead of Jimin, he only has two fics on my blog! Anyways it’s two in the morning and I’m really tired, this is really short compared to the majority of my works but I hope you still enjoy it. ILY and I can’t wait to see you in my inbox and the comments ~ good night my loves 💜
“I’m sorry,” He whispers, the words cracked and broken.
“No, you’re not.” You sighed.
He always did this. He always turned on the tears every time you called him out on his bullshit and you had a terrible habit of falling for it every time. He cried, he apologized, but in a few days he was back on his usual shit.
“But I am, I really am!” He insisted, tears pooling in pretty brown eyes.
“Really? I don’t think he sees it that way,” You said with a jerk of your head in the direction of the limp body splayed on the ground. “In fact, I really doubt he sees much anymore.”
“But he-“
“No!” You yelled, spurring a flinch from him, “You always have some excuse but not this time! I am tired of spending my evenings scrubbing blood out of the grout!”
He could only pout in response because there was no way of getting around it, you were right. It was unfair that you always had to be the one to clean up his messes. But he just couldn’t help himself, he was a killer by design. Not nature, design.
You let out another laborious, tired sigh. It seemed that was all you did these days, ever since you had found Taehyung.
You had almost hit him with your car. It was late at night, a new moon to be exact, the darkness thick and just barely penetrable by your headlights. He had come out of nowhere, his lithe body trapped between two beams of light before you swerved out of the way just missing him by mere inches.
You could remember the feeling of your tight grasp on the leather of the steering wheel, the way your throat constricted and how your chest rapidly rose and fell, and the sound of catchy pop music that was so ill fitting and off putting for such a dramatic turn of events. It was ingrained in your memory, a turning point in your life that you would never forget.
He was huddled in the middle of the road, his arms wrapped around himself as he remained crouched on the wet pavement. But you knew he was looking at you. His golden eyes were glowing back at you, like a predator glaring at you from the depths of the jungle. There was something inside you that knew that he was dangerous, an echo of intuition from thousands of years before you. But you were a modern human, you were good at ignoring your instincts.
As you approached him you noticed several things about him. The dirt and blood that stained his honey skin, his taunt, tense, strong muscles, and of course the ears protruding from his thick, dark curls, and the tail that swung in agitation from his tailbone.
Taehyung was, quite literally, one of a kind.
An embryo spliced with the DNA of an apex predator, something that had never existed before him, a hybrid.
He had hissed at you, stopping you four feet away from his crumpled form. His teeth glinted in the light, a set of fangs protruding from the top row of his teeth with a smaller matching set on the bottom. That noise had every nerve in your body tingling in fright, yet still you persisted.
You made yourself smaller, lowering yourself to the ground so that you were lower than he was with your arms at your sides, every vulnerable point of your body open and exposed to him.
You remembered the feeling of his nose nudging at your pulse point, the warmth of his breath ghosting over your neck, the rumble of a growl deep in his chest before it faded to a gentle chuff as he nuzzled his face against the column of your throat. There were serrated teeth hidden behind beautiful full lips, one little bite would sever a major artery and blood would arch through the dark sky.
Taehyung was a dangerous brand of beautiful.
You often liked to joke to yourself that you were a lonely woman who took in a stray cat. It was easier to use humor to veil the harsh reality of what you had actually brought into your home.
Taehyung quickly became attached to you, it was almost like he had imprinted on you. It was the only way that you could explain his sudden and intense adoration towards you especially when you remembered the way he looked at you when he first saw you. It was like he was hungry.
That hunger was ever present in his eyes, buried beneath the loving gaze it's embers still burned. The fiery gold cooled to a deep brown, his eyes wide in wonderment as he watched you.
You hissed in pain when he dug his fingers into your arms as you tried to help lower him into the tub. A hiss died in his throat as he slowly sunk into the warm water, a gentle purr took its place.
“There you go,” You hummed as you helped him wash, the tub water steadily growing murky as you scrubbed the grime and blood from his skin.
The noise he made as you washed his hair, massaging his scalp and the base of his ears, was heavenly. A beautiful baritone groan that melted into a purr. After all, panthers were still cats.
When you pulled the drain plug and went to grab a towel, he spoke to you for the first time.
His hold on your arm tightened, his soft eyes turned primal once more. “Don’t leave.”
His voice was deep and raspy. It sounded like he hadn’t spoken in a long time, it sounded animalistic. It suited him well.
Over time you learned Taehyung never wanted to be alone. He clung to you at all times no matter what you were doing and despite your protests he followed you to bed every night. He would wrap you up tightly in his embrace sealing you into his prison-like grasp with a leg draped over your hip. His adoration was constricting.
“It was cold,” He finally explained to you, “They kept me in a room all by myself. It was all metal and concrete, they fed me with long silver tongs. I was always alone, the only touch I knew, hurt.”
You held him tighter that night, your heart ached for your panther. All he wanted was for someone to love him, he was just as human as anyone else.
“Please don’t hurt me.” He whispered, nudging the back of your head with his nose and breathing in your scent as his pretty fingers smoothed over your ribs in a slow, circular pattern.
In reality, it wasn’t you that would end up hurting anyone.
You had noticed something was wrong when he lost his appetite. He would stare down at his plate with a bored and confused look in his eyes, poking at whatever he was supposed to be eating with a lack of interest.
“Please, Tae,” You would beg, using the soft and soothing voice you knew he responded well to, “Just a few bites for me? You don’t want to hurt my feelings, do you?”
He would acquise with those big adoring eyes before taking small and faux enthusiastic bites. But it was clear he wasn’t enjoying it and you had an idea as to why that was. But it was easier for your own sanity if you ignored the glaring problem.
It became unignorable the night a man broke into your house.
Taehyung had heard it first, the shattering of glass and the metal squeak of door hinges. He had crept out of bed and stalked into the hallway, clinging to the shadows as he watched the man attempt to sneak further into your home. He was trespassing into his territory and that was a dire mistake.
You were awoken by the screaming. You jolted upright and were greeted by your pitch black bedroom. The screams persisted, deep, panicked, blood curdling screams followed by a wet gurgle and then an ever scarier silence.
That feeling was there again, that intuition that was buried inside of you that was begging you to lock and barricade the door and not go investigating the source of those screams. But Taehyung was missing and you were scared without him.
The hallway was dark, but a single beam of moonlight shone through the broken window of the front door and illuminated the carnage in front of you.
Taehyung was bent over the body of a man. His tail was slowly skirting over the floor in delight as he ripped a chunk of flesh from the man’s shoulder and tilted his head back. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, the blood on his face gleaming in the moonlight.
You could see the man on the floor now, his throat had been ripped open and blood was steadily pooling around him. His eyes were vacant, his jaw was slack. He was dead. Taehyung had killed him.
Taehyung was eating him.
There had always been a part of you that had considered this to be a possibility. It explained why Taehyung was in the state he was in the night that you had found him. It explained how he had escaped that facility and why he wasn’t hungry for days after. He had killed and consumed his handlers.
Despite the panther ears and tail, you often forgot that Taehyung wasn’t entirely human. He was so sweet with you, so clingy and adorable. But he was still an apex predator. He didn’t want to be fed with tongs or served cooked meals. He needed to hunt, it was ingrained in his DNA.
You watched in fascinated horror as his teeth and textured tongue expertly removed flesh from bone. He was finally eating.
You took a step back only to trip over a bag that had belonged to the intruder. Out of it spilled horrifyingly familiar items. Duct tape, zip ties, knives. It was a kill kit. Your breathing stuttered and your heart dropped. There was not a doubt in your mind as to what that man had planned to do, and Taehyung had stopped him. He protected you.
His golden eyes were looking at you now, their narrowed predatory gaze relaxing, and his soft round eyes returned. He rose up from his animalistic crouch with a fluidity no normal man could possess and slowly approached you.
You closed your eyes as he neared you, your body on fire from genuine fear. It was a toxic blend, the love and the fear that you felt for him. You flinched when his large hand cupped your face and held your breath when you felt his lips softly drag over your cheek leaving a streak of warm blood in their wake.
“I’m sorry,” He mumbled, a stray tear escaping his eye and rolling down your cheek, “I’m so hungry.”
When you opened your eyes you were met with quite a sight. Taehyung had always been beautiful, the most beautiful man that you had ever seen. But the way he looked now made you realize how sick you were. How could you think he looked beautiful with those full lips stained red and the glaze of a shed tear streaked down the curve of his face.
Taehyung never asked to be made, and now he had to suffer the consequences of his creation.
“It’s okay baby,” You cooed, your thumb brushing a bead of blood from his lower lip that he chased with his tongue, swiping it off of the tip of your finger. “Finish your meal.”
~~~~~~~
There was a shift that night.
The relationship between the two of you was changing. You could see it in the way he watched you. It was a different kind of hunger, one for a companionship he had never been able to have.
And his regular appetite was changing too.
You tried taking him to the forest, letting him hunt small and big game. And it worked, but the human side of him would often combat the animal side. He craved the complexity of hunting humans. He craved satiating his wrath against humans, the very beings that had created him.
Animals worked in the short term, but it was never long before another man ended up dead in your yard or in this case, on the kitchen floor.
“You said it was okay if it was bad people!” Taehyung tried, his ears pressing down flat against his skull as his tail twitched behind him.
“Yes, bad people Tae! Intruders, rapists, murderers, not delivery guys!”
“He entered my territory-“
“This is my house, Tae! My house! Don’t start with the territory shit again.”
“I can’t help it, you know that! You don’t feel what I feel, it’s instinctual, I need to do this!”
You gripped your hair tightly in distress before leaning against the counter and dropping your head into your hands.
“People are going to start noticing, Tae. You can’t keep doing this. If it’s not the police then it’s going to be the people that made you and they’ll take you away from me, is that what you want?”
“No!” He yelled, grabbing you by your shoulders and spinning you around to face him. “I want to stay with you, please don’t let them take me away!”
You softened as he began to cry again, his tears wearing away at you like they always did even though you were very aware of the fact that you couldn’t keep letting him do this. You cupped his cheek and lightly wiped his tears away as he bumped the side of his face against your hand before laying a bloody kiss to your palm.
You couldn’t think rationally when he treated you like this. Your head was also hazy with desire when he did this. It was completely and utterly unfair.
“Come on, I’ll put you to bed.” You hummed before taking his hand and guiding him to your shared room.
It was even harder to think clearly when he looked so adorable, wide eyed and curled up beneath your blankets. That was why you needed the distance. You needed to think about what more you could do, you couldn’t keep letting him kill innocent guys whose worst crime was getting a little handsy, like the delivery guy. You knew what it was, you knew what desire looked like in someone’s eyes. Taehyung was wiping out any man he saw as competition. He had said it himself, it was instinctual.
Your heart ached when his eyes filled with confusion and it tore in half when despair overtook him as you shut and locked the door, trapping him on the other side. You could hear him scramble across the floor and you watched as the door knob jiggled.
“Please open the door!” He called through the wood, “Why are you doing this, please let me out!”
“Just calm down Taehyung, go to sleep, I'll be right back.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, please open the door, I’ll be good I promise! I won’t hurt you!”
“I just need some space, just lay down, I’ll be back.” You said firmly despite how horrible you felt for confining him to your room.
“No, no, no, no! Don’t leave me, please! I’ll be good!” He continued to yell and continued to break your heart.
You couldn’t bear to listen to his anguished, panicked cries especially with the knowledge that you were the cause of them.
You could still hear his yelling and banging on the door as you dragged the body out of the kitchen, a long and laborious effort that left a large streak of blood behind you. This wasn’t the first time that you had to do this but usually you had Taehyung to take care of all the heavy lifting while you took care of the cleanup. It was a morbid, macabre chore, but one you had come accustomed to frighteningly quick.
In your backyard, there were several piles of dirt. Some had been freshly turned over while others had sat undisturbed for some time. Above each pile sat a freshly planted rose bush. There had been a time where your backyard was barren and neglected. Ever since Taehyung had entered your life, you had done quite a bit of gardening…against your will.
You huffed in exhaustion as you patted the soil smooth with your shovel. You would need to pick up another rose bush tomorrow.
You had figured this would be the best way to deal with the problem, and it helped Taehyung in some odd, primal way. Sometimes he would sit outside with a satisfied look on his face like he was proud of what he had done. You knew it was because it felt that he had eliminated another threat or competitor. It meant that he had you all to himself again.
Fear and love are a volatile blend. Could you look past your fear because you loved him? Or did you love him because you were afraid? Afraid of what would happen if you didn’t shower him with affection and attention. Would he turn on you too?
The sound of a loud crack frightened you causing you to drop the shovel. It clattered to the ground and rolled over in the grass, suddenly becoming far more interesting than it had been moments ago.
You glanced back up at the house and watched, frozen in shock, as the door was thrown open and slammed up against the siding of the house. Taehyung stood on the back steps, his hands bloody from clawing at and breaking through your bedroom door. His chest was heaving from exertion and anxiety and for the first time in a long while, he scared you. His gaze narrowed in on you, those panther eyes glowing with hunger and desire once they found you.
With blood and dirt caked beneath your nails you were reminded of the kill he made not all that long ago. The fear you felt was all too real. And, on instinct, you turned and you ran.
You really should have known better. He was an apex predator, he was built for the chase and for the hunt. You had watched the way he enjoyed tracking and stalking his prey before going in for the kill. But in reality, everything you had done up until this point had not made sense. You should have kept driving that night, you shouldn’t have brought him home, you certainly shouldn’t have let him sleep in your bed, and you definitely should have ran the first time he had killed and consumed another human being.
Running was instinct, it was the only thing that you did that made sense.
But you couldn’t make it far. You were exhausted from dragging and burying that body, you were running on empty with a dash of adrenaline. And Taehyung, he was stronger than you, faster than you, and could even see in the dark. It was embarrassing that you had even attempted to escape him.
His strides were completely silent, you had realized he was closing in on you too late and within seconds his arms were wrapped around your chest and dragging you down into the grass.
It had happened so quickly that you didn’t register it, you laid on your back, frozen in the grass as you processed what happened. And once you looked up and caught sight of his canines you began to writhe beneath him, managing to turn over and scramble a foot away before he grabbed you by your hips and dragged you back beneath him. He caged you in between his arms and pressed his body weight against you until you collapsed chest first into the ground.
“Taehyung, wait!” You cried as you felt him shove his face in the juncture between your neck and shoulder.
You closed your eyes then, waiting for him to make the fatal bite that you had seen him deliver time and time again. But there was nothing. You jerked with a surprised cry as you felt his tongue glide over your pulse point in slow languid laps.
“Tae, what are you-“ He cut you off with a menacing growl, one that told you you were not going to dissuade him from doing what he felt needed to be done.
An involuntary gasp parted your lips as you felt his hips grind down against you, his hands sliding up towards your wrists and holding them in an iron grip as his slow licks transitioned into hot, wet, open mouthed kisses along the side of your neck. He was making sure he marked up every inch of skin that was exposed to him.
“I can’t help it,” He whined, his voice breathy and deep as he ground himself against you even harder than before, spurring a soft cry from you. “I need you.”
You supposed this was the better alternative to him killing you. But still, it didn’t feel quite right.
“I can’t.” You groaned.
A menacing snarl echoed beside your ear and in one quick movement he flipped you over onto your back and pulled your legs tightly over his hips. His hold was so strong he wasn’t giving you an inch to move unless it was against him and in the way that he desired.
And in a moment of pure need he firmly gripped your jaw and pressed his lips against yours in a searing kiss. Everything about him was primal, even the way that he kissed. It wasn’t particularly skilled, it was definitely his first, but it didn’t lack passion or desire. He wouldn’t even let you breathe, your lungs burning and singing in desperation for air as he moaned into your mouth while desperately rutting against you.
“Don’t leave me,” He moaned in between desperate, relentless kisses.
‘Tae-,” You tried again only for your words to be smothered once more.
“No, I won’t let you leave me.”
twst sentience au idea
Warning: Yes, this is a yandere thing. You have been warned.
Characters: Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Cater Diamond, Trey Clover, Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Ruggie Bucchi, Jack Howl, Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech, Kalim Al-Asim, Jamil Viper, Epel Felmier, Rook Hunt, Vil Schoenheit, Idia Shroud, Ortho Shroud, Sebek Zigvolt, Silver, Lilia Vanrouge, Malleus Draconia.
Summary: The TWST cast has sentience. They know of your existence, not the lifeless puppet you control named “Yuu,” but they actually know about you. They may not know what you actually look like or act like, but what’s important is that being near your vessel makes them feel at peace, it gives them strength, they feel alive. So naturally they begin to crave the attention you give them through the magicless protagonist called “Yuu.” Whenever you pull one of their cards, they can feel your energy and joy at receiving them. When used in battle, they let you take control and aim to achieve victory in your name. When you get them to attend a class, they feel a rush of motivation to impress you, quickly raising their hands to snatch as many stars as possible to amaze you. However, in this AU, you do end up in the game. When the protagonist, your vessel, Yuu, suddenly shuts down and doesn’t reactivate for nearly a week, they begin to fear the worst. Have you forgotten about them? Were they not enough? Why couldn’t they feel your grace anymore? Little did they know, the player had found the front gates of Night Raven College… but… what happens when they believe you to be an imposter?
All below the cut!
Keep reading
The Taste of Deceit: Hyungline Part 2 (Finale- Hoseok)
Masterlist
Taste of Deceit Masterlist
Hyungline- Part 1, Part 2(Jin and Yoongi, Namjoon)
Warnings- Gore, Violence, Grey Characters, Dead Dove Do Not Eat
Word Count: No idea.
Tumblr was having problems uploading the whole 37k post. So, here it is, divided.
Unedited. Kindly excuse my errors. if you find anything significantly wrong, please let me know.
“What do you do?”
The question had been bouncing in her mind for a while. Jung Hoseok was perhaps the sweetest, kindest man she had ever met. She had some professions in mind already.
A vet?
Animal behaviourist?
A pet shop owner?
A chocolatier?
A florist?
He was no layman, so whatever he was doing, he ought to be the best of the best. But he was graceful, humble and funny– the definition of a bright, beaming spring day!
Hoseok smiled at her before sipping his wine. He insisted that he needed someone to accompany him to the newly inaugurated restaurant and pub so that he could taste and check on everything.
Had he been the sole owner of it, Hoseok would have no problem managing things. However, since he had a business partner here, he had no other option but to wait for post-inauguration improvements. But he wanted an objective opinion on the place– the food, the ambience, the drinks and according to him, her name was the first one that popped into his mind.
“Any guesses?”
He was playful like that.
She had not planned or even expected a new addition to her friend circle, but Jung Hoseok somehow found her. Ever since that evening, when he swooped in and pulled her out of the odd situation with ease, they had exchanged numbers. He was charming, to simplify it.
“You…” She trailed off, thinking of an appropriate guess, but ended up with anything random that came up in her mind “You are a chocolatier!”
She knew it was an incorrect guess, even before Hoseok burst out laughing, she knew that she was wrong. The amused glint in his eyes said it all. He laughed with his whole form– head thrown back, body quivering, hand running through his hair. The terrace allowed them to bask in the pleasant sunlight, and the rays seemed to make him gleam and dance with him as he moved.
“No, I’m not. Not yet at least.” His laughter sobered up to a smile “But I can be, for you.”
Such words would not have made her blush– they were cliché. But if Jung Hoseok would look at someone like they were the only person in the whole world and finish it off with a wink, nobody stood a chance– she was just a simple girl.
Letting out a playful scoff, she began to cut through her steak.
“Let me, please.”
Within a moment, Hoseok was leaning in, her cutlery now in his grasp as he expertly cut the meat into perfect pieces.
“Thank you.” (Y/N) would be lying if she said that she was not caught off guard at his speed and precision, he was already cutting the steak even before she could respond.
“A hotelier.”
“Huh?”
Hoseok smiled at her before glancing at his plate and putting a piece of steak in his mouth.
“I own chains of hotels, even clubs, some of them are co-owned but most of them, they are all my own.”
(Y/N) stopped chewing. She had friends who could be considered ‘elites’ but Jung Hoseok seemed completely out of her league.
No, she was not looking for a partner in him, he was a fun person to hang around– a friend who made her blush. If that made sense?
She liked his company, she liked his friendship, but obviously, she did not know much about him. But the new discovery only made her realise that they were worlds apart.
If he noticed the shift in her demeanour, he did not comment on it, instead, he breezed through his talks and actions.
“Rate the place, (Y/N), and be honest, because it is an expensive investment I have made.” He asked once they were finished with the food, now waiting for some more wine.
She smiled with warmed cheeks, blaming the wine, but under his scrutiny, it was hard to not melt “The staff behaviour is pleasant.”
“Of course, they will be on their toes, I am the co-owner of this place, the food. What do you think?” He breezed past her reply, pushing for more
“I loved the steak, it was tender and delicious.”
Hoseok smiled, but his eyes remained the same “You are stiff (Y/N), anything bothering you?”
She felt her cheeks heating further, this time with her ears and neck.
“No, everything is fine!”
He hummed before refilling her glass “That was an awfully fast denial, but I would buy it, for now.” He finished with a wink “Relax,”
On second thought, she knew that his status did not affect the person that he was, she still enjoyed his company and he was clearly a kind and humble man, at least, she could try to shove her doubts at the back of her mind for the moment.
“Well, Hoseok, I believe that if this place is charging a little more than a Michelin star place, they ought to provide something more. At least until this place earns a name in the market.”
Hoseok nodded “And that’s why you are now my professional restaurant reviewer. You are right, I was considering the same, you see.”
“Unfortunately, good Sir, I would have to decline, I already have a job.”
And amused chuckles filled the air.
It was an idyllic place. Stretch of mountains and cliffs in view and a clear beach at arm’s length. The resort, as it had turned out, was owned by Hoseok himself.
In retrospect, (Y/N) wondered what would have happened had she kept her distance from Hoseok. Declined his friendship, kept him at an arm’s length— never bumped into him at all?
Her life would be different. Totally different. With a wistful glance at the mountain peaks, (Y/N) turned to arrange their luggage. The tiny phone peaking out from the folded clothes reminded her of her harsh reality.
She was thankful that Hoseok was in the shower. Quickly sending their location through the phone, she tucked it safely in one of the many eyewear cases she had brought on the trip.
Keeping the box away, she resumed unpacking, when the shrill ring of the doorbell pierced through the momentary relief. (Y/N) jumped but regained her composure. Fanning herself, she licked her lips and walked towards the door.
She was only a few feet away from the door when she stumbled, before registering the firm grip around her waist and the breathing wall she was pulled against— no it was not a wall, it was her husband behind her.
“How many times have I told you not to answer the door in my absence?”
She looked up, to find his hardened gaze through his dripping strands. He was still in his bathing robe.
“You were in the bathroom so—”
“There are a few rules you must abide, Honey.” Despite the pet name, there was no tenderness in his tone.
“I’m sorry Hoseok.” She looked down.
The doorbell rang in the background again, but her thoughts muffled away her environment. She did not even hear him coming. What if he found out what sat in her luggage?
“Go back to the bedroom.”
She did not need to be told twice.
Life had been hectic, to say the least. Added to it were her bedroom’s air conditioner breaking down, the fridge making noises and her boss highlighting her underperformance for the month. In short, it was not a great month for her.
With the oncoming of October, the city had burst with tourists and trees, with bright foliage. The weather, at least, was pleasant. Her phone came alive with multiple notifications but she had no time to look, one minute late and she would miss the bus.
She could use her car, but it needed regular maintenance and what she needed was—
She had not paid attention to the speeding car, and she would not have, had it not been for a slick four-wheeler stopping right beside her with an ear-piercing screech. She was startled, to put it lightly.
The all-too-familiar black car made her frown, but her suspicions were only confirmed after Hoseok emerged from it, eyes shaded with sunglasses, hair perfectly done, complementing his white shirt and black trousers. He was a treat for the eyes.
“There you are,”
She subconsciously stepped back as he approached, more like marched towards her– even with the smile he had, his voice had an unfamiliar edge.
But she smiled anyway.
“Hi…” Whatever greeting she had thought of faded away when he took off his sunglasses.
“You have not been answering my texts, is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes, I mean just—It has been a crazy month so far and–I’m sorry I have not even been able to reply to my best friend and parents.”
She felt the rush of guilt replacing the initial nerves.
“Oh, honey, you don’t need to be sorry, I was just so worried. Let me drop you off to my workplace at least.”
She was shaking her head even before he finished the sentence, but Jung Hoseok seemed to be determined,
“There is no room for a no, it's a rush in the public transports anyway, at least grant yourself some relief, come on.” He took away her laptop bag and began to walk back into the car, leaving her with no option but to follow him into his car.
Muffled voices, one of which she recognised as that of her husband, seeped into the bedroom as she waited with wringing fingers for Hoseok to return. She had clearly upset him, and that was the last thing she wanted at the moment.
Hoseok entered the bedroom after a few prolonged, painful minutes. She noticed the stark difference in his expression and the air surrounding him first before taking notice of the breakfast trolley that he was pushing into the room with him.
“Look, all your favourites! Now, that is how a vacation should look like, don’t you think?”
She blinked in silence– he never failed to give her a whiplash.
Hoseok’s smile dimmed at the silence “Oh, I’m so sorry, Jagiya. You know how worried I get about your safety. I can never guess when my enemies attack. If they get to know about you…You understand my point, don’t you?”
He was already on his knees, emphasising each word like he was explaining to a child, cupping her cheeks to hold her attention. She nodded, despite not believing a word that came out of his mouth.
“Let’s get you to eat something, hmm?”
“Yes, here’s my office.”
“This one?” Hoseok ducked his head to assess the looming building in front of them,
“Yes. I work here.” Picking up her bag, (Y/N) turned to thank him, but his firm hold on her bag kept her from moving out.
“Let me drop you.”
“Huh? I mean, my office is just—”
“I insist. Come on, we are getting late.” Her bag slipped from her grip once again as Hoseok stepped out of the car, quickly sprinting around the front to make sure he opened the door for her.
“T-Thanks.”
“Let's go. Why don’t you show me your office today?” He smiled—the same charming smile that made a ‘No’ impossible to pronounce.
“Would you like to take a nap before we go? It's a hot morning., and you barely slept through the flight.”
“It would be far worse in the afternoon.” (Y/N) picked out a one-piece for the beach.
He hummed absent-mindedly as he strolled towards her. The soft material was perfect for a beach vacation. His fingers ran through her slightly tangled hair.
“Let me do your hair.”
“I intend to leave it be.” She tried to step away, but he did not let go of her hair..
“I insist.” He asserted as he led her towards the dressing table.
His hand was gentle as he untangled the tresses before beginning to comb them properly. “You have been distant, love.” She stilled, suddenly feeling parched.
“W-what?”
Hoseok only chuckled at that. “I guess I tend to think too much.”
He sprayed some water and hair serum on her hair, but his gaze remained locked with hers.
“Are you upset that I left for so long? I know it must have been suffocating to not be able to step out of the mansion. But it is the safest option (Y/N), trust me. One day, you will understand, and there will be no emotional distance between us.”
Suppressing a scoff, she forced out a small smile and nodded as he put on a hairpin matching the colour of her dress.
“Here you go. You want a lip tint?”
Hoseok had a bounce in his strides as he walked into the office as if he owned it. (Y/N) immediately knew how stupid and ignorant she had been when people began to murmur, and some even stood up in his presence.
She was probably the only idiot in the room who had not even made a close guess regarding his affluence. She thought that she needed to guide him, but he was perfectly fine, manoeuvring all over the place on his own.
“Which floor?” He finally turned to her
“Second.”
“And your boss’s floor?”
"The top. Why?”
Hoseok only smiled and shrugged. “Nothing, just curious.”
“Hi, have you completed the report for last week?” One of her colleagues approached her once she was settled at her desk, shortly after Hoseok left.
“Uh, about the ongoing project? I completed and submitted it yesterday. You did not receive an email?" Being on the same team meant that they shared one network. “I even messaged the team.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot.” With a small smile, she turned around to leave but paused, only to turn back again “Also, I wanted to ask about the changes I was supposed to make to my report?”
(Y/N) smiled with uncertainty. "That will be handled by the project head, I guess?”
The woman nodded. “Right, my bad, so I should get going.” With that, she turned around to leave.
"Wait! Um, I might be overthinking, but is there something you want to tell me or ask me?”
The woman was no more than her colleague; they did not share friendship with anyone outside the office. They were polite with each other and knew how to work together, and that was it. So random chit-chats were not common in their case.
“Um…I don’t mean to intrude, but... Who was the man who came with you? Who just left?”
(Y/N) smiled, confused. “You mean Hoseok?”
“Yeah, Jung Hoseok.”
It was not in her interest, but looking at her colleague, (Y/N) had more questions springing up in her mind.
“You know him?”
At her question, the woman blinked, and her eyes widened for a flash before she made a scrambling attempt to mask it with something more subtle. (Y/N) frowned, growing intensely curious.
“You don’t know who Jung Hoseok is?”
"Yeah, he is a hotelier; there are a few articles here and there.”
The woman bit her lip at her answer, and her ears turned a bright shade of pink as she nodded. (Y/N) thought that she heard her sigh, “Y-yeah, right. I will see you at lunch; I have a lot to do.”
Something was wrong. It felt so wrong that (Y/N) refused to sit in suspicion for another extra moment.
“Ms. Lee,” she called out, walking to her. “Ms. Lee, if there is something that I am missing, then please tell me. Is...Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing is amiss, Ms. (L/N).” She shook her head. “I will not keep you from your work anymore; the project head has sent us deadlines already. Have a good day.”
With that, the woman rushed off, leaving her with itching questions.
“You don’t like the food?”
“Huh?” (Y/N) tore her gaze away from the tranquil ocean visible from the restaurants they were currently sitting in; they chose the side with an unrestricted view of the sea.
Hoseok’s gaze, however, had been on her, as always “You haven’t taken a single bite since it was served.”
“I was waiting for it to cool down.”
“Its a cold dish, Jagi.” He pointed out, his eyes narrowing as he assessed her.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” (Y/N) gulped down some wine before diving in to eat.
It had been a day of sightseeing, and as the sun began to dip behind the golden sea, they both decided to have an early dinner before returning to the resort.
“We can order something else if you want." Hoseok offered, but she shook her head, digging into her plate.
“I like these.”
He smiled at her reply, “I know; that's why I ordered these for you.” However, it died down as soon as it came, “Then what is the matter, love?”
“Nothing, why?” She could hear the muffled beats of her heart, and she could feel the increased thrum as she fought the urge to gulp. He would notice.
The silence stretched between them; it was almost like waiting for a ticking bomb to explode
“Can I..." she finally gulped and took a deep breath “Can I see my mother?”
Silence.
Hoseok’s gaze held the edge of sharp scrutiny before he moved, and she lauded herself mentally for not flinching.
Taking a sip of his wine, Hoseok shifted his focus back to his plate. This time, though, everything light disappeared from the air around him.
“The doctor keeps me updated. She is doing well.” He broke the silence, only to fuel the tension.
“But when can I see her?”
He looked up again and smiled.
“I know you are worried, Jagi, but now is not the time. We will meet her soon, okay?”
She knew better than to push it.
“What are you doing? Its lunch.”
Her friend’s voice startled her. “Tch, you go; I will join you later.” (Y/N) turned around to face Yumi briefly before resuming her research.
“Why are you searching for the Amethyst Era?”
“This hotel belongs to the Amethyst Era too." This time, (Y/N) turned her chair around completely to look at her friend.
Yumi shrugged. “Weren’t you doing the research? And this hotel is one of the most coveted in the country; people who keep up with such news know.”
She dragged a nearby empty chair and made herself comfortable beside (Y/N).
“How many hotels does Amethyst Era own?”
“Pfft, hotels? Pubs, nightclubs, office buildings, and resorts—and not just luxury Some three to four star places as well.”
“Oh, you know quite well; you are into these?"
“People are gossiping, (Y/N). Did Jung Hoseok really come to drop you off at work this morning?”
(Y/N) was surprised by her question, "Yeah, he did, but it was just a friendly gesture. Is he that famous?”
Yumi stared at her for a good, long moment before licking her lips and focusing on the screen.
“You know he owns Amethyst Era, right?”
She nodded at the screen showing pictures of a grand hotel.
"Yeah, I just looked it up this morning. What’s with that? Even Ms. Lee was being weird about me knowing Hoseok.”
“He’s a big name, (Y/N), a big, shady name.” Yumi replied grimly.
“Shady name? Why?”
“You remember my cousin Eun?”
Eun was Yumi’s cousin, who had mysteriously disappeared a year ago. Though Yumi did not share much about it, (Y/N) knew that her family and she were still disturbed and that his disappearance was a cold case.
(Y/N) nodded, now more interested in the conversation than ever before. “Well, the last place he was seen was completely different from what we have been told.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Yumi sighed and nodded. “I am so sure because I have been researching this myself; my friend is a private detective, and over the years, we have found many oddities with the case.”
Her voice lowered as she leaned closer. “We were told that he was last seen near the Han River, implying that he jumped to end his life. But I never believed that, you know? I knew Eun; he was not too close with his parents, but we grew up together.” Her voice cracked in the end.
(Y/N) held her friend’s hand to comfort her; she could see Yumi’s eyes turning glassy. It must have been a storm for her and her family.
“He could not have done this, (Y/N), he possessed a zeal for life. He wanted to live more than himself for anyone.”
She steadied herself with another deep breath before continuing,
“I tried to push the police to look into the matter. I even tried to convince his parents that something was wrong. But they were adamant about believing what was being served to them. So I took matters into my own hands.”
(Y/N) nodded. “I can only imagine what you were going through.”
"I found out that he was last seen at a motel on the outskirts of Seoul. It was a fairly isolated place. There were a few witnesses. Plus, the investigator checked the CCTV near the river and found no sign of Eun. He was not there; he never went there. The police lied to us.”
“They were covering this up?” Yumi nodded confidently.
“Our trail took us to a remote motel.” Turning to the PC, she typed a name.
A few specifics later, a motel name and address showed up, with only one picture.
“This is the one.” She pointed at a rather blurry picture of a motel that seemed to be situated in the middle of nowhere.
“What was he doing here?” (Y/N) asked the obvious.
“That’s what we are trying to get into. But I think it is something not right, like we would come under radar. Jung Hoseok’s radar.”
Yumi’s words made her turn away from the screen
“Jung Hoseok? What do you mean?”
“This motel is owned by Flare, a company that renovates and fixes places like old houses and hotels—you know, the one you would call if you were moving into an old house? Something like that. Now, this is a fairly small company. Nothing fishy, right?”
(Y/N) hummed and nodded her head in agreement.
“This is where it turns fishy. Turns out that Amethyst Era is the parent company of Flare.”
“What?”
Yumi nodded and tuned to type again in the search engine, “Look, Flare is no elite. In fact, it is not even in the top five companies that Amethyst Era owns.”
“Amethyst Era has more than five companies under it?”
(Y/N) realised that she had indeed been living under a rock!
How come she had never heard of Amethyst Era if it is such a big name in the market?”
“Apparently, twelve.”
Yumi’s estimate raised (Y/N)’s eyebrows. “Twelve companies? What is he?”
“An immensely powerful hand in Eun’s disappearance, apparently. At least, that is what the investigator concludes. I have done some research on him and his Amethyst Era. Despite being such a giant in the market, most of the companies under its name stay lowkey. Pandora’s Box is usually the one in the spotlight. Closet Call is another glittery name in the market.”
“Pandora’s Box? I think I’ve heard of it.”
“Best in accessories and jewellery. It is not an exclusively luxurious brand–it has a few luxurious collections, and since most people can afford it, it is more profitable.”
“How did you manage to dig up so much?”
“Thanks to my friend.”
“Closet Calls has a showroom in every mall I have been to.” (Y/N) commented.
“That’s why people are talking. Jung Hoseok was seen with you. Just pray that they have not taken any pictures of you together.”
“Yumi, whatever you have revealed to me... This makes him sound dangerous.”
“Every powerful company is dangerous (Y/N), but we still have no confirmation if he was directly involved in the disappearance of Eun or if he had anything to do with his disappearance. Everything is based on suspicion and probability (Y/N). In reality, we have no evidence, no real lead.”
Deleting the pages and the search history, Yumi turned to (Y/N).
“I cannot say anything with assurance right now, but you now know that he is no ordinary man. And in this world, power and money define everything. I cannot dictate your life, but I can advise you. My advice to you is not to get involved with anything that you cannot assess.”
(Y/N) nodded, her mind wandering off to all those times when Hoseok took her to restaurants, pubs, and banquet halls for ‘neutral and honest reviews’, which ranged from grand to sleek. She had suspicions that he was the one hosting the party where she had met him for the first time, but he had never confirmed anything, and the question had slipped out of her mind eventually.
Now every little conversation, every passing piece of information, and every quirk seemed to ring a bell—she knew that she was perhaps overthinking, mildly panicking even, but Yumi was right. People of Jung Hoseok’s strata were no saints, and people like her were nothing more than numbers for such people.
“Aren’t we going back to our suite?” (Y/N) was confused when Hoseok drove to the beach instead
“We are within walking distance from our resort. Besides, its peaceful here, don’t you like it?”
Hoseok smiled as he continued to walk, his eyes staring at the gentle waves in the distance.
She would admit that it was pleasant to be the only two people roaming around the beach. The sun had set and left behind traces of rapidly darkening blues. Everything in the atmosphere was perfect to lull anyone into a sense of peace.
But with Hoseok, she could feel anything but peaceful. Under the darkening sky, her senses turned more alert in his presence. The silence did not help either. It was like a waiting game, at least on her part, because Hoseok seemed completely relaxed. In fact, it was the most relaxed she had seen him ever since.
They stood where the waves chased their feet, shoes left behind, and the wet sand initially felt odd under her skin, but soon she grew used to it. Just like how she had begun to grow used to being Jung Hoseok’s little wife—or his little pet, she could say. Had it not been that woman—
Fingers wrapping around the back of her neck broke her from her spiralling thoughts. (Y/N) gasped, startled back into reality, but before she could respond, her face was gently but firmly turned to her side, and his lips greeted her. It was gentle for only a moment before it turned passionate, almost frenzied with lust. Her knees turned boneless. The air was charged between them. She shut her eyes, trying not to look into the very eyes that would haunt her for a lifetime.
“There was not a single day when I had not wished to have you by my side, ever since I met you.” He confessed between the heated kisses.
It would have been a sweet expression of love, had it not taken her back to the moment when everything went downhill for her.
As if the conversation with Yumi had not been enough, the very next day, her boss had invited her into his cabin and apologised for his ‘rude and unacceptable behaviour towards a company asset such as her’.
Company Asset?
(Y/N) was self-aware enough to know that she was easily replaceable. That man would rather fire his best employee than apologise. The jittery body language did not help either. That was not him apologising to her; he was being compelled to do so.
All she could think of was how Hoseok had casually asked her about her boss’ cabin. She had no other spot for the needles of suspicion to point at.
Everything was pointing towards Hoseok. But what she could not fathom was the reason behind a man such as him being invested in an ordinary woman such as her.
After that day, she began to evade him. Excuses, silence, diversion—whatever she could, she did to keep him at an arm’s length.
But such ways could only sustain her for so long.
It had been a relatively enjoyable evening for an office party. She met a new employee who was funny, friendly, and flirtatious. No, she was not looking for any serious relationships, but some casual flirting would not hurt, right?
It had been a while since she felt her cheeks hurt from laughter; the last time she laughed so hard was when she had lunch with Hoseok. She had the ghost of her previously full-blown smile as she entered the elevator. Pressing on the number of her floor, she yawned, feeling the day’s toil catching up.
But before the doors could close completely, they opened another ding. Her previously slumped shoulders jerked up, alert, as the doors opened wide once more, and Jung Hoseok walked in, and she sucked in a breath.
He smiled—the usual friendly smile he would reserve for her—but under the light, his smile failed to brighten up the space this time.
In silence, he stepped inside the elevator and waited for the doors to close. This time, they did, but she wished that they did not.
The silence was oppressive.
That was the only way she could describe it since she had not yet realised that she felt cornered.
“How was the party?”
She blinked. Despite it being just the two of them, the space felt crowded. The doors opened once more with the usual ‘ding’ before Hoseok walked out and turned to her, expecting her to follow him.
She yielded.
“You did not answer. That’s alright, let's talk over coffee.” He stood by her flat’s entrance, smiling.
Realising that she had no way out of the situation, she hurriedly unblocked her apartment door and invited him in.
“Sorry, its a bit messy right now, I did not know you were coming.”
By the time she finished, he was already making himself comfortable on her sofa.
“That’s alright, (Y/N), makes you all too likeable." He smiled. But there was something cold and steely about that. “Why are you standing there? Have a seat. Its your home, after all.”
She managed to put up a smile and sit a good distance away from him. He did not comment on it but it would be foolish to assume that he did not notice, especially when his eyes remained on her—a cynical amusement playing in those orbs that made her sit still and taut.
“You have been quite busy these days, love. I hope your boss is not giving you a hard time.”
“No, he already apologised.” This time, she stared right back at him, trying to gauge out a reaction, desperately hoping that he had nothing to do with this.
Hoseok smiled and tilted his head. “Glad to hear that.”
And she needed no more confirmation. Taking a deep breath, she arranged the words in her head before beginning to speak.
“Hoseok, y-you are a kind and beautiful friend, and I really enjoy your company. Anyone would be glad to have you as a friend…”
“Really? I feel special.”
Ignoring his comment, she continued—
“But unfortunately, I do not think that we should see each other anymore, as often. I do not fit into your world. It’s too vast, too glitzy, and over all—I mean–yeah you get it. I just feel that maybe we can tone down the meetings. My office colleagues took it the wrong way. Everybody knows you.”
That was not exactly what she wanted to say, but that would do. If he was not offended,
He chuckled and looked away for a moment, observing the wall on his side as if contemplating something. He mumbled.
“Sorry?”
“I guess you are tired. I will pick you up tomorrow, hmm?” His gaze found hers again.
“I just—”
I planned a whole weekend getaway. Be ready by eight in the morning tomorrow.”
To say that she was stunned was a grave understatement. She blinked, dumbfounded by his blatant ignorance of her previous words. But here was where she would draw the line.
“Hoseok.”
Her voice was firm. He was on his way out of her apartment, but he paused and turned around.
“I think you did not hear me earlier. I don’t want to see you so often. I am not going anywhere with you. Not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow.”
She paused before finally making up her mind
“Not ever.”
Yumi was right. The more she minded her own business, the better. She did not want to be embroiled in anything dangerous or even scandalous. She needed herself. Not Jung Hoseok or any other storm.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Hoseok put his hands inside his pockets and titled his head—his stance relaxed and his eyes amused.
“What was your friend’s name again? Right, Lee Yumi, and her private detective friend, Kanyun. I will do them a favour.”
He took a step closer to her while she remained frozen in fear.
“Since he has been running around with half-assed clues and crack-head witnesses for over a year now, I will give her one– the motel owner runs an illegal drug business. And now she and her little detective run to the police and find out how many of them work for me.”
He raised his hand, and she flinched and closed her eyes, almost certain that a hit was coming.
Some scars took time to heal after all.
When nothing happened for a long moment, she opened her eyes, only to find his hand frozen in mid-air and all the air of amusement gone.
He clenched his jaws before gently brushing away the strands of hair from her face.
“Never even in my dreams, love. Not even in my dreams.”
His voice had no sharpness or amusement this time.
But she could not understand why.
She knew of his reality; he knew that she knew. Then why was she so soft with her? Like he was just playing. Maybe it was all a game for him after all.
“Its okay if you don’t want to come. You need to save your energy for the future anyway. Goodnight, love, sleep well.”
Planting a quick, soft kiss on her forehead, he left.
He walked away as if he had had the most casual conversation with someone. Then perhaps she was that irrelevant.
What harm could people like her or Yumi do to a person as powerful as Jung Hoseok?
The night went by with her warning Yumi about the fact that Hoseok knew what she was up to, checking all doors, windows, and locks, and keeping an eye on the street to see if there was someone watching over her.
Hoseok had known that Yumi had been trying to find out about her cousin all the while, and he also somehow knew that she was coming back from an office party. If that was not chilling enough, the very fact that he had confidently given away such important information hit the nail.
Jung Hoseok was a man she ought to avoid at all costs.
The sand sticking to her had felt odd a while before. But at the moment, she was overwhelmed with the feeling of his finger entering her. The pace was slow but calculated, leaving her gasping for breath. The dress he had chosen for her allowed the ease of his hands finding their way between her legs.
At the back of her mind, she knew that they would both need a shower once they were back in their suite. At the back of her mind, she was scared. But all she could express was how good his fingers felt—one curved inside her, rubbing on all the sweet, hard spots that made her gasp and shudder, the other playing with her pearl to make her senses fill with ecstasy.
“There you go, Baby~” he cooed at her, his fiery gaze meeting her hazy one as she was finally pushed over the edge.
She felt the second finger entering the very next moment, dragging her orgasm before she felt the delightful tiredness seeping in. But he knew that it was not over. He waited for a moment to let her catch her breath before his fingers inside her parted, stretching her walls. His lips attached themselves to her neck as his fingers continued to move in a steady, almost hypnotic motion, making her hips rise and her back arch.
“I love you so much…you have no fucking idea.”
His words made her eyes flutter open. Although still dazed, she managed to voice out her concern “Aren’t p-people here? Someone–oh–”
“Shh, no one will see us; we are the only ones here, love. I cleared it out all for us.”
There was nothing surprising about it, though. The last time he caught someone staring at her chest, it ended with blood sprinkling all over the wall and the ceiling. Of course, he would not allow another soul to step inside the premises; he had planned to take her to the beach all along.
Her thoughts, though, were not steady, not with his fingers stretching her out like that while his lips assaulted her sweet spot, making her perfectly pedicured toes curl.
She came once more with a short but sharp scream, feeling her whole form buzz with pleasure.
But the feeling did not last long enough to be relished, as she felt his hand between her warm legs. The bottom of her dress was already flung up carelessly, exposing her to him.
Under the gentle moonlight and the distant lit-up torches, she could see his eyes gleam. He smirked before crashing his lips on hers. The kiss was passionate but gentle, pushing her towards another edge.
But he pulled away abruptly, leaving her hanging. He smiled as he unzipped himself before nestling between her legs. Her inner thighs already felt damp with anticipation and arousal, but feeling his length rubbing against them, along with the texture of his pants, she felt her womanhood clench. Pulling her into a sitting position, he let out a quiet groan.
She blinked, slightly disoriented, but did not question him. She could feel hands around her waist even though the material of the dress.
It was a surreal feeling.
No matter how many times she slept with him, she would oscillate between being somewhere else mentally and having all her senses overwhelmed with pleasure.
Finally, she felt his length entering her before he pulled her over his lap. The movement of his manhood inside her made her gasp loudly and hold on to him for her dear life. Hoseok growled into her ear while she felt him unzipping her dress, loosening the sleeves so that he could pull them down in a quick, rough movement, along with her bra, leaving her breasts exposed.
His lips found hers again, and she squeaked into his mouth as he began to move. It was something she had never felt before. He truly never failed to surprise her.
Her eyes opened to find his fiery gaze on her before he moved her roughly once, eliciting a scream from her lips as her eyes rolled back again. His tongue devoured her mouth, and hers lolled, surrendering to the intense pleasure.
Her screams were met with his quickening breath and curses following a deep, sensual laughter. For a moment, it was easier to forget everything—the scars of the past, the uncertainty of the future—and just let the pleasure consume her.
And she did just that. She gripped him tighter and moved with him, taking in all he gave her and in turn surrendering to him, just for the moment, and even in that moment, she felt how he claimed her. Like he always wanted to.
-----
She excused herself to the bathroom the moment they returned to their suits. The dress she wore did next to nothing to cover the blooms of red, pink and purple over her neck and beyond, at least those on her thighs were not visible.
Her legs were still wobbly, and the feeling of dampness between her legs did not help, it felt weird to walk normally. Under the sense of privacy provided by a shut bathroom door, she assessed her reflection in the mirror.
There was no way of denying that she enjoyed it– she was glowing, but her eyes. They fell like they were foreign.
Did she always have those empty eyes?
She knew she did not. But it was hard to remember the times she felt truly happy.
But there was hope now. Finally, she could see the glimmering end of the tunnel in the form of the opportunity thrown at her(literally). Remembering the phone tucked safely between her cloths, she composed herself as she began to wash away the remains of dubious passion from between her legs. She knew that scrubbing would not fade the marks all over her, but she scrubbed them anyway, resentful of herself for falling weak at the moment.
After a rather long bath, she felt slightly lighter, wanting nothing more than to crash on the bed and sleep the night away. With a sigh, she opened the bathroom door and stepped in the bedroom.
Hoseok was not in the room when she stepped in. It was an eerie silence that impregnated the place. Sighing, she turned to get into the bed, only to be startled by Hoseok’ still form leaning against the closed closet.
How come she had not noticed him before?
But that soon became least of her concerns when she saw the gleaming device h was playing with.
The phone.
She paled at the realisation.
He had found that fucking phone.
“So that’s why you were so lost? I wonder where you got this toy of yours, Love?”
She felt her stomach twisting as her eyes watered. But there was no time to think. With her reflexes kicking in, she turned and ran towards the bathroom, knowing that he had probably already locked the door.
She registered his grip a moment later than the feeling of vanished gravity. His grip was rough around her waist as he heaved her up in the air, eliciting a broken scream from her lips.
He was everywhere.
Outside her work, he would be waiting for her with his car.
He would there outside her house on weekends.
He would be there whenever she would be somewhere out.
Jung Hoseok was everywhere. He was creeping into her life like a disease.
“How was work?”
That was the first thing he heard when she stepped in her dark apartment. All the tiredness hanging her shoulder down dissipated and pure adrenaline pumped in while she stumbled to switch on the lights.
Her hands were still shaking and her heart kept thumping against her ribs as light flooded the apartment, revealing the man she swore she would never meet again.
“I had a cup of coffee due.”
Her gaze dropped at he still-steaming cup of coffee in his hold, fingers with rings curled around the handle. His eyes were focused on the brown liquid though.
“Wh–what are you doing in my house?”
At that, Hoseok looked up. It was like she was looking at a stranger– there was nothing airy, or light about him. Everything in her wanted her to back away slowly while maintaining an eye contact. But she stood her ground.
It was her fucking house.
He had already planted himself everywhere she went– regularly or not. She would not lose the sense of security in her house as well.
She stood stiff and alert, ready to run if she needed to.
“Come in, I prepared a cup for you too.” He patted the cushioned seat beside him lightly.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
At that, he tilted his head.
“I thought we were friends (Y/N), very good friends…” The words felt corrupted from his lips.
He knew that she was scared, he knew that she was tired, he knew exactly what he was doing.
She shut her eyes tightly and took in a breath, bracing herself.
“But I don’t want to be your friend anymore!”
“Aww, that hurt. But that’s okay…”
He paused for a few moments, doubling the tension
“You can be my lover.”
“Wh-hat?”
Hoseok smirked– slow and sinuous
“I simply happen to be unusually fond of you…love.”
—-
He left after that and for a good whole week. But he did leave her spooked.
Yumi was worried and unsurprisingly paranoid. If Jung Hoseok could give away clues without fear, and casually guess Yumi’s next move, it was better to just abandon the investigation, (Y/N) had suggested.
“I think you should rewind a bit, you look pale.” Yumi commented, observing her friend while she took a sip of her coffee.
The days were turning colder and shorter, and a good, piping hot cup of beverage was always appreciated between breaks at work.
“I’m okay. Haven’t seen him for a week though.” (Y/N) shrugged.
Hoseok was like a spider– it was scary when she could see him, but even scarier when she could not.
“Tch, you have to take a stand (Y.N), this can’t go on like that. You need to make a statement. People like him jump from one woman to another like they are clothes.”
Yumi did have a point. If she made a clear, good statement, maybe then he would leave her alone? She had, unlike Yumi, nothing to do with him at all. Nothing persona. Nothing profession. No connection at all.
But his words still rang like a warning bell in her mind.
“By the way…” Yumi began, clearing her throat “The new guy was asking about you.”
“The one at the party? What was his name again?”
“Hyunjae.”
Hyungjae was a decent man in every sense. He would help the old clerks, would buy coffee for his co-workers and even help them complete their pending tasks. Men like Hyunjae were rare to find, but they did exist.
“What about him?”
“I think he has a crush on you.”
“Yumi, men like Hyunjae don’t have crush on women like me– who does not even remember the meeting schedules.”
Yumi rolled her eyes at that comment “I think one friendly date would not hurt?”
“Yumi, no. “
“Why?”
(Y/N) sighed, “Just no.”
—-
The very next week, she was starring back at the menu card at a cafe Yumi had suggested for a date. While (Y/N) did not believe in stereotypes, but it had already been half an hour with no sign of Hyunjae and with a rumbling stomach, she was bound to get a tad bit annoyed.
Maybe if she could order one quick snack and—
“I’m sorry for being late.”
(Y/N) froze– her movements, her breathing, her thoughts– everything stood still.
This was….
She looked up from the menu, only to find Hoseok starring back at her with a sharp smile.
“Quite a date.”
She looked around, only to catch a few faces quickly turning away. She needed to leave.
The sound of his chuckle broke her rushing train of thoughts.
“I have been so patient with you, thought you would get the point. Tch, but you are a sorry, naïve, lonely little lady…”
Somehow, the fake sympathy stung, because everything he said, was somewhere true. Everything she did, boiled down to two core purposes– her dedication to her ailing mother and to just survive.
Maybe that’s why it had been so easy for a man like Hoseok to lure her in. She had dragged on a corpse of a relationship for years only because she was afraid to be left alone, she had accepted Hoseok’s friendship because with him, she did not feel alone.
She did have friends. Good, helpful, understanding friends.
But they had their own lives and their own circles. She never had a best friend after school.
It was only her diary she confided in, freely expressed herself. Other than that, there was only a sense of loneliness. Even if she did want to reach out, it did not feel as easy or simple as it seemed to be.
She did not want to be bother.
But maybe, she was not a bother. Maybe she should have chosen her old friends over Jung Hoseok.
Because as she watched him light up a cigarette with his knuckles turning white. She knew that she was not getting out of this mess anytime soon. She should have been firm. But she did not want to be rude, or upset her only office friend- Yumi.
He checked his phone and smiled.
“Oh, I have a very good news for you by the way…” He began.
His smile stretched into a malicious grin. A happy face had never been so terrifying to her before.
“Your mother is being shifted to hospital owned by me. Poor lady, at her condition, she needs the best care. But now she would not have to worry, I shall provide that to her.”
How could she underestimate his reach?
She was stupid. Absolutely the dumbest idiot in the whole world.
And Hoseok was cruel. His snigger told it all.
Why did he even bother to try to stifle his laugh?
“Aww, honey, there is no need to cry. Your mother is safe. She is having the best care provided to her…But the rest…” he paused, to smile– and (Y/N) understood what it was like to hate someone smile “...the rest depends on you.”
Now she understood what that creep had scurried away quietly the night she met Hoseok for the first time.
She flinched when he leaned in to wipe away her incessant tears. With her lips quivering, breathing shortened and vision blurring. She felt cold all over.
“Breath, its alright. Here, try to take some deep breaths.”
He was by her side at once, his hand rubbing her back. There was an unending ringing in her ears.
“What have I ver–ever done to you?”
She was tired. Tired, angry, afraid.
“Nothing, love. You have done nothing.”
“And yet you—why are you doing this?”
He simply smiled.
“You can do a lot too, love…like marry me.”
The next thing she knew, she was slammed on the bed. It did not hurt, but it did leave her breathless. Her heart thundered against her chest as her vision blurred with unshed tears. Under the lighting, Hoseok seemed far more sinister than he had been a few hours ago under the night sky.
“What’s the hurry, (Y/N)?” He sounded like a python coaxing its prey right before crushing it.
He was the python.
He realised it when she felt his fingers wrapped around her neck, holding her in place. She gasped for air, mouth wide opened and tears freely running down from the corner of her eyes.
“Tch, tch, tch. And I thought you had some fucking brains left in that empty head of yours!.” He snarled.
His words hurt because deep down, they were true– she was dumb, she was too stupid. She wouldn’t be where she was had she not been an utter idiot.
She attempted to gasp, turning desperate when his hold around her neck tightened. She grasped his wrist with shaking hands, clawing with futility.
“It's a pity…she goes whoring around for government agencies while I plan a holiday for her.” He grinned, squeezing her neck tighter for a long moment before loosening his hold.
(Y/N) gasped and wheezed, taking all the air into her lungs even when it hurt. She rolled over and fell on the floor, feeling her knees turn boneless and her vision partially darkening. Holding her neck, she turned to look at him with wide eyes and quivering lips, the only reflex left was to escape. To run far away, but she was frozen.
Hoseok ran his fingers through his hair, storm ranging in now glassy eyes. His jaws ticked and with every breath he took, it looked like he was committing homicide in his mind.
“I have been too lenient, haven’t I?”
She had been terrified of him before, but this time, she was petrified. Hoseok had never physically hurt her before, but her throbbing neck lit a new fear in her, while her hatred for him reached a new height. She was still wheezing when he grabbed her hair, forcing her to look up.
“You think they are here to help you? You think they will treat you like a fucking victim? Oh no honey, they are going to treat you like a fucking mob wife that you are. Once they have everything they need against me, they will throw you away to the wolves. You are just as tainted in everyone’s eyes to them!”
“You are a l-liar!” Despite her struggle, she managed to cry out loud, expressing her anguish.
“A fucking liar! You made them drug me every day!” She screamed, not bothering about her highly disadvantageous position. The worst was already starring down at her.
Surprise laced Hoseok’s face for the first time in the night the cruel glint returned soon after.
“I see…Is this their fucking game plan? You are such an easy target.” He let out a callous chuckle and let go of her hair,
“I don’t tolerate betrayal, love.” There was a glint in his eyes as he reached out for something on his back.
She saw the gleam first before realizing what it was. But it was too late. The muzzle of the gun was already pressed against her forehead. She froze with pure fear.
She wanted freedom, not death!
“I don’t forgive them, I don’t forget them…You know what I do to them, don’t you?” The cold metal trailed south, booping her nose “I make them scream, and writhe and cry until their soul trembles.”
With sinious half smile, he lowered the gun further, probing it against her quivering lips. The fear in her eyes made him shiver– it was both thrilling and satisfying. She had betrayed him. No one dared to betray Jung Hoseok and live to tell the tale.
“But you…”
He began, purposefully dragging his words as he watched her frightful eyes widening as he pushed the gun further, the metal tapped heavily against her teeth, making her gasp. But that was enough a slip-up for Hoseok.
“I can forgive you darling.”
With that, he pushed the barrel of his gun into her mouth. The metal scrapped agaisnt her teeth as it slid in. Her eyes closed before flashing with utter terror.
Good.
He thought to himself, keeping his emotions and tears at bay. He would never admit it to anyone, not even her. But her betrayal hurt. It burned and cut through him. But he would admit, it was not surprising.
Hoseok was no fool. He knew that she was not in love with him, but he believed that with time, she would settle– she was settling.
Until some fucking dogs came sniffling behind.
He did everything for her, for them. But she betrayed him.
“What do you think they would do? Give you a crown?”
He could not help but chuckle at her naivety. Her eyes did not help it either. Large, fearful orbs starring back at him–he lived for that. He liked to say to himself that he did not like the fear in her eyes. But that would be a lie.
“They would use you for defaming me, trying to destroy me, using you as a key and then, throw you away like a used ragdoll.”
He pushed the barrel further in with venegenance, making her choke into it and gasp.
“You are nothing but a pawn to them– a useless, stupid pawn. You think they can save your mother? You dead mother?”
He watched as more tears escaped her eyes, his words denting her confidence. No, breaking it completely.
Her mother had passed away month ago a in peace. He made sure that everything was taken care of, she was given a simple but dignified funeral, and buried in the graveyard only people close to him were to be buried. He had been a good son-in-law.
He was being a good fucking husband, keeping the news from (Y/N) because he knew that it could break her.
The words just slipped out, but it slipped out just at the right moment
“Had it been anyone else, I would have just fired” He hissed, pulling the barrel a little before pushing it again, watching her shaking form.
Finally, he pulled away the gun, the thin string of saliva connecting the barrel and her lips made him smirk. He would teach her a lesson she would never forget. They would have plenty of time for that.
“Stay put.”
He warned, dropping his mocking smile. He motioned with his gun, not letting his eyes flicker off her form as he dialled his most trusted man.
“Is the helicopter ready? Hmm, keep low.”
Hanging up, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up. She whimpered pathetically, but not an ounce of regret flashed in her eyes.
But she soon will. She would regret even considering betraying him.
He would make sure of it.
“You are going to be fucking sorry, love.”
He dropped all pretentious, sugarcoating and veils altogether. If she saw him as a monster. Fine, he would show her what a monster he was and how a monster loved.
She remembered that they had promised to brig her mother to safety. But she had no real time update. Her mother was her only family left.
And she was dead now.
The only hope, the only string that Hoseok would pull now and then was gone.
He kept the news from her.
A month.
Her mother had been dead for a month.
And he kept it from her.
(Y/N) forced down a whimper. Her legs were almost numb, her whole body felt stiff and frozen. But her heart won’t stop thundering.
Was this all a mistake? Where were they?
Why had they not ambushed Hoseok yet? She had blindly jumped into the dark after hearing a hopeful voice and—
Hoseok froze before she registered the distant gunshots. Hope flared within her at that. But it was short-lived as Hoseok began to drag her towards the closet.
“No! I will not go with you! I had ENOUGH!”
Her throat was raw with screaming. She did not care that she as hysterical. She finally had the chance to be free, she would take it, no matter what!
“Don’t be foolish, they can never win against me. You are just making things difficult for yourself. Don’t make it worse for you!” He hissed, the veins on his side popping to indicate that despite his low tone, he was boiling inside.
(Y/N) shook her head, attempting to pull away from him. But she was of no match against a trained killer.
“NO! YOU ARE A MONSTER!”
Hoseok’s eyes burned into hers when he glanced back briefly. But he was silent for now, focusing on dragging her with him, not even paying attention to her nails digging into and stretching against his skin. He did not even bat an eye at the blood flowing out.
She looked at the entrance of the suite expectantly.
Please hurry up!
“No one is going to come here and make it out alive, darling.”
His voice dripped with venom as he continued to drag her further away from the door. Uncaring if she bumped into things in order to resist.
Despite the fog of fear and uncertainty, she managed to grasp a bottle of wine put in the ‘gift basket’-- one Hoseok was supposed to open at night. Grasping the bottle, she swung it right at the back of his head.
“ARGH! Fuck!”
His hold loosened immediately, but she did not wait, she jerked away from him, not even turning to look at his staggering form, she made a run for it.
The door as open, thankfully. But she knew that she needed to be careful. She stumbled, realising that she had left the phone in Hoseok’s grasp. Cursing, she kept running forward.
It was now or never.
The gun shots echoed after slight pauses.
“Madam! Madam! Why are you outside?”
The fucking dog of his!
Hoseok’s men were loyal to him, and their loyalty was tested by their respect for his wife and the only woman whom he had allowed the reign of his estate– under his watch, of course.
The man grasped her body, eyes searching for potential injury.
“Madam we are under attack! A rival group.”
A rival group! Wasn’t the police there?
“I was on my way to warn—”
The shattering of a window beside them had them both ducking for cover.
“Madame! Where is Sir?”
His question did not register for a few moments. The police were supposed to reach here. Who were those people?
“Madame?” The urgency of his voice made her spill out the necessary part.
“He-he’s in the room.”
He frowned, gaze flickering between the wide-open door and the her. But with some twisted miracle, he did not get much of the time to think, the gunshots grew louder and another windows shattered.
“Madame! Listen carefully. Please, run straight and turn right. 3368 is the code to the staircase exclusively used by staff. It’s also an emergency route. When you turn right, you will find a room on the left, beside the elevator. Get into the room, then the closet. Push the shoe rack away and you will find the emergency staircase. Just don't forget to shut it down. Keep running and at the end, you will find a way to the helipad. Our men will reach there with Master Jung.”
He handed her a mastercard to the room before ushering her out, telling her to be fast.
He did not need to tell her. She needed to be quick. She needed to reach there before he found Hoseok. She rushed out of the hallway.
“GET HER!” Her heart leapt to her throat when she heard Hoseok’s yell.
At least now she knew that she was not a murderer.
Glancing back, caught a brief glance of her deranged husband rushing towards her with his trusted bodyguard, his one hand clutching his bleeding head. But before they could close the distance, a series of gunshots filled the room, compelling them to duck and take cover while she got the chance to slip out.
His rivals were there.
With wobbly feet, she reached the suite room and opened it, not even daring to turn back, only hoping that she had not caught their eye. Locking the door, she quickly rushed to the dimly lit closet. The shoe rack stood with the pretence of being heavy and unmovable, but she could slide it with some effort.
A short breath of relief escaped her lips at the sight of the locked door to the staircase. Not wasting another moment, she put on the code and opened the heavy door. The sound of nearing gunshots quickened her movement. It would be a matter of minutes before she would be discovered if she delayed any further.
Sliding the shoerack back into place, she shut the door, and it locked immediately.
The staircase reminded her of the escape games she would play in her freetime. It was spiralling, long, lit but void of another soul. She suspected it would be soundproof too– there was no disturbance of gunshots or attacks. Just silence and the echo of her quick steps.
As promised by Hoseok’s bodyguard, the route did take her into an opening that had a helipad near a cliff, overlooking the vast and ranging ocean.
It was dark, but the helipad was lit.
And yet, there was not a soul in the place. Only the sould of the crashing waves underneath reminded her that she was outside the radar of Hoseok’s rivals.
Her only hope was to find an escape from there. Nearing the cliff, she looked around. There was a ferry station beyond the resort premises. She could see the light clearly. She just had to—
“(Y/N)!”
Hoseok’s voice thundered as he burst out of another opening, expertly hidden behind a small watertank.
Perhaps it was a quicker escape route.
She watched as he rushed towards her, his gun in his hold and the collar of his shirt bloodied, likely from his own blood. But looking at the blood on his torso, she doubted the theory.
(Y/N)! Come back here now!”
She glanced at the ferry station wistfully.
Even if she tried, she would never reach there. Her way to freedom was so close yet so far. She did not know if the girl was a part of the State Authorities, or had been a spy for the rival all along?
Why would life be so cruel to her? Dangling freedom before her, only to snatch it up just as she touched it?
Looking at a an enraged Hoseok, she knew that she could never go back. He would make her life a living hell. He was not one to forgive easily. And she betrayed him. Hit him when his back was turned, quite literally.
(Y/N).Stop.Now.!” He warned, waving his gun at her, as she continued to back into the edge of the cliff.
He stopped a few feet away from her, cautiously glancing at the her feet. One step back and she would fall.
“(Y/N), come back. I will forget this night, I promise you.” Hoseok offered, composing himself and tucking his gun away, motioning the guard with him to step back.
But she would not fall for his lies anymore. She had enough.
“NO! I know you never would. You already made my life a living hell!” She cried, letting tears flow freely.
“I gave you everything anyone would ever want!”
“Everything anyone would ever want? What do you know of it? All you have ever known, all you ever did was to snatch, seize and possess! This is not love Jung Hoseok! This is not lo–ve. Its a vile thing!” She burst out
“But I love you, I have always loved you!”
“THEN YOUR LOVE IS VILE! VILE AND ROTTEN LIKE YOU. YOU MADE ME INTO YOUR FUCKING TOY, A PET, BLOODY PET!”
She spat out, with anguish and venom rousing in her blood. Everything was deloslate and hopeless for her now. There was no sign of the police, there was no hope of an escape.
“But it is true. I am vile, (Y/N), the vilest thing from hell but I love you! I will forget about this transgression and—”
Her cold laughter caught him off guard. It was a rare and always cherished sight for him, yet this time, the sound and view of it made him break into cold sweat.
“T–ransg–transgression you say?”
Her shoulders shook almost vilotently as her neck was thrown back. Her laughter grew louder, but her tears never ceased.
“Transgression? This?” She hissed and pointed wher forefinger towards herself.
Her face reflected pure range and anguish. Everything he had ever done, he had snatched away from her flashed before her eyes. And after all that, seeing him in pain, she realised that a part of her was delighted.
“Do you know what truly transgression is? It is uprooting someone from their life, invading someone’s life and privacy. It is every.Fucking.Thing you did to me!” She snarled, all her suppressed emotions and resentment came flooding in with vengeance.
Hoseok raised his hand and took a slow step forward. One step back and she would be falling into the unforgiving ocean.
“We can start afresh, Love. I will try, we can be better. I am willing to forget everything. But please…” He begged.
No, he could not afford to lose her. Even if it was wicked and twisted, he did love her. He knew that it was something far beyond ‘love’, something raised from the depths of hell. He would forget her betrayal, he understood where it came from.
But he was not ready to lose her.
“Please come back to me!”
Come back to my arms, I will be better.
He would giver more freedom, take her to vacations every other month, maybe even allow her to work– he had many companies under his name, after all. Yes, that would suit both of them.
Hope flared in his eyes as he watched the range on her face soften. But it broke him to watch her expression turn painful. He knew he was the cause of it. A good man would have let her go at this point.
But Hoseok was not a good amn, he had not a single good bone in him, no, he was selfish, wicked, obsessive, smothering. He was everything a woman would run away from.
She would not fall for his lies.
Jung Hoseok would forget nothing, he would not forgive this betrayal.
He was the python who crushed her soul slowly and painfully. She let out a shuddering breath.
She had almost tasted freedom, she could never go back into her cage without strangling a part of her. She looked back at the ferry station, the lights seemed to mock her. The wind, the ocean, those mountains, the sleeping birds, the chirping crickets and the happy people who might not be able to afford a suite at a luxury resort like Hoseok— they all had one thing she could never have.
And her mother? She wished her mother could forgive her. She wished things were different, she wished she were better.
Oh, she could only do that…wish
She took a shuddering breath and felt cold breath washing over her. There was nothing comforting left. She looked at him through her tears. He took one tentative step forwards.
“(Y/N), come back?”
And she turned around and jumped into the the darkness of the ocean, responding to the crashing waves’ siren calls.
“NO!NO!”
Hoseok’s legs were moving even before he screamed. He could hear the muffled voice of his bodyguard but his eyes were following her.
And he jumped right after.
***
Here is Hoseok's part. Only Namjoon's remain. The last and the longest.
daddy, daddy, do, i want all of you
There was a god in Teyvat.
A god hidden, yet powerful. Enough, or maybe too much, that the archons themselves knelt down and presented their own offerings as if they were mere worshipping mortals and not literal gods. Though none had wanted to be greedy towards your affection, everyone had secretly wished they’d be one of the chosen such as the traveler.
Zhongli nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt an overwhelming presence enter him, but soon relaxed when the presence felt warm and soothing. Like hot tea after a long day.
The presence was familiar—
Ah.
Zhongli could cry.
Was this—
You?
You had chosen him. Overwhelming happiness flood through him as he heard your voice,
“Yeah, come on, geo daddy! Show me what you got!”
Geo daddy? Did you perhaps think of him as a parental figure? That’s not right. Weren’t you older? Shouldn’t he call you mommy? Daddy? Also why did you call him ‘geo daddy’?
However...
Zhongli’s face flushes a beautiful shade of red. ‘Show me what you got’, you said. What an honor it was, for you to put this much trust in his potential to serve you. Even if serving you right now apparently consisted of you making him run ‘round and ‘round in circles and whistling in a high pitch when you would make him climb the wall.
“Dang,” he hears you smack your lips together. “Nice ass and, oh- that’s a lovely moan you made there, Morax.” You teased. “Let’s go beat up Childe, yeah?” You ask, even though you were already controlling his feet to walk towards the Golden House.
Were you trying to kill him?
Zhongli bites his bottom lip, plump with all the biting he’s done all day honestly. “Thank you... your grace.” He lets out a breathy sigh and a shy smile as he slashes his ginger wallet in his sparkly moth form that would make Teucer squeal with his spear once again.
Play House - Scaramouche
Summary: Scaramouche can’t believe someone of his stature is playing house with you, a mere human. When you insist on him joining you in your pillow fort, he wonders if this game is really worth it.
Fandom: Genshin Impact
Characters: Scaramouche x gn!Reader
Genre: Fully written, hurt/comfort(?), fluff
Word count: 1188 words
Warnings: Swearing, violent urges from Scaramouche, he practically has to resist from killing you lol
A/N: For @xiaosmoon’s holiday writing collab! thank you for letting me participate~
Keep reading
Wish I had a teacher like her who'd pull some shit like this 🙈😂
Yandere Kyoya.
It’s a well established fact that Kyoya acts much colder when he really is. This fact remains true when he becomes yandere for you. He’ll try to tell himself (and other yanderes as well) that you’re just a darling, nothing special. He insists that he only wishes to have you for personal use, nothing else.
But this just isn’t true.
In reality, Kyoya dreams of both love and control. Yes, he does want to control just about every detail of your life…but only if you want him to. To him, control is an expression of love! And he loves you so much…he only wishes for you to love him back. Kyoya wants you to love him, to choose him, to want him above all others.
Meeting You: He meets you at a fancy function, one his entire family has to attend. While he doesn’t complain about it, Kyoya just isn’t feeling this party. it’s the same all of the others. Boring, bland, full of useless small talk (but really good food so he can deal). Maybe you’re working there as a waitress or something or maybe you’re a guest as well. But whoever you may be, Kyoya is polite (if not a little cold) as he always is. He doesn’t let on anything about you but for some reason…he takes a special notice of you.
It’s something he brushes away…until he meets you once again.
The party is long over and forgotten but that feeling is still there. It’s a warm, soft feeling that makes him want to strike up a conversation…and lucky for him, just that happens. You remember him too (which makes him so happy for some reason) and you start talking for him. And just like, something has started. Something Kyoya is sure will be wonderful. He walks away with your phone number in hand, already planning out everything. Yes, this is going to be wonderful.
“I’ll make sure of it.”
Studying You: Kyoya does not stalk. But he does study.
The second he realizes that he has feelings for you, he studies you like you’re his university major and he’s got an exam coming up. Not because he’s creepy, but because of a very simple reason:
If you’re going to be his darling then he has to know everything.
Every detail is important. He needs to know your history, your family, your interests, plans for the future, everything. Oh, go ahead and call hi crazy but it’s all for a good reason! It’s not too hard to study you because you’re already so open with him. He knows your favorite foods, what books you read, your hopes and dreams and everything you love and hate. And what’s more is that Kyoya loves very second of studying you.
He loves finding out something interesting, something he didn’t expect about you. But he likes the things that he does expect too, smiling as he thinks “that’s so much like her.” He loves finding out the things that nobody else on earth knows. It’s interesting, being the one person who knows you better then anyone else…and you don’t even know that.
“Hmm…what an interesting woman.”
Taking Control: Once he’s through “studying” Kyoya will begin to feel confident enough to begin his plan. You’re already friends so it’s not too hard to insert himself further into your life. Just two friends growing closer, right?
Only…it’s so much more then that.
He’ll start small. Encouraging better habits in order to improve your life (he’s just helping. Don’t friends help one another?). He wants you to eat better, live better, work harder, all of that. He starts spending more and more time with you, using his extensive knowledge of, well, everything, in order to climb to the top of your friend list. And yes, he has a “friend list.” In fact, he has a list of everyone in your life. Who you are with the most, who he likes and doesn’t like, who can stay…and who he is going to get rid of.
Not by killing! Kyoya’s not that type of yandere!
Just by…suggesting things. The truth is, Kyoya is open to deceiving you and others as well. It isn’t hard for him to twist words and situations in order to cause problems, problems that he most definitely encourages. So, you lose a few friends, what’s the big deal? Those people weren’t good enough for you anyway.
That’s all Kyoya wants for you: good things. And he’ll do whatever it takes to get you just that. The more your friendship grows, the deeper Kyoya’s control becomes. You won’t even realize it but your “dear friend” can get you to do just about anything. Of course, he’ll never take it too far. Kyoya will try not to cross any lines and to respect your boundaries. But he sees no problem is a suggestion or two here, a little twist, and the like…as long as it’s for your own good.
“Anything for her…”
Romance: Once the “friends” stage of his plan is over,, Kyoya will begin to romance you. He starts by spending time with you privately, just the two of you so he can get a little closer. He’ll turn on the charm and give you the perfect gifts. Whenever you say you wish yu had something to give him, he’ll insist that you don’t have to.
“I just thought it would make you happy.”
By now, he’s certain that you have feelings for him. After all, he’s the friend that you spend the most time with! He’s noticed the way you look at him, the way you blush when he comes close and compliments you…your feelings are very obvious and very cute. And they are very much returned. Which means that it’s time for your first date. It’s the date he’s been planning since the beginning and secretly…he’s excited!
He’ll choose a good restaurant (not too expensive but not too cheap with food that caters to both your personal tastes) and invite you out. His heart is racing when he does but it’s back flipping in his chest when you say those wonderful words:
“I’d love to, Kyoya.”
The first date is perfect. He made sure of it, fixing every little detail in order to make it all just right. So of course you agree to a second date and after that…everything is just the way he wanted it to be. Kyoya is the man you’ve always dreamed of so it isn’t hard getting you under his spell. You’re so enamored with Kyoya that you won’t question any of his yandere tendencies, you might not even notice them at all…
Which is simply perfect in his mind.
“It’s all going perfectly.”
Your Relationship: It’s such a good one.
He’s surprisingly loving, though he’ll still seem cool in front of others. But the truth is, Kyoya is a sweetheart and he wants you to be happy…preferably with him. So he’ll make the best moves possible in order to keep you at his side.
He’s loving, but never smothering. He’s affectionate, but never to the point where it makes you uncomfortable. He supports you in everything that you do, because Kyoya genuinely wants you to succeed and for your dreams to come true.
Like I said, he’s charming. Kyoya thinks you’re the most lovely creature on the planet-beautiful, intelligent, witty, and talented. In his eye, there’s nothing bad about you. Even your flaws are lovable! The more your relationship continues, the more he tries to make you happy…and the more his yandere side grows as well. You’ll start spending more time with him. In fact, you’re with Kyoya more then anyone else! He’ll install a tracker in your phone and laptop, just so he can keep an eye on you when you’re apart. Kyoya has a very detailed plan of your relationship:
Friendship. He’s going to be your best friend. Here, he’ll start molding your lives together very slowly. Gets to know you more as a person and builds the foundation of your relationship.
Dating/High School. A serious relationship without too much pressure. Focuses on getting to know you further and cementing his place by your side. Introduces you formally to the club but not to his family.
Dating/University. Preferably, you go to the same school or at least schools that are close to one another. But he’ll settle for long distance if that’s what it takes. You’re introduced to his brothers and the relationship takes a more serious turn.
Engagement/Moving into together. This is what part three was all about: making sure part four was a success. He’ll propose on the anniversary of the day you met and is over joyed when you say yes. Kyoya doesn’t want to get married right away and instead moves into an apartment with you. You’re finally introduced to his entire family.
Marriage/The Future. Kyoya is excited to finally call you his wife. His happy ending is marrying you, taking over his father’s company, and just…living. He doesn’t need much to be happy but he definitely needs you.
“I just love you so much, Y/N…”
Punishments: This is probably the biggest yandere thing that Kyoya is capable of doing. Whenever you have a fight or he fears that things are going badly…he’ll manufacturer a situation that brings you back to his side.
He knows that it’s wrong. He just doesn’t care. Kyoya needs you desperately and if this is what t takes…then so be it. He needs it to be upsetting but believable. Perhaps something frightening but never life threatening. So maybe a minor car accident that has you running into his hospital room. You’re in tears because he could have gotten seriously hurt! He could have died! And the last thing you would have done was argue!
“It’s alright, Y/N. I’m alright…”
Or perhaps something more emotional, something that makes you think that he needs your love and support. Like him having problems with his family or being stressed out from school…and, well, you’re the only one he can truly open up to…so you have to be there for him! Right?
“Thanks, Y/N.”
This behavior isn’t something that he’s proud of but he argues that it’s something that must be done on a rare occasion.
“Let’s not fight anymore.”
Little Things:
Kyoya shows you off in a very quiet way. He makes no secret of his pride and love for you, though it still comes off in a cold manor. He’s always so pleased to be out with you, your hand in his as you walk about town.
“Oh, look at you! Such a cute couple!”
“Thank you. But I believe she’s the cute one here.”
That being said, he’s so proud of you and supports you 24/7. Do you love art? Here’s some paints and pencils and all that. Go nuts. Want to be a doctor? That’s great! Here’s some good textbooks and medical journals to read. Dream of traveling the world? Let him help you plan it out, he wants your dream to come true.
“Anything for my darling, of course.”
He’s a somewhat delusional yandere, solely because of this one thing: he tends to put you on a bit of a pedestal. It’s not even something he realizes that he’s doing. But mostly, he’s a possessive and jealous type of yandere.
“I just love you so much…is that wrong?”
He’s practically already planning your wedding. Of course, you’ll plan it together when the time comes but he already has so many ideas. It’s a rather beautiful ceremony (I think he wants a Winter wedding) and it’ll be the happiest day of his life.
“It’s everything I’ve been dreaming of.”
Kyoya’s a little nervous about kids though. For one thing, he’d like a small family. One or two kids is perfectly fine for him thank you. But for the other thing…he’s worried he won’t be much of a father. He doesn’t think that he’ll be a bad parent, just maybe not a great one.
“You really think I’ll do okay?”
In reality, he’s a pretty great dad. Loves any children you have, supports them no matter what. None of his children will be yandere but I think that they might grow up to notice that their dad is just a little bit intense…
“What are you talking about? Crazy kids…”
He’s really not that bad a yandere. All things considering, he’s rather tame. He won’t hurt you or anyone else. Murder is off of the table. But he does constantly control you and, as tame as he is, that’s still a yandere tendency. Still, he has the habit of comparing himself to the other OHSHC yanderes (especially Honey, who’s the worst of the bunch) and thinking…
“No, I’m not that bad. Not really.”
Yes you are, Kyoya. Like I said, he controls everything. You won’t ever realize how much or your life he controls but if you do…you’ll quickly brush it away. After all, everything Kyoya does, he does because he loves you!
“Of course, darling.”
So you’ll often find yourself defending him to others that have noticed his behavior. You’ll ignore them, deciding that they are the same as the people who call him cold. They simply don’t understand him like you do.
“It doesn’t bother me. You’re understanding is all that I need.”
Kyoya isn’t big on pet names at first. But when you notice that you’re listed as “darling” in his phone and mention how sweet you think that is, he’ll start calling you it verbally. Secretly, he’s always done so in his head. But now he does so in private as well.
“If it makes you happy, darling.”
He wants to get a cat with you. Kyoya is so excited at the idea of a little fluffy baby and will spoil that thing. Buying it the best food, the best toys, getting it one of those massive cat scratch castle things (of course, it prefers to play in the box the damn thing came in). It’s your child before you, you know, have children.
“Here, kitty, kitty…”
I think Kyoya is the kind of yandere who easily wins over his darling. It’s not hard at all and it’s even easier to keep you by his side. The fella can play you like a violin and you don’t even realize it. No one really does. He’s the kind of yandere that is able to fool everyone into thinking that he’s perfectly normal. Mostly because he’s able to charm people so well. Your friends, your families, everyone except for the host club thinks he’s nothing sort of perfection.
“Well, I wouldn’t call myself perfect. I’m still striving for a lot of things.”
Speaking of the club, they definitely help out. Or, they at least try to. They’ll get too involved in your relationship at times but most of it actually works. When one of their ridiculous ideas devolves, Kyoya will calmly slip away with you…which is what he wanted in the first place.
“Let’s get out of here…they’ll be like this for a while.”
Of course, upon hearing this, Tamaki will take credit for everything.
“You’re welcome.”
“Sigh…thank you…I guess.”
Isn’t above making you feel guilty by buying you expensive gifts. Nothing too crazy like a car or something, just things that are a little bit pricey. He’s not trying to guilt you into what he wants but if that happens to happen…well, who is he to complain?
“Never look a gift horse in the mouth.”
He loves lazy days with you. Kyoya never wants you to leave his bed in the morning and enjoys the quiet days he has with you. He’ll get your favorite take out and binge watch shows with you, whatever you want to watch!
“How about this one, darling?”
Of all the OHSHC yanderes, Kyoya is the best one to have (along with Haruhi and Mori). He’ll treat you so sweetly…as long as you do exactly as he says. And that’s not so hard, is it? After all, he’s only trying to take care of you…is that really so bad?
No. No it’s not. Nothing can be bad…
“When you do it for the one you love.”
(Thank you to the requester!)
Fate, Intertwined
Tartaglia never cared much for worship of the Overseer. Until he learnt of the perks that came with it.
Warnings: Childe speaks one language and it is battle, and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) for him the player is fluent.
_________________
It began with rage.
The Traveler, nuisance extraordinaire, in cahoots with Rex Lapis to fake the Archon's death and stealthily hide the Gnosis - or so Childe had thought when he raised his blade at the blonde - and to make a complete fool out of him. Oh, how he'd wanted to crush them then and there, mission be damned.
The rage turned into surprise and then into begrudging respect when the Outlander matched his blows, holding their own against the might of his Vision, his Delusion - admirable, really. By the time he'd been forced into Foul Legacy, the battle-hungry Harbinger already wore a smile on his concealed face, rage cast aside momentarily. It had been long since he'd enjoyed such a fight, and he was determined to make the most of it, no leftover annoyance or anger to blind his senses and deprive him from the joy and intensity of combat.
He did not feel you during that battle. Or, at least, did not recognise your presence, guiding his opponent's moves. How could he, when you had yet to take him as a vessel? Ajax was far from a dedicated worshipper at that point, having heard of your existence in passing and disregarded it as nothing more than folk tales. Even if the Overseer was real, he used to think to himself, the only god he followed was the Tsaritsa, and that was simply because she had allowed him to grow stronger. If you wanted him as an acolyte, he'd told Zhongli once, you'd have to come to Teyvat and fight him yourself. If you bested him, he'd follow you to the ends of Teyvat and beyond, but he had no time for a god who didn't bother to show face in the battlefield.
The week that followed, the Traveler returned. And in the next. And in the one after that. It became routine, so much so that he started making room in his schedule to fit the weekly arrangement. When asked about it, the Harbinger only smiled. "I'm meeting a friend."
Then, the starshowers happened. He'd never cared much to learn what they meant, but had, in passing, heard they were tied to you. He wouldn't deny, it was a beautiful spectacle, but Tartaglia rarely had the time to stop and enjoy the show. So, he'd just chosen to look at them once and call it a day.
The stars didn't seem to agree with this course of action.
He could swear he was hearing someone calling for him, but no matter how many times he turned around, he just couldn't figure out who. There was also the matter of the constant tugging. He'd never felt something like that, as if binding ropes pulled him in a direction he could not comprehend.
They came to him both awake and in dreams - "Come home, Childe. Come home."
It eventually got so bad he resorted to Bubu Pharmacy. He was barely getting any sleep, and it seemed that the more he fought off the pulling sensation, the stronger it got. Unrelenting. Unwavering. Unyielding.
Ajax. Come home.
"Qiqi knows. Qiqi thinks... Qiqi can answer for you."
Ajax wasn't sure whether sending a child to whatever had tormented him the last few weeks was a good idea, but his objections were cut short by an unsettlingly familiar aura taking over the zombie. He'd felt that before, he knew it. Sensing the Harbinger's poorly veiled distress, doctor Baizhu placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Qiqi will be fine. She's undergone this process thrice before. I believe the call you mentioned feeling has something to do with being a chosen vessel. Qiqi is one already, but answering the call every now and then seems to make her healing more efficient."
Slightly more relieved, Childe walked out of Bubu Pharmacy. Perhaps he'd take some time to relax before heading back to work...
As for you, you were ready to snap the ginger in half. Not only had he made you hit hard pity, he'd had the audacity to not come home. In his stead, Qiqi.
Between heading to the golden house and kicking his ass and simply shutting off for the day, fate decided you'd go with the first one, taking out your frustrations on the very cause of them. Childish, perhaps, but hey, you still hadn't reaped that week's rewards. And he deserved it. You'd definitely add your now C3 Qiqi to the party.
Ajax's plans to relax were as ruined as your 50/50 as he felt himself suddenly teleported to the Golden House.
You didn't give him time to do his cutscene before striking, uninterested in hearing him talk. The traveler and the rest of your team moved fast and efficiently, forcing the Harbinger to take on his delusion's power earlier than usual.
"Comrade! You seem... Hah... Really mad at me. I don't know what I did this time, but rest assured, I won't just lie down and take it!"
"You'll die either way."
This voice... Wasn't the traveler's.
Ajax knew the blonde would sometimes bring in some travel companions, and that day had been no exception. However, the voice that rung through the Golden House didn't seem to belong to any of them, but still coming from them all the same.
Like the glowing aura they emitted.
The one he'd associated to the Traveler, the same one he'd seen around that young cook from Wanmin, and the Yuheng of the Qixing.
The same one that had taken hold of Qiqi earlier that day.
Why had he never noticed it?
It was stronger, pushing against him with a force equal or greater than the one that had pulled at his very spirit over the last weeks. The voice that had rung through the hall... It was the same that had been calling him, begging for him to give in.
Archons help him, you'd actually made good on his challenge. You wanted him as an acolyte, and had come to fight him for it.
He took on his Foul Legacy form, laughing as he did so. His initial shock had worn off, and he fully intended on enjoying this fight to the fullest.
"Bring it, Overseer!"
You didn't hear him, too focused on the best way to get the job done. Switching back amd forth between team members, adding a few boosting foods and potions in the meantime, you intended on taking out your frustrations by absolutely obliterating the Harbinger as quick as you could.
He didn't want to come home? Fine. Your team was already strong without him anyway. It wasn't like you'd saved up like crazy only to have your hopes shattered...
Meanwhile, Tartaglia was having second thoughts. The people on your team... None of them should've been able to best him so easily, save for the Traveler. None of them was known for being a warrior, none had trained like he had, logically, they shouldn't have been stronger than him. And yet there he was, losing. So this is the power you could offer...
No matter how strong Childe's Foul Legacy was, it could not compete against the power of a well-built vessel, much less four. Sooner than the ginger expected, he found himself defeated, the sting of knowing he could've reached such strenght had he taken the time to learn a bit more about you hurting far more than the strain of his Abyssal form or the wounds left by the sparring session.
He needed to fix it. He needed to catch your attention again, needed to put himself in your hands. You clearly wanted him as a vessel, there was no doubt in his mind about it, and oh was he eager to be yours now. With your aid, who knows if anything would be able to stop him? He'd become devout if that's what you wished, anything, everything to have that sort of strenght.
"You're a cut... Above..."
You heard the usual voiceline as you collected the rewards from the ley line blossom, and once you checked them you nearly fell off your chair.
"What the...!?"
An intertwined fate. Defeating Childe had granted you an intertwined fate.
That was not one of his usual drops. Scratch that, you didn't think non-event bosses dropped those at all! You checked your banner page. Yep, there it was. One intertwined fate. In your inventory, too.
"Very funny. Very funny. Made me waste my primogems..."
If you didn't know better, you'd say he was taunting you.
Oh well.
It was enough for one pull.
You did not have high hopes, but hey, if anything, it would build up pity. You'd usually walk to a specific spot for better luck, but this time, you didn't bother. Bastard wasn't coming, so why take the time?
You pressed the button and stars flew through the sky.
He didn't even hear you call this time. As soon as Ajax saw the first bright lines painting the sky, and felt the faintest tug, he followed along eagerly. He had one chance, and did not intend to let it slip away again.
The star turned gold.
"EXCUSE ME?!?"
On your screen, lo and behold, the evasive harbinger had come home. With zero pity, in a single pull, outside of a designated pulling zone.
You didn't know whether to build him or throw him off a cliff so he'd think about what he did. Maybe let him spend some more time with Zhongli so he'd understand the pain of having someone ruin your savings.
"You, Ajax, are officially a pain in the ass."
At least now he was home. Which was the bare minimum, but an improvement nonetheless. Opening the character screen, you got to putting the materials you'd farmed in advance to good use, unaware of the victorious grin on the Harbinger's face as he felt the newfound power coursing through his body.
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