Nobody Knows | Jeon Jungkook

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I am standing in the middle of Irina's room and so many things seem to be dragging me down.

The gun, secured in my belt behind my back. The spare magazine in my pants pocket. The bag in my hand with only a portion of the money, because a hundred million does add up to more notes than I thought it would.

And finally, the fear that weighs heavily in my cells and makes so many things difficult for me. The day has come. Faster than I had wished and yet slower than I could have imagined. But the wait hasn't felt like awaiting your much-anticipated friend you'll see again at school after the vacation, like waiting for your lover at the airport after the news that their plane has landed, or the meal you're ordering after a long day at work.

I just want to be done with it. I just want to look back in the future and have that day as a distant memory. Or maybe even forget it completely and just laugh about how ridiculous this all is.

What are we actually doing? What kind of battle is this that hasn't seemed to end for years?

My eyes fall with a heavy heart to Irina, who is trying to hide her worry, but clearly can't manage it. Maybe I've just gotten too good at recognizing whenever she's not in her calm self. I don't know Irina like this. She's risky, yes, but she never walks into fire with her eyes closed.

The black, oversized hoodie she had claimed from me rests comfortably on her shoulders. She pulls a black cap on her head to keep the hair off her face and cover her puffy eyes as much as possible.

She still hasn't recovered from the big heartbreak and I'd be lying if that didn't give me bigger heartache. Seeing her like this makes me want to lay everything in the world at her feet just so I can see her smile again. But I can also see how in the last few days her anger has increased.

I don't know who she feels this fire towards, but it's stronger than ever. Maybe she is angry with her mother. Maybe angry at Nikolai. Or perhaps at her half-brother, who she had no idea about until now. But I feel like the anger is dividing into three so that each of them gets a fair and deserved share.

Irina is strong and I am sure she will get over all of this. A stronger person will form out of her and I will always stay by her side.

I take a deep breath and when our eyes meet, I catch a glimpse of the green glowing in hers. Her eyebrows are relaxed, but when she gives me a firm nod, I know she is more than ready for this meeting.

I'm still not sure what's waiting for us, and I know even if months passed, the nervousness wouldn't subside one bit. I'm not afraid of Gabriel or anyone else. I just don't want this psychopath to hurt any of us.

After Irina secures her own gun behind her back and puts the hoodie over it so that not even the outline is visible, she turns to me again. Whenever our gazes meet, something gentle ignites between us that burns so fiercely with passion.

I've never had anyone in my life with whom I've shared the same experience. Felt the same. So much has happened in the last few months and if someone had told my past self from the future, I certainly wouldn't have believed it.

People can endure so much more than they think of themselves. Even when you know yourself best, you underestimate yourself. I didn't know I could show so much patience, compassion, and love, but here I am. I surprise myself a little more and I see myself growing a little more every day.

"Where's the other bag of money?" Irina asks, filling her pants pocket with more ammo just like me.

"Taehyung has it," I reply, still watching her. "Wanted to put them in the trunk with the rest."