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Jeongin took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he stood in front of Groove Back Cafe, a place formed under J.Y. Park. The bold letters on the signboard caught his attention, and he couldn't help but sigh. His breath formed a small cloud in the chilly morning air. This was it.
Jeongin felt two reassuring hands on his shoulders and turned around to find Chan and Jisung smiling at him. "You'll do well," Chan said, his voice filled with confidence.
Jeongin returned the smile, and Jisung simply gave him a thumbs-up. He couldn't help but wonder where Changbin was. But Jeongin found solace in the fact that Jisung was here to support him, even if their ride to the café was filled with silence.
Chan placed his arm around Jeongin's shoulder, giving him a comforting pat as he said, "You've got this, okay?"
Jeongin couldn't hold back his smile, and he nodded enthusiastically, pumping his fist into the air. "Fighting!"
Chan chuckled warmly. "Good boy," he said before gently nudging Jeongin towards the entrance of the cafe.
Jeongin's cheeks warmed, whether from the chilly weather or Chan's words, he couldn't tell. He stepped into the cafe, and right behind him came the two burly men in black, his bodyguards.
Before the door could swing shut, Jeongin turned around, his rosy cheeks still noticeable, and waved a goodbye to Chan and Jisung.
The two boys waved back at him, and Chan watched until he couldn't see Jeongin anymore. His heart raced at the thought of Jeongin being alone, and it made his skin crawl. He didn't want Jeongin to be by himself.
He sighed deeply, retrieving a cigarette from his pocket and placing it between his lips. With a flick of his lighter, he ignited the end, taking a long drag.
"Nervous?" Jisung, the boy standing beside him, asked. Chan could only nod, exhaling a plume of smoke into the cold morning air.
It was rather ironic how Chan didn't feel this level of nervousness when he received that mysterious call, but now, it was because he was allowing Jeongin to step out—accompanied by bodyguards.
"Everything is okay, hyung," Jisung reassured softly, "He's with our men."
"I know, I know, have faith in them," Chan responded, taking a drag from his cigarette before exhaling. "It's just hard for me to shake off my bad luck... you remember what happened last time when someone worked at a cafe."
Jisung's breath caught for a moment; he certainly couldn't forget that incident. He closed his eyes, grabbed a cigarette from the pack, and lit it. He didn't need Chan to bring up those memories, but deep down, he wished Chan wouldn't dwell on them.
"I understand, but you can't blame yourself for what happened. Things are different now, and you're doing your best to protect him," Jisung reassured Chan, taking a drag from his own cigarette.
Chan nodded, he took one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it away, the embers extinguishing as it hit the ground. "Let's hope for the best."
Chan began to stride towards the car, and Jisung hurriedly followed him, calling out, "Hyung, hold on! I'm not done yet!" He held the half-burnt cigarette in his hand.
Chan turned around, leaning his back against the car, and raised an eyebrow. "What's on your mind?"
Jisung took a long drag from his cigarette. "Promise me," he began, "promise me you won't let your past haunt you, and you won't carry the blame for things that were never your fault."
"I promise,"
Chris said, although he couldn't help but feel like he was lying to himself once more. He opened the car door and climbed inside, with Jisung following suit.
The two of them drove in silence until the car came to a stop near an abandoned building. They both stepped out, and Chris turned to Jisung. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready."
"Ready."
Their voices echoed in the chilly air. As they exchanged nods, their attention was drawn to a figure emerging from a BMW Z4 parked nearby. It was Changbin, who had been waiting for them.
"You really had to bring that car?" Chris sighed, shaking his head.
Changbin chuckled, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Well, it's not often I get to take a ride in a beauty like this. And, it's a lot faster. We need to save time, you know?"
"It's hard to be serious with this guy," Jisung scoffed, rolling his eyes.
The three musketeers made their way towards the abandoned building, their steps resonating in the eerie silence that enveloped the place.
They navigated through the dimly lit corridors cautiously, their senses on high alert. These situations weren't foreign to them, but the memories of past encounters in such places were far from pleasant. Pushing open a creaking door, they entered a room bathed in crimson dim lighting.
Before they could proceed, a masked woman stepped in their path. Her role was to ensure that no one entered the room with weapons.
As she began the "security check," her gaze and touch lingered longer than necessary. She playfully tapped Changbin's arms and commented, "We've got some big, strong men here."
Changbin responded, his tone serious, "Staying fit is essential." They were well aware of the true purpose of these "security checkers."
She couldn't resist smirking behind her mask as she moved closer to Chris. "And what about you, handsome?" She skillfully retrieved a gun hidden in his coat, her fingers sensually trailing along his chest.
Chris's fingers firmly closed around her hand, and he discovered the small chip she had been attempting to place on him. It was a tracker, no doubt. He leaned in closer, his voice low and menacing, "Wrong target, sweetheart."
She winced, her mask hiding any visible reaction to the pain in her hand. Chris released her hand, and she quickly withdrew, her demeanor shifting abruptly to a more formal tone.
"My apologies," she stated, keeping her distance, a visible retreat in her posture. She allowed them to pass, and Jisung couldn't help but chuckle, a faint smirk on his lips.
Perfect, he thought.
She hadn't checked him, and he had a concealed a Glock with him.
They reached the prearranged meeting spot, where their contact awaited. He was surrounded by women, some scantily clad.
"Christopher, my old friend! It's been a while. How have you been?" he greeted, his voice gruff.
Chris was all business. "Let's not beat around the bush. What's the deal?" he asked bluntly.
The man stepped forward, rather rudely pushing aside some of the women around him. "Chris, I've got a job for you. A big one," he announced with a sly grin.
Chan's jaw tightened. He knew that when someone in their line of work said something was important, it usually meant trouble. And trouble in their line of work often led to more trouble. However, refusing was not an option. "Spill it. What's the job?"
