/Taehyung K's POV/
Chicago is cold and bitter in the winter. Snow lining the sidewalks and ice blanketing the rooftops. Steam floating up from the heated sewers in a sad attempt to melt away all of the hail coating the concrete. The city wasn't the best, a hotspot for danger and corruption. In the summertime it seemed as if the crime was amplified, rates were rising by the minute.
Reports of homicides every other hour. News broadcast after news broadcast alerting the citizens of what was going on in those long, narrow alleyways that pedestrians were scared of walking down alone at night.
It was all like a simulation , sort of. A survival of the fittest. Those who listened to the warnings the first few times had a higher chance of surviving than those who ignored them. In the end, everybody made their own beds to lay in. Played their own cards and took a chance without even knowing if they were strong enough to make it in the end.
The engine of the black Buick GNX rumbles down to soundless vibration as the car comes to a halt in the parking lot of the building. Licking over his moist lips, Taehyung briefly looks up into the rear view mirror to check his appearance. Sleek Ray Ban sunglasses blocking his eyes from the overwhelming sunlight that fell upon the vehicle. He brings his hand up, running his fingers through his hair in attempts to remove any flyaways from over his blemish free forehead.
He never liked work meetings, or meetings in general. He was much better at carrying out a task. Completing a job and getting the money in the end. He never liked the bullshit in between.
"Let's get this shit over with." He sighed, taking his keys from the ignition and stepping out of the Buick. He slipped the keys into the pocket of his jeans after locking the doors, and then made his towards the entrance.
The warehouse was located on a rather rural part of town. There wasn't much going on for atleast three miles. Enough space for privacy but too much space in between to go without being talked about. As discrete as Mr.Kim may have thought he was, he wasn't dodging much of anything. Being more in the loop than he though. Taehyung always though these things but he never brought them up to the man.
The door opens up with a creek after Taehyung slams his elbow against the tattered old wood. The damn thing is nearly brought off it's hinges. Stepping over the threshold, Taehyung closed the door behind him before bringing down the wooden blank that kept the door locked. Whistling as he walked towards the back where he could hear a sea of deep voices going at conversation.
Taehyung stops in front of the opening to the very back room of the building. Peeping inside, he could see that the rolling chair behind a chipped wooden desk was occupied and sitting before them was another man with a cigarette resting between his lips.
"V, I know it's you. Come in son."
With a small sigh, Taehyung looks off to the side before walking into the room. The smell of nicotine consumes him almost immediately.
"Good evening fellas." Taehyung smirked, stuffing his dry and calloused hands into the pockets of his brown leather jacket. The male behind the desk snapped his finger in a sharp motion directed to the empty seat beside the occupied seat. Taehyung's smirk faltered slowly but surely, lips falling into a frown as he began to wonder just why was his mood so sour.
"Take a seat."
Kissing his teeth, Taehyung made his way towards the empty seat. Plopping down and spreading his knees at a desirable width to get comfortable, arms resting on the arms of the chair as he looked side to side. The tension in the room was so thick and damn near intolerable. It was a good thing Taehyung had become used to the feeling of being under pressure, forced to keep your composure eventhough you were dying inside.
"We will continue this conversation later, Junsoon. I have to speak with my son."
"Yes sir."
With a simple nod, the lapdog that had been seated next to Taehyung stood to his feet. Giving a respectful nod to Taehyung before walking out of the back room, he left behind a noticeably displeased father with his painfully nonchalant son. A storm was coming.
"What's your itch? Why are you so upset?" Taehyung asked. Usually, he took a more respectful approach when it came to his father. But obviously the man was upset, and Taehyung had to build a barrier over his emotions before the man began to attack.
"Why am I so upset?" Tightening his jaw as he placed the cigarette in the smudged ashtray. Taehyung nodded, watching as the ass shattered into lone, dusty little pieces.
Taehyeoung Kim was a brilliant yet brutal man. Age 57, Standing at the intimidating height of 6'4 with legs as long as a Monday, eyes as sharp as a feline. He had greased up black hair and large, cold hands. A sharp jawline with spiky white teeth. Thin pink lips and a slim dimple on his left cheek. He dressed to match his persona. Black dress suits and smooth snake skin dress shoes. Shiny rolex watches and crisp, folded handkerchiefs. He was an insidiously modest man, that was the best way Taehyung could describe him. Mysteriously, murderously well kempt.
Taehyung watches as his senior takes out a rolled up stack of printed press. Slapping it down on the table. Taehyung looked down at the table, pretending to be shocked as he widened his eyes and pulled the paper closer and read the headline.
"MISSING BOY NOW FOUND! 17 YEAR OLD DANIEL CHARLESTON'S BODY FOUND BEHIND FAMOUS TEEN HOTSPOT IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO."
"Look, I can explain." Taehyung said. His father is shaking his head the second 'Look' leaves his lips. Standing up to his feet as he traced his trimmed mustache with the tip of his index finger.
"Don't say anything." He says. "I know this was your doing, Taehyung. I didn't take your back to Daegu just so you could come back home and make dumb decisions like these. I put you in charge because I trust you. Do not make me regret that."
Taehyung nodded. He felt shameful. Although his father could be a chronic pain in the ass, he was still someone whom Taehyung respected. A parent. A guardian. He taught Taehyung everything he knew. It was sensible to hold him in such high praise. It hurt when he was disappointed in him.
As much as Taehyung believed that, he knew that there were some skeletons in his closet that couldn't be revealed to his father. Sins laying over his shoulder, kept hidden away. Taehyung wasn't the best person, nowhere near a sinner. Taehyeoung Knew that there were many flaws to his son. But what he didn't know was saving him.
"You just got out of prison. Not even five months ago. I was able to pull you out from hell once, but if you meet satan again before it's your time..." the man shook his head, chuckling.
"I told them to get rid of him because we gave him too many changes. You taught me to not give more than a single chance." Taehyung said.
"That's true. But you have to be careful, Taehyung."
"Yes sir." Taehyung cleared his throat, pushing the newspaper back up on the desk. He knew that this wasn't the only reason as to why he had been called up to this shithole of a meeting spot. Taehyung anticipated his fathers next words, and waited impatiently for him to say them.
"Besides addressing your trigger happiness." Mr.Kim said, pulling out his drawer and taking out a cigar. Moving on form a cigarette to a cigar in the span of five minutes.
"I have a task for you." He plops down, sparking the cigar. Taehyung craved to have a cigarette but he needed to push that though to the back of his mind.
"The man that you just seen in here was Mr.Woo. I had him go on a little mission for me. Got some new dirt on an old friend of ours."
"Who?" Taehyung queries. His father smirked, taking a heavy pull from the cigar.
"Starts with a B, ends with a Y." He says. And it hardly takes much time before Taehyung figured out who it was. Raising a brow, he fell back in his seat. He thought that was interesting, fun. He figured Bobby would've been dead by now. He had stolen from a couple of gangs. Taehyung thought that they would've gotten to him by now. But no.
It was quite apparent that he was as smooth as a snake. Managing to slither between all of their fingers and make his way out. Taehyung was impressed. Pissed to know that he was back in the picture, but still impressed.
"Owns that club downtown. It's quite popular. The Red Room, is it?"
Taehyung nodded. The name was familiar, although he had never been there. He didn't know the ins or the outs of that place but a name did come to mind when he thought of it. A close friend of his who still resided in South Korea til this day. But Taehyung knew how to reach him, figuring his health was needed.
"I need you to serve as something of a spy for me. He's over $125,000 in debt with us. I have yet to take a step into that club but I just know he's bringing figures in, here it's quite packed on Friday nights."
"Spy?" Taehyung asked, giving in to his temptations and removing the cigarette from behind his ear. He grabbed his father's lighter and used it to spark the cigarette, taking a pull and slipping it from between his lips.
"Yes. Just get a feel of the place for me. I know how I want this done but we can't move in until we're certain of the business operation. So don't do anything hot headed."
"I won't." Taehyung says, promising without making an actual promise. He could look at his father and see that the man clearly did not believe him. But Taehyung didn't bother to make him believe. He was still trying to process the fact that the entire time, Bobby had been running a business downtown and he didn't know about it. A sneaky bastard he was. Taehyung considered that a game well played.
•••
The nearest pay phone is a quarter mile away from Taehyung. He makes it there in no time, parking the Buick alongside the curb before stepping out. Slipping in his change, he dials the number he had kept written on a tattered piece of paper in his wallet. Holding the phone up to his ear as it dialed.
He hoped that he got an answer. Usually, Taehyung preferred to handle things on his own. But it wouldn't hurt to reunite with an old friend. His partner in crime.
"I don't screw around with many people from the states so this must be V."
Taehyung chuckled, hearing the rasp of the familiar voice he hadn't heard in awhile.
"Hoseok. Still the same nitty gritty bastard you've always been." He says.
"You're the only mother fucker I know who changes over night, Kim." The man on the other end laughs. Taehyung narrowed his eyes as the sun came over him.
"What's up?"
"I need your help." Taehyung says, looking down at the cracks in the ground.
"That's never good." Taehyung couldn't deny that statement. Him needing help was always a red flag for danger. But everybody he knew he was blanketed in red flags, lived in danger. Had grown up on danger. Hoseok Jung was no exclusion.
"Are you familiar with a spot called The Red Room?"
-
A/n: heheeeee☺️I know for a fact y'all are going to enjoy Hoseok's character in this.
How are y'all liking the re-written version so far? The 80's slang, the pay phones, the cars etc? Lmkkk.
Excuse any mistakes <3.