It was 4 o'clock already when Jungkook parked his car across an abandoned area of the city. Jimin had followed behind and his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Any logical person would think they are about to be murdered, but instead, Jimin trusted the younger was not a psychopath about to gut him and parked next to him.
The younger exists his car and Jimin's question pops up as soon as his car door closes. "Where the hell are we?"
"Can't you tell?" Jungkook raises his arms as if motioning toward their surroundings. "Welcome to Project Jabcho!"
Jimin's eyes widen. "Jabcho..? Dude I thought it was a myth."
Jungkook laughs at the informality as he starts walking toward it. "I'm surprised you know of it."
"I mean, all I know is that it was a fail." Jimin starts looking around at the train tracks that have been abandoned, how the familiarity only makes sense because of Jungkook. All around them were train carts empty, beaten down, another brand new and never used, some on their sides covered in bullet holes and he sees the pain it causes Jungkook to look at those specifically damaged ones, or rather feel it. "Wasn't it supposed to be a secret train system for drug deliveries?"
"Yup." Jungkook begins walking, holding out his hand for Jimin to avoid any rails that had been bent or any deep holes in the ground. Jimin is reluctant at first but takes his hand anyways. "It was Junmyeon's big idea, along with some of the other gang leaders. They started building it, Junmyeon had the Chinese police in his pocket, Soyeon's gang had the Korean, and Johnny's had an influence on the Americans that visited often. It was truly, the perfect scheme. Until other gangs that weren't under our alliance caught sight of it, started asking around, and well..."
Jungkook lets go of Jimin's hand and points at a scorched cart, one a couple of feet away riddled with bullets.
"They wanted in on the deal?" Jimin asks, but he knows it probably wasn't as simple as that.
"They wanted control." The sigh that escapes the younger lets Jimin's suspicions turn to certainty. "Mokpo's gang alliance didn't have the resources to pull anything like this off, they still don't and never did. It was envy that led to this."
Jimin lets go of Jungkook's hands and start walking towards the scorched train cart, wincing as he looks at it. "What happened?"
"What do you think?"
The blond barista can't even imagine--That's a lie... He can imagine the worst of everything that could have happened. People died, and suddenly, Taehyung's "I took a bullet for you," comes to mind.
"Yoongi's gang got caught up here," Jungkook shakes his head, his hair falling over his eyes as he sighs. "The poor potheads somehow ended at a gunfight. They weren't properly trained for this. There was nothing Yoongi could do while in another country so he left the highest-ranking member in charge, someone my age." He scoffs at the absurdity of it.
Jimin's eyes soften, "But this was a couple of years ago, wasn't it?"
The younger slowly nods. "Everyone... everyone Yoongi picks up is just like me and Tae, lost kids, ya know? Poor Yugyeom was just doing as he was told by Junmyeon. Back up and die for your alliance. Only he wasn't the one that died." The boy points to where Jimin stands. "Youngjae was shot straight in the eye right where you stand."
Jimin looks down beneath his feet and his eyes widen at the blood-stained cement he stands upon.
Jungkook then begins pointing at other spots where the grey cement has turned a dark grey, sometimes a dark brown. "Sunmin was 17, Soonbin was 16, Felix..."
Jimin's eyes begin to well up as he feels the pain in Jungkook's heart.
"And that's where I would have died if Taehyung hadn't pushed me out of the way."
The older looks at the cart that is riddled with bullets, dirt covering it as if he had been tipped over.
"Junmyeon had no idea that the resources the Mokpo gangs had were all spent on firepower." Jungkook clicks his tongue. "That's where he failed as a leader and as a comrade... Abandoning the scene and leaving five of his own to die as well. You can imagine how Yoongi felt when he got a call from our doctor telling him Taehyung was bleeding to death."
"That's!--" Jimin's eyes widen and his mouth is agape. "Hobi, he-he was in the hospital for a while, they said it was anemia but none of the treatments were working."
Jungkook decides to sit by the cart that should have been his deathbed. "We didn't pick this life, ya know? We didn't choose to be close to death every day, we didn't choose to be on the run, we didn't choose to be under a watchlist--"
"Why don't you leave then?"
Jungkook looks up at the older and the eyes that meet him are not those of concern sympathy or sadness... But of anger. "I may have not chosen this path, but this is the only family I got. If it had been under Yoongi's control, we would not have been here—None of his people would have died. After that, he became the prime leader of negotiations. Since he took over, no gang wars have occurred, no gunfights, and no dirty spies. He's made sure to amend the mistake that wasn't even his to fix."
"And you're okay with that?" Jimin's eyebrows furrow and he looks even angrier. "Your best friend almost died, and you live in the shadows, I mean for fuck's sake, you're investigating stolen drugs right now."
"I do what's good for the family."
"Family?" The laugh that escapes Jimin's mouth angers Jungkook and he is quick to stand up.
"What do you know of family, huh?"
Jimin whips his head at the younger, hurt all over his face (although there was no need to see it for Jungkook to know what that question caused.) "I had a family, you know? My parents may be dead, but at least..." He turns his head again, but Jungkook doesn't have to ask what he was going to say to know.
"Yeah, at least yours didn't abandon you, right?" Jungkook scoffs and pulls out his keys. "It was either have a tough like me as a soulmate or have me dead in the streets from starvation, Jimin."
The way he says Jimin's name like he meant it to be hissed, angered the older. "You know, you got a lot of nerve—"
Jungkook's phone begins ringing and the younger doesn't hesitate to answer, "Jungkook." Jimin scoffs, pulling out his keys as well.
"Get out of there."
Jungkook's eyes widen and he starts looking around. "Where are you Tae?"
"Nowhere near you, I saw your location and something told me to check what Jay Park was up to after you mentioned him and he's walking about the train tracks. It's too much to explain, are you alone?"
Jungkook turns to Jimin who now looks confused. "I'm with Jimin."
"Shit, he's going your direction. There's no way he won't see you if you drive away now."
"Find me a hiding spot."
Jimin's eyes go wide and he rushes closer to Jungkook, whispering. "A hiding spot? What's going on?"
Jungkook shushes him quietly, looking around as he pulls Jimin down so that the two are crouching by his car. "Tae, spot please."
"I'm fucking looking."
Jungkook opens his passenger door, grabbing a gun from inside his glove box, and the moment Jimin sees it, he starts getting anxious. "What's happening? Do we need that? Are we okay?"
Jungkook quickly places the gun in his jacket's pocket and grabs a hold of Jimin's right shoulder while still holding his phone to his ear. "We're okay, I promise. There's a gang leader here that I do not get along with, but—" Jimin starts hyperventilating and it makes Junkook stutter. "But h-he can't do anything to us. If he were to do anything, he'd be put on trial at the Gathering, just... Breathe okay?"
Jimin starts rambling, "I thought this was safe, I-I trusted you."
"Jimin," Jungkook places his hand on Jimin's cheek. The two stare at each other. "This," He gestures at his gun, "is just a precaution. If anything happens, I will keep you safe. You have my word."
Jimin nods and just as he breathes out, Taehyung speaks in Jungkook's ear. "There's a small abandoned building behind where you parked, it should distance you from the train tracks and Park, but it'll be a ways from your cars. If something happens, right at the back of the building there's a passage back into town where it's busy."
"Text me when he's gone."
"I'll keep you updated. Wait, hey."
"What?" Jungkook grabs a hold of Jimin's hand, looking around before they start walking to the location Taehyung has texted Jungkook.
"Just make him take deep breaths and distract him, should help with the anxiety."
"Thanks." He hangs up and starts acting less worried, so as to not cause the older one to panic. He can see what's ahead of him and Jay Park should be far enough that he can't see them. He sees the way Jimin's shoulders tense up and he is fidgeting with his other hand. "Jimin, I promise you nothing bad is going to happen. I want to prevent him from seeing you and relating you to me, that is all."
Jimin looks at Jungkook, confused, "Why would that matter? Is he after you?"
"No, no, Jimin." Jungkook laughs it off. "You want nothing more of this life that you already deal with, right?" The older slowly nods. "So I'm just respecting that wish. Park saw me lurking at the gang bar recently so he's already a little wary of me and being here might entice some suspicion. That's all."
Jimin still looks suspiciously at the younger, but his anxiety calms down, his breathing becoming more paced. "If you say so..."
Jungkook opens the door of the abandoned building, pulling the older one inside. It's not the best place to lay rest, let alone sit, but the younger could not risk Jay Park seeing him. The truth is, nobody but gang leaders was allowed back there. After the incident, Yoongi forbade anyone without authority there, including his gang. It was a safety measure, to prevent further fighting, unregulated trafficking, or anything of the sort. If Jay Park saw Jungkook there, not only would he be questioned, Jimin would be too, and Yoongi would be in a lot of trouble.
Jungkook swipes away the dust on a broken-down couch, springs coming out of the sides, one of the arms rests being stripped of its fabric. He taps one of the cushions to make sure it is safe and motions for Jimin to sit.
The older sits, fidgeting with his hands, looking about nervously. "This is not how I thought I'd be spending my day."
Jungkook watches his phone, waiting for an update from Taehyung. Nothing so far. "To be fair, neither did I."
Jimin huffs, remembering the comments said earlier. "Is it always trouble with you?"
"I'd rather not have this conversation again." Jungkook folds his hands as he leans on a doorway leading to what used to be a kitchen.
"Well, I would like to."
Jungkook only has to turn and look at him with stern eyes for Jimin to quickly be quiet. When the younger turns back to face his phone, he feels his face relaxes and he feels a chill come down his spine. Something was off. Why, of all places and people, was Jay Park patrolling here?