ARC1/CHP5: Shadows of Fear
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As they gazed towards the doorway, they beheld Jungkook's imposing presence, his unyielding glare causing the room to erupt in a state of panic and nervousness.
"K-Kook, it's not our fault," Taehyung stammered, avoiding eye contact as he scratched the back of his neck. "Jin hyung asked us to come with him."
"Y-yeah, that's right," J-Hope chimed in, his voice quivering with apprehension.
"We didn't even know where he was taking us," Suga added nonchalantly, trying to seem unfazed by the situation.
"Traitors," Jin muttered under his breath.
Namjoon remained silent, choosing not to risk Jin's wrath. The others quickly shifted the blame onto Jin, before scurrying away.
"Hyung, I'll pretend I didn't see anything. So, go on, I'll have a word with the boy," Jungkook said, his tone devoid of emotion as he looked into his hyung's eyes.
"Kook, don't you dare..." Jin started but was cut off by Jungkook.
"Hyung," he said firmly. "Out."
With that, Jin was promptly escorted out, too intimidated to challenge the situation, leaving Jungkook alone with the boy who still stood awkwardly in the center of the room, visibly shaking and with tears streaming down his face.
The intense gaze from Jungkook made the boy flinch. he approached him, placing his index finger under the boy's chin and tilting his head upwards, holding his gaze intently for several moments before speaking.
"Look me in the eyes," Jungkook commanded, his voice deep and authoritative."You don't want me to get angry, do you?"
"N-no, I'm s-sorry," the boy stuttered, barely able to keep eye contact with the boss.
" I said look at my eyes when I'm talking to you," he demanded, his voice carrying a warning tone. The boy was too afraid to disobey and raised his gaze to meet Jungkook's.
"That's better. Since I gave my word to Jin hyung, I won't hurt you yet. But let's make a deal," Jungkook stated, his eyes never leaving the boy.
"W-what d-deal?" the boy asked, hope in his voice.
" I'll allow you to ask two questions, but in return, you must promise to not escape and to answer any questions I have for you after two days. If you don't, you'll face the consequences, and I assure you, they won't be pleasant."
"P-p-p-promise," stuttered Jimin, trembling as he tried to maintain a steady gaze.
"Promise what, beautiful?" inquired the boss, his finger tracing the outline of Jimin's jaw as he tenderly stroked his hair with his other hand.
"I-I p-promise to answer all y-your questions a-and not to flee. I h-h-haven't got a-anywhere else to g-go, anyway," Jimin muttered unsteadily, hoping that his final words would go unnoticed. But the boss heard them clearly and felt as though his heart had shattered, yet he quickly suppressed the feeling, cognizant of the fact that it violated his code to feel anything.
"Excellent. Now, ask your questions and try to overcome your stutter. Your stammering is getting on my nerves" growled Jungkook, growing increasingly annoyed by Jimin's halting speech.
"S-s-sorry. I'll do my best. I j-just don't m-m-mingle with people m-much and I'm f-frightened," Jimin said, his voice shaking less as he was comforted by the boss's gentle touch.
"That's better. Ask away. I don't have an abundance of time," the boss commanded sternly.
"W-w-why am I here and w-who are you?" Jimin questioned swiftly, eager to conclude the tribulation.
"I am Jeon Jungkook, the head of the Bangtan Mafia, and you're here because of Park Chin Hae," the boss declared, bending down to Jimin's ear and sending shivers down his spine with his raspy voice.
"I'll see you in two days," he murmured in Jimin's ear before striding out the door and slamming it behind him.
On the other side of the door, Jungkook leaned against the wall, clutching his chest as he grappled with what had just transpired.
"What was that? What were you thinking, Jeon Jungkook? Next time you speak with him, you will be blindfolded. His appearance is dangerous," he muttered to himself before marching away.
Jungkook was unacquainted with the depths of emotions and feelings, having only shared and cherished them with his eldest brothers after years of being closed off. He had never been particularly inclined to get close to others or form intimate connections, but lately, he has been challenging his own mental barriers and pondering if perhaps he was missing out on something profound
after he retreated to his room he settled himself on the couch and fired up his laptop. Despite tackling the most menial and effortless tasks for the day, he was fatigued from the restless night's sleep.
After a two-hour session on the computer, he glanced at the clock and realized it was 11 am. He considered taking a nap to ensure he was fully rested for the following day, Just as he was about to drift off, his phone rang, its melodious tone filling the room
RING RING RING ( SMOOTH LIKE BUTTER ....)
with a groan jungkook picked up the phone, answering the call.
"Hello, Mr. Jeon. I hope you're well. I apologize for the intrusion, but I must inform you that a gang attempted to steal the weapons you ordered. We have dealt with the situation, but you will need to inspect them to ensure nothing is amiss," the caller said
"What measures did you take to handle the situation? Did you kill them before interrogating them?" he asked, concerned about who dared to cross him.
"No, sir. They fled the moment they learned it was Bangtan's weapons. It was a small gang and they pose no threat to us," the caller responded, sounding slightly panicked
"How dare you take any action without my permission! I want them captured by tomorrow or you'll be sending your head to your wife as a gift," he said coldly.
"Understood, sir. I'll make sure to capture them," the caller mumbled, clearly afraid of the consequences.
"How dare you take any action without my permission! I want them captured by tomorrow or you'll be sending your head to your wife as a gift," he said coldly
."Understood, sir. I'll make sure to capture them," the caller mumbled, clearly afraid of the consequences.
"The weapons are of great importance, so I'll inspect them myself. That's all, Mr. Gwan," he concluded before hanging up. Before leaving to inform the others of his plans, just in case something unexpected arose in his absence.
Fortunately, he discovered all of them in the living room, each engaged in their respective activities. They all turned towards him with a hint of concern etched on their faces, still apprehensive from the earlier events
Their intention was not to defy Jungkook's commands or to upset him, but rather to meet Jimin and get to know him. Without a second thought, they went to his room, disregarding everything else.
"As I informed Jin hyung," he said, "I shall feign ignorance but caution must be exercised in the future." They nodded in relief, grateful for his understanding.
"Mr. Gwan has requested my presence," he notified them, "please tend to matters while I am away." And with that, he exited the room, only to be halted by Yoongi's voice.
"Is everything all right?" Yoongi enquired, "Do you need my assistance?" He shook his head, indicating that everything was fine and he did not require their help.
"It's nothing serious," he assured, before departing and closing the door behind him.
In the living room, the group remained uneasy after the prior disturbance and were wary of approaching Jungkook or following him. Taehyung broke the silence, saying, "Guys, I think he's still angry with us."
Hoseok, looking anxious, inquired, "Do you not find his behavior lately peculiar?"
Yoongi chimed in, his expression tinged with concern, "I was pondering the same. I'm shocked he hasn't murdered Jimin yet."
Jin calmly explained, "I implored him not to. I warned him that he would lose the information if anything happened to Jimin."
Namjoon confidently countered, "Jin hyung, you know that when he's incensed or focused on a task, he disregards everything and anyone. He acts without hesitation." The room fell silent as everyone pondered their next move.
Jin broke the stillness, stating seriously, "I don't believe he's going to kill Jimin."
Tae asked, puzzled, "Why do you think that?"
Jin clarified, "You all know that Jungkook kills immediately after he obtains his answers. If the hostage is unwell, like Jimin, he gives them a maximum of two days before ending their life. But this time, he gave Jimin five days and didn't mention anything about killing him. He only mentioned that he would do whatever he wanted with him after that."
Tae nodded in agreement, "Jungkook always mentions killing when he decides someone should die."
Hoseok asked hopefully, "So, he's not going to kill him, right?"
Namjoon replied, "I cannot predict the future, but for now, I don't think so."
Jin chuckled, "Jungkook's behavior is always unpredictable and hard to decipher."
"anyways, Come on guys, let's go have some fun with Cutie since Kook isn't here," Tae begged, making prayer hands,
Yoongi declined, "Not a chance, kid. The last time we disobeyed him, he made us run for ten hours straight and sleep outside. I love my bed too much."
Hoseok whined, cupping his face, "Count me out too. He only made us run for ten hours because it was a minor infraction. I'm sure next time it will be worse."
With a mournful nod, Tae acknowledged his disappointment at not being able to spend time with Jimin. Despite his desire, he comprehended why the others were reluctant to upset Jungkook further.
As the group reconvened in the dining room for a peaceful lunch, Jin sought to make amends with Tae. He suggested sending him upstairs with food as a gesture of peace, hoping to ease Tae's disappointment.
However, moments after Tae's departure, a frantic cry rang out, echoing through the mansion as he bolted down the stairs, visibly shaken.
"JIN HYUNG! CUTIE IS UNRESPONSIVE!
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