ﾌ丨爪丨几
𝙳𝚘𝚒𝚗' 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 † 𝙲𝙷𝙿 𝟸
BUT, WHERE OTHERS LIKE ANDRIS BLANC RESIDE IN LUXURY, the rest struggle with the crushing food chain. Where the prey fights at the bottom and struggles to rise to the top of power to join their kings in their golden city of El' Dorado. Some kiss their ass, wrap noose-like collars around their throats and take it like well-trained hounds. Others drown out their inferiority in sex, alcohol or maybe even in violence. Either way the formulas never equate to anything postive.
Park Jimin feels he's the outcome of that equation. Someone who's practically done everything humanly possible to get on top, settling on stealing little by little from the stuffed pigs who toot their snouts at them. Eat the rich they say, Jimin doubts their taste would be edible to begin with. His tastebuds are more trained, he has an acquired taste for money. Who doesn't..?
Sometimes he wishes Midas had been walking on the planes of earth, perhaps he could've convined the asshole to turn his life to gold. Jimin chuckled softly to himself at the thought, it was humorous for a short while, he almost forgot he was cleaning the wound under his bottom lip. He dabbed at it with cotton pads, the hydrogen peroxide hissed and fizzled. He chewed at his bottom lip at the mild pain, but it didn't hurt as much as the wound itself.
He tossed them in the trashcan in the bathroom, hunching over the cracked porcelain sink as he lifted his head to gaze through his blonde fringe. A pathetic sight really, who would want to see him like this..?
He pouted his bottom lip, pushing his mid-length golden hair from his forehead in a damped-slick back style from the steam of his recent shower. Jimin's fingers dance across his neck, the brusies from his scuffle showing in the reflection of the mirror. He grinded his molars as he reminisced.
The crown was in his greedy hands. He had it in his clutches. He knows he's not mistaken, but the taller bulid, the fighting style in which the stranger had used to apprehend the crown and injuring him all at once and those eyes... Those damned eyes. All of the attributes pointed to the wretched Park family. it may be far-fetched, and perhaps he's paranoid that their following him.
Perhaps, he's not as free as he preaches.
Jimim scoffed outwardly, stepping away from the mirror and snatching one of the random towels off of their rack as he threw it across his shoulders. Exiting the bathroom and greeted with his shaggy apartment, it was small. Cramped even. Every thing was directly in your face, the kitchen in one corner and his bed in the other. Despite that, it was home still.
The floorboards weeped under his weight, feeling them bend under the pads of his toes. He padded up to the cluttered wall in the room, boards along with pictures all connected with red string and sometimes even blue. He doesn't exactly have a place to cook up most of his larger heists, he keeps it on the wall. It's easier that way though.
His eyes squinted at the calander that hung on the wall, the date appearing in front of him along with a circle over it.
He pondered it, what could that be referencing..- Oh!
That damn party,
a loud slam of a door interrupted him, he flinched alittle but the gentle and slightly anxious brown eyes greeting him, along with short- close to buzzed hair and plump lips to tie along with her dark skin.
No one other than the real owner of this home that he freeloads in, Adelaine.
"Hey, Ade." He raised his brow, his lips forming into a knowing smirk when she scowled. But, her eyes traveled down his body, noticing his ruffled white shirt and his disheveled appearance.
"When'd you get in here..? And what is all this shit on my wall!?" She exclaimed.
"Last night, you were asleep and I didn't feel like asking so I broke in last night. Oh, and I did this a couple hours ago while you were at work." He shrugged, scooting past her as he dug through her kitchen without invitation.
"Right..-" Ade rolled her eyes when she noticed a bandage on his arm that was darkened in color from previous bleeding.
"What happened?" She said with urgency.
"Uhh, you remember that shitty auction I said I was gonna crash..? Apparently, some others thought the same as me. Got beat up pretty badly from it.."
"Well, that obviously didn't stop you from swiping shit on your way back.." She deadpanned, her fingers pulling a gold wrist watch from his back pocket.
"You know I can't help myself, Ade." Jimin said sheepishly.
She groaned outwardly, grabbing him by his other arm to lead him in the direction of her bathroom. Her place wasn't spectacular, but it was better than anywhere he could've possibly went. It's his home whenever he needs it. Adelaine is simply a college student from america, fluent in Korean but not infected with the conservative views. She doesn't judge him much, though he knows she's not fond of his lifestyle. She's the only one who'd willingly house a thief and not call the authorities on him and he loves her for that.
"Here, you don't want it to get infected."
"I already sutured it-"
"Boy, please. It's still bleeding and you don't wanna get a fever from junk like this." She stated, jerking him around slightly as she unwrapped the dirted bandage before reaching to put some hydrogen peroxide in a cotton pad, dabbing it onto his wounds with a slight hiss of pain from him.
"Whoever did this got you good.." She murmured, finding some more bandages and unwrapping them with her hand. Jimin gritted his teeth, remembering the other person he had got into it with.
"Well, it might've gotten alittle bit torn since I got into it with someone from The Monarchy right after.." He added nonchalantly. He heard possibly every item in Ade's hand fall to the tiles of the bathroom floor as he dared to look at her. Just as he assumed, her jaw was dropped and her eyes were almost bulging from her head.
"The Monarchy..? As in..- Those gangster guys!? As in those assholes who slang drugs and guns and don't fuck around about their money!?"
"Calm down..-"
"Jimin, you could die. They could track you down you do know that right!?" Ade exasperated, gaining a bored eye roll from Jimin who blew a 'raspberry' with his lips.
"I'm not scared of them, Ade.. Besides, their leader's a punk with no balls. He had me at point blank range with his gun and didn't shoot. Not so big and bad if you ask me." Jimin had a slight smirk from the memory, pacing out of the bathroom and back out to the living room of Ade's aparetment, where he plopped down carelessly onto her couch.
"Maybe he wanted to torture you or something.. He's basically apart of the mafia..? Those guys don't let people go without reason, Jimin." Ade stressed, but the unbothered and sprawled form of Jimin told her her words weren't getting through his thick skull.
"Maybe it's my irresistible charm that wooed him." He teased.
"Oh, please.. You're not that attractive." She rolled her eyes, seating herself beside him on the couch. He glared at her for a split second before continuing.
"Sidenote..- I lost my knife while fighting the guy. Still pretty pissed about it, it took me awhile to get that.." He pouted his bottom lip, sitting up from his slumped position to rest his cheek on Ade's shoulder. Personal space wasn't something Jimin knew the meaning to, growing up he lacked things like closeness. Now, he's a bit lost when it comes to it's limits.
Thankfully, Ade was more than understanding. Another reason to love her.
"You should probably go find it. If they find out your names on it they could use it to track you down." Ade said mindlessly, but Jimin quickly shot up from her shoulder from the sudden strike of realization that shot through him like lightning.
"What..?" She murmured.
"I left it in his leg." He said blankly.
"Jimin!"
"I forgot, okay!?"
Ade placed her face between her hands, taking deep inhales and long exhales as if to calm her rising stress levels. She followed suit after Jimin, standing next to him with a scowl.
"You need to get that back and fast. I promise you he'll find you through it, practically half of the streets know you, don't they..?"
"Not for good reasons, most likely all they'll tell them is that I fuck good.."
"Jimin this is serious!"
"I'm being serious!" He pressed. "I'm not gonna just not go outside. Fuck them. I already said I'm not scare of whatever the hell those guys are capable of." Jimin had approached the thick duffle bag he had brung, pulling one of the shirts he had packed over his head, caring not for his hair being tussled from the frantic action.
"But, Jimin..-"
"I've been through hell before and almost nothing burns hotter than that. So, tell me what's suppose to scare me, Ade..?" He raised a challenging brow, his lips downturned as they stood in an stare down between each other.
Adelaine averted her eyes, her lips thinning awkwardly as she held herself in her arms. His intention wasn't to be aggressive, but she can't expect him to stay here for the rest of his life. That's not him, she knows that.
He doesn't stay in one place for long.
"I didn't mean to worry you.. I shouldn't of came here, I'm sorry.." He murmured, pulling his coat down from it's coat rack as he pulled his arms through the sleeves. But, as his hand reached for the doorknob another had stopped him in his tracks as he turned back around to see Ade.
"What's gonna get you to stop this, Jimin..?" She suddenly said in a hushed tone, there was a hint of unconfront hurt in her voice. As if she's had this thought in her head for awhile.
"What do you mean?" He played dumb. He had to, this wasn't an issue he wanted to acknowledge.
"When are you gonna stop risking your life? Money isn't everything, Jimin. There's other things in this world besides money, why chase it like everyone else..?"
Ignorance. Every letter that left her lips spelt Ignorance. She moved here thanks to her parents, she's willingly choosing to work hard knowing her parents are willing to step in at any point in time. She's never been alone, she's never struggled, she's never been hurt, betrayed. To be without power is torture. To not have necks to crush under your heel, to be the one on the bottom. He'll never be at the bottom of the barrel ever again. To hell with whatever saying these fools preach.
Money does buy happiness. He's seen it with his own two eyes, watched as the loved ones who achieved it cried with not tears of sorrow but unbridled, raw joy. It's euphoria, activates the dopamine in your brain like the world's finest drug.
He's long been addicted.
"The crown that was stolen at the auction is worth 100 million won.. If sold to a good buyer could be worth billions." Jimin had voiced, turning his body in the direction of Ade before placing his hands upon her shoulders. His stare was firm and cold, but unmoving from hers.
"You want me to stop, Ade..? Help me find the fuck who took my holy grail away." He said bluntly. Ade's lips parted, a soft gasp leaving them from shock.
"If you can do that, I'll never steal again. I don't break promises." 'Because I never make any..' That thought remained unsaid.
"..." She contemplated, this was such a fucked up ultimatum. He wasn't giving her many options, both of them were terrible. She'd feel terrible either way..
But, before she could give him her answer he had already tore the door open, revealing the pouring rain of outside before he could step out into the freezing weather she grabbed his arm.
"Wait! Where are you going..? I haven't answered yet." She exclaimed.
"I gotta find a masquerade mask and the snazziest suit I can find. Answer me after that." He said nonchalantly, Ade's brows cocked in confusion.
"Why..?" Ade watched as a small smirk formed on his lips.
"I'm going to a party." It was simple, his words were straight to the point. But, he knew that she knew there was almost always more to whatever he said. So, he wasn't surprised when she came trotting after him shortly after with an umbrella in hand. He hopes this isn't the last time they'll walk together, but if he's going straight into the lion's den to get his shiner back,
So be it. He's got a bit of an axe to grind with the Park family anyway.
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Not BTS going to the white house?? 😭