Yoongi sits on his bed, his eyes cast down as he tries to think of all the possible things Taehyung plans to do with his mother. He forced himself to not think of Junghyun because he would panic when he did. Junghyun didn't understand the seriousness of August's confidentiality and he would surely tell Taehyung everything he knew once Jungkook was mentioned.
It's possible Taehyung already knew Yoongi was a member of August.
Yoongi sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
The door opens behind him and Yoongi turns around to see Hyunjin. His breath is coming out in hard pants and there's dried blood stuck to one side of his face.
"Hyun-"
"Hyung, it's serious!" Hyunjin storms over to him.
Yoongi takes in the younger's panicked state, his dishevelled hair, and frowns, "How was your mission? Who did this to you?"
And the next three words that come out of Hyunjin's mouth are enough for Yoongi's feet to become heavy and for his head to lighten. He would've never expected, not in a million years, what Hyunjin says next.
"It was Vante!"
--------
"Kid, breathe," Namjoon stands in front of Hyunjin. "Breathe. In. Out."
Hyunjin nods and gladly takes the glass of water Hoseok offered and drinks it down in one gulp, relaxing himself, "'Kay, I'm good."
"Great," Namjoon nods. "Now, when did this happen?"
"We were in Daegu to extract all the intel from Sakura but when we tried to go through the underground sector, Vante was right there," Hyunjin rants.
Sakura was one of the smaller gangs in Korea, nothing but a pain in August's ass from time to time.
"Underground?" Hoseok frowns. "Why didn't you kill him?"
"He's on the no-hit list," Namjoon reminds Hoseok.
Hoseok tches.
"How did he find the underground tunnel?" Yoongi asks, pacing the room.
"Why didn't he kill you?" Hoseok turns back to Hyunjin.
"I-" Hyunjin blinks. "I don't know."
"He killed everybody else," Namjoon frowns. "You're the lone survivor."
Hyunjin blinks again and looks down at the ground, trying to understand what happened.
Namjoon and Hoseok shared unsure glances before studying Hyunjin from head-to-toe.
Yoongi pauses and frowns, a thought occurring to him. He marches forward and tears open Hyunjin's shirt, pulling the locket chain off his neck.
Hyunjin winces and rubs the back of his neck as Yoongi studies the ring hanging from the chain.
Hyunjin gulps.
Yoongi's eyes burn with rage as he looks back at Hyunjin. "You went with this?"
"Uh..." Hyunjin swallows again and exhales a shaky breath.
Namjoon's mouth hangs open. "Shit."
Hoseok tches again.
"You disobeyed a direct order and went in with this?" Yoongi flares his nostrils and steps forward, towering over Hyunjin.
Hyunjin leans back in his seat, "What- what does that have to do with anything? It's just a ring."
Yoongi clenches his jaw and grits his teeth. "I told you, go with what Namjoon gives you. Did Namjoon give you the ring?"
Hyunjin opens his mouth to respond but then closes it again.
"Why didn't you check him?" Yoongi faces Namjoon.
"I-I asked him if he had anything extra on him," Namjoon steps back. "He said no."
"You lied?" Yoongi raises his voice at Hyunjin.
"Appa, I'm sorry, it's just- the ring is important- I get anxiety without it- I-"
"You have risked all our lives!"
"Appa, I'm sorry!"
Yoongi stares down at him, clenching his fist, squeezing the chain in his hand.
"The ring saved his life," Hoseok says from behind.
"And risked the rest of ours!" Yoongi turns around.
"No, that is your fault!"
"How is it-"
"Who told you to go to Croatia and provoke him?" Hoseok advances towards Yoongi, raising his voice. "This one's on you."
Yoongi stays silent, studying Hoseok's enraged expression and straightening himself, stuffing the ring in his pocket as Hyunjin stares at it, his features fear-stricken.
Yoongi and Hoseok keep up their staring contest as Namjoon extends a hand out for Hyunjin to walk him out the room. Hyunjin obliges and exhales a breath of relief as Namjoon closes the door behind him.
"Everything that is happening right now," Hoseok says firmly. "Is a consequence of your actions from the past year."
Yoongi doesn't respond.
"Any trouble we get from Taehyung is your fault. You let him into Korea a year ago and failed to keep an eye on him. You spent six months with him and slowed down all the progress we were working towards. You faked your death, and then met him."
"You wouldn't understand."
"Maybe I wouldn't," Hoseok says defiantly. "After all, what do I know about love? But what I do know about, is August. And if you're prioritising Taehyung over us, maybe you shouldn't be the leader anymore."
Yoongi takes a step back, frowning a little, doubt settling in his eyes.
Namjoon looks down, ashamed to admit he agrees with Hoseok.
Yoongi turns his gaze to Namjoon to try and determine his opinion and he looks away when he finds his answer in Namjoon's silence.
"That's why you both are here," Yoongi's voice is soft, broken almost. "I am not the only leader. That was our deal. The three of us, together. I don't know why you both look at it differently. I am not the leader."
Hoseok keeps his stubborn gaze, anger brimming within him, clearly evident in his narrowed eyes.
Yoongi looks at Namjoon, "Huh?"
Namjoon inhales deeply, "I hate to say this, but that's really not how you look at it."
"What?"
"You assumed your dominant position after Taehyung's family died and you let him in," Hoseok says. "Since then, it's just been your orders with us following. Taehyung ruined us."
"No," Namjoon shakes his head. "It's not Taehyung's fault. He did what he had to to survive."
"It's his obsession with Taehyung, then."
Namjoon inhales and purses his lips, nodding.
Yoongi looks between the two of them, feeling his mouth go dry as the reality of their words hits him.
He loves Taehyung too much.
How can he not?
Taehyung is a work of art, the Devil's most perfect creation.
--------
Jungkook sits in Taehyung's office, watching his room through the screen as the elder sits across from him.
Jungkook leans back in Taehyung's seat as Taehyung stretches himself in the guest's. It's strange, Jungkook doesn't really know why they ended up where they did. He just walked in and sat on Taehyung's chair, and to his surprise, Taehyung didn't stop him.
"Soobin's tape was tampered with," Taehyung says. "Someone in Jewels is still working for August."
"When did this happen?"
"The day Montero showed up."
"Why would Soobin lie?"
"So we wouldn't interrogate him."
"Is everybody in August a smart-ass?"
Taehyung sighs.
"We can go interrogate him now though, right?"
"No point."
"What does that mean?" Jungkook frowns. "He probably knows what Suga looks like."
"He'll keep denying it."
"What are you going to do with him then?
"Use him as a hostage."
"That's cheating."
"All is fair in love and war."
"That's still very low," Jungkook frowns. "Even for you."
"Well, Suga also cheated by lying."
"Suga sent him in honourably to clear up a misunderstanding by constructing lies to protect his messenger," Jungkook's voice changes tone involuntarily and Taehyung raises a brow at his attitude. "You are using a method of honour against him."
"He sent in spies, Jungkook," Taehyung blinks. "I don't see what's so honourable about that."
"You'd do the same."
"So, he can too."
"You're a dirty bastard, you know that?"
Taehyung chuckles shamelessly.
Jungkook tilts his head and smirks a little, "Always have been, and always will be."
Taehyung spreads his arms and leans back, "Kim Taehyung cares not for rules. A game has an objective, and I do everything I can to reach it."
Jungkook chuckles and shakes his head. "Trust me, I-"
Someone knocks on the door.
"Come in," Taehyung says.
The door opens to reveal Jimin, who raises a brow at Jungkook and shakes his head before walking in, "Vante, sir."
Taehyung purses his lips and nods.
Jimin stares at Taehyung and shifts from one foot to the other, "Uh, Tae..."
"What is it?" Taehyung places the papers in his hand on the table, directing his full attention to Jimin.
"It's Rings."
Jungkook almost chokes on air but controls himself as his hold tightens around the pen in his hand.
Taehyung frowns, "What did they do?"
"Taylor sent a message," Jimin takes a step back. "She wants to arrange a meeting with you and is on her way to Croatia as we speak."
Taehyung stands and looks into Jimin's eyes as if trying to determine the truth before he turns to Jungkook, his eyebrows furrowed in worry.
Jungkook gulps and tries to give Taehyung his most reassuring smile. It probably doesn't work, given how Jungkook needs a similar smile to be able to allow air into his lungs.
Taehyung looks back at Jimin, "Is she alone?"
Jimin shakes his head, "She said that at-most, she was gonna bring along seven people."
Taehyung nods, his lips settling in a frown. "When?"
"She says to expect her in four days."
Taehyung licks his lips and taps the table top with his fingers as Jungkook peers at both of them from behind some papers.
"Four days, four days," Taehyung looks around. "What date is that?"
"It's the twenty-third of September."
Taehyung nods, slowly at first but then firmly, "Elaphiti Islands, the twenty-fourth. Book her a room there with maximum security."
"Yes, sir," Jimin nods and walks out, closing the door behind him.
Taehyung stares after him for a few seconds before biting his lower lip. "The fuck does she want?"
Jungkook swallows and turns his attention down to his papers, "Who knows?"
Taehyung looks at Jungkook and his gaze studies the younger, piercing through his skin, watching everything, "First Montero, now her?"
Jungkook shrugs, not making eye contact, "Maybe she got the intel she needed from him."
"How did he deliver it?"
Jungkook shrugs again.
"Do you know anything about this?"
Jungkook clears his throat and shakes his head, "Nope."
"Nothing at all?"
"Absolutely not."
"I guess it will be no problem if you're part of the meeting, then."
--------
The walk back to Jungkook's room is quiet, insufferable even.
Jungkook clears his throat in the elevator while Taehyung casually taps his foot on the floor.
"Hmm?" Taehyung acknowledges.
"I was thinking," Jungkook starts, making sure he sounds confident and casual. "About your cigarette issue."
"Oh?"
"Why don't you put a tracker on the pack?"
"A tracker on the cigarette pack?"
"Yeah," Jungkook nods. "That way, if the tracker was disabled, you'll know someone did it on purpose and if it wasn't, you probably just did it on your own in a daze or something."
The elevator doors slide open and they both walk out as Taehyung nods. "That's a smart idea. I'll try."
Jungkook exhales and adjusts his posture, focusing on the calming chirping of the birds to relax himself.
"Jungkook, are you okay?"
Jungkook swallows and nods, "Yeah, it's just... Taylor Swift is coming here. I messed around a lot."
Taehyung stays quiet for a few seconds. Then he chuckles, rubbing Jungkook's upper back, "As long as you are loyal to me and I don't find out otherwise, you are under the protection of Vante and all those who swore their allegiance to him."
Jungkook nods, choosing to focus more on Tae's touch than his words.
"Oh," Jungkook quips. "My stop is here."
"So it is."
"I will see you later!"
Taehyung snickers and ruffles Jungkook's hair.
The elevator doors slide open again and Yeonjun comes running to Taehyung, "Sir! Sir!"
A look of annoyance passes over Taehyung's face before he turns to face Yeonjun. "What?"
Yeonjun comes to halt next to his seniors and pants for breath, "Another spy. From August."
Jungkook's uneasiness immediately turns to confusion as he watches the same expression flick across Taehyung's face before the elder nods, "Who is it?"
"Jisoo, sir."
Taehyung stills.
"What?" Jungkook looks between the two. "Who's Jisoo?"
Taehyung stiffens. He blinks a few times and then shakes his head, his posture easing, "Take her to the cell. I will see her in a few hours. And so will Jungkook."
Yeonjun nods, "Yes, sir."
"And make sure her daughter is taken to a safe location first," Taehyung adds quickly. "Appoint the best babysitter in the country."
"Yes, sir." Just like that, he walks back to the elevator, leaving the two in peace.
"Who's Jisoo?" Jungkook asks once Yeonjun is out of earshot.
Taehyung swallows and licks his lips, focusing his gaze on something behind Jungkook, "She started out as my therapist."
Jungkook raises a brow.
"You know, she was young and we had time to make her a part of the mafia and mould her according to our needs. But she and I got closer. I told her things I've never told anybody. One, because she was my therapist and two, because I felt like she understood me in a way not a lot of people did."
"Oh."
"Let's walk and talk," Taehyung heads back to the elevator, Jungkook falling into step behind him.
"I knew her before I even became the leader," Taehyung says, eyes ahead, as if he's still trying to process what Yeonjun just told him. "Jimin's mother hired her for me and she ended up joining the mafia after her family died of a hate crime."
Jungkook nods and studies Taehyung's posture. Stiff, tired and confused. He's in denial.
"She's still your therapist?" Jungkook prods.
"Oh, no," Taehyung shakes his head. "She's one of the head doctors here but I fired her as my therapist when I became leader. We both were still very close though, and I consider her to be one of my greatest friends."
Taehyung's voice becomes strained and Jungkook tries to think of a way to reassure him.
"I'm sure there's a logical explanation behind whatever she did."
Taehyung nods. "Yeah, it doesn't make any sense that she would be from August."
They stop in front of the elevator and Jungkook presses the 'up button', standing back and waiting for the lift.
"She came into my life three years ago," Taehyung continues. "And she didn't know I was involved with the Park family in the criminal sense. Why would she be a spy from August?"
The elevator door opens and they're confronted by someone else, who steps back.
Taehyung shakes his head and the man nods, closing the doors and continuing his way down.
"Plus, that was just when Suga first became leader, about three and a half years ago," Jungkook adds. "I doubt he'd plant a spy over you when you didn't even have anything to do with the mafia and your existence wasn't all that well-known."
At this, Taehyung's eyebrows raise slightly, "Unless..."
Jungkook cocks a brow, already dreading what Taehyung was going to say next. "Unless...?"
"Unless Yoongi really is a member of August."
Jungkook freezes, going over the probability of that being true. "God, I wish that didn't make sense."
----
A/N:
Welp- thoughts?
So, my Orchids, how are you this lovely month? Happy Pride Month to all my fellow queers and allies!
About the book, does it feel like we're moving forward or we're just at a standstill? Are things going too slow, or is it just right? Please, give an honest review.
What do you think of the book so far, plot-wise?
And you guys are realy fast, you know that? 😭😭👌
Thank you so much for just existing.
I purple you! 💜💜💜