Taehyung's POV
I sped and zoomed along the way. I just need to deliver him to Jimin. Once I do that, I'm done with my part. They can do whatever the hell they want with him and his fucking brother. I won't partake anymore. I don't care about the damn seat in the council anymore. I just have to finish what I promised Jimin. So that he can leave. Then, I'll leave too.
I passed through a bump on the road. There was a muffled thud coming from the trunk of the car. I held the stirring wheel tighter. Close. Almost there. I just have to drop him off. Then I'll come back. To Jungkook. I'll ask him to leave with me. To live with me. We'll go far away. Far away from the Parks, Bang Mafia and the Grim Reaper. In case something goes wrong.
I stopped in front of a dark, bleak and abandoned building. I huffed before getting out the car and unlocked the trunk. I pulled it open. He was there, all tied up with a black cloth sack over his head. He wriggled when I pulled him out. I can hear his stifled yells.
"Shut the fuck up. Just wait. You'll soon be reunited with your damn brother."
I yanked him to walk with me. We reached the door and went in. Inside, Jimin was sitting on a single chair at the middle of the vast empty space.
"You're here."
He stood up and marched to meet me.
"Here he is."
I pushed him. He fell hard on the floor.
"Do what you want with him. You don't have to worry about what I asked you before."
"You changed your mind?"
I nodded. "I'll be leaving too."
"Where?"
"I don't know yet."
"You want to come with me?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. If something goes wrong."
Jimin sighed. "You're right. You're going immediately?"
"I am. Just promise me something. Make the motherfucking Grim Reaper suffer. And make sure he'll end up dead."
He sweetly smiled. "I will. I promise."
"See you when I see you."
I turned to leave. I heard Jimin groan. He was pulling our hostage towards the chair. I continued walking and was about to push the door.
"Taehyung?"
My eyes widened and my body froze. What? What the hell is he doing here? I slowly looked back. Jungkook was seated on the chair in the middle of the room. His hands and feet were tied. His face was bruised and beaten. He has a busted lip and a gushing wound on his eyebrow.
No. It can't be. I was the one who took him. I took Jung Hoseok. I can't mistake Jungkook for him.
"Why?"
Tears started to pour out of his eyes.
"Why did you do this to me?"
He cried. I rushed back to him and kneeled.
"No. I didn't. It was a mistake. I didn't know it was you."
I cupped his face but he struggled out of my touch.
"No! Don't touch me! You're bad. You're bad! You want to hurt me."
"No. Please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You hurt me! You want to kill me! You're bad! You're a monster! You kill!"
"No. I'm sorry. Please. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I love you. I won't hurt you."
"But you already killed." Jungkook glared at me. "You killed many. How will I love you? Why will I love you? Why will anyone love you?"
I wept. He's right. Why will anyone love me?
"I'm sorry. I don't know. I'm sorry."
I heard a loud, devilish laugh. I turned and saw the Grim Reaper approaching us. I desperately tried to untie the binds of Jungkook's hands and feet. I can't fucking do it. They're too tight. My hands were shaking. They're too fucking weak. Please. He's coming. The motherfucker is going to kill him. He's going to fucking take him.
Jungkook was just looking at me indifferently. "Go. Leave me. You don't deserve me."
"I know. I know. I'll bring you to safety first. Then I'll leave you. Please. Come with me."
"Safety? You think you can keep him safe?"
The Grim Reaper was already behind Jungkook. His hands were on his shoulders.
"Don't touch him! Motherfucker! I swear if you hurt him, I'm going to kill you!"
"Kill me then. Because I will hurt him. I will hurt him to hurt you. I will hurt him...slowly and painfully. So you will suffer the same way."
"I will kill you! I will kill you!"
"You will kill him too?" Jungkook quietly interrupted.
"What?" I looked at him through the blur in my eyes.
"Is it not enough? That you intended for me to die?"
"What?"
"You chose for him to meet death the moment you decided to stay with him." He was grazing his index finger along the sharp edge of a knife. "Didn't you learn from others? You are not allowed to love. Because you will condemn them to death."
He caressed the top of Jungkook's head. "You are very unlucky. You fell in love with an angel of death."
Jungkook's large doe eyes pierced through me. He didn't look mad or sad. Unlike how he was a while ago. I don't understand. I can't understand what his look means. I held his gaze as my tears fall nonstop. Then his eyes widened and shook. And blood gushed out of his slashed throat.
"NO!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs. I can't breathe. I can't move. I want to run to him. But I can't. A strong wind blew. Lifting something with it. I watched as feathers swirled in the air. I looked back at Jungkook. The Grim Reaper was plucking the plumes on his wings. His eyes were still open, still staring at me. Then, they slowly shut.
"NO!"
I shrieked. Squirmed. Thrashed.
"NO!"
"Tae...Tae...up."
"No."
I sobbed. I felt a warm and light pressure stroking on my cheeks.
"Taehyung."
Jungkook?
"Taehyung. It's me. Jungkook. Did you have a bad dream?"
It's as if I was underwater. I can't hear anything. Except for him. His voice tore through. I felt a tight hold enveloping me.
"It's just a nightmare. Don't be scared. I'm here."
I was finally able to see and hear around me. I sniffed. I was cradled against Jungkook's chest, within his embrace. He was gently rocking us back and forth. The tender rubs on my back were soothing me. I felt my heart relaxed as I listened to his soft and low humming and the steady beating of his heart. My eyes were getting heavier. I snugged closer and wrapped my arms around him. He stroked my hair and gave me a light kiss on my forehead.
"I love you."
I mumbled. My eyes closed. I can hear his heart. It was pounding wildly. I want to ask why but I'm so sleepy. His chest sunk and rose.
"I love you too."
■■■
"I work there."
Jungkook pointed at the plant shop meters away from us. Of course. I know. I know that you work there. I nodded.
"Do you like to meet my hyungs? Both of them are nice. Namjoon hyung is smart and cool. And Hoseok hyung is kind and thoughtful. I'm sure you'll like them. I know they'll like you too."
"Maybe some other time. I have to meet a friend first."
"Okay."
He smiled. I stared at him while holding his hand. He looked way different than how he appeared in my nightmare last night. That wasn't him. This is him. Kind. Soft. Pure. Gentle. He won't push me away once he knew what I am right?
'Is something wrong?" He asked, his forehead creased.
"Nothing."
"Is it because of your nightmare?" He went closer to me. "They're not real."
The nightmare wasn't. But what's in it. They're very real.
He lightly poked in between my eyebrows. I looked at him and he pouted.
"It didn't work."
I got confused with what he said. What didn't work? He pouted even more. Then he held my cheeks and slowly planted a kiss on my forehead, on the same area where he previously poked. I was caught off guard. But I felt a familiar feeling in my stomach. I always feel it whenever I catch him staring at me. Or when he smiles. Or when we hold hands. Or whenever he kisses me. Like what I felt this morning when he gave me a good morning kiss. The feeling makes me want to jump and scream. It makes me want to strangle and hit someone out of glee.
Without even thinking, I placed my free hand on the small of his back and pushed him closer. Then I pecked his lips. He scrunched his nose and beamed. And responded with another kiss.
"What disrespect am I seeing this early in the morning?"
"Namu hyung."
I squinted my eyes at him. I haven't forgiven that you also had hot chocolate with my Jungkookie. He did the same.
"When you told me that you're seeing him. I thought you're saying that you're hallucinating. I didn't believe that you're actually dating him."
"Why would he be hallucinating?" I retorted.
"Because you're a ghost. You ghosted him right? For a week?" He raised his chin. "Get it? When you hallucinate, sometimes you see ghosts. Now, I'm not saying that ghosts are or aren't real. It's debatable because nothing has been proven yet. And hallucinations, it's proven that these experiences are just seemingly real perceptions and actually aren't..."
What the hell is he saying? I don't understand. I totally blocked him off already. I'll just run with Jungkook at the dandelion field in my mind.
"Earth to Kim Taehyung." He snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Hey."
I blinked. "What?"
"Not listening to a hyung, red flag."
"What?"
"Talking casually to a hyung, also a red flag."
"He's just going through something. He had a nightmare last night." Jungkook excused.
"Again, are you serious with him? Or you're just going to leave him hanging again?"
I was about to answer...
"Hoseok hyung! Hoseok hyung went out. He can't see us."
"Why can't you just introduce him?"
"Not yet." Jungkook was panicking. "Go." He pushed me. "Meet your friend. We're going. See you later. Take care."
He waved at me and tugged that Namjoon along with him. I watched them rushed to the plant shop. We can't be introduced. I don't have to get along with them. I'm going to ask him to leave and go somewhere far anyway. And Jung Hoseok...One day, he won't matter anymore.
■■■
"Do you have contact with Rattlesnake bean?"
"None at the moment. He's been hopping from one place to another. But when you're ready, I know how to lure him out of hiding."
"I'm going to deliver him soon."
"You're certain? Just tell me when." Crane Flower sighed. "I hope that this plan will turn the tide for us. I'm sick of hiding and running."
"It will."
"Ready to be in the council?"
I turned to him sullenly. "I won't go back."
"What?"
"I'm leaving the gang."
"You're going to retire? What made you change your mind?" His eyes widened. "Is it that guy?"
I stared straight ahead.
"This life is risky. But when you try to leave it. It's dangerous too. You're going to put him in danger."
"The boss will completely wipe the Bang Mafia off the face of the Earth."
"How about his family and friends?"
"Who?"
"Jung Hoseok's family and friends. The one he's going to leave in that countryside. You know, a loving heart is a vengeful heart. That's why we're in this situation. Rattlesnake avenged his father and killed the Hitman. Now, the Grim Reaper is hunting as to avenge him. A loving heart is a dangerous thing. Especially if it's mad and longing. Even the frailest or the kindest can change. For all we know, that Jeon Jungkook might be coming after us in the future."
A loving heart is dangerous. Especially if it's mad and longing. The kindest heart can change.
You're bad! You're a monster! You kill! You killed many.
How will I love you? Why will I love you? Why will anyone love you?
"He won't."
"What?"
"He won't change. He won't know."
"What are you talking about?"
"Jungkook will not change. He won't know. He won't know that I killed. He won't know that I sent Jung Hoseok to his death."
"What? Taehyung. Don't tell me..."
He won't change. He won't know that I'm a monster.
"Are you fucking stupid?! You didn't just blow your cover! You got into a relationship with a fucking target!"
"He's not the target!"
"Just because he's not the Grim Reaper's brother doesn't mean that you can be together. What, you think that he will still accept you once he learn that you sent his friend to be killed?"
"I won't tell him."
"Are you thinking?! You're fucking stupid!"
"You want me to come clean? Baby, I delivered your friend, the one you consider as a brother, to be killed. But I love you. Is that what you fucking want me to say?"
"You don't see the point, do you? You can't be together. Because you'll have to choose. Between us, Jimin, me, your brothers. And that...Jeon Jungkook."
"I don't have to choose."
"Taehyung, don't be stupid. You have to. You can only love him if you're not going to surrender Jung Hoseok."
"I don't have to. I'm going to deliver Jung Hoseok. Then Jungkook and I will leave."
"I am not a good man. I'm not the most conscientious and maybe I am not fit to tell you what's right and wrong. But what you want. What you plan to do. It's fucking selfish. How could you think that you can still have him after doing what you want to do? You're fucking mad. You're crazy. What you're thinking is crazy even for your standards. Please. Listen to me."
"Maybe I am. I just...I just want to have him. I just want to be with him. I will change. I won't kill anymore. Isn't that enough?"
"The Grim Reaper's brother..."
"But the Grim Reaper deserves to suffer! He needs to pay. He has to kneel and beg for his brother's life. Like how our brothers pled for their lives and their loved ones. I'm not the only bad man here. He doesn't deserve to be happy. He doesn't deserve to be loved."
"You don't deserve it too. We all don't. We are not worthy of love. So stop this. Before it hurts you."
"But I've never been happy. I never had someone who looks at me like I'm precious. Like I'm not a monster. Not a murderer."
"Because he doesn't know that you are."
"Why?! Why?! Why can't you let me be happy?!"
"Because I care for you! And I know that this will not end right for you. Even if you'll be happy at first."
"I'll take the chance."
"Taehyung! Don't be stupid!"
I'm done talking about this. I don't want to fucking hear another thing. I swung the door open. Crane Flower gripped my arm.
"You're going to hurt yourself. He will know and he's going to hurt you." His eyes were sad.
I shrugged his hand off, hopped out of the car and slammed the door. It's not my fault that I was saddled and stuck in this fucked up life. Was it my fault that I wandered away when I was in that damn playground? Those fucking reckless, useless sores of parent should have made more effort to find me. If they only did, I won't grow up in this godforsaken shitty life. I wouldn't have to slave myself to live another day. I won't have to steal to stay alive. I won't have to kill to be of value. I won't be so unworthy of him and his love.