a gunshot tore through the target just barely grazing the red bullseye.
"do you see that? thats my son!" slurred mr. jeon after pouring yet another shot of soju. pride was painted over his face as everyone cheered for jungkook.
"come on areum, what are you waiting for? are you nervous or something?" jungkook licked his lips attempting to distract the girl.
jungkook gave a cheeky smile then glancing at areum from the corner of his eye in hopes she was impressed by his achievement. but areum was focused, her gaze was fixed on the bullseye. her arms hugged the rifle and fingers finally pulled the trigger.
another boom echoed through the building as areum's bullets tore through the air.
jungkook blinked to look at the target his heart was beating louder than the gunshots. areum had shot two bullseyes and a nine pointer. not even flinching as her fingers grazed away from the trigger.
she fluttered her eyes to jungkook's glaring at him as if she was mocking him. she blew back the strand of hair in front of her face. jungkook tried to conceal his humiliation but failed, it was clear how offended he seemed. none the less he still gave her a half hearted smile.
all the boys hollered and gathered around areum. she laughed and rolled her eyes sheepishly.
just then jungkook's whole world seemed to have stopped.
this happened often when she laughed, like she was the only on in the room. she was his weakness. all these years that have passed he's admired her.
the way she always kept her head up never failed an order, he's seen her do everything. steal, kidnap, fight. he's even seen her murder. but to them this was a normal part of life, it was the only thing they knew.
he was torn out of his daydream when a boy threw his arm over her shoulder. his tongue pressed against cheek as his eyes faltered low and found his men. he didn't like when other guys would flirt with her, it made him weak.
"yah, fetch me some blunt." jungkook ordered.
"yes boss."
areum noticed Jungkook's eyes hanging low as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"that wimps' really sulking huh," a guy joked.
"he looks like a lost puppy." Areum chuckled.
a worker appeared handing jungkook some cigars.
"I swear he lives on that shit, it's the only thing I see him whiff." another muttered.
"He's Jeon's boy, what do you except? i feel bad sometimes, the poor kid has so much pressure." areum acknowledged.
"always good but never enough." someone added.
her eyes lit up when she saw a familiar short orange haired boy appear in front of jungkook. she was always confused to how such a sweet boy like jimin could be friends with such a jerk. she silently walked towards the two, since jimin was faced away from her she decided to make some fun out of it. she leaped onto him grabbing his shoulders and assisting herself into a piggyback ride.
"y-yah, areum what the hell?" jimin was serious but hearing areum laugh ignited his own. he gripped her legs to secure her on his back.
"the real question is, what are you doing here?" areum asked.
"i came to support my friends." jimin smiled his with bright cheeks making areum's heart flutter in her chest. she turned her head slightly thinking about how his orange locks made him look like a tangerine. she gave out a small laugh at the thought.
"what's so funny hm?" jimin said raising his eyebrows and flickering his eyes making her laugh harder.
"you look like an orange." she rested her chin on his fluffy locks.
she sniffed and pressed her nose against the softness. "and you smell like one too."
"do you really have to make funny of me like that? you don't know what you're doing princess..." jimin dared.
"i don't know you tell me, what am I doing?" she challenged.
the both of them had forgotten jungkook was in front watching them bicker for the past 5 minutes. they continued to tease each other until he finally cut in,
"you two do your little giggles and lovey-dovey shit. im off." he rolled his eyes flicking his cigar behind him then made his way to his father.
"someone's in a shitty mood." areum snickered.
"trust me if i lost to a girl that much, i would be pissed too." jimin reasoned.
"jungkookie ! come back bro we were just playing!" jimin called.
"why is he like this," jimin sighed rubbing his forehead.
"he's just lost right now, his dad doesn't do him any good." areum shrugged.
"guk! i was just about to call you over. i have a small job for you. you have to pick up the coke from hwamin's at eight. theres a suitcase in the closet of room 111 on the 7th floor at shinwa hotel he'll be in the same room five stories up give it to him."
"got it." jungkook nodded
"you know how they are, if something goes wrong call for backup. I don't want things to go like last time." mr. jeon warned.
last time? more like every time. jungkook always thought he could do everything on his own. he didn't want to be dependent on anyone.
he didn't need anyone to look after him. He believed he could do everything himself. he was 17 this year, meaning this was his 10th year of training.
but last Friday was a life or death situation. If his father hadn't appeared, you could say Jungkook wouldn't even be alive right now.
that day he was ordered to bring back 15 grand from a small gang in busan. since there was a small crowd jungkook thought it wasn't a big deal.
he'd done much worse, not alone but he lead them and came back successful almost every time. so he thought, 'how could this be any harder' right?
when he arrived at the place it was a fraud, the gang outnumbered him and beat him till he was on his knees.
he trained even harder to the point where he was able to defend himself with strengths and smarts, so tonight he was off into the city in his Black Cadillac, his dark hair shining in the moonlight.
He opened the the small cupboard which held his pistol then pushing back his leather jacket and shoved the weapon into his pocket. the tires crumbled the small rocks of the alley as he got to the place. he stepped out and pulled his hood over his head.
jungkook wasn't surprised when he was greeted with a lock. he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small gun-like object, and pressed it against the door. it beeped causing jungkook to smile. he loved that thing, its never failed him.
the door clicked open and he entered it was pitch dark and awfully quiet—too quiet. he began to get suspicious but shrugged it off, the less work the better.
eyeing the bags that were filled with money he reached to grab them only to be banged in the head by a baseball bat. his eyes began to flicker as water filled them he began to lose his senses.
he turned around instinctively to fight them off but he was shaken by another hit. Jungkook moved again and caught the sight of a wooden baseball bat and snatched it out of the strangers grip and swung it forward earning a groan from the guy.
"yeah not so fun now, huh?" He said swinging into the fat man's back.
and jungkook was banged in the head again, but this time with a steel gun.
his vision blurred as he fell to the cold floor unconscious.
he woke cuffed to a steel chair. he looked around him, nobody was in sight. he tried to slip his hands out but it was no use. jungkook groaned in frustration, it was like the cuffs were designed for him.
It was one of the first things he learned. how to get out if you're tied to. that's how his training started. without warning he the seven year old boy found himself tied by ropes to a wooden chair, he found himself in the same place now.
"Hello?!" He yelled before tugging at his cuffs again.
His head shot to up right when heard heavy footsteps from behind him.
"It's about time I met you,"
"The son of the greatest criminal in the country."
"Cut the crap, what do you want?" Jungkook asked, he was clearly pissed. Being banged so many times in the head was causing his head to pound. His eyebrows were narrowing because of the pressure stirred with anger.
he knew it was cash or money, maybe the drugs if the gang was lacking. its always the same.
"you."
jungkooks face contoured in confusion.
"jeon empire's precious gem, the helpless kid who can make me the biggest mafia leader in the nation."
"you're kidnapping... me?" jungkook almost laughed, making the man grab his locks, boring his dark eyes into the teenager clenching his teeth he growled.
"does this seem funny to you kid?" he said flicking jungkook's forehead with his fingers.
"you have no idea how powerful i am, i have a thousand men! you hear!?" the man barked in his ear.
"one man in our gang is more capable than your one thousand." jungkook sneered lowly.
by now jungkook's anger was pent up, he was sweating because of the heat in the small room jungkook clenched his tied wrists and realized that his hands were clammy too he slowly slipped his hands out and loosened the rope, he didnt move his hands just yet.
"and you wanna know what
else your men can't do?" jungkook yelled.
before the man could answer he spat right in his eyes, took out the gun and slammed it on his forehead, causing him to yelp in pain and disgust.
he kicked the man and grabbed the rope his hands behind his back just to tie the man's hands together in the signature cuff knot he was taught.
"that." jungkook breathed as he sat in front of his face,
"son of a—" the man tried, but jungkook already took the handkerchief in the man's blazer pocket and placed it in his mouth.
"criminal mastermind." he winked.