육십
Taehyung's PoV;
Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I sighed whilst staring at the eviction notice in my hands. In bold letters it told me to be out of my home in two weeks.
My student loan hadn't been enough to keep paying my rent, and I assumed that because the landlord was lenient, they'd let me off. They didn't, simply yelling at me and telling me that they're moving someone else in - so even if I had the money, I couldn't do shit.
Since my parents were dead, I didn't have their monthly income - which they sent to turn me straight. I know. I don't understand it either, but it was free money, so who was I to care?
Of course, I had plenty of people to move in with, but I hated the feeling of being a burden. With no proper, plentiful income, I'd just be a freeloader who took up space.
I knew I could move in with Jeongguk, but this little house was full of memories and the fact that I was being forced to move out made me even more reluctant to leave. All those nights with everyone, laughing or crying at films. All those mornings: couples showering together, me preparing sandwiches for Jimin, Hoseok, Taemin and Jeongguk, covering a still-napping Yoongi up with a blanket and having deep talks with Jin and Namjoon. Yeontan's home, where he grew from a tiny puppy to a nearly full-sized dog.
The small stuff, like the scuff in the wall from Jeongguk's excited running, scratching the paint with his shoe as he ran to hug me. The crack on the kitchen counter from where Jeongguk and Hoseok played the knife game. The chew marks on the cupboard door from Yeontan's teething episodes.
I was startled from my pit of sadness as my phone started to ring.
Walking over to the kitchen, seeing Yeontan jumping up for the leftover chicken on the table, I picked up - seeing that it was Taeyong calling.
"Hey." I said.
"Heyy." He said, sounding guilty, "okay, so, uh.."
"What?"
"Jeongguk, maybe, kinda got shot?"
"What?!"
"Yeah, I'm outside your house. It's like deja-vu, he-"
I hung up on him, putting Yeontan in his cage and rushing outside. I shuffled towards the familiar green sports car, ripping open the door and slamming down.
"Jesus, you're quick. Jeongguk must love your stamina." Taeyong murmured, reversing out from the drive and turning to drive down the road.
"Is he okay?"
"Well, he got shot so-"
"How did he get shot? I thought he was supposed to be an assassin!"
"Yeah, that's the issue. Jeongguk will tell you how it all went down, it's not my business."
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Jeongguk's PoV;
HALF AN HOUR PRIOR TO TAEYONG'S AND TAEHYUNG'S CONVERSATION!!
"I swear to fucking god, must you anger every single powerful pimp?!" I seethed, dragging Jong-in behind me as I ran through murky alleyways.
"I didn't mean to! I swear!"
"Why does Boss let you out?" I said, seemingly to myself as I yanked him down to crouch beside the bins.
I reloaded my gun, chucking the empty bullets to my side. I tucked it into my waistband, exposed as I passed my jacket to Jong-in, who was shivering as a result of the pouring rain that he'd got caught in. During his running to find shelter, he'd bumped into two of the richest pimps in Seoul, pissing the duo off. I'd been examining assassin reports in a nearby café when I saw him running.
It was fucking stupid that I had to practically babysit this kid under Boss' orders - he was older than me!
"To toughen me up, he says."
"It's doing a shit job." I murmured.
"If you'd train me, we wouldn't have this issue."
"I don't want to train you!"
"Why?"
"Because you're an idiot. It took a week for you to learn how to fire a gun without breaking your finger, I point-blank refuse to teach you defence!"
"Pl-"
"There's that slut!"
Cursing, I turned my head to the owner of the voice.
In front of us were two middle-aged men, slightly breathless from their running. Dressed in all-white silk suits, gold and diamond threaded and stitched, were the two sons of the Tahk family. Filthy rich, earning vast masses of money from deceased family members, adding it on top of the gigantic sum they got from their work.
Trust the newbie to piss both of them off.
"Did you really have to have these guys as your pimps?!" I hissed to Jong-in as they came closer, guns in their hands.
"They were rich and I needed money!"
"You've got yourself in deep shit." I replied, standing up to meet their height as they came to a stop before us, "evening gents, what seems to be the issue?"
"This fucking whore, took his money before completing his acts with the customers!" One spat.
"Watch your language. I'll just walk away, with this 'whore' if you continue." I narrowed my eyes, not allowing them to talk to me like a dog.
"You wouldn't fucking dare." He hissed.
"Listen, I'm not prepared to cooperate if you're going to be so aggressive."
I would, but with two men - both armed with guns? Neither of which were my targets?
Fuck that.
"Just get out of our way, yeah? Need to teach this punk a lesson."
"No." I said, crossing my arms against my chest, Jong-in stood behind me.
Of course he was scared, he still wasn't immune to this type of lifestyle. He was still a college kid up until a few weeks ago until he began to run out of money - the badboy bully act dropping as he spent days studying and nights earning illegal money.
I wouldn't expect him to be okay with this. Not with a decent up-bringing.
With me, I wasn't bothered. I was used to this shit, seeing guns in the house from as young as I could remember. Seeing drunken, angry men was normal. Blood, bruising, yelling and violence was normal.
But both Jong-in and Taehyung had lovely childhoods, evident by the way they are today and proof from sources that Boss collected from.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Mmm, not gonna reveal that."
Jong-in moved, telling me that he was going to talk to them.
I nodded, allowing him to slip out from where he'd been pushed against the wall by my back, watching with careful eyes as he stepped over to the men.
I didn't think I'd be doing this today. I'd planned to just sit in a café, sipping multiple cups of tea as I read through my papers, mapping out routes and listing what I'd need to buy.
I didn't think I would be leaning against the wall of a grimy alleyway, watching two pimps yell at their 'property', knowing that Boss would skin me if he died or got badly injured.
It was fucking infuriating, he bullied Taehyung, my soulmate and love of my life, yet I had to defend him by my income's orders. And then, it got worse since they were related, unknown on Taehyung's behalf.
Frowning, I decided that I didn't like the way the man kneed Jong-in in the stomach, making my way over and standing infront of him.
"Why are you kicking him? Surely you need him for your money." I said, staring at them both with confident, dark eyes.
"This isn't anything to do with you."
"It is."
"No it fucking isn't - now move!"
I didn't, resulting in the guy going to smack Jong-in with the gun, but my hand coming up to swat it away. As I did so, the other guy shot - so a bullet lodged nicely in my shoulder as I jumped up to protect Jong-in's neck.
Scrunching my face up at the immense pain that seared through out my body, I brought my own gun out and shot two bullets at the men in front of me, not bothered if it killed them or not, as they scampered.
"Fucking hell." I groaned, hand clasping over the wound.
"Oh my god!" Jong-in yelled, "you're going to die!"
Even in my moment of agony, I still glared up at him, hoping I could shoot lasers through his stupidity.
"You know, of all the ways to go out, I didn't think it'd be beside you in a dirty alleyway." I murmured, taking in my surroundings through blurred vision.
"What do we do? What do we do?!" Jong-in said, pacing around in panic.
"Phone Ten."
"What to do?!"
"Phone Ten."
He ignored me, continuing to walk in circles.
"No? Okay." I mumbled, "suppose I'll do it myself."
Whilst Jong-in panicked, I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialled his number.
"Oi." I answered.
"What?"
"I got shot."
"Mood." Ten said.
"No, I literally got shot. I'm bleeding tons."
"Mo-"
"Ten."
"Sorry. Where are you?"
"Near that café where we got kicked out for being drunk."
"On it. Who's with you?"
"The newbie."
"Good luck staying alive."
"Ten!" I groaned, "tell Taeyong to drive to Taehyung's."
"Why can't I go?"
"Because you're driving me to the hospital."
"Oh am I?"
"I have authority over you, yes you are. Now hurry up before I bleed out."
"Ugh. On my way."
"Jeongguk!" Taeyong squealed into the phone, "how are you?"
"Pretty good. Just chilling with a hole in my shoulder, blood soaking through my clothes, not bad."
sorry about the shit chapter - it's a filler!! <3