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❝ but we could only burn so long. ❞
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THOSE THREE DAYS passed by very quickly, everyone doing their assigned tasks when needed and reporting back in the evening so both jungkook and namjoon could address their progress and make any changes if need be. luckily, they were going well, right on track.
that friday night they were all in the warehouse, waiting as jina came walking in with a wide smile and rolling a rack of zipped up outfits and nametags attached to each.
"gather around boys." she said, taking off one of the bags and handing it to namjoon as he approached. jimin followed with jungkook close behind, both taking their outfits for the event tonight. the one left was a dress for jina.
yoongi was still seated in the lab, playing solitaire on one of the tables as jimin came back in with his outfit in his arms. "remember to give them five minutes to warm up." he said to the older, walking around and checking his computers and equipment.
the other hummed, still watching his cards and knowing he'll hear this routine a few more times tonight. "and wipe them down after because dust makes you sniffle." yoongi said.
jimin smiled widely and nodded. "yes! you guys are going to be treated so well." he spoke to his computer, earning a soft laugh from the older boy with cards listening closely.
the three of them dressed quickly, the next twenty minutes full of makeup and hair fixing and instructions read off notes. "jina, you'll be in the west room while namjoon covers the east." jungkook said, her hands were in his hands and fixing the part over and over. "i'll take the bar room, lobby, and stairs. jimin will just follow what yoongi says."
there was a chorus of hums and nods as they listened on, even a third voice interrupting after walking in a few minutes earlier. "i'll stick around here with yoongi." jin said. he showed up after getting a call a little over a week ago, getting on the next plane from italy to seoul with the biggest grin and excitement filled eyes.
"you do that." jungkook said, lightly swaying away jinas hands from his hair and earning a glare in return as she walked off to find her shoes. "work on your catering stuff." he added.
jin nodded and went to join yoongi in the lab to spend the rest of the night together, mostly in silence and shared snacks.
not long and their all in the car, heading to the usan and blending with the flow of traffic and expensive cars driving up to the valet in front of the stairs to the doors leading in. jungkook got out of the car and handed the keys to a smaller boy ready to find a spot. the four stood together, jina looking beautiful in between the two handsome men with jimin hawking up at the fountains, they offered her an arm as they walked up to the large gold doors of the usan, also while namjoon tugged on the shorter boys wrist to make sure he was following.
"wow." jina breathed, looking up at the chandelier hanging above them and all the fancy things decorating the lobby.
"yep." both namjoon and jungkook said, they already knew to expect the lavish entrance, no matter how much one can't get used to it.
he tried not to, but he thought of the boy — wondering if taehyung ever got used to living like this, constantly living in hotels as grand as this one in large cities around the world. how could someone seem so unhappy when seemingly having it all.
"alright, do you're thing." jungkook said, dropping his hands to his sides before fixing the button on his jacket.
jina and namjoon peeled off to go their ways, one west and the other east while the other two remained standing in the lobby. "yoongi told me to find the room we booked, how many cameras i appear in on the way up." jimin said.
the younger boy just nodded and glanced at his friend, "we're all on the same channel." jungkook touched his ear wig to confirm that statement and heard a slight crackle before yoongis voice came in.
"yep, we can hear you loud and clear." yoongi spoke for himself and jin, both of them leaning against the table and staring at the several monitors showing the inside of the hotel. he had just gotten into the surveillance network and adjusted the computers in the lab to show which ones he thought were on the right hallway of the suite they booked. "jimin, i'm ready when you are."
the said boy tensed a bit at the acknowledgment. this week has been a lot for him, he's never done much out of the lab and his palms were already sweaty. "yeah, i'm good." jimin nodded, like he was trying to convince himself of his own words.
jungkook rested his hand on the small of the boys back, rubbing softly through the fabric of the suit and giving him an equally soft smile. he didn't have to say anything, jimin just nodded again and walked off the go up the stairs, not giving up the chance to whine about the exercise he was getting suddenly. yoongi chuckled as he listened.
he wasn't suppose to, but there were too many voices and commands coming from yoongi as he followed the four of them on their way trough the usan. jungkook needed a break, and he had his own focus. he took out the ear wig and slipped it into the pocket of his jacket as he walked into the bar room, heading straight for the counter and little dish of peanuts.
maybe he was on the lookout for someone certain, the boy who always spent his nights in the bar drinking away the day he wished he didn't live. jungkook couldn't recognize any mops of brown curls or light giggles he's managed to become familiar with.
it was a voice he didn't expect to hear, one that made his blood run cold and hand clench over the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white. jungkook was always prepared, he staked his whole life on the idea of being undoubtedly prepared for anything to come his way – but this, he could never have been ready.
"it's not like i was snooping," she sounded the exact same after all this time, but more cold and vile. "but yes, it was there. the little tiffany blue box hidden between two of his shirts." she laughed, obviously amused at the thought of whoever it was being horrible at hiding things. she was always great at that.
"when do you think he's going to ask?" her friend asked, feigning excitement in hopes of getting an invitation once the time comes.
"it must be soon," seohyun said, extending her hand out to imagine the pretty rock to decorate her ring finger in the future. "i'm going to drop hints about getting it bigger though."
jungkook couldn't help it, the scoff that slipped past his lips once he heard that. it was an invitation to crawl back into his life, the slow turn and raised eyebrow, only to be followed by that look of surprise on her face. it was the only thing he enjoyed, and he had a smug smirk on his lips after that.
"jungkook- you look," seohyun was at a loss for words, her painted red lips parted and unable to form a coherent sentence.
"recently let out of prison?" jungkook tried to help her out, "yeah i've been getting that a lot recently. thanks to no one in particular." he gave her a pointed look, every emotion swarming his chest and screaming at him to yell, to swear, kick and scream, do something. but no, he couldn't. jungkook was playing the long game. losing this time wasn't an option.
she couldn't say anything, she closed her mouth and watched the man she once held so dearly turn on his heels and walk away with a cold stare. it was hard, to see someone so lively be drained of that light. but the thought didn't linger, the guilt evaporated and her eyes went back down to her hand. it was covered by another soon after, the man also grabbing onto her hip. "sorry honey, it was an important call." the man smiled down at her and she returned the expression.
this is what it was for, everything around her – the jewels, the champagne, the money – it's here because of what she did, what she gave up into order to climb to the top.
the only mistake she made, was thinking jungkook wouldn't go to lengths to make things even once again.
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