One second you two were just doing some awkward light kissing, then before you could comprehend you were suddenly pinned up against the counter. Allowing the kiss to get more heated and intimate than the two of you should with Namjoon's hands dropping away from your jaw to grip the counter on either side of you. In all honestly, you couldn't tell if Namjoon was this rough of a kisser or just this damn clumsy.
Not like it matter much before Namjoon suddenly stepped away from you. With your heart racing you figured that was the reason your ears were practically filled with the sound of your heart pounding away, also the same reason you didn't hear someone coming towards the kitchen.
Both of you quickly pretending to be off doing your own respective thing as Tae and his perfect as always timing came into the kitchen. There was an awkward stance you took up as you were acting as if the cup of water on the counter was the most compelling thing in the world. Which was only a cover up for you to reduce the heavy flush on your cheeks.
Looking back and forth between you two, Tae spoke up saying, "Hobi says he found something."
Rubbing your fingers into the side of your neck, you asked, "What did he find?"
"I think he wanted to tell you in person, that's why he asked if I could go call you- did you two have another fight or something? It's so tense in here." Tae jokingly commented the last bit.
"If we were fighting, I'm pretty sure you guys would've heard us cussing each other out by now." Namjoon spoke up. Going over to the mini fridge, he pulled out a few bottled waters. He then went over to your closed off self, surprising you subtly by putting the bottles into your hand. Whispering, "We'll talk about it later," Speaking in a normal tone quickly, Namjoon added, "Here, the other's are probably thirsty."
Catching on to the opening he made for you, you nodded at him before looking at Tae, "Yeah, I'll take these out to them. Thanks for letting me know Hobi found something, Tae." You gave him a quick smile before exiting the kitchen.
An awkward silence ensued again at your mini escape as the two males stared at each other wordlessly. Tae's upbeat attitude faded along with your presences. Waiting for your footsteps to completely leave the hall to give them the privacy away from you.
Namjoon spoke first, "How long were you standing there for." Arms crossed over his chest as he leaned his upper body against the fridge while staring at Tae.
Letting out a bitter laugh, Tae aggressively ruffled before running his fingers through his bed head locks. "Long enough to know she practically recited a love letter to you."
"It wasn't like that Taehyung, it was just-"
"I like [Y/n]." Tae confessed boldly to his hyung.
Namjoon sharply tensed in the slightest with his body language, he had an idea that Tae might've have feelings aimed towards you. But he never knew that Tae would take such an intimidating stance on it. "Taehyu-"
"Not in some flimsy way either. It's not like some crush that's going to eventually fade away." Tae pressed on with. "I like [Y/n], a lot. And I can tell you do too. Kissing her isn't just something that just accidentally happens."
Standing in silence, Namjoon couldn't make any arguments back to Tae. If he did he only be branding himself as a liar. Also taking into account that if their was any miscommunication with Tae that reached you would potentially hurt you, which was something he was taking extra precautions to avoid.
Nearly frustrated with Namjoon basically confirming everything he was saying, Tae's tone almost turned into a bark as he snapped out, "You made a dating ban against her for this exact reason. Honor your own rules if you can't even follow them strictly-"
Cutting him off in return, Namjoon said unwavering, "Then maybe I'll just remove the ban." Walking over to Tae now, Namjoon clarifies his statement, "In fact, consider it gone as of right now. That way you or I, or anyone else who has interest in [Y/n] can date her." Brushing past Tae, Namjoon gave him a few pats on his shoulder, "Even then, there's no guarantee she'll like you back the same way you do. Keep that in mind so you don't hurt yourself."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Tae stared ahead into the kitchen as Namjoon left him with those parting words. Fighting every nerve in his body from lashing out, because now more than ever. Taehyung's heart began to clench up in pain at the haunting thought that his feelings for you would only amount to only being one-sided.
---
"This is our lead."
"Hobi. That is just the fetus picture of me." You deadpanned as he proudly held that cursed photo of you in front of your face.
"Yeah, obviously, but check out the background. I vaguely remember a pier carnival similar to this one. So I tried looking it up, and turns out the whole things been shut down for a few years now." Hobi set the photo to the side. Sitting on the floor across from him, he handed his laptop over to you. Taking it, you face the screen to yourself as you looked at the news article he left open for you.
"Why was it shut down, I think a carnival on a pier would have enough attraction to stay open." You asked while scrolling through the article that did a story on the carnival after it's shut down. Showing pictures of the closed gates of the carnival with the caption, 'Sea Breeze Carnival: In It's Final Moments.'
"Well the internet says it shut down officially due to a faulty ride coming apart and killing someone. But that could've easily been swept under the rug, so I did more research," Hobi leaned over, to point at another tab open, to which you clicked on. The website you were one now seemed pretty sketch, like a baby version of the dark web. Knowing Hobi's skills you assumed it was some kind of online channel for the underground hacker's to spread and share information. Reading the typewriter font text, there was a post labeled, 'Carnival Cover-up?'
Following along like a presentation, Hobi continued, "Get this apparently the owner was some big time gang lord under the alias, 'Tooth Ache'. Now, from what that says and what I think, I bet he used the carinival for money laundering. Covering up for his real business which was drugs. Because you look up that gang lords alias and articles like friendly next door carnival owner died from drug overdose" come up with his real name and information."
Tooth Ache? You asked yourself, curiously typing into a new tab, 'Tooth Ache, drugs, carnival.' Sure enough Hobi was on point, a few articles came up on it. All of them along the lines of this Tooth Ache guy leading a drug lord dealer double life while he had a wife and kids back home who didn't know what his real job was. And upon more reading and digging, you read a small detail that read as, 'The alias Tooth Ache was given to him by other members under him. Claiming when someone would cross him, he would break even by ripping their teeth out with plyers.' Mm, that's nasty. You ironically thought before looking back to Hobi.
Speaking from where he was stretched out like a cat, Jimin said, "Not to be that guy, but your research sounds like it might be blurring with fiction there." Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi were the only ones who stuck around to help with sorting through everything.
Jin took off for a while back, saying he needed to step out for family reasons. Whereas Taehyung said he suddenly wanted to go visit his sister, so he left as well for the rest of the night you guess. While Namjoon just told everyone he wanted to go get some work done privately, but that if anything came up to just call him. You knew for a fact that besides Jin, something happen involving the other two absent. You wanted to say something or at least pull them off to the side to investigate it, but for now you wanted to focus on the bigger issue at hand.
Staring at the picture of yourself, you heard a bell jingle go off with the light blub above you being switch on. "You know what, at first I thought it was some cute family tradition my dad and I had. But, he'd take me there at least once a month." Holding your chin in between you own index finger and thumb, you tried on the idea that maybe your once wholesome memories were a cover up for your dad. "Which doesn't really stand out, but," Groaning, you tried to recall as much as you could all those years back. "I swear I always got lost. Like I'd end up separated from my dad but he'd always magically find me later on." Putting everyone else onto their gang head space.
"But he'd be putting you in so much danger, would he risk you like that for work?" Jungkook grumbled out loud, unknowingly as he seemed to also try and piece this information together
Yoongi causally added, "That could've been him sneaking off to do some illegal shit. He would let you get lost, go kill someone or whatever work he had to do their monthly, then when he was done he'd find you. And from a hitman perspective, if you're bringing your own kid into that line of work, you know what you're risking to loose." Agreeing with Yoongi's idea, you couldn't help but press your lips into a flat line at the idea that something you once thought was so special was really an act to cover up Jack's tracks.
Still there was no way to know these things for certain, this could've all been a wild goose chase at the end of the day. You and the other four thought unanimously, but without any other leads besides this one you guys were still stumped in a dead end.
"Well," Rolling himself so he can sit up, Jimin gave a look over the room, "Whose ready to go snoop around an abandoned carnival?"
---
Taking the white van would've been a major red flag to try and hide outside of a shut down carnival. Opting for taking two cars, instead since Jin wasn't able to regroup with everyone because his family still needed him at the moment.
Yet somehow, you manage to end up alone with Namjoon as he drove. You guess to some degree he must've been able to convince the others to pile into one car while the two of you went separately.
The drive was pretty much peaceful as you two couldn't really find anything to talk about except for the what happened in the kitchen.
You made your choice a while back while everyone got changed and ready to go out. Now alone with Namjoon, you felt more confident in your decision. Propping your elbows on the car door, you pressed your open palm against your cheek. Smushing your face as you finally worked up the courage to voice your choice before it was too late.
"We shouldn't be together." Both of you suddenly blurted out.
Looking at him startled, Namjoon mimicked the same expression. "Watch the road." You told him, leaning over to push his cheek with your hand to turn his head forward. "So.. we both agree it's better if we don't, you know."
"Date? .. Yeah, I have my reasoning, but I'm kind of curious to hear yours first." Namjoon said, leaning back into the driver's seat more as he kept his eyes trained on the road ahead.
Staring at him a bit, you sank back into your seat as well. Tearing your eyes away from him to watch the passing scenery. "I think if we went further, or started dating. It would cause a rift in the gang. And the last thing I would want is to pin anyone against each other. Especially when before I came, you all had an air tight bond with one another without me. If there was to be any issues between members or ruined trust over something like dating, I'd never be okay with that. That would make me a homewrecker."
Arching his brow, Namjoon assured you, "For starters, the seven of us aren't in an exclusive marriage with each other. But I guess my reasons aren't so far off from yours. That stupid ban rule I made about dating you, I going to tell everyone that I removed it. It was an immature rule to implement in the first place, except now I think we're all smart enough to know what we're getting into." Following your order, Namjoon kept his eyes attentively on the road. But he did ease his tone so without looking at you, he could also get it across that he wasn't upset by your choice and reason. "Dating would come with some push back," Doing what he thought was in best interest, he withheld information regarding his conversation and entire encounter with Tae in the kitchen after you left. "Issues, definitely there would be some discord among the group. With our current situation, we can't risk weakening each other's trust."
Making a small hum in agreement, you couldn't deny there was something so bittersweet about this all, "Dating would only complicate things for ourselves, and the gang's survival." You commented more on, "And keeping our relationship, non-romantic, would be in our own best interests at the moment."
Nodding, Namjoon gave a soft reply of, "Yeah, it would."
As you both seem to have forgotten each others positions and the reality of your lives. Dreading the impending wave of silence, you hesitantly spoke up with, "If it's any consolation, you were a good kisser."
Scrunching his nose up while laughing, Namjoon gave you a small glance as he said, "Thank you, I'll proudly put that on my resume." Smiling a bit, Namjoon light heartedly asked with full sincerity, "We're not dating but, I still want us to keep this kind of bond. I don't want to lose our friendship, so be honest with me. Are we cool?" Namjoon asked while looking around before pulling off the main road as you neared the carnival.
"Mhm, we're very cool." You answered him. Maybe not now, maybe not later either, but there will definitely come a better time were you can date. When this Bin storm passes over, and you could be with Namjoon. Even by then maybe you've both moved on from each other under work priority. There was even a chance that if you didn't pursue a relationship with one each other right now, either one of you could loose attraction and someone would end up hurt at the end of it. But as of right now, you two seemed to have come to terms with that.
For you, it felt stressful at the idea to try and balance the messes in your life while also having a boyfriend on top of it all. Which goes in hand with Namjoon, as a leader, in the end he couldn't bring himself to choose his own happiness at the expense of everyone else's.
There's no need to rock a boat more when the water's already rough. Both of you had in mind.
Parking the car hidden off the side of the road across from the carnival entrance. You both sat in the car for a while. Taking a good look at one another before confidently believing this is what was best for everyone in the bigger picture to come.
Before either of you could say anything else or change the topic. A gun shot rang out in the distance, causing both of you to get out from the car in a panic.