{shopping spree}
After a few more days of passing, it was now down to six weeks before the banquet. With a plan already set up and no signs of the yearly invite to the banquet as of yet, the group could take a breather and collectively relax for a bit. Of course they couldn't let their guards down completely, but at least they could have their small sense of normality back... even if it was just for a short while.
Dancing on the hardwood floors inside the base of District Unknown was Daisy and Hoseok, their voices so loud and energetic that it was almost enough to wake up the entire neighbourhood. Music blasted out from Hoseok's phone as they moved about the living room, the smell of pancakes wafting from the kitchen as Seokjin cooked up a storm.
Hoseok couldn't help but let out a cheerful laugh as Daisy slipped in her fuzzy blue socks, having to extend his arms to catch her at the last second. She was quick to stumble back to her feet, pausing when she realised Hoseok was eyeing her up and down, "Um... Hoseok are you okay-"
"You're wearing my socks!" He blurted out, gesturing towards her feet
"No I'm not..." Daisy denied, their voices slightly raised over the music and clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen.
Hoseok placed his hands firmly against his hips, "They come up to your knees!"
"...That proves nothing!" She exclaimed, letting out a squeal as she tired to make her escape, only to slip once again and stumble backwards. Behind her, Hoseok let out a grunt as the smaller girl crashed into him, sending them both to the floor in a tangled heap. Daisy's hands landed either side of Hoseok's head as the older male looked up at her with wide eyes and a flustered expression. She cleared her throat, "On second thoughts... you can keep them."
The sound of knocking on the door cut the pair out of their thoughts, the both of them muttering small, 'mind if I just...' and 'sorry's' as they clumsily got back to their feet, sheepishly staring at one another before Hoseok gestured towards the front, "The door, should we-"
"-Um yeah... the door." Daisy chuckled, slowly moving across the floor in Hoseok's fuzzy socks as she reached the front door, swinging it open and trailing her eyes up to meet with the four males that stood awkwardly out the front.
Taehyung smiled the brightest, his hair slicked back by a pair of sunglasses fitted with red lenses. He looked quite refreshed, nothing off about him as he greeted the girl at the door and moved on inside. Jungkook followed him closely behind, giving a small nod in acknowledgment as he passed Daisy. Next to enter was Jimin, running a hand through his orange hair as he hopped on inside along with Yoongi who simply wore his usual expression. Daisy shut the door behind her, watching as the four men entered inside and took a seat in the living room.
Jungkook whistled in awe, "Nice place you've got here."
"Courtesy of Sofia." She smiled, eyes flickering up as she watched Sofia quickly descend the spiral staircase.
It was safe to say that both Jungkook and Taehyung fell speechless at the girl who approached them. Her blonde hair was so familiarly curled, falling in gentle waves behind her back. And her stride was so practiced and perfect it almost sent shivers down the back of Taehyung's spine as he recalled that fateful night not so long ago. Taehyung had been told about Summer actually being a double agent for District Unknown, but he still couldn't help but want to shrink away from this girl.
As Sofia stood before them, Jungkook unconsciously took ahold of the sleeve of Taehyung's shirt, pulling the male closer to him as he gave the girl a harsh stare. But Sofia didn't flinch or shy away in the slightest, instead biting at her lower lip as she sucked in a sharp breath. The pair watched on as Sofia quickly bowed ninety degrees, not lifting her head as she spoke, "I'm so incredibly sorry." She clenched the hem of her skirt, "No matter how I explain things, it was still unacceptable for me to drug you... I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
Taehyung visibly relaxed at the girl's direct apology, feeling more at ease as he noticed the slight tremble in her hands, "It's alright... you were just doing your job." He gave the softest and most gentle of smiles as she lifted her head, "And I was just doing mine." Taehyung's words were so soothing to Sofia's ears, like a timeless melody it was like honey rolling off of his tongue.
She smiled, "Thank you."
Right on time, Seokjin emerged from the kitchen, a pan of freshly made pancakes in his grasp as he gestured towards the table, "Come eat before you go." He gave a small chuckle as he looked between the group, "You don't want to go shopping on an empty stomach."
-----
The group of seven arrived at the local shopping mall, shielding their eyes from the blinding early afternoon sun as they stood at the sliding glass doors of the entrance. The sound of laugher and leaves skittering along the pavements filled their senses as they let their eyes momentarily glance around for any signs of gang activity.
Hoseok kept his phone in his grasp, looking down at the screen every so often as he tapped at it feverishly. He had hacked into the security cameras of the mall prior to this outing so that he could monitor the perimeter at all times incase of any Jeon sightings in the area. Daisy and Sofia walked beside him, not as nervous, but more so giddy to shop for their dresses for the banquet. The two girls were lucky that they hadn't yet been directly seen by anyone from the Jeon crime syndicate, meaning their cover was safe enough for them to roam around without worry.
Walking behind them was Yoongi and Jimin. The blonde haired male had his famous black baseball cap on his head, tilting it down to shadow his features. His hands were slipped inside the pockets of his bomber jacket as he casually strolled along. Walking in perfect stride beside him, Jimin wore a black pair of sunglasses, dressed in a jacket and boots to keep him warm as the winter air crept at his skin.
Lastly, Taehyung and Jungkook followed along, Jungkook feeling slightly out of place walking alongside Taehyung who wore a deep red hoodie and sunglasses. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the male's fashion choice, the other claiming that it was some of the plainest clothing he owned.
"Lets think about what we need first." Hoseok spoke from up front, stopping the group right before they entered the mall. "We need to plan our outfits carefully, some of us have to carry weapons, remember?"
"Right." Yoongi spoke up, folding his arms over his chest, "I need a suit comfortable enough for me to do parkour in. Nothing fancy."
Jimin was next to speak up, "I don't mind something fancy seeing as I'm on the ground."
Taehyung shrugged, "Same here... I guess Jimin, Hoseok, Jungkook and I can get anything." His eyes then flickered over to the male standing beside him, "But Jungkook should look extra flamboyant." He chuckled, wiggling his brows whilst Jungkook simply rolled his eyes.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Sofia stepped forwards, "Daisy and I will shop for longer dresses... we can probably strap a weapon to our thigh and keep it hidden with no problems."
Hoseok gave a nod in agreement before running a hand through his hair, pondering in place before letting out a sigh, "Lets split up so we don't draw attention..." He announced, earning confused glances from the group, "Yoongi and Jimin can go to the tailors first whilst Daisy, Sofia and I will go shop for their dresses." He spoke, finally turning to the other pair, "Taehyung and Jungkook, you can walk around for a bit. When Jimin and Yoongi are done, then you guys can go pick up some suits."
Ruffling his hair, Taehyung let out a yawn, "Fine by me." Cocking his head in the direction of a nearby cafe, he then turned to take a hold of Jungkook's sleeve, "Lets go."
Feeling the tug of Taehyung's hold, Jungkook let out a gasp as his feet were sent into motion. He stumbled along behind the blue haired male, slowing as he watched Taehyung closely from behind. Jungkook had never noticed just how carefree Taehyung appeared at times, the fact that they were undercover hadn't even stopped Taehyung from wearing his usual choice of fashion. Eyes glancing around, Jungkook noticed the way the rest of the crowd walked, shoulders back and heads tall as they checked themselves in the reflections of the buildings passing by; it was as if they felt superior and insecure all at once. Jungkook preferred the way Taehyung was, he swaggered, a sort of free-style motion that said he was really happy with who he was, eyes on the sky, and a slight skip in his step. Jungkook unknowingly found himself bringing the back of his hand to his mouth as he smiled, finding it quite cute... wait-
Cute?
Jungkook's eyes went wide when he realised that heat had not only flourished against his cheeks, but also on his ears...
Oh Fuck.
"Jungkook?"
Jungkook was snapped out from his trance when Taehyung snapped his fingers in front of the younger's eyes, causing him to take a step back. Cocking his head to the side, Taehyung's eyes wondered over Jungkook's expression before a knowing smirk found its way to his lips, "Why are you covering your face?"
Letting out a fake cough, Jungkook turned away in the slightest, "Sorry..." *cough* "my throat was feeling a little fuzzy." After a second of passing silence, Jungkook's eyes flittered back over to meet with Taehyung's. It wasn't that Jungkook didn't know this male was attractive... because heck- he established that the first time he saw Taehyung. It was just that this was more then now just liking the man for his appearance, but for everything else too.
Shrugging, Taehyung turned on his heels,
"We can fix that with some coffee."
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{Author Note}
I'm going to keep up with the regular updates, I now know that this book will be between 50 - 60 chapters long.
I'm currently writing some big scenes so I'm almost completely finished pre-writing the story! I'm predicting to finish publishing this story by the end of the month...
Then I can work on my other 2 books!