It was late and Jungkook was starting to fall asleep as they both hid behind a large landscaping bush not far from the back entrance to the House of Cards, the name of the casino on the access card from Seokjin's wallet.
"Stay awake!" Charlie scolded, kicking Jungkook, who jerked away from his best friend's hit.
"I'm up," he mumbled, blinking the tiredness from his eyes as he sat up straight.
"I need you on your A-game, can you do that? Otherwise, I can do this myself," Charlie said looking at him with a serious face. Jungkook looked back at her, now a bit more alert. There was no way he was going to let her do anything this crazy, reckless, and bold on her own.
"I'm good, I got you," he said as he flashed her a small smile.
"Good! Now, the place just closed, so all we need to do is wait until we see some of the employees leave," she informed him. She turned away from the large building in order to hide behind the very large bush.
"Ughh," Jungkook groaned. He did not like the idea of sitting and waiting some more. He was very bored since they had already been sitting there for about an hour.
"Kook," Charlie said and Jungkook looked over to her. "I'm really trying here. If this goes well, we may be able to actually find a place and start a decent life," she reasoned. Jungkook felt terrible for his attitude and knew that even though he had promised to always protect Charlie, she was always the one thinking about where they were going to sleep and how they were going to get their next meal. He may not have agreed with or liked her methods, but she was the reason they were still surviving.
"I know, I'm sorry," he said. He gave her a reassuring smile and they both sat there as employees started to exit the back entrance.
After about another hour, Charlie finally decided that it was time.
"Alright let's go," she whispered.
Charlie started making her way to the employee entrance with Jungkook right behind her. She pulled out the card she had swiped from the guy at the bar and scanned the card reader. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if it didn't actually work, but thankfully she heard the lock turn and opened the door. She turned back to Jungkook and smiled, who was actually pretty excited himself.
It was very dark inside, but the light streaming in through the windows from the streetlights outside illuminated just enough for them to be able to see the office numbers on the doors. Charlie walked down the hallway, hoping she would see something that gave any indication to an office.
"Where are we even going?" Jungkook whispered.
"Ummm," Charlie responded, trying to think of where an office full of money would be waiting for them. She felt a tug on her arm and turned to see Jungkook stopping her.
"You have no idea where we're going, do you?" he asked, his voice full of concern as his grip tightened on her arm slightly.
"I don't," she admitted. Jungkook scoffed as his mouth opened wide, not believing what she was saying. "But we can find something," she quickly added, desperation lacing her voice.
She was sick of living on the streets and never knowing when they were going to be able to eat next. She felt terrible for dragging him into her messed up life ever since he moved in, but she liked having a friend, and Jungkook had and always will protect her. Maybe she felt as if she owed him for everything he did for her back when they lived with the Hellhounds, and that's why she wanted this to work out.
"Let's just scope the place out at least and see if we find anything," she suggested. Jungkook thankfully nodded in agreement as they walked the darkened, silent halls. Finally, something caught Charlie's eye as they came near a door.
Kim Seokjin, CFO
"This is it!" Charlie whispered excitedly.
She pulled out the small pouch that was stuffed into her black jacket and laid it on the ground. Jungkook walked down the hall a little to check around the corner, making sure they were truly alone. Charlie picked up the tools she needed and proceeded to pick the lock as best she could. She had gotten pretty good, but it was still tough every time she attempted it. Keeping her hands steady, she closed her eyes so she could try to feel each pin and the way they moved. Once she felt them all locked in place, she turned the doorknob and let out a small squeal when the door actually opened.
"Kook," she whispered, and he came running towards her. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. Thankfully the office had a full wall of windows, so the light from outside helped them to navigate through the room.
"What are we looking for?" Jungkook asked.
"I don't know, anything valuable, I guess? Things that we can pawn off," she replied. She was already opening drawers and rifling through everything. She found a very nice watch in a luxurious box tucked away in the back of one of the drawers and placed it on top of the desk. As she continued to search the desk, Jungkook was opening the filing cabinets.
"Holy shit!" he said and Charlie jumped, worried something had happened. He held up a paper he found and looked over towards her. "This place makes millions!" he exclaimed. Charlie rolled her eyes and shook her head while he continued to search through the filing cabinets.
Jungkook looked through the last drawer and noticed something looked off about it. The cabinet in itself was long, but this one drawer only pulled out about halfway. He shifted the entire cabinet away from the wall a bit and noticed that there seemed to be a small latch that opened something. Pulling it, a portion of the cabinet seemed to open revealing stacks of cash sitting inside.
"Char...Get over here," he called. His voice frightened her a bit, but she did as he said, and when she saw what he found, she reached down and hugged him from behind while he grabbed the cash.
"Let's get out of here before we push our luck," Charlie said as she quickly went over to the desk, taking the watch out of the box and stuffing it into her bra so she could keep her hands free, putting the box back where she found it. Jungkook had stuffed as much cash into his pockets as he could while Charlie made sure the office looked like it hadn't been touched. They walked out and she made sure to lock the door behind them. They were on a high right now, but were still alert as they weren't in the clear yet. Once they finally made their way to the employee entrance, the moonlight was their freedom. They giggled as they walked away from the large building and back towards the shadows but froze when an outline appeared in front of them.
"Impressive," the voice said. Jungkook and Charlie turned to run in the other direction but were met with another man that was suddenly behind them.
"I would stay still if I were you," the other man said. He was dressed in all black with a hand on his hip, and both Jungkook and Charlie noticed that his hand was resting on the gun that was attached to his hip. They both turned back to the original figure who finally stepped into the light and Charlie couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"You?" she said while the man just laughed.
"Yes, me," he replied, his plump lips quirking up into an amused smile as his hand came up to slightly push his light brown locks out of the way.
"You going to turn us in or what?" Charlie asked, just wanting this all to be over. They were so close, but she should have known better. Finding all that money was just too good to be true.
The man's smile widened at her question. "I have a better idea. Why don't you two come with me," he suggested. The man introduced himself as Jin before he motioned for them to follow him while he walked towards the parking lot. "You know, I would like my wallet back as well," he shouted back to them while Charlie and Jungkook exchanged a glance.
Jungkook then turned back to the man behind them, who just motioned for them to move forward. Charlie felt nervous and scared as they walked towards the large black van that now had the side door opened. When they approached, she took out the wallet from her back pocket and handed it to Jin. She paused before getting in, pulling the watch out of her bra too while Jin raised his brow, staring down at her while she climbed into the car, wondering what the hell they just got themselves into.
~☾~
Yoongi sat at his desk, staring at the two teens before him, his expression blank. He glanced back up at Jin, who nervously shifted on his feet as he stood right behind Charlie and Jungkook.
"So you mean to tell me that the casino almost got robbed by two fucking kids?" Yoongi asked, his voice dangerously low. Both Charlie and Jungkook felt intimidated by the man, his power radiating from him as everyone in the room was nervous around him... well, everyone aside from Namjoon.
Namjoon stood behind the dark-haired man, an amused smirk on his lips as he observed the two young kids that Jin brought in. His eyes then met Jin's as he spoke. "Damn, you really fucked up this time," he mused, causing Jin to scowl at the blonde, not in the mood for his jokes.
"Look, I figured with their skills, we can work on training them and they can join the te-" Jin started only to stop when Yoongi looked at him. Jin gulped, trying to muster up the courage to speak again. He lowered his head, avoiding Yoongi's gaze. "We need more people," he uttered. "You know as well as I do that Ganghan is getting strong and expanding their so called business. I saw one of their guys the other night at the Bleeding Rose, close to our territory," he informed him, causing Yoongi to sit up a bit more, listening intently. "I think they're involved in something else," he said, trying not to elaborate since he didn't want to expose too much with Charlie and Jungkook in the room. He glanced at the girl before looking at Yoongi, hoping that his boss would understand the message, which he grasped as he realized that Ganghan was involved with more than just drugs.
Namjoon leaned in closer to him, making sure to keep his voice hushed as he spoke to his leader. "He's right, you know that Hoseok's been talking about leaving, so it can't hurt to take them in," he reasoned while Yoongi looked up at him.
"If we're going to do this, then they are your fucking responsibility. You're in charge of training them and filling them in on the business, and don't hold back, they need to be prepared," he replied in a hushed tone before turning back to look at Charlie and Jungkook.
"How the fuck did you manage to get into the casino anyway?" he asked, but neither of them responded, both still nervous by Yoongi's presence. He then turned his attention to Jin, whose face flushed.
"She stole my wallet and found the access card," he mumbled, causing Namjoon to snicker.
"Oh, this is fucking gold," he uttered, a dimpled smile on his face as he looked up at Jin.
Yoongi leaned in closer, keenly observing the two kids. "Where are your parents?" he asked. Charlie and Jungkook glanced back at each other wondering if they were finally allowed to speak.
"Don't have any," Charlie finally answered.
"Home?" Yoongi questioned, finally meeting their eyes. Both Jungkook and Charlie shook their heads before looking away. Both started to wonder if they just gave them too much information. They could easily kill them now and no one would even bother looking for them.
"Do you realize how much trouble you both are in?" he asked while the two of them shook their heads, neither of them understanding the severity of the situation. "Let me fill you in on a little something," he started, standing up before walking towards the two teens, leaning against his desk as he stared them down. "The casino that you tried to steal from? It belongs to Bangtan, one of the strongest mafia in this city," he stated. Charlie felt her stomach drop as the words sunk in while Jungkook felt his heart accelerating, the thought of dying going through his mind numerous times.
"The mafia exists? I thought that was only in the movies," he uttered, trying to make sense of the situation while a dark chuckle escaped from Yoongi's lips.
"Oh, it's fucking real kid, and what the two of you pulled tonight was really fucking stupid," he said. "So now, we need to figure out an... arrangement in order to make a few amends," he said, glancing at the two who were looking at him, confusion evident on their faces.
"What kind of arrangement?" Charlie asked, nervous for the answer.
"Both Jin and Namjoon seem to think that the two of you have some sort of potential, so I'm offering you a role in Bangtan. Of course, we'll need to figure out what skills the two of you already possess, aside from petty theft and picking locks," he said, glancing at Charlie. "You'll have to train in order to be able to do field missions, but if you agree to this, then that means that you are a part of this family and involved with all that it entails. We'll provide you with a roof over your heads and make sure you're taken care of, but once you're in, it's not easy to get out, do you understand?" he asked.
"Can we have a minute to discuss this?" Jungkook asked, noticing that no one was budging. "Privately?" he requested.
Yoongi shook his head. "Whatever you have to say, say it here. There's no way in hell I'm leaving the two of you alone in any room until I can trust you," he said.
Charlie turned towards Jungkook, keeping her voice hushed as she talked. "Just hear me out-" she started only to have Jungkook cut her off.
"Are you fucking crazy?! You can't seriously be considering this," he whispered back, his tone harsh as he stared at her with wide eyes.
"It's better than being out on the streets," she reasoned. "We have nothing to lose Kook," she uttered.
"What about our lives? We could die," he argued.
"We're pretty much close to death already! I don't know when we are going to be able to eat again and how long we can be living in that run down house." Charlie tried to calm herself and took a minute to breathe. "We'll make sure to protect each other, okay? We stick together, that will be part of the deal," she said. Jungkook let out a sigh before turning away from her, looking at Yoongi who watched them both with a quirked brow.
"So, what'll it be?" the leader asked.
"We'll join," Charlie replied, "BUT, Jungkook and I get to stick together," she added.
"You're not in any position to be negotiating here, but I assure you that the two of you will have plenty of opportunities to work together," Yoongi agreed. "You both will be doing a test run tomorrow and we'll see where to go from there," he said, both of them nodding in response. "Namjoon, you can show them to their rooms. The girl can stay in the guest room, the boy can bunk with you," he said, dismissing them all from his office.
Namjoon kept his comments to himself as he and Jin ushered their two new recruits through the hall.
"Tomorrow, you'll get a chance to meet the rest of the guys, and I'll give you more information about Bangtan, but for now, the two of you should get cleaned up and get plenty of rest, you'll need it," Namjoon said, a mischievous smile on his face as he stopped in front of one of the rooms. "Alright doll face, this is your room. Jin will give you a basic rundown of where you can find some things that you might need to get cleaned up and make yourself comfortable. If you need anything, my room is the last one down the hall," he said, opening the door for Charlie.
"My name's not doll face, it's Charlie, and that's Jungkook, my best friend. If you do anything to hurt him, I'm going to kick your ass," she uttered, glaring at Namjoon as she stepped foot into the room, glancing back at Jungkook, who gave her a reassuring smile before Namjoon grabbed his arm and dragged him along to his room while Jin stayed with her.
~☾~
Charlie's room was small, but she didn't care. She had a rather large bed with a dresser and even a small desk. The cherry on top was when she discovered that she had her own private bathroom. In a house full of what appeared to be only men so far, she was glad that she wouldn't have to share a bathroom. Jin had shown her around her room and told her there were some extra clothes in the dresser, though they were only men's clothes. He also mentioned that they would have proper clothes for her tomorrow morning. His supposed kindness confused Charlie, and of course, worried her.
Even though they agreed to join Bangtan, there was still so much they didn't know about their boss and she hoped that they made the right decision. She kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep even though her bed was really comfortable.
She sat up when she heard her door creak, a small smile on her face when Jungkook walked in.
"Still up?" He asked.
"Yeah, can't sleep," she replied as he walked in and closed the door. He was also in clean clothes and even looked like he had taken a quick shower.
"Me either," he admitted, sitting on her bed.
"Wanna sleep here?" Charlie offered.
"Sure," he said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it on the ground.
"Kook, you don't have to do that, this bed is big enough," she giggled.
"Oh thank God, I miss sleeping in a bed," he said, happily hopping onto the bed and making himself comfortable under the blanket.
A silence settled between the two of them. Charlie couldn't stop thinking about Jin, how he helped them out and even took them in after she stole from him, and how intimidating Yoongi was. She was anxious about tomorrow, many questions going through her head.
"Hey Kook, are you nervous about tomorrow?" she whispered, glancing over to her best friend only to see that he was already asleep. She smiled as she shifted in the bed to face him, watching him with a small smile on her face as she remembered the day they met.
"Hey new kid, wanna get out of here?" Charlie asked Jungkook.
"It's 10PM, we are supposed to be sleeping." Jungkook ignored her and continued messing around on his phone.
"Suit yourself." Charlie walked through his room and opened his window, starting to crawl out.
"What are you doing?" Jungkook sat up and faced her.
"Your window faces the back porch so I can get down easier. Mine is a straight drop and I prefer for my legs to remain unbroken." Charlie continued out the window and disappeared from view.
Jungkook paced back and forth, glancing out his window. He doesn't want to get in trouble, but no teenager should be walking around alone at night. He quickly grabbed his black sweatshirt from his desk chair and started climbing out the window.
"Wait up," he quietly yelled to the young girl, who was now already on the ground. She turned toward the voice and crossed her arms, smiling as she watched him attempt to get down. Once his feet touched the ground he turned to her.
"So, what are we going to do?" Jungkook said, standing in the middle of the backyard of their foster parents' house.
"Whatever you want, new kid," Charlie said as she hopped the fence, walking down the dark alley that was behind their house. She waited for Jungkook to follow before they went out to explore the town.
Charlie looked at the boy next to her, amazed at how much things had changed in the past two years between them. She was worried about this new chapter in their life, but she knew one thing for sure: there's no one else she'd rather have by her side.
A/N: A little bit more of Charlie and Jungkook's background. How do you think the meeting with the other members will go? Will Charlie and Jungkook be able to show their "worth" to the group?
This story is in collaboration with @GalxyDefendr. Go check out her stories as they are AMAZING!!