A/N: Double update!
*_*
You had just returned from dropping your parents off at the metro station as they were heading back to Daegu. As you made your way back to Jin's heavily guarded home in Busan, you noticed the other boys were there.
Walking upstairs, you smiled at the guards and paused at the door when you heard the conversation inside.
"At least we know he's still in Korea," one voice said.
"As long as he's not causing any problems, we shouldn't be too aggressive. We don't want to rile up our other rivals and risk them forming a union," another voice cautioned.
"It doesn't matter. I just want to find him and end this once and for all," Jungkook interjected."Jungkook, you're not to harm him," Jin responded firmly.
"Not to harm him? For all we know, he could be behind what happened," Jungkook argued.
"You know how hard we tried to get everything out of Seongjae. Knowing him, I don't think he lied about Bohyun not being involved," another voice reasoned.
"Whatever it is, keep an eye on any disturbances in the market. As long as our people are safe, you're not to do anything reckless. This warning is especially for Jungkook and Taehyung. Don't go out of your way to seek revenge," Jin emphasized.
You then entered the passcode and walked in. Everyone noticed your entrance and quickly dispersed. You exchanged a brief glance with Jungkook before he looked away, chewing on his gum.
Standing in front of Jin, you caught his attention. "I want in on finding Bohyun." you said.
Jungkook chuckled, knowing that wasn't going to happen.
"Just call him Bohyun; he doesn't deserve your respect," Yoongi said, smirking as he looked at his phone.
You turned your head towards Jin, who understood why you still wanted to use formal language towards Bohyun. Jin sighed, leaning on the table and folding his hands, contemplating what to do next.
"Are you seriously considering letting her in?" Jungkook retorts.
Your eyes remain fixed on Jin, who seems torn between letting you in and protecting you.
"Y/N, I understand why you want to be involved, butâ"
"Before you say no, watch this," you interrupt, bringing everyone's attention to you.
You pull out your phone, dial a number, and put it on speaker.
"O, Y/N-ah? I was just about to call you," a familiar voice answers.
"And why is that?" you ask.
"I have an update about Bohyun Hyung," he says.
As soon as everyone hears that, they become alert and step closer. Jin, however, remains calm, hands still folded, his eyes shifting between you and the phone.
"That's great, Yeobin," you reply, prompting a mix of surprise from Jin and the others listening to the name, especially Jungkook. He steps closer, staring at the phone intently.
"He is going to attend a big business event next week in Seoul," Yeobin continues. "It's an invitation-only event, but my friend is managing it, so I can get you a pass. Does that sound good?"
"That sounds perfect!" you say, smirking at Jungkook.
"Okay then, I'll email those to you as soon as I get them," Yeobin says.
"Great! You did a good job," you praise.
"Let me know if you need anything. Do you need a gun?" he asks, causing Jungkook to clench his jaw.
"I think I'm good," you respond, looking at Jin, who nods in agreement.
"Okay, talk to you soon then," Yeobin says before hanging up.
"So?" you ask, turning to Jin.
"Fine, you're in," Jin says as he stands up. "We need to plan this whole thing out and how we're going to capture Bohyun," he continues, moving toward his laptop.
"Capture him?" you ask, nervously and Jin looks up at you.
"Why do we have to capture him? What if he really didn't have anything to do with all of it?" you ask, your nerves escalating at the thought of Jin hurting Bohyun.
"Y/N," Jin says softly, noticing your anxiety. "If you don't want me to do that, I won't. I understand."
Everyone looks visibly confused by Jin's words.
"Wait, hold up," Hoseok says, stepping forward. "What's going on?"
"Why don't you want us to capture Bohyun, Y/N?" Jimin asks.
"I was thinking we could just get rid of him, regardless of his involvement. Better to eliminate the threat before it grows," Yoongi says.
"I second that," Taehyung agrees, stepping forward.
"Kill him?" you exclaim, louder than intended, immediately looking at Jin with wide eyes.
"Calm down, everyone. Nobody is killing anyone," Jin asserts firmly.
"Hyung, I wasn't going to get involved, but something seems off. What's going on?" Namjoon interjects, sensing the tension.
Jin stiffens, protective over you. "Don't worry about it. Just trust me and follow my instructions as usual," he responds, trying to maintain control.
As Jin struggles with maintaining the trust within the group, you realize it might not be worth keeping secrets anymore.
"Bohyun-ssi and Iâ" you start.
"Y/Nâ" Jin tries to interject.
"We dated," you continue, cutting him off. "I broke up with him the day everything happened," you confess.
The room falls silent, and you can feel a shift in the atmosphere. Jungkook's expression changes noticeably.
"You what?" he asks, his voice filled with surprise and confusion.
"Y/N, go to your room," Jin instructs, his tone indicating the discussion was over for now. You clearly don't listen to as you stand your ground.
"So the guy who took you away that day, your boyfriend, is the same Ahn Bohyun we're talking about?" Jungkook asks, his tone a mix of disbelief and agitation.
"Son of aâ" Taehyung curses under his breath, clearly enraged.
"Did Hyeyeon know about this?" Jimin interjects, his frustration evident.
Jin raises his voice to regain control of the situation. "Everyone, listen," he says, using his authoritative 'hyung' voice.
"Jimin, you are not to say anything to Hyeyeon about this. I had explicitly asked her not to discuss it with you or anyone else. And yes, Jungkook, it's the same guy, and you're going to have to accept it."
"Why did you two break up? Did you find out who he really was, or what?" Hoseok probes, looking for clarity.
You take a deep breath before turning to address Hoseok's question.
"He received pictures of me kissing Jungkook when he was away, while I was still his girlfriend," you explain, your voice steady despite the tension in the room.
Everyone is visibly shaken by this revelation, their eyes darting to Jungkook, then back to you, even Jin. A heavy silence envelops the room for a long moment.
"So he broke up with you because you cheated?" Taehyung asks, trying to understand the situation.
"No," you respond firmly, ready to clarify the misconception.
"Why then?" Jin asks, his voice filled with curiosity and concern.
"Because when he told me to never see Jungkook again, I refused and walked out of his house. That was the last time I saw him," you explain.
Jungkook runs his hands through his hair, visibly taken aback by your revelation. The others are stunned, taking a moment to process your courage and the complexity of the situation.
"Anyway," you continue, trying to shift the focus. "We were together for months. If he wanted to hurt me, he had plenty of chances to do it, but he didn't. He never even raised his voice at me, let alone thought of hurting me. He was nothing but a... a perfect boyfriend." You pause, recalling the times he did special things for you. "I was the one who never returned his love or efforts. I was the flawed one." Your face drops as you reflect on your past actions.
Jungkook suddenly turns you to face him, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger. "Are you in love with the guy whose brother killed your father figure or soemthing?" he asks, struggling to process the fact that you still care about Bohyun.
"Jungkook!" Jin intervenes, pulling you away from him to prevent the situation from escalating further.
"Did you not hear a single thing I just said?" you groan, frustration evident in your voice. "I left the guy who had everything I wanted in a man for someone who does nothing but find new ways to hurt me!" you yell, your emotions boiling over.
"Y/N, calm down," Jin says, turning you away from Jungkook. "Everyone, please go home for now. We'll see you at the shooting range tonight," Jin instructs, trying to defuse the situation before it escalates further.
Jungkook, visibly angrier than before, storms out of the house with heavy steps.
"This beats all the plot twists in the dramas," Yoongi mutters, shaking his head as he leaves with everyone else.
---
"Ready?" Jin asks, glancing over as you both prepare to leave to meet up with the others."Yep," you reply, following him to his car.
As you both settle into the vehicle, Jin turns to you with a serious expression. "Y/N, I need you to contain your anger towards Jungkook tonight," he advises as he starts the engine.
"Why are you telling me thisâ" you begin, feeling a flare of irritation.
"I've asked Jungkook to do the same. His behavior hasn't been forgotten," Jin quickly assures you, cutting off your protest.
"Fine," you respond, turning to look out the window, your tone a mixture of resignation and frustration.
"Thank you," Jin says, appreciating your willingness to keep the peace. He pulls out of the driveway, and you both head towards your destination, each lost in your thoughts about the evening ahead.
---
As you enter the shooting range booth reserved for your group, you're greeted by the sight of everyone engaged in conversation, enjoying food and drinks, and practicing their shots. Many of them are there with their girlfriends, adding to the lively atmosphere. Your attention is drawn to Jungkook, who's donning a leather jacket and blue jeans, standing beside the woman from earlierâhis childhood friend, as he had mentioned.
"There you are," Hyeyeon greets you cheerfully as she approaches.
"Why is she here?" you ask, glancing at the woman. Your eyes meet hers briefly, sparking an uneasy feeling inside you. She reminds you of someone you can't quite place.
"Oh, that's Sarang. She's Jungkook's guest, his childhood friend. She's visiting him. I have to admit, I've never seen Jungkook be so gentle and respectful around a woman. She seems quite sweet, actually. I like her," Hyeyeon comments, watching Sarang with a smile.
However, catching your unimpressed expression, Hyeyeon quickly reassesses her statement. "Actually, she's kind of suspicious, not going to lie," she admits, her smile fading.
"Better," you respond, feeling slightly reassured, and you walk up to join the others.
After about half an hour of mingling and getting acquainted with the group, Hyeyeon stands up energetically. "Alright, let's go and do some shooting, y'all!" she announces, heading towards the shooting range.
"I'm fine for now," you decline, preferring to hang back and observe for a little longer.
"Let's go," Sarang says, walking up to the range but soon returning.
"Jungkook," she leans into him, and you can't help but watch them through the haze of your third glass of whiskey.
"Yes?" Jungkook turns to her, his tone gentle and surprising.
"Who is he?" you ask Taehyung sarcastically, who is just as lost as you, getting wasted beside you.
"I don't know, I'm lost too," he replies, and you both chuckle. "I'm glad someone brings out the good side of him," he adds, causing your heart to sink as you observe Jungkook and Sarang more intently. She does seem to bring out a good side of him.
"Can you teach me how to shoot?" Sarang asks Jungkook innocently.
Something about it doesn't sit right with you, perhaps just jealousy.
"Yes, ma'am," he jokes and heads to the range with her.
"Is that his personal gun they're using?" you ask Taehyung.
"Yep, Jungkook never uses any gun besides his own, nor does he let anyone else use it," Taehyung nods.
Your temper flares at hearing this. As you reach for your fourth glass of alcohol, Jungkook returns to the booth.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asks, his eyes flicking to the drink in your hand.
"More than ever," you reply, your voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Jimin, why don't you teach me? Jungkook did such a great job with Sarang; she's almost scoring perfectly!" Hyeyeon cheers enthusiastically for Sarang.
"You're not planning to kill her, are you?" "She just almost died, literally" Taehyung jests, earning a sidelong glance from you, which only makes him chuckle.
"Why does everyone like her so much?" you murmur, unable to hide your annoyance.
"She's been with us for two weeks, and that's been enough to show she's a great person," Taehyung replies, prompting you to exhale sharply and roll your eyes.
Soon, everyone is at the range, coaching their partners, except for you, Jin, Namjoon, and Jungkook. You find yourself chatting with Jin.
"Kookie," Sarang calls out, interrupting. "I'm struggling with this gun, can I use yours?" she asks as she approaches Jungkook.
"Yeah, go ahead. Here," Jungkook casually hands over his gun to her, causing a ripple of surprise among the group.
"Okay, come with me," she says, pulling a somewhat overwhelmed Jungkook along with her.
You catch Taehyung's eye after witnessing Jungkook willingly share his personal gun, something Taehyung just claimed he never does. As soon as Taehyung notices your glaring look, he quickly averts his gaze, avoiding becoming the victim of your wrath.
The whole scenario fuels your frustration enough to prompt you to head up to the range yourself.
Meanwhile, Sarang was improving rapidly with Jungkook's guidance. "Waaaaaaa!" Everyone cheered as Sarang nearly hit a perfect score again.
"Y/N, let me help you load the gun," Taehyung offered.
"I'm good," you replied, picking up the gun with a confident grip. Your movements were swift and precise as you smoothly loaded the weapon, the click of each bullet sliding into place resonating in the room. Without waiting for any reaction, you took a steady stance, your eyes narrowing in concentration. You exhaled slowly, then fired a series of rapid shots.
The sound of the gunfire echoed through the range, each shot hitting its mark with pinpoint accuracy. When the last bullet struck the target, a stunned silence filled the room. All eyes were on the target, which showed a perfect scoreâevery bullet dead center.
The silence stretched, heavy with disbelief, before it erupted into loud cheers and gasps.
"Oh my God, Y/N, what was that?" Hyeyeon exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.
Everyone crowded around the target, marveling at your flawless performance. Sarang, Jungkook, and Jin were among those staring, their expressions a mix of surprise and admiration.
"Where did you learn that, Y/N?" Jin asked, his tone incredulous as he stood up, hands in his pockets, clearly impressed.
"My lovely ex-boyfriend taught me," you replied with a sharp, fake smile, casually reloading your gun.
Hyeyeon choked on her drink in shock, the atmosphere suddenly charged with tension. The room fell silent again as the others exchanged stunned glances, realizing the significance of your words. They all knew exactly who were you talking about. All eyes turned to Jungkook, waiting for his reaction.
"My bad for asking," Jin muttered, sitting back down while Namjoon struggled to hide his laughter.
Jungkook's eyes darkened with anger. He shot you a fierce glare before pushing Sarang aside, loading his gun with a swift, practiced motion. Without a word, he took his stance beside you, and you both began firing simultaneously. The unspoken competition was fierce, each shot echoing with intensity.
When the shooting ceased, both targets revealed perfect scores. Everyone else stepped back, wary of the escalating rivalry, the tension was palpable. Sarang looked particularly deflated, her earlier confidence shattered.
"I am never going to catch a break with these two anymore, am I?" Jin asks with a long sigh.
"Nope," Namjoon continues to giggle.
--
You had stepped outside to catch a breath from the bustling social scene inside the basement. Holding a cold beer, you found a quiet corner upstairs, the chill of the bottle a stark contrast to the swirling thoughts about Bohyun. Despite the cold, nostalgia warmed you slightly; you missed him and regretted how things had ended. Deep down, you were anxious about seeing him next week, hoping for a chance to apologize.
Soon, Jungkook walks out too, his hands running through his hair, a cigarette dangling unlit between his fingers. He quickly scans the area before his eyes land on you. He pauses and leans against a nearby pillar, his gaze lingering on you for a good few minutes.
"Y/N," he called out softly.
You look over your shoulder, roll your eyes playfully, but walk towards him. As you approach, he takes the beer from your hand and goes in for a sip, which soon turns into two, and then hands it back to you. You lean against the wall beside him, sharing the beer as you both watch the traffic in front of you.
After a few long quiet minutes, you finally break the silence. "Sarang likes you," you mention quietly sipping on your beer, your eyes fixed on the passing cars.
"I know," he replies to your surprise, his breath visible in the cold air.
"She seems like a great girl. You should ask her out," you suggest, trying to sound casual.
"Not my type," he responds simply.
"But you are so good to her," you say, turning to look at him, your surprise evident in your tone.
"She's my childhood friend, the only constant in my life. I love her, but not like that," he said, still staring at the traffic.
Your shoulders almost touch, and it feels like electricity crackling in the small gap between you. The sexual tension was palpable.
"Did Bohyun really teach you how to work a gun like that?" Jungkook asked, breaking the silence.
"No," you replied honestly.
"Then why did you lie?" he asked, looking at you with surprise.
"To see if it bothered you," you admitted, watching the traffic. You took a sip of the beer, and Jungkook's eyes followed your lips.
He took the beer from your hand and sipped from the same spot, a subtle intimacy that made your heart race. He then exhales and takes a moment to say something.
"Quit doing that, Y/N," he says, still looking ahead. "It bothers me more than it should."
Your heart pounds louder, the conversation turned more intimate than you'd anticipated.
"Are we really such a bad match, Jungkook?" you asked, your voice tinged with emotion.
"Stop," he said softly, but firmly.
"What?" you asked, a hint of confusion in your voice.
"Stop saying my name like that," he replied, his voice low and intense. "It makes me lose control, and bad things happen when I lose control."
His words made you look at him, your eyes tracing the contours of his face. His intense gaze, his soft skin, the curve of his nose, his rosy lips, the small scars on his skin, the eyebrow piercing, the way his body moved with each breath, his hair tousled perfectly by the wind, the shine in his eyes, the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed the beerâeverything about him was captivating.
"Don't look at me like that either," he said, trying hard to keep his eyes on the traffic and not on you.
You chuckled softly and looked away, the tension between you still crackling in the air.
"Do you ever look at me like that?" you ask as the smile fades from your face thinking he'd say no.
"All the time," he says casually.
You try to maintain a stoic face but it makes your eyes smile wide.
"A shooting star! Wish for something quickly," you exclaimed, spotting a streak of light across the sky. You closed your eyes and silently made a wish.
ð«
"So," Jungkook said, turning to you. "What did you wish for?"
"I can't say," you replied with a small smile.
"Do you want to know what I wished for?" he asked, his voice softening.
You nodded, curiosity piqued.
"I wished that in our next lives, we meet again," he said, his gaze steady and sincere, "but as normal people."
As soon as he says that, tears well up in your eyes and you start crying silently, the tipsiness amplifying your emotions.
Jungkook notices and stands up straight. "Y/N, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?" he asks, his voice filled with concern.
"No," you manage to say, but you start sobbing harder.
"Okay, I'm sorry for whatever I did. Just stop crying. You make me nervous when you cry. Please, just stop, okay?" he begs, but your sobs only intensify. "Why are you crying???" he groans, exasperated.
"Because I wished for the same exact thing," you confess through your tears.
He pauses, taking in your words. Then, with a tender smile, he says, "Come here, you silly girl." He pulls you towards him, guiding your hands to wrap around his neck before embracing you tightly, lifting you off the ground slightly.
In that moment, the world fades away, and you're both enveloped in the most serene embrace you've felt in years, holding onto each other as if letting go would mean losing everything.