PAST

"I love you...take care of yourself."

Tajh's eyes narrowed at that. Concern filled her insides as she felt her boyfriend's lips contacted the top of her head. Seeing as he moved away and out the door, the woman stood in her spot, watching the way his back muscles seemed to tense up in his shirt.

"Helic, wait."

He didn't wait. He walked disappeared from the porch of the dorm as he went to search for his vehicle.

For some reason, Tajh felt tears at her eyes. None of this seemed right. None of it.

There was something Helic wasn't telling her and it didn't seem fitting to watch him leave. Something within her screamed for her to run after him. To run and form away from the threshold that held her back. Blinking back tears, Tajh did it. She ran.

She ran out of the house, making it her mission to forcefully get in the car if she had to. Whatever it took to get answers, she was willing to put herself on the line.

"Helic, what is going on?!" she chimed, slamming the door behind her as her bare legs felt chilled the moment she walked out into the London air.

She froze, eyes cascading over cars before her. It took her a moment, but she eventually found her boyfriend sadly getting into his car. Jaw clenching, she was determined. She continued running.

"Helic!"

It was surprise to both Helic and Tajh how fast the woman could run towards the car and get into the car. She even beat him from locking the doors before her sneak in.

"Tajh, get out."

"Not until you tell me what's going on," Tajh breathlessly let out, eyes hard.

She wasn't going to let him leave the driveway without an answer.

-

PRESENT

You rolled your eyes at the texts you were receiving. Smiling to yourself however, you tried not to let the messages get to you. It was Jungkook for crying out loud, you weren't planning on allowing his texts make you flush in any sort of manner. Sure, your mind focused on keeping your space from him, but your body on the other end, your body seemed to always react whenever he was around you.

From blushing, to awkward touches, to unexplainable butterflies within you...

You ignored all of that, stubborn to realize any sort of conclusion to such effects. All in mind was speaking to him as commonly as you did with Lia, Vee, or any other friend of yours.

Today's the last night I'll be coming by and staying with you.

- Jeon Jungkook

You bit your lip a little, your feet moving slowly now as you crossed the hallway of your school.

Oh, thank the heavens.

- Y/N

You like me staying over, don't lie.

- Jeon Jungkook

Sure, I'll enjoy telling my dad about your stays.

- Y/N

Grinning over your smug response, you tried not to laugh at how flustered the boy instantly got right after that text. Confidence falling, you tried not to type out a "you're cute" and refrained it all internally. Instead, emoji's were sent and mind was dazed.

There was a low frustrated grunt from next to you. Instantly blushing, you whacked your phone away from close to your face and by your side. During the entire process of getting sucked into the maknae's words and fun banter, you had completely forgotten the person who you were supposed to be paying attention to today.

"I'm so sorry Vee."

"Yeah, yeah," Vee chimed, trying not to smile when spotting you embarrassingly putting your phone into your pocket, "Continue texting your boyfriend when I'm still here. Oh, how special I feel."

"I shouldn't have texted him if I'm spending time with you."

Vee grinned wildly, "Ah, so you admit he's your boyfriend!"

Your eyes widened. Trying to collect your thoughts to spit out something that was snarky and less defensive, you failed miserably.

"Jungkook? No, not at all, I—"

"Yeah, yeah," Vee waved off, teasing expression on her face before she instantly found her arm to grab onto your wrist.

Before you could ask her what she was doing, she started to drag you away from the hallway that led to your lecture class and over to the exit.

"Where are we going? I only have thirty minutes left 'til class starts, I—"

"Thirty minutes is enough to quickly grab some food," Vee chimed, her eyes practically pleading as her feet begged to make it to the exit.

"Vee, I don't thi—"

"Oh, come on!" she whined, "I can't hang with you after your lecture because you're going with your boyfriend for some date. Just give me this part of your time, ye?"

You felt the need to whine for yourself but instead, you sighed dramatically as you let her strength win you over. She chuckled as you let her take you out the doors of your hell-hole of a school.

"Again! He's not my boyfriend," you yelled out, trying not to laugh as the girl pulled you faster and faster down the long set of stoned stairs in front of the exit. "...and it's not a date. We're going out as friends. He wanted to treat me out since it's the last time we'll be seeing each other for a while before they head out to Japan."

"Aw, a goodbye date," Vee teasingly shot out, dragging you towards her car, "How cute!"

"Not a da—"

Vee cut you off for the millionth time now, practically singing now, "TOTALLY A DATE!"

-

"You've got a date with who?" you piped, eating your ice cream cone whole-heartedly.

It was hard to pay attention to the woman next to you as she parked her car. Watching her stare over at you eyeing down your cone and nothing more, Vee smiled a little as she undid her belt and started to get out of the vehicle.

"Jae," she mumbled, "I'm his plus one for some rich-boy-party we're going to attend. He plans on stealing a lot from there."

You finally looked away from your ice cream, frowning. "When will you get away from this mess? I did, I'm sure there is a way for you to too."

Vee sighed, watching your eyes harden before her. She couldn't answer to that well, more over the fact because she honestly didn't know what to say. "Y/N...our situations are different."

"I know," you mumbled, licking your cone again, "I got out from the debt, but yours involves something more dangerous...will I ever know what exactly it is?"

"Nope," Vee chopped out, laughing a little as she got up from her seat.

Before you could grumble or ask more about anything, the curiosity within you wanted to know more about this 'party' that Vee was going to put herself through because of Jae. It saddened you that you were out and somewhat safe of Jae's grasp, but people like Vee weren't. It made you wonder if that person under the hood that always seemed to help was in the same situation...that man or woman...never got to see their face.

"I've got to give him the loads of cash that was shipped in today," Vee said lowly, moving to the back of her car to grab at a duffel bag, "some big boss is coming in today and Jae's irritated. Otherwise, I'd gladly bring you in to say hi."

Your face merged into disgust and Vee loved that her joke caused that effect.

The car that was parked, stood in the run-down parking lot of where Jae lived. It was still bright-daylight so the surroundings of the eerie area didn't give you much of a surprise. In your case, you had been around here a lot when you were once stuck with Jae. Now, however, it always felt weird to be back to a place that was once so familiar. Now...well, now it seemed like a time that had happened so long ago even though it had only been a few months.

"Just hurry up alright? I get uneasy around here," you hummed out, voice barely heard well by Vee who straightened her back and placed the bag onto her shoulder.

"I'll be back and then I'll free you at your school," the woman joked, remembering your class that you were already ten minutes late to. The both of you knew you were no longer planning on attending the lecture today at this rate.

"If you need service to talk to your boyfriend come around the outer railings that lead up to the right side of this complex."

You put on an exaggerated smile onto your face before shooting out your middle finger. Vee laughed loudly when you did it in her direction. Finally seeing her close the door and move away, you let your middle finger fall.

You waited. You waited until you couldn't see Vee anymore, debating on whether you should go back to finishing up your ice cream cone, or propping your cell phone out.

Groaning internally at the low amount of self-control you had. You chose to lick up your ice cream cone quickly before escaping the car that was holding you. Moving to the side of the complex earlier mentioned, you grinned like an excited child before pulling out your phone.

It wasn't a surprise to you when seeing Jungkook message you instantly all over again. It was cute how quick the both of you seemed to respond to each other whenever purposing a conversation.

Where'd you go? You disappeared on me.

- Jeon Jungkook

It doesn't matter now that I'm back.

- Y/N

-

"I'm back!"

Faces looked over at Vee. There were quite a few crowded in Jae's small apartment.

Tossing the duffel bag onto Jae's bed, Vee stood, arms crossed over her chest as she caught the irritation in Jae's face simply melting away in the corner where he stood leaning.

"...so," Vee popped, smiling as she looked over how tense everyone was in the room, "Where exactly is this boss man?"

-

I'm at boss levels.

- Y/N

You were grinning to yourself, trying not to prance around the wood underneath your feet as you wandered around before doors. Lost in your writing, nothing else but the conversations with Jungkook mattered to you in that moment. From teasing, to school talk, to now the planned outing for tonight, all of it made you grow a little hot and you didn't know why.

I guess we'll see how boss you are the moment I beat you in every game there.

- Jeon Jungkook.

Sounds like a challenge, maknae.

- Y/N

Get ready to lose.

- Jeon Jungkook

You rolled your eyes. Giggling a little as you tried not to snort, you found your body stomping around more as you continued your conversation with Jungkook on your phone.

Moving your eyes up when hearing a few footsteps from far before you, you didn't think twice about the two men that seemed to be walking in your direction. One man was standing tall, bomber jacket thick and black with white phrases playing on the sides of his sleeves. Jeans slightly ripped at one knee and his boots a rusted shade, all together, his hair was slit back as the sides of his head was buzzed-down-shaved. Rings and jewelry flashy on his neck and fingers. This one man in front looked incredibly different than the one that followed behind him.

You didn't pay much attention to the one man in front, seeing the slight face mask he had on over his nose and lips. Staring over at your phone, Jungkook grew more important as you continued to pass the two with your mind on the words you were typing.

Too into texting, you swore a little when your shoulder made impact with the man in the face mask and bomber jacket.

"You were born with two eyes for a reason," the man said, his voice incredibly low and muffled from the mask, "Use them."

Your eyes widened at the use of words. Taken aback at first, you face eventually scrunched while getting ready to snap over at the man. You swallowed your words when seeing that he didn't even bother looking back at you, him and his friend that followed along walking without a care in the world.

Your upper lip twitched as you looked away.

"Bitch-ass," you mumbled, trying not to focus on how rude the man was just now.

-

"She just call me a bitch-ass?" the masked man asked, chuckling a little as he turned the corner.

"Yeah, she did," the man following behind said, laughing a little himself.

"Did you get a good look at her?" the masked man asked.

"No, sir."

The man nodded slowly, moving another corner swiftly as he found his eyes to bounce towards the door that he was supposed to move through. A strand of hair seemed to fall down from his pulled back hair and into his dark eyes. Moving his index finger to push it back again, the masked man waited to be let in as the man behind him opened the door for him.

"Thank you," the masked man sang out, making it an entrance as the voices inside the room seemed to go insanely quiet the moment he walked in.

All stood up, awake and alert.

-

All stood up, awake and alert.

Vee watched, her brows furrowing at how everyone was...scared? Heck, even Jae seemed more irritated than usual, and viewing the way the masked man before them seemed to stand and look, it was incredibly obvious why everyone was intimidated.

"Surprise, surprise," the masked man chimed out, slowly getting out of his bomber jacket before tossing it over to his friend that had came with him. "Looks like I actually showed up."

"It's nice doing business with you, si—"

"Cut the shit," the masked man said lowly, making the one that was speaking instantly seal his lips.

Jae's jaw clenched at that as he lazily got off from leaning against the wall. Moving so that he was centered along with everyone else, Vee watched, swallowing down a lump for the man and the tense aurora of the room.

"Don't talk to my men like that," Jae barked out calmly.

Vee watched as the masked man set his eyes on Jae who stood high and tall, arms crossed smugly over his chest.

The masked man's eyes seemed to squint a bit. It was clear to everyone he was smiling underneath the mask.

"Ahh, Jae," the man sang out, "I see your power-trip issues haven't changed one bit."

Jae's brows furrowed at that. About to speak, Jae was cut off the moment the man pulled down at the surgical mask. Having it rest lamely underneath his chin, the grin from the once masked man was now visible for everyone to see.

Vee's lips went ajar when spotting the familiar face.

Jae's eyes went soft, arms falling from at his chest and instantly towards his sides.

"Helic?" Jae whispered out, body thrown into shock.

Helic grinned wildly, his brow cocking.

"In the flesh, buddy."