Everything was messed up, honestly.

Taehyung was stupid enough to stay mute once again and not admit how much he cared for him. He was stupid enough to not let him know that the things Namjoon said weren't true. But he was determined. He would talk to him, and if Jeongguk didn't want to listen, he would make him listen.

He waited for him to come an hour earlier as usual, but to his surprise, Jeongguk didn't show up. He even called him, but he didn't answer. And at last, he sent him a message asking if he was coming to work, and Jeongguk replied with a dry yes. He didn't know what was happening, but talking about it through texts wasn't his thing.

Fifteen minutes before the preparations would start, a knock on his door made him flinch and explode out of his seat. Hoping it was Jeongguk, he scurried to the door and yanked it open, only to be met with Jimin.

"Can we talk?"

Taehyung gave a firm nod and stepped aside to let him enter. He closed the door with a soft thud, and they settled down on the couch.

"There isn't really much to say. I'm sorry, Tae. I shouldn't have done anything. I was stupid."

"I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to."

"I should say sorry to both of you. To Jeongguk because I hurt him, and to you because... it's you. I should have known better. You clearly had your reasons to do what you did, but I didn't think about that at all. I was really pissed and I took it out on him. I just... I don't understand why you would do that."

Taehyung heaved a sigh as he glanced away. "Jeongguk is different. I mean, he's pure, he's kind, and he has been through a lot. And I screwed up his life more when I hired him. It was all nice and exciting when we found an innocent little boy who would listen to whatever we had to say and do what we wanted him to do until it wasn't." He realized how stupid his plan to hire him to keep him in check was and couldn't help but feel awful. Because at that moment, he had become like those people he loathed.

"I—I almost choked him, Jiminie. I almost choked him, and two days later, he found me beaten outside of the club and couldn't stop crying. He couldn't stop crying for me. Does this even make sense?"

"I don't know. I don't think it makes sense."

"Exactly because it doesn't. That's why I'm saying he's different. And fuck, I never cared about anyone other than you, Namjoon, and Hoseok. And I'm sorry for being so aggressive yesterday, I just saw red."

"You care about him. That's why you took the beating," Jimin said with a small voice as the dawning realization descended upon him.

"I wanted to make it up to him for putting him through all this without a reason at all."

"Shit, it was my idea. Not yours, Tae."

"Your idea, but I made the call. I could have said no, but I didn't. I hired him. It's all on me and I wanted to make it up to him. Now he can have a normal job and make a living without feeling disgusted or... disgusting himself."

"You care about someone else other than us." A mild smile sprawled on his lips. "What happened to you?"

"I really don't have any answers. But I think... I think I feel something... for him."

"What? You don't do feelings!"

"Don't you think I know that?" he hissed at him with a scowl. "That's why I said I don't have any answers. Because I don't know what this is, I don't know what I'm feeling, but I know I'm feeling something. It's really messed up, Jiminie." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with all the unfamiliar feelings he experienced. "Look, no one knows about this, and I only told you so you can understand why I did what I did. And I'm really sorry for the way I acted."

"I'm sorry too, Tae," Jimin said, engulfing him into a warm hug. "And don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Thank you." They shared a smile and exited the office as they only had five minutes before the preparations.

On their way to the VIP section, Jeongguk bobbed into their vision, heading to the staff's room with his chin tucked into his chest.

"Hey," Jimin said, causing him to freeze in his tracks, startled, since he didn't expect him to talk to him. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you. It wasn't your fault. It's not your fault. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"It's—It's okay. Your friend was hurt because of me and—"

"It wasn't because of you." Taehyung's stern, frosty voice cut his words off.

Jeongguk only peeped at him and ducked his head again. "He did it f-for me, to help me, and I understand—"

"It wasn't. Your. Fault," he stressed every word, his hole-drilling gaze riveted on his restless face.

"Anyway, I—I understand," he murmured, trying his best to ignore him. "We're good." He looked at the blonde boy and gave him a tentative smile.

"I'm really sorry," Jimin said and received a few shakes of his head in response a beat later.

Taehyung watched in utter disbelief the younger walk away in a hurry and pitched forward, charging behind him. He pushed the staff room's door open before Jeongguk could shut it throughout and glared at the other employees. "Everyone out." His dour voice ceased every chatter and made them vanish in seconds.

They stood still in taut silence with Taehyung peering at him intensively and Jeongguk keeping his head hung low, his shoulders curved forward as he clasped his hands in front of him.

Taehyung edged closer, a gleam of sadness crawling into his gaze in the thought of vocalizing the question swirling through his head. "Why didn't you come earlier?"

"I was, um, I had things to do."

"What things?"

"Just, you know, things." He chewed on his bottom lip, eyes wandering all over the floor in awkwardness.

"Jeongguk," he whispered, closing his eyes in his attempt to control whatever turmoil raged inside him. "You don't get to do this, okay? You can't care about me one moment and ignore me like this the next." A mask of gloom etched on his traits as he skimmed Jeongguk's temple with his knuckles, gliding them down his cheek and jaw. "It does things to me and I don't like it." He brushed a strand of hair away from Jeongguk's face and tangled his fingers into his hair.

Jeongguk stood rigid with surprise at his tender caresses. His body screamed at him to cocoon him in a tight hug, but his mind resisted and instead screamed at him to leave. He curled his hands into tiny fists, still too timorous to meet his gaze. "I don't know what to say to you."

A smile stretched over Taehyung's lips with a hint of bitterness as he held his cheeks in delicate palms and rubbed them with his thumbs. "It's okay. Because I know what I want to say to you."

"We have to go. I haven't even changed yet."

"I don't care about that. I need to tell you—"

The door suddenly opened then, leading Jeongguk to lurch back, anxious. "Yunho?"

"Hey, bun. Hey, V." The said boy smiled at the younger as they drew closer and hugged midway.

"You're back." The moment these words left his mouth, another thought rushed into his mind, which obliterated his smile. "That means... Wang is back too."

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Did you learn anything?"

"Go to work. Both of you," V spat out with ruthless austerity and bolted out of the room without giving them a single glance.

Jeongguk flinched at the thundering bang of the door, and his face crumpled in a pout at his behavior. They didn't say anything else; they changed their clothes in haste and dashed to the VIP section.

🥀

Taehyung couldn't focus. He had already devoured three glasses of whiskey in his office, and he sipped his drink whenever he found a chance when he worked as well.

"V, what are you doing?" Namjoon asked with an exasperated sigh as it was the fifth time he had sat on that stool beside the bar and drank.

“I don't have anything to do now, so I'm drinking. Is there a problem with that?"

"You're still at work even if you don't have to talk to someone. You can't get drunk."

"I won't get drunk," he muttered as he set the glass on the counter with a light thud and wordlessly slouched off.

Namjoon shut his eyes, his mouth thinning with frustration. He spun around to check on his customers, but his eyes fell on Jeongguk, who stood nearby, staring at him with doe eyes.

Jeongguk lowered his head when he was caught staring and shuffled closer. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know what's wrong with him." Namjoon shook his head, another sigh erupting from his mouth, and walked past him.

"What's wrong?" Yunho emerged from behind and left his tray on the counter.

"Nothing." Jeongguk gave a once-over to the surrounding area and fixed his gaze on him again. "Did you find out anything?"

Yunho nipped at his bottom lip as his eyes saddened. He wrapped soft fingers around his wrist and guided him beside the bar, away from the bartender. "First of all... I know about you. I know why your father abused you and threw you out. I'm sorry. Wang told me when I asked how he knows you."

"Oh. It's okay. I trust you."

"He also told me that he has been doing business with your father for years now."

"Business?"

Yunho inched closer and whispered into his ear, "Wang is a drug dealer."

"What? That means my father..."

"He is Wang's client."

"But why does he know me? I had never seen him before."

"He has seen pictures of you. Or more accurately... he has taken pictures of you."

Shock blanketed his face, contracting his muscles. He floundered to find something to say, terror overflowing him in a flash. "He has p-pictures of m-me?"

"Apparently, Wang does this with all of his clients. He searches about their closest family members or important people in their lives and takes pictures of them. Well, not Wang, but his sidekicks. He does this so he can blackmail them if they owe him money or if his clients get caught so they won't say anything about him to the police."

"That's—That's just creepy and disgusting," Jeongguk breathed out, his shaky hands clenching into fists.

"I know, it's messed up. I had no idea he was doing this."

"And how did he find out about you and V?"

"I didn't dare to ask him that. But I'm sure he's been keeping me in check since I help him a bit with his business."

"You're a drug dealer too?"

"Not exactly. I only arrange his meetings with some people. Low-class people, as Wang says, who just aren't rich enough for his liking," he said with an eye roll as he recalled his words. "Anyway, the important thing is that I got a really weird vibe from him when he was talking about you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It just seemed like he's... obsessed with you or something."

"Hyung, I'm—I'm scared," he mumbled as his knees felt weak by dread.

"Nothing will happen to you." Yunho held his face in a gentle grip. "I won't let him do anything to you, okay?" he reassured and enfolded him into a hug.

Jeongguk latched onto him in an instant as he felt terrified only at thought of seeing Wang again.

  
Taehyung headed back to the bar to finally finish that glass of whiskey and probably ask for another one. But the sight of the two boys hugging came to his attention and brought a scowl all over his features as his gait quickened.

Namjoon perceived his seething state and scrambled to stop him. "What's wrong with you now?" He leaped in front of him and seized his shoulders.

Taehyung's flaring gaze was aimed on the two, who seemed to be standing a breath away from each other as Yunho caressed his shoulder, smiling at him.

Namjoon, curious about what the hell he was staring at, twisted his head and spotted the two boys. "You're all worked up... because of that?"

Taehyung ceased his efforts to free himself from his grip and tossed his head down. He remained mute — he didn't know what to say, anyway. He pivoted on his heel and dragged his feet to the other side of the bar, ignoring Namjoon who called his name in a whisper.

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