The wise warrior avoids the battle.
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The Art of War
Sun Tzu

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No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, Jungkook. It's you and me, kid.

Those words repeated in Jeon Jungkook's mind as he drove down a quiet street, unable to shake the utter desolation weighing down his limbs. His eyes were wide and unblinking, straining against his exhausted urge to let them fall shut. But he was so close to his destination; after hours of driving in the dark, he was just five minutes away from a house he hadn't seen in years.

He idly wondered how much trouble he'd get in for arriving almost twelve hours early. Everyone explicitly told him over the years that he wasn't supposed to come to this house unless escorted or under direct order. There was certainly no escort in tow now, and his direct orders were to arrive tomorrow.

Even if it was for his own good, Jungkook had always been a rule breaker. 

Sure, the reasoning he wasn't supposed to come back to this house was sound. It was for his safety; if people found out who he was, they could use him against his family for gain. Staying as far away as possible was in the best interest of all those around Jungkook, that way he and his family wouldn't get hurt.

But what did those consequences matter now? His family was already torn apart. It didn't feel like much worse could happen.

As he pulled onto a residential street - one lined with glamorous houses on beautiful estates - Jungkook wondered if he somehow could've prevented what happened. Of course, he didn't know an attack was coming, and even if he did, there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. Even the fact that there was an ambush didn't surprise him, knowing the nature of the people his family worked with. He tried to communicate his concerns once, but no one cared about what he said or even who he was. To them, he had absolutely no power or authority.

And it was true. He didn't.

But if his fears were listened to - if those in command heard him out - would that have changed anything?

It wasn't worth asking those types of questions now. There really was no point whatsoever. What was done was done.

And now two lives were forfeit.

That thought prompted the same words from before to fill his mind. No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you.

Lies. It was all a lie.

Luckily, Jungkook was saved from deteriorating further as he pulled up to a darkened house. He shut off his car and quietly got out, leaving behind the small bag of belongings he had with him. With wide eyes, he refamiliarized himself with a house that had never been his home. 

At first glance, the two-story townhouse was relatively unassuming, with its plain exterior and limited decor. The neighboring residences were much more dazzling, boasting elegant fixtures and gorgeous landscaping. One's eyes naturally glanced over this particular building in search of something showier.

But that was the point. Sure, the CEO of Korean National Oil was outrageously wealthy, but he wasn't a stupid man. He knew there were many people in the dangerous and competitive oil industry out to get him, so he didn't make himself easy to find by living in a flashy house. It simply wasn't safe, so he built something that blended in rather than stood out.

Regardless, the man's family was still targeted and tracked down. It didn't matter that they weren't even living in Seoul - they had been presumably safe in the middle of nowhere. But somehow, tucked into the countryside far away from the city, that family had been found.

And now Jungkook was here. Devastated, heartbroken, and alone.

To make matters worse, he was still in a state of shock. None of this felt real to him. He thought that maybe if he went to bed and closed his eyes, that everything would return to normal by morning.

Because this couldn't be real. If it was, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to continue on in life.

With shaking hands, Jungkook pulled out his cellphone and placed a call to one of the only people he could trust. He knew he'd potentially be ripped apart once this person found out where he was, but he didn't care. All he needed was to get inside this house.

But it'd been years since he was last here; with no key, he had no idea how to get inside without triggering some sort of alarm system.

"Hello? Jungkook?" A familiar and male voice sounded, alert despite the late hour.

"I'm outside of the house," Jungkook mumbled, his voice hoarse from not using it for several hours. "I need to go in, but I don't have a key. Can you help me get inside?"

There was a brief pause on the other side of the line, with no audible noise except the wind brushing through the nearby trees. Jungkook pulled the phone away, curious if the call dropped, when the person finally spoke again.

"Jungkook . . . It's not safe for you to be here now. You were supposed to come in the morning, remember?"

Jungkook nodded his head frantically, the motion disjointed and stiff. "I know. I didn't expect to get here so soon, but I drove fast and didn't take breaks and -"

"Okay, okay," the male interjected soothingly, the warmth of his voice comforting Jungkook's frayed nerves. "I'm inside. I'll come get you."

"You're here, too?" Jungkook asked, surprised by this fact. "Why are you here so late?"

There was a longer pause this time before Jungkook realized the stupidity of his question. After spending days drowning in his own grief, he often forgot about the anguish others were going through as well. 

"Shit," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"I'll be out in a couple. Try and stay hidden," the man sighed, his tone void of emotion. He hung up before Jungkook could cause any more damage.

"Fuck," Jungkook let out under his breath, kicking himself mentally as he flattened his back against a tree.

Usually, Jungkook tried to be a thoughtful and empathetic person. He liked to consider himself as someone who innately understood how others felt. But this entire past week made him feel like an outsider in his own body. His mind was clouded over, focused on nothing but his pain and his despair. And when his friend needed him to be considerate and compassionate, he failed.

That's all he was doing lately. Failing.

Running his hands over his eyes, Jungkook attempted to pull himself together before the older male got outside. He wasn't expecting to interact with anyone until tomorrow; all he planned on doing was wallowing in his sorrows tonight. But now that he knew his friend was here, he couldn't be the broken mess he wanted to be. 

He had to be a support system for Jin, too.

While he waited for his friend to get him, Jungkook tried to blend into the tree, hoping the wide trunk concealed his frame. Blending into his surroundings had never been one of his fortes. Even though he preferred dark clothing, there was one identifying feature that made him stand out: the black, inky tattoos spanning the entirety of his right arm. He didn't exactly like wearing clothing that covered the brilliant designs, but more often then not, some event or another demanded that he wear long sleeves.

Tonight, however, his tattoos were on full display. In his rush to get here, he didn't exactly have the time to worry about the clothing he wore.

"Jungkook?" A voice softly called out for him, breaking the silence around him. "It's Jin."

A stream of air escaped Jungkook's pursed lips in relief, and he stepped away from the tree to face his friend.

"Jin . . ."

His friend looked at him with poorly concealed disappointment. "Kook, you know better than to reveal yourself without clearing someone. You're supposed to run through the safety protocols."

"Those security questions are stupid, " Jungkook huffed as he slowly neared the elder. "Anyone can figure out the answers."

"They were put in place for a reason. That way you know who to trust, so you know who works for the company and will help protect you," Jin frowned, his handsome features pulling tightly across his face.

"I don't need to be protected any longer."

A soft sigh escaped Jin's lips, a cross between irritation and compassion. "We both know that's not true."

But it was true, wasn't it? Jungkook was a nobody, a person whom others barely even knew existed. His entire adult life was spent laying low and hiding, so there were few opportunities of being discovered. Now that everything had happened, would people still be looking for him?

Would spending his life in the shadows ever come to an end?

Jin seemed to realize that Jungkook was struggling, so he dropped the topic and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "I wish you gave me a little warning that you were coming tonight."

Jungkook remained quiet, allowing himself to be held as he soaked in the elder's comfort. After feeling lost for the last week, with no one who similarly understood his pain, this embrace gave him much-needed solace.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook answered after a moment, his words muffled by the older male's shoulder. "For everything."

Jin released him, placing his hands on his shoulders and staring down into his eyes. "It's okay, Kookie. It will all be okay in time, I promise."

Jungkook supposed he should say the same reassuring words back to Jin, but he couldn't muster up the courage to lie. It seemed impossible to imagine the future, a world that was as bright and secure as it used to be. All he'd known had been broken down.

Maybe Jin was just better at all of this than him. Perhaps his life experience allowed him to remain calm and hopeful during this trying time. Or maybe Jin was falling apart on the inside, but decided to put on a brave face for Jungkook. It was tough to tell for sure.

In the end, they both had every right not to be okay. Jungkook lost his family. Jin lost his husband.

"Come on. We need to get inside. No one knows what sort of eyes might be on this place," Jin said as he nodded towards the house. "It isn't safe out here for you. For any of us."

The elder carefully led them towards the side entrance, continually scanning their surroundings for anything unusual. He unlocked a series of deadbolts, moving quickly and efficiently as he switched between keys. Jungkook always thought it'd be impossible to break into this house; besides the crazy amount of security practices in place, there were just too many damn locks. 

Finally, the door was unlocked completely, allowing for entrance into the dark house. It took a few moments for Jungkook's eyes to adjust, but when they did, he followed Jin blindly through the rooms.

"The replacement security detail starts tomorrow, so I've been tasked with clearing out Joon's old room," Jin explained, leading them both to a small bedroom on the second floor. "He didn't have much stuff, but it's taken a while to go through everything."

Right. The new bodyguard. Although the person did nothing wrong, Jungkook couldn't help but harbor a slight hatred towards Namjoon's successor. No one - no matter how skilled or capable - would ever replace him.

They walked into a familiar room, small and plain but still homey. There were a couple of boxes on the floor filled with various objects: clothing, picture frames, books. This was all that was left of Kim Namjoon.

Jungkook sunk onto the bed, unfeeling as the heaviness of the room pressed down upon him. The last time he spoke with Namjoon wasn't a fond memory. They'd been fighting about his safety of all things, with Jungkook saying some pretty cruel words to the elder. But Namjoon, level headed and patient as ever, didn't say anything harsh back. All he said was the two sentences that had been repeating in Jungkook's mind since he learned Namjoon didn't make it.

No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, Jungkook. It's you and me, kid.

"Joonie wouldn't want you to be upset, Kook," Jin said softly, sitting next to Jungkook and slinging an arm around his shoulder. "He'd hate to know how torn up you are over him. He knew what he was getting himself into. It was his job."

"He was more than that job, Jin. He was more than just a bodyguard. He was family," Jungkook whispered, afraid of speaking any louder less his voice crack. 

"Nothing will change that. Nothing will -" 

A shrill ringing cut off Jin, a sound that made Jungkook's spine shiver. The elder retrieved a phone from his pocket, frowning when he saw the caller ID. 

"Yeah?" Jin answered, the tone of his voice steeped in something unidentifiable. 

Jungkook let his eyes wander around the room, trying not to eavesdrop on the elder's conversation directly. But that was tough to do when there was a sense of anger and annoyance radiating from Jin.

"Already?" Jin questioned, standing up impossibly fast with his back towards Jungkook. "Where?"

Whatever response the caller gave made Jin's back go rigid.

"Are you sure?" The elder asked lowly, voice flat and unnaturally monotone. It was a tone Jungkook never heard from Jin before.

Unsure of what to do, he wrung his hands together as his eyes remained locked on Jin's back. Obviously, there was something wrong for Jin to act this way, but Jungkook had no clue what pressures the elder faced in his job at Korean National Oil. Jungkook had limited information on Jin's responsibilities and he never dared to ask. After all, he knew how secretive Namjoon had to be, so it was unlikely Jin would open up as well.

"Shit. Okay, I'll be there soon." Jin hung up and started frantically closing the curtains in the room.

"Jin? What's going on?" Jungkook asked, his heart starting to race unusually fast in his chest. There was a frenzied energy replacing the once calm room, and it made him antsy. He was never particularly good at facing the unknown.

Jin gave him a tight-lipped smile before heading to the door. "Nothing to be worried about. Just stay in here tonight, okay? Lock the door and wait until I come to get you in the morning."

"But what if I need to -?"

Jin didn't stick around to hear Jungkook's concerns. He strode out of the room and slammed the door closed behind him, heading off to god knows where.

And then, once again, Jungkook was alone.

With a defeated sigh, he did as he was told and locked the door. And now, with the silence as his only companion, his sadness began to return full force. Especially being in this house, in this room . . .

He curled up on the bed, hugging his waist as he squeezed his eyes shut. And even though he attempted to push aside his dark thoughts, they remained at the forefront of his mind. He already knew sleep would not come easily tonight.

So he gave in to his grief and let silent tears trickle down his cheeks.

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》 V A L E N W R I T I N G 《

Poor Jungkookie, he's having a hard time.

Taekook's first meeting coming soon! What do we think that interaction will be like?