Taehyung's POV-

"Mrs Jeon, I don't know if I feel the most comfortable with this plan..."

She lets out yet another heavy sigh at my words. I can tell she's getting a bit annoyed that I keep repeating this, but I just really don't like this. It isn't right.

"I don't think anything will happen to him. Hyuk told me he has worked for her for a long time, almost as long as Hyuk has been helping her. If anything he will probably just get roughed up like Chanyeol did. And after she does he will be more likely to turn on her when Hyuk is able to approach him."

She sounds so confident he won't be hurt, but I think she has sent that guy to his grave. Also, didn't she give Irene too much information? She shared more than I thought she should.

I mean, she's always telling me not to show all the cards but she damn near showed all the ones I knew she had.

"Okay" I sigh "Just, give me a moment to think about all of this."

From what I've gathered, she just happened to have run into Irene at the company today and she and Hyuk had talked only generally about possibly bringing up her past private investigator drama regarding the situation with her parents.

Apparently Mrs Jeon somehow (how the hell she found this out I have no fucking idea as I still don't know all of her tricks) found out not only that Irene was supposed to be meeting with her parents this morning, but also that she was supposed to be with them and instead was at the company talking to Yoongi. And by the way she said Yoongi was yelling it was not a happy visit.

She said the opportunity to blindside Irene was too perfect to pass up and she improvised. I hate to question her, but I really don't like this. I don't think this was the best way to go about trying to get this guy to help us.

She just put a target on his back and she doesn't think it'll get him killed, but I beg to differ.

I've been talking to Seulgi and Irene is becoming more unpredictable. When she lost Hyuk she lost it apparently and yelled at a bunch of people at the company. Seulgi said she's never really done that before, or at least not to the extent she did that day.

She said that Irene has always been adamant about keeping her personal affairs (a.k.a her shady side gig of blackmail and murder) separate from her career. She doesn't like to let the two connect.

Although, in my opinion, whatever line Irene thinks she has drawn to separate the two has been stepped over more than a few times.

Apparently even the fact that Hyuk was seen at the company those very few times was odd, and now she's making makeup artists cry and screaming at directors.

If a moderately "stable" Irene can attend a charity event for Suicide Prevention in the spring and then go on to stage a suicide in the fall, I'm pretty sure finding out her new lead investigator might not be competent at his job is going to drive her to lengths we aren't going to be able to anticipate.

"Taehyung, we need him."

"I understand that but we also need him alive." I say harshly without thinking so I immediately speak again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound so harsh, I just really don't like this. If there's anything we've learned it's that just when we get confident that she'll go left she goes right.

"The fact that she was even there today to talk to Yoongi let's us know she could still try to get him back, which is something we thought she had gotten over. That reminds me, did he tell you what she said?"

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. He and Bunny are talking in another room down the hall and I am in Yoongi's studio."

"Do you think Koo is going to be able to talk him off this ledge he's hellbent on jumping off of?"

"The ledge into a new identity? Yes, I think so. Have you seen that man with Bunny?" She chuckles. "He may be stubborn, but he will do anything for him. I'm sure he will find a way to get Yoongi to think logically and not get so ahead of himself.

"He has no idea what he is saying he will give up. If he knew the extent of what he is saying he would be more hesitant. I'm sure Bunny will help him see that."

I nod along with her words. Yoongi is very stubborn, but Koo is just as bad. They say opposites attract but those two are extremely similar in personality. That's actually probably why they both thought the same person was trying to steal their boyfriend...

I smile to myself at the amusing memory. I can look back at it now and see the humor in the ridiculousness of it all, but at the time it was far from funny.

I pull my phone away from my ear to check the time and notice that it's almost ten.

"Mrs Jeon I'm going to have to go soon but keep me updated."

"Before you go, have you heard from him?"

My eyes widen at the question. "You haven't? With everything you did today that wasn't part of the actual plan you two decided on, you haven't talked to him?"

Hyuk doesn't know fucking any of this?!

"He said he would reach out to us when he could, remember? He must not quite be in a place where he can yet. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday."

"So when did you two come up with plans then?"

"We began talking about these things weeks ago."

Of course they did.

"Okay." I purse my lips, trying to calm my rising uneasiness at this whole fucking situation. "If I hear from him before you do I'll let you know. Let me know when you get to your father. When will you be leaving the city?"

"As soon as Bunny is done here."

"Sounds good. Drive safe Mrs Jeon."

"Take care Taehyungie and thank you again."

I hang up the phone and immediately make my way to my bedroom to get ready to go. She does not like to be kept waiting and I have a feeling she is going to be a little on edge if she got a call like I just got.

Yoongi's POV-

With Kook's hand tightly in mine I use my free hand to press the code into my keypad and gently push the door open as I call out gently, "Mrs Jeon?"

I peak my head into the room and I can feel Kook's body pressed against my back as he tries to see if she is done with her call as well.

When we see her sitting on the couch smiling up at us both we make our way fully into the room, Kook moving to go sit on the couch next to her and myself taking a seat at my desk.

Her eyes follow Kook first as he walks around the table to sit beside her before she moves them to where I'm sat.

"Is everything squared away?" She asks.

I want to say no. I mean how can it be really? He still has to leave but he promised so I will get through this week. At least I'll be able to call him. Or, will I?

"For now. I do have a question though, will he still be able to use his phone?"

"Yes that will remain the same for now and if anything changes I'm sure he will let you know. The service might be spotty at times, but you will be able to get in touch with him until we are back. I know he probably told you already, but it really shouldn't be for that long."

I feel like I need to thank her for not keeping him for as long as I'd anticipated but before I get the chance Kook speaks.

"Eomma," Kook speaks gently next to her. "I made a deal with him."

She moves her eyes from me to him. "A deal. And what was this deal?" She asks with an amused expression.

"Not a deal. He made a promise." I clarify. "I am not going to go forward with anything I planned quite yet, and he promised that he will come back in one week."

Her brows raise dramatically before she turns back to him. They share some sort of look for a moment and I kind of feel like I'm missing something.

"One week..." She repeats, still looking at Kook, and he nods.

After a moment more of them sharing strange looks she turns to me. "Well. If he promised then I will do whatever I can to help him keep his word."

She smiles at me after she says this but it doesn't reach her eyes. I look from her over to Kook and he is smiling at me with a genuine, soft smile that puts me at ease.

"We really ought to be going. Especially if we have a promise to keep. If you two are okay, that is."

"What time will you be leaving?"

They are both quiet as Mrs Jeon looks from Kook to me with a half confused, half surprised expression.

"Yooni..." he says with a sad smile.

I study his face closely. Why would he be sad. If they are leaving today then- suddenly I think I start to understand.

No. They aren't. That's too soon!

"We're leaving from here." He says cautiously.

"N-now? You're leaving now."

Why didn't he tell me this earlier?!

"I can't see you for as long as I want and you knew that when you came here. It was never part of the plan to stay longer? You were just going to come here, convince me to be fine with you leaving and then go." I try to keep my voice level as I process this, but some of my annoyance still comes through.

"I came to see you because I love you and I didn't want to leave things the way we did. Admittedly, I did also come here to convince you that I won't be gone forever.

"It's just supposed to be a short time and you were going to potentially make changes in your life that would be difficult to undo when I get back. I had to make sure you understood you weren't losing me again. I'll be safe this way so you won't have to worry about me."

I look at him as I begin to feel my eyes getting teary. I have to remember. I'm the one that told him to go. He has given me his word and I am going back on what I said. I told him to go with his mother. I told him he would be safer and I need to stick to my word like I know he will stick to his. He has to go.

I give a quick nod as I stand up, holding eye contact with Kook.

"I told you to go, and I'm sorry I've lost sight of that. Right now it's for the best." I move my eyes from Kook's to his mother's, "But I will see you in a week."

She meets my eyes before glancing over at Kook momentarily then moving them back to mine.

"One week." She repeats curtly.