- For @btswriterscorner -

- for @btswriterscorner -

We are happy to announce that the following blogs were accepted as Members of our Forge!

@thebiasrekkers​ | @agustdmono​

Now that you are a part of the Forge, here are some things you have to do:

Reblog the Acceptance Post. (We will be checking)

Add a link to the Forge somewhere on your blog. (We will be checking)

Use and track the tag #kwordsmiths

If you’ve given your KKT ID, you will be added to the chat(s) soon after the acceptance.

We hope you enjoy your time here!

Admin D.

Thought I’d upload this for y’all to reblog since this is so important. ♡

I'm doing very well thank you! What have you all been up to recently? I really like the stuff you've been posting recently! I'm almost totally caught up 👀 - P

I’m glad you’re doing well! We’ve been bawling our eyes out over character arcs in our stories. What are your favorite stories so far?

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 3,967 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 12: The Truth Untold

"I can’t show you my weakness, so I’m putting on a mask to go see you."

Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

Eden felt her shoulder being nudged playfully and she groaned, her thick curls falling about her shoulders and ears as Raelyn grinned at her. The other woman practically bounced up and down in her seat, her glasses giving off a slight shimmer as the mid-morning sun hit the lenses. The taxi eased on down the road and she sighed, propping her elbow on the window and resting her cheek against her knuckles. As she watched the city go by, she could only grin as Raelyn chatted about all the things they were planning on doing when they finally stopped. After they ate, of course.

They could have driven to Myeongdong. Eden’s car could drive this week. Some might have found the odd-even license plate rotation law a bit of a hassle, but she could understand why. It cut out on heavy air pollution and on days when the air was bad and dust was more prevalent, the need for less vehicle traffic was essential. Raelyn insisted they just take a cab so Eden wouldn’t have to worry about parking. It was a fair argument and since Raelyn was offering to pay for the cab both ways, she wasn’t about to argue with her.

When the cab finally dropped them off at their destination, Eden stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders back. She noticed that Raelyn took a moment to surmise her surroundings, as if she were looking for something. Eden watched curiously, stuffing her hands into her bomber jacket as she scuffed the heels of her Converse along the sidewalk.

Satisfied that she hadn’t seen anything, Raelyn smiled to Eden and quickly ran up beside her – immediately looping her arm through hers as they walked into the café. They both ordered their lunches and, of course, their coffee (extra milk and sugar because it was their day off and they could do these things).

The two of them sat down and talked idly about work. It was usually the first thing they did. Eden didn’t envy Raelyn’s job; not one bit. Overseeing people’s lives or having to be the one to tell a family member bad news didn’t sit well with Eden’s stomach. Cars and motorcycles were easy. They didn’t talk and if something went wrong, it was usually a mechanical issue that was out of her control. Machines weren’t built to last forever.

Then again, people weren’t either.

The conversation soon switched to lighter topics: what movies they’d seen recently and if they were caught up on the latest K-Dramas. The two women spoke English to each other freely. They rarely used it in their day-to-day lives. But when they were together, they shared conversations in their native language with smatterings of Korean. Eden remembered how relieved she was when she’d first met Raelyn. They were both transplants and while Eden was of Korean heritage, she was half African American. They’d both had rough lives and became fast friends. Their hours were a little weird compared to other working individuals, but they always made time for each other at least once or twice a week.

It was a nice friendship to gain after she’d been dumped by Yoongi shortly beforehand.

“So, what’s the latest?”

Eden raised her brows, tilting her head slightly. “Huh?”

“You know,” Raelyn said, smirking, “with the ‘Petty Mutt’ and all. How is that going?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started.”

Raelyn laughed. “That bad?”

“It’s not bad, Rae Unnie. It’s just, fuck, I don’t know.”

“What’s not to know?”

“I didn’t want to get involved with anyone else after things ended between Yoongi and me.” Eden shrugged, lifting the cup of coffee off the table. “I just don’t think I’m ready to be with anyone like that.”

Raelyn’s brows furrowed as she looked at her. “It’s been almost two years now, Eden. You need to think about yourself and not worry about anything else.” She sipped from her cup. “He asked to be friends, right? Then that means that he’s drawn the line.”

Eden sucked her lips in between her teeth before releasing them with a pop, resting a hand to her temple as their orders were brought out to them. Raelyn was right. When Yoongi offered to “just be friends”, it was clear that boundaries were finally being set. He’d ended things on his terms and while Eden knew that things between them had gotten a little rocky, she just figured they would work through them like they always did.

Then again, he didn’t go out of his way to introduce her to any of his actual friends. Business colleagues here and there, but when they went out – just the two of them – it was usually sequestered away from the rest of the world. Eden always believed it was because Yoongi wanted to keep her all to himself; taking her to the mountains during Winter to a private cabin, out to the coast of Busan where they could relax at lovely villa. In the summer, they went to Jeju Island to enjoy the quiet and solitude.

They rarely went out in Gangnam and when they did, it was for dinner or a movie and then he would always crash at her place. She remembered how embarrassed she’d been when he first asked to come over to her house when she’d been feeling ill. She tried to tell him not to bother with it; that she’d be fine after drinking some soybean soup and sleeping. He’d brought her medicine, soup, and bought her an extra mink blanket to snuggle into since she lived in the rooftop apartment.

Had it all been a lie? Had it all been just his way of messing around with a foreign girl? He’d gotten bored with her and tossed her aside when he’d finished amusing himself with her?

Her fingers curled into the ceramic mug, her nails scraping along the surface. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Raelyn must have known she’d struck a nerve because she instantly reached across the table to grab her wrist. Eden blinked back the angry tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Girl, listen to me,” she said, her voice gentle, “you are a catch, do you hear me? If he wants to let that go because of whatever excuse he gave you, then that’s on him. That doesn’t mean you have to deny happiness for yourself.”

Eden’s blurred vision righted and she gave a small laugh. “You sound like one of those cheesy self-help books, Unnie,” she teased.

Rae lifted her chin proudly and winked. “I have to find something to do when I’m working those extended hours at the hospital.”

“Wow, and she admits to reading cheesy self-help books.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Scoffing, she waved her hand back and forth as she picked up half of her sandwich. “No thanks.” The lettuce crunched when she bit into it and she waited for Raelyn to finish chewing before talking. “So, what about you? You haven’t dated anyone since you broke up with Hoseok.”

Raelyn snorted. “I’m not a fan of having work stress follow me everywhere I go.”

“It’s true though, right?”

“About what?”

Maybe she shouldn’t be poking at this topic, but Eden had always been curious. “That you were a mafia boss’s girlfriend?”

She watched Raelyn’s eyes go wide as she coughed loudly. Eden’s brows raised when she saw her friend waving her hands back and forth – like she’d spoken some forbidden phrase and now the floor was going to open beneath them; sending them straight to hell.

“W-Where did you even hear that from?”

Eden smirked. “I’ve been here longer than you, Unnie. Anyone who lives in Gangnam knows all about the Golden Jackals’ leader, Jung Hoseok.” She took another bite of her sandwich, savoring the surprised look on Raelyn’s face. “Rumor has it that he had an American girlfriend for about a year before things ended between them.”

Raelyn pouted. “Who said you could just know all that about me?”

She gave her a ‘yeah, right’ face before swallowing. “Do you even know where I work, Unnie? People talk and Koreans are the best sort of gossips. I never would have figured that you were that same Raelyn, though.” Eden watched as Raelyn stirred her coffee when another thought hit her. “Wait. Is that why you were looking around when we got out of the cab? Because you’re a former Hyungsoo-nim?”

The older woman hissed at her, telling her wordlessly to hush up. “Not so loud, would you?”

“If you knew that, why did you want to come here of all places to go shopping?!”

“Because I can’t let that be a brand on my back forever, Eden, okay?!”

Eden opened her mouth to tease her but saw how serious Raelyn was and closed her mouth.

“We already have enough shit to deal with in this country. You should know that better than anyone. Do you think I want that shit following me around like some dark rain cloud while I’m here? So some bastards can show up at my hospital and stir up chaos; at a place of healing?” Raelyn sighed. “I can’t stay trapped in Gangnam forever. I should be able to walk and shop and travel wherever I damn well please. I’m a free woman and that means I shouldn’t be scared to go into some other mobster’s turf.”

“Unnie…”

“I need to know if I still have my freedom, Eden.”

Eden knew what she was getting at. She understood it completely. The stigma that existed with their skin color and even their backgrounds made things harder for them in South Korea. It didn’t make them love the country any less. It was just a reality they’d come to accept. Eden had to thicken her skin up even more when she finally decided to move to the country of her mother’s origins. She needed to do it in order to survive in this place.

The two women managed to move the conversation back to lighter topics. Their phones pinged various notifications from others trying to contact them but both women chose to ignore the messages. They were out there to spend time with each other and that was all. They didn’t want any other unnecessary distractions derailing their day.

They visited a few shops, bought clothes and a few things at the electronic shops. Eden bugged Raelyn to stop by the nearest manhwa shop so she could buy a few more comic books to tide her over for the next week. Raelyn made a fuss, but she wound up purchasing all of The Bride of the Water God series for herself. Eden teased her relentlessly as they continued strolling through the heart of downtown Myeongdong.

After their matinee movie, it was getting close to dinner time. Neither of them wanted to go to an actual restaurant, opting to hit up a tent house instead. The women ordered beer and soju for their table, a side of pork belly with lettuce, rice and soybean paste. Eden busied herself with mixing their cups – half soju and half beer – before handing the older woman her glass.

“Cheers!” they said, clinking their glasses together.

The two drank, ate, and laughed loudly. They didn’t care if others were paying attention to them. This was one of the few times that Eden allowed herself to cut loose. However, their laughter was interrupted by the sound of cups slamming on a table clear on the other side of the tent house. All other patrons quieted their conversations and Eden looked over to where the noise came from.

Several men were seated at a table, drinking and eating just like they were. One of them had a clearly aggravated look on their face – his face a little pudgy and pink from the alcohol he had consumed. In fact, they all looked a little similar, though that might have been the alcohol in Eden’s system playing tricks with her. One face stood out among them, however, and he seemed unbothered by what was happening. His chestnut bangs fell over his brows and he lifted his shot glass to his lips, drinking quietly.

He looks like a woman, Eden thought bitterly before huffing to herself, her hands busying themselves with folding meat into lettuce once it was off the grill.

“You women are so fucking noisy,” growled the one who’d made all the noise. He spoke in English, attempting to sound intelligent and failing. She caught Raelyn rolling her eyes while she poured herself another drink. “Some of us don’t want to hear your stupid cackling. You sound like a couple of chickens.”

Eden stuck her middle finger up at him. “Then stuff your ears with cotton, you fuckin’ prick,” she fired back in Korean. A slow smile formed on her lips. “Better yet, go play in traffic, you wild boar.”

Two of the men shot up from the table, knocking their chairs to the ground. “What’d you say?!”

“Did I stutter? You got rocks in your ears?”

“You little bitch!”

“Knock it off,” said one of the men at the table. Eden eyed him and watched as the two men picked up their chairs and set them back upright. It was the one who looked a little feminine. “Making all this noise unnecessarily. It’s disgusting.”

They bowed their heads. “Sorry, Hyung-nim.”

The one they called ‘Hyung-nim’ looked at Eden and Raelyn, a lazy smile crossing his features. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

Eden scoffed, pouring what remained in her soju bottle into her glass. “No thanks,” she snapped, “we can buy our own.”

“It’s only polite. Especially since the Golden Jackal’s Hyungsoo-nim is present.”

A bottle crashed to the floor and Eden looked up to see Raelyn’s face reddening slightly, which was a feat considering her darker skin tone. She could see her friend’s face contorting between anger and worry and this infuriated Eden. The mixed girl cut her eyes to the man whose own facial expression hadn’t wavered. Not one single bit.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sweetly, “I meant former Hyungsoo-nim.”

Eden’s hand slowly went into her jacket pocket, her fingers caressing the handle of her switchblade. The man clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, waving a finger back and forth as he continued to hold his shot glass.

“I wouldn’t try anything funny if I were you.” He shrugged, downing the shot and setting it down. “There’s no sense in getting hostile.”

“If you even think about touching my Unnie,” snarled Eden.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not like she’s tied to that group anymore.” His smile grew just a hair and he looked directly at Raelyn. “If she still were, well, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”

There was a long stretch of silence that permeated the tent house. Everyone in the establishment was afraid to breathe. At least everyone that wasn’t involved in the conversation currently passing between them. Because they all knew who was sitting at that table. Everyone knew whose territory this belonged to.

“So which Jade Fang are you?” said Raelyn calmly, breaking the silence.

He bowed his head politely toward Raelyn. “Yoo Kihyun,” he said before lifting his head up, “the Mongoose.”

“I see,” was all she said before standing up from the chair. “Eden, let’s go.”

Eden stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over. “Rae Unnie, we can’t—”

“Let’s go,” she snapped, looking pointedly at her, “Now.”

She balked at Raelyn because she’d never spoken to her like that. Angrily, the mixed woman kicked her chair before throwing a wad of bills onto the table. Raelyn was the first one to leave but just as Eden was parallel to their table, she paused to glare down at Kihyun. He merely smiled to himself while pouring another shot of soju into his glass. However, he didn’t look at her.

“Watch yourself,” she said softly, her eyes shifting to look at the others. A few of them sucked in air through their teeth and she flipped them off again for good measure before following Raelyn.

She saw she was already hailing a cab and Eden started to protest. When she caught the look on Raelyn’s face, however, she quickly closed her mouth and got in the cab. Her friend gave the driver instructions to take them back to Gangnam and those were the only words issued the entire car ride back.

When they were getting closer to her place, Eden started to shake her friend who was beginning to fall asleep. Raelyn mumbled something incoherent and she sighed, shaking her head. Eden paid the driver after she was able to help her friend out of the cab, making a mental note to have her pay her back at her earliest convenience.

As she watched the cab driving away, Eden readjusted Raelyn’s body against hers – draping her arm over her shoulder as she stared at the stairs leading to the rooftop. “…fuck me,” she mumbled.

“You really need to stop swearing so much,” called a voice behind her, causing her to spin a little harder than she’d intended. “I guess I’ll have to pray harder for you.”

“Jimin-ah,” Eden said, smirking, “what are you doing here?”

She normally saw him when he came to visit her at the shop or when she finally took the time to attend church. Eden was aware of his ties with the underground circuit, but there were so many times when she forgot because of how soft his expression was and the kindness he showed to others so often.

He shrugged, the silver crosses dangling from his ears swinging back and forth. “Well, a certain someone wouldn’t stop pestering me since someone refused to answer his text messages today.”

Eden huffed a laugh, preparing to shrug off all accusations when she saw Jungkook step out from the shadows and into the light pouring down from the streetlight nearby. Her smile fell a fraction and she looked between the two men. How had it never occurred to her that Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook were part of the same group? They both hung around Gangnam often and it was well-known that it was Golden Jackal territory.

Even so, it was still a little surprising to see them standing side-by-side like that.

Raelyn groaned, her hand moving to press up to her forehead. “It’s so loud,” she mumbled, lifting her head up to glare at the two of them. “Who said you punks could show up here?” She swung her head to look accusingly at Eden. “Did you invite them? How could you do that without asking your Unnie? Huh?”

Before Eden could answer, it was like Raelyn’s entire body was being pulled down by gravity. She stumbled forward and Eden let out a yelp, her fingers losing their grip. But Jimin rushed forward and caught Raelyn in his arms, steadying her back onto her feet.

“Hyungsoo-nim, are you alright?” His brows furrowed with concern and even Jungkook peered at the older woman curiously.

She smacked Jimin’s shoulder in drunken frustration. “I’m not your damn Hyungsoo-nim anymore, you got that?!”

Those were the last words she managed to get out of her before she lost consciousness. Jimin motioned for Jungkook to hold Raelyn upright long enough for him to turn around. Once he was, he motioned again toward Jungkook and he helped her onto his back, grabbing their shopping bags into his hands as well.

“Is she staying with you, Noona?” Jimin asked as he readjusted her so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder.

She nodded, fishing into her pocket to give him the key. “Yeah, just hurry and get her inside. I don’t want her to catch a cold.” He took the key from her and started making his way up the stairs. “There’s some Tylenol in the kitchen cabinet above the stove.”

“Got it,” he called back, his steps swift as he continued upward.

Eden watched, barely noticing that Jungkook was at her side. The two of them stood in companionable silence before he reached out to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. The action made her jump and she looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled.

“Since you were with Noona, I can see why you were ignoring my messages,” he teased, causing her to pout, “but you both looked like you had a fun time.”

“Yeah, until those stupid Jade Fang bastards showed up.” Even though she knew it wasn’t his fault, she couldn’t help but glare at Jungkook. “I know Raelyn isn’t with Hoseok anymore, but don’t you guys think you should do something about their fuckin’ attitude? They were completely disrespectful to Rae Unnie.”

“Well, some things happened and they’ve kinda been on our ass a little more these days.” He said it with a frown, as if he wanted to tell her the details but knew that he couldn’t.

Eden scoffed. “Whatever,” she snipped, fishing into her pockets for her cigarettes. Slipping one between her lips, she fumbled around for her lighter. When she realized that it wasn’t in her pocket, she let out an aggravated growl. “Goddammit.”

“No lighter?” Jungkook sighed, shaking his head. “You really should just quit.”

“And you need to get off my back.” She watched him smirk. “Go upstairs and get my lighter.”

He saluted. “Sure,” he said, turning to make his way toward the stairs.

She heard him take a few steps but then he stopped. Wondering if something had happened, she looked to her right and saw that Jungkook had only made it up one stair when he paused, looking down the sidewalk. Eden took the cigarette out from her mouth, her hand falling to her side.

“Jungkook-ah,” she called, but he wasn’t looking at her, “what’s the matter?”

“…Yoongi Hyung,” he said softly.

Eden craned her neck and saw Min Yoongi stepping out from the shadows, a lit cigarette between his lips. He wasn’t smiling like he normally did when he saw her. His expression was dark; a mixture of confusion and mild anger. She knew that look because he didn’t show it often. When she looked at Jungkook, she saw that he was still looking at Yoongi.

“Yoongi,” she said, her eyes shifting to look back at him, “what are you doing here?”

“Go upstairs, Jungkook-ah,” he said, ignoring her question.

Jungkook blinked, his head turning to look at Eden and she could see his confusion. She was just as confused but something was slowly starting to make sense. One thing was clear though.

The two of them knew each other. And they knew each other very well.

“Now, Jungkook.”

Jungkook bowed his head and quickly made his way upstairs. Once he was gone and Eden heard the door to her place open and close, her eyes moved back to look at Yoongi. He tossed his Zippo lighter at her and she caught it without thinking. Cigarette still between her fingers, she curled her hand into a fist and felt it break between her knuckles. A soft pat issued when it hit the pavement.

It made sense. It finally all made sense.

“You,” she began, her voice seething as her fists began to shake.

“That’s right,” he said, his expression as neutral as ever. Except for his eyes. There was anger swirling in his dark depths and this, in turn, enraged her. “I’m one of the Golden Jackals.”

She watched as the cigarette dropped to his feet and he crushed the ember out with the heel of his shoe.

“Min Yoongi, The Lightning Claw.”

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn WC: 2,544 Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

AO3 | WP

Chapter 11: Stigma

“Are you calling me a sinner? What more do I have to say?”

Three Days Ago Seoul – Myeongdong; Jung District South Korea

A soft pop sound came from Taehyung as he pulled the sucker from his mouth, his eyes roving over the different wares in the district. Street vendors thrived in Myeongdong, as they did in most downtown districts, but he enjoyed the atmosphere of Myeongdong more than the others. It always seemed lively here, as well as in Itaewon. But Itaewon was also where a lot of the tourists went, and he wasn’t about to play “guide” for any of the non-locals. Even if some of them were kind of cute to look at.

He was also playing a dangerous game. This wasn’t Golden Jackal territory. Hell, this wasn’t even White Snake territory where Dongwook Hyung’s entourage claimed home. He wouldn’t have cared about that, even if it was. Jungkook and Yoongi Hyung did a number on his group when they came trouncing through Gangnam – watching as they ran with their tails tucked between their legs.

No. This was Jade Fang territory.

Like the Golden Jackals, the Jade Fangs were a group of young, up and coming gangsters. Their leader, Im Changkyun, had a few dark rumors swirling about him. There was a stigma that came with being a gangpae , but he knew Hoseok Hyung was doing his best to stray away from that. Especially since they were planning on going straight. But Im Changkyun didn’t care about that. He wanted to devour every district in his path, destroying all obstacles and eliminating any possible forms of opposition. He didn’t even bother attending district head meetings because he felt they were beneath him.

He was a real son of a bitch as far as Taehyung was concerned.

“Well, well, well,” came a voice through the crowd, “if it isn’t the Shadow Claw, Kim Taehyung.”

Taehyung stood up to his full height, slipping the candy back into his mouth as he tried to pinpoint where the voice came from. The stick poked out from his mouth and he grasped at it with two fingers, watching as six men approached him dressed in business casual. Pedestrians parted the way, some scurrying off the side as they made it obvious they didn’t want to get caught up in the chaos that was surely about to ensue.

He wasn’t surprised that his reputation was well-known. All the upper ranks of the Golden Jackals were known by name. Taehyung, however, was called the Shadow Claw because he could meld in and out of a crowd. He struck from the shadows and disappeared just as quickly, like an actual thief in the night. He was rarely caught off guard.

Well, until now that is.

A single brow raised slowly and he mentally cursed himself for not agreeing to let Jimin tag along with him. He even offered to postpone his business trip to Jeju Island a few more days when Taehyung made it known that he was going to go on a little scouting errand. He’d reassured Jimin that he would be fine. He’d be in and out, quick fast and in a hurry. No one would know that he’d even been there.

Shit, he thought, rolling his shoulders back as they formed a semi-circle in front of him.

His back was to the street vendor and he could hear them quickly shuffling around. They were probably gathering their things so that they didn’t have their merchandise ruined. It was certainly a smart move. Taehyung grinned, flashing a boxy grin for half a second, then continued sucking on his candy. When he saw two of the six revealing the bats they’d had hidden behind them, he pulled the candy from his mouth and rocked on the heels of his shoes. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes while shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he said, confidence clear in his tone, “who’s asking?”

The one who spoke grinned wickedly, his dimples showing as he reached into his pocket. “Lee Jooheon, the Yellow Jacket.”

Taehyung’s eyes never left his and he watched him like a hawk. With a flick of his wrist, his hand came out of his pocket and in his hand was something black and silver. He whirled it around with a flourish that showed his expertise in handling it and when his hand finally stopped moving, the distinct shhk practically screamed over the noise of the streets – the blade to the butterfly knife shining beautifully.

There was a pregnant pause that stretched between them before Taehyung clapped a fist into his palm, his face showing clear realization, albeit mocking. “Ah, from the Jade Fangs,” he said, then nodded. “Mmhm, I thought you looked familiar. It’s been awhile.”

Jooheon rolled his neck, his dark brown hair falling over his brows. Taehyung couldn’t help but find amusement in his dimples and he chuckled at the urge to want to poke at them. God, he was such a little shit but he already knew what kind of situation he was in. Crossing into Jade Fang territory was a no-no, but that never stopped him from doing it before. He’d just never been caught.

And now? Well, now he would need to come up with something clever.

“You’re a little far from home, aren’t you Taehyung?” Jooheon shifted his weight to the other foot. “You know this is Jade Fang turf. What gives?”

Taehyung gave a slight shrug. “I was curious.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve trekked your dirty feet into this place.”

“What can I say? I like a little danger every now and then.”

“Well,” Jooheon said with a scoff, “you’ve definitely found it.”

Taehyung took a step back, the back of his calf brushing up against the vendor’s table. He held his hands up to show that he wasn’t trying to stir up any shit. “Look fellas,” he said lightly, “let’s not cause a scene. You guys just look the other way and I’ll be on my way. Whaddya say?”

Jooheon laughed and the others laughed with him, taking a step forward. “We already looked away enough times. This time? Well, we’re going to give you a little reminder of whose house you just walked into.”

“Well shit,” he muttered, taking another step back so that the table shifted on the ground, “guess you leave me no choice.”

He pivoted on his heels and jumped over the table, hearing the others scurrying behind him. He leaned over and upturned the table to serve as a shield. Once it obstructed their view, he thrust a kick into the bottom of the table and sent it sailing out. He heard it make contact with someone, but he knew that someone wasn’t Jooheon. Not wanting to waste another second, he vaulted over the fence and tore through the brush, barreling through the park as shouts of outrage roared out against his back.

He'd managed to make it several yards before a hand grasped onto the collar of his jacket. His arms went backwards and he slid out of his jacket, spinning on his feet to aim another kick into the gut of the person who’d caught up to him. He watched his jacket fly into the air while the other person hit the dirt and Taehyung snatched it out from mid-air. Not wasting time trying to put it back on, he turned to run again only to be stopped by two more of Jooheon’s group blocking his path.

One swung the bat at him as Taehyung skidded to a halt, his body bowing backwards to dodge the blow. The other aimed a punch to his ribs and he barely managed to block it with his forearm. Curling his body forward, he lunged out so that he could shoulder slam the one who’d tried to punch him. He felt fists crash into his back and he grunted. However, it wasn’t until the bat came down on the back of his knee did his legs finally buckle.

Using the force of his body, he shoved the guy in front of him out of his way and then spun around on his back leg to aim a jump spinning back kick into the guy holding the bat. It clattered to the ground in tandem with its wielder as he crashed to his knees. Two more came running toward him, further blocking his exit. Taehyung used the guy on the ground as a stepping stool, jumping onto his back so he could aim two kicks at his assailants. They flew back, crashing into the ground shoulder first, and Taehyung stumbled forward as he landed unevenly on his feet.

Looking behind him, he saw the four of them trying to get back up and he grinned. Just as he was about to launch off into a dead run, he was stopped by Jooheon. There wasn’t enough time to stop or even dodge and before he knew it, pain exploded into his side. Taehyung looked down and saw that Jooheon managed to shove his knife into his stomach, pushing it in all the way to the small silver hilt. A gasp of pain was all Taehyung could issue before someone’s fist crashed into his temple. The skin broke and blood flowed freely. He tried to aim a punch to Jooheon’s face and failed as he blocked, stepping forward and forcing Taehyung back a step. Jooheon shoved his hand away and crashed his fist into Taehyung’s cheek, forcing him to fall to the ground – taking the knife with him.

He inhaled dirt and coughed hard, his fingers digging into the grass as he tried to get back up. He was suddenly assaulted from all sides, several heels slamming into his back and sides. A kick crashed into his gut and he coughed hard, blood and spittle staining the ground. He growled, forcing himself up and as he did, he threw dirt in a wide arc. Hisses and yells of pain issued soon after and he rolled as far away from them as he could, scrambling to his feet and tearing off into the thicket of trees in the park. They gave chase but he was fast, his adrenaline kicking his speed into overdrive.

Running through the park for several minutes, he dodged and dipped through several dark blind spots. When the threats seemed further and further to his back, Taehyung dipped to the street and hailed a cab. Without bothering to give a destination, he just told the cab driver to hit the gas and to get him out of Myeongdong.

He painfully slipped his jacket back on, trying to button up the front so that the tell-tale sign of his injuries wouldn’t be obvious. He didn’t need the driver asking any questions or trying to take him to a hospital. Vision hazy, there was only one person he knew he’d be able to see.

Just one…

Present Day Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

“hyung-ah. Taehyung-ah!”

Blinking, he looked up – meeting the concerned eyes of Jimin. He grinned, tilting his head to the side slightly. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” Jimin frowned. “What’s up?! You went strolling through Jade Fang territory, that’s what’s up!”

Taehyung shushed him, waving his hands back and forth. They decided to have lunch at a traditional Korean tea house. Several patrons looked at the two men and they both bowed their heads politely, waiting for the other customers to resume their own conversations and dining before looking back at each other. Taehyung lifted his cup of green tea to his face, trying his best to ignore the look that Jimin was giving him.

“Why do you have to be so dramatic?”

He saw Jimin’s brow twitch with annoyance. “After what Hoseok Hyung said, you think I’m being dramatic?” Taehyung nodded and he hissed when he felt Jimin’s foot connect with his shin. “He told us to keep our guard up and you had to go and get your ass caught in enemy territory.” Jimin seemed unfazed by the pout that Taehyung was giving him. “What were you even doing there?”

“I was scoping the place out.”

Jimin blinked. “…are you out of your mind?”

Now it was Taehyung who was flashing an annoyed expression. “What? We’re better than those fuckin’ punks. Hoseok Hyung could own that area and run it with his eyes closed.”

He heard Jimin sigh as he set his teacup down. “So what? You want to start a turf war with the Jade Fangs? Taehyung-ah, come off it.”

“You think we can’t do it?”

“No,” Jimin said, pointing a finger at him, “the point is that we shouldn’t be doing it. We’re trying to go straight, Taehyung-ah. That whole gang war shit is behind us now.” He sighed again and Taehyung folded his arms over his chest. “We had enough of that five years ago. Haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you tired of it?”

Taehyung opened his mouth to retort but felt he couldn’t when he saw the look on Jimin’s face. It wasn’t pity and it wasn’t anger. It was disappointment. It was a face that he often made when Taehyung did something selfish and so completely unlike himself.

Feeling the anger deflate from him slowly, he groaned before roughly rubbing his hand through his hair. He couldn’t win against Jimin. Not when he looked at him like that. “…yeah, you’re right.”

Lifting his gaze to meet Jimin’s, he smiled when he saw that he looked a bit more pleasant. Suddenly, his phone chimed. Looking at the screen, Taehyung grinned when he saw that it was from Raelyn. Swiping his thumb over the screen, he opened her message and blinked several times before laughing loudly.

Rae Noona: 1,170,080₩ - that’s how much your little house call is gonna cost you.

Wow. She really billed him.

“Who is it?”

Taehyung began texting his reply. “Raelyn Noona.”

Tae-Tae: Paypal or Venmo?

“Huh? You mean Raelyn Hyungsoo-nim,” Jimin asked in disbelief, “Hoseok Hyung’s ex-girlfriend, Raelyn Briggs?”

He nodded as she sent him another reply.

Rae Noona: Paypal charges so make it 2,340,240₩.

“…you really are crazy, Taehyung-ah.” He heard him sigh with exasperation. “Don’t you have enough women clawing after you? Why do you have to look at Hyungsoo-nim?”

“She’s not our Hyungsoo-nim anymore, Jimin. Hoseok and her ended things awhile back.”

Tae-Tae: I’ll just give it to you in cash.

Rae Noona: …no, just Paypal it. I don’t want to see you.

Tae-Tae: See you when you finish your shift! ; )

He put his phone in his pocket and shrugged, lifting the cup of tea from the saucer. “Besides, if I have to get down on my knees and beg Hyung to even let me hang out with her, then he’s not the Hoseok Hyung we know anymore.”

Jimin pursed his lips together, his worry etched clearly on his face. But he knew his Hyung well enough to know that when it came to his friends, his brothers, Jung Hoseok wouldn’t let that be a wedge to come between them. He always had a good handle on his feelings. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to lead them as long as he had.

Taehyung would have never called him their “Boss”.