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5 years ago

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

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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: 3222 “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 08: Am I Wrong?

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“Did I say something wrong? Did I lie?”

“Hey, Eden! When are you going to take a break?”

She grunted while shifting her back on the creeper, the wheels creaking as they slid along the concrete. Sweat clung to her brow and she attempted to swipe it away with her forearm. Eden could feel the bandana beginning to soak with sweat, but she refused to stop. Her grip tightened on the socket wrench in her hand, her other hand moving to swivel the under-hood light so she could get a better look at the various rods and pipes situated in the underbelly of the vehicle.

“Seriously, you’ve been at it for three hours straight.” Minki knelt and peered at her from beneath the vehicle. “You need to take a break.”

“Then you take a break,” she said, the heel of her boot scraping along the ground, "I’m not stopping you.”

There was a collective chorus of groans that echoed in the shop. She smirked, ignoring the drop of oil that fell on her cheek. Eden knew that she probably did need to stop and take a moment. But she was stubborn. When she set her mind on something, be it a hobby or a work order, she always saw it through to the very end. She knew her employees were probably aggravated with her for always taking on the most complicated jobs, but succeeding in even the most impossible endeavors made her reliable. Reliability equaled reputation growth.

And a good reputation ensured a steady flow of regular customers.

Even though it was the 21st century, women in certain types of vocational fields were frowned upon. It was even worse in South Korea. At least in America, she only had to deal with the occasional discriminatory remarks. Mostly it had to do with her skin color and her status as an orphan. But here? Well, they judged her on her skin color, her social standing and her occupation. Triple threat – a term she’d been wearing as a badge of pride.

Maybe that was why she was surrounded by co-workers who were similar. Not necessarily due to the outward appearance, but all of them were relatable in a way. But if they were passionate about their jobs, then that was all Eden cared about. It’d taken her long enough to build up her shop and secure regular business. Now she could say, with confidence, that she’d achieved success on her own terms.

Yoon Minki, her assistant and one of her best friends, sighed as he grabbed at her foot and began to shake it back and forth. She lifted her head up so she could peer at him from just over her stomach. He looked like he was torn between scolding her or just giving up.

If she ignored him and went back to work, the former would start up.

Eden sighed, setting the socket wrench on her stomach. “What?”

“Food.” Minki emphasized this by shaking her foot again, this time with more force. “Now.”

“Fine,” she clipped, dragging the heels of her boots toward her so she could slide out from under the car on the creeper. Looking up, she saw her other employees grinning. Had she really been the reason they were waiting? She set the wrench down on the ground and stood up, dusting off the backs of her overalls. “Alright, let’s eat.”

Entering the main office, they all crowded toward the back room where there was a small kitchenette. Minki began setting utensils down around the table and Jumin started putting rice into the metal bowls. The side dishes were already out and the excitement at the prospect of finally eating could be felt all around the room. Eden pushed passed the others as they began to take their seats and Taejun kicked her chair out so she could slide into it. Hyuksoo ladled bean sprout soup into larger metal bowls and set them down in their appropriate spots. Everything smelled delicious and Eden felt a twinge of guilt. She really needed to stop hyper focusing when she was at work, otherwise she was going to starve her employees half to death.

Once the table was set, they all clapped their hands and began digging in.

The conversation circulated around the table and laughter boomed in the small break room. Eden nearly choked on the spoonful of rice she’d swallowed. Minki handed her a cup of barley tea and she washed down the rice and kimchi in her mouth, unable to stop herself from laughing at the insults being fired back and forth between Taejun and Hyuksoo. Jumin fussed at them for causing such a ruckus at the table and Minki joined in on the teasing.

The five of them were like family and Eden wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Her eyes lingered on her phone that sat just in front of her rice bowl. Eden’s smile fell as she lifted a spoonful of soup to her lips, as if she were anticipating it to light up. When it didn’t, she sipped the soup in frustration and set her spoon down roughly in the metal bowl. Minki seemed to notice something was off and he gently nudged her with his knee from under the table. Casting him a sidelong glance, she tried to play it off like it was nothing and resumed eating – her mind only half there with the boys.

The other part of it was occupied with thoughts of Min Yoongi.

It would be a lie to herself and anyone else if she said she still didn’t still have feelings for him. But there was a part of her that knew it probably wouldn’t last. After all, what would a self-made successful entrepreneur like Min Yoongi want with an orphan auto mechanic like her? He probably came from a good family and he’d even hinted that his parents were simple farmers who had tons of land out in the countryside. He’d merely gone into the business venture side so he could help his family more, so they could live more comfortably.

In other words, he came from the chaebol lifestyle on the rural spectrum.

Eden was only half Korean. Sure, that enabled her to have the same rights as Korean citizens thanks to the F4 visa she applied for when she first arrived in the country. Doing a little research, she was able to find out that her own mother came from a line of nobility. But that’s where all the investigation stopped. Eden didn’t want anything to do with it and she did her best to ignore her curiosity. If she dug up any more info and found out that she was some kind of aegissi to some line and would have to give up her current life, she didn’t think she’d be able to handle it.

So, she left it alone.

Even though Yoongi had grown close to her during those first three years, dating for two of them, Eden knew it would fall apart eventually. He was constantly coming and going from her life while she remained where she was, working and covering herself in oil and grease. She was a literal grease monkey and every time she made him wait so she could clean up before going out while he was always looking dapper, there was a twinge of guilt there. Eden knew that there were better women out there for him – someone that fit his status better than her.

There were moments when she even believed he was mostly amusing himself with her. Eden could have almost been content with that. Almost.

But she refused to feel ashamed of herself every time they went out somewhere. And she didn’t know many of his own personal social circles. Again, he was probably too embarrassed to bring her around. She wasn’t rich and while she finished college, she’d hardly call herself scholarly or an intellectual. If anything, Eden knew what kind of nerd she was, and it certainly wouldn’t have suited the tastes of any of Yoongi’s colleagues.

So when he showed up at her shop the other day after months of not seeing each other, Eden believed that maybe, just maybe, they would try to start over. That he would treat her as more than an impulsive drunken fling. Maybe they could do things differently…

Instead, she was offered friendship and no contact after nearly a week.

Is he jerking me around again? she thought, irritation sparking at her temple.

No sooner had she thought that, her phone lit up and her heart leapt into her throat. As her eyes zeroed in on the screen, however, a different name popped up. Her placid expression transformed into mild annoyance. The “mutt” was being ever persistent.

Petty Mutt: Hey, you busy?

Eden stared at the phone, her hands refusing to move to pick it up. Minki seemed to notice and he peered at the screen, his gaze lifting back up to stare at the side of her face. “You’re not gonna answer?”

She resumed eating as the screen went dark. “Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m eating.”

Minki snorted. “Right, because eating stops you from playing on your phone.” She could feel his shit-eating grin without even having to look at him. “Doesn’t stop you from playing those otome games.”

Eden aimed a swift kick to his shin and he half yelped; half laughed while leaning down to rub at his leg.

“Don’t talk shit about my otome games,” she snapped, shoveling more rice into her mouth, “Sarutobi Sasuke doesn’t give me any grief like you fuckers do.”

“Psh, yeah right,” Minki said, still laughing, “like that can substitute a real relationship.”

“Real relationships are a joke,” she said while casting him a sidelong glance, “they only end in disappointment. At least if I’m not satisfied with an ending, I can just restart or delete the app completely.”

Her response came out colder than she’d intended. The table grew silent and she set her chopsticks down while the others looked at her cautiously. It wasn’t like relationships were a taboo topic in her circle. In fact, she encouraged it for the others. The last thing she wanted to deal with were lovesick issues while they were at work. If they were happy with their significant others, then that meant they would work hard so they could hurry up and clock out to be with them.

But for her, she just didn’t care for them. All it ever did was end in disappointment, leaving her feeling inadequate.

Her phone lit up again.

Petty Mutt: Fine, don’t answer me. I’ll just stand out here and wait until you come out.

Eden stood up, the legs of her chair scraping loudly along the floor. Everyone else jumped at the sound, clutching their rice bowls to their chests. She hadn’t meant to startle them, but she couldn’t help her seemingly involuntary reaction.

“That little shit,” she muttered, shuffling around the boys and making her way out to the shop.

Crossing the full expanse of the shop, she pressed the button near one of the garage shutters and it rattled to life – lifting slowly. Her eyes shifted to the ground and she could make out a pair of black and white Chucks nestled under the hems of dress pants. She watched the shoes shifting, as if the person were turning, and when the door slid up fully, she was greeted with the cheeky grin of Jeon Jungkook.

He waved to her, his silver rings reflecting off the setting sun just behind a few of the buildings from across the street. Eden folded her arms across her chest, not caring that she probably looked a mess. Her hair was pulled back in a braid that fell across her shoulder, her bright red bandana hiding the rest of her fringe beneath. Her work gloves hung out of one of the pockets of her faded overalls.

Jungkook pivoted on his heels, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he rocked back on the heels of his sneakers. This made her eyes narrow as he continued to beam at her, like he’d just found a mountain of gold or something.

“Why are you here?” Her tone was gruff and completely unwelcoming.

He continued to smile. “Isn’t it almost time for you to clock out?”

Eden’s arms fell to her side and she jammed her thumb into one pocket, resting her weight on her back leg. “And that’s your business how, hm?”

“I wanted to walk you home.”

“You upfront about your stalking now?”

Jungkook pouted and she didn’t know if she was more irritated that he was giving her that expression or that she felt like she’d just kicked a puppy.

“Why you gotta be like that, Eden Noona?”

“Don’t call me that,” she said, stepping out of the shop. She pressed one of the buttons on the clicker in her pocket. The garage door closed behind her. “We’re not close enough for you to address me like that.”

His brows furrowed, a pained expression flitting over his features and her heart twisted inside of her chest. Now she really did feel like she’d just kicked a puppy.

“…sorry.”

Eden looked at his pitiful face and she groaned, turning her head away from him. If she didn’t look at him, maybe she wouldn’t feel bad for what she’d just said. “Forget about it.” She continued to look away from him. “What do you want?”

“I already told you that --”

“I don’t need you to walk me home.” Eden gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m a grown ass woman and can take care of myself just fine.”

There was a long stretch of silence between them before she heard him sigh. “…it’s because I’m a gangpae , isn’t it?” He looked at her and she could feel the weight of his gaze on top of her. “You don’t want to be seen with some punk like me, huh?”

Eden felt a flash of anger explode across her chest. “That’s gotta be the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard,” she said loudly, “you take me for some kinda judgmental little --”

Her words were cut short when she saw Jungkook advancing toward her. Her eyes widened as he immediately began crowding her personal space, her back pressing against the metal garage door. He shot his arms out, his palms slamming into the door on either side of her head. Eden took a moment to search his face, to see if there was any rage or hostility there. But there was none. She heard a soft scraping sound around her ears and could see his palms curled into fists.

“Then why?” Jungkook wasn’t yelling, but she heard the desperation in his tone. “Why do you keep pushing me away?”

A lump was forming in her throat and she was doing her best to swallow it down. She wasn’t sure if there was an answer that she could give him that he’d be satisfied with. Especially since he’d been adamant about chasing her for months now. Eden wasn’t one to judge anyone for their background, considering what her own was. But she didn’t want to get hurt again. She didn't want to take the risk.

Jungkook had been persistent in his attempts to get her attention. She’d give him props for his tenacity. Most men would have given up. Most men had given up. And she honestly didn’t understand what he saw in her that day he brought his motorcycle to be serviced. But ever since then, he’d been in hot pursuit – taking it to new levels she’d never experienced.

Seriously, who would go out of their way to steal a girl’s phone number?

He wasn’t ugly, he had a sweet smile and he was genuinely a nice person. Eden had seen it for herself. What asshole went around helping old ladies with their groceries, or made sure kids didn’t run out in the middle of the street and get hurt? Jungkook even smacked teenagers who were trying to play hooky, even going so far as to drag them back to school by the scruffs of their uniforms.

Him being a gangster had nothing to do with her pushing him away.

Regardless of why he lived the life that he did, why he chose that path, it held no precedence on her keeping him at arms’ length. She just didn’t want to get hurt. Not again. Eden knew what she was worth and knew what circles she didn’t want to be around. She knew that she didn’t want to deal with any bullshit and the last thing she wanted to do was tangle herself (or her heart) in a place where it would be difficult to climb out of. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place? No, she wasn’t about to deal with that shit again.

“It has nothing to do with you,” she replied, her voice softer than earlier, “I wish you’d get that.”

J ungkook leaned in closer, causing her to press the back of her head further into the metal surface. “Well, I don’t.” He continued to look at her with that hurt expression, inadvertently breaking her heart just a little bit. “I don’t get it at all.”

Eden sighed but said nothing. She didn’t know what to say and it wasn’t like she was against the idea of getting to know him better. He was stubborn as her, if not more so.

“Just…just let me walk you home?”

Lifting her eyes to meet his, she saw his gentle smile return even though his brows were furrowed.

“Please?”

The lump in her throat settled just a smidge. All she could do was look at him as he patiently waited for her response. She knew the smart thing to do was tell him to fuck off – to leave her alone and to never show his face in front of her again. It wasn’t like he hadn’t made it clear that he was attracted to her and it would be a lie if she didn’t find it a little flattering.

…oh, goddammit .

“…fine,” Eden muttered, knowing that if she tried to come up with any sort of excuse, she’d flounder under his insistence. “I need to finish up the paperwork for today so just…” She paused, pointing at the ground. “You wait here, you got that?”

Jungkook pushed himself off the door, standing at his full height. He beamed down at her and Eden rolled her eyes before turning away from him to hide the warmth crowning her cheeks.

“Kay!”

She pushed the button on the clicker again, the metal shutters sliding up so she could step back into the shop. When she stepped inside, she slapped the button on the wall to close the shutter back behind her. Eden took about two steps before she was face-to-face with the rest of the boys, all of them clinging to their rice bowls and eyes wide as saucers.

She frowned. Those nosy little shits…

“Get the fuck on!” she bellowed, pointing back to the break room area, “and clean the damn table!”

“Yes Ma’am!” they yelped, scrambling to the back.

Pressing the back of her wrist to her forehead, she sighed. “…why do I feel like I’m going to regret this?” 


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