Translation for Spanish words
used in this chapter —

promesa — promise
padre — father

-

Park Jimin chuckled as the iron gates thundered shut, Taehyung's roars fading as the carriages rode away.

Jungkook, fists shaking from the anger simmering off him, could barely take his eyes off him.

The poor baby, from the noise, cried and cried and cried.

And Aeri Alvarez, in seeing her childhood friend get dragged down like a wild dog, watching wide-eyed as he got shoved in a dingy carriage, only had her feline eyes on the man behind all this.

Señor Jeon looked towards his son in mild distaste. As if he just hadn't watched a murderer's arrest. "Where have you been, Jungkook-ah?" He demanded from him, locking his hands behind his back.

He did not get his answer.

Jimin, after peering with malicious eyes, turned them towards Aeri.

"Could you believe, señorita," he drawled, "That your friend would turn out to be a thief?"

He took a step closer to her. "Such a shame a fine lady as yourself had to be associated with the likes of him."

Aeri blinked. Unbelievably, as if she couldn't comprehend the nerve of Park Jimin's words.

But after a minute or so of the silence, a laugh rasped out of her.

Eyes still on the Italian resident, she held Jihoo out to Jungkook, who took the boy without complaint.

Then, with undeniable grace, she walked to where the boy stood, the rat hidden within this strange family who sold out the wrong man.

Graced him with a smile, one he'd never really seen on her.

It was certainly beautiful, but it was sharp. Deadly. Brutal.

"I may be involved with Taehyung, señor, but listen to this."

No one saw it.

The hand she raised, and sent it hurling towards Jimin's rosy cheeks.

Slapped him so hard across the face his whole head snapped to the side, the boy stumbling to its direction.

As Jimin nearly doubled over, she seethed, "I'd rather be associated with a thief like Taehyung than a rat like you, you filthy bastard. I hope that when you get convicted for wrongly accusing my friend, you'll be gutted like an animal and fed to the dogs."

He looked up to see her, and sure enough, his one cheek flared brighter than the other. Anger and shame stung his eyes, but Aeri only bared her teeth.

"HOW DARE YOU—"

Sir Jeon's voice roared across the courtyard as he thundered to where Aeri stood, his own hand raised.

The girl's eyes widened but before she could do anything a human wall bared himself between a raging businessman and a flamenco dancer.

For the first time, Jeon Jungkook looked at his father dead in the eye, no remorse lingering as he set the girl behind her, holding Jihoo with one hand wrapped around his little body.

"Don't you dare touch her."

The father glared his son down with a century's worth of wrath. "What will you do?" he snarled in the boy's face. "You'd dare strike me?"

Jungkook's smile was more a flash of his teeth. "Don't tempt me, padre."

The old man's eyes flared, as if he couldn't believe his own son could say such a threat. "She can't stay here anymore. Not only is she a flamenco dancer, but she dared hit Jimin.

"If she doesn't go herself, I'll drag her out, just like her filth of a friend."

"I can't let you do that," the boy ground out.

Sir Jeon curved his lips upwards, mustache curling at the sides. "Then you can get out with her too."

It was then Jimin's smirk cracked.

Even Aeri's face mirrored the former's as both father and son stared each other down, anger simmering in the mens' eyes.

The two year old boy snuggled his chubby face within Jungkook's neck, shivering from the wrath of the old man.

The boy was about to say something when the girl spoke up behind him.

"It's fine, Jungkook," she muttered, eyes dropping to her son. "I'll take my leave."

"No you're not," he snapped, his own eyes on his father still. "You're staying with me."

"I'd rather burn on a stake than come back in this house," Aeri declared, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Not with those two living in it."

She tugged Jungkook to face her, and with much determination he did, sliding his stare from his father to her, turning his back on him completely.

"You can't go," he breathed out, careful that the others didn't hear. "Not by yourself, now that Papá's out to get you."

Aeri senses his desperation, but only took Jihoo from his hold. "I'll be fine. Yoongi and Hoseok have a spare bed for me at theirs so I'll stay there."

She added with a softer tone, "You don't have to worry."

His hands threatened to rest atop her arms. "I can't help it if I do, Aeri."

He searched her eyes for more, for more reassurance because what she offered was not enough for him. Paranoia seemed to have gotten the better of him, but he let that sickening feeling intertwine each bone till it was all he was made up of.

But the girl, after whispering the destination of the musicians' lodgings, stepped back, holding her son as she inspected the two poisonous men behind the only venom less boy.

Conjuring up saliva from her throat, she spat it on Jeon property. "I hope you both rot in the deepest depths of hell."

With that, she twirled, skirts whirling over the concrete, and exited the estate, chin held high as if that gesture alone was a big fat middle finger shown from her.

Jimin stared at the gates which closed with a woman's scorn. Sir Jeon followed his beast gaze, probably back to his calculating once more, always thinking the next move.

Jungkook only snarled out, disgusted. "Amen," he muttered under his breath, and stormed upstairs.

-

After a few good hours into the lonely night, Jungkook set out for Yoongi and Hoseok's home, urging Coco to gallop faster against the cobble roads.

It was not too far, hidden away in the lower-middle class residence of Seville. All houses looked the same, dirtied walls and dusted roofs, candles melting slowly on the windowsills.

The strings of the flamenco guitar was his only direction to which specific house he was going to. When the sweet melody was closest, he got off his horse, reining Coco on a filthy street lamp, and stepped towards the door.

He didn't need to knock to know that his presence had been recognised. Quickly the door opened, and found himself looking at Hoseok, carrying a giggling Jihoo.

"Ah, señor!" The redhead greeted. "Come in, come in."

Jungkook obliged, getting inside as Hoseok shut the door behind him.

Jihoo, bless the soul, giggled as he stretched his little hands out to him. "Dada!" he squeaked, smile threatening to fly off his face.

Returning that contagious smile, Jungkook instantly took the child from the redhead, booping Jihoo's button nose before settling him in his hold.

The small, yet cozy living room greeted him, a fireplace caved in the right walls, different coloured carpets scattered on the floor, half-tattered sofas adorning the centre. A few doors attached on the sides of the room, no doubt leading to bedrooms and such.

Upon the sofas sat Yoongi, a lit cigar in his hand as he let out a smoky exhale. Grey wisps curled round his mouth, quickly misting as the man brought the tip to his lips once more.

"Yoongi, I told you to do it outside," Hoseok complained, wadding off the smoke with his hands. "Out! Out or I'm eating your dinner."

The former let out a puff of smoky irritancy, getting up as he set his eyes upon Jungkook.

He nodded. "Aeri told me what happened at the estate." Remainder wisps left his dry lips.

The boy put his hands in his pockets. "It's why I came here tonight. To discuss what is to become of it."

Yoongi hummed as he tossed the half-ashed cigar into the fire. "I already have your answer. Very little."

Jungkook opened his mouth to answer when one of the doors on the far left opened, more light creeping in as Aeri stepped into the living room.

The shadows on her face lingered, he noticed, the girl slowly walking over and settling down on the sofa Yoongi sat down on once more.

Oh, Jungkook bet his entire estate that she had cried. With those eyes still more red, mouth pinched, he was sure she was still furious.

The girl looked up to see the visitor, holding her ever-smiling son in his arms. He could have sworn some of those menacing shadows cleared from her eyes.

"How did you come here?" Aeri asked in way of greeting. "Did they see you?"

"Totally anonymous," was her reply, "But that's not important."

Jungkook sat down on the other couch, seating groaning, not from his weight, but from its certain overuse. "What's important is what we're going to do now."

"There's not much we can do," Hoseok said, folding a leg over the other. "Taehyung is in the hands of the aristocrats. If he goes on trial, then the judges will most likely go against him."

Hoseok's eyes widened. "But that means—"

"He'll die," Yoongi finished, grim. "Hanged by the neck and suffer till the end."

"I can't," Aeri voiced out, locking her hands together. "I can't let that happen. I'd die myself than see him on the scaffold."

"Mi flor," Hoseok started, softly as he put his hand over hers. "We'll figure this out. You know what Taehyung's like. He'll manage to get out, and we'll be helping him along the way."

"Or he's ran out of tricks," Yoongi offered. "And gets executed by the end of the week."

"Shut up," the redhead seethed.

Jungkook listened to them all. Took in their explanations, their thoughts on the situation.

But there was still one question, one thing that nagged at his mind still.

"Guys," he called to them.

Facing the group, he rocked Jihoo gently as he asked, "Jimin was mad at me. I was the one who stole from my dad's coffers. So why did Jimin blame Taehyung and not me?"

He carried on, watching the boy sleep. "I also don't understand another thing; Taehyung seems to have a hatred towards Jimin. Even before my fight with him, whenever I mentioned his name he'd get angry. Almost blood-boiled.

"Did they know each other before?"

Yoongi, Hoseok and Aeri shared a knowing glance, all three adorning the same sad frown.

"Jungkook," Hoseok muttered, "Do you really not know why Taehyung hates Jimin so much?"

"And why that feeling is reciprocated?" Aeri added with equal quiet.

Quiet. Aeri was so quiet. Silent.

The boy felt his body freeze slowly. "What happened?" He breathed out.

After a long pause, Yoongi sighed. "It is not for us to say. The events that caused this fight...only Taehyung can tell you."

Jungkook would have persisted, but figured it would be of no use.

These discussions carried on, each point only to have no solution for it. Dinner was served, but could not fill the stomachs of four adults and a two year old boy.

No one really felt like eating anyway. Especially Aeri, Jungkook noticed with slight alarm. The girl didn't even touch her reheated fish.

Soon, when it was well past midnight, the visitor declared it was time for him to take his leave.

The goodbyes were short, but it mattered little since they'll meet at the trial certain to take place. The boy made sure to give Jihoo a kiss on his nose before going.

The cool night air kissed Jungkook's face as he stepped outside the house, onto the dirty streets beyond.

He walked over to the lamp he reined Coco to, untying all the straps, ready to climb atop it when he heard hurrying footsteps towards him.

Quickly he turned around, surprised to see Aeri Alvarez stop dead in her tracks the moment he faced her way.

"Aeri?"

The girl fiddled with the rings on her fingers, eyes darting to everywhere but his face.

"I, uh..." she started, but trailed off, unable to continue the conversation. "...I wanted to go over the plan."

The boy took a step towards her. "What plan?"

"Whatever you're doing," she blurted out. "Whatever you're doing next, I mean."

He raised a questioning brow, but answered straight. "I'm planning to visit Taehyung tomorrow. I think I can go in without bringing too much attention if I bring Jin with me. His dad's the high judge, so I'd get access easier."

"Hmm," was his only answer. "And then?"

"Then," he said, looking up at the stars. "We pray for the future to be kind to us. Because that's all we have left."

His gaze traveled back to the girl in front of him, like it always does whenever she's near him, whenever he feels her presence and demands it within himself to make it known.

She was biting her lip slowly. "I see," she said. "W-well, I'll see you then."

She turned around, too sharp for his eyes to notice, and made a move to walk away from him.

His hand, however, was quick and grabbed her wrist at the right time, halting her abruptly.

When Aeri made no move to look back at him, Jungkook voiced out his inner thoughts. "You're hiding something. What's wrong?"

They both stayed in this position, rooted to the spot with his hand wrapped around her wrist, his eyes marvelling at the way her locks curled so exquisitely.

Hearing a sharp sigh, he hitched in his breath, and she turned around fully, looking up into his eyes.

It was then Jungkook realised that it was not just anger that lingered on her beautiful face.

But pure fear.

"I..." she closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "Taehyung has been my friend for... a very long time. He's helped me not only in my childhood, but when I grew into a young woman in love with a bar owner, carried his child and took care of it until the present day. He's been...the only person whose loved me since the beginning, and never faltered.

"If..." the fear heightened in her gaze. "If something happens to him...I don't think I'd live through it."

There. There it was, a thought so heavy it took her speech down with it.

Jungkook, after listening to her, never felt more hatred towards his own class. Towards this brutal aristocracy, that took the matters of life and death into their own hands because the struggling population couldn't afford to. It killed him, gutted him to see that good people have suffered under this corrupt law, many before Taehyung who'd probably been falsely accused only because they were poor and could say nothing against it.

So the boy raised his hands, cupping Aeri's face as he bore his very soul into her gaze.

"I'll make sure Taehyung comes back. Safe and alive and as much of a prick as he was the first time I met him." He carried on, despite Aeri's shock. "I'll get the court on our side, I'll feed Taehyung in prison, I'll keep him away from rich fools who only want him dead, I'll do everything, if it means you'll feel a bit better."

He leaned in. "That's my promise for you, mi amor."

Aeri let out a shuddering breath, Jungkook so close he felt it brush against his lips.

He felt his hands warm, from the heat stirring under her cheeks. But her eyes had softened, bloomed a flicker of hope within their irises that maybe, just maybe this man will answer her prayers.

"There is something," he murmured, "That I wish to do. For a while now, but couldn't get to before."

And even though he had a feeling Aeri already knew, she asked, almost smiling, "What was it you wished to do, Jungkook?"

The boy cracked a corner of his mouth upwards before closing his eyes and brushing his lips against hers, a whisper of a kiss, a little beginning he wished to introduce the very night Aeri had engulfed the moon's light and become the essence which revolved around the Earth.

He nearly let out a groan of relief when her lips responded, moving ever so slowly with his, as if they had all the time in the world.

When the pair pulled back, each gasped for air, the girl as pink as a rose as she examined the boy grinning like a lovestruck idiot.

"This," he whispered to her, leaning his forehead against hers. "This is what I wished to do."

-

Hey guys!

So uHhHh this chap hit a mf turn cause they were never meant to kiss but guess who got too invested smh :')

Y'all also await the next chapters it's gonna get good ;) oMFG IM SO EXCITED AYY

AnywaY please do leave your thoughts on this slightly insignificant chapter. It'll be much appreciated 🖤