PROLOGUE
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Jungkook did not expect that a storm would effectively pass by their location and become a typhoon along the way. Nevertheless, he had to prepare for it. He initially wanted his assistant to buy him the groceries but his sons were too picky.
The coldest assassin was now standing in front of a wet market with his umbrella on hand. He was actually contemplating of making a grocery list but thought that it might get wet. But after all, he had a good memory.
"Pork! Pork!" "Sir, do you want chicken? We have chicken!" "You look like you could use a banana milk!"
The boy passed through the streets of the market but stopped. On second thought, a banana milk would be nice. Hence, he proudly walked over the man who was selling a banana milk.
Jungkook was slightly amazed because it was the first time he encountered someone selling a banana milk in the wet market.
"That would be ten won," the man said before the latter fished out some coins from the pocket of his coat. Just like Jungkook, the man was amazed of him too. It was his first time seeing someone so fashionable here.
Afterwards, Jungkook made his way towards the pork bellies — wherever that was. That was the first in his list because his sons loved that part of the pork. They could go on a week eating only that.
However, what made the assassin do a double take was the little boy crying immensely in the corner. The small hole at the top of the boy allowed the rain to enter the premises of the market.
He had to chuckle out of awe when the boy purposely avoided the rain by scooting farther but not leaving his place. Was he scolded by his parents? Was he afraid of the rain? Jungkook was curious.
Before Jungkook could get any more curious, he opted to buy everything he needed first. He promised his sons that he would cook them pork belly and ramen later. It was their favorite.
"What the..." He was sure that it took him an hour to finish. However, why was the little boy still there?
Sighing, he made his way to the little boy — wanting to help him. Do not get Jungkook wrong. Yes, he might be an assassin but he always had a soft spot for children. This was the reason why he took in those "sons" he was referring to.
He found them and took care of them. He just liked calling him his sons.
"Little boy," Jungkook started as he looked at the crying boy who was adorably hugging his knees. "Why are you crying?"
The little boy sobbed as he stared back at the older fashionable man in front of him. His parents told him that he should never talk to strangers. But what can he do when his parents abandoned him?
"I-I..." He choked back a sob. "I don't know where my parents are..."
Jungkook promised himself that having two sons were enough — however, he could not seem to leave the little boy who got abandoned by his parents. So, he took the time to accompany the boy, hopeful that his parents return.
"I'm Jungkook," he wanted to assure the child that he meant no harm. "Do you want a banana milk?"
"I'm Soobin," the boy really was shy as he slowly nodded, making Jungkook chuckle. For some reason, the assassin noticed how cute his eyes were.
The two boys found themselves chatting a short time after. What was then a shy boy became really talkative! Soobin would talk about his friends and how they promised to play hide-and-seek once he got home.
Which would never come true, by the way.
Hours passed and Jungkook did not seem to believe that Soobin's parents would return anymore. Of course, he did not want Soobin to forcefully come with him. He was not that type of person.
"P-please don't leave me..." How old was this boy? Five? Seven? How could someone this young sound so desperate? Soobin was clinging onto Jungkook's arm as if his life depended on it.
Another child. Jungkook went home with Soobin who was happily drinking his banana milk. It was as if he did not cry a whole bucket a while ago. Jungkook was curious of his sons' reactions — he told them that he would buy groceries. But that did not include a human.
"Kids!" Jungkook exclaimed as he opened the door. Soobin stared around in awe due to how big and beautiful the house was.
It was tainted with a black and white palette — more of a minimalistic design too. However, paintings were strangely seen almost everywhere. He could not help but to think he was taken in by a very wealthy person.
As if on cue, two boys slid down the stairs. One was the taller who had noticeably puckering lips. And the other was shorter who had an ice cold aura oozing with him.
The two boys looked at Soobin as if it was the only time they saw another person in their life.
"This is your new brother," Jungkook butted in as he snaked his arm around Soobin's little neck. "His name is Soobin. Soobin, these are Yeonjun and Beomgyu."
A third-person in that area would not deny how cold the atmosphere was around the little boys. Soobin was sure they would not get along — after all, he was the newbie in the pack.
"I'm going to my room," Yeonjun said before dragging Beomgyu away. Soobin sighed before helping Jungkook with the groceries but insisted that the little boy rest.
"Come to my room!" It only took the boys a short while before warming up to the new boy. They got the closest in just a span of two months. They saw each other as brothers now.
Soobin laughed before following the shorter boys to Beomgyu's room. Yes, they did not expect that the shy boy who was shorter than them two months ago would surpass them now.
"I want to play! I want to play!" Beomgyu was jumping up and down in his bed. It was fascinating to Soobin that the three of them got their own rooms. However, which was useless because they would often sleep in each other's room.
"Let's play the shooting one!" Soobin exclaimed before sitting beside Yeonjun in the floor, which in turn, tackled his neck for no reason at all. "Hyung! Hyung! It hurts!"
For some who may ask, Yeonjun is actually the oldest — but sometimes acted like the youngest. Soobin was the middle child while Beomgyu is the sneakiest little devil you would ever meet, or should I say... the youngest.
Beomgyu gave them the Play Station controllers as he excitedly slid on the game CD. As they played the game where they had to shoot the enemies, it was also unbeknownst to them that their "father" was the reality of that game.
After all, why would Jungkook tell the boys that his job was to kill people?
"I got him! I got him!" Yeonjun was the loudest when it came to games like these. Beomgyu burst into laughter when the proud Yeonjun got his character shot instead. Soobin, on the other hand, was bent on winning.
"I won!" Soobin happily cheered when he took down the last enemy. Beomgyu threw his body to Soobin and hugged him out of happiness. Yeonjun came next, "I want to hug you too!"
They did not know Jungkook was watching them, smiling of adoration with how close the boys become. He was sure they would love the next addition to their family, though.
Just a while ago, Yeonjun's voice transcended through the walls of their big house. But now, he was as silent as an empty room. He could only stare at the person in front of them.
"Hi!" Soobin waved. "I'm Soobin! We're the same age! We're friends now!"
"I'm Beomgyu, noona!" Beomgyu flashed his cute smile before looking at his Yeonjun who was completely in a trance.
"I-I'm Yeonjun!" He managed to give her a smile.
Was it because she would be the only girl in their family? Or was it because he was captivated with her cat-like visuals and cold beauty? Nevertheless, a child like Yeonjun would not be aware that his heart beating was not out of nervousness, but because he found the first girl he would have a crush on.
"I'm Yeji," the little girl was crying. She got lost in the amusement park she was in. The next thing she knew, she spent two days there — waiting for a sight of her parents. It was fortunate that Jungkook found her. The first thing he did was to give her food.
It did not take much time for the only girl in the house to warm up to the boys. However, she was not interested with the games they were playing. So, she was hoping that a girl could at least befriend her.
However, Yeonjun, being the clueless admirer he was, tried to think of things Yeji could relate to. He even read about makeup and fashion so they would have a conversation starter. He did not want Yeji to feel left out.
"Is makeup only for girls who want to impress their crushes?" Yeji curiously asked as she watched Yeonjun bump a makeup brush into his face out of wonder.
"No..." The little boy aggressively shook his head. "Anyone can wear makeup! It can be for no reason at all!"
Wow, if only Jungkook could hear what his son was saying, he would be so proud to raise him in that way. In their house, there were no stereotypes nor discrimination, whatsoever.
Anyways, Yeji had always been amazed with Yeonjun. Maybe to the fact that she found him cute every time? Or when they talk about each other's interests? Nevertheless, it was correct to say that the two children admired each other.
After a year, Yeji's wish came true.
"This is Taehyun and Chaeryeong," Jungkook introduced a doe-eyed little boy and a soft-looking little girl. He told them they ran away from home. However, the group was curious as to why the two children in front of them were holding hands.
"Are you dating?" Beomgyu's eyes widened as he pointed to their hands with his little finger peeking out of his jacket. Taehyun and Chaeryeong's lips parted before looking at each other.
"Best friends can hold each other's hands, Gyu," Yeji chuckled. She then looked at the new additions, "I'm Yeji! Welcome to the pack!"
Only a short time passed before Taehyun and Chaeryeong lost their shyness. Chaeryeong was immediately taken away by Yeji because of... you know, girls' stuff. Meanwhile, Taehyun got closer to Beomgyu.
"What are you doing?" Taehyun asked as he entered the kitchen. There stood Chaeryeong and Yeji with cream on their faces while laughing. What made Taehyun shocked was how Jungkook turned around, filled with cream too.
"We asked dad to help us make cake!" Chaeryeong giggled. "But we became the cakes instead!"
"Is that cake?!" Taehyun flinched when he heard Beomgyu's loud voice echoing. He was staring at the destroyed cake as if it was a treasure. "Can I have some?!"
"Did you just say cake?" Yeonjun ran with all his life, dragging Soobin along the way. "Wait, what— What happened to the cake?! What happened to all of you?!"
"M-my cake..." Their lips parted when Soobin's lips trembled. After a few seconds, the little boy cried. "My cake! My cake!"
"Poor old man..." Chaeryeong scratched her head, making Taehyun cover her mouth. Soobin might hear what she said! Sucks for them, he actually did!
"I'm not old!" Soobin sobbed. Meanwhile Yeonjun, as his best friend, took this as a chance to wipe his tears. "I... I want cake."
"Okay, okay," Yeonjun nodded. "Hyung will save the cake."
"And how will you?" Yeji raised a brow with her arms over her chest. Chaeryeong replied, "You made the poor old man hopeful!"
"Soobin hyung is not old!" Beomgyu retorted as he side-hugged Soobin who was only staring at Yeonjun, hopeful that he save the cake.
Amidst all of this, Jungkook watched his family with so much adoration. He could only hope that they remained that way. Would it be selfish for him to remain them all as children? He was fearful they grow up and fight with each other.
One night, the cold assassin was awaken by a knock on their gate. Jungkook was alarmed... His house was not visible to anyone out there because they were located in the middle of the wounds.
For protection, he took his gun before exiting his room. He had to make sure that his family was sleeping — he would not want them to find out about his job at such an early age.
Jungkook slowly approached the front door. He initially wanted to wake up his assistants, however, stopped when he monitored the CCTV cameras outside their gate. His brows furrowed at the sight.
With caution, he then proceeded to the main gate. Clutching his gun behind him, he pushed the button responsible for opening it. His lips parted when he saw a little girl carrying a wounded little boy over the shoulder.
"Please help him!" The little girl cried. Jungkook threw his gun away before carrying the little boy. He then said, "Come inside. We'll get you what you need."
He woke up their family doctor who was still a little groggy because of the suddenness. The little girl watched as the little boy's wounds get treated. Jungkook seemed to have noticed this since he pulled her away.
"Is he going to be okay?" Jungkook nodded. At first, he was suspicious of the two children, However, their scanner did not detect any suspicious stuff at all. After all, they might be hiding a camera underneath their clothes.
"Do not worry about him," he assured. "Let's get you something to munch on."
The little girl nodded before following the man in front of her. He smiled as he gave her ramen — although, he did not expect that she would be this hungry. Hence, he invited her to eat everything she wanted here.
"I'm Jungkook," he started. "Mind telling me about your story?"
She told him that she was actually homeless. Her parents died in an accident and she had to steal food to survive. It just happened that she ran into the little boy in the needs. She saw him severely wounded and could not fathom not helping him.
"They are Lia and Kai," Jungkook introduced yet another addition to their family. "They're a part of us now."
"Hello!" Lia cheerfully greeted as she waved at them. On the other hand, Kai flashed them a small smile. His body was still hurting so he had to use crutches to stand.
"Another girl!" Chaeryeong exclaimed as she mindlessly embraced the shorter girl in front of her. "Yeji unnie and I are taking you to our hideout! Let's go!"
"Hideout?" Jungkook raised a brow. Yeji answered, "Oppa, it's just the tent in the garden. Chaeryeong likes to call that hideout!"
After a short while, Jungkook and the girls were already out of sight. The boys then looked at Kai who was avoiding their gazes. They were not a half-bit sure as to how they would approach the boy. He seemed so... cold.
"I'm Taehyun!" The doe-eye boy initiated to start the conversation. "Do you want to play games with us?"
Kai only stared at them. Do not get him wrong, he was only hesitant to trust them. After all, he had gone through so much and could not deal with another problem. He had to have his guards up.
"Let us not force him," Soobin replied. "We're going to be in Yeonjun hyung's room! Drop by if you want!"
It took them almost a year to break Kai's shell. Now, they only loved going to Kai's room because it was the only one clean and had tons of plushies. They were surprised to know that he loved collecting those.
"I have a question,' Kai said as he munched on his chips, making the boys look at him. "How does it feel to have a crush?"
As if on cue, the boys fake-coughed at their oldest brother. Yeonjun groaned before pouting and making himself comfortable in the youngest's bed.
"I think Yeonjun hyung can help you," Beomgyu nudged the latter, earning a glare in return. "Come on! The both of you are so obvious! I never had a crush but I know one when I see one!"
Then on, Beomgyu babbled about the meaning and experience of crushes — which was ironic because Yeonjun was supposed to be the one answering Kai and not him. Nevertheless, it gave Yeonjun the chance to avoid the million dollar question.
"So you're telling me you haven't experienced crushing on someone..." Taehyun concluded, sarcasm evident in his voice. The latter pouted before pursing his lips.
Two years later, Jungkook was surprised to see an old friend visiting him. He even got the kids to help him prepare the food. However, he wondered why his visitor brought a little girl with him.
"Leeknow!" Jungkook enclosed his friend into an embrace. His eyes trailed down to the seemingly angry little girl behind him. "Oh! Who's this?"
"Ah..." Leeknow chuckled before softly pulling the girl in front. "This is Ryu—"
"The floor is too slipp—" Beomgyu was cut off when he tripped and fell, accidentally throwing the vinegar he was holding into the little girl's body. The foul smell of the vinegar was enough to send her much angrier than before.
The boy's eyes widened as he saw her furrowed face, not minding how his feet hurt when he fell. The vinegar's odor did not even mask the tension in the air — it even amplified it.
"I'm so—"
"I'm going to kill you!" The little girl's hands balled into a fist as she charged to Beomgyu.
"Ryujin! Ryujin!" Leeknow was quick to pull his sister away before she could even cause damage to the innocent-looking boy in front of them. He dearly looked like he feared for his life.
Yes, Ryujin was angry — but she was more heartbroken to hear that her brother left her under the care of Jungkook. She was abandoned, once again. After all, she had every right to be angry at the world.
Among them, Ryujin was the hardest one to soften. Might as well add to the fact that Beomgyu and her never got along through the years. However, she eventually warmed up to the rest.
"Do you want to go shopping later?" Yeji asked as she offered Ryujin a lollipop. Throughout the years, Yeji became the best friend of the latter.
The group was already in their pre-teen stage and they were now going through puberty. Hence, they were already conscious about their bodies and style. Jungkook somehow found time too fast.
"Who's going to come?" She returned. The latter replied, "Only Chaeryeong, Kai, and Beomgyu."
"Beomgyu?" Ryujin raised a brow before scoffing. "Hell no! I'd rather sleep than be five feet near that person."
The two girls flinched when they heard a familiar voice.
"You talk as if I want to be near you," Beomgyu hissed before rolling his eyes. "We feel the same way, Shin, don't worry about it."
"Yeah?" Ryujin crossed her arms. "Then get five feet away from me."
"Bold of you to assume that I came here for you," Beomgyu's chuckled was laced with sarcasm. He then fished out money from his pockets before handing it to Yeji. "Appa told me that this is our pocket money for later."
"Don't give it to someone who's not coming," he added as he glared at Ryujin. The girl was about to fire back but Beomgyu already walked away.
"I hate him! He's so annoying!" Ryujin messed her hair out of frustration.
Over the years, the group evolved into teenagers. Some... with romantic feelings. Their personalities also changed — some for the better and some just coping through the worse. And at that moment, Jungkook knew that it was time for them to know about the truth — the truth about him.
"I have something to tell you," Jungkook said as he looked at his children, seated in a circular motion for supper. His children looked at him with wonder as they anticipated his next words.
"I'm an assassin," he admitted.
Half of the group were shocked while the rest remained emotionless with the newfound information. They could no fathom that the person they looked up as a father... was killing people.
Nevertheless, it took Jungkook quite some time before exposing them to the world of assassins — his world. Of course, he did not want them to become like him but they wanted to give back to him in any way they can. He told them that once they enter his world, they could never go back.
The group was trained into the foundation skills. Afterwards, they focused on their specialty. Not going to lie, it was indeed hard for them... and physically exhausting. However, they were sure they wanted to help Jungkook.
"An assassin must never think twice," he told them. "In the field, you are a robot. No one should be commanding you — not even me. You should always follow your first instinct."
Bearing this knowledge in mind, Jungkook only ever had given them one rule.
"Do not fall in love with each other."
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Author's Note
Yuna will be included in the
coming chapters! I hope you
my story. Thank you so much!
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