Day 3 (Part 2/2)

Every muscle in Namjoon's body was clenched and his hands were shielding his face. But before anything could happen, the lion-boy got pulled back on his choker and Namjoon could see the magician standing over them.

"That's enough V!" he shouted and pulled on the collar like one would do with an angry dog.

The hand that had been in Namjoon's hair let go and the intern whimpered because of the pain on his scalp.

"This is unnecessary, V, and you know that," the magician continued, but V's reflecting eyes were glued to Namjoon and he tried to break free from the tight grip of the magician to end what he had started. What the fuck had he done to the lion-boy? He just had stated a truth. There was no reason for snapping at him.

"Shit!" he heard the magician hiss and then the blue-haired started to drag the screaming and fighting boy over the ground towards the tent. What the heck was happening here? Did he cause that scenario with just his words?

"Are you okay?" he heard the familiar voice of Jin, but ignored the older when he squatted down to check on him.

He had to follow V and apologize. With a groan he stood up and ran after the magician. He was amazed by the ease Suga dragged V along when the boy was twice the size of the magician and fought like a tiger. The younger had even ripped off the sleeve of the magician's jacket. God, what had he done.

Namjoon caught up with them in front of V's door, but instead of going inside the magician went one door further and pushed it open, throwing the lion-kid in. Startled, Namjoon peeked into the room and was greeted by the strangest picture he had ever seen: From the ceiling dangled a muscular man with bare upper body whose back was bent to lift his head and whose right hand rested on V's shoulder, staring the other in the eye. If he had to name him, Namjoon would call him Kaa like the snake from the Jungle book, because damn he looked smooth like a snake dangling from the ceiling. And one more thing made him think of a snake when he watched the scene. The younger stood there with wide puppy eyes, and looked like he was hypnotized. He looked like a five-year-old, insanity all gone, replaced by cuteness. God, he could be a plushy toy with those big orbs and sand, fluffy hair.

Smoothly, the snake-man reached out for one of the many black ropes that dangled from the ceiling like lianas and lowered his feet to the ground. Only now, Namjoon could see the tattooed back of the man completely; the whole back up to the beginning of the spiky black hair was tattooed as well as the upper arms. And the black and green inking did not end above the rim of the black ninja-trousers, but apparently went down further. Namjoon was not sure if he looked like a ninja or like a man of the Chinese triads. Both images matched the man just as perfect as the snake-image. They seemed to fit him even better considering the room he lived in. The walls were striped moss green and Chinese lanterns hung on them, radiating a soft, orange light. The floor was covered in carpets of different sizes and patterns and pillows that blend in with them. The high pile of pillows on the left wall under the black silken scarfs that hung from a wooden frame, just like one could find it on poster beds, must be the sleeping area, and on the right wall stood a big closet made of the same dark wood. The only other furniture was what looked like a closed altar with incense, whose smell filled the whole room, and a low tea table in the center of the room.

Namjoon felt like he was transferred into a room in china some hundred years ago.

A cute giggle made his attention snap back to the two artists. V had jumped on the snake-man and clung to him like a koala with a wide, almost rectangular grin. What had happened here? What did he miss?

"Tae, you're choking me," triad-boy rasped and the younger let go.

Freed from the weight, the unknown turned around to the magician and him. His muscles were prominent like V's, but his skin was bright and contrasted with the black and green ink on his arms and chest. Even on his hands Namjoon could detect some black. The only space that was not inked was the face and a small stripe in the middle of his chest. In the corner of his mouth and on one of his eyebrows glittered piercings and he eyed Namjoon intensely. The intern shivered.

"The new one?" the artist asked.

"Yes," Suga answered sounding tired and a little pissed, "Namjoon this is J-Hope, our snake-man and another hyung for you, Hope that's Namjoon, our intern."

After the introduction was over, a beaming smile popped up on the black-haired man's face. And Namjoon had thought he looked fierce... That much to his knowledge of people. The ink was most likely for show.

"Wanna join us for dinner?" Hope asked friendly.

"Sure," Namjoon responded, happy he had another chance to eat in company instead of home alone.

From behind the triad-man came a soft growl, and V looked at him with dark eyes. That one did not seem to like the idea of eating with him at all. But the tattooed hand that grabbed for the lion-boy's seemed to change that opinion in an instant. What was it about that snake-man that made V into this cute and obeying puppy?

Together they left the tent, through a backdoor Namjoon had not noticed before, and sat down at one of the tables.

"I'll go get the food. Who's gonna help me?" Hope asked and stood up.

Namjoon raised his hand and together they went to the food chain. Well, this would take some minutes.

"Your tattoos. Are they... you know..." Namjoon tried to ask.

"Triad tattoos?" the black-haired finished his question. Namjoon nodded. "Yeah, I was part of the triads for practically all my life before Suga found me," the snake-man answered like he talked about the weather. Namjoon's brain felt like a hurricane had went through it. He stood in front of a fucking triad-man, who had one hell of a sunny personality and waited with him in a food chain! What was this world? How fucked up was this circus? Who the hell was Suga?

"Oh, don't worry," the other interrupted his thoughts, "That's my past now."

What past? Namjoon tried to imagine the smiling man in front of him doing skin trade or drug dealing or pimping. It was impossible. But what if he did not smile like that? What if he looked at him as stern as he had the moment they first met? He would have believed it back then. Those black eyes and pitch-black hair with the hard body and tattoos... But how did he become snake-man?

"What was your job at the triads?" he asked knowing he would eventually regret his question, but curiosity got the best of him.

"Silent kills," Hope answered without hesitation, "There are brutal executions to show off power, but sometimes you just want someone to dissolve into nothing or never wake up again. That's when I came in."

A cold shiver ran down Namjoon's spine. The ninja-image had not been that wrong. But he absolutely disliked the casual tune the other spoke about his blood-stained past.

"But why the triads? You're Korean, not Chinese," he continued the talk, though every muscle in his body was tense.

"Like I said. I spent almost all my life as a triad-member. They snatched me off the streets when I was five and on vacation with my parents in Hongkong. I still don't know why it was me. There have been many kids on the street this day, but they went for me."

Namjoon bit his bottom lip and fell silent. He should not have asked; he did not want those pictures inside his head, but he had to know. Why the hell did he always have to know? It was like a curse. His mind would torture him until he got the answer for all his questions. But now he felt sick. This conversation had been so awkward, so out of this world.

"Hey, man," snake-man said and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him twitch, "Forget about that. All I am now, is an artist in a circus. I found my place in the world." A calm smile lay on the artists lips and Namjoon tried to relax and push back the memories of their little talk. This circus was crazy.

When they came back with the plates, Suga was already smoking and V lied with his head on the table.

"Dinner!" J-Hope shouted and made several heads turn towards them.

Lion-boy's head snapped up and he licked his lips hungrily. Hope placed a plate in front of his blonde friend and sat beside him, ruffling his hair. The rectangular smile popped up on the boy's face, and Namjoon almost expected the youngest to purr. But the latter only started stuffing his mouth with the Galbi.

They ate and chatted for almost one hour, and Namjoon was amazed by the change in V's behavior. There was no hatred, no insanity, no provocation, only sincere boxy-smiles and giggles accompanied by long shy glances at his artist colleague. He was like a completely different person. Suga, too, seemed in a better mood than before, though his jacket was ripped and his arm showed some nasty scratches.

When V and Hope bit their goodbye, the magician devoted his attention towards him.

"I guess you have some questions," the blue-haired said and flicked his cigarette into the dark.

"Yes, what happened to V?" Namjoon asked, after deciding to ask his questions chronologically.

"If I knew his past, I could answer this question more properly. But with my insufficient knowledge I can only tell you that this sometimes happens. He snaps on someone for some little comment and loses himself in the rage," the magician tried to explain.

"Is this the reason for the collar and cuffs?" Namjoon asked cautiously.

"Sadly, yes. Before we met Hope, there was no way for us of dealing with him. He would snap on Jimin and me like he was one of his lions. The heartbreaking part of it was how he apologized to us under tears the next day. He can't control it, and I guess the only one who knows the reason for his outbursts is J-Hope."

"Was J-Hope really part of the triads?" Namjoon wanted to know next, though he believed it when the artist had told him.

"Yeah. You already talked about it with him?"

"Yes, he told me he was a killer for the triads and got snatched from the streets as a child." The sickening feeling twisted his stomach again while speaking. This was just so surreal.

Suga just nodded absently. He seemed to think back of the time when he met the triad-man. After some seconds, the blue-haired sighed softly and his eyes came back to the present.

"I guess you've had your fair share of V and his lions. Let's get you a new partner," he said, and the pale hand appeared in front of Namjoon's face, holding three checkroom numbers again.

Relieved that he would no longer have to work with the giant cats, he picked one of the black metal tags and looked at the number. 0820. Was there some reason behind those numbers at all?

"I'll expect you tomorrow. You'll work with J-Hope," the magician ended their conversation and stood up. Namjoon followed his example and waved goodbye, heading off home.

"Namjoon!" he heard the raspy voice with a slightly amused tone. "Don't you wanna change your clothes?" Startled, Namjoon looked down at himself and realized he still wore the yellow bear costume.

When he hung his working clothes on the hanger the same melancholy as yesterday took over. He had grown attached to it. It had protected him from the lions and the lion-boy like an armor, even though it looked terribly silly. Lost in memories of V and his animal friends, he played with the strange wings of the costume. Maybe working with the golden-eyed had not been as bad as he had thought. If he could be as cute as he had been with Hope, there had to be a reason for the terrible personality he showed towards him. Maybe he could ask the snake-man tomorrow.

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