"Hello, Trouble." 

Jungkook's ears pricked at the sound of a sweet voice as he rose from his slumber and sleepily stumbled into the living room. He had only managed to get a few hours rest and was regretful that he had stayed out so late with Hana. Kind of.

What he actually regretted was his current lack of sleep.

He didn't regret watching her nose crinkle as she laughed with him in the early hours of the morning. Not one bit. 

"Saffy," Jungkook yawned, ruffling his hair and greeting their guest, knowing that he definitely didn't look presentable. Boxer shorts and a t-shirt was most definitely not business meeting attire. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Is a gal not allowed to pop by and say hello to her favourite rapscallions when she feels like it?" She teased. She was sat next to Jin at the small dining table, dressed to the nines as always. Jungkook didn't think he had ever seen her in a pair of flat shoes or without a matching bag. Her dark hair was twisted up and pinned in place like Seoul's answer to Holly Golightly. Jungkook thought a small tiara and cigarette holder wouldn't have looked out of place on Saffy.

She always looked so radiant in their dingy home. The wallpaper was peeling slightly, and the ceiling had tar marks from the cigarettes that had been chain-smoked before big jobs. Their furniture was mismatched and had seen better days, but something was charming about the place, something homely. Whatever it was, Saffy definitely didn't think it was the smell, and made a mental note to bring them an air freshener next time she was in town.

"She is, I just wish you didn't always end the visits with a new job," Jungkook said honestly. He felt safe around Saffy, he trusted her. He sunk into the couch beside an equally sleepy Hoseok, who had only just returned from a business trip to Busan. If his bruised knuckles and grazed cheeks were anything to go by, it had been quite the trip.

"Well then I'm afraid your wish is not my command," Saffy grinned at him cheekily. She worked for The Penthouse and was responsible for delivering most of 32b's jobs. It didn't matter if it was little, like Jungkook scoping the mayor's secretary out, or large, like Hoseok trailing a rival dealer across the country to divert their cartel, Saffy was the middle woman. "You're lucky Hobi worked so well, Kook, or else the Top Dog would have been fuming with your lack of delivery the other night."

She knew the boys well enough to address them affectionately, yet they all respected her.

"He was occupied all evening," Jungkook began to defend himself, but Saffy interrupted him.

"Tae's told me all about your night, Kookie," she was smiling, so couldn't have been too mad. Jungkook glared over at Tae, annoyed at how childish he was. Tae just looked around the room and shrugged as if he wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. "I think you were the one who was occupied - but it's fine. We're changing tactics anyway."

"We are?" Jin enquired. Usually, he was well versed on whatever Saffy had to share with boys as she went to him first, but their pre-meeting conversation had been focused less on business and more on the boys. Or one of them, at least.

"Top Dog wants the mayor under our thumb. He's planning on making expansions to his business that we'd need political protection from. He's impatient and wants it done yesterday, so we're going straight for him."

"So we're not working our way up anymore?"

"We may have been if Kookie had got his foot on the ladder," Saffy said. She was playful in the way she spoke, but he knew there was a little bit of honesty to it.

Jungkook hated feeling useless. He wanted to help where he had failed, but no reward came without risk.

"Dal Pa," he said before he could stop himself. He was too eager to please; to fix his mistakes.

The room was silent at the mention of their rivals.

"What about Dal Pa?" Jin questioned sternly. Jungkook was off his game, he was getting sloppy, and Jin knew exactly why. He also knew that when you have a crush on someone, you find any excuse to talk about them. He half worried that was what Jungkook was doing here.

"The secretary was occupied with a Dal Pa crook," Jungkook started, not sure how much he wanted to say; or how much he should say. "That's why I couldn't get to him. They're after the mayor too."

"Fuck," Saffy breathed. Hae Pa were a bit reckless and didn't bother keeping tabs on their rivals unless necessary - all except for Seokjin. It was a trait he had learned many moons ago and one that had been hard to let go of. "That's gonna make life a bit more difficult. How did you know he was Dal Pa?"

"Saw his tattoo," Jungkook lied. Saffy drank his deceit up. He hesitated on his next words, knowing it was a smart suggestion, but not one that would be received well. "They want the same thing as us. They have skills we don't have and vice versa-"

"Don't you fucking dare say what I think you're going to," Tae snapped, getting to his feet, knocking some papers of the armrest of the chair he had been sitting in.

"You know it makes sense," Jungkook shrugged, trying to act indifferent. His panicked eyes were being studied by Jin. "Together we-"

"Together?!" Taehyung roared. There was no together in his eyes. Dal Pa were the scum of the earth, and he'd rather die a Hae Pa man than live as a traitor. "Just stop fucking talking, kid."

Jungkook stood now, enraged at how he had been dismissed, at the way he had been addressed. They were separated by a coffee table, but the aggression boiling between them could be felt by everyone in the room.

Tae didn't get angry about much.

But then again, Jungkook knew that it was only natural to get angry about the gang that had robbed you of everything you had loved - and Dal Pa had really done a number on Tae's family. Extorted and blackmailed by them, his father had been left so helpless that he only saw one way out - and took Tae's baby sister and mother with him when he snapped and drove his car headfirst into oncoming traffic a few years ago.

"Enough," Jin bellowed from the edge of the room. Jungkook did as he was told, slumping back into his seat with quite some force. Tae stood still for a few moments longer, but eventually retreated, nostrils flared, ears red.

"It's good that we know about Dal Pa," Jin admitted, much to the annoyance of Tae. "But working with them would cause too many issues, I think, Jungkook. Best to just keep it on our radar." Jin paused slightly, not sure if he wanted to ask this question in front of everyone - but he desperately wanted to keep up appearances. "Does Dal Pa know that we're also after the mayor?"

Jungkooks eyes flicked straight to Jin's. His eyes were willing Jungkook to say no, praying for it almost. The wideness of Jungkook's own eyes answered for him, but Jin was the only one to notice.

"I had no interaction with anyone who could have known," he lied.

"You're positive?" Saffy asked, ignorant to the expression on Jungkook's face. He didn't take his eyes off of Jin's. He knew that Jin knew.

"Positive."

"Good, let's keep it that way," Saffy smiled, and Jungkook broke from the tense stare he had been holding. "While we're on the subject of work, though, I do have some jobs for you all..."

Jungkook let the conversation carry on without him. He felt horrifically claustrophobic, like the walls were slowly but inevitably closing in around him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wanted to scream, but it felt like he was underwater and no sound would be made, just bubbles of air pouring out until his lungs collapsed. He half wished they would.

He didn't feel a sense of calm until Saffy had dismissed them all to speak privately with Jin, and he was back in his room, where Hana's perfume was still embedded into his sheets.