Jungkook's silence pains me. It hurts more than if he were shouting at me and shaking his fists.

In the restaurant, I smell fresh concrete, paint and mothballs. I can't take it anymore. "Aren't you upset?" I say.

"Of course I am," Jungkook replies. "But I trusted her too. It's not your fault."

"It is my fault," I say. "I was stupid and wanted to redeem myself."

"Redeem yourself from what?" Jungkook asks.

Under his piercing gaze, I can't hide any longer. "I killed the alliance," I say. "All five of them."

Jungkook stands abruptly. "I would've done the same."

"You wouldn't have," I say, standing with him. "You wouldn't kill anyone in cold blood."

"I killed someone I knew, someone in my past," he says. "That makes me a worse person than you."

Tears well in my eyes. "Nothing you say can change how I view myself," I say. "I feel dirty. Like I totally deserved what Sophiya did to us."

Jungkook shakes his head. There are tears in his eyes too. Maybe he is mourning his innocence. Maybe he is mourning the lost ring. Both of us winning was once in our hands. But the idea just distanced itself miles and miles away.

I grow dizzy from the shock of being betrayed. It doesn't help that I have new throbbing bruises. Sophiya really reminded me of Zion—and I let that get the best of me. I should've known that I couldn't trust anyone in this competition. No one but Jungkook, who has been nothing but good to me since I convinced him to fight by my side.

I stumble and fall forward.

Jungkook catches me.

He holds me close to his chest, whispering words into my ear. I can't even make out what he's saying. The buzz in my head grows into a never-ending torment. If he wasn't here, I'm sure I'd faint on the restaurant floor and not awake until the competition is over. I'd be shot by Mr. Fame's employees, and that would be the end of me, and Zion. My parents would be left with no one.

Somehow, Jungkook and I end up leaning against one of the restaurant's newly painted walls. I rest my whole weight against my partner. His arms are strong and comforting. Even in the midst of being betrayed, at least I know I can still count on the one person who has never wronged me.

"I'm sorry," I sob. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't say that," Jungkook says, resting a hand against the small of my back. "You didn't know. And I was fooled as well."

"I shouldn't have even noticed her," I say. "But I wanted so badly to prove to myself that I didn't turn into a complete criminal."

"You're not a criminal," Jungkook says. "That's my job. You only did what you needed to do to survive. No one would blame you. Anyway, I admire you for entering because of your brother. You're stronger than any girl I've ever met."

I look up at him. Tears well in the corner of his eyes. That just makes me cry even more. I'm shaking in his arms, guilt welling in the center of my chest. "I'm so sorry, Jungkook. I know you trusted me. I feel like it was me who betrayed you."

"Don't say that," Jungkook says.

I cry and cry, and Jungkook's tears mix with my own. He doesn't stop holding me. We're so close that I can feel his breath. His heartbeat aligns with mine.

"What are we going to do?" I say. It's me who's become the leaf, not Sophiya. I feel like one gust of wind would be enough for me to fade and crumble.

Jungkook stands, taking me with him. "Here's what we're going to do," he says. "We're going to survive and get another clue. We'll win that item. And then we'll win the item from Suga on Friday. Don't give up hope, Cosma."

I stand, leaning on Jungkook for support. I know he's right. Giving up would be a crime against Zion and my parents. It would be a crime against Jungkook, who I've promised to help win.

"I won't give up," I say, wiping at my eyes with my sleeves.

"Good," Jungkook says. "I won't either."

I reach out, wiping Jungkook's tears away. He's a silent crier, and I wonder about the lonely times when he was sweeping the streets as a new criminal. He lost his whole family. He had no one to rely on. Right now, I have to be that person he can lean on. I can't give up. For his sake.

"Don't cry," I say. "I cried enough for both of us."

Jungkook smiles a bit. In it, I sense the trust we've grown to share. "Let's not have anyone else join our team. It's just the two of us until the end."

"Until the end," I say. "When did you become such a romantic?"

Jungkook says nothing. He just draws me close again. I rest my head on his shoulder. He embraces me and presses his lips on my forehead. I don't realize he kissed my face until after the fact. I raise my head and kiss him on the cheek. We're drowning in the tides of hopelessness, but at least we have each other. We've become each other's anchors. In a sea which threatens to drown us both, as least we can say that we have one person on our side.

"That little girl," I say, once we pull away and our most intimate moment yet has left us. "She's the sneakiest one in the entire competition."

Jungkook grins a bit. At least there's some humor in the betrayal. Even though it's mostly pure hell. "That's right. She's even craftier than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jungkook just shrugs. After he cried, his eyes are a bit puffy. But his spine has straightened. He's ready to fight. And if he hasn't given up yet, neither will I.

"Let's go," I say. "It's not even midnight. We're bound to catch another clue."

Just as we exit the restaurant, a new resolve binding us both, a firework arcs through the sky. Only a few hundred yards away—further southward into the heart of Gangnam.

"Let's go!" I say.

When I take off in the direction of the clue, my partner follows and aligns himself with me. Jeon Jungkook. Forever my fearless warrior.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Votes and comments are much appreciated!