•••

"i'll talk to him," jimin hums on the phone, buttoning up the shirt of uniform and takes a deep breath, "when are you coming?"

"the commissioner is up my ass, i'm not even going home," taehyung groans, "and now this jeon jungkook issue! where the hell did he come from out of nowhere?!"

"he was living in disguise right under our noses," jimin grits, "please talk to namjoon as soon as possible or else there won't be much use of me being here. we have nothing against jungkook right now and i can't arrest him just like that."

"i'll look into the previous cases. there's no way i'm letting that bastard breathe. not near my hayeon at least,"

"that reminds me of, he will surely try something..."

"of course he will, he just wants to get back at me and he's got hayeon there, i don't see why he wouldn't use her against me."

"exactly," jimin nods in the mirror, picking up his phone from the desk and turns off the speaker as he heads out of the room, "that's why i'm saying, do something before it's too late."

"you mean calling her back?"

"not exactly," jimin hums, thinking carefully and shakes his head to himself, "i don't think calling her back would be a good option. you're already too busy with work, and i won't be there too. she'll be an easy target there too, more exposed, more vulnerable. here at least i can keep an eye and i'm sure jungkook won't do anything in presence of her father, and especially when he knows i'm watching."

"right, i- fuck!" taehyung hisses, "jimin, i gotta go, the jerk is here. take care please,"

"yeah, don't worry," he nods with a soft sigh, entering the kitchen where he finds jungkook sitting alone, putting some butter on his toast, whistling in his own little world. jimin walks past him, preparing himself a cup of coffee and skims through the counter for the instant coffee mix.

"second cabinet from right," jungkook says, not lifting up his eyes from his toast and takes a bite of it, nodding at the taste, "coffee," he hints and hears jimin groaning to himself in annoyance. "that uniform fits you still,"

"my gun does too," jimin replies and jungkook clicks his tongue at that.

"i just helped you find the coffee powder bro, not even a thanks?"

jimin glares at him, leaving the cup aside and stops in front of jungkook, his hand moving swiftly to get the younger in a good grasp and press his face into the counter, "you do not try to act smart with me, jungkook. i'm not buying any of your shit."

"ow, that hurts," jungkook winces, "why are you getting mad jimin-ssi? did i say something wrong?"

"cut the crap and tell me why you're here," jimin grits low, pulling out his revolver and has the muzzle pressed on the side of jungkook's hip. "why are you back?"

"back? i never left in the first place," he chuckles, tilting his head a little to look up at jimin's angry expression, "anyway, i won't call you a fool for not noticing me for four
years. but that is funny- the whole police department thinking this dude is dead when he's actually living in his own hometown, has a job and doing pretty much everything a normal person does. joke's on you park jimin."

"fuck you!"

"oh no, please, you and your motherfucker bestie already fucked up my life pretty bad. leave me alone now, officer. i heard that the law doesn't hurt the innocent,"

"we both know you're anything but innocent. just wait till i get you this time. its your head and my bullet,"

"i'll be in front of you all the time, try whatever you want," jungkook challenges with a mischievous grin, "look, i'm even ready to co-operate and wait for you. you'll never find a better version of me, also you're blessed to be my big brother. doesn't that help a little bit?"

"i'm not anything to you," jimin looks away and jungkook scoffs, feeling his grip on the back loosening. he frees himself without much effort and faces jimin properly this time, "you're nothing to me, jeon."

"must be hard for you right?" jungkook steps forward, taking the cup of coffee from earlier and pours in some hot water, "leaving seoul, leaving your family behind, your abusive step-father, your victim mother, and your younger brother- no, step-brother who you claimed to love a lot. right,"

"shut up!" jimin grabs jungkook by his collar, shoving him against the counter again, "i hate you! i hate that i ever met you! i hate that my mother married your father and all of this happened!"

"you do?" jungkook winces, "is that why you told hayeon to write that story? that you'll be happy if she finishes writing about that character who everyone thinks is bad and dangerous and malicious? of course, yeah because you hate me,"

"stop," jimin's voice comes low, but too heavy with the anger laced in it, making jungkook smirk again as he notices the elder's eyes gleaming in a mixture of insecurity and anger.

"right," he pushes jimin back, straightening his clothes and goes back to his initial place, having his breakfast like nothing ever happened.

"why are you doing this?" jimin asks, much quieter this time as he stares down at the gum in his hands, "don't make me do this jungkook. i thought you were dead! i thought you- i... i thought i couldn't save you..."

"you didn't save me," jungkook snaps with a glare, "don't even dare think that you did anything to help me,"

"you never talked to me," jimin says, "i swear i-"

"no you never did. and you know why? because you, jimin, are a police officer! you're bound with your law, you'll fucking have your gun down my throat the very moment you get the chance! and i'm not a fool to trust your kind ever again!"

"you don't know what happened,"

"you don't know what happened,"

jimin shakes his head, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down and puts the gun back in the holder attached to his belt, "how's mom?" he asks like a whisper and jungkook scoffs mockingly, earning a frown from the elder, "you still see her don't you?"

"i don't," he mutters, "she hates me. y'all made me look like a fucking murderer, do you understand that?"

"you have murder charges on you, jungkook,"

"yeah, and who got those evidences? kim taehyung, the one who already thinks his family died because of me. you trusted whatever crap he had, but not me. why?"

"you are responsible for a lot of deaths, we both know it."

"mom thinks that too, thanks," jungkook nods, turning away and washes his hands under faucet, his eyes blankly staring a void until his senses snap back, making him inhale deeply and face jimin again, "do whatever you want, this time i'm not gonna lose."

"one thing, jungkook, even one single thing against you, and i myself, will drag you back to seoul. the law will punish you later, i'll do it first."

"fine, you do your job, i'll do mine," jungkook wipes his hands dry, pulling on a smile instantly as though he wasn't just fuming in anger.

"you won't involve hayeon in this," jimin warns.

"i won't hurt her, i promise," jungkook assures, "but yes, she'll be part of this game. i like her."

"no you don't,"

"i do. can't help it. i'm gonna make her mine, and love her in all the ways kim taehyung didn't. i'm gonna take her from that bastard. heard he loves her a lot huh?"

"you won't lay a finger on her," jimin pushes him back and jungkook chuckles darkly, "i'm serious jungkook, i won't wait for any-fucking-thing if you touch hayeon."

"why so mad? do you love her too?" jungkook grins, "i wouldn't be surprised if you say yes. she is lovable. y'know i wasn't even ready to talk to her, but she had her ways, made friends with me, and even got to know my story. she's special and i like that."

"you-"

"good morning..." hayeon walks down, stretching her arms above her head and sends a brief smile to the two men who are now standing away from each other, minding their own business.

"mornin', you're late today," jungkook points out, handing her a cup of coffee, getting a tiny thanks from the girl as she'd mumble it along with a soft sigh when she inhales the fragrance of the coffee.

"i was watching movies with jimin, then he fell asleep and i thought i should write for a while," she explains, "so yeah, i was up working,"

"that's cool,"

"yep, the inspiration struck so hard that i think i got my first few drafts ready,"

"what did you write?" jungkook leans on the counter, sliding a dish with toast towards her, "oh by the way, uncle is out early today and i didn't feel like cooking,"

"it's okay, do you want me to cook?" she looks at him and then at jimin with a smile, "ah right you've to go to work today," she nods and gestures him to sit, "i'll cook for you both,"

jimin doesn't protest for he likes her food too much to ignore it even when he's mad. though jungkook stands up, going near her, saying that it'll be faster if she lets him help. hayeon agrees to his kind offer and tells him to slice some bacon and sausages while she prepares the eggs.

"you didn't tell me what you wrote so far," jungkook piques again and hayeon nods slowly as more of her focus is on the egg that she's trying to crack straight into to the pan. however the job fails and some pieces of shell fall along with the white. "aish! that's not how you do it," jungkook hisses, taking her hands as he stands behind her and grabs another egg, hitting it on the edge of the pan with just the right amount of force, then cracks the shell open above the pan, making a perfect omlette without any pieces of shell.

"wow..." hayeon gasps, glancing at him over shoulder, "this is one of the few things I can't do in the kitchen,"

"i bet you suck at cooking," he teases her and hayeon gasps, clearly offended with the comment.

"excuse me? i am the best cook! jimin tell him!" jimin hums with a nod, standing up and glares at jungkook, pushing him away from her with his subtle behaviour just so that hayeon doesn't notice. she sticks her tongue out at jungkook and flips her hair, "see? i'm the best. jimin and my boyfriend love the food i cook."

"they should eat what i make, they'll forget you exist." jungkook flaunts and hayeon pushes him away, making him laugh.

"anyway so listen carefully now, especially you jimin, i've had a good starting for my book," she claps her hands, not minding the negligible enthusiasm from him and continues, "the story starts in seoul, a few years back, with a big explosion in a mall. many people die and many got injured. the local police and crime branch look into the case, but find nothing. everybody's worried and all, and police department gets very stressed. now there's this officer called v- and he is an important character okay? so, he looks into it very closely, then he gets a call and he learns that his family was in the cinema hall too and they all died. he gets mad and frustrated and upset and all the things, and decides that he will find the person behind the explosion. that's all for now, but i'm gonna link a few more things,"

jimin feels his chest tightening on hearing the 'plot' of hayeon's story, and for a moment he feels nothing but wrath knowing the fact that jungkook is aware of how people died that day, families broke, kids were left orphan and some parents lost their kids, still he was putting this on for a show, making the pain and seriousness of the tragedy look like some kind of entertainment.

his eyes move to jungkook, whose smile never fades away and he praises hayeon for understanding the plot the way he wanted her to deliver it. jimin's jaw clenches, throwing daggers at the younger male, appearing like he would beat him to death right here.

"it's done," jungkook says, putting the knife and wipes his hands, giving the pieces of meat to hayeon to cook them now. "i'd like to read your book when you're ready though,"

"sure, when i get it all together!" she grins, taking out a plate and puts some of the fried eggs and the hot, sizzling bacon and sausages, smiling at jimin to sit and start eating.

"thanks," jimin mumbles.

"are you okay? you seem a little down today," hayeon asks, touching his hand and then his forehead, "not a fever... then what is it?"

"nothing, just uh... there's a lot of work,"

"don't worry, it'll be fine. you're strong officer park,"

jimin smiles at that, nodding his head and sits down to eat, which is when his phone starts ringing, making him groan internally on seeing it's the commissioner.

"good morning sir," he answers in a firm voice, listening to the man and nods subtly, leaving the food as he stands up, grabbing his keys, "yes sir, consider it done." he glances at hayeon apologetically and motions his hand towards the front door, while still having the phone pressed on his ear, "got it, alright sir."

"emergency?" hayeon sighs and jimin chuckles, shrugging his shoulder to state the obvious. "okay, have a good day, and eat something later."

"yeah, bye," jimin pats her side subtly, "take care and call me okay?"

"yeah i knowww! now go, bye!"

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a/n- what do you think about the story so far?