~

Jimin roamed around the mall with a smile on his face. He had told his grandmother he was going shopping for clothes when on reality his main intention was to buy her birthday gift, or rather, gifts.

In his left hand he held two large bags of Zara and Saint Laurent with ease, he loved shopping, much more so when he shopped for his loved ones.

He walked with a slight skip to every step, the huge lit-up logo of Chanel catching his eyes. He automatically moved towards the store, suddenly very enthusiastic about getting his grandmother a small bottle of her favorite scent — something containing cinnamon. A woman dressed in a neat black skirt and a crisp white shirt stepped forward to greet him with a smile.

"Are you looking for anything particular sir?"

Jimin read the golden badge pinned over her right breast, the name sounding oddly familiar. He furrowed his brows, trying to remember where he had heard her name when her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Wait, aren't you Park Jimin from the dance studio?"

Ah, Jimin thought, Yeri from the dance studio. Now I remember.

"I know a scent that will be perfect for you," she grinned, enthusiastically walking towards the right side of the store. "Musk with a hint of menthol, how does that sound?"

Jimin followed behind her, trying to tell her he wasn't looking for a scent for himself.

"You must be wondering why I work here," she stopped and turned to face him. "I left my job at the dance studio. This one pays more and I need it to pay my brother's college fees."

Jimin was someone who felt bad very easily, and so the instant those words left her lips, he felt his insides burning. His previous thoughts of telling her he wasn't looking for a scent drifted away and he let her show him the one she had been rambling about.

"It's a bit on the expensive side," she said, squirting a bit onto the inside of Jimin's wrist, "but it's also on a 10% discount."

Jimin found himself walking out of the Chanel store with three perfumes — the musk and menthol one Yeri had recommended, a cinnamon sugar one for his grandmother and a passion fruit one that he had liked a lot.

The woman waved at him from inside, a big smile on her face, and Jimin found himself smiling as he watched a man who he supposed was her boss pat her shoulder in appreciation.

This would go into her brother's college fee, Jimin said to himself, it's for a good cause.

Jungkook dragged his feet along the polished marble floors of the mall, grumbling under his breath about how he didn't want to be there. Namjoon, Taehyung and Hoseok had been adamant on going shopping for new clothes and for some reason all three of them had wanted Jungkook to tag along with them.

"Are you not looking for clothes?" Taehyung asked, slowing down compared to the other two so he could walk alongside Jungkook. "Nothing at all?"

"I have plenty," he shrugged, not really all that interested in the whole procedure of finding his size and trying on the clothes. Jungkook was just lazy, really lazy.

"Maybe you could take a look in H&M or something," Taehyung grinned, "you'll find ones that exactly suit your taste."

Hoseok turned to glare at Jungkook. "You keep complaining about that one white shirt of yours I ruined, go shop for one more then dumbass."

Jungkook laughed, watching as Taehyung jogged over to Namjoon to see what he had purchased. He looked around casually as he laughed and he spotted someone who made his laugh die out.

Up ahead, far ahead of him in front of a Chanel store, stood Jimin. Jungkook watched as he started his walk further down, hands slightly swinging the bags they held. Then his eyes shifted to two men who stepped out of the Chanel store a little while after Jimin, staring in the direction he had gone before they started in the same direction. Jungkook watched their lips move, eyes unfocused on a particular spot, as if they were communicating with someone. He frowned, brows furrowing together.

"Hey Tae," he tapped Taehyung's shoulder, still looking at the two men, "I'll be right back okay?"

Jimin was walking past the food court when he felt like he was being followed. He whipped his head around in paranoia only to find no one behind him. Friends and family went about with their shopping like it were any other day and Jimin frowned. He had passed the food court and reached a doorway leading to an emergency stairway when he felt someone pull him away through the emergency doors.

Jimin's left shoulder banged against the door as he was pulled and pressed into a wall, a firm hand holding both his hands over his head. He hissed at the pain in his shoulder, looking up with wide eyes at the culprit, only to find Jungkook staring back at him with concerned eyes. He wiggled out of the mechanic's hold, fist immediately coming into contact with his face.

"Damn it okay I deserve that," Jungkook groaned, holding Jimin's hands in front of him. "You can deliver a damn good punch, I'll tell you that."

Jimin struggled in his hold, fear taking over him. Jungkook held both of Jimin's wrists in one hand and put the other one in his pocket, searching for something. He stopped his movements when he felt Jimin shake, the man panicking more and more with each passing second.

"I won't hurt you," Jungkook spoke, voice soft. "Fuck Jimin, I would never hurt you. I'm just looking for my phone alright? There are some strange men following you and I need to inform Hoseok—"

Jimin backed himself up as much as he could into the wall so he could put more distance between himself and the mechanic. Jungkook sighed, frowning as he tried to explain.

"Just hear me out, I have a lot to explain to you." Jimin stared at Jungkook warily. "Let me get you home safe first, I'll explain everything to you on the way."

Jimin struggled against the hold again, this time kicking Jungkook's knee. The latter hissed, shifting to hold Jimin's wrists with both hands, only for the said man to flinch. Jungkook felt his heart hurt for some reason but he ignored it.

"I won't hurt you," his voice was barely a whisper now, "I promise."

Jimin's bags had now fallen to the ground and Jungkook eyed them. Then he turned back to the short male, face only inches from his own.

"I'm going to let go of you," he spoke, "but don't run. I'm only trying to protect you. I'll let go of you and grab your bags for you and we can leave, okay?"

Watching Jimin nod in response gave Jungkook a feeling of assurance. He let go of Jimin's hand, trusting the man to stay, but the moment he let go Jimin picked up his bags and made a beeline.

Jungkook cursed, watching in silence as the emergency door swayed back and forth from the force with which Jimin had pushed it. He let Jimin go, knowing well that if he ran after the man in a rather full mall it'd look very suspicious.

"Damn it!" Jungkook kicked the wall in front of him, exiting the stairway to follow the men who were behind Jimin, unable to find them anywhere. "Fucking damn it!"

Jimin had reached the basement parking lot and was on his way to his grandmother's car, trying to forget his encounter with Jungkook, when he heard footsteps echoing around. He stopped in his tracks, paranoia taking over him again, but he convinced himself it might have been someone heading to the mall after parking.

Jimin walked faster regardless, somehow not liking how the parking lot was a bit too quiet apart from the footsteps that seemed to have picked up speed as well. As he sped up his walk even further, Jimin felt his left ankle slightly twist and he swayed to the left, something whizzing past his head and hitting the wall in front of him. Jimin's heart stopped when he realized it had been a bullet. Someone was trying to kill him and he had narrowly escaped by luck.

Jungkook, was Jimin's first thought, immediately flashing back to the night he had found the man murdering someone. It's Jungkook.

But this time Jimin's mind had decided to believe the mechanic. He cursed to himself when he realized Jungkook had been telling him the truth, someone was following him for sure.

His hands shook as he tried to insert the car-key in the slot, dropping it due to the oncoming panic attack. He bent down to pick it up and another bullet soared past his head, hitting the car above the window and causing a dent.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Jimin cursed, staying crouched down with his back against his car. I'm going to die today, fuck.

Jimin's eyes caught a glance of shining metal underneath his car and he slid his hand under, desperately trying to find the key. He had only just grabbed what felt like the key when two more bullets hit his car, too close to where he was crouched down.

Jimin wedged himself against his car, squeezing his eyes shut when he realized why there was no noise as the bullets were fired.

A silencer, he thought with fear, they are using a silencer.

Jimin heard soft footsteps from the other side of his car and he held his breath, biting his lip and holding himself to stop his body from shaking in panic.

"Shit you're here," a familiar voice whisper-yelled, and Jimin found himself opening his eyes without fear. Jeon Jungkook was crouched beside him now, worried eyes scanning him for any injuries. "I got you."

Those three words held more of an impact than Jimin would ever admit. He felt his heart ease out, his mind somehow fully believing the fact that no matter what happens Jungkook wouldn't hurt him.

"I'm going to stand now, give them some sort of distraction," he whispered, speaking in a soft voice so Jimin would understand and do as told. "As soon as I stand, you get in your car and leave. I'll try to hold them back."

Jungkook knew what he was going to do was probably a very dangerous move, but the fear and panic in Jimin's eyes only made him more determined.

"I stand, you get out of here, understood?"

Jungkook watched as Jimin shakily grabbed his hand, scribbling something onto his palm with his index finger. It took Jungkook some time to decipher the words but he grinned once he did.

"Oh I won't die, don't worry about me."

Jungkook stood, smirking at the two men who had their guns out. He heard Jimin insert the key into the car and get in.

"What's up?" Jungkook questioned, dodging the first bullet that was fired at him. "Bad aim, you need to do better." A second bullet. "You guys suck." A third.

The car reversed as Jimin carelessly maneuvered it out of the parking space and towards the exit. The two men stared at the car and then back at Jungkook.

"Well," Jungkook snorted, "never let your target out of sight I guess?"

The two men pulled the trigger again but they had run out of bullets. Jungkook laughed, turning around to make his escape when he felt a sharp tweezing pain close to his right shoulder.

Pieces of shit, Jungkook cursed inwardly, using one arm to climb onto a small platform wall and leap towards the exit.

He fell and rolled onto his right shoulder, groaning in pain, when he heard hurried footsteps come his way. Urgent hands pulled him upright, dragging him into a familiar car, and Jungkook stared wordlessly as Jimin buckled him before moving to his own seat.

"Thank you," he smiled at Jimin, one hand clutching tight at his fresh bullet wound.

The raven head turned to look at Jungkook, no smile on his face, but his watery relieved eyes told Jungkook everything he needed to hear.

The two men stared with satisfied grins in the direction Jungkook had run off to. One of them spoke into his earpiece.

"I'm pretty sure he's the one."

"Are you positive that's the guy? Jeon Jungkook leaves clubs with a lot of people. How do you know for sure this guy is any different?" A voice asked from the other end.

"You will be pleased to hear that Jeon Jungkook just took a bullet for said guy."

~

note:
i'm sorry for not having given yall any jikook moments in the previous four chapters :(
here ya go, an update hehe
i have no proofread this like AT ALL so please ignore any mistakes as of now <3