Growing up with a single mother wasn't easy.
The world definitely wasn't their friend.

Some people pitied them.
Some tried to take advantage of the situation.
Some decided to just ignore it.
None were helpful.

He vaguely remembers a few cousins he used to play with as a kid.
He remembers his uncles and aunts who would come bustling in on weekends and how they'd all turn a normal weekend into a party.

He wonders where they are now.

The last time he saw them was probably for his father's and brother's funeral.
Do they ever think of him and his mother, he had wondered.

Probably not, considering how they haven't even called once to check up on them.
Why would they anyway?
His mother already decided that she didn't want any of the family property for the sake of keeping the family together. But as soon as she gave it up, the others took it as their own and left anyway.

He grew up to his mother's mirifical smiles that never ceased to make his day.

He grew up watching her fight all the odds of the world for him, her only family, considering how her own parents disowned her for marrying someone else other than the one they picked for her.

He grew up knowing how his mother struggled to keep her smile just for him just to let her pain out in the dorm of silent tears at night when she thought that her little boy was asleep.

Life wasn't easy for her.
The society wasn't on their side.

It was only natural that he grew protective.
His mother was his only family.
His only ally.
His only source of comfort.
His rock.

And as he laid awake in his bed, he couldn't help but look back to where he'd gone wrong in his life.
Did he unintentionally hurt someone?
Was he a bad person in his past life?
Why-

The quiet squeaking of the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He waited for a few seconds, holding his breath just to make sure that he wasn't hearing things and being paranoid again.
Everything was silent for about a whole minute and he almost closed his eyes to wallow in self-pity when he heard loud whisperings.

Now now. Jeon Jeongguk wasn't the bravest man out there but whoever barges into his territory and he feels like they're a danger to his mom the man transforms into someone else.

Trying to be as silent as possible, he slowly got up from his bed, tiptoeing towards his room's door which was slightly ajar. Peeking through the little gap, he couldn't see anybody. But he could make out distinct voices.

"Now what?"

"Get him."

Him?

His first plan was to wait and watch their moves but it all went down the drain as they stepped towards his mother's room.

The way that he threw his door open had the two figures jump in their place.

"Is it him?" One of them whispered to the other, pointing a dimly lit torchlight at him.

"Are you Jeon Jeongguk?"

How do they know him?
If they wanted to see him why would they sneak in?
How did they sneak in?
Who are the-

"Uhm... Jeon Jeongguk?"

He wanted to lie and say no, but the urgency in their words and the wild eyes had him reconsider that.
"Yes."

"Thank God!" The shortest figure sighed and the other stepped forward towards him.

The man was tall.
He was blond.
He was gorgeous.

"Kim Namjoon." A long veiny hand was extended towards him. "Private detective."

A hundred questions ran through his mind which screamed Stranger Danger, yet, he couldn't decline the extended hand.

"Jeon Jeongguk."

"Jung Hoseok." The shorter figure introduced, momentarily turning the flashlight towards his own face, flashing the ravenette a blinding smile. "I'm your hope."

"What?"

"Well..." Namjoon gave him an apologetic smile. "You're uh... Suspected to be behind the Seoul Murders along with Kim Taehyung, who was arrested for the same."

Hey!!!!
Were y'all expecting that?

What do you think about this chapter?
Any improvements I should make?

Do y'all think Kook should believe Namjoon?
Is it really Namjoon?
Who do you think Hoseok is?

Now what?

Anyway...
Have a great day, yeah?
✌🏻