"Could you tell me? Why am I being taken away in this manner?" The boy said, fists clenched out of fear? or out of anger, Namjoon couldn't really fathom. 

The driver glanced at them uneasily.

"Your grandfather was a friend of mine. Since he's no more, you are my responsibility." Namjoon responded, staring outside the window of the car. 

Yeonjun looked away, a pile of silence in the air.

It was a mere twenty minute drive from his home. Yeonjun's eyes were red from crying, knees bleeding from scratching too hard and mind, a mess. All that was flashing in front of his eyes was the same eerie shadow, the blue fluorescence and his grandfather's white eyes. A shudder went down his spine. 

The car stopped before a dead end. The other man, Namjoon, stepped out followed by a scared Yeonjun, the car soon leaving behind. 

He watched as the man pressed the wall with his full palm and automatically the walls seperated, opening a new path.

"What.." Yeonjun turned his head around and was surprised to see clearly unbothered people walking down the pavements. 

"Its hidden from their view." Namjoon replied, his tucked shirt sleeves were rolled down, covering his forearms, "Come on." 

Namjoon walked in first, opening the doors of the common lounge only to find a drowsy Jimin and an agitated Chungha fighting over vampires and werewolves with a laughing Taehyung. 

The Head cleared his throat, catching their attention. Yeonjun emerged from the shadows cautiously, eyes drinking up the huge room, the high ceilings and the little to less lighting. 

"This is Choi Yeonjun and he will be living here with us." Namjoon announced as he gestured the small boy towards the others. 

Yeonjun really didn't know what was going on. But if he wasn't mistaken the place were he was standing was the Headquarters of one of the most deadly mafias of Kaesong and he clearly didn't know what to do with that information. He felt like running back to the security of his home, the smell of familiar incense sticks and the pretty purple flowers blooming on his lawn. The familiarity. That was what he earned for. 

He was feeling lost between these unknown walls, he was afraid. And he really didn't know what to do.

« »

By the time Yoongi had left Jennie standing amongst the shadows of the alley, the sun had gone down considerably. The clouds had taken over the sky and the traffic seemed to lessen. 

The ravenette turned on her heels and left the rendezvous, making her way back to the Headquarters.

The streets were surprisingly crowded but devoid of transport. Women and children wearing colourful kimonos and tunics, the men lousily trailing behind.

Squinting her eyes, Jennie could make out the tell-tale sign of lanterns and the chimes of the shrine bell. 

It felt odd. To be surrounded by so many people yet feel so alone. The laughter of children, the gentle voices of the lovers and the cries of a baby were a thunderous humdum behind her ears and when her eyes fell upon an all-too-familiar lilac hair, Jennie stilled, blood thumping in her ear. 

She was sure they were not the person she knew cause as the female turned her head around, it was another unknown face, the fire of hope dimming slightly in her. 

Jennie still remembered the days of her early childhood, she has been (unlike her brother) blessed with a clear recollection of long term memories. 

She remembered the citric smelling perfume of their mother when she used to rock them gently on her arms, her dark hair tumbling like waves, little strands falling on her eyes while her brother used to be fast asleep beside her. 

"There are locked rooms inside all women, my love. Bedroom of lust, kitchen of grief, living room of apathy." her mother's voice rang loud and clear in the dingy rooms of the apartment, "Sometimes the men, they come with keys and sometimes, they come with hammers." 

Poor little Jennie was too small to understand the words, but now she does. Even more after their father had left them and the accident took place. Their mother died. 

The unfortunate twins were left in the streets, finally taken under the care of Namjoon. She remembers those nights when he used to recite bed-time stories like poems. And Jennie couldn't help but wonder how magical the fairies were and whether she too, like Cinderella and Snow White could find her own "true love". 

To Jennie, the concept of love was vague. An insolent trap with side-effects she knew all too well. But then, no matter how much of a bitch love was, we all have to experience her at least once in our lives. And Jennie's love came in the form of a lilac-haired girl.

"Is your hair natural?" Jennie has never been shy. She was quite outspoken and spontaneous. With her sleek eyes and pulled back hair she asked the new girl in the local playground. 

She seems new, Jennie had thought.

The loud playground with its mix of boundary less children playfully bantering for their turn in the swing. 

The girl looked up from the crocs she was wearing, her circular frames reflecting the sun and the abnormal hair, left open. The girl smiled and Jennie felt her cheeks heat up. She was twelve. 

By the time they were sixteen, gone were the glasses and the baby fat. They were replaced by brown orbs, prominent cheekbones and the name of Nanami. 

Ever since that fated encounter at the playground, Jennie used to meet her everyday.

She showed her the collection of leaves she had pasted haphazardly on her tattered scrap book borrowed from Namjoon, and Nanami, unlike the other kids, had pure curiosity in her eyes as Jennie explained about their varied structure and vein system. 

As they edged towards seventeen, Nanami was stunning. She had gained height, confidence and her hair seemed no longer abnormal, it now framed her face prettily, silver hoops dangling from her ears and a red pop between her tongue.

During those days, Jennie realised how tongue tied she felt around her. Of course, she didn't pay it any heed until one day she felt a pair of lips on her own. 

Nanami tasted of cashew and strawberries. Her lips felt like heaven and those large hands gripping her waist, tethered the ravenette to extreme pleasure and rapid swarming of butterflies inside her stomach. No words were spoken that day and the days to come. They would meet everyday, atop the half made water tank, sitting on its roof, legs dangling and sharing a coke together. Finger intertwined and lips attached, Jennie could very well feel the erratic beating of Nanami's heart against her own. 

Jennie told her about her being Gifted and Nanami had that same childish curiosity in her eyes and joy on her lips. 

She recollects a pale Nanami visiting her at the hospital after she was severely wounded in her first mission of the Azure Nation. 

Nanami's knuckles were bleeding. 

"Wha-?" 

"I tried to break the window..to enter. Cause they weren't letting me in" 

Jennie could still hear Taehyung choking on his cheap hospital coffee. 

Their first I-love-yous were shared that day, in the half lit hospital room surrounded by the smell of medicine and room freshner and Jennie saw Nanami shed tears for the first time, mumbling "I was so worried", "You weren't answering my calls" repeatedly. 

After officially joining the mafia, Jennie never saw Nanami again. Gone was the lilac haired girl she had come to love. Now as her mother's words came back to her she thought,

What had Nanami brought with her? The key or hammer? 

Or was it the poor excuse of the pretty keys and the strong realisation of being hit by a hammer? 

Snapping herself back to reality, Jennie found that she was standing in front of the Headquarters. 

She was out for too long and of course his brother was going to torment with questions she didn't want to answer. 

Pushing back a yawn, she walked towards the entrance, the faded taste if strawberries lingering inside her mouth. 

==

this chapter was bigger than the others lmao but a very nice one to write i guess?

i hope you liked this chapter.

do vote and comment (cause i hardly get any heh) 

lots of love,

cassandra <3