6AM.

What an ungodly hour in an equally ungodly flat.

If not for his two friends banging around while stockpiling their gadgets and gizmos, Tae would have been panned out in bed catching up on kip after barely sleeping a wink. Either that, or staring at the ceiling trying to process the torrent of information hurtled his way last night.

His instincts were right; Yunhee and Jimin were a couple.

Seeing them hand in hand was hard and Tae wanted to tear Jimin a new arsehole, but when they'd flung that stone at his feet, everything had changed.

Everything except his feelings.

The sun had yet to break over the horizon and Jungkook and Suga were eager to get on the road, but Tae remained stationary on the couch as they clambered around him, unable to decide what to do because his judgement was wedged halfway between his benevolent morality and his wilful pride.

Help Jimin and his crew find Hobi. Or tell him and his new "girlfriend" to shove their proposal up their peachy little arses.

It should have been a no-brainer; the ray of sunshine that he knew and loved had been kidnapped and needed him more than ever, but Tae couldn't bear the thought of Jimin and Yunhee playing happy families in one of Seoul's most affluent neighbourhoods while he slaved on the sideline.

It was just...it was too soon.

And so, he lazed on his crummy sofa in his rundown apartment with sleep-filled eyes and a sore head with neither the energy nor the will to help his mates pack.

He was being selfish. He was selfish. Just like that mercenary doppelgänger who sought to wipe Jimin off the face of the earth.

Had that not been his own goal once upon a time?

No. Not once in all the years he'd thirst for revenge had Tae considered eliminating Jimin. He'd seen enough bloodshed to last him a lifetime, and had tried relentlessly to break away from the bonds of his mafia-plagued existence.

Still, here he found himself again, floating in a cesspit of corruption and immorality, unable to claw his way out and breathe freely. Everything was perversely twisted, his brain failing to procure any clarity, and yet the suspicious incidents of the past two weeks were suddenly as clear as a bell.

The photographs of the lookalike outside his apartment, the same guy he and Jungkook had spotted while jogging along the Han River. The absent clothes and missing passport. The bank card that kept declining, and the fifteen billion deposited in his account.

Taehyung had used his identity to burrow his way into his personal life in the space of a fortnight. If he could do all that in such a short span of time, what would he be capable of in six months?

From what Tae could gather, Taehyung was a law unto himself, and ironically because his ex-girlfriend had determined his future at the café. Because of Hahm Yunhee - the cute-as-a-button sprite he'd hit on a year ago - the Kim legacy had prevailed, and he'd seized the title of Mafia King in Jimin's stead.

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't hungered for that power when he was younger. A segment of his inner self still thought about it today, but was Taehyung an insight into the monster he could become? Was he capable of such vile acts?

Tae recoiled and fell against the crumpled cushions with his thumbnail jammed between his teeth.

Trafficking?

No, no, no. He'd always struggled to sustain a healthy relationship with women after being wronged at the age of fifteen, but it was apparent that Taehyung's problems had manifested into a loathing that went beyond the boundaries of human decency.

The thought of smuggling Yunhee for profit made Tae feel sick, and although the obsessive gangster had ultimately changed his mind about her outcome, it didn't alter the fate of the hundreds of other women he'd mercilessly victimised.

But why had Taehyung changed his mind?

Yunhee was his guiding light in the middle of a turbulent ocean, and the past few weeks without her left him drifting alone without a trace of dry land in sight. Did Taehyung look upon her in the same manner? Did he believe that she was the key to cleansing his sins?

Deep down inside, Tae knew that he was no better. They were similar creatures in some respect, and that terrified him.

Granted, he adored Yunhee and would never dream of harming her in such a cruel fashion, their romance was flawed, and he'd neglected to see that she was not the answer, and carelessly clung to their fractured relationship in hopes that she could bring solidarity.

That was not true love.

How could you love a person without bearing your soul to them first? He'd kept Yunhee in the dark and used the excuse that he was protecting her from the mob when he should have told her about his disturbing childhood and the ruthless family feud he'd run from.

He should have told her that he'd held onto her because she helped him forget the torment. He should have told her that he was not worthy of her love, that she deserved so much more.

He should have let her go a long time ago.

Insecure and wholly ashamed, Tae hunched over and ground his palms into his bloodshot eyes. He'd give anything for a moment's peace in a world where he could focus solely on fixing himself-

'Have you seen my phone charger?' Jungkook yelled from the kitchenette.

'Fuck,' Tae muttered through his long fingers when a sequence of clattering and thudding commenced in the next room, 'do you really have to make so much noise, JK?'

'Hey.' A breeze of hot breath wafted the top of Tae's hair and a pair of scruffy sneakers came toe-to-toe with his bare feet. 'You need to stop beating yourself up. This is going to take some time.'

'I know,' Tae wiped his nose and glanced up to find Suga looming over him with a bundle of cables dangling from his hand. 'I'm my own worst enemy.'

'So, don't be,' he retorted with a lopsided scowl. 'You're in control of your thoughts and the way they make you feel. If you don't like what's going on in your head, change the flamin' channel.' Tae tipped forward when Suga slapped his back. 'You got this.'

'I got this,' he uttered in the aftermath of the man's honest yet simple notion.

Could he do that? Did he have the ability to sway his emotions and change who he was for the better?

No woman was enough, but perhaps one day he would find his own Eden...

'You know,' Jungkook declared while trundling on by with a hard drive and monitor pressed to his chest, 'it still amazes me that this Taehyung fella is hung up on killing Jimin when everything fell into his lap ten years ago.'

'Jimin has that effect on people,' Tae muttered sarcastically.

'Nah, you're just letting your feelings get in the way.' Jungkook dumped his computer and flicked his black bangs from his eyes. 'This dude is plainly a lunatic and will stop at nothing. Who's to say he isn't waiting for you outside as we speak? You should come with us to be safe.'

'Are you almost done here?' Tae sighed. 'I have things to do.'

'Like what?' Suga sniggered, shoving his laptop into his backpack.

Tae opened and closed his mouth a few times, but his brain malfunctioned and failed to supply a suitable comeback. The candid man was right. He had nothing to do.

Skimming from Jimin's accounts seemed like a distant dream, and finding Yunhee was no longer an option. He'd even stripped the cork board last night and set fire to the mugshots and contacts in the metal bin.

The wall above Jungkook's desk was empty, the tabletop once covered in paperwork and information now bare. The additional flat he'd rented was as vacant as his heart, leaving him pondering whether to move back to Daechi and deadbolt the windows and doors until his doppelgänger fell from the top of a rollercoaster.

'Are you sure you don't want to come with us?' Jungkook pleaded as he stuffed a handful of felt tips into his pocket. 'We could use your help-'

'And shack up with Park Jimin and Yunhee? Are you serious?' Tae scoffed. 'I've just had to watch them holding hands while referring to themselves as "we" in what used to be our apartment. That's more than enough for one lifetime, thanks.'

'But Yunhee said "we need to work together and work smart"!' Jungkook stated as he collected his hard drive and monitor and wobbled along the hall resembling a one-man band. 'Could you at least try and give them the benefit of the doubt? Jimin seemed pretty cool to me.'

'Goodie. Maybe the two of you can share a room.'

'I don't think so,' Jungkook winced as he tried to twist the doorknob with limited hand movement. 'Yunhee will be in there-'

'Stop,' Suga implored, cuffing Jungkook around the back of the skull. Swinging his rucksack on, he turned to his ill-tempered best friend and said, 'Come on, Tae. Even if it's only for a short period of time. We could really use you. You're the only one who can get inside Taehyung's head.'

'Suga's right!' Jungkook strained beneath the heavy equipment. 'He got inside your head easily enough!'

'That's what scares me,' Tae mumbled as he detached himself from the sofa and shuffled over.

His resolve was deteriorating; he knew it was in his best interest to get his arse in gear and go, but if he couldn't see the wood for the trees, what use would he be to the team? The last thing they needed was a man drowning in a pool of pitiful resentment.

He required some semblance of closure first.

'Just...' Tae sheepishly toyed with his dishevelled hair, 'just give me a day or so. There's something I need to do first.'

'Call her,' Suga exhaled impatiently. 'Arrange that coffee, sort out that circus in your head, and then get your arse over to Jimin's mansion.'

There was a gentle yet persistent rapping at the door, giving pause to the three guys hanging in the hall. Jungkook and Suga's expressions were puzzled as they probed Tae with questioning eyes, but all he could offer in response was a clueless shrug.

He wasn't expecting anyone.

Unless...

Tae's heart cartwheeled in a flurry of hope when Suga answered, but it wasn't Yunhee that pranced into his flat, only a long-legged creature doused in designer clothing and a pair of sunglasses that were unnecessary at six-thirty in the morning.

Like his life wasn't complicated enough. Lee Heiran was back on the scene.

'What the devil are you doing here?' Tae groaned. 'Do you know what time it is?'

Heiran waltzed into the living room, ignoring Suga and Jungkook as she twirled around and dipped her sunnies to peek at Tae. 'You never returned my calls.'

'Oof,' Jungkook guffawed, 'someone's in trouble.'

Tae cast his two friends a beseeching look as they began to take their leave, but all he received was a salute from Suga and a hurried, 'Get rid of her and call Yunhee,' before the door closed and trapped him in with the insufferable woman.

Great.

'Are they going on a trip?'

'What?' Tae whirled around, grinding his teeth when Heiran eased her backside onto his sofa and popped her handbag beside her Gucci-covered toes. 'No. I mean, yes, of a sort. Listen, I don't really have time-'

'Is everything okay?' she pouted. 'You look like you need to talk.'

No, what he needed was to admit that he was legitimately insane for allowing the neurotic woman back into his life knowing that she could push his buttons and bring out the worst in him.

'I'm fine,' Tae assured while eyeing the exit. 'Like I said, I don't really have time-'

'You're upset. Is it about us?'

With a sardonic smile, Tae swiped up her handbag and extended it to her in hopes that she would take the hint. 'There is no "us".'

'It's about her, then.' Heiran distastefully wrinkled her nose as Tae's fingers stiffened around the handbag. Would clouting her around the head be a step too far? 'I don't understand. You said that Yunhee left you. Don't you want to move on and forget about her?'

'I've no intention of forgetting her.'

'You're back together?'

'That's not what I said,' Tae claimed.

'So, you're still single.' Heiran rolled her eyes as she brushed her long hair back. 'Come on, baby. Yunhee doesn't want you anymore. If she did, she would be here instead of me. She left you for Jimin, didn't she? You can tell me.'

'She didn't leave me for Jimin!' Tae recklessly chucked her handbag aside, his emotions bubbling to the surface and bursting from his mouth. 'They were thrown together! They always are! Even in other fucking worlds!'

The concealer coating Heiran's skin creased when her features settled into a confused grimace. 'Other...other worlds?'

Clamping his lips together to stop himself from going off on a tangent, Tae gnawed the inside of his cheek and re-evaluated his priorities.

Heiran didn't need to hear about Jimin and Yunhee's adventures, or the malevolent doppelgänger roving the city. What she needed was a sincere explanation for his spineless behaviour.

It was time to get his shit together and make those changes.

'I owe you an apology,' Tae spurted before he lost his nerve. 'What happened the other night shouldn't have. I also owe you an apology for what happened ten years ago. I took advantage of you, Heiran. I used you to get to Jimin, and I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry.'

'Oh,' Heiran whimpered, resembling a rabbit caught in his bright headlights, 'you don't have to apologise. You could hurt me over and over and I'd still like you.'

'That's another issue, Heiran. You wouldn't know toxicity if it smacked you in the face. That sorta shit is unhealthy. With any man.'

Kneading his neck, Tae peeped at the ceiling and contemplated whether adding salt to her open wound would benefit him in any shape or form. He was not the only one in the room with inappropriate shortcomings, however, and a few home truths might knock some sense into her narrow-minded ego.

'To be quite frank, you took advantage of me, too. I told you how I felt about Yunhee when we were in Dream Bean, yet you ignored my vulnerability and thought only about me taking you home and taking your knickers off.'

'Well, you flirted with that European bimbo at the counter!' Heiran remarked bitingly.

'What the hell has Faye got to do with any of this?' Tae protested, his hackles raising as the barista with green eyes and wheat-coloured hair escaped the recesses of his mind.

'Oh, my God!' Heiran mewled. 'You know her name? Did you ask for her number as well?'

'Don't avoid the subject,' Tae warned. 'I poured my heart out to you that night. You knew I was cut up about Yunhee, and yet you willingly came back to this apartment knowing damn well that I would chew you up and spit you out.'

'You know what, Tae? You're right,' Heiran hissed. 'I took advantage of your mental state because I wanted you. I've always wanted you. I'm not sure what else you want to hear, but if it's absolution you're seeking for your shitty actions; congratulations. You grew a heart and stopped it before you could do any damage.'

Brushing a loose wisp from her swollen eyes, Heiran composed herself and rose from the couch to pick up her handbag. 'I have to go. I have an appointment with a very important person-'

'Hey,' Tae grabbed her arm before she could bolt, 'just...hold on a second.'

Sucking on his teeth, Tae slid his palm up to the silky fabric covering her collarbone and gave it a light squeeze. They were never going to see eye-to-eye, but there were two malefactors out there dead set on getting what they wanted with little care about the collateral damage.

Heiran was in as much danger as any of them.

'Things are a little weird for me right now, so it's probably best if we don't see each other again,' Tae reasoned as tactfully as he could. 'And this is going to sound really fucked up and make me out to be an even bigger bastard, but...if I do approach you, you have to ignore me. I'd even suggest leaving town for a while-'

'Yeah, I wish,' Heiran scoffed as she batted his hand away and backed up. 'Leaving will only land me in the dog house.'

Tae hesitated, the lines on his forehead knitting together as Heiran fumbled with the gold chain strap of her handbag. 'Why?'

'It doesn't matter,' she stuttered, her eyes expanding when her handbag started pulsating. 'Oh, God. That'll be him calling. He'll want to know if we...sorry, I really have to go.'

Heiran bustled out of his apartment without another word, leaving Tae with nothing but a layer of goosebumps prickling his skin.

Him?

*

'Are you sure this is the place?'

'I'm sure.'

Suga's frosty eyes followed the metal gates as they screeched open to permit entry to the estate.

How was he sure? Having kept a watchful eye on the residence from a distance during the weeks Yunhee was missing, the oversized home was practically ingrained in his mind. Seeing it up close and personal as he edged his car around the circular drive, however, was a different kettle of fish.

The mansion was disgustingly colossal.

'This place is awesome!' Jungkook rejoiced with his nose squished against the window pane.

'This place is a joke,' Suga muttered as he cut the engine and thumped his mate's arm to snatch his attention. 'Stop staring like that. Security might mistake you for a lummox and Taser you.'

Sliding a pack of twenty from his jacket pocket, Suga lit a much-needed cancer stick and reclined in the driver's seat to peruse the face of the property. The two guards stationed on each corner were as rigid as a British Beefeater, barely batting an eyelid at their arrival.

It was 8AM sharp. Jimin was expecting them. But Min Yoongi was quite at his leisure because the last thing he wanted was to give the Mafia King the satisfaction of rushing into his home like some fanatical kid.

He was here to find Hobi, but Kim Taehyung was his best friend, and Park Jimin would always be a righteous prick.

'Why are we sitting here like a pair of lemons?' Jungkook asked as a ring of smoke hit the roof and slithered along the fabric like wildfire.

'Because,' Suga cocked his head, soaking up the grandeur of the grounds bordering the house.

'Aren't you excited to see what it looks like inside?'

'Nope.' Suga wound down the window and banked a lump of ash onto the gravel. 'It's probably the same as all the other pretentious wanker houses in the area, anyway. Filled with a ton of useless shite that never gets used.'

'I'd use it,' Jungkook shrugged as he drummed the bare knees poking through his holey jeans.

The beat was meditative, alleviating the cyclone of "what-the-actual-fucks" wreaking havoc in Suga's cranium. If he dwelled too much on the task that lay ahead, his brain would implode. Not to mention the creepy stone that pissed out colourful lights.

Suga hacked up a lungful of smoke amidst a maniacal laugh. 'A fucking vortex, JK. I mean, what the hell?'

'I know,' Jungkook joined in, his broad chest quaking as he leaned back and drove his fingers through his hair. 'I can't believe they fell through a portal and landed in another universe. It's crazy!'

'I'm still trying to picture Tae as a Mafia King,' Suga giggled while tapping his teeth.

'I can picture it,' Jungkook said matter-of-factly. 'Sure, he wears baggy cardigans and ratty trainers, but he's a good-looking guy who scrubs up well. He's also a moody bugger with a short temper and the ability to make a grown man cry with that intense stare. Oh, and women love him. Take Heiran, for example-'

'Heiran is a pain in the ass,' Suga sniffed, flicking his cig through the crack in the window.

'I know that. You know that. Even Tae knows it. So, I don't understand why he agreed to go for coffee with her. Why would he do that to himself?'

Suga puffed out his cheeks and scratched his unkempt hair. It was a mighty good question; one he was not sure he could answer.

Tae preferred to keep his business to himself. He'd never been one for spilling his emotions or sharing his burdens. It just radiated from him like an electromagnetic pulse that knocked everyone sideways when he was in a "mood".

Yes, Tae kept the monsters locked in a cupboard, but the scars he'd endeavoured to conceal since he was fifteen were as plain as day.

Lee Heiran was a case of bad timing after Yunhee's swift departure, and deciding to join her for coffee was a reckless decision. But - based on his reaction when she walked into the apartment this morning - his friend had every intention of rectifying the matter.

Tae didn't need the love of a woman, nor did he need a woman to love.

He just needed to love himself.

'You know what he's like,' Suga decisively responded, 'he thought he'd feel better if he blew off some steam. Heiran was an easy fuck, and...well, whatever. He didn't go through with it in the end and that's all that matters. If he's got any sense, he'll have booted her out again and called Yunhee.'

'Let's hope so,' Jungkook inhaled while observing the imposing building in front of them.

'Come on. We best get our arses inside the castle and face the snooty music.'

Suga retreated from the car, extinguishing his cig beneath his shoe before walking towards the oak entrance with Jungkook.

'Jesus. This thing's bigger than my grandma's barn house,' he said, pulling a face while scrutinising the door frame. 'Where the hell's the doorbell?'

'Let's just knock!'

Jungkook lifted one hand to hammer on the wood, but the door swung open with his bicep mid-air and his fist almost collided with Yunhee's face.

'Hey, guys,' she said shyly as Jungkook whipped his arms behind his back and blushed in embarrassment. 'Thanks for coming.'

'Wouldn't miss it for the world,' Suga smirked as they prudently entered a vast foyer accommodating the grandest staircase this side of 1901. 'Holy shit, Yunhee. How does Jimin find your miniature backside in this place?'

'I injected a tracker into her ankle while she was drugged.' The man in question appeared out of thin air with a mocking glower, but then immediately rolled his eyes when both Suga and Jungkook gave him a dubious stare. 'That was a joke. Where's Tae?'

'At home. Brooding.'

'Sounds about right,' Jimin quipped.

The mob boss greeted Jungkook with a friendly smile, prompting him to launch into an excited speech about all the useful gear stuffed into the trunk of the car. Taking their civil chit-chat as a good sign, Suga used the distraction and clasped Yunhee's fingers to catch her attention.

'Hey, squirt,' he smiled with crinkly eyes, 'did Tae-?'

Yunhee nodded, anxiously pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. 'He did. About half an hour ago.'

'Aw, that's great,' Suga encouraged, his eyes briefly flicking to Jimin who was still immersed in conversation with his friend. 'So, when are you two, ya know...?'

'Tomorrow,' Yunhee said hurriedly as Jimin filtered into view and cagily inspected Suga's belt.

Ah, the King of the Castle was checking him out.

'You carrying, Min?'

'Wouldn't dream of it, honey.'

'Good,' Jimin grinned before jerking his head towards the rear of the house, 'then, let's show you around.'

***

I promise I will post the last two chapters and epilogue in one go :D

3rd June 2021