It was absurd. Everything Hoseok had explained to them was beyond Jeongguk's limited comprehension. Of course, he wanted to be there for him, wanted to help his friend out in anyway that he feasibly could, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do such a thing within the circumstances Hoseok had presented to him. He was terrible at emotional support, and knew nothing of gangs. Just trying to brainstorm the methods in which he could be useful made his head hurt.

A long sigh left the boy's lips as he strolled slowly down the streets of Seoul. After their lunch at the cafe, Jimin and Hoseok had left to a class they both shared; and as for Jeongguk, he killed some time at his favorite bookstore where he'd been engrossed in his thoughts the whole time with everything his hyung had told him. Now, as he returned towards the school campus to meet up with them again, he felt defeated. In the end he couldn't think of a single way to help. Not with the fight, not with Hoseok's sick mother, not with anything.

How useless.

Upon reaching one of the many campus entrances, Jeongguk looked up to see that the outside benches, as well as the general area, were practically vacant of any students. The sun was nearly done staggering down the horizon, and it seemed most students were either confined in their classes still or already scattering their way back home. As the sky began to dim, Jeongguk spotted two guys waving each other goodbye in front of a school building. He paused for a moment, watching as the two then parted ways, and bit his lip after recognizing the familiar man now striding down the concrete pavement alone. Jeongguk took in a deep breath and built up some courage before finally calling out to him.

He'd been dying to see him, after all.

"Hyung!" Jeongguk hurried closer towards the man, Kim Taehyung, who looked up at him with a squint of his eyes. "Hey! Uh.. Did- Did you just finish a class?"

Taehyung stood still, brow raised attentively. "Ah, Jeon. Hello," he soon responded, and it was then that Jeongguk noticed the cigarette placed at his lips, the male reaching to remove it momentarily. "That's correct. I just finished my nap time."

Jeongguk cracked a small smile before quickly faking a stern expression. "Classes aren't meant for you to doze off in, you know."

"They're not?" the man joked, and there was a brief pause before the two chuckled softly, their breaths emitting through the cold air in frozen puffs.

"Well I'm glad I ran into you, I..." Jeongguk looked away shyly, "... I wanted to thank you for yesterday." His eyes enlarged and he lowered his head while he felt his cheeks heat up. It seemed this man's strong presence still made him nervous. "N-not for the, uh... You know. But- but for helping me avoid Seojun and all, um..."

Taehyung looked at him, and Jeongguk found that as always he had a hard time reading his expression.

"Oh?" the older hummed, lifted the cigarette back to his lips to take a drag, stalling the moment they were in. Eventually came a response. "Right, well it's no problem, really."

Jeongguk smiled with flushed cheeks, and Taehyung watched as the boy then reached to pull out his phone. "Do you, um... Is it okay if I asked you for your number? You know, just for... in case of anything?"

Taehyung's brow rose, and Jeongguk thought he'd seen a flash of confusion in his eyes. He breathed in the still air, held out the device for the man to take while trying to stabilize his shaky hands. As the older reached to take the boy's phone into his grip, an awkward smile formed at the corner of his lips. "Sure thing, Jeon." Jeongguk watched him input numbers onto his phone and hand the device back to him. "There you go."

"T-Thanks," he spoke up, taking the phone into his hands and typing in the contact name as 'kim taehyung'.

Taehyung stared.

"Jeon," he called out after a few seconds, and the younger could feel himself shivering at the way that deep voice of his uttered his name so melodically.

"Yes..?"

"Where did you go," he turned slightly, looking off into the distance across the city lights reaching far past campus. "Yesterday? After we parted ways."

"Oh," Jeongguk lowered his phone. "Right after the parking lot? Um, I went home to eat, and... then met up with a friend at the park." When Taehyung remained silent, the younger had a sudden urge to tease him a bit, although he wasn't sure where the sudden confidence came from. Perhaps he was just excited he'd finally obtained the man's number. "Why? Are you wondering if I'm still sore?" His tone had seeped out as innocently playful.

Taehyung turned to look at him at once, pupils dilated. He steadily removed the cigarette from his lips. "Sore?"

"Mhm. I'm sure you hear this all the time but you're quite big," he said the words with reddened cheeks, no longer able to meet the man's gaze. How embarrassing. He wasn't even supposed to be the one affected by these words, dammit. But he'd always wanted to say these kinds of things to him, wanted the man to feel flattered because of him.

Taehyung held his breath for a moment, gently closed his eyes. At the silence Jeongguk forced himself to look at him and he watched the gradual smirk that appeared on his face. "I see.." Taehyung spoke up, amusement evident in his voice. "How sexy. But I'll admit I do feel bad if I hurt you, bun."

Bun. Jeongguk still wasn't used to the small pet name. He thought it was adorable. "No, no, I... I'm doing great," he stuttered out, turning swiftly in a terrible attempt to hide his bashful emotions.

But he couldn't see how behind him, Taehyung's smile had faded.

"Were you going on your way back home just now?" Jeongguk then spoke up to make light conversation, his gaze fixated on a small pebble beside his foot. He felt the chilly breeze caress his skin before Taehyung responded curtly.

"Yes." He drew out a breath, a puff of smoke spewing from his lips.

"Oh. Well, I was just waiting for—"

An abrupt voice interrupted him.

"Jeongguk!"

The two boys turned and Jeongguk saw Jimin and Hoseok jogging up to him, the small blond boy waving his hands cutely in the air while the red haired followed closely behind.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," his friend gushed in rugged breaths, bending a little to catch some air.

"No, you guys are actually quite early," Jeongguk assured him, then turned towards Taehyung to introduce the two boys but before he could begin Hoseok had spoken up next.

"That's good then," the man said with a smile and looked at Taehyung to give him a knowing nod. "Hey."

"Hey," Taehyung responded, a calmness in his voice. Jeongguk's brows furrowed in bewilderment, and his eyes met with Jimin's, whose face seemed to match his in level of surprise.

"Uh... you two know each other?" Jimin spoke the words Jeongguk had wanted to ask, and in that moment the blond got to experience first hand what it was like to have Kim Taehyung's piercing dark eyes stare holes into his. Good god, his friend wasn't lying when he told him this guy was intimidating.

"Of course we do," Taehyung answered nonchalantly, raising his cigarette back up to continue smoking; and in that moment Jeongguk thought maybe Taehyung really did know everyone. At least that's how things appeared to be.

"I didn't know you two were close," Hoseok added, grinning between Taehyung and Jeongguk.

"We're not that close," Taehyung said, and the boys halted when rowdy chatter was suddenly audible from a distance. They looked behind them and saw a group of about eight guys talking loudly and approaching their general direction. One of them yelled something out and they all stopped, the two groups of guys finding themselves staring at each other.

Jimin blinked. "Who are those guys? I've never seen them around before."

Jeongguk hummed in agreement and glanced over at both Hoseok and Taehyung, who wore a complicated expression on their faces.

"Hoseok," Taehyung's deep, commanding voice punctured the cold wind.

"Yeah."

"Take these two home."

The red haired's brows furrowed. "Tae. I should help you with this, those guys are strong." Hoseok tried, wanting to change the man's mind. "It... It only took two of them to beat me down."

Jeongguk's lips parted, appalled at the words, his head snapping swiftly towards the direction of the group of boys having a scattered conversation while eyeing them in the distance. There was tension in the air, and he felt the temperature drop as Hoseok revealed who it was they were standing beside.

Guys from the Acre gang.

"How... on earth did they get here?" Jimin whisper-yelled, and Jeongguk could only blink fearfully in response.

"Take these guys home," Taehyung repeated. "Somewhere safe. Don't make me say it again." He looked the man with cherry-colored locks directly in the eyes, a silence falling between them as they communicated with strong gazes and empty expressions, and all the two younger boys could do beside them was watch in anticipation.

"Alright.." Hoseok eventually sighed, now seeming as though he understood something. Something Taehyung must've told him with his gaze. Jeongguk gulped in awe. "Let's go, guys. Hurry."

"But—"

"Now, Jeongguk."

The doe eyed boy was frozen in place, head turning to look at Taehyung who was now returning eye contact. There was a strong sense of resolve in his dark eyes, stern lips that could break out into yelling out commands any second now. It was painfully obvious no one was going to change his mind.

Soon Jeongguk felt a small hand grab tightly to his wrist, and Jimin dragged him alongside he and Hoseok as they fled with hurried steps.

"One—One against eight men isnt't fair, though!" Jeongguk called to his red haired hyung, and Hoseok swiftly led them behind the library building, a good distance away from where Taehyung remained.

"I know, Gguk. But this is a battle Taehyung has to fight alone.." Hoseok explained through hefty breaths. The three boys peeked from behind the wall, spotting Taehyung in the same location they had left him in, his calm composure persisting while he continued to smoke.

"How do you even know Kim Taehyung like that?" Jimin piped up from behind them in a hushed voice, though they were now safely away from the others, eyes sparked with curiosity.

Hoseok paused, teeth digging to his bottom lip as he squinted to try and get a better view of what was going on in the distance.

"He's..." his hands clenched into fists. "Well, because he's part of the Bangtan boys, too."

Jeongguk's jaw dropped, eyes wide, his grip on the sturdy wall loosening. "W-What...?" the two younger boys uttered simultaneously.

Taehyung... was in a gang as well? The same as Hoseok's...? Jeongguk could hardly believe it. Although truthfully, it would explain all of the odd rumors about him, ones Jeongguk refused to entertain without getting to know the man directly firsthand.

Over at the distance the eight men from Acre began to approach Taehyung in leisure steps, cackling and chatting with one another while Taehyung simply turned to face them without daring to break eye contact for a single second. Jeongguk held his breath as he watched the Acre gang guys form a semi circle around him.

"Kim Taehyung," the one in the middle spoke, taking three steps forward before breaking out into abrupt laughter. "What a fucking pleasure! I finally get to meet you. How exciting!"

Taehyung drew the cigarette from his lips and stuffed a hand into his pocket. "Would you like an autograph or some shit?"

The eight guys exploded into more mocking laughter, clutching at their sides so hard Taehyung almost ridiculed their hyena behavior. But he didn't have the energy in him to do so, instead watching the fools with his gloomed eyes.

"Man... You really are the charming guy everyone makes you out to be, huh?" The guy in the middle smirked, and moved to close the distance between them even further. "Your dick must be just soo big, mh?"

"Actually, yes," Taehyung shamelessly spoke up. "Unironically. It's quite big."

The raven haired guy quirked a brow and ignored his comment, instead breathing his next words in a low voice. "What an... honor to be the one to disfigure that annoying pretty-boy face of yours, Kim." Taehyung's eye twitched. "Unless... you'd be so kind as to bring me your leader, hm?"

"No."

The guy narrowed his eyes, irked by the curt response.

Taehyung continued, "And I'll never even dream of doing that. So if you're going to beat me down, you might as well get it over with." He leaned to the side and removed his jacket, tossing it down to the grass behind the concrete they stood on.

The raven haired looked quite pissed off, but didn't waste any time in cracking his knuckles and raising a hand, signaling the other men to come closer.

"Wouldn't be much of a 'first meeting' if we didn't exchange names, so," the guy grunted, rolling his arm back. "I'm Oh Chulsoo. Looking forward to bashing your skull in."

Taehyung grinned, scoffing out a short chuckle. "No need for introductions on my end. You know who I am."

And with that the raven haired man, Chulsoo, flung his fist at Taehyung, bashing him right across the face. His head snapped to the side at the impact, a sting of pain lingering on his right cheek as he recollected himself and met Chulsoo's eyes again. There was a gurgling sound, and Taehyung spit a glob of blood from his mouth.

"Is that all you got..?" he asked in a throaty voice, a small smirk at the tip of his lips. Chulsoo stared with a face that was hard to read, and only seconds later he threw his fist again, this time punching harder. Taehyung stumbled harshly down the rugged pavement, and felt a collision at the side of his stomach, only to realize the men surrounding him had joined in kicking mercilessly at him.

"Taehyung!" Jeongguk shrieked, shifting to dash out to him, but Hoseok quickly held him back.

"Idiot! Don't make any noise!" Hoseok scolded, sending him behind Jimin in case he tried anything at the spur of the moment again. "Taehyung asked me to take you guys away and here we are watching. What do you think'll happen if they notice us?!"

"But hyung! Taehyung's in trouble!" the youngest wailed out, tears rising at his eyes.

"I know, Jeongguk.." Hoseok's voice softened. "But this is something he decided. I know him, he's not gonna fight back right now."

"Why?" Jeongguk heard Jimin ask from beside him. "Isn't he strong? Even if there's eight guys to take on, couldn't he handle a few?"

Hoseok nodded. "He could. But... he won't lay a finger on them. Our leader—the leader of Bangtan, picked a fight with the leader of Acre over some disagreement they had. That's why those guys are chasing him down, even though none of them really know where he is, so they've resorted to beating up Bangtan members in hopes we'd rat him out."

"Rat him out..." Jeongguk hiccuped, trying to distract himself from looking at the fight by engaging in what Hoseok was saying.

"Yeah... But the thing is only Taehyung and one other Bangtan member are the sole two who know where our leader, RM, has disappeared off to," the red haired continued. "No one knows what that Bangtan member looks like, which only leaves Taehyung as Acre's last chance at finding RM. And Taehyung would never sell out our leader like that."

Jimin reached to grab Jeongguk's hand, hoping it would calm the distressed boy, who seemed to be having a hard time processing all this.

"RM, or rather, Kim Namjoon... Taehyung always says he owes that man his life," Hoseok added, and Jeongguk swallowed his nearly dry saliva.

Someone Taehyung owes his life to... He's that important to him. This Namjoon guy must be someone amazing, and somehow just knowing that made Jeongguk feel relieved. Yoongi, and now Namjoon. It seemed Taehyung, too, had people he could depend on for anything. People he cared about so much he'd rather get beaten than to let anyone near them.

Taehyung, himself, was someone amazing.

"Where? Where the fuck is he? Tell me!" Chulsoo yelled frantically, stomping his foot over Taehyung's abdomen. The dark haired man rolled over, grunting at every kick, punch, slap. Taehyung's gaze landed on the dying cigarette tossed beside him, watching the dim light go out, its smoke rising into the air.

Then he took note of how much the sky had darkened since he'd stepped outside, the faint shine of constellations dotting the heavens above him. Taehyung cracked a small smile, his facial muscles sore, unending pain rushing every sensation of his body, yet even so his adrenaline was pumping.

Hyung, he thought. It's my turn to protect you.

✱ ✱ ✱

PART 1: METAMORPHOSIS

— END —

✱ ✱ ✱

The first part to this book was all basically the prologue! The real story really kicks in during PART 2: OF LOVE & WAR.

To celebrate you, the reader, completing this long prologue, I'll leave the meaning of PART 1's name in the first BOOK NOTES.

Check it out if you want :]