Sometimes when Jeongguk closed his eyes he'd often find himself back in time, in that cozy apartment he used to have right near Seoul university.

He'd be laying in bed, wrapped in the arms of his lover at the time. Kim Taehyung. His heart would be racing, but at his side, his soul had always been at peace. For this was utter bliss. His safe space.

Can love completely change a person, entirely?

When he thought about it, Jeongguk wasn't sure. Not quite.

And now his head was spinning. Spinning, spinning.

As he stood there, gun in hand, aim settled firmly toward the hooded man in front of him who stood there, completely frozen.

"W-Wh—... What-... is.." Jeongguk gulps down a swallow.

Little drunk boy.

The nickname that the stranger from last night had settled on, is yet again being repeated by a man who wore the same appearance of Taehyung's face, even while Jeongguk was sober.

That's right. He's sober now. In his right mind. In fact, he's focused, even. In the zone.And yet, this man still looks like Taehyung.

What is the meaning of this?

"Ah, you-..." The man, or Taehyung, or whatever, speaks up. "You really are a cop then, aren't you?"

A smirk appears on his lips. A smirk, that looks just like Taehyung's.

"F-Fuck.." Jeongguk's trembling breath echoes in his ears. "Fuck, I.. think I'm losing my mind.." His aim becomes hindered by his shaky hands, and slowly he begins to lower the gun from the older. He just couldn't bring himself to focus. Not under a situation quite like this. "I'm going i-insane, I..."

"Kim! Where are you?!" A voice then calls out from behind them suddenly, and Jeongguk was quick to raise his gun up once again, both hands gripping the weapon firmly. "Oh—" The man that had appeared at the end of the pathway halted in his step, and the guy from yesterday, 'Taehyung'(?), immediately drops the bag he'd been carrying and raises his hands up to the air in surrender.

"Don't shoot." His deep voice pleads, it sounding more of a command than a request. "We're unarmed. What I dropped just now are drugs we were going to deliver. You can confiscate them if you wish, just... Please don't shoot."

Jeongguk feels himself trembling once again, and it made him feel pathetic. Him? Trembling at the face of criminals?

Yet, he knew he couldn't help that. Not until he figured out what the fuck was going on with the hallucination of a man in front of him.

"You." He grits his teeth. "What's your name..?"

Taehyung, or not Taehyung—the guy from yesterday, merely blinks back at the boy, a blanked look over his face.

"Jaeho! Just—"

"Be quiet." Jeongguk cuts in, eyes peering toward the man behind them, who was now raising his hands in surrender as well. "I was speaking to him, not you."

Taehyung—or Jaeho's smirk returns. "Well there's your answer. I'm Kim Jaeho, and the lovely guy behind me is Park Bogum, my gang partner."

Jeongguk remains still, eyes narrowing while he sank his teeth to his bottom lip. "W-When I asked you that same question yesterday... You said your name was Kim Taehyung." He says in a wavering voice, a complicated expression on his face. "Why?"

The man behind them, Bogum, lets out a quiet sigh and lowers his head dreadfully, while 'Jaeho' thinks for a moment. Jeongguk waits patiently, though the anticipation was slowly clenching at his bones.

And then, the response he receives nearly ceases his heart altogether.

"Because that's my real name." The man blurts out simply. "But, please don't tell anyone."

At the bold explanation Bogum lets out a louder sigh, then throws his head back in a groan, as though frustrated that the man had revealed that about himself.

Jeongguk gasps out beneath his breath, all feeling in his fingers growing numb. He lowers the gun in leisure, still processing what the man had said, and what it meant. And then he quickly hoists the weapon to his belt and begins to stomp past the two men.

"Kim Taehyung, come with me." He speaks abruptly. "Park Bogum, you can go back to wherever it was you two came from and report that the mission failed. I'll let your gang partner go after we speak and I'll pretend we never ran into each other here, as long as you don't get stupid enough to call backup."

Bogum slowly turns to watch as the boy stomps down the pavement. "You're just... letting us go?"

"Under the terms I just explained, yes."

'Taehyung' lowers his hands, turns to walk down the pathway after Jeongguk. As he passes Bogum he shoots him a knowing look, as though to tell him to listen to the cop.

"I'll head back to base when I'm done here.." He whispers, low enough for only the two to hear. Bogum looks at him with hesitant eyes, but decides to swallow his anxieties and trust that somehow this cop would keep his word.

Just like that Jeongguk strides into the very abandoned building they had initially gathered in front of, the sound of footsteps behind him confirming that the other male was indeed following after him. They walk past a doorframe with no door, and Jeongguk peers up at the rugged lobby of the small building, full of dust and debris and rundown old furniture.

"What are we doing in here?" A husky voice. The same one that ran chills up Jeongguk's skin each time, without fail.

"I have-... No, I-I need to talk to you.." Jeongguk's voice comes out weak, his confusion having tumbled him into a feeble state, unable to operate properly.

"Ah. Well." He hears a low chuckle. "You could've picked out a much less gross environment for a talk, you know." The man proceeds to step around a pile of rocks. "A dinner, perhaps, could've been nice."

Jeongguk bites down on his lips, fingers curling into fists. "God, you even talk just like him.."

"Hm?"

He feels his eyes begin to water, and quickly rubs them dry before turning around to face the man. "L-Listen, I-... If you're r-really Taehyung and I'm not just seeing a ghost or a hallucination, t-then... Allow me to say this.."

The man stands with his hands inside his pockets, an intrigued glint in his stare while he listens to what Jeongguk had to say.

"Your host is Kim Taehyung, right? A-And you're-... You're an alter. A new one, perhaps, because we've clearly never met. I'm Jeon Jeongguk—I already told you that. But that doesn't seem to mean anything to you, w-which is why I think we've never met. But... But back then I was your lover—Taehyung's... Taehyung's lover." He rambles on in shaky breaths. "A-And also Dot's, and Vante's, and V's... And I-I would've loved to meet X but apparently h-he never fronts, so I've never met him. But I know he also knows about m-me... that's what T-Taehyung said, so..." He exhales softly. "S-So you're a new alter, right? That's the-... the only explanation, so... I'm J-Jeongguk. It's nice to m-meet you."

He bows himself down at a full ninety-degree angle, head dipped down.

"Taehyung w-was-... He is v-very important t-to me. I-I thought he was d-dead all these y-years..." Jeongguk lets the resurfaced tears finally rush down, though they remain hidden from the man's view, instead falling in droplets to the rubble beneath them. "And it's b-because he means so so much to me that I beg of you... t-to p-please explain t-this all to me.."

The tall man merely stares at him, in a silence that drawled on while Jeongguk's body convulsed with his emotions.

And well, it was only natural.

One couldn't possibly imagine the emotions rushing the poor boy at that very moment. He had just mourned his soulmate for the fifth year, only for the man to appear right in front of him as though nothing had ever even happened. It hurt him, to think that this whole time Taehyung might've been alive. The lost time they had to endure—what was it all for?

It sucked. He hated that.

But above everything, what Jeongguk would truly hate the most was if even now he was wrong, and that this was a complete stranger that bore an uncanny resemblance to his past lover.

His mind could spiral on it all day, but before he could fall deeper into those thoughts, that familiar deep voice spoke up again.

"You're... our bunny?"

Jeongguk's watered eyes slowly draw open.

"Ah, that's right. Jeon Jeongguk. That was his name." The man continues. "That's you."

The boy lifts his head, straightens his posture and lets his gaze fall over the somewhat stunned expression across the man's face. He wipes furiously at his tears, only for new ones to quickly resurface mere seconds later.

"Shit, ehm... My apologies. I do know who you are. Kind of." Taehyung lowers his head. "And you know who I am." A curt pause. "Kind of."

Jeongguk's brow twitches up in confusion.

And the man finally utters the words that freeze him into place. "I'm not some new alter. I'm X."

There was a moment there, as Jeongguk stands amongst the rubble and dust of the abandoned building, sunlight seeping through holed windows, the beats of his heart ringing loudly in his ears, consuming his sense of self. A moment, where he heard nothing but his own breaths. Felt nothing but a throbbing ache. Saw nothing but the man in front of him, who wore his lover's handsome face, still.

For a moment, he was truly truly in disbelief. Perhaps for the second time in all his years of life.

"I'm very sorry." The other then spoke up in a bold voice. "I'm terrible with names, you see. Even with lovely ones." With one hand he reaches to scratch over his neck, looks off past a severed window that had been reduced to a mere hole in the wall, and peered at the setting sun in the distance. "I used to be tucked away in a little spot inside Taehyung's head, unaware of the real world. So the people that the other alters knew... I remember them by nicknames, or by the sound of their voice. Since I've never actually tuned into reality like this before, y'know..."

Jeongguk holds his breath, not wanting to miss a single second of the man's words to him.

"So yes, I know you as our bunny."

Once again tears begin to blur Jeongguk's eyes. And this time he understands there was no point in rubbing them away. After all, the emotions he felt in that moment weren't ones he could easily calm.

No. This time he was entirely overwhelmed, his thoughts raced at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour and he couldn't dare begin to fathom this.

Taehyung. Well not quite Taehyung, but Taehyung. He was there. Right there. In front of him.

Not only that, but he had spoken to X for the first time in his life.

X fronted.

The beating of his heart quickened at an alarming speed. Jeongguk felt he was anything but sane, stood there, his hands now reached up to cover his face while he wailed out loud sobs continuously. In retrospect, completely breaking down in front of a new alter may have been embarrassing for him had he been in his right mind.

But right now he didn't care. Or rather, he just couldn't help it.

He was too happy, too relieved. But also frustrated and quite sad. A rush of mixed emotions that blended together and overwhelmed the boy to the point he could only stand there and cry, and cry and cry.

It felt like forever while tears gushed down his pale cheeks, while his throat became dry from sobbing out loud. And at one point Jeongguk felt a warmth embrace him all at once, and he was pulled against a gentle chest, his chin guided towards a firm shoulder. He let his head fall to the side, pressing against the side of Taehyung's neck, who was now in front of him, coaxing him into a tender hug.

"Mm. You're strong, aren't you..?" A hefty voice settled against his ears, running an array of shivers down Jeongguk's skin. He feels fingers running slowly into his hair, caressing him in a careful touch. "You did well all these years.." Taehyung—or rather X, continued. "I'm sorry we left you all on your own, bunny."

Jeongguk trembles in the older's arms, then weakly reaches to grip the other's jacket as he continued to wail into his shoulder. Helplessly, he holds onto him. A fear grew within him, as he fought with the thought that if he let go of the man now, he would never come back to him.

And Taehyung, he stood there. Let the boy cry his fears away, let him come to terms with his own relief. He felt he at least owed that to him. Felt he should be patient with the boy.

After all, he had finally met their bunny. Properly this time.

Jeon Jeongguk, who had captured the heart of his host, Kim Taehyung.

Jungkook, who was Vante's ideal type.

Who would make Dot blush left and right at any given moment.

And who had tamed the beast that was V.

X would be flat out lying if he said he wasn't curious about him. All he had retained of the boy first hand, was the sound of his lovely voice.

But as the boy's sobs became quieter the more he calmed down, as the two stood there in silence, let each other bask in the embrace that comforted them, instilled a sense of peace into the both of them, X himself could somehow see what the alters saw in Jeongguk.

How pure hearted he was. How big his love was.

It was no wonder even V could resist giving in to such sincerity. If anyone was going to care for Taehyung passionately and shed tears of undying love for him, it could only be Jeon Jeongguk.

That's what X had concluded, as he held the boy in his arms for the first time.

"You even smell just like Taehyung.." Jeongguk's weak voice spoke up after the two had fallen into a long silence, his quiet sniffles allowing him to take in the older's scent.

The alter lets out a low chuckle. "Perhaps because I'm Taehyung? Although not quite him, I suppose."

"And yet you insisted you were someone else... Jaeho, was it..?"

The man rubs his thumb against the younger's nape. "It'd be quite bothersome if someone recognized me with my real name right now.. So towards others outside the gang, you should refer to me as Jaeho. Alright?"

The words silence Jeongguk, who gently closes his eyes and squeezes the man tighter, a short nod rubbing against his neck. "Hiro said a few men from Namida's brother gang is coming to the city... A-Are you part of them?"

Taehyung's brow quirks. "You're familiar with our gang? Aren't you a cop?"

"Don't w-worry.." Jeongguk sniffles, eyes still shut. "I'm Namida's ally."

The older's lips part in awe. "Namida has a cop on their side..? Hm.. Holy shit."

Weak giggles slip from Jeongguk's throat, and he settles his forehead to Taehyung's shoulder. "Hiro should know about this... About you, I mean. We should tell him, he's-... trustworthy. Both Taehyung and V have put their trust in him in the past. I, myself, have trusted him up until now. We're real close friends."

Taehyung nods slowly. Jeongguk's knuckles turn white while he grips onto the older even tighter.

"T-There's so much I still want to ask you..." His voice wavers. "B-But you should go report to your men, and... I'll come with you, s-since I have business with Hiro as well. The only thing is, well.. Try not to run into Namida's leader, and everything will be good for now." He bites his lip, a hint of unease in his eyes. "Understand?"

Taehyung tugs a small smile, one that lasted only a second. "Of course, bunny."

Though he was unsure why meeting an ally's leader would be a bad thing, he decided to follow through with Jeongguk's wishes for now. All he would do now, is observe.

After all, observing the world around him was something he was particularly good at.

※ ※

Large glass doors slide apart, and through them walk in two men side by side. Jeongguk swallows a breath, puts aside his rising worries and strolls towards the front desk while Taehyung follows, a lag of a step behind.

"Welcome to the BST Hotel, how can I help—" The man at the counter stops mid sentence while he peers at the two. "Ah, it's Jeongguk-ssi~ Welcome back."

"Thank you." Jeongguk gives a light bow.

"The Boss won't be here until—"

"That's alright, Woojin." The boy interrupts. "I'd like to know if Hiro's around."

"Hiro?" The man, Woojin, thinks for a moment. "He was just here earlier. If I'm not mistaken he's at the hotel bar in the back. But more importantly, who's the handsome fella beside you~?"

Jeongguk turns to glance at Taehyung, who was peering back at him in slight amusement.

"He's... Kim Jaeho. One of the few guys from the Chi gang who are new to the city. More will be arriving later on so be good to them."

"Ah, our brother gang.. Of course." Woojin bows, then turns toward Taehyung. "I'm Kang Woojin. Great to have you here."

The older gives a nod, and then the two men proceed down the hall, where the lobby connected to an open bar space. There were a few men scattered here and there, lingering over the couches or at the bar stools while enjoying their drinks.

Jeongguk scans the room, and is quickly relieved to see that Hiro was in fact plopped over the large couch, seemingly enjoying a drink with a gang mate. He hurries his way towards him and watches as Hiro lowers his drink, his widened eyes making it clear he was intrigued at Jeongguk's sudden presence.

"Ggukie, hey! Odd of you to show up so early." The usual grin spreads over his lips, and Jeongguk gives a playful scoff.

"Good to see it's still easy to find you." He takes a moment to glance at the other gang member beside them who was unbothered in his seat, merely sipping from his alcoholic drink. And then he looks to Hiro. "I need to talk to you. Now."

The man's brows rise. "What is so urgent that's making you act so weird—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hiro caught sight of the male that had appeared slightly behind Jeongguk. His unforgettably piercing eyes drew attention even when he was stood in the background, not speaking a single word.

Hiro's lips slowly unlatch. "Holy shit.."

Despite the brown-blonde locks and the chiseled jawline, and the pushed back hair and stark eyes... There was no mistaking it. This was Kim Taehyung, in front of him now. Only he's older, his strong features are sharpened, and he seemed even taller. Bulkier.

Hiro's eyes were comically large, jaw nearly dropped to the carpeted floor beneath them. "Holy shit!" he repeats in a lowered voice, rising from his seat in a snap. His head turns to look at the other gang member, who was blinking up at him in drunken confusion. "Hey man, uhm... can you give us a moment? I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

The guy utters something beneath his breath and rises to his feet, only to stumble off towards the bar table. And Hiro nearly snaps.

"What the fuck?! Taehyung's alive?!" He whisper-yells. Jeongguk glances around them and places his index finger to his own lips in a subtle hushing motion. "Then what about the—"

"Don't—" The boy cuts in softly. "Don't-... tell anyone yet. I don't understand the situation well yet myself, but—"

"Which Taehyung are you right now?" Hiro lifts his head and narrows his eyes towards the older man.

Jeongguk blinks at the sudden question. He had forgotten that once they all thought Taehyung had passed away, his condition was finally revealed to those close to him, that never knew about his disorder.

Hoseok, who never knew what exactly was going on, finally learned the truth. Jimin, Hiro and Misun did as well. And so did a few gang members.

"Well my name is X, if that's what you're asking." Taehyung speaks with a blank expression on his face, though the slight perk of his brow proved he was slightly cautious of this stranger to him.

"X..." Hiro mumbles. "So you don't know who I am, do you? According to Gguk, I've only really spoken to Taehyung and V. Is that right?"

Jeongguk lowers his head in a nod, leaving Hiro to his own thoughts for a moment. Something that the other two thought was only natural. It wasn't easy to stomach such a thing, after all. Processing sudden info on someone's rise from the grave couldn't exactly be done within a matter of minutes.

But before either of them could think to speak again, a raspy voice abruptly boomed from behind them.

"Jeongguk."

The three men's heads snap around, eyes settling to none other than the leader of the Namida gang himself—Park Minseok.

At the unforeseen sight of him, Jeongguk's heart nearly stops.

A permanent grin remained on the gang leader's lips. "You're here early, hm?" Minseok's dark eyes shift from the younger, towards the other two, his gaze now lingering on Taehyung in particular.

The two men looked at each other in an unwavering stare, an unspoken tension rising in the atmosphere.

Fuck, was all Jeongguk could think while his heart swelled inside his chest, hands trembling beside him as he shuts his eyes.

"Now.." With a twitch of his eye, Minseok spoke the words Jeongguk most feared right then. "What the fuck is the meaning of this?"

✱ ✱ ✱

{ A / N }

i've waited the entirety of this book to say this, but...

fun fact:

the tae in the book cover image is supposed to be X 😏

i always imagined 'on' era taehyung for parts 1 & 2, and then 'dynamite' era tae for part 3!

(that being said i'm scared part 3 will end up being longer than i was planning it to but yk sometimes i can't really help myself heheh..)

it's a little too early to be deciding which book i'll continue first after UHS ends, but if my readers have any strong opinions on which they'd want to read first please let me know!

i may make a poll in the future and post it on my profile, to decide which i'll write first between 'The Boy of My Dreams' and 'The King's Heir' (since there's no current schedule for those) so stay tuned for that too <3

see you next chapter :]

💜