"You can't just s-say that out of nowhere.. It's bad for m-my poor heart."

Jeongguk's pouty frown persisted at his brows and over his pink lips, yet his doe eyes remained fixated on his boyfriend as though to adore him, despite his playful 'frustration'. Because, truly, how could anyone really stay mad at Kim Taehyung? He wasn't sure such a thing was possible.

Especially not with the way the man looked at him, with a smile so wide and boxy it melted Jeongguk's heart.

"If it means I get to see your pretty face all flushed like this, then let me keep being bad for your heart, darling."

Those eyes. The ones that were naturally dark, pooled with fire and stars and violent waves. It had taken Jeongguk some time not to be blinded by it all.

And those eyes. They held strength, and fear, and sorrow.

But now they glistened with joy. Delight, and an aching passion of love for the boy.

So with a smile that slowly pushed at the seams of his lips, Jeongguk uttered a gentle, "I-I love you too, hyungie.."

And the words had seized the man's very being. Held him there, surrounded him with his lover's warmth and the feeling being conveyed to him.

Jeongguk leaned down, his face approached Taehyung's while the man's head remained laid upon his lap. When their lips brushed together, they shared a silky kiss. One that left their senses tingling, awakened with the emotions boiling between them.

After a while of exchanging kisses, Taehyung sat up on the couch at one point, his head turned towards the coffee table in front of them to find an empty ash tray. Jeongguk watched him in silence, then cracked an amused smile while he reached to the end table beside him.

"Looking for this?" He grabbed a pack of cigarettes and pulled one from the small box, raising the unlit blunt towards the older's lips.

Taehyung returned the smirk, leaned forward and grasped hold of the cigarette with his teeth. Jeongguk's eyes remained deadset on the other's lips, watching while the older scooted closer and waited patiently. With a light smile, Jeongguk grabbed the very lighter he'd gifted Taehyung, and flicked the fire on only to hover it beside the end of the blunt's tip.

The two men gazed at each other, smoke rising between them. Taehyung reached his hand up, nested the smoldering cigarette on either side of his fingers as he removed it.

While a puff of smoke dissipated above them, Jeongguk then reached to grab a small notebook hoisting a pen. "By the way, hyung.." He began softly. "I got this as a present for you and the others."

"Hm?" Taehyung hummed, accepting the gift with this free hand, his head tilted curiously to the side.

"It's to... track down your drug intake." The younger explained, "That way you guys don't have another overdose."

The man propped his cigarette back between his lips and began to flip through the empty notebook, feeling the texture of its pages over his fingertips.

"Thank you, darling, but.." He gave a low chuckle. "We've tried this before and, well... it doesn't really work. Not all of us remember to jot down what pills we've taken and when."

Before Jeongguk's pout could come out, Taehyung reached to flick his finger beneath the boy's chin, where he caressed his skin lovingly.

"But I'll try again. Just for you." He let the notebook shut, eyes peering to make eye contact with the other. "Or, y'know... I could fill it with love poems for you instead."

Jeongguk let out a light giggle and teasingly smacked the older's shoulder. "I'd rather you focus your poems on the upcoming gallery," he huffed cutely. "How's that coming along, by the way?"

"Ah, the gallery?" The older responded fondly. "I'm being hyper critical of my own work, but I'll get there one day."

"Hm.. You're just nervous 'cause Joonie-hyung said he'll go see it when he gets back from America, aren't you? He's so~ very proud of you."

Taehyung belted out a laugh. "Ha! No way." He turned to face the boy, crossing his legs up on the couch. "I just need my shit to be good enough to brag about once I meet your parents. Whether I meet them soon or not depends on how well I do."

Jeongguk's face dropped, his natural pout now fully replacing the smile that had lingered at his lips. "Wha—? Why are you putting that pressure on yourself? You can meet my parents at any time."

"No I can't." The man responded firmly. "I told you already. I'll only meet them once I'm worthy as an artist. I won't let them shake hands with Kim Taehyung, the gangster."

Jeongguk sighed out in disbelief, though he couldn't ignore the feeling in his heart that pounded with a sense of joy.

After all, he too was proud of Taehyung. Of all the Taehyungs.

They've all come so far. Grown emotionally, and physically. And Jeongguk, he'd fought so hard for them to accept his love. That's all he wanted to do — love them unconditionally. Peacefully. He'd never ask for more.

"Fine.." He whined softly, accepting his defeat. "I'll let you do this by your own terms." The boy then stood from the couch and fixed the hem of his shirt. "I have to get ready now. I'm hanging out with Jimin later."

"Tell him I said hi," Taehyung pushed his legs out across the couch. "And add a dumbass at the end."

Jeongguk rolled his eyes with a chuckle, then moved towards the hall before stopping himself suddenly. "Oh, and... Is it alright if Hiro comes with us?"

Taehyung's brow perked. "Hiro? When did you three get so close?"

"With the amount of times we've bumped into him at Abyss it was kinda hard not to.." Jeongguk giggled.

"Mm." Taehyung shrugged. "Well, you don't have to ask me for permission to hang out with someone. I'm not your mother." He paused. "Or V."

The boy sunk back down on the couch to sit beside him. "I know~" He snickered. "But it involves the gang, so.. I have to let you know."

"I appreciate that, baby." He leaned forward to kiss the tip of the boy's nose. "But Hiro's allied with us. And you two went through a lot together. No need to report to me on him. Yeah?"

Jeongguk's dainty cheeks flushed while he gave a short nod.

"Okay. Yeah."

※ ※

"Your vitals look good to me." A gentle voice spoke. The sound of a pen scribbling over paper proceeded, and Seokjin lifted his head from the notepad in front of him to gaze at the woman seated across from him. "So does your bloodwork, from a few days ago."

"I s-see..." The woman — Park Misun, responded with a lowered voice. "That's good then.."

With the push of his pen against his chin, Seokjin's head tilted moderately to the left. "Hm. You don't seem entirely satisfied hearing these good news.." He noted his thoughts out loud, while Misun settled her warm hands carefully over her round, protruding belly.

And then, came her dramatic sigh. "Could you just-... recommend a few things to help me sleep better?"

Seokjin let a calm smile mount at his lips, his thumb pushing at the tip of his pen once again to scribble more things over the ivory page. "I'll write you a list of things. I'll also prescribe you a few things to help with—"

The man stopped mid-sentence, mouth hanging open once a sudden knock at the door ceased his breath momentarily. But before he could respond to the entrance request, the door already swung open.

"Hyung—" A deep voice cut in while the two turned their heads towards Taehyung, who had also stopped his words upon laying his eyes over the woman seated a few feet away from him. "Ah.." He lowered his voice. "Am I interrupting something?"

Seokjin tapped his pen over the table and glanced at Misun. "We were just finishing up. What's going on?"

Taehyung released his hold on the doorknob and leaned beside the doorframe, arms crossing in front of his chest. "Well, that's-..." He cleared his throat. "I came here to tell you there's an emergency meeting happening downstairs."

Seokjin's brow perked. "Emergency meeting..? What for?"

"Dunno." The younger of the two males gave a shrug. "Ranger called us in all of a sudden. Guess we'll know when we get there."

Misun swung her head back and forth, looking between the two men as they spoke to each other, before she finally let out an audible sigh. "Thanks for today, Seokjin. Go on and check out that emergency meeting. We'll talk later about the prescription, okay?"

Seokjin blinked at her, then nodded his head in gratitude. The two rose from their chairs and walked towards Taehyung; and while the three exited together they reached Yoongi, who was waiting at the hallway.

Misun looked up at him, and Yoongi gazed back with a worried glint in his eye. Without stopping to say a single word, the woman then proceeded down the hall, disappearing towards the next hall.

"Hyung.." He whispered beside Seokjin. "Was she seeing you for medical help just now?"

Seokjin merely shrugged his shoulders as though to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on.." Yoongi groaned in slight frustration. "Don't pull that doctor-patient confidentiality right now. I'm the father to that baby."

"That's not how that works," Seokjin rolled his eyes, arms crossing in front of them while the three men now proceeded towards the basement. "But since it does involve you I'll just say that she's been struggling this last trimester."

"How so?"

Seokjin huffed. "Ask her that yourself."

And with that they entered the large meeting room, where Bangtan men were already gathered around Ranger, across the center tables. Ranger—who was in command of gang relations while Namjoon was gone.

"This mission will be a test for him." Taehyung recalled the leader's words from many weeks ago. "If he does well, I'd like to promote him to be a captain. That's also why I need you to watch what he does. Observe how he thinks."

Though he acknowledged his fellow gang mate to be competent, Taehyung also knew this was Ranger's first time being thrown into such leadership. Which was why the nervous look on his face even now, as he faced Bangtan soldiers awaiting his orders, didn't really come as a surprise to him.

'He's got a long way to go.'

He heard V's voice in his head, the presence of the dominant alter growing evident all over his body.

'Sure. But Joon trusts him.' Taehyung spoke back in his thoughts. 'He needs to feel the pressure of leadership if he wants to be a captain.'

Seconds later Ranger stood with his head held high, a serious demeanor taking over his facial features.

"Thank you all for coming." He began after a moment of anticipation. "I gathered you men to discuss something worthy of your attention." There was another pause, and Ranger looked off to the side, toward a man who leaned against the wall.

Everyone's heads shifted, gaze directing toward who it was that Ranger had glanced at, and Taehyung recognized the guy to be So Kuro, a captain from the Coin Group.

"Thanks to our newly allied gang mates, it's come to our attention that Acre has discovered the location of our main warehouse in the outskirts of Seoul." Ranger finally announced, and the words had triggered a sea of mumbles amongst the crowd.

"Our main warehouse?" A Bangtan man called out. "How is that possible?"

"Some members of Coin overheard Acre guys talking about it at Club Micro," Ranger explained. "Apparently they're planning to raid it tonight, and loot a bunch of our weapons. If this is the case, Acre may be gearing up for a gang war with Bangtan soon."

"There's no way that's true!" Another man called. "Those guys love to talk big, only to fall short in the end. I'm sure they're just bluffing!"

"Agreed, bro!" said another.

"Yeah!"

Taehyung suddenly felt his consciousness slowly retreating, fingers twitching at the numbing feeling rushing through him, until V gained full control of their body.

After all, when it came to gang tactics the alter just couldn't stand still.

"If it turns out not to be a bluff, it'll bite us in the ass big time," the Bangtan captain spoke up. The room fell quiet instantly, now attentive to Taehyung's booming words. "Bangtan can't afford to make such a blunder, so I recommend we take action."

Ranger leaned forward, nervously tapped his fingers over the table's surface, seemingly contemplating over what the right course of action would be. Though much to his luck, the gang's lead strategist was present in the room.

"I say we station at the warehouse anyway." Taehyung spoke calmly. "Send a few men over there tonight, to update inventory and situate the place. If Acre shows, we'll be there to drive them away. And if not then that's not a problem — we'd use the time efficiently to organize the warehouse anyway."

Ranger bit his lip, nails lightly scratching beneath him before he finally nodded, a quiet sigh of relief leaving him upon hearing a doable plan. "That's a great idea. Thank you, Mr. Kim."

"I volunteer to do inventory on the second floor!" A voice piped up, and Taehyung turned to see Yerin with a big smile on her face. "I love our books storage room, it's so nice and welcoming."

"Then I'll join you there~" Hoseok added from beside her, only to earn a disapproving frown from the girl.

"First floor is your territory," Yerin huffed. "Besides you always distract me when I need to focus."

The room broke into light laughter, and Ranger straightened his shoulders and gave his own chuckle. "Alright Yerin-ssi, you'll lead the second floor unit. Anyone else have a preference as to—"

"Yoongi!!!" A piercing voice interrupted, causing everyone's heads to turn towards the door, where a Bangtan soldier burst in, out of breath. "Is Yoongi-hyung here!!?"

Yoongi stepped forward from beside the table, awed at the sudden outburst from the younger man. "I'm right here. What's going on?"

"It's—... It's Misun-ssi!" The guy frantically called out, before uttering the words that had made everyone's blood freeze momentarily. "H-Her water b-broke.. She's in labor!!"

※ ※

It was strange.

The night breeze, that carried petals coated in pink. A soothing breeze, one that caressed skin that had endured chilling weather for far too long.

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, at the outskirts of the busking Seoul, the night was calm, and all was quiet. Bangtan members were scattered over the broad plot of land, where an abandoned lot now served as the gang's warehouse to all sorts of things. Weapons, drugs, clothing, supplies, booze, and other loot—both legal and illegal. The important things were all stored in the larger of the three buildings, which had much more secure protection from wandering strangers. And Taehyung, or rather V, now stood in the smaller storehouse located a great distance from the main warehouse.

A cigarette rested over his lips, a gentle smoke coated in a nicotine scent rose from the tip of his blunt while he held a silver gun in his hands. His dark eyes were settled over the metallic weapon, internal thoughts contemplating whether he should utilize it or not.

It was common courtesy within gangs in this area to handle matters over fist fights. It was a typical way for them to declare war with each other, even. Guns were more difficult for local gangsters to acquire, and the sounds of gunshots going off weren't exactly discreet against the ears of normal citizens and those with authority. So with that thought, Taehyung lowered the weapon back to the desk in front of him, and closed the drawer shut.

"Warehouse team, this is Main quarters. Any sign of Acre?"

He heard Ranger's voice dash through the earpiece situated over his right ear. There was the sound of a light click, soft static, and then a new voice piped in.

"This is Yerin at Warehouse. No sight of anyone but us Bangtan members at the moment. Over."

Taehyung nearly smiled at the sound of the woman's ever-so-familiar voice. He was slightly amused even, at how cheerful she still sounded despite it being a mission filled with so many uncertainties.

He reached his hand up, removed his cigarette from his lips and heard a sudden knock at the storage-house door. His head snapped around and he watched as Hiro swung it open, making careful steps inside the much smaller, cozy shack.

"What's going on?" The Namida man spoke, voice coated in complaint. "I was just about to order takeout and stay up watching movies, but nooo — instead I'm rushing out here to the middle of nowhere for some shit you never even explained."

Taehyung rested the blunt toward the ashtray beside him, and gave a low sigh. "I called you in per Ranger's order, so let me explain it to you now—"

The man suddenly stopped mid-sentence as the door finally shut, and he then realized that one more person had walked in while following Hiro at the entrance. Taehyung's lips parted, jaw nearly dropped as his boyfriend's cute and innocent face peeked from behind Hiro's shoulder.

"J—" He nearly coughed out. "Jeon?" A breathy inhale. "What the fuck are you doing out here?" He immediately dashed toward Jeongguk, his large hands quickly taking their place at the younger's waist, and his eyes were busy inspecting every inch of the boy's slightly flushed skin, making sure he was healthy and well.

"What, I can't come here and see my handsome boyfriend whom I love very much?" Jeongguk scoffed playfully, with a teasing rise of his brow.

Sure, the man was overreacting. Irrational thoughts of the enemy gang somehow hurting Jeongguk on his way here were filling his head, but as it turns out the boy seemed to be just fine, and had simply arrived with Hiro as normal.

Taehyung's breath lowered. "Why the fuck would you bring him here, Hiro? I don't remember telling you to bring friends."

Hiro's faint smile faded, a confused pout replacing his expression. "What are you talking about? You gave me zero context as to what it is you wanted from me. Jeongguk and Jimin were with me when you called, and your boyfriend nearly bullied me into taking him along."

"Well.." Jeongguk added, a pout of his own forming on his pink lips. "I just wanted to see you.."

"You shouldn't be here." Taehyung muttered, hands finally retreating back beside his own hips. "We're technically on a mission right now."

Hiro's eyes widened. "Wh-... A mission? Now?" He blinked repeatedly, voice rising in disbelief. "What for? With Acre?"

"It's nothing big. We're just acting prematurely in case those assholes' threats are for real."

"Threats..?" Hiro mumbled. And before he could ask for more details, another voice came in through Taehyung's earpiece.

"T-This is Bonnie from Warehouse!" It said, followed by low static. "There's a faint engine sound coming from the West!"

Taehyung nearly froze where he stood.

A faint engine sound... What?

That couldn't possibly mean—

"What's wrong?" Hiro's voice snapped him from his thoughts, and the Namida man was quick to notice the device at the older's right ear. "Did something happen with the mission?"

But the man merely stood there, his analytical brain scattering thoughts through his head at a rate of a thousand miles per hour. He clenched his fist beside him, teeth digging deep into his bottom lip. Jeongguk blinked at him, a glint of worry laced in his gaze while the alter fell deep into concentration.

Acre had claimed they found Bangtan's storage base. Real cute.

If anything, Taehyung figured it was a ploy to distract them from something else. Some scheme they were brewing up. Hence why they would be bluffing. Spouting baseless lies. But an engine sound meant—

"As in a vehicle? From the West?" Ranger's voice was the next to speak through their shared earpiece walkie radio.

"Yes! We confirmed from the guys outside that there's a group of motorcycles approaching the area."

Taehyung inhaled sharply.

Fuck.

Acre's bluff turned out to be the truth. They really were going to raid Bangtan's warehouse. Meaning, the mission he had suggested thinking it'd be an easy feat was actually going to turn out to be quite eventful.

"Fuck.." He repeated out loud this time, and turned to face Hiro with a deadly serious look on his face.

"What is it, already—spit it out!" Hiro huffed, while Jeongguk glanced between the two with large fearful eyes.

The man calmly walked back to the desk and pulled open the drawer, taking the gun back out and hoisting it to his belt. "Hiro. Did you see a shack behind this one?"

The other male watched him in silence while he nodded his head.

"Go over there and look inside a cabinet drawer. There should be a gun. Fetch it, come back, and stay here with Jeon while I go deal with Acre."

"Acre..?" Hiro's eyes nearly boggled. "They're really coming here?"

"Don't ask questions. Just go." Taehyung's voice dropped an octave. "Now."

Hiro gulped and nodded again, quickly this time, before turning back towards the door and exiting their current storage shack. Silence then fell into the air, and Taehyung slowly walked towards Jeongguk, who seemed rather nervous over the situation they'd found themselves in.

"H-Hyung—"

"Shh.." The older hummed. "It's okay. Stay here, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Jeongguk suddenly sprung forward and clasped both hands over Taehyung's shirt, forehead pressing to the man's chest while he shook his head sideways. "That's n-not it.." His voice wavered. "Why can't Hiro go help out there instead? I want y-you to be the one to stay here with me."

Taehyung looked down at the boy, whose face was dug against his shirt, shoulders slumped in worry. He let his arms wrap around the younger's smaller frame, a low chuckle pushing past his lips. "Mm, adorable.." His deep voice rumbled. "Baby wants hyungie to stay here with him? Awh."

Jeongguk only clung onto him in a stronger grip, and Taehyung reached to pat the boy's hair gently.

"You'll be safe here. I'll kick those fuckers' asses in a second and then I'll take you home, yeah?" He lightly stroked at the younger's scalp, pushing his hair strands back and letting them fall back in place.

Jeongguk slowly unlatched from the man's chest and looked up at him with glistening eyes. "Then, can-..." His palms slid up until his arms wrapped around the older's shoulders. "Can w-we also order takeout and... s-stay up all night watching movies after?"

A smirk appeared on the man's sculpted face, while his own hands reached to cup Jeongguk's pale cheeks. He lowered his head, hovered his lips beside the younger's as he gave his response.

"Oh baby.." He growled in a whisper. "We'll stay up all night, but.. We may not be able to focus too much on those movies."

Jeongguk's doe eyes were wide, attentive to that darkened gaze on the male's face. And his skin—sensitive to the older's honey voice, that pushed shivers all over his body, seized them to his control. The minute the boy's eyes gently fell closed, the taste of his boyfriend's lips were all his again.

Their chests pressed together, their tongues became greedy. They were overcome with a red passion, with bursts of pink at the seams, and the musky smell that oozed from the wooden walls worked in tangent with Taehyung's own scent of hinoki and cigarettes.

And Jeongguk, he was in heaven. His toes were perked, he felt light on his feet. All he wanted was for Taehyung to take him away, to a realm of just them two; their sweat and their floral passion, one that bloomed the second they tasted each other.

With a moaned breath, Jeongguk pulled back to regain air inside his lungs. But already he felt weak at the knees, wished the older would sweep him off his feet and carry him home, where they'll order take out and stay up watching movies they won't remember by the morning, instead replaced with memories of their sweat, breaths and floral passion.

"I couldn't find anything—"

The sound of Hiro's voice and sudden footsteps caused the two lovebirds to pull apart and direct their gazes toward opposite directions, feigning behavior as though they weren't locking lips just seconds ago.

"—inside the cabinet. I even looked inside the closet and all the other drawers..!" Hiro continued in a frustrated voice, ignorant to the deep flush on the youngest male's cheeks.

Taehyung cleared his throat. "Are you sure? There was no gun of any kind?"

"No, I—"

"Then take this one." Taehyung quickly pulled the gun hoisted from his waist and tossed it to the other. Hiro's eyes nearly bulged, though he managed to catch it safely while the older was already marching toward the exiting door.

"Wha—?" Hiro breathed out. "What will you use then?"

"My fist." The man answered simply, then turned to look at Jeongguk once more. "Remember, if anything happens to this boy right there.. I'm going to fucking murder you."

Hiro looked up from the gun in his hands and narrowed his eyes. "Are you really threatening me with the same shit you told me back at Acre's base?"

"Yes. After all, your mission's changed. Ranger wanted you to help out in case Acre guys really came here, but since you brought Jeon with you I'm assigning you as his bodyguard again."

Hiro sighed dramatically and hoisted the gun to his own belt. "It's no use arguing about it now.." He mumbled. "I'd love to help you guys out but Jeonggukie's more important, so... Rest assure he'll be safe here."

The alter gazed at him for a lingering few seconds, a somewhat thankful glint in his eyes before he turned toward the doorknob. "Good. I'll be back soon."

"B-Be careful!" Jeongguk called out, causing the man to halt at the doorframe for a moment, before he finally dashed out from the shack, letting the door shut behind him.

Now Taehyung ran past the thin-grained dirt beneath him, the sound of motorcycle engines coming from the distance growing louder by the second. His head turned toward the warehouse, where around thirty Bangtan men were gathered at the entrance, awaiting the group of motor bikes approaching them.

At the heart of them was Jung Hoseok, ready to command them in the inevitable battle to come.

"Protect the warehouse, everyone!" Ranger's voice came from the radio earpiece. "Don't let Acre loot a single inch of our property."

"Let's do this, guys!!" Hoseok yelled, rallying up the men around him, who cheered in agreement while scattering around the warehouse perimeters.

"Jung!" Taehyung called out while he ran toward them. "Call some warehouse guys from the first floor out here. We'll need more men outside."

Hoseok snapped his head toward the approaching captain and nodded his head, quickly slipping inside the building to do just as commanded. Taehyung stopped near the entrance, and watched as the motorcycles also came to a halt, all of them keeping a reasonable distance from the Bangtan-dominant territory.

The gang members all watched as the men unmounted their vehicles, approached the large building in unison; and gathered in a group in front of them.

"Bangtan!!" A voice yelled from afar, its heftiness seeping past the air to reach the men assembled outside. "Long time no see, assholes!! I'm so happy to see you!!"

Taehyung narrowed his eyes, squinting at the tall figure approaching them. Wind lifted dirt from the ground, and the unmounted Acre men began to walk in their direction, some holding bats and firm items that could bash one's head in.

His lips parted, fists slowly unclenching beside him. "Woosik.." He uttered beneath his breath. Because indeed, it was Acre's captain, Choi Woosik, who was centered at the front of the crowd of Acre members behind him.

"I'm not surprised you careful idiots actually showed up at your own warehouse," Woosik continued, a wild grin plastered on his face. "We were hoping to rob you of your collection without any trouble, but... A full on fight couldn't hurt either.."

As he finished his sentence, the man's gaze landed directly on Taehyung. The two rivaling captains locked eyes, a fuel of intensity building up while an eerie silence was numbed by the men's footsteps over the ground.

After the drawled out stillness, Woosik then finally raised a fist and raised his voice. "Let's kick their asses!!!"

At those words the Acre men yelled in unison and began to run forward at full speed, boosting their own morale before they clashed with the rivaling gang stood meters away from the warehouse entrance. Taehyung stood still, watching as Bangtan men began to shout in response and approach the Acre guys.

Just like that, the fight began.

In the blink of an eye, fists were thrown against skin. Blood splattered across dirt, bodies ran and fell, grunts filled the air in the isolated terrain. And Taehyung, he loitered there a moment longer, observing the two groups clashing in front of him. Because, deep inside, he felt something was wrong.

His gut told him as such. There was an odd feeling pestering him, and he couldn't rationalize it or make it go away.

Something wasn't right. Something was off.

But what? What was it he was so unsure of?

He rounded up the numbers in his head. Thirty-four Bangtan members were outside fighting, versus what must've been a little over a hundred Acre men. But that was no real issue. Bangtan was known for their physical strength. Taehyung himself could take on all hundred of them if he wanted to.

His gaze settled towards the warehouse door, where twenty more Bangtan men emerged outside to join the fight. Even better. More reinforcements weren't needed, but were always welcome.

So what exactly was wrong?

"What's up, Kim? Are ya scared?!" A cackling voice broke him from his thoughts, and Taehyung skid against the dirt while instinctively dodging a punch that was suddenly thrown at him. He immediately grasped the Acre man's wrist and swung him to the side, then pushed the man harshly against another approaching Acre guy, who had tailed behind them. The two clashed and knocked each other to the ground, and Taehyung sharply braced himself for the next wave of men looking to challenge him.

He took on more guys, punched them across the face, broke a few jaws, drew blood from their skin. All while he continued to analyze the strange situation Bangtan had found themselves in.

Acre didn't seem to have any weapons currently, hence them resorting to a fist fight. That also didn't surprise him, as Namjoon himself imported Bangtan's weapons from overseas.

That, too, wasn't what was wrong.

"The fight has begun outside the warehouse!" Hoseok's voice came in through his earpiece, followed by Yerin's.

"Second floor unit will split into two teams and defend the building from anyone who gets inside."

"Good." Ranger's voice. "Continue to report any updates."

Taehyung continued to dodge punches seamlessly, the cogs in his head continued to turn while questions sought out answers.

"Kim Taehyung."

He heard the body of the man he'd just knocked out drop to the floor, and his head lifted to peer at a presence stood over the distance.

"Lovely to see you again." Woosik continued in a darkened voice while he stood with his hands leisurely inside his pockets.

"Can't say I feel the same way." Taehyung responded in a stagnant voice, face void of any emotion towards the man who'd been a threat to Jeongguk's safety countless of times before. "The fuck is the deal with you cocky bastards, raiding our territory now of all times?"

Woosik tilted his head to the right and dropped an arrogant laugh. "Why? Is it odd of us? As expected of Bangtan's most capable captain, you're smart enough to realize this is an unusual pattern for our gang."

Taehyung's eye twitched, watching as the man's sinister smile faded, his gaze now overflowing in restrained anger.

"My sister's dead because of you."

His jaw lowered.

"Ah. Choi Eunha, yes?"

Woosik stomped a foot harshly to the ground. "Don't you dare speak her name, you fucking asshole."

Taehyung calmly stared back at him, seemingly unbothered by the other's agitated demeanor.

"I'll make sure I finally end your life here today. Without even lifting a finger."

A curt laugh. "Don't be so self indulged." Taehyung spouted. "You couldn't do shit to me back then, and you won't accomplish anything now."

Woosik stood there, not bothering to counter any aspect of the Bangtan man's statement, before he calmly directed his gaze towards the large warehouse building in the distance.

"You know.." He began in a quieter voice. "I'm sure you find this situation strange. Don't you?"

Taehyung's lips pressed firmly together.

"I'm sure it's driving you crazy. Knowing something's wrong, but not knowing what." A cunning smile pushed against his lips. "Well let me help you out by saying, we don't have any interest in you bastard's inventory at all."

Taehyung's jaw clenched, a flash of confusion in his eyes before he, too, turned to look towards the warehouse building; where a few Acre men would get close to the entrance door, only to circle back and continue to fight off Bangtan guys, almost in a pattern. As though to draw them there.

He exhaled a quiet breath.

What the fuck was the point of them raiding the warehouse, only to show no interest in trying to get inside? Why engage in a fight for no apparent reason? Why gather so many men for a mission that was seemingly put together spontaneously?

And how did they know Bangtan would take action?

He couldn't just not think about it. And when Taehyung's gaze darted beside the Acre captain, he'd found the answer right in front of him. The puzzle pieces fell into place for him precisely at that moment, once he saw the man who was stood at Woosik's side.

So Kuro. From the Coin Group.

He was the one who had informed Ranger about Acre's plans.

So the answer was simple. Excruciatingly clear.

They've been betrayed.

"Do you think he figured it out, hyung?" Kuro cackled in amusement, stepping to the side to reveal his full presence into view.

Woosik laughed loudly in response, and Taehyung could almost feel himself trembling in sheer anger. There were too many puzzle pieces he was still analyzing, the possibilities of this betrayal created a chain effect of problems that could arise from this seemingly harmless fight.

But the Coin man's next words were what had alarmed him to no end.

"Hm. I'd say the second floor will be the first to go."

With that, the unknown puzzle pieces became clear in his head, and with widening eyes the alter had figured it all out. Somehow, somehow he understood Acre's plans tonight. The crazy scheme they had crafted up despite it sounding absolutely insane to an unsuspecting mind.

But V was convinced of it. He'd seen it in Woosik's face, and in Kuro's smile.

It wasn't all that crazy for them to execute. Especially now that he knew Coin had really been allied with Acre instead — this whole time.

"Fuck.." He muttered, panic slowly rising inside him. One that he tried to tame, though he wasn't sure how he was supposed to stay calm in the situation that had suddenly been flipped on its head entirely.

Yerin.

As much as he would've loved to stay there and kick the grin off those two men's faces, Taehyung had new priorities. It was crazy, but he knew he had to ensure the safety of his gang. Especially—

Yerin.

He dashed out towards the warehouse without a moment to lose, his legs speedily carrying him past the ground beneath him. "This is Taehyung to second floor unit!" He spoke through the earpiece. "Get out of there. Now!" He gulped down the heavy air. "I repeat! Everyone who's indoors, retreat from the warehouse, quicky!"

"Taehyung?" He heard Ranger's response. "What's wrong? Why are you ordering to abandon the warehouse?"

"Everyone out of the building! Hurry—" Taehyung continued, ignoring any irrelevant questions. "Hurry!"

※ ※

"The fight started.."

Jeongguk looked up at the sound of Hiro's voice, watched as the man peeked from behind the small curtain of the singular window inside the shack. He drew closer towards the other male and looked outside as well, gaping at the crowd of men who seemed unusually smaller at this distance, fighting all out with merely their fists.

"W-Who's even involved in this fight on Bangtan's side, that I know? Is it just Taehyungie?" Jeongguk spoke quietly.

"It's quite a few people.." Hiro responded, gaze not moving from the fight. "Most of the captains are involved too. But Yoongi couldn't make it tonight. I heard he went to the hospital."

Jeongguk gasped lightly. "The hospital? Why?"

"Apparently Misun went into labor earlier than expected."

"What!? Seriously?!" Jeongguk nearly screamed, but Hiro was quick to snap his palm over the boy's mouth.

"Shh!"

"S-Sorry.." Jeongguk smiled sheepishly. "It's just-... Wow, Misun's baby is finally coming!"

"She sure is." Hiro chuckled softly. "But we'll focus on that later. For now let's—"

A loud clattering sound boomed abruptly, and the two men's heads snapped towards the door, watching as it flew open. Hiro reacted immediately, sliding in front of Jeongguk to shield him from the stranger that had burst into the small shack.

He pulled the gun from his belt, and Jeongguk shut his eyes as the sound of a gunshot went off, followed by a body thudding to the ground.

"Holy shit, that was close.." Hiro gasped out, then turned toward Jeongguk. "You alright?"

"A-Ah.. Yes..." He nodded in fright. "T-Thank you."

"Let's get out of here. Quickly." Hiro carefully approached the unmoving body on the floor. "It seems there's a lot more Acre men than we thought. If we stay here we may just get surrounded."

Jeongguk's eyes slowly grew wide, though he didn't have the strength to question the notion, so he decided to roll along with whatever Hiro had up his sleeve. Quietly, the two exited the shack and began to retreat toward the opposite direction of the warehouse, where the second small storage house was located.

"Stay here for a sec," Hiro instructed, "I think I heard someone in there."

Jeongguk froze in place, and watched as Hiro stealthily disappeared inside the other shack. He turned his head to peer at the fight still going on in the distance, and with a squint of his eyes he recognized the person dashing towards the main entrance to be none other than Taehyung—or rather V.

He let out a quiet breath, his foot taking a step forward instinctively before he stopped himself, hand reaching toward his own chest.

And then.

Then, it happened.

It happened so quickly. So suddenly. So out of place.

Jeongguk watched as the world flashed white for a second, and a splash of crimson splattered his vision, seeps of vermillion hues highlighted the edges of the men in the distance, and the buildings and nearby vehicles. The ground rumbled through vibrations beneath him, a massive burst of smoke surged meters from the warehouse, and pieces of debris splattered from the tall building following a roaring boom sound.

He watched the bodies near the warehouse all lift briefly into the air, only to plunge back into the ground in an instant, away from the building; and at the same time Jeongguk himself was pushed back from where he stood, falling on his back into the dirt beneath him.

He heard a loud shrilling ring in his hear, piercing from left to right, deafening him for what felt like an eternity, and although he couldn't hear his own coughs he felt his chest compressing, body keeling over as a wind of smoke rushed past his proximity.

Taehyung.

He grasped a handful of dirt, forced his body up only for him to stumble back, his weakening legs failing until he hit the ground again.

The ear-piercing sound continued to fill his head, but he didn't dare give up. Through trial and error, he eventually found himself standing on his own two feet, and he dragged himself across the ground, walking sloppily past the smell of fumes and the atmosphere full of smoke.

He heard a muffled echo behind him, and somehow concluded Hiro must've been calling out to him. But he couldn't hear anything but the high pitched screeching sound, the ringing in his ears. There was one and only one motivation for him to go on.

Taehyung.

Where was Taehyung? He could've sworn he saw him there, in the air for a split second, caught up in the sudden blast. Was that an explosive? Was Acre's true intentions to blow up the main warehouse this whole time?

More coughing. His limbs trembled. His ears hurt. It hurt so much. He wished the shrilling tinnitus in his head would stop.

Taehyung. Where was Taehyung?

All of a sudden, Jeongguk fell face first into the dirt, and he pushed himself up, looked back and saw that he had tripped on a body laying on the floor. The man was one he didn't recognize, and the poor guy was passed out completely. Jeongguk wasn't even sure if he was dead or alive, but what he did know was that he'd reached the area of men near the warehouse.

With more coughing he crawled his way forward, moving past men he didn't recognize. Until—

"T—e—h—ng!" He could barely get the name out past his aching throat. He pushed himself to the limit, reached the side of the bleeding body in front of him. His eyes glistened with immediate tears, watching his lover's skin covered in soot and ash, splashes of a deep red seeping from his head.

Jeongguk lightly shook him, wailing out incoherent things he himself couldn't even decipher. And eventually Taehyung's eyes slowly drew open.

The younger could feel his heavy heart sinking, watching as the corner of the older's lips curled weakly, into a small smile. Because, well, what a joy it was to see that at least his boy was alright.

The ringing in his ears continued to pierce him, light from the warehouse on fire in front of him casting over his face.

"Are you familiar with mythology?"

He recalled his own voice, from a long time ago. Back when he and Taehyung had just met, and had been assigned as partners for an English project.

"There's a story, in Greek mythology, involving one of my favorite flowers. The hyacinth."

This time he heard Taehyung's voice in his head. His words from back then.

Words that said—

"When I die, would you name a flower after me?"

Tears began to pile at Jeongguk's eyes, his trembling breaths emerging as choked coughs while he held his lover's cold body in his arms.

The older gurgled over his own blood, the red fluid pooling seamlessly from his mouth.

That's right.

A garden of only Kim Taehyung.

✱ ✱ ✱

PART 2: OF LOVE & WAR

— END —

✱ ✱ ✱

Friendly remind that the book isn't quite over :]

PART 3 is coming for you all, so you better brace yourselves.

The first part to this book was basically a long prologue, then the second part was the main story, so the third part will conclude everything once and for all.

Just like when PART 1 ended, I'll be doing another BOOK NOTES chapter to discuss/answer any questions about the part. If you readers have anything you want me to address on there, feel free to let me know in the comments here!

Thanks for the continued support as always. See you guys in PART 3 coming very soon 💜