Taehyung heard a sudden noise.

A powerful, dusty breeze blew past him. He halted his thoughts, head peered at the darkness coming from inside the abandoned building in front of him. The sound felt as though it were rumbling from the outside, and Taehyung began to lower his gun, eyes slowly widening as he came to realize what it was he was hearing.

"Fuck..." He whispered, fastened the grip on his gun.

He kicked dirt over the ground, and made a quick run beside the grey building.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck."

He heard the revving noise grow louder. A vehicle began to rush down the dirt road, leaving him entirely alone in the deserted area.

"Shit.. I fucking knew it... Shit.." He murmured curse words repeatedly to himself, watching as the Acre man drove off with Oh Chulsoo, without having returned even a single Bangtan nor Namida member. Just as he had fucking predicted.

Acre had no intention of cooperating with them in the first place, and Taehyung——no; V had been well aware of it.

He stood there, watching the vehicle drive off into the distance with a solemn look over his face, a deafening silence falling in his solitude.

And then.

He burst out laughing.

His laughs were boisterous, his entire body shifting backwards as he found himself losing balance over how utterly, completely, undeniably hilarious the situation was to him.

"Ha!!" He inhaled a chuckle, reached to wipe visibly amused tears that had formed in his eyes. "So predictable. So fucking predictable."

He returned his weapon over his belt, slipped it inside his gun holster, and hurried back towards the car he used to drive out here. Another string of eerie chuckles began to leave his lips while he settled into the driver's seat, pulled his phone from his pocket, and navigated toward a certain application that had been very illegally installed into the device.

A live map popped up on his screen, and Taehyung's dark eyes settled over a blinking red dot that was gradually getting further and further away from a static blue dot.

The blue dot being his current location, and the red dot being...

Well, only the tracker Taehyung had installed on Chulsoo's phone before he slipped it back into the man's pockets.

Because, yes, in his eyes Acre was predictable. While they contemplated where to move their bishop, Taehyung had already devised three different ways to checkmate with a single pawn.

A boding smirk sprawled widely over the Bangtan captain's lips.

"Oh, Acre.." He mumbled out. "This game you're playing is far too easy for me, mmn? Maybe try and level up the difficulty next time."

He switched on the car engine and readied his foot against the pedals, then propped his phone up to view the map, letting the blinking red dot get a head start toward wherever it was fleeing to—which would soon expose Acre's very own hidden base, to Taehyung's knowledge.

"Now.." His dark voice nearly roared out. "Where the fuck do you think you're running off to, hm?"

※ ※

"Don't kill him just yet. Have your fun with him and join us upstairs immediately."

Taehyung heard a faint voice down the lengthy hall. He peeked his head over the corner to see a door near the far dead-end, then watched as it was pushed open. He returned his back against the wall, hid himself at the corner inside Acre's warehouse, where following the red dot had led him to. The distant footsteps began to draw near; through the small opening between the nook and connecting hallway, he watched Choi Woosik stroll down the other side of the floor, then disappear into a staircase opening.

He exhaled a silent breath while wiping blood from the side of his cheek, blood of which belonged to unnamed Acre soldiers he had efficiently beaten down upon infiltrating his way through the back door.

He wasn't sure what exactly was going on around here, and quite frankly he couldn't give two shits. His only concern right then was to retrieve what belonged to him.

Which meant, he couldn't ignore the words he'd just heard.

'Don't kill him just yet'?

Sounded like words someone would say about a hostage.

So the man knew exactly what to do. He lowered his gun, made careful steps past the corner that had shielded him from plain sight. And only after verifying that the proceeding hall was empty, did he go ahead and make muted steps toward the large two doors enclosing a back room.

"This is insane.." He heard a voice come from the distance, opposite to where Woosik had disappeared off to.

Taehyung froze in place, then slowly turned his head to see a man appear in the open area down the hall.

"You there! Can you help bring this heavy ass box upstairs? I need some damn help here for once—"

The Acre man stopped mid-sentence while he lifted his body from a hunched over position, leaving the large box he'd been carrying down on the floor.

"Wait a minute..." The guy gaped at Taehyung. "Who are you? You're not one of us.."

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at him, still keeping the same rigid pose, waiting as if to contemplate his next move.

"Fuck it.." He murmured beneath his breath. And without warning he raised his gun and got a clear headshot of the poor guy down the hall, ending his life on the spot. The Acre man's body fell in an instant over the large box, and Taehyung fled the remaining distance down the hall.

Now that he had opened fire, he had also just given away his presence. And it was only a matter of time before a squad of Acre men appeared to investigate what the noise was.

So he had to hurry.

Taehyung kicked open the large metal doors and hoisted his gun up, ready to fire at anything that moved. His eagle eyes scanned the space in under two seconds—spotted the male bleeding on the floor to his left, and then a woman bouncing herself over a guy's lap to his right.

All it took, was for him to see strands of that shiny black hair he'd recognize from anywhere, before he instantly came to grasp the situation he'd just stumbled upon.

His next course of action was one he carried out without an ounce of hesitation. He fired a bullet clean into the woman's head, watched as she, too, fell with little grace to the hard floor beneath them. And he did it all without remorse, not having even batted an eye.

Perhaps Namjoon shouldn't have taught him to be such a proficient shooter, if it meant he could take lives with such ease.

But in that moment Taehyung was grateful.

Grateful that he'd left his pitiful days behind him. That he had grown up to be strong.

Strong enough to take back what was his.

That was all he needed.

"Jeon." He called out, dashed directly towards the boy on the floor, whose eyes were overflowing with tears.

Jeongguk's unfocused eyes flickered until they settled over his blurred appearance, and Taehyung quickly lowered himself to grab the boy's shoulders.

"Tae—!" The younger choked out a quiet gasp, his wet cheeks glistening as he suddenly became silent. "...No."

The man blinked down at him, awaiting his next words.

"You're V."

The strong grip Taehyung had on the boy's shoulders briefly loosened. The blank expression he usually wore showed somewhat of slight shock for a moment, because——

Well, how on earth was Jeongguk able to tell that it was indeed he and not Taehyung, who was currently fronting?

And how did he do all that with a mere look? A single glance.

The only person in his life who was able to do that shit was, of course, Kim Namjoon.

Taehyung—or rather V, gaped down at the younger in subliminal amazement. One that came as a swirl of concentrated confusion swarming his head.

"Yes.." The man cleared his throat. "I'm V. Now get up. We have to get out of here."

Jeongguk stared wide eyed at the older, his distracted vision shifting down towards the body bleeding out on the floor beside them. He gave a frightened gasp, body trembling from lingering emotional strain.

"Y-You... You killed her..." He gave quiet, rapid breaths. "You s-shot her in the h-head, she's—... You killed her."

Taehyung glanced at the woman's dead body, completely unfazed, then refocused his attention on the startled boy. "She laid her hands on you," he calmly answered. "Laid her hands on my property."

Jeongguk's jaw fell, chest convulsing in hyperventilating exhales. In response, Taehyung's brows furrowed, and he monitored the boy's slow spiral into full panic.

"S-She's dead, V. Even though s-she—.... You just t-took her life without—" A jerked hiccup. "You j-just k-k-killed h-her, y-y-you—... And s-she's b-bleeding, and y-you—..."

"Jeon." Taehyung's voice became deeper, almost as if to demand his focus. "Listen. Hey—" He grabbed the boy's chin, forcing him to make eye contact. "Listen to me."

He released his hold on Jeongguk and gently pressed his forehead against the younger's, hand digging into the other's hair, Adam's apple bouncing in a silent swallow. Jeongguk let the warmth of their touching skin calm his hiccuping breaths.

"You're safe now. I'm here." That thick, deep voice rumbled a wave of serenity against the younger's ears. "Don't you know who I am?" Taehyung continued. "As long as I'm here nothing can hurt you. Hell, it won't even reach you."

Jeongguk blinked repeatedly while he let out a quiet sniffle. Taehyung being so close to him like this always seized his heart, locked it into the man's every command. And the low depth of the older's voice was the exact level of frequency that rang absolute satisfaction into Jeongguk's ears. Rang like golden chimes to him, ensuing a sense of tranquility. Their foreheads touching so delicately helped him feel the vibrations emitting from the man's throat, too; the patterns massaging his skin blissfully.

Slowly but surely, the boy's heart began to settle back into a healthy rate, eyes shut while the older's voice continued to seep into him like sweet molasses.

"You're mine, remember?" Taehyung gripped tighter onto the younger's hair strands. "I don't let anyone get away with hurting what's mine."

Jeongguk responded with a mindless, small whimper; and Taehyung gently pulled back, retreated his head and watched as the younger's eyes fluttered open.

"Yeah?"

The boy's cheeks flushed pink, another sniffle leaving him as he reached to wipe his tears away. "Y-Yeah..."

"Good boy." A sly smirk lifted over the older's lips, then he shifted to the side, quickly unraveled the knot that had been tying Jeongguk to the thick steel pole behind him. Once the rope fell off, he reached to pull Jeongguk's boxers back up to his waist along with his pants, and the boy nervously watched the male's handsome face even as it remained rather deadpanned throughout his movements.

"T-There's... There's blood on you.." Jeongguk whispered in a quiet voice, his gaze fixed directly on the red splatters across the man's skin and clothing. "Did they hurt you...?"

"No," Taehyung huffed. "It's not my blood."

"Then did... you come here alone?"

The older didn't give an answer. Instead he rose to his feet and hauled Jeongguk up with him until he stood on his own. The boy rubbed the bruised marks over his wrists, where the ropes had confined him, and before either of them could think on their next move, the sound of sudden grunting filled the air.

Taehyung reacted quickly, pulled his gun from his holster and directed it towards the man that had been bleeding out on the opposite side of the room.

A loud gasp left Jeongguk's rugged throat. "Don't shoot him!" He yelped, dashing toward Hiro, who was gurgling out dry coughs. Taehyung kept his gun aimed, observing as Jeongguk hurried to help the man sit up. "A-Are you okay..?"

Hiro's face was stained with dry blood, his hand clutching at his stomach while he struggled to examine his surroundings.

"I'm Jeongguk! I'm so sorry I ignored you before, I... I-I didn't know y-you were f-from Namida.." The boy cried out. "I t-thought you were d-dead... I'm so sorry.."

Taehyung slowly lowered his gun. "...Namida?" He stepped closer towards the two. "Is he the hostage from Namida?"

Jeongguk glanced at the older and gave a frantic nod, which was all the affirmation Taehyung needed to dismantle the ropes over the Namida man and pull him up to his feet as well.

"What's your name?" He grunted, grasping tightly over the other's shirt collar.

"C-Careful, V!" Jeongguk cut in. "He was beaten up pretty badly..!"

Taehyung ignored him. "Answer me."

The guy coughed and forced his head up. "T-Tanaka Hiro..."

"How old are you?"

"T-Twenty-three."

"What year is it?"

"Twenty.. S-Seventeen.."

"He's fine. Seems he just passed out for a moment." Taehyung concluded, loosening his grip on the man. "Perfect. Now, Hiro, listen up if you want to get the fuck out of here. I know those Acre assholes did shit to you both, but we need to direct our focus on getting out of here in one piece for now. So listen to me and follow exactly what I say. Got it?"

Jeongguk stared with his big eyes, scrambling to get up from the floor before giving a timid nod, a tight feeling forming in his stomach.

"Hiro. Listen carefully," Taehyung began, hand digging quickly into his pocket to pull out a chain of keys. He tossed it towards the Namida member, who caught it swiftly with his hands despite his ragged state. "I have to keep the incoming wave of gangsters coming our way busy. So your job is to make sure you and Jeon over here get into my parked car outside safely."

Hiro blinked in bewilderment, gulping as he focused on the man's words.

"When you leave this room turn left, go all the way to the end of the hall and to your right is the back exit. Once you make it outside, run. Run without looking back. When you see a road in front of you, my car's parked across it. Get in and start the engine."

"But—!" Jeongguk shook his head. "B-But what about you?"

Taehyung's piercing eyes shifted toward the younger.

"I'll be right behind you guys." He answered simply. "However, if any Acre guy gets too close to the road while you're waiting, or if I don't make it out to join you ten minutes from now, then... Drive off without me."

"Sir, I can't just—"

Hiro's words were cut off by the Bangtan captain.

"Do what I fucking tell you." His words seeped venom, and Hiro flinched at the mere sight of the male's dark pupils. "If anything happens to this boy right here—" He glanced at Jeongguk, "I'm going to fucking murder you. And our gang alliance will crumble within seconds."

Hiro gave a hesitant nod, seeing it in the man's blazing eyes that he was dead serious.

"That boy is mine. Hurt him, and I'll fuck you over," Taehyung's looming eyes were now directly on Jeongguk. "Only I can hurt what's mine."

The Namida man nodded again. "U-Understood. I would never think to lay a finger on him regardless."

Jeongguk gaped at the older with anxiously narrowed brows, and watched as Taehyung began to quickly take off his jacket and unbutton his shirt, revealing a bulletproof vest underneath it.

"W-What are you d-doing?"

"Put this on. Quickly." Taehyung removed the vest and got dressed again. "Wear it just in case. Those guys out there are armed."

Jeongguk nearly scoffed. "W-Which is why you should keep it on! You're the one that's about to handle who knows how many of them, all on your own!"

"I'm not fucking asking, Jeongguk. For fuck's sake, I'm telling you to put it on. Now. Don't fuck with me." Taehyung closed in on the younger and forcibly slid the vest over his head, secured it down on his slim torso.

Just then, Jeongguk flinched as the doors burst open, and an Acre man appeared as though from thin air, to examine the situation in the room. His eyes shifted from Eunha's dead body, towards the Namida member and the two Bangtan boys staring back at him.

"Intruder!!" He yelled out, reaching to pull some kind of weapon from his back pocket, but before his hand could reach it Taehyung had already aimed at his head and seamlessly fired.

Jeongguk jumped up from the gun going off, a startled squeal leaving him before he felt Taehyung's hand return over his shoulder nonchalantly, the sound of a body thudding to the ground eminent in his ears.

"Hurry. Stay close to Hiro and get into the car as soon as you can. Yes?"

Jeongguk blinked up at him with his frightened doe eyes.

"Answer me, Jeon."

"B-But... But—"

Taehyung grabbed onto the boy harshly and shoved him towards Hiro, forcing their hands to clasp together.

"Don't let him out of your sight. Consider it a kindergarten day trip." His lips lifted into a sarcastically dead smile, then he looked up at Hiro with eerie, coal eyes. "Now go."

※ ※

Jeongguk was grateful, truly, that Hiro had decided not to let go of his hand while they ran down Acre territory, just as Taehyung—well, V, had instructed them. Because if he were to do this all on his own he'd probably freeze in one place, unable to move anywhere.

"Hurry.." Hiro whispered, hoisting the heavy door open while Jeongguk slipped past it. He then followed behind the younger and made sure to gently let the door shut.

What had greeted them on the other side was the chilling breeze swarming the night sky above them. Hiro reached to grab Jeongguk's wrist gently, and resumed guiding him away from the large warehouse-looking structure.

"That was Kim Taehyung, wasn't it?" The Namida man made conversation as the two sprinted across the dark soil beneath them. "Bangtan's top captain?"

Jeongguk gulped quietly as he focused on his feet movement, trying not to trip over himself. "Y-Yeah..."

"We got so fucking lucky... A smart, calculating captain like that came to our rescue.." Hiro panted out. "Although it's odd he came on this mission all by himself. Doesn't seem like there's backup to help us out."

Jeongguk kept quiet, unable to stop the rising anxiety in his stomach from growing any bigger.

He couldn't stop thinking about it. It was truly a wonder, how a man like V could issue a sense of fright deep into his bones any other day.

And yet, today... Right now, all he felt when he thought about him was worry. Concern for his safety.

Him? Worried about V, of all people?

That couldn't be the case. Surely, he was only worried because V shared a body with Taehyung. So if V got physically hurt, so would Taehyung and all the other alters.

Right. That had to be it. He was just worried V would get Taehyung's precious body injured in some reckless fight.

He wasn't at all concerned over V, himself.

No way.

"There—! I see the road!"

Jeongguk's racing thoughts halted once Hiro's voice rang loudly in his ears, and he lifted his head to peer ahead of them, only to see that there was indeed a black vehicle parked on the other side of an isolated, paved road.

The two sped up their running, ignoring the ache in their lungs as they ran against the wind, pushing past whatever limits their bodies pulsed at them.

Hiro, whose body was exhausted and beaten.

And Jeongguk, who felt disgusting.

The two put aside their relative pain, and skid their way over the solitary road in the middle of who knows where. As soon as they reached the side of the vehicle Hiro pulled out the keys Taehyung had given him and unlocked the car. Jeongguk hurried to the passenger side, while Hiro himself took up the driver's seat and started the engine.

The younger shut his side of the door and peeked past Hiro to watch the back door they had emerged from, waiting eagerly to see if Taehyung would dash out of it any second now.

"We have to wait for him.." He whispered, observing with eagle eyes.

Hiro settled back against the seat and turned to watch the door too, his teeth gently grinding down his bottom lip.

"You heard what he said though, Jeongguk-ssi..." The man nervously swallowed his own saliva. "If he's not out here in three more minutes... Well, my priority is getting you out of here."

"Don't tell me you're actually going to listen to him!" The younger quickly scoffed. "We can't possibly leave without him.."

Hiro made no effort to give a response to the boy. Because, deep down he knew that he had to do as the Bangtan captain had ordered.

So the two watched the back door cautiously, peered through the darkness in hopes that any second now Taehyung would make his way out and link up with them safely.

Jeongguk glanced at the car dashboard to read the time.

One minute left.

His focus was back on the door, hands clasping into hopeful fists.

Thirty seconds...

He squinted his eyes and blinked twice, leg now shaking in anticipation.

Ten... Nine, eight, seven...

He bit down on his lip, a nauseous feeling crawling back to him.

Five, four, three, two...

Hiro let out a quiet breath, his hand gently taking hold of the wheel in front of him.

"We have to go.." He spoke softly.

Jeongguk quickly grabbed onto his arm, prying it away from the wheel. "No! Wait a bit longer, please!"

"Jeongguk, I.." Hiro looked at him sympathetically. "I'm just following his orders."

"You're from Namida—he's a Bangtan captain! There's no repercussions for disobeying him."

"There is." Hiro said calmly. "We're an allied gang and he's their top ranking captain. I can't possibly defy an order." He then cracked a small smile in an attempt to lighten the air, even through his own complicated mix of feelings. "Plus he kinda personally threatened to kill me himself."

Jeongguk sank down onto the car seat, an exasperated breath leaving him.

"Please, Hiro, just..." The boy spoke desperately before something in the distance caught his eye. He gasped loudly. "He's here!"

Hiro snapped his head to the side to watch as Taehyung emerged from the heavy doors and darted past them as though he were running some kind of marathon.

The Namida man inhaled sharply. "Fucking hell... Thank the lord.."

"He's here! He's here, he's here, he's here!" Jeongguk chirped up, bouncing in his seat as he cheered on the sight of Taehyung's distant figure gradually approaching them.

Hiro's smile widened as he watched the man, readying himself to drive away as soon as Taehyung reached the vehicle.

But the two men's high spirits were quickly diminished when they noticed a group of Acre guys tailing directly behind Taehyung, chasing after him.

"Oh shit.. He's being pursued.." Hiro stared with wide eyes, the man's previous words now ringing loudly in his thoughts.

"If any Acre guy gets too close to the road while you're waiting... drive off without me."

Hiro gulped, then he and Jeongguk both simultaneously shuddered when they heard a gunshot go off.

"They're firing at him.." Jeongguk whispered in sheer horror.

Over at the distance, Taehyung sprinted at full speed, ignoring the fact his legs felt as though they could tear from his body at any given moment.

He peeked behind him to see that the Acre man who was closest to him now aimed a gun in his direction. He let a curse slip beneath his breath, then forced his feet to the side to curve his pathing, just as another gunshot went off.

The momentum launched his entire body down to the dirt in an instant; and he landed on the ground with a powerful thud, then rolled a short distance further from the impact, splatters of dirt scattering beside him.

Just as Taehyung slammed into the ground a sharp pain burned at the side of his torso, and he grunted out while he let his mind go numb for a short few seconds.

Until, he pulled his head back to reality, forced himself to remain in the present—to draw focus to what was happening in this current moment. With a crew of enemies tailing behind him, he couldn't afford to let his guard down for even another second.

So he hauled his own body up. But as soon as he did he noticed a spill of his own blood began to leak from the side he felt that piercing pain from.

"Fuck.." He whispered, allowing himself only a moment of disbelief before he put his analytical brain back to work.

The first thing his eyes scanned over was the distance in which the group of Acre guys were at, in relation to him. Those guys were definitely armed, but only in close combat weapons, like a knife perhaps. Plus, it would take them approximately three minutes to reach him.

The only one who seemed to have a gun on him right then was the guy closest to him. The one who fired at him, grazed the side of his torso enough to draw blood. Now this guy could reach him in seconds. Blow his head off if he really wanted to.

The same guy who had a satisfied smirk on his face since seeing that his bullet had reached Taehyung. And upon seeing the Bangtan captain on the ground, it seemed he had shifted his attention to the vehicle parked at the side of the road.

The Acre man raised his gun, aimed at the car; and Taehyung nearly lost his shit because, he knew. Knew what the man was now after.

He was trying to shoot at the tires. Trying to make sure their escape vehicle was rendered completely useless.

"No the fuck you don't.." Taehyung breathed out, and made a quick movement to fire at the other male desperately. Anything, anything to stop him from ruining the other two's chance at escape; while he internally grunted over the fact Hiro still hadn't driven away with the enemy so close to them.

Now, Taehyung was skilled at handling guns, aiming them—you name it. But from where he sat on the muddy soil under the darkened sky, his left side bleeding out, he wasn't too confident in accurately landing another headshot.

For good reason, too. Because the bullet he had fired only managed to pierce the man's forearm.

Even so, that was all it took to make the guy drop his weapon and scream in agony, which was precisely the distraction Taehyung needed to focus on forcing himself back to his feet, even though his wound should have had him screaming much louder than the Acre man.

He pulled himself together, pushed the palm of his hand against the wound to apply pressure while he dragged his feet through the rugged dirt, toward the black vehicle.

"H-He's bleeding.." Jeongguk cried out from the passenger seat, having gotten a better look at him now that Taehyung was nearing closer. He quickly took his seatbelt off and shifted himself through the space between the two front seats—launching himself into the backseats.

"Jeongguk, stay in the car," Hiro scolded strictly.

The younger furrowed his brows. "I am, I just—.." He reached to push the door open. "I'm helping."

Taehyung bit down harshly on his lip to stop himself from hissing while he rapidly ran the remaining distance, hand squeezing tighter pressure into his wound, a gentle glisten in his eyes when he saw Jeongguk swing the car door open for him.

The boy reached out his hand.

And Taehyung grasped hold of it tightly.

With all the strength he could muster, Jeongguk hauled himself backwards, dragging Taehyung up with him so that the two of them landed across the backseats.

And Hiro didn't even wait for the door to shut before gearing the car into motion, the vehicle beginning to hit the road in a matter of seconds.

"Woo!! We're out of here!" Hiro shouted, the wind blowing strands of the men's hair, scattering them into varied directions.

Taehyung grunted at the noise while Jeongguk helped him sit up. "Hiro, what the fuck were you doing..? I thought I told you to drive away."

"And you wouldn't be here if I did, would you? You should be thanking me."

Jeongguk found himself heaving out a massive sigh of relief, his gentle hands reaching to clasp Taehyung's, helping him apply pressure to his wound.

"You scared me.." he whispered, the loud wind blowing from the open car door nearly masking out his words.

But Taehyung heard him. Loud and clear.

Though he kept quiet for a moment, his eyes met Jeongguk's in an illegible stare.

"Yeah? Unfortunately, I may just bleed out before we even get back to Seoul.." Taehyung's groggy voice spoke up.

The man felt Jeongguk's hand tremble above his. "B-Bleed out..? Your wound is that bad? I-It didn't look t-that bad, or a-at least I thought i-it wasn't.."

The boy gaped at him with anticipating distress, and before Taehyung could answer him, Hiro's lively laugh cut through from the driver's seat.

"He's just trying to scare you, Jeongguk-ssi. Your big strong Bangtan captain will be just fine."

Jeongguk's lips parted slowly. He turned to glance at Hiro before looking back toward Taehyung, who now wore a cheeky, amused grin over his handsome face.

"What're you talkin' about? I'm soo totally dying right now. Definitely. These are my last moments, actually."

Jeongguk's face scrunched up, cheeks burning in embarrassment for falling for his mischief. He raised his free hand and slapped it vigorously over Taehyung's arm. "Asshole! I was worried about you!"

Taehyung instantly hissed out from the brief pain on his arm, his usual brooding eyes settling on the adorably flushed expression over the boy's face.

"Yeah? You were worried about me hm, darling? That it?" His lowered, deep voice injected sharp shivers across the younger's veins.

Jeongguk's lip quivered, a timid manner to his movements while he looked off to the side, out the car window, where the dark scenery beside them flashed by.

"H-Hiro... Can y-you drive faster, please?"

✱ ✱ ✱

{ A / N }

so as it turns out, throughout the month of May marks one year since i first started posting Under His Spell chapters! 😳

i wanted to do something to show my gratitude, so i figured i'd post 2 chapters in one week :]

aaaaand, i finally got to share my curated playlist with you guys!

here it is again:

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

i'd say there's probably two more main 'arcs' left for PART 2, and after the third part this book will finally be completed! that's really insane to think about... i can't even begin to imagine this book being over and done with.

it's been so much fun fleshing out this story, seeing readers give out their thoughts or theories. i'll admit i've been really curious to see how you all perceive the story, mostly because i don't really want to write a book that's predictable but i worry if the story is making sense the way i want it to, on the reader end 🥲

i've really been enjoying seeing the feedback and theories you all have been coming up with (seriously, how tf are you all so smart?) if i didn't already plan out a million things for this book i would've taken so many suggestions from you guys (heh)

thank you SO so much, i know i keep saying it but that's bc i mean it :]

see you next chapter 💜