Jeongguk wished he hadn't noticed.

Wished he hadn't noticed the way the waitress had been staring at Taehyung for a prolonged period of time. Repeatedly. How her eyes had become wider, pupils dilated. And her gaze, that seemed to glue itself onto the man, though she was trying her hardest to play it cool. To let it go unnoticed.

It seemed that Taehyung himself didn't steal as many glances toward her as she did, him. And frankly, Jeongguk wished he hadn't noticed how the man would attempt to subside his grinning upon first laying eyes on her. And he wished such a thing didn't spark his curiosity as much as it did because, yes, he understood that it was V who was fronting now.

Whatever the alter did, he made sure to keep that as his own business. Naturally, such a quality only made V the most mysterious man Jeongguk had ever met, and it stumped him on how to approach him about certain things. How to navigate their interactions, kindly. Peacefully. Without stirring up those moments that made the alter appear just a little more daunting.

"That shit was so good.." Jimin leaned back in a loud breath of satisfaction, reaching a hand to pat at his full belly. His voice had cut the younger from his thoughts, made him shake his head and shift his attention to the bill that had been placed over their table. "The noodles here are way too good."

"No kidding. You devoured like three bowls.." Yoongi muttered, eyes scanning the receipt that had a higher number than expected printed at the total amount. Jeongguk leaned over across the table, causing Yoongi to turn the sheet over and show the total amount.

"₩175,000 for noodles?!?" The boy nearly yelped.

"This place sure has some lavish prices..." Yoongi dug a hand into his pocket, turning to look at Jeongguk. "Guess we'll be paying around a hundred thousand each."

"I haven't even found a part time job yet," The younger groaned. "This is some of the last of my allowance.."

Jimin watched from his seat, gave his friend a sheepish smile. "Well, you... did lose the bowling game, so—"

"I got it." Taehyung cut in, hand appearing mid-table before he slapped down a ₩100,000 bill. His eyes peered toward the boy beside him. "I'll pay your half of the cost."

Jeongguk blinked up at him, lips gradually parting open. He probably wouldn't have been too surprised, had it really been Taehyung who covered for him.

But V doing such a thing...? Well, he was quite taken aback by it.

"Are—... A-Are you sure...? You were the one who won the game for your team.."

Taehyung's subtle smirk faded to an innocent look on his face. "Of course I'm sure. You're my boyfriend, no?"

Jeongguk's big eyes gaped at the man, watching as Taehyung then suddenly stood, hands sliding into his pockets as he glanced between both Yoongi and Jimin.

"It's late. I should go and take Jeongguk home now."

The two lovers gave slow nods. Amazed, almost. And yet, they could only sit there as the man grabbed Jeongguk by the hand and pulled him up with him. And before the boy could get a word in, the two were already scurrying past the fancy tables, over the polished flooring, straight toward the establishment's exit.

Yoongi blinked back toward Jimin from where they sat, the boy chuckling quietly beneath his breath while they watched the two run off.

The blond then grinned. "What a guy, indeed."

※ ※

"Why did we just-... rush out like that?" Jeongguk's brows were pushed in, washed over in his own uncertainty. Though Taehyung held onto him firmly, guided him down the darkened streets while the cool breeze showed little mercy against their flushed skin.

"Hm? Like I said, it's much too late for you to be out."

Taehyung's eyes seemed busy, head turning at every direction, repeatedly scanning their surroundings. Jeongguk had taken notice of how much V always made sure to be aware of everything at all times. As though he were constantly in battle against someone, or something—an unknown force, even. Being wary was his resting state. Though he seemed different now, somehow.

"So you're taking me home?" Jeongguk's words came softly.

Taehyung slowed down their walking speed a bit, then retreated his hand from Jeongguk's wrist and rested it at his own side. "Am I going the wrong way?"

The boy shook his head. "It's because you're going the right way, that I'm realizing you know where I live now."

The man didn't say anything.

"So, then... You know what happened...? Back at my place?"

He heard Taehyung give a curt chuckle. "We all know."

Jeongguk lowered his head, his feet mindlessly keeping up with the older's pace. He figured the breeze must've gotten colder just then. Because, why else were his cheeks suddenly burning so red?

"Oh," was his reply. And the two men fell silent during their walk.

Jeongguk lifted his head, peered over at Taehyung's free hand below his hip. And he stared, watched it closely. Desired strongly to reach out and grab it.

But he decided not to.

"Something wrong?" Taehyung's deep voice then seeped back into his ears, and Jeongguk shuddered at its weight.

"W-What?"

"You're less chatty," the older continued. "You always have some dumb shit to say and whatnot."

Jeongguk's scoff was nearly automatic. "Dumb shit?"

"And whatnot." Taehyung gave a cheeky grin. Jeongguk's brows furrowed at the sight, his feet hardly keeping up with the emotions building inside of him.

It seemed being in V's presence was truly the most difficult thing he's ever had to do. With his company came an unavoidable aura the alter carried with him wherever he went. He remembered Namjoon mentioning such a thing, of the tension V brought into the air around him. Sometimes there was the calm V, or the playful V. Whenever he'd be in a good mood, it was possible.

And then there was the V that wasn't quite in a good mood. Or the V that focused on his gang duties. Those different sides to him Jeongguk has yet to really know.

"You're quiet again."

Jeongguk drew his attention back to the man beside him, who was looking at him over his shoulder, face stagnant as always.

"Yeah, um.. Sorry, I just..." His voice lowered, hands reaching to clasp together in front of him. "I wanted t-to... ask a-about.."

Taehyung's head tilted to the side curiously.

"T-The, uhm..." The boy quickly looked away and sighed out a low breath. "Nothing, it's—.... Never mind."

Jeongguk continued forward until he sensed a sudden tall figure directly in front of him, and he halted promptly on his feet before he could clash into Taehyung, who was now standing in his way, blocking his path.

"Tell me." His dark voice oozed into the air between them. Jeongguk nearly gulped at the sound.

"It's-..." he trailed off, face now a deep crimson color. Though much to his luck, the lighting outside was awfully limited by the distant lamp posts. "W-Well, the-... The waitress... b-back at the restaurant..."

Taehyung's brows rose slowly. "The waitress?"

"Y-Yes, you-..." A tremble of his lips. "You seemed to know her.."

The man lowered himself until he was at eye level with the younger. He cracked an intricate grin, and then laughed loudly at his face.

"Ha!" Taehyung cackled, "Fuck, Jeon, you really are observant, hm?" He gave a jesting smack at the side of the boy's shoulder. Jeongguk watched him with wide eyes, gulping down the saliva in his throat.

"She did keep looking at you..." He mumbled, lip tucking into a pout while he looked away. "It was almost too obvious.."

"Hm.." Taehyung leaned closer, nearing their proximity. He stared at the expression over Jeongguk's face, studying it for a few long seconds before he spoke. "I love the look on your face right now." Another hum. "Yeah. M'wanna take a picture of it. Frame it."

Jeongguk's eyes snapped back to make eye contact with the older, forcing himself to hold his ground against that ever-so piercing gaze. The two stared at each other, a fire in their eyes, neither refusing to lose putting out the newly formed flame.

After seconds of stillness, Taehyung spoke up again.

"You're right. I do know her." He slowly retreated back, skid himself away from blocking the younger's path before he proceeded down the shadowed sidewalk. "Her name's Jia."

Jeongguk bit down firmly over his bottom lip, then began to walk again beside the man.

"She was just some girl waitressing at this one dangerous underground club. Some shitheads spiked her drink and I couldn't just sit around and watch them leave. It was obvious they both wanted to have their way with her."

The boy listened quietly, a sharp inhale pushing past his lips. There was a brief silence before he gave a whisper. "You saved her.."

Taehyung gave a low hum. "I suppose. Truthfully, I just hate seeing that shit happen right in front of me. Filthy fucking assholes, is what they were."

Jeongguk's hands dug into his pockets, shielding them from the cold. "And you-... You saved me, too. From Choi Eunha, back then." He looked mindlessly ahead, his thoughts busy with what he had gathered from this Jia girl. What V had told him about her, and what the girl was doing now compared to back then. And that was when he came to a realization. "So she..." Jeongguk spoke up again, "This Jia girl went from waitressing unsafe clubs swarmed with criminals... to serving a nice Chinese restaurant that nearly charged us 200 thousand won for our meal..."

The man gave a short nod, and Jeongguk skipped on ahead to stand directly in front of him, blocking Taehyung's path this time.

"And it's all thanks to you!" He chirped cheerily, hopping up from where he stood. Taehyung's gaze lowered down at him. "And you were grinning from ear to ear back at that restaurant because you realized that, and you felt proud. You were proud of her!"

Taehyung blinked incredulously at him. "How on earth did you reach that conclusion?"

A string of giggles left Jeongguk's throat. "You're only saying that because I'm right."

The older scoffed, moved to walk around the boy and continued his way forward. Jeongguk gave a low whine and followed after him.

"I'm right, aren't I? You're proud of her! And you couldn't act like you knew her because that would only drag her back into the criminal world. People could see you talking, her coworkers perhaps, and they might harass her. That's it, isn't it?"

Taehyung kept a blank look over his face, a slight furrow of his brow while Jeongguk clapped repeatedly, giddy at the fact he had 'cracked the code' as he called it. They turned a corner and the younger felt a large hand over his arm. He quieted his laughter and looked up to see Taehyung holding his index finger to his lips, hushing him.

Jeongguk blinked back and fell silent without question, then watched as Taehyung released his hold on him and peered over the building corner they had just passed.

'Stay here', the older mouthed. Jeongguk gulped down his saliva and nodded firmly, staying in place while Taehyung made quiet steps backward, retreating to the corner of an alleyway.

He pressed up against the wall, right at the opening and waited only seconds before a man's head peered over the wall cautiously. And as soon as he did, Taehyung snapped his head forward, clashing his forehead directly with the stranger's in a headbutt attack.

There was a loud grunt of pain while the hooded man stumbled back and fell to the concrete floor, hand reaching up to hold the area of impact. Jeongguk watched from afar with wide eyes as Taehyung smacked the hood off the man's face and grabbed a fistful of his hair, his body lowering into a squatting position.

"Hey, you piece of shit." An evil grin spread across Taehyung's lips. "How's your night going, hm?"

"P-Please, I'm sorry, I was just—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Taehyung shoved the poor guy's head down and slammed it harshly over the rough pavement. The man screamed in pain, a low wail leaving him when Taehyung lifted his head back up by his hair strands.

"An Acre lowlife, aren't you?" Taehyung brushed his hand over the guy's hair, examining his scalp. "Why are you following us, hm? Tell me."

"I w-wasn't... wasn't followi—"

Taehyung shoved the guy's head down again, bashing it into the concrete harder this time, earning a scream of desperate pain from the other. He then yanked him back up and scanned his scalp again.

"Mm... This one was strong enough to draw blood.." he mumbled, watching the red liquid begin to ooze from a wounded crack over the guy's head. "You better speak fast or I'll fucking kill you right here and now. My patience isn't very high, you see. And I'm not sure you'll survive the impact when I'm angry."

"Y-You!" The guy coughed out. "K-Keep-... I was keeping tabs on you!"

"Why."

"B-Because..." The Acre man trailed off before he weakly met Taehyung's eyes, seemingly contemplating his next action. Jeongguk felt himself shaking, daunted by the sudden encounter of the opposing gang member.

And the Acre man decided to withhold his words, instead reaching to grab at Taehyung's arm in an attempt to overpower him. Except, Taehyung's strength was much too great for him, and his grip was quickly brushed off before the man's head was banged harshly into the concrete once again. This time, the force had been great enough to knock the guy out cold, and Taehyung merely dusted his hands off and stood back up, letting the other's body fall limp.

"I-Is-... Is he d-dead...?" Jeongguk stammered out, eyes wide as he watched a stain of blood spill into the pavement.

"No. Just passed out. A dead body on the side of the street would bring too much attention," Taehyung wiped his palm over his trousers. "Now let's go. We're going to my place now."

"A-Are there... others following us?"

"Not sure. But if I take you home now, they'll probably know where you live." The older turned on his feet, toward the other side of the street. "Now let's go. Don't make me repeat myself."

※ ※

Jeongguk followed closely behind the man in front of him, left hand clutching onto a plastic bag while the two climbed up a set of stairs. His eyes were glued ahead, unable to deter himself from staring at Taehyung's broad shoulders. This view was much like the night they had met, where Jeongguk had blindly followed him—a stranger, at the time.

He'll never regret it; meeting him that night. Never regret following him despite not knowing where they were going. And although there was a time Jeongguk would think he would've been better off never meeting this man, he knew he could never think that way again.

Much has changed since that night.

Jeongguk knew even more than he did before. Things that made him smile, and things he wished would be different. It was a complicated mix, really. Had Taehyung not have been living with five of him in his head, it was unlikely they would have ever met the way they did. Bonded the way they did. Taehyung would've likely led a much more different life, a life far from Jeongguk's reach.

So in a way, he was grateful Taehyung was just the way he was. He accepted him unconditionally, wouldn't take him any other way. Even though it would always conflict with the feeling deep inside him, that wished Taehyung would've never gone through the pain that he had in his life.

"Through here." He heard the man's deep voice husk out, and Jeongguk followed him past a heavy metal door, back out into the chilly air.

Since their encounter with that suspicious Acre man, Taehyung had taken him into a convenience store and bought them drinks, perhaps to calm Jeongguk from the adrenaline of what he had just gone through. The older assured him there was a place they could sit down and drink in peace, a place that he himself liked to frequent. But Jeongguk hadn't expected this 'place' to be the very rooftop of Taehyung's own apartment.

"Do you come up here often..?" Jeongguk cracked a small smile, his feet guiding him through the textured grey flooring. They stopped a few feet behind the ledge, a metal railing preventing an accidental fall from the tall building they stood over.

"Yes." Taehyung's hefty voice pushed into the air, the corner of his lips lifted.

Jeongguk gasped in a breath, in utter awe at the view in front of them. Seoul always seemed so different at night. Its bright city lights gave the area an embracing yet forbidding glow, shielding one from harm while concurrently exposing them directly to it. A contradicting feeling, one that felt lighter on the shoulders the more ignorant one stayed to the city surrounding them.

Jeongguk himself, used to be ignorant of it all. He thought a city like this would never harm him, that the sweetness those lights brought him would keep him safe wherever he went.

And yet, despite the dangers he had grown to know, he still felt strangely at home in Seoul.

After all, Seoul was where his friends were, where his school was. Where he met the man he could never stop loving.

"It's beautiful..." Jeongguk whispered quietly. A gentle breeze carried his words to Taehyung's ears, and the man nearly smiled.

"Yes, it is." He gave a curt nod to himself, eyes falling dark, and then Taehyung retreated backward a little, over a metal cargo box elevated from the gravel ground. He plopped himself over the surface and dug into the plastic bag he also carried. From it he pulled out a bottle of soju, nails digging to unclasp the colored cap. "I come here to think. Mostly."

Jeongguk pulled his eyes from the overhead view of the city, and turned to look at him.

Taehyung continued. "When I need to figure shit out for the gang, or... When I have a fight with someone, or... When I just need time alone."

The boy blinked back at him, remained silent. He slowly skid his feet over small pebbles and retreated toward where Taehyung was sat. For a second he wondered if another alter had switched in, perhaps Taehyung himself was back, because he didn't think V of all people would open up to him like this, about anything. Even if only a little.

But the intensity in his eyes. That shadowed gaze.

This was definitely still V.

"Hopefully it's not often, then.." Jeongguk spoke up, plopping himself beside Taehyung over the metal surface, his head lifted to look back at the city view. "It seems you come here for reasons that are all negative.."

Taehyung scoffed out a short chuckle, bottle pressed over his lips. He tilted his head back and took a sip of the alcoholic drink.

"I don't have many positive reasons in my life." He uttered coldly. "If I do, they're gone now. And if they're not, then they will be, soon enough."

Jeongguk's lips parted. He kept quiet for a moment, then reached into his own small plastic bag and pulled out the drink he had chosen—banana milk. He twisted the cap open and stared at the aperture.

"Why did you... bring me here?" He spoke quietly.

Taehyung's gaze settled over the moon in the distance, hidden behind grey clouds. "I told you already. I can't take you home if we were being followed. It's too risky."

Jeongguk quickly shook his head, brows knitting together. "No, I meant—... Why did you bring me up here? To the rooftop... It's your safe place, so... I shouldn't be here."

"Why not?"

The boy opened his mouth to give his response, but no words came. Instead he pressed his lips back together and bit down. And after a short moment he finally answered. "I know you don't like me.."

Taehyung's head fell back a bit, a vigorous laugh left his throat. "Pfft!" He chuckled, hands sliding behind him as he leaned back over the metal cargo box they sat upon. Jeongguk turned to look at the man, a pink hue washed over his cheeks bashfully. "Oh, Jeon.." The man tsk'ed, shaking his head slightly to his sides.

A cute pout formed over the boy's face, and he watched as Taehyung's laughter quieted, and then the man turned his head, made direct eye contact with him. His piercing gaze burned deep into Jeongguk's own, almost consuming him whole. The younger felt his heart rate quicken, until it finally came to a complete halt once Taehyung asked him a question he had never in his life thought he would hear. From anyone, really.

"Tell me.." His voice lowered, face dull. "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Jeongguk's eyes enlarged, his face gradually contorting into an utterly appalled expression. His face nearly went pale, words became stuck in his throat.

Taehyung's ghastly stare rendered the boy frozen, and after a few long seconds passed them, came and went as though about an hour had gone by, Taehyung gave a boisterous chuckle.

"It's not a trick question, Jeon. I'm merely asking."

Jeongguk hesitated before inhaling a sharp breath, his head shaking to the side. "N-No... O-Obviously not..."

Taehyung sat upright. "Well, have you ever wanted to kill someone?"

They boy's mouth gaped open. "W-What...? No. No, I—"

"Not even Lee Seojun? The guy who hurt you so much?"

"He-... He did hurt me. Before, in the past, but we're—"

"Then kill him." Taehyung pried closer toward the boy, eyes fixated directly on him. "I'll help you." His lips curled inward. "Let's do it."

Jeongguk gawked back at him, brows lifted high in disbelief, a shortness of breath coming to him briefly.

The city lights reflected in his eyes somehow, glistening dreadfully.

And Taehyung's eyes were dimmed with naught but shadows.

After a prolonged silence, of Jeongguk holding his breath, the older soon spoke up again.

"I'm only joking, Jeon." He uttered, face deadpanned. He retreated himself, leaned back to prop over his elbows while he lifted the bottle back to his lips. "Though, I will say I've noticed something.."

Jeongguk kept silent, gaze fixated on him still.

Taehyung's hefty voice emitted the hushed words from his tongue. "We're alike, you and I.."

Their eyes met again.

"Yeah," he concluded his thought. "You're just like me."

Jeongguk felt he couldn't speak. He'd forgotten all words, perhaps. Because, in that moment the man's stare had its own pull reeling him in. A pull that forbid him from looking away, grasped him into its lulled waves that crashed into each other only to shape ripples over its seams.

Because, no. No matter how long Jeongguk thought about it, he couldn't quite see how he and V were alike. At all. Not even a little bit.

Yet the two alike men watched each other a while longer, neither making efforts to disrupt the hold they had grasped over one another.

Two alike sprouts, who had grown in two different habitats. Who, despite their different customs, had somehow still managed to find each other.

✱ ✱ ✱

{ A / N }

so i want to talk rq about this idea i've had for a while now, and i'd appreciate to hear your thoughts on it :]

if you're following me you may have already seen my big announcement to make a prequel for UHS! i've been think about it for some time now, but wasn't sure if you readers would be interested, or if it would meet your expectations.

basically, i was trying to figure out a way to include taehyung's full past in the book, but every method i'd come up with fit awkwardly into the story for what i have planned out. this book is already getting too long as well, so i figured why not just make a prequel?? :3

you can check my published stories and find the prequel already up on there (called TRAPPED IN A SPELL), but no actual chapter has been released just yet. i'm not yet 100% sure if i'll actually proceed with it, as it'll mostly be about taehyung and the alters, so depending on how you guys feel about it i'll plan everything out more. i figured it'd be good to hear you guys' opinions on it now 😌

so if i don't delete it from my published works, then i'm planning to release it after UHS is over, and i'll probably focus on it before continuing THE BOY OF MY DREAMS ( since that'll be more lighthearted for me to write after the UHS series is over :p ) hope that's okay.

on another note; i've been receiving so much love for this story, and it gets overwhelming (in a VERY good way) sometimes. i really didn't think so many people would even notice this book, so thank u thank u thank u all again so much for your continued support!!!!

💜💜💜💜