The next morning, Eunha woke up late.

By the time she was done showering and she came out of her room, Taehyung and Jungkook were already gone. She didn't care much about where they were. She was already upset because of Taehyung since last night. Plus she had bigger worries on her mind. She was late for work in the first week of her job. She could only imagine what kind of terrible impression she was making on Ms. Nam and Jimin.

With a swollen nose and red, puffy eyes, Eunha rushed toward the bookstore with a black umbrella clutched in her hand. According to the weather forecast, it was supposed to snow that day. She glanced up at the heavy clouds in the sky and sighed. She looked horrible, hadn't eaten breakfast, and was running in the middle of the street-oh, she noticed-with mismatched socks on. Another long sigh left her dry lips. On top of being late, she also looked absolutely ridiculous. What a way to show up to work.

Eunha was certain that she was going to receive a scolding from Ms. Nam. It wouldn't even be surprising if she got fired. After all, it was her first week, and so far, all she had demonstrated to her employer was her lack of responsibility. What made the situation even worse was the fact that she had no valid excuse to give Ms. Nam. She hadn't woken up to her alarm because she stayed up late crying the night before. However, that wasn't any of Ms. Nam's business. Being irresponsible and sharing personal issues with the boss didn't seem like the best idea. After all, nobody likes an employee who is a mess.

Eunha's footsteps slowed and became hesitant as she tried to come up with an excuse to save herself. As The Villain's Den came into view, Eunha wanted to turn around and go back home. She would rather lose her job than have to explain herself or lie. Memories of her previous bosses scolding her crossed her mind, including the time when Mr. Han, a grumpy mechanic she briefly worked for, had thrown a wrench at her just because she had misplaced a few items in the garage. It was only her third day. Eunha shuddered at the memory of how close the wrench came to hitting her head. If it had, she could have died or suffered serious brain damage. Taehyung was adamant that she should have sued the mechanic, but they didn't have any evidence to prove that he had attempted something like that. She never went back there though.

Eunha felt the first snowflake of the day land on her nose, prompting her to go inside. She took a deep breath before entering through the glass door, looking at the counter for Ms. Nam, but she wasn't there. She sighed with relief, took off her cream-colored overcoat, and set her umbrella aside, the warmth of the bookstore embracing her body.

"Well, someone's late," Ms. Nam's lively voice came from somewhere behind a bookshelf. Eunha flinched, startled. She turned in the direction of the voice and saw Ms. Nam's pale face poking out from behind a tall bookshelf. She looked much better than the last time Eunha had seen her.

What a relief.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Eunha apologized immediately, expecting to see an angry expression on Ms. Nam's face but instead she gave her an intrigued look.

"Couldn't sleep last night?" She questioned, disappearing behind the shelf again for a moment before coming back to the front.

"Well..." Eunha bit down on her lip.

"That's alright,"

It was alright? Eunha looked up at her, surprised. She was not mad at all? This woman had to be an angel.

"It is?" She echoed.

"Yep, just be more careful next time,"

"You're quite lenient," Eunha smiled as Ms. Nam made her way around the counter and towards her habitual seat. Eunha had been worrying for nothing. She didn't even need to explain anything. She was sure she'd landed the best boss in the world.

"Well, the world is pretty rough on people, so I try to be kinder," Ms. Nam said as she arranged what seemed to be receipts on the counter. She collected them all and put them inside a drawer. Then she paused and looked up at Eunha. "But don't underestimate me. I know how to be strict with the wrong people. You, on the other hand, don't deserve that kind of treatment," she added. "Plus, sleep is a rather sensitive topic for me considering my illness, you know."

Eunha nodded at Ms. Nam, her previous smile fading. Ms. Nam exuded a motherly warmth that made everything seem alright; as if it was no big deal at all. She seemed like the kind of person you could confide in. For a moment, her soft voice made all of Eunha's anxieties go away. Then she felt the crashing weight of intense pain in her chest. It was a contradictory feeling, like when you feel so happy that it makes you feel sick.

"Uh, but why do you look like that? Are you sick?" Ms. Nam asked.

"No, I'm fine." Eunha lied, looking away from her concerned gaze. She was starting to have flashbacks of last night and her heart clenched at the thought of her parents and Taehyung's bashful words. "I'll get to work now."

The jingle of a small bell indicated that the front door of the store had slid open. Eunha's head turned to watch the person who had entered and saw Jimin, who seemed to be in a pleasant mood, perambulating towards her.

"Guess who had an awesome day?" He grinned as he dropped his bag at the table on the right side like usual.

"Obviously you did because Eunha here doesn't seem very well." Ms. Nam gestured.

"Why?" Jimin's smile morphed into a concerned look, his eyes instantly shifting to Eunha who stood in the middle of the bookstore awkwardly. "What's wrong, Eunha?" He asked, his small eyes slightly widened as he tried to get a good look at her face. She seemed to be wanting to hide it.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, really," Eunha pressed as she turned her head the other way, refusing to meet Jimin's eyes.

"Yeah, we're not buying that pretentious answer," Ms. Nam waved her hand dismissively before leaning onto the counter with her elbows, her pretty face cupped between her palms.

"Hmm, let's see," Jimin hummed as he walked over to the other side to look at Eunha who quickly turned her head away again, mumbling an embarrassed 'what are you doing' as a light blush crept up her cheeks.

"Your eyes are really puffy and swollen so that means you've been crying," Jimin narrowed his eyes, looking so serious as if he were a detective trying to solve a mystery.

"No, they're just swollen because I ate rice before sleeping last night. Lots of rice." It was a lame excuse but it was better than admitting that she'd been bawling her eyes out. Eunha felt embarrassed about the whole ordeal. She wished they'd just ignore it and go on with their day like most people did, but Jimin's lips stretched into a cheeky smile like he knew a secret nobody else did.

"Well, a lot of rice must have tasted really good to make you cry," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. She heard a tiny giggle escape from Ms. Nam. Eunha opened her mouth to say something, then clamped it shut, feeling too embarrassed. She just awkwardly looked down at her feet, not knowing how to act or what to say.

"Aw, come here, silly." Jimin smiled softly as he pulled Eunha in for a hug, wrapping her in his friendly warmth, and just as her face pressed against Jimin's blue fleece jacket, she felt hot tears streaming down her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had been hugged. She quickly wiped away at her face, hoping Jimin won't notice.

"I can't just leave you to be sad and sulky. A happy employee brings in a lot of happy customers so I should make sure you're happy when you're working," Jimin stated. Eunha smiled a weak smile. She had a feeling that this was the place where she was going to be the happiest, happier than she felt at her own house, and she didn't know what she had done to deserve meeting such good people but she was grateful that she had.

"Hey, Jimin! I'm in-charge here, why are you acting like you're the boss?!" Ms. Nam called him out.

"I'm tired of being a lowly worker. I want a promotion," Jimin complained jokingly as he loosened the hug, his left arm still lingering around Eunha's neck. "Don't you, Eunha?" He added. She shook her head.

"This isn't an office job, you don't get promotions," Ms. Nam rolled her eyes.

"Aw man!" Jimin sulked, leaning his head to place it on top of Eunha's. It was the most comfortable she had felt at a workplace in months.

~~~

All Jungkook could hear was the beating of his own heart as he felt adrenaline pumping through his veins. His heart thrashed against his ribcage as if it was going to burst out of his chest any second, and his legs ached from how fast he was running. The freezing wind greeted his face in harsh blows, and his skin had turned pale due to the cold. He held onto the black bag in his hands for dear life, while a light layer of snow covered his hair. The snowfall was rather gentle and slow, but Jungkook was afraid he might slip and fall due to the wet ground.

"You are insane, Kim Taehyung!" He yelled over at Taehyung who was running a few steps ahead of him with an identical black bag clutched between his hands tightly.

"Thanks!" Taehyung turned his head to yell back at Jungkook with a grin, his long strands falling into his eyes. Jungkook struggled to speak as he felt short of oxygen. The humid air made it hard for him to breathe. In addition to the damp environment, he was constantly running and panting, which was taking a toll on him. Jungkook had never been a good runner, especially under stressful circumstances.

A few more footsteps could be heard following them in a distance. They were being chased. Some harsh male voices cursed and called out to them, telling them to stop running away and sending death threats. Jungkook was sure he was running on pure fear. Otherwise, he would have hyperventilated and fainted by now but the fear of getting caught kept his body functioning. He was already falling behind and it made him anxious. Taehyung was such a bolter.

"Taehyung, I can't breathe!" Jungkook choked out as he tried to catch up with Taehyung. He pulled down his facemask in an attempt to breathe better but it was no help. He had to stop running if he didn't want to pass out.

"You're such a weakling." He heard Taehyung mutter.

"I'm a little asthmatic!" Jungkook shouted over at him, growing frustrated with the situation. At that, Taehyung turned his head to glance at Jungkook, then his eyes shifted to the men chasing them. He seemed to be contemplating something before looking ahead and continuing without saying a word.

Jungkook's heart dropped. This was it. Taehyung was going to abandon him here and run away by himself. These people were going to catch Jungkook and beat him to death.

"Kim Taehyung!" Jungkook screamed out his name in sheer panic. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to get beat up. He knew he should have never went along with Taehyung's reckless plans.

"Hold on for a bit," Taehyung said without turning his head this time. He slowed down a little so Jungkook could close the distance between them and as he did, Taehyung snatched the bag from his hands, securing it around his shoulder. "You see that ugly sign board? Run into that street and find a place to hide. I'll take a detour and come find you." Taehyung panted as he pointed with his finger. Jungkook nodded and dashed into the dark alley without a second thought.

"Here's your money, losers, want it back? Then catch me if you can!" The last thing he saw Taehyung do was hold up the bag in his hand and further challenge the men to follow him before he crashed into a wall, his knees giving up on him. Thankfully, the men only chased after Taehyung (probably because both of the bags were now in his possession) like he planned, leaving Jungkook alone.

The young brunette boy let out a sigh of relief as he took slow, deep breaths, trying to stabilize his condition. He waited until his vision wasn't blurry anymore and his chest didn't feel constricted. When he finally felt like he could walk again, he slowly got up and started strolling through the dirty streets. After a while of turning around different corners, Jungkook realized he had lost track of where he was going or where he had entered from. It felt like he was stranded in a maze with narrow streets that opened into each other endlessly.

What if he was never able to find his way out of here and he starved to death because of being stuck in here for days? Now, that was an exaggeration. Jungkook sighed. It couldn't be impossible to find a way out. Obviously, this was the result of a very badly planned construction, but Taehyung could find him. That man could find anything if he wanted to. But did he want to find Jungkook, or had he just lied earlier? Was this his way of gently abandoning him? He could tell Eunha he had lost Jungkook while running away and get it over with. Would Eunha look for him? Was he worth searching for? He didn't know.

He felt like he was back in his home again. His parents had died and the landlord was threatening to kick Jungkook out if he didn't pay the monthly rent. He had some money in his parent's joint bank account but he couldn't go to the bank or pay the landlord. He felt strangely helpless like he was bound by his grief to the point where he couldn't move at all. He couldn't get out of bed and there was no one to take care of him. He didn't want to do anything or think anything. He just wanted his parents back. But there was nobody who could bring them back, and there was nobody who would help Jungkook out of bed.

The sound of footsteps snapped Jungkook out of his trance. Conscious of his surroundings again, Jungkook stumbled over a rock on the ground and started moving in the opposite direction of the approaching footsteps. They were heavy and fast-paced, as if the person was rushing. If Taehyung had come to find Jungkook, his plan must have been to lose the pursuers and then reunite with Jungkook to return home safely. However, there was also a possibility that he failed to lose the pursuers and they could come back to this location to go after Jungkook at any time. In Jungkook's anxious mind, everything was a possibility.

Luckily, he discovered a very narrow gap between two walls and managed to squeeze through it. The gap was so tight that only a slim person could pass through one at a time. As he slid past, the cold wall brushed against his clothes until he reached the other side. He pressed himself against the inner wall and surveyed his shabby surroundings. It was a small, enclosed space with walls both behind and in front of him, but there was enough room for 3-4 people to hide in there.

The footsteps were getting closer. Jungkook poked his head out of the gap just enough to see the person approaching. After a few suspenseful seconds, Taehyung appeared in the street with the bags still secured around his shoulders. He was looking around frantically, probably for Jungkook.

"I'm here!" he called out immediately, poking his head out so Taehyung could notice him. When Taehyung's eyes met Jungkook's, he walked over and squeezed into Jungkook's hiding spot, forcing him to move back.

"Are you alright?" Taehyung asked, pulling his facemask down. Jungkook caught a hint of concern in his usually cold orbs and felt at ease. He had really thought Taehyung was going to leave him behind.

"I'm fine, did you lose them?" Jungkook countered.

"Yep."

"What the hell were you thinking stealing from a bunch of gangsters while they were right there?" Jungkook fumed. "They could've caught us and hurt us. They could've killed us."

"Jungkook, only losers get caught during a loot and I'm not one. I don't know about you though..." He trialed off, giving Jungkook a skeptical look. Jungkook ignored the insult.

"What if they're out for our necks now?!"

"They won't know who we are. That's why we were in a disguise," Said Taehyung, looking rather satisfied.

"Disguise?" Jungkook bellowed incredulously. "This simple facemask is your disguise?" He took off the mask and held it up to Taehyung's face. Taehyung recoiled as if it were a dead rat and not a piece of cloth.

"I won't lie, disguising isn't my best talent."

"You're fucking mad. I almost died because of you!" Jungkook yelled, feeling angry. "I thought we were going to be sneaky and shit but you straight up grabbed stuff and started running like hello? You're supposed to tell me beforehand if you were going to be that reckless!"

"Well, you should have told me beforehand that you suck ass at running!" Taehyung retorted.

"Ugh, you're insufferable!" Jungkook groaned, leaning back on the wall and covering his face with his hand in frustration.

"I never forced you to come with me. It was your damn choice so don't stand there and act like this is all my fault," Taehyung deadpanned, glaring at Jungkook.

"I know, all I'm saying is that your method was too risky," Jungkook sighed.

"My motto says no risks, no fun."

"Why do I feel like this isn't the first time you've done something impulsive like this?" Jungkook questioned, eyeing Taehyung weirdly.

"Because it isn't," He shrugged.

"How are you not dead yet?"

"Beats me,"

"You're one lucky guy." Jungkook shook his head.

"Were you always asthmatic?" Taehyung asked as he threw one of the bags at Jungkook. He caught it just in time before it hit him in the chest and wore it around his right shoulder.

"No, it started after my parents died. I used to get lots of panic attacks and they caused me some breathing problem or something," Jungkook answered vaguely. "I run out of breath quickly if I'm in a stressful situation. It's a mental condition, there's nothing wrong with me physically." He added, biting the inside of his cheek. Taehyung stayed quiet as he stared at Jungkook whose somber eyes avoided his.

"Let's go back home." He said after a moment and Jungkook nodded.

After patting Jungkook on the shoulder, Taehyung squeezed out of the tiny space with Jungkook following behind him. Soon, they were walking down the streets again, headed towards a house neither of them knew if they even had the right to call their home.

_________________

A/N: I am miserably failing at life. Take care. Xoxo.