•••

four days later

"aera?" jimin frowns, raking a hand through his hair, tired and worried for he just came back from work and couldn't find aera anywhere in the house, "where are you, kiddo? c'mere,"

the child doesn't respond and jimin realises how much he's grown acquainted to her in just four days. sweat trickles down his forehead as he mutters curses to himself for leaving her alone at home without any guidance late in the evening. for the one last time, praying that she must be somewhere in the house, jimin jogs upstairs, checking the bedrooms again, which is when he hears some noise from the bathroom of her room.

sighing in relief as he makes out aera's happy giggles and cackles from inside, jimin knocks on the door slowly, "aera? what are you doing in there?" he asks, "i've been looking for you—"

she giggles again at another voice, growing jimin's suspicion and he frowns, opening the door without a warning. "hey, that's not a nice thing to do," jungkook hisses, standing up from his seat— which was the closed toilet lid— while aera's still in the bath tub, sitting between bubbles and foam with her nerf gun.

"what are you doing here— and how?" jimin stares at the younger brother, who grins at him and sends a playful wink, glancing at aera.

"how did i get in here princess?"

"window," aera states the obvious, holding her gun towards jimin and smiles mischievously, "hands up bad people!"

jungkook obeys quickly, pretending to be scared, whereas jimin is too stunned by jungkook's presence for he knew there was no possibile way by which jungkook could escape the tight security of his cell.

"jiminie oppa, hands up!"

jimin snaps out from his thoughts, still not paying attention to aera's game and turns to jungkook with a hard glare, grabbing him from the back of his neck and his hands locked behind his back, forcing him to drop to his knees, "why do you keep testing me huh?" jimin growls, about to hit jungkook, but aera whines, standing up from the tub and runs towards jungkook, slipping in the process thanks to the soap and water.

"aish, get up," jungkook sighs, "i've told you so many times to be careful in the bathroom,"

"koo, ouch..." aera whimpers, standing up slowly as rubs her butt over her light blue briefs she's still wearing. her eyes then meet jimin, "don't hit my koo. you're bad... why are you hitting him?"

jimin thinks for a moment, nodding his head as grans jungkook's shirt, pulling him up, "aera, clean up real quick and get dressed. we have something really important to do," jimin says, stepping out with jungkook, but stops when jungkook stops, "what?"

"she wants me here," jungkook declares, nodding towards his hand that aera's holding, making jimin sigh.

"if you jump out of that window, jungkook, know that your friend is dead," jimin threatens, allowing jungkook to stay and help aera out to make the process quicker. jungkook glares at him, but says nothing, deciding to obey for a while.

once aera's dressed in a romper and heads to the room where jimin is already waiting, jungkook sighs deeply, "look, jimin hyung, i have no interest in making your life a living hell. leave namjoon, i won't bother any of you,"

"aera, c'mere," jimin smiles.

"no," aera mumbles, "you're bad... you were going to hit koo,"

"no, sweetheart. it's a part of the game your koo plays, ask him if you want," aera pouts, looking up at jungkook, who has trouble denying it and jimin chuckles, "see? anyway, tae gave chocolates for riri. they're in the living room go and see,"

"chocolates?" aera licks her lips, letting go of jungkook's hand and nods, "koo i'll save one for you okay?"

jungkook watches her leaving the room and jimin locks the door soon enough, "i said i won't kill you, but you're making me question my own sanity," jimin clicks his tongue, stepping near the younger brother and places his gun on the desk nearby, "but i still don't wanna do it. so maybe you were right, you can kill yourself,"

jungkook studies everything slow, jimin circling him gradually like a predator about to pounce on his prey, with the thick atmosphere he created and the hatred his eyes held for jungkook. "if you kill yourself, jungkook," jimin says, "a long ass case would be saved, no wastage of time and money. maybe your friend could be released. and aera— well, what do you want me to tell her when you die?"

"you killed yourself and went with the angels?" jimin chuckles mockingly, "or how about, you were tired and suddenly it dawned upon you that your job might be a threat for your sister? or— no, here's the best one, you'll love it," he smirks, keeping the eye contact alive, "you were guilty of taking so many lives, using your own sister who barely knows about the filth you're in. you were disgusted with the life you live and you knew that nothing can take all this back, so you dumped down your sister and decided it's better for to die. am i right?"

jungkook's jaw clenches in anger, knuckles turning white in the firm fist, although he doesn't reply to all what jimin just said with the soul purpose of riling jungkook up and make him react the wrong way, "do you know how i managed to get out the cell again ?" jungkook asks instead, taking a seat on aera's bed and picks up the nerf gun she left here, "well, you're being snitched on by someone really important,"

jimin's head whips in the younger's direction, getting a laugh from jungkook, "you have to be dumb and completely blind to not see this," jungkook shakes his head, "commisioner min? mm, no. officer kim— your best friend? maybe...?" he cocks up a brow, lips curving into a smirk slowly as he points the nerf gun at jimin, "jokes on you, jimin hyung, hands up,"

"funny how you said it was the end. funny how you thought i would let things end your way, i figured aera isn't any safer with you than she's with me. that doesn't mean i'll take her away from you, nope. just that i'll see that things are in control for both of you," jungkook says, standing up and dust off his hands, heading towards the door, "see you soon, and quit thinking that you'll get a hold of me. oh— and, namjoon's already out, my poor jiminie hyung," jungkook smiles, opening the door and walks out whistling casually.

jimin heaves out a deep breath, playing jungkook's words again, having a hard time taking in the fact that it was kim taehyung out of all— the man by his side all the time— snitching on him. if jungkook said it was min yoongi, jimin would still beleive it easily, but this is drving him nuts. his eyes fill with tears, all mixed with anger, hatred, frustration and betrayal. he grabs his gun and phone, dialling a number immediately.

"hello, yes jimin?"

"i want the officers at my place right now, jeon jungkook is with me,"

"okay, will be there in a few minutes,"

"thanks," jimin hums, putting the phone down and enters the living room, seeing aera's eating the chocolate with jungkook, sitting on his lap and talking to him about something that's funny enough to make her laugh.

jungkook glances at jimin, hearing a knock on the door which surprises jimin as well, for he never expected the force to be here that fast. however when he opens the door, it's just taehyung standing there, smiling weakly at jimin, who grits his teeth in anger, "jimin, i know jungkook told you, i swear i didn—"

"you didn't mean it? yeah, right," jimin nods, "well, congratulations you did a great job kim taehyung. i never found anything suspicious, never doubted anything you did because i fucking trusted you with everything i had! but i guess it's all a waste,"

"jimin, liste—"

"no, shut up and leave,"

"jimin, please," taehyung steps inside, fishing out an envelope from his pocket and places it in jimin's hand, "these are flight tickets for you and aera. leave this place. it's not safe for either of you,"

"why do you care?" jimin pushes taehyung back, "why does it concern you now if i stay alive or dead?!"

"because you're my best friend!" taehyung shouts back, "i did all this for a reason jimin, trust me. i hate jungkook as much as you do, but i couldn't deny the fact that he was right about those people coming after you and aera next!" he says desperately, "i knew about aera and yes i should've told you, but it wasn't the right time, jimin. you hated your father and then your brother because he became like one of them too, it was just me who you really trusted and i didn't want you to be all alone. i wanted to stay there for you,"

"like this?" jimin scoffs, "you lied to me all the time, pretended to be someone you're not, helped a criminal— jungkook, escape from us, hid the truth about my sister. and you, taehyung, wanted to be there for me? you want me to trust you? do you even hear yourself right now?"

"i'm sorry," taehyung looks down, "i never meant to hurt you, jimin,"

"yes, you did. because if you actually considered me as a friend, you wouldn't have let this happen," jimin rubs the tears off from his eyes, "what did you get in return? did jungkook pay you? how much to be a traitor— to backstab your only friend and the whole fucking police department? you must've made a lot of money right?"

"jimin..." taehyung shakes his head slowly, tears brimming his eyes. although before he says anything else, the sirens become audible and jimin sighs deeply, glancing back at the cars stopping, "jimin, no—"

"i hate you for doing this to me, tae," jimin says, gulping down the lump forming in his throat.

"jimin, you did a great job," yoongi's voice speaks, approaching jimin while the other men have surrounded the house from all sides and some heading to the living room, which elicits a sharp cry from aera, probably because the men were taking jungkook away from her.

"let go," jungkook voices out firmly, jerking his arms back and carries aera up, "it's alright, they're not doing anything, princess,"

"why e'ryone keeps hurting koo?" aera sobs, hugging jungkook tightly.

"aera, c'mere," jimin approaches the kid, holding out his arms for her, "jungkook needs to go now, you promised to let him go didn't you?"

"no..." aera huffs, never letting her arms loosen around jungkook's neck, making him sigh softly, hugging her back too. one of the men with the uniform steps forward, taking aera from jungkook, ignoring all the cries and protests she does to stay close to her brother.

jimin stares at her with sympathetic eyes and jungkook glares at the man, grabbing his arm before he could lock his wrists and turns him around swiftly, kicking on his chest so that he falls back against the wall, "make sure you know how to deal with kids next time you're near my sister," jungkook threatens, picking up the gun that fell from the man's hand and faces the rest, "step ahead and i'm shooting this one," he points the gun at the groaning man, opening one arm for aera, who comes quickly and hugs his torso.

"koo," aera mumbles, looking up as she shows him her elbow where there's a tiny scratch bleeding now, probably because of the one idiot who decided that it was okay to take aera without her wish.

jungkook glares at jimin, his hand still pointing the gun at the man on the floor and pulls the trigger, shooting him dead right there, "tell them not to touch aera," jungkook growls, stepping near jimin and hands aera over to him, "tell them to go back,"

"no," jimin says, "drop the gun right now,"

jungkook shoots another man, never breaking the eye contact with jimin, and then another, "you see their deaths don't bother me. so you tell them go back, and i'll stop,"

"koo, no," aera pouts at him.

"jungkook," jimin speaks again, "surrender yourself. aera will be safe with me, i promise,"

"i don't know if i can trust you," jungkook says to jimin, but eyes glance at taehyung nodding out and taehyung sighs, looking away. jimin notices the interaction and shakes his head.

"that's your choice, but she's my sister too and she's just a child, so i'll make sure that she has a good life, like the one you wanted to give her,"

"tell them get out first," jungkook hushes, "i won't run away,"

"why should i believe you?"

"you have a gun, shoot me if i try to escape,"

jimin pulls out his gun, holding it straight on jungkook's chest while the latter puts his gun down, showing the empty hands to the elder brother, "move out," jimin orders his men, getting hesitant nods, "take aera too," he adds, letting aera out when jungkook gestures towards her too. 

"what now?" jimin asks, slowly kicking the gun jungkook took, away with his feet once they're alone in the room.

"take care of aera," jungkook says, "use the tickets taehyung gave you. go away from here and live a normal life— i swear to god if you choose this job again. please love aera with all your heart and don't ever let her feel that i'm not there with her. don't make her hate me too... that's the least i want from you. she's all i ever had, and leaving her like this hurts me. so please, tell her that her koo will always be watching her and he finished the game for good,"

jimin nods slowly, not having words to tell jungkook. although he when he does want to speak, jungkook is fast enough to interrupt as he holds jimin's gun, pressing the trigger, making the bullet erupt out straight into his chest. jimin gasps, pulling his hand back, seeing jungkook fall on the floor with a thud, his eyes half open and lips parted with the blood oozing out of his heart, "tell ri... i- i went with the angels..."

jimin's eyes fill with tears, dropping the gun from his hand as he stares at jungkook's calm expression, as though the boy wasn't dying but falling asleep.

•••

a few months later

london, england

"that's my koo!" aera chirps, standing on the chair in the balcony beside jimin, who chuckles, nodding his head, following aera's hand pointing at one of the brightest stars in the night sky that seemed a little closer from the fifteenth floor of the tall building.

"yes, now one last bite for koo, okay?"

aera nods, opening her mouth quickly, taking the last bite of her dinner and grins widely at jimin, leaning forward to get in his arms as he puts down the dish and cleans her mouth with a napkin, "are we full now?"

"yes," aera kisses his cheek, "let's sleep, oppa i'? tired,"

"alright, let's put riri to bed now," jimin smiles, heading inside to his room and makes aera sit on the bed while he goes to grab a glass of water for her.

"oppa, we have to go to my school tomorrow. i got a letter today,"

"is that so?" jimin takes her bag, opening the zip of the front pocket and pulls out the notice letter, "oh it's the pta. meeting. we'll go, don't worry. i hope riri's being a good girl in school,"

"yeah, i'm good," aera nods, sipping from the glass of water and gets in the covers after giving it back to jimin. he joins her in bed soon, making her lay properly and pats her back in a gentle pace.

"close your eyes, aera,"

"how did you know?" aera gasps and jimin chuckles, kissing the top of her head fondly.

"magic!" he whispers, cuddling her to sleep, "good night sweetheart,"

"good night, jiminie oppa," aera giggles, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she climbs to lay on top of jimin and hums in satisfaction, drifting off to sleep in just a few seconds, leaving jimin to smile at the ceiling alone, having his baby sister cuddled up against his chest.

__________

a/n- okayy so how's the series?

and which character did you like the most?

i as a little worried about this one because the plot is a kinda complex and it was was hard to get it done in just four chapters. i hope i didn't leave any plot holes and also that everything makes sense. if it does, and if you liked the series, please do vote and comment to let me know. it took a great effort from me to write this all.

honestly this particular series had me really confused and intrigued, i changed a lot of things and edited out a lot to finally frame this plot. if i've to pick some works which took the most efforts from me, i'd say it's this series and of course the GUILTY series. both consumed a lot of my time and brain. so i really really hope you guys enjoyed it.

ps: i changed the ending quite a few times. earlier jungkook wasn't meant to die. just get arrested. both and jungkook and taehyung. but as i thought more to make it interesting and kinda to get the best reaction from the readers i decided the fyam jungkook needed to die in this one, and let taehyung get arrested alone.

thank you for reading ❤️

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