↳ ❝🍓 [chapter 25] ¡! ❞🚬

YOONGI SITS AT HIS NORMAL PARK TABLE ALONE, scratching at his arm where he normally puts his nicotine patches. He had to apply it somewhere else each time he found out that putting it in the same place every single time can cause irritation. Eva bought him more expensive ones to help, which was appreciated though he wasn't the biggest fan of her spending money on him.

Some people come up to him, asking if he has a cigarette because he normally always has at least one on his person at a times, but not anymore. Each time, he shakes his head and says, "Nah, I'm quitting for my girl." Not a single cigarette to be found on him. He hasn't touched one for a little over two weeks.

Some even made fun of Yoongi, talking about how whipped he was for that dainty little girl who knew nothing about nothing. They noticed that Yoongi's nails were painted in a new, shiny coat of black nail polish and were rolling. It wasn't his fault, Eva wanted to paint his nails and at first, he refused. "Fuck no."

She batted her eyelashes at him. Didn't even say a word and he fucking folded. He let her paint his nails black and was rightfully rewarded with many, many kisses across his face.

Either way, Yoongi wasn't that embarrassed. It was just a bunch of brotherly teasing. He's heard it for years. It was nothing more than that.

Yoongi would text Eva every so often to make sure she was okay. The anxiety of when he left her alone skyrocketed through the roof. Something could happen and he wouldn't be able to protect her. But he had to keep up appearances and rear his ugly head around so people didn't get suspicious. Yoongi was never really all that active with the rest of them but never before has he been so detached from them, more concerned with his girlfriend rather than them.

Eventually, he couldn't take the anxiety anymore and made his way back to Eva's house to come get her and bring her with him. It would be easier to protect her if she was right beside him. She had just finished baking donut holes so she decided to bring them with her to take to Yoongi's "friends" as she put it.

She was far too innocent for her own good. You may think it sounds like a stupid idea to bring her to where all the dangerous men congregated but it was the only way Yoongi could keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happens.

"You know, you're very cute when you're protective," Eva tells him as they walk back to the park. Under her right arm, she has her Tupperware container tucked. Every little thing Yoongi did around her was to increase her chances of being safe. He walked on the outside beside the street, always with his arm over her shoulders so that he was slightly beside her. She was none the wiser.

Yoongi has no choice but to be protective. Everything else dear to him has been taken at some point so it's only natural for him to be possessive.

"How is it cute?" He asks with genuine confusion. He didn't see anything cute about constantly being on the edge, stressing over if today might be the last day they see each other. Eva shrugs. "I don't know. It's just cute to see you care so much about lil' ol' me. It's very flattering."

"You're so weird."

All eyes were on them when they came through, more specifically on the pretty, feeble girl Yoongi had on his arm. It was very clear to all of them that someone like her didn't belong here. Maybe it was the way she so delicately sat down on the table beside Yoongi, how she so aimlessly said hi to everyone like they couldn't rip her to shreds

They were all intrigued in the most innocent way possible.

Everyone gravitated over, surrounding Eva as they bombarded her with odd questions and interest. She smiled at them and they were captured like they fell in love with her on the spot. Did she have that effect on everyone, even the toughest men hardened by the streets?

Eva opened her tub of cinnamon donut bites and asked, "who wants some?" They all perked up, basically climbing over each other to get some before they were all gone. Eva was taken aback, overwhelmed by how rowdy they were.

Yoongi saw this, her jump in surprise, and was about to put them in their place when Eva spoke up.

"Hey!" She snapped sharply at them, with the bitter venom of a mother correcting their child. All the men settled down bashfully.

"I'm sorry, I know you guys were raised with some manners. You're acting like you were raised by wild animals!" She scolded them, putting them down in their place like some sort of dog tamer. All the men looked away, some with clear shame and some with hardened expressions, but none of them looked her in the eyes. When hers scanned across them

Eva turned to Yoongi and smiled sweetly like she didn't just tell a bunch of dangerous gangsters that they acted like animals raised them. She was fearless, too much for her own good. He wasn't sure if he could be scared, impressed, or aroused. Maybe all three.

She gave them each one, having a few left over for herself and Yoongi. They all ate like they were starving and Eva knew that she had to bring more food for him. At this rate, she should just open a kitchen.

All it took was a smile, food, and a stern voice for them all to be enamored.

They all asked her questions, the biggest one being how she managed to get someone as firm and unmoving as Yoongi to bend to her will. None of them messed with Yoongi besides Trey, not seriously at least. No one could ever get him to do anything he didn't want to. No one tried to order him around or exert any sort of authority over him, but she had managed to convince him to quit smoking and paint his goddamn nails. Most of them were saying she could do better to which Yoongi glared at them.

He knows she can do better. She just hasn't realized that yet. Or maybe she already has and still decided to stay.

Eva was magic in its purest form. She sat on top of the table, looking at the men who surrounded her like she was some sort of queen amongst them. Her delicate yet mature attitude gave them the same sense of escape from all things violent in this world as Yoongi.

"I know most of you aren't bad people, you just have to do bad things to get by in the world." Eva shrugged with a vapid smile. Maybe that's when they were taken by her charms, by her honesty and willingness to see it from their perspective? No one was really sure. They all just felt seen. No one's ever told them that before, that they weren't truly bad people at heart. They were just trying to do what they need to survive.

"Nah, Suga, I'ma have to steal yo girl from you." One of them joke, causing Eva to giggle. Yoongi turns and glares at him with eyes so dark they could scare Satan himself. "I wish the fuck you would." His voice said it all for him, "I'll kill you before you do,".

Yoongi reaches out and puts his arm around Eva's waist, pulling her close, placing his claim on her in front of all of them. They'd have to kill him before he let anyone take her from him. Eva smiles pleasantly and lies her head on Yoongi's shoulder.

"It's also really cute when you get jealous." She whispers so only he can hear. It was more like hot but now isn't the time. Cute will do for now. Eva can feel Yoongi's grip tighten on her hip. "Well, I don't like it when people threaten to steal from me." He grumbles. lip twitching as he holds back the scowl which threatens to make itself known on his face.

Soon, Eva spots Hoseok making his way over and lights up. "Oh Hobi-Hobi! I was wondering where you were!" She says a little too loudly and the men around her fall out into rambunctious laughter, making fun of her nickname for Hoseok.

"Aish, shut the fuck up, you assholes," Hoseok flicks them off, moving them out of the way to sit down on the seat below Eva and Yoongi. "What a surprise to see you here, mama." He smiles at her. "I see you've got the rest of the guys whipped." He reaches into the bucket of donut bites and takes a few for himself.

"Ain't nobody whipped, nigga." One of the men nearby said. That was Slick. That was his name because when he was first inaugurated into the gang, he was able to steal a gun from a police officer without being detected. You have to go through a sort of ceremony, labors in order to be accepted into the group. You have to prove that you're strong, loyal, and resourceful.

Which is the main reason why it's near impossible to leave. There's a common saying within the gang.

Blood in, blood out.

The final way to get into the gang was to jump someone, kill them. Yoongi's victim happened to be from another rival gang. The only way you're getting out is either in death or something so painful that it scares anyone away from trying to leave. Family and friends whose lives would be on the line.

You were truly trapped.

"Shut up, yes you are." Hoseok scoffed playfully. "How could you not be? Everyone falls victim to lil' mama's charm." He compliments her merrily. He grabs Eva's hand. "And I'm gonna marry her one day." Hoseok was a jokester like that. Eva thinks nothing of it as Hoseok's been sportively flirting with her from day one. She finds it amusing in a sense. She just pulls her hand away from his. "Sorry Hobi, I'm gonna have to reduce you to a side piece." She patss his head.

The men holler out laughing, making Hoseok's face erupt in red as he tried to defend himself.

"You're breaking my heart here, mama." He pressed his hand to his chest in hurt. "You don't mind sharing do you, Yoon?" He turns to Yoongi who's already staring at him.

"I will kill you."

"I guess not then."

They laughter ends abruptly and startling silence falls upon the group.

"Don't stop on my account." Trey's grim voice says from the dark of night. Eva jumps and turns around, watching as the threatening man makes his way around the table, staring her and Yoongi down like they had killed his dog.

The men around them soon disperse, not wanting to get in the way of the two powerhouses in case they decide to have their little dogfight.

Yoongi holds Eva tight, protectively. He says nothing. Everyone is stark silent. Eva shuffled closer to Yoongi, her hand coming to clutch his shirt under his jacket. Her fists sits hard against the back, hoping to assure herself that he was here and she was safe.

A smile comes to Trey's lips, revealing his yellowed teeth. His smile is directed at Eva and her heart sinks to her stomach in despair. Her hand grips Yoongi's shirt even harder. He can feel it against his back.

"It's nice to see you again, sweetheart," Trey says to her, his animosity horrendesly hidden behind a smile. "I heard your house got broken into." His voice itself sounds like a threat like he knows something neither of them does.

Eva doesn't answer him. Instead, she turns and buries her face into Yoongi's neck to hide herself from him. Yoongi's eyes harden, aggressive and forward. "What do you want Trey?" The tone of his voice doesn't settle well with Trey.

"Watch your tone with me. You gettin' a lil' too confident." Trey expression falls flat, his sharp eyes narrowing even more. "You got your little girl on your arm and you think you're the shit now. Remember who you answer to. Who knows what may happen to her. She's very lucky nothing happened to her during that break-in."

A clear threat. A clear confession that he had a hand in Eva's break-in.

In a moment of rage, Yoongi got up, ready to get his revenge and to teach him a lesson for once. He doesn't care about who's watching or what sort of trouble he'll get into. He doesn't get to threaten her, harm her, scare her without a scratch. It was only fair that he got his lick in as well.

Eva and Hoseok reach out and hold Yoongi back before he can do anything he might regret. Trey looks amused, smug even, as he watches Yoongi's cool, calm composure crumble apart with just the slightest push.

Finally, Hoseok pulls him back. "Don't be stupid and get yourself killed." He hisses lowly in the older man's ear. "Think rationally."

Yoongi took a deep breath. He looks over at Eva who looks small and scared. He has to be smart for her, play his cards right, make sure he wasn't putting her in any danger.

"You know, that's the problem with you, Suga." Trey begins. "You act all cool and badass and above everyone else, but you're stupid and emotional. You make it so easy to take what you hold dear and crush it. It'll always get a reaction out of you." He taunts.

He isn't wrong. Yoongi becomes very irrational and emotional when it comes to the things he loves. Trey has used them to make Yoongi show his hand before. He's doing it right now, holding Eva's safety above Yoongi's head.

Yoongi needs to bring himself back under control.

Trey looks back at Eva and nods her her. "But I'll leave y'all alone for tonight. Be good, sweetheart." He says as a final goodbye before walking away with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

Immediately, Eva rushes over to Yoongi and wraps her arms around his torso with her face buried into his shoulder. He feels like shit for bringing her here, for letting her get scared like this. Yoongi soothes a hand over her back, assuring her that everything was okay.

The crashing revelation that Eva would never be safe here drags him. Her security was never just that. Secure. It was never guarenteed.

That's when Yoongi decided that he was gonna leave. He was gonna leave and he would run far, far away with Eva where Trey could never find them.

That's what he's gonna do. But he has to be very careful if he wants to make it out alive.

*.✧ Kᴀʏs Eɴᴅɪɴɢ Nᴏᴛᴇs

In case some of you guys are confused, I changed Jay's name to Trey because I wanted to make Hoseok's street name J/Jay because J-Hope his frankly...a bit ridiculous for a street name. Just clearing that up.

For those who have already read the original version of this book, you know this the beginning of the end. We have just 10 chapters left excluding the Epilogue.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed and I wish you all an amazing day/night

사랑해

~Kay ('∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩')