"i'll ask, and you'll answer. got it?" aera nods slowly in response, and he sighs, "great, did you run away from home?"

aera nods again, "words," he says firmly.

"yes,"

"what about your parents?"

"the one i used to l-live with?" she asks.

"obviously, how many parents do you have?"

"they're not my real parents. he bought me when i was seven, and i'm living with him since then."

"bought you?" jimin questions, the frown becoming more prominent when the girl nods, letting him know that she's aware of her words. "do you mean brought, like adopted or something?"

"no, they bought me, i know." aera tells him, "he said i costed him a lot, because he got me from someone who was very rich. and they said i'm pretty so that's why i'm worth more- more money."

the guys exchange glances, aversion for the world growing visibly in their dilated, dark pupils. sighing, jimin nods, shifting a bit forward, sitting on the edge of the couch and looks at aera with sympathetic eyes on hearing such words from her despite being so young and even wishing to die.

"so you ran away from there?" the girl nods in response, "why? what did they do?"

"...he was bad and he lied to me. he said he was a good person who helps people, but he used to kill beat them and give them that... i don't what it's called but it's not good, the maid aunty said, and he takes money and buys people and guns and the bad things. he was talking about a- a big deal or something that involved my name. maid aunty said he was going to sell me again because someone is giving more money for me, and she told me to go away. so me and charley escaped from there." she says, fiddling with her fingers as she recalled how long she ran to get away from that dreadful world.

her eyes lifted up, meeting jimin's empathetic ones, "please don't send me back. he'll punish me and then give me to someone like him. you don't know how bad they are. it hurts a lot."

that was doubtful. they didn't know? the elders stayed quiet, none of that was new to them, just that a fourteen-year-old mentioning all the jobs they do nonchalantly without even thinking twice for a living, made them question their own morality. this girl sitting in front of them, is asking for help from similar criminals like the father she ran away from? irony.

jimin averts his gaze, glancing at the member next to him who sighs as well, nodding his head slowly, "who's he?"

"why?" aera questions, sounding a bit defensive to let out the name yet. as of what she has seen till now, jungkook and probably his whole gang, is a group of criminals too.

"because we wanna know." jungkook states firmly, "just answer the question."

"no," she says, "i told you about my home and that i ran away. now you tell me who are you all?"

"alright, but you have to tell us your dad's name." taehyung says.

"...fine"

"our group is called bangtan boys, or bts for short. and we're uhm you can think that we are businessmen? just that our business is kinda more secretive, something like your dad's." namjoon says. "jungkook was out for work today, and unfortunately you witnessed a knockout, so you're here now."

"you sell people too?" aera asks, cautious of her words as her one hand, rests on charley's back, earning a glance from the dog. he stands up, next to her, growling at the seven while aera is holding his collar, one command away from having him pouncing on them.

"no," jimin says, "your dog is great by the way."

"yeah," she nods, glancing at jungkook who is glaring at her, "he doesn't like jungkook though."

"no one likes him." taehyung snickers, making aera frown as his smile actually suits him a lot, and with that on, he doesn't look like a criminal at all. jungkook rolls his eyes and focuses on the girl, gesturing his hand towards the dog.

"tell this crap to be quiet, or i might have to use my gun."

"no wonder why no one likes you." aera says, "you know what? i'll just forget you ever murdered anyone and head my way. thank you for helping me earlier, i'll go now."

"where will you go at this time?" he cocks an eyebrow at her.

"i don't know." she mumbles, "come on, charley."

the dog barks in response, following her closely as she walks slowly to the main door, but stops on hearing a voice of concern, of jimin as she recognises it now, "are you hurt?"

"no, it's fine." she shakes her head.

jungkook stares at her limping state and the stain of blood on her hoodie, sighing deeply as he glances at his hyung who is also looking at the girl, noticably feeling somthing indescribable in his chest too ever since the moment he saw the kid, "yah!" the youngest male calls, "you're staying over tonight. i don't wanna see the news people exaggerating a kid's death due starvation tomorrow." he scoffs.

"i'm not hungry!" aera retorts, glaring at him, instantly being shut up her growling stomach.

"of course." jungkook mocks sarcastically, "you can stay here for tonight. but remember, tomorrow you're going back. so don't have any hopes from us, especially from me."

"g-going back?" she looks at him, seeing him smirk as he shrugs.

"yeah," he stands up, taking confident steps towards her, "don't you wanna go see your daddy, little one?"

aera glares at him, regretting telling them about her family, more like the people who she was sold to. her jaw ticks in anger, standing right in front of him, tilting her head up as he's still a lot taller than her and grits out, "of course, even my daddy tells me to never trust people. and now i know why, because people like you and him cannot be trusted. y'all just bend towards money."

jungkook's brows scrunch in fury, eyes throwing daggers at the young girl, "you have no idea what you're saying." he growls.

"really? i won't even be surprised if you take me back to my dad for a few dollars from him. you have nothing of yours, do you? how can i trust someone who's job is to put their trust on sale?"

"shut up!" he yells, grabbing her by the arm and leans down to match her height, however pulls back instantly as charley leaps forward at him, growling loudly. aera grabs the dog's collar, keeping him from attacking as jungkook holds his gun at the dog that made his hand bleed.

"jungkook, stop it." yoongi voices, "and you, keep that thing away." he nods at the growling german shepherd.

jimin sighs and steps forward, "he won't do anything," he says refering to jungkook and lowered his gun as he noticed how aera tensed, holding onto the dog tightly, "our trust is not for sale, it's a give and take thing like any other thing in the world. you put some input and get some output. try to trust me just once, if i ever let you down, feel free to shoot me."

aera stares at him, trying her best to locate the lust or cheat in his eyes, but fails miserably in the attempt. her eyes lower to his hand as he holds hers gently, placing a gun on her palm and secured her fingers around the metal, "there are six bullets, one is enough to take a life, if aimed correctly."

"w-why are you-"

"because i don't want you to die." he whispers, "you remind me of someone, and i... i hope you live."

aera tilts her head, staring at the older guy with hesitant eyes, contemplating and fighting her own self if she should believe him or not. having nothing to lose at this point, a gun in her hands and charley by her side, she sighs, nodding her head slowly.

___________

a/n- your favourite ice cream flavour?