as much as jimin wanted to hit the younger brother and scold him for being so obliviously rude to the girl, he was holding himself back, just wanting to tackle the anger with a glare that already has jungkook sighing and shifting his place right away.

"you have no conscience, do you?" the elder growls, "she's just a kid for god's sake jungkook!"

"i'm sorry," the younger murmurs, "did you see how she was talking? of course i'd get mad."

"i wanna hit you right now."

jungkook sighs, glancing at the eldest, virtually whining for him to say something and calm his brother down. jin shakes his head, passing jungkook's wish to the person next to him, "namjoon-ah, kook's saying something." he whispers, nudging the taller man.

"what?"

"nothing" jungkook sighs, "but i don't get why jiminie hyung is so defensive of her."

jimin rolls his eyes, standing up from the couch in frustration, not minding the six pairs of eyes following his figure towards the door and stops with him near the glass railing. he breathes deeply, glancing down at the lounge area where the girl is still sitting quietly with her dog, saying something to him and in response charley licks her face, making jimin smile involuntarily when she smiles.

"look at her," his voice is soft and airy for the boys to hear, soothing between the restlessness in their world, "if aera was here, she would've been around her age."

"hyung..." jungkook frowns, shaking his head as he stands up, "she's not her. there can be hundreds of girls named aera."

"i know," jimin chuckles sadly, "but still... did you see how she was looking at you when you said you'll kill her? she doesn't fear death jungkook, she's too exhausted to fear death. and it's not a good sign, at least at her age."

"he's right," the eldest nods, "she knows things that she shouldn't know. she's seen people hurting and killing other people, selling, trading illegal and... knows herself that she was sold, and that too not once."

"y'know jungkook, you should have some sense when you talk." jimin says, tearing his eyes off the girl and looks at the younger brother, "that dog is all she has. and when you threaten to kill him, you're killing a part of her too and that hurts more than death. i get that you don't feel bad or stuff for killing people, but she's not one of them. i guarantee you kook, you won't be able to breathe peacefully after hurting her. you know why? because you're a human too, and she's not meant for this."

jungkook averts his eyes, unknowingly staring at the girl he brought home a few hours ago. his hand digs in the pocket of his pants, pulling out a shiny, silver thing that he now notices is a star shaped pendent that aera gave him earlier in the alley as his payment. he chuckles lightly, observing it carefully until his smile fades away.

his finger pushes a little button like thing, making it click open into two halves. his brows are knitted together as he takes the two pieces apart, hoping to see a picture, but finds a smiley on one and princess written on the other half. the handwriting is bad, resembling to that of a child much younger than how old she is now.

"jimin has a similar kind, right?" taehyung mentions, earning glances from the members, "that. the locket." he points at the one jungkook is holding.

"isn't this... uh no," yoongi shakes his head.

"it is..." jimin whispers in a voice that shows how impossible this is, "this- i... where'd you get this?" he asks hastily to his brother, taking the pendent in his hand, having his fingertips brushing over the small peice of paper that is stuck on one side with the alphabets scribbled in a messy way but clear enough to make out what is written.

"uh she gave it to me," jungkook says, unsure of his own words, recalling how she's a stranger yet felt familiar to the point he was doubting his sanity, "-when i shot that guy who was following her."

jimin keeps mum, staring at the locket and then at the girl downstairs who is now still against couch, having charley cuddled up close to her, both looking exhausted and in need of some peaceful sleep. he heaves out a breath that feels quivering in the air, lingering for a moment of warmth until it's all cold again.

"i want all the information about this girl and where she came from." his voice is directed towards his members, eyes fixed on their little guest, "even if she's not our aera, she needs help, and i'm willing to do it for her. any questions?"

when he heard nothing from the six, he nods glancing at them, "great."

"hyung..." jungkook looks up hesitantly, "i don't think it's a good idea."

"then let me work on it alone." jimin sighs, "as simple as that."

"i think jimin is right," jin says, glancing at the others for nods of affirmations which he recieves in a moment and smiles, "we gotta help this kid. we've lost aera once, and we cannot let someone else lose their aera too."

"she has no one." jungkook reminds.

"she doesn't know anyone." yoongi corrects, "there's a difference."

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a/n- your ultimate kpop bias?