CHAPTER 53

"I've an idea, but we need to rest, mainly Tae and Jungkook. Let me think about it for a couple of nights, then I'll let you know."

"Mm-hmm, sounds good to me."

"Another thing," the leader begins before one of them can speak again, "I want to know more about Bang PD. Jungkook, you said you've got the proofs of what he did?"

"Yeah, I stored them in my room."

Seokjin opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He clears his throat, "What room?"

"In my parents' house." Jungkook clarifies.

All of them let out a soft ahhh.

"Perfect," Namjoon claps his hands together, "do you think your parents will mind if we make a quick visit?"

Jungkook chokes on his own saliva and gazes at Jimin briefly. "M - my parents?"

"Yeah, if we want to take action towards the mafia and kill Bang PD—or just kill him and make him lose his reputation, we'll need it. You've the complete list, right? We can try to find all the kids he kidnaped, too."

"Oh my god, that's a great idea Namu!" Hoseok claps his hands with a wide smile. "Please, let me torture him at least once before we kill him."

"Calm down, babe," Yoongi chuckles, "right now we've got two tasks at hand. If we want to kill Mimi and Bang PD, we need organisation. What if we kill Mimi first, and then move to Bang PD?"

Yoongi makes eye contact with Jungkook for a second, full aware if they go there, Jimin could remember his parents and his house and his own house and the neighbourhood.

"Petal, I understand your point of view, but we could use this time to take a small break and in the meantime collect all the documents and study the cases."

Hoseok nods. "It makes sense."

"We don't lose anything if we try it." Seokjin adds, gently.

"Uh, let me talk to my parents first." he scratches his nape. "I never talked about it, but my parents think I'm on vacation right now, taking a trip for introspection. They've no clue I joined a mafia and they'd probably have a heart attack if they find out."

Namjoon lets out a sigh of relief. "That's easy, you can tell them you came back for a week because you miss them and you decided to bring your new friends."

"Um, yeah . . . yeah, I can do that."

"Is everything okay, Jungkook?" Seokjin carefully asks, studying his face.

He clears his throat. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Guys, don't you see? He must be embarrassed to introduce us to his parents." Yoongi jokes, shaking his hand.

"You've got a point. Anyway, let me see what I can do."

"Perfect."

"One more thing," Jungkook plays with his hands, "I keep a lot of things in my room and I'm not quite sure where I left them, I had to hide them from my parents, specially from mum."

Namjoon's lips curl up. "Don't worry, that's why we're here for, right? Don't forget we're a team."

Jungkook nods. He grabs the spoon again and takes another bite, luckily they'll drop the topic.

* * *

Jungkook bites his lip when his mother answers on the other line. "Hi, mum."

"Baby! You should've called me sooner, what are you up to?"

"Spending the time with my friends, what about you and dad? Are you around Busan?"

Her mother chuckles loudly. "Where if not, Kookie?"

Jungkook paces around the room, "Sure, what a stupid question. Anyway," he adds, before his mother can ask more questions. "Mum, I'm planning to come back to Busan for a week and I thought I could bring my friends with me."

"Sure! Come! We would love to meet your new friends, Kookie." he can hear the smile in her voice.

"Yeah, but mum . . . I thought you and dad can go on a vacation for a week while my friends and me stay in the house. It doesn't mean I don't want to see you," he speaks over her, "but we're seven in total and I don't want to bother you. I want to show them Busan and the town briefly for a week. I promise I'll come back again and I'll introduce you to them, okay?"

His mother sighs. "Briefly for a week? You've more than enough, baby."

"They don't like to walk—I've to split everything in seven days."

She stays quiet for a minute. "Let me talk to your dad, I'll call you later, hm? Kisses."

Jungkook hangs up and lets out a loud sigh.

Jimin can't see them. His parents can't see him.

Would they recognise him?

* * *

"Jungkookie poogie, is something wrong?"

"Huh?" the broth in his spoon falls back to the bowl.

"Why are you staring?"

Jungkook turns his head to Hoseok. "I'm not."

He wiggles his eyebrows. "Not me, you're staring at baby bear."

Jungkook blinks and finally notices all eyes on him.

"Is everything okay between you two?" Seokjin begins, calmly. "Look, I think it's time for you to start -"

"Yes," Taehyung cuts him dryly, "he saved my life."

They all turn to Jungkook, but the younger can only stare at him with his mouth hanging open. I was staring at him? Fuck, Jungkook, control yourself.

"Sure, all good." he finally says with a shrug. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I didn't mean to stare."

Taehyung looks at him with a poker face for a few more seconds before chewing on his food.

"Kiddo, did you call your mum?" Yoongi asks after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, she'll call me later to confirm it. I kindly asked for them to leave, they would notice something's wrong and the house's not that big."

"Will we ever meet them, Jungkookie poogie?" he rubs his own upper arm with Jungkook's, a teasing smile on his face.

"No—and stop calling me Jungkookie poogie. Do I look like a teddy bear to you?"

"No, that's Tae."

Jungkook groans and shakes his head, but an unconscious smile appears on his face.

* * *

"Why were you staring at me? Is there something you want to tell me?" Taehyung asks as soon as Jungkook enters their bedroom.

"Huh?" Jungkook stops rubbing the towel on his hair and stays there. What does he mean?

"Do you want to tell me something?" Taehyung repeats, slower.

"Uh—no. Why?"

At Taehyung silence, he walks to his own bed and throws himself on it, letting out a sigh.

Wait. He didn't see us, right? What if Taehyung could see me with Tiger, just as Tiger did with us? Fuck. No. No. No.

"Look, Taehyung," he incorporates, avoiding his gaze. "We can't choose it, okay? It just happened."

"Yeah, I know."

He stands up, facing the eyes that don't portray Tiger at all. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I mean, honestly, I shouldn't appologize for that. No one should, it's not a crime."

He steps closer. "You shouldn't. Why would you? Do you regret it?"

Jungkook's raises his arms. "No, I would never!"

"Well—thanks."

"Tae—what?"

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

Taehyung blinks and sits on his own bed. "About that night. What are you talking about?"

Jungkook stares at him without blinking, his whole body stiff. "Same, about that night."

Taehyung rolls his eyes and puts himself under the covers. "Thank you for rescuing me. I don't know if I should give you a pack of biscuits, hug you, write you a letter, or with that's enough."

Jungkook lets out the air he held. "You don't need to give me anything. As Joon said, we're a team, right? You thanked me that night, no need to do it twice."

"But you saved me. Why? I thought you hated me."

"I told you, Tae. I don't hate you—I just found you annoying. You and your stupid jealousy. Believe me, you shouldn't be jealous. I don't like Jimin as much as I thought I did."

"Okay—wait," he sits on the bed, an index finger pointing at Jungkook, "have you just admitted you like him?!"

"I - I didn't. I had a small crush on him as a kid, but can you blame me?"

Taehyung shakes his head and slowly lays again. "So," he coughs, "you like someone?"

He nods, smiling. "Yeah, a lot."

"Who is it? Do we know them?"

Jungkook shakes his head. "It's a secret between us. Sorry, tae bear."

Jungkook lays down, turning around and covering his body until the sheets reach his ear. Taehyung just stays there, his head turned to him, He didn't make fun of my nickname.

He ignores the discomfort on his stomach and turns around, facing the wall. Why would he care if Jungkook likes someone? Better for him, at least he won't still his Chimmy from him.