" Coffee?"
" No, I'm good. Thanks." Seojoon responded to Taehyung's offer." You were ten minutes late. That's not like you."
" I was held hostage by circumstances." Taehyung 's reply elicited a loud laughter from Seojoon.
" Should I assume ' circumstances ' was a certain gorgeous, tattooed guy with big, doe eyes who has taken control of your household.. among other things?"
" He made breakfast. Couldn't say no."
Seojoon's expression turned conspiratorial, with a smile of polite interest sliding over his face." Hard to resist a good breakfast. I suppose you repaid him the.. service?"
" You know me. I hate debts." Taehyung 's eyes landed on the folder Seojoon was holding."Enough with the chit chat. Let's cut to the chase. What have you got for me? And it better be useful."
" Ok.. I followed the money past the club and tried my luck again." Seojoon said,tapping a black folder against his right knee. He was sitting across from Taehyung,his charcoal grey, jacket suit open,posture loose in a way that suggested he was tense." Not forward this time. Backwards."
Taehyung's fingers were tatting rhythmically on his thighs." Back where?"
" Mostly on past suppliers,performers, staff. Past the usual suspects." Seojoon explained,inhaling through his nose." Into companies that technically exist but practically don't."
Taehyung leaned back." Shells?"
" Well.. shells wearing expensive tuxedos."the man scoffed."Security firms, transport services,former employees holding a grudge. Respectable clients. You know.. clean names,clean invoices. No physical presence in certain cases."
The man's jaw tightened." And the money?"
" Gets washed through the club as we already discovered,in small amounts,cover charges, private room fees,bar tabs paid in neat,little clusters." Seojoon opened the folder,sliding a few pages across the desk to Taehyung." All too neat."
" We knew that."
"Have a look first."
Taehyung glanced down, eyes moving,pages flipping. Numbers,dates,patterns that repeated like a pulse. He frowned.The possibility he never in a million years suspected,was staring back at him. A scarce reality he dreaded." This isn't drug money, Seojoon." he said flatly,papers still at hand, burning his skin.
" No." Seojoon quickly agreed." Didn't expect to. Drugs spike. Weapons spike. Too risky. This?" He tapped the pages." This flows Tae. Unnoticed. Smoothly. Hard to detect unless you search. And even then.."
Taehyung's gaze pinned on him the second he looked up." People. It's a human trafficking business." The sentence sat between,heavy and grotesque. He bet his money on drug trafficking or arms smuggling.
But that?
It was beyond his imagination.
A brutal coiling of disgust stirred in his stomach, rubbing his jaw and swallowing hard.
"They're distributing people through your club. Under your nose. " Seojoon continued,a horror expression flickering in his features." They are using it to clean the profits. Escort rings,illegal placements,forced contracts dressed up as 'modelling opportunities '. Auditions for ambitious, wannabe stars, thinking they hit the jackpot. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Your club is the respectable brother. The one that makes the money look like glittering fantasy instead of sheer exploration."
Taehyung's fingers curled,knuckles whitening."Who? Who's the bastard that pulls the strings?"
" That's the problem." Seojoon leaned forward, sighing." Whoever it is understands your systems. They're one step ahead. They know how far they can go without triggering alarms. Stop when raising suspicions. They know which numbers you glance at and which you trust. They know you,pal.."
You could hear a pin drop behind closed doors. People were rushing outside, heels clicking on the floor,voices sounding like faint whispers, phones ringing. Inside the room even the air felt still and time had frozen.
" They're well prepared in covering their tracks. It isn't sloppy."
" Nope." Seojoon hectically replied." It's intentional."
Taehyung stood up, clumping to the window,hands stuffed in his pockets. The city sprawled below, bustling and indifferent." I wouldn't expect anything less. It's been going on for years and nobody suspected a damn thing. They've been running a profitable operation under our noses and not even the cops are aware to conduct an investigation. " His reflection on the glass betrayed his inner agitation." Someone.. whoever is behind it,is patient, methodical and freaking twisted."
" Undoubtedly intelligent. Perhaps he's got cops on his payroll. Inside information. They positioned themselves where you or the police wouldn't look."
Taehyung slowly turned,eyes sharp and dark."You're positive about this."
" I wouldn't be talking to you if I wasn't." Seojoon closed and sealed the folder." Tae.. this isn't about money anymore. It's about contamination. So whoever is responsible is betting you won't want to see how close it is .. to home. I.. " the man hesitated." I get the feeling it's personal. It's about you in a way. I can't explain it."
" You think.. My nephew? As a regular here,he discovered something he shouldn't.. he overheard something and.. became collateral damage. An accidental witness to something deadly." he rubbed his forehead,head buzzing,eyes stinging." His friend verified it. Someone was threatening him."
" Possibly. But we can't find the connection beyond the fact that he was regularly visiting the club and what his friend told us. It's a dead end."
" Those foreign companies you were investigating abroad?"
" I send over my people. The offices were empty. No sign of employees. Ghost companies. They left before we got there. As if they were expecting us." Seojoon revealed and glanced back at his friend's dour face.
Kim inhaled slowly, controlled. Every breath a sleet of razor – harp hail. " They're using my club to make human suffering look like profit margins."
Seojoon nodded." That's the part I thought you'd hate the most."
" They're exploiting human beings like vessels of pleasure. Young boys and girls.. locked in filthy basements.. raped and abused by twisted weirdos.. deprived of will or escape. Beaten to death if they resist. God! It makes me sick!" A wave of nausea clenched his gut,a sour tide threatening to escape, grappling with the horrific brutality the victims had to endure.
" That's someone's son.. daughter.. sibling ! Fuck! Where has this freaking world come to?" Taehyung groused, refusing to even consider the possibility of his dear nephew being in the same condition.
Seojoon knew.
The same cold fury,the same helpless sorrow,the same disgust was slowly eating him, weighing their ordeal into the hands of perverts.
Taehyung met his gaze, voice low and precise, dripping of sheer determination." Find them. I don't care what you do.. how clean and untouchable they appear. I want justice. Justice for the victims. For their families. For my nephew."
Seojoon stood up but didn't move." It won't be easy."
" Not a word for me."
" It's dangerous. Going against such a well planned, ruthless organisation."
" I don't give a fuck." Taehyung doggedly retorted." I want them down. I want them to pay for their crimes. God I want them dead!"
" All I'm saying is be careful."
The man's mouth curved in a humorless way."I'm not afraid. They should. They should fear me because they count days..I will find them."
The promise was clear.
Seojoon knew he'd make it real too.
_________________
The moment the door shut and the room stopped pretending to be functional, Taehyung didn't sit back. He stood by the desk,hands bracing against the glass, staring at the void.
Inside his head everything circled the same dark drain.
People.
The word crawled back in, unwelcomed and torrid.
A crime against humanity.
Against human beings with flesh and blood.
Someone at the club knew. Knew how to move money without a trace of noise. Knew how to hide rot and filth inside routine. Knew him and his systems well enough to circulate inside them without leaving fingerprints.
Someone knew him all too well..
Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut as if he was refusing to stare to a world he no longer recognised or understood.A splitting headache pricked his temples. Words,numbers,images, blended together in a haze.
Faces surged out uninvited. The co-owner,managers, security staff,accounts supervisors, employees, who have been there long enough to feel untouchable. Loyalty is an unknown concept through the night's corrupt paths
Big shot clients, people beyond suspicions. People who got off by the most wicked,masochistic games. He had been an eye witness to the dirt and filth they were dipped in, and watched them carefully to understand their twisted need.
Jungkook flickered across his mind and was immediately dismissed as absurd.
No.
He wasn't even working there when this bloody story began. He was in Busan. He knew that for a fact while snooping around his life after his confession regarding his childhood.Jungkook was careless in the way honest people were.
Emotionally loud,bad at hiding anything except his sassy character. But above and beyond all,his eyes showed kindness and transparency and eyes never lie.
Jimin too. Cocky,observant but transparent in his loyalty. If they were somehow involved,the money would look messier. Human errors always left teeth marks. And this was clean,patient and highly predatory.
Min Yoongi? Mmmm…
The guy appeared neat,focused on his job, rarely distracted or showing emotions but exuding trust. His own employment started about a year ago and before that he was working in Daegu. Taehyung always had a liking for Min,being from the same origin.
His focus should be on the long-term employees.
He exhaled deeply, dragging a hand through his hair, sitting behind the desk with the intention of working,making a significant effort to focus on the pile of reports and statistical numbers spread on his desk. But numbers blurred,words refused to hold still.
" Think Goddamn it! Methodically.. just like these bastards. Beat them in their own game. Outsmart them." he lisped, agitated with the situation he had to face. His handsome
There were ways to flush a ghost out. Quiet audits,false leaks, shifting schedules to see who panicked. Moving money that shouldn't be moved to observe who noticed.
Stir things up to see who takes the bait. He could let suspicion do the work for him because those involved in that kind of shit never tolerate mistakes and uncertainty. They demand perfection and accuracy. They must have control over everything. That's where he should strike and get reactions.
If the club had been used to sanitize profit from crimes, if someone close had been facilitating that then when the story would get out it would have serious consequences for not only those involved – the real culprits – but also Taehyung and his company. It could jeopardize his impeccable reputation.
Even his nephew's disappearance, if connected,wasn't a mystery. It was a mechanism to eliminate somebody who knew or suspected or was at the wrong place at the wrong time and saw or heard something.
However,the timelines didn't align. The players didn't obviously overlap. Taehyung hated theories that relied on coincidence or speculation. He was convinced that money laundering,human trafficking and Taehyn were connected. He just had to find out how..
His chest felt heavy. Beneath the calculation something felt uneasy.
His dear nephew.
His disappearance never fitted perfectly. No ransom requests. No threats. No body to bury. No clean break and no closure. Only intentional, surgical absence Taehyung had to deal with. The inability to give answers and the family a reason why Taehyn wasn't there.
His absence was an open wound for them, bleeding and slowly destroying their lives. Taehyung 's parents and siblings were grieving, blaming themselves for whatever happened to Taehyn, wondering if they could have prevented it.
He straightened his upper body,a chill settling under his skin along with the fear of his discoveries.He didn't know which option was worse. Not knowing and thinking of his little boy somewhere out there alive or knowing? At least what had happened and where his body was buried.
His phone buzzed with incoming messages and glanced at it with the corner of his eye but chose to ignore them since they weren't from Jungkook or his family. He felt his control strained,not slipping but stretched thin.
He poured himself coffee he didn't drink and sat down. Then stood up, pacing back and forth, cursing through gnashed teeth. His lips curved into something that didn't resemble a smile or a sneer. It was deeper, sharper,more intimidating like a devil's leer.
Those fucken bastards underestimated one factor.
Kim Taehyung was a born winner.
He didn't quit when things stopped making sense.
He stopped when everything did
When he had the answers he wanted.
_______________
The business lunch was a blur Taehyung barely participated in. He nodded at the right moment,lifted his glass when expected, stirred his food in the porcelain plate,throat refusing to swallow,exchanged a few words – he could hardly remember – with the two Japanese men, letting Seojoon deal with the rest.
Inside his head his thoughts refused to stay still. They drifted back to the office,to Seojoon's words,to the club,the money that shouldn't exist,the human trafficking and the dead end with his nephew's case.
Too much to handle at once.
Too unbearable to imagine the inhuman ordeal of the victims.
How could people exhibit such cruelness?
Then inevitably to his favourite brat. Jeon Jungkook. His image came uninvited. Jungkook behind the bar, sleeves rolled up,mouth set in that focused line he got when he was busy. Jungkook doing a double shift because responsibility mattered to him more than rest.
His professionalism was admirable. One of the many reasons he caught Taehyung's attention in the first place. Finally, Jungkook getting home late, exhausted, waiting for him with nothing but his boxer..
Sex wasn't his priority tonight. Cuddling and sleeping with him in his arms was sufficient for the older. The want hit him sharp and profound. Jungkook seemed like a lifeboat in a troubling ocean of worries and problems. A salvation for his soul and mind.
He checked the time. Once.. twice..
" Everything alright Mr. Kim." Someone from across the table asked.
" Perfect." Taehyung lied smoothly, pretending to smile but ended up showing his perfect,white teeth instead.
" You've been staring at your watch throughout our lunch. Another appointment perhaps?"
" Just impatient with inefficiency." The reply sounded slightly harsh but didn't seem to affect the other party. " Should we schedule another meeting to sign the deal?"
" Next week? Let's say Monday. " the man suggested and Taehyung agreed with a nod. It wasn't that he hated that right now. It was his job and it included meetings,trips abroad, business dates.. It was distance that stirred his nerves.
Absence.
Not being able to enjoy your time with the person who put a smile on your face.
When lunch ended Taehyung returned to his company with Seojoon and with a single-minded urgency of someone hoping work could distract him.
It didn't.
He was sitting behind his desk, halfway through skimming the same document for the fourth time when his secretary's voice cracked through the intercom.
" Mr. Kim you've got a.. visitor."
Taehyung frowned." I'm not available. Schedule an appointment for tomorrow."
" He didn't exactly ask." the woman said in a low voice as if he was scared of his reaction."He's already coming in. I couldn't stop him. I'm terribly sorry."
The door cracked open without as much as a knock to get a reply. The young boy, in his early twenties, walking in was exactly as Taehyung remembered. Beautiful in a way that felt rehearsed but not gorgeous, slim, wearing confidence like a strong perfume.
His smile was intentional,provocative, and knowing." Still hate surprises Tae?" the boy asked,voice dripping honey, leaning casually against the doorframe.
Taehyung stared for a brief moment with mild disbelief and great irritation." We didn't have an appointment. You're trespassing."
" I'm visiting." Jaeho corrected him,his gaze dragging from the man's handsome face to his broad shoulders and chest with sheer provocation." You used to like it. Me surprising you."
" I used to tolerate it." Taehyung rigorously fired back,his eyes returning to the documents."There's a difference."
Jaeho laughed softly, stepping closer,hands sliding inside his back pockets,a smug coating his thin lips." I was in the neighborhood. I thought I'd remind you what relaxing looks like. It's been so long and I've missed us."
" There was a reason we stopped seeing each other. And there was no us. Personally,I can definitely say you weren't missed." Too bland,too straightforward but the stark truth.
Jaeho flinched but didn't move an inch." You're a terrible liar,Tae."
" Taehyung for you." he earnestly jeered,cocking an eyebrow." And I'm being truthful."
Jaeho raised his hands and cracked a smile."What should I call you then? Kim? Mmmm too formal.. how about.. daddy?"
And that was the last straw for Taehyung. He stood up, his movements while ambling were controlled, precise and calculated." I'm not your daddy. Don't dream about fictional things Jaeho. This is my workplace. A place of business. Not nostalgia."
The boy tossed his head to the side,a stray of hair flipping on his forehead. " Funny! You didn't seem to mind mixing the two before."
" If my memory serves me correctly you were never invited or welcomed to my office and the last time we.. met,months ago, I kicked you out of my house. That alone should have given you the hint."
Jaeho's eyes darkened." You've found a new boy toy."
A violent heat roared through Taehyung's veins. Jungkook didn't deserve that title. He wasn't his boy toy. He was.. he was… he couldn't name it. He could just feel it. Jungkook was more than a feeling. He was a concept.
" That information is a need to know basis and you don't."
" I bet I can make you feel better than your new boy." Jaeho insisted with the kind of stubbornness that made the veins in Taehyung's neck pop out.
The man's jaw clenched. Jungkook's tired smile flashed before his eyes. The knowledge that he wouldn't see him anytime soon pressed down his chest. The last thing he needed was a ghost from the past from a life that felt irrelevant and distant now.
" You're confusing access with importance." Taehyung blurted out,voice turning cold." A common mistake. Please leave and don't cone back."
The boy's smile wilted momentarily but quickly recovered,taking three steps closer, lowering his voice." No reason to get jumpy. I can take your stress away.. I can help." He ran his tongue across the outline of his lips and even though that might have triggered Taehyung's interest in the past,it now made his stomach helix in disdain.
Taehyung's tolerance completely shattered the minute Jaeho raised his hand and attempted to cup his cheek. He snatched his wrist,his eyes shadowed with thunder, expression stripped of amusement,jerking him away." You're off limits. You're not a solution Jaeho. You're an unpleasant reminder of bad habits I've already outgrown."
Immediately he wiped his hands grabbing a wet tissue from a small packet in his inner pocket. He couldn't tolerate another man's touch on his skin. It burnt him.
Jaeho hissed, massaging his slightly aching wrist but stood resoluted." You're fucking someone else."
" Screw you."
The other man stiffened, frowning." You don't have to be so cruel."
" I do.. " Taehyung sniped back, unflinching. "when subtlety fails and honestly I have no time for bullshit." He slanted over his desk, reaching for the phone." Security. My office."
The boy's face was drained of colour." You're throwing me out? For real?"
" I'm removing a distraction." The man prodded scrupulously,hands crossed over his chest."Consider it personal growth."
" Tae.. don't be ridiculous.. come on. We can have so much fun!"
" I'll pass. Next time you have the impulse of barging into my office, even your family will have a hard time recognizing your face. And you don't want that,do we? Bad for your business." Taehyung whirled and made his way to the window, allowing his security that had just arrived to quickly escort him out.
Jaeho threw one last glance at him over his shoulder." You've changed.."
Taehyung didn't bother looking back." Yeah.. for the better."
With them gone the office settled back into stillness yet Tae didn't feel at ease. If anything his irritation sharpened. As he headed to the window,he stood there longer than intended.
The city spread beneath him in neat patterns and compliant glow. He usually found comfort in that view. Tonight it felt artificial. A heavy burden crashing his chest.
The boy he had thrown out – an unwanted reminder of his past – had left the air rancid. He rolled his stiff shoulders,irked at himself for reacting at all. He should have called security from the start instead of acting with courtesy because some people never learn.
That kind of goading used to slide off him. Jungkook had changed the centre of gravity. Everything tugged towards him now. Every need,every want, every restraint. Hell Taehyung was convinced from the beginning of their encounter that Jungkook would have a life-changing effect on him.
And inevitably his mind shifted back where it was before the interruption.
Back to Jungkook,the club,the long hours ahead without his presence. He drew sharp inhales then exhaled through his nose – the strong cologne pricking his nostrils – fingers pressing to his temples.
With a profound lack of enthusiasm,he dragged himself back to his desk,fingers hoovering over pages aimlessly. Numbers blurred. Names stubbornly refused to settle. His jaw tightened the moment his phone buzzed.
A message notification from an unknown number. He stared at it longer than necessary, narrowing his brows. There was no text. Just a location pin dropped then gone.
Taehyung shook his head, slumping back to his chair. Such a childish move! A test perhaps? Whoever that was,they wanted to be felt not seen. They wanted him alert,off- balance,chasing after ghosts.. but what sentimental nonsense! Ghosts only had power when you fed them.
Yeah,that was personal. Seo Joon was right after all.Apparently,he no longer had the luxury of playing hide and seek.
For now he didn't need distractions.
He needed.. no,he wanted home.
He wanted Jungkook,on top of him,under him,on all fours. Hell! Even just holding him in his arms would do.
And wanting something he couldn't instantly have,had always been the one thing that made him dangerous.
Hours later,when he stepped into the night walking to his car,he felt the pressure over his shoulders,the unbearable weight upon his chest..
The feeling of being watched by someone..
_______________
Jungkook told Jimin everything.
As if he had a choice. He damn well knew he'd regret it but he felt the need to get them out of his system. It was nerve wracking and soul crashing to keep them hidden so eventually he was left with no other alternative.
Perhaps Jimin with his odd way of thinking and clear perspective would be able to connect the dots and make sense out of a muddling situation.
During their fifteen- minute break, Jungkook's silhouette propped against the bricks in the gloomy alley,a forgotten cigarette between his knuckles, trailing thin,grey stripes of smoke.
Jimin was hanging on his every word. Of course he had noticed. He always did. Jungkook was as transparent as a spotless glass most of the time and the older could see right through him.
" You should have told me sooner."
" Didn't pay attention at first. I took it for a prank."
" They knew names. Where and when to call. You found that insignificant?"
" Jimin, don't start.. please. I don't want to regret telling you."
" I knew something was off after watching you fucking up three orders in a row and rearranging the limes five times." Jimin folded his arms over his chest,not out of anger but mostly from the chill."Either they personally offended you or something was eating you up."
Jungkook huffed a weak laugh, cigarette still burning." Perhaps they were plotting against me."
Jimin rolled his eyes." Please! Limes lack ambition. Someone is definitely plotting and it ain't them."
Jungkook swallowed hard, throwing the cigarette butt on a muddy hole across them."Jimin..? It scared me. Ok there weren't any direct threats. But.. he sounded… calm like he was actually doing me a favour. As if I was in grave danger or I was living with the devil himself."
The older winced." That's never comforting. Well.. let's not jump to conclusions. Kim has a past. Business rivals,former lovers, wannabe lovers. Powerful men collect unfinished business the way normal people collect regrets. You bloody well knew that when you decided to live with him."
" A business rival who lost a deal and wants to even the score? Nah!" It didn't sound convincing,not even to Jungkook's ear. "Nothing to do with me. Besides us and Taehyung's friends, nobody else knows about it. One of Taehyung's boy toys?"
" Possible.. A rival wouldn't target you. But an ex? Your relationship is supposed to be a hush– hush secret. Unless.." Jimin rolled his eyes which were full of meaning.
"Aespa? She'd go that low? That's sick even for her!" He tossed his head to the back,temples throbbing for an incoming headache." I don't know what to think anymore."
" I believe.. " Jimin chose his words carefully."that an ex with a grudge, time and a wounded pride is much more of a possibility than mysterious masterminds lurking in the shadows over a lost deal."
Jungkook banged his folded leg on the wall, gritting his teeth. Aespa was giving him a headache and after her recent abnormal behaviour,he couldn't rule her out." If that bloody woman is behind this.. if this is her idea of pursuing me.. ghrhrhgrh.. I'm gonna lose it and smash her head on a wall."
" Hold your horses! We don't know it for a fact."
The young snorted." You sound so reassuring."
" Merely trying to keep you functional, bunny." His voice sounded calmer. Jungkook didn't need to understand his worries and suspicions but needed to be alert for every potential possibility." Look, Kim isn't harmless. He never pretended to be. I'm sure he's fighting his own demons and being as successful as him bears consequences. But he's not dangerous. If someone is in fact circling you,it might not be about him as much as we presume."
Their gazes met." You think it has something to do with Minhun?" The question landed heavier on both of them." Someone knows of our connection.. knows we're searching for him..?"
" Your guess is as good as mine." Jimin inched forward, gently holding his hand." All I'm saying is be cautious. Don't walk home alone. Don't answer unknown numbers even if they repeatedly call you. Tell Kim." Jimin's mind was scanning every scenario.
If it was related to their friend,the stranger wouldn't have warned him about Kim since Minhun and him hadn't met. At least as far as they knew.
If it was one of Kim's ex boys,it sounded more believable as to why Jungkook was targeted.
It was a bizarre way to eliminate the competition and perhaps have a chance to crawl back into Taehyung 's life.
Desperate people take desperate actions.
Jungkook hesitated, knitting his brows,hands forming a mass of fists." I don't want to worry him over nothing. I'm not sure what and how to tell him."
" Too late, don't you think? You worrying alone does that already. Living under the same roof, he's bound to find out eventually. Perhaps he might even have the means to locate that person and teach him a lesson. I'll help!"
" But.. I don't wanna say too much. Taehyung doesn't suspect the reason I'm working at the club. I haven't mentioned Minho and if this is about him I frankly don't want him to know. This concerns us, not Tae."
Jimin thought for a brief moment." Then if it happens again, tell me or Yoongi." Jungkook nodded with a heavy heart, realising he had limited options." Come on. Let's head back because I'm freezing my ass here!"
As Jungkook's feet mechanically began moving after Jimin,he unconsciously glanced over his shoulder,for no apparent reason, a chill running through his spine that had nothing to do with the cold breeze.
Someone hiding in the dark..
Somewhere close a plan continued to unfold exactly as intended.
_________________
Another month passed,calm and quiet.
There were no odd calls at the house,no messages and ' thoughtful warnings '. No shadows plotting in the dark,enemies lurking for a chance to show off their power.
Simple, everyday routine,hard work and long hours along with rough sex. It felt like the calmness before the storm to Jungkook at least.
The younger had resoluted to doggedly give that bastard, who was getting a kick out of toying with him,the brush off and focus on his work, Taehyung and his research for Minhun,which by the way had hit a dead end. He had no new information,no leads, nothing. An absolute,big,fat zero to keep him going, so reluctantly he let go for the time being.
He'd plenty of opportunities to search deeper and the idea of revealing everything to Taehyung had crossed his mind but was instantly dismissed.
Taehyung had to leave for Phuket on a four- day business trip with the clients from Japan, alone. Seojoon was forced to stay behind and run the company during his absence. The man was all smooth reassurances and half - smiles,not in the least bit concerned about leaving.
Jungkook simply nodded at everything, pretending to be unbothered with professional precision. Besides, they weren't a package deal. They both had their separate lives,jobs and therefore responsibilities.
Jungkook joked about sunburns, ordering him to wear sunscreen when going out in the sun or else he'd resembled a ripe tomato.About exotic Thai girls or boys,reminding him to eat and avoid spicy food while packing his bags and Taehyung going through the files he needed for his trip.
Jungkook didn't say ' I don't like this ' or ' don't go '. He had no right dictating him what to do or demanding not to go.
Taehyung understood perfectly well.
He didn't want to go either. He knew it was part of his job description,for the good of his company if he wanted to ensure the closing of that deal which he had his eyes on for months.
He wrapped his arms around Jungkook's waist,tugging him closer, caressed his hair, sniffed his vanilla scent and consequently pressed his lips on the boy's, kissing the hell out of him with intensity and need, leaving him breathless and staggering.
The first two days were fine.
More than fine.
Unexpectedly filled with Taehyung's presence despite his absence.
At least twenty calls whenever Taehyung could steal a few moments,video calls late at night with the man insisting on sharing the breathtaking view of the crystal clear ocean outside his window.
Messages sent without thinking, replied just as easily. And the best part was during the night after Jungkook had returned to an empty penthouse and Taehyung made him lay in bed,naked and hard only to watch him play with himself. Even from a distance the sex was as intense and stimulating as if they were two naked,trembling bodies tangled together.
Suddenly.. nothing.
Deafening silence.
No calls,no texts,no sex through a screen.
Just absence, unsettling and abrupt.
Jungkook tried to act cool and reasonable at first. Phones die. Meetings take longer than planned. Time Zones misbehave. Maybe he was swamped in work and had no time to fool around with his boy toy.
He had gone to Thailand for business not for entertainment. Jungkook was well aware of it but.. something didn't add up.
Then came rage.
Curses,jumbled inner thoughts that made his blood boil, images of Taehyung in the arms of other men or women, dancing under the silver moonlight in a secluded, sandy beach, kissing, laughing…fucking.
He resented himself for having such disturbing thoughts,for showing a part of his vulnerability. Jungkook wasn't the type of a man that got jealous as he had always been too composed.
But that felt different somehow.
He went to work with his head buzzing and his temples throbbing, literally a bundle of nerves. His agitation was undoubtedly noticed by Jimin despite Jungkook's effort to maintain his impeccable professionalism. Jimin suspected there were troubles in paradise. He just couldn't figure out the reason.
Kim was on a business trip – he knew that for a fact – and Jungkook feared or assumed he'd have some sort of fling in Phuket?
His friend was giving the word ' idiot ' a whole different meaning if that was causing his weird behaviour.
Jungkook served drinks, mechanically like a well trained robot, programmed to obey commands. He smiled at drunken customers when expected and joked when necessary but his mind was working overtime,filled with doubts and worries.
' These things happen.' he repeatedly told himself. ' He's busy. Working. He has no time to mess around..'
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then again and again.. until he stopped counting.
By the morning of the fifth day when Taehyung was already supposed to be back in Korea, Jungkook was on tenterhooks, fearing the worst possible scenario. His hands were shaking,his stomach tied into a knot refusing to accept food – even the thought stirred his guts – a numbed blankness filled his head, fear crawling in like pestering insects.
He hadn't slept a wink the previous nights, tossing and turning on an empty bed, snuffling the man's scent, still soaking the beddings. Dawn found him loitering outside the huge window,eyes puffy and shadowed from the two sleepless nights in a row, sighing heavily,a huge weight crashing on his soul.
He had lost track of time..
He was engrossed in perplexed thoughts.
Nothing could appease the storm inside him.
" Where are you Tae? Why is your phone dead? Why don't you call me? Just to know you're alright.. why?" He had called him a thousand times over the last two days and the only thing he heard was that stupid woman saying ' the subscriber you have reached has his phone switched off. Please try later ' and then straight to voicemail. He could hardly remember how many of those he had left.
Seojoon was utterly in the dark about Taehyung's location but had promised to let him know as soon as he found out. It didn't sound very comforting..
Jungkook dragged his feet to the bathroom and under the shower. The hot water instead of relaxing him made him edgier,so he gave up trying and stepped out. He walked back to his room, barefoot,drops of water dripping on the floor and put on his grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt. He didn't have the strength to dry his hair and climbed down the stairs.
The news alert came from the open TV while he was standing at the kitchen door, staring at the iced Americano he had forgotten to drink.
The glass plummeted from his trembling grasp, hitting the floor, shattering into a thousand, glittering pieces. His face was a silent scream,eyes twin pools of absolute horror.
" An explosion was reported at Sundara Bay luxury hotel resort in Phuket, Thailand. So far the local authorities can't estimate the exact number of casualties…"
" Tae…"