Zero O'clock Warfare (TaeKook)

Chapter 18: Your Eyes Tell

It's been a week since Jung Hoseok left and the penthouse looks somewhat dim and dark as if the sun had gone down for the longest time and hasn't risen for a while.

Hoseok requested for Jungkook to be off work for some time and Jungkook immediately agrees, although he knew there will be a lot of problems that will pour on his heavy plate once Hoseok is gone. Hoseok is still a family afterall, and a very reliable hyung to him. Furthermore, his hyung's mental health is more important than that of the work that they just do for fun.

Hoseok was astonished as well that Jungkook agreed right away; he thought that Jungkook will be terrifyingly in rage, knowing how unpredictable the maknae and their leader is. To his surprised, Jungkook let him be and he was grateful for that.

After Hoseok left, the rest of the members plummet in complete despair and all quickly fall in a slump, especially Jimin and Yoongi. It's the first time in years that the group has been broken this way. The uncomfortable and tense atmosphere didn't leave the penthouse even as the days pass by.

Jimin and Yoongi, on the other hand, still do their necessary tasks but the air between them is somewhat thick and different that even their oldest hyung, Seokjin, couldn't bear. Jimin is in his usual self but his smiles are somewhat fake and sometimes, ungenuine. It is obvious that the stress of waiting for his Hoseok hyung, his lover, to come back is eating him alive. Yoongi, however, never leaves his soulmate's side even if it hurts him too seeing Jimin lost the sparkle in his eyes.

"You know why I called you all here." Jungkook started, crossing his legs, and putting a hand under his chin. "It's about Jung Hoseok."

Jimin visibly flinched but Yoongi immediately put a hand on his soulmate's nape to calm him down. He knew that whenever Jimin is in extreme stress, his mind is in frenzy and he might cause some trouble – a big disaster at that. He doesn't wanna see Jimin be an uncontrollable killer machine once again - like what happened when Hoseok first found him.

"I just want to let you know that he is somewhere safe but let us respect his decision of not bothering him for the meantime." Jungkook continues, scanning the room for any reaction. "With this, we can't rely on Hoseok hyung any longer."

"As you all know, we have adversity about Namjoon hyung's parents and the initial plans would be cut off since Hoseok hyung is no longer here to help us," Jungkook added.

"I'm going--" Namjoon chimes in but Jungkook put a finger up to stop him from speaking.

"I, for that matter, know that you are capable of doing the hacking yourself, Joon hyung, but you don't have much time now to do it on your own. The elections are coming fast. We need to think of another strategy." Jungkook stated, biting his inside cheeks. "Any suggestions?"

A minute of silence passes by when Seokjin clears his throat.

"How about bribing them with political allies and... money? We still have the pigs under us." Seokjin answered, looking at Namjoon and to Jungkook for confirmation.

"Those crocodiles have more political bitches than us, hyung. Well, money is what they are after. Maybe we can do that?" Yoongi muttered, while now stroking Jimin's hand with his own to calm the younger who is still silent. Jimin's other hand is held by Taehyung, their hands tightly clasped with one another.

Jungkook hums. "It's decent but still not our best choice."

"Kill them," Jimin whispered but the rest of the room heard it.

"Can you repeat it, hyung?" Jungkook bit his lips to stop himself from smiling, his eyes twinkling like thousands of galaxies resides there.

Taehyung, albeit knows what Jungkook's real personality is by now, felt a sharp pang in his chest. He doesn't know if he is still terrified with his lover or he's just not ok that his lover is a psychopathic and sociopathic cold-blooded murderer. Maybe, he can't still accept the fact that Jungkook is like that, that his soulmate is like that. He doesn't get it why he can't accept it while he literally saw his bestfriend, Jimin, killed in front of him the first time they met but he accepted Jimin right away. He knows that everything inside BTS is just all wrong, but he also knows that he belongs there.