Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 3: Two Lives

I curl up into a ball underneath the sheets, enjoying sleep before I hear shuffling next to me which stirs me awake. I blink and my eyes attempt to adjust to the darkness of my bedroom, the sun is only just starting to rise. I stretch my arm across the bed, feeling for Yoongi but he's not there. Before I can sit up and look for him I feel his lips kiss me gently on my cheek. I quickly pull his face down to my lips. "What time is it?" I ask groggily.

I hear him chuckle at my sleepiness "It's still very early. Go back to sleep." He hushes into my ear.

"Mmm, stay with me." I protest with my eyes closed as I cling to his arm.

He carefully pries my fingers away "Sorry babe, I've got to go to work." 

Ugh, work it's always he has to go to work!  I roll over in annoyance, it's been ages since he last spent a full night at mine. I've tried to talk to him about his 'work' several times but he always changes the subject.

He kisses my cheek once again. "I'll see you later today." He coaxes but any frustration I'm currently feeling quickly melts away and I drift back to sleep.

I hit my alarm clock and rolled out of bed, feeling somewhat giddy from last night. Despite Yoongi leaving at stupid o'clock this morning, the whole night had been amazing, and I wanted to focus on that. I smile to myself as I get dressed, remembering every place Yoongi touched me last night. I grab my CD player and strap it to my waist before popping my earbuds in and skipping to the Dojang.

'And so I wake up in the morning and I step outside~'

I bob my head to the music and hum along to the tune as I walk with an extra step in my stride.

'And I take a breath and I get real high~'

'And I scream from the top of my lungs~'

"What's going on?~" I sing out loud. Several people on the street give me weird looks at my sudden outburst of song. Ugh, embarrassing! I sprint the rest of the way to the Dojang.

I pull my keys out of my pocket but before I slot them into the lock I notice something has been tapped on the front of the door. A white chrysanthemum flower. I gingerly peel the tape off and inhale the fragrance of the flower, this must be from Yoongi.

I head inside and walk over to my office, looking for a vase of some kind to preserve the present. Ugh! Guess this pencil holder will have to do. I empty it out and fill it up with some bottled water and place the single flower inside, putting it on my desk in the direction of the sun.

I sit there and admire it before I hear the doors to the training hall open and several voices echo through the walls. "Teacher?"

Oops! "I'm here guys!" I call back and dash out of the room to begin my morning classes of Taekwondo. 

My student's eager faces greet me as I step inside. "Okay everyone, we're going to be focusing on your patterns today for the upcoming grading ceremony. I know all of you are going to get your belts!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YOONGI POV

I sit at our meeting table, reading several documents and reports Jin had given me earlier that morning. Jin sits at my side as we wait for the other members to show up to begin the meeting I had called together. 

The door swings open and I hear the voices of Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung travel through the room. "Yo boss," Namjoon calls but I keep my eyes fixed on the papers in front of me.

"Ayy boss, how was last night? Did Hailey like it?" Jimin teases.

"What do you mean? Of course, she liked it, boss has good taste." Taehyung says.

Jin scoffs slightly at my side and I allow my eyes to drift up to look at the boys conversing in front of me, catching Taehyung shooting some finger guns before his eyes see mine. They all straighten and become serious once they notice I'm looking at them, sitting down in their seats quickly as they wait for me to speak. "Where are Hobi and Jungkook?" I smooth the documents in front of me onto the table before interlocking my hands together.

"Ah, they're picking up the latest shipment of weapons from Changwoo. They should be here soon." Namjoon answers. 

Ten minutes pass before Hobi and Jungkook walk into the room, taking their seats at the table. Jungkook smiles excitedly as he sits down. "Good haul this time?" Jin asks, intrigued. 

"Oh hyung, you should've seen the guns we got!" Jungkook's face lights up with a thrilling expression. "They had these ones where-"

"Ahem." I clear my throat loudly and Jungkook instantly shuts up before composing himself and bowing his head to me. I lean my elbows onto the table and rest my chin on my hands, my glare is dark and all the boys shift their attention to me. "This meeting is now in session, we will be discussing some disturbances that Jin has brought to my attention." I nod my head at Jin to continue.

"It's just been small things so far, no doubt to test the waters on how much they can get away with on our turf," Jin says in a calm manner.

"Who are they?" Hobi asks seriously.

"Another group, their leader is a guy who calls himself Yeong," Jin says.

"Yeong?" Jungkook asks, confused.

"Do you know him, boss?" Jimin asks.

"I have heard of him. I know he runs an underground drug business but he's never shown any interest in turf wars before, certainly not in ours anyway." I say strongly.

"Weird. So what do you want us to do boss?" Hobi asks.

"Do you want us to teach him a lesson?" Taehyung says, flashing a devilish grin.

"No, he's not a concern of ours for the moment. I want everyone to observe their movements, though of course if he continues we will have to send him a warning." I say darkly and smile.

All the boys grin in anticipation of a fight coming "As for Hailey I want to enhance her security just to be safe. At least one of us will be there every day despite our other tasks."

The boy's nod "Boss are you going to tell Hailey?" Namjoon asks. I watch as the boys tense at Namjoon's question. 

Out of the fucking question.

I flash my eyes to him with a hateful stare, he keeps his eyes locked with mine as I speak in a thick voice. "No. Nobody is to tell her, is that clear?"

No one speaks. "Meeting adjourned," Everyone rises from their seats and leaves the room apart from Jin. I stand from my chair and pace over to the window, looking out of it.

"Yoongi," Jin says, he is the only person I allow to refer to me as Yoongi rather than boss as he is my second in command. He is the person I trust the most.

"I know what you're going to say Jin and quite frankly I don't want to hear it," I say sharply as I walk over to the drinks table to pour myself a whiskey.

Jin stands from his chair and walks slowly over to join me "You know you'll have to tell her one day right? You can't just keep her in the dark forever. She'll find out eventually." 

I down my glass and breathe in a heavy sigh before turning to face Jin "I know that. I don't want her to be afraid of this or scared of me." I say in defeat. I don't mind showing my weaker side to Jin, we have been through so much together.

"I think you underestimate her Yoongi. She's strong, I think she can deal with this." He half-smiles and places his hand on my shoulder.

"Just think it over," Jin asks me before he too leaves the room.