Fallen Kingdom || •MYG + KSJ• ✔️

Commander Jung

It had been a full day since the woman had been captured, and they haven't even gotten a name out of her yet. Jin was sitting on the balcony of his castle, reflecting on how Namjoon had been grilling her for over three hours to no avail. Three hours on that day alone. That was without factoring in yesterday, when Namjoon was with her the entire day. Jin was considering sending in Jungkook, mostly because as a spy, he could deduce the signs of another spy among their ranks. It'd be interesting to get his perspective.

But Namjoon and Jungkook weren't with Jin now. Instead, there was another man who was standing by Jin's chair. His armor shimmered, his helmet on the ground in front of Jin. Jin offered him a seat, but he refused and decided to stand with his hands intertwined in front of him, covering his abdomen. His fingers were gloved and long, and under the fabric laid callouses from years of training with swords. Jin peeked up at Commander Jung Hoseok, and he saw the side profile of a man who was hardened by battle, yet soft at the same time.

"I've been trained to sense your stares, sir," Hoseok said, chuckling before glancing down. "Is there something on my face?"

"Sunlight," Jin replied with a huff, motioning to how the setting sun was making his skin appear brighter than usual. "We should start calling you sunshine."

"Don't ever call me that."

"I don't know, I think it suits you... Sunshine."

"Sir, I will throw you off this balcony and frame it as an accident."

"Doing us both a favor," Jin said, snickering after he said it. Hoseok shot him a playful glance that he was quick to return, the knight going solemn after that. It was strange how fast his mood could shift, but that was the reality of being in the guard let alone the leader of it. Jin nibbled on his lip. Namjoon, Jimin, Jungkook, Taehyung, Hoseok. They were all his friends, but sometimes it felt like he didn't know much about them. Maybe it was time to change that. "How is it?"

"How is what, sir?"

"Drop the formalities. We're on a balcony overlooking our kingdom. Alone. No need to be so formal. We're friends... right?" He asked it with a hint of vulnerability in his tone. A vulnerability he hoped didn't shine through his words. However, Hoseok was as intelligent as ever, and he caught onto the hidden message behind Jin's words.

"I like to think we're best friends. But that doesn't mean I'm a mind reader, Jinnie. How is what?"

Jin leaned back on his seat and pursed his lips, allowing his eyes to stare at the kingdom again. The activity was settling down as time went on, no one daring to stay out late. Jin never implemented a curfew since he didn't think they needed one. They had border patrols and knights stationed everywhere they needed to be. Safety was the top priority, especially now since Jimin punched a rival. Regardless, his people took it upon themselves to stay out of the way of the knights. Jin appreciated that.

"The guard. And I don't mean how are they, I mean... how are you, and how is it being the leader of the guard?"

"I worked my whole life for it. Even though I've been training for this since I could walk, it's still terrifying. Leading my knights into danger. Possibly dying beside them, or watching them die beside me. Sometimes surviving is worse..." Hoseok bit his lip, going over to the edge of the balcony and placing his hands on the railings. Jin was still close enough to hear the shaky breaths Hoseok was taking, and Jin frowned as a result. "When we lost our home, I lost... so many men. More than I can count. I'll never forget their screams. Their begs and pleads for help. For my help." Hoseok broke off, keeping his eyes on the horizon as the light kept dancing across his face. "But I couldn't help them, and I have to live with that."