Seong Jimin wasn't who June thought he was.
The man had softer features than June saw the first time they met. His eyes were drooping, bags under them, the chocolate shade never failing to make him look like a puppy. It didn't help that he had such a small nose and sharp face. His face was contrasting itself. There was his jawline, then there was his chubby cheeks that made him look more like a teenager than an adult. June wondered if that was for a reason.
The pub was attacked, according to Mr. Seong. A break in from men who murdered the old man who was nothing but kind to them. Well, kind was a relative term. He didn't try to kill them. That was the impression June got, anyway. It didn't much matter now. He was dead.
Speaking of the pub, that was where they were currently. They had a plan made to go to Maine and leave everything behind. The pub was compromised. It wasn't worth risking anymore. At least Ivan was awake, that way he didn't have to get left behind. June was passing time by sitting at the bar, Jimin serving drinks with an expertise that made June envious.
Theo was checking up on Ivan still. They were doing tests and checkups that had lasted over a dozen minutes by that point. June was never the patient type despite his profession requiring it. When it came to people like Ivan, June wanted to rush inside the kitchen and do the checkup on Theo's behalf. But June would mess it up. The last thing Ivan needed was more problems.
"How do you know so much about bartending?" June asked as Jimin wiped down the counter with a rag.
He threw the rag over his shoulder, crossing his arms on his chest. "Do you actually care, or are you just passing time so you can see Ivan faster?"
June shrugged, taking a sip from his drink. The drink could've been anything. June wasn't huge on alcohol like Jericho and Jimin. When he sat down, he told Jimin to give him something hard. He didn't even watch Jimin make the drink. So, his buds couldn't identify what it was. It had a rich, chestnut shade mixed with a hue of amber. There was ice in it, and June slid a cube into his mouth so he could suck on it. It took a full minute it for it to dissolve in his mouth.
"A little bit of both. If we're working together, might as well get to know each other, yeah? Tell me about your experience behind the bar."
Jimin went back to cleaning. June was half-surprised Asa didn't sniff it out and come bumbling down the stairs. Alas, they were alone. And not trying to kill each other. It was funny how quickly that could change.
"Drinking is a hobby of mine. I've gone to a lot of bars in my days. Back when Charlotte and I were together, we used to love getting wasted at a neutral bar, then have our drivers take us home so we could have drunk sex on the couch." Jimin paused, tracing his hand over a dirty shot glass. "I always enjoyed it more drunk."
"Do you even remember it afterwards?" June asked, wincing from the scent his drink had. It smelled purely of alcohol, and June felt his brain cells dying just from inhaling the aroma. "I can't imagine that'd be more fun."
"I couldn't have sex with her for a while. Mentally, I wasn't ready. When we finally got around to it, she touched one of my scars and I freaked out. Fell back into memories I know I'll never forget."
One look was all it took for June to understand. He downed what was left in his drink, placing the glass down on the table with a satisfying 'clink'. The older of the two came over and took it, but June waved him off. There was no need for more alcohol when they were leaving shortly. June wasn't an experienced drinker. For years, he had tried to build his tolerance. Turned out, none of that training worked.
"I'm sorry about your daughter, Jimin. I know I've always been an ass to you, but you really do deserve better. No parent should have to bury their child. I truly am sorry," June said.
Jimin froze, swiveling his gaze to him. "How the fuck do you know about my daughter? Ivan?"
"Ivan and I saw the kill order, yeah. If only we knew back then that we'd cross paths. Maybe even become friends."
"He saw who killed my daughter," Jimin said, June shaking him off.
"You already killed him."
"I don't care. I want to know the name of the fucker who..."
Before Jimin could continue, the doors to the kitchen snapped open. Out came Theo, and June jumped. For a beat, June thought he was going to fall out of the chair. He came out on top. Both his feet steadied themselves on the ground, Theo wiping off moisture from his face as he took in the two men before him. He gave June a nod, holding the door open so he could slip through.
June agreed, the entrance shutting behind him right as he went in. He didn't so much as flinch. Ivan was sitting there, and that took precedent. Eyes or not, Ivan was June's priority. And he proved that by coming closer, placing his hand on the counter next to him to announce his presence. He knew he had to cater more to the other senses now, so he made sure his footsteps were louder than normal.
Ivan was sitting next to a counter, one of his hands on it for support while the other was quivering on his knee. The bandages around his face were clean, probably from Theo changing them a minute or two ago. There wasn't a way to look at Ivan's eyes. They were gone. Fully blind, and no coming back. One eye was completely erased while the other was cut to hell. The powerlessness had June wishing he could cry, but for Ivan, he held it back. Strength could empower a nation. Ivan used to be a nation of his own. June hoped and prayed his façade would convince Ivan to get out of bed in the morning.
"Don't look," Ivan said, knowing who was there based on the gentle touch. "Don't look at me." His voice, like his hand, trembled. It hitched halfway through his words, causing cracks to rip through his sentence.
"All I see is you. Your eyes aren't who you are. They aren't, and we'll get through this. With time, sure, a lot of effort and pain too, but we will. You will. You'll pull through. You always do, Ivan."
There was silence for a long beat. "I've had an empire for as long as I can remember," Ivan said. "I had people around me constantly, some friends, sure, but June?" He hummed, placing his hand on top of the one Ivan had on the counter. "I've never had something to truly fight for. I was there for the money and rewards. You were right: I'm a fucking coward. And this happening to me is karma for never being something great. I could've been, I had potential. I was a great singer and dancer back when I actually did school, but I wasted that to go make illegal money. Now here I am. Fallen leader of our district. Of what feels like the world, because it was my world. I was nothing more than the shell of a man, waiting for proof that I was more than that. You were right. I was a leader, and that was all that I cared about. Being powerful and at the top and I..."
"Shh, shh. You were one helluva leader."
"But a shitty person."
June pressed his back against the counter, propping himself up. His knees were exhausted from all the running he had done, and his fingers (or lack thereof) were burning from the torture they had been through. Ivan didn't know about his injury yet. Probably best to keep it that way.
"Ivan, you aren't perfect. I'm sure as hell not, and I'm not right all the time. Honestly, I rarely am. That's why we work so well," June said.
"Because we're fucked up assholes?"
June chuckled. He wasn't sure if there was humor in it or not. "Something like that."
It was silent. Ivan tilted his head up based on where June's voice came from. Using his pinky finger since his index was missing, June guided Ivan's face to the right direction. June imagined that if Ivan had eyes, they'd be showing his thanks. With just his lips, no words, he expressed his gratitude. June accepted it without raising his voice. The lack of conversation was comforting to June, and based on the way Ivan refused to say anything, June assumed it was comforting to him too.
"Be my eyes," Ivan said. June almost laughed at the request until he realized it was a serious request. That was what had June's face dropping. For a deadly second, he considered removing his hand from Ivan's. The fear of attachment came crawling back through his body, but Ivan's lower lip shuddered as he spoke the next word. "Please."
That one syllable was enough for June to remove all doubt and hesitation from his mind. Ivan was his friend. Their past was just that: past. However, their future was undetermined, and June would never forgive himself for allowing Ivan and the others to slip away again. So, he sucked in a breath.
"I'll be anything you want me to be."
~~~
Maine was a downgrade from Canada, but it had its sights that made it worthwhile.
June adored the color scheme ranging from a merlot red to magenta. There were aquamarine neon signs flashing off the corners of buildings, illuminating the sidewalk that was losing its light. The sun was setting, the moon replacing it. It wasn't too dark, but the shadows gave them more confidence that they weren't going to get spotted. Of course, that wasn't enough for Charlotte Evermore. They had to have complex disguises too.
"The rendezvous is a mile north," she said as they went. Maine never seemed like a busy place. Now, it wasn't. The population itself wasn't massive. That fact was demonstrated by the streets that were void of emotion. No sadness, happiness, or excitement clouded the streets. It was only pavement with the occasional crack, restaurants on their right with owners outside begging for attention while hotels were on their left staying quiet.
June saw a lighthouse in the distance. It was pale and maroon, the stripes thick and visible even in the dim sky. That was their meet up spot after the plan. If it went wrong, they'd meet up there and wait for each other for an hour. After an hour, they'd leave as to not risk being compromised.The drive was far from pleasant. June was placed between Jimin and Ariel. They bickered the entire 7 hour drive. All 7 fucking hours. June couldn't sleep if he wanted to or could. He always had trouble sleeping in cars. It wasn't insomnia exactly, he could sleep well otherwise, but in cars, he couldn't stay asleep for more than a couple minutes at a time.
"Let's move. This isn't the type of place to conduct much mafia business, but that doesn't mean I want to linger. I'm glad we haven't been found yet," Charlotte said.
"Or maybe we have been found and they're waiting for the right moment to attack," Kayden said. That got him a slap from Asa, Theo, and Jimin.
"Kayden, I liked you a whole lot more when you weren't talking," Asa said. Those words had Ariel swiveling her head toward Jimin while she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.
"Are all men like this?" she asked, and he shrugged. "How am I gonna get a boyfriend then?"
Jimin made a grunting noise. "You're never dating men, they're disappointing."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "We're splitting up into teams. Jimin with June. Jericho with Kayden. Theo with Asa. The rest of us are all together. I'll keep Ariel and Ivan safe. Flank the sides, look for suspicious activity. Jimin, lead June through the mall. Jericho, take Kayden through the alleyways. Theo, go near the hospital. If things go wrong, we might need to hide in there. Fake an injury or something. They wouldn't dare come inside a hospital," Charlotte said.
They agreed and split off into their respective groups. A giant team of 9 all walking to one hotel would look suspicious, so June admitted he admired Charlotte's plan. That way they could search for any signs of danger while also avoiding detection by staying in public places. Well, except for the alleyways. That was Jericho and Kayden's problem though.
Jimin led June inside the massive mall. Of course: it was crowded. How were the streets borderline empty, but the mall was packed with life? Both human and plant life. There were enormous pots housing ferns that looked twice Theo's size despite how they weren't even one Theo tall. They were darker than June expected, and he frowned seeing the lack of color on the plants.
His disappointment was replaced with bliss when he took in the kids section right in front of him. There were children playing there, little slides and games set up for them. June chuckled and turned to Jimin to speak, but the man was staring with longing. June followed his eyes, then saw a father holding his daughter. A young one, too. Couldn't be any older than 6.
"Come on, let's sweep the place. I don't want to be in this crowd for any longer than I have to be," June said, dragging Jimin out of his thoughts. Based on the look June was getting, Jimin appreciated the distraction.
The mall itself was made up of two stories. The first story had the collectibles, books, movies, and items falling under that category. The second was where the fashion and makeup was. There were more people up there, and June wasn't about to complain about that.
He made sure to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, although he doubted he'd find it so far from the hotel. They had a lot of trekking to do. It didn't help that the tiles on the floor were uneven. Jimin was tripping constantly, June right behind him.
The ceiling was tight, closer to their heads than June expected. If he jumped, he could touch it. Luckily the width of the room was large enough that June didn't have to worry about any claustrophobia he might have had. All he had to focus on was getting past the people and not sweating too much. Drawing attention to them by looking awkward was the last thing June wanted to do.
Jimin pulled June into a store after a few minutes of walking. It was a comic shop, June blowing his hair out of his face. They weren't running, but June's stamina was depleted from dealing with all the possible stares. They made him feel like an outsider in his body, and he wished he could claw that sensation out of him.
"Figured we could use a break, and this place has heating, so..." Jimin trailed off, peeking across the room as if he found something.
"Wow. This your childhood home?" June asked, Jimin flinging him off as he went down the aisles of comics.
On the bright side, the floor was carpeted with little square designs. It was a light color palette, June grinning from all the nerdy signs hung up on the windows of the store. That and the cardboard cutouts of superheroes placed around each corner of the medium-sized area.
There had to be two or three dozen aisles. They could get lost. Jimin seemed to know exactly where he was going, so June followed in time to see him picking up a comic. Multiple comics, actually. June halted behind him, reading it from over his shoulder. The Infinite Abyss. June had never heard of it. He wasn't big on reading, but when he did, he preferred mysteries and thrillers. Comics were never his thing.
"They're not for me," Jimin said when he felt June's judgmental stare. "Ariel likes these, and she's been through so much that the least I can do is give her a few comic books to distract her, even if it's only for five minutes." Jimin brought one of the volumes close to his chest, meeting June's gaze. "June, her birthday is today, and so far she's spent it listening to me torturing a guy, watching Ivan recalibrate his senses, and in a car with a bunch of morons. I baked her a cupcake in the morning, and she made a wish. You know what she did with her wish? She said she wished for me to be happy. And that just... it made me..."
June came closer as Jimin attempted to regain his composure. With his good hand, he reached out and rubbed Jimin's shoulder. "She's a great kid, she really is. She seems to like you."
"Why?" Jimin asked, his voice cracking. "I've done nothing but be an ass to her until today. She deserves better."
"You're right, she does. You are that better, Seong Jimin. You're the reason why her life isn't so shit right now. Can you do me a favor and continue to do that for her?"
There was a quiet. Casual chatter was bouncing around the honey-like walls and ceiling, the bookshelves smelling like a mixture between old and new books. The comics in Jimin's hands were in amazing condition. Not a single wrinkle on the vibrant cover. There were a handful of characters on the front, all doing poses while the title was spelled out in a canary shade with a dark outline that made the letters pop.
Lights shimmered down on them. They were in the ceiling in rectangles. June couldn't determine what type of light they were. They weren't neon, and that made him upset, but he pushed it aside to instead focus on Jimin's trembling body.
"What if I fail?" Jimin asked, clutching the comic until he squeezed the cover too much. It formed a dent, June reaching over and using the few fingers he had left on his hand to help ease Jimin's grip.
"Jimin, you might fail. Might, might not, but what good does it do if you don't try?"
There was no real way to respond to that. Not unless he wanted to have a therapy session in the middle of a comic store. Jimin resorted to grabbing as many volumes of the comic that were available (which weren't a lot), about to go to the cashier to pay when he halted. June already got out his wallet so they could pay, his eyes wandering over to Jimin to see what he was peeking at. However, he was left more confused, his eyebrows knitting together.
Why the hell was Jimin staring at a Dumbo plush?
YOU ARE READING
Heartless || •OG• ✔️
Mystery / Thriller|| 18+ Enemies to lovers gxb and bxb || Infamous NYC mafia leaders Charlotte and Jericho have been rivals for years. However, all of that changes when one of the leaders of their Underworld is assassinated. The rivals are forced together and must re...
