• Hedonists •

11. Arrangements and long-awaited meetings

"Why so nervous?"

Taehyung puts the book back in its place, restless and somewhat anxious. Jin tilts his head, seeking his gaze and waiting for an answer. The nobleman rubs his brow, twitches his jaw and looks down.

"Why aren't you, there's an assassin on the loose out there who happens to kill college students." points out Taehyung and Jin laughs softly.

"As long as you don't go off campus alone at night, nothing is going to happen to you. That's what has happened so far. Other than the lack of attention to the symbol that you feel so repeatedly." Taehyung doesn't feel it's enough of a safeguard. He is nervous and his mother even sent him a letter about it. Asking him to return home to be safe.

Contradictorily, Taehyung is afraid to travel and get killed on the way in that horrible way.

"Do you do so much outside at night Taehyung?" interjects Jin in a low voice. Taehyung leans back from the bookcase and turns to Jin.

"I'm sorry that my fears seem absurd to you. It seems that psychology is not for you" Jin rolls his eyes. "However, if you don't mind can I spend the nights with you for peace of mind?"

Jin takes a few seconds to process the request and half-opens his lips. It's a two-way proposition, almost demanding his attention and a method for worry not to eat him alive, at the same time that being accompanied, nothing bad will happen. He straightens up and takes Taehyung's right hand, giving him a kiss on the knuckles.

"Whatever you ask of me, young Brownbear." Taehyung reddens slightly and pouts. Jin's cheesiness, right now, only causes his legs to tremble and he is unable to respond with his usual, necessary mischievousness.

Jungkook gets up from his seat as soon as Jimin enters the place. The shorter one thanks him with a smile, being that he already had a drink ready for him. He stands up on his tiptoes and kisses Jungkook on the lips, continuing to the table. Taehyung and Hoseok can't resist laughing at Jungkook's red face.

"They are already drunk, perfect" says Namjoon with a smile and a huge folder in his hand. He sets it down on the center table. "I was afraid they weren't."

"Why?"

"We come here to drink, make out and read, if you're not half drunk, the place is no good." notifies Jin to Yoongi who snorts.

"Well, what we need to talk about is- Thank you Jin" Namjoon takes the poured glass of red wine, taking a swig of it. "It's just that there's a pattern to what's going on. A much bigger one that, I suspect, no one has noticed so far." Yoongi cocks his head.

"What exactly do you mean by that, a pattern of attack?"

"Yes and no" Namjoon lays on the table several newspapers, listings and other papers that generate dizziness in first stay. "Because Hongjoong explained to me the motivation to so many visitors and supporters, I looked into the matter a little more. I found that the victims are not over thirty years old in any case" He points out and Jin reads the papers as well as Yoongi, the others are engaged in drinking and listening to him. "They have all been students or upcoming college students and what caught my attention the most is that: the vast majority, seventy percent of the time, the people framed are families with Asian roots."

"Now that you mention it" mutters Yoongi putting the paper down for a moment. "Where I used to live, way, way down south, something similar happened and it wasn't documented. It's a very rural town. The thing is, they murdered the family they thought did it."

"What the fuck? Why?" retorts Jungkook aghast.

"Because they were former employees. All Asians. My family wasn't affected. Because my brother is in the military and no one dares go near him as a precaution," explains Yoongi. "I didn't hear anything, I was on a trip. If they tell me they had these marks on them, I wouldn't be surprised."