The Symbol Of Darkness

㉜Things Just Change

 
A mantle of bitter melancholy shrouded Taehyung’s existence since the moment he rolled out of bed and felt impossible to shed it, as if it had been glued on him. 

Despite it, he monitored Ha Eun — the drug dealer from Mapo — for about two hours, just so he could have something to report to Jin Mo. 

His mind was constantly slipping back to Jungkook. He ached for his company. His touch. His warmth. Now that he had tamed his feelings enough and locked the stabbing guilt in a box close to his heart — close because he needed it to remind him of his wrongdoings since he deserved to hurt that much — he longed for another hug from Jungkook. At least one last hug. Long and strong and tight so he could root his warmth in his chest and run back to it all the nights his heart would bleed with agony. 

He left the three incoming calls from Jungkook that were made within an hour unanswered. He had to inform Jin Mo that he finished his mission first and wait for further instructions. Although, he already knew what he would order him to do now. He had worked for Jin Mo for too long. Of course he knew. 

Not wanting to delay the inescapable instruction he would receive anymore, Taehyung drove to the mansion in the afternoon.

He couldn’t dissemble his grim aura as he entered his office, but he managed to mask the melancholy swirling around his eyes and features. 

Jin Mo, standing behind his desk with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, broke into a smile when he saw Taehyung. He poured some into a glass, then grabbed it and neared him. “How are you, Tae?”

Taehyung faked a smile as he watched him sit. “Good. I monitored Ha Eun today. He met with two guys. I sent the photos to Jimin to identify them. Overall, everything he did was normal.”

“Great! Continue to monitor him for a few more days.” Jin Mo sipped his drink and smacked his lips to savor the strong taste. His eyes prowled around his form as he rolled the ice in his glass. “Did something happen, though? I feel like something is bothering you.”

Taehyung’s head fell slightly as he cleared his throat. “No, I’m fine. But something indeed happened. I finished Jungkook’s mission.” His gaze shot up to him when a quiet gasp tumbled into his ears. He observed his face stretch into a mask of absolute delight, and his head dropped lower this time. “He invited me to the station yesterday, and I deleted all the information they have on me and Jay.”

“Great job, Tae. Really, well done. It was a difficult mission,” Jin Mo praised with a grin. “And he didn’t suspect anything, right?”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

“Perfect! Finally some good news. Only if I managed to take the information he has on me too...”

“Isn’t it pointless?” Taehyung asked, voice devoid of any emotion. “I mean, everyone knows a few things about you and it’s not a threat. They can’t catch you, anyway.”

Jin Mo considered his words as a thoughtful hum burred in his throat. “You’re right. They can’t find me, anyway.”

Taehyung’s eyes dragged up again and rested on Jin Mo, who took another sip of his whiskey. 

Jin Mo blinked at him, his lips pursed into a carefree smile. “Anything else?”

“Um.” Bafflement cracked through the blank veneer on his face. “What about Jungkook? What do I do with him now?”

A single chuckle exploded out of Jin Mo’s lungs. “What do you mean? You cut any contact with him. I don’t want you to associate with the police if it’s not for a mission.”

The predicted words bubbled a constriction up his chest that sat heavy in his throat. His first instinct was to oppose his command because only at the thought of not seeing or talking to Jungkook, his heart fluttered with misery and his eyes stung with tears. But it would be just as painful to talk to him and see him with that searing guilt he had locked inside him because he wouldn’t be able to keep it locked for long.