Tiger Inside ||Stray Kids Mafia AU||

Chapter Three

Night reflected off the windows of the city, an eerie silence settling across the streets like fog. My stomach tightened itself into knots, processing the different outcomes possible from this night. Sliding my hand into my purse as I walked, my fingers brushed over the fabricated wall to ensure my handgun was tucked into its discreet pocket. A level of self defense I've grown too accustomed to leaving inside of my bedside table instead of on my person. I knew if things escalated, I needed to be prepared. If this goes south, I need to be ready.

The lights of the Tancheon Bridge came into my view in the distance, the quiet hum of vehicles passing over as I neared closer. Far ahead I could make out the silhouette of the two blonde figures leaning against the truck of a car, clearly deep in a conversation by the movement of bodies in the darkness. I slowed my steps as I approached, delaying the notice of my presence, as I took a deep breath and held my purse close to my body.

Felix was the first to notice me, immediately standing and greeting me with nothing but a blank stare. Hyunjin's head slowly turned in my direction, almost a look of surprise on his face, as he shuffled his hands out of his pockets. We observed each other in silence for a moment. I scanned their figures, ensuring their hands were visible and not implicating immediate danger.

"So what is it that you had to tell me so desperately?" My voice is flat, my attempts at sounding level headed seeming to come off successful. Felix cleared his throat, cutting eye contact and staring at his feet. "Care to explain why you've been keeping surveillance on me the last few months?"

"Things aren't going well with the family." I didn't expect Hyunjin's voice to cut through first, my eyes immediately locking on his, realizing his cold demeanor had melted, his eyes showing that of sorrow. "Your Father knew things might reach back to you, so he asked us to keep an eye on you." Felix's gaze stayed firmly on his feet, avoiding my own in any sense of the matter.

"Care to explain to me further? Or are you gonna try and stay mysterious and keep things vague? Because this really isn't the time." My irritation was dripping off my lips, my own worries hiding themselves behind my words. I could feel the shaking manifesting in my bones, my expectations for the worst already becoming apparent.

"He's had someone on his tail for quite some time now" He cleared his throat before continuing, now opting for also avoiding my gaze, his feet shuffling through the dirt in front of him.

"Jesus Christ Hyunjin, get to the point." I kept my distance, still wary of their intentions, my grip on the strap of my purse growing tighter with the tension sitting thick in the air. Hyunjin finally raised his head back to me, eyes meeting mine in a painful gaze.

"He's dead, y/n." His eyes looked shallow, his own sleepless nights living under his eyes only just now appearing evident to me. My chest tightened, processing the sharp words I knew would eventually reach his lips. I hoped to stay ignorant, the day I knew would eventually be coming still hitting me like a bag full of bricks. I struggled to keep myself upright, my legs quickly growing too weak for my frame. "We were supposed to just stay distant, but he said if anything directly happened to him you needed to be under heavier surveillance." His words sounded fuzzy, my brain struggling to keep up. My sight began to blur as I blinked away tears making their way into my eyes. "Y/n-"

"What about my brother?" I sharply cut him off, needing to hear that I wasn't the last surviving member of the family line. My thoughts raced, what does this mean for the family? What does this mean in terms of how I've been living? My eyes stayed sharp on Hyunjin, my jaw tense while his fell slack at a loss for words. Finally Felix's rough voice pulled through, his eyes still focused on the ground.

"Jiho is safe." A breath I was unaware had been lodged in my chest left in a sigh of relief, stepping forward and finding support on a half wall. "He took over after it happened." Felix scratched the back of his neck as he stared down to the water below before turning back to me. "He's actually the one who gave the order to bring you back."