Beauty Next Door (vsoo)

[30]

The air in the underground boxing ring was thick with tension and the stench of sweat and blood. The shouts and cheers of spectators echoed around the dimly lit, grimy room. Taehyung moved through the crowd like he belonged there, his demeanor calm and collected, while Jungkook trailed behind, visibly uncomfortable in this rough environment. The scene was chaotic—grunts and insults flew from all directions as fighters clashed in the ring, their bodies thumping against the canvas with every blow.

Jungkook was growing more and more frustrated, glancing at Taehyung with disbelief. "Taehyung, what exactly are we doing here? This doesn't feel like the place we should be for finding Rowoon," Jungkook hissed under his breath, trying not to attract attention in the raucous surroundings.

Taehyung didn’t even look back. He walked forward, his eyes scanning the crowd, sharp and focused. "Relax, Jungkook. Just trust me," he muttered as he approached a hulking figure standing near the edge of the ring.

Jungkook sighed, but there was no stopping Taehyung when he was set on something. He watched as Taehyung casually approached the massive man who stood with his arms crossed, eyeing the scene in front of him with a bored expression. Taehyung didn’t hesitate as he spoke.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice steady and direct. "Can you tell me where Chul Boyeol is?" he asked, cutting through the noise of the crowd.

The man eyed Taehyung with a frown, sizing him up. His grip tightened on the large beer can he was holding, but after a brief pause, he responded. "Ring... the one in yellow boxers," he muttered gruffly, gesturing toward the ring. "That’s Chul."

Taehyung nodded, acknowledging the information with a casual glance before turning toward Jungkook, who was still struggling to wrap his head around the situation.

"Alright, let’s go," Taehyung said, his voice calm and composed, despite the tension in the air. "We’ll talk to him after the fight."

Jungkook’s brow furrowed as he watched Chul Boyeol, a massive, muscle-bound figure, mercilessly pummel the man in the red boxers. The crowd was roaring with excitement, their fists pumping in the air with every punch that landed. Chul Boyeol was no stranger to violence—his reputation spoke for itself. But it was clear from his every move that he was in his element, and nothing would make him stop until the fight was over.

"Is this really how you planned to handle this?" Jungkook muttered under his breath, exasperated. But he knew better than to argue with Taehyung when he was like this. His best friend was stubborn to a fault, and while Jungkook was the strategist, Taehyung was the man who made things happen—no matter how chaotic.

They stood off to the side, waiting for the fight to conclude. Taehyung remained unmoving, focused, like a predator stalking its prey. He wasn’t worried about the violence around him; he had bigger things on his mind—namely, finding Rowoon and getting answers.

Chul’s eyes scanned the crowd, and Taehyung seized the opportunity.

"Now," Taehyung muttered, striding forward with purpose, "let’s grab him."

Jungkook shot him an incredulous look. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that without getting ourselves killed?"

Taehyung didn’t answer. Instead, he simply walked toward the ring, moving through the crowd like he owned the place. His steps were sure, his confidence unshaken.

Jungkook sighed, following him reluctantly. He knew things were about to get messy, but there was no turning back now. He had already sent Namjoon the location, knowing that even without a warrant, the police could take down this whole underground operation if things went south.

Both walked closer to the ring, the sounds of the crowd swelling with excitement as Chul Boyeol pummeled his opponent. The red boxer was staggering, barely holding himself up as he took blow after blow, but his defiance was evident—he wasn’t going down without a fight.