Man in Dreams

Clash of Loyalties

"Yoongi, Hobi! What are you doing here?" Maya exclaimed, startled.

"We came to find you. Tracking your location," Yoongi replied, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You shouldn't have done this alone, Maya," Hobi added, stepping forward.

"I couldn't let him ruin Yoongi's life," Maya said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Joe, release him," Yoongi commanded, his tone filled with anger. He turned to Maya, his words deadly, "Don't utter a word."

Joe released the reporter, and Yoongi walked over to him. "Next time, don't cross our lives. I apologize on behalf of Maya."

The reporter, Joe, and Maya were taken aback. Joe and Maya were about to speak, but Yoongi's piercing gaze silenced them.

The reporter walked up to Yoongi. "You don't need to apologize. I'll leave you guys alone for now," he said. As he moved closer to Maya, the boys immediately positioned themselves protectively in front of her. The reporter was stunned by their determination to keep her safe. Realizing he was outmatched, he left the place.

Once the reporter was gone, Hobi turned to Maya, his fury evident. "Are you nuts? What if something had happened to you? Do you think we're just going to stand by and let you risk your life like that?"

"What's going on, Joe?" Yoongi demanded. "What if something had happened to her? Goddammit!" Yoongi's voice was filled with rage.

Joe tried to explain, matching Yoongi's intensity. "I was planning to handle it alone, but Maya insisted on helping. She was determined, and I knew she would go through with it even without my support."

"Is that true?" Yoongi asked, looking directly at Maya.

"Yes," she replied, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.

Yoongi's expression hardened again. "You have no idea what you could have gotten yourself into. This isn't a game, Maya!"

"I know it's not a game, Yoongi! But I couldn't just sit back and do nothing!" Maya retorted, her own anger rising.

"Do you think you're the only one who cares? We all care, and that's why we handle things together!" Yoongi shot back.

"Handling things together? You were just going to let that reporter walk away! How is that handling anything?" Maya yelled.

"You don't understand the bigger picture! We could have involved the authorities, dealt with this legally," Yoongi argued.

"Legal or not, he needed to be stopped, and I did what I thought was right!" Maya shouted.

"Right? You think risking your life was the right move? What if something had happened to you?" Yoongi's voice cracked with emotion.

Maya's eyes welled up with tears. "I couldn't stand the thought of him hurting you, Yoongi. I was willing to do whatever it took."

"Well, your willingness nearly got you in serious trouble. You need to trust us, trust me," Yoongi said, his tone softening despite his anger.

"Trust? How can I trust when you keep treating me like I'm helpless?" Maya snapped.

"It's not about you being helpless; it's about keeping you safe!" Yoongi shouted.

"Safe? Or controlled? There's a difference!" Maya fired back.

Hobi stepped between them. "Enough! This isn't helping. We need to calm down and think clearly."

Yoongi took a deep breath, his eyes still locked on Maya. "We are a team, Maya. If we don't act like one, we fall apart."

Maya nodded, wiping away her tears. "Fine. But you need to understand that I'm not just going to stand by and watch. I'm part of this team too."

"Then act like it," Yoongi said, his voice firm but with a hint of resignation. "Let's get out of here and figure out our next steps together."

As they left the location, the tension between Yoongi and Maya lingered, but beneath it lay a deeper understanding of their shared determination and the need to protect each other.

On the way back, everyone was silent. Yoongi reached out to hold Maya's hand, but she pulled away. He turned his head, still furious.

"See, I am..." Maya began.

"Don't say a word, or I will throw you out of this car," Yoongi snapped back.

"Fine," she said, equally furious. Hobi glanced at Maya and felt bad for her but thought she deserved it and looked away.

"Joe, next time this shouldn't happen. If it does, I won't be calm," Yoongi said, his voice controlled but determined.

"Okay, I promise. I took her along because she suffered, and I saw it," Joe replied, his eyes locked onto Yoongi's.

"Joe," Maya screamed.

"I'm sorry. I don't want him to misunderstand my intentions," Joe explained. Maya took a deep breath and turned away. Hobi and Yoongi looked at her with the same intensity.

"What's going on, Maya?" Yoongi demanded.

"Nothing," she claimed.

They turned to Joe. "At least will you say what exactly happened?" Yoongi asked, his fury reaching its peak.

Joe recounted the story of Maya's suffering in the parking lot and how they formed a team to confront the reporter. Yoongi's anger escalated as he listened, and he turned to Maya. Hobi intervened.

"Maya, I knew something was up. That's why you left immediately. What do you think about us? Do you take us for granted? What are friends for, damn it? Do you know the risk we took to keep you safe? Do you realize why we did that?" Hobi's voice was a mix of anger and concern.

Maya matched his tone, her eyes blazing. "I knew it, and that's why I didn't want to be a trouble anymore. What wrong did I do? I wanted to protect my friends, my love. That's it. I don't see any wrong in it. Yes, I suffered. I felt scared, but I can't just stay suffering. Do you guys get it?"

Yoongi's voice softened slightly but remained firm. "Maya, we understand your intentions, but you put yourself in danger. We can't afford to lose you. Do you understand that?"

"I understand, but I couldn't just sit back and watch you get hurt. I had to do something," Maya argued, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and determination.

"Doing something doesn't mean putting yourself at risk. We are a team, and we need to act like one," Yoongi insisted.

"Fine, but you need to understand that I'm not going to stand by and do nothing when the people I care about are in danger," Maya shot back.

"That's not what we're asking. We're asking you to trust us, to let us handle things together," Hobi interjected.

Maya sighed, her anger slowly dissipating. "I do trust you. I just... I couldn't bear the thought of him hurting Yoongi or any of you."

"We get it, Maya," Yoongi said, his tone softening further. "But next time, talk to us. We're stronger together."

The car fell silent again, but this time, the tension had eased slightly. They knew there was still a lot to discuss, but for now, they were united in their resolve to face whatever came next as a team.