𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊

tׁׅhׁׅ֮ꫀׁׅܻ ᧁׁɑׁׅ֮ ꩇׁׅ݊ꫀׁׅܻ ᝯׁhׁׅ֮ɑׁׅ֮ꪀׁׅᧁׁꫀׁׅܻ꯱ׁׅ֒

Y/N lay awake long after the attack, jolting at every creak of the building, every shadow that passed by the window, heart racing as if she were still in that hallway, pinned against the wall by a stranger intent on taking her life. Jungkook had promised to keep her safe, but the reality of his world was far from the promises whispered in the dark.

She stood at the window, staring out at city lights that stretched far beyond the penthouse. Below her, the world continued as normal, oblivious to the chaos that swirled in the higher circles of power. Never had she felt more foreign, more out of place than in this life Jungkook was dragging her into.

With each passing minute, Y/N's train of thought was suddenly cut off by the sound of the door opening, and she turned to see Jungkook enter the room with a colder expression on his face. He said nothing immediately, so the tension between them only stretched out as tautly as an over-tightened string, waiting to snap at any moment.

"Who was he?" Y/N asked finally, her voice trembling as she fought to close down the fear that still clutched at her.

Jungkook's jaw clenched. "One of my men. At least, he was." His voice was low and husky; heavy with controlled rage. "He thought that he could take matters into his own hands and punish you for being in my life."

Y/N flinched at his words. Punish her? For what? She hadn't asked to be drug into this world. She had only wanted to survive.

His eyes softened somewhat, capturing the fear etched across her features, but the danger was still there, something dark brewing beneath the surface. "He was acting under someone else's orders. I'm positive of that. I have been too lenient, letting people think they can question me, and challenge my authority.

Weighted words hung in the air. There was more to this than a single rogue attack. Jungkook's power was being pulled, and Y/N was at the center of it. She wasn't just any outsider anymore-she was a liability, a weakness to his enemies. And that made her dangerous.

"What happens now?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

Jungkook moved closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Now, I clean house. There are people in my organization who think they can cross me, and they will have to pay for it. I won't let anyone threaten you again."

Y/N's stomach churned with his words. She knew what "cleaning house" meant, more violence. And she was spiraling deeper into this world, which she had no control over, where the only rule seemed to be survival. But the scariest part was how easily Jungkook spoke of it, how quickly he could flip from the man who protects her into the ruthless mafia boss who ruled with an iron fist.

"I cannot live this, Jungkook," she whispered through a shaking voice. "I don't belong to this world."

He leaned toward her, and he cupped her face softly in his hands, his dark eyes clung to hers. "You belong with me. I'll keep you safe, no matter what it takes."

Y/N's breath caught in her throat. There was something terrifyingly final in his words, a vow that she couldn't ever get out of. Being with him meant forsaking the life she once knew, the safety she so longed for. But without him, she was an even more exposed target in a world she hardly understood.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, the softness of his voice holding a commanding weight.

Y/N is taken aback. Trust? How could she possibly trust a man who lived in the shadows, who called the shots that might determine other people's lives and deaths? In that glimpse of his eyes, though, something in them spoke louder than violence and danger. There was a part of Jungkook who was fiercely protective, a part of him that did care when it came to taking care of her. He wasn't just a monster- and that scared her more than anything.

"I don't know," she whispered.

Jungkook's grip tightened ever so slightly, but he didn't pull away. "You will."

He let his hands fall from her face and turned toward the door. "Stay here tonight. I have things to take care of. I'll be back in the morning."

Without another word, he was out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him and leaving Y/N to her thoughts. She sank back onto the bed, running a torrent in her mind. She had no idea what scared her the fact that she was being drawn deeper into the world of Jungkook, or the one that unsettled her most, where she wasn't quite sure she wanted to leave anymore.

The next morning, Y/N woke up to the sound of a vibrating phone on the nightstand. Blinking several times, she felt disoriented as last night's events came flooding back. Jungkook hadn't come back yet. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached for the phone, hoping for some kind of update.

It wasn't from Jungkook, but an unknown number.

Unknown: You're in over your head, Y/N. You think he can protect you, but he's the reason you're in danger. Get out while you can.

She felt a chill run through her veins as she stared at the screen, her mind filled with so many questions: who was this? How did they know her? And most importantly—are they right?

She still stared at the message when the penthouse door opened and Jungkook strode in, his expression unreadable. He walked with the confidence of a man who readjusted everything in life into his control, but Y/N knew beneath it something had shifted.

"Is everything okay?" she asked cautiously, slipping the phone into her pocket.

Jungkook nodded, but the tautness in his jaw belied his casual tone. "It's taken care of. People who took care of last night won't be a problem no more."

Y/N wanted to ask him what he meant by "taken care of," but the words died in her throat. She knew exactly what that word would mean. The blood on Jungkook's hands wasn't just metaphorical; it was real, and piling up fast.

Before she could get a word in edgewise, he was walking toward her, his eyes razors. "There is something you should know: somebody in my ranks wants you, and wishes to hurt me through you. I'm still working on finding out who; in the meantime, I need you ready. It's not over yet.

Y/N felt her stomach drop as the message on her phone flashed through her mind. She fought the urge to tell him, as what came over her was indescribable. She wasn't sure if that was fear or just doubt, but something screamed back that she was caught in a game way bigger than what she had realized.

"Are you sure I'm safe here?" she asked, small.

For a moment, Jungkook's face relented, his arms drawing her into his embrace. "I'll make sure of it."

But even as he held her close, Y/N couldn't shake the growing sense of dread that no matter how hard he tried, the shadows were closing in and there was no way out.