The Lie You Keep

Where Loyalty Lies

U can vote too I promise :)

"Stupid li'l- why I oughta-"

"Who the heck are you talking to?"

"Shut up you big lump of-"

"Okay now you're sounding crazy just stop."

A man with carrot-colored hair huffs as he rounds on his companion, not at all amused that he was being answered when he was ranting by himself.

"Stop it Jihyun I'm talking to myself," he admonishes as he throws weeds at the boy.

Park Jihyun sniggers as he bends down to continue pulling out his own weeds, used to his older brother's mini tantrums.

He asks "What happened to you, hyung? You seem feisty today."

Jimin was out of town to visit his family in Busan, and right now he was in the garden with his brother, tasked to pull out weeds before eating.

He didn't answer; just pulled out grass that looked like weeds before speaking.

"My naughty neighbor accused my old college friend as fishy, and well I got mad, and he got mad, and now we're not speaking to each other unless he says sorry."

Jihyun hums before sneaking a glance at the older, who was unable to mask his despair and confusion since his emotions were always on his face.

"Do you think you did something wrong?"

At this he receives a scoff.

"All I did was defend Taehyung. They both mean a lot to me, but if one goes too far insulting the other, then I have to step up."

"And what do you think your neighbor thinks about that?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. Jungkook can stub his toe on a post and I won't even glance his way."

Jihyun's head tilts at the unfamiliar name.

"Jungkook?" he tries on his tongue.

At this Jimin's face brightens, and he turns to his brother with shining orbs.

"Ahh he's the same age as you Jihyun so you don't have to call him 'hyung'," he explains.

Jihyun paused to think, before tentatively saying "And he's your neighbor?"

"Yeah."

He saw the smile on the other's face.

"I thought you were both mad at each other?"

"We are."

"But why are you smiling?"

Jimin's sharp gaze turns to him, and Jihyun had second thoughts about saying anything at all.

"Never mind then." Another peek before blurting out "You just miss him, even though you had a row."

"Park Jihyun!"

"Whaat??"
▪️
The sun had gone down, only a few shades of orange peeking out from the horizon before the day turned to night.

A man walks along the deserted streets, coat hugging his lean figure just right as his footfalls echoed with each step.

He reached the abandoned flower shop, went in without any trouble, and directly came to stand in front of the painting full of flowers.

He gently held the frame and removed it before setting it down on the floor noiselessly.

He was met with the silver square hidden behind, and he placed his thumb on the part which looked like a scanner of sorts.

A robotic female voice confirmed his identification.

"Kim Taehyung, welcome."

The whole wall then began to shift, revealing a secret passageway that winded onwards.

There were no lights, only total darkness.

Yet Kim Taehyung squared his shoulders and moved forward, shoes clicking on the stone ground, the passageway disappearing to go back to its original form.

After walking for what seemed like hours, he finally reached his busy office, people scurrying about to do their own errands.

There was loud chatters, and small separate box offices, and scanners here and there.

Some who still had the time greeted him hello, and he politely bowed back with a smile before throwing open Hope's door and shutting it, relieved at the silence his office provided.

When he opened his eyes, it's to be met with his sharp and steely gaze that made Taehyung flinch, and he suddenly had second thoughts coming here.

"Is your mission done?"

"I can't kill him," is what the younger replies.

Hoseok's eyes narrow, and the displeasure is plain on his face.

"Are you trying to jeopardize our whole operation, agent V?"

Taehyung shakes his head with his mouth pursed, unable to meet the older's gaze.

"You've been doing this for a long time. We took you in since you were, what, seventeen?" He finally stands from his chair, circling the table as he kept eyes on the younger. "What changed? You were never this hesitant on a target. You were always eager to be out in the field, doing inside jobs and undercover missions." He's right in front of the man with the blond and pink hair, eyes hard and disappointed.

"People change, hyung. Their opinions do."

"Well mine hasn't, and unless you have done your task only then can you let me see your face. I will not go see Boss again unless I tell him you got rid of the boy."

Hoseok spins on his heel before sitting down again.

No one knew who the real Boss was. He was invisible and rarely showed, only giving out targets and orders and prerequisites. Even Hoseok, the second highest in ranking, didn't know how he looked like. Yet all of them trusted him and his instincts.

True, he was a young boy living in the streets when he was a teen, always wandering about and getting into street fights for meager things he stole.

He was near death when Hoseok himself found him, and he took pity over the young boy and so offered him a place.

There, he was trained to become a secret agent, a hitman, a spy and whatever name you call those in organizations.

Taehyung himself was specialized in undercover, since who would think that an innocent-looking man would become an enemy? Certainly no one. He was also good in killing targets, especially at long ranges.

He was very much valued by the organization, yet his emotions were getting in the way of his duty. Where should his loyalty lie?

"Get moving, V."

Sigh.

"Yes sir."