FOOLS

Chapter 24

Through the snipper lens, Hoseok saw Namjoon's eyes slowly fluttering close and his father's hand going up. The gun was inches away from Namjoon's heart. His own heart began rumbling like crazy. He was too late. He would have been there earlier but a new group of guards surrounded the building. He got there when the second shot was fired at Jungkook. But his snipper was ready and he would not miss. The trigger pulled, window glass shattered and scattered the floor like flower petals.

The CEO screamed as blood ooze out of his hand. Just then, a group of men barged into the room and detained the deranged man. Namjoon's mother relaxed a little when she recognized the faces of his team, but she was still crying at the sight of the unconscious bodies. Yoongi easily pinned the man back while Taehyung and Jimin helped Namjoon and Jungkook out of the house. Seokjin untied his mother and was behind them.

"Let me go!" the CEO yelled.

"Shut the hell up." Yoongi growled. "Be grateful I'm not killing you right now for hurting my best friend." Outside, red and blue hues painted across the scenery. Yoongi threw the handcuffed man violently in the back of his car. He was looking forward to the investigation later. The injured men, as well as Namjoon's mother, were laid down onto stretchers. But before she was driven away, she wanted to see her son. His eyes were close and little hair covered his face. She swept it gently away, eyes burning with unspoken tears. It reminded her when he was younger, the moments where he was terrified of his father and would hide underneath his blanket. Only this time, there was so much blood and his face was ghost white. It scared her.

"Mrs. Kim, you should get treated as well. We'll meet you at the hospital." Hoseok said, placing a hand on her frail shoulder.

"And the boy?" she asked, looking at his unconscious figure and dangling hair. He was already in the ambulance with just as much blood as Namjoon. "I don't know who he is but he saved my Namjoon."

"He's... an important person." Hoseok answered. "And Namjoon is precious to him. He'll be fine as well." Hoseok abandoned his car to drive with Namjoon in the back of the ambulance. The whole time, he wondered why Namjoon didn't make a move, a surprise kick and pull his own gun out. But then again, he had so much to lose. The people he cared about most in the world were there and he couldn't risk them. The monitor beeped, it showed that Namjoon was fighting to survive. And he hoped Jungkook was too.

The doctor informed the team that the bullet missed vital organs in Namjoon's body and he would wake up soon. On the other hand, Jungkook's bullet was centimeters from his heart, and it was up to him if he wanted to wake up or not. Hoseok bursted into tears and that was when everyone began asking about Jungkook's identity. Not knowing exactly what to say, Hoseok only confessed that he was Namjoon's brother and nothing else. They still seemed unsettled, but they let it go and waited outside Namjoon's door.

Within the next few days, the CEO was convicted and charged with illegal drug trading, multiple attempted murders, assault on a police officer, and the murder of Jeon Jungkook's mother. As expected, he got life in prison. The trials didn't even last an hour, considering all the evidence presented. But on his way out, he continued to yell how he wasn't the leader of the Black Pandora. No one listened. And Taehyung wanted Ajumma to stay with him a little bit longer, she reminds him of his grandmother.

Like the doctor said, Namjoon woke up a couple of days later. He wanted to be at the trials, to watch his father's face in defeat. But he knew he should be here instead, and leave that part of his life behind. His team were back at the station, doing some final paperwork but since news of him waking up has spread, they'll visit in the afternoon. To his surprise, his mother was not beside his bed side. Instead, he found her outside his brother's door. Her hand stretched to reach the door knob, but something in her mind always stop halfway.

"Eomma, just go in." he said. She jumped a little and then turned to him, a guilty expression on her face.

"Honey, why are you out of bed? You should be resting." she began to yell, her voice wavering out of nervousness.

"Don't dodge the question. I'm sure Hoseok told you about him. I'm sure he would like to meet you."

"He hasn't even woke up yet." she sighed. "How would you know how he feels about me? In a way, I'm responsible for how terrible his life turned out. He never got to live as a young boy, he didn't have warm home cooked meals or presents on Christmas. Namjoon, how could I ever make it up to him?"

"You want to?"

"You're his family, and therefore, so am I." she answered. Then, a splurged of confidence wash over her and she opened the door. Dressed in a bunny pattern hospital outfit, Jungkook's chest puffed up lightly then descended. The monitored displayed small mountains of his heartbeat. It was on fire with his will to live. Bruises covered his face, but Namjoon was glad there was no more blood. His mother beat him in reaching the boy. Instinctively, she grabbed his hand and began weeping.

"Eomma," Namjoon said in concerned.

"I'm so sorry." she said, but it wasn't towards Namjoon. "I'm so sorry for what we did to you. I know saying this won't make up for it, but please know you have people who care about you. You need to wake up and your Namjoon hyung will take you to so many wonderful places like an amusement park or the arcade."

"Eomma, he's not 5." Namjoon pointed out. He also wanted to say that Jungkook owns an arcade but decided it was not an appropriate moment.

"Shut up," she groaned through her tears. "Please wake up. I need to properly thank you for saving my son's life. I would have died if anything had happened to him." Namjoon's heart stung when hearing her say that. He never thought of how his line of work must worry her everyday, and that was selfish of him. But at least from now on, she'll be at his home.