Blood, Sweat And Tears

Part Eight

          " Grandmother, " Jungkook exclaimed as he threw open the apartment door.
          A woman who looked like she was in her late sixties poked her head out. The resemblance was striking. The only differences were  slightly different shades of skin, eyes,hair and the wrinkles on Grandmother Jeon's face.
           " Kookie? What on Earth are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Seoul at college?" Then her eyes locked on Taehyung,  and they narrowed. The old woman knew,not that he was expecting anything but that. He would be more surprised if she didn't.
                "And who is this handsome young man? Your boyfriend? "
                Keeping the guise of not knowing each other up. Perfect. Still,even though he knew she didn't mean it, a smile crept across his face. Jungkook's boyfriend. What a nice title, even it wasn't serious.
             Jungkook's face turned cherry red." No,no, grandma,he's -"
            "I get it, Kook. I want to speak to him for a moment. That's all."
            Grandmother Jeon grabbed Taehyung's arm with a grip like iron. Behind them,an unsuspecting Jungkook called out," His name is Kim Taehyung! "
             Grandmother Jeon slammed the door shut furiously. "What are you doing with my grandson? He isn't yours to take. And certainly not yours to drag into the drug cartel world!"
              Taehyung's eyes  hardened to steel. " Madame Jeon. The cartels of Russia and China are going to war. You know how closely intertwined with the Chinese your other grandson is. If he'd stayed in Seoul Jimin would've taken him and he would be in massive danger. Don't you see that he's much safer with me?"
               Grandmother Jeon scoffed. "You hate Jimin. How am I supposed to know that you won't harm Jungkook? And besides, you're  also the boss of a major cartel. Who's to say that you won't join this war and endanger Jungkook? "
               Taehyung's eyes were deadly."I won't, Madame Jeon. After all, a king is supposed to keep his queen safe,isn't  he? Jungkook is my queen. I won't let anything happen to him."
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              Yiren, Sicheng and Hyunjin found a girl waiting for them at the entrance.
              She was taller than Yiren, again making her feel like a tiny dwarf. Her hair was a mass of wind messed curls as dark as might with blue highlights at the tips. She looked very similar to Hyunjin. His sister,most likely.
               " Finally, you're here!" the girl exclaimed, brushing a lock of intruding hair away. She squinted her eyes at them.
                "Is that them?"
                Hyunjin simply nodded.  He turned to them then to the girl on front. "This is my younger sister, Hwang Yeji. Yeji,they are the guests. Dong Sicheng and Wang Yiren. They'll be staying with us for as long as Father says so."
              Yeji raised a brow.  "Fair enough." She turned to Yiren."Yiren,right? Come on,I'll bring you to where you'll be staying. "
              Yiren and Yeji walked quietly. " Had anyone told you that you're really beautiful, Yiren? Because you really are."
              She nodded hesitantly. The only people who told her that had been the only three people she trusted. Her fathers and Sicheng. 
             Her fathers would obviously think she was the most beautiful girl in the world. She was their daughter, after all. All parents found their children beautiful.
               Nothing but brotherly love would ever come from Sicheng calling her beautiful. He was gay as fuck. He even came out to her,and he was whipped for that Nakamoto Yuta.
                She was used to being called beautiful. But it sounded strange coming from Hwang Yeji.
            "Oh,and when were you born?"
            "December 29. 2000."
             Yeji pouted."You're older than me. I'm May 26 2001. What about that Dong Sicheng? "
            "October 28 1997. What about your brother?"
             Yiren was surprised she asked. Usually she didn't bother to do so. It wasn't something that mattered to her. Usually they came and go,everyone in her life except for the three she genuinely cared for. What was the point of asking for the personal details of someone who'd leave you soon?
             None, Yiren believed. And Hyunjin was supposed to be one of them.
                Yet her heart said that he wasn't.
              "March 20. 2000. He's older. He's,as we'd say in Korea, your hyung. But don't call him that. Just call him Hyunjin. " Yeji stopped before a set of heavy doors. Gold early morning sunlight spilled in through the tall French windows that flanked it. " Here's your room. Hope you'll like it . . .!"
               Then Yeji bounded away, her long hair flying out behind her.
               Yiren opened the door and entered,breathing in heavily as she did so.
               She barely noted the richly room as she sat down on the bed. She pulled out her most treasured possession. It wasn't jewels or some other piece of precious metal.
                It was the first gift Mark and Jackson had given her. A simple stuffed teddy bear. After over a decade, it was now old and worn out, yet it was dear to her.
               A tear slipped out of her eye. It was one of her rare moments of genuine,  raw emotion. It came to her close to never in her slightly over twenty years of life.
               In the rising sunlight,  the droplet appeared to be a tear of blood.