*13.1* More Than Meets The Eye

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The curtain is what the eyes see,
not what that is behind it.
That doesn't mean it's concealing nothing. There sure is, something behind it.
That your poor eyes can't see.


Suga's P.O.V-

Both of us were silently walking through the dark concrete path. Jungkook fidgeting proceeded forward while my paces were steady. I was busy jotting down then next plans in my head. The alley was broad at the commencement, but the more it deepened, it was gradually narrowing down to almost a thread. The street lamps standing in a distance were blinking like a human eye, the dim light was increasing the darkness rather lightening up the surrounding. Constant drops of water descending from the broken rusted pipes attached above the sidewalls were the only source of sound in the alley after the sound of our footsteps. Puddles were formed along the whole way due to it, plashing on them made our shoes sloppy. Verily, the night how it appears on the outside environment, it was in a darker shade appearing in there, just for that place.

'Kookie, let's just wait here.' I stood leaning against a lamppost on the side. Jungkook kept strolling back and forth impatiently. His anxiety and uneasiness were clearly detectable. Aish, this maknae! I tittered secretly.

Countless days passed since we are 'us' now, the sun set before we even knew when it rose. Every single assignment we carried out, every single assault, business, our nerves would get strong and our heart was stone by now. I can assure that at least about myself. An iron piece is electroplated with other metals to acquire it more of its strength and durability. Our case was just like it, do it like you need to, to accomplish the same goal, to gain more strength, to reach a state from where we can't fall apart by anyone, anytime. The things we do, were the metals to reach what we wanted.

But in case of Jungkook, there seemed to be a fault in the process, which is responsible for the formation of rust. I don't know about others but him, in his eyes and on that face, it was thoroughly visible. Still now, he couldn't get accustomed to the life we were living. He won't say a thing, but his eyes speak the words before anything. From the first day when we saw him, I remember the vulnerability and the despise in his eyes. He hated this, he hated us. Now he is trying to learn, he is trying to become us, but...Maybe it's just because he's underage?

But he has to learn how to cope up! This is what we are now; we can't get out of it no matter how much we try to. This had become a part of our life now, a part of us...

'Hyung,' Jungkook's voice got me out of my net of thoughts, 'I think he's coming.'
My muscles got steady, hearing the incoming footsteps. I secured the hoodie on my head properly hiding the face.

A figure pierced through the darkness and stood a little distance away from us.

'So you're here finally.'


> > > > > Time reverse < < < < <

(Some while back...)


Y/N's P.O.V-

I sealed the last file, releasing a deep breath. Unlike the other days, I wasn't that late. Resting my head on the desk, I sluggishly swiped to unlock the phone. I was expecting some sort of a message from Momo throughout the whole day, but nothing came. I think she couldn't extract those lock codes yet.

My eyes widened as soon as I saw the notification of received messages. 24 new ones? Woah, who is recalling me this crazy?
The name of the sender didn't get me surprised at all. Liza.

Liza : Knock knock! Y/N! Are you back home?
: You haven't contacted me this whole week. How was your day? *how were the boys?*
: Did you talk to them?
: Why aren't you picking up my calls?
: ASDFGHJKLQWER---
: Y/N! Have you died or what? Did any truck run over you? Which hospital are you in?
: Ugh! Yo! I've been texting you in a row for three days.
: This is my 18th message in a row to you. What is up with ya?
: Is your phone lost?
: Have you got any amnesia? Let me introduce myself. This is Liza Lee, your best friend.
: Who is probably going to be former soon!!! T-T

I chuckled seeing her messages. And then decided to send her off the shortest reply.

Y/N : Hi...

I was swiping the rest of her unlimitedly sent messages unchecked, my fingers stopped upon a text from a second person. The chuckle on my face was so long gone, as I read the name. And the text.

: I am free now. So, can you meet me then?

Jackson. Wang.

My eyes blinked for seconds upon his text. Then I remembered the text I had sent him a long while ago. He, finally, replied, back. I didn't think he would.

After all these days...we, he...
I picked up my coat and hurried my way to the exit.





- - - - - - - - - -

Time.
Things change so much with the passage of this unstoppable, progression or demotion, development or retardment. Going back and forth swindling time with our mind, memories, and imagination, credence to our own selves, we can defy the law of time and time can't ever stop us dominate in this case.

Seeing the man before me now it felt like I had gone back through time, traveled miles far to a country, to a city of Heimat where we were friends once. I didn't see his current self, I saw the boy I knew years ago, the anachronistic appearance, the fair face, the black curly hair, the soft and delicate form. The masculine, sharp and bold male who sat before me now, whose undercut hair is now blonde, whose eyes never shifted down for once as he met my eyes and sat face to face, I didn't know who he was. Is it he who has changed? Or is it I who has changed?

'Long time no see.' His deep voice stated. The cafe where we sat was not too far from Big Hit, it took me minutes to reach. I was hesitant at my place, didn't know what to say to start the conversation. 'Yeah...' I coughed to banish the awkwardness from my voice.

'You seem stiff? Are you so uncomfortable meeting me?' He gave a genuine smile. Of all things, this one thing about him remained the same.

'No.' 'Don't lie.' He tapped another smile, 'I know you are.'

'Anyways, tell me about you instead.' He placed his elbows on the table and looked at me, 'Still working at the same place?'

'No...I-uh...' I paused, unsure if I should tell him about it, then thought it was fine. 'Currently a staff, at Big Hit. You know, that entertainment company-'

'I know about Big Hit.' He shook his head in amusement, 'Seems like you are doing well.'

'How's your job going?' I asked. He shrugged a bit, 'Same. Shitty life of a journalist. Just shifted the company to another one. It pays well.'

'Oh, I see.' I couldn't find any more words to say. He observed me for a while then said, 'Anyways, about the thing you texted me.'

'Yes.' I was glad that he got us to the main point. 'You saw my text, I just hope you keep it confidential and just between us.'

'If you say so. What do you need me to research about-?'

'It's about a missing boy. He had come from Busan to Seoul for auditions, but he disappeared just like in magic. Was nowhere to be found. He was found two years after before his house at Busan. He never talked about where he was these two years. I need you to find out how he disappeared and where he was or could be in these two years. Can you please do that for me? You come skilled with this type of work, so...'

He was listening to me attentively, 'A missing boy? When is this from?'

'Around 2008 or 9. The boy was 11-12 back then.'

Hmm...was it on the news?'

'For a certain time, it was shown, yes. There was a police file on this case too. I brought a copy for your help.' I fished out a black covered file from my bag and held before him, eyeing him beggingly.

'Yeah yeah, I know,' He took it from my hand, 'I won't tell anyone else. But where did you get this from?'

'I have... a friend in there.' I replied. He was going through the file the said, 'But Y/N, the pic of the boy in this photocopy isn't very clear enough to recognize.'

'Is it?' I leaned forward to take a look, 'Oh that's right.'

'Then?'

'Wait. I have some photos on my phone. Lemme see if I can give you a childhood pic or-' I unlocked my phone and went through my gallery. There were tons of photos of the members on my phone. I needed to find one with a passport-straight face within it.

'Y/N, how long will you keep running away?' I stopped at my motion and looked up at the boy whose eyes would never leave scrupulously staring at my face.

'How long has it been from the time you went back to the state?' I looked down at my thighs. My hands clenched hard upon my phone as I tried hard to reply imperviously, 'There's nothing for me back there.'

'Your friends are nothing? I, we are nothing?' I jolted my head up, 'Friends?' I hissed, 'Who are they?'

He wouldn't speak for a minute, rather stared in a way I can't explain, pitying or having me in the list of hatred, maybe both.

'Y/N.' He mumbled.

'Wang Ka-Yee.' I called back. His face hardened at my saying.

'Jackson. It's Jackson Wang.' He spoke through his gritted teeth. My tilting head fixed eyes upon him and scoffed, 'Is it only me who's running away then?'

'Or,' I added, my vocal being so stern and deep, 'Is it you too?' He looked away avoiding my eyes in silence. 'I will hit the washroom. Excuse me for a minute.' With that, he walked away to the left. To say, escaped.

I half-smiled at his leaving figure and stared down at my phone. The whole charge was almost drained away, the number above is only 10. I switched it off to save the rest and idly looked outside through the bay window. People were passing by, it was a usual Seoul night for all. Marts and shops were shining stars on both sides, the footpaths were occupied by people walking by, some in a hurry, some leisurely. The streets were less crowded than other days. Occasional cars were migratory birds flying through the lanes in the fastest speed. My eyes faintly caught a glimpse on the nth random car passing away. A black van. The only reason it caught my eyes because it looked kind of familiar. Like the van of BTS?

I looked at the clock. It was almost fifteen minutes. Why wasn't he coming back? I will have to go too. Wait...

Like the van of BTS...?

My memory flashed back. It wasn't like the van of BTS. It was the van of BTS!!!

'Sorry for being late.' Jackson came back and sat in his previous seat. 'We should order something. What would you like to take?'

'Sorry Jackson. I must go now...' I shot myself up from the seat, 'Something came up. Please do the work for me. I will be sure to pay you back in return. And, I will send off the picture later. Okay? Bye!!' I hurried my way out through the glass door leaving the confused male behind. While my mind was in the uttermost state of bizarreness.

The same structure, the same model, the same black! This is not the street they should be going through. They had left quite some time ago from Big Hit and they were heading back to their dorm. At least they said so. However, the fact is, the dorm was not even in the direction to which the van was heading.

I twitched my eyebrow as a humongous suspicion grew up inside my mind. They were definitely going to somewhere else and that else is nothing related to their idol work, as I, the assistant manager knew nothing about it.

My suspicion from before, perhaps was, thoroughly correct.

Oh, God...

Rushing to the parking lot, I clicked the start button and twirled the throttle. Letting out a vicious growl, the bike woke up and immediately gained its initial velocity. Startling the people on the street leaping out of the blue with the roaring two-wheeled vehicle, I throttled more in order to gain faster speed.

I need to catch that van. At any cost.

My face lightened up as soon as my eyes caught the partial view of the familiar car structure in a distance. There they are. I went a bit forward to take a proper view in order to eliminate the last doubt I held.
Even though the license plates were turned slightly down, I could definitely identify the van.

The van was running with speed more than the regular one. I slowed down my speed a little to make up more distance. Like the way they were not supposed to be here, neither was I supposed to be here either.

I knew they were up to something. I needed to know what it was.

Running along the highway, it changed its track to the byways, gradually getting far off the city. The numbers of cars were also getting lesser than before. My curiosity was rising higher to highest to meet the boiling point.

The van had passed through a level crossing and kept moving. Its speed became a little faster than before. I increased my speed too to catch up with it. Before I could get near the crossing, my worst luck hit me hard.

I think I was just...born unlucky...

The warning bells started to ring all of a sudden with the signals turning red, almost startling me. No, no, no, this can't happen now! I was way too far with more or fewer tons of cars ahead of me to pass through that before the lowering of gates.

Forgetting about my cover, I crazily overtook all the few cars ahead of me, clutching the throttle. The drivers sideways looked at me as if I were a delinquent biker, however, I hardly had time to pay them the littlest heed.

The whistles before kept buzzing into my ears like bees; signing the cars to stop. My eyes kept still on the gates that were getting lower and lower and the little distance I had to cross before it came down.

Yes, yes I was about to succeed, but...

No.

Betraying me, the gate went down on just the moment I was a single meter away from the cross line. I whisked the brake down. Punching on the front side, I let out a loud sigh of frustration. With the speed that the van was moving with, I was definitely going to lose its track even after I get out of here.

I moved the glass of the helmet upward and grasped my fist. No, I am not going to let you go away like this. In no way.

Next time I will definitely keep in mind to put a tracker on that mousey little vehicle.

> > > > > Back to present... < < < < <


Jungkook's P.O.V-

'Ma-ri imoreul mannasibsiyo.'

The suspicious look was eliminated off his face. I keenly observed the person, trying to understand his exact type before anything. He was diminutive, dirty unshaven beard growing out of his face with a bandana on his forehead. A feeble smell of liquor was coming out of his mouth though he didn't seem way too drunk. His gaze was sharp like an eagle, the wonky eyebrows signifying the cunningness more.

'So it was you?' He spoke in a mixture of sarcasm and avarice, 'You two seem rich kids. I never saw any of you around. Who are you?'

'Not anyone you need to befriend with.' A straight answer from the older.
'Are you regular?' he asked in a casual way.
'Regular about what?'
'You see, those-' he gestured eloquently, 'I have quite a big supply, you know. If you need some, I can manage it for you.' Making both of us roll our eyes in annoyance.

'Listen,' Yoongi hyung said in his coldest voice. 'We are not here to buy anything from you, neither to play around. You are here for money; we're here for our own purpose. We can't stay for long here so, can we just get to the main point now?'

'Logic.' He laughed mockingly, 'What can be more important in this world other than money!'

'Did you try to get what we asked for?' I added. The man replied, 'That thing? I did. As I said, my buddy works in there as one of the charges of the security system. I can manage the planning that you're wanting off him.'

'We need to know everything about the place, where the security cameras are hidden, how they will be positioned. where the guards will be, where the alarm is, the blueprint. Everything...'

'I know, I know. But there's one thing-' he rubbed the tip of his index finger with the thumb. 'We got your dough. Just hand over the information and you'll get the amount you demanded.'

'That's the thing. I decided to change my mind a bit.' In a voice, his voice changed to a deadly stern version, 'What?' I was confused, 'What do you mean?'

'I am increasing the amount. I want more. And I want it now.' his gaze sharpened more than before. 'Don't joke with us. You already asked for a lot.'

'But you see, the thing you're asking for is worth of a lot. Why are you denying to pay a little more? Both of you seem to have quite a lot of money. Just a few more notes won't get you down begging on the streets.'

'We can't pay you more than that.' I spoke unfaltering. 'Then forget the deal.' He rolled his eyes, tucking his hands to his pockets, 'I have so many other businesses to take care of. If you require it so much, you gotta extract more from your li'l pockets.'

I gritted my teeth. Damn, should've known! Shithead blackmailers...

I anxiously tried to catch a glimpse of Suga hyung's face in order to see his reaction, but the darkness made me unable to do so. My expectation of him taking the lead in here was fluctuating. Maybe I should do something to tilt him from the high demand.

To play it cool, I said in a smooth voice, 'Ah, we can just sit and talk on this peacefully. Can't we?'

'I don't wanna talk. I mean business.' He sounded impatient and reluctant, 'Just drop the money. That's it. What is left to talk in here?' He wasn't going to fall for that easy, but I wasn't going to give up either.

'C'mon pal, time's not flying away.' I added another drop of honey in my voice, 'Let's grab some drink together. All require a break. The night is still young. We should make a toast together sometimes.' He paused for a second. His facial expression softened a bit, unable to reject the offer instantly. I concealed a smirk flashing on my lips; guess I caught him right on the spot...

'No,' what came off as his reply was surprising, 'You think you can get me that way? Huh!' he replied smirking the same way I did a while ago, 'I am not going to pressurize you, it's totally in your hands. If you are not going to agree on the deal, guess it's over. I am leaving.'

'Only if you remain alive.' The dark small figure of hyung appeared behind him totally out of the blue, grasping his neck and upper body resisting all of the victim's movements, leaving both me and his eyes purely widened in shock.

'You think you can get us that easy just badgering for more money? You are so an idiot, like all those I have met until now...'

'Hyung! Don't-' My sentence in the middle of ending, a knife flashed before my sight and before I could know, it was moved harshly against the man's throat firmly. Hyung pushed it down further. The rough bare skin opened up in the shape of a crimson dipped feather. An amount of blood sprinkled out through the fissure and stained my hoodie.

'R.I.P...' the antarctic voice stated as the grip was lost, letting the body thump on the mud hard. Blood started spilling out in full motion.

'HYUNG!

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