a/n: sooo I mighta just realized I got the date wrong in the last chapter...it was supposed to be 7/22...and that's the same for this chapter! YAYAYAYA ok now onto the actual chapter heehee

Ji-Eun unnie was scrolling on her phone like she had all the time in the world. Eunwoo, ever the hero, was still playing doctor as he carefully patched up Tiffany's wounds. Meanwhile, Jiyoung, Hyunjin, Chan, and I were pacing around the room like headless chickens, accomplishing absolutely nothing productive.

Sakura and Lee Know were off in their own little corner, whispering like they were plotting world domination—or at least that's what it looked like. And then there was Momo, furiously typing away on her laptop, probably hacking into some top-secret database... or maybe just installing bugs into the enemy's software because, you know, that's totally casual.

"GUYS~" she yelled. It did not seem like a good yell, let's be honest.

"Now what..." Chan sighed.

"The...the...the," she started.

"The what?" Lee Know asked impatiently. Man, he is honestly a pain to deal with when impatient. 

"The....Noctavrynth are back..." she sighed.

"Wait wait wait....hold up. The Nocta-what?" Hyunjin asked. My brother. Probably getting ahead of himself again. But this isn't happening. No... It can't. 

"You're...kidding, right, Momo?" I asked. This was no joke. If they're back...we can't stay like this for long. We need more recruits. We need more people of the Hwang and Lee blood. 

"Nope..." she sighed and slammed the computer shut. 

"WILL SOMEONE ANSWER MY QUESTION?!" Jinnie yelled. Oh, for once my brother...can he just shut up?

"No, someone will not answer your question. It's the Noctavrynth," I deadpanned, watching Jiyoung dissolve into uncontrollable laughter. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. She's the one dating him; I'm just here for the commentary and dry jokes. 

"Its a gang who basically fell a long time ago. Now I guess they've gained strength, and they will attack us. We caused them to fall. It's the mafia civil war replaying itself," Lee Know sighed as he buried his head in his hands.

"Oppa...its ok. We can just train, and get new recruits," Jiyoung smiled hopefully, with the smallest hint of sadness in her eyes. I mean, her best friend from school betrayed her. I would be sad too. 

"Well, time to notify the officials. Lee Know, you call League One admins. And I will call Ryujin, and tell her to bring along Felix and Chaer...yeah," I said as I lifted my cell phone to my ear before being cut off.

"Wait," Lee Know said, "What if...we recruited all of Itzy and Stray Kids?" I was caught off guard. All of them? That means seven new recruits. Seven. Whole. New. Recruits. Seven whole new people who needed to get trained and to evaluate. That's a whole lot. Plus Jiyoung and Hyunjin and Chan.

"Lee Know. Isn't that impulsive?" Ji-Eun asked worriedly. She's right. 

"Yeah...that's a little crazy, don't you think? And with the evaluations for positions...tattoos... training...how is that going to work?" I asked.

"I agree with Lee Know. I think in the long run it would be smarter. With the Noctavrynth back... the whole society of mafias are in danger. We could all have a massive wipeout... like the incident fifty years ago," 

"What incident?" Jiyoungie asked. Right. She doesn't know.

"Let me show you something, Jiji. Hyunjin, come along," Ji-eun said and they were off. Probably showing the diary. The diary with all of the history from half a century ago.

- - - - - -

April 17, 1968 Seoul, South Korea

Dear Diary,

I'm going to regret this my whole life. I'm pregnant. I slept with him. I don't know what to do. The Bangs are all in danger, and next it's us. How did that even happen? I honestly don't know. But now with this 'accident'...I don't know what to do. I can't just be a burden and leave. After all I've done, I can't go now. There's only one solution. I marry him. Lee Minjae. I don't even love him in that way. How did this happen. What have I done with my life. It's a mistake. My whole life is messed up. Let the games begin. Let my regret eat me.

- Hong Eunji

- - -

June 2, 1968 Busan, South Korea

Dear Diary,

It's been a while, hasn't it? We had to flee. They attacked. The Noctavrynth... they're monstrous.I told him about the child. He's surprisingly supportive—much more than I expected. On the outside, he's rude. But on the inside, there's this softness I thought I imagined. Turns out, I was right about him. And now... now there's this imaginary ring around my finger. He doesn't love me, though. Not the way I want him to. "For the business," he says. It hurts. I love him, and he'll never feel the same. You never know what can happen in the span of less than two months. Let's let the games continue as I take refuge in this house of cards. They crumble with one misstep, and one mess up. 

- Lee Eunji

- - -

February 25, 1969 Seoul, South Korea

Dear Diary,

I'm surprised I was able to find this buried in my bag. I mean, let's be honest. With all the chaos happening in my life I can't believe that I found time to write. He's born, and he's beautiful. His name is Jungho. It's fitting with the circumstances he was born in. Righteous and great. Just like his father. He was a trooper. He even actually loved me for some time. 

Oh yeah, I guess I didn't write for a long time. Let me fill in the gaps. The Bangs fell. I don't know where Minhyuk is at now; is he even alive? I know his sons and wife fled to Australia. That's really all I know of. The Hwangs still exist, but they're extremely weak. And the Noctavrynth...are gone. For now. And Minjae is gone. I did my best to save him, but a pregnant lady can only go so far to save her lover. His last words were: "Take care of him. Raise him well.", and then he was gone. His soul left, and I hope heaven will find him and suit him well. My parents didn't even know why I was gone for these nine months. They didn't even know they had a grandson! Now I'm living with them, as I'm kind of broke money wise and emotionally. I'm a piece of a puzzle, finding its way back into life to fill in the picture. 

-Lee Eunji

- - -

"And that's why we never met our grandfather. He died," Ji-Eun explained curtly. I never really got to see the journal. It was always hidden. Like a hidden gem. 

"I...never knew," Jiyoung whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Hey, it's okay," Ji-Eun said softly, offering a small, reassuring smile. "We've learned from it now. What matters is where we go from here. There's a plan waiting for our approval, remember?"

"Ji-Eun, give her a minute," I interjected gently. "Sometimes, what anyone needs most is time."

Jiyoung nodded silently, her fingers trembling slightly as she processed everything.

"How did I never know?" Hyunjin murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

"Hey, it's alright," I said, giving him a comforting smile. "I didn't know until about a month ago, so trust me—it's not as bad as you think." My words seemed to calm him, if only a little.

"We only discovered the diary a year or two ago," Lee Know chimed in, pacing the room with that familiar calculating expression on his face. "It was hidden in one of the passages. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more scattered throughout this place. We just need to keep looking."

His words hung in the air, a mix of intrigue and determination sparking between us as the weight of the moment began to ease. We left them to prod on their thoughts for a little longer. I remember when I first heard about it. I felt like crumpling to the ground. It's my reality now. 

Knock Knock.

"Who is it, security?" I asked unfazed.

"No one we know," they replied, returning the unfazed expression. My mind was suddenly alert. A stranger? 

"I'll go check," Lee Know said quietly. He went to the door, and peeped through the peephole. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me, right? Not this asshole. Shoo, Park." 

"PARK?!" I yelled.

"Lemme guess, Park Taewon," Momo mumbled. She got up from her chair, opened the door and stood her ground. "What did I tell you about leaving this place, huh, Park? Now fucking go, you d***!" 

"May I please speak with Lee Jiyoung?" he asked, still maintaining his calm demeanor. I hate these kind of people who don't get startled when people just don't want them there. 

"No. You may not speak to her," Lee Know spat coldly, "Unless it is urgent matters."

"Yes, they are urgent matters," he stated plainly without moving his gaze away from Hyunjin and Jiji in the corner. That's sketchy.

"Would you mind informing me about these 'urgent matters'?" Lee Know asked calmly.

"I'm afraid not. These are private matters," he said undisturbed. He seemed not fazed by anything. 

"I'm sorry, then I can't let you speak to her. After all, I am the leader of this group. So please, kindly leave, or security will escort you off premises," Lee Know smiled. From working with him in the idol business and mafia business, I could see through it. It wasn't the real deal, yet the smile used to fake compassion and camaraderie. 

"Ok, fine. It's about our past," Daeho said. He seemed annoyed. What happened in their past? Why was it so important now?

"Jiyoung! Hyunjin! Come over here!" Momo called. 

"I need to speak to Jiyoung alone." he spat.

"Yeah, sir, not gonna happen," Lee Know said, with the same fake smile on.

"No, Lee Know. How about we go outside, and all of you keep an eye from inside?" Jiyoung asked.

"Fine. But bring Hyunjin with you," Lee Know said. His eyes spoke for his unsaid words. Worry. Anxiety. They went out the door and now we're looking for any red flags. Any signs of something wrong. 

- - - Switch to Jiyoung POV - - -

One, why the heck does he want me now, and second why at seven in the morning?! 

"Hey baby...long time no see~," he said once the doors were shut.

"Bro, what the heck..." I shot back.

"Baby, you don't remember?" he asked cutely.

"No, I don't remember. Just flee," I spat. This guy is scaring me. I can't trust him. He betrayed me once. I'm not getting fooled again. 

"You don't remember the day when you got drunk?" he asked with a more scary and serious demeanor.

"Drunk? Pfft. When you thought I was drunk, do you really think I was? I've never been drunk until this year, so quit your little fantasies," I smiled. The fake smile. It's my family's specialty. 

"Wait what? You weren't drunk?!" He asked. His cheeks turned pink and even pinker. as time passed.

"Uh, Jiyoungie, what did he do?" Hyunjin asked. He had kept quiet this whole time. Wait a second, Daeho doesn't know I'm in a relationship. Yet. Let's bring the savageness on.

"Oh, jagiya... he did gross things. Things that are weird. Things that you don't appreciate unless you're a pervert. And by far, I'm not a pervert! So those things can be left unspecified, other than I want revenge so bad...and he's going to pay for it," I said, faking my expressions just like how idols do every day. Something he'll never understand.

- - -  Switch back to Yeji POV - - -

"Jiyoung, that was so cool!" I exclaimed. She just roasted her enemy. In the coolest non-violent way. 

"Did he really do unspeakable things, Ji?" Hyunjin asked quietly. Why is it that he's so caring and nice towards her, but not me? Excuse me?! What did I do to not get this treatment? I was the one who helped them get together. He didn't do it himself! 

"Um I might've exaggerated a little bit for effect...but yeah. He kinda had some problem so would hurt me mentally from time to time. I didn't know that it was a bad sign at the time, but now I feel like young me was definitely the dumbest person alive," 

"And that's why I still hate his guts so much!" Lee Know whined, "How dare he hurt my little sister!" 

"And that's also why I never dated him, even though like every single month I would get asked 'be my girlfriend?'" she joked. 

"YOOO OLD MAN COME OVER HERE!" Hyunjin yelled. Oh no. I swear, he sometimes is the craziest person ever.

"YOOO HYUNJIN SHUT YOUR MOUTH UP!" I yelled.

"NOPE I WILL NOT, YEJI! INSTEAD YOU NEED TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH~" he retorted.

"IN YOUR DREAMS! I'M NOT CREATING MORE CHAOS!" 

"I want ice cream...." Jiyoung whispered.

"So do I..." Sakura laughed. And here everyone was back to being their normal selves, crazy and out of hand. You would never think that this bunch of people could lead a mafia in league two. League two out of ten. It really surprises me every time how far we've come. 

___________________

heehee~