"You're such a little shit. You think you're so smart." He guessed if he wanted results before Yoongi came, he'd have to pull out the big guns. He pulled out his phone and texted the guy next door. The guy who was looking over Jimin. Time to get an emotion besides indifference and smugness out of Tae. "You must hate yourself right now, huh? Can't just give in and tell me. Oh no. You have to keep making it worse and hurting yourself."
In the other room, fortunately not sound proofed, Jimin let out a loud yelp of pain. It wasn't anything serious, he told the guy to go and pinch a nerve but he hoped he made his point. "Should I hurt someone else instead?"
"Leave him alone!" Tae wasn't really dumb, although evidence sometimes seemed to suggest otherwise, but he had no filter. There wasn't a moment of him pretending that hearing Jimin get hurt didn't bother him, he immediately tried to struggle, not even trying to get free, just yanking angrily, tears coming to his eyes from pure rage, hating how helpless he was. "I won't tell you anything anyway!"
He glared at Jungkook. "Only cowards pick on Jimin."
"Really? Okay, don't tell me anything." He knocked the wall once and then, as if by magic, Jimin cried out again for a little longer and louder. Well, crime didn't pay, not even the good boy got a break for long. Not as far as Jungkook could see. "I can't imagine the guys who you stole the coke for don't pick on Jimin. I got to imagine everyone does. He's kind of an easy target. Dead weight, really."
He gave Tae a smug look, pleased that he'd finally worked him up into this state. "If we don't kill him, someone else will."
"They wouldn't kill him," Tae muttered, lowering his head because he knew that Min Yoongi had been right about how he would be awful at poker. He wanted to scream something for Jimin to hear, but he didn't have anything to tell him, nothing that could really make up for all of this mess. "He's innocent. He didn't do nothing, he just likes to be with me."
And he didn't really like the thought of Jimin being by himself, so there best bet might just be death.
"They wouldn't kill him. And you know that? Did they tell you?" Ah, now he was getting somewhere. He really should be shit in poker. He was giving it all away - the protectiveness, the concern, the words he just said. It was pretty telling. "You know, if you just told us the names, those guys would be dead. Dead in a week tops. You really think it's worth protecting them in case they go after your buddy?"
Seemed dumb to him but then this whole thing did. He walked over to Tae and grabbed him by the hair, making his head jerk back. "If you die in this room, we get him. For keeps. You think that's a better fate than whoever you're scared of acting out?"
Tae hissed and tried to move his head away, but obviously that just hurt his scalp more. Kind of obvious in hindsight. He wanted to believe what Jungkook was saying about those people being dead, but he had no guarantee. He couldn't risk it. It wasn't about him, it was about Jimin. Jimin was the closest thing to pure he had ever met. He couldn't stand the thought of someone taking that from him.
So it was safer to just be full of shit. "Don't know. At least Min Yoongi is better looking."
"Probably true, you're not wrong there." Yoongi was a pretty handsome mob boss. Just saying. "Look, your friend is an adult, he makes his own decisions. He was jacking cars right alongside you, stealing shit and spray painting, robbing our fucking coke. You're both as bad as each other. Instead of trying to save him, why not just save each other? Tell me the names."
Was it really that hard to get it? It was the easier solution here. "My boss comes in--" He looked at his watch. Shit. "Three minutes. Give me something, you little punk. Tell me. Or we will make Jimin suffer in front of you."
"He doesn't know what he's doing. He's just having fun." Which, well, it was kind of true for Tae too, but it was still different. Not that he knew how to explain that to Jungkook. Not that he saw why he'd ever explain that to Jungkook.
"I just don't think you're as bad as those people. Take it as a compliment." He still remembered all too vividly the description of what they planned on doing to Jimin. Nothing could be as bad. Nothing. "Wouldn't you protect your friend?"
"Well, first off, I wouldn't ever be this stupid." He let go of Tae's hair and slapped him around the head, moving away to pace around the room in frustrating. He didn't have a comparable feeling to what Tae was describing, he only really had Yoongi and Namjoon. They protected him and kept him safe, rarely the other way around. All Jungkook wanted as to prove himself. He hated to fail.
"Why are those people worse than me? Just tell me. You don't have to tell me names. Just tell me what they said to you." Maybe he could work something out from that. "What did they offer you for the job?"
"...not doing it." It was a great deal. "Look, I'm not that stupid, I know there'd be consequences for stealing, what, six kilograms of pure cocaine? More? I don't even know. I wasn't going to do it."
Not if he had a choice, anyway. Which he still didn't feel he had had. Not that Jimin knew that. "Jimin doesn't know anything, he's innocent, I don't... Creeps just always go after him."
He was like a damn magnet for them. "I mean, it happens, I've had to suck cocks. I've bitten a few, but sometimes you just have to and you choke and then it's over. But it's different with Jimin. They always want to own Jimin."
Well, at least he was getting something. Maybe he could match the motive to the gang and work out a connection. He tried his best not to hit Tae right now, coming in closer so he could crouch in front of him, trying his best to look interested. "Creeps always go after him, huh? That's got to suck. Especially since you decided to be a protector."
So he did this dodgy deal thing to save his friend - huh, well, that was something. "So these guys you stole the coke for, they wanted to own Jimin? Did you offer to steal the coke to keep them off his back? Cause I got to tell you, they probably would have just shot you in the head during the hand over and taken Jimin anyway. It's kind of obvious."
"Wasn't going to hand it over in person." He wasn't that stupid. He just hadn't had that many options, but no. He wasn't going to make the deal in person. "They wanted to get it that same night. That's why I hid it instead."
So, no, he didn't exactly have a great master plan, but he was trying here. For Jimin's sake and a little for not getting shot in the head. "I didn't want to get wrapped up in all your gang bullshit! If you want to kiss Min Yoongi's boots just for existing, that's your business. I don't know why they made us do it, I didn't want us to do it and if you're gonna kill us for it, just kill us already. I'm telling you nothing."
"You know, there's a few gangs I know of that treat people they desire like property to own and keep forever. I can probably narrow it down from here." Jungkook had a lead. That was something. Better than before. "We'll kill you, eventually. We'll keep Jimin. We like having someone to hurt and making him scream - maybe when we're bored, we'll sell him."
They wouldn't do that. They'd probably kill both or set the kid free, whatever, but he could bluff. Just to get under his skin. "And it'll be all your fault.
"I'll kill you!" Tae was screaming suddenly, feeling rage overtake him and he tried to jerk free, not thinking at all right now, just seeing blood already, just... It was too much. He hadn't slept, he was in pain, he could smell his own blood and he still remembered hearing Jimin scream from the other room and he knew he had failed to keep Jimin safe, he had doomed someone else and he had no way to help him.
So when the rage slipped away he just let his head hung and tried to stop crying or at least keep himself from sobbing, neither to great success.
"Just tell me, dumbass. Jesus, you make it so hard on yourself." Jungkook huffed and lazily stretched up to the sky, relieving some tension that had built into his shoulders. "I'm going to go take a walk, maybe look in on your little friend and tell him what you're planning on doing. How you'll let him rot. I'll see you later, dummy."
Jungkook had no intention to talk to Jimin but it was nice to let Tae stew and think of how much he'd fucked up. He headed out of the room and leaned against the door, just taking a few to unwind.
The silence with several heavy footsteps was enough to herald Yoongi's arrival, of course with some men in tow. He didn't really like having people with him at all times, but it was a prestige and security thing that he couldn't really avoid, not any more. Either way, he gestured for them to stay behind once he spotted Jungkook, walking up to him.
"Very. I know some things but not enough. I'm really sorry, hyung. I tried my best but he's really dumb, he thinks he's protecting his friend." Jungkook bowed his head and then looked off to the side, feeling terrible for not pulling this off. "I did learn that the men who talked him into doing it were kind of blackmailing him. I think they were going to fuck up Jimin if Tae didn't do this so they both had to rob the coke but ... that's all I got."
He really could have done better. "Is Namjoon-hyung coming?"
"Yeah. He has a soft spot for them." Already. Yes, without meeting them. Here Yoongi had thought he could just keep him from them and take care of things, but no. And Namjoon didn't trust him, so he'd be there to play his conscience and it was annoying him just a little. He knew what he was doing. But that wasn't something he'd ever discuss with Jungkook. "He looked them up and apparently Jimin escaped from a mental institution."
Which might explain the extreme protectiveness defying all reason that Tae was displaying here.
"... Oh, shit." Well. Yeah, no, that did explain things a little. Huh. He wasn't sure what to do with this but he felt a twinge of guilt at threatening to torture him. He didn't want torture a lunatic, he didn't think that was good practise. And then he realised how dumb that logic was. "He doesn't seem crazy."
He turned his head and eyed the door that Jimin was behind. "I wonder what he was in for." Weirdness. "I can't believe Namjoon is already attached.
"He gets attached quickly. He liked you back when I just thought you were annoying." Namjoon really was more of a people person than him. Which wasn't saying much, but yes, he knew that Namjoon had a lot of empathy. He never seemed to lose it either, no matter how long he was in this business. "Namjoon told me Jimin's diagnosis. Delusional something or other? Sorry, I forgot."
He had a lot of other things to keep him mind after all. "Namjoon wants to talk to Taehyung. How badly did you hurt him?"
"Not as much as I wanted to. I figured he'd talk more if he was less hurt. Kinda punched his face a few times and he hurt himself trying to escape." So really, it could have been worse but Jungkook went nice and gentle on him. For Jungkook, anyway.
"Great, so he'll be hurt but not broken." Namjoon commented as he came over, drinking his coffee. Only his coffee wasn't just a straight black coffee like the cool gangsters drank. His had caramel syrup, cream and sprinkles. It tasted great. "I'll go talk to him." Sluuuuuuurp.
"Whatever." Yoongi was about to just step back and be dismissive, but then he paused and moved forward, stopping Namjoon with a hand on his shoulder. He reached up and wiped the cream from Namjoon's upper lip, frowning at him. "You look like the help."
And yet he was his second in command. Awful. Whatever. He licked his thumb and turned around now, because he'd gotten a glimpse inside the room and seen that, however hurt Taehyung might be, he was currently sobbing desperately and he didn't need Namjoon trying to guilt him over it.
Namjoon smiled and licked his lips before heading inside and kicking the door shut behind him. He leaned against the door and slurped his drink, kicking the door once with his foot. "Kookie, you better not be listening in! Get lost."
"... I wasn't." Jungkook sounded so much younger when talking to his hyungs.
Namjoon watched Tae sob and he hated it, he didn't think a kid just trying to help out his friend should have to suffer like this but this was the business. "Come on, don't cry. This is the part of the evening where we have an adult discussion. No pain, promise. Just you and me talking."
When Tae looked up, realising he was no longer alone, he immediately tried to pull himself together, glaring at whoever this new guy was. He didn't know what was happening now. Torture? A good cop routine? He rubbed his face against his sleeve, spotting the blood that stained it afterwards. Well, great. If he survived this, he'd need a new shirt.
"Did Jungkook call his big brother?" He eyed him critically. "He's cuter."
"Tell me about it." Well, he was. "Nah, I'm the second in command and I mean it, I want to talk. That doesn't mean this is a free for all where you can be a little shit to me. I'm still a gangster and I'll still shoot you if you try anything. I just really don't want to." Honesty was the best policy, right? He didn't really like to dick around.
He finished his coffee and dropped the plastic container on the floor, kicking it aside carelessly. "So, I looked you and your friend up. Quite the tale you both tell. You have enough minor chargers to fill a notebook and he's got some interesting medical notes."
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In the other room, fortunately not sound proofed, Jimin let out a loud yelp of pain. It wasn't anything serious, he told the guy to go and pinch a nerve but he hoped he made his point. "Should I hurt someone else instead?"
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He glared at Jungkook. "Only cowards pick on Jimin."
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He gave Tae a smug look, pleased that he'd finally worked him up into this state. "If we don't kill him, someone else will."
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And he didn't really like the thought of Jimin being by himself, so there best bet might just be death.
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Seemed dumb to him but then this whole thing did. He walked over to Tae and grabbed him by the hair, making his head jerk back. "If you die in this room, we get him. For keeps. You think that's a better fate than whoever you're scared of acting out?"
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So it was safer to just be full of shit. "Don't know. At least Min Yoongi is better looking."
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Was it really that hard to get it? It was the easier solution here. "My boss comes in--" He looked at his watch. Shit. "Three minutes. Give me something, you little punk. Tell me. Or we will make Jimin suffer in front of you."
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"I just don't think you're as bad as those people. Take it as a compliment." He still remembered all too vividly the description of what they planned on doing to Jimin. Nothing could be as bad. Nothing. "Wouldn't you protect your friend?"
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"Why are those people worse than me? Just tell me. You don't have to tell me names. Just tell me what they said to you." Maybe he could work something out from that. "What did they offer you for the job?"
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Not if he had a choice, anyway. Which he still didn't feel he had had. Not that Jimin knew that. "Jimin doesn't know anything, he's innocent, I don't... Creeps just always go after him."
He was like a damn magnet for them. "I mean, it happens, I've had to suck cocks. I've bitten a few, but sometimes you just have to and you choke and then it's over. But it's different with Jimin. They always want to own Jimin."
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So he did this dodgy deal thing to save his friend - huh, well, that was something. "So these guys you stole the coke for, they wanted to own Jimin? Did you offer to steal the coke to keep them off his back? Cause I got to tell you, they probably would have just shot you in the head during the hand over and taken Jimin anyway. It's kind of obvious."
How did he not know that was coming?
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So, no, he didn't exactly have a great master plan, but he was trying here. For Jimin's sake and a little for not getting shot in the head. "I didn't want to get wrapped up in all your gang bullshit! If you want to kiss Min Yoongi's boots just for existing, that's your business. I don't know why they made us do it, I didn't want us to do it and if you're gonna kill us for it, just kill us already. I'm telling you nothing."
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They wouldn't do that. They'd probably kill both or set the kid free, whatever, but he could bluff. Just to get under his skin. "And it'll be all your fault.
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So when the rage slipped away he just let his head hung and tried to stop crying or at least keep himself from sobbing, neither to great success.
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Jungkook had no intention to talk to Jimin but it was nice to let Tae stew and think of how much he'd fucked up. He headed out of the room and leaned against the door, just taking a few to unwind.
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"Long day?"
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He really could have done better. "Is Namjoon-hyung coming?"
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Which might explain the extreme protectiveness defying all reason that Tae was displaying here.
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He turned his head and eyed the door that Jimin was behind. "I wonder what he was in for." Weirdness. "I can't believe Namjoon is already attached.
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He had a lot of other things to keep him mind after all. "Namjoon wants to talk to Taehyung. How badly did you hurt him?"
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"Great, so he'll be hurt but not broken." Namjoon commented as he came over, drinking his coffee. Only his coffee wasn't just a straight black coffee like the cool gangsters drank. His had caramel syrup, cream and sprinkles. It tasted great. "I'll go talk to him." Sluuuuuuurp.
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And yet he was his second in command. Awful. Whatever. He licked his thumb and turned around now, because he'd gotten a glimpse inside the room and seen that, however hurt Taehyung might be, he was currently sobbing desperately and he didn't need Namjoon trying to guilt him over it.
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"... I wasn't." Jungkook sounded so much younger when talking to his hyungs.
Namjoon watched Tae sob and he hated it, he didn't think a kid just trying to help out his friend should have to suffer like this but this was the business. "Come on, don't cry. This is the part of the evening where we have an adult discussion. No pain, promise. Just you and me talking."
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"Did Jungkook call his big brother?" He eyed him critically. "He's cuter."
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He finished his coffee and dropped the plastic container on the floor, kicking it aside carelessly. "So, I looked you and your friend up. Quite the tale you both tell. You have enough minor chargers to fill a notebook and he's got some interesting medical notes."
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