Love Candidate - Love Excuses - Chapter 4

"I can't touch his woman. Free them," The man finally spoke up.

"Neh? Her?-" The man asked in confusion but halted in fear when the leader strode forward and disappeared into the building. The gangsters exchanged baffled glances before averting their dangerous eyes to me with doubtful glares.

"Jiyoung. Let's go," Jimin whispered as he crawled towards me. I gulped and slowly got onto my feet with my eyes trained on the gangster while limping away with Jimin. The gangsters stared at us with sour expressions as we hurried out of the alley. We went home and rushed inside together. I shrieked in fright when I switched the lights on to find Jungkook sitting on the couch with his arms crossed.

"WHERE HAVE YOU- What's the matter? Are you alright!?" Jungkook roared but halted when he found me shivering in my soaked clothes. Jimin quickly rushed forward to close all the curtains and locked the door to keep us safe.

"I'm fine-"

"What did you do to her!? Why are you bleeding!?" Jungkook gasped when he noticed my bleeding elbow. Jungkook turned to dart Jimin a glowering glare as he reached out to touch my cold arm.

"It's not him. We just got into a bit of trouble-" I gulped and tugged Jungkook's arm to stop him from confronting Jimin. Jimin ignored Jungkook and hurried inside the bathroom to shower because he was freezing, so Jungkook snapped his head at my smudged face and messy hair for explanations.

"What happened-"

"I'll explain. I promise- I need to shower first- Can you come to my bedroom?" I questioned. Jungkook eyed me worriedly as he examined my unpleasant condition. He nodded, so we headed up the stairs together. I took a shower in my room while Jungkook waited in my bedroom, pulled on warm clothes and returned to find Jungkook sitting on my bed with an uptight expression. I crawled onto the bed with him in guilt. He offered to treat my wound, so I let him bandage my elbows, and sat in absolute silence on the mattress with him. He's upset.

"You said you'll explain yourself," Jungkook exhaled after fixing my elbow. I sighed heavily and stared at him in silence.

"Can I borrow 14 Million won?" I whispered. Jungkook frowned at me in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows when he realized I was serious.

"What? Why? Why do you need so much money-"

"Promise me you won't get mad," I gripped his hands tightly. Jungkook pursed his lips with an unsettled expression, unsurely glancing down at our hands as I stared at him with my guilty eyes.

"What did you do-"

"Promise me!" I snapped and gripped his hand tighter.

"Araso Araso!" Jungkook nodded in frustration. I bit my lips while staring at him with a conflicted expression and finally told him everything.

"MOH? YAH! THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE-" Jungkook huffed and tried to scramble off the bed, but I caught his arm in time.

"You said you won't be mad at me!" I whined as I held him back.

"I'M NOT MAD AT YOU! BUT I'M GOING TO KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER!" Jungkook roughly yanked his arm out of my grip and tried to get off the bed again. I knew I couldn't stop him with my strength, so I leaped forward and tackled him onto the bed.

"NO! STOP! LISTEN TO ME!" I cried when Jungkook tried to push himself into a sitting position, so I thrust his shoulders back down and pinned him hard against the mattress with my body.

"What are you doing?! Let me go! Yah! I won't let you help that asshole!-"

"Jungkook- Please! Please!" I whined and tightly hugged his chest as he lay beneath me.

"Let go! Let me go! Get off me! What are you doing!? Urgh!" Jungkook tried to push me off him, but I refused to release him and remained on his torso. I tightened my grip around his waist and rested my head on his chest to stop him from escaping my embrace. Jungkook eventually stopped resisting when I refused to release him.

"Fine. Okay. Just let me go. This position is a bit awkward for a grown-up man and woman," Jungkook muttered, lightly patting my head when I remained on him with my arms wrapped firmly around his body. I finally sat up on his torso and crawled off him with an upset expression. Jungkook coughed awkwardly as he sat up with a flustered face, slightly lowering his face to rub his red cheeks.

"Lend me your money. I'll pay you back," I pouted while I sat on the bed with my knees tucked under me. Jungkook cleared his throat and looked up at me in silence, then rubbed his face in frustration when I kept on staring at him with my puppy eyes.

"You promised you'd kick him out, but now you're telling me he's staying with you? And you risked your life to bargain with the mafias for him? Are you insane? You could've been killed!" Jungkook scoffed at me with a bewildered expression.

"I'm not getting back with him! But I can't let him suffer-"

"So what? He's not your responsibility! Jiyoung the fucker cheated on you! He broke your heart countless times!" Jungkook glared at me. I fell quiet and glanced down at my hands in silence.

"But it was him who took care of me when I had no one by my side," I whispered in tears. Jungkook blinked at me in pain after hearing my words. He lowered his face in guilt and rubbed his face in distress. We both fell quiet again.

"I'd lend it to you without hesitation, but my parents just switched my bank accounts for the inheritance process. I don't have much money with me, and the process will probably take a month," Jungkook turned to look at me with his apologetic eyes.

"A month?" I whispered with my sad eyes trained on him. They only gave Jimin a week though.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I can ask my parents or girlfriend," Jungkook exhaled, reaching out to hold my hand.

"It's fine. I'll find another way. Don't bother your parents," I shook my head while running my hand through my hair. Jungkook sadly stared at me when he noticed my somber expression, so he scooted closer and pulled me into a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook exhaled in guilt.

"It's alright. You don't have to apologize. It's the past," I shook my head. He's guilty about the incident in the past again. Ah. Why did I bring it up? Jungkook stayed with me that night to look after me, so we shared the bed. He left the next morning. Jimin refused to leave his room for a few days, so I brushed off the incident and went to work as usual.

"Where did you get the additional four million won from?" Jimin asked as I strolled down the stairs in my knee-length formal dress. Seokjin's secretary contacted me about our next date two days after the mafia incident.

"I borrowed from ajumma," I shrugged as I pulled on my heels. Jimin stood watching me in silence from the doorway.

"You're going on a date again?" Jimin questioned with his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

"Oh. I might come home late, so you don't have to wait for me," I shrugged and walked out of the house before he could respond to me. The secretary was waiting for me, so I got in the car and left my house. I was escorted to a high-class restaurant on the rooftop of a famous tower to see Seokjin.

"Well, this is refreshing," I smiled when I found Seokjin sitting at the dining table reserved for us in his neat suit.

"My lady," Seokjin teased, offering his hand, so I placed my hand on his. He gently lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. I pursed my lips and shyly smiled at him, so he smiled and straightened his body. Seokjin carefully drew the chair for me. I chuckled and sat down.

"The hiking date was a disaster, so I arranged a proper one this time. I should've been more thoughtful," Seokjin smiled at me. I glanced at the romantic candlelight and back at him as the wind blew softly against my cheeks.

"You call this a date?" I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief. This man has no clue, huh? How many romantic movies did he watch?

"Wae? What's wrong? You don't like it-"

"No. I like it, but it's just... I don't feel like we're on a date. Not with him around," I awkwardly glanced at the secretary, who was stiffly standing by our table. The man eyed me awkwardly and glanced at Seokjin's confused expression. His secretary was always with us during our dates. How can he call it a date when there's a third wheel... following us around?

"Oh. You don't want him... around?" Seokjin turned to look at the stern-looking secretary.

"It's fine. You probably need him for security purposes," I shook my head. Seokjin chuckled and leaned forward with a keen expression.

"How's your ankle? Does it still hurt?" Seokjin tilted his head to glance at my feet.

"It healed. Don't worry about it. What about your nose...? I hope I didn't damage it?" I nodded at his nose. Seokjin lightly touched his nose while recalling the incident and shook his head with a faint smile.

"I'm fine. You were very fierce- I didn't expect such a blow in my face. I almost blacked out," Seokjin chuckled. I grinned at him, and we chatted over our dinner date until the night grew too cold for us on the rooftop restaurant.

"I'll take her home," Seokjin insisted.

"But sir-"

"She's right. You shouldn't follow us around during our date," Seokjin turned to look at the secretary with a bitter expression. The secretary stared at me uneasily but nodded and left in his car, so Seokjin led me to his car and held the door open for me. I smiled and got into the passenger to buckle my seatbelt. Seokjin quickly got into the driver's seat, and we left the building together.

"You shouldn't work at the delivery place," Seokjin muttered as he drove down the street.

"Wae?" I questioned out of curiosity.

"You keep hurting yourself. Loading heavy goods isn't good for you," Seokjin shrugged.

"It's fine. I'm used to it," I shook my head and glanced out the window.

"Did your roommate bandage your elbow? You should be careful," Seokjin questioned with his eyes trained on the road. I turned to look at him in surprise. How did he know? I wore a forearm-length sleeved dress. Did he really notice the bandage?

"Jungkook did it for me. I slipped and fell during a rainy night. It's fine," I shrugged. The unpleasant memories suddenly replayed in my head, making me shift uncomfortably in the car seat. I pursed my lips and turned to look at Seokjin. Maybe I can ask him for a favor? I'm sure he'll help- No! Are you out of your mind?! He'll question why I need the money- What will I tell him? That my ex-boyfriend is involved with the mafia, and I'm trying to repay his debt? Don't be selfish. Let's keep our relationship clean, even if I'm not sure about Seokjin. He's a decent man. I don't want to complicate our relationship. Then what do I do? We only have three days left! Jimin will get in trouble again if we don't do anything about it! I bit my lips and turned to look out the window in difficulty.

"Are you alright?" Seokjin briefly glanced at me when he noticed my troubled expression. I fell quiet and stared at him in silence.

"Um. Can you take me to... another place before you drop me off?" I gulped. Seokjin shot me a baffled expression but agreed to take me there. After visiting the place, he took me back home, so I bid him goodbye and headed inside.

Fast Forward

"Here," I exhaled after placing the bundle of money on the table. Jimin looked at me in confusion and glanced at the money with a wary expression.

"Where did get so much money-"

"Let's talk after I return. Pay them back and stop getting involved," I exhaled and left the house to find Seokjin waiting for me with a bright beam on his face. I waved at him as I closed the door and got inside the car. I guess he told his secretary to stay back after my complaint during our second date because it was just the two of us on the date. Seokjin wanted to take me to an exhibition or something, so we had a pretty ordinary day outside. Nothing exciting, but I got to know him better as a person. We chatted a lot, and he's a pretty open minded person. I had a good time with him. Seokjin insisted on dining at his parent's place, so I had no choice but to agree with him.

"You don't live with your parents?" I questioned when we arrived at a royal-like mansion.

"I moved out a few years ago. My parents love me way too much. It's very suffocating. I had to break free and live on my own. I visit them often because my mother is very attached to me. She gets sulky if I don't give her enough attention," Seokjin smiled as he led me into the grand mansion. The maids bowed at us as we stepped onto the polished marble floor.

"Who's this?" Someone appeared in casual clothes to greet us. Seokjin and I turned toward the source of the sound. A guy appeared with a mug of steaming hot latte in his hand. He was dressed in gray sweatpants, white T-shirt and a beige cardigan.

"What are you doing here?" Seokjin frowned at the man as if he didn't expect his presence at the mansion.

"I'm here to visit mother, of course. I will be staying for a week," The guy smirked at Seokjin and glanced at me with his eager eyes. I glanced at Seokjin only to notice him turning stiff with his eyes trained on the guy.

"I'm Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you," Taehyung smiled, holding out his hand for a handshake.

"Hwang Jiyoung-" I weakly smiled and reached out to shake his hand when Seokjin suddenly grabbed my hand to stop me from touching Taehyung. Taehyung scoffed under his breath and glanced at Seokjin's rude interruption with a questioning look. Seokjin gritted his jaw at Taehyung but eased his expression when he noticed me staring at him.

"He's- My youngest brother," Seokjin nodded at Taehyung after letting go of my hand. I nodded at Seokjin, then turned to look at Taehyung again, who was still gazing at me with his observing gaze.

"Well. Eomma and appa are waiting for you in the dining room. I'll join you guys in a bit," Taehyung smiled at me and walked forward, abruptly stopping to pat Seokjin's shoulder before he left. Seokjin kept his gaze on Taehyung until he disappeared and led me to the dining room with a fixed expression.

"Anneonghaseyo," I greeted the elders as the maid held the door open for us.

"Welcome, Jiyoung! You're so pretty! Join us!" Mrs. Kim welcomed me as we stepped into the dining room. Seokjin pulled the chair for me, so I politely bowed at his parents and sat down with a faint smile.

"Thank you for having me," I smiled at Mr. Kim as he grinned at me.

"Aigo! I wanted to have dinner with you for a long time now- but our Seokjin wouldn't bring you to us! He said he wanted to spend more time with you first because he's afraid you'd favor us," Mr. Kim teased his son.

"Abeoji~!" Seokjin whined cutely. I chuckled at his flustered expression and turned to beam at his parents.

"Omo! Are you blushing? You must really like her huh? You're usually never this shy around anyone!" Mrs. Kim gasped at Seokjin's adorable reaction. Seokjin weakly smiled at me and shook his head. The door opened again, and Taehyung appeared in casual clothes. He sat across from me by his mother's side.

"I can't wait for your engagement," Taehyung smiled at Seokjin, who suddenly turned stiff again.

"Aigo! They're still getting to know one another! Don't make them uncomfortable," Mr. Kim shook his head at his youngest son. Seokjin stopped smiling and glanced down at his plate. He gripped his spoon while darting Taehyung a warning glare before averting his eyes away in displease.

"Ah. So you're still getting to know each other...?" Taehyung lifts his eyebrows in surprise. Seokjin sideways glared at Taehyung's smug expression but said nothing and remained quiet. His parents were very cheerful and welcoming, so I was at ease around them. They kept on placing food on my plate and told me stories about Seokjin to tease him. They chatted and joked at the dining table with so much... love. I couldn't help but stare at their warm family interaction in awe. Suddenly, I felt a hollow void in my chest the longer I examined them. I blinked at their cheerful laughter and smiled in silence. If only I had this kind of family bonding. I fell quiet when the unpleasant memories filled my head as I thought of my own family. I'd always eat alone at the dining table. Day after day... It's only me at the dining table and cold dining room.

I blinked out of my thoughts when I felt a slight nudge against my shin beneath the table, so I looked around in confusion but Seokjin was happily chatting with his mother. I lowered my spoon to eat when I felt something grazing my leg again, so I looked up to find Taehyung staring at me from across the table with a curious gaze. He kept stroking my legs under the table until I got goosebumps. I shifted my legs to the side and averted my eyes away from him.

"Can you pass me the tissues," Taehyung questioned. I quickly handed them to him without much thought. Taehyung reached out to grab the box and firmly placed his fingers over mine. He gently rubbed my knuckle with his thumb, making me halt when he wouldn't let go of my hand until Seokjin averted his eyes to his younger brother. Taehyung smirked and released my hand to settle the tissue box by his plate. I gulped and turned to smile at his parents, then glanced at Taehyung again as he dabbed his lips with a slight smile on his face. Something didn't feel right about him, but I shrugged it off and ate my food. Seokjin took me back home after dinner, so I entered my house to find Jimin watching the television on the couch.

"Why are you still here?" I questioned in confusion when I turned to find the bundle of money on the table.

"What do you mean-"

"I told you to repay your debt," I gritted at Jimin in disbelief.

"Tell me where you got so much money? From your date?" Jimin questioned, crossing his arms after switching off the TV. I gulped when he averted his suspicious eyes to inspect me.

"No. Not him. Just-"

"THEN WHERE DID YOU GET THE MONEY? JUNGKOOK?" Jimin raised his voice. I swallowed and took a step back when Jimin slowly got onto his feet with his glowering eyes trained on me.

"Not him- STOP ASKING ME! BE GRATEFUL I'M WILLING TO HELP YOU!" I yelled back in frustration. Jimin scoffed and turned to grip his hair in frustration.

"You got it from your parents, didn't you?" Jimin turned to glare at me. I froze in my place and stared at him in silence when I felt a burning lump in my throat.

"It doesn't m-matter-"

"You went to your parents!? And you expect me to use their money?!" Jimin roared in frustration.

"I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO ASK, SO I-"

"I TOLD YOU I CAN HANDLE THIS! I TOLD YOU! SO WHY DID YOU GO BACK TO YOUR PARENTS!?" Jimin screamed at me. I flinched in fright when he stomped toward me. I tried to rush away from Jimin but he grabbed my shoulders and roughly turned me to face him.

"BECAUSE I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE!" I screamed in frustration until tears filled my eyes.

"BUT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO THEM! NOT AFTER WHAT THEY DID TO YOU! I'M FUCKING GRATEFUL, BUT NEVER WILL I EVER LET YOU CRAWL BACK TO YOUR PARENTS!" Jimin yelled at my face. I bit my lower lips and whimpered in guilt.

"I told you to leave me alone! Why didn't you listen?! I'm in so much pain because of you!" I smacked his chest in frustration. He tried to stop me, but I kept on striking him with all my might until he pulled me into a firm hug, tightly holding my body to comfort me.

"I know. I know you love me, but Jiyoung- You promised me you will never ever put yourself at risk for me! You promised you'd never run back to your parents! You should've stayed away from them. Oh? I'm worried sick about you. What did you promise them? Tell me-" Jimin suddenly pulled away to stare at me with a beaten expression. I blinked at him in tears when I felt my chest stirring uncomfortably. I couldn't hold back the urge any longer, so I gripped his face and leaned toward him to kiss him. Jimin sucked in his breath when he felt my lips on his, taken by my sudden action- He blinked at me in confusion but quickly pulled me into a deep kiss when he found me staring at him with my tearful eyes.

"It doesn't matter," I whispered between our kisses.

"Jiyoung. Answer me. What did you promise your parents?" Jimin whispered, but I refused to respond to him. Jimin pinned me against the wall and inserted his tongue into my mouth, making me moan between our kisses as he fondled my body with his free hands. I gently pushed Jimin backward until he collapsed on the couch and crawled onto his lap to face him as he ran his fingers through my hair. I panted heavily when Jimin leaned forward to kiss my neck, so I tilted my head backward to bite my lips. He suddenly slipped his hand under the hemline of my dress to feel my naked skin, making me shudder at his thrilling strokes. I turned my face to meet his lips again and gently kissed him as I undid his pants, so Jimin lifted his hips over the couch to slip off his sweatpants as I sat on him. Jimin tensed his grip when I gently inserted him into me from under my dress. We moaned softly against each other's faces when I felt the heat expanding between our crotches. Gulping, I slowly moved my hips, sending a wave of goosebumps across my body. Jimin grips my hips as I slowly ride him at a steady rhythm. He unzipped my dress, slipping it to my waist until my body was fully exposed. He quickly took off his shirt and pulled me into a tight hug, making me moan against his ear when he leaned forward to bury his face in my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around his head as we remained on the couch in the dim living room.

I got dressed in the morning after the steamy night with Jimin and hurried into the bathroom to wash my face, then stepped into the living room to find him rubbing his swollen face on the couch. I didn't talk to him and hurried into the kitchen to heat the stove. Jimin turned to look at me from the couch while ruffling his hair but I refused to acknowledge his presence.

"Do you have a date today?" Jimin questioned as I cooked the porridge on the stove.

"No," I shook my head. Jimin rubbed his face and slowly got dressed, finally walking towards me. I tensed my body when he hugged me from the back and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Do you want to get back together?" Jimin whispered. I stopped stirring the pot and stared at the hot steam in silence as he gently breathed against my ear.

"I don't know," I shrugged and slowly turned to face Jimin with my conflicted eyes. Jimin exhaled at my words and pressed his hands on the counter to trap me between his arms and body, then leaned forward to kiss me. I didn't resist, so he pulled away to look at me with his tender gaze.

"Why are you unsure? What about last night?" Jimin stared at me with a questioning look. I pursed my lips and stared at him in silence.

"I was unstable last night," I shook my head at him.

"But you wanted me. I know you still want me, so what's holding you back?" Jimin raised his eyebrows. I gently gripped his forearm and lowered my head to process my jumbled thoughts.

"I'm seeing another man. A man that might end up as my husband," I whispered, finally looking at Jimin in dread. Jimin fell quiet as he stared at me, so I exhaled and pushed him back, then turned to lift the pot off the stove. I placed it on the table and gently poured it into the bowl.

"I know you're only doing it for your parents. I won't mind your dates with him as long as you keep it platonic with him," Jimin turned to look at me. I placed the spoon for him and sat down to eat my food. Jimin sighed when I wouldn't respond to him.

"Do you like him?" Jimin questioned as he dully stirred his bowl. I gulped and slowly looked up at Jimin.

"He's a decent man-"

"I asked if you like him," Jimin interrupted me. I stopped chewing and averted my eyes away in annoyance.

"Romantically, not yet. I don't like him that way," I shook my head and averted my eyes back to Jimin.

"Then we can still be together. I'll let you contact him to keep your parents from bothering you if it's the reason why you're meeting him," Jimin stated firmly.

"You won't mind, but he will mind," I exhaled, sternly placing my spoon down.

"What?" Jimin questioned, raising one of his eyebrows at me.

"It isn't right. I don't think he wants me to be with anyone else while we're seeing each other," I stared directly into Jimin's eyes. Jimin tilted his head backward to comb his hair, finally averting his to me in disbelief after processing my words.

"And why do you care about him? You know he's only seeing you for his rich parent's benefits. For all I know- He doesn't even care about you," Jimin stared at me in disbelief.

"I know, but he seems genuine. I don't want to complicate things with him," I exhaled. Jimin rudely scoffed at me and dropped his spoon in irritation.

"If you didn't want me- Why did you kiss me? Hmm? Why did you let me touch you only to push me away? You don't want me to play games with you, but you're the only pushing and pulling me," Jimin gritted at me with his glowering eyes trained on mine. I gulped and lowered my spoon to stare at the table.

"You did it to me first. The seesaw game of toxic love. Don't you dare gaslight me when all you've been doing is ruin us," I darted at him a furious glare.

"I told you I don't care about the women I've been seeing! I only love you! I would've used your parent's money to save my ass if I didn't love you so much! I'd rather the thugs them kill me than let you return to your parents! They don't deserve you!" Jimin snapped back at me.

"I'm grateful you saved me from my parents, but it's not an excuse to break me! You cheated on me! You cheated over and over again and then left without a word, and you believe you can just- walk right back into my life and expect me to forgive you?" I seethe in anger until I felt my hands trembling.

"THEN WHY DID YOU HAVE SEX WITH ME LAST NIGHT? IF YOU HATE ME SO MUCH- WHY DID YOU PULL ME INTO YOU? WHY DID YOU UNDRESS ME WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO TOUCH ME?" Jimin roared, angrily slamming his fist on the table. I gulped at him when I felt the hot lump in my throat, but I was speechless, so I stared at him in tears. I'm a fucking mess. Jimin angrily got up from the table and stormed into the bathroom, banging the door shut after him. I lowered my face to sob in distress and gripped my hair until my shoulders shook from my painful whimpers. I turned to glare at the bundle of money on the table in the living room, then glared at the bathroom door. Exhaling in frustration, I quickly got onto my feet, snatched the money from the table, and stormed out of my house with it. I slammed the gate close and dashed down the street in tears until dusk loomed over the city and found myself standing in the dark alley again. I stopped in my tracks when my phone started ringing, so I took it out to find the secretary's contact on the screen. Sighing, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and walked towards the entrance of the building guarded by a few thugs.

"Oh. Look who showed up?" The same man chuckled when he noticed me walking up to him.

"I brought the money as promised, so leave him alone," I mumbled, shoving the money in his hands, and tried to walk away when the man tugged me back by my arm.

"Where are you going? We're not done playing with you," The man chuckled, suddenly dragging me towards the other men.

"What are you doing!? Yah! I paid my boyfriend's debt!" I screamed in fright, but the man chuckled and hauled me inside the dark building filled with other sketchy men and women. I cried in terror when he forcefully pulled me deeper into the building until I lost the exit. He hastily covered my mouth when I kept on cursing at him and dragged me into an old karaoke room. He roughly shoved me onto the couch, so I quickly launched onto my feet and tried to dash past him when two other men caught me by my arms, pinning me back onto the couch. I screamed and thrashed wildly as the man stood before me with a sly smirk.

"I'll let you live if you can please me," The man slowly unbuckled his belt before me. My eyes grew wide in horror when one of the men tried to undo my shirt's buttons, so I screamed at him and tried to break free but it was useless.

"Ah! Stop it! Don't touch me- You fucking assholes!" I cried in fear. I groaned in pain when the man squeezed my cheeks and thrust my head back against the couch to shut me up.

"Behave princess, or I'll fucking rail you until your womb bleeds," The man chuckled, lowering his ugly face towards mine as tears glowered in my eyes. I whimpered in fear when another man grabbed my inner thigh, so I twisted my legs to stop him from touching me. The thug above me roughly undid my shirt, exposing a bit of my cleavage as he harassed me. I sniffled in fear as he licked his lips while hovering his face over my bra when he was violently yanked backward.

"Sir!" The two men restraining my body suddenly released my arms to bow at someone in the room. I quickly pulled my shirt over my chest to cover my skin while trembling in fear and looked up to find a pale guy dressed in black cargo pants and shirt standing before me with a dull expression.

"What do you think you're doing?" He questioned, averting his eyes to the thug, who was slowly getting back onto his feet after stumbling over the table.

"I- I was just- ugh!" The man tried to explain when the guy in dark cargo pants grabbed an empty bottle of wine and struck the thug at full force, sending shards of glasses raining all over the dirty floor. I froze in shock when the gangster collapsed on the ground and grunted in discomfort as he grabbed the side of his head, then lowered his hand to find his fingers soaked with dark red blood.

"I thought he made it clear she was someone we shouldn't touch?" The guy dawdled, averting his eyes to mine after tossing the broken bottle neck aside. I fearfully hugged my knees, slightly lowered my head to avoid his haunting gaze when I felt my heart thumping out of control.

"I'm sorry-" The gangster apologized but fell unconscious when the cargo pant man mercilessly kicked him hard across the face. The men inside the room backed against the wall as the guy walked up to me. He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me off the couch, so I stumbled after him as he dragged me out of the room.

"Cover yourself," The man muttered as he led me past the gangsters in the hallways. They kept watching me with their deadly eyes. So I lowered my face and quickly buttoned up my shirt as I followed the man up a flight of staircases until the deafening sounds faded and the foul smell of the building subsided.

"C-Can I leave?" I whispered when the guy led me into an old elevator. He didn't answer me. The man pressed the button to the seventh floor and took a step back to stand beside me.

"You should be dead by now. Did you think you could easily walk into the biggest mafia lair and leave without a scratch? How foolish. You could've been raped, abused or used as a sex slave- sold to foreign countries or worse... dead," The man answered. I gulped and glanced at him in dread, then turned to look at the elevator wall as we descended upward.

"Then why am I alive?" I whispered. The man didn't answer me and strode out of the elevator when the door slid open. I blinked a few times and followed him into the hallway but halted in confusion when I found myself standing in a luxury corridor. I glanced at the neat carpet on the floor, the bright ceiling lights... then glanced at the polished walls. What the heck? The hallway is even air conditioned. Did I just walk into someone's mansion? What is this place?

"Hurry up," The man dawdled, making me blink out of my thoughts. I quickly hurried towards him as he stood by a golden metallic door. He pushed the heavy door open and strode inside, so I followed but stopped dead in shock when I found a spacious apartment with giant glass walls and crazy luxurious furniture. The couches were made from black leather. There was even a velvet chaise lounge in the room. I glanced at the diffusers inside the room while sniffing the oddly soothing scent... finally averting my eyes to the giant flat-screen television mounted on the wall... above an artificial fireplace. It looks like those rich apartment commercials on tv. How is this possible? This is nothing like the thug's hideouts on the ground floor.

"Sit and don't try anything funny," The man nodded at the couch. I nervously walked into the living room and sat down with my eyes trained on the lavish interior. I paused when I noticed the carpet was made out of Tiger's fur. Is it even real? I glanced at the golden tiger statue on the table... and the tiger paintings on the wall. I blinked out of my thoughts when the man placed a glass of water on the coffee table for me. He didn't say anything and sat on the opposite couch with a cup of whisky in his hand. I gulped when he took out his gun from the side of his waist belt and placed it on the table without looking at me.

"-Ah~ Ah~ Oppa- Why are you so rough~ Oppa- Ah~" I pursed my lips when I suddenly heard moanings from one of the hallways leading to a few different rooms. The man before me looked up with an annoyed expression as the woman proceeded to moan out loud until my face flushed red. We listened to the woman's moan for a good half an hour accompanied by the thudding sounds... until she finally grew quiet. After a moment, we heard footsteps, and a woman appeared with messy clothes and striking hair. She fearfully rushed out of the living room with her heels and left the apartment with makeup smudges all over her face.

"Ah... Why are you visiting at this hour?" Another low voice spoke up as heavy footsteps strolled towards the living room. I paused in confusion. That voice. Wait a minute- I quickly turned around just as the man appeared before us.

"Anneong Jiyoung-shi," Kim Taehyung smiled when he found me sitting on the couch. I stared at him in disbelief as he stretched out his arms to yawn before the city view in his white towel. My eyes bulged open as I stared at his beefy structure and muscular body without blinking. He slightly yawned and ruffled his messy hair before turning to smirk at me with his hands on his hips, flexing his crazy build body.

"I brought her to you. I'm leaving now," The man on the couch muttered as he got back onto his feet.

"Hyung! What's with the rush? Stay. Can you take her home after this? My brother won't be happy if I let the fools escort her," Taehyung smiled at the guy. Taehyung walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and settled it on the coffee table, suddenly slumping down next to me on the couch. I gulped and scooted away from Taehyung when he placed his arm around my shoulder and tugged me against him to stop me from shifting away.

"They tried to rape her when I found her. I'll deal with them," The man shrugged and sat back down. Taehyung scoffed in disbelief as he reached out to pour wine into the wine glass.

"Did they hurt you? Are you alright?" Taehyung questioned, turning to look at me with his concerned eyes. I was too speechless to respond, so I opened my mouth to speak when he suddenly grabbed my hands, but I quickly pulled away from him.

"I'll use the bathroom," The guy got up and disappeared into the hallways, leaving Seokjin's younger brother with me.

"I'm fine. I'll head home by myself," I mumbled without looking at Taehyung as he sat beside me with his bare upper body. The towel was loosely tucked around his hips- I could almost see his thigh's muscles underneath it.

"Sit down," Taehyung demanded as soon as I got onto my feet. I gulped when I turned to find him draining the wine from the glass, then averted his dull eyes to mine. He's nothing like the person I met at Seokjin's place.

"I'll leave- I have a date with Seokjin-"

"I said sit down!" Taehyung snapped, roughly tugging my arm until I tumbled back onto the couch. I gasped in shock and tried to sit up when he pinned my shoulders against the couch to hold me in place and leaned over me in his towel.

"What- are you-"

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm just curious... about my brother's new doll," Taehyung hovered his face above mine while he held me down, so I pursed my lips in fear as he examined my face. My body stiffened in fright when he suddenly lowered his naked torso and leaned forward until his face was right above mine. He slightly smiled with his intense eyes trained on my lips, then tilted his head to the side of my face until I felt his steamy breath brushing against my cheeks. My heart thumped out of control when he gently traced his thumb over my lips with a smug smile. He drifted his seductive eyes to mine, so I blinked at him in silence as he remained over me.

"My brother doesn't like to share," Taehyung whispered under his breath. His lips were so close to mine- I could almost feel the tingling sensation over my own lips. Slowly, he drifted his tempted gaze to my eyes again with a sly smirk. I gulped with my eyes fixed on his paralyzing gaze as he towered over me until I felt him inching his face closer to mine.

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Yay! I finally introduced Taehyung but the other guy is still a mystery XD We'll find out soon. I really hope I can update often after my break T_T I don't want to write a long story like Survival so I'll keep this story at the right length. I hope I won't drag it on. How's everyone doing? I'm happier now because I can finally resume my writing hobby hehe! I love you guys! <3 Please stay safe~! So excited for JK x Charlie Puth! <3