Love Candidate - Inner Child - Chapter 11

What should I do? Should I call the ambulance!? He's losing too much blood! The hospital will question me though- and he will frame me when he wakes up! Fuck! Argh! Seokjin? No- He can't find his brother shirtless in my house! Jungkook? I can't drag him into this mess!!! AHHHHHH! I stared at Taehyung's lifeless body in panic until sweat beads formed on his forehead. What if his druggies come after me??!?!

"Aish! The fucking freak is driving me insane!" I whined as I dashed down the empty street at full speed until I arrived at the familiar house. But halted abruptly when I found Changwon walking up the stairs to ajumma's place with a bag in his hand. He was unlocking the door to head inside. I cursed in frustration and scrambled up the stairs with my arms and legs.

"You scared me! What the hell?" Changwon gasped, accidentally dropping his plastic bag when he found me crawling up the stairs like a possessed ghost. He shrieked and backed away against the door as I collapsed on the stair in exhaustion. I gasped in difficulty, turning to speak with him, but I was completely out of breath, so I pounded my chest and gulped in difficulty to regain my consciousness after sprinting all the way to ajumma's house without a break.

"I'll wake eomma-"

"No! No- wait- no! Don't wake her- I need your help," I shrieked, grabbing his pants in panic when he tried to open the door. Changwon fired me a confused expression as he watched me wheeze on the ground for air. He entered his house to put his bag away, eventually returning with a bottle of water in his hand.

"Drink water. You're hyperventilating," Changwon handed me the water bottle and closed the door behind him. I snatched it from his hand without thanking him and emptied the entire bottle in one chug. Changwon watched me unsurely as I slowly grabbed the concrete railings, pulling my body upward while leaning against it in exhaustion for support.

"I need your help," I gulped while staring at him in fear. Changwon slowly averted his eyes to my blood-stained shirt and back to my sweaty forehead.

"Are you hurt?" He swallowed unsurely. I pursed my lips at him and shook my head.

"I think I might've hurt someone by accident," I whispered, anxiously staring at him with my guilty eyes. Changwon's face turned pale at my confession, and I didn't expect him to help me at all, but he did. He brought his medical equipment, and we hurried back to my house together.

"Your house stinks- What's that smell??? Did you kill someone???" Changwon covered his nose in shock when the nasty smell filled his nostrils after he stepped into my house.

"It's the alcohol and blood stains on the couch," I mumbled, turning to look at Changwon, who was staring at the brownish blood stain on the couch in horror. It looked like I stabbed someone on the couch.

"Are you sure you only 'hurt' the person? And not murder?" Changwon whispered, trailing his eyes after the blood stains on the kitchen floor with his petrified eyes. It's the blood Taehyung spilled when I threatened him with a knife.

"Hurt. But he might die if he loses too much blood," I muttered, dismissively walking up the stairs. Changwon followed me up the stairs with his medical case, so I opened the door and turned on the lights with a nervous expression to show him the situation.

"You said you hurt someone!" Changwon snapped, turning to look at me in horror.

"He fell off my bed and hit his head on the nightstand!" I whined in irritation. Changwon gulped at my claim, unsurely turning back to find Taehyung sprawling in a pool of his own blood with a towel over his head. The towel was soaked with dark red blood.

"He looks dead to me! We need to call an ambulance-"

"No! You can't!" I snapped at Changwon when he tried to call the hospital.

"He's seriously injured!" Changwon argued, quickly dropping his bag and hurried to feel Taehyung's purse with a pale expression.

"I will go to jail for hurting him! Can't you treat him!?" I whimpered in distress. Changwon withdrew his finger away from Taehyung's sweaty neck, turning to frown at me with a conflicted expression.

"I will go to jail for helping you cover your murder," He glared at me in irritation.

"Then save him! If he dies, you'll be my accomplice in murder!" I fired back at him. Changwon scoffed at my threats and slowly got back onto his feet in disbelief.

"Are you blackmailing me!? My mother-"

"I'm sorry, alright!? I don't know what to do! It happened too fast! Can't you help me?" I begged, firmly grabbing his forearm. Changwon fell quiet at my plead, then turned back to Taehyung as he struggled make up his mind.

"Help me heave him onto your bed and bring a bowl of warm water," Changwon stared at me sternly, making me exhale in relief. Changwon grabbed onto Taehyung's upper body, so I grabbed his legs, and we hauled him onto my bed. I quickly rushed downstairs to grab a bucket, filled it with warm water and dashed back to my bedroom with a towel. Changwon was preparing his medical kit on the side of my bed. He pulled on his sanitary gloves as I settled the bowl on my nightstand. He instructed me to wipe the cut on Taehyung's forehead clean, so I gently dabbed on his forehead after soaking the towel, making Taehyung grunt under his breath.

"I'll stitch his gash first," Changwon exhaled, turning to me with a stitching needle in his hand, so I stepped aside to let him fix Taehyung. I gripped my fist in discomfort as I watched Changwon push the needle into the wound's opening, poking right into Taehyung's forehead and pulling out with the thread.

"ARGH!" Taehyung suddenly jerked in pain, startling Changwon with his sudden reaction.

"Hold him down!" Changwon snapped. I quickly scrambled onto the bed to hold Taehyung's shoulders down and chewed my lips in fright. Changwon pushed the needle into Taehyung's torn flesh again, steadily pulling the thread, making Taehyung seethe under his breath. He tried to resist me, but I firmly held him down.

"Argh- AH! Ah!" Taehyung whimpered unconsciously, jerking from side to side. He was shaking so much Changwon couldn't concentrate on the wound.

"He's conscious... but not fully awake. Don't restrain him. He will panic and resist... try comforting him instead," Changwon muttered with his eyes fixed on Taehyung's sweaty face with an uptight frown.

"H-How do I comfort him-"

"Lift him into a sitting position and let him lean against you. Hold onto his head and comfort him," Changwon suggested. I quickly sat against the bedhead on the bed and lifted Taehyung's heavy body into a sitting position. Changwon was right... he is conscious. Taehyung grunted and weakly turned his head with his eyes closed, so I let him lean his body against mine. I grabbed his head to hold him in place as Changwon scooted closer to Taehyung, carefully stitching his forehead again.

"Argh- Eomma- Ah- Eomma-" Taehyung whimpered in distress as Changwon pushed the needle under the gash. Taehyung tried to snap his head away, but I hugged his head firmly to hold him in place, so he couldn't escape my grip.

"Shhh... It's okay... lean on me. I'll stop hurting soon. You'll be alright," I wrapped my arms around his shoulder to hold his body as he slumped against me in defeat. I softly whispered in his ear while patting his firm cheek to soothe his pain. Taehyung slightly jerked again when Changwon tugged the thread. He unconsciously gripping my hand, so I grabbed his fingers to give him a reassuring squeeze as he struggled to breathe against my chest.

"Ah- eomma...-"

"You have me here. I'm here... don't worry... we're fixing you. It won't hurt anymore," I gently muttered in Taehyung's ear while patting his head, firmly tightening my arms around his sweaty chest until Changwon snipped the thread. He leaned forward to disinfect the wounded areas before wrapping a bandage around Taehyung's head to secure the wound. Taehyung panted heavily against my chest and slowly released my hand in exhaustion, weakly snuggling against my body to catch his breath.

"You did great... it's over now," I whispered, slowly shifting his head back to the pillow. Changwon wiped his sweat as he took a deep breath after patching the drug lord with his dreadful eyes fixed on Taehyung.

"His breathing is laborious... pale skin... heavy sweats... low body temperature..." Changwon whispered as he inspected Taehyung's vulnerable state.

"What's wrong? Why is he short of breath???" I questioned when I noticed blood was draining from Taehyung's face. His heavy sweat... soaking my pillowcase.

"He lost too much blood. He needs blood... the stitching will stop the blood, but his body is too weak. We have to call the ambulance," Changwon whispered, turning me anxiously. I gulped and glanced at Taehyung's helpless condition in fear. Taehyung will kill me if I send him to the hospital, and Seokjin will find out everything-

"ARGH! WHO ARE YOU-"

"TAEHYUNG- WAIT, NO! STOP-" I gasped in panic when Taehyung suddenly sat up on the bed. He grabbed his gun from his pocket and turned to Changwon before I could stop him. Gasping in horror, I scrambled in between them to block Changwon from the gun without thinking. Taehyung's lips were as pale as a ghost, and there were dark circles under his eyes... he couldn't focus his gaze on us but kept his grip firm on the gun.

"I told you not to contact the medical-"

"He's not from the hospital! He's my friend! You were losing too much blood, so I asked him to treat you!" I fearfully interrupted as I held up my hands in fear with the gun aimed at me. Taehyung grunted as he lightly touched his bandaged head and turned to glare at me in anger.

"I will kill him-"

"He saved you! Please! I promise he won't speak a word about this! I swear!" I begged in fear with my terrified eyes trained on Taehyung. He gripped the gun shakily while glaring at me with his burning eyes. I gulped and carefully crawled towards Taehyung as he sat against the bedhead.

"If he-"

"He won't. You're losing too much blood. Tell me. What's your blood type?" I shakily gripped the gun with my anxious eyes fixed on his. He can't hurt Changwon. Taehyung glanced at his trembling fingers, suspiciously averting his angered eyes back to mine as I attentively stared at him with my concerned eyes.

"A- AB..." Taehyung muttered, shakily lowering the gun. He didn't give me the gun and gripped it tightly on his thigh. His eyes... slowly dropping close as he struggled to stay awake.

"Can we talk?" Changwon asked, looking as pale as a ghost. I nodded, slowly got off the bed and walked out of my bedroom with him.

"We need to call the cops! He has a gun!" Changwon whispered at me furiously.

"You can't... I'll get in trouble," I shook my head in fright. Changwon stared at me in frustration, turning away to grip his hair in distress.

"He needs blood. How will we get it? I can't take the hospital's supplies without the institute's approval. It's either we call the ambulance, or he'll die from blood loss," Changwon turned to glare at me.

"My blood is almost AB," I gulped at him with my stern eyes trained on his.

"What-"

"I'll give him my blood," I gritted.

"You're very weak, and your health is unstable. You don't have enough energy-"

"If he dies... I'll be in big trouble. Please... I can die but not him. I'm begging you," I pleaded, desperately grabbing Changwon's arm to convince him. He stared at me with an uptight frown, finally letting out a deep exhale in defeat. We eventually return to my room to find Taehyung sitting against the bed with a drained face. His skin is turning yellow.

"What are you doing-"

"Stay still. I'm giving you blood," I muttered as Changwon rummaged in his bag for his medical supplies.

"Your blood-?" Taehyung scoffed at me in disbelief.

"It's either you take her blood to sustain your condition, or you die in a few hours," Changwon glared at Taehyung. The drug lord gripped his gun in irritation with his killer eyes fixed on the doctor. He released a deep exhale after a tense moment and glanced away bitterly when he realized he needed proper treatment. Changwon grabbed Taehyung's forearm to sanitize the bulging veins at his arm joint. Skillfully injecting the needle into Taehyung's sweaty skin until his blood began flowing into the tube. Changwon hooked the needle into my arm right after until my blood met with Taehyung's through the transparent IV tube. Changwon quietly fixed the tube. And I have no idea what he was doing, but he eventually straightened his back after five minutes of absolute silence in the room. He made us clench onto a cotton roll, so I sat by Taehyung's side and straightened my legs in exhaustion.

"How long will it take?" I asked out of curiosity as Changwon rearranged his medical case.

"A few hours," He muttered, turning to inform us with a worn-out expression. Taehyung suddenly grunted in discomfort as he clutched the old wound on his abdomen. Changwon glanced at the brownish bandage and back to Taehyung.

"Do you want me to take a look?" Changwon questioned. Taehyung gulped and looked away without answering, so Changwon got up to rip off the bandage of Taehyung's abs, unleashing an unpleasant rotting smell from the wound.

"Fuck! What are you-"

"Your wound is infected. What did you use to treat your wound?" Changwon sighed as he lightly poked Taehyung's swollen skin with his gloves.

"He poured soju on it..." I muttered with my eyes fixed on the blood tube between our forearms.

"Wah... you watch too many movies, huh? Rule number one. Never pour liquor on your wound. Always clean it with water first before treating it. The best option is to use soap if you're not seeking medical help from a professional. Your wound is severely infected," Changwon chuckled under his breath.

"Yeah. I'm not a certified medical freak like you," Taehyung mumbled under his breath in irritation. I thought Changwon would get offended, but he laughed at Taehyung's mockery instead and began treating the swollen gash.

"I need to stitch it up after cleaning the infection. It'll hurt like hell because your tissues and skin are swollen and rotting. You should've gotten it stitched when it's fresh... because flesh wounds are numb, but it's rotting now, so it'll hurt a lot," Changwon muttered as he dabbed the yellowish fluid that was seeping from the gash. Taehyung clenched his teeth and averted his eyes away. The freak held back his discomfort well... not until Changwon pushed the stitching needle into his swollen skin. Taehyung suddenly jerked in pain but held himself back.

"I told it hurts more than a fresh wound. Lesson number two-"

"I will stitch your lips if you keep lecturing me!" Taehyung threatened Changwon, who started chuckling under his breath and proceeded to stitch Taehyung. He's having fun teasing Taehyung.

"Don't whine about it then," Changwon smirked when he noticed Taehyung's struggles to contain his pain as he sowed the drug lord's flesh back together. Taehyung leaned his head backward to resist the pain, unconsciously gripping the bedsheet as heavy sweat dripped from his firm jawline.

"Fuck- Are you stabbing me on purpose!?-" Taehyung snapped at Changwon when he failed to suppress his discomfort.

"Can't you stay still!? I'm trying to concentrate!" Changwon snapped back at Taehyung. I exhaled and shifted my position closer to Taehyung on the bed, keeping my injected arm close to his. I carefully rested my forearm on his straightened leg and interlaced my fingers with his.

"You can hold onto me," I muttered. Taehyung slowly turned to look at our hands as I sat by his side. He turned to look at me, glanced at the IV tube linking his forearm to mine, and glanced back at our hands again.

"Argh!" Taehyung suddenly grunted and screwed his face in pain, so I gripped tightly onto him. He gasped in difficulty and slowly leaned his head against my shoulder as Changwon fixed his wound. Exhaling, I slowly tilted my head against his when I felt my head growing very dizzy. I didn't tell Changwon I was nauseous and held it in so I could give Taehyung enough blood to maintain his condition. Taehyung gripped my sweaty palm tightly, eventually turning his face to snuggle against my hair for comfort... so I raised my free hand to pat his firm cheek as he leaned against me for support.

"I'll leave some cream behind for you to apply," Changwon sighed after snipping the thread, finally straightening his back in relief. Taehyung slumped his heavy body against me in exhaustion, so I sighed and glanced at the blood tube between us.

"Thank you," I whispered when I felt my head swaying from side to side.

"You look pale. Are you alright?" Changwon questioned. I nodded and glanced sideways to find Taehyung panting unsteadily against my shoulder with his eyes closed.

"I'm fine," I assured and gulped in difficulty. Changwon went to get us some water, so I sat beside Taehyung in silence. Taehyung finally lifted his heavy head off my shoulder and straightened his back against the behead after dozing off against me.

"Now it's time for me to question you two," Changwon sighed, sitting at the foot of my bed with a suspicious look.

"Who stabbed you?" Changwon questioned Taehyung with his arms crossed.

"It's none of your business-"

"I did. I stabbed... his lower abdomen- by accident! We were arguing-"

"So you stabbed him?" Changwon exhaled, eyeing me skeptically. I pursed my lips at his unconvinced expression, briefly turning to look at Taehyung, who was staring at me in surprise.

"Oh. It was an accident, and I didn't want to alert the medics," I gulped and lowered my head to take the blame. If Changwon finds out about Taehyung's identity... the mafia will chase after him. I can't put him in trouble.

"Why are you afraid to seek medical attention... unless... you're trying to hide something?" Changwon narrowed his eyes at us. I gulped at him unsurely and glanced at Taehyung, who was gripping his gun again. Taehyung might kill Changwon if he keeps questioning us.

"Well, he-"

"She's cheating on my brother with me. That's why we can't go to the hospital," Taehyung suddenly interrupted me. My eyes grew wide open in shock, so I snapped my head towards him in disbelief. What did he say!?

"Yah-"

"So you're seeing your boyfriend's brother, and you got into an argument... so... you accidentally stabbed him?" Changwon exhaled at me with his arms crossed.

"His brother is not my boyfriend! He's my date, but it's not official!" I argued in disbelief.

"Ah. That's right... My brother is her date, and she actually has a roommate boyfriend. But he's away.... so I'm her side man," Taehyung nodded at Changwon, earning a sharp glare from me.

"YAH- Ah~ You dumb freak! Ah~" I whined at him and was about to smack him when I felt my head spinning like a whirlpool. I gripped my head and slumped back against the head bed in exhaustion. I'll deal with him later. Fucking so dizzy!

"That should be enough. You'll lose your consciousness if he keeps draining your blood," Changwon carefully removed the injection needles from our forearms. I weakly crawled off the bed and walked out after Changwon.

"You should visit the hospital and let me know if he's hurting you," Changwon exhaled, turning to look at me as we stood at the front door.

"I told you he didn't-"

"I know you didn't hurt him. An ordinary kitchen knife wouldn't leave that kind of wound on his body. Is he a criminal? He was stabbed by a different blade," Changwon shook his head at me. I gripped my fist with my fearful eyes trained on Changwon. Fuck. He's so fucking sharp. Did I really think I could fool a doctor?

"The sun will rise soon. You should head home. I'll repay your kindness," I weakly smiled. Changwon shot me an anxious expression before walking away.

"Oh. Eomma told me you have a very unhealthy diet. Stop eating street food and make fresh home-cooked meals instead. Make sure to rest well and eat healthy food, especially after the blood transfusion," Changwon poked his head between my gate to inform me before walking off. I sighed at his words, closed the door, and walked back into the living room. I wanted to slump down, but the couch was stained, and it stinks.

"Move aside. And don't you fucking touch me again, or I'll tear you stitches apart!" I shoved Taehyung to the other side of the bed in exhaustion.

"I have a gun! How dare you threaten me-"

"Shut up! I gave you my blood, and my body feels like shit! I don't care about your gun- now scoot over! Be glad I didn't leave you bleeding to death!" I glared at him in irritation. I'm soooo not in the mood to deal with his bullshit right now! I need some sleep, or I'll fucking murder him for real!

"Tsk. It's not like you had a choice- AH! Yah!" Taehyung scoffed when I roughly kicked his butt, sending him rolling onto the other side of my bed. I slid under my blanket and pulled it up to my chin before turning to the other side to sleep.

"Don't touch me! Or I'll suffocate you with my pillow!" I threatened with my back turned on him. And surprisingly, Taehyung didn't respond and remained motionless. Even if I was half out of my mind and barely had any energy left in me... I didn't dare to fall asleep before he did. I gulped and turned around to find Taehyung snoring softly on the other side of my bed with his arms over his head. I carefully poked his shoulder to ensure he was asleep and finally exhaled in relief. I turned back to face the opposite direction and descended into a deep sleep the instant my eyes dropped. He's as tired as I am... I'm sure I'll wake up before him tomorrow.

I did. I woke up before Taehyung to find him hugging me on his side. I grunted and turned to glare at the freak as he softly snored against my face with his head rested on my chest. Is he doing it on purpose? Or did he hug me in his sleep? I stared at his pale face in silence and turned to look at the ceiling as he snuggled against me like a little kid. How can a drug lord behave this way? Well- He's the youngest child with mommy issues- I was also unconsciously hugging him in my sleep as well. Whatever. I roughly grabbed his hair to yank his head away from me, making him grumble in his sleep. Taehyung grunted and turned to the opposite side, so I got up to ruffle my hair and went into the bathroom to get dressed. Exhaling, I tried to call Jimin again, but he didn't pick up my call. He sent me a text to assure me he was alright. Sighing, I exit the bathroom to find the freak sleeping with his limbs spread out over my bed. I noticed his lower bandage was turning yellow again, so I grabbed my first aid kit from the bathroom downstairs. Cautiously crawling onto the bed to fix his wound with my legs tucked under me. I leaned over his abdomen to clean his injury and carefully bandaged it before getting off my bed.

"Moh? I overslept???" I muttered when I realized it was 6:00 PM in the afternoon. Shit! Ah~! I grumbled as I pulled on my jacket and left my house to buy food. I walked up to the usual street food stalls but halted when I remembered Changwon's words. I need proper meals to recover.

Exhaling, I turned in the opposite direction and headed to the local market to buy fresh groceries before returning home to prepare dinner. But the couch reeked so much... I had to throw away all the cushions in the dumpster. I went back to the kitchen and began cooking in silence. Humming quietly as I washed the vegetables and cooked the rice in peace. I don't how long I spent cooking, but the clock claimed I spent hours making the meals. I exhaled and turned to place the plates on the table with a bowl of hot soup when Taehyung came walking down the stairs with a weary expression.

"You cooked? You can cook?" Taehyung scoffed as he limped into the dining room. I sideways glared at him but didn't say anything and sat down to eat.

"Eat and leave my house when you feel better," I muttered as I poked the rice with my spoon in irritation.

"You don't cook for your roommate boyfriend, but you cooked for me. Why? Because you like me? Did you change your mind after seeing my hot body?" Taehyung teased as he sat before his rice bowl. I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head.

"Your brother is hotter," I mocked. Taehyung fired me an offended glare as he picked up a piece of bulgogi and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Oh! Your cooking isn't so bad??! That's a surprise- your roommate boyfriend told me you can't cook!" Taehyung gasped, hungrily eating my food with a stunned expression.

"My father used to be a chef after he went bankrupt," I shrugged. Appa taught me his receipts before he passed, and I'd spend time cooking with him at home after eomma left. I never cooked for myself because the taste of my food reminded me of my father.

"Ah. That's why you don't cook? Do you miss your father when you eat your homemade meal? Aigo~ Daddy issues?" Taehyung nodded at me. I wanted to snap back at him, but he didn't even seem like he was aware of his words. He says things without thinking... It's odd.

"Says the person with mommy issues. Tsk. I bet neither your birth nor stepmother ever cooked proper meals for you. Eat up, you pitiful soul~" I mocked Taehyung. CRACK. I flinched in shock when he suddenly snapped my chopsticks in half with one hand. He stopped chewing and glared at me with his glowering eyes.

"I warned you not to provoke me with my family issues-"

"You started it first!" I glared at him from the table. Taehyung gulped in anger and suddenly shot onto his feet, storming back up the stairs without speaking to me. I sighed and dropped the chopsticks in frustration. Fuck! I don't feel like eating anymore! I quickly put the meals away and began cleaning my house because I was so stressed.

"Stupid stain! Stupid druglord! Stupid people! Argh!" I seethed as I roughly scrubbed the blood stain in my kitchen. I exhaled in relief and slumped onto the chair in the kitchen to grip my hair in distress. I need to contact Seokjin. I've already made up my mind... I'll visit his place tomorrow. And without realizing my actions, I pushed my bedroom door open with a mug of hot chocolate in my hand. I stared at Taehyung as he slept on his side and slowly walked up to him. I think I know what's wrong with him, and I'll never make peace with him if I keep on triggering him.

"Get up. Drink this," I muttered, gently tapping his shoulder. Taehyung opened his upset eyes and sat up with his eyes fixed on me.

"Did you poison it?" Taehyung narrowed his eyes on the hot chocolate. I exhaled, took a mouthful gulp from it to assure him, then handed it to him after swallowing the soothing drink. Taehyung took it from my hand, so I dragged my chair to sit by my bed and crossed my legs on the chair to watch him empty the cup.

"What?" Taehyung uneasily glanced at me when I kept on staring at him with a doubtful look. He took a sip and pursed his lips to taste the flavor, blanking out for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," I sighed apologetically. I know Taehyung is an asshole, but I shouldn't have used his past against him.

"For what? For smashing my head-"

"For bringing up your mother. I shouldn't have used it against you," I shrugged. Taehyung glanced at me with an unsettled expression.

"That's what he likes to do... telling people about my past to present himself as the good guy. A hero to my pathetic life," Taehyung scoffed, referring to Seokjin. I only heard Seokjin's side of the story, so I don't know the entire story.

"Whatever happened between you and your brother, you should keep it personal. I don't want you to be involved with you or Seokjin. The reason I agreed to see Seokjin was because I had no choice. My parents forced me," I exhaled. I need to clarify that I'm not doing this for my own gain because I feel like Taehyung will never stop messing around with me.

"As long as you're seeing him, I'll never stop-"

"I won't see him anymore, so leave me alone. Jimin too. Where did you send him?" I exhaled deeply. I can't do this anymore... I can't see Seokjin not only because of Taehyung but because of my past trauma.

"Did you think my brother would let you go that easily? He's not what you think he is. If he wants something... he must have it. And your roommate boyfriend? Don't worry about him. He's doing well. I sent him to Daegu to oversee my new operation. He'll be back from his business trip in a few days, and I'll stay with you until he returns because I promised him I'll protect you while he's away," Taehyung smirked at me. I pursed my lips. Fuck. Jimin is deep in his mafia.

"Whatever. If Jimin wants to work with you, so be it. Just leave me alone, and I'll stop seeing your brother. Fair enough?" I questioned, getting onto my feet with a bitter expression. Taehyung stared at me in silence as he sat against my bedhead.

"How long are you going to play innocent, Jiyoung-shi?" Taehyung titled his head to the side with a sly smirk.

"What are you talking about-"

"You're very popular with the drug dealers around the city. The crimes you committed and places you stayed at... I'm aware of it all. So how long... are you going to play the good girl with me?" Taehyung questioned. My blood turned cold as he confronted me with a dull expression.

"That's my past! Stop stalking me-"

"I'm not stalking you. Everyone on the shady side of the city knows about you and your roommate boyfriend. All the things you did together... The people you scammed and hurt. People love to gossip, you know? You're an infamous criminal amongst my druggies," Taehyung huffed, slowly raising one of his eyebrows at me with his arms crossed. Fuck. He really knows about me and my past.

"So? I don't care. I won't see your brother anymore, so you can't threaten me with-"

"I'm not threatening you. What exactly are you doing with your life? Lifting boxes at a local store? How long do you plan on living like that? Your roommate boyfriend was smart. He took my offer- now he's making millions every month with me. I don't care if you're seeing my brother or not, but I see potential in you. Join me, and I'll help you live a better life. Don't waste your rare talents," Taehyung sighed at me. I gripped my fist in fear as he stared at me. He knew... He knew about Jimin too. That's why he lured Jimin into his mafia.

"No. I refuse to live in the dirt-"

"Dirt? What if I offer a better life... by that... I mean... I'll help you live a comfortable life. I'll help you... get rid of your stepfather as well. You despise him, right? I'll get rid of him for you," Taehyung smiled at me. My blood turned cold when I realized he was aware of my relationship with my stepfather-

"How- did you-"

"My brother might be a clueless man, but I'm not. He doesn't know he's protecting an abusive man, right? Your stepfather. My brother is unaware of his violent nature and is willing to protect him. But I know... you and I... we both grow up with adult issues... so trust me when I say I know what it feels like," Taehyung exhaled. My body turned cold as I glared at him in anger.

"What's the matter with you!?-"

"Nothing. I'm simply helping you. I always teased you before but did I ever force you to do anything? You know I could easily overpower you whenever I want to and have your body at my will but did I? Even when we were sleeping on the same bed... I never touched you until you touched me first. Why? Because I am not the pervert... you think I am. Or at least... I'm not the lovesick younger brother Seokjin told you about," Taehyung shook his head, softly chuckling to himself as I eased my grip. He doesn't know my stepfather raped me. That's a relief.

"No. I don't care. I don't want to be involved anymore. You can take Jimin if he wants to work with you. I'm done," I exhaled, crawling onto my side of the bed, and turned away from him to sleep.

"Hwang Jaehyun will hurt you if you don't see my brother," Taehyung muttered. I screwed my eyes shut and stopped responding to him. He's so talkative! Is he that lonely???

"I have a question-"

"Will you shut up and sleep?" I whined, turning to glare at him in annoyance. Taehyung was sleeping sideways, facing me with his arm tucked under his head. I pursed my lips when I found his tired eyes staring into mine instead of his usual cocky gaze.

"Why are you so comfortable sleeping on a bed with me?" Taehyung questioned with his almost affectionate eyes.

"I hooked up with a lot of men before. I'm sure you're aware of that too," I exhaled with my eyes fixed on the ceiling. I fell asleep with strangers on their beds all the time before I met Jimin. Did I have my trauma? No. I didn't. I only get it when I'm forced to have sex, but if it's on my own will, then I'm usually fine. Not until I tried it with Seokjin. I don't know what went wrong with him.

"We are a lot more alike than I thought," Taehyung chuckled weakly. I turned my head on the pillow to look at him in confusion.

"I'm not like you," I muttered, keeping my eyes fixed on his.

"We're our family's disgrace. You were beaten by your father. I was beaten by my mother. Whatever we do... it doesn't get better. So we drown our sorrow with things that can kill us. Alcohol... drugs... sex... are the things that temporarily paralyze our hurting souls. Am I wrong?" Taehyung questioned, eagerly smiling at me, and for a moment, he didn't seem like the pervert I knew at all. I felt like I was staring at a wounded inner child. A boy who simply wants to be noticed. He is a lonely child. I am a lonely child.

"I have a question. I thought you were a mafia boss, so why are you this... relaxed? Shouldn't you be murderous? Or Something? Like the television show?" I questioned, curiously turning on my side to stare at him. Taehyung chuckled cutely at me as he examined my face with a weak smile.

"Oh. Mafias are murderous. You should never be involved with us. We kill without hesitating. Women get raped and assaulted. You're right. But I was never like this, you know? The real mafias are ugly as hell. Ugly old men. Crooked teeth and fat bellies. They're heartless monsters. They fuck the woman they want, and then they kill them afterward. They use drugs. They do all the nasty shit," Taehyung nodded at me, leaving me confused by his words.

"So, what are you?" I questioned, unsurely searching his tender eyes.

"A child," Taehyung answered quietly. I blinked at him in silence as I thought about his words.

"Tell me-"

"What did my brother tell you? Hmm... Let me guess... I'm a drug addict? A pervert? Neglected child? Corrupted? Evil? Heartless?" Taehyung laughed, making me smile at his goofiness.

"He didn't say anything bad about you. In fact, he seems to care about you a lot," I shrugged at him unsurely. Taehyung chuckled and pressed his face against his pillow before glancing at me with this oddly bright gaze.

"The actual mafia leader was an ugly man. I went to him for drugs as a rich kid. He gave me drugs and women to satisfy my needs. I took over his position after he died a few years ago, and to be honest... I don't know how I became the boss. It just happened because I was from a rich family with powerful connections. But I don't do drugs anymore... eomma got really upset with me when she found out. She made me promise to stay clean, so I did. But Seokjin isn't proud of me... never was," Taehyung shrugged at me.

"So do you... kill...? The gun..." I whispered, eagerly staring at his sleepy eyes.

"Of course I do. I kill when I have to. But not all the time. I got people to work for me, so they do most of the killing," Taehyung shrugged at me. I stared at him unsurely as we lay on our sides. Well. I'm sleeping with a murderer.

"Is that why Seokjin is upset with you?" I questioned. Seokjin hated seeing his brother slaughtering people... or maybe he's upset about the cult.

"Stop talking about him. Why do you even prefer him over me when you're nothing like him? I thought you're into bad men considering your past dating records evolving around drug addicts," Taehyung huffed, turning to stare at the ceiling above us.

"Bad men like you will only temporarily make me feel good... but good men like your brother... they'll make me feel happy for a lifetime," I sighed, turning to look at the ceiling. I want to be with someone good. Someone who will guide me. Someone who will lead me. A good man.

"You want to be with a green flag man when you're a red flag woman?" Taehyung scoffed, turning to smile at me with a teasing smile.

"A girl can dream, you know?" I smiled at Taehyung. He softly scoffed, and we both fell quiet. He was lost in thoughts, so I turned away from him and dozed off. The heartfelt interaction with Taehyung left me confused as hell... because I did not expect him to be this gentle? He's almost like Seokjin but a more mischievous version. Seokjin never really bad-mouthed Taehyung either... he only warned me to stay away from his brother. Why? Neither of them told me.

"Oh? Jiyoung?" Seokjin answered my call as I sat in the back of a taxi after getting ready to see him.

"Are you home today? I want to talk with you," I asked as I stared out the window.

"Oh. I'm home. I'll pick you up-"

"It's okay. I'm heading to your place now," I weakly smiled with the phone pressed against my ear.

"Oh? You should've let me pick you up," Seokjin chuckled through the line. I bid him goodbye and finally got out of the cab at his gate at around 8:00 PM in the afternoon. Taehyung insisted he was hungry, so I cooked him food and left him at my house to see Seokjin. I'm personally visiting Seokjin's place because I didn't want to waste his time. I won't be seeing him anymore after this, and Taehyung will leave my house after Jimin returns. I will return to my ordinary life, so I wanted to properly say my farewell. I walked toward the glass house and entered his place after entering his pin. He didn't change it. The living room was empty, so I quietly sat down with a food package. I packed him some food after cooking for Taehyung because I didn't want to come empty-handed. I sat in his living room unsurely because Seokjin was nowhere to be found.

"Seokjin?" I called for him as I slowly got onto my feet to peek in the kitchen and proceeded to walk down the corridor when the entire villa suddenly turned pitch black. I glanced around the dim hallway in confusion and tried to find my way back to the living room when thud- I stopped dead when I heard a sudden thump from one of the rooms down the hallway.

"Seokjin???" I called anxiously when I heard weird footsteps and low grunts from the room, so I walked up to the door in confusion. It's not Seokjin's bedroom, but the sound clearly came from the room.

"Are you alright? AH!-" I questioned, reaching out to open the door when the door violently burst open, and a man bolted out of the room, bumping hard into me. I stumbled backward in panic as the guy stumbled over me and collapsed onto the ground. My eyes bulged open in terror when I found Seokjin unconscious in his office. I snapped my head towards the guy with a mask over his face in horror.

"HELP! HELP! THERE'S AN INTRUDER!" I cried in panic. The man suddenly launched at me to cover my mouth and dragged me away from the room as I struggled to resist him.

"UGH!" I grunted in pain when the back of my head slammed against the wall while fighting with him. I grabbed onto a golden trophy on the display shelves and hurled it at him in panic, so he shoved me back... sending me crashing into the coffee table. I cried in pain when I felt the shards digging into my arms as the man regained his balance, and before I could regain my consciousness, he took off. He sprinted out of the villa. I immediately scrambled onto my feet and rushed back to Seokjin's workroom to find him lying face-first on the floor with a bleeding head and bruised face.

"Seokjin!?" I gasped, flipping his body over in horror, but he was unresponsive. I glanced down at the blood stain on my hand and back to his ashen expression in fear. I cried for help as I turned to observe the wrecked room. What the hell happened?! Why is his workroom a mess?! His laptop was smashed on the floor. His documents were all over the place, and Seokjin was bleeding in his casual clothes. Suddenly, Seokjin's phone slipped out of his pocket, illuminating his bright background screen... and the picture... was my picture. It was a selfie we took together... on our first date... on the mountain as we watched the sunrise. I blinked at our picture on his phone screen and slowly averted my eyes back to his pale expression in extreme guilt.

So... he's really sure about me? Why did I doubt him when he was always this sincere?

______________________

Boo! I rushed back from a birthday party today so I'm a bit drunk rn but don't mind me hehe! I should've written the ending note before I went to the party but whatever. I hope you enjoyed this chapter~! And thank you so so so damn much for reading Love Candidate! I love you guys!!! Please stay safe and come drink with me- oh no you might be underage lmao. Don't drink if you're underage! Drink water! Or milk! Or juice! But stay healthy! Love ya~!