Ch.23
Everyone was gathered in the warehouse and you were there with them too. Yoongi gave you a side glance but tried not to pay too much attention to you. He's been biting his tongue a lot lately. Anytime he feels like saying anything to you, he goes over to assist Seokjin whether he needs help or not. Currently, Seokjin was getting an unwanted back massage. The eldest just wanted to eat peacefully. Shaking your head, you kept to yourself on the dusty green couch. Jimin and Taehyung were messing around with Hoseok once again. Their hyung was trying to ignore them as they turned on flashlights directly on his face. He kept his eyes closed and was doing his best. Those boys just can't seem to leave poor Hoseok alone. No wonder he got fed up with babysitting. That and we locked him out the cafeteria.
Feeling a dip on the couch, your turned to see who had sat next to you. It was none other than the maknae who was pretending to be casual. He looked away from you, leaning over his legs while pressing his palms against each other like subtle claps. Jungkook let out a soft whistle before his gaze shifted towards yours. He was surprised to see you already staring at him with a smile. You had your elbow resting on the arm of the couch with your cheek resting in your hand. Both your legs were tucked in on the couch while Jungkook had his feet planted on the concrete. He was still until he turned his whole body in your direction.
The two of you haven't talked since that little fight in Mr. Pyo's classroom. You gave him a smile and he returned one, but that was it as much as interactions go. Jungkook didn't talk to you during lunch or the ride over to the warehouse. None of the members saw the slight tension between you guys. Honestly, you really wanted to put it behind you. It was a dumb thing anyway. He wants to protect you and it's hard to get mad at him for that. You just want to be a good friend, but the both of you do have to be respectful. That's all. It still surprised you that Taehyung or Hoseok didn't question Jungkook's silence towards you. Maybe if it were Jimin, they'd definitely pick up on it.
"I'm sorry for blowing up in your face like that. And for running away." Jungkook sighed. "I don't want things to be awkward between us."
"It's okay. I'm sorry too for being nosey." You placed your hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, we're good friends. We were not gonna let this make things awkward."
"You're right!" Jungkook began to grin widely. Giving him a hug, he was happy that everything was cleared up. You were glad to have it gone. The both of you have too much fun together to let something like that ruin a perfectly good friendship.
Jungkook pulled away from the hug, ready to say something else. He sadly didn't get the chance as Namjoon came hurrying in from the entrance. The leader spoke over the youngest, catching each member's attention in a second. It didn't take long for the warehouse to lose its liveliness. Taehyung and Jimin stopped tugging at Hoseok's legs and arms. Seokjin stopped threatening Yoongi with a chopstick and Jungkook was alert. He was ready to listen to the words coming from the pink hair. Tilting your head to the side, you wondered if a gang meeting was going to take place. Namjoon didn't look too distressed. His expression was similar to when you last saw him at his house.
"We need to load up the truck. We have a deal tonight!" Namjoon grinned to see all the first years get excited.
"What about Seokjin?" Yoongi asked. The eldest's face was thrilled at the thought of a deal, but it fell as Yoongi talked about him. "Should he go with his arm?"
"Of course, I can! I'm still a good driver. I'm tired of being babied by you." Seokjin frowned. "I want to be close to danger again and escape at the last chance. I miss that."
"Preach!" Taehyung shouted. "Namjoon hyung told me to find a deal as fast as I could. I got this one on the other side of town so we need to go now if we want to make it on time without making them angry."
"Exactly. Thanks Taehyung for making this come together." Namjoon gave the silver haired boy a thumbs up. Taehyung returned a giant square grin knowing his leader was proud of him. "Seokjin can come but he's gotta have someone with him in the car."
"Don't leave me with Yoongi-ya." Seokjin called out to get a smack from the male next to him. "YAH! THAT'S WHERE I GOT SHOT FOR YOU."
"Aish, make up your mind." Yoongi snickered.
The warehouse was now echoing in laughter. It looks like their relationship is getting back to normal. It's been interesting seeing Yoongi so respectful to Seokjin. That's a sight no one would ever see. Even Yoongi was getting exhausted at giving the slightest effort to treat the eldest kindly. Seokjin also seemed to be getting fed up. At least that meant that they did truly enjoy each other's company beforehand. Namjoon then declared that Hoseok would be with Seokjin in the truck. No one had problems with the roles given. Soon everyone had bounced on their feet, tired of waiting for the deal. They all couldn't wait to get that old rush.
"Should we leave (F/n) here?" Yoongi asked, making Namjoon take notice of your presence.
"Oh, um, if you don't feel comfortable then we canâ" Namjoon got nervous. He looked over his shoulder, tapping his foot as if he was impatient. He was probably going to offer to drive you home, but like Seokjin, you didn't want to be babied.
"No, I'm fine staying here for you guys," You assured him. Namjoon was quiet but then convinced himself you'd be fine. The rival gang was no longer here. The members were either in prison or dead. You appreciated how they cared about you, but you'll be fine. Now you knew a special hiding spot if anyone ever tried sneaking back here. Granted, they could still find it like they had done, but whatever!
"She'll be fine! Don't look so stressed." Hoseok came over to Namjoon with perfect timing. Cheering up a member he saw not having a good time. "Be easy on deals, okay? Don't over work yourself."
"Yeah...thanks." Namjoon took the advice, clearing his mind that had gotten clouded with worry and stress the past few days.
"I'll miss you my Bullet boys." You waved to see Taehyung jump.
"Yay! We'll miss you too!" Taehyung was happy at the use of his name for the group.
"I never approved that." Namjoon shook his head, slinging his arm over Taehyung's shoulder. They all chuckled as they exited the warehouse. All the first years waved bye to you with a lot of enthusiasm while the older members gave you a simple wave.
How cute were they? Giggling as they all walked out of the warehouse, you let out a relaxed sigh. They were all so entertaining. Falling back onto the couch to close your eyes, you figured you would take another nap. This just might become a tradition. The green couch wasn't too uncomfortable so you knew could drift off in couple minutes. You've done it before. Hearing the sound of the truck's engine, you listened to it like a lullaby before it drove off. Finding a soft spot on the couch, you slowly felt your thoughts running too wild to just sleep on them. Groaning, you opened your eyes to know your mind was on Namjoon. He was probably still worried about his Mom and was doing a deal to take his mind off her. Why would he leave her alone though? Dang it, you should have offered to help him take care of her! Maybe you can ask him or show up at his house again. It's too bad they've already left.
Or was that being nosey again? Letting out a frustrated grunt, you were doing it again. After you told Jungkook and yourself that you'd do better. Not to mention Yoongi has been keeping an eye on you. He hasn't said anything, but you knew he wasn't done trying to kick you out. It didn't matter too much to you anymore. You've given up on trying to win him over for real this time. It just wasn't going to happen. He's too stubborn. Only the other members managed to have changed him in some way. According to someone who Yoongi finished off. After that whole kidnapping event and fighting off the rival gang, no one dared mention what Yoongi did when everyone was in the truck. Well, everyone knows what he did, but we're all taking that to the grave. It was just something you had to grow accustomed to if you wanted to hang out with gangsters.
There was one member that didn't mind your nosiness. Jimin didn't mind that you got him to dance and always looks really happy whenever you bring it up. He even tries to dance without your pushes. He's grown a bit more confident in his dancing which brings a smile to your face. The blonde won't let his other members know since it's a private thing for him. Yoongi did know of the first year's dream, but he had a different view on it compared to you. It was fair to say that Jimin preferred your support. He found a flyer for himself and told you about it. Sadly, he couldn't show up to the dance class. You wanted to make things right.
Time to not mind your own business again! Pulling out your phone, you bit your lip as you looked for dance auditions. Dance classes costed money and there was no running from that. If Jimin auditioned for a company, then he wouldn't have to pay for dance classes. He could become famous! This could be a really good thing for him. It would also be nerve wracking since he's getting judged on his skills. Jimin hasn't taken any proper dance classes. There will probably be a lot of competition that is more experienced. Well, you'd still bring it up to Jimin. It'll be his choice in the end if he wants to audition or if just dancing in a studio is what he wants. All he's told you is that he just wants to dance.
Scrolling through your phone, you found an announcement a certain company made. They were called Jam Entertainment. The announcement was calling for male dancers between the age of fifteen and twenty-six. They weren't any company you've heard before so they must be a small one. If it's smaller then it probably won't be too intimidating, right? With a proud smile on your face, you turned off your phone and felt like you could nap in peace this time. These habits of yours are going to get you in more trouble than they already have. At least not with Jimin. Slowly, your body grew calm as you began falling asleep.
*~*
Loud voices could be heard from outside. There was also the sound of car doors getting harshly slammed. Footsteps started coming in as the male voices grew louder. Cracking open an eye, you saw all your boys high fiving and fist bumping. The deal must have gone really well. Deals were their favorite thing in the world. It could cheer up any member from whatever was going on in their personal life. Namjoon didn't have that same look like he did earlier in the warehouse. Instead, he was smiling with his arm around Hoseok. His dimples were prominently showing and you felt better about them being in a gang. It's still dangerous, but they all knew what they were doing. It's not like they're purposely starting fights with the other gangs.
Taehyung came in with Seokjin, finally not messing around with one of his hyungs. He normally would but decided to cut this hyung some slack. Seokjin's arm has been getting better. According to Yoongi, it's been healing nicely and soon Seokjin can try lifting light items with that arm. That news made Seokjin grin from ear to ear. He just wanted to be back to normal. Jungkook then came jogging in with Yoongi lazily following behind. The maknae waved at you to catch your attention. So cute! Getting up from the couch, you were waiting for a specific boy to come in. Soon the blonde you were looking for came in with a small smile on his face that grew wider as he saw you. Jungkook bit the insides of his cheek as you took Jimin's hand.
"Where are we going?" Jimin laughed, making eye contact with Jungkook. Facing the smirking male, all you did was tell him 'up'.
Bringing him to the back of the warehouse, he finally got what you were saying. Jimin opened the closet door and pushed open the attic door for you. He wasn't the tallest member, in fact he was the shortest, but it's not like you had a chance in opening up the attic door. Your height wasn't anything to brag about since everyone was taller than you here. Jimin held his hands out for you to get up into the small space. Eventually you lifted your body inside and Jimin lifted himself up. He closed the door with a smile. The reason you brought him in here was for privacy. Paranoia told you it was best not to talk about dancing with Jimin publicly. Besides, Jimin didn't even want Taehyung to know and they were the best of friends.
"I wanted to tell you about something I found today." You took out your phone. Jimin raised a brow as you handed it to him. He read what was on your screen, reading the auditions announcement.
"Auditions?" Jimin eyes widened.
"Yeah, they're looking for dancers. I feel like you should give it a shot." You wrapped your arms around your knees. Jimin handed you back your phone with a nervous expression.
"I don't know." Jimin rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really not that good at dancing. I never thought about being in the spot light like that before."
"I know it's probably a lot to take in. I'll send you the link in a text, but I'd like for you to think about it for a while." You gave him a hopeful gaze.
"Okay...I'll think about it. I feel like my dancing isn't idol material." Jimin laughed. "Being an idol sounds crazy."
"Hey, if you ever got to be in an idol group then you'd be my bias for sure." You blushed lightly as your words to see Jimin's face burn red. It did give him a boost of confidence though. The both of you silently stared at each other with embarrassed expressions. No one spoke, but the attic door slammed open. The head that popped in wasn't the one you wanted to see. His eyes looked dead as he stared at you.
"I'm gonna pretend you guys were making out and not talking about dancing." Yoongi growled. "Now come down. Namjoon has some things he wants to say."
"W-We weren't making out though!" Jimin squeaked out.
"Then what were you talking about? Is it gonna piss me off?" Yoongi glared at the blonde. "The word 'dance' or anything related is banned from the warehouse."
"What?" You narrowed your eyes on the blue hair who left.
"Hyung, that's unfair!" Jimin complained, jumping down the exit. Crawling over to the square opening, you closed it on your fall down. Maybe physical education was the only place Jimin and you could talk about dancing freely.
Yoongi ignored all of Jimin's attempts to catch his attention. Once the both of them stood in the same room as everyone else, Jimin stopped talking about dance or Yoongi's unfair random rule. Jimin and you weren't going to listen to it, but it was still bothersome for him to do that. You wanted to give him a piece of your mind, but you also just wanted to respect him since he was older than you. Jimin had to be respectful for the same reason. It was such a pain at times. The three of you got closer to Namjoon who was sitting on a rusty fold up chair. Everyone was standing, but Taehyung who sat with his legs crossed on the floor. He looked at Namjoon as if a story was about to be told.
"Alright, we're gonna have another deal tomorrow," Namjoon stated.
"Back to back?" Yoongi smirked in anticipation.
"Wow, we don't usually do that." Jungkook joined Taehyung on the floor and so did Hoseok.
"Yep. Taehyung got this deal to happen so be ready for tomorrow." Namjoon crossed his arms. Jimin didn't look as excited for the new deal as the other members. Seokjin sat on the floor too and looked over joyed. Yoongi kept a gummy smile on his face while Taehyung pursed his lips. He wasn't happy about a deal?
"I have to be honest about this deal with you guys. Namjoon hyung wanted another deal. They're not planned in advance and we haven't worked with this gang before." Taehyung warned. "It can be dangerous working with a new group, but I made sure to ask other gangs about these guys. I'm pretty sure we'll be fine."
"Thanks for the heads up." Jungkook smirked at the thought of danger. You'll never understand why they got happy adrenaline from this. Namjoon was nodding his head before turning his head to face Hoseok. Hoseok was happy about the deal, but also had his arms crossed.
"Make sure to wait sometimes for deals. Spread them out and choose them wisely," Hoseok spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "We can't get too suspicious."
"But the money..." Yoongi whined.
"Everyone listen to Hoseok." Seokjin sighed as Namjoon hesitantly nodded.
"Hoseok was serious!" Taehyung gasped, earning gasps from the other two first years. They slapped their hands on the sides of their faces, pretending to be shocked. Hoseok only shook his head at their behavior. It got a few laughs from the older members before the joke got old. Yoongi eventually flicked the back of Taehyung's head, telling them to respect Hoseok. "Aish, everyone hits me." Taehyung rubbed the spot he got hit as Yoongi scoffed.
"Wimp."