[-]

 

  Seungri sat alone on the swing, rocking alone in the midst of the darkness. All is well and peaceful in the orphanage. The bright little ones were fast asleep in the small, yellow building. It's funny. He used to hate this place. Yet he's willing to mess around with the Family's cyber security codes in exchange for the children here.

 

  He has been sitting here since he surrendered the Mafia's Intranet Codes to Kris. The Family is probably hunting after him by now - Kris isn't the type to waste a single minute to hack into the Mafia's system. They would know its him because he's the only one who has the codes, and its unbreakable otherwise. He is prepared to die the moment he gave up the numbers.

 

  He wonders with what kind of eyes are his brothers going to view him with. It wasn't retaliation from the Mafia that he fears. It was their disappointment. 

 

  He just wished that when his time comes, they wouldn't be there to see it.

 

  

---

 

  The Underboss stormed into the HQ lobby in large strides, his brows furrowing in all seriousness as he pulled his black blazer onto himself. He made a beeline here right after picking up the emergency call, leaving the oblivious Dara with Bom at the mall. A sense of uneasiness welled in his chest as the members of his organisation rushed about busily. Telephones everywhere were ringing, further fueling his impatience.

 

  The meeting room burst open, with all of the high ranking Mafia officials freezing in their heated debate to look up at the latecomer. Jiyong's eyes flickered to his three sworn brothers who were sitting at the corner of the room. Daesung had his hands in his hair. But it wasn't him that he's looking for.

 

  Seungri was missing from the party, just as he guessed.

 

  "Where is Victory, Jiyong?" The Don asked, his voice laced with anger.

 

  "I can't reach him, Boss."

 

  "Our systems were hacked. A foreign bug is creeping through our intranet and crashing every of our server in this building. We can't even detect what information they are stealing. Heck, they can even detonate any of our device in this building and we wouldn't know." Soo Hyuk said in agitation, "Which is funny because our intranet is supposedly unbreakable. Ofcourse that's if our encoder, Seungri, doesn't let anything slip..."

 

  "I know what you're thinking, Ghost." Jiyong cut across him, before turning his eyes to the Don. "I'll swear my life on it, Boss, Seungri is not a traitor."

 

  He wouldn't do this to them. To him.

 

  "Then give me a better explanation. Tell me how they did it."

 

  Jiyong opened his mouth but his throat felt dry instead. How did they did it? It's true, their system was unbreakable... Seungri even brought in a hacking specialist to test its security... Their youngest would never betray them. Why would he? They grew up together. There must be a loophole in the system for the cyber wall to be breached somehow...

 

  "It's not your fault, Jiyong." The Don softened his tone, "You couldn't have known. None of us expected him to."

 

  There was a knock on the conference room door and everyone turned around. Standing at the entrance of the room was the Vanguard of the White Traids, the Mafia's traditional arch nemesis.

 

  What the hell is Lee Donghae doing here?

 

  "Remember the alliance offer you brought up to Lee?" Soo Hyuk asked Jiyong, "Their elders accepted it a week ago."

 

  "Yeah, we're here to clean up your , Kwon." Donghae let out a cool laugh, his eyes surveying the chaos within the high ranking Mafia officials. "Who would've guessed that the so called rat was actually from your Untouchables huh? Pity, I thought you Mafians really emphasised on loyalty."

 

  Seunghyun snarled, whipping out his pistol only to be hollered to a stop by the Don.

 

  "We don't need you." The Underboss said plainly.

 

  "Oh yes, we do." The Don countered, causing Jiyong to narrow his eyes. The elderly leader of the Mafia sighed, as if preparing himself for the announcement which he is about to make next.

 

  "I, the Don of Seoul's Mafia Family, declare Lee Seungri wanted...."

 

  "NO!" Daesung snapped, but the Don ignored him.

 

  "... and should he resist capture, I give my permission to fire at our fellow Made Man." 

 

  "Lee would lead the search." Ghost said, his eyes on the team of Untouchables. "It may be fairer since he didn't have any personal ties to Seungri."

 

  "No." Jiyong's voice caused everyone to turned their attention on him. He stood with his head low, his fists clenched. Slowly, he looked up at the Consigliere, his eyes firm. "I will get him myself."

---

 

  The four were silent in Youngbae's Chevrolet. The seat that usually belonged to Seungri was left empty. Soo Hyuk has received intelligence on the Maknae's location, which he decided to slip wind to Jiyong before reporting it to the rest, hence buying them some time to have a private word with him.

 

  Jiyong was staring out of the passenger window without an expression. It has been a while since the team went out on a mission without their Maknae. Ironically because this time, he was the mission's target.

 

  They arrived at a small deserted building on the fringe of Seoul. By now he reckoned the rest must've already been notified and on their way. They don't have much time.

 

  "This kid chose the location well..." Youngbae muttered, a small pained smile hanging on his lips as he surveyed the surroundings. There weren't much windows or infrastructure nearby, which rendered snipers useless. The building was advantageous to defend instead of attack. Seungri is smart, like he always been.

 

  "Draw your guns." Jiyong commanded monotonously, before the team dropped their gazes to see Jiyong already loading his pistol. 

 

  His fingers were shaking.

 

  "Hyung-" Daesung protested.

  

  "Just do it, Daesung." Unlike their sniper, Seunghyun chose instead to trust their leader to draw his own weapon.

 

  "I'm not going to turn a ing gun on our own brother, hyung."

 

  The hissings behind him is making Jiyong feel even more disillusioned, as if he's having a high fever with his head spinning. Ignoring the rest of his team, the Underboss stepped into the building with his pistol hanging limply on his hand. He had been exceptionally quiet, and the rest know that Seungri's supposed 'betrayal' had hit him the hardest. He must be suffering as much as, if not more, than any of them inside.

 

  Wordlessly, Seunghyun trailed behind him, followed by Daesung and Youngbae, both whom cannot bring themselves to pull their weapons out.

 

  The small concrete building has only two floors, and it didn't take long before they found their target. Seungri looks messed up, working feverishly on something on a laptop when they intruded. His head snapped up as his chest sunk. He didn't want them to be the ones to find him.

 

  "Hyung." The youngest muttered after a tense moment of silence, his eyes gazing unwaveringly at his expressionless team leader. Without warning, the Underboss swung his fist at him.

 

  The Maknae didn't dodge, and dots of crimson quickly blossomed at the corner of his lips. That punch caused his ears to ring, but still, he can hear the furious yells of the rest of his team echoing throughout the room.

 

  "What the , Seungri!"

 

  He never wanted to disappoint any of them.

 

  But the choice wasn't his.

 

  "Tell me how am I supposed to save your now." Jiyong growled, emphasising on each syllabus as he yanked Seungri up by his collar. His voice was shaking with anger... and fear. It's too late to ask him why. The rest of the Mafia would be here anytime now.

 

  Seungri gave his laptop a fleeting glance before turning his bloodied face back to his leader.

 

  "I just need 2 minutes now, hyung. Please, just 2 minutes." 

 

  A series of loud footsteps storming up the old building made the Untouchables cursed as Youngbae and Daesung swiftly whipped out their guns. In the brief moment of distraction, Jiyong was suddenly yanked backwards into a headlock by Seungri, with a blade that materialised out of nowhere holding him hostage by the throat.

 

  "It's over, Victory. Let the Underboss go." Donghae warned, his fingers clasped tightly around his revolver. He couldn't get a proper aim at the Mafia's traitor, who seems to have himself completely covered behind Kwon.

 

  "Less than a minute, hyung." Seungri whispered. Jiyong's eyes turned to the laptop screen. The Maknae seems to be transferring a heavy file into a USB. He's buying himself time for the download.

 

  3 more seconds left.

 

  "This is my last warning, Lee. You don't have to die if you raise the white flag now. Well, at least not here." The Vanguard joked darkly, his eyes glancing around for any areas where his men can ambush him. He just couldn't find any. Damn it. With Kwon's agility, there's no way he could've been held hostage... are they sheltering the traitor?

 

  The loading bar on the laptop closed with a green tick and Jiyong heard Seungri's breath of relief as he pulled the thumb drive out. Subtly, he pushed the USB into Jiyong's hand.

 

  "Ram this into the main server in the building. It'll counter the virus and reboot our security codes." The youngest said in a rushed whisper

 

  "Don't take that knife away." Jiyong hissed as he felt his aggressor's arm on him loosen. As soon as that knife gets away from Jiyong's throat, Seungri is screwed. "Listen, take me and jump out from that window over there. There's no forces outside the building. Youngbae and the rest would buy you enough time to reach that car. Then..."

 

  A surge of emotions rushed through Seungri's head as his Underboss's words trailed off. ... he didn't wanted to cry but something is stinging his eyes. He scanned the rest of his team faces. They looked furious, but die-hard determined to stick through with Jiyong's plans. 

 

  No matter what he did, they had always stuck with him.

 

  And they still will. 

 

  As aruptly as Jiyong was yanked back, he was jerked away. As he did, a gush of wind slashed past the air beside his ear, followed by the sickening sound of bullet finding flesh.

 

  "NO!" 

 

  Seunghyun pounced on the gun, knocking Donghae to the ground as Jiyong pulled Seungri to him. The bullet struck the boy in the chest, and blood was seeping through his fingers on his hand behind the youngest's back.

 

  "Stop firing, you got him!"

 

  Jiyong couldn't hear whose yelling were those. Seungri's usually fair complexion is now ashen, his eyes reflecting the agony in his skin as he struggled to speak with blood gurgling in his throat. His eyes were pained, desperate as he clung onto the speechless's leader's hand.

 

  "ing idiot." Seunghyun murmured as he knelt down beside the two. "ing idiot..."

 

  "Hey, Lil Seunghyun," Daesung was at their side in a split second after managing to cease the White Traid member's fire. It has been years since he addressed the youngest by his birth name, and his lips are trembling. "Hey, hang in there. We got help."

 

  Jiyong was still speechless, almost shell-shocked. 

 

  "I'm sorry, hyung... They...had...the...orphanage...." Seungri managed, his eyes slipping in and out of consciousness. "They...wanted... to... kill....every...single...chil-"

 

  "Shut up, shut up, don't talk." Jiyong muttered, his hands futily trying to stem the flow of blood.

 

  Youngbae was standing at the corner with their back facing them, refusing to take in the scene.

 

  "I was scared, hyung... I'm sorry... Remember... the... USB..."

 

  Daesung had stopped talking. His head was bowed, covering his eyes. Small droplets were slipping onto his nose before falling to the cement floor.

 

  "Remember the USB..."

 

---

 

[DARA]

 

  I did the dishes and pulled my exhausted body back to room. What awaited me were bags of 'trophies' from an entire day at the mall with Bommie. I'm starting to churn up a conspiracy theory that shopping might just be a workout regime that Bom had tailored specially for me. 

 

  Sighs, time to start organising. 

 

  My secret packing hack is to first shove whatever I would never use into the bottom of my wardrobe. And yeap, that is what happened to the two small bags of cosmetics. Blagh, they're so pink. The clothes are next. Things that need to be ironed? Nope, into the dark corner. Things with laces? I'll rather go out . 

 

  There was a small creak on the window ledge behind me and I didn't need to look to know who it is. It barely 9pm, he's early tonight. A small smile crept onto my lips as I thought of how he paid that hefty sum for me back at the antique store just now. What an insane romantic kek.

 

  "Have you-" I turned around before I almost screamed, clapping a hand to my mouth. "JESUS CHRIST!" 

 

  Jiyong stood motionless in front of the window where he climbed in, his shirt drenched in blood.

 

  An unspeakable fear welled up in me as I locked the door shakily. His eyes are starry, like he isn't really seeing me at all. Slowly, he slid down the wall to the floor, his eyes blank. No...

 

  "Where?" I asked, grabbing the nearest towels I could find before rushing over to him, my heart thumping crazily in my chest. Where is the wound?

 

  Wordlessly, he grabbed my frantic hands that are searching his body and held them together. 

 

  "These aren't mine. They're Seungri's." He uttered as his voice cracked.

 

  Seungri?

 

  Oh my god, the amount of blood... Is he still alive....?

 

  Stunned into muteness, I sat down beside him with my mind filled with questions that I knew he will not answer. The metallic stench of blood was slowly wafting through the room. Quietly, I slipped an arm over Jiyong's back and gently pushed his head on my shoulder.

 

  He must be feeling terrible.

 

  It started almost soundlessly, like someone is breathing heavily. But it was a low sobbing just beside my right ear. I couldn't say a thing because I know nothing can possibly soothe him in this moment. Tears flow unchecked from his face, known to me when they stained my pyjamas wet. My heart clenched painfully as I hear how he's fighting to keep himself quiet.

 

  "It's okay, Jiyong." I whispered, softly his hair.

 

  Jiyong has never cried before, at least never in front of me. I'm still clueless on how bad Seungri's injuries are or why this even happened. But the five of them are so close... They literally grew up together. I can only imagine how bad he feels now.

 

  We sat like statues, huddled together under the window for god knows how long. Jiyong's weeping were long silenced by now, his eyes replaced by a glassy, blank look. Staring at the dried blood on him, I got on my feet and grabbed the towels that lay forgotten beside me into the bathroom before returning with them moist. 

 

  The dried blood on his face proved especially hard to wipe off. He looked on at me dully, the rims of his eyes red as I struggled to balance being gentle and getting the stains off his skin. I know he's incredibly upset, but the air of heartache in the room is getting suffocating. I had no choice but to pull out my 'you're-so-noisy,I-can't-even-be-depressed" technique and started blabbering about all things under the sun. It definitely won't be comforting, but hey, it worked on Hani. Maybe it'll take the sadness of his mind for a while.

 

  Jiyong seems immune and unresponsive to my monologue. I was beginning to seriously worry when he finally blinked away and lifted his hands slowly to cover his ears.

 

  "Shut up, Dara." He muttered in a dull voice. "I can't even hear myself think."

 

  See! That's the point!

 

  I grinned at him and it took a while before he returned a weak smile. 

 

  "Is he okay? Is he still...alive?" I mustered the courage to ask finally.

 

  He stiffened on the mention of Seungri and then slowly, he nodded.

 

  A wave of relief crashed over me, as if something weighing a million tons in my chest is finally laid down. Thank god.

 

  "I'm scared, Dara. What if he never wakes up?" Jiyong confessed.

 

  His words abruptly shut away the moment of happiness in me as I realised how critically injured Seungri is.

 

  "Where was he hurt?"

 

  "I don't know... There's blood everywhere." He uttered bleakly. There was a flash of pain in his eyes and immediately, I abandoned the towel as well as the rest of my queries to pull him into a tight hug.

 

  "He'll make it. You'll get him back."

 

  "You don't know that, Dara."

 

  "I don't." I admitted. "But I know Seungri definitely wouldn't want to leave you guys behind. You need to wait for him."

 

  "Babe..." Jiyong nuzzled closer to my neck. "You'll wait with me?"

 

  He sounded like a child, sending an involuntary smile onto my lips.

 

  "Until whenever." 

 

---

  One of my favourite authors decided to deactivate after what happened today.
Her stories were one of those that inspired me to start writing,
and they kept me company since I first joined the fandom.

 

The news are heartbreakingly disappointing.

We accept fault, we reflect.

They say you only truly give up on someone when you lose hope in them.
I didn't.
Seunghyun, I have hope that you'll improve,
and become a better man.

For that, I'll stay.