“Hyung!” Areum called out to Chanyeol. The said boy looked up to gape at her. He had woken up around noon and was sitting on the couch as usual with a book.

“Hyung?” he repeated, dumbfounded.

Areum nodded. “Chanyeol Hyung, could I borrow a book? I really liked the one I was reading when you, Joonmyeon Oppa, and D.O. Hyung went on that mission.” She tried not to dwell on what had happened later that night. It was too painful and scary.

“Why am I ‘Hyung?’” Chanyeol asked. His jaw still hadn’t closed.

The girl shrugged nonchalantly. “The younger members of Exo-K call the older members Hyung.”

Chanyeol groaned. “That’s because they’re boys. Then why is Joonmyeon ‘Oppa?’”

“Because he’s my Oppa,” Areum answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Then why can’t I be your ‘Oppa?’”

Areum was quiet for a minute, as if thinking. “Joonmyeon Oppa’s already my Oppa.”

D.O. walked into the living room. He was rolling his eyes. “Stop acting childish, Hyung.”

“Joonmyeon Hyung’s not even her real brother,” Chanyeol muttered under his breath. “Why can’t I be her brother also?”

Kai stepped out of Chanyeol’s room with a book in his hand. “Areum, wasn’t this the book?” he called out.

Smiling, Areum nodded cheerfully. She received the book and went to sit on the carpet.

Yongguk of the gang BAP was thrumming his fingers against the table. On one side of the table, Yongguk was sitting down with two of his gang members standing behind him. On the other side, Joonmyeon was sitting down with Baekhyun and Namjoon of BTS behind him.

“I may know something about the gang you are looking for.” Yongguk addressed Joonmyeon. “I have delivered them weapons once.” He glanced at the golden “B” on the handle of the knife, which was on the table between the two seated gang leaders. “That time, I was personally responsible for the delivery of knives exactly like that.”

“How can we trust you?” Baekhyun snapped.

Daehyun of BAP smirked. “Will you believe us if you say that we know who’s behind the texts regularly sent to you?”

Joonmyeon and Baekhyun stiffened. Yongguk laughed coldly. “What do you have to Barter with us for this information?”

“We know that you’re not interested in money,” Namjoon spoke out.

Yongguk laughed again. “You know that most of the gangs in the Underground World who do the deliveries are filthy rich.” He leaned forward. “What we’re most interested in is information.”

“Remember,” Zelo of BAP snarled, “we don’t tolerate lies in the Bartering Room. If news leaks out that you fed us a load of crap, it will spread like wildfire in the Underground World and you’ll be the target of many foes. When you Barter, you must be completely sure that it’s true.”

“Same to you,” Namjoon coolly responded.

Joonmyeon laced his fingers on top of the table. “How about we tell you what Monsta X is planning next?” It was a tidbit BTS had picked up one time. Everyone in the Underground World knew that BAP was archrivals with that rookie gang, who clashed with them several times and left unfavorable impressions.

Yongguk frowned. “Deal.”

The two leaders stood and stiffly shook hands. Then they sat back down again.

“That gang,” Yongguk said as he nodded once towards the knife, “is behind your weird texts. I’ve heard that they’re trying to create discord between Exo-K and Exo-M by staging ambushes and interrupting your plans to trick you guys into thinking the gang behind those actions is Exo-M. The source is a secret.”

Joonmyeon’s brow furrowed. Since they had no choice but to believe Yongguk, it meant that the strange texts hadn’t been from Exo-M. He chided himself for being so gullible. But if Exo-M wasn’t behind all this and the unknown gang was…

“You won’t tell us the name of the gang?” Baekhyun butted in.

Daehyun rolled his eyes. “Their name should not be taken lightly. Go figure it out yourself. We said all of our part. Now it’s your turn.”

Namjoon spoke up. “Monsta X is currently hiding out near Busan. It isn’t their real hide-out, but they’re planning to receive a delivery of guns from a Japanese gang tomorrow near midnight at the docks. The source is a secret.”

Zelo cracked his knuckles loudly. Yongguk gave him a warning look. “Then I guess this is the end of our Barter,” the BAP leader stated. He got up.

Yongguk arched an eyebrow before he headed for the door. “I didn’t know Exo-K and BTS were so friendly. I’ve heard that you two collaborated from time to time, but to side together in a Barter…”

Namjoon glared at him. “It’s none of your business.”

After BAP left, Joonmyeon threw off his mask of steel. “Thanks for the information, Namjoon,” he whispered. His brow was creased in heavy thought.

Namjoon shook his head. “Hyung, we owe you lots. This was a small thing. BTS will never forget that you helped us set up our gang back when we were just young beggars on the street.”