There was a long silence as Myungsoo looked at Soojin in surprise. His eyes spelled shock, confusion, terror, and a bit of hope.

But the silence was beginning to unnerve Soojin and she looked away.

“I…” he started.

Soojin turned to look at him with a wistful expression as if she expected his next words.

He jumped up from his chair and started to pace back and forth nervously. “Were you not listening to everything I just said?” he muttered desperately. He stopped and stared at her in despair. “I can’t…you can’t like me. This was the reason why I left home. This is the reason why I wouldn’t tell you.”

He looked so frustrated, so angry, so hopeless that Soojin felt odd for she felt calm despite confessing her feelings.

He started to pace again, muttering to himself. “What am I going to do? I can’t let them find out. I won’t put you in danger.”

He kept muttering to himself, but Soojin couldn’t hear the rest of it. She sat there, watching him with a small pang in her heart. She probably should have expected it. She did expect it.

Myungsoo had a tendency to run away and avoid his problems. She knew she probably shouldn’t have told him right after he explained everything to her, but she was selfish and needed him to hear it. But she couldn’t, she wouldn’t risk losing him, even if it meant this.

“Myungsoo,” she said softly.

He stopped pacing and turned to look at her.

She smiled sadly at him. “You know why people tell secrets?”

He looked confusedly at her. “What?”

She nodded meditatively. “Because secrets are meant to be kept between the person telling and the person receiving the secret. It’s between you and me. No one else has to know.”

He watched her in shock, understanding what she was trying to say. And it was because of him. He hated it. Putting her in this situation. No matter what he did, he was hurting her.

“You’re trying to tell me that I should pretend that this never happened? That your confession isn’t important?” he cried in a small voice.

She smiled wistfully at him, not saying anything.

He gaped out her, wanting to answer her properly, but he was afraid of the consequences. He stared pensively at her. “I’m not running away. I’m not going to run away.”

She looked up in confusion. “Excuse me?”

He pointed accusingly at her. “You’re thinking I’m running away from the problem again. I’m not. Honestly.” He sighed and looked away. “I… I just need to solve everything first. I swear once everything’s over, then, then…” he trailed off as he looked away. “

Soojin nodded slowly, relaxing a bit more knowing that Myungsoo would not be leaving anytime soon.

“So what now?” she asked.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, his thoughts now diverging to the topic at hand. “What do you mean?”

“You told me your story, but you haven’t told me what you’re going to do now. I assumed that you aren’t going to be idly sitting by?”

He frowned. “I haven’t seen N and K in two years. As long I wasn’t involved with them, they wouldn’t involve themselves with me. It was like an unspoken agreement. And then they suddenly showed up out of the blue. Of course, I had to find out why.”

He paused and sighed. “They asked for my help. Apparently the person they were targeting this time had his information so deeply hidden that even their best resources wasn’t able to find anything on him.”

“Did you agree?” she asked tentatively.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Of course not. I meant it when I said they weren’t my friends anymore.”

“So what happened?”

He sat down in the armchair again. “N wasn’t happy, obviously. Told me that he knew he shouldn’t have thought I would have helped. And I thought that was the end of that.”

“But it’s not?”

He looked at her with a regretful look. “They’re getting more dangerous. I don’t know who exactly they were targeting, but I just know he’s dangerous in his own respectful right. If they mess this up, someone’s going to get hurt. Whether it’s them or someone innocent. I’m more worried about the innocent ones.”

Soojin blinked at him, starting to understand where he was going with this.

“I should have stopped them when I had the chance. I should told them what they were doing was bad. But I didn’t. I let them do whatever they wanted, even when I left the group.” He looked at her with an unwavering gaze. “But I’m going to stop running away. I’m going to stop them.”

“Are you crazy?” she shouted, standing up in shock.

 He looked at her with an amused smile.

“Where the hell are you going to do? Didn’t I just tell you can’t be doing these things by yourself?”

He laughed at little. “That’s why you’re going to help.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “I’m going to help,” she stated in astonishment.

He shrugged. “I’ve already decided that I’m going to put a stop to them. It’s up to you if you want to join or not.”

She threw her hands in the air and sat back down in a huff. “I can’t believe you. You know that I won’t leave you alone, and you’re taking advantage of it.”

He smiled cunningly at her.

She leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. “So? What are you planning to do?”

He frowned. “I remember before N started the organization, he mentioned briefly of an old one. One that existed before. That’s where he got his ideas to make his own organization. But I’m not really sure. But I feel if I find them, they can help.”

He sighed. “I wish I knew something more than this intangible rumor though.”

Soojin watched him carefully. “Would it help to talk to someone connected with the organization?”

Myungsoo mused over that thought. “Perhaps. Do you have someone in mind?”

Hoya first flashed through her mind, but she also wanted someone else to meet Myungsoo. “Sort of,” she hesitantly said. “But there’s someone else I want you to meet. He won’t tell me anything, but I think if you talk to him, you might be able to get something from it. And maybe help him return back to normal.”

He nodded. “Who is it?”

Soojin knocked on the wood door lightly.

“Who is it?” the voice asked, muffled through the door.

“It’s me, Soojin.”

The voice went quiet for a moment before saying, “What do you want?”

“I want to talk to you about… you know.”

“No,” came the immediate reply.

“Jaewan, please. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“I have nothing to say.”

Soojin sighed and walked away. Ever since her brother came back that night, he had locked himself up in his room, refusing to interact with the rest of the family.

Her mother was worried and tried her best to get her son to talk, but after a series of unsuccessful attempts, she decided it was a spell of teenage rebellion. She was still worried though.

Soojin, on the other hand, knew there was more to it. She had hoped that talking to Myungsoo would cause some sort of reaction from him.

Myungsoo, who was waiting patiently for Soojin to return, was observing the house casually. He looked from a picture on the table to see her return.

“Nice house,” he grinned. “Very homey.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, not at the moment. My brother still won’t come out of his room.”

He frowned. “Why did you want me to talk to him anyways?”

She sighed. “Like I said before, he was somehow connected to the organization. Probably not a member, but I think he knew someone in it. But he won’t tell me.”

He cocked his head at her. “You want me to try?”

Soojin shrugged. “Might as well.”

They walked together back to her brother’s room, but not before he stopped in front of a door.

Soojin stopped and looked behind her where she expected Myungsoo to be following her. “What are you doing? My brother’s room is up ahead.”

He looked at her and grinned. “Can’t I look at your room first?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No.”

“But it’s right here,” he smiled, pointing at the door he stopped at.

“No,” she reaffirmed again, shooting daggers with her eyes at him.

He slowly reached over to the doorknob, looking slyly at her.

“Myungsoo,” she warned in a dangerous tone.

He lifted his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. Geez, can’t you take a joke?” he laughed.

She rolled her eyes and continued to walk. “How did you know it was my room?”

He chuckled and pointed to himself. “Genius, remember?”

She scoffed. “Oh, how could I forget?”

She stopped at the door in front of her. “My brother’s room,” she presented.

Myungsoo nodded and knocked on the door.

“I told you I didn’t want to talk to you,” the male grumbled through the door.

Myungsoo laughed. “I’m not your sister.”

There was pause before he spoke again. “Then who are you?”

“I’m your sister’s friend. Kim Myungsoo.”

“I thought my sister didn’t have friends,” Soojin’s brother muttered.

Soojin glared at the door, hoping her brother felt it, while Myungsoo laughed heartedly. “I like him,” he grinned, shooting Soojin an amused look.

“And?” Jaewan continued.

“Well, your sister thought it would be good for both of us to talk.”

The boy snorted. “I don’t see how. So, no.”

Myungsoo briefly hesitated. “Ah, but perhaps this will change your mind. I’m also called L.”

There was a long silence before the door unlocked and clicked open. The door cracked open where a pair of dark eyes and tufts of black hair peeked through.

“You’re L? Impossible. I heard he disappeared of the face of the planet.”

Myungsoo shrugged. “Well, I’m here.”

The door opened wider to reveal Jaewan looking worse for the wear. He looked tired with dark bags under his eyes. It was completely dark in his room, the blinds tightly shut, and the computer on his desk ominously glowing.

Jaewan narrowed his eyes at Myungsoo. “Prove it.”

“How do I prove something like that?”

Jaewan pursed his lips and looked at him. “If you’re really L, you should know where they’re residing at the moment. Even if you haven’t been part of them for two years.”

Myungsoo watched the boy carefully and nodded. “They’re at the old abandoned bunker near the river.”

Jaewan frowned. “You’re wrong.”

Myungsoo smirked. “Oh, really? You want to check on that? They moved since you last seen them probably.” 

Jaewan stared at him before retreating back into his room and clicking on his computer. A few minutes passed before he emerged again. “One more question. What do know about me? You should know if you’re really L.”

Myungsoo smiled, happy that he had looked Soojin’s brother before coming here as a precaution. “You’re Cho Jaewan. You live with your mother and sister. You’re seventeen years old. But what you really want to know is if I know what you’re involvement is with the organization.”

Jaewan nodded for him to continue.

“You’re not in the organization. You never were and you don’t want to be. The person you know in the organization is your best friend. You tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen to you. Instead, he rose up in ranks rather quickly and knows both N and K on a personal basis. This friend of yours, he knows his stuff. He’s smart, a great talker, and knows how to get information out of people.” Myungsoo frowned, “When you confronted him, he beat you up in the same way the organization handles it.”

He observed Myungsoo, running his eyes up and down at the person in front of him. He sighed in defeat. “What do you want?”

Myungsoo grinned. “Why don’t you come outside and talk?”

Jaewan glanced at Myungsoo and then at his sister, and then he stepped outside of his dark room.

“Look, I don’t know what you need to know if you already know so much,” Jaewan mumbled.

Myungsoo shrugged. “I don’t either, but Soojin insisted that I come. She’s worried about you.”

Soojin watched both of them where she was sitting at the dining table. Myungsoo sat next to her while her brother sat across from them.

“But,” Myungsoo continued. “I’m curious about your friend.”

“Mmm.” Jaewan nodded. “Taehyung.”

Soojin widened her eyes. “Taehyung? As in that friend of yours who always used to come over? And eat the house clean out of food?”

Jaewan smiled slightly at the memory. “Yeah, but now he goes by V.”

Myungsoo frowned. “He made up that name?”

The boy shook his head, “No, he told me that they gave the name to him.”

“N and K gave them that name?” Myungsoo asked in surprise.

Jaewan nodded.

“Then your friend is considered very important to them,” Myungsoo muttered. “They wouldn’t just give a one-letter nickname to anybody.”

“Maybe it’s because they both have the same name,” Soojin mumbled quietly.

Her brother looked confusedly at her, while Myungsoo shot her a glare to shut up.

Jaewan smiled sadly. “But we’re not here to talk about Taehyung are we? There’s something else.”

Myungsoo and Soojin both looked at each other and then looked at Jaewan.

“Keep this a secret, but I’m planning of bringing the organization down,” Myungsoo revealed.

Jaewan was taken aback by his declaration. “Can you do it? They are a widespread organization.”

Myungso smiled. “It doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

Jaeawn watched him curiously and then nodded. “Then by all means, do it. I can’t bear to see my friend like this. I don’t even know why he became like this in the first place.”

“But the thing is, I don’t have enough information.”

Jaewan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Myungsoo laughed. “Right? The person who should have all the information in his hands doesn’t have enough. I’m actually looking for a previous organization before N made his. I think he based his group off of theirs. That’s all I know.”

Jaewan let the information. “I don’t know if this will help, but back when Taehyung still talked to me, he mentioned something about a previous group as well. N had told him about how they were weak, letting such precious findings go to waste. He told me that they were sort of an avenger group. They were sort of like the organization now, but they didn’t rule with fear. But it was the same concept. They helped people and in return they received information. Some of it even on their enemies. But they never hurt any people, and the people who didn’t like them never bothered with them, afraid that they were spill their secrets.”

“And N expanded on that idea, making sure that nobody would challenge him,” Myungsoo muttered in understanding.

He looked at Jaewan and smiled. “Thanks. That helped a lot.”

The boy smiled back. “No problem. And good luck.”

“Your brother’s nice.”

Soojin shook her head. “I’ve never seen him so docile. I don’t know if it was because he was holed up in his room or because it was because of you.”

“It was because he was impressed by me,” he laughed.

“Sure, keep thinking that.” She paused. “What now? We know that there was a group, but they probably disbanded ages ago.”

Myungsoo frowned. “If they really helped people, then people back then should have known something about it. I’ll look around.”

“What about me?”

He grinned. “Oh, I have something for you. Don’t worry. Think you can meet up with me tomorrow?”

She blinked at him. “I don’t think I like that grin on your face.”

He laughed. “Trust me, you’re going to love it.”

A/N: So Myungsoo’s reply wasn’t exactly what we wanted, what I wanted (Just answer her goddammit!), but he just wants to make sure everything is over before telling her. He’s just worried.

And more importantly, V from BTS also known as Bangtan Boys. Seriously, what are the odds that he has the same name as K? But it seems like one of the Romanization for his name can be Taehyung. So just to clear up, I’ll be writing V=Taehyung and K=Taehyun.

Oh my goodness, this was a bad idea. Probably going to stick with the one-letter names when I refer to them. But I wanted to continue on with the one-letter name theme, so I couldn’t help but to add V. There better not be another rookie idol with a one-letter name. If there is, don’t tell me.

And I’ll be having midterms the next two weeks. So I might be updating rather slowly. But I’ll try and update when I can.

Thanks for reading!