Chapter 1 – Prologue – My Family
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Why I became who I am.

[ BG MUSIC ]

     On a sunny day, the breeze blew over the tops of the long grass, purposely left uncut. Light clouds joined in, surfacing the blue sky to create the most angelic atmosphere that ever existed on earth. Nearby, two boys appeared and ran across the bright green field, with equally bright smiles on their happy faces. One aged six, the other no less than two years older. They adventured on a child-like journey, smiling at each other candidly and with complete sincerity. Through their innocent eyes, their larger-beyond-ordinary backyard field was merely a playground where they could express their naïve feelings towards the smaller-beyond-imagination world that surrounded them. They chased each other, around and around, again and again. There was no end to the fun they had together. Whether it was play-fighting or simply lying down on the grass and yelling out their feelings to the forever-unreachable clouds high above, they had done it all.

“Taehyung-ah, let’s head back now.” The elder said as he finally got off the comfortable bedding of the grass.

The younger groaned playfully, tired from all the running.

“Here, I’ll piggy-back you.”

Taehyung’s lips curved into a delighted smile. He opened his eyes and took the hand of his older brother’s, climbing onto his warm back and sinking into the consoling feelings of knowing he was, and would always be, in safe hands. Taebeom carried his cute younger brother on his back with ease. Secretly, he enjoyed carrying Taehyung on his back as much as Taehyung enjoyed being carried. The brothers seemed to soothe each other; they put each other at ease.

[ BG MUSIC ]

The only sad thing was, they had no idea their guiltless times would be so limited, for they were born into no ordinary family.  Less than three months later, they experienced something that fated them for the worst – they experienced separation. And the only thing they could blame it on, was the inability to not grow up. At eight, Taebeom was sent under their uncle’s strict teaching, where he learnt essential lessons of the ‘proper’ mind set a to-be murderer needed to have, and began preparations to martial arts training. Being the sixth generation, the family had been influenced to train early to avoid hassles later on. Hassles meaning rebellions and killings within the members of the family.

Still confused between the difference of a knife and a sword, Taehyung had no idea what a contract killer was, neither did he have any interest in it. For all he knew, it was a luxury restaurant only open to people over the age of eight. He didn’t really care; he just didn’t like the attitude changes his brother gave off during the ever-so-short times they were able to meet after Taebeom’s absences. Day by day, Taehyung would roll around on the carpet alone and go on solo journeys to find hidden treasures within the ever-so-big mansion as he waited for his beloved brother to return. But when he finally did, he was always too tired to spend time playing ‘immature’ games with Taehyung, leaving the younger to brush it off with a simple laugh time after time.

Then came the day, when Taebeom’s unconscious change in character led to his fatal downfall. He never meant to ruin his life. To be utterly honest from his own point of view, he was being a good child and following the instructions of his uncle; he was doing a good job. His apparent changes in character were no more than his mere adaptions to build a good foundation for his future occupation. He was given the nickname ‘G’. A strange name, but in front of the extended family, the boys’ father announced it with much pride that it started to sound, almost…glorious.

“Let’s sneak out.”

“What?” Taehyung flinched away immediately at his hyung’s words.

“Come on. We’re going to have to be able to sneak around in the darkness without being spotted right? Just take it as a test run. If we can get back home without the adults finding out, then we’ll prove to ourselves that we have what it takes to be good contract killers.” The elder explained; his tone mischievous.

“Hyung, we don’t even know what contract killers are…” the shorter argued, rolling his eyes dramatically. He still took it all as a game, and unfortunately, it was a game he was easily tricked into playing.

“So? Or are you too scared?”  

[ You can cut the music now. ]

“1, 2, 3.”

They climbed over the fence during the pitch black of night, Taebeom making it over faster than Taehyung. He took the initiative and ran around the block. Taehyung struggled to keep up; he easily realised the increase in speed his brother could reach with his growing legs. Less than third seconds later though, those fast legs came to a halting stop, the owner turning around slowly, terrified to make any further sound. Taehyung stopped too and saw the bare outline of his older brother before him, mouthing back words that sent shivers down his back.

“It’s uncle.”

Standing on the corner of an empty street, blocked by a high wooden fence, the two boys recognised the unmistakable footstep sounds nearby. If they were to be caught, they’d be punished. And punishment was something in the Kim family that was known to be merciless and excruciating. Taebeom continued to silently step back, trying to get as close to Taehyung as he could. It was the snap of a twig he accidently stepped on that sent their blood pumping through them with the urgent need to disappear as their only priority. Taebeom dashed back for his sibling and lifted Taehyung by the waist, allowing the younger to jump over the fence and land in their neighbour’s backyard.

Taehyung fell on his side. He lifted his head back up, the intense moonlight shining over him and the two people who stood on the other side of the fence. He lied in stillness until he began breathing with horror, hearing the muffling of his brother and sounds of struggle less a metre before him. Taehyung jumped to his feet and ran in the direction of his mansion, hurdling over the lower fences. He felt the adrenaline rush through him, pushing him on, but he was also mentally fighting as he ran for help – should he have left his brother alone, and what on earth was his uncle doing to him? The six year old panted heavily as he saw the back of the mansion in sight, and felt himself trembling as he pulled his body in through the window. “Mother! Mother!”

Taebeom was locked away in the coldest room of the mansion for two days. And a week later, he was announced dead. Taehyung had no idea what the word ‘dead’ meant, it just took a while before he realised his brother was never coming back to play with him, or to offer him a comforting piggy-back. Taehyung sat in the centre of the large square carpet that lied in the only room specifically left for him and his brother. Their mother had requested the two of them have a room to play in, which Taehyung was really happy about. And now it was just him. It became his room where he reminisced about his late brother, and came to when he had no one to talk to, usually when his mother was away.

But as time passed, Taehyung’s childhood memories did not remain with him. Surrounded by intimidating, dangerous and hateful people, he became the only child of the Kim family and the centre of attention of all the adults within the ‘business’. When he reached eight, he received the nickname ‘V’, but never knew what it stood for. Despite the slight joy he felt from some faded memory when his father told him his new alternate name – which was not to be used outside the house – he felt himself unworthy of the title. He was not as good a fighter as the other men, and though he was athletic, he never had the motivations to push himself to his limits. But as he grew his mind expanded, and his thoughts naturally flowed. Taehyung liked the way his thoughts would take over themselves at times; it was a relief to know that there was at least one thing about himself he could control, since physically, he knew very clearly he was nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard to all his seniors, all excluding his beautiful mother.

“Son, if you really want to know how to treat the world when you’re older, then take my advice.” His father said in his incredibly deep voice, leaning down to be at eye level with his son. “Never trust anyone, and never give anyone your trust. This way, even if you hurt others in the future, they won’t be able to hurt you.”

The young boy turned his head up towards the strong, built man, almost questioning the sternly tone he used, “But then…how will I make friends?”

A low, mocking chuckle left his father’s mouth. “Son, you don’t need friends. When you’re sixteen, you will have the daggers of clarity and articulacy, and begin your final elite training.”

“Must I have those two? What about the dagger of audacity? It sounds way better than art-arti-lacy.” He asked, completely innocent. It was just as if someone asked him to pick between chocolate and vanilla, and he questioned why he couldn’t have strawberry.

The boy’s father gave him a firm look, slicing off Taehyung’s boldness. How dare the eight year old think himself worthy of using his own father’s ‘well-deserved’ weapon, “Go out to the yard and continue your martial arts training.”

“Yes father.” The child left submissively, oblivious to the significance and personal meaning of the twin daggers he was to possess in another eight years time.

     The years passed and Taehyung had long forgotten of the existence of a handsome, playful boy named Taebeom. He didn’t go to primary school like the children of other families. He was home schooled, and rarely let outside the mansion. His first day of high school was the first time he stepped out the mansion in years – a taller, handsome, almost-teenager boy, whose blood and name fated him to be a contract killer in another few years time. He studied well and talked when necessary, but never made any close friends until he reached seventeen. He became friends with an average-looking boy of around his age named Seokjin, who introduced him to his five other friends: Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin and Jeongkook. Taehyung’s not really sure why he involved himself with these particularly talented people; it’s all a complicated mess that ended up in bonded – and soon-to-be unbreakable – friendship. He’s glad things played out the way they did though, for he found himself within a group of loyalty and kindness. And in time, he opened up. In time, a wacky personality opened up – the him he could never be, the him he could only be inside his mind. Within the house, he was the submissive, unworthy human he was always acknowledged to be, and outside the house, he was a youthful, high-spirited boy. He was free.

However, one difference between the Kim Taehyung of then and of now is that he finally knows the meaning of a ‘contract killer’.

     And this is where his story begins – a beautiful, blossoming student at B.H. High whose upcoming birthday will grant him the anticipated opportunity by his family laws to go take a life. 

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Author's Note // Yay! I've been working on this for a while so I'm glad to finally post it!
Please leave a comment about what you thought, and apologies if the story will go too slow for you, I'll try to make it more interesting! :)