[ BG MUSIC ]

Alright, he tossed his blankets off himself and got to his feet. After washing up and getting dressed, he left a note on the table for Jimin and left to spend his Sunday with his family.

“I’ll be out for the day. Don’t wait for me.” 

 [ BG MUSIC ]

     “Mother, I’m back.” He sunk into his mother’s gentle embrace, shutting his eyes as he took in her rose scent – that deep, seductive scent that never made Taehyung want to leave her side. “Welcome home, son.”

“Let’s head in shall we?” Taehyung opened his eyes, father.

“Yes.” He bowed his head, not meeting eyes with the man whose shoulders were double the width of his own.

“Come on son, cheer up. It’s your big day, after all!” His father swung a rough arm around his shoulder, leading him silently into the big hall that was bursting with noise.

The adults welcomed Taehyung back to his mansion with pride and joy, happy for the boy who was now eighteen. Now he was an adult. Now he was ready.

After almost three straight hours of men and women of mature ages drinking wine and telling the same stories of their ‘good old days’ over and over, Taehyung’s father made his way to the podium and asked for everyone’s attention. Taehyung gulped as he prepared himself – the day he had dreaded all his life had come. He never wanted to freeze time so badly, because he was afraid. He was afraid that when he got his first mission, he’d have to complete it perfectly with no slip ups. It was a terrifying thought that had no hesitation in sending shivers down his arms.

“First of all, we would like to thank everyone for coming. It’s a rare occasion and one that should be treasured. My son, Kim Taehyung, has finally turned eighteen.”

The whole hall clapped, signalling Taehyung to make his fine self more present. The youngest in the room made his way onto the stage, standing submissively by his father’s figure with his hands over one another. Following his presence, his uncle walked over and handed his father a leather casing – a leather casing for some very sharp objects. His father untied the tough yet thin ropes that kept the material rolled up together, the blades finally making their long-awaited appearance again.

Sounds of awe could be heard from the crowd. The daggers of clarity and articulacy were definitely beautiful and their blades reflected the sunlight to illuminat every angle in the room. The shine they gave off was inexpressible, even Taehyung’s eyes enlarged slightly. It was a wonder, that a pair of creations so delicate could be so deadly. They were a piece of beauty now, but the design made no difference. Ultimately, no matter how pretty a weapon, it will be used to take a life, and the stains it leaves behind will never truly be able to be wiped away – Taehyung knew that very well.

His father wrapped up the daggers in their thick casing carefully after his proud displaying, and placed it down into Taehyung’s palms, officially granting him the ability to use them properly and call them his own.

“Congratulations son, you’re officially a contract killer. Don’t let us down.”

Taehyung gulped at his father’s smile, glancing away and continuing to avert his eyes as the whole crowd cheered for him – the corrupted eighteen year old whose blood destined him to be a vicious killer. The thought just made Taehyung sick to his guts. He rolled his eyes secretly with a sigh, .

[ BG MUSIC ]

     Taehyung inserted the key to his room and went inside, listening to the locking of the door as he shut it behind him slowly. Without bothering to turn the lights on he leaned back against the door and sighed deeply, shutting his eyes to recharge himself.

“Happy birthday, Taehyungie!” Multiple voices suddenly cheered simultaneously. Taehyung quickly switched the lights on and saw the bright grins of his six friends, all in party hats and happy clothing. As he tossed his bag away to the side of his bed, they pulled him in to gather around a table with a prepared cake and party food on it.

“You really kept us waiting, man.” Jin joked, slapping Taehyung’s shoulder. The orange-haired just stared at the scene blankly, unsure of how he should react. The cake, the presents, the people…it was all so unexpected.

“Haha, why are you acting so surprised? Come on, it’s your birthday!” J-Hope laughed.

“B-because this is the very first birthday party I’ve ever had.” He confessed. It was sort of a lie, but sort of the truth at the same time since he didn’t really want to count his father’s family gathering as a party. His friends’ faces changed, genuinely surprised.

“O-oh…well then, we’re honoured to be the first people to hold a party for you!” Rap Monster cheered after a moment of thought. Taehyung smiled widely, nodding. He was finally in sync with the lively atmosphere the members had earlier created.

“Make a wish, Tae.” Jimin said, glancing at the cake with lit candles on it. Looking at the tiny flames as if they were fireworks, Taehyung clasped his palms together and shut his eyes. This was definitely the best- the most memorable birthday I’ve ever had. He smiled for a moment, before deciding to put his troubles aside. Worries about killings and betrayal would come later. For now, he just wanted to treasure his time with these six boys who had brought new light into his life.

 “So, present time!”

One by one, the members gave their gifts to Taehyung until it was only Jimin left, and it was apparent that he had come empty handed.

“Jimin-ah, did you forget it or…”

The raven-haired shook his head with a puffed up smile, “My present has to be given in secret when no one else is around, so I’ll wait ‘till all of you leave.” He simply said, earning reactions from the others. Taehyung glanced at Jimin with interest and spent the rest of the night anticipating what Jimin had prepared for him.

[ BG MUSIC ]

     “Night guys. Thanks so much for the party, it meant a lot.” Taehyung said by the door as he walked the boys out. They gave him cheerful smiles, not missing out on the realisation that Taehyung rarely said such meaningful words. And so to add another unusual occurrence on this special occasion, they all gave him a manly hug each before leaving as a group to their respective rooms. J-Hope and Jeongkook shared a room and the other three shared a bigger one together.

Taehyung shut the door and ruffled his hair lightly as he smiled, feeling playful. He made his way back into the room and paused when he saw Jimin standing in the middle with a happy face.

“What is it?”

“Are you ready for your present now?” The boy asked cheerfully, bobbing lightly on the spot. Taehyung continued to smile as he nodded, walking towards Jimin. Standing less than a metre apart, Taehyung towered over the elder, but it was obvious that Jimin wasn’t bothered by the height difference.

“Jin bought you a stack of manga books, Rap Monster bought you a bottle of cream after breaking your previous one, Suga bought you an mp3, J-Hope gave you a box of DVDs and Jeongkook got you a cool snapback, so I’m giving you something totally different and unique. It’s quick, easy and free of charge!” Jimin said, promoting his gift.

“You mean you didn’t spend anything at all?” Taehyung interpreted with sarcasm.

Jimin paused, chuckling. “That doesn’t mean it’s any less meaningful than the rest of your presents though! It’s probably the one you’re going to love the most, I hope.”

Taehyung shrugged playfully.

“Alright, now shut your eyes. Oh, and just so you know, I’m going to sleep as soon as I give it to you, so don’t wake me up at midnight to chase me up about it.”

Taehyung nodded, shutting his eyes as Jimin asked.

One, two, three seconds later, Taehyung felt something soft push lightly against his lips, and his cheeks immediately began burning when he realised they could be nothing else besides Jimin’s lips. Before he even had a chance to open his eyes, Jimin had already pulled away and dashed for his bed, jumping inside and covering his whole body with his blankets. Taehyung blinked, looking down and running his thumb across his own lips as he continued to blush.

He went to bed contentedly that night, red cheeks all the way from falling asleep to waking up; Jimin had kissed him. The boy he felt unsure about, the boy he had unexplainable flutters for and the boy who tossed him all over the place inside with a simple smile or frown, had kissed him. He was pretty certain that he was over the moon in his dreams that night, reliving the scene and feelings of the two seconds that completely stole his heart.

It’s only a pity Taehyung had no idea how much that will change very soon. 

_______________________________________________
Author's Note // Chapter 3 up~! Prior to posting the foreword of this story, I had already written chapter 3. So the fourth and so on may take a while, but hopefully I will have lots of time to get more chapters up soon. Please leave a comment about what you thought. :)

I have more ideas flowing in so please stay tuned for the action coming up :)