SHINee, "상사병 (SYMPTOMS)", Everbody, (2013)

Bobby leaned against the hood of the car, hand shaking around his gun ever so slightly out of sheer nerves. The parking lot was empty, near-derelict in the bleak Seoul evening. The city came alive around them as the two teams, Red Velvet and iKON, remained transfixed in the secrecy of their world – and the ensuing negotiations.

“They should be here any moment,” Irene shifted uneasily as she concealed her gun in her jacket, “Everyone stay calm, but not too calm. We don’t want to seem arrogant.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Seulgi scoffed, “What if they outnumber us?”

“That’s where we come into the picture,” Namjoon’s voice rung through their ear-pieces. Bobby only recently became acquainted with the Bangtan Boys, but he knew their allegiance would be put to good use as soon as he saw the sort of heavy-duty weapons they liked to use, “We’ve got you covered all angles – if anything goes messy, they’ll be shot down without a hesitation.”

Donghyuk shifted uncomfortably besides Bobby. Bobby gave his Dongsaeng a reassuring pat on the back, but the look he sent back radiated pure fear.

Why is he being like this? He’s been to plenty of deals like this before!

“And you two,” Hanbin pointed at Seulgi and Junhoe, “Keep your mouths shut this time – I don’t want anyone getting pissed off with either of your comments.”

Seulgi and Junhoe (who’d quickly formed a troublesome, witty pair since meeting) pouted at their orders, before retreating and covering the rear.

Bobby looked over the team, a sense of excitement building in him over seeing them all together for the first time. He couldn’t deny the thrill in making another advancement in the investigation; they were young, deadly and fierce, and all of them had something or someone to fight for. But as always, the prospect of failure and death loomed over all of them – Bobby just had to trust that another tragedy wouldn’t happen. He just hoped he’d be able to shake the dread in his gut off soon.

“I’ll probably let you boys do most of the talking with Wendy,” Irene sighed as she turned to face the team, “In the thick of it, I can handle giving the orders. But, up there, without Nari…well, let’s say that I’m not a very charismatic leader without a fear factor.”

Bobby felt unease without Nari there. He may have hated it, but he couldn’t deny the fact that her status, experience and presence was comforting. If her stare and threatening nature was enough to have scared them at first, it must’ve scared their enemies ten times more.

But thinking about her also made Bobby’s face burn red; he knew very well what he’d said to her the other night, drunk, but he’d hoped and prayed that she’d turned a blind eye and forgot about it. Usually, he was good with women; goofy, yet cool and collected - but something about Nari made him feel like a kid again.

“Hyung? Why do you look so red?” Yunhyeong asked innocently enough, confused concern on his face.

Bobby shook his head, shaking off his juvenile anxieties, before unloading, then re-loading his gun magazine.

You’ll turn into Nari if you keep doing that. Stop thinking about her.

“Nerves, that’s all,”

“That’s a first,” Yunhyeong pulled a face, “Usually it’s me having this problem,” Bobby playfully shoved his brother, before he left to talk to Chanwoo in the car.

“You ready for this?” Hanbin asked Bobby with a glint of excitement in his eyes. Bobby and Hanbin always took the lead in their tasks, it was just how things had always worked. Their minds were always on the same wavelength, their actions and responses so in sync that it was impossible for them not to work with one another in sound harmony.

“Obviously,” Bobby wore a smirk that hid his true unease, “About time we get rid of those pine-tree girls once and for all.”

“Tell me about it.”

“They’re here!” Jinhwan called out as he retired his watch over the side of the car park. Bobby and Hanbin nodded to one another before everyone took their positions, everyone filtering out of the cars and marking their places strategic places, wearing their most intimidating poses possible.

“Ready when you are,” J-Hope responded down the line, the rest of their team echoing his standby down the line. A bead of sweat dripped down Bobby’s forehead as they waited, only the sounds of the city around them and someone’s heavy breathing filling the space. Bobby then realised the heavy breathing was his own.

Their cohort of three cars emerged from the shadows. Their lights were dimmed, engines on a low rumble as they slowed down some distance ahead of them. Bobby and Hanbin led the group forth, guns concealed, their walk slow as the members of the TS Syndicate emerged from their cars.

All too soon were Bobby, Wendy and Hanbin face to face with the three leaders: the stern-faced chairwoman of TS, BAP’s leader, Yong Guk with a gun in his ahnd, and Sonamoo’s leader, Sumin. Bobby felt his fists clench by his sides as Sumin sent him a smirk; the pretty, skinny girl had last seen him on their rampage in Bangkok. They were the very girls that cost them their task and set them back another year on Probation.

It was Yong Guk’s gaze, however, that interested Bobby the most. He scanned the group behind him, eyes anxious and angry, but disappointed when they finally rested on Bobby. Yong Guk’s hand tightened around his standard, black-plated firing arm, tension registering in his body as Bobby sent him a knowing look.

He’s looking for Nari.

Hanbin was first to speak, “We’re all here for the same reason, so let’s cut formalities and get straight to the point-”

But the chairwoman had other ideas, “None of our desires match your own, so let’s take things slowly and avoid a gunfight.”

The arrogance behind the Chairwoman’s voice and smirk that she wore infuriated Bobby. He probably should’ve kept his mouth shut, but his instincts betrayed him as per, “If that’s the case, the six of us can put down the guns we all know we’re hiding. Y’know, to avoid a gunfight.”

Bobby quickly removed his gun from under his jacket, safety off, chucking it on the floor in front of the opposition. The clatter of the metal of the floor echoed across the empty car park. Apart from everyone’s tense breathing, one could’ve heard a pin drop. He exchanged a meaningful glare with Yong Guk, a new-burning sense of hatred building towards the guy as he stared Bobby down.

Sumin pulled a shining, silver pistol from her thigh strap, the gun sliding across the floor before Wendy followed suit, sending a threatening glare to the girl who delivered nothing but dirty looks.

“Very well,” the Chairwoman sighed, prim and proper in a suit, looking delightfully strange as she pulled a gun from inside her blazer. Hanbin quickly threw his gun onto the floor.

“Now our formalities are over,” Hanbin continued, “We’ll give it to you straight; if things don’t go well here tonight, our benefactors will know, and you won’t be able to step a foot outside of the city. And you won’t just be running from YG, but SM too-“

“Where’s Song Nari?” Yong Guk asked, aggression pulsating in his eyes and voice. He hadn’t managed to let go of his gun yet.

Something inside Bobby snapped, “Doing what Song Nari does best, hunting her enemies from places we don’t know.”

“How poetic, you must be close,” Sumin raised an eyebrow at him.

“Something like that,” Bobby shrugged, barely managing keeping his cool with his fluster, “I’ve been on the wrong end of her gun enough times to know the danger of getting on her bad side.”

“What could it possibly matter to you anyway?” Wendy demanded, also getting defensive over her friend and Mentor.

The Chairwoman sent a disciplined look to the two leaders, and Yong Guk threw his gun down before the Chairwoman returned to business, “We believe she took the lives of one of our own. We only see it fair that in return, the lives of one of your own is-“

“No!” Bobby spat, fists balling by his sides, pulse racing ahead of rationality, “In this world, there is no such thing as fairness, just winners, and losers!”

“And what we’re offering you, is a chance to be on the winning side for once,” Hanbin continued, his collectedness starkly contrasting Bobby’s impulsiveness as per. Bobby’s nerve was giving him an edge – an edge that wouldn’t benefit him this time. He forced himself to calm down once more.

“What?!”

“We can’t-“

“Go on,” The Chairwoman cut off her subsidiaries, her interest in their offer evident by the looks of defeat on their faces. Bobby smirked.

This is progress.

“There are two options,” Hanbin continued, “You will get one day to gather all your operatives and move away from Seoul. Whereabouts to, is not our business, but you will be given a -what shall we call it? Donation to help you set up in your new location,”

“Or,” Wendy interjected, her charm coming through in her speech as per usual, “We will give you the chance to join either of our Syndicates – whichever you choose is not our concern. You will be self-administrative, but principle demands and funds will go through to whomever you choose.”

“So what little power we’ve gained will go straight to your Daebu?” Sumin scoffed, evidently displeased with the predicament she and her sisters were now in. Her eyes showed pure mistrust.

Funny how this is turning out.

“But your capabilities will become endless,” Wendy reasoned, persuasion laced in her words. Bobby was pleasantly surprised at how convincing Wendy was in her role as the Main. Heck, if Bobby was in the enemies’ shoes, he’d probably be easily persuaded by her’s and Hanbin’s words.

The Chairwoman seemed to ponder their offer for a moment; Bobby could see the strain of uncertainty on her face, years’ worth of worry lines emphasised by the taxing decision they were given tonight. Bobby didn’t blame her for looking so perplexed, but he wished she’d hurry the hell up. His nerves were playing tricks on him again.

“Very well. I guess I’ll accept the latter option – the merger. It’s not as if there was any other choice.”

“But- there’s always-“ Yong Guk started, pure disbelief written across his face as the Chairwoman held her hand up to cut him short. He stormed back to his team by the cars.

“What about Daehyun-Oppa!” Sumin complained, before beginning to hurl a rapid list of insults towards Bobby and his friends – until the Chairwoman slapped the girl across the cheek. Bobby felt a pang of guilt towards the leader as she shrunk back in shame.

No one deserves humiliation like that.

“Now my Apprentices are in place,” the Chairwoman continued, her tone and face steel-like and harsh, “I assume you have the necessary documents in place?”

Hanbin whistled loud enough for the boys to hear; Donghyuk came forth with the documents in hand, a natural burden for the most intelligent member of their team. Bobby just couldn’t understand why his brother sweated so much, or why he appeared to be in such agony.

“Are you okay?” Bobby mouthed to Donghyuk as they made eye contact, but the boy merely sighed and handed the papers over. Bobby motioned for him to join him by his side.

“Nahyun!” The Chairwoman called out to a girl from the cars. Coming forwards was a pretty girl, athletic, strong (despite her height) and fierce-eyed, her walk full of character as she carried her Family’s own papers to the centre. She looked so different to how Bobby remembered her, tougher, colder – aloof.

Bobby shuddered; the girl reminded him so much of Song Nari.

Get her out of your head. She’d kill you if she caught you thinking of her!

But what really unnerved him, was the sound of her voice when she spoke, again, so similar to Nari’s – more so, the way Donghyuk inhaled deeply, shoulders tensing and foot tapping repeatedly. Bobby looked over at him strangely when the girl exchanged a meaningful stare with him.

Do they know each other? They better not compromise this deal.

As Hanbin, Wendy and the Chairwoman proceeded to discuss the documents, Bobby took the opportunity to check out the other team (not in that way). He could recognise Zelo from miles away, the Maknae almost a monster at his height compared to the other members: the strength of their Muscle, Youngjae, and the charismatic stance of Wonbin were palpable: he caught sight of Newsun from her cat-like resting place atop the car bonnet, her team members scattered around in positions that gave away their troublesome nature; and there were the other leaders, clad in suits clashing with the guns by their sides.

Bobby couldn’t help but picture the days that YG must’ve appeared like this; small, yet intimidating with the likes of Big Bang and 2NE1 to boast of and Epik High to rely on.

Not to mention Daebu’s own experience. I mean, he was the great Seo Taji’s apprentice, after all.

But Bobby was torn out of his thoughts by the heated conversation between Donghyuk and Nahyun.

“You just couldn’t stay away, could you?” Nahyun spat at Donghyuk, pure fire in her dark eyes as they squared up to one another.

“How could you expect me not to? I meant what I said to you.”

“And I meant what I said. I’m not stopping until I get to those responsible for my family’s death.”

“And I won’t stop until I get to the one