Yoongi has to watch his best friend spiral back into insanity.

His condition worsens with each passing day. Yoongi fears that Jungkook will never be okay again.

Seeing his friends after Ami’s betrayal- seeing them have to cope with Jungkook’s deteriorating mental state- it makes Yoongi wonder if this is some sort of twisted payback for what he did to Lina all those years ago.

He thinks about her every day.

He wonders if she does, too.

If she is alive to do so.

Yoongi feels as if he is not alive.

Lina feels like she is about to die.

One of her best friends is dead. Her other best friends are gone. Her mother looms over her, reminding her of her destiny. The Seven Stars. The Seven Stars is her past, present, and future. Lina belongs to the Seven Stars. Lina is the Seven Stars.

She is absolutely alone. She wants to die.

She wonders how different things would have been if she had not dragged Ami into all of this. If she had not allowed Ami to disguise herself as a member of the 4 Flames. If she had been smarter about all this, thought everything through. This is all her fault- all of this, all the death, all the violence, all the heartbreak and horror, it is all Lina’s fault, all her fault!

And then during those moments, when Lina is one step away from ending everything, when she is on the precipice of utter defeat, she remembers those two words.

Love you.

She thinks about him every day.

She wonders if he does, too.

Lina feels as if she is not alive.

And then Ami Hwang is reported alive and everything changes.

Yoongi should feel angry. He should feel terrified for Jungkook’s sake.

But for the first time in years...

A glimmer of hope sparks up in his chest.

But Yoongi cannot deny that when he sees Ami again for the first time in years, he is absolutely livid.

He lashes out at her as she sits, chained to the walls, in the 4 Flames’ New York headquarters. Despite the fact that she is tired and battered and bruised, there is still that glint of unyielding defiance in her eyes. The stubborn resilience that is at the core of what makes her Ami Hwang. She will never back down. She will hit where it hurts.

Yoongi could not find this more true as Ami calls him out for screwing over Lina. Right in front of Namjoon and Jimin, no less.

“I told you I was sorry, which was a lot more than what you did for my friend. So get off your high horse,” Ami snaps, crossing her arms.

She has no idea. If only she knew-

But Ami is right.

Yoongi is a hypocrite.

He hates to admit it. But it is true.

Yoongi storms away, ignoring his friends’ confused questions.

When Jungkook comes to him, begging for Yoongi to join him and take down the 4 Flames, Yoongi’s answer is a strong hell no.

“Are you ing kidding me, Jungkook?” Yoongi says. “We’ve spent our entire life working for these bastards. If we sell them out- what will it all have been for? What would’ve been the point of all this?”

“We can use our skills for good,” Jungkook pleads. His eyes are wild, desperate. Yoongi is reminded of the night that they discovered Ami was behind the attack on their website and a pang hits his chest. After all these years of seeing Jungkook heartbroken and hopeless and utterly broken- of course Yoongi wants to help him, to do whatever he can to make Jungkook happy again. But this? This is insanity. Yoongi has to put his foot down here.

“How the hell are we going to use skills of murder, assault, and blackmail for good?” Yoongi whispers. “We’re criminals. There are thousands of people out there who want to ing kill us. They would have killed us, if they weren’t terrified of what the 4 Flames would do to them and their organizations. If the 4 Flames was gone, what would be stopping them?”

“I can’t take this anymore, Yoongi!” Jungkook suddenly exclaims, startling his friend. “Do you- did you see what they’re doing to Ami, have you seen what Harris is putting her through? I can’t- how the hell am I supposed to live with myself? They won’t let me near her anymore because they know what I want to do. This is the only way we can help her and put an end to all this once and for all!”

“Jungkook-,”

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a prisoner,” Jungkook hisses.

Yoongi simply looks at his friend for a long, long moment.

And then he shakes his head.

“I need further convincing,” he murmurs.

He strides away before Jungkook can say anything more to him.

Yoongi is in the gym, working out his muscles. His headphones blast Skrillex into his ears as he repeatedly pummels the black punching bag in front of him.

1, 2.

Jungkook’s anguished expression flashes through his mind.

1, 2.

The sound of gunfire and screaming echoes through his mind.

1, 2.

Lina mouths, Love you, too.

And then his cell phone rings.

Yoongi pauses. He brushes the sweat off from his forehead and looks down at his screen.

Unknown.

He narrows his eyes. This is a private line. Yoongi knows everyone who has this number.

Who the hell is this?

“This better be good,” he snarls as he picks up the phone.

“Depends,” a calm voice responds. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison?”

Yoongi freezes.

“Lina?” he whispers.

“Hey.”

He is silent.

Absolutely silent.

Then he says, “That’s it? Hey? That’s all you can say, after all these years?”

“I don’t have time to say more,” Lina snaps. She sounds more mature now. Her voice has deepened slightly. She carefully articulates her words.

    And holy , it all hits Yoongi in full force. Everything- all his feelings for her, all the longing and desperation and sadness- just flows out and it takes all of Yoongi’s willpower not to start telling Lina how much he has missed her and how much he wants to see her and be with her and how hellish these last four years have been without her-

    “What do you want?” he asks in a cold voice.

    “You know what I want,” Lina says quietly. “Join Jungkook and the rest of your squad. Help us take down the 4 Flames, once and for all.”

    “And why should I?” Yoongi growls. “What would I have without the 4 Flames? What would be in it for me?”

    “For starters, you’ll have the power and influence of the Seven Stars and X.E., which comes with a plethora of resources that can help you stay financially stable, get a job- whatever you want. And you won’t be prosecuted-,”

    “I have all that,” Yoongi says, cutting her off. “There’s literally no need for me to have to depend on X.E. and the Seven Stars for those things in the first place.”

    Lina does not say anything for an entire minute. Yoongi’s grip around his phone tightens.

    Then she whispers, “You’ll have me.”

    Yoongi blinks.

    “What?” he murmurs.

    “We’ve always been on opposite sides, Yoongi. If you do this...”

    Lina takes a deep breath.

    “We could have a chance.”

    Yoongi’s back hits the wall. He slumps down, his eyes wide.

    “I don’t deserve you,” he says. “I- I don’t deserve a chance. I’m a monster, Lina. Our relationship has been built on lies.”

    “I’ve seen your fake side, and I’ve seen your real side. And I love both of them. I love you, Yoongi. I-,” Lina swallows. “Please, Yoongi. Please.”

    Yoongi is choking up. Honest-to-god choking up. Tears and all.

    He rubs his eyes. “Of course,” Yoongi whispers. “I love you too, Lina. I’ll do it.”

    “Thank you, Yoongi. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

    “Yeah. I can’t wait.”

    “Impressive,” Baekhyun says as Lina hangs up. “Your skills of persuasion are quite effective.”

    Lina exhales. There is a lump in .

    “Tell me, how much of that was acting?” Baekhyun asks. There is a knowing look on his face.

    “Shut up,” Lina snaps, shooting him a glare. “It doesn’t matter. It worked, didn’t it?”

    “I suppose it did,” Baekhyun hums in a singsongy voice.