Amongst the slurred conversations and inebriated laughter, a figure shifted in the dark corner of the room. His body was lax against the velvet sofa, an air of boredom and nonchalance flitted through the air as his eyes remained fixated on no one but her.

As the only one left sober in the room, Jeon Jungkook only glared at his surroundings in disgust. How his father cultivated this lifestyle, he didn't want to know the intimate details of it; yet it seems if he was to inherit the business, experiencing it first hand wouldn't be so bad. That was what he kept convincing himself to believe but deep down he wasn't proud. He could not help but think that it did not matter whoever it was that step into the club, their motives--however sick, however irrational--were all identical. Inelegant in their strides, they stumble upon the sea of bodies that never thought twice of where their hands should not be.

As his father dirtied his hands and indulge himself deeper in this madness, the more that Jungkook spirals downwards in hopes of salvaging what he can. Yet he was no martyr, not an angel everyone thought he was. What he learned after spending countless nights in this world was that people always had ulterior motives. It does not matter if the person wears their heart in their sleeve, or if that person could rally hundreds of thousands to follow their ideals. Those same people will always have something to gain as much as they have something to lose.

He scanned the room once more, ignoring the girl who has stuck by his side the whole night; offering him drinks that he refused to take and constantly luring him in to give in to his demons. Her hands s their way all over his upper body, whispering in his ear to just let go for the night. He turned to her for the last time, politely turning down her offers for before he stood up. The thread of never ending patience in him finally snapped as he was not delighted of how the events unfolded that night nor was he really surprised that it unfolded the way it did.

His eyes now portrayed that of a wrathful sea who does not succumb to the god that wields it. His gaze was unmoving as he walks towards a more unpleasant scene. At the very least, he did think that he was better than all these drunks as he wasn't just here to indulge himself in senselessness, but to baby sit someone he truly wished wasn't causing a scene at this very moment. Jungkook stops in front of a table where she was dancing on top of without a care in the world. He ignored the dirty looks of the drunkards as he pushed his way through them. He did not care about any of them as he looks up at the sight before him. There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes before he allowed a quiet anger to set in his tone.

"Get down," he said. His voice not harsh but stern.

Kim Yerim stops but only to look down and smile at the boy who called her name, leaning forward to place a warm hand on his cheek as her other hand clutched a glass of vodka. She gestures for him to join her up the table and yet Jungkook only held her wrist firmly.

"Time's up, princess." Jungkook stood his ground, his voice a little louder this time. With the attention she has drawn, there was no denying that they were providing quite the entertainment. Yerim only shook her head, laughing as she leans back, retracting her hand from his hold and spun herself on the pole beside her. The girl was wasted. Drunk as hell and Jungkook was saddened by the scene in front of him. "Yerim, let's go home."

As if the word triggered her, a frown graced her soft features and she shook her head violently. "No, no, no, no. It's hell there," she whispers. Jungkook took her momentary distraction as an opportunity to grasp her hand, yanking her down the table. It might've been too harsh but something had to be done.

"Let go! Let- let go of me! I don't need you!" She yells, her voice slurred from the amount of alcohol she had consumed. Jungkook didn't even want to think about just how much she had to drink and he felt a tinge of guilt in his gut because he didn't stop her. She was all over the place now that tears has started streaming down her cheeks and her legs giving in to her intoxication that Jungkook had no choice but to carry her out.

A few bouncers came in as they've heard the commotion but stopped in their tracks as they saw Jungkook with Yerim flailing in his arms. They stood back, bowing their heads slightly as he passed them. "Make sure to clean up here." His voice was stone cold. "I want everyone out."

"Yes, sir!" The three chorused before stepping into the room and Jungkook only left them to do what their job entailed them to. With this, everyone in that room would've known exactly who he was and would make it so that they kept their mouth shut about this whole thing.

Yerim strength was slowly draining out of her and by the time they got to the underground parking lot, she had calmed down that Jungkook thought that she'd fallen asleep. As he sets her down against his car, he met her empty eyes. "I was having fun. You ruined it."

"You were having fun? In there? Yerim, you know how people can't be trusted in a place like that. Don't be stupid!" The anger in his voice was back and Yerim visibly flinched. He softens but before he could issue an apology, Yerim bursts out.

"It's not like…it's not like we're together!" She lifelessly tried to push him away but Jungkook then held her by her shoulders. He was already used to this speech of hers. It was the same tactics she used to divert her train of thought from the real root of the problem. "You don't own me so just get out of the way!"

"What happened, Yer? It's not like you to suddenly show up here." He lowers himself so that they were face to face and a minute passed as they stared at each other. Unaware of the all seeing eyes that was recording them from a distance.

Yerim's tears came but she was still silent. Jungkook knows. He knows but he wants the truth to come out from her own lips. Yerim snakes her arms around Jungkook and pulled him closer to her. "Dad," Yerim starts in between her quiet sobs. "Dad cheated again. I heard mom and him yelling and I just ran. I didn't know where to go so I used your name to get in."

Jungkook's eyes softens as he finally hears the secret Yerim has been keeping from him for almost a week. A week was a long time for him to not directly know what it was that she was hiding.

"I'm so ing done! Next thing you know, he's bringing another Jennie in the house."

"It's not Jennie's fault, Yerim," He reasoned out with her, his hands reached to wipe her tears.

"It is. Yes, it is and her filthy mother's fault. It's their fault. It's all their fault, Jungkook. You don't understand." As her voice got louder, the more her sobs became violent. She felt as if she was drowning in a sea of tears and blood as every inch of her body hurt. Shaking against his chest, Jungkook continued to hold her and they stayed like that for a while like the comforting best friend that he is and kept his lip tight. Like always.

//

Park Jimin twisted the knob and found himself sensing the familiar cinnamon fragrance, his eyes delicately wandering about the abyss of the room. The darkness embraced his presence, except for some lit candles placed around him. He continued trailing his eyes around the room as he started to take off his denim jacket, spotting a candle afloat in mid-air.

"Over here, Jimin." The feminine voice was seductive, thickly filled with carnal desire. Jimin's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness that enveloped him and closed the door with his behind, a discreet smile forming in his lips.

With one hand cupped around the candle's rim, Kang Seulgi had lit its wick with one mere flick. A mischievous smile coated her lips as she shifted back a section of her hair to faultlessly show off her neck. Her boyfriend, who was standing by the door, had met her gaze as his eyes narrowed through the adjustments. Park Jimin. She placed the candle down by the nightstand. Her head only consisted of him: his succulent lips, his intact hair, his pretty promises, his undivided attention, his sensual touch. She even drunk a few sips of wine to ease her nerves, in an attempt to make the atmosphere more intense. Seulgi had called him a couple hours earlier in the daylight, her voice chuckling lightheartedly with innocence, nowhere near to her now current mood of passionate eagerness that something special was going to happen between them tonight.

11:56 PM; time ticking, candles burning, heat surfacing. He softly dropped hold of his jacket and took a step closer towards her, grabbing her by the wrist. Seulgi was drop-dead stunning in front of Jimin's eyes— hair perfectly tousled to the side, bare faced, wearing only a white see-through shirt in which under it revealed a merlot night dress. Palpable efforts, one of the subtle things he appreciated about her. "Hey," he uttered pleasantly, his voice almost coming out like a whisper. Seulgi eyed his face down and locked her gaze on his lips. Jimin's instinct led him to instantly kiss her, snaking his hand under her shirt. Seulgi smiled within, gliding her tongue across his lower lip as he shortly retracted to take off his shirt. He had to momentarily chase her lips to claim them once again as she walked backwards towards the bed, grunting to pretend as if he was frustrated.

This is happening, Seulgi announced in her thoughts.

She giggled and boldly pulled his torso towards her, her cold fingers making contact with his exposed skin. Jimin placed himself in between Seulgi's thighs before a sharp headache overwhelmed him and caused him to whimper in pain. He held back, clutching on the bed's sheets to maintain his balance.

It was a girl, a glimpse of a girl, laughing, softly hitting him on the chest.

A girl who wasn't Seulgi.

"Jimin!" Seulgi abruptly called out in concern as she sat up, "Hey hey-- what's wrong, hm? Are you okay?"

He grimaced, the anguish diminishing. Seulgi stares at him for a moment, trying to figure out what was happening. Anything could happen, really. Besides, it’s only been a year since the accident. She tried to distract him with a subdued kiss, palming his jawline.

"You need to know this: I love and I will love you forever."

//

It was these sort of nights that he seemed to treasure most. Just being out, a little buzzed from a couple glasses of whisky, and to think for himself. No distractions, no stress, no anything. Kim Taehyung strolled down Gangnam District, hands in his coat's pocket and eyes roamed about the neighborhood. He couldn't help but think back to the obvious shift of dynamics between the people around him. It was as if, everything was new and foreign even if the only change was the absence of a girl who seemed to tie them altogether. It was funny to think about, really. It humored him that things can change a whole lot without the presence of one. He still debated it within himself if the change was truly for the good or it only made things worse. If his decision really had been the right choice.

The Han river was almost the same shade of black-blue as the night sky, the only difference being that of the sparkling waves that flow through the water. It calmed Taehyung down, his nerves settling but his brain continued to run hay wire. He thought back to the party he went to earlier. Kang Seulgi, the reigning queen of Seoul and a party thrown out of boredom yet the house was full within minutes. And Jimin, his best friend. Taehyung still could not believe that he did not remember anything about her.

The vibration in his back pocket made him stop and he takes it out without much care; that is, until he saw who was calling. He didn't hesitate to answer, a smirk forming in his lips as he brings the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Seungwan." He chuckles. Just as he was thinking about her.

"Taehyung. I see you're still alive. Bummer." Seungwan said on the other line, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Sweet as always. To what do I owe this honor to be called on by the one and only?"

 "I see you're still up on your bull."

"If you're wondering, he hasn't asked about you. Hell, he doesn't even remember you." Taehyung continued his stroll whilst glancing about as if he expected for her to pop out at any moment. There was a brief silence before Taehyung heard shuffling in the background, sounding like she was getting up and walking around.

A sigh can be heard before Seungwan spoke again, "How is he?"

Taehyung hesitates for a moment. "He's doing well." He said briefly before looking up at the sky, contemplating whether or not he should elaborate. "He's with Seulgi right now."

"Oh." It was all that was heard from the other line. Knowing Seungwan, he could just imagine the look on her face at the moment. But it was the truth. And he has been known to not sugar coat his words because he saw no point in white lies. Breaking the silence that befell them, Taehyung laughs. A soft melodious one that he thought would lighten the mood.

"You know what I don't get though? It's been a year but Yerim and Seulgi hasn't mentioned anything about you. Even Hoseok hasn't spat crap."

"I asked them to, except Seulgi, of course. Although I'm not surprised she didn't mention me, " Seungwan replied. Taehyung noticed her voice falter but did not dare mention it. He knows which buttons not to push in this case. What Taehyung did do is furrow his brows to mimic his confusion.

"You asked them to stay quiet? What the hell? When I told you to leave, I did not mean it as to erase yourself completely."

"I don't want him to remember all the bad things that happened while I was there."

"He isn't a kid anymore, Seungwan. You can't hide everything from him forever." Taehyung wanted to understand. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend live a life in lies for over a year now. He's been dropping hints of Seungwan here and there whenever they get together but to no avail. "What really happened? You come to me crying, in hysterics, asking me what to do. You never told me why you left."

"I'm not ready," Seungwan replied, almost a whisper. Taehyung stops in his tracks once more, looking down at his oxfords. Secrets can never really be hidden from undiscerning eyes. He can only guess but hearing the truth from those directly involved was his only choice. He was silent and so was she. It was as if the both of them were immersed in their thoughts that they couldn't form words coherent enough to express them.

Seungwan breaks the silence.

"I'm coming back soon."

//

Deliveries and more deliveries floated through Bae Joohyun's head as she scrolls down the list of clients that she has to meet tomorrow. She has at least 14 to deliver tomorrow and 13 more the day after. She could only close her eyes and curse under her breath, internally blaming the world for the reason why her family was struggling. There was a notification that popped up at the bottom of her screen and she began typing once more.

She was in the shower by the time she heard shuffling from the outside. Her mom must be home and she could finally eat. After 20 long minutes just letting the water soak her skin, Joohyun finally picks up the soap bar and finishes showering in the last 10 minutes. Wrapping a towel around herself, Joohyun walks out the bathroom and through a narrow hallway leading to the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled at the scent wafting through the air and she smiles. "Mom, you here?" She called out, hoping that the cooking part was done and she can just gobble it all up.

"Yes, honey. I'm almost finished with your late night snack." A masculine voice replied back to her surprise and her pace quickens, forgetting that she only has a towel wrapped around her. Her eyes widened at the sight of the person in front of her and yelled.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Geez, imagine being nice, cooking you a snack and all and this is how I'm thanked?" Kim Seokjin was unfazed by the clearly undressed Joohyun and didn't show much interest as he looked at her in disbelief.

"How did you even get in? The door was locked."

"And that, is the only reason why I carry a paper clip at all times," Seokjin said rather proudly.

"And that, is the only reason why you can't get yourself a girlfriend, you psycho."

Seokjin's jaw dropped and he brings a hand to his chest, clearly showing his disapproval to her statement. Joohyun raised a brow, actually looking at him now as she realized he was wearing a tank top that boasted his broad shoulders. Those shoulders that any damn girl would fall for, but then again Joohyun had always seen her best friend for what he truly is. A drama queen.

"Do. Not. Go there."

Joohyun rolled her eyes as he enunciated each word.

Ping.

The two looked at each other for a second before Seokjiin picks up his phone and Joohyun walked around the counter to look over his arm. "Bend down a little, I can't see."

"If you stretched more maybe you'll grow, Joohyun."

She gave him an incredulous look before pinching his side, finally getting him to lower his phone instead.

"Is it her?"

Seokjin turned serious for once. "Yeah. It seems like this princess got a little wild."

The night is young indeed, little birds. Especially for our little princess and her knight in shining armor. Rumor says that she’s gone completely wild tonight. Is it because of her daddy issues? How pitiful. Snap me some good photos of tonight, Gossips.

XOXO, you know who.

"That's Kim Yerim, right?" Joohyun pointed out from the picture along with its caption.

"Yeah, Kim Taehyung's little sister. Looks like they have all the time in the world if this is all they're doing. Must be nice to have the time and money."

"Yeah," Joohyun agreed. "It must be nice."

//

Ping.

Good Morning, Gossips. I hope you all had a good sleep. I definitely didn’t. What I did get though is some juicy news. This just in, it seems like our IT girl has finally returned. It’s so nice for Seulgi to keep her seat warm for a year, then again, what are friends for? Surely there's no bad blood between the two. Am I right?    

--author's notes--

thank you so much for reading! i'm really excited to bring this story back. cue ressurection from the graveyard that are my ideas.
chapter 1 may be familiar to the old readers but i hope that it still provides a refereshing beginning to this story. 

what do you think of the character dynamics so far? 

more to come and more characters to introduce! onwards to chapter 2 ! 

-alex