No trigger warnings for this chapter

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It was a sunny afternoon.

Walking out of the Seoul Detention Center didn't feel particularly liberating, since Yongguk knew he was walking out of one trap into the other.

But at least it was a trap within which he had his own freedom and a chance of regaining control.

Yongguk squinted in the sun, looking around. He didn't exactly expect a welcoming party, but his friends were supposed to be there.

Unfortunately so, across the street he spotted a Rolls Royce Phantom VIII, which meant trouble.

It was not a suiting car for someone who was trying to keep a low profile. It was over-the-top, ridiculously expensive and way too loud – much like its owner.

Jaehwan got out of the car and crossed the street. He threw a glance at the building behind Yongguk, then flashed the older a bright smile.

“Long time no see,” Jaehwan said, opening his arms.

“What the are you doing here?” Yongguk asked, keeping his arms crossed.

Jaehwan grimaced and put his hands in the pockets of his neatly ironed jacket. “Right, I suppose you didn’t expect to see me. I’m afraid your friends got the times mixed up—“

Lies. The only reason Yongguk’s friends weren’t here on time was because Jaehwan’s group had messed something up, Yongguk was sure of it.

After all, the Nowon-gu Faction was always meddling with others’ business.

“—but they’ll be here soon enough. In the meantime, I’m here on N’s behalf—“

“Of course you are,” Yongguk mumbled.

“—to congratulate you. N sends his regards and…” Jaehwan pretended to think hard about it. “What was the other thing…? Oh right!” He took off his sunglasses and gave Yongguk a falsely sympathetic look. “Bailing you out was a friendly gesture, of course—“

Yongguk raised his eyebrow, “Of course,” he said sarcastically.

“—but it would be wonderful if we could rely on the Dobong-gu Faction to return the favour some day, should we need it.”

Yongguk made no effort to appear friendly. He had been expecting this and was not happy about it.

It was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to accept Nowon-gu Faction’s help in the first place. Those bastards always expected something in return, be it money or a “favour”. Yongguk didn’t know which one was worse.

However he was in no position to complain. Had it not been for them, Yongguk and his group would still be rotting away in a cell.

“Of course you can count on us,” he said flatly. “Anything for our old friends.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jaehwan said cheerfully as if he couldn’t hear the clear cynicism in Yongguk’s voice. “Listen, I gotta run, but I’ll see you around,” Jaehwan said and patted Yongguk’s shoulder.

He did not react. “Hopefully not,” he retorted.

Jaehwan smiled and put his sunglasses back on.

Watching him cross the street back to his car, Yongguk tried to restrain himself from saying something he might regret. But he couldn’t help it, he was way too pissed off by the entire situation.

“Jaehwan!”

The younger turned around, halfway in the car already.

“Tell N to go himself,” Yongguk shouted.

Jaehwan grinned. “That’s someone else’s job though!” He got in and drove off, leaving a small cloud of dust behind himself.

Yongguk cracked his knuckles, watching behind the Rolls Royce Phantom VIII.

Soon enough a different car appeared in his line of vision, one he was much happier to see. When it stopped, four people emerged from it. Two immediately ran his way and for a second Yongguk was scared that he’d be knocked over.

Not without an impact, Yongguk found himself in the dual embrace of Junhong and Daehyun, but thankfully still on his feet.

Likely feeling second-hand embarrassment for the two, Himchan and Jongup took their time making their way over.

“I swear if you don’t stop acting like children I’ll pretend I don’t know you in public,” Jongup said, shooting judgmental looks at Daehyun and Junhong.

Daehyun didn’t respond verbally and instead stuck out his tongue.

Jongup rolled his eyes. “You are only proving my point! A god damn child…”

“So you’re not happy to see me?” Yongguk asked, carefully wriggling out of the grasp of the two more energetic members.

Jongup’s gaze immediately softened. “Of course I am.”

Himchan coughed to get the others’ attention. “This is very touching, but I think there are better places to catch up.”

Finally reunited as they were, the five of them looked up at the Seoul Detention Center, the place where they’d spent the past two years of their lives. More or less, since their friends from the Nowon-gu Faction were able to get them out one by one.

It felt sort of defiant to be standing there as free men when they had all been promised a life-long sentence.

“Let’s go home,” Yongguk said tiredly.

He spent most of the ride in silence. There was chatting in the back from the three younger ones; Daehyun and Junhong teasing Jongup for the most part.

But Himchan was reluctant to speak. He’d sensed it, Yongguk was in deep thought, however Himchan couldn’t even hope to guess what the older was thinking about.

Unlike what could be expected, Yongguk wasn’t worried about their comeback. Himchan had been the first one out, and he had been the one to take on the burden of reestablishing their rule in the north. He hadn’t been able to do it all by himself, but he had had help. Still, he had suffered the most and Yongguk would forever be grateful for it.

But that wasn’t on Yongguk’s mind at the moment.

Himchan was almost afraid to ask.

“Hyung?” He said at some point, keeping his gaze on the road.

Yongguk kept staring out the window.

“Are you okay?” Himchan spoke again.

“Just thinking,” Yongguk muttered, tracing the window frame.

“What about?”

Just as Himchan had been reluctant to ask, Yongguk was reluctant to answer.

They weren’t just coworkers, they were friends, and some of them more than that. Yongguk knew he could trust them, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he didn’t want to seem selfish or like he didn’t care about the wellbeing of the group.

Even though his intentions were selfish. He could try to hide it but there was no point in doing so.

“Just… Thinking about the first thing I have to do now that I’m out,” he said at last.

“And what’s that?” Himchan asked, fearing the answer.

A pause.

“Find Yoo Youngjae.”