The club was dark, crowded and noisy, as it inevitably was on Saturday nights.

You weaved your way through groups of drunken patrons while carefully balancing a tray of drinks and snacks in your hands. It had taken multiple accidents and weeks of experience before you were able to navigate your way amongst clumsy and men without dropping anything. You were still traumatized from the time you’d knocked over an extremely expensive bottle of whisky. It was lucky that the club’s owner, Jackson Wang, didn’t care enough to take it out of your paycheck; he was simultaneously both a wonderful employer as well as a rather careless one.

“Your drinks, gentlemen,” you announced softly as you reached one of the private VIP rooms at the front end of the club. It was the special room; one that was permanently reserved for Jackson Wang and his guests. Jackson hadn’t arrived yet but he’d sent word ahead for his guests to be taken care of. The two men were well-dressed and carried a large briefcase with them. It was clearly a business deal. “One whisky and one rum with coke. Is there anything else I can assist you gentlemen with? Perhaps you would like some of our hostesses to keep you company?”

One of the men looked up at you. “No thank you, we prefer to be alone. Do you know when Mr. Wang will arrive?”

“He usually comes by at eleven pm, sir. If you would like, I can call and enquire for you.”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

“Please do not hesitate to press the buzzer in case you require anything else. I hope you enjoy your drinks,” you told them, before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind you. You let out a deep sigh and slumped against the wall for a moment. Dealing with Jackson’s high-profile guests always made you a little nervous. Even a small mess-up could have consequences for the entire gang in such delicate matters.

As you folded the tray under your arm, your phone buzzed in your pocket and you checked it quickly. It was a text from Bambam and you smiled to yourself as you opened it.

Bammie <3: You doing okay at the club, babe?? I miss you.

You smiled to yourself. It had been a few days since you’d seen Bambam. He had gone on a small trip with Yugyeom to stake out some stolen goods dealers a few towns away. Ever since Im Jaebum’s arrest and subsequent release on bail, the mafia leader had been trusting his younger members with more important responsibilities, sending them to places he couldn’t go himself because the law enforcement authorities were keeping a constant eye on him. You were proud that Bambam was climbing the ranks at GotSeven, but you hated whenever he had to leave. You typed a response quickly.

You: It’s a typical Saturday night, I guess. I miss you too. Aren’t you back yet?

Bammie <3: Yeah, just reached. I’m going to go meet Jackson-hyung and then we’ll come straight to the club. I’m dying to see you. The weekend alone with Yugyeom was torture. L

You: I’m sure it was. For him.

Bammie <3: Noooooo, don’t be mean to me when I haven’t seen you in five days!

You: Okay, okay. Tell Jackson his guests have arrived. I tried to keep them busy with strippers but they refused. They seem kind of impatient

Bammie <3: Ahh, those must be the guys from Macau. They’re smuggling foreign currency. Really dull stuff. I’ll tell Jackson. We’ll be there in an hour max.

You: Okay. Love you.

Bammie <3: Love you too!

You tucked your phone under your apron and went back to the bar. The other waitresses were busy and the bartender had his hands full as well. You stood silently in a corner, keeping an eye on the customers that were getting progressively drunk as the night wore on and the strippers who were up on stage. Candy was dancing at the moment. She was new, extremely popular, and all eyes were on her and her s. You sighed and turned to check on one of the tables when you suddenly noticed a woman standing behind you.

“Hi,” she greeted you lightly. “May I have a word with you?”

Your eyes widened in surprise. You’d never seen this woman before and she was dressed immaculately; in a white blouse, a formal grey pencil skirt and a pair of moderate heels. Something about the sight of her set off alarm bells in your mind. She didn’t look like she belonged in a strip club and that was enough to make you nervous.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” you asked.

She cleared and looked uncomfortable. “I’d love to tell you but I was wondering if we could go somewhere more private to discuss it? Surely there’s some place in this club that isn’t filled with rowdy men or women.”

You bit your lip and took a deep breath. You still remembered the terrible incident from a few weeks ago. A pair of men had come to the club looking for Im Jaebum and you’d foolishly pointed them to the VIP room where Jaebum was having a meeting with some clients. You only found out a day or two later that those men had been police officers and that they’d arrested Jaebum on false charges of human trafficking later that night. Both Jackson and Bambam had reassured you that it was not your fault and that Jaebum would have been arrested eventually, but you refused to make such a foolish blunder again.

“I’m sorry, unless you can tell me exactly who you are and what you want, I’m going to have to ask you to leave…”

The woman looked a little irritated but she reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card that she offered to you. You squinted in the dim club lighting to read it. It had her name (one that sounded oddly familiar) and the address of some corporate law firm. She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m Im Jaebum’s lawyer. You can relax, I’m on your side. I assume you know all about how he was framed by BTS as part of a human trafficking scheme?”

Your throat felt dry. “You’re the one who got him out on bail? His ex-girlfriend?”

“Yes, that’s me. Do you need me to call Jaebum to verify my identity?”

“No, I believe you,” you replied, handing her business card back to her. You glanced around the club to make sure that nobody was watching both of you before lowering your voice. “If you’re looking for Jackson then he and Bambam will be here in an hour. None of the other members are scheduled to come by tonight-“

“I want to talk to you.”

“Me?”

The woman looked a little bit annoyed at your slowness and you straightened up slightly. Maybe it would be better to let her speak first. You tucked your tray under the bar and told one of the other waitresses that you were going on a break, before leading the woman towards the head of the club once more. You unlocked one of the spare VIP rooms and shut the door behind the both of you, blocking out the noise and distraction of the club. Only soft music played on the speakers above your head.

“These VIP rooms are safe, Jackson often conducts meetings here,” you explained. “What can I help you with?”

The woman sat down and crossed one leg over the other before she looked at you with sharp eyes. There was something eerily mature about her, yet she seemed like she carried a large weight on her mind. “Please sit down. I learned from Jaebum recently that you were a victim of BTS’ human trafficking ring. You’re one of a small group of girls who managed to escape their custody?”

Your heart sank at the memory. “I-I mean… yeah. We were rescued.”

“By Yugyeom and Bambam, the younger members of GotSeven,” she finished for you. You merely nodded as she continued. “Jaebum tells me that you’re in a romantic relationship with Bambam so I assume you know exactly what’s been happening these last few weeks. BTS tried to lay low on the whole trafficking ring for a year or two after you escaped. But they started up again recently and they’ve been leaving evidence everywhere. The police created a special task force to keep watch on them, which is why they attempted to frame Im Jaebum in a moment of panic.”

You bit your lip. “I heard.”

“Luckily, things haven’t been going too badly. The police arrested some of the top leaders of BTS earlier today.”

Your eyes widened. “What? Does everyone else know about this-“

“It’s extremely confidential information,” the woman told you firmly. “I only know because I’ve been regularly communicating with one of the officers on the organized crime task force. They’re going to be brought before a judge tomorrow and there’s no question of them getting out on bail. The evidence is far too strong. But BTS is rich and they’ll have the best defense lawyers on this case. We need a trump card, something that they won’t be expecting us to throw at them.”

You stared at her. “I don’t understand…”

“I thought it would be fairly obvious. I’m asking you to testify in court.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought. For the last few years you had been trying your hardest to forget the time that you spent in BTS’ custody. The experience had left you traumatized for life and you had scars that would never disappear. In those cold, damp basements trapped along with so many other girls, crying and screaming every time one of you would be dragged away never to return and not knowing what lie in wait for you, only able to imagine the worst…

You had never dared to think that you might escape and live a normal life like you were now, working as a waitress at a high-end strip club and living with your loving boyfriend. Bambam had fallen into your life like an angel and rescued you from a pathetic future. Even though it had been years since you’d escaped that vile place, the thought and mention of BTS still sent shivers down your spine. You had always been afraid that they would find you, that they would drag you back there.

“I- I can’t,” you told her.

The woman nodded calmly. She seemed to have been expecting such an answer. “I understand. I’m sure that having to talk about the time you spent as a hostage with BTS must be extremely difficult for you-“

“You have no idea,” you whispered furiously. Your hands were trembling. “I was there for months. They would take the girls away one by one and nobody ever knew where they took them or who was next. They would beat us if we were too loud and they only ever fed us enough to make sure we survived. They didn’t want us strong enough to escape or resist them. Even after Bambam rescued me I couldn’t sleep for months, I kept thinking that they would find me and take me back, that they would kill me or sell me, I-I…”

The woman sat and watched as you breathed heavily. You squeezed your eyes shut and took deep breaths to calm yourself down while she waited silently. You were almost relieved that she didn’t attempt to comfort you. After you had regained your composure, you looked up at her.

“It’s not just that I don’t want to talk about it,” you added. You felt a little weak for breaking down in front of this woman and you wanted to explain yourself. “I was a runaway. I ran away from home and that’s why BTS found it so easy to trap me. All of those girls were runaways, they were girls whom nobody was looking for. And BTS took away what little we had. So I don’t have anything to prove my identity or documentation, I’ve been living off the grid. It was too risky for me to apply for anything like that because BTS could find me using it. That’s why I’ve been working at Jackson’s club; no other place of employment would take me without so much as an identity card. What court would accept me as a witness?”

The woman looked at you for a long moment. “If you were willing to testify… the police would help you with that. Once BTS are convicted then the police would surely issue you a new identity. You wouldn’t have to live off the grid. You could work somewhere better than this hole.”

You gave her a long look. “And if they’re not convicted?”

She was silent.

“That’s what I thought,” you replied with a scoff. “I’m done living in fear. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I’m only just starting to feel safe again and I won’t put that in jeopardy for anything.”

“If BTS aren’t convicted this time then none of us will be safe,” she told you quietly. She wasn’t looking at you anymore, her eyes had dropped to the floor. “Not me, not GotSeven, not the police officers who have been tracking them down. The point is to try as hard as we can to make sure that they do go to prison for a very long time. But if everyone is too scared to speak, because of what might happen to them if BTS go free, then that’s exactly what will happen.”

You didn’t know what to say to that. Her words made you feel extremely small.

“Right,” you whispered.

She stood up and smoothed down her skirt before pulling out the same business card that she’d handed you earlier. She took out a small pen from a pocket in her skirt and scribbled a number on the backside. Before you could speak, she handed it to you. “You can call me on my personal number on front if you change your mind and want to discuss this,” she explained. “Or, if you want to talk to somebody more trustworthy then you can call the number on the backside. It will take you to one of the police officers that is heading the organized crime task force. She’s been dedicated to taking BTS down for years. The choice is yours.”

You bit your lip and tucked the business card into your apron pocket. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Thank you for your time,” she replied as she walked out of the room. You stayed there for a few moments, hands trembling as you closed your eyes and thought about what you should do.

–

The basement smelled terrible.

You weren’t sure how long you had been in there. There was a small bathroom in the corner that all six of the girls shared and sometimes you were all sent soap so that you could clean yourselves. But what you wanted wasn’t soap or clean clothes or for a nice smell, you wanted answers. One of the guards had come down and taken another girl with them yesterday; you had cried and screamed and tried to stop them but they merely shoved you aside and took her anyway.

She hadn’t returned. They never did.

“I can hear footsteps,” one of the younger girls whispered. She crawled over to you and wrapped her arms around you tightly, burying her face in your shoulder. You were the oldest girl here, the only one who wasn’t crying for her parents. You were the only one that had tried to stand up to the guards. But no matter how much the girls looked up to you, there was nothing you could do for them or yourself. A sense of despair was setting in. There was nothing you could even use to kill yourself. They’d removed the mirror from the bathroom after a girl tried to slit her own throat last month.

“Shh,” you told her quietly. “It’ll be okay.”

“It won’t,” she sobbed. “What if they take me next? Where do they take the girls?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted.

“Do they take them somewhere worse?”

You bit your lip and closed your eyes. You didn’t know exactly where they took the girls but you were positive that it wasn’t anywhere better than this place. Maybe they were harvesting organs, maybe they were selling them into ion. But the girl who was sobbing into your shoulder was too young to understand those things and you weren’t about to tell her. You forced a smile despite your racing heartbeat. You could hear the footsteps too and now voices as well. Maybe it was the guards coming to give you food, but they might also take another one of the girls away. There was no way of telling and you squeezed onto the girl tightly. “Shh, don’t cry,” you whispered to her. “Let’s not attract their attention, don’t cry. You’ll be fine.”

The voices grew louder and you finally heard the click of a key and the creaking of the door opening. Most of the girls hid in corners and cowered, but you looked straight up at the large figures that entered while talking loudly.

“-lot of locks on those doors, do you think this is where they keep the diamonds? I’m serious, Yugyeom, if we find those ing diamonds then I don’t even know what…”

He trailed off. There were two boys standing in front of you, both of them looking no older than yourself despite being extremely tall. They were in school uniforms and you gaped at them as they looked around the room in complete silence. The smiles had dropped from their faces as they looked at the cowering girls in the dirty basement and you felt your own heartbeat thud. They were not the usual guards. But they had the keys, so they had to be with the people that had trapped you.

“What is this?” one of the boys whispered. “Who are you? Why are you locked in here?”

The other boy grabbed his arm. “Bambam, I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all-“

“Shut up, Yugyeom.” The boy turned to look at you and you flinched when he took a step closer. You were the only girl that was looking at him. The rest of them had curled up and hidden their faces in fear. You tried not to tremble as he walked up to you and the girl in your arms sobbed harder. “I want to find out what they’re doing here. Why are you girls locked up here?” he demanded.

“I-I don’t know,” you whispered.

The other boy grabbed his arm. “You’re scaring her. Bambam, we have to get out of here. Jungkook could be back any minute, you know he would freak out if he realizes I took his keys-“

Bambam whirled on his friend. “Do you think he KNOWS that they have girls down here?”

“I don’t know, Bambam. Let’s go, please, this wasn’t what we planned…”

There was a loud, thudding noise from above the basement and the two boys exchanged terrified looks as they ran back to the door. Just before they shut it behind them, however, the shorter boy turned and looked straight at you. You saw a pair of soft, kind dark eyes that seemed torn. But there was a promise in those eyes, a promise that he would return.

You didn’t know who these boys were but for the first time in weeks, you felt a glimmer of hope.

–

“Hey beautiful,” Bambam whispered into your ear.

You jumped, startled. It took you a few seconds to realize it was only your boyfriend and you whirled around to face him with a huge smile. Bambam was beaming too. His handsome, childlike grin looked even more attractive now that you hadn’t seen it in days. You let out a cheerful giggle and launched yourself at him suddenly, causing him to let out a small oof! before he wrapped his own arms around your waist. The two of you never held back when it came to hugs. It was a competition of who could squeeze the other tighter and currently, both of you were winning.

“Hi,” you breathed out against his neck. “I missed you so much, Bambam.”

He chuckled and pressed his face into your hair. “I missed you too, baby. How have you been?”

“Awful,” you whined, snuggling against him more tightly. “I worked multiple shifts every day that you were gone because the apartment was too lonely without you. Can’t you take me with you next time? I always get worried when you go out on trips alone with Yugyeom. You’re both such idiots that I dream about you going and getting yourselves killed.”

Bambam sounded amused. “Yes, thank you for your faith in me, darling.”

You pulled away from him and pouted. “Am I wrong?”

“Not at all,” he reassured you. You closed your eyes as Bambam leaned forward and pecked you on the lips. Bambam’s kisses in public were always sweet and innocent so you cherished them, because that was not how he kissed you when you were alone. His mind seemed to be travelling in a similar direction because he lingered near your lips and then kissed you again, softly. “Isn’t your shift over? Come on, let’s go back home.”

You placed a hand on his chest and glanced back at the bar. “I still have ten minutes left-“

“Please? Nobody will notice. Jackson went in to talk to those guys from Macau. I doubt something serious is going to take place in those ten minutes,” he insisted, entwining your hands together. His kissable lips were pouting as his thumb the back of your hand. “Let’s just leave. My car is outside. We can swipe some wine from the bar and take it home-“

You placed your hand over his mouth with a soft giggle. “Bambam! We can’t keep stealing wine from Jackson’s club!” you scolded him in a whisper.

Bambam’s eyes twinkled as he bit your hand playfully and then smiled once you dropped it from his face. “What are you afraid of? He would never fire you, he likes both of us too much. And you’re probably the only employee here that doesn’t do it. I’ve seen the strippers making off with bottles of whisky and champagne-“

“But it’s still stealing-“

“It’s all stealing,” Bambam reminded you with a laugh. He found it adorable how you never seemed to mind that he went and conducted negotiations with high-profile criminals and smuggled various illegal goods in and out of the country, but somehow your moral compass wouldn’t let him swipe a bottle of wine from his friend’s club or a pack of cigarettes from the convenience store. “Babe, this club was built on stolen money, okay? Jackson set it up with his share of the loot that they got from a casino robbery back before you and I had anything to do with the gang. Now go and pick up that bottle of wine-which by the way, Jackson would probably just give us for free if we asked- so that we can go home and get into bed.”

You pouted at him and pushed him away lightly. “Fine.”

“That’s my baby girl.”

You went over to the bar and casually mentioned to the bartender that your shift was over and that you were leaving. He merely nodded, too busy serving a pair of customers that were demanding his attention. You made a slight show of depositing your nametag and notepad underneath the counter as you quickly closed your fist around the first bottle of wine you saw. You tucked it underneath your apron and then hurried back out, shooting Bambam a grin.

“Go, go, go,” you whispered to him, one hand holding the bottle steady under your apron while the other hand gripped Bambam’s. He chuckled and followed you, both half-racing out of the club and into the parking lot. You waited until you were both safely inside of Bambam’s car before you took the bottle of wine out and handed it to him, laughing.

“Nice choice,” he complimented, tossing the bottle into the backseat as he leaned over to kiss you. You kissed him back, breathless from the running. Bambam’s lips slanted over yours hungrily as his hands slid into your hair. You loved how Bambam always let loose the moment you were both alone, never holding back from showing you exactly what he wanted. You had to push him away gently and giggle.

“Come on, let’s make it home first?”

“Do we have to?” he whined, his lips trailing down your jaw.

“I am not having in the car, Bambam. Don’t tell me you made me swipe that wine for nothing.”

He smiled and finally released you, turning his key in the ignition and starting the car. You hurried to put on your seatbelt as Bambam peeled out of the parking lot. You reached behind you to untie your apron and pull it off. You were just balling it up in your hands when you heard the crinkling sound of paper. Heart suddenly sinking, your hand slid into the apron and fingers closed around the small business card the woman had given you earlier.

You glanced at Bambam. His eyes were fixed on the road, trying to get you both home as soon as possible as he swerved through traffic.

You slowly pulled the card out and tucked it into the pocket of your pants, before throwing the balled-up apron into the backseat.

Maybe you’d think about it when you had more time.

–

The boys returned two days later.

Another girl had been taken away in the meantime and there were only six of you left now. There was very little crying. The time for tears had disappeared and had been replaced by something worse; a sick, creeping feeling in your stomach that made you feel empty. There was no hope left. The constant fear of what would happen was exhausting and the little food they supplied not enough to keep any of you strong or healthy. You couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps death would be better than wherever they were taking the girls.

The door had creaked open and the two boys had stepped inside. You blinked up at them silently. Part of you had begun to wonder if perhaps you’d imagined them the whole time, if maybe weeks of being locked up here with little food was leading you to hallucinations. But they were here again, their faces more grim and serious than the last time. The taller one had turned green and looked as though he might throw up as he looked at you and the other girls.

Bambam kneeled next to you instantly. You seemed to be the oldest out of the girls and you were the only one who hadn’t buried her head into her knees in fear. You looked up at him, at those familiar, dark eyes that held both compassion and a sense of desperation. You hadn’t seen such kind eyes in a long time. It made you shudder.

“Hey. I need you to talk to me,” he whispered.

You nodded silently.

“I want some answers. How long have you girls been locked up here? Who are you? What are they planning to do with you?” Bambam demanded. He looked nervous and his friend stayed near the door, apparently keeping watch in case someone came by.  “Are you from around here? How old are you? Do you have homes to go back to?”

He shot the questions at you so quickly that your head began to spin. Your lower lip trembled as you looked at this boy in front of you. Could it be real? Could he possibly be trying to help you or was this some sort of trap? You lifted a trembling hand to indicate that he should shut up and he fell silent instantly.

“I-I don’t know what they plan to do with us,” you whispered, your voice hoarse. “They just come and take away a girl every few days. They don’t tell us where they go or why. Most of these girls are little children. Some have been kidnapped, some tricked into coming here but they’re all terrified.”

“,” Bambam cursed, staring at you.

“Who are you?” you asked. “Are you with them?”

“Not anymore.”

“Please help us,” you whispered. You reached out to grab his hand and he stayed still, not even flinching as you wrapped your fingers desperately around his own. He was warm and for the first time, you felt lighter in your heart. There was a dangerous spark of hope. “Please. I’m begging you. Please get help.”

Bambam’s face hardened as he looked down at you. He had never seen anyone so desperate to cling onto a small hope, had never had someone look at him as though he was the first ray of sunshine she’d ever seen. Bambam knew in that moment that he would help you get out or he would die trying.

. “I will,” he promised. “I’ll get you out of here. Tomorrow, same time. Be ready to run.”

–

You awoke to the sound of a phone ringing.

You opened your eyes drowsily and reached for your phone under your pillow, but it was not vibrating. Bambam was fast asleep beside you. He was lying on his back, breathing heavily in his deep slumber and letting out soft snores. One of his legs hung off the bed slightly. You reached over to pull it back onto the mattress. Bambam let out a soft grunting noise but his eyes never opened.

It was his phone that was ringing and you had to reach across him to grab it. You normally never answered Bambam’s phone and you only intended to turn it off but the caller ID read Yugyeom, so you picked it up sleepily. Yugyeom had better have a good reason for calling at 6 am.

“Hello, Yugyeom,” you answered sleepily.

Yugyeom’s voice sounded excited. “Hey. Isn’t Bambam around?”

“It’s 6 am, he’s in dreamland. We drank a little too much wine last night so I doubt he’ll be up soon,” you explained, although you could slowly feel the blurry cloud of sleep lifting off your mind. Yugyeom wouldn’t call at a time like this for absolutely no reason. “Is it something important? Should I wake him up?”

“I think you need to. Tell him to get dressed and come down to headquarters. Everyone’s meeting there in half an hour.”

You immediately turned to Bambam and began gently shaking him awake. He let out another grunt and tied to swat your hand away but you persisted as you spoke into the phone. “Don’t worry, I’ll send him down as soon as I can. Is everything okay, though? Should I tell him something?”

Yugyeom took a deep breath. “Yeah, I suppose you should know. The police have arrested the ringleaders of BTS.”

You froze. “Oh.”

“Just send him over quickly, please.”

–

Bambam took a while to wake up but once he did, he was completely alert. He rushed into the bathroom and you could hear him brushing his teeth furiously. You went into the kitchen, your heartbeat thudding as you made two cups of coffee. What did GotSeven plan to do about BTS’ arrest? Were they going to get involved or were they going to let it play out silently and hope that all went well? You couldn’t even begin to imagine the consequences that the arrest of a huge and powerful gang like BTS would have on the entire mafia.

“I made coffee,” you told Bambam as he emerged from the bedroom, struggling to button his shirt. You handed him the mug and gestured for him to drink while you took over the buttons on his shirt. Bambam gulped down the coffee gratefully. His hair was still a bit of a mess and you reached up to smooth it down just as he placed a soft kiss on your lips. He tasted like coffee and you closed your eyes as his arms wrapped around you.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Should I come too?” you asked nervously. Bambam didn’t mind taking you down to headquarters with him occasionally, as long as there wasn’t anything too dangerous going on. “Can I come?”

Bambam bristled. “Absolutely not.”

“But why-“

He took a deep breath and cupped your face gently with both his hands. You looked up into his dark, loving eyes and realized that he was worried. Bambam had never been able to hide his emotions well. This should have been a happy moment and Bambam should have been excited the way Yugyeom was, but all you could see in his eyes was fear. “Babe, I need you trust me. Just… lay low for a while until this whole thing with BTS’ arrest gets resolved, okay?”

“Lay low, what does that mean?” you wondered.

“I mean don’t talk to anyone. About the time you spent as a hostage with BTS, or anything you know about BTS at all. Not even the other GotSeven members. Don’t tell them anything about what you experienced.”

“Why not?” you whispered.

“Because right now things are tense. All everyone will care about is making sure that BTS gets convicted. That woman, Jaebum-hyung’s lawyer? She put her entire career on the line and she’s going to make sure that BTS goes to jail. So are the police officers heading the organized crime task force. They all have only one goal in mind and they’re just desperate to get people like you and me who know too much about BTS to talk.”

You placed your hands over Bambam’s. “Then maybe we should talk.”

“They’ll find someone. I don’t want you to go through that. I’m not letting them put you on a witness stand and force you to relive your experiences because they made an arrest without sufficient evidence. If any of the BTS members end up acquitted of their crimes…”

You bit your lip. “They’ll come for us.”

“Exactly.” Bambam leaned forward and kissed you again, his thumb your cheek. “Jaebum-hyung saved us last time but now things are too big even for him to handle. Please don’t talk to anyone about anything, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” you whispered.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

–

You couldn’t remember the last time you had seen the stars.

The rooftop was small but there was a cool breeze and you felt free. The other girls were all asleep, cuddled up on the floor of Yugyeom’s brother’s apartment. There had been nowhere else for you all to go and Yugyeom had brought you back to his brother’s house. But the brother would be returning from a college trip in a few days and you couldn’t stay here forever.

To be perfectly honest, BTS was much more likely to find you before Yugyeom’s brother.

Bambam sat beside you silently. His arm was in a cast that you’d clumsily bandaged yourself, using a first aid kit that you found in the apartment. One of the guards had tried to interrupt the escape operation and both Bambam and Yugyeom had suffered blows in the fight before they could take him down and tie him up. It had all been a rush of adrenaline, an exciting run and a thrilling show of bravery. But now it was all over. Now you sat silently in the dead of the night and watched as Bambam wrapped his arms around his knees and tried to keep himself together.

“They’re going to find us,” he whispered quietly.

You knew that he was right. The other girls were happy in the thought that Bambam and Yugyeom were their saviors and that these handsome boys had rescued them from that terrible place. But Bambam had confessed to you that things were not so easy. BTS was an enormous mafia group, much bigger than you could ever have imagined. They would find you. If not now then in a few days, or even in a few weeks. They wouldn’t give up, not after the stunt you all had pulled.  

“They have men on the inside among the police but you should still give it a shot and go to the cops,” Bambam told you quietly. “Yugyeom and I can’t come with you. We’ve been dealing drugs for BTS for a few weeks now, we’ll surely get arrested if we go anywhere near a police station. But there’s no other way. I can’t keep you girls safe. I-I don’t even have a place where you could all live. I should have thought about things but I didn’t, I just wanted to get you out of there because you looked so miserable but I didn’t think about what I would do once I managed it…”

You reached over and placed your hand on Bambam’s shoulder gently. “Thank you,” you whispered.

He scoffed and looked down at his own hands. “For what? For all I know, they’ll catch us all and things will become twice as bad.”

“But you tried,” you whispered.

“A pathetic attempt, really,” Bambam mumbled. “They’re probably scouring the streets for us now. I can’t even imagine what would happen to any of us if we stepped into a public place and were spotted.”

You squeezed his hand and looked at him. There was something passionate and reckless about this boy who sat beside you, this mysterious boy who had a heart of gold. You could see the pain in his eyes. You could see that he wanted to do more for you, that he wanted to keep you safe and that it angered him how he couldn’t. You looked into those dark, passionate, kind eyes and smiled.

“I don’t care. I’m happy right now.”

“Are you really?” he whispered.

You nodded and leaned back with a smile, tilting your head up to the sky. “I got to see the stars again.”

Bambam looked at you for a long moment, before he finally chuckled and tilted his own head back with a sigh. He followed your gaze up to the star-filled sky. “It makes you feel rather small, doesn’t it?”

“It reminds me that there’s beauty in this world.”

“There is. Lots of it.”

You looked at the boy sitting beside you and wondered if he realized how beautiful he was.