The police didn’t come because of the accidents that took place on roads near the commune or because of reports of someone traveling by holding onto the doors of a van. The police came because they had been tipped off about the drug-related operations going on in that commune.

When the generator was down and, as a consequence, the cameras weren’t working, Jungkook snuck into the leader’s office and also other places and gathered all sorts of incriminating evidence on a flash drive. He gave this flash drive to another recruiter who he knew to be eager to escape the organization for that recruiter to take it to the police on her next field work trip. Jungkook had suspected that he wouldn’t be sent on recruitment trips anymore, so he gave the flash drive to the other recruiter a couple of days prior to his assassination attempt in the forest. He wasn’t sure he could trust that other recruiter, but he thought it was worth risking it.

She did end up taking that flash drive to the police and, so, the police came in large numbers because they were planning on implementing a complex operation. However, they saw the massive fire and the commotion, so they changed their plans and just intervened. It was good that they came in large numbers because they wouldn’t have had any chance of doing anything with just a dozen of them. This became very clear to them when they saw the madness before their eyes.

People were struggling to put out the fires, even if they were endangering themselves, people were having mental breakdowns and becoming suicidal, people were attacking them with shovels, brooms and anything else they could find while under the impression that the police were there to cause them some sort of harm, people were hurt, people were panicking, people were running to the mountains or throwing themselves in the river.

The police have not expected any of this, so they called for backup, as well as for ambulances and fire trucks, even though it would be very hard for fire trucks to reach that area and their hands would be practically tied because there were no fire hydrants anywhere in the area.

Police found Oh Jiho, the man they now had proof to consider the ringleader of a drug making and trafficking operation, nearly suffocating with his face planted in manure inside a pig stall while he was unconscious.

Police also found Namjoon, Taehyung and Jungkook inside the medical office, with Jungkook having fainted while Namjoon patched up his wound.

Many people who were injured were taken to the hospital. Many people had run off while or way before the police came. The others were taken into police custody. No one had identification papers. The police also didn’t know who was lying, who was being delusional and who was speaking the truth.

By the time the sun came up, the fires had died down, but the police still had not finished managing that situation. However, many filming crews and reporters came and many people who were listening to the morning news found themselves in a state of shock.

Jungkook had been among the ones taken to the hospital. Because the medical follow up he needed after Namjoon’s intervention had been given to him soon after at the hospital, he managed to survive and only have a mild infection that could be treated easily.

Namjoon had begged the police officers to believe that he truly was a doctor and let him assist in giving first aid to those who were injured before an ambulance or any such staff came for them. They let him do it while under supervision because nearly everybody seemed to trust him and they couldn’t refuse his help under those circumstances. He ended up traveling to the nearest city in an ambulance, but he was called for questioning to the police station shortly after.

Taehyung was asked why he had so much blood on him. Even though he had just assisted in a surgery, there was still too much compared to how the doctor and the patient were. So Taehyung just admitted to having slit the throats of 3 people, because it would have been worse for him later on if he lied then.

Kim Seokjin, now living under the name of Cha Yoonhyuk, having cut off all connections to his previous life and having started a thriving business, was also among the people who have seen the morning news about the incidents in the commune located in a valley in the middle of the mountains. Because he had also lived in the commune for a couple of months before escaping in a risky way, with the help of a strong river current, during one rainy night, his interest was heightened and he watched every bit of news related to the incident while trying to catch all the details.

This is how he caught a short scene, in the background of some reporter talking about the incident, in which Jungkook had been taken on a stretcher inside of an ambulance while he looked to be unconscious.

The only things that were part of Seokjin’s previous life that he regretted leaving behind were his friends and his little brother, but he always told himself that it was best to not contact them because that would put in him danger in many ways and it would put them in danger in case the organization he was once part of was gonna find him and start harassing him and those close to him one day.

However, when he saw Jungkook on a stretcher in a context related to New Life Initiative’s commune, Seokjin used every resource he had to find out which hospital Jungkook was taken to and he went there a few days after Jungkook had started recuperating. When they saw each other, Seokjin bolted towards Jungkook to hug him and the later started crying after he managed to get over the shock of seeing the person he had been looking for so long, sacrificing and stepping over many things in the process. That day, Namjoon came to visit Jungkook and, when he and Seokjin saw each other, almost the same kind of encounter took place.

They then told Seokjin what had happened and Seokjin listed many ways in which he would take care of them following that. Namjoon had the help of his family, so he told Seokjin he would manage. Then, both him and Jungkook asked Seokjin for the same favor, as their budget was non-existent at that point and Seokjin had offered to help. They asked Seokjin to get Taehyung a good lawyer, since he would definitely get charged with murder, arson and who knows how many other things.

Taehyung had already told the police he had murdered 3 people, that he had information on the drug making process and many other things, giving himself leverage to work with. He told the police that he would tell them everything as long as they gave him updates on what was happening with Namjoon and Jungkook and the police had agreed. At one point they told him he risked facing a lot of prison time, to which Taehyung calmly replied:

T: “That’s a pretty terrifying prospect for me, but at least there I’ll only have myself to take care of and I won’t need to worry about other people…”

When Namjoon came to visit him, Taehyung said:

T: “Sorry, Joon. I still can’t solve math equations. All I can do is mess up the elements and hope for the best.”

Although Taehyung had been charged with many things, in the end he was convicted of nothing because the lawyer Seokjin had sent to work on Taehyung’s case was just that good.

When Taehyung finally left the institution where he had been held in custody, a lady approached him and said something about Jesus’ abilities in saving him. The lawyer wanted to pull Taehyung away and just walk past her, but Taehyung wanted to say something:

T: “Lady, the only things that can save people are kindness and money. Or a good lawyer, but you also need money for that… So I’ll listen to you talk about Jesus anytime if you pay me for it. Otherwise, have a nice day and a good life.”

The year that followed had been hard on everybody, regardless of what role they had within New Life Initiative, of how much their perceptions had been warped or not during that time or of how long they had been part of the organization.

Besides each individual’s struggle with what had happened and what they were going to do now, especially since some did not take it really well when they learned they had participated in drug-making and cannibalism, there was also a fairly common struggle they shared.

When they joined New Life Initiative, they had left their jobs and loved ones behind, if they had such things, and had sold their assets. Now, many people struggled on a practical and financial level because they had to rely on those who knew them before they had joined the organization for their most basic necessities and, since the whole incident became international news, finding a job and integrating back into society was extremely difficult. At least one suicide was reported each month regarding the ex-cult members and some of the ex-convicts committed small crimes just so they could go back to prison again, because there was no better alternative.

Namjoon intuited from the start that trying to sweep things under the rug and forget what happened was going to be detrimental to him on many levels. Plus, he also didn’t want that, so he did the complete opposite.

He appeared in many interviews and explained things in a way so that even the idiots in the back would understand that it’s not an issue of stupid people joining cults and becoming mindless zombies, because even people with college educations and a high level of intelligence were part of cults. It was an issue of cults reaching out to people in their most vulnerable states, posing as a helping hand, using deception and other mind control tactics that work on almost everybody within certain circumstances, then using coercion, physical and psychological, to keep them on the cult’s path.

Namjoon gave the most comprehensive and objective account on what had actually happened, even when some reporters were trying to push him into labeling things in a simple way with shock value.

He also expressed during such interviews that he wished to start research projects on medicinal herbs, placebo and how a person’s psychological state can impact their immunity. Some people and companies contacted him afterwards to discuss investing into his research, because they liked what they heard and saw in him. Later on, Namjoon also wrote a book based on his “Looking for Jin log” file and it became a bestseller. Some accused him of profiting from a tragedy, but his public image stayed a positive one since he declared that most of the profit was invested into his research projects.

Jungkook recovered from his physical injuries, but his heart and mind would take way more time to heal. He moved in with Seokjin and the latter helped him find a job as an engineer in the city where Seokjin had started a new life and a new business under a new identity. Jungkook was happy to be with his brother again, but every day was suffocating. People subtly or outwardly suspected him of still being part of the organization and carrying out its malicious practices and/or subtly or outwardly reminded him of the big role he had played in a tragedy that had impacted many people.

With the experience in acting he had, Jungkook looked like he was handling it fine and staying strong throughout it, but inside he felt like he was crumbling and often reaching breakdown points. However, he kept remembering Taehyung telling him and even pleading with him to survive, so he felt like he had a duty to survive and move forward.

Jungkook often talked with Namjoon and he almost always asked about how Taehyung was doing. Namjoon let him know that Taehyung was staying with him and, after many long struggles, managed to find a job at a cleaning company, but since Taehyung didn’t want to speak to Jungkook, Namjoon couldn’t give the latter Taehyung’s contact information. Whenever Namjoon mentioned Jungkook, Taehyung always asked how he was doing and looked troubled when Namjoon hinted at any of Jungkook’s struggles. Namjoon wanted them to meet up and talk to each other directly, but he had to respect his friend’s wishes.

Namjoon had met with many of the former cult members and he realized that no one had sustained as little psychological impact from the experience as Taehyung did. Aside from the practical struggles like finding a job and earning money in legal ways to pay for his own needs, Taehyung didn’t seem to be doing any differently than before.

Even when, at one point, a theft occurred inside a company his cleaning company handled and Taehyung was accused of it based solely on his background, he just calmly told his employer that he could fire him if he wanted, but then he’d still be left with a thief that might steal again. Taehyung proposed finding the real culprit within a week, his employer accepted and Taehyung delivered. Both his employer and Namjoon were shocked by the level of skill and calmness with which Taehyung handled that. When Namjoon talked to Taehyung about it, the latter said:

T: “This has been the best thing to happen in the last year.”

N: “The best? How come?”

T: “I felt a bit alive again…”

Namjoon felt like he had stumbled onto something deep, so he probed more and Taehyung confessed:

T: “After the whole thing with the cult passed and after I managed to find a job, I feel like I don’t have any sense of purpose anymore. It feels empty and everything’s so dull I feel like my brain might shut down… I kinda wish there was something I could do, some way in which I would be useful for more than just cleaning…”

One day, when Taehyung was leaving from his cleaning job and cracking his neck to get rid of the stiffness, Jungkook suddenly appeared in front of him and they just looked at each other for a few moments while Taehyung got over the shock.

J: “It’s been a while…”

T: “It sure has.” Taehyung said before he let out a short, breathy laugh. “Did you always look this good?”

Jungkook also let out a short and breathy laugh while looking at the ground before he said:

J: “Doesn’t seem like you have some sort of resentment towards me…”

T: “Why would I have resentment towards you?”

J: “Then why don’t you want to talk to me or see me?”

Taehyung sighed heavily and looked to the side.

T: “I guess I should use this opportunity and say this sort of thing at least once in my lifetime…” Taehyung started, then looked back towards Jungkook. “I love you. Not sure how it happened, but you became one of the two people I care about more than myself. So I was really happy and relieved when I heard you overcame the danger you were in, that you were discharged and got back together with the person you did so much to find, and that you could start a new life and be happy. For that, you don’t need someone by your side that ties you back to one of the darkest times of your life or someone with such a rich criminal history. Those things would just be detrimental to you.”

J: “Why do you think it’s normal for you to decide that kinda thing in my place?”

T: “…”

J: “Even if I wanted to let go of the past, the past continues to bleed into the present. Every day I have to maintain a façade to not give people the impression that I’m deceiving them, ironically, or that I’m up to no good or to not let it show that their comments and looks are affecting me. I’m using fake smiles now just as much as I did as a recruiter. And, sometimes, guilt and self-loathing hits so hard that I just wanna drop everything and hide in a pile of garbage… Talking to Jin and Namjoon helps, because they know the situation and who I really am, but they didn’t do things to hurt other people, so they can’t completely understand… Even though we’re very different in how we perceive things, I felt that you’d understand and I wanted to talk to you so often and so bad… But I couldn’t ask you for help and bother you when I didn’t even know why you didn’t want to talk to me again…”

T: “Look, Jungk…”

J: “But last time I talked to Namjoon he said you were lacking a sense of purpose. So I came here to ask you to please be my savior again.”

Taehyung was so taken aback by that statement and he spent several moments just trying to figure out what that meant.

T: “Huh? Savior? I mean… I guess I kinda prevented you getting decapitated and shot by an arrow… though you did end up getting shot by an arrow in the end, but that…”

J: “When you showed up at the commune…” Jungkook interrupted Taehyung to start explaining. “I was getting close to a breaking point. I couldn’t deceive myself anymore that I wasn’t ruining so many people’s lives just to pursue my own personal interest and I couldn’t push away the guilt eating me up. I thought I was at a level that was lower than scum and I thought that… maybe I should just let myself be killed so all of this would stop…” Jungkook said as his voice faded and his eyes started filling up with tears.

Taehyung couldn’t relate at all to such feelings of guilt and self-loathing, but he understood how someone like Jungkook would be consumed by them and it pained him to learn about another layer in Jungkook’s year-long struggle.

J: “Then… you suddenly approached me. And if it had been out of lust, it would have been one thing, but it so obviously wasn’t. I kept telling myself – this guy is very good at acting, this is just something he’s doing to get something out of it. But… there was so much affection in your eyes when you looked at me, it felt so genuine and I didn’t understand. Where did it come from? Why was it directed at me? You so clearly don’t care much about other people, so how come you’re suddenly looking at me like I’m precious to you? I didn’t understand, but… at one point this thought came into mind – Maybe there’s something good still left in me and you saw it. Maybe that’s worth preserving. Maybe I’m scum, but not complete scum and there’s still something I could do to make things right, even if just a little… So I took some big risks and gathered the evidence for the drug operations and arranged for it to get to the police. If you hadn’t been there, I would now be either dead by choice or without any dignity left and dead inside. That’s why… no matter what else you are and what else you have in your background, I still consider you my savior.”

Taehyung hugged Jungkook tightly, Jungkook hugged back and let himself cry his heart out into Taehyung’s shoulder as the latter didn’t know what else to do aside from tightening his hold.

T: “I figured out at least part of how I came to care about you. I was convinced you were evil and I even wanted to believe that. But you kept proving you’re the opposite of that and at the end of a series of things that kept blowing my mind, I found myself caring about you. It’s cause I’m weak for kind, selfless and strong people and you’re like that. So, hopefully, you’ll also see that in you.”

J: “Can’t you be by my side to remind me of that?”

Taehyung pulled away and felt like his mind was becoming a mess due to conflicting feelings.

T: “Uh… Listen, Jungkook… If you’re gonna frame it as you needing me by your side, I’m gonna have a really hard time letting you go to potentially lead a good life.”

J: “That suits me just fine.”

T: “Also, the only other person that made me start caring about him back in high school, got stuck with me for the following decade and more.”

J: “That also suits me just fine.”

T: “And did I mention that I’m a lot of trouble?”

J: “Oh, really? You are? I had no clue…” Jungkook joked.

Taehyung smiled and Jungkook let out a laugh as they stared at each other for a moment before Taehyung grabbed Jungkook’s hand and pulled him into a secluded alley where they shared a very long and intense kiss.

That was the beginning of their life together. And the beginning of a lot of trouble…