After their meeting, Jaehyo pulled Himchan aside to speak to the older concerning the upcoming fight.

 

“Look, I know you and Yongguk have a past,” Jaehyo said to the older who slowly nodded, “and I know that things have been really rough between the two of you, and now with what happened with Jongup… are you sure you really want to kill Yongguk?”

 

“Of course!” Himchan responded immediately.

 

Jaehyo shook his head.  “I don’t think you do.  I think he broke your heart, accused you of things, and he hasn’t done right by Jongup.  All those emotions running together – the sadness, the heartbreak, and the anger – the sudden overflow of those emotions might be clouding your judgment.”

 

“Ani,” Himchan said while shaking his head; although, he looked as if he was considering what Jaehyo was saying.

 

“You were in love with him,” Jaehyo whispered, “in love with him.  Not too long ago – just the other day.  Love opens our hearts up to experience more, and when all that loving happiness is soured and becomes sadness, it’s stronger than when you normally feel sad.  It becomes anger and hatred, and it’s easy to feel all of these negative emotions, because love opens us up and when it leaves… there’s just a gaping hole, a hole that you fill with hatred.”

 

Himchan didn’t say anything.  He sat down and thought about what Jaehyo had said.

 

Jaehyo kneeled down in front of Himchan and took the older’s hands.  He rubbed small, calming circles onto the back of Himchan’s hands, using his thumbs and said, “I just don’t want you to do anything that you regret.  Think it through.  I know that we’ve kind of complicated things for you guys, and I’m sorry for that.  Mianhe.  Just think about it before anything happens, araso?  I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

 

Himchan looked at Jaehyo and smiled softly.  “Ne, araso, Jae,” he replied.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~B.A.P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I know that you don’t want me to help the Red Tigers, but Yongguk-hyung and Zelo are going to, and with Himchan-hyung and Jongup helping the Black Dragons, they’re all going to run into each other,” Daehyun said, spooning Youngjae in the bed and playing with hairs at the nape of the younger’s neck.  “I can’t just walk away from that.  I can’t just ignore that they could get hurt, or worse.”

 

Youngjae sighed and turned over so that he was facing Daehyun.  “I know that you want to help them.  Honestly I can’t imagine what Yongguk and Himchan-hyung will do when they see each other,” he said.  “I guess I can’t stop you from going.”

 

Daehyun smiled at Youngjae and responded, “I don’t want to go.  I never want to leave you, and it’s not like Zico is the nicest person.”

 

Youngjae chuckled and replied, “He can’t be okay with you sleeping over here.”

 

“I don’t think he knows,” Daehyun said, shrugging.  “Otherwise I would probably never hear the end of it.”  Daehyun and Youngjae were laughing and holding on to each other when Daehyun’s cell rung.

 

“Who is it?” Youngjae asked.

 

“It’s just a text,” Daehyun said, as he started to read the message.  He sat up in the bed and reread the message.

 

Youngjae could tell by Daehyun’s face that something was wrong.  “Is everything okay?” Youngjae asked as he too sat up and placed a hand on Daehyun’s arm for comfort.

 

“It’s starting,” Daehyun replied sullenly.

 

“What’s starting?” Youngjae asked.

 

Daehyun looked at Youngjae and smiled sadly.  “It’s time to prepare to go up against the Black Dragons.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It’s Time for War~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Hyung, can we talk?” Jongup asked after knocking and poking his head into the room.

 

Himchan felt like sighing.  He had a feeling that this conversation might be something like what he already talked to Jaehyo about, or rather what Jaehyo talked to him about.  “Ne, come on in, Jonguppie.”  After Jongup came into the room, Himchan sat on his bed and patted the space next to him for Jongup to sit down, but the younger just paced in front of Himchan instead, wringing his hands and looking distraught.

 

“Jongup, what’s wrong?” Himchan asked, worried about Jongup.

 

“It’s Zelo,” Jongup replied, “and Daehyun-hyung, and even Yongguk-hyung.”

 

“You said that you could do it,” Himchan said, standing up.  “If they were to hurt the others, or even one of us… you said that you could go through with it.”

 

“But it’s Zelo, Daehyunnie-hyung, and Yonggukkie-hyung!  They wouldn’t kill anyone.”

 

“Yongguk was going to let Zico kill you,” Himchan responded, “and you saw how he reacted when he and Zico showed up at the old base.  He was practically ready to shoot everyone.”

 

Jongup didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just shook his head and asked, “But what about Daehyunnie-hyung?  You know that all he cares about is being with Youngjae.  He didn’t want to hurt us when he found out.”

 

“Well…”

 

“And Zelo!  Junhongie!  He’s only 17-years-old,” Jongup said.  “I know that he hangs on Yongguk-hyung’s every word-”

 

Himchan nodded, agreeing.  “Like a like Yongguk clone.”

 

“-but he’s innocent.  He wouldn’t hurt a fly.  Do you remember when we flushed his frog down the toilet?” Jongup asked Himchan, who chuckled at the memory.

 

“Ne, he cried about it and threw a fit until we finally revealed that we only flushed his frog down the drain because it was dead,” Himchan answered, smiling.

 

Jongup nodded and smiled too.  “He’s innocent, and yes he was there when Zico was trying to kill me, but he was trying to stop Zico.  He wouldn’t hurt us.  How could you hurt him?”

 

Himchan sighed and then yelled out.  “You’re right.  He wouldn’t hurt us, and I can’t hurt him, not Junhong.”

 

“What about Daehyun-hyung and Yongguk-hyung?” Jongup asked.

 

“I don’t think I could hurt Daehyun,” Himchan replied, “he’s just kind of like you said- interested in Youngjae.  I guess both he and Zelo just kind of got caught up in a horrible situation, but Yongguk is another situation.”

 

Jongup looked down at the floor.  He didn’t know what to say about Yongguk.

 

“I know about the nightmares that you’ve been having,” Himchan told Jongup as he lifted the younger’s chin and looked into Jongup’s eyes.  “Are you okay?”

 

“Ne,” Jongup responded, nodding.

 

“If you were to run into Yongguk… how do you think you’d react?” Himchan asked slowly.

 

Jongup’s eyes widened.  He shook his head because he honestly didn’t know how he’d react.  “What would you do if you ran into him?”

 

Himchan smirked and then frowned.  “I thought I knew, but honestly, I guess I’m just as confused as you.”

 

“Hyung, what are we going to do?” Jongup asked.  “I can’t kill them, and I don’t think that they’ll try to kill us either.”

 

“Well that’s why I’m being paired up with Jaehyo and you with P.O,” Himchan said.

 

“But that’s so that they can take care of them, but they don’t deserve to die, Himchan-hyung.”

 

“You’re right.  We can protect them, while still protecting ourselves, and Jaehyo and P.O too,” Himchan told Jongup.

 

“And B-Bomb-hyung and U-Kwonnie-hyung too,” Jongup added.  “Don’t forget about them.”

 

“Right, them too, even if they do think that my ideal weapon choice is old-fashioned.”

 

“Himchan-hyung is old-fashioned,” Jongup joked.

 

“Yah!” Himchan shouted and lightly hit Jongup on the head.  Jongup laughed and soon Himchan did too.  They needed to laugh, just to relieve a bit of the tension.

 

“I’m going to go get something from the kitchen,” Jongup said as he headed towards the door.  “Do you want anything?”

 

“Ani,” Himchan responded, “I’m trying to lose a bit of weight.”

 

Jongup rolled his eyes and replied, “You could do that and still eat if you went to the gym more.”

 

“Pfft!  That’s not going to happen,” Himchan said, causing Jongup to shake his head and smile.

 

“Bye, hyung.”

 

“Bye, Jonguppie,” Himchan responded.  “And don’t worry so much.”

 

“Ne.”  Jongup nodded before walking out of Himchan’s room and closing the door behind him.  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

 

“You’re not ready for this,” a voice said, startling Jongup.

 

“Huh?” he asked turning around and seeing P.O leaning up against the wall.

 

“I know you don’t really want to fight.”

 

“A- ani, I do.  I want to help you all get rid of the Red Tigers,” Jongup replied.

 

“But what about your friends?  Well they might not be your friends now, but still, can you actually kill them?” P.O asked.  Jongup looked down at the ground.  He had been wondering the same thing.  Was P.O listening in on his conversation with Himchan?  “Do you even want to kill them?”

 

No… no Jongup didn’t want to kill them at all.

 

“Don’t worry,” P.O said, lifting Jongup’s chin, causing the younger to look him in the eye.  “I know that you don’t feel the same way about me, but I’m here for you. I will protect you, no matter what.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I will protect you!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Well, I’m off,” Daehyun said as he headed towards the door.

 

“Wait!” Youngjae called after him.  He ran up to Daehyun and pulled on the older’s arm.  “I know that I said I understood, but please!  You can’t go!  You don’t know what will happen.”

 

“It’s okay.  I know you’re worried about me, but I can protect myself,” Daehyun replied.  “Besides I’m not alone.  I have Yongguk and Zelo, and despite how horrible of a person Zico is, he and the other Red Tigers will have our backs too.  I promise that I’ll come back to you.”

 

Youngjae shook his head.  “That’s not what I mean.”

 

“Then what is it?” Daehyun asked.

 

“I need to tell you something,” Youngjae said, sighing.  He opened his mouth to reveal his identity as an undercover agent, but he just couldn’t say anything.

 

“What is it, Jae?” Daehyun asked again.  “You can tell me anything.”

 

“I- I…”

 

Daehyun tried urging Youngjae on.  “You what?”

 

“You’ll hate me,” Youngjae mumbled.”

 

“I could never hate you,” Daehyun said, pulling Youngjae into a hug.  “So just tell me whatever it is.  Don’t worry about how it’ll make me feel.”

 

“I- I…”  Youngjae was struggling with saying it, and instead rushed out, “I told Himchan-hyung to kick Yongguk’s .  So it’s kind of like I’m rooting for the Black Dragons.”

 

Daehyun laughed.  He grabbed at his side as he was laughing so much.  “Is that what you were so worried about telling me?” He asked Youngjae.  “Don’t worry.  I’m well aware of your dislike of Yongguk.  It’s okay.  I won’t take it personally.”

 

Youngjae sighed and mumbled, “Yeah.”

 

“Listen, I need to go,” Daehyun said, peaking at his phone, “before Zico gets too impatient.”

 

“Mm, Araso.”

 

“I swear to you that I’ll be back.”  Daehyun kissed Youngjae and smile.  “Bye, my jagiya.”

 

“Bye,” Youngjae mumbled as he watched Daehyun leave.  As soon as Daehyun was gone, Youngjae closed the door and leaned up against it.  He slid down to the floor and placed his face in his hands.  “Mianhe, Daehyun.  I couldn’t tell you, and I can’t stop it from happening.  Mianhe.”

 

________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N:  The Red Tigers will be in the next chapter