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#deceit and devotion
awkward-sultana · 9 months
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"Why do you blame Hürrem for everything?" (Insp.)
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locoier · 3 months
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cubito loony really kept trying to control what legundo did or didn’t know to the point it caused him constant paranoia and anxiety and made him treat legundo kind of horribly all because he didn’t want to give up their friendship. he killed him in the end, anyway. but he refused to take the easier and more obvious route of just. distancing himself or killing legundo earlier. because he was loyal. and that’s the entire point of everything campfire crew put each other through. they put themselves through hell to stay loyal till the end. even though, in the end, it doesnt really matter. the outcome would have been the same with or without their alliance. but they were all too loyal to leave. WHATEVER!!!!
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walkman-cat · 8 months
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you cannot just reblog a metal post and blorbo tag it without an explanation davey who is eidolon and why does he rule i must know - @pigeonwit
hi pidge! i'm soso glad you asked wbwbw
eidolon vetch is the title of one of my stories! it's a mystery/fantasy/i dont really know set in a city based on turn-of-the-century new york :]
it's primarily about kit allister, alias hermes vetch-- a gentleman thief-- trying to solve the 14-year old disappearance of her lover's ex-betrothed by becoming the assistant of the detective chasing him.
but it's also about a forbidden pantheon of dead gods erased almost completely from history, were it not for the fact that traditions and practices done in two of their names have kept two of them somewhat alive (they're still dead but prayers are answered they still have powers it's confusing but i think also metal as hell). two major characters are technically embodiments of these dead gods but also technically not and neither of them are really suited to the god they're supposed to be it's a fun time
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only-4-cuties · 10 months
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Deceitful Devotions
Ashton
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Deceitful Practices
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by Aiden Wilson Tozer
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. - 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
Still other deadly sins exist within the very circles that make pretense of the most advanced type of godliness; such, for instance, as professing great compassion for the sick, conducting giant meetings for the purpose of bringing healing to them, but slyly separating the hopeless cases from those less serious and more susceptible to psychological impressions, and all the while growing rich on the miseries and pains of humanity. Some of these prophets own large estates, drive huge cars and boast of fabulous wealth tied up in equipment, while the suffering multitudes whose blood they suck hobble or crawl or are carried to meetings. Investigation of one such man carried on by some godly pastors revealed that he had been hiring healthy persons to come up for prayer and pretend to be healed. This was done, he explained when faced with the deed, to "encourage weak faith." Thus lying and deception were deliberately made a part of the purported methods of the Holy Spirit. Others base everything on the power of money and personality, yet testify that they are trusting wholly in the power of the Spirit. And many introduce into their religious work every gimmick known to the world, and so destroy the very thing they profess to cherish. It is sufficient evidence of the moral insensibility of such men that they violently resent even the mention of these things; and it is further proof of the success of their methods that the very public they have betrayed will rush to defend them.
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capnpen · 19 days
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Quick Thought – Sunday, April 7, 2024: You Could be Judas
Read Matthew 26:1-16 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26:14-16 Reflect Guy Fawkes led a plot of Catholic revolutionaries who tried to blow up the British Parliament with…
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novlr · 3 months
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A quick guide to animal symbolism:
Animals have a long history of symbolism that varies between cultures and customs. As literary tropes develop, some animal symbolism has become universally recognised in the western literary canon. Here are some examples you can use in your writing to give subtext, develop motifs, or promote your thematic content.
🐥 Birds: freedom, hope, escape 🦁 Lions: strength, courage, royalty 🐶 Dogs: loyalty, devotion, protection 🐱 Cats: independence, stealth, mystery 🐺 Wolves: intelligence, nature, wildness 🦊 Foxes: cleverness, cunning, deception 🐍 Snakes: temptation, evil, deceit 🦋 Butterflies: transformation, change, new beginnings 🦉 Owls: wisdom, knowledge, mystery 🦅 Eagles: strength, freedom, nobility ◾ Ravens: death, mystery, the unknown 🕊️ Doves: peace, love, purity 🐻 Bears: resurrection, strength, power, new life 🤘 Bulls: virility, sovereignty, wealth
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hoshifighting · 2 months
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"S" on My Chest, 'Cause I'm Ready to Save Him
Synopsis: Amidst the chaos of your world, you found Seungcheol, a man with gummy smile who melted the icy walls around your heart. But just when things were heating up between you two… You find out he's from a rival mafia, all thanks to a tattoo on his back. And you have to protect him.
Warnings: Smut, angst, mafia, oral (f. receiving), pussy slapping, unprotected sex, begging, manhandling, penetrative sex, dirty talk, lies, crying, threat of suicide, violence, organized crime, betrayal and etc.
Word Count: 7.1k
Reader! Mafia X Seungcheol! Enemy Mafia
You, the underboss of a powerful mafia syndicate. Born into a legacy of organized crime, you inherited the reins of power from your father, stepping into a world where loyalty was currency, and trust was a rare gem amidst the sea of deceit.
For years, you navigated the treacherous waters of the underworld with precision and cunning, your focus solely on the tasks at hand, your heart shielded behind walls of steel. Love was a concept long forgotten, buried beneath layers of duty and obligation. You had grown so selective, so cautious, that even the notion of such an emotion seemed foreign, a distant memory fading into the abyss of your past.
But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
Enter Seungcheol - a beacon of light in the darkness, his presence like a breath of fresh air in the smoky haze of your existence. With his dark locks and a gummy smile that could melt even the iciest of hearts, he sauntered into your life like a whirlwind, disrupting the carefully constructed walls you had built around yourself.
At first, he was just a familiar face at your favorite bar, a friendly ear amidst the chaos of your world. He listened to your frustrations with genuine interest, his empathy a balm to your weary soul. Slowly but surely, he wormed his way into your life, becoming not just a friend, but a confidant, a pillar of support in a world where trust was a rare commodity.
Before you knew it, Seungcheol had captured your heart a year ago, his unwavering devotion breaking down the barriers you had so meticulously erected. He showered you with affection, his gestures grand and heartfelt - bouquets of flowers that filled your home with their sweet fragrance, extravagant dinners where laughter flowed freely, and nights filled with excitement and passion.
[...]
As Seungcheol's hips moved with effortless rhythm, igniting waves of pleasure that coursed through your body, you clung to him desperately, as if afraid he might slip away into the night. Your arms wrapped tightly around him, pulling him closer, your heart pounding in sync with his as your chests pressed together in a passionate embrace.
Locked in each other's gaze, your eyes spoke volumes, conveying a depth of emotion that words could never capture. And as the pleasure surged through you like a tidal wave, you couldn't help but moan his name over and over again, each syllable a fervent prayer on your lips.
In the midst of ecstasy, Seungcheol's voice, husky and filled with desire, intertwined with yours in a seductive dance of words.
"You like that, don't you?" he whispered, his breath hot against your ear as he trailed kisses along your neck. "You love it when I make you feel this good."
His words sent shivers down your spine, your body responding eagerly to his touch as he continued to tease and tantalize you with his dirty talk.
"Tell me how much you want it," he murmured, his voice low and commanding. "Tell me how badly you want to cum."
Your breath hitched in your throat, your words tumbling out in a fevered rush as you surrendered to the pleasure he offered.
"I need you" you gasped, your voice raw with desire. "I need you to make me yours, to make me cum until I can't think of anything else but you."
As Seungcheol continued his relentless assault on your senses, driving you to the brink of oblivion, your body responded with fervor, your walls clenching around him in a powerful crescendo of pleasure. Lost in your orgasm, you could feel the sheets beneath you grow damp with the evidence of your cum.
His hips stuttered against yours, his movements becoming erratic as he chased his own release, his face buried in the crook of your neck as he sought solace in your embrace. In that moment of pure bliss, there were no words, no thoughts, only the raw, primal connection between you and him, binding you together in an unbreakable bond of desire and need.
As you slipped out of bed to freshen up in the bathroom, leaving Seungcheol to bask in the warmth of the sheets, you couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. Despite the chaos of your life outside these walls, here, in this moment, everything felt right.
As you returned to the room, your heart fluttered with anticipation, eager to reunite with Seungcheol after your brief absence. But as your eyes fell upon his form, lying face down on the bed, a smile playing on his lips, your breath caught in your throat.
Something was different.
With hesitant steps, you approached him, the smile on your face faltering as you noticed the new addition to his soft skin - a tattoo etched into his flesh, unmistakably belonging to your rival mafia. Your blood ran cold, a shiver coursing through your entire being as the implications of his inked allegiance sank in.
Tentatively, you reached out to touch his back, your fingers tracing the lines of the tattoo with a mixture of disbelief and dread. Every instinct screamed at you to run, to flee from the danger that now lay before you, but you were rooted to the spot, unable to tear your eyes away from the damning mark.
Seungcheol's smile faded as he caught sight of your expression, confusion flickering in his eyes before realization dawned. He rose from the bed, his movements slow and cautious, as if afraid to startle a wild animal.
"Y/N, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern as he reached out to you, his hand outstretched in a gesture of comfort.
But you flinched away, your entire body trembling with fear and uncertainty. How could you have been so blind, so naive to trust someone who bore the mark of your enemy?
"I... I didn't mean for you to find out like this," he said softly, his gaze never leaving yours. "But please, you have to believe me. I'm not who you think I am. I love you, and I would never betray you."
"You knew... you knew who I was all this time..." you breathed out, your voice trembling with a mixture of shock and betrayal. Stepping back, you instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling exposed in a way that Seungcheol had never made you feel before.
As he took a step closer, his expression fraught with concern, you couldn't help but recoil, the weight of his deception heavy upon your shoulders.
But Seungcheol shook his head vigorously, his eyes filled with sorrow as he attempted to calm the storm brewing within you. "No, Y/N, I didn't know at first" he pleaded, his voice cracking. "I swear, I only found out after we were already together."
Your mind raced, trying to reconcile his words with the truth that now lay bare before you. Could you believe him? Your job was no longer to play with dolls in beautiful pink dresses, in which they found her dream prince. Now, any relationship you get involved in would have its consequences.
Feeling vulnerable and exposed, you hugged yourself tighter, your gaze locked with his as you searched for any hint of deceit. But all you found was genuine remorse and a desperate sincerity that tugged at your heartstrings.
Tears welled up in your eyes, finally breaking free in a choked sob as you hastily reached for your clothes, your hands trembling. Seungcheol felt the desperation pulsing through his veins, his heart breaking at the sight of your pain.
He reached out to touch your arm, a gesture of comfort born out of instinct, but you flinched away, your voice trembling as you pleaded with him to refrain. "Please... don't touch me." you whispered, your words a knife to his heart as you recoiled from his touch.
Seungcheol's hand fell limply to his side, the weight of your rejection crushing him with its intensity. You had always craved his touch, sought out his warmth and affection with a hunger that matched his own, and now to see you pull away from him like this was more than he could bear.
"I'm sorry" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as tears began to trail down his cheeks, mirroring the pain in your eyes. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I never meant to hurt you."
You continued to dress yourself in silence.
With a heavy heart, he watched as you prepared to leave, the realization dawning on him that he may never see you again. The thought was like a dagger to his soul, piercing him with a pain that cut deeper than any blade.
"I love you," he whispered hoarsely, his voice barely above a whisper as he reached out to you one last time, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "Please... don't go."
But as you turned away, the tears in your eyes reflecting the agony in his own, Seungcheol knew that it was too late. The damage had been done.
Breathless and heartbroken, you dashed through the empty streets, the sound of your own footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night. Each stride felt like a dagger to your soul, the weight of betrayal heavy on your shoulders as you raced towards your home.
Arriving at last, you wasted no time in summoning your most trusted hacking team, their expertise your only hope in unraveling the truth of Seungcheol's identity. With trembling hands, you guided them through the labyrinth of digital defenses, your heart pounding in your chest as you awaited the results.
And then, there it was - displayed on the screen in stark black and white, irrefutable evidence of Seungcheol's treachery. Not only did he belong to your rival mafia, but he was the very owner, the puppet master pulling the strings behind the scenes.
As the days passed, you heard a distant conversation between your dad and his henchmen. About this gang, the name matching the tattoo of the person you loved the most. The plan would be to meet the leader in an empty warehouse near one of the least busy streets in the metropolis. And that was enough for you to not even want to hear the rest. 
You were going against your own laws, days passed after the incident. But his death was the last thing you wanted. And you knew what your dad was capable of.
Seungcheol's attempts to reach out to you came in waves, a relentless barrage of emails, messages, and calls that served as a constant reminder of the love you craved every day. Despite your best efforts to block him out, he persisted, his promises of redemption and declarations of undying love echoing in your ears like a haunting melody.
Despite the pain that still lingered within you, you knew that you had to push forward, to be the strong, capable woman that your role in the mafia required you to be.
With each calculated move, each careful step, you reaffirmed your commitment to your role within the organization, knowing that nothing could repair the wounds that had been inflicted upon your heart. But even as you buried yourself in your work, the memory of Seungcheol being in danger lingered in the recesses of your mind.
[...]
As you walked with a heavy heart, a gun gripped tightly in your trembling hand, you knew that you were treading dangerous ground. Your father had warned you countless times to steer clear of this mission, but the nagging feeling in your gut told you that you couldn't ignore it - not when the safety of someone so dear to you hung in the balance.
The air was thick with tension as you prowled through the dimly lit alleyways, your senses on high alert as you navigated the maze of crumbling buildings and shadowed corners. The mission weighed heavily on your mind, the stakes higher than ever as you ventured deeper into enemy territory.
And yet, despite the pain, you remained focused on the task at hand, determined to see it through to the end.
Entering in a big empty shed, suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty place, alerting you to the presence of another. Instinctively, you reached for the gun tucked at your waist, your muscles tensing as you prepared for a confrontation.
And then, he stepped into view - Seungcheol, his eyes widening in surprise as he locked gazes with you, the shock evident on his face. "Y/N, this is dangerous shit. What are you doing here?" 
"What is it? Didn't you already know this was my job?" Your damn pride now decided to speak louder.
"Y/N, please... you have to listen to me" he pleaded, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"Tell me why I should trust you," you demanded, your voice laced with anger and hurt. "After you've hidden everything, why should I believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"
"I knew... I knew about your identity," he admitted, his voice strained with regret as he looked at you with eyes filled with pain. "But I didn't know from the beginning. I swear, Y/N, I didn't."
His words hung heavy in the air between you, a silent admission of guilt and regret that echoed in the depths of your soul. And as he continued to speak, his voice raw with emotion, you couldn't help but listen, despite the chaos that raged around you.
"I was alone," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Commanding this and that, but always alone. And you... you were my comfort, my solace. You were the embrace at the end of the day that I craved more than anything."
The weight of his words settled over you like a heavy blanket, the realization dawning on you that perhaps there was more to his deception than met the eye. And as you looked into his eyes, you saw the truth reflected back at you - the fear, the loneliness, the desperate longing for connection that had driven him to keep his secrets buried deep within.
His eyes seemed redder than normal, his dark circles were deep, and you noticed his hands shaking in his pockets. How much you were missed in his life, showing physically in him too. And you don't think it's very different from you.
"I was afraid" he confessed, his voice trembling with vulnerability. "Afraid to tell you, because I knew that sooner or later, this would be your reaction. And I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, of losing the one person who meant everything to me."
And then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room as people entered, forming a circle around you. Among them was your father's team, your dad's trusted compatriots who now stood before you with a mixture of concern and determination etched on their faces.
One of them, your father's longtime partner, stepped forward, his voice grave as he addressed you. "Y/N, you need to leave," he said, his words ringing in your ears like a death knell. "Or else you'll be at risk."
But before you could protest, Seungcheol stepped forward, his expression desperate as he pleaded with you to listen. "Y/N, please," he implored, his voice cracking with emotion. "You have to leave. You can't do this."
You turned to him, your heart aching with the weight of the decision before you.
And then, without hesitation, you raised your gun, pointing it at your own team, who looked at you with shock and disbelief.
Seungcheol's eyes widened in horror as he realized what you were about to do. "No, Y/N, stop!" he cried out, his voice filled with desperation.
But you were beyond reason, consumed by a fierce determination to protect the man you loved at any cost. And as you stood there, gun in hand, facing down your own team, you knew that the line between loyalty and betrayal had blurred beyond recognition.
As your father appeared amidst the confusion, his eyes widened in shock at the scene unfolding before him. The sight of you, tears streaming down your face, with a gun pointed at your own team, was a stark contrast to the composed, capable operative he had always known you to be.
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air as your father took in the gravity of the situation. It had been years since he had seen you cry like this, It was probably while you were still a child, years since you had allowed yourself to show such vulnerability in front of him. And the sight of his child in such distress made his heart ache with a pain he couldn't bear. "What the hell are you doing, Y/N?" he demanded, his eyes searching yours for answers. "Put the gun down, now."
You hesitated, torn between the love you felt for Seungcheol and the loyalty you owed to your father and the team. But before you could respond, Seungcheol stepped forward, his presence a reassuring weight against your back.
But before you could respond, Seungcheol spoke up, his voice filled with urgency. "Y/N, please," he pleaded, his grip on you tightening. "You have to let me go. I can't bear to see you put yourself in danger like this."
He was afraid that you wouldn't be able to bear the weight of the consequences, that the burden of his actions would crush you beneath its weight.
But you refused to let him go, clinging to him as if your life depended on it. For in that moment, Seungcheol was more than just a lover – he was your anchor amidst the storm, the one person who had stood by you through thick and thin. The only person who didn't disappear when he discovered his true identity.
"Dad, please," you pleaded, your voice shaking with emotion. "You don't understand."
But your father's expression remained resolute, his eyes flickering with concern as he took in the scene before him. "I don't care what your reasons are," he replied firmly. "Violence is not the answer."
"Dad, I know violence isn't the answer," you replied, your voice steady despite the tears still streaking down your cheeks. "But you have to understand, if I leave now, they're going to kill him. Don't act like you don't know what they're capable of, because I've seen it firsthand."
Your father's expression softened slightly, a flicker of understanding crossing his features as he took in your words. He may not have agreed with your methods, but he couldn't deny the truth of what you were saying.
As the tension reached its breaking point, you felt the weight of your decision pressing down on you like a suffocating blanket. With the sound of your father's henchmen cocking their guns ringing in your ears, you knew that you were running out of time.
"I would do everything for him, Dad," you said, your voice unwavering despite the fear pulsing through your veins. "And when I say everything, I mean everything."
With trembling hands, you raised your gun and pressed it against your own temple, your heart pounding in your chest as you looked around at the worried faces of those around you. "If anyone moves," you declared, your voice steady, "I will kill myself."
The room fell into a shocked silence, the air heavy with the weight of your words. Even Seungcheol, who stood frozen in disbelief, felt his heart plummet at the sight of you in such a precarious position. Holding your jacket with the intention of making you give up.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still as everyone processed the gravity of the situation. Your father's henchmen hesitated, their guns wavering as they exchanged uncertain glances. And amidst the chaos and confusion, you remained resolute, your finger poised on the trigger, ready to follow through on your desperate threat.
Your team knew that your death would spell the end of everything, that your father would never forgive them for letting it come to this.
"Dad," you began, your voice quivering, "you know I've never asked anything for myself. It's never mattered to me how much money we had or what position we held. But this... this is the only thing I'm asking you for."
Your father's expression softened, his features reflecting the turmoil of emotions swirling within him. Now he knew the depth of your love for Seungcheol, and he understood the lengths you were willing to go to protect him. After all, your dad had never seen you in love before. He observed the way Seungcheol, the mafia leader who needed to be cold enough to bear with leadership, held you tight, afraid to lose you, his own eyes reddened from the tears that hadn't stopped since.
For a moment, the room fell into a heavy silence, the tension palpable as everyone waited for your father's response. And then, with a resigned sigh, he nodded slowly, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and understanding.
"I'll do what I can," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to promise me one thing, Y/N. Promise me that you'll put the gun down."
His words hung in the air, a solemn reminder of the gravity of the situation. And as you looked into your father's eyes, you knew that this was your only chance to save Seungcheol.
With a trembling hand, you lowered the gun, the weight of it slipping from your grasp as you stepped back, the tears still flowing freely down your cheeks. As the tension in the room began to dissipate, your father's authoritative voice cut through the stillness, commanding everyone to lower their guns. With a collective sigh of relief, the henchmen complied, their weapons lowering to their sides as the standoff came to an end.
With the immediate threat diffused, you turned around, your heart heavy with emotion as you sought solace in Seungcheol's comforting embrace. Tears continued to stream down your cheeks as you buried your face in his shoulder, allowing yourself to release the pent-up emotions that had been building within you.
Seungcheol held you tightly, his arms a reassuring anchor amidst the storm of emotions that raged within you. In that moment, the walls you had erected around your heart crumbled, allowing your vulnerability to flood forth like a rushing river.
And as you cried like a baby in his arms, Seungcheol held you close, his own tears mingling with yours as he too allowed himself to be vulnerable in your presence. Together, you shared a moment of raw emotion, a testament to the depth of your love and the strength of your bond.
Meanwhile, your father stood nearby, his expression a mixture of relief and contemplation as he observed the scene before him. Wiping his forehead with his hand, he took in the gravity of the situation, the weight of his daughter's love for Seungcheol weighing heavily on his heart.
In that moment, amidst the chaos and the turmoil, your father realized that he couldn't ignore the truth any longer. The love you and Seungcheol were sharing behind his back, was undeniable, and he knew that he would do whatever it took to protect it, even if it meant going against everything he had ever believed in.
As the tension eased and the henchmen filed out of the room under your father's silent command, a heavy silence settled over the empty space, leaving only you, Seungcheol, and your father standing amidst the remnants of the standoff.
The sound of footsteps echoing against the cold, concrete walls served as a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation that had just unfolded. Your father's expression remained inscrutable as he turned to face the two of you, his gaze lingering on the intertwined figures of you and Seungcheol.
Once they were gone, your father turned his attention to Seungcheol, his expression unreadable as he addressed the mafia leader. "Where are your henchmen?" he asked, his tone measured but tinged with curiosity.
Seungcheol met your father's gaze squarely, his own eyes unwavering as he replied, "I came alone, sir."
Your father's eyebrows furrowed in surprise, a mixture of confusion and concern crossing his features. "Why would you do that?" he questioned, his voice laced with genuine curiosity. "Putting yourself in danger like this."
Seungcheol's expression softened slightly, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips as he looked at you, his eyes filled with warmth and affection. "Because I knew Y/N's father was here," he explained, his voice steady. "And I didn't want to risk any violence, not when her family is involved."
Your father's gaze softened, a hint of admiration shining through as he regarded Seungcheol. "I see," he said, his tone reflecting a newfound respect for the man standing before him. "That's quite a risk you took, Seungcheol. But I appreciate your efforts to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."
Seungcheol nodded, a sense of relief washing over him as he received your father's approval. "Thank you, sir," he replied, his voice humble. "I just want what's best for Y/N, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."
Your father's gaze softened as he took in the sight of your swollen eyes and trembling form, the toll of the intense standoff evident in every quiver of your body. With a gentle hand, he placed it on your head, a silent gesture of comfort and reassurance.
"Y/N," he said softly, his voice filled with paternal concern, "you need to rest. It's been a long night, and you've been through a lot."
You nodded weakly, the exhaustion washing over you like a tidal wave. Despite the adrenaline still coursing through your veins, the weight of the events that had unfolded left you feeling drained and emotionally spent.
Turning to Seungcheol, your father's expression softened even further. "Take care of her," he instructed, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude. "She's been through enough tonight."
Seungcheol nodded solemnly, his eyes reflecting a sense of determination as he took your hand in his. "I will," he promised, his voice steady. "I'll make sure she gets some rest."
[...]
As you stepped through the door, you felt a weight lift off your shoulders, the tension of the night slowly beginning to ebb away.
Without a word, Seungcheol guided you to the couch, his arm wrapped protectively around your shoulders as he led you to sit down. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver of comfort through you, easing the ache that lingered in your bones.
As you settled onto the couch, Seungcheol disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a blanket and a steaming mug of tea. He draped the blanket over your shoulders, his touch gentle and reassuring, before handing you the mug with a soft smile.
"Drink this," he said softly, his voice laced with concern. "It'll help you relax."
As Seungcheol sat beside you, his gaze filled with concern, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the tension that lingered between you. With a hesitant voice, he broached the subject that had been weighing on his mind since the events of the night unfolded.
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked softly, his eyes searching yours for any sign of forgiveness
"I'm not mad, Seungcheol," you began, your voice soft but steady. "I'm just... confused."
Seungcheol nodded, his expression filled with empathy as he listened intently. "I understand," he replied, his voice gentle. "I know I've kept things from you, and I'm sorry for that."
You sighed, the frustration and uncertainty of the situation bubbling to the surface. "I just don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner," you admitted.
Seungcheol's expression softened at your words, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. "I understand," he replied, his voice gentle. "But I want you to know that I never meant to keep anything from you. I just... I didn't know how to tell you."
You nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. "I know," you said quietly. "And I forgive you. But moving forward, I don't want there to be any more secrets between us." 
Seungcheol nodded solemnly, his eyes locking with yours in a silent promise. "I agree," he said, his voice firm. "No more secrets. I'll tell you everything, I promise."
The sincerity in his words washed over you like a wave, easing the tension that had settled between you. And as you talked, the conversation flowed freely, the walls between you crumbling away as you laid bare your fears and insecurities.
"It's just... I miss you, Seungcheol," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "I miss us. The way things used to be."
Seungcheol's expression softened at your words, his heart aching at the pain he had caused you. "I miss it too," he confessed, his voice filled with longing. "I miss being able to be completely open with you, to share everything without reservation."
You felt a surge of emotion welling up inside you, a mixture of love and frustration that threatened to overwhelm you. "I love and hate how you bring out this side of me," you admitted, chuckling. "The side that's open-hearted and vulnerable, that shows my feelings like a teenager in love."
Without another word, you reached out, pulling him close by his neck and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. Seungcheol leaned into the kiss, his own desire evident in the way he responded, but before things could escalate further, he pulled back, his expression conflicted.
"Y/N, we... we should take things slow," he said gently, his voice tinged with regret. "You've been through a lot tonight, and you need to rest."
But you shook your head, your eyes darkening with desire as you leaned in closer, your lips brushing against his in a silent plea for more. "I'm not tired, Seungcheol," you whispered, your breath mingling with his. "Not when I'm with you."
As Seungcheol pulled you onto his lap, a surge of desire coursed through your veins, igniting a fiery passion that consumed you both. His hand tangled in your hair, sending shivers down your spine as he pressed you down onto his throbbing cock.
Desperation fueled your movements as you eagerly tugged at the hem of his shirt, your fingers fumbling with the fabric in your haste to rid him of the barrier between you. With a husky laugh, Seungcheol obliged, lifting his arms to allow you to peel the shirt from his toned torso. 
The sight of his bare chest sent a rush of heat to your core, the muscles rippling beneath his skin a tantalizing invitation that you couldn't resist. Your hands roamed greedily over his chest, tracing every contour and dip as you reveled in the feel of him beneath your fingertips. "You're so eager, aren't you?" he teased, his voice husky with desire. "But don't worry, my love. I'm not going anywhere."
Seungcheol's laughter echoed in the room, a sound that only served to fuel your desire further. With a hungry growl, you leaned in to capture his lips in a searing kiss, your tongues dancing in a passionate tango as you lost yourselves in the heat of the moment.
As you continued to grind your clothed core against Seungcheol's throbbing cock confined within his jeans, the intensity of your arousal reached new heights. The sensation was so intense that you had to break the kiss, letting out a low, guttural moan that reverberated against Seungcheol's lips.
His own desire was evident, his chin quivering as he fought to hold back his own moans of pleasure. But unable to resist any longer, Seungcheol swiftly freed you from your shirt, his hands deftly unclasping your bra and tossing it aside.
With a sense of urgency, Seungcheol lowered his head, capturing one of your exposed nipples in his mouth. A jolt of pleasure shot through you as his warm tongue flicked against the sensitive bud, his lips closing around it in a deliciously tantalizing embrace.
Seungcheol lavished attention on one nipple, his hand eagerly reachingj for the other, his fingers expertly pinching and rolling the hardened peak between his fingertips. 
As you opened your eyes, the world around you seemed to blur for a moment before coming into focus. And in that instant, you realized that you were no longer on the couch, but instead lying naked on Seungcheol's bed.
A surprised gasp escaped your lips as you took in the sight before you, the realization sinking in that Seungcheol had effortlessly whisked you away to his bedroom with incredible speed. It was yet another testament to his quick reflexes and agility, qualities that you found incredibly alluring.
Seungcheol's lips left a trail of wet, fiery kisses down your skin, each one igniting a new wave of desire within you. Your eyes followed his every movement, locking onto his gaze as he looked up at you with a hunger that mirrored your own.
With a slow, deliberate motion, his tongue traced a tantalizing path along your slick folds, eliciting a moan of pleasure from deep within your throat. The sensation of his tongue against your sensitive flesh sent shockwaves of ecstasy coursing through your body, your slick wetting his tongue as he continued to explore every inch of your pussy.
But as his tongue teased and tantalized your clit, driving you to the brink of madness with each flick and swirl, you couldn't help but tremble with anticipation.
"Please," you whimpered, your voice thick with desire. "Stop teasing me, Seungcheol. I need you."
Seungcheol's lips curved into a mischievous smile as he looked up at you, his eyebrows furrowing with amusement. "Oh, baby," he cooed, his voice dripping with lust. "But teasing you is half the fun. And besides, I love seeing you squirm and moan for me."
As Seungcheol's tongue lapped at your clit with an intensity that bordered on exquisite torture, you felt a fire ignite within you, consuming you with a burning desire that threatened to consume you whole. Your back arched involuntarily, a promise of the orgasm that loomed tantalizingly close on the horizon.
But just as you felt yourself teetering on the edge of ecstasy, Seungcheol abruptly pulled away, leaving you panting and trembling with need. Your legs quivered with embarrassment as he rose from between your thighs, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
Desperate for release, you begged him once more, your voice thick with desire and longing. But instead of granting your request, Seungcheol pouted playfully, delivering little slaps to your swollen pussy that sent shocks of pleasure coursing through your body.
Each slap elicited a gasp of pleasure from deep within your throat, your hips instinctively bucking against his hand in search of more. And when Seungcheol least expected it, you surprised him by cumming just from the sensation of his hand against your sensitive flesh.
With a cry of ecstasy, you grabbed hold of his wrist, pressing his hand firmly against your throbbing cunt as you rode out the waves of pleasure that crashed over you. 
"Well, well, well," he teased, his voice dripping with a hint of mockery. "Looks like someone's a little too eager, hmm? Cumming just from a few little slaps on that pretty little pussy of yours."
With a coy tilt of your head, you met his gaze squarely, your voice steady despite the lingering traces of embarrassment. "Well then," you said, your tone playful yet assertive. "Are you going to fuck this pussy or what?"
Seungcheol's sudden assertiveness took you by surprise, his red ears and the way his pants and underwear fell to the ground signaling his overwhelming desire. Before you could react, he had manhandled you around the room, pressing your back against the wall with a force that left you breathless.
"Since you want to feel this cock," he murmured huskily, his voice sending shivers down your spine, "you're going to feel it entirely."
With that, he thrust his cock deep inside of your pussy, your walls clenching around him as he filled you completely. His grip tightened behind your legs, holding you securely against him as you clung to his neck, your nails digging into his skin with a mixture of pleasure and desperation.
As the position allowed him to hit your g'spot with each powerful thrust, pleasure surged through you in waves, igniting a fire within you that threatened to consume you whole. Your eyes rolled back in ecstasy, your body arching against his as you surrendered to the overwhelming sensation of pleasure that washed over you.
Seungcheol's voice was a low, guttural moan as he continued to drive into you, each thrust pushing you closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. "You like that, don't you?" he growled, his voice thick with desire. "Feeling me deep inside you, hitting all the right spots."
"Oh God! Seungcheol-ah!"
Seungcheol's eyes darkened with desire as he heard you moan his name, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "That's it, baby," he growled, his voice thick with lust. "Moan my name again. I want to hear you scream it."
His words sent a thrill of excitement coursing through you, igniting a fire within you that burned hotter with each passing moment. With a sense of urgency, you complied, your voice a breathless whisper as you cried out his name once more.
"Seungcheol," you moaned, the sound echoing through the room as pleasure washed over you in a relentless wave. "Oh god, Seungcheol, yes!"
With a hand tangled in Seungcheol's hair, you felt the tension building within you, the waves of pleasure crashing over you like a tidal wave. "I'm cumming, baby, I'm cumming," you warned, your voice trembling with anticipation as you felt the climax approaching.
Seungcheol responded with slow, sharp, and hard thrusts, each one sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body. The sensation was almost too much to bear, but you welcomed it eagerly, relishing in the overwhelming pleasure that consumed you.
"I got you, baby, I got you," Seungcheol murmured, his voice filled with reassurance and desire. "Oh my god, cum for me."
His words were all it took to push you over the edge, your body convulsing with pleasure as you creamed all over his cock. The sound of your release mixed with the slickness of your arousal filled the room, a symphony of wetness that echoed off the walls.
In that moment, any doubts you had about Seungcheol's strength faded away, replaced by the certainty of his embrace. His arms held you so tight that you couldn't help but feel safe, trusting him completely to carry you through the intensity of your orgasm.
As Seungcheol gazed into your eyes, he couldn't help but be captivated by the lazy smile that played on your lips, your gaze still clouded with the aftermath of pleasure. He gently lay you back on the bed, his fingers trailing along your skin as he asked if you could handle another round.
"Ready for round two, baby?" Seungcheol murmured, his voice thick with desire as he positioned himself between your legs. "I want to make you cum again, even harder this time."
Your breath caught in your throat at his words, excitement coursing through you as you eagerly awaited his touch. "Oh god, yes," you moaned, your voice a breathless whisper. "Please, Seungcheol, fuck me hard."
You nodded eagerly, a playful glint dancing in your eyes as you spread your legs for him, inviting him to take you once more. 
With a growl of approval, Seungcheol buried his cock deep inside of your sopping cunt, the sensation of him filling you once again sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body. With each powerful thrust, he drove deeper into you, feeling your pussy getting tighter every second. 
"Fuck, you feel so good," Seungcheol groaned, his voice thick with lust as he lost himself in the rhythm of your bodies moving together. "I could fuck you like this all night long."
"Yes, Seungcheol," you moaned, your voice hoarse already "Fuck me harder, baby. Make me cum all over your cock."
Seungcheol whimpered at your words, you could feel the intensity of his desire growing, his cock twitching inside of you with each thrust. Determined to drive him over the edge, you watched with anticipation as he licked his thumb and began to massage your clit with incredible speed.
As your pussy clenched around him, Seungcheol felt a surge of pleasure shoot through his body, his own orgasm crashing over him with an intensity that left him trembling. He watched you in awe, your head thrown back in ecstasy as you screamed in pleasure, your body writhing beneath him as you rode out the waves of your climax.
With almost closed eyes, Seungcheol's gaze remained fixed on you, his own pleasure mirrored in the way his body convulsed with each pulse of release. His hands trembled around your hips as his cum spilled into you, filling you up with each pulsating throb.
Despite his best efforts to keep up the dirty talk, Seungcheol found himself overcome by the overwhelming sensation of pleasure, his words reduced to incoherent moans and stuttered phrases. "Oh god," he groaned, his voice thick with lust. "You feel so good, baby. So fucking good."
As Seungcheol crawled to you and laid his head on your chest, hugging you tightly, you felt a sense of warmth and comfort enveloping you. But when you felt the hot tears against your skin, your heart clenched with worry.
"What's wrong, Seungcheol?" you asked softly, your voice filled with tenderness and concern. "Why are you crying?"
His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he met your gaze, his expression a mixture of sadness and regret. "I just... I can't believe how brave you were today," he murmured. "You risked everything to protect me, even after everything that happened. And I... I just wish I could have protected you better."
Your heart ached at his words, the depth of his love and concern for you shining through despite his tears. Wrapping your arms around him, you held him close, offering him comfort and reassurance in the face of his distress.
"You don't need to protect me, Seungcheol," you whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "We protect each other. That's what love is all about."
Seungcheol's tears continued to fall, but you could sense a glimmer of relief in his eyes as he leaned into your embrace, finding solace in your words.
"I missed you so much, Seungcheol," you whispered, your voice filled with love and longing. "More than you'll ever know."
His eyes softened at your words, a small smile playing on his lips as he reached out to cup your cheek tenderly. "I love you," he said softly, his voice a gentle caress against your skin.
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kmac4him1st · 2 years
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Amazing Women
Women, created and shaped by God in their mother's womb, are simply-significantly, Awe-Amazing. For all you women who are mom's a blessed Mother's Day is hoped for you. God bless you, KimberlyMac
Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then…
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dominadespina · 1 month
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THE SINS OF DESPINA HATUN
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Since the 14th century, one woman has haunted the history of the Ottoman Empire and the very minds of their historians with her influence over a Sultan who suffered a hummiliating fate.
The only wife of a Sultan who has been the target of curses; Despina Hatun. 
The reason for this great hatred of her has to do with the fact that she was influential and remain christian throughout her marriage. She was able to maitain the first and main place in the harem of her husband and to make him like her. A likeness that overtime grew into love and devotion. 
Her wishes did not remain mere wishes, and for this reason the muslim associates of Sultan Yildirim Bayezid Han, as well as later Turksih historians resented her. Today most people remember her as “Bayezid’s great love”. 
To Ottoman sources she was a fatal woman who lured their Sultan into sin. It can be concluded from that amount of hatred that she was allowed privileges and more power than was allowed for a foreign wife of a Sultan, or an imperial wife in general.
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SHE MADE THE SULTAN FALL FOR HER
"As for Yıldırım, let's say that he fell in love with the princess." - Necdet Sakaoğlu. Bu Mülkün Kadın Sultanları, pg 83
"Throughout his life he was devoted to Despina, and his brother-in-law Stephen in turn was a devoted and steadfast friend." - Herbert Gibbons. The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire
According to Chalkokondyles, when Bayazit's favorite wife, Lazareva [daughter], whom he took everywhere with him into battle, was captured and handed over to Tamerlane, he ordered that wine be served to him there, in front of her husband. The enraged Bayazit told Tamerlane that what he was doing was not worthy of his father and mother. - Две српске султаније : Оливера Лазаревић (1373-1444), Мара Бранковић (1418-1487), pg 107
"When the latter's wife, the daughter of Lazar, whom he loved more than any of the others, had been taken away, and Timur was taking her around in the camp with him, he made her pour his wine in front of Bayezid, her husband." - Laonikos Chalkokondyles
"He kept her close – she accompanied him everywhere - he appeared unable to part from her. She was the one person, who influenced him most and was of course blamed by the Ottoman chroniclers for the fall of Beyazid’s empire into the hands of Timur. They considered the young sultan totally captivated by her."- Anna Buxton. The European Sultanas of the Ottoman Empire
It is widely understood that throughout their marriage Despina and Bayezid shared a devoted sentiment-perhaps more on his part-despite the circumstances that brought them together. The couple had similar interests such as politics, wine, partying, European customs, conversations and according to historians found constant erotic pleasure with each other. Though all of these cited interests might just be Ottoman historians attempts to depict this woman as deceitful.
" The sexually robust woman – she satisfies all his desires- but remains a Christian." - Richard Franz Kreutel performs a service to Ottoman polemic.
It is said that for some days, Bayezid remained in Despina's chamber and completely forgot about state affairs.
Olivera (Despina Hatun) is accused by Ottoman historians of using her charms and beauty to lure Bayezid to her. This seems highly untrue as Bayezid's harem is labeled as being filled with "forbidden beauties." He could have set his sight on another with more charm and beauty, and in fact he did, but still remained devoted to Despina.
It seems they use her beauty and political influence only as a means to label her as a Femme Fatale who is cunning, power-hungry and worst even, an infidel. Yet, when we look at foreign sources about the personality of Despina Hatun, she is describe as being gentle and flowery.
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SHE WAS ALLOWED POLITICAL INFLUENCE
According to Dr. Zeljko Fajfric in his work "Srpske kraljice i princeze," released in 2007, no sultana before Olivera, who did not convert to Islam, managed to become so influential.
Yet something that is enough to critize him on is that he only puts this influence of hers to be due to her charms and beauty, yet again unintentionally labeling her as a femme fatale.
If beauty was all it took to have political influence, dozens more like her would have succeeded in that aspect, but she remains the only wife of Bayezid who had significant importance on politics.
Either Bayezid often sought after her opinion in matters of state or he took her as an advisor which might be the reason she was often with him, but no, a good scent, a soft spoken voice, long hair or enchanting glances will work, at least not for very long, even for a man prone to pleasure like Bayezi, and as we know Despina's political influence grew more with time than it decline.
A few things that are attributed to her council...
I: She helped accelerate the transfer of Prince Lazar's body back to Serbia.
II: She freed and paid ransoms for enslaved christians with the help of her brother; Stefan.
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SHE BROUGHT DEBAUCHERY TO THE OTTOMAN COURT
Despina is often blamed for having introduced wine at the Ottoman court.
This sin that Bayezid's partook in can not be credited to Despina because he was already throwing such feasting assemblies ever since his princehood. Him and Despina married in 1390, he was well too familiar with wine and pleasure prior to their marriage.
Despina, later on, might have organized such festivities for him.
" Wine and kebab assembly was established. The infidel's daughter came and toasted Ali Pasha. The lady said, see the moment." - Aşıkpaşazade.
Still it is highly unlikely that Despina, who comes from a culture where married women do not speak in the presence of men would even partake in such assemblies filled with drunk men.
What is more likely is that she organized her own wine assemblies in the harem, with the presence of other women, but the chances of her doing such a thing as drinking in the presence of men is highly unlikely.
She might have even brought wine and so called debauchery to the once "pious" court of the harem, but as for the men; who take up the majority parties in politics and war, they were already familiar with the beverage.
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dondeeee911 · 5 days
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How would your FS feel about your past?
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It's hard to let go, isn't it?🥹
green tea cup > blue tea cup > pink tea cup
Pile 1
   Your FS can sense that you’ve experienced perpetual events in your past. People and mental blockages may have got in the way of your unique path, your FS can instinctively point that out. Overall, healing has become extremely important to you and your future. Some of you may look into your habitual habits and unwanted behaviors, wanting to cut ties with these inherited traits. They see you as a seeker of high morality; exuding selfless energy. A humanitarian-like personality, someone who is truly devoted to their family and peers in their community. They understand that you may have lost a sense of self when it came to being of service to others, even in the relationship you have with them. Your person is in constant admiration of you! In their eyes, you are someone who has transformed their triumphs, wounds, and goals into fruitful rewards. Your FS won’t let you slip away into the depths of your past, they are here to save you, from all of it. 🥹Your past inspires them to collaborate and do some kind of healing work with you! 
Pile 2  
     Nothing about your past you regret, confidently! Your FS gets this perfectionist streak about you. You could have advocated for something or got into leadership roles in your community. I mean nobody is perfect, but you on the other hand have managed to get through the loopholes in life effortlessly. A wise, discerning, calculated person who just knows where their next venture is. They could feel like you may have been a bit of a self-absorbed person in your past, not wanting to be interfered with. Your person understands you have an urge for forward movement and not letting too much of anything get in your way. Your FS could be intimidated by your past seeing you as an evolved person who made better choices than they did. There could be some emotional manipulation and mischief coming from your person. They could secretly try to get you off track by over-caring for you or feeling the need to make an opinion on what you could do better. Don’t let them make you feel the need to second guess yourself or feel guilty for wanting to act on something new. Can you see through the BS? You can even sniff out your person’s deceit! Can they handle your extreme confidence or their lack of resilience?
Pile 3
    Artistic expression and Romance consumed your past. Your FS could be someone you already know or a supporter of your lifestyle. Due to your need for status and constantly being desired by numerous suitors, they could have been a secret admirer of yours just hiding behind the scenes! You could have been into artistic pursuits that consisted of music, beauty, local arts, or photography. Maybe they saw your work displayed on social media, in a gallery, or just heard about it through familiar peers. You became their muse and didn’t even know it!  When they acknowledge you and what you’ve overcome in life they find meaning in the work you’ve created as if you healed yourself through it. Making you the person you are today. It heals them, you are their masterpiece, the melodic tune to their heart, they loved you through every era, your biggest fan! I wonder who it is👀 whose heart longs for YOU? If you felt called to choose pile 2 at first, I suggest you go back and read it.
Copyright © 2024 dondeeee911. All rights reserved.
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lina-studen · 1 month
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"something floral": literature student blabbering about the usage of flower symbolism in "nevermore", how it ties to the theme of insanity and a little bit (a lot) about shakespeare.
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from lenore's perspective, flowers are closely associated with isolation caused by her trauma and supposed "hysteria". floral pattern wallpaper accompanied her loneliness for days, months, even years. image of the flowers signaled that lenore's position would remain unchanged, that she was stuck, that she would continue to slowly loosing the clarity of her mind.
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having torn the wallpaper off the walls, lenore believes that she will never see this image again, but flowers continue to accompanying her. lenore sees them again during her first meeting with annabel lee. and during the last one, too. she may have managed to get out of her lonely room, gain more strength in her legs, find a new friend, but lenore is still trapped. she's the daughter disowned by her parents, a stain on the family reputation that must be hidden forever. the image of flowers doesn't let her forget about it.
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similar symbolism is also not alien to annabel lee. episode 66 is interesting in particular, because it directly quotes ophelia's monologue. I'm a big fan of shakespeare, it was he who instilled in me an interest in floral symbolism. a year ago, for a conference on foreign literature, I wrote an article about flower language of "hamlet". it's not available in english, but I'll list down some points that I considered relevant regarding "nevermore".
• rosemary can serve as a keepsake between lovers and also between the dead and the living. it could be seen at both weddings and funerals. in the old days it was also believed to be helpful in mental illnesses treatment.
• pansies, just like violets, symbolize innocence and devotion. ophelia doesn't consider the people around her worthy of violets, since she blames them for the death of her father.
• rue is a symbol of eternal suffering; grieving over her murdered father and the loss of her beloved hamlet, ophelia leaves some of the flowers for herself.
• the image of daisies has a close connection with the concepts of innocence, fidelity and eternal love. in shakespeare's tragedy, this symbol is overshadowed by the fact that in the world around ophelia there's no place for these beautiful things. for "nevermore" the symbol is also not so positive, since the readers are already familiar with daisies. they were on that wallpaper in lenore's room.
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it's impossible not to note that annabel lee recites the monologue while in the bath, in the water. ophelia decides not to resist the river flow. her life turned into a tragedy: she was left without a father, her lover has seemingly lost his mind. her own sanity is also called into question. ophelia sings cryptic songs, goes into the field to weave a wreath, gives flowers to other characters. in the eyes of those around them, hamlet and ophelia seem crazy, while being the only sane and honest people among them. there's no place for tender, innocent ophelia in a cruel, deceitful world, so she drowns.
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annabel lee also reflects on how both she and lenore are considered madwomen. her meeting with "leo" is accompanied by floral pattern on the annabel's dress. their madness is contextual, they both are perfectly sane, but don't fit into the system that could be leading to real madness with time. "all madwomen die twice. at least twice".
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now about the arboretum. it obviously has a lot of flowers, but in my opinion this place is interesting in a different context. lenore and annabel visited the arboretum twice to discuss upcoming plans and such, and there are many parallels, both visual and narrative. not much time has passed since last time, but their situation has changed. they seem to look on their past selves from the upper level, having their conflict more acute now. I'll make a more detailed post about it later.
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and now I'll just focus on how the characters in this arboretum full of roses behave as lost and confused as in the phobia-inducing flower labyrinth from earlier episodes. “the closer you get to beautiful flowers, the closer you get to their thorns,” says duke in episode 38. the flower imagery haunting the main characters doesn't let them forget that their sanity is always on a verge of slipping. and once a flower falls from its stem, it cannot be fixed.
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p.s. guess which writer’s works I chose for a new article this year?
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dokidokitsuna · 2 months
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Tragic Sky
(very long salty rant ahead (+new Alterna backstory, though! ^^;))
So I've always thought Alterna’s backstory, despite being presented as a grand mystery that’s definitely worth fighting through 90% of the missions to uncover in its entirety…was kinda stupid. :/ I’m all for humanity destroying itself for ridiculous reasons, but trying to launch a rocket in an enclosed space?? Are you serious…? o_O How could the Alternans devote such immense amounts of time and energy to something like that without once thinking, “hey, uh…burning metric tons of high-energy fuel inside of our flammable safety dome might be a little unsafe, idk”.
And it shouldn’t even have been necessary! DX I mean, if they were able to build a dome like that in the first place, wouldn’t they have some sort of scaffolding or elevator system they could use to reach the top and just literally climb out if they wanted to leave that badly?? Had Alterna existed for so long that the technology used to create it was lost to time (seeing as it’s implied that Alterna was destroyed by its SECOND generation, I doubt it)...?? Or, did the writers suddenly realize that coming up with pseudo-scientific lore that explains why inkfishes resemble humanity is wholly unnecessary and adds nothing to the themes of Splatoon…but it was too late to rework the concept, so they just finished off the story with whatever-the-heck and called it a day. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I guess we’ll never know...
Anyway, my version of Alterna’s backstory starts with a similar premise: humans invented crystal thingies that can manifest people’s desires and whatnot…but this alone caused conflict that eventually doomed Alterna. People began to make their own interpretations of other people’s desires, judging and condemning them for how they manifested. They began treating the crystals’ reflections as compulsory measures of morality and worth, rather than simple expressions of the human heart that exist outside of a good/bad binary. Alterna’s leaders envisioned themselves creating a society of ‘pure truth’, free from the destructive power of deceit and subterfuge…all the while ignoring the destructive power of paranoia and exclusion that they immersed themselves in.
Exclusion escalated to oppression, which eventually spawned rebellion: plans were made to create a rocket that would allow a select group of ‘undesirables’ to escape Alterna for the surface world, destroying the integrity of their safe haven in the process. Despite not knowing what was waiting for them out there, they were willing to take the risk in the name of freedom. Eventually, this secret plan was revealed to the public, resulting in Alterna’s first and last civil war. As the Alternans began to fight and kill each other, the crystals were overwhelmed with the unprecedented ferocity of their clashing desires-- “a violent and terrible chain reaction ensued”, and the energy within them exploded outward. The sky dome, still filled with the beautiful blue of the peoples’ wishes for peace and happiness, came crumbling down, raining fire and shrapnel upon Alterna. The still-poisoned air of the outside world flowed freely into the cavern, ensuring the eventual death of anyone who might have survived.
…Then the crystals fell in the ocean, the sea creatures were imbued with human hopes and dreams, yadda yadda, all that’s basically the same as the canon too. And although I still think it’s unneeded (the mere concept of a bygone humanity in Splatoon carries plenty of weight without all this “lore”, imo), at least now the story isn’t stupid!
It speaks to the way humans actually treat each other, and blames their downfall on their long-established bad habits of cruelty and callousness, rather than morally-neutral traits like ambition and pursuit of the unknown (I would never have expected “curiosity killed the cat” as the lesson of the day from Splatoon, of all franchises. o_O This IS the same game that celebrates individual expression and forging your own path, right…?)
Anyway…I’m gonna be using elements of this rewritten backstory and the theme of “manifesting desires” to flesh out the final boss encounter and Agent 3’s subtle character arc. So please look forward to that~
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capnpen · 1 month
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Quick Thought – Monday, March 18, 2024: The Betrayal of a Friend
Read Matthew 26:47-56 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.  Matthew 26:48-49 Reflect When I was a child, friends were sometimes hard to come by. I was generally a bit awkward, and I tended to use my mail a good bit more than my ears. As a result, I sometimes…
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15 Beautiful Lover-to-Enemies Dialogue Prompts | Betrayal Prompts
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"Do you remember the vows we made under the moon's gentle glow? How quickly they turned to ash, scattered by the winds of deceit."
"Your words were once my solace, but now they cut deeper than any blade forged in malice."
"In the labyrinth of our love, I found myself lost, only to realize you were the minotaur lurking in the shadows."
"Every kiss we shared was a dagger coated in honey, sweet yet deadly."
"The stars witnessed our passion, but they now mock our folly as we stand on opposite sides of a war we ourselves ignited."
"Our hearts beat as one, once upon a time. Now they drum the rhythm of discord and resentment."
"I thought I knew the depths of your soul, only to find abysses of betrayal waiting to devour me whole."
"Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I emerge from the ruins of our love, reborn as your adversary."
"You were the melody to my symphony, but now your discordant notes shatter the harmony we once shared."
"We danced on the edge of oblivion, oblivious to the precipice that awaited our descent into enmity."
"The echoes of our laughter haunt me, mocking the innocence we thought would shield us from the venom of betrayal."
"Our love was a tapestry woven with threads of gold, now unraveling into a tangled web of lies and deception."
"I offered you my heart on a silver platter, only for you to feast upon it with the appetite of a ravenous beast."
"We were poets of passion, crafting verses of devotion with every whispered promise. Now our words are weapons, dripping with venomous intent."
"The sunrise that once painted our love with hues of warmth and hope now heralds the dawn of our animosity, casting long shadows of regret across the battlefield of our hearts."
Short Note From Me!
Many fans of Enemies to Lovers often overlook the possibility of exploring Lover to Enemies. This underrated trope is one of my favorites and I believe it has the potential to make a novel truly stand out. If you have space in your story for this unique twist, I assure you it will result in an amazing read.
I created these dialogue prompts to inspire writers to explore the theme of lovers turning into enemies, showcasing a different form of betrayal.
Happy writing - Rin T.
195 notes · View notes
sweetwolfcupcake · 11 months
Text
The Taste of Deceit( Hyung line Part One)
Request
Yandere Masterlist
Warnings: Violence, Dark Characters with Darker Intentions. And the plot would only get darker from here. Disturbing imagery, allusions, blood.
Word Count: 14k+ (Yes, I lost myself in the flow)
(GIF credits to the owner. I do not own them)
Kindly excuse the typos and errors
*****
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The night was young and the stars were restless.
The night was young and the club was booming.
The night was young…
yet it felt like the darkest hour when his eyes met hers. 
(Y/N) worked as a bartender at an elite bar in the city- sort-after, high-end, but oddly lowkey. It was subtle, but an experienced pair of eyes would point out the oddities with ease.
As he sauntered towards her section, she busied herself with arranging the glasses and the mixers.
She had sworn to herself that she would stay out of trouble, and the broad-shouldered man with lips that seemed to be the carrier of kisses from paradise looked nothing less than trouble- big, deep trouble. 
“What specials do we have tonight?”
(YN) almost flinched at his voice, but her actions remained smooth as ever as she arranged the glasses. She managed to put up a smile though
“Cosmopolitan, French 75 and Paloma.”
“Cosmopolitan with olives please.” 
Even his voice was honey-like. But it held an unusual edge to it– some rare kind of honey- light but the right amount of sweet.
“I haven’t seen you before.” 
He stated as a matter of fact.
“I joined a few months ago,” she replied 
“I visited here last week.”
“I used to work the morning shift, it’s my first day in the evening shift.” she replied softly while handing him his drink.”
He smiled as he sipped from his drink but his eyes never left hers.
“Hope it’s not too overwhelming for you?”
“A little.” she admitted sheepishly “But my colleagues have been incredibly helpful, I think I will be settled soon.”
He hummed before finishing off his drink with a swig “I am Jin,” he offered his hand for a shake. 
With a somewhat hesitant smile, she took it– his hold was firm but his hands felt warm and smooth, just like his eyes.
The night was young and the stars were restless.
The night was young and the club was booming.
The night was young, yet when he smiled, 
it felt like slow electricity pulsing through the air
Jin– Kim Seokjin.
(Y/N) noted. The description that she was provided did no justice to what she was experiencing at the moment– his aura, his appearance, everything hit her at once.
The night was still young
And it was a long way ahead.
But officer (Y/N) (L/N) was determined.
“Liya. My name is Liya Grace.” she introduced herself.
The night was young
And she had taken the first step
—------------
Kim Seokjin was many things, Liya came to know that with her two years spent with him. He was a perfect gentleman, and he remembered exactly how many teaspoons of sugar she liked in her coffee and he oddly remembered the days that were otherwise insignificant to Officer (Y/N)- the person behind the mask of sweet and charming Liya Grace.
Little things mattered to Kim Seokjin, (Y/N) had realised– when Liya would cook dinner for him and wait up to reheat it even if her eyes would be droopy. When she would remember what tie he liked on certain days. When she would help him with fixing his tie and cuff links. Or when she would bring him his coffee to his home office every two hours.
One might misunderstand those as his expectation at first glance, but no– he never expected or assumed that he was not of the kind.
But the little gestures of care and devotion made him happy. It assured him that his partner was just as devoted to him as he was.
And was he a sincere lover– to the extent that (Y/N) felt a prick of guilt every time she replied to his soft, quiet declarations of love.
Jin was a lover straight out of a woman’s daydreams. 
One would never believe how the hands that touched her so delicately were the ones that pushed his enemies to their dooms.
But (Y/N) knew. She knew because she had witnessed him strangle men twice his size with ease– it was like buying bread to him- mundane business.
His eyes would be chillingly nonchalant and they were the windows for the sinister beast in him to peek through.
But only (Y/N) knew of this side of him– undercover officer (L/N)(Y/N) who was quick and quiet and never even breathed loud but took all the pictures right, and never forgot to set bugs in his office. Officer (Y/N) was subtle and clever, after all.
Liya Grace, however, was naive and oblivious, believing in whatever her beloved boyfriend fed her. He owned chains of hotels, exclusive nightclubs and restaurants. What was odd with that? Some red wine sprinkled on his white shirt? Happens! Why would not she believe him?
That was not technically a lie. Jin did own all of them. But they were the surface, the strong shields protecting his underground illegal weapon dealings– his real business.
It would have been so easy to fool any ordinary civilian, but (Y/N) was no ordinary civilian. 
“You’re late. Again.” 
“I’m sorry Jagi, you know well that I am– it’s those old investors, always looking for loopholes in my projects.”
Potential buyers
(Y/N) corrected him mentally  as she scoffed and turned away pretending to be upset 
“Liya–love, you can’t be angry at me now, it's only–uh– a bit late…” he trailed off as he glanced at his limited edition watch.
“It’s two in the morning Jin.” she huffed while reheating his dinner 
“Hmm, pretty late, but you are still awake sweetheart.”
“Yes”
Just getting some confidential documents.
“I wanted to talk.”
“Everything alright Jagi?” he sounded concerned but her smile soothed his frown
“Just considering visiting my parents. Haven’t seen them in a while.”
“Why? I mean is everything okay there?”
“Oh no, I just miss them.”
There was another thing (Y/N) had noticed about Kim Seokjin. He liked to keep her for himself.
He was a possessive man, more so emotionally than physically. It was normal for lovers to be possessive, but his sense of possession extended a bit too far.
And it made (Y/N) squirm sometimes– she could swear it was just her being uncomfortable, but deep down, she knew that there was a sinister edge to his love and it made an eerie anticipation bloom in her heart.
“Why not we go to meet them this weekend? You can finally introduce me to them then?”
“Oh Jin, no need of that, you already have a tight schedule.”
There was no way that she could let all her hard work go down the drain.
“But Liya, I have to meet them someday.”
“Sure Jin, I want you to meet them too, but I want to see how they would take the news of me already living with my boyfriend– they have always been a bit protective of me and I want things to go smoothly so bad...Let me set the ground first. Hm?”
She managed to muster up her best puppy eyes and Jin finally relented and nodded with a sigh. He was in a hurry to put a ring on her finger, so eager in fact that she already had a promise ring occupying her finger.
“When do you plan to go then?”
“Tomorrow?”
Jin smiled and nodded “Just don’t stay away from me long, okay?” 
—------
“Liya! I have cooked your favourites.” 
Her father greeted her on the porch as soon as she arrived.
“Dad I missed you!”
Her father smiled and pulled her in for a hug.
“You have the pigeon feed?” he whispered into her ears without a single muscle faltering.
She hummed, still smiling.
There could be no chance taken. It was Kim Seokjin after all, and underestimating him would be foolishness. The department knew that Kim Seokjin had eyes everywhere and one slip-up could cost them not only all their hard work but also their lives.
“Hurry up, your Mom is setting the table.” he ushered her in as they played the perfect father and daughter for the hidden hawks.
—----
“Here.” (Y/N) handed them a Pendrive. It was the one that contained recordings of his office, some pictures of classified documents and some codes
“Excellent Officer.” her ‘mother’ hummed as she examined the item.
“Now that the pigeons will be feeding, let us have dinner too.” her ‘father’ quipped in– finally at ease now that the documents were in their hands.
—------
(Y/N) had excused herself back to her room. It was cosy yet oddly familiar– detailed to perfection. A typical room that screamed  ‘I spent my teenage years here’. (Y/N) felt exhausted. Not only because she had been putting up a facade for so long but also because the ring on her finger sat heavily– mocking her as it gleamed under the nightlight. But most of all, it was the booming questions in her mind, screaming at her for answers.
She dug into her purse to retrieve a Pendrive. Another Pendrive that held the most crucial information, the deepest vulnerabilities in Kim Jin’s empire, in his security system. The Pendrive contained information that could easily lead to his encounter– no more pieces of evidence required.
She gulped, fiddling with the tiny device. She had always known what she wanted, what she was doing. But not this time.
What was she doing?
Why couldn’t she—why did not she submit the most important Pendrive to her superiors?
It would take them no time to bring Kim Seokjin and his empire of illegal weapons into ashes and yet….
“What’s wrong with me?” she huffed out breathlessly.
Finding no convincing answer, she settled for going to bed. Maybe a bit of rest would do? She had been pretending for so long, acting as the perfect, oblivious little girlfriend to a man so subtly dark, it had taken a toll on her mentally and emotionally.
—----
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip
Drip drip drip dripdripdripdripdrip
.
.
.
Gurgrlegurlegurlegurglegurglegurgurgurgle—
“Huh?”
It was disorienting to wake up to the sound of an open tap. Without much thought, she stepped into the bathroom, cringing at the wet sensation. It was tap left open and the basin was overflowing. Turning the tap off, she waited for the water to settle down. 
The drain was blocked.
She did not remember blocking it. She had not even stepped into the bathroom.
She pulled out the lid, unlocking the drain as thoughts began to flood in. It was an in-built instinct within her. She never dismissed anything that even felt remotely off.
And at the moment she felt like something was very, very strange.
The sound of splashing and gurgling of water felt louder than it actually was. The silence was no longer blank, or even remotely cosy. It was instead eerie. 
Something just did not feel right.
Rushing to the closet, she searched for any weapons that they have provided her in the room. She let go of the breath that she had been holding as she felt a gun kept between a bundle of empty boxes. 
Fishing it out, she checked if it was loaded before pocketing the pen drive and slipping out of the room as quietly as possible. It was two o'clock in the morning, and while the silence was expected, this silence felt like holding one’s breath– it was filled with anticipation.
Making her way down the carpeted stair, she remained glued to the wall while her finger wrapped around the trigger. She gulped silently as her foot reached the bottom of the stairs. The door seemed locked, the kitchen was empty—
The backdoor!
Carefully gliding around along the walls, she reached the bedroom near the backdoor. The safety of her colleagues mattered the most to her at the moment. 
Much to her relief, she saw them asleep on the bed. Noislesslyy shutting the door, she made her way to the backdoor. It  appeared perfectly—
No.
It was unlocked. 
One twist of the doorknob gave away the fragility of their safety. Her ears tried to pick up any noise behind or around her while her eyes searched for her other colleagues roaming around in disguise. The house, past the lawn, was supposed to be occupied by her colleagues too. She quickly searched for the torchlight she knew was kept there. Gripping it with a tinge of desperation, she blinked it at the house window.
No response.
She tried again. They were supposed to have their eyes on this house for the whole damn night!
No response.
Feeling the panic beginning to build, she took a deep breath in and out. She had been spying on one of the country's biggest underworld figures, there had been people she had taken care of before.
Everything would be under control.
She tried to soothe herself as she made her way back to the bedroom, leaving the door unlocked. If something went wrong, the backdoor would be their safe exit.
As soon as she stepped into the bedroom, she reached out for them, fingers almost twitching to shoot anyone other than her colleagues.
“Sir, wake up.” she whispered as quietly as possible. Not getting a response, she tapped on his covers “Sir, Ma’am please—”
She felt cold at the sensation of the warmth she was familiar with–--warm and wet. Her throat closed up as she felt around the covers. It was all damp and warm inside but her colleagues were still and cold. 
She yanked her hand out with a shaky gasp, only to be further horrid at the sight of her tainted hands in the darkness of the room— she could see it clearly–even under the street light. 
There was a faint noise of something shifting that had her pointing her gun at the darkest corner of the room. Her heart thumped in fear and anticipation as she pointed her gun at the darkness.
It was at that moment when her anticipation came to a  heavy halt— Jin stepped out of the dark corner, taking up the space near the window instead. The streetlight and moon rays falling on his form gave him an eerie illumination.
“Why wait now?… Here I am. Pull the trigger.” 
His inaction was far more chilling than his acts of violence. He was just standing still– and nonchalant and yet, the darkness in his eyes was far deeper than the dark corner he emerged from.
“Is it not what you were sent for, after all?” he drawled, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Now you even have a reason.” 
his eyes flickered to the bed momentarily before settling back on her as he tilted his head slightly
 “What’s the matter Officer (Y/N)(L/N), pull the trigger.” the amusement was clear in his tone.
She would not pull the trigger, even if it was the right thing to do, she would never do that. 
And Kim Seokjin had realised it before her. 
She hid away the pen drive, her hands shook as she pointed her gun at him and her fingers froze at the mere thought of shooting him. 
She shook her head, trying to push back her tears as the realisation began to dawn upon her, like a nightmare merging into reality.
“E-even if I tell you why, you would not believe me.” she breathed out.
It was pathetic. How would he believe her if she told him that she had just realised that she was in love with him? For real.
Why would he believe that even?
The corner of Jin’s lips lifted up slightly at her words.
“Oh Jagi, I know you inside out…” he trailed away as he sauntered towards her.
His movements reminded her of the first time she had met him. Two years ago.
Today was the day– the day they first met.
She stepped back, half in shock, half in caution, her hands lowered far before she had realised.
“Why did you keep the other pen drive to yourself? You had two of them.” 
He knew, he always knew.
“How long?”
Jin’s lips tugged up with smugness.
“The moment our eyes met I knew that you did not belong there.”
She took in a sharp breath.
“Assuming that I had never known of you– confidence.” he continued to take predatory steps towards her. 
She truly felt like a cornered prey– so small and helpless. His towering form seemed to have engulfed the whole room- and he, her whole existence. She flinched internally when her back touched the wall. 
“But assuming that my sources would never know about you– overconfidence.” he smiled as he reached her. The kind of smile that made her feel cold
There was no way out.
“If you plan to kill me, just get over with it now.” the words felt foreign on her tongue, but she meant them.
“Oh Jagi…” he drawled as if sharpening his sword “ I only intend to teach you a sweet, sweet lesson…I do love you after all.” she forced down a whimper as he leaned closer to her, his lips touching her earlobes
 “After all, you love me too, and you shall scream that to the world tonight”
****
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Min Yoongi was many things.
He was subtle, he was lowkey, and yet he was powerful, he bathed in money and influence and guess what– he was a well-known face on the top magazines, billboards and newspapers.
He was one of the leading industrialists after all.
To the world.
Behind closed doors ran the chaos and spills of the underworld– white power, red ink and sharp edges.
Min Yoongi was many things, but he was not always very patient– especially during crucial interrogations. His business was vast and deep. And to run such a vast business empire– one he had built himself, he needed money– a flood of it.
 People looked up to him as an inspirational figure– the ideal rags-to-riches man. But to build such an empire by the age of thirty-two, one needed something extra, and Yoongi had nothing– nothing other than a hawk’s eyes and a razor mind. So he used them instead and created a whole ring of underground business. The profit in the market required heavy investments and it came not only from big investors, it was pumped from the underground.
Who would suspect that the man making gaping charities, arranging free scholarships and educating millions of children would be the one running a whole underground business?
The police, who else?
It was an open secret among the top officers. They knew what went on behind closed doors and dark basements in his posh offices and luxurious hotels. Too bad, Min Yoongi was always ten steps ahead.
It had turned into a cat-and-mouse game, they would hunt for evidence, a loophole and Yoongi would hunt for the one digging those holes.
The man’s head was pulled out of the cold water. He coughed and wheezed, struggling to breathe through the remaining water dripping down along with blood.
Yoongi sighed. Twenty minutes– twenty fucking minutes and no information regarding the infiltrator. Though it was no new thing, it was a matter of increasing concern because he had not been able to get hold of the mouse yet. 
The man being interrogated was one too, but Yoongi knew that he was not the spy he should be concerned with.
“Here’s how this is going to be young man…” he began with a cigarette clasped between his lips. He paused briefly to light it up. “You tell me who has been collecting information about my organisation and I give you an easy death.”
Yoongi’s eyes flicked up, finding the dilated pupils of the man, blood and saliva running down his busted lips. He spat out two of his bloody teeth into the water and coughed. He gasped again as one of Yoongi’s men took hold of his hair, ready to dunk his head into the murky water again.
Yoongi rose his palm this time, halting his men’s actions. Pulling the cigarette away, he blew out smoke into the air, momentarily blurring his face “Let me rephrase it..If you do not reveal your partner, I will make sure that you continue to breathe.”
 Nearing him, Yoongi leaned closer, whispering in his ear 
“Besides, your sister would make up for the loss of our money for our clients. Now, that would be perfect, don’t you think?”
Yoongi smirked as the man clenched his jaw and shuddered. He gripped his shoulder and squeezed the bruise hard, making the man scream.
“Think about it, hero– your charity might cost you your sister’s life. She just entered college, didn’t she? Tsk tch tch, she must have so many dreams…” he threatened with a voice dripping with mock concern while his eyes held a promise of acting through his words.
The man shut his eyes, gritting his teeth before looking dead into Yoongi’s eyes
“Raven”
Was all he said before pushing out a tiny bottle from his tied hands, it had been there between his palms. It happened within the span of seconds, one moment the man was there, and the next, he shoved the bottle in his mouth before dropping dead.
Cyanide.
“Where were your eyes?” Yoongi gritted out as he looked at his men with fury “Where.the.fuck were you looking when he had this in his fucking palms?”
His men trembled but said nothing, only hanging their heads in shame. Min Yoongi with raised voice was a threat, but he with a cold, low voice with gritting teeth was a warning that barely stood between one’s life and his gun.
Surely, the police officer's body was not the only one which would be laying there.
But to their utter surprise, their boss’ fingers, instead of going for his gun, went to his head, running through his long hair.
He took a few puffs from his cigarette before dropping it on the wet floor and viciously crushing it with his heavy shoes.
He sighed, closing his eyes, the thin cut running through his face could be seen in its complete glory with his eyes closed– it began from his forehead and sliced straight through his left eyebrow, and eyelid, ending on his upper cheek, parallel to his nose. It was faded but only added to the grim aura he carried.
“Find out who is Raven. And don’t be lousy fucky this time.”
That was all he said before marching out of the place.
Min Yoongi was many things but he was not a man to step back from his words, even if it was something he had promised himself.
No blood on his hands on her birthday. 
—---
The front light of the shop flickered before dimming considerably while Yoongi’s car pulled up in front of the flower shop. It was decent, but in Yoongi’s mind, needed a ton of renovation. It was already past midnight and his only regret was that he could not be there to wish her on the strike of twelve.
The door sign showed ‘closed’ but he rang the bell anyway, his heart thumping on hearing the muffled sound of her ascending the stairs.
His lips curved into a smile as soon as the door opened.
“You came? I thought you were busy.”
“And I thought I told you to wait for me at my place. Yet I find you here, sleeping with just a single lock at the main door.” he commented as he walked inside. 
The flower shop was on the ground floor, and the floor above was where she lived. It would seem odd, special in a way– a business tycoon and a florist. But it would turn bizarre at the revelation of his true identity. A man marred with the underground murk and a sweet florist, oblivious to the monster she was letting in almost every night at her home.
“I baked some cookies.”
“Mhm? I got you some fried chicken with cheese and beer.” her eyes lit up at that and she smiled, raining heavens on his heart.
“Oh, Yoongi, you always know what I want!”
 Her voice dripped with delight as she made her way upstairs, while he locked the door, making eye contact with his men stationed just opposite the flower shop, under the guise of some construction workers.
He sighed in delight as her delicate floral fragrance engulfed him while he followed her upstairs.
“Wait for me in the bedroom, I will bring the food. And–what is this? A cake? You even brought me a cake? Oh Yoongi, you did not need to.”
He shook his head and smiled, taking her hands into his.
 “But I wanted to.” 
His hand slid to her lower back and the other hand guided her hand to his shoulder as they began to slow dance in the kitchen, the food long forgotten at the kitchen counter. 
Fishing out his phone, he clicked to play a retro romantic track– slow, lovely and oh-so poetic. He smiled at her, stealing a fleeting kiss on her forehead as they continued to move, like a slow-burning flame that would ignite one’s soul.
“Happy Birthday my love.” he whispered ever so tenderly as she looked up with glistening eyes. 
She tucked her head on his chest, relishing the moment in silence.
—---- 
One of the best leisure activities had to be sitting on the bed and enjoying one’s favourite meal along with one’s favourite person, Yoongi realised that while placing another piece of fried chicken on her plate. She smiled at him, a smudge of ketchup on her lower lip and it made her all the more adorable to her. All he wanted was to protect her, love her and be loved by her.
He scrunched his nose lightly while wiping the ketchup with his thumb while she munched on the chicken with stuffed cheeks.
Min Yoongi was in love with her, he knew it, she knew it too and he hoped that she would trust him too, enough to believe in his love through thick and thin.
“Gina…” he began as he took her hands in his, not minding the crumbles and oil “Do you trust me?”
She blinked “Yoongi, where is this coming from?”
“Just tell me, do you trust me to never hurt you? To love and protect you with my life?”
She frowned before nodding, but that was not enough for him.
“I need words Gina, do you trust me, love?”
“Yes Yoongi…” her voice shook but there was a crack of uncertainty. 
He would admit that it did hurt him, but he also knew that this was nothing beyond normal human behaviour– blind trust was a luxury and he would taste that luxury soon, he only had to be patient. He knew that her trust would falter with his next words, but he needed to do what was required.
Taking a deep breath, he grasped her hands firmer “Gina…I love you, and I did not wish to lose you…so I hid something from you, but now I must come clean for the sake of our love.” licking his lips, he continued “Gina, you know me as the world does, a philanthropist business tycoon, one with multiple companies under his banner, international projects, the rags-to-riches guy and what not…But the truth is beyond that, darker than that.”
Her frown deepened at that “What do you mean?” 
Yoongi sighed and continued “I have an underworld business, Gina, I have my hands dipped in everything murky you can possibly imagine.”
He felt her stiffening at his words and as she attempted to pull away from his hold, his fear began to take the shape of reality. With each attempt to pull her hands away, his hold coiled tighter like a hungry snake. His jaws ticked at her futile attempts
“You promised to trust me, didn’t you?” his hand crept to her forearm 
“Y-Yoongi…”
“I love you, I love you so much Gina, don’t try to take that away from me.” hissed, turning desperate “I love you too much to let you go. I have everything prepared for you love, you will love the mansion, it has a vast garden and even a patch of woods, there are flowers, beautiful flowers, and the room I have prepared for you is your dream room, Love. We shall move to our room soon after the wedding.”
“Wedding?” she whispered out incredulously as if it were the most bizarre thing to hear from him. 
“Of course Jagi, are we not going to marry soon? I love you Gina and I thought this would be a perfect time to come out clean. I want to keep you safe love, pack up hmm? I have had the mansion all readied.”
“No” she whispered, making Yoongi pause
“No?”
He scowled, tightening his hold to a painful extent before jerking her closer to him, ignoring the whimper his actions and eyes had elicited.
“What do you mean by No?” he snarled before closing his eyes and looking away– his tongue pushed against the inner wall of his cheek to show his thinning patience as he remained unfazed by her struggle to slip away from his bruising hold. “Gina…I told you that I love you, didn’t I? I came clean to you like a good lover. Isn’t it your turn to show appreciation and fucking listen to me? You are so fucking unsafe here I cannot protect—”
He was cut off by the sound of a click that tore through the otherwise heavy silence like an arrow in a dead forest
He looked at her, hold loosening before she mouthed--
RUN!
But there was no time for that other than reaching for his gun strapped on his shin but the moment his fingers touched the gun, he felt the piecing of a bullet. Chaos ensued as a figure in black jumped down from the attic, opening the foldable ladder that dropped from the ceiling, and reaching the bed.
Yoongi felt hands forcing him down before he elbowed the assaulter. His palm was already suffering a bullet wound but his eyes never left her– his Gina, or that was the name she had used. She shook her head, tears now streaming down in full force. 
“Min Yoong, you are under arrest!”
How were there so many men in the room? Boots rang across the floor as many men in uniform stormed the room, forcing him down further. But his eyes remained on the woman sitting in front of him, nursing her bruising wrist yet looking down at him with the sorrow only a true lover could.
Her eyes widened as he smiled at her– a genuine smile that came from the realisation that she did warn him to run, that she had pain in her eyes. 
“What’s your name?” he whispered softly making her her eyes widen. “Your name…”
“Oi! You are under arrest for being involved in illegal business, you just confessed that!” 
One of the officers spat out as he snatched away the necklace she wore roughly, making her wince and Yoongi's jaws tick.
 “We have it all recorded you scum!”
 He waved it in front of him before landing a heavy punch, making Yoongi’s head whip to the side, a bruise already forming while blood trickled down the corner of his lips.
But he did not care, finding her frightened eyes once more as her hand jerked to reach him, only to be stopped midway by the officer “What’s your name?” he asked again
 “Get her out of here.” the senior officer barked before the subordinate approached, his actions and tone much gentler than his superior as he helped her get up from the bed.
But before went out, she turned to him one last time, eyes filled with emotions, while Yoongi focused on pushing his heel against the sole of his shoe– one press of the sensor and his team would be ready. He smiled at her as she disappeared from his sight.
Soon, Love…Very Soon.
—-----
The journey to the police station involved being shoved into a heavily guarded van with too many armed men.
Twenty men for one person? Even with a bullet wound?
He liked the fear. 
His eyes met with one of the amateur officers, young, naive and so fucking idealistic perhaps– a version of his in his early teens. Yoongi smirked as he watched him gulp subtly.
Good.
As soon as they reached the police station at an ungodly hour, he was shoved into an overly guarded prison, the captain watched him from outside as one would while inspecting a feral animal.
The middle-aged man held his gaze as Yoongi made himself comfortable behind the bars, sitting on the bed near the wall, his form faintly visible in the darkness.
The captain held his phone to his ear before speaking up, breaking the tense silence that felt like a bated breath
 “Mission Raven Completed,” 
He whispered out, his eyes holding Yoongi’s gaze in mockery as he cut the call and slipped his phone into his pocket
“Your game is over Min Yoongi.” 
Yoongi sat still, his feline eyes shining with amusement under the minimal light reaching his prison.
“What? Aren’t you scared? The whole world will come to know your true face in a few hours!” he snarled at him.
Yoongi knew that he had made many, many enemies along his climb to the top of the underworld rings. And this captain seemed to take things a bit too personally. But what did he know of the ‘games’ he played?
“ Captain Jiwok…” he watched in satisfaction as the smirk was wiped out from the man’s face “My game has just begun.”
Before the man could speak any further, a deafening boom shook the whole building as rubble began to fall,  he watched the building burst into bedlam, throwing his back into laughter while his eyes twinkled in delight.
****
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A sunny day, the bright colours of the summer and the gentle breeze playing with the new, tender leaves and the playful petals of brightest and softest blooms. 
It would make anyone smile. But not the mistress of the Jung Estate–(L/N)(Y/N), who could only resentfully look on as the servants, maids, dogs, cats, butterflies and even insects enjoyed their freedom of embracing the outside world– all but her.
The sprawling estate encompassed a vast garden with water channels running around in symbols, hosting a range of koi fish, one more stunning than the other and a number of servant quarters that housed the staff. 
The place would look idyllic to anyone who would first set their eyes on it. But underneath the beautiful estate, laid metal doors, bloody walls and unending, dark body chutes. One might find that shocking, but not (Y/N) – to her, the Jung Estate was an extension of the master of the property– Jung Hoseok– an angel’s face and a devil’s soul. But (Y/N) doubted that he had any soul at all.
Taking her eyes off the garden, she focused on the elaborate lunch spread out for her. At least she had a choice of food, she thought with contempt as the maid served her more rice.
“Would you like dessert after lunch Ma’am?” Lia, her personal maid enquired.
“No thank you.”
“They’re all your favourite Madame.” she pressed ever so gently.
Sighing, (Y/N) nodded. Dessert might do her soured mood some good.
“I will bring them right after you are finished, Madame.” Lia beamed
(Y/N)’s lips tugged up subtly with an amused smile as she continued to eat her lunch. Hoseok, her husband always told her how much he loved her smile. And yet, he had turned the reason behind its decline. 
Jung Hoseok was probably the most feared man in the country and she had made the foolish mistake of walking right into the lion’s den one sorry evening.
—-----
“Madame, sweet buns along with mini butter croissants.” 
(Y/N) had smelled the delicious aroma before the oven-fresh delicacies came within her sight. After all, something to truly smile about, without making her cheeks ache. 
“You should have your lunch, Lia.” she offered softly, aching to be left alone, truly alone, without his people following her like some…fucking guard dogs!
Lia, the dedicated girl was obviously not at fault– she was just doing what she was paid so heftily for– taking care of the mistress of the Jung Estate.
The Mistress of Jung Estate…Ironical, really, when she could not even step out of the iron castle without his consent. And if he were to go out of the city, even the garden was out of her reach. Even his pet had more freedom than her. 
And yet…
And yet he would claim to love her the most, adore her more than anything and appreciate even the most mundane thing she would do.
Huffing as such thoughts crossed her path, she violently tore the delicate croissant into two before—
Croissants were not supposed to make any tearing sounds! Or were they?
This time, she looked closer, only to two torn pieces of the same paper peeking out of the halves of the delicacy. (Y/N) frowned as she pulled the pieces of paper out before joining them. Only to part her lips in surprise at the sight of the message written there.
A phone number!
She crumpled the pieces of paper, hiding them away in her fist before carefully peeling apart another croissant– the same number!
This had to mean something, this could not be a coincidence.
Her stomach flipped as she gulped an uncomfortable lump in her throat. 
What is this?
The question rang louder than all other thoughts in her head as she delicately folded the paper and walked up to the closet before hiding the paper in one of her shoes.
Thankfully, there were only two such croissants and the rest had only warmth and aroma stuffed inside them, so were the sweet buns, simple and delicious. The incident felt more like a dream but (Y/N) knew that it was not.
—--
“Who prepared the dessert today?” (Y/N) prayed that she sounded absolutely nonchalant as she fiddled with her food, pretending to mix the sauce with the rice.
Sitting on the terrace, she could have a wide view of the spread-out property– all lit up and quiet, except for nature’s sounds.
“Oh, did you not like it Ma’am?” it was the butler serving her this time– breakfasts and dinners were his responsibility and she had no clue why this was a rigid routine.
“No, it was delicious, that’s why I asked…”
“I am glad Madame, Lia herself prepared the dessert.”
(Y/N) kept her eyes down, afraid that her eyes would give away the surprise. Somehow, she managed a mundane “Oh, I see.” but all she did was restrain herself from frowning.
She did not even remember when she fell asleep, in his absence, sleep seemed to come easy and deep. But this time, somehow she woke up with a start in the middle of the night. It was quiet but tense and while she was alert as soon as she woke up without the usual grogginess she would feel, the goosebumps all over her skin told her that something was just not right.
Squinting her eyes, she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness when she spotted–
“Lia?” she hissed, annoyed that the girl was there inside her bedroom and had given her a nightmare-worthy scare.
“Lia, is that you?” she felt her parched throat before recognising her rising fear— what if it was not Lia but one of Hoseok’s rivals? What if the person wanted to hurt her? The silhouette matched that of her personal maid but she had not seen the person’s face yet and—
To her slight relief, Lia revealed herself as she stepped near the bed “Madame, you are awake at this time?”
What kind of question was that?
“What are you doing in my room at two in the morning?”
Lia only smiled at her counter-question, but there was something condescending about it.
“Don’t you feel better? More refreshed than mornings?”
“Wh-what? What kind of question—”
“I assume you’ve got the number and are smart enough to hide it in a safe place?” she cut her off,
(Y/N) gulped, feeling increasingly uneasy with the situation. She was alone, vulnerable in her room with her supposedly personal maid who seemed…just off.
Lia sighed and tilted her head “Don’t worry, I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I can help you.”
“Help me?” she could feel her voice crumble at her words.
Help her as in helping her get out of the place? But who would dare to?
“No, woman, I am not a rival’s spy or something if you are worried about that. I work for the government.”
(Y/N) gasped quietly at that. Why would the government of the nation take the pains of infiltrating Hoseok’s home to rescue a simple girl? She gulped again, feeling her mouth grow increasingly dry.
“Don’t,” Lia’s voice was quiet but strong, halting (Y/N)’s movement immediately as she reached out for the water bottle placed on the nightstand.
“I was just feeling thirsty?” she could not help but feel fear beginning to grip her in the face of the uncertain situation.
“You can drink that once we’re finished with the conversation woman. You drink that right now, you will fall asleep again.”
“What?” (Y/N) frowned while Lia rolled her eyes with a slow shake of her head 
“You are such a naive girl, no wonder you are still stuck here.” 
 She sighed before explaining
 “Don’t you feel weird? It is only the butler who serves you breakfast and dinner, prepared by him in the boss’ absence? Don’t you wonder why you feel so sleepy, even after breakfast? You sleep until noon and yet feel tired after dinner”
“So…” (Y/N) gulped, feeling her stomach beginning to flip “So, y-you are saying that the food, the water is compromised?”
“‘Compromised’? Don’t soften this up now, you know what it is, just acknowledge it.”
“He–he won’t–I mean he couldn’t have—”
Lia smiled again, the same condescending smile that rubbed the ugly fact on her face and made her stomach churn.
“You are saying that—that the food and water I consume are…drugged?”
She knew that Hoseok’s ‘love’ was toxic, but this was straight out of some nightmare-inducing psychological thriller. She let out a shuddering breath as the horrible realisation dawned upon her. It was sick, absolutely sick. 
“You see, morning and night are the only times when guards change shifts and take breaks, he could not take any chances. You are after all his most treasured possession.”
She drawled, and her words slapped the bleak reality of her marriage right on her face. Was it even a marriage? She felt like a prisoner before, now she was reduced to a precious little pet.
Weren’t you always his fucking pet?
Her subconscious mocked her as she felt tears beginning to gather.
“It took me a while to figure out what was he giving you, but today I managed to slip an antidote in your dinner. How does it feel to wake up refreshed?”
When she did not answer, Lia threw something beside her, making her flinch 
“In case you realise how deep you are in. All you need is to call.”
(Y/N)’s eyes remind of the buttoned cell phone, she did not even hear Lia leaving– she left as quietly as she came.
But she left behind a storm brewing in (Y/N)’s mind.
—-------
Despite knowing the consequences, (Y/N) tucked the phone away in some safe corner and drank the water, she was absolutely parched. Everything was too much to take. She knew that Hoseok was no saint, but this made her sick to her stomach. She feared Hoseok but now…now she was terrified of him.
The sky rumbled before her eyes found the window gigantic window of the place– big droplets of rain had begun to dot the glass. From that height, the sky seemed nearer, yet all the more distant– it was just a better, clearer sight, especially when one could leisurely watch the thunderstorm up close– clouds flashing, clashing and the skies illuminating with blinding cracks.
No one seemed to notice, or care, but her. It felt like it was only her– just like her four years old relationship– it was only her there. She was the one making the effort, she was always the one apologising, she was the one making her plans, her schedule flexible, initiating dates and she was the only fucking person in a relationship involving two.
And it took her a whole bad fight and a slap on the face to realise that. It was the worst fight the two had, and also perhaps the third major one in a span of four fucking years– so used to ‘sweeping things under the rug’ and ‘keeping the peace’, she had was, for once glad to let it all out– the bottled disappointments, suppressed anger, resentment, frustration hurt, envy, jealousy– every ugly emotion one could come up with when they had to carry the weight of a dying relationship and when she was spitting the facts on his face, he retorted with a slap that shook everything– the relationship, her perspective, her beliefs— everything shuddered and began to crumble with nothing. 
Noted, she had pulled his parents’ failed marriage in a fit of rage but reacting with violence? Was it ever okay?
Thankfully, she knew the answer. She did not even remember how she simply picked up her phone and wallet in dead silence after he stormed out of the house in tears. She had her vision blurred with unshed tears as well, but she did not let them escape her eyes, at least not until she drove back to her apartment. She had seen her first-ever serious relationship crumbling into nothing and she had no clue how to deal with that.
After days of crying herself to sleep and being on autopilot, her friends decided to intervene and drag her away to the fancy event. She had blocked him from everywhere but she was not sure if he even tried to contact her. Even in the glittering and gilded place, she could not stop thinking about him and the relationship she had dragged on for such a long time, but not romantically. She could not bring herself to do that after what had transpired that evening.
“Ma’am, a drink for you.” 
(Y/N) frowned as the bartender slid a fancy-looking shimmery drink in front of her. While her friends were busy chitchatting and flirting with people they knew, she had excused herself to the quieter part of the gigantic hall, a bar. But she had not ordered anything yet.
“But I did not order anything.”
“The gentleman bought you this.”
Not all drinks were free and the drink definitely looked like it had soaked up a fortune. Her eyes followed the bartender’s gaze and found a man she had never seen before leaning against the other end of the long island.
He looked sleek and mysterious and every last thing she wanted at the moment. While he smoked and raised an eyebrow, she smiled apologetically before shaking her head before getting off the barstool and making her way back to her friends.
She did not know what she needed at the moment, but she did know what she did not need.
As the event dragged on (Y/N) had begun to feel more uninterested. Maybe such high-class parties were more suited for her millionaire friend who had thrust the invitation card in her face. (Y/N) knew that all she wanted was to make her feel better but the event was quickly turning her eyes droopy. 
Bidding her friend goodbye with an excuse, she sighed in relief the moment she walked out of the hall, as the door closed, she was greeted with a silent hallway leading to the exit of the building.
“Hello there” the voice made her jump as she turned around, only to find the same man just a foot behind her.
“Oh, didn’t see you there.” she mustered up an easy smile as her feet remained in the direction of the exit.
The man hummed and assessed her with a ghost of a smile on his face, the tilt of his head had a few strands falling on his exposed forehead. He was an attractive man, no doubt, but she was just not interested. He seemed well above twenty-five, even past thirty perhaps.
“Did you not like the drink, Pretty?” she cringed internally at the nickname.
“I am in a hurry actually, thank you for the drink by the way.”
His lips tilted into an amused smile “Let me have the honours to drop you home, pretty.”
“I have my car.”
She had come with her friends and she had no car, but a cab would always be nearby in a posh locality.
“Oh yeah? Let me walk you to your car then.”
She tried to rack her brain for some excuse but the glint in his eyes confirmed her fears, he knew that she had no vehicle to return home and he was taking advantage of her situation. Even if he only intended to flirt, he was making her easy. 
“There you are!” the loud and buoyant voice startled her.
`
The man cornering her turned around, giving her a view of another man approaching them.
“And there I was, searching for you in that hall!” the new man beamed with a blinding smile before turning to him “Hi Juk, you’re here too.”
“Mr Jung, I did not that she is—”
“She came with me.” he declared, finding her gaze briefly before flickering back to…Juk– or whatever his name was.
She understood what he was trying to do and played along. 
“I was searching for you too!” even if her voice showed her relief, she did not care anymore.
Oddly, she felt less threatened in the smiling stranger’s presence. Juk came up with an excuse before walking back into the hall, leaving them alone. His gentle gaze fixed on her before his smile turned soft.
“Are you okay?”
“Eh yes, yes, thank you—I should get going now.” she bowed to show him her gratitude as he shook his head.
“Ah, it’s nothing, sometimes people here get pretty intense. I’m used to this.” he explained before realisation flashed in his eyes “I never saw you here before?”
“Yes, I came here with my friend.” 
“And you are leaving alone?”
“Yes, I was bored.” she slapped her hand over her lips immediately as the realisation dawned upon her. But it was too late.
Now what if he was the host?
“N-No I mean–I’m sorry—.” she was immediately in damage control mode, but he only waved his hand, laughing.
“No, no, I appreciate your honesty…I’m Hoseok by the way. Jung Hoseok.” he offered her his hand for a shake.
“(L/N)(Y/N).” she shook it with a smile.
—-----
When she opened her groggy eyes again, the room was illuminated with the sunshine filtering through the curtains fluttering. She rubbed her eyes as they began to close again.
Wait, she would never leave her window open at night?
“Good afternoon, Love!” 
Her actions paused as she rose from her bed, pushing away the comforter, only to find Hoseok standing in front of her, dressed in his casual olive t-shirt and sweats. Her eyes widened in surprise, the conversation with Lia floating back in her mind.
But he did not give her much time to think, instead, he got on the bed and pulled her for a searing kiss, never minding her morning breath or her stiffness.
“I missed you so much Jagi!” there it was, the deceiving smile that had blinded her to all the bright red flags once.
His arms engulfed her, pulling her towards his chest as he hummed in delight “You were sleeping when I returned, so I made breakfast for you myself.”
Schooling her expression and keeping her voice steady, she hugged him back “Thank you Hoseok.”
“Oh, no need to thank me, Love. I have been gone for a while, haven’t I? It must have been hard for you.” his voice dipped to a tone of regret before he pulled away and cupped her face “Being locked in here all by yourself. But you know it's for your safety, don’t you?”
Gulping, she dropped her gaze and nodded. He smiled in return before kissing her once more. “There, there, nothing to worry about anymore. You can even go to the garden unattended! But why bother about a garden when we have a whole vacation planned?”
Surprised, she looked up, earning a coo from him as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 
“Like, out of this place? This city?”
Hoseok nodded “Now, freshen up, I will serve you some breakfast. Okay?” 
 With a nod and a small smile, she made her way towards the bathroom, feeling increasingly uneasy in his presence. As soon as she was out of the bathroom, she was relieved to find no trace of her husband in the room. The bed was freshly made and crisp, everything seemed right in place, speckless. 
A vacation…
Lia’s words never left her mind, not even for a moment since she woke up. Did she want out?
Yes. Of course, she did. And she knew that deep down, Hoseok knew that too— she never asked to be here. That was why she was not even allowed to step out of the mansion in his absence.
But the real question was…
Was she safe?
She pondered as she held the phone in her grip.
****
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She cursed herself as the thick rain pounded on her back while she jogged her way back home. Had she brought an umbrella, she could have avoided this situation. She hated getting wet in the rain. She hated such stormy evenings overall.
“Shit!”
She cursed out loud as she stumbled before slipping down on the ground, her one leg folding painfully in the process. Gasping out in pain and shock, she tried to steady herself.
Breathe (Y/N), keep calm, you are almost home, you can have a good sleep and—no, not a peaceful sleep maybe but you will be taken care of.
Nodding to herself, she rose from the ground and continued her way home with a limping foot while the sky rumbled unpleasantly over her. She should have slowed down before.
Her apartment was quiet when she entered it. Closing the door with a huff, she took off her now-soaked shoes but gasped when she rose after putting them away. 
There was someone in the apartment with her!
She cursed herself before hastily switching the lights on, only to fall into a fused state of relief and annoyance.
“Namjoon!” she hissed “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? And why were you just standing there like a creep?”
Namjoon chortled and folded his arms over his chest “Why? Did I scare you little bird?”
Rolling her eyes, (Y/N) shook her head “I’m not a little bird Joon.”
“Oh Little bird, you are dripping.” he cooed as he made his way towards her.
If there was someone who could simultaneously get on her nerves and warm her heart, it would be Kim Namjoon, her boyfriend of six months. 
And she wondered often how come he was a college professor. At the rate he lost and broke things while managing to look like the most innocent soul with round eyes and full cheeks and–no wait, he was annoying at the moment!
“There, there.” he gently patted her with a towel and yet had the audacity to tease her in between “You look like a dunked kitten by the way.”
She simply sighed. There was no stopping him, she had realised that within a month into the relationship. He was like a child sometimes, really.
“Move, I have to get changed.” Pushing her laughing boyfriend away, she made her way to the bathroom.
“Hey kitten, I have turned on the heating, be careful not to burn yourself!” He called out from behind as she slammed the bathroom door shut.
(Y/N) had met Namjoon in the most cliché place possible– a coffee shop. One moment he was passing by her seat and the next, he was tripping on plain ground and the entire content of his ‘extra-large’ cold coffee was all over her.
Before she could even turn around with smoke leaving her ears, he was on his knees apologising profusely with repeated bows, so much that he had hit his forehead twice on the table in the frenzy and his ID was on the ground, taking a dip at the spilled, frothy cold coffee.
The rest? Looking at them, anyone could have guessed the rest. 
It was hard to believe that a man this clumsy was teaching at a reputed college. She often wondered ‘How did he survive this far?’, especially when he tried helping her in the kitchen.
He was banned from the kitchen for a reason.
When she entered the living room, Namjoon was busy cleaning the muddy footprints near the apartment entrance.
“I ordered us some chicken ramen with some snacks and beer.” Namjoon perked up as soon as he saw her enter the room
“Finally, something good to look forward to!” she beamed
“Oh, was work not good?” His smile faded with a frown of concern replacing it.
(Y/N) smiled and shook her head dismissively "Nothing, just the usual running around. We have some sillies coming in with bizarre complaints” she scoffed
“So, where else people would go if not the police?”
“Joon, there were claims of alien sightings.” She huffed, rolling her eyes as she plopped on the couch “Thanks for cleaning up though. I am so tired.” (Y/N) could not stop the wince when she tried to stretch her legs. 
People might consider that once someone joined the police force, they attain immunity against injuries and pain– the fact was, she and officers like her, were only human.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, I just slipped while jogging back home.”
“(Y/N), how many times have I asked you to not rush? It's even more dangerous during the rainy season!”
He was immediately by her side, bunching the loose gown she wore to her mid-thigh. He winced at the sight of the bruised shin and knee.
“Look what you have done to yourself now.” Namjoon chided as he gently ran his fingers through the darkening bruises.
“I’m a police officer Joon.” she scoffed, attempting to pull away, but he would have none of that 
“So? You are still human. Moreover, it has barely been a year since you joined.”
“A year Joon, a year has 365 days.”
Namjoon simply smiled and for the first time, the warmth was missing “Oh, little bird…I bet you’ve seen nothing. The world now rivals hell.” he leaned closer and placed a peck on her knee “So, be careful what you fly into.”
Although his eyes held a playful glint, they darkened under the light, ironically, they seemed to swallow the light falling on them, not reflect. It felt like she was starring at the eyes of a stranger, a man she had never seen before and—
Ring! Ring-ring!
The doorbell rang, shoving her out of the trance as she flinched– eyes darting towards the unanswered door, the smart LED mounted on the wall– anywhere but him.
Namjoon rose and walked up to the door in silence. Looking through the peephole, he unlocked the door and opened it, while she rushed to cover her legs and look decent.
It was their dinner. 
“Dinner’s here!” he turned to her with the paper bag dangling from his hold as soon as he shut the door. 
His smile was warm, the one she knew– it was her Namjoon. 
“Don’t worry, I will set it up. Why don’t you play the sitcom we were watching last time, hmm?”
She smiled as he walked towards the kitchenette. It was so usual of him– he was Namjoon, her boyfriend. Why did it feel different then?
Shaking her head, she moved to switch on the TV– she was just tired.
—-----
There was a thing about being in the police force. One came under numerous circumstances, met numerous people and remembered most of them. It was a part of the training, or maybe the experience she had over a year of joining the Police. 
The spies, the police, and the military had somewhat of a peculiar kind of instinct– in fact, they were trained to follow their instinct, trained to not hold the gaze for too long without the necessity and to never stare at the back of the head of the people they were supposed to keep an eye on.
The training, perhaps made the observation and the intuition stronger– like their subconscious would note things before their conscious mind realised.
Even after days after Namjoon’s visit, (Y/N) could not forget the moment– the brief, dreamlike moment that, even for a part of a second did make her see her boyfriend under a different light. Even if it was just for a moment, the Namjoon she knew seemed to have turned into…someone else- someone who made her…uneasy.
So, aside from the cases she already was handling along with being a part of a confidential project, she took it upon herself to research more on Namjoon– her boyfriend. He had told her that he had discarded his 'original' surname, he was just Namjoon– even his ID showed that– ‘Namjoon’. But he had been making official changes for adding 'Kim'
And that made it all the more difficult for her to dig more about him. It had not bothered her before. In fact, she had not even bothered to dig up about him, she never felt like he was hiding something or even remotely pretending. He was an unsuspecting College professor– a clumsy, endearing gentle giant who loved bonsai, flowers and everything small and cute.
Until that one night.
It is just to ease my tension. Just to ease my suspicion, it's nothing probably.
She kept telling herself as she searched through digital file after digital file without a trace of anything familiar. At one point, she even thought, why bother anyway? It might just have been the light doing its trick, or maybe her tired brain making up things.
But there was something that distinguished a person in uniform from an ordinary civilian– their reliance on their gut feeling. Even if people might find it strange, the police relied heavily on their gut feeling.
So if her gut feeling sensed something, she was trained to go with it– no matter who or what. She might be an amateur, not a speedy learner like her colleagues but she knew her job and she knew was, at the end of the day, a police officer.
—----
“The police in Busan have discovered a shipment... cocaine.”
There was an emergency meeting held as soon as the station’s in-charge received an e-mail.
“But they are suspecting that it is not the whole shipment.”
“Sir, what is the amount?” (Y/N)’s colleague Han raised the much-awaited question
Their superior’s eyes turned grim as he sighed.
This did not seem good
“48 kilograms.”
The room fell into a tense silence.
“And how do we know that it is not the whole shipment? 48kgs of cocaine is no joke.” (Y/N) spoke up this time.
“Yes, (Y/N), but the shipment was most probably for Gangnam. I had some people working for the police keeping an eye out. Those people are cunning– they evaded the Busan police– I had spoken with the station’s in-charge there and got to know that only the shipment was discovered, not the dealers.”
 He switched on the projector and the screen showed a map of major cities in the country but there were places marked. 
“You see these places? These are the places we have foiled major shipments in the past year.” He pointed at the flagged locations “But there is a worrying pattern here. These are the areas where most hotels, resorts, and other tourist destinations are. And before last year, neither these places nor such a jump in the number of drugs was detected…You know what this means, right?”
“There is a new snake in the town?” (Y/N) guessed.
Their senior nodded “Yes, most probably– you see, this person is experienced, cunning. They know what happens in the streets, they know how things work and yet we get are able to sack the major shipments, but not a single dealer…It seems deliberate.”
“Deliberate? Those cost billions Sir,” Han was right, but so was her boss.
“Hmm, but we have no idea how vast this empire is, do we? It is the underground we’re speaking of, Han, these people are powerful dangerous, cruel and cunning. You never take them as fools. That might be your last mistake.”
Han nodded at his words before he continued -
“For now, we need to increase the patrol. Patrol officers here, keep vigilance and let some officers loiter around in civil attire, we need to keep an eye out for this area, we have  quite a few tourist places here. Dismissed for now.”
With that, the sounds of screeching and pushing chairs filled the room as the officers made their way out of the room one by one. 
“Officer (Y/N), please wait, I have a discussion with you regarding the burglary case.”
“Sure sir.”
As soon as the room was empty he walked up to the door and closed it.
“Sir, the case has been–”
“Closed, I know, this is regarding the shipments.” he paused before continuing "It's a mind game (Y/N). I’m sure of it.”
“May I know the reason, Sir?”
 “This time, they have targeted Busan. It's like a flag of ownership and victory, not a missed shipment. Whatever actual shipment was headed for Gangnam, has already reached there while the police were distracted with this one. It's like a declaration– they have their hold beyond this city now.”
“But 48 kg of cocaine costs a lot Sir, and Han was right, whatever shipments we have found over the months, they cost billions.” 
“And..do we know if those belong to this new…snake?”
(Y/N) frowned at his response
“The underworld, (Y/N) is no stranger to brutality. As I mentioned before, this new player knows the streets. They’re experienced. Do you really think that they will make such an amateur mistake? Not a single dealer caught, no man caught. They are mocking us, making us run around like puppies...But now, I have a name for the snake…”
“A name?”
Her boss nodded before handing her his phone. There was a message from an unsaved number. A message with only two letters.
RM
“So–so who is this?”
“Can be anyone, a business tycoon, a philanthropist or whatever, but a looming figure in the underworld with eyes and ears everywhere. Ever since the last major drug dealer was shot dead in Dubai last year, we have been receiving anonymous alerts on such shipments.”
“So, you are suggesting that this…person has replaced the notorious Don? He was a Godfather, Sir and wasn’t his son about to take up—”
“And where is his son (Y/N)? Vanished, we have no idea where he is but this is not their pattern. We know that. Their businesses are sealed– legal or illegal, their bank accounts were frozen, properties here sealed– the family is not a threat now (Y/N). But this…” He pointed at his phone in her grip “This is. They are a clear, looming threat and it is so obvious that they fear no, nothing. It's like a game to them.”
“So, what do you want me to do?”
Her superior sighed and nodded as he took his phone back “It is not easy but I know I can trust you on this. I am forming a team, and I will update you soon about that but for now, we know that this snake knows the street well, maybe they belonged there once. Take a few days off and take a sweep of the street meanwhile. We need to have more information.”
“Sure, Sir.” she squared her shoulders
He nodded “Okay, you can go now, do not let anyone suspect anything until I inform you of the rest of the team.”
“Sir.” giving him a salute, she turned to walk away.
“And (Y/N).”
“Yes, Sir?”
“Be careful. We have a cunning and venomous one here.”
“I will keep that in mind, Sir.”
“Okay, you can go now.”
—-------------
The place looked as peaceful as ever. The aroma of roasted coffee beans, blended with that of butter and chocolate– it was a typical cafe. And the same cafe she had met Namjoon for the first time.  And as she watched the couple sitting across the place, the same seat she had been sitting on months ago, her meeting with Namjoon, her interaction, it all felt surreal. Their story was indeed novel-worthy! Like a perfect romcom—
Perfect…
(Y/N) froze completely for a moment when the realisation struck her– her chewing, her fiddling, even her breathing and blinking.
Each movement spent with her boyfriend flowed in and each moment seemed so…Perfect.
Beautiful or not, (Y/N) knew one thing about the world…Nothing is perfect.
Yes, there were some shortcomings here and there but the meetings, the bumping into one another again…Everything was indeed perfect.
She gulped, then blinked.
No, she was thinking too much. Namjoon was a true gentleman. A man she was falling for, she really liked him. Maybe–maybe even loved him? She was not much sure about love but she knew one thing for sure, her job’s stress was spilling over on her personal life and affecting her personal relationships.
Before her thoughts could spiral any further, the chair in front of her was pulled out and her boyfriend took a seat in front of her, boring holes into her form as he made himself comfortable.
“Oh, Hi Namjoon.”
Namjoon did not respond immediately, he just sat there, staring right into her eyes, fingers folded into a contemplating posture. For the first time, (Y/N) realised that indeed, it would not be difficult for him to take control over a class of even hundreds– he had a commanding presence.
“You have not been answering my calls,” he stated. 
There was no questioning regarding the possible reasons. There was no trace of ‘questions’ in his tone at all.
“Yes, I have been a bit busy lately– just the usual, police things.”
Namjoon simply hummed, eyes still searching hers without a shift. “What are you getting, little bird?”
“Uh…Coffee?” she was left baffled at her own reaction. 
It was Namjoon, just Namjoon. So why did she feel… scrutinised? She was reminded of the night she had seen a glimpse of…something in his eyes. 
“So– what would you have?” her gaze dropped to the menu card in front of her.
“The usual.”
She nodded to a waiter passing by 
“Would you like to order Ma’am?”
But before she could speak up, Namjoon ‘s voice intervened “One cappuccino frappe and a caramel macchiato along with some choco-chip cookies please.” 
As soon as the waiter was gone, he reached out for her hand on the table and sighed “You scared me (Y/N).” his eyes looked so soft and vulnerable, she thought she was crazy. Something had to be wrong with her to doubt a man like him.
“I’m so sorry Joon, I was so stressed about my job I…” he squeezed her hand gently and nodded.
“It must be stressful, right? See, you have dark circles forming.” His fingers reached out and traced the subtle bags forming under her eyes. “But please let me know (Y/N), let me know that you are okay, not too stressed, not hurt…I was so worried!”
Guilt encompassed her as she stared at his vulnerable gaze addressing her. He had been so worried about her and there she was, letting her investigative brain rush to conclusions and scenarios.
“I’m...I’m so sorry Joon, I should have informed you– I was so wrapped up in things and—” she stopped herself lest she would accidentally let something confidential slip out. And no matter who it was, having a loose tongue as a police officer was unacceptable.
“It’s okay, I understand Baby. Just never...” his hold on her hand tightened with a pause “Avoid me again.”
—-----
Everything was settled. Han, her, Dok and Kyong were in the special team. They met up at Han’s place in order to discuss their strategy.
“So we have a layout of the regions where we found drugs worth millions and from different cities. Each time, different location and different day.”
“Where’s the pattern though?” Han questioned, 
“In the fact that everything time, it is a city, a town at least, no remote area.”
“Yes.” (Y/N) added. All eyes turned to her and Kyong nodded “Not yet.”
“So, where do we begin?” Dok asked the much-anticipated question
“ As we know, we are on leave on paper. This is a highly confidential mission. First thing first, Sir asked us to be lowkey. No matter what we need to risk, just don’t get caught. The department would refuse any connection without activities here.”
“If it's a special mission then, why not involve the intelligence?”
“We are yet to receive any message from the higher-ups,” Kyong explained
“So we are on our own?”
“Definitely,” Han added.
“What we can do now is to track where the recent shipment was supposedly headed for– Gangnam. Why don’t we all spread to different high-profile clubs? Meanwhile, tell our informants to be on high alert, especially in Gangnam and nearby localities, even universities and colleges.” (Y/N) proposed.
“You’re right. Shall we go tonight?” Dok proposed
“Yes, we can but would not this be obvious if anything happens tonight? We found a shipment yesterday.” Kyong suggested,
“The weekend then?” 
“No (Y/N), the weekend is just too obvious. If anything does happen this weekend, it might be planned too, maybe to distract us—right–Kyong, your best informants are active nearby airports, stations and docks right?”
Han perked up as if a fuse went off in his head
“Tell them to be active tonight and especially this weekend. We can spread it in different clubs in Gangnam. If anything happens there, we shall also alert the informants and the police near dockyards, train stations and transportation areas. Because if they do plan to distract us, they might be up to something much bigger. Shipment, I assume, for now. We can catch them red-handed.”
“But where would be the official orders? Like, we are involving police officers from other regions Han.” Kyong had a point.
“Well, right, we can speak to Sir, right? He will provide us with the required.” Han proposed.
“Han is right, if this is a special mission at the department level, there is no way that the higher-ups have no idea. And even if they have no idea and Byuk Sir is risking it all for this mission, he has to have some loopholes in his mind. He can manage and he can help us all manage.” (Y/N) added.
“But, wait, we were supposed to just collect information, not arrest anyone.” Dok pointed out.
“Well, not this RM, we can’t reach to such a level by ourselves, but maybe get out hands on this…RM’s men? Won’t this be a breakthrough?” Kyong argued.
“And would alert them further? We don’t even know if this is a man, woman, organisation, or group–we are in complete darkness!” Dok pointed out and he was right.
“Dok’s right. We will only collect information, a full-fledged operation would happen only after approval from the higher-ups, we don’t know who we are dealing with Kyong and if something goes wrong, the whole department, especially Byuk Sir would be under fire. We have to first find out this…RM’s reach and standing.”
“Seems obnoxiously confident to me, deliberately giving away billions worth of shipments,” Han added.
“And we will let them be confident. Won’t take long to turn into overconfidence– one misstep and we can have them.” (Y/N) spoke up and everyone nodded in agreement.
“This weekend then.” Dok reminded.
“This very weekend Dok,” Kyong assured.
—-----------
“Are you free this Weekend?” Namjoon asked as he poured her some wine. 
They were dining in a moderately fancy restaurant to celebrate his promotion as the Department Head. Now he would be responsible for all the inter-section activities and event organisations for the Literature and Culture Department of the University.
“I wish I were Baby, but I need to help a friend out. She’s a colleague, her mother is sick, I need to take care of her baby for a day.”
“Oh, what happened?” he asked before sipping his wine.
“Cancer.”
She hated the fact that she was having to lie to him. But what was needed, was to be done.
“Oh, the type?”
“I don’t know much, it has been rough on her, I’m trying to help as much as I can.”
Namjoon hummed before smiling “It’s okay, Jagi, we will get to spend a lot of time later. Just take care of yourself, hmm?”
“Yes, sure Joon.” she smiled back, but guilt continued to tap within.
But it would be alright. Once she was done with this case, she would make up for the lost time with her Joonie. She reassured herself.
—------
“Okay, I’ve reached, Dok,(Y/N), Han?” Kyong’s voice was clear despite the thrumming music across the floor littered with moving and blinking streaks of neon. The earbuds were incredible.
.
“Yes, I’ve reached. Over.” (Y/N) responded and followed.
“Okay, you have your informants inside?”
“Yes.” (Y/N) replied, as she neared the bar, body language relaxed and dressed up to mingle with the crowd.
She ordered a drink– her eyes met with that of the bartender. They flashed with recognition and he nodded and prepared her drink. He poured yellow syrup over it.
A subtle sign that he was suspicious of someone in the nightclub.
“Here you go Ma’am.” he smiled and leaned further for the final garnishing, and as he leaned, he managed to whisper out “A man in a white shirt, scotch on rocks– corner seat.”
Taking her drink, she turned around and looked around the area. It was too chaotic and dark. And if there was someone, she did not want to seem even remotely suspicious. Fishing out her phone, she connected with another informant in the place– a waitress.
“Man in a white shirt, scotch on rocks, a corner seat. Use a bug.”
For an hour, whatever she had heard had been irrelevant but then, something caught her ears
“Yes, whole forty-eight, the shore, where else? Let's talk upstairs…”
From where she stood, she could see the man, partially visible under the shadows– he was a middle-aged, bulky man. But he was not alone, there were three more people. As they moved, (Y/N) slipped further under the shadows, pretending to be just another girl on call. Yet, from the corner of her eyes, she could see them beginning to walk towards the more private space of the club.
Under the shadows, she was about to stalk them when, with a beep, her team reconnected with call.
“ This is Kyong. We have information regarding a suspicious shipment at the dockyard, I repeat, we have information regarding a suspicious shipment to be loaded at the dockyard within an hour. Over.”
“Kyong, I think we have a suspect here. Over.” (Y/N) informed.
“We have to move to the dockyard first (Y/N) give the tell your informants to stay alert there. Over.” Kyong spoke
“Kyong, this might be important.”
“(Y/N), this is more important, you are alone there anyway. Just meet us near Cafe 18.” he named the meeting point in coded language.
Sighing, (Y/N) threw the door leading upstairs one last look before reconnecting with her informants 
“Keep an eye, bug the place if possible. Also, keep tonight’s footage ready. I’m leaving now.”
—-----
To their utter disappointment, there was no suspicious shipment discovered at the dockyard. Everything was in place. But the people the informant was suspicious of, had vanished into thin air as well– tightening the knot on the case further. 
“It's far more complicated than I had expected,” Dok spoke out, running his hands through his hair. 
After such a hectic night, the four of them decided to call it a day and grab some dinner at a good, old ramen shop.
“This is only our first attempt Dok, we can’t lose hope like that.” (Y/N) patted his back.
“It makes no sense, they are in the CCTV footage but they never reach the dock.”
Wait–CCTV footage!
“Oh right, I think I have found a lead.” (Y/N) dropped her chopsticks and perked up. She prayed that at least the bartender would have his hands on the CCTV footage.
“Really? What?” Han asked, 
“See, I have the recordings, I already sent them to each of you, just listen.”
Fishing out their earbuds, they listened to the part of the recording she had sent them. 
“Sounds familiar? He did not use anything directly, not an amateur for sure but the words, forty-eight, shore. Don’t they ring a bell?”
“They surely do. Can we have access to tonight’s footage?”
“I hope so too. By tomorrow I guess?” (Y/N) prayed what she said would come true.”
“Okay, as soon as you get hold of that, inform us. Han, is your girlfriend home?”
“No, she has gone to her parents’.”
“Perfect.” Kyong clapped his and together.
—------
“Have you watched the footage yourself?” Kyong asked as Han began to set up his laptop.
“No, I came straight here.” (Y/N) replied with her eyes still stuck on the laptop screen 
“That's a good move, what if people are keeping an eye on us too?”
“Quiet possible.”
As soon as Han clicked on ‘play’, the strenuous task of analysing the video began. But four pairs of eyes were far better than one.
(Y/N) could feel her patience waning. The man and those people with him had been so exceptionally discreet, there was no trace of them in the footage even after hours of watching and—
“Wait, wait wait! Rewind that.” She jumped up as soon as something caught her eye.
“What, this?” Han was clueless.
She tasked and took the laptop before rewinding the footage again. Narrowing her eyes, she zoomed in.
“It's him, the man.” She declared and placed the laptop in front of everyone.
“I see. We need to save this picture, take a screenshot Han.” Kyong suggested as he clicked a picture on his phone too. 
It was thankfully, not blurry enough to be unrecognisable, and the fact that they had not reached the end of the video made them more hopeful of catching something else. 
Han clicked on play again before they discovered the people with the man as well. One by one.
“Hmm, there are three more men and a woman. But only their backs are visible until now.”
“Wait!” (Y/N) yelled out, catching them off guard.
“Did you find something?” Han asked as he paused the video once more.
(Y/N) licked her lips and took hold of the laptop. Rewinding the part, she watched closely again. The second man…Even though his back was to the camera, he was too familiar to her.
After a few seconds, they all turned to the side to take their seats. There, she could see his side profile and her legs were fast turning brittle.
“You have seen anyone from here (Y/N)?” she could not answer Dok.
Instead, her eyes stayed on the frozen screen, she zoomed in and a wave of nausea hit her.
Namjoon...
It was Namjoon!
Her boyfriend Namjoon. She would recognise him anywhere– from the way he walked, to his back, his hair and now his side profile. Too many coincidences could never be a coincidence.
“(Y/N), you know him?” Kyong asked.
Yes.
She wanted to scream a ‘yes’ but she just could not.
“No, I was just…taking a good look at them.” she deadpanned.
—------
“Hello, this is (Collage Name) College, how may I help you?” The receptionist’s gentle voice echoed through the phone, but it only turned (Y/N)’s heartbeat erratic.
“Hello, I would like to leave Professor Namjoon a message regarding the upcoming semester.”
“Let me check Ma’am, please let me know your details.” She requested
“ Choi Hana, Guardian of his student.”
“I request you to stay online, please…Yes, thank you, Professor Namjun you asked. Let me transfer your call to the Economics Department.”
“Economics Department? But isn’t he a professor in the Department of Literature and Culture Studies?”
“Ma’am we only have Cultural Studies Department. Literature is a separate Department. Shall I forward this call, Ma’am?”
“Okay.” (Y/N) managed to squeak out.
After a few beeps, another voice greeted her.
“Good afternoon, this is the Department of Economics of (College Name) College, how may I help you?” Another woman’s voice filled her ear.
“Can I speak to Professor Namjun, please? I am a guardian of one of his students”
“I am sorry Ma’am, he is attending the Department meeting right now. But you can leave a message.”
“He is the department chairperson, right?”
“No Ma’am, not anymore, he was, two years back.”
“Oh?”
“Yes Ma’am, would you like to leave a message?”
“Sure, please let him know that…that I would be thankful to him if he could give me an appointment to meet him. It's an urgent matter.”
“Surely ma’am, would you like to share your name and contact?”
“Yes, uh, Choi Hana.” she gave the email address she used for her undercover investigations before the line was cut off.
(Y/N) felt her throat close up and her eyes turn blurry. The park was scarcely populated during the afternoons– thanks to that. But she would still not risk breaking down in a public place. Se ought to hold herself up like a true officer.
Leaning against a tree, she tried to gather herself together. But with each passing moment, her lips quivered just a little more.
No. Not now. Now now!
She tried to school herself. But nothing seemed to work. One stubborn tear managed to escape her eye anyway.
I loved you.
Another tear followed.
I trusted you
Then another.
But she managed to stop herself from bursting into a fit of tears and the scream that was itching her chords with deep, calming breaths.
A drink.
Yes, that was what she needed.
—-----
By the time she was home, the sun had already set, but it was a pleasant evening– ideal for walking home. She was not drunk, or even tipsy. It was just a buzz but it could not make her feel any better.
The apartment was plunged into a tense darkness when she stepped in. Her fingers twitched, ready to reach for her gun at any moment, but she kept her body language calm– casual and unassuming.
“How was babysitting?”
She jumped at his voice. But it was too dark for her to see. 
Before she could reach the light switch, Namjoon switched on a table lamp, illuminating the space enough for her to see him sitting on the sofa but somehow making her own apartment appear threatening. 
With him in it, the place did not even feel like her own. She no longer felt safe with him.
Switching on the lights anyway, she schooled her expressions to that of being pleasantly surprised, even though her throat felt parched. Sometimes, working in the police paid off immensely.
“I was babysitting yesterday Joon,” she replied, putting away the titbits she had bought on her way home.
Namjooon gave her the heart-melting smile her heart had fluttered for. She managed to smile back at him as she made her way towards the kitchen. The delicious aroma of her favourites hit her. Switching on the kitchen lights, her suspicions were confirmed as takeouts from her favourite ramen stall awaited her at the kitchen island.
“I missed you awfully today. Couldn’t help myself.” Namjoon's hot breath teased the back of her neck, making goosebumps appear all over her body.
“Oh, Joon…you didn’t have to.”
“I don’t mind doing this for you, Jagi.” He placed a kiss on the back of her neck as she held back a grimace, keeping her smile plastered on her face.
Her heart stung bitterly as his lips tenderly traced her cheek and the side of her neck. She was greeted by his warm smile and soft eyes as he turned her around, fished out his phone from his pocket and played her favourite song. Perfect for slow-dancing to.
“What has gotten into you?” (Y/N) chuckled, keeping her composure as he led her steps, twirling her now and then.
“I love you so much, Jagi. You know that right?” his fingers wrapped gently at the back of her neck as he pulled her into a breath-robbing kiss.
“Yes, I know that.”
Now that I know your true face.
His lips descended to the side of her neck as he pulled her closer. 
Bear it.
She told herself.
Do not let him be suspicious.
“Then why are you trying to investigate me?”
His voice dropped into something heavy and unrecognisable and everything stilled. But before she could think of anything, she felt his fingers pressing at the side of her neck and her eyes rolled back.
*****
Pheww! It was a long part, but I enjoyed writing it and hopefully, it would not disappoint you all!
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