Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If there’s anything Yoon Jeonghan loves more than books, it doesn’t exist because there’s nothing he loves more than books. The bookstore, ‘Anemoia Bookstore,’ had been passed down from generation to generation. Since a young child, Jeonghan preferred to read under the sunlight gracing through the glass windows rather than playing on the grass fields with his cousins. It was easy for him to choose between any activity and reading.

However, there was something heavily associated with reading that Jeonghan couldn’t do. Writing. To sit down and pour his thoughts out on a piece of paper, there was nothing more he craved he could do. But sitting down, and pouring his thoughts out… on a piece of paper? Who could do such a thing? He, long ago, accepted that he was just a reader, and believed himself to be more than content to be one.

—

“The heat these days is getting to me,” Aria waves a hand in front of her face, “this whole new shipment thing, too. I don’t like the new guy, he seems shady.”

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow at his younger sister. “Well, get used to him. ‘Courier & Co.’ will be our new couriers till next summer.”

Aria glares at him swiftly before changing her frown into a soft pout. “It’s not like mom didn’t put enough money to change things up, you know?”

“Mom will like things as they are now. There’s no need to spend precious money.”

Aria lets go of the laundry she was folding, and gives her brother a meaningful look. “Jeonghan, the money’s been in the vault for years.”

Jeonghan freezes. With a book on his left hand and a cloth on his left to wipe away the dust, the cardboard box full of books stares back at him. He doesn’t look up. “Yeah, safe and sound. Exactly how mom and dad would want it.”

“Mom and dad would want us to be happy. We can buy a house, maybe outside of Seoul or… Korea, even.” Noticing her brother’s disdain on his face, she quickly tries to reason with his thoughts that she knows he will never let anyone know. “I talked to Uncle Rowon, and he’s more than happy to-”

“We are not closing the bookstore, Aria.” He gives her a dark glare, but to her surprise it changes to that of a saddening look as his eyes dart to the floor. “I know you wanna leave, and I’m sorry but… the store’s the only thing I have left.” of my own.

“That’s not true, you have me.”

Jeonghan tries to smile. “Right, that’s right.”

—

Nothing belongs to Jeonghan. But, the bookstore? Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like his own. He feels bound like he doesn’t have a choice. But, he does. Does he? He feels like a stranger walking around his family’s store. He runs his finger along the books as he passes, none of them are his own. They are books he’s supposed to sell in order to make a living for him and his sister who wants nothing more than out. He respects her, he really does. But that doesn’t mean giving up decades of generation treasure.

“Is that the last of it?” he asks the shady looking courier man who answers by dropping the last cardboard box on the floor and wiping his dusty hands on his shirt, giving Jeonghan a look.

Funnily, as Jeonghan observes the man like he does often, he figures that he looks quite handsome today just as he did when they first met, despite having dirt on both of his cheeks. I wonder how he’d look in a suit all nice and clean.

“Mister. Mister?” He’s brought back out of his thoughts. The shady looking courier man was gone and replaced by a shorter fellow with a nervous grin on his face, carrying a box. “I almost forgot this one.”

Jeonghan blinks. “Oh, right, just… place it on the floor.”

The man does so and claps his hands leaving visible dust particles in the air. “That's the last of it!” he chirps cheerfully. His truck honks, the shady looking man probably gesturing him to hurry the fuck up. He hurries back to the truck, giving Jeonghan one last wave. “Goodbye, mister!”

“Thank you for your service!” he yells at the moving vehicle.

After the new arrivals, Jeonghan was having an unsuspecting day like always. His life as a bookstore owner was boring to say the least, but he loved it. New Arrivals day was always his favorite; opening up new books and shelving them, and the fragrance of a new one hitting the right spot have always made him feel just fine.

A man introducing himself as Mr. Park came into the store with a smile that made Jeonghan feel uneasy. He was looking for a particular book and was very persistent with him to find it. Jeonghan found it in one of the boxes that were unopened for the day.

Mr. Park left with a queasy grin with the book strapped tightly in a suitcase (a suitcase, really? What book needs that big of a protection?).

One hour goes by, and the door chimes signaling a customer entering the store. Jeonghan, who was reading on his desk, puts on his best smile at the cue and looks up to see the customer.

“Hi! Welcome-” what the fuck, he’s handsome. It’s not like Jeonghan hasn’t seen or dated his fair share of handsome men, being called ‘beautiful’ for himself by such men. However, he doesn’t think the B word fits him well. But the being before him was a gorgeous sight, wearing a clean tuxedo (on a Tuesday, seriously?) and shiny black shoes Jeonghan wouldn’t afford if he worked 24/7 doing three different jobs.

The gorgeous being walks before the bookseller with a bright grin on his face. “Mister? Hi, are you the owner?”

Jeonghan straightens up at a speed he didn’t know was possible. “Hi! Of course! May I help you?” Where the fuck is this enthusiasm coming from?

“I’m looking for a particular book,” the unnamed man says, “I’ve tried other stores and I’m guessing it’s quite rare, perhaps it’s a new one?” he questions in a lovely manner.

Jeonghan nearly melts.

“O-oh! Really? Well, I got some new packages that arrived today, if y-you’re interested… in that?” Great, I’m stuttering. Haven’t since middle school when Jenny broke the flower I gifted her.

“That’d be great, thank you.” The man nods and Jeonghan stiffens, sitting at his place before getting up with a “r-right” and showing the man where the new books are displayed on the shelves.

Surprisingly, the man stays for a good 20 minutes and studies every single newly displayed book with long, hard gazes that Jeonghan thinks the shelves might explode. Luckily, for him, he can stare at the man for at least an hour.

After a hard stare at the shelf, the man comes back to the bookseller with a frown unlike him. “Well, this obviously isn’t working.” And Jeonghan obviously wants to wipe the grimace off of the man’s face.

“Did you not find what you were searching for, sir?” he replies sweetly, that he’s sure Aria would gag so hard at.

“No, unfortunately not…” the man gives a look at the shelves as if to reprimand them. “I’m wondering if you’ve sold it already…? Or it must’ve not yet arrived.”

“Do you know the texture of the book, or what it looks like? People get confused when I say texture, haha…” you dumb ass bitch.

“Well, um…” he pauses, looking hesitant. “The cover’s a blue-ish sort of black, with no name on the front.”

“Hmm… a blue-ish black cover with no name- Ah! Yes, I remember.” The man perks up, but he doesn’t look so happy for the next information. “The book was a bit worn, wasn’t it? I remember selling it to a man named Mr. Park.”

Suddenly, at the speed of light, the slightly nervous face on the man changes into a soft glare. “Mr. Park, you say?”

Jeonghan falters under the sudden change of atmosphere but refuses to let it affect his work. “Y-yes, um… he had a very unique grin, sort of… haha. But why don’t you come next week, sir? We have new arrivals every Sunday.”

The man seems to have sensed his unease, so he quickly changes his unknowing expression to a smile. “It’s a shame, really… but I’ll be sure to check in next week to look for a copy.” He heads to the door and opens it, a chime following.

“Wait! U-um… sorry, I didn’t get your name, sir?”

The man smirks. “I’m Chan. Goodbye, mister.”

Chapter Text

On the other side of Seoul, a man kneels with hands tied behind his back and a stream of blood gushing down the right side of his face. Another man stands above him with a gun, with several people standing around him too.

“Hyung, it’s my fault just as much as it’s his-”

“Shut up, Mingyu.” A strike to the chin. The bleeding man falls to the ground with a groan, his tired eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“He fucking sold it, and to Park of all people.” A kick in the stomach causes the man to roll over in pain.

“That’s enough, Seungcheol.” A new guy enters the warehouse followed by two strange men in similar clothing. This new guy was shorter than the rest, but the power he exudes just by walking seems immense. ‘Seungcheol’ sighs, and throws his gun on the ground in frustration. “If you’re gonna kill him, then kill Mingyu too. You heard him. It’s his fault as much as it’s that guy’s.”

One of the men walking behind him, a man with glasses, speaks up. “Sorry we’re late. We were… accessing the situation.”

“Enough chit chat, Wonwoo, who’s the guy?” Seungcheol asks.

But instead of ‘Wonwoo’, the other man answers. “Yoon Jeonghan. 29. No parents. Living with his sister, and his uncle lives in the countryside.”

“I heard he’s quite the looker,” a man sitting on a metal chair with his legs crossed remarks, but his eyes don’t leave the injured man on the ground. “Soonyoung said so.”

“I actually heard it from Seungkwan,” ‘Soonyoung’ replies quickly.

“He’s gonna die in 15 minutes.” The man on the chair points out.

“Are you sure?” Seungcheol asks, observing the man. “I didn’t hit him that hard…”

“Yes, you did, you fuck,” the man on the chair replies harshly. “He’s bleeding internally. I told you to do something about those pointy shoes.”

‘Mingyu’ snorts. “Since when could you know that from a look, Joshua?”

“He’s not that important anyways,” the shorter man claims, walking towards the injured guy on the ground. Everyone pauses as he turns to the rest of his men. “What’s important is getting the book back, but that won’t be easy.”

“Not with Park already having it,” says Wonwoo. “What we need is to take in Yoon Jeonghan.”

“And what good will that do?” questions Seungcheol. “The dumb motherfucker sold it to the wrong hands.”

Chan frowns. “Hey, don’t call him that, he was actually really nice.”

“And handsome,” the doctor adds unhelpfully.

“I don’t see how that bit of information is helpful.” Mingyu uttered.

“No, it’s very helpful. Thank you, Shua.” Sarcasm drips from Seungcheol’s voice. “Pretty people are harder to kill.” He sits down on a chair with a huff next to Soonyoung. “What now, Jihoon.” It wasn’t a question but more of a sigh of frustration.

“Wonwoo is right,” announced Jihoon, he wasn't shouting but his voice boomed with power. “We have to take in Yoon Jeonghan.”

—

One week later, Yoon Jeonghan was having a rather slow but exasperated day. His sister called and with tears, asked to move on her own to live with Uncle Rowon in the countryside. He knew he couldn’t stop her. Out of Seoul was what she wanted since their parents died, unable to relieve the pain by living in the city. Jeonghan doesn’t mind living on his own but his only sister, who had been with him since birth, was kind of hard to let go if you can imagine. But he did, because if you love someone, you let them go. She let him know that it won’t be permanent like he hoped. He wants to give moving away and closing the bookstore a chance to actually escape from the boring city and make his darling sister happy.

He scores another sale, but scowls at the back of the customer who was leaving because she bought Colleen Hoover’s “November 9”. He doesn’t want to judge, and knows that reading is subjective. But she probably didn’t have a wattpad phase when she was younger. He had the option to not sell any Colleen Hoover books. To be fair, he’d be happy to burn them all but he can’t deny that they sell extremely well for a shitty book.

The door opens with a chime, and two footsteps enter the store. Jeonghan looks up to greet them and is very happy to see that Chan is back … with a strange man? He was equally good-looking, his face seemed to have been carved by God himself.

“Sir, you’re back!” Jeonghan smiles.

Chan smiles back. “Hi, mister. I’m sorry to be troubling you like this.”

Jeonghan is taken aback by the sudden apology. Confused, he replies, “Why are you apologizing? You’re not bothering me at all.”

Chan’s smile is replaced by a pitiful look which Jeonghan doesn’t like at all. Why is he feeling something terrible is about to happen? “I will be in a few seconds.”

The strange unknown man walks behind him, and the next thing he knows is a black bag over his head.
—

Jeonghan tries to scream, but his voice gets stuck in his throat. He can feel that he’s in a moving vehicle, but his surroundings are eerily quiet. No one inside the moving vehicle speaks. He feels the vehicle stop, and his arm is gripped by a rather gentle hand leading him out of the car. Sunlight travels through the hood over his face which quickly disappears and he can tell he’s inside a building as the atmosphere gets darker.

“They’re here!” he hears a voice chirp, “fucking finally,” and replaced by a rough one.

The gentle hand guiding him sits him down on a chair and takes off his hood. Jeonghan blinks at the sudden change of scenery. There are multiple men standing before him, 1… 3… 5… 12? The first guy to catch his attention is Chan. The next guy he notices sits lazily on a metal chair with his head resting on his arms. The next man to attract his gaze is standing before him with hands in both pockets, staring down at him.

Wait, I know this guy…. I’ve seen him before. Hold up… Woozi? As in the Woozi?

Jeonghan looks around the building and sees that he’s in an empty warehouse with twelve attractive (is now seriously the time to-) men surrounding him.

Twelve men, with Woozi, in an empty warehouse. Fuck.

He’s been caught by the goddamn most powerful mafia in the city. Woozi is the master strategist of the mafia, leading eleven successful businessmen if you can call them that. He appears in television, interviews and social media as the main man of the gang. It seems like he is, too, with the way he’s staring down at Jeonghan. The rest of the group are leaders in their own associations. The media only got reports of eleven members working alongside Woozi without their names and other details.

“Yoon Jeonghan.” His voice is unusually clean, just like his appearances in the media. Jeonghan always thought it didn’t suit him.

Jeonghan boars the urge to scream, but he knows it’s better to keep quiet in front of the deadliest mafia in all of Seoul, although that doesn’t stop him from cursing. “What the fuck.”

A man with unnecessary pointy shoes stops in front of him. “Don’t scream.”

Jeonghan stares, blinks, opens his mouth, and closes it. “Wasn’t planning to.”

A man beside the guy sitting lazily on the metal chair laughs out loud at Jeonghan’s expression and throws his arms around his friend next to him in fits of laughter.

“Ooh, we got a snarky one!” exclaims another man with a bitchy but excited expression. “I’ve always liked the snarky ones.”

Jeonghan breaths out, “I don’t have the book, I sold it already," absolutely terrified but his pride won’t let him show it.

“Caught on already?” says Woozi. “You’re a smart man, Mr. Yoon. That’s why we brought you here.”

“More like kidnapped.” Jeonghan grimaces. “I told you I don’t have the book with me. Some guy already bought it. He didn’t let me take any information in my address book so I can’t give that to you either. And, no, I don’t do refunds.”

Everyone pauses and stares at him, some with an amused look and others with a surprised expression.

“You talk too much,” says the man with pointy shoes.

“Sorry,” utters Jeonghan before he can stop himself. Apologising was always a reflex for him. “I get talkative when I’m nervous…” He blinks five times and shakes his head. “No, that’s not the point. Why am I here?”

“My name is Woozi, you can call me Jihoon.” Woozi introduces himself. Hold on, is he telling me his real name? Why would he do that? “We want to welcome you to our family, Mr. Yoon.”

Chapter Text

“I…” the warehouse is eerily quiet. The men are all looking at Jeonghan, awaiting his response when the man himself can’t even process what was just said. “I’m sorry. What?”

“Please don’t try to act indifferent, Mr. Yoon. We know exactly how smart you are,” says a man with glasses. He doesn’t look at Jeonghan as he says those words but keeps his eyes on a yellow folder in his hands. He glances up. “You solved your parents’ case.”

Jeonghan gags internally. “That wasn’t me-”

“And gave the credit to a freshly young detective. He was your friend, wasn’t he?” the man with glasses interrupted, stepping closer. “You wanted the credit, but he asked you for it, begged you for it.”

Jeonghan inhales and holds his breath, preventing himself from breaking down.

“Most importantly,” says Woozi, “you solved the puzzle box that was encrypted to hold the book you sold to Park. How else would you have been able to open it?” He walks back and forth, glancing towards the ground and looking back up. “But you were stupid enough to sell it even when you figured out that it was an important book. Why?”

Jeonghan sighs. “Because it’s none of my business,” he grits out. “I didn’t take a look at it, and I didn’t tell anyone about it either.”

“Well, news flash, because of your dumbass,” the man with the pointy shoes barks, “it got into the wrong hands.”

Jeonghan frowns. “And what makes you think your hands are the right ones to fall to? You know, I had a long fucking day. I didn’t need to be kidnapped! This could’ve been done over a brunch and some biscuits, but no, I had to have a bag over my fucking head, didn’t I? And over what? Some fucking book I don’t give two shits about!”

Everyone grows silent, and they’re looking at him as if waiting to strike. Jeonghan breathes heavily courtesy of his rant and looks at the members. He’s fucked, he thinks.

One of them stands up from his chair, stares at Jeonghan and smiles slowly. “I knew I liked him.”
His eyes don't leave that of the kidnapped man. “I’m Joshua, medical director of Seventeen.” He stretches his hand out, unbeknownst to the man being tied up. “Ah!” he exclaims, “silly me. I forgot.” He waves his right hand in a girlish manner. “Ropes off,” he commands.

One of the two guards standing behind Jeonghan – whom he didn’t notice until now – takes off the ropes from his wrists freeing him. Joshua smiles. “I know this is hard to wrap up in that big little brain of yours, Jeonghan-ssi! But joining us may be the best thing you will ever achieve in your life because otherwise–” his smile turns into a grin, “we might just kill ya!”

Woozi, who was smiling slightly at Joshua, turns to Jeonghan, his smile dropping. “We know who you are. We know your sister, and your uncle, Mr. Yoon. You don’t know what may happen to them.”

Jeonghan’s blood turns cold. He gulps. “You kidnap me, and now you’re threatening my family?”

“Park is gonna come for you. He’s not stupid. He will know you solved the puzzle box no one could for 57 years–”

“Not faster than we did,” Chan chimes.

“— and I assure you, you do not want to be with Park.”

Jeonghan stubbornly says, “Why don’t I see that for myself?”

“The man fucks anything that can breathe and has two legs,” a bulky man, who Jeonghan recognises as ‘shady looking courier man’ grimaces. “With all due respect, Mr. Yoon, if you actually go with Park we won’t be here to save you, and I most certainly wouldn’t.”

There’s something behind his eyes as he says that, Jeonghan notices. Anger, guilt and resentment.

“Take the warning we’re giving you right now, it’s best for you,” says Chan, looking a bit regretful.

Jeonghan thinks, and it must be very visible on his face. “I’m not cut out for this life.”

The man sitting lazily on a metal chair snorts. He looks unlike the rest but still Asian, Chinese perhaps? “You very much are, Jeonghan-ssi. It’s how your parents made a living for you and your sister.”

Jeonghan frowns, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Woozi puts his hands in his pockets. “Your parents worked as assassins for my father before he died, Mr. Yoon. Didn’t you find it strange that the location they died at was completely different from where they told you they were going?”

“I did, but…” He freezes, and his blood runs cold. His parents, loving as they were, assassins? No, it couldn’t be. They wouldn’t. But that would explain everything, how they got superhuman strength, how they were stealthy and full of skills, how they came home at 3 in the morning when Jeonghan couldn’t sleep, and most certainly the money. They were never poor, and never lacked food but now he figures most of it must’ve been stolen.

“Oh my Gosh, why are you guys freaking out the poor boy!” One of them, an adorable looking man, exclaims. He walks towards Jeonghan and kneels before him. Jeonghan half-thinks he’s about to worship him.

“Why don’t you go home, get some rest and think about it, yeah?” He says rather gently. “I know this is a lot to handle, with your sister moving away and everything. Shush- yes, we know that.” He pauses. “We want what’s best for us, I’ll give it to you straight. You’re important to us, and we’re important to you. If you don’t see it now, you’ll see it soon. But don’t worry, just sleep on it, alright?”

Jeonghan, entranced with the man’s motherly voice, nods slowly. The men start to disperse, feeling the situation is over. They talk among themselves, and Jeonghan feels weirdly at ease, like it’s a normal Thursday morning.

“It’s for the best, Mr. Yoon,” says Woozi, and he smiles at Jeonghan for two seconds before turning to talk to the man with glasses.

Jeonghan looks around. No one is paying him any attention, maybe except the doctor guy. He shuffles his feet. Should he just leave?

“Hiya.” It’s the doctor guy. “I’m so excited for you to join us! I feel like we’re soulmates for something. I can’t wait.” He giggles.

“I … never said I was gonna-”

“Oh, you will,” he says surely. “Should I introduce you to everyone?” Without waiting for Jeonghan to respond, he starts. “That, over there, is Seungcheol, aka Scoups. He’s our field operative meaning he operates our field missions.” He points to the man with pointy shoes. “I know he looks mean and scary but he’s actually a big softie!”

Jeonghan stares at ‘Scoups’, and he finds himself thinking that his lips look perfect. What the fuck?

“Him, that guy over there, is Wonwoo. He's our tech savvy guy. Best hacker you will ever meet. He can find out anything about anybody.” He points to the man in glasses.

“The one sitting over there, that’s Minghao, or The8 but we call him Myungho. He looks scary, that’s because he is, hah! He’s our martial arts expert so he doesn’t work with guns. He prefers swords, I dunno why, he learned martial arts when he was in China. Anyhow —”

He points to a man smiling up at ‘shady looking courier man’. “The smiley one right there? That’s Dk, we call him Dokyeom or you can call him Seokmin, whichever you prefer. He’s our infiltration expert. We put him in the Naji prison once to see how fast it’ll take for him to break out. Wanna guess how many days? Three days!”
Naji prison, Seoul’s highest security filled prison. Jeonghan thinks the man looks rather warm, he doesn’t seem like a man with skills to break any door no matter how much protection it’s covered with.

“He’s very nice and friendly, and sensitive too. He’s mine, by the way. Anyway, the big bulky guy is Mingyu, he’s an intelligence analyst. He collects information and makes strategic decisions for our missions. And he’s dating our precious Wonwoo!

“That one with the puffy cheeks—” he points to the man who saved Jeonghan earlier from the others by calming him down “— That’s Hoshi, or Soonyoung. He’s our interrogation specialist. He breaks down people and steals their secrets! I can see that he probably did a number on you as well. He and Myungho have, like, a thing going on so I suggest you stay away. They’re just fucking, though, I dunno.

“Hmm, who’s next?” Joshua squints his eyes and looks around. “Ah, right, you’ve met Chan, or Dino as his stage name. He’s an actor. He goes undercover, and like Soonyoung, grabs people’s secrets under a mask.”

That’s what he was doing with me. It makes sense that he’s an actor.

“That guy, over there, with that bitchy expression of his, that’s Seungkwan. He’s our cryptographer. He solves puzzles and codes, mostly. Look at him pouting at his boyfriend… that one, the handsome one, he’s Vernon. He’s a logistics coordinator, he arranges accommodation and transportation, etc etc. To be honest, his job is by far the most boring. Right, you might notice he looks a little different because he’s from America, just like me!”

Joshua smiles brightly at Jeonghan before looking back at the gang. “That one is Jun,” he points at a man staring intently at his phone. Jeonghan noticed he barely paid attention during the whole meeting. “He’s a sniper and head of the department. He’s a damn good one, too. He can be childish, but he’s mostly shy.

“You’ve met Woozi… oh, and that leaves me! I already introduced myself, but you should know I’m the most handsome one here.”

“Don’t fool yourself, hyung.” Chan smiles, walking over. “We all know I’m the most handsome one here.”

“You talk too much, Chan. I should go all mad scientist on you again—”

“NO! I hate mad scientist Joshua, he’s the worst.”

“Hey,” Jeonghan hears a voice call him and he turns around to see Seungcheol, the man with the pointy shoes. He has an empty expression on his face and Jeonghan can’t tell what he’s thinking. “You’ll need a ride, come on.” He turns and leaves the warehouse.

“You can trust him,” says Chan rather helpfully, so Jeonghan follows Seungcheol. He turns around one last time. Mingyu and Dk are bickering next to Woozi and Wonwoo who seem to be discussing something. Suddenly, he feels a warm feeling in his stomach, a comfort of some kind like he’s been here before.

He gets in a car with Seungcheol and they start driving right away. He doesn’t feel the need to tell the other where to go, it’s obvious he already knows his address. But he steals a glance at Seungcheol, and he’s handsome like, Gorgeous-by-Taylor-Swift type of handsome. The curve of his rosy lips align perfectly with his nose, the outline of his hair hides his forehead and his skin, not to mention the flawless skin would be a crime against humanity.

“Done staring?”

Jeonghan coughs, looking away. “I, I wasn’t staring…”

Seungcheol doesn’t tear his eyes away from the road, but he smirks slightly. “Part of our job is to look good, Jeonghan-ssi, you should know if you’ll be joining.”

At least he’s not assuming I’m gonna join. “May I ask why?”

Seungcheol licks his lips, deep in thought before answering, “Mingyu came up with it. He said it’ll help lower people’s guards down. He’s right.”

That’s true. Mingyu, or shady looking courier man, must be smart. Joshua did say his role was to make strategic decisions… “May I ask, how long have you been doing this?” he says carefully.

“Why do you ask? Planning something, Jeonghan-ssi?”

“No… just asking. And just Jeonghan is fine.”

They pull over at the bookstore. It’s surprisingly guarded by three men. Seventeen must’ve ordered them to. Jeonghan gets out of the car, baffled. Without a word, the three men bow to him one by one and get in a van before driving off. He’s speechless, they protected his store while he was kidnapped when he thought he was done for. He bends his head to look inside the car and to say goodbye.

“Call me Seungcheol.” He drives off without another word.

Chapter Text

The next few days were a blur. After getting kidnapped by twelve gorgeous- (STOP IT) men, the most dangerous mafia in the city, Jeonghan took notes to himself not to trust anyone. Learning the ultimate secret to his parents’ identities was difficult, and his sister leaving him to live with their uncle didn’t help either. He knew he couldn’t tell anyone and it seems like Seventeen trusted him enough not to.

Letting go of his sister was hard, as they had left each other with tears. “I’ll make a better living accommodation for you, for us,” he had promised her.

Now, he’s sulking away in his bookstore because he hasn’t had a single customer today. To be fair, it’s a Monday and everyone’s busy but that doesn’t stop him from thinking a wrath is coming towards him. He’s bored, heavily bored, which led him to thinking about joining the gang. They warned him about Park but he hasn’t shown up yet. Jeonghan’s so bored he half-wishes a bunch of men to come charging with guns.

Unknown:
Meet us at the Nara Cafe in ten minutes

-- Seungcheol

He almost jumps as he gets the message, out of excitement or fear he can’t place.

Me:
What makes you think I’m free?

Unknown:
I can see the excitement in your smile, Jeonghan.

He sits up straight and looks around. Of course, they’re watching him. How could he have been so stupid? He doesn’t answer, pride getting the better of him.

—

He enters Nara Cafe, which is a block away from his store, and spots Joshua, Seungcheol and Wonwoo at the back of the cafe. They’re whispering among themselves. Joshua spots him and a huge smile spreads across his face. He waves him over, causing the other two to turn around.

He walks over hesitantly and sits besides Joshua. “Hello.”

“Bestie!” the man next to him envelopes him into a one sided hug. “I missed you.”

“O-oh…” Jeonghan melts into the hug, taken aback. “I missed you too… I guess.”

“How have you been, Jeonghan-ssi?” asks Wonwoo.

“I’m, I’m good, and just Jeonghan is fine.”

“No, no, no. He’s younger than you, so respect is needed,” Joshua asks intently.

Jeonghan blinks. “Oh, no, I don’t mind actually. There’s no need for honorifics here… please just call me Jeonghan.”

“Alright, Jeonghan.” Wonwoo smiles.

Jeonghan looks at Seungcheol, pausing for a bit. “H-hi,” he says rather confidently considering his stuttering.

Seungcheol nods at him, not saying a word. *If only he liked me a bit more.

“So!” Joshua says matter-of-factly. “We called you here to discuss some things.”

“Is it about me joining?”

“Precisely,” says Wonwoo, looking at the tablet on his palms, “but that’s another thing. We have something we want you to do before joining.”

“Like a mission…?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of mission?”

“A formal party. Our mission is to go in formal attire and act normal, that’s it.”

“Um…” Jeonghan says unsurely, “I don’t think I can do that. That seems scary.”

“What?” Joshua looks exacerbated. “It’s just a party, Jeonghan-ah. Parties are fun! You get to meet up with people.”

“Exactly,” Jeonghan says matter of factly, “human interaction is scary.”

The atmosphere pauses, then Wonwoo smiles. “Yes, it’s scary. But I assure you, you’ll be protected. Seungcheol here —” he nods at the man sitting beside him “— is gonna be your protector.”

“Wait, hold on, a protector?”

“Like a guardian of sorts. Woozi’s orders.”

Jeonghan splutters, glances at Seungcheol who’s just staring him down, then looks at Wonwoo.

“He’s very good at his job, don’t worry. You’re in good hands,” says Joshua, “he took care of Seungkwan when he first joined.”

“It’ll only be for this mission. Come with us this once, Seungcheol will guard you and you’ll get to decide whether or not you’re joining.”

Jeonghan breathes, “it’s a high rank. If I join, I’ll be given my own department, right?”

“Right,” Wonwoo says, “your own department based on your speciality.”

“I’m just a bookseller!” Jeonghan tries to reason.

“You don’t think you deserve it.” Seungcheol speaks, finally.

“Um…” Jeonghan croaked.

“It’s just this one mission, Jeonghan,” Joshua assured, “you’ll get to decide what happens to you next.”

The last line leaves him feeling uneasy. “I don’t have any formal attire…”

Joshua grins. “Why do you think we’re in a mall, silly?”

—

Jeonghan never liked shopping, his sister did and he hated it. Walking around in a mall full of stuff you can’t afford and trying on stuff you also can’t afford but doing it for the aesthetic, is something he never really enjoyed. It’s been two hours since he’s been walking around the mall with Joshua who’s light as fuck on his feet, jumping around and buying everything he sees for Jeonghan. He’s very happy and grateful for the new stuff but his feet ache as if he’s running on rocks.

“What do you think about this?” Joshua shows him a velvet suit on a mannequin.

“I’m fine with anything, Joshua. Can we please take a break?” said Jeonghan wearily.

“We can’t! We have to find you a suit for the party! Now be a good boy and hush.”

They continue walking around the store for a good 15 minutes until Jeonghan legs almost pass out. Suddenly, they see Seungcheol walking up to them possibly to pick up Jeonghan.

Joshua sighs and rolls his eyes at Seungcheol. “We didn’t get to finish!”

“Hello,” says Jeonghan to Seungcheol once he steps close enough.

Seungcheol nods and turns to look at Joshua. “I have to take him home.”

Jeonghan frowns. “I think I can go home by myself.”

“You best be off with him. Park must be looking for you, Jeonghan-ah.” Joshua reasons. “Woozi wants you to get the best protection we can offer.”

"But... it's only a party," Jeonghan protests, his eyes frowning. He had never been good in social situations, and the thought of attending a formal party surrounded by strangers was causing his heart to race. "I don't need protection..."

Seungcheol's expression hardens as he looks down at Jeonghan. "Woozi has given his orders. You are a valuable asset to Park, and we cannot risk anything happening to you at the party."

"W-wait, so... Park is gonna be at this... party. I'm a valuable asset for him, yet I'm still going to the party which might get me killed... by him."

"Oh, Jeonghan-ah," Joshua puts a hand on Jeonghan's shoulder. "You're not going to get killed at the party. You're going to be protected! Seungcheol is one of the best at what he does."

Seungcheol nods, his expression stoic. "I assure you, I will make sure no harm comes to you."

Jeonghan frowns, unable to comprehend the situation. "Why am I going anyway, if there's a chance I will be in danger and in need of protection?"

"This party is a test," Joshua explains, "Woozi wants to see your potential and how you handle yourself in a social setting. You'll be under Seungcheol's watch the entire time, so you don't have to worry about anything."

Jeonghan purses his lips. "Like I said, I don't look forward to joining... you people."

Joshua's smile fades slightly, and Seungcheol folds his arms across his chest. "Woozi only selects the best candidates, Jeonghan," says Joshua. "And you're one of the people he's picked for this."

"You're an asset, whether or not you want to join," Seungcheol adds, his voice stern. "You'll have to attend regardless."

Jeonghan's felt a pang of dread at the finality in Seungcheol's voice. He sighed, feeling trapped. "Fine, I'll go to the party. But I won't promise anything."

A small smile crept across Seungcheol's face, as if he knew Jeonghan would agree.

"Atta boy!" Joshua chimed in, clapping Jeonghan on the back. "And who knows, you might even enjoy yourself. You know, you should totally see the clips that Chan took of that one time we tortured that guy who leaked info on us. Wait, what was his name, Seungcheol-ah?"

Jeonghan freezes in his spot, mentally begging Joshua to stop, and smiles awkwardly at Seungcheol, who's only sighing at Joshua's unintended state of excitement.

"Kim Daegoon," Seungcheol replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Why are you trying to traumatize Jeonghan?"

"I'm not trying to traumatize him," Joshua protested, pouting. "I'm just trying to show him the lighter side of our organization. Besides, everyone deserves to witness a good ol' torture session every now and then. Don't you agree, Jeonghan?" He smiles brightly at the traumatized man. "Now that I think about it, damn... that dude was a huge piece of work, lemme tell ya."

"He doesn't need to hear the details," Seungcheol stops him. "We're gonna be late."

"Ah! Right... silly me... I must be getting old these days, always forgetting the time." Joshua chuckles as he clasps his hand on Jeonghan's shoulder. "I'll send all the items over to your house, alright? Or... meaning that Vernon will, I'll just pay for these."

Jeonghan felt a pang of guilt as Joshua offered to pay for his attire. "No, no, no, you don't have to do that, I can pay-"

Joshua waved him off, grinning. "Don't be silly, Jeonghan! It's on the house. Consider it a gift, for joining us."

Jeonghan wanted to protest, but the determination in Joshua's eyes told him it was useless. He nods silently, still feeling a little uneasy about the entire situation. He steals a quick glance at Seungcheol, who is staring at him with an unwavering gaze.

"We should get going," Seungcheol says, breaking the silence. "We don't want to be late."

"Of course." Joshua gives Jeonghan a hug. "I'll see you at the party, Jeonghan. Until then, don't have fun without me."

Jeonghan chuckled at Joshua's cheeky remark. "I'll try not to."

"Which route are you taking?" Seungcheol asks Joshua.

"Route 250." Joshua answers, smiling a smile different than all the ones he's casted at Jeonghan, causing the new man to feel a type of atmosphere, one comforting and safe, between the three of them. "Don't worry about me, Cheollie."

Seungcheol's expression softens momentarily at the use of the nickname, but he quickly regains his composure. "Be careful. We don't know who's out there."

Joshua rolls his eyes, but his smile still lingered. "I'll be fine, big guy. I can handle myself."

Seungcheol reaches out and grabs Joshua's hand, his grip firm. "I mean it, okay? No risks."

Joshua squeezes his hand in reassurance. "I know, I know. I'll be careful. You worry too much."

Seungcheol let out a small scoff, but his grip on Joshua's hand didn't loosen. "Somebody has to. You're reckless."

"Bitch! Please." Joshua scoffs, and lets go of Seungcheol's grip on his hand.

Seungcheol grumbles. "I'm not kidding! You always jump headfirst into trouble without thinking."

Joshua rolls his eyes again. "And I always come out unscathed, don't I?"

Seungcheol heaves a breath, knowing there's no point in an argument with the doctor. "Let's go," he says to Jeonghan, who had been feeling warm throughout the entire interaction between the two.

Jeonghan nods, following Seungcheol as they head towards the exit of the mall.

He couldn't help but notice the way Joshua and Seungcheol interacted with each other. It was obvious that the two of them had a deep bond, a connection that went beyond mere coworkers. And the subtle touches and gestures, like the way Seungcheol grabbed Joshua's hand, spoke volumes.

As Jeonghan and Seungcheol started to leave the mall, Joshua calls out to them, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Don't have too much fun without me!" he says, waving enthusiastically. "And don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"The way I literally wouldn't even breathe the way he breathes," Jeonghan mutters under his breath, just loud enough for Seungcheol to hear as they walk out of the mall and into a car.

Seungcheol chuckled as he heard Jeonghan's muttered complaint. He couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. Joshua had a way of being almost obnoxiously cheerful, especially in contrast to Seungcheol's more serious demeanor.

"Tell me about it," he says as they got into the car. "He's like a walking bundle of energy, sometimes it's exhausting just being around him."

Jeonghan nods, letting out a small laugh. "Yeah, he's practically wired differently. It's like he constantly has a never-ending supply of energy."

He leaned back in the car seat, feeling comfortable enough around Seungcheol to speak his mind. "How do you handle it, by the way? Don't his nonstop chirpy attitude get to you eventually?"

Seungcheol starts the car and he drives it out of the parking spot. "He's usually not too cheerful like this."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he's just excited he has a new best friend around his age."

Jeonghan, deciding to test the waters, steals a look at Seungcheol as he licks his lips in nervousness.

"What about you?"

Seungcheol pauses, and Jeonghan briefly thinks he shouldn't have said that. "What about me?"

"Are you excited... too?" He grips on the seatbelt of the car. "I mean, what do you think... about having a new member?"

Seungcheol pokes his cheek with his tongue, avoiding Jeonghan's stolen gazes. "You're harmless, and my members seem to like you."

Here goes nothing.

"Do you like me too?"

Seungcheol takes a moment to process the other man's words. "You don't know what you're getting into here, Jeonghan."

"Might as well try, right?" Jeonghan chuckles. "You're, like, so fucking hot I can't take my eyes off of you. And it's not fair because it makes me want to join the goddamn mafia."

Seungcheol nearly swerves the car in response to Jeonghan's confession, his eyes widening in surprise. He quickly regains control of the vehicle and takes a moment to process Jeonghan's words.

"Damn, you're forward," he says, his voice slightly hoarse. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

"I like knowing I hit a nerve in people," Jeonghan replies swiftly.

Seungcheol snorts. "Oh, you've hit more than a nerve, darling."

He keeps his eyes on the road, but there's a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Jeonghan's forwardness was both refreshing and dangerous.

Jeonghan smiles, proud of himself. He sits comfortably, with one foot under his thigh. "What are routes?" he asks, deciding to change the subject to leave Seungcheol wanting just a little more.

"Routes are safety plans we follow when we go out, in order to avoid people who want to kill us." Seungcheol answers, not taking Jeonghan's bait. "Created by Vernon, with the help of some of us."

"How many 'routes' are there?"

Seungcheol drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he thinks. "660."

He turns the car onto a different road, checking his surroundings as he speaks. "We have routes for everything. Going to a party, going to get groceries, getting gas. We have routes for every possible situation, because we never know when we might be targeted."

"That's gonna be my life soon... huh?"

Seungcheol nods, his expression turning serious. "Yeah, it is. And it's not a life for the faint of heart."

He glances over at Jeonghan briefly before turning his gaze back to the road. "You're gonna have to be smart, quick-thinking, and willing to defend yourself. You'll have to trust us, and we'll have to trust you. If you can't handle that... then you don't belong with us."

"Well, I never said I was gonna join though." Jeonghan replies cheekily.

Seungcheol shakes his head, but there's a hint of a smile on his lips. "You're either really brave or really stupid to be messing with me like this."

"We'll see," Jeonghan plays with his fingers, and turns to look at Seungcheol. "Can we, if that's fine with you?"

Seungcheol glances over at Jeonghan, meeting his gaze. He looks at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. But there's a hint of something in his eyes - curiosity, perhaps, or maybe even intrigue.

"Yeah," he says finally, his voice gruff. "We can see... what happens."

Chapter Text

The weight of the velvet suit hangs heavy on the hanger, a stark contrast to the lightness of Jeonghan's mood. Seungcheol's words echos in his head - "We can see... what happens." A thrill shoots through him, a mix of excitement and fear. Was he really considering joining the mafia? When everything first happened the thought had filled him with dread, but after spending a few hours with Seungcheol, a strange sense of allure surrounded the idea.

Jeonghan hesitantly reaches out and touches the smooth fabric of the suit. It feels expensive, a world away from his usual worn t-shirts and jeans. He brought it up to his nose, inhaling a faint scent of cologne. He closed his eyes for a moment, the image of Seungcheol's sharp jawline and dark eyes flashing in his mind.

A sheepish grin spreads across Jeonghan's face. He was attracted to Seungcheol, there was no denying it. But was it enough to risk his entire life for a chance to be close to him? He sighs, the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders.

The party looms large, a test not just of his social skills but of his resolve. A bitter chuckle escapes his lips. Jeonghan had never been good at keeping his heart out of things.

He hangs the suit back on the hanger and walks over to his window, gazing out at the bustling city below. The familiar sights bring a sense of comfort, a reminder of the life he might be leaving behind. The thought of danger sends a shiver down his spine, but then he thinks of his sister, of the promise he made to give her a better life.

He squares his shoulders, a newfound determination settling in his eyes. The party might be a test, but Jeonghan was going to use it as an opportunity to test them too.

Vernon came over two days ago to deliver everything Joshua bought for Jeonghan when he easily could've had someone else to send it. Appreciating the time taken out of the two, Jeonghan tries the suit for the first time. He straightens his tie in the mirror, the silver fabric glinting as he adjusts the knot. The suit fits him like a glove, accentuating his slender frame and highlighting his muscular build. But Jeonghan can't help but feel like a stranger in this expensive outfit, the fabric too shiny, the tailoring too perfect. It feels like a costume, a sham.

Suddenly, Jeonghan's musing is interrupted by a series of soft thuds and a guttural yell from an unknown source outside his apartment. His heart rate spikes as he whips his head towards the window.

Jeonghan's heart pounds in his chest as he continues listening closely for any further sounds, looking intensely at the window. Then, once more, a loud thump is heard, followed by an unfamiliar voice cursing angrily.

Wait a minute… he knows that voice.

“Soon, are you okay?” a voice outside the window loudly asks. “This shit doesn’t work at all!”

“Seungkwan…?” Jeonghan says.

A head pops up outside his opened window. The expression on the head, at first, was annoyance. But upon seeing Jeonghan (in his new suit) he smiles.

“Hi!” Seungkwan exclaims.

“Boo Seungkwan, your ass is on my fucking face! Get off!” another voice yells.

Seungkwan grimaces, looking down at the other person. Soonyoung…! “I’m sorry I’m not an expert at climbing as Hao or Jun.” Sarcasm drips from his voice. He climbs into the window, expression changing into a bright smile at the sight of Jeonghan.

Jeonghan steps back in surprise, his heart not quite calming down yet. “Why are you here?” he says to Seungkwan, who now perches on the windowsill like an oddly cheerful bird. "And why are you climbing around outside my window?"

“We missed you!” Seungkwan says in return, pouting at Jeonghan’s words before looking at him up and down. “And you look damn fine in that suit, my gosh.”

“Excuse me,” the other person (still outside the window) says. “You have a boyfriend. And speaking of him, he is so fucking dead. This new equipment doesn’t work at all!”

Jeonghan gives Seungkwan an amused half-smile, before looking down outside the window. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness outside, but he’s soon greeted by the sight of Kwon Soonyoung, hanging off the side of the building like a small child swinging off monkey bars.

“Are you okay?” Jeonghan asks, eyes glistening in worry.

Soonyoung’s expression changes to a huge fake smile, trying to hide the pain of hanging outside an apartment building window. “Hi, sweetheart! Oh my gosh, you look adorable in that suit.”

Jeonghan can’t help but chuckle at Soonyoung's antics, his heart swelling a bit in affection. “You look… slightly ridiculous, hanging off the side of a building. Come on in.”

As he extends his hand out the window, Seungkwan snorts behind him. “Let him hang. He’s just not very flexible.”

Soonyoung grabs Jeonghan’s hands and pulls himself up, climbing past the windowsill and into the apartment.

“This shit-ass equipment that Vernon gave me for my birthday,” Soonyoung complains, “he’s so fucking dead.”

“Skill issue, me thinks,” Seungkwan says, mock-wondering.

“Yeah yeah, go out of your way to defend your piece of shit boyfriend.” Soonyoung stumbles into the apartment, grunting. “He has to be messing with me, because if this is an accident, he’s even more dead.”

Jeonghan shuts the window behind Soonyoung as he stumbles into the apartment, wincing slightly at the sudden chaos these two have brought into his small space. "You have yet to explain what you were doing outside my window." He crosses his arms over his chest.

“We came to pick you up, of course!” exclaims Seungkwan.

“But hanging off the building like that is extremely dangerous! You guys could’ve gotten hurt, especially if Vernon’s new device or whatever didn’t work,” Jeonghan rambles.

“Didn’t work is an understatement,” Soonyoung grumbles.

“We’ve been in more dangerous situations, Jeonghan-ah. It’s cute that you’re worrying about us.”

“Tell him about the incident in Shibuya,” Soonyoung says, frowning. “Another one of Vernon’s fuck ups.”

“Can you stop? We all make mistakes.” Seungkwan says with annoyance. “Don’t make me tell him about the bank in New York.”

Soonyoung scoffs, sitting down on Jeonghan’s bed, not saying a word.

“You were just getting ready, right?” Seungkwan enquirers Jeonghan, grabbing his forearm with a soft smile.

Jeonghan looks at the two of them—Seungkwan’s cheerful face and Soonyoung’s annoyed one. Despite the craziness they’ve brought into his life, a wave of affection hits him.

"I was just putting on this suit," he says, smoothing a hand over the fabric.

“It’s still a little bit…” Seungkwan grabs both of Jeonghan’s forearms and plays with the collar of the suit, “let me… just a bit…” He straightens the suit and smooths over the fabric, pulling on the corner of the cloth to make it fit perfectly. “There, looks better.”

“You’re not gonna wear that to the party, are you?” Soonyoung says, gesturing to the toe-showing flat shoes Jeonghan’s wearing.

Jeonghan gives Seungkwan a little smile of thanks as he adjusts the suit. It does look better, now that the fabric isn’t clinging awkwardly.

“Uh, no,” he says to Soonyoung, shaking his head. “I have appropriate shoes. I just didn’t expect company.”

“We’ll leave you to it,” says Seungkwan, marching with Soonyoung out of the room.

Chapter Text

The party is already in full swing when Jeonghan enters, flanked by Seungkwan and Soonyoung. The venue is crowded with people, dressed in suits and fancy dresses, chatting and laughing loudly.

Jeonghan’s suit feels less like a sham here, among others wearing equally lavish outfits. He adjusts his cufflinks, following Seungkwan and Soonyoung deeper into the crowd.

Jeonghan’s mind drifts to Seungcheol, and he finds himself searching for the man among the crowd. Jeonghan pushes through the sea of people, Soonyoung and Seungkwan walking in front of him.

He ignores most of the party-goers, their faces blurring together. All he can think of is seeing Seungcheol again. And yet, as he pushes through another group of people, he still can’t find the man. Disappointment settles heavily in his stomach.

Once they settle somewhere with fewer people, Jeonghan scans the room, searching for the familiar sharp angles and dark eyes. But instead, he’s greeted by a sea of unfamiliar faces, all dressed up and chatting animatedly.

Seungkwan, sensing Jeonghan’s unease, gives his arm a gentle squeeze. “Looking for someone?” he asks, a knowing smirk on his face.

Jeonghan, refusing the urge to form a pout, nods slowly. “Are the others not here?”

“They’re here somewhere,” Seungkwan replies with a shrug, looking around the room. “Seokmin’s probably already out on the dance floor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Chan is in the bar already.”

“Some of them are probably just running late,” Soonyoung says as they weave through the party crowd. “You know how it goes with these events. The important people always show up last.”

Seungkwan chuckles. “But seriously, stop frowning like that. You look so damn handsome right now, don’t spoil it with your pouty face.”

“You said I was gonna be assessed… what do I do?” Jeonghan asks.

"Relax," says Soonyoung, patting him on the back. "Just mingle. Go talk to a few people. You're just supposed to... I don't know, be visible."

"Yeah, just look pretty and smile a lot," adds Seungkwan, grinning. “That won’t be too hard for you.”

“Not for a store owner, no.” Jeonghan smooths the fabric over his stomach, nervousness and curiosity eating him inside. He doesn’t know what to do tonight, and he might fuck up sooner or later.

As Soonyoung and Seungkwan go off to get drinks, Jeonghan decides to put on a confident face and start mingling. He scans the room for a potential conversation partner, someone he can talk to without making a fool of himself.

His eyes settle on a small group of older men in suits, all of them holding glasses of champagne and exchanging animated conversation. Jeonghan gathers his courage and walks over to them, plastering a smile on his face.

He approaches the small group with an air of confidence, drawing closer to them. He waits politely for a pause in the conversation before clearing his throat, causing all of them to turn his way.

One of the men, a tall, lean man in a well-fitted suit, turns to Jeonghan and lifts an eyebrow in curiosity. “Can we help you?” he says, not unkindly.

Jeonghan takes a breath, summoning the most charming smile he can muster. “Yes, actually,” he responds, “I was just wondering... what do you all do?”

The group of men exchange glances, before the same tall man speaks up again. “We’re all in the same line of work,” he says, gesturing to his companions. “Finance, mostly.”

Jeonghan nods, pretending to understand. “Ah, finance,” he says. “That sounds terribly interesting.”

One of the other men snorts, taking a sip of his champagne. “Yeah, real exciting stuff. Numbers and charts and data, all day long.”

The tall man shoots a glare at him, before offering Jeonghan a polite smile. “So, what about you? You look terribly interesting. Fine in the face too… look at that.” He glances at Jeonghan up and down. “What do you do?”

Jeonghan feels a slight flutter of anxiety in his chest, feeling suddenly uneasy from all the looks. He can hardly tell these strangers the truth, not when he's supposed to fit in with this crowd amongst all these CEOs.

“Um…” he starts, wondering if he should lie or not.

As Jeonghan hesitates to respond, another one of the men in the group chimes in. “You know, young man,” he says, eyeing Jeonghan appreciatively up and down in his suit, “you look awfully young for this type of gathering.”

“Oh, I’m 29,” says Jeonghan rather innocently, glad that the curiosity in his work is out of the way.

Jeonghan's response elicits a few appraising looks from the group of men, a mix of surprise and curiosity on their faces.

“29, huh?” says the tall man, his eyes scanning Jeonghan’s face once again. “You don’t look a day over 20.”

One of the other men pipes up, a slight smirk on his face. “And you’re here all by yourself?”

“Oh, no, I’m with a few friends-”

“Friends, huh?” says the tall man, his eyes lingering on Jeonghan’s face again. “And here I thought we got lucky tonight.”

One of the other men chuckles, taking a step closer to Jeonghan. “You wouldn’t happen to be, you know, single?”

Jeonghan can feel his heart rate pick up slightly, the men’s interest in him more palpable now. He takes a step back, trying to maintain a casual demeanor. “Ye- No. I mean, I’m not. I have a… boyfriend.” he says, trying not to stumble over his words. But his lip quivers out of nervousness and fear, hoping they won’t catch his lie.

The man who had taken a step closer to Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in his eyes. “A boyfriend, huh?” he repeats, his tone slightly cynical.

The tall man looks Jeonghan up and down once more, a calculating look in his eyes. “Is it a serious thing?” he asks bluntly. “Or just a casual thing?”

Jeonghan's heart pounds in his chest, praying that his lie doesn’t show on his face. He tries to keep his voice steady as he responds.

“Yes, it’s a serious thing,” he says, nodding for emphasis. “We’ve been together for a while now.”

The group of men exchange glances, clearly not convinced. The tall man takes another step closer to Jeonghan. “How long is ‘a while’?” he presses.

The man who had inquired about Jeonghan’s relationship status chimes in again. “Have you guys moved in together yet?”

“About two and a half years ago,” someone says behind the quivering Jeonghan, and he immediately recognises that voice.

Seungcheol wraps an arm around Jeonghan’s waist, holding him protectively. “That’s when we moved in together. Isn’t that right, love?”

Jeonghan’s heart stutters as he hears Seungcheol’s voice, the familiar timbre immediately calming the nerves that had been buzzing under his skin. A small sigh of relief escapes his lips as Seungcheol’s arm curls around his waist, grounding him.

“Yes,” Jeonghan manages to say, giving Seungcheol a nervous smile. “That’s right.”

The group of men in front of them exchange glances again, their previously predatory interest shifting into mild confusion. But the tall man, the one who had been the most forward, just looks at Seungcheol and Jeonghan for a long moment before speaking again.

“Ah, Choi Seungcheol,” he addresses, tone slightly colder now. “I didn’t know you were… seeing someone. Especially for people like you in your line of work, I would say it’s quite unnecessary.

Seungcheol’s grip tightens slightly around Jeonghan’s waist, almost possessively. He shoots the tall man with a cold look of irritation. “People like me in my line of work?” he repeats, his tone mocking.

The tall man gives him an insincere smile. “That’s right. You must be busy most nights, right? Working late, entertaining important clients… I would say being in a relationship is a nuisance more than anything.”

Seungcheol laughs, the sound harsh and humorless. “A nuisance, is it?” he says, his arm around Jeonghan’s waist pulling him closer. “I find my relationship to be quite the opposite, actually. In fact, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“Would he say the same?” the tall man asks, eyes shooting to Jeonghan and back at Seungcheol.

Jeonghan feels a flutter of irritation at the man’s insinuation, but before he can say anything, Seungcheol’s voice responds for him.

“Of course he would,” Seungcheol responds, his voice firm. “Jeonghan knows exactly how I feel about him.”

“Does he know what you actually do?” The tall man raises an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Tell me, dear,” he says to Jeonghan, “does he tell you about why he comes home late at night, covered in blood? Or the women he’s fucked for so called business.”

Jeonghan’s irritation spikes even higher at the condescending tone of the tall man’s words, but his heart sinks at the implications of what he’s saying. He glances at Seungcheol, surprise and hurt flitting across his face for a moment before he can school his expression.

Jeonghan feels a pang of hurt shoot through him as the tall man continues to speak, the insinuations about Seungcheol’s lifestyle and habits hitting a little too close to home. But he tries to push the feeling aside, reminding himself that he and Seungcheol are not actually together.

Seungcheol’s grip around his waist tightens, almost imperceptibly, as if sensing Jeonghan’s discomfort.

The tall man notices the subtle exchange between Jeonghan and Seungcheol, a smug look on his face. “Ah, I see he hasn’t told you everything,” he sneers, a sadistic gleam in his eye. “Perhaps you don’t know your ‘boyfriend’ as well as you think you do, hmm?”

Jeonghan's heart is now racing, his mind churning with thoughts and emotions at the tall man's words. He can feel Seungcheol's protective hold on him, but it's not enough to quell the unease brewing inside him. Suddenly, Jeonghan speaks up, his voice quiet but firm.

"Seungcheol," he says, his head turned slightly towards him. "Let's get out of here."

Seungcheol looks down at Jeonghan, a flicker of surprise and understanding in his eyes. He nods in agreement, his grip on Jeonghan's waist shifting as he starts to steer them both away from the group of men.

Chapter Text

They stop in a secluded area, hidden from view of the rest of the party.

As they come to a stop, Seungcheol turns to Jeonghan, looking at him with a mixture of concern and anger. "Are you okay?" he asks bluntly, his voice soft.

“I’m fine,” Jeonghan croaks out, ignoring the other man’s concerned gaze. “What’s their deal anyway?”

Seungcheol sighs, leaning against the wall. "They're sugar daddies," he says bluntly. "That's the type of people who come to these sort of things. They're looking for someone to spend their money on, nothing more."

Jeonghan absorbs the information, his irritation at the men's behavior deepening. "So they were all interested in me because they thought I was... available?" he asks, his voice bitter.

Seungcheol nods. "Exactly," he says. "They saw a pretty, single guy in a fancy suit and assumed you were looking for someone to pay for your company. It's just how they operate."

Jeonghan scowls, the realization that he had almost been targeted by these men making him feel slightly dirty.

“Jeonghan,” Seungcheol walks closer to the younger man. “If it makes you feel better, this happened to Seungkwan when he first joined the team. Unfortunately for him, he got in a little too deep, and personally, it’s my fault for not keeping my eye on him back then. I’ll make sure to not make that same mistake again, ever, especially not with you. I promise.”

Jeonghan listens to Seungcheol's words, his anger and disappointment slowly fading as Seungcheol explains. The older man's genuine concern and apology soothe his wounded pride somewhat.

"It's not your fault," Jeonghan says, his voice quiet. "You can't be watching all of us all the time. And Seungkwan... is he okay?"

Seungcheol nods, a mixture of regret and determination in his eyes. "He's okay now," he affirms. "After that incident, I made sure to teach him and a few of the others what signs to look out for, and how to stay safe when meeting these kinds of people. But trust that I won't let anything like this happen to you again, Jeonghan."

Jeonghan's heart aches a little at the protectiveness in Seungcheol's words. He wants to tell him that he doesn't need to worry about him, that he can handle himself. But at the same time, he finds a small part of himself craving Seungcheol's concern.

"Okay," he says softly. "I trust you, Seungcheol."

Seungcheol's lips twitch into a small smile, a genuine expression of relief on his face. "Good," he says, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "And Jeonghan... about that part where they said I was working late, entertaining important clients -”

Jeonghan forces himself to look nonchalant, pushing down the nagging feeling in his chest. "What about it?" he asks coolly, trying to sound detached. "You're a businessman, it's probably true."

Seungcheol stops breathing briefly.

“You don’t have to clear anything up. It’s none of my business,” mutters Jeonghan, looking to the floor at his feet.

Seungcheol studies Jeonghan for a moment, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. "Right," he says quietly, his tone a mix of resignation and disappointment. "It's none of your business."

He leans against the wall again, staring into the distance. The silence that follows is thick and uncomfortable, and Jeonghan can feel the tension between them.

Jeonghan continues to look at the floor, feeling his heart sink at Seungcheol's resigned response. He wants to say something, but the words get stuck in his throat. The silence between them grows heavy, and Jeonghan starts to fidget with the fabric of his jacket, his discomfort increasing.

After a moment, Seungcheol breaks the silence, his voice a low murmur. "We'd better get back inside," he says quietly, pushing off the wall. "People will start to notice we’re missing."

Jeonghan just nods, the tension still thick between them. He follows Seungcheol as they head back inside, the atmosphere feeling heavy and awkward. Jeonghan can feel his heart still aching, the disappointment and confusion mixing in his chest.

They’re greeted to a small portion of Seventeen standing a few feet from the entrance, possibly searching for the two of them.

“Jeonghan!” Joshua, popping out of nowhere, greets him enthusiastically. “Where have you been? I missed you! I’ve been searching for you since I got here but couldn’t find you. I assume you were with Seungkwan and Soonyoung ‘cus they said they’d pick you up.”

Jeonghan forces a smile. "Uh, yeah," he replied, giving a small laugh. "I was with them for a bit, but I stepped out for some fresh air."

He glances at Seungcheol, who has also joined the group. The older man's expression is unreadable once again.

Joshua nods, his attention turning to Seungcheol. He smiles, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You two were together, huh?" he says teasingly, looking between Jeonghan and Seungcheol. "Had a nice little chat?"

Jeonghan can feel his cheeks heating up slightly at Joshua’s teasing tone. He looks at Seungcheol, who just shrugs nonchalantly as if to say ‘it doesn’t matter’.

"Not really," Jeonghan mutters, looking away from the group of men.

Joshua raises an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Really? No juicy gossip? No deep, meaningful conversations?" he asks, a playful glint in his eye.

Seungkwan grins from beside him, joining in the banter. "They probably just stood there in uncomfortable silence the whole time."

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, trying to keep up the act of indifference. "Yeah, maybe."

He catches Seungcheol’s eyes for a moment, seeing the cool, emotionless gaze. Jeonghan’s stomach twists, but he quickly looks away, turning back to Seungkwan.

“Um, where’s the others?” he asks. “I haven’t seen Jun, Minghao or Wo- Jihoon.”

“They’re around,” says Seungkwan. “Let me tell ya something, Jeonghan-ah. When a party like this is attended by the team, you can always count on the members to act very stereotypically.”

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, a hint of intrigue in his expression. “Oh yeah?” he asks, gesturing for Seungkwan to continue.

“You haven’t seen Hao or Junnie because since they’re the assassins of the group, they operate in the shadows. Jun’s probably in a nearby building watching everything through binoculars, and Hao’s definitely on the rooftop waiting for the venue to blow up or something.”

Jeonghan snorts, a laugh escaping him before he can stop it. “Sounds about right,” he agrees. “And what about Jihoon?”

“They say I’m “always looking for the nearest exit”,” says Woozi with a soft smile on his face, popping up next to Joshua, arms automatically around the older man’s waist.

Jeonghan jumps slightly, startled by the sudden appearance of Woozi. He hadn't even noticed the shorter man approaching the group.

"Ah, speaking of the devil," Joshua says with a laugh, leaning into the shorter man.

“How was your night, Jeonghan-ssi?” Woozi asks.

Jeonghan takes a moment to collect his thoughts, the events of the evening still swirling in his mind. "It was... eventful," he responds, his tone carefully neutral. He can feel Seungcheol's eyes on him but steadfastly avoids his gaze.

Woozi nods, as if he recognizes there was more to the story but doesn’t pry. “I think it’s high time we get out of here, right?” he says, soft eyes (with love) running through all the members once they’ve gathered up.

Vernon shows up behind Seungkwan, putting his right hand on the older man’s right shoulder.

“Let’s go,” says Seungcheol and decides to take the lead, being the first one to take a step out of the venue.

Jeonghan falls in step behind Seungcheol, his mind still swimming with thoughts and feelings. The others follow suit, each member falling into their usual roles and positions as they make their way out of the venue.

The cool night air hits Jeonghan’s face as they step outside, a welcome change from the stuffiness of the event.

Jeonghan is greeted by the members walking to their respective cars, and he can see how each of them lines up perfectly to their own personalities.

Jeonghan’s eyes dart amongst the group, taking in their individual demeanors.

He sees Seungcheol walking with Woozi, a couple of steps ahead, their backs straight and gait confident. Beside him is Wonwoo, who’s walking alongside Joshua, both of them exchanging words here and there.

Meanwhile, Mingyu is flanked by Seokmin and Soonyoung, the three of them cracking up about something while Seungkwan follows not too far behind, his eyes glued to Vernon.

Jeonghan's attention is suddenly caught by a movement in the sky above them.

From the corner of his eye, he notices two shadows dropping from the night sky, landing a few strides away.

Jeonghan lets out a startled scream, his heart leaping into his throat at the sudden appearance of Minghao and Jun.

“Holy sh- where did you come from?” he exclaims, hand clutching at his chest.

Jun and Minghao exchange a glance, looking quite pleased with the effect of their dramatic entrance.

“We just dropped by to say hello to you, Jeonghan,” says Jun, his usual shy grin in place.

“And goodbye,” says Minghao, doing a dramatic prince bow.

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, his heart rate starting to slow back down. “Show-offs,” he mutters, a hint of fond exasperation in his tone.

Meanwhile, the others look equally amused and mildly annoyed by the duo's antics, familiar with their flair for the dramatic.

“Are they always like this?” Jeonghan asks Seungkwan, exasperated.

Seungkwan chuckles, watching as Minghao and Jun stand up straight again, looking very pleased with themselves.

"Always," Seungkwan confirms. "Those two love their dramatics when it comes to their skills.”

As the group reaches the parking lot, they begin to split off into their respective cars. Seungcheol calls Jeonghan over as he heads towards a sleek black sports car.

"Come on," he says, a hint of that familiar authoritative tone in his voice. "I'm giving you a ride."

“Yeah, one sec.” Jeonghan walks over to Woozi who was just opening the door to Seokmin’s car. “Jihoon-ssi.”

Woozi looks up, a questioning look in his eyes. “Yes, Jeonghan?” he says, one hand resting on the car door handle.

“How did I do tonight? I mean, my performance. They said you were evaluating me. I didn’t even really do much, and I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

Woozi's expression softens as Jeonghan expresses his concerns.

“No, no, you did fine,” he says, a hint of reassurance in his voice. “You did what was asked of you, and I expected nothing more.”

With a soft smile, he bids Jeonghan goodnight.

Jeonghan slides into the passenger seat of Seungcheol’s car, the cool leather of the seat enveloping him as he clicks the seat belt buckle into place.

For a moment, a heavy silence hangs over them, the tension palpable in the air. Jeonghan fidgets with his hands, the events of the night replaying in his mind.

“Um… let’s go?” Jeonghan hesitantly glances at Seungcheol, who doesn’t spare him one glance and starts the car, driving out of the parking lot.

As he drives, neither of them speaks a word. The sound of the engine and the city rushing by fills the silence between them, each of them consumed in their own thoughts.

Jeonghan keeps his gaze fixed out the window, his mind swirling with a mixture of thoughts and feelings he doesn’t even fully understand himself.

The silence in the car feels heavy, almost oppressive. Jeonghan steals a glance at Seungcheol, who seems focused on the road ahead, his face illuminated by the passing lights from outside.

Even in the dim light of the car, Seungcheol's good looks are undeniable. His strong jawline, high cheekbones, and that perfectly shaped nose. There's no denying how attractive he is.

But beneath the handsome exterior, Jeonghan can sense the anger that simmers just below the surface. The tightness in Seungcheol's expression, the tension in his shoulders, speak volumes of his current mood.

The two sides seem almost in conflict with each other, and Jeonghan finds himself almost hypnotized by the contrast.

On one hand, he can't deny the pull he feels towards Seungcheol, how handsome and attractive he looks even when he's angry. But on the other hand, Jeonghan knows that this anger is directed at him right now, and that knowledge makes him both anxious and curious.

He steals another glance at Seungcheol, wondering just what is going through the other man's mind as he drives them through the quiet streets.

Jeonghan's gaze continues to flick between the passing scenery and Seungcheol's face, the silence in the car becoming too heavy to bear any longer.

He takes a deep breath, steeling himself before speaking up, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Seungcheol..."

Seungcheol doesn't respond right away, his eyes still fixed on the road, his jaw clenched.

But Jeonghan can tell by the slight tic in his cheek that he is listening. He takes another deep breath, gathering his courage to continue.

"Can we... talk about what happened tonight?"

For a long moment, Seungcheol doesn't respond. The only sounds are the hum of the engine and the soft whir of the air coming from the vents.

Finally, he sighs, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"What is there to talk about?" he says, his tone cold and distant.

“Are you mad about what I said?” asks Jeonghan

Seungcheol's shoulders tense even further, and he lets out a scoff.

"Yes, Jeonghan," he says, his voice edged with irritation. "I am mad. Of course I am. What did you think, that I would just brush it off and pretend nothing is happening between us?"

Jeonghan’s heart sinks at Seungcheol's words. Hearing the irritation in his voice stings, even if he’d been expecting it.

“No,” he says, his voice quiet. “I didn’t think you’d brush it off. I just... “

He trails off, not sure how to continue.

Seungcheol doesn't say anything, his jaw tight and his focus still firmly on the road ahead. The silence between them is thick and tense, filled with unspoken words and emotions.

Jeonghan fidgets in his seat, running his fingers along the seam of his pants. The fact that Seungcheol won't even look at him is like a dagger to his heart.

“You can’t blame me for saying what was true,” says Jeonghan, his voice raising. “I don’t know you, I don’t know anything about any of you. Of course it’s none of my business. Did you want me to be mad that you fuck people?”

Seungcheol's shoulders tense further, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.

"No," he says, his tone icy. "But I didn't expect you to act like it's no big deal. Like it doesn't matter to you at all. Don’t act like you’re uninterested. You can’t have it both ways, Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan's hands clench into fists in his lap, his temper flaring at Seungcheol’s words.

"Uninterested?" he snaps. "Because I don't have a right to judge you for your actions? That makes me uninterested?”

"Is that not the definition of uninterested?" Seungcheol says, his voice sharp as a blade. "You don't care, you don't judge. You don't seem to have any emotional reaction at all. That doesn't exactly scream ‘interested’ to me."

Jeonghan's frustration boils over, his own anger rising to match Seungcheol's.

"Jesus, what do you want from me, Seungcheol?" he exclaims, gesturing wildly with his hands. "You want me to be upset about it? Tell you not to do it anymore? Be that cliché, jealous, emotional mess? Is that what you want?"

Seungcheol bites back a retort, his shoulders stiff and tense.

"No," he says, gritting his teeth. "I don’t want you to be upset. I just... I just want you to care. I want you to feel something. Anything. Instead of just acting like it doesn't matter to you, like I don’t matter to you."

“Stop the car,” Jeonghan says suddenly, tone icy.

Startled, Seungcheol glances over at Jeonghan, a mixture of surprise and annoyance in his eyes.

"What?" he asks, his voice gruff.

"I said stop the car," Jeonghan repeats, his glare locked on Seungcheol.

After a moment, Seungcheol sighs, pulling the car over to the side of the road. He parks and turns to Jeonghan, his expression a mix of irritation and determination.

"Alright," he says, his tone hard. "We're stopped. What do you want?"

“You.”

Seungcheol's eyes widen in surprise as Jeonghan abruptly climbs over the center console and into his lap, straddling his hips and pressing against him. Their faces are mere inches apart, Jeonghan's gaze still set with determination.

"What are you doing?" Seungcheol hisses, even as his hands instinctively grip Jeonghan's hips, holding him in place.

“I’m showing you how interested I am.”

Seungcheol swallows hard, his breath hitching as Jeonghan's words sink in. The unexpected move has thrown him off guard, and as Jeonghan presses himself closer, Seungcheol's hands tighten their grip on his hips.

"Jeonghan..." he manages to say, his voice rough. "We're in the middle of the road. Anyone could-"

"I don't care," Jeonghan interrupts, his hands coming up to cup Seungcheol's face. His thumbs brush across the other man's cheeks, before he leans in, his mouth crashing against Seungcheol's in a fierce, passionate kiss.

Seungcheol groans, his resistance fading in an instant as Jeonghan's lips press against his. He tightens his grip on Jeonghan's hips, pulling him closer as he kisses him back, his anger and irritation giving way to desire and need.

The kiss is hot and greedy, their mouths fused together as they both give in to the intense chemistry between them. Jeonghan's hands slide down to Seungcheol's neck, fingers tangled in his hair, while Seungcheol's hands move along Jeonghan's sides, his touch both possessive and protective.

In the tight space of the car, the kiss deepens, their bodies pressed together, the heated tension between them building with each passing moment. Jeonghan's hands move to the buttons of Seungcheol's shirt, fumbling to undo them as he kisses him fiercely.

Seungcheol retaliates, his hands moving up under Jeonghan's shirt, his touch leaving hot trails on Jeonghan's skin as he explores the toned planes of the other man's body. His lips leave Jeonghan's mouth, moving to his neck, trailing a path of biting kisses down his throat.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Yoon Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan's breath hitches as Seungcheol's lips brush against his sensitive skin. He gasps out a soft laugh, his hands still working at the buttons of Seungcheol's shirt.

"That's the idea," he says, his voice low and sultry. "To drive you crazy, until you can't think of anything but me."

Instead, that night, Yoon Jeonghan brings Choi Seungcheol to life.