Bab 4: 2: Royal Love: The Series (2)
17th September, Tuesday, 11:43 p.m.
A silvery ball of light had risen high up in the dark black sky, and the shimmering specks of stars twinkled in the night's darkness. It had been a long day at work for the twenty-two-year-old Jeon Jungkook, the young CEO of JHS Apparels, the company he had acquired from his father after his retirement. The young man lay in the black office chair, his head tilted to the right and his hands by his side. Since morning, he had been working hard and was continuing to proofread a few documents on returning home. A white mug lay empty on his dark-brown wooden desk, and his laptop was sitting with its screen flashing with the opened windows of typed documents and programs for him to review.
The exhaustion of work was clear on the young man's face as his light skin had turned paler, and the bags under his eyes indicated the lack of rest he had been providing for his body. Small drops of a drizzle trickled down Jungkook's bedroom's closed glass windows and made light tapping noises as they fell. An upcoming rain could be guessed as the weather report that morning had warned of a severe cyclone. The pitter-pattering noises became oftener and louder as thunder roared and lightning struck to break the silence of the quiet night into the chaos of a horrifying rainy night. These monstrous sounds were soon enough to break the short-lived nap of the young man, who slumped in his leathery seat.
Jungkook shifted uncomfortably in his awkward position he had chosen when he fell asleep as he tore his mouth wide open in a long, extravagant yawn. His large doe eyes fluttered open, and he shifted uncomfortably in the stiff but cushioned chair to straighten himself up. With his fluffy dark hair in a dishevelled condition and his clothes all wrinkled and folded, the youngster looked around his room, his lazy gaze frantically yet casually searching for a clock. At last, his sight fell upon the Roman numerals of the large vintage clock of metal, wood and decorative gears that sat pinned to the white-washed wall of his luxurious bedroom. The long, thin hands of the clock helped him read the time to a quarter to twelve and realise how late it already was. Despite the late hours of the night, when the wind was howling and clouds were bursting outside the icy walls and glass windows of his large apartment, Jungkook resolved to continue working, but only after a cup of warm coffee.
Jungkook slipped his cold feet into his warm, black slippers that were lying upturned on the velvety mat under his desk and pushed himself up to rise from the wheeled chair he was occupying. Jungkook straightened his oversized black shirt and grey sweatpants and ran his fingers through the tangled locks of his wavy, outgrown hair and made as he dragged his feet on the floor, lazily making his way to the kitchen.
Rubbing his tired eyes and shaking off the sleepiness that heaved down on his slumped shoulders, Jungkook stepped into a messy kitchen. A heap of used vessels and dishes were lying in the white sink, waiting to be scrubbed clean, and a pair of empty ramen cups from a common Korean convenience store were sitting on the grey kitchen counter. Jungkook had intended to clean up his kitchen that evening when he would return home from work, but his plans changed and work topped in his priority list. Jungkook grabbed the coffeepot that was sitting on the white, spotless kitchen table and poured the chocolaty brown fluid into a copper cup. The coffee had gone cold because of the violent wind blowing in through the open kitchen window. However, Jungkook could not care any less and stepped out of the room with his drink. On his way out, the young man glanced at the sidelights that periodically shone in the effect of the crackling lightning up in the night sky. The loud clapping of thunder, which burst with a sound like that of a furious lion's roar, followed each slash of electricity that tore the darkness of the nightfall. Amidst the loud sounds of the jinxed night, the sounds of loud splashing hit Jungkook's ears. A loud thud and spray of water could easily be deduced to be caused by the fall of a heavy object twinned with the appearance and disappearance of a shadowy figure across a sidelight situated beside the black door, the confused observant male. Jungkook approached the front door of his house, placed his cup on a white side table beside the brown covered couch in the living room, and stepped close to the door. With slight hesitation lingering in his veins mixed up with the determination to unravel the cause of the sudden occurrences. he unlocked the door and pulled it open.
Jungkook saw that at the bottom of the flight of three steps that began from the threshold of the door was a worn-out black backpack getting drenched in the heavy rain. Beside it was the unconscious figure of a boy. In a large pool of brown muddy water, the boy was lying and his clothes were soaking up all the water that fell upon him. Out of concern for the fainted boy before his house, Jungkook walked out into the pouring rain, close to the youth.
The lad seemed to be about nineteen to twenty years old and was assumed to either be an idol trainee or foreigner by Jungkook because he had platinum blonde hair that was plastered to the boy's broad forehead. From the looks of it, he seemed to be one of those runaway kids who escaped from home because their parents wanted them to study and go to university when they had a dream of becoming a K-pop idol, the whole topic being absurd as well as hilarious one for the now confused older, although he guessed that the fainted boy now at his feet was more complicated than that. Jungkook noticed that the clothes of the lad were old, tattered at the ends, and not exactly what even a person from a middle-class family would wear. Other than that, the backpack, too, seemed to be a little too old and of bad quality. Along with that, the boy had clear bruises on his face and parts of his body that were exposed.
It was Jungkook's first time facing a random kid who looked to be abused and a runaway case to show up in such a pitiful condition, randomly at his door. It obviously confused the older, and he was unsure of what he must do next. He was not completely positive with the decision that he must get involved in something unnecessary as he did not know what he might get himself into, but then he couldn't also ignore the whole situation as it never happened. He did not want to have a guilty conscience in the end.
Ignoring all 'mindful' contemplations and doubts, Jungkook did what he assumed would be better than doing nothing. He picked up the unconscious figure in his arms and carried him into his home, along with the backpack. As the boy remained oblivious to what was happening, Jungkook dried him, replaced his upper garments with his own shirt, wrapped him up in a warm blanket, applied medicines to the bruises and laid him down in his own bed while Jungkook himself spent the night on the couch. In doing all this, Jungkook could not answer one question. And it was that why exactly was his heart thumping like crazy in his chest and his cheeks were burning to a shade of baby pink. Although this random stranger's features, especially face, were undeniably ethereal and beautiful, Jungkook knew it was not normal for him to be suddenly feeling so much for someone he had just met.
~~~~~
"Taehyung-ah!" Yoongi yelled as loud as he could while maintaining his vile expression of annoyance.
"Do you even plan to come out of there?" he continued while rolling his eyes and glancing at the large pool of icy cold water from the stream that came down from a nearby frozen hill from the corner of his eyes. Yoongi huffed and rested his arms on his hips and impatiently tapped his feet on the brown boulders with frost frozen cracks and small fragile mosses and awaited the response of his careless cousin.
Just as the older was losing his patience to anger, loud splashing and gasping revealed Taehyung, who had been absentmindedly wafting away his time in having a relaxing swim in the Healing Cold Pool instead of attending to more pressing matters.
Taehyung nervously giggled as he began cutting through the gushing waters and pushed his way up out of the freezing water while hugging his bare upper body and his teeth chattering from the cold.
"Tae, it would be good if you stopped goofing around," Yoongi suggested to the younger with a sigh, a disappointed look in his eyes.
"Sorry, Hyung. Don't be mad!" Taehyung shrugged off the moody comment of the other with a chuckle as he grabbed his jade-green robes and put them on his cold body.
"Uncle has been searching for you for hours," Yoongi informed.
"He said it was something important."
"Really!" Taehyung exclaimed in excitement.
"What did he want to talk about?" Taehyung inquired the older who shrugged in response to the question. Taehyung nodded slowly on receiving the response as the atmosphere between the pair became silent while they began walking back to the traditional houses built in clusters. Taehyung was still shivering from the chilly wind that was blowing in the early morning of the day, and he rubbed his arms to warm himself.
"Hyung, is it a good idea to buy some alcohol, today?" Taehyung suggested the random topic to Yoongi who stopped in his tracks right before the structure that had a board that said Library. Yoongi turned his head to look at his younger cousin with a confused expression.
"Why?" he blurted.
"It's so cold!" Taehyung began with a complaint.
"Alcohol helps you feel warm!" the younger completed with a rectangular grin on his face.
"Alcohol is forbidden in The Min Clan," Yoongi stated with an expressionless face and stepped away, into the library, leaving the younger groaning and complaining over the strict rules of his brother's Clan.
Just before Yoongi went into the silent room with shelves and piles of books and manuscripts, he turned to look at Taehyung who was still complaining and irritatedly muttering things about rules.
"Uncle is waiting for you near the training grounds. Go meet him now."
Once Yoongi felt he had completed his much-disliked duty of dealing with his eighth cousin, he slammed the pair of wooden doors shut, leaving Taehyung alone.
With a heavy sigh, Taehyung turned around and began taking slow, weary steps towards the Training Grounds where his uncle always trained the Clan's army during that time of the day. He folded his arms across his chest and bore a frown on his usually lit up and bright countenance. There was no real reason for him to be upset, however, the young man of only twenty-one years found it rather difficult to ignore his teeming disappointment and absence of leniency and love from his only family for him.
While his older cousin, Min Yoongi, was upright, serious and dignified, as expected of a Clan Leader, his maternal uncle was strict, rigid and unreasonably stern at times. Since his very young days, when other boys could be seen screaming, playing and having a great time, they made Taehyung learn to read and write. He studied the rules and regulations of all Clans and trained in warfare from dusk to dawn. He was forced into following strict schedules, had a fixed diet and very difficult training. Taehyung was always taught that he was the only one who could avenge his parents' death and that he must destroy the Jeon Clan and become the most powerful Clan Leader. Despite his disinterest in power and fame, Taehyung decided he must fulfil his uncle's desire and bring justice to his parents. Although the young man with many pushing their desires on him, Taehyung found no point in revenge or violence. He just could not understand why the aim of his life had been defined as destroying someone else's and not leading a peaceful life.
Taehyung shook off all these thoughts, just as he neared his destination, and looked around the familiar area, searching for his boring uncle. He noticed the middle-aged man with creases on his forehead and a tremendously annoyed expression on his face, holding a long-bladed sword in his hand as he shouted orders at the obedient army in training.
"Uncle Jonghyun!" Taehyung shouted from his position to attract the older's attention while waving. As soon as his uncle noticed him, the young lad took to his feet and rushed towards his uncle, who chuckled at his nephew's childish behaviour despite his horrible moodiness.
"Uncle, you had called for me?" Taehyung excitedly popped the question, receiving a nod in response as Jonghyun placed his hands on his bubbly nephew's shoulders.
"Yes, Tae," he said in a calm voice with a small smile on his wrinkled face.
"Taehyung," he began in a deep, serious tone.
"You have already turned twenty-one. For these past years, you have trained with great effort in order to fulfil only one aim. It is probably time for you to finally, fulfil this aim," Jonghyun explained his opinion calmly, his thoughts disappointing Taehyung a little and urging the dip in his heart. However, the young man knew better. He nodded in agreement with his uncle's wishes with obedience.
"Son, I want you to start preparing the downfall of the Jeons from today. I want you to plan out how you want to attack and destroy the Jeon Clan," Jonghyun ordered the younger.
"Of course, uncle!"
"But remember," Jonghyun lowered his voice as his voice changed tones and emotions.
"The Jeon Clan of the Blood Moon has two Clan Leaders. Jeon Jungshik, the First Leader and Second Lord, Jeon Jungkook. Jungshik is the one who slew your father, Taehyung! You must not show any mercy when you slice off his head and separate it from his body!" Jonghyun announced, his statements disturbing Taehyung in place of encouraging him.
"But, my dear child, he is not the actual target here," Jonghyun continued with his sickly talk, with his one arm wrapped around Taehyung's shoulders.
"Jungshik is old, he will die easily. But, his son, the great Phoenix Lord, Jungkook will not go down with ease. Jungkook is infamous for his physical strength and his enhanced essence. That bastard is dangerous, arrogant, and sickly powerful. You must be very careful while taking that kid down! You must kill him and take over the Clan!"
With his previously cheerful smile distorted into a confused and disgusted curve of his lips, Taehyung hesitantly nodded while muttering an alright, alright.
Taehyung could still digest his aim of slaying Jeon Jungshik as he was the one who killed his father and caused his mother to suicide. However, Taehyung knew Jungkook was only born two years later as the youngest and only male offspring of First Leader Jungshik and his now-dead wife, Jeon Yoonah. Taehyung found it a little unfair to kill someone who might not even know about what happened all those years ago.
Amidst these uncle-nephew conversations, a soldier from the Western Frontier came rushing up to the discussing pair. The look of panic on his face worried Taehyung, who demanded an explanation regarding the soldier's anxious behaviour.
"Attack, Second Young Master!" the soldier shouted.
"The Barbaric Tribe from the West has suddenly appeared with an immense army of about ten thousand soldiers. They have support from the Mo Kingdom!" he shouted as his explanation.
~~~~~
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