Chương 15: 14

Sitting opposite each other, Namjoon and Na-Eun were trying to find a way to exploit the information Jin had gathered. It was still early and the sun was just rising. This was a subject best dealt with before the hustle and bustle of daily life invaded the newspaper offices.

"The Investors are several dozen influential personalities united behind a single name. Their most powerful member is Deputy Park. The Investors exploit specific individuals to make lots of money and satisfy their most perverse desires. Jeon Jungkook has known two great misfortunes in his life: being the son of an over-indebted, cowardly lawyer and having a beautiful voice and face. For the past two years, he's been the investors' toy."

"Jin Oppa hasn't found any evidence, but he believes that all the Investors' "products" eventually die once they're no longer of use. It's slavery and human trafficking. I can't believe the people who govern us can be such monsters..."

They gasped, startled by a noise as violent as it was sudden. The door to Namjoon's office broke under the repeated blows of men armed with iron bars. Na-Eun had begun to shake before suddenly freezing. Deputy Park was carrying out his threats.

"The chief should be here soon" one of the men said. "Let's give him the gift of "Her"'s name before he even has to walk through the door of this office."

Laughter ratified these words. Before Namjoon had time to react, a violent blow to his back sent him tumbling to the floor. His head hit the floor, making him nauseous. His vision remained blurred for a few moments, but he caught sight of Na-Eun's motionless silhouette. Arms outstretched on either side of her body, she stood between him and the armed men.

"We don't like hitting women" one of them said.

He took a step closer and caught her chin between his fingers.

"But we can have a little fun."

Na-Eun gave him a violent blow in the throat to subdue him and sent him to the ground with a violent knee blow to his privates. Another man slapped her before grabbing her by the throat. He turned her around, forcing her back against his chest. He put a hand over her mouth, almost preventing her from breathing.

"We like quiet girls."

Namjoon tried to intervene, but the possibility that they might use violence against Na-Eun again was too great.

"We were told you wouldn't say "Her"'s name over the phone... So we came in person. We thought a reassuring presence would loosen your tongue."

"I don't know "Her"'s name, I just pay her."

"Can your girlfriend answer the question?"

The man put his hand on one of Na-Eun's breasts, and she struggled in vain.

Suddenly, the man let go of Na-Eun, who fell to her knees. Namjoon rushed to her and took her in his arms. One of the iron bars had just fallen on the man's head. The others had turned and moved aside, revealing a particularly angry young man. Rage so distorted his features that it took Namjoon several seconds to recognize Taehyung. His friend's expression was unfamiliar to Namjoon. His gaze was cold and distant.

"What are you doing?" Taehyung asked in a voice as cold as ice.

"It's procedure" someone replied.

Taehyung turned to the person who had answered him and the latter lowered his eyes. Kim Taehyung wasn't the tallest or the best-built of them all, but he had the authoritative presence needed to subdue all these men at a glance.

"The procedure?"

Taehyung brought down the iron bar on the glass façade separating Namjoon's office from the rest of the premises. The glass shattered before the stunned gaze of the armed men. Namjoon instinctively shielded Na-Eun's head with his arms.

"The procedure..." Taehyung repeated as a sneer distorted his lips. "Am I supposed to live in Secretary Im's shadow? Am I supposed to be a pale copy of this formidable man and assume that his procedure will be mine?"

Namjoon watched in astonishment as fear flashed across the faces of the men who had assaulted them.

"Secretary Im is dead" Taehyung said. "The only authority lies with the living. Deputy Park is my boss, but you're MY henchmen. If you do anything again that I haven't ordered, we might find those iron bars you're so fond of piercing your chests. Have I made myself clear?"

All the men nodded in agreement.

"We wanted to prove our loyalty to you by anticipating your orders, so you wouldn't have to wait..."

"All you've done is prove your stupidity" Taehyung replied.

He approached the man who hadn't yet managed to get to his feet after Na-Eun's blows.

"Find me men who can follow my orders," he said to the man on the ground. "You don't want to know what will happen to you if you disappoint me again."

Taehyung indicated the door to the men, who hurried out of the building. When the three of them were alone, Taehyung's gaze turned soft again and his face was worried. He approached his friends.

"I put my shirt on backward" Taehyung sighed, pointing to the tag hanging from the back of his neck; "I put on whatever I could find... I think it's Jungkook's shirt... Was I convincing?"

Na-Eun looked at him for a few moments before giving him a thumbs-up.

"Taehyung..." Namjoon began to say.

"Jin is no longer here to be undercover" Taehyung cut him off. "I gave "Her" to Deputy Park so he made me his secretary. According to him, my perverted soul and my thirst for power and money make me the ideal candidate."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" his friend asked.

"Soon, Jungkook will have to return to his abominable daily life. The only way to protect him is from the inside. The hierarchy places Deputy Park at the top of the Investors. Deputy Park's secretary is his right-hand man. Deputy Park cares little about the methods employed if he gets what he wants. As his secretary, I'm the direct link between him and the rest of the world. As "Her", I can no longer act I wish because of my agreement with Deputy Park. Nevertheless, being his secretary offers me many opportunities."

Na-Eun smiled with conviction.

"Let's destroy those dogs from the inside" she said. "You said Deputy Park gives you a free hand as long as he gets what he wants. He wants "Her"'s name. We have to give it to him to secure your position with him."

Namjoon sighed as he realized what she was getting at. He knew it was necessary, but he didn't like it at all. At least he had the comfort of knowing that Taehyung was in control of the investors' infernal machine. After a few minutes' thought and the agreement of his friends, Taehyung called Deputy Park.

""Her" name is Kim Na-Eun" he finally said.

Silence.

"I must confess I'm disappointed..." Taehyung said in a voice that didn't sound like him. "The Slayer of Kings is just a kid, and without her fingers to write with, she's nothing."

***

Taehyung didn't allow himself to shake until he had crossed the threshold of the family home. The sight of Namjoon wounded and Na-Eun taken hostage had traumatized him. Until now, the three of them had been protected by "Her"'s name and the articles they published. The computer screen had isolated them from the cruel reality of the world. Taking action himself, endangering his own body, was something he had always avoided. If he hadn't done his military service, he wouldn't have been able to handle the situation.

"Her" was no longer just words. "Her" had to be in action.

But beyond "Her", Kim Taehyung vowed to do whatever it took to protect the man he loved, whatever the cost, whatever the part. His hatred for Deputy Park and the Investors and his love for Jungkook and his friends were enough to ensure that he wouldn't lose himself.

He climbed the stairs, hoping to find Jungkook in their bed, where he'd left him an hour earlier. He was always afraid his boyfriend would disappear in his absence. He entered the room and saw Jungkook's shape under the sheets. He couldn't help smiling. Asleep, Jeon Jungkook looked like an angel, peaceful and innocent. The horrors of his existence disappeared behind the sweetness of his dreams.

Taehyung's gaze fell on the alarm clock. It wasn't yet nine o'clock in the morning. He removed Jungkook's shirt and pants and slipped under the sheets. He closed his eyes after taking Jungkook in his arms. He went back to sleep.

***

SIX MONTHS LATER

***

It was less than a month before Jungkook's death, but Taehyung still hadn't found a way to stop the nightmare from happening. Having served Deputy Park all this time had been nothing but frustration. He hadn't seen Jungkook in months, and the weight of his loved one's absence was pressing down on his chest.

Deputy Park was increasingly on edge, and the birth of his illegitimate son's daughter hadn't helped. The deputy had repeatedly expressed his desire to get rid of Kang Min-Ah and her child. In the deputy's eyes, this woman and child were alienating his son, preventing him from having the life he deserved. Taehyung dreaded the confrontation between Jung Hoseok and his father, knowing that the former was impulsive and the latter deeply evil.

The car pulled into the parking lot of the hospital where Kang Min-Ah had just given birth. Taehyung looked at Deputy Park in the rearview mirror. Behind the wheel, the driver couldn't hide his anxiety.

Taehyung had no time to react when Hoseok appeared in front of the car. Only a moment went by between the young man forcibly removing the driver from the car and the vehicle restarting, Hoseok at the wheel. The doors locked.

"If the only way to protect my family is to die taking you with me, Father, then so be it."

The car accelerated, again and again.

Again and again.