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arxims · 5 months

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𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊 ᴼᴺᴱ

Returning to Seoul was a decision that you finally ended up in , given that it was the place where you spent your past years. Leaving your messed up past behind, you made the conscious choice to return to Seoul in order to breathe new life into your existence. Little did you know that this decision would change your life. For the good or bad. As you reconnected with an old friend from your past, you were introduced to his younger brother, whose presence became far more significant in your life in a twisted way than you thought.

Pairing : jungkook x reader

genre/au : lot of angst, killer!Jungkook, non idol au, smut.

Warnings : graphic depiction of violence and gore, lots of blood, mentions of rape, smut?, sexual activity, toxic Jungkook, walking red flag Jungkook, psychopathy, mentally disturbed characters, suicide, murder, depictions of torture, serial killing, lots of trauma, depression, criminal behavior, ex criminal lawyer Jungkook, murderous tenancies, possible major character death, mentions child abuse and child pornography, extremely graphic torture.

Rating : mature

Word count : 8.5 k

Part 1/?

MASTERLIST

“Moonstruck : unable to think or act normally, especially as a result of being in love.”

7 months ago

Returning to Seoul was a straightforward decision for you, given your comfort with the city's atmosphere. Once the conditions were favorable, you were eager to return.

It's been a few years since you last saw him, which was when you left Seoul for a job.

Taehyung, your college senior and the nerdy heartthrob, was once your friend.Those were your mentally healthy years, a phase where you felt free. Your university life represented the last few years where you genuinely felt normal - a calm before the storm. Taehyung was one of the few who made those years memorable and fun.

When you stepped into the random bar you recently discovered, you never expected to see that familiar face again. The moment you saw that boxy smile, you recognized it. He seemed to have the same reaction.Standing in the midst of a crowd, amidst a mix of sweat, smoke, and alcohol, you felt a surge of happiness upon spotting your old friend. It took you a moment to respond with a small wave.

Taehyung battled his way through the crowd, intoxicated with dancing as he approached the woman "(Y/N), Is that you?" he asked, peering at you.

You two had kept in touch after his graduation, but with his hectic career and your college commitments, your communication had gradually faded.The recognition in his eyes was unmistakable, matching the surprise in yours. His boxy smile widened, a hint of nostalgia glistening in his eyes. The memories of your shared past bubbled up to the surface, as vivid as if it were yesterday.

"Taehyung," you whispered, your voice barely audible amidst the loud music. You blinked back tears, a mixture of joy and the sharp pang of missing the good old days.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said, his voice thrumming with warmth. You nodded, unable to voice the whirlwind of emotions swirling within you. when life was simpler.

Without hesitation, you enveloped him in a warm embrace, your voice a soft murmur in his ear, "Where were you?"

Taehyung held you close, finding comfort and familiarity in your embrace. He had missed you as well."Let's move over there, I can't hear you clearly," you raised your voice slightly so Taehyung could hear you over the noisy atmosphere, with the bass pounding in your ears. You both settled on bar stools.As you both settled on the bar stools, the world seemed to slow down. The blaring music became a distant hum, and the flickering bar lights seemed less intrusive.

"So, how have you been?" Taehyung asked, turning to face you. His voice was a soothing balm amid the chaos around you. You took a moment to collect your thoughts.

"I'm... I'm doing okay," you replied, forcing a smile. You had so much to say, so many emotions to convey, but you were at a loss for words. The truth was that life hadn't been easy since you left college, and seeing Taehyung again, stirred up a whirlwind of emotions.

Taehyung looked at you, his gaze full of understanding. He reached out to gently squeeze your hand, a silent promise that he was there for you, just like old times.

And in that moment, despite the loud music and the overwhelming crowd, you felt a sense of peace. You were home again, with an old friend who understood you more than anyone else.

"Still slaving away at the same job?" You asked casually, taking a sip of your tequila. He laughed heartily before responding, "Nah, staying put? That's for rookies. I've switched companies, of course." He shook his head in amusement. “It's really great to see you again, Dumb head.”

“Me too” you gave him a genuine smile. The conversation went for a healthy amount of time. You both shared all the years missed out and lost the track of time. “What made you think about moving back?. I thought you hated Seoul”

"Actually, I don't hate it. I just wanted to experience living in another city. Nothing compares to Seoul, I agree. The new company gave me a massive raise. Who would ever turn down such a tempting offer?" you replied, tilting your glass. You

were beginning to feel tipsy, just a little.

"Did you come alone?" he inquired just before ordering another shot. "No, I came with a friend. She was whining that I'm not partying enough.; she probably hooked up with some dude by now. You know how she is." You explained, using a gesture that described craziness. "It's nothing I can't handle."

After draining the shot, you put on a brave face. "Glad you found someone crazy enough to match you."The laughter faded from your face. His words had unintentionally dredged up painful memories. Some memories you despised.

"(Y/N)?" he asked with concern when he noticed you were acting distant. "I swear I'm joking."

"I know... I know," you said with a half genuine smile, trying to mask the turmoil within.

"You haven't changed one bit. Horrible liar and emotionally repressed. So what's up?" he continued, his eyes filled with a mix of worry and familiarity.

"It's nothing, honestly..." you lied, not wanting to burden him with your troubles.

"Right, your favorite line," he said sarcastically, seeing through your facade as always.

"You know I'm here for you, right?" he asked, his voice soft and reassuring, reminding you of the unwavering support he always offered.

"Taehyung, it's okay, really. Just some minor growing pains, you know? Nothing major," you reassured, brushing off the uneasy emotions tied to those haunting memories. The psychiatric ward, the padded cell – distant echoes of the past.

"Do you think your friend might have been kidnapped by now?" Taehyung attempted to inject some levity into the conversation, eager to keep the mood light. It had been four years since he last saw you, and he didn't want the day to end with you feeling down. Taehyung was known for his outgoing and cheerful nature, a true social butterfly who is good at connecting with others.

Despite your efforts to mask it, Taehyung could tell something was weighing on you. It wasn't a simple matter easily forgotten; the shadow of it was written all over your face. The key might lie in his earlier comment, "Glad you found someone as crazy as you." Choosing to set aside that train of thought for the moment, Taehyung tried to support you through whatever was troubling you.

“Oh, no worries about her. she'll pop up bright and early tomorrow after the nasty deed, you know. By the way, you're drinking a lot. Looks like you've upgraded from a casual drinker to a full-blown alcohol enthusiast. And you're driving home with all that liquor in your system?”

“Hey, I'd live around longer to witness your wedding day, (Y/N). I already gave Kook a call , and he's on his way to scoop me up. We can swing by to drop you off since your buddy seems to have her own.. Pleasure” He put on a weird smile and an eyebrow raise. His words are starting to get a bit fuzzy now, probably about an 8 out of 10 on the drunk scale.

"Kook?" Now, that name caught your attention.

"Yeah, my bro," he confirmed.

"You have a brother?" You leaned in, intrigued. You couldn't recall him mentioning a brother before. How did this new information come about?

"Well, not biologically. But emotionally, Jungkook is like my baby bro. Wait, don't you remember? I've brought him up... a few times," he reminded you.

You were never one to hold onto memories well. Back in the day, you'd forget names and facts left and right. "Oh, I must be a bit... tipsy," you chuckled.

A tall, muscular man suddenly appeared, pulling Taehyung's arm to help him stand.

"Come on, Hyung. Let's get you up,"

The sudden appearance startled you a little but, You started checking him out without you knowing that you're creepy staring. At his biceps. He's got this arm full of tattoos that instantly make you think how cool it is. You never had a thing for tattoos and you never knew someone would look hot in tattoos. And it totally amps up his hotness and makes him look even more intimidating. And then, out of the blue, the man locked eyes with you for what feels like forever until Taehyung butted in.

Taehyung called, who is now fully drunk. , "Jungkookie, you're quick! I was hoping for more time. Oh, and (Y/N/N) needs a lift home. She's flying solo tonight. Cool to give her a ride?" And that's when it hits you – this Jungkook guy is the real deal.

Interesting

Jungkook couldn't help but roll his eyes "Sure thing, just don't go all Picasso on my seats," he quipped with a nod.

Having a pretty girl like you along for the ride didn't seem to bother him at all. After all, why not enjoy the company?

Taehyung, with his mischievous grin, assured Jungkook that he wouldn't be puking this time. But let's face it, Taehyung's track record with car sickness wasn't the best. Especially when drunk. Despite his best efforts, he always managed to leave a mess behind, mostly on Jungkook. Jungkook had seen it all with Taehyung, so a little vomit was nothing to be grossed out about. Compared to the things he had done

As the three adults settled into the car, you made sure to leave a quick message for your friend, informing her that you're leaving so she won't freak out. Despite your certainty that your friend might not pay much attention, you knew they were always there for you in their own way. ‘Their own way’.. Your friend's presence was always a delight at gatherings, even though they tended to get easily distracted, especially by the opposite sex, as was the case tonight.

Taehyung dozed off right after Jungkook threw him into the passenger seat, finding comfort in the car seat. Jungkook maintained a slightly more relaxed speed than usual, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable ride for which would not disturb the sleeping Taehyung. Also considering his car sickness. Meanwhile, you gazed out of the window, lowering the glass to let in the cool night breeze that gently tousled your hair. The sensation was relaxing, and you savored the peaceful atmosphere inside the car, interrupted only by the occasional sound of Taehyung's soft snores.

Jungkook made a slight adjustment to the rearview mirror to catch a better glimpse of you seated in the back, who seemed captivated by the nighttime scenery. You appeared so gentle and fragile. His eyes held a hint of desire as he silently observed you through the mirror.

Suddenly breaking the silence, the man in the driver's seat asked, "What's the address?" This unexpected interruption caused you to shift your focus to the driver. You couldn't help but notice his penetrating gaze in the mirror. He didn't come across as very outgoing; rather, he had a reserved demeanor with a touch of intensity and mystery. The look in his eyes spoke volumes, and it compelled you to engage with him further. You had this thing towards danger, mixed with your dumbness in making choices which always leave you in trouble.

You took a few moments to maintain eye contact with him through the rearview mirror before responding."113-5, Geonyeongapateu" rolled off your tongue smoothly.

Your eyes hesitated to look away from his intense gaze. Despite the slightly ominous aura he exuded, you found yourself drawn to the thrill of the unknown.

After a brief staring match, he shifted his focus back to the road ahead. The remainder of the journey passed in silence once more, but this time, a peculiar tension lingered in the air, adding an intriguing twist to the atmosphere.

The car came to a gentle stop right in front of your apartment building. With a graceful movement, you reached for your purse and stepped out of the vehicle. As you prepared to bid farewell, a thought crossed your mind - a cherry on the top. You decided to tap on his side window. He promptly lowered the glass, revealing a mysterious smirk playing on his lips, likely a predator looking at its prey. However, in this scenario, there was no prey in sight.

"Thank you for the ride," you expressed with a matching smirk, hoping to reciprocate the energy. Despite your attempt, his demeanor remained unchanged. He simply acknowledged your gratitude with a nod, almost a nod, before swiftly driving away. It seemed a bit abrupt, not even a simple 'You're welcome' thrown your way.

That moment marked the first meeting , a moment that seemed to be the only one. However, fate had other plans in store. He didn't step foot into your life to just leave randomly; it was his grand entrance into your messed up existence, poised to mess it up even further.

The next day, Taehyung woke up feeling like he had a tiny construction crew working inside his head. No matter how much water he chugged, that pesky headache just wouldn't budge.

He finally made his way to the living room, and The aroma of freshly made tea hit him like a ton of bricks. It was like all his worries melted away in an instant. Taehyung practically sprinted to the kitchen, where he found Jungkook standing there with a mug of tea in hand. “Jungkookie made Tea for his hyungie. How sweet”. He basically snatched the mug from Jungkook, took a sip, and his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Dude, you've got serious skills in the kitchen," he told Jungkook, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

“Oh please hyung. I'm shy," Jungkook remarked, his eyes rolling in jest. He shared a knowing look with his brother. Taehyung settled into a chair at the kitchen table, where the daily newspaper lay open. The front page prominently displayed the headline 'The Shadow Reaper case: Another dead end.' This ongoing series of tragic events has gripped the city of Seoul, leaving its residents in fear. Despite the relentless efforts of the police, the mysterious perpetrator, dubbed 'Shadow Reaper,' continues to evade capture, leaving authorities and citizens alike puzzled and anxious.’

The mere mention of 'The Shadow Reaper' never failed to send shivers down Taehyung's spine. It was a name that filled him with fear and a tinge of guilt. Each time he caught sight of that name on the TV or in the newspapers, it only served to heighten his anxiety.

Taehyung harbored a deep-seated fear of losing his younger brother, Jungkook, the one and only murderer behind the name 'Shadow Reaper.' And his fear that one day the world will acknowledge the truth feared him to his bones. Whenever Jungkook returned home with blood on his hands, with news of yet another murder attributed to the Reaper, Taehyung couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in his chest. He believed he could have intervened, could have helped Jungkook overcome his struggles and dark thoughts. Instead, he allowed his brother to seek his own form of justice, a decision that weighed heavily on Taehyung's conscience.

Despite the turmoil within him, Taehyung found solace in the fact that the victims of the Shadow Reaper were people who had committed heinous crimes - rapists, sex traffickers, and child abusers. Jungkook took pride in ensuring that those who deserved punishment were held accountable, even if it meant taking matters into his own hands.

In the midst of this complex situation, Taehyung grappled with conflicting emotions, torn between his desire to protect his brother and his own sense of responsibility.

It never failed to amuse Taehyung how Jungkook had managed to carry out those actions without a trace left behind for the authorities to follow, ultimately diverting any suspicion onto Jungkook. The investigation had been ongoing for about three months now, and with the current circumstances, it seemed likely that it would turn into a cold case. Fortunately, Taehyung found solace in the fact that his actions were not harming innocent individuals.

Jungkook, sensing the sudden shift in Taehyung's demeanor, turned to look at him. He noticed Taehyung's gaze fixed on the headline, a mix of anxiety and fear evident in his eyes. "Hyung," Jungkook spoke softly, trying to reassure him, "You don't have to worry about that.

"Jungkookie, I'm feeling anxious. The investigation is really picking up steam. What if... they discover everything?" His voice wavered as he struggled to voice his concerns, the words feeling trapped in his throat.

"Don't worry. Look at this headline. They've hit a dead end now. Hyung, we're safe," Jungkook reassured him, trying to ease his worries.

Taehyung's lips quivered as he questioned, "Why did you have to dump the body in a risky way? You could have done it secretly. Missing persons cases are easier to handle than being suspected of serial killings. I can't bear the thought of losing you, Kookie." Jungkook sensed the pain in Taehyung's voice and paused what he was doing to sit across from him.

"Hyungie, look at me," Jungkook implored, his affection for Taehyung evident in his eyes . "You won't lose me. If you want me to shake off the police tailing me, I'll figure it out. We can make them close the case as a cold one. But I can't promise to stop the killings. But I won't be caught red handed" He took a moment, gazing down at his hands resting on the wooden table. "I'm sorry, Hyungie. I've put you through so much.

"Don't say that, Jungkook," Taehyung gently urged, his voice filled with concern as a silent sob escaped his lips. Taehyung always saw Jungkook as a cherished brother, someone he vowed to protect at all costs. However, there was a lingering guilt in Taehyung's heart for not preventing Jungkook from embracing a path of darkness, allowing him to delve into the realm of killings, nurture his psychopathic tendencies. Despite Taehyung's self-blame, Jungkook firmly believed that his choices were his own burden to bear, not Taehyung's.

"Look, I'd be soo glad if you just ditch all this slaughter. I get it that this hitman job brings in good money, but the toll it takes on you, the countless lives taken... it's so messed up. And I always want you to find a way out of this chaos," Taehyung expressed, his worry evident in his eyes.

"I know, I'll try hyung. I'm too caught up in this web. But trust me. I'm trying" Jungkook reassured Taehyung, placing a comforting hand on his. Deep down, Jungkook grappled with the uncertainty of overcoming his addiction to torture, murder, and gore. Yet he held on to the thought for change somewhere in the corner of his dark heart, if only for the sake of his hyung, the one person who gave him a reason to live.

The one person who he couldn't bear to lose

Jungkook and Taehyung first met at the orphanage. Jungkook's recollections of his life before the orphanage were a little more than nothing, clouded by the tragic events that destroyed his family, which was once cherished with happiness and love. His parents tragically lost their lives at the hands of heartless criminals who invaded their home under the cover of night. His father, was the victim of their brutal attack, endured 18 stab wounds, 11 of which pierced his chest, while the rest inflicted harm on various parts of his abdomen. The attackers completely stole the family's belongings. To compound the horror, they abducted Jungkook's mother, leaving behind a scene of unspeakable violence. When law enforcement arrived, they were met with a horror sight - a 4-year-old Jungkook, lying head injured and bleeding beside his deceased father, his mother nowhere to be found. Tragically, three days later, Jungkook's mother was discovered, a victim of a heinous crime, having suffered a brutal murder and sexual assault by multiple assailants.

The authorities struggled to track down the culprits, ultimately leading to the closure of the case. The injury he sustained had a profound impact on his memory, causing him to forget many cherished moments spent with his parents. However, one memory remained vivid in his mind, clear as daylight - the events of that fateful night. The night his life turned upside down. Despite this recollection, the young four-year-old was left in the dark about the fate of his mother. Those around him were hesitant to disclose the grim truth, as they chose to shield him from the harsh reality by convincing him that the tragic incident was merely an occurrence labeled as a ‘Murder’.

Jungkook was placed in an orphanage due to the absence of suitable relatives to care for him. It was within those walls that he crossed paths with Taehyung, the one person who showed genuine concern for his well-being. Who later became the only guardian figure in Jungkook's life. Even though Jungkook was just two years younger, Taehyung gladly took the role of a protective older brother, shielding Jungkook from the hurtful remarks made by the older children at the orphanage regarding his mother. At that tender age, Jungkook was oblivious to the true nature of those comments until he uncovered the harsh reality himself. The intense fury that surged within him upon this revelation triggered a sinister side of his once innocent heart. A more grotesque side.

Taehyung vividly recalled the moment when 11-year-old Jungkook, fueled by a mix of grief and rage over the disgusting comments made upon his late mother, led into a drastic act - smashing a glass bottle on the head of the offender, Who was the warden of the orphanage himself. The intensity of the situation escalated to a point where Jungkook was accused as a serious threat to the orphanage. In the midst of the situation, Taehyung merely mistook the outrage of the boy as a ‘Hormone induced action’.Despite the shock and fear evoked by Jungkook's behavior, Taehyung's unwavering affection for him endured. Following the incident, Jungkook faced the consequences of his violent outburst, spending a challenging year in a Juvenile Detention Centre. Throughout this period, Taehyung grappled with constant concern for Jungkook's well-being, particularly troubled by the company he was forced to keep - surrounded by peers with criminal inclinations, Who could clearly be the victims of Jungkook's outburst. Or vice versa.

Jungkook was a mere 16 years old when Taehyung celebrated his 18th birthday. It was a significant milestone for Taehyung, who had finally found a place to call home and was preparing to move out. However, Taehyung's heart couldn't bear the thought of leaving his younger brother behind in the confines of the orphanage. Determined to rescue Jungkook from that desolate place, Taehyung made the courageous decision to bring him along on his journey to a brighter future. The way Jungkook's eyes shined that day… It was brighter than their future.

After their departure from Daegu, the brothers started a fresh chapter in Seoul. Taehyung, driven by ambition to provide Jungkook and himself with a peaceful life, prepared for and successfully passed the entrance exams with an outstanding rank. Opting to pursue a degree in Computer Science at the prestigious Seoul National University, Taehyung's decision marked the beginning of a promising academic journey for both him and Jungkook in the bustling city of Seoul. The Seoul where they dreamt to reach one day.

He secured a part-time job to provide for himself and Jungkook. As time passed, Jungkook completed high school and successfully gained admission to Pusan National University. Despite the physical distance, Taehyung couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in Jungkook's academic accomplishments, particularly in earning his degree in criminal law from one of Korea's esteemed universities. By blood they might not be related. But by heart, they were for each other.

Their life seemed to be falling into place seamlessly, with Jungkook graduating, finding a job in a law firm. However, amidst the apparent success, Taehyung failed to detect the subtle signs of an emerging personality disorder in Jungkook. It wasn't until the issue had escalated beyond control that Taehyung realized the fault.

Taehyung was sprawled out on the couch, mindlessly flipping through channels as if he had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, Jungkook was tucked away in the corner, engrossed in Taehyung's laptop like it was his own personal playground.

Out of the blue, Jungkook piped up, "Who was that girl?" without even tearing his gaze away from the screen. Taehyung, finally roused from his remote control reverie, shot back, "What girl?"

Jungkook couldn't resist digging for more info about You. It was like watching a detective at work, except with more drama and less Sherlock vibes. Taehyung's teasing was something Jungkook couldn't tolerate. Taehyung went back to casually flipping through channels like he wasn't dying to spill the tea. "An old friend," he said with a chuckle, trying to act all nonchalant.

Jungkook's tone came across as casual, as if he was simply inquiring. However, beneath the surface, his curiosity was piqued, eager to learn more. Yet, the thought of enduring Taehyung's playful taunts all day made him hesitant to delve deeper.

"Ah friend I haven't heard about?" Jungkook finally turned his attention to Taehyung, who was casually lounging on the couch. "How come I never heard about her before?"

Taehyung raised an eyebrow, though he didn't mind the questioning. "Well, I actually met her during my senior year. You see, you were in Busan at that time, so I couldn't really introduce her to you. And after we graduated, we sort of lost touch," he explained, shifting his gaze from the Television to Jungkook , who had the hood of his gray hoodie up.

“ Is that all you wanna know, little shit?” Taehyung laid back on the couch like he owned the place. Well, He mostly does.

"Oh, I'm not 'little,' or ‘Shit’ just so you know," he playfully hissed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Why the sudden interest in (Y/N)?

Don't act like you didn't eye fucked her through the mirror. I was melting between the tension you two had" Taehyung teased, sitting up from the couch. During the car ride, Taehyung had pretended to be asleep at one point, a typical Taehyung move.

With a smirk forming on the younger one's lips "She works at Kang Industries, huh?" Recalling bits and pieces from the previous night, Taehyung struggled to remember everything that had happened, except for the moment he met you and when Jungkook had kindly dropped you off at home.

“Yes. If i remember correctly” Taehyung scratched his head, a little confusion lingering in his statement.

"How did you know? Are you keeping tabs on her online?" Taehyung's question hung in the air without a response. However, he quickly noticed something peculiar. "Hold on a second. Is that my laptop?" The realization dawned on him suddenly, causing a wave of surprise.

"Don't worry, Hyung. I just needed to find some information, that's all," the man reassured him calmly.

"You could have used your own laptop, you know," Taehyung remarked as he made his way over to the man relaxing on the bean bag, taking a seat beside him. "Ah, so you were checking up on her online after all! I had a feeling," Taehyung teased, playfully snapping his fingers in front of Jungkook's face. Jungkook swatted his hand away. "It's probably safer to do that from your account," Jungkook quipped with a smirk. "And by the way, I have some matters to discuss with this 'kitten'."

"Matters? Oh, come on. You mean a hookup," Taehyung remarked with a mischievous glint in his eye as he playfully nudged Jungkook's bicep.

"It intrigued me when she held my gaze for that long. There was an intensity about her, a fierce spark in her eyes. I got this urge to just unleash something within me onto her, and if I get a chance, I won't let it slip away" Jungkook confessed, his grin widening at the wicked notion.

“Don't harm her. She's a delicate person, wears her heart on her sleeve. If you dare to hurt, I'll kill you myself” Taehyung cautioned. To him, this portrayal of your personality was etched in his mind, and it fitted in with the truth. He perceived you as someone with a fragile heart, willing to offer it to anyone in exchange for a few sweetly spoken words.

It was your biggest weakness too. Love. And affection. You would blindly believe anyone who shows you love without even bothering to know whether it is love or they are just taking you for granted. One of the major reasons why your life is as fucked up as it is right now is also the said reason. A heart aching for love. And your naive beliefs

"She's tempting me more than you could imagine, Hyung. The girl is pulling me like a magnet and it hasn't been a whole day. And it's not just about her appearance. Actually it has nothing to do with how she looks. There's something about her that makes me feel completely…what should I say…… captivated," Jungkook mused, reclining as he pondered what exactly set you apart in his eyes. What made him hooked on you so much. Perhaps his inner predator had finally found its perfect prey.

"You're starting to lose it" Taehyung remarked, shaking his head in exasperation. He was done with Jungkook's tendencies. Jungkook was a master at the art of seduction, skilled in sweet talk and manipulation. But he never broke anyone's heart. He always made sure that she. Or sometimes he knows that there's no strings attached. Therefore Taehyung had made peace with Jungkook's flings. His list of body count rivaled his kill count. But Taehyung couldn't stand his reluctance to commit to a woman for something more than sex. But Jungkook's bars were set too high for that. He didn't believe in a constant relationship.

Maybe you unknowingly tugged at the untouched strings of his heart. That's what Taehyung liked to believe. The mere thought of him finding love in someone who truly reciprocates it was the only wish Taehyung wanted to fulfill before his death. The glimmer of interest he noticed in Jungkook's eyes gave a flicker of hope within Taehyung, hinting that perhaps Jungkook might finally feel those feelings, Eventually . Taehyung firmly believed that if you end up to be the one for Jungkook, you'll be the perfect match, capable of showering him with endless love and care, guiding him back to a sense of normalcy. But,

The weight of Jungkook's messed up past proved to be a burden too heavy for anyone to bear, even for someone as compassionate as you.

“But there's more to it than just that. I want her. Maybe just,keep her with me. By my side. I don't know" Jungkook shrugged, looked at Taehyung.

No matter how much time Taehyung spent with Jungkook, He found it difficult to come to terms with Jungkook's more ruthless tendencies.

“Stop looking at me like that, hyung.”

"Oh fuck. late again," you quietly sweared to yourself while briskly walking towards the office. The pencil skirt you were wearing hindered your speed. Just as you were about to reach the office door, a throat clearing sound caught your attention from behind. You recognized the person immediately - Jimin, the CEO's strict personal secretary.

"Late again?" Jimin's voice carried a hint of tease as he stood with his hand on his hip. You turned around slowly to face him, lightly scratching your head.

“ I missed the bus, Again" you gave him a sheepish smile. Jimin, with a cocky raise of his eyebrow, remarked, "Mr. Kang hasn't noticed yet. Unless I decide to report it. Should I?"

"Wait, no, no, no," you quickly responded, feeling the pressure. "One more late complaint and I'm fired. If you want to hang out more with me in the office, then shut your mouth and keep this between us.” You gave him puppy eyes and you knew it was irresistible for Jimin to go against it.

“ Fine” He scoffed ”but no more ‘Being late’ and the lame excuse of missing the bus”

"Wait, boss is here?" You exclaimed, feeling a wave of frustration wash over you at the thought of starting the day with a warning on a bright Monday morning.

"Mr. Hajoon yeah. But let me tell you, dealing with him is like walking on hellfire," Jimin replied sharply, adjusting his round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

“Like I haven't dealt with him”

"By the way, the meeting is scheduled to start at 10 o'clock. It's already nine thirty. Is the presentation all set?" Jimin's playful demeanor suddenly shifted as if someone had flipped his 'Workaholic' switch.

"Yes, captain," You responded confidently.

"And the report?" Jimin inquired.

"That too," You assured him.

You were a lot relieved that you weren't tasked with presenting the presentation. Instead, your responsibility was to prepare the PowerPoint and submit the report. You didn't even know what the point of having you in the meeting was.

The meeting itself was, well, quite dull, as meetings tend to be. It was as boring as one could imagine, to the point where you sometimes felt the urge to bang your head on the table. The room was filled with people who seemed to barely even breathe properly. Meetings like these were undoubtedly the least engaging aspect of your job.

As the meeting progressed, both you and Jimin couldn't help but notice the entrance of a new employee. She was a petite girl, exuding a striking beauty with almond-shaped eyes and full lips. At that moment, you couldn't help but think to yourself, ‘Jimin's got some competition now’.

As you observed Hajoon, it was evident that his attention was fixated on the woman's legs with great eagerness, like a hungry dog spotting a piece of meat after being deprived of food for a month. His desire to catch a glimpse under her skirt seemed so intense that one might think he would be willing to sell his company just for that opportunity. It made you wonder, are all men like this?

It was no mystery where the girl was headed after the meeting; Hajoon always seemed to effortlessly obtain what he desired. Throughout your time at this company, spanning over a month, you had walked into numerous occasions where women were seated on his desk, legs spread open. It has become a familiar sight for you by now. Perhaps it would be best to allow the boss some privacy after this. After all, voyeurism was not something that appealed to you.

Lunch break, the golden hour when you finally get to sneak a peek at your phone amidst the chaos of the day. You casually fish it out of your bag and start strolling towards the canteen. And then, out of the blue, Jimin pops up like a ninja. "Heading to the canteen?" he asks, all nonchalant.

"Yep, I'm starving," you reply, half-jokingly. Your stomach grumbled in response

"Let's roll together then. I'm starving too, could eat an elephant," Jimin quips as you both make your way.

Finding your usual spot in the corner, the one you and Jimin always claim when you're lunch buddies, you placed your orders and waited eagerly. When the food finally arrived, Jimin attacked his meal as if he'd been stranded on a deserted island without a crumb in sight. "Calm down dude. No need to inhale your food," you teased, biting back your laugh.

Between bites of tteokbokki ramen, Jimin manages to mumble, "I live for this stuff." You can't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm, digging into your own bowl of ramen, savoring each bite. It's no wonder Jimin's going at it like there's no tomorrow; this ramen is simply irresistible.

All of a sudden, a gentle ding emanated from your phone, catching your attention. Curious, you glanced at the screen to find a text notification from an anonymous number. This occurrence was strange, considering your limited circle of friends and your reserved nature when it came to making new friends .

Unknown number : Enjoying Your lunch, Angel?

You couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease at the unexpected message. You side-eye Jimin, who's attacking his food like it owes him money. "Someone texted me,"

"It says 'Enjoy your lunch, angel.' I think someone might be keeping tabs on me." Time to unleash your Sherlock Holmes, Jimin.But nope, he's too busy devouring his meal to care."Don't lose your cool, (Y/N). Maybe it's just an office prankster trying to mess with you," Jimin suggests, nonchalantly. "If this is a joke, someone's gonna pay.

Unknown number: No Angel, This is not a prank.

Then you were 100% sure you were getting stalked

So, you, being the curious cat you are, decide to shoot back a message, asking,

(Y/N) : Then who in the world are you?

And just like that, a quick response pops up.

Unknown number: You'll find out. Just hang tight until you're done with work.

Jimin, in his usual nonchalant manner, lets out a burp in response as you were having your detective moment. "Looks like this person will show themselves after work hours. Hey, Jimin, are you even listening?" you ask.

"Of course, I am. And I could really go for another bowl," Jimin declares with a grin.

As you got the mysterious message and suddenly you're more curious than scared to uncover the identity of this secret sender. And you've always been the cat with curiosity. And it played a major role when it came to errorism.

As soon as the clock hit five, you sprang up from your seat, bid farewell to Jimin and the gang, and sauntered out of the office. Your eyes were on high alert, scanning the area for anyone who might match the description of the elusive messenger. But, no luck. Jimin was right - it was all just a silly prank. You let out a frustrated sigh. Just as you were about to call it a day, a faint whistle caught your attention from behind.

You turned around and there he was, a dude decked out in all black, wearing a black helmet

, casually leaning against his sleek Kawasaki. Even his bike was as dark as night, like he took a dip in a can of black paint along with his ride.

he whips off his helmet, You catch a glimpse of his face and you instinctively blinked your eyes to make sure it's him. No way, "Jung... kook?"

He put on a smirk as he strolls over with the manliest walk you've ever seen. An epitome of masculinity.

"You were the unknown sender?"

"Surprised it wasn't someone else?" he smirks, subtly tilting his head as he stands right in front of you. And hold up, how did you miss that lip ring before?

"Wait a minute, were you stalking me?" you shoot him a narrowed look, trying to meet his gaze.

"Stalking's a bit harsh, Sweetheart. I was just keeping an eye on what's mine," he smirks down at you. She's got some fire in her eyes, and he can't help but feel drawn to her. It's like a spark igniting between them, making things even more interesting. “I was wondering why it took you so long to come”?

“ Come to where?” You raised an eyebrow

“To my life,”

"Seriously, what the fuck?" you exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. what's the deal with him?. "Oh, so you know how to swear, huh? Impressive," Jungkook remarked with a smirk, poking his cheek with his tongue.

"Come on, Jungkook. Enough with the pranks," you said, rolling your eyes in exasperation. Just as you were about to storm off, he grabbed your arm firmly. "Hold up, listen to me, Angel," he said, pulling you back to your previous position. .

You couldn't help but wonder what he was up to next. "What now?" you asked, feeling his grip shift from your arm to your cheek. His fingers traced lightly over your skin, and suddenly it dawned on you what he was after. Ah, the classic move.

It was rare for someone to openly display their interest on you or compliment you. Hence It was like finding a unicorn in a sea of horses. You might not be on the cover of a magazine, but you're not blending into the wallpaper either. You're in that spot right in the middle. In the middle of the spectrum

So, it's no surprise that the number of love confessions you've received isn't hitting the double digits. You're not drowning in them, just a handful here and there. And It was your first time when someone openly showed interest and showered you with admiration, And you stood there, basking in the glow of it all, with a little smile creeping onto your face.

He leaned in close, a mischievous grin played on his lips “What about we take a ride around the city? Me and you?”. His voice, deep and smooth, tickled your ear as his warm breath brushed against your cheek. The tension was irresistible. "Don't tell me you don't like motorbike rides." That went smoothly.

You, fired back with a smirk, "I love it."

Jungkook revved up his bike, zoomed down the road at a speed that's definitely not within the legal limit. But you only live once. The rush of the wind, the thrill of the ride - it was like you were leaving a trail of excitement in your wake. With each passing minute, Jungkook pushed the speed even further, and you couldn't help but let out screams of pure exhilaration.

You clinged to Jungkook's waist for dear life, feeling the adrenaline pumping through your veins. It was a choice between holding on tight or risking a tumble, and you were all in. Little did you realize, in your excitement, that your hands were inadvertently giving Jungkook's abs a bit of a massage. And He was totally digging it.

After a heart-pounding ride, Jungkook finally brought the bike to a stop.

You were clinging onto him like a koala, one hand gripping his black shirt tightly. He glanced back at you from his shoulder, catching your breathless state after all the screaming. It had been ages since you had this much fun. It was just fantastic. "You enjoying yourself, Sweetheart?"

You gazed up at him, a small grin forming on your lips as you nodded. "Absolutely awesome," you managed to reply before resting your head on his shoulder. Now that you noticed, he's quite muscular. His shoulder felt like a solid metal pillow.

"Of course you loved it," he chuckled, oozing confidence. You couldn't help but ask, "So, spill it, why were you creeping on me like that?" Your head still resting on his shoulder, you awaited his response. "I thought I already told you. I was just keeping an eye on what's mine," he replied, glancing over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

Raising your head, you quirked an eyebrow, silently urging him to elaborate. "And what exactly is yours?" you prodded playfully. He avoided your gaze, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Oh, come on, you really want me to spell it out for you?" he teased. "Why did you have to sneak your way into my thoughts that night? You could've just walked away” He played his cards right, knowing all too well how to push your buttons. You watched him intently, a mix of surprise and curiosity written all over your face.” What do you see in me?”

“You think there's nothing to see in you. Which makes you more attractive. Feisty but lacking confidence. I can fix that” He bit his inner cheek as he looked back at her and studied each expression blooming on her face.

“You don't know me Jungkook. You don't know anything” You warned him. Your past was burdening your present and him blindly being interested in you was pointless.

He raised his hand, delicately tracing along her lower lip with his fingertip “I know everything”

“No you don't, there are more which you have no idea abou-”

“About your days in the mental hospital?” He instantly interrupted her “I know that too. I know what you've been through. I know your conditions. And I know that it's weighing you down. You were even reluctant to tell Hyung. But (Y/N). Look at me” you were at a point where resistance was pointless. You looked into his doe eyes, the intensity in his gaze too much to bear.

"Your past does not define you,(Y/N/N)

. It is your present that defines who you are. And I have faith in that," he expressed gently, his gaze returning to study her expressions closely as if searching for a sign of understanding.

"I gotta go home," you stated wearily, feeling utterly drained to the core. The mere thought of revisiting the events of the past was something you wished to avoid. "I can give you a ride. Hop on," he offered, grasping the handlebars of his bike and nodding towards the seat, inviting you to join him.

His Kawasaki came to a smooth stop in front of your apartment building, the engine purring softly as he cut it off. You gracefully hopped off the bike, reaching out to steady yourself by placing a hand on his shoulder. "I... Uh... Thank you for the ride around the city. It's been a while since I had such a good time," you expressed sincerely. However, Jungkook, ever perceptive, was keenly observing your every expression.

"Then we should hang out more often" he suggested, tilting his head slightly as he gazed at you with a newfound intensity. "I'll try" you replied with a tight-lipped smile, nodding in agreement. The idea of spending more time with him was appealing; there was a sense of familiarity that belied the fact that you had only met him a day ago.

"Care for some coffee or are you in a rush?” you managed to ask without stumbling over your words. "I would be delighted, Angel," he responded smoothly. Jungkook was not one to beat around the bush; he knew what he wanted, and he was unapologetically direct about it. The air was charged with anticipation as you both headed inside, ready for a night that promised to be more than just a simple coffee.

You turned the doorknob of the apartment, the hinges creaking softly as you pushed the door open and flicked on the lights. Your taste in interior design was minimalistic, favoring a clean aesthetic with a color scheme of white and gray dominating the space. Jungkook followed behind you, closing the door with a soft click as he entered. His hands casually slipped into his pockets, a gesture that exuded a sense of ease and confidence.

"Let's cut to the chase, angel. We both know it's not just about coffee, is it?" Jungkook's voice was smooth, laced with a hint of mischief as he leaned in slightly, his magnetic presence drawing you closer.

"In a way, no, it's not," you confessed, your mind clouded with desire, unable to resist his charm. Jungkook's smirk widened in triumph, reveling in the thrill of the chase. While he was accustomed to effortlessly winning over women, getting them to the bedroom. But this conquest felt different, more satisfying.

Without hesitation, he gently cupped your cheeks, his lips meeting yours in a swift yet electrifying kiss. A gasp escaped your lips, the intensity of the moment catching you off guard. Despite the whirlwind of sensations, you found yourself leaning into him, surrendering to the intoxicating allure of his touch.

His kiss was nothing short of mesmerizing, each brush of his lips igniting a fire within you, stirring up a potent mix of desire and arousal. The mere contact left you breathless, your body responding eagerly to his every move. As you sensed your panties soaking from the overwhelming pleasure, you couldn't help but feel a wave of heat rush through you, a clear sign of your body's undeniable reaction to his seduction.

In that moment, you realized how much turned on you are. ‘Just from a kiss? Control (Y/N). Well how can I?’

Jungkook's movements were swift and deliberate as he found the sensitive spot on your neck, his lips leaving a trail of his intense passion. With one hand firmly gripping your ass, he held you in the powerful embrace. You were in the grasp of a beast, ready to devour you. As he deftly tugged down the strap of your top, revealing your shoulder, his lips and teeth left a trail of kisses and nibbles along your skin.

Drawing you closer to his strong, muscular body, he wrapped you in a cocoon of his heat and desire, the unmistakable presence of his arousal pressing against you. "Baby, I'm not going anywhere," you managed to whisper, your breath hitching in your chest. Unyielding in his pursuit, he continued his assault with his lips moving from your neck to your shoulder, each touch leaving an imprint on your skin.

He gently tugged at the sheer fabric of your top, a mischievous glint in his eye after playfully teasing you in it. With a swift movement, your bra joined your top on the floor, revealing your form to him. He stood there, taking in the sight before him, finding you perfect. Always. "Such a goddess," he whispered, his words leaving a soft blush on your cheeks. He could kiss those cheeks until his lips hurt, and without hesitation, he pressed his lips against your delicate skin. In that moment of heat and desire, you couldn't help but find his gesture endearing and sweet. Cheek kisses were a rarity for you, a simple act that stirred emotions you had seldom experienced in your 25 years of life.

"Have you done this before, or you want me to go gentle on you?" he inquired gently, pulling back slightly to give you the opportunity to express your desires. What a gentleman. "The choice is yours," you found yourself mesmerized by the warmth of his soft brown eyes, a gaze that could easily captivate anyone. "But I am not inexperienced."

“Then this night is gonna be long. For both of us”

@looneybleus

#jungkook x reader #jungkook #jungkook fic #bts fic #fanfic #jungkook fanfic #bts #kpop #bts army #jeongguk fic #bts fanfiction

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shittysawtraps · 2 years

Text

Hello.

You were abandoned by your father at a young age and have developed an addiction to marijuana in your later life. While that is certainly a genuine struggle, it is absolutely zero excuse for the horrid behavior you've displayed. You have spent the entire rest of your life justifying your mistreatment of everyone in your life by your father leaving. You downplay others' suffering and actively make things worse for them and insist you are right because they don't have it as bad, either because they still have a dad (with no tact when said dad is abusive) or they aren't a drug addict (regardless of other addictions they may suffer from). You simply refuse to see anything or anyone beyond the scope of your daddy issues and weed addiction.

Before you is a glass of milk, a set of pencils and sharpener, a stack of paper, and a phone. Behind you is a large door. That is where the chain on your ankle leads.

The instructions are simple.

One: drink the milk.

Two: write a sincere, handwritten apology note to everyone you have hurt with the excuse of your trauma. No self-righteousness, no self-deprecation, no guilt-tripping. However many pencils or pieces of paper it takes. More of each can be supplied if needed.

Three: call your fucking mom and have a decent conversation with her for once in your life instead of trying to guilt her constantly like it's HER fault you're a dick when it was a series of your own conscious decisions after your father's abandonment that made you like this.

If you fail at step two or three, the door will open, and you will be dragged into the pit that the door leads to by the ball and chain on your ankle, where you will... die, or something? I dunno, you're like 22 and should know better, you've left literally everyone you've been friends with behind with a ton of trauma I'm just asking you not to be a fucking twat for ten seconds. Are you really not capable of that?

You're seriously not?

Alright, change of plans, someone bring out the reverse bear trap for me.

#shitty saw traps #submission

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henrysglock · 11 months

Note

unpopular opinion: the people who say Billy is an irredeemably evil character are the same people who fail to see that there's no actual explicit scene where Billy keeps Max away from Lucas for racially motivated reasons (he's mostly just trying to cover his ass to avoid getting beaten up by Neil, who's likely the bigger racist influence; Billy isn't racist by default so much as it would likely be learned behaviours from Neil. Don't even get me started on how Billy's effeminate Glam Rock aesthetic is likely seen as a huge Disappointment to Masculinity in Neil's mind as well, but I digress) and in the same breath as saying "Billy fans are evil for supporting a character who doesn't have a shred of good in him", will turn around and write multiple paragraphs about how Henry isn't evil by choice because he's a victim of Brenner's abuse, the Upside Down is what made Henry so evil, etc etc. While completely ignoring the fact that most of Billy's notably problematic behaviour was a result of the Mindflayer and likely wasn't a conscious decision. Or if they were conscious decisions, Billy made those decisions because he was raised in an environment that didn't allow him alternative ways of thinking. Just. Like. Henry. My point being... the people who idolize Henry but demonize Billy at the same time are straight up hypocrites.

You see, Anon, that's the inherent tragedy in characters like Billy and (in my own pet addition) Jason. They were both around the same age: teenagers. Did they do horrible shit? Absolutely. Was any of it excusable? Absolutely not.

Did they still have a whole life ahead of them to turn it around? Yes, and that's the tragedy.

Billy was a racist, though. There's that scene in ST2 where he tells Max to stay away from "certain types of people", and that type of person is Lucas, the black boy. So yeah, he's a racist. Undeniably so. He was also abusive to Max in major ways in ST2. And yes, he's got some major masculinity issues. That's no excuse for his behavior. This is all pre-Mindflayer. This was just Billy. However. He was 18. He was 3 months into adulthood, and while his actions are his own and there would have been necessary reparations/people who wouldn't and shouldn't forgive him...Billy's response to those old memories of being loved showed us that he had a chance, however slim, to turn his shit around if he got a proper bonk on the head (several, perhaps). His chance at changing was taken away from him. That's the tragedy of his character.

Jason is much the same. He was grief-maddened by the death of a girlfriend he refused to admit he didn't actually know. He watched his friend die under incomprehensible conditions. He was not 'evil' from the get-go. He wasn't even a proper antagonist until Chrissy died. He was looking for someone to blame and maniacally set his sites on the police's scapegoat club leader. Hellfire club wasn't even on his radar re: Chrissy until the cops leaked it. He's more complex than most people like to admit. Was any of his shit excusable? Absolutely not. Is it explicable? Yes. There's a logical progression to the things he does, despite his behavior being properly unhinged...and that wasn't the type of behavior we really see him engage in before Chrissy's death. Therein lies the tragedy: He wasn't always that way, and any chance (however slim) at walking it back was taken from him.

One is much the same in a multitude of ways: He wasn't always like this, his circumstances pushed him, and his actions remain inexcusable.

So I completely agree that it's confusing to see people treat the three of them so differently from each other. They're the same guy in different flavors.

Send me unpopular opinions!

#asks #unpopular opinion ask game

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never-was-has-been · 1 year

Text

We can win this thing and create a healthy, harmonious world, and the work each of us does to help bring this about makes a real difference. The more I observe and learn about human behavior, the more convinced of this I become.

Let me explain.

Every positive change in human behavior is always preceded by an expansion of consciousness. This is true whether you're talking about positive behavioral changes in an individual or in a collective.

By "expansion of consciousness" I mean an increase in awareness — someone or a group of someones becoming more aware of something than they previously were:

Someone gaining a new perspective on the forces within themselves which drive them to seek out dysfunctional relationships.

An addict becoming more conscious of the inner dynamics that compel them to use.

A victim of abuse realizing that abuse is happening, and that a better life is possible, and that they deserve it.

A community becoming aware that their clergy have been sexually abusing children.

The US civil rights movement making Americans more aware of the injustice and destructiveness of racism.

Increased literacy and a greater ability to distribute the written word giving society a greater hunger for freedom and democracy and less tolerance for overt tyranny.

Etc.

Conditions don't get better until the forces which give rise to them are clearly seen and understood. This movement from the darkness of unconsciousness into the light of awareness can create the illusion that things are getting worse, because they turn up so much ugliness.

After the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, his mother made the decision to hold an open-casket funeral to expose the world to the cruelty that black Americans were being subjected to by showing his mutilated body to the public. In that moment it looked like the world was being made more ugly, because an ugliness that had previously gone unseen by many people was being published in papers across the country. But it was later said that "The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till Bradley exposed the world to more than her son Emmett Till's bloated, mutilated body. Her decision focused attention on not only American racism and the barbarism of lynching but also the limitations and vulnerabilities of American democracy."

Similarly, the dawn of the internet has turned up a tremendous amount of ugliness and cruelty that had previously gone unseen and unknown to most people. This can lead to the mistaken impression that the internet itself is making people more cruel and ugly than they previously were, but it isn't. It's just turning up humanity's longstanding inner demons that had previously functioned solely in the dark.

It looks ugly, it moves in a sloppy, clumsy, two-steps-forward-one-step-back shamble, but human consciousness is undeniably expanding. We're getting so much better at sharing ideas and information with each other that we've arguably changed more as a species in the last thirty years than we did in the previous thirty centuries. We might outwardly look similar to the way we looked in our grandparents' time, but billions of human brains connected to each other through the internet is something that is wildly unprecedented in the entire history of our species. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

So humanity is indisputably becoming more conscious, as awkward and sloppy as our situation looks right now. We're becoming more and more aware of the problems our species faces, and our rulers are having to do more and more work to pull the wool over our eyes and keep us marching in a way that is convenient to them.

Police brutality. The abuses of Israeli apartheid. The agony of poverty. The ravages of ecocide. The ways we've been deceived and manipulated by the mass media. People are becoming more and more aware of these things than they used to be, because the truth about them is suddenly vastly more visible now than it previously was.

And what's exciting is that we all have the ability to participate in, and facilitate, this expansion of consciousness. We each have the ability to help humanity become more conscious in our own small way, thereby bringing us that much closer to a positive shift in our collective behavior.

Anything you can do to help make humanity a little more aware of the abusive nature of the systems which drive the problems we now face makes a difference, even if it's a difference as small as making one single person a little bit more aware of one specific aspect of the tyranny we're being subjected to. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it does make a difference. And as long as it makes the slightest bit of difference, it is worth doing, because a lot of slight differences adds up to a massive difference. And there are a whole lot of people who have the ability to do this.

What this means is that we each have the ability to directly and meaningfully participate in the creation of a healthy world, because we are each able to directly and meaningfully advance the only factor that ever leads to positive changes in human behavior. We can do this through the new technologies which have expanded humanity's ability to share ideas and information like videos, blogs, podcasts, tweets and memes, and we can do this through older means like holding demonstrations, creating art, distributing literature, writing messages on walls, and just having conversations.

Anything you can do to help people become more aware of injustice, abuses, propaganda and tyranny, whether in your own community or in the world, makes a difference. Does this mean you will single-handedly save the day like the protagonist in a Hollywood movie? No. That's not how real change happens, and it never has been. Real change is the result of sustained efforts of many, many people whose individual actions could never achieve much on their own.

I think the protagonist-driven storytelling models humanity uses in its legends, folk tales, novels and films often plays an unwholesome role in distorting people's expectations about the efficaciousness of their own individual actions. Those storytelling models are designed to appeal to the human ego, which gets a tremendous amount of energy and attention in this particular slice of spacetime, but they are not accurate representations of the way real change actually happens in real life. In real life, change happens because a great many people put their shoulders up against the change that was needed and shoved in the required direction.

So that's what we can all do: we can all lean our shoulders into the expansion of human consciousness and shove. Spread awareness of what's going on in the world, make people more aware that we're all being deceived and manipulated at mass scale, and help people to see that a better world is possible. The more people open their eyes to what's happening, the more shoulders there are to help join in our collective shove toward consciousness.

Ultimately what we're looking at is humanity's journey toward becoming a conscious species. One that's no longer driven by unconscious animal impulses and the flailings of illusory egoic constructs in our psyches, and is instead driven by a lucid perception of reality and a desire for the greater good of all beings.

We can all play a role in this achievement, both by expanding our own consciousness as far as it can go by bringing clarity to our own minds, our own worldviews and our own inner processes, and by helping others to become more aware of the world around them. It won't often unfold in a way that is elegant and linear and egoically pleasing, but it will unfold. And if it unfolds enough, positive change becomes inevitable. ~ Caitlin, June 14th 2023

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voskhozhdeniye · 1 year

Text

Let me explain.

Every positive change in human behavior is always preceded by an expansion of consciousness. This is true whether you’re talking about positive behavioral changes in an individual or in a collective.

By “expansion of consciousness” I mean an increase in awareness — someone or a group of someones becoming more aware of something than they previously were:

Someone gaining a new perspective on the forces within themselves which drive them to seek out dysfunctional relationships.

An addict becoming more conscious of the inner dynamics that compel them to use.

A victim of abuse realizing that abuse is happening, and that a better life is possible, and that they deserve it.

A community becoming aware that their clergy have been sexually abusing children.

The US civil rights movement making Americans more aware of the injustice and destructiveness of racism.

Increased literacy and a greater ability to distribute the written word giving society a greater hunger for freedom and democracy and less tolerance for overt tyranny.

Etc.

Conditions don’t get better until the forces which give rise to them are clearly seen and understood. This movement from the darkness of unconsciousness into the light of awareness can create the illusion that things are getting worse, because they turn up so much ugliness.

After the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, his mother made the decision to hold an open-casket funeral to expose the world to the cruelty that black Americans were being subjected to by showing his mutilated body to the public. In that moment it looked like the world was being made more ugly, because an ugliness that had previously gone unseen by many people was being published in papers across the country. But it was later said that “The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till Bradley exposed the world to more than her son Emmett Till’s bloated, mutilated body. Her decision focused attention on not only American racism and the barbarism of lynching but also the limitations and vulnerabilities of American democracy.”

Similarly, the dawn of the internet has turned up a tremendous amount of ugliness and cruelty that had previously gone unseen and unknown to most people. This can lead to the mistaken impression that the internet itself is making people more cruel and ugly than they previously were, but it isn’t. It’s just turning up humanity’s longstanding inner demons that had previously functioned solely in the dark.

It looks ugly, it moves in a sloppy, clumsy, two-steps-forward-one-step-back shamble, but human consciousness is undeniably expanding. We’re getting so much better at sharing ideas and information with each other that we’ve arguably changed more as a species in the last thirty years than we did in the previous thirty centuries. We might outwardly look similar to the way we looked in our grandparents’ time, but billions of human brains connected to each other through the internet is something that is wildly unprecedented in the entire history of our species. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

So humanity is indisputably becoming more conscious, as awkward and sloppy as our situation looks right now. We’re becoming more and more aware of the problems our species faces, and our rulers are having to do more and more work to pull the wool over our eyes and keep us marching in a way that is convenient to them.

Police brutality. The abuses of Israeli apartheid. The agony of poverty. The ravages of ecocide. The ways we’ve been deceived and manipulated by the mass media. People are becoming more and more aware of these things than they used to be, because the truth about them is suddenly vastly more visible now than it previously was.

And what’s exciting is that we all have the ability to participate in, and facilitate, this expansion of consciousness. We each have the ability to help humanity become more conscious in our own small way, thereby bringing us that much closer to a positive shift in our collective behavior.

Anything you can do to help make humanity a little more aware of the abusive nature of the systems which drive the problems we now face makes a difference, even if it’s a difference as small as making one single person a little bit more aware of one specific aspect of the tyranny we’re being subjected to. It doesn’t make a huge difference, but it does make a difference. And as long as it makes the slightest bit of difference, it is worth doing, because a lot of slight differences adds up to a massive difference. And there are a whole lot of people who have the ability to do this.

What this means is that we each have the ability to directly and meaningfully participate in the creation of a healthy world, because we are each able to directly and meaningfully advance the only factor that ever leads to positive changes in human behavior. We can do this through the new technologies which have expanded humanity’s ability to share ideas and information like videos, blogs, podcasts, tweets and memes, and we can do this through older means like holding demonstrations, creating art, distributing literature, writing messages on walls, and just having conversations.

Anything you can do to help people become more aware of injustice, abuses, propaganda and tyranny, whether in your own community or in the world, makes a difference. Does this mean you will single-handedly save the day like the protagonist in a Hollywood movie? No. That’s not how real change happens, and it never has been. Real change is the result of sustained efforts of many, many people whose individual actions could never achieve much on their own.

I think the protagonist-driven storytelling models humanity uses in its legends, folk tales, novels and films often plays an unwholesome role in distorting people’s expectations about the efficaciousness of their own individual actions. Those storytelling models are designed to appeal to the human ego, which gets a tremendous amount of energy and attention in this particular slice of spacetime, but they are not accurate representations of the way real change actually happens in real life. In real life, change happens because a great many people put their shoulders up against the change that was needed and shoved in the required direction.

So that’s what we can all do: we can all lean our shoulders into the expansion of human consciousness and shove. Spread awareness of what’s going on in the world, make people more aware that we’re all being deceived and manipulated at mass scale, and help people to see that a better world is possible. The more people open their eyes to what’s happening, the more shoulders there are to help join in our collective shove toward consciousness.

Ultimately what we’re looking at is humanity’s journey toward becoming a conscious species. One that’s no longer driven by unconscious animal impulses and the flailings of illusory egoic constructs in our psyches, and is instead driven by a lucid perception of reality and a desire for the greater good of all beings.

We can all play a role in this achievement, both by expanding our own consciousness as far as it can go by bringing clarity to our own minds, our own worldviews and our own inner processes, and by helping others to become more aware of the world around them. It won’t often unfold in a way that is elegant and linear and egoically pleasing, but it will unfold. And if it unfolds enough, positive change becomes inevitable.

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devilsgatewayhq · 1 year

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Name: Malcolm Cohen Age: 32 Time living in Tonopah: 6 months Occupation: Security at The Raven Gang Affiliation: Sons of Silence Prospect Neighborhood: Webster Village Face Claim: Paul Mescal

Biography (TW: drug abuse, overdose):

Despite the challenges he faced growing up in a rough and tumble small town outside of Boston, Malcolm Cohen always found comfort in the unwavering love of his family. Living a humble lifestyle, the Cohens were content with the life they had and never sought more than what they needed to survive. The trajectory of everyone's lives could have been different if Malcolm hadn't gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd in his youth. Joshua and Marie tried to search for any sort of reason in why the young boy would often find himself suspended from school, but the only thing they could see was the vacant look in his eyes, as if he was lost in another world. When asked why he did the things he did, why he couldn’t be more like his overachieving younger sister, Hannah, Malcolm would just shrug. There was no rational explanation for the destructive behavior, only a deep craving for the rush it provided. Or, perhaps, they just weren’t looking close enough at the sadness that lingered behind those bloodshot eyes.

Although Malcolm's parents knew he wouldn't attend college, they still hoped he would make wise decisions about his future. When he finally got a job at a local pub and found his own place, they felt a sense of relief wash over them, hoping that this long-winded rebellious phase would finally end. Little did they know that the road ahead was long and unpredictable. He sank deeper into depression, accompanied by a growing dependence on various illegal substances. Malcolm changed into someone his family and friends didn't recognize — withdrawn and careless. It all came to a head for him at twenty-seven when his sister approached him for help with studying for her law school exams. Despite his good sense, he gave her some Adderall he'd bought online, thinking he'd ordered it from that site countless times and used it for many shifts — what was the harm? Two days later, Malcolm received the tragic news from his parents that Hannah had passed away because of the pills he gave her, which were laced with a dangerous substance. The next year passed in a blur, and Malcolm's only option was to take a plea deal for involuntary manslaughter. His parents, wanting nothing more to do with him after his mistake, provided him with a lawyer as a parting gift. During his time in jail, guilt tormented him, and the isolation of losing everyone he loved was unbearable. Malcolm made a promise to himself to turn his life around. During his prison sentence, he worked hard to stay sober and focused on bettering his mental health and education. He made a conscious decision not to see his parents after his release, understanding that their relationship would be irreparably harmed. With no possessions and a heavy heart, he set out on a journey to start a new life across the country.

Tonopah Valley, where he settled, was a close-knit community with a low cost of living and easy access to nearby cities. Although his criminal record made it difficult to find work, he eventually found employment as a bouncer at The Raven. His growing friendship with Nate, his boss, quickly led to an invitation to become a prospect for the Sons. Although he was initially cautious and trying to avoid trouble, the Sons offered him a sense of belonging that he had been missing for a while. Despite being in town for six months, Malcolm is still trying to prove himself to the MC. Despite the constant battle against his own demons, he remains determined to triumph.

Headcanons:

Malcolm has been sober for 5 years from both drugs and alcohol. He finds that he's the happiest he's ever been mentally, even if his circumstances aren't so great. He even leads AA meetings from time to time when they need someone.

He's generally pretty soft spoken, but at work or otherwise he isn't afraid to get in someone's face if they're out of line. He's from Boston, he's had his fair share of tussles.

He loves being outdoors and going on long hikes.

Has an 8-year-old staffy named Pepper that he adopted from the local humane society after getting out of prison. He credits Pepper with keeping him sane during those first few months.

#affiliation: sons of silence.#gender: man.#dg character.

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scratchandplaster · 2 years

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FEBUWHUMP 2023 WRAP-UP

Now that I finished Febuwhump 2023, I thought about doing a summary of my work. I never wrote anything before, let alone posted it online, so this was all pretty exciting (if sometimes a little stressful) for me 🤫 Thanks to @febuwhump for hosting this event!

Spoilers ahead!

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

🏆 My Favorites

The most fun writing I had with DAY 12. The slow change of Henshaw's mental stability was really interesting to explore, especially because of his first-person perspective. The thought of cave diving itself is horrifying to me, but doing that while also being stalked by an eldritch horror seemed too good to miss out on. Even I still don't know what's down there...

Also, I love the dynamic between the protagonists from DAY 6. My sweet boy just wanted to be free and meet new people 😔 At some points I wrote him to be a little too self-loathing, kinda giving him incel vibes... He's not like that, I swear, just very frustrated with himself.

Lastly, DAY 15 was one of the first ideas I had for Febuwhump. Pet whump/BBU is something I avoided for some time, and it took a while to warm up to it, but the basic concept is not that different from any other whump storyline, I guess. I just hope Daniel got his ass handed to him afterward 👀

🏆 Your Favorites

🥇 DAY 15 - Semi-conscious

🥈 DAY 11 - Fever

🥉 DAY 1 - Touchstarved

All very angsty, I love it! My favorite tropes splayed out like that: regretful Whumper, obsessive behavior, Carewhumper, drugging... Especially DAY 1, because that's the first thing I ever wrote ❤ Thanks again for reading, you guys made my month!

🏆 The ones that took the longest

Everything regarding Elliot and Morris (beginning with DAY 8) but especially DAY 20. I sat a whole weekend on that thing, meaning that the other prompts got pushed back and were stuck in my mind during the weekdays. But in the end, it all worked out. I had to take the time, because it is the most important piece to show Elliot's and Morris´ relationship. The writing still takes up the lion's share of the work, but I used to underestimate translating and editing the whole text, whoops.

Also, DAY 6 again. I had to google a lot of cocktails and cities for that one 🥃 Cheers!

🏆 The ones that took the shortest

DAY 15, surprisingly, wrote itself in one sitting. I guess yandere Whumper is my natural modus operandi.

Day 28 was also very quick, just took like four hours with editing. I searched through my bathroom to figure out what Whumpee would use in their daily routine 😬

Last but not least, my lovely shitpost on DAY 5, the woodburning one. I still stand by it, that shit hurts and makes a great torture device. Downside: you'll probably need an extension cord.

🏆 Best Whumper

This one goes to Morris, my little drug-trafficking trash man. He's so dumb it hurts; a real clown suffering through a heartbreak. He and Amber were both abusive to each other, they really do make the perfect couple.

🏆 Best Whumpee

The valet pet, again, I aspire to be as petty as them. Saving an innocent life, getting back at their captor and escaping at the same time (sadly), completely unplanned. It's kind of selfish too, I just have a lot of conflicting feelings when it comes to their situation and choice to handle it. The more I think about them, the better I can grasp what went into this decision 😧

🏆 Category is...

Gore Galore: DAY 1, DAY 4, DAY 21

Fluff and Softness: DAY 2, DAY 11, DAY 28

🏆 Songs I listened to while writing/editing

ミラクルミュージカル - Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Alec Holowca - Astral Coal Town

alt-J - Bane

The Four Winds by The Oh Hellos (Notos, Eurus, Boreas, Zephyrus)

Classical Music Compilations (because I can't focus when people are talking)

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Feel free to do a wrap-up too, I'd love to see it!

[Febuwhump 2023 Masterlist] [Stack The Deck Masterlist]

#whump #whumpblr #creative writing #whump community #febuwhump #febuwhump2023

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rapidpricer · 5 months

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Sustainability Takes Center Stage: How Eco-conscious Consumers are Shaping the Future of Retail

Written By: Gargi Sarma

Consumer behavior has significantly changed in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers giving sustainability and ethical practices top priority when making purchases. Retailers now have to reconsider their approaches and give eco-friendly goods and moral business conduct top priority as a result of this trend. Customers are calling for more accountability, transparency, and sustainability from the businesses they support in various industries, including fashion and food. This article examines the growing significance of sustainability in the retail industry and provides examples of retailers spearheading this environmentally conscious movement.

The Rise of Eco-conscious Consumers

Figure 1: Waste Reduction is an Important Personal Focus for Eco-conscious Consumers

The days of customers making decisions about what to buy only based on cost and convenience are long gone. Consumers are prioritizing ethical factors more and more these days when deciding which brands to support. Several causes, such as growing knowledge of environmental issues, worries about labor abuses, and a desire for products that are in line with personal beliefs, have contributed to this shift in consumer behavior. According to a recent McKinsey & Company study, 67% of consumers are now prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly goods (McKinsey & Company Sustainability Report 2023).

These eco-conscious shoppers are actively seeking out products that meet specific sustainability criteria, including:

Organically Grown: Consumers are increasingly searching for organic produce, meats, and textiles, prioritizing products grown or raised without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Reduced Plastic Content: Plastic pollution is a major environmental concern, and consumers are looking for products with minimal or recycled plastic packaging.

Sustainable Materials: Eco-conscious shoppers are drawn to products made from recycled materials, organic fibers like hemp and bamboo, or other environmentally friendly alternatives.

Fair Trade Practices: Consumers are interested in understanding the origin of their products and supporting brands that ensure fair labor practices and ethical sourcing throughout their supply chains.

Figure 2: % Who are Likely to Stop Purchasing a Brand if Found Guilty of Greenwashing, 2023

Figure 3: Consumer Mindset and Actions are Very Different Across Markets Yet All Segments Are Represented in All Markets, 2023

Leading the Charge: Retailers Setting the Bar

Patagonia: An industry pioneer in outdoor wear, Patagonia is well-known for its dedication to environmental sustainability. Patagonia is a great example of a shop committed to having a good environmental influence on the world. They employ recycled materials in their apparel and donate a portion of their sales to environmental organizations.

IKEA: The massive Swedish furniture company has come a long way in terms of sustainability, especially in terms of product design and supply chain management. IKEA has received recognition from environmentally aware customers all over the world for its dedication to employing renewable resources, cutting waste, and investing in energy-efficient technologies.

Unilever: The consumer products company Unilever has incorporated sustainability as a fundamental component of its business strategy, while not being a typical retailer. The corporation is attempting to lessen its environmental impact and encourage sustainable living among consumers through programs like the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.

The Body Shop: The Body Shop champions ethical sourcing and sustainable packaging. They use recycled materials in their packaging and offer refill programs for many of their popular products, reducing waste.

Thredup: Thredup is a leading online consignment and thrift store. They provide a platform for extending the life cycle of clothing, diverting tons of textiles from landfills each year.

H&M: A leader in sustainable fashion, H&M offers a "Conscious Exclusive" collection made with recycled and organic materials. They've also set ambitious goals to use 100% recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030.

Nike: The sportswear giant, Nike, has embraced sustainable practices by incorporating recycled materials into their footwear and apparel. Their "Move to Zero" initiative aims to achieve zero carbon emissions and zero waste across their entire production cycle.

Figure 4: Sustainable Packaging Claims: Product Availability and Consumers’ Recent Purchases in Selected Countries Q3 2022 - Q3 2023

Embracing Innovation: The Latest Technologies in Sustainable Retail

Blockchain: To improve supply chain transparency and traceability, retailers are increasingly utilizing blockchain technology. Blockchain can lessen the chance of environmental damage and assist ensure ethical sourcing by tracking every stage of a product's journey on a decentralized ledger.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-driven algorithms are transforming logistics and inventory control, assisting retailers in maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste. Artificial intelligence (AI) can minimize overstocking and wasteful resource usage by precisely forecasting demand and streamlining production.

Renewable Energy: To lessen their dependency on fossil fuels and cut their carbon emissions, several retailers are making investments in renewable energy sources including solar and wind power. Retailers can reduce their long-term energy expenses and their environmental impact by switching to renewable energy.

Conclusion:

Retailers are coming under growing pressure to innovate and adapt as environmentally conscious consumers continue to increase demand for sustainable practices and products. Retailers can meet the requirements of today's consumers and create a more resilient and ecologically friendly future for the retail industry as a whole by embracing sustainability and utilizing the newest technologies.

About RapidPricer

RapidPricer helps automate pricing and promotions for retailers. The company has capabilities in retail pricing, artificial intelligence and deep learning to compute merchandising actions for real-time execution in a retail environment.

Contact info:

Website: https://www.rapidpricer.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rapidpricer/

Email: [email protected]

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ahopkins1965 · 11 months

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Children Obey Your Parents by Anthony Joseph Hopkins November 6, 2021

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. I understand that children in the 21st Century are calling their fathers a sperm donor. I wonder why? This is simply because the mother was fulfilling her role as the mother, and picking up the slack that the father has left behind. To be honest, my mother did the same exact thing. As soon as her husband left the house immediately after an argument. My mother was mother and father to 9 children. She did not make them all by herself!!!

In the 21st Century, children are in charge of the household. The parents are leaving their children at home all by themselves. While my mother was working inside of a restaurant that was not very far from her home, I had to take care of my siblings. I had to change diapers for my siblings. I also cooked lunch and dinner for my siblings. My father was absent from the home, and he did not sign my birth certificate.

On my birth certificate it has the name colored as my mother’s ethnicity. It also has the name colored as the child’s ethnicity. Right now, when you purchase a birth certificate, the name colored has been changed to black. Therefore, children have choices in the 21st Century. Children can decide to go to an adoption agency or stick with their parents. I went ahead and lived with my grandmothers when I was growing up. I know that my mother and her husband was messing up as parents.

I made a conscious decision to live with my grandparents rather than go to an adoption agency like my siblings did. This is the reason why my mother and her husband went their separate ways when I was 14 years old. During the year 1979, I was in High School inside of a classroom when all of a sudden, the school Principal called me to the office. The Children Services worker stated that I had to live with my grandmother. My siblings went to the adoption agency.

My mother and her husband were abusing us, so all of us went our separate ways in 1979. I have a whole lot of respect for my mother. My mother’s husband and I did not get along with each other. He was responsible for causing all nine of us to have tuberculosis back in 1976. I had tuberculosis for nine years. I had to take a medication called Ciphro-flaxin for tuberculosis and another medication as well.

Finally, I want to say that I still have respect for my mother until she died six years ago. I want to inform all of you that I have a great deal of respect for people who are older than me. It does not stop me from saying “Yes Madam and “No Madam. It does not stop me from saying “Yes Sir and “No Sir. I have a lot of respect for people who are older than me. I know that when it comes to authority figures, if you are older than me, then I will respect you.

Otherwise, I was raised by my grandmothers and grandfathers in Dayton, Ohio. I have a lot of respect for mothers in the 21st Century because my mother raised all nine of us all by herself. This is a fact of life. My mother’s husband and I did not get along with each other. He was responsible for putting my head inside of a hot stove. He intently burned my hair out.

When it comes to stepparents, I am not saying to abuse them in any way. I will admit that I had to assist in raising my ex-girlfriend’s daughter and she was a handful to deal with. We argued on a daily basis. I told her that I am responsible for her until she gets older. Then she can fend for herself. I do not have any children of my own. If I did, I would be grateful. Do you know that becoming a parent will change some people’s behavior? I had to raise my siblings all by myself. My siblings have children but I do not have any children. That is my choice to not have any children. It cost over a million dollars per year to raise one child!!!! This is a fact!!!

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arxims · 4 months

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𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊 ᵀᴴᴿᴱᴱ

Pairing : jungkook x reader

genre/au : a lot of angst, smut, killer!Jungkook, non idol au, violence.

Warnings : graphic depiction of violence and gore, lots of blood, mentions of rape, smut, sexual activity, toxic Jungkook, red flag Jungkook, psychopathic behavior red flag behavior, mentally disturbed characters, suicide, murder, depictions of torture, serial killing, lots of trauma, depression, criminal behavior, murderous tenancies, possible major character death, mentions child abuse and child pornography, unprotected sex, cumming, teasing, commitment issues.

Rating : only suitable for mature readers

Word count : 5.5 k

| MASTERLIST |

"Why the sudden urge to quit, huh? Seems like a rash move to me," Yoongi quipped, pushing the resignation paper across the fancy desk towards the blond guy in front of him. Jimin let out a sigh, meeting Yoongi's gaze. "I've had it, Hyung. I want a normal life. A cozy apartment, a regular job that doesn't involve guns and gore. Maybe a girlfriend, marriage, kids - the whole shebang. That's the dream, Hyung. I'm out," he said, twirling the pen in his hand before gripping it tightly.

Yoongi leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Hey, it's your call, Jimin. I just want what's best for you. But hey, if you ever change your mind, the top spy spot will always have your name on it," he said, giving Jimin a knowing smile. Jimin grinned back, but deep down, he knew he was losing a top-notch spy. Yoongi could see it - Jimin was ready to leave the spy life behind.

As Jimin hesitantly signed the resignation letter, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. It felt as though he was betraying Yoongi, his steadfast companion through thick and thin. Despite Yoongi's belief that it was for the best, allowing Jimin to forge a new path towards a semblance of normalcy, Jimin couldn't shake the feeling of abandoning the one who had been his guiding light.

Born into an abusive family, his early years were marred by tragedy and cruelty. At the tender age of six, he lost his biological father to cancer, only to have his mother remarry a callous drunkard who harbored an animosity towards Jimin. Enduring verbal, physical, and emotional abuse from his stepfather who lacked mercy, Jimin led his fucked up life until the very teenage. Despite the torment he endured, Jimin's mother remained silent, complicit in the suffering inflicted upon her own child.

Growing up in the oppressive environment of his abusive household took a heavy toll on him. Each day became more unbearable for Jimin until one fateful moment, at his 15, when he reached his breaking point. In a desperate act of self-defense, he found himself in a harrowing situation where he had no choice but to defend himself by stabbing his father multiple times. Overwhelmed by fear of the consequences that awaited him, he made a decision that would alter the course of his life forever.

With nothing but a few meager possessions to his name, Jimin made the difficult choice to leave behind his hometown of Busan and run away to Seoul. Arriving in the bustling city, he found himself without a place to call home, no family to turn to, and faced the harsh reality of severe food deprivation. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, driving him to scavenge for scraps in dumpsters just to survive. It was in these dire circumstances that Jimin realized that the only way to sustain himself was through theft.

Embracing his newfound role as a local street pickpocket, Jimin honed his skills with each passing day. As he made a habit of targeting normal pedestrians, he became a professional at it. That's when he set his sights on a young man in his, probably eighteen, assuming him to be an easy target. However, his attempt to steal the man's wallet swiftly went to vain when the man whose keen perception and quick reflexes caught Jimin off guard. The encounter served as a stark reminder that not everyone was as oblivious as he had assumed.

Instead of immediately turning Jimin over to the authorities, he made a conscious decision to delve deeper into Jimin's background. He took the time to understand Jimin's troubled past and empathized with his struggles. Min Yoongi felt compelled to extend a helping hand to the vulnerable teenager. He went above and beyond to secure a safe haven for Jimin, enrolling him in a local school and providing him with a place he could finally call home. What else can a simple delivery man could do?

Before leaving for his military service, Yoongi made a final visit to Jimin, leaving a lasting impression on the young man. When Jimin eventually reunited with Yoongi after his military service, he was met with a transformed individual driven by a deep determined decision. Yoongi was determined of establishing an organization dedicated to eliminate criminal activities - the clandestine Black Ops Syndicate.

Recognizing Jimin's adeptness at thievery, Yoongi saw beyond his past activities, and envisioned a skilled spy in the making. With his charming demeanor and persuasive skills, Jimin possessed the ability to seamlessly blend in with his surroundings, and make it impossible for others to pinpoint him bring the red imposter among them. It made him an invaluable asset to the organization as the clandestine organization grew successful in dismantling criminal networks from within.

Jimin had been a steadfast presence since the early days when Black Ops was nothing more than scattered remnants of a covert operation. Departing from the organization left him grappling with feelings of betrayal, a weight he carried heavily on his shoulders.

In the aftermath of his departure from Black Ops, Jimin started on building a new life for himself. Despite the distance, he maintained regular contact with Yoongi, making a point to visit him often. Then he stumbled upon an opportunity at Kang Industries, a chance he saw as a promising new chapter.

Little did Jimin realize that his decision to join Kang Industries would serve as a fateful turning point, leading him back to a very world he stepped himself out.

The car eventually came to a halt in front of Jungkook's personal apartment, its tires rolling slowly as it made its way into the garage that was directly connected to the basement of the building. The clock was nearing 1 am, the late hour casting a shadow over the scene. Jungkook stood by, waiting patiently for the car to settle in its designated spot in the garage. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black sweatpants, the hood of his attire pulled up, giving him the appearance of a stereotypical hacker.

"You've early than I thought," Jungkook remarked casually, his attention fixed on the driver whose identity remained a mystery to him at that moment. All he knew was that he was engaged in conversation with someone. Suddenly, Jimin emerged from the vehicle, still clad in his work attire, a sight that elicited a surprised expression from Jungkook.

"Jimin?" Jungkook exclaimed, his steps quickening as he made his way towards the car door where Jimin stood. A soft chuckle escaped Jimin's lips in response to Jungkook's reaction.

"I thought you left Black Ops. Done with all the gore," Jungkook inquired, his curiosity piqued as he arched an eyebrow in Jimin's direction. "Indeed, I did," Jimin replied with a hint of bitterness in his tone, leaning casually against the car. "I spent three good years away, only to realize that I was working under these assholes who can't keep it inside their pants around children" he added, his words laced with a touch of frustration.

Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "Wait, you worked with Kangs?" The sudden revelation caught Jungkook off guard, a question mark forming in his mind. "Yeah," Jimin continued, "(Y/N) mentioned you. Seems like you've finally settled down with a girl, huh? I appreciate it." Leaning in closer, Jimin raised his eyebrows expectantly. Jungkook responded with a cold stare, their relationship hovering at a solid 5.5 on the closeness scale of one to ten. "Where's the target?" Jungkook inquired with a huff.

A proud expression adorned Jimin's face, silently boasting, 'I've still got it after three years of radio silence.' He popped open the trunk of the car, his gaze fixed on the man in black. Inside the trunk lay an unconscious figure, bound and squeezed into the confined space. "I could've just ended it with a bullet to his head, but Yoongi insisted I only needed to drop him off here. So…”

Jungkook, with an effortless grace, as natural as plucking a dry leaf from a tree, picked his victim. Without uttering a single word, he proceeded to lead the way to the basement, his movements purposeful and silent. Jimin observed his companion's sturdy figure as he casually remarked, "The sooner he meets his end, the more easy it'll be for him," eliciting a chuckle from Jungkook in response.

Oh little Kang. You're gonna pay.

You woke up with a satisfied smile, the duvets pooled around your naked form. Memories of Jungkook's talented mouth and hands all over your body the night before made you shiver with delight. You slipped on his dress shirt, buttons hanging open, and followed the tantalizing scent of cooking breakfast to the kitchen.

There was Jungkook, shirtless with those tempting abs on display as he flipped pancakes. You snaked your arms around his toned torso from behind, placing soft kisses along his shoulder blades.

"Mmm, good morning handsome," you purred.

Jungkook turned with a wolfish grin. "Well, if it isn't the gorgeous who had your wicked way with me last night." His voice dropped an octave. "I can still feel those perfect lips all over me."

You simply snuggled into him more, bathing in his warmth.

"Maybe you need a reminder of how insatiable you are." He remarked with a chuckled.

You bit your lip coyly as he ground his hips against you . "Is that a promise, Mr. Jeon?" You traced his defined abs teasingly.

"Count on it, baby." Jungkook turned around cupped your face for a searing kiss. "Now eat up...you'll need your energy for what I have planned.” but your hand had already found its way into his pants.

You felt goosebumps rise as Jungkook's low growl left him "You're just begging for trouble this morning, aren't you...my delicious little temptress?"

"Maybe I am..." you purred, nipping at his earlobe. "Are you going to punish me, Mr. Jeon?"

Jungkook growled low in his throat, gripping Your thighs and lifting you up to wrap your legs around his waist. He pinned you against the kitchen counter, that wicked smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, you'll get what's coming to you, believe me." His husky voice was pure sin against your neck. "But first...breakfast for my feisty little wildcat."

Stealing another scorching kiss, Jungkook then slid you back down to your feet with tantalizing slowness. He turned to plate up the pancakes, purposely flexing those back muscles you had raked your nails over countless times before.

"Start eating, baby girl. You're gonna need that energy..."

You felt a shiver of delicious anticipation course through you at the ravenous look in Jungkook's eyes as he handed you the plate.

You made a show of unbuttoning Jungkook's shirt a little further as you sat at the kitchen island. you knew he loved when you wore his clothes after lovemaking.

"Thanks for breakfast, hot stuff," you purred, cutting into the fluffy pancakes. "Though I seem to have worked up quite the appetite last night..."

You made sure to lock eyes with him as you slowly dragged your tongue along your lips to catch a stray droplet of syrup. Jungkook's intense gaze followed the movement, pupils dilating.

"You're playing with fire, kitten," he rumbled deeply, stalking around the island to lean in close behind you . His muscular arms caged your in as he nuzzled your neck hotly. "You know what happens when you tease me like that."

You shivered at his warm breath fanning your skin. "Maybe I want to get burned..."

you reached a hand back to rake through his tousled bedhead, eliciting a low groan from Jungkook. His hands smoothed up your thighs under the shirt as he placed wet, open-mouthed kisses along your shoulder.

"In that case, let me start stoking those flames, baby..."

You gasped as he crashed his lips to get you in a searing, all-consuming kiss. you clung to his sculpted back as the kiss quickly turned molten and needy…

Jungkook's hands roamed eagerly over your body as the kisses grew more fervent. the tantalizing swell of your breasts pressing against his bare chest.

With a low growl, he gripped under your thighs and lifted you up onto the kitchen counter in one fluid motion. you gasped at the sudden dominance, legs instantly winding around his narrow waist.

"You're playing a dangerous game this morning, kitten," Jungkook husked out, nipping along the column of your throat. His large hands kneaded the soft flesh of your thighs teasingly. "I don't know if I can hold back..."

you whimpered at the hot promise in his words, raking your nails down his chiseled back. "Then don't..."

That seemed to snap the last thread of Jungkook's restraint. With a primal growl, he captured your shoulder in a bruising kiss, tongue delving past your shoulders to your breasts taste every inch of your skin.

you arched shamelessly into him, the hard planes of your bodies melting together. you tugged at Jungkook's sweatpants impatiently until he kicked them off, leaving him deliciously naked before you .

"God, you're gorgeous..." you breathed, drinking in the sight of his powerful form. One of your hands drifted tantalizingly down his rigid abdomen. "Take me right here, Jungkookie..."

With a smirk, Jungkook hooked his fingers into the waistband of your panties and tugged them down your legs torturously slowly.

"As you wish, my greedy little wildcat..."

With a devilish glint in his eyes, Jungkook stepped between your parted thighs, trailing scorching kisses along your neck and collarbone. You shudderes at the erotic sensation of his hardened length pressed against your bare center.

"You've been such a naughty girl this morning," he growled against your skin, making you whimper. "Teasing me like that...you know what happens to brats who can't behave, don't you?"

You bit your lip and nodded shakily as Jungkook's hands roamed over the curves of your body hungrily. He tugged open his shirt that you're wearing, finally baring you fully to his smoldering gaze.

"That's my good girl..." He rumbled in approval. You flushed at the dark promise in his eyes as he takes in every inch of you.

Leaning in, Jungkook captured your lips in a bruising kiss that has you melting into him instantly. His tongue plundered your mouth skillfully while calloused hands kneaded and squeezed your breasts. You mewled into the kiss when his thumb over your peaked nipples teasingly.

Jungkook chuckled darkly at the desperate noises escaping you. "You're so wound up already, kitten...and we've barely started."

With one swift movement, he gripped under your thighs and tugged you flush against his powerful body, making you cry out at the delicious friction. Wrapping your legs around his narrow waist, you grinded shamelessly against his thick length.

"Please, Jungkookie..." You begged desperately. "I need you..."

A sinful smirk danced across Jungkook's lips as your breathy whimpers filled the kitchen. His large hands mapped scorching paths up the sensitive skin of your inner thighs, thumbs brushing maddeningly close to your slick folds.

"Such desperation in those pretty eyes," he murmured huskily. "Does my gorgeous temptress yearn for me that badly?"

You shuddered at his rich timbre, frantically nodding in affirmation. The shirt you were wearing - his from last night - hung open indecently, allowing his heated gaze to roam freely.

"Use that sinful mouth, angel..." Jungkook commanded silkily. "Articulate those filthy desires for me."

Biting your lip, you forced the words out in a trembling whine. "Please, Koo...I ache for you”

A satisfied growl rumbled from deep in his chest at your wanton plea.

"Such honeyed, provocative words from my sweet temptation's lips..." He nipped at the sensitive skin just below your ear. "

You cry out as Jungkook's large hands finally cup your bare breasts, thumbing over the peaked buds. Your nails dragged down the taut muscles of his back insistently.

With a dark chuckle, he rolled his hips in one fluid grind, allowing the velvety head of his length to tease your dripping entrance ever so slightly. You both groaned at the contact, hot and heady.

But just when you were certain he'll finally push forward and impale you on that glorious cock...Jungkook stilled. Your desperate whine was silenced by the rough pad of his thumb brushing your parted lips.

"Patience, my sweet seductress," he husked out, leaning back to take in your debauched appearance with hooded, smoldering eyes.

"Good girls learn to practice a little patience..."

You whined loudly in protest as he abruptly pulls away, leaving you naked and keening on the kitchen counter. The denial is sweet torture.

"No no, enough of those pretty noises." Jungkook tuted again, bending to retrieve his sweatpants from the floor. "I'm going for a run. Don't go anywhere..."

With a wink and a shameless squeeze of your ass, he turned on his heel and strided out, leaving you a whimpering, frustrated mess on the cold countertop….

It took you a moment to come back from cloud nine as you remembered something.

“ Kook, there's something.. “

He paused in the doorway, turned to fix you with an intense look over his bare shoulder. One brow arched as he slowly raked his heated gaze over your tantalizing form, still deliciously splayed and on display across the countertop.

"Oh?" His tone is a rich rumble of amusement and restrained desire. "And what piece of information does my gorgeous little temptress have for me?"

He stalked back over, movements fluid and predatory. Caging you in with his arms, He leaned down to graze his lips torturously along the feverish skin of your neck and jaw. You whimper softly, trapped between the hard planes of his body and the unforgiving countertop.

“It's important” You looked up at his eyes

"Out with it, kitten," He murmured huskily against your racing pulse point"You know how I hate being kept waiting for what I want..."

On the other hand, you were caught between how you would put forward what you wanna tell him, between the pleasure he was injecting into you.

His large hand smoothed up your thigh possessively, fingertips brushing along the juncture where your leg meets torso. He grinned wickedly at the full-body shudder that wracks your trembling form.

“My parents. They wanna meet you. As my boyfriend. You know. To make things.. Official” You bit your lip, waiting for his reply

"Your parents, hm?" He drawled out in that low, gravelly timbre you found so irresistible. "Is that what's got you so worked up this morning, angel? Eager to parade me around like some pretty little trophy boyfriend?"

“Uh no that's not ahh”You were cut off by his dirty actions.

Slowly, Purposefully, his fingers deftly flicked open another button of the - allowing it to gape further and put your gorgeous breasts on display.

"You know how I feel about labels, kitten..." He murmured, dipping his head to trail open-mouthed kisses along the swell of your chest. "Why get so hung up on concepts like 'meeting the parents' when we could be exploring so many other delicious... activities?"

He punctuated the last word with a firm roll of his hips, letting you feel every thick, insistent inch of his arousal grind against your bare center. Your strangled whimper was music to his ears.

“Jungkook.. I.. Fuck”..

Looking back up at you through hooded lids, He flashed a slow, filthy smirk. "Unless...you'd rather spend the morning debating relationship formalities instead of having me bury my throbbing cock into that greedy little pussy and fuck you senseless?"

His words left you breathless, gasping for his touch.

With a teasing nip to the underside of your breast, He pulled back just enough to meet your lust-blown gaze, one brow arched expectantly.

"Well, princess? What'll it be?"

“Jungkook.. I just wanna make things sorted out. What's wrong with it?” You let out a whine. Yes you are selfish and you'll accept that you're selfish for wanting Jungkook all by yourself.

"Always with the relationship talks..." He chided, mild exasperation tinged his deep voice. "Can't you just live in the moment for once, baby girl? Bask in this delicious connection we've got instead of trying to stamp labels all over it?"

Reaching out, He hooked a finger under your chin and tilted your face up, holding your wide, pleading gaze with a look of dark intensity.

"You know how I feel about being tied down," He rumbled silkily. "Getting tangled up in terms like 'official' and 'exclusive'...that's not my style, temptress. You should know that by now."

“Nothing is tieing you down. Kook. I just want you by myself”

His other hand smoothed along your thigh in a firm, possessive caress. He grinned at the shiver it elicited from you.

"But I'm not going anywhere, kitten. You and I..." He dipped down to ghost his lips across the racing pulse in your throat. "We've got something electric here, don't we? A special knot that ties us together far more divinely than any mere official label ever could." His fingers lingered on your nipples.

As you were left speechless, slowly agreeing to his words. But still. You wanted him to be more than your boyfriend.

Leaning in, He captured your lips in a toe-curling kiss, swallowing your whimpered protests. His tongue plundered your mouth with deep, filthy strokes until you were melting against him.

Eventually, he tore himself away, leaving you dazed and panting. He smirked at the dark, wanting look, in your eyes as he slowly straightened.

"So how about we table all that commitment talk for now, gorgeous?" he drawled, shooting you a heated wink. "Just keep being my little wildcat in the bedroom...and I'll make sure you never want for pleasure or attention outside of it."

Giving your inner thigh a final, lingering squeeze, he turned and started backing towards the doorway once more.

"Think about it while I'm out on my run, yeah? And be a good girl.."

The world is left in a state of utter devastation as the news unfolded before their eyes. “The co-founder and esteemed CEO of the prestigious Kang Industries, Kang Hajoon, who had mysteriously disappeared three days prior, was tragically discovered deceased. His lifeless body was unceremoniously discarded in a local dumpster, a grim and unsettling sight. The post-mortem examination revealed harrowing details of the heinous torture inflicted upon the victim, with the methods employed ominously pointing to a notorious figure known as The Shadow Reaper. The question loomed heavily in the air - was this the resurgence of the very killer who once held the entire city of Seoul in the grip of fear? And if so, the lingering mystery remained: where had they been for the past seven months?” The woman on the television screen delivered the distressing news as You, Jungkook, and Taehyung sat in stunned silence on the sofa, absorbing the shocking revelation. As the realization sank in, disbelief washed over You, for the name and image flashing on the screen belonged to none other than your boss, Hajoon.

With a sense of disbelief, You blinked twice, hoping against hope that it was all a terrible mistake.

This simply could not be happening.

"That name sends shivers down my spine, always," you whispered, your breath trembling. The mere mention of The Shadow Reaper was enough to evoke fear in anyone's heart. Taehyung sat beside you, his forehead glistening with a cold sweat, looking at you who was unaware that the very Shadow Reaper was seated next to him, his arm casually draped around you.

"He only goes after criminals, Kitten. You're safe," Jungkook reassured you in a calm, unaffected tone. He was certain that his little kitten was out of harm's way. She was the most precious person to him, and he would protect her at all costs. "The situation at the office must be chaotic," you remarked with a tinge of concern. Despite everything, at least the office provided for you. You glanced at Jungkook, a hint of sadness reflecting in your eyes. After all, he was your boss.

Jungkook immediately sensed the sorrow hidden behind your gaze, knowing all too well that the despicable Shadow Reaper didn't deserve to be the cause of your distress. "It's alright, Baby," he murmured, planting a gentle kiss on your forehead. The only solace he found in this situation was that now it would be easier to persuade you to resign.

“His testicles were mutilated. Along with his right thumb. His nipples were cut off as well”

The doctor carefully detailed the gruesome findings to the older Kang, Kang Seojoon, who stood in shock as he gazed at the lifeless form of his younger brother. Despite his stoic expression, a fiery determination burned in his eyes, fueled by a desire for retribution against those responsible for his brother's tragic fate.

"Mr. Kang?'' The. Coroner's voice broke through Seojoon's intense focus on Hajoon's battered face, revealing the extent of the brutality inflicted upon him.

"The most troubling aspect is... it's quite disturbing," the doctor hesitated before continuing, "We discovered shards of glass embedded in his body. It appears that a glass bottle was forcibly inserted into his anus and shattered internally, causing severe lacerations and internal bleeding. His eyes have been corroded by sulfuric acid. Furthermore, traces of his own vomit were found in his lungs. The numerous skin infections are a result of urine being injected into his veins”, Ahorrifying detail that points to the victim being the source of this vile act.

Seojoon couldn't bear to listen to the news. The brutal way his brother had met his end haunted him. Despite the questionable dealings his brother had been involved in, Seojoon harbored a deep love for Hajoon, a love that even surpassed his feelings for his own parents.

As he gazed at his brother's lifeless form, with closed eyes and in a pitiful, agonizing state, Seojoon made a silent vow. He swore to himself that whoever was responsible for this heinous act would face the consequences, even if it meant ripping out the mask of identity of the notorious Shadow Reaper.

"Sir, the funeral arrangements are ready," Jimin announced as he entered the room. Seojoon simply nodded in response before abruptly leaving the room. Jimin's gaze lingered on his deceased former boss, a look of pure hate and disgust evident in his eyes. Jungkook did what he promised. ‘If only he hadn't been so consumed by greed, he might have lived a little longer,’ Jimin thought quietly to himself, reflecting on the lives that had been destroyed by the asshole lying in front of him.

For all the lives he destroyed.

"Let's not beat around the bush. Why are you here?”

Yeonjun, sat with an air of mystery enveloping him. Leaning on the desk, his fingers intertwined, he cut straight to the chase, “I want to know who this shadow Reaper is." the words rolled off Seojoon’s tongue. He despised that name

Yeonjun Choi's name resonated within the shadowy corners of Seoul's underworld. Not a mobster, nor a criminal, he operated in a different realm - that of information. His expertise lay in selling secrets so obscure that even the divine would be in the dark. Each piece of information came at a steep price, a testament to its value. Yeonjun took pride in his unique skill set, knowing he was unrivaled in his trade.

Yeonjun's past was marred by a childhood spent as a lab subject, a period he would rather forget. Endless experiments had molded his mind, unlocking latent psychic abilities that intrigued even the most scientists. Fourteen years of Yeonjun had yielded the gift, the emergence of his psychic senses - clairvoyance. With these powers, he had managed to slip away from the lab's clutches, disappearing into the shadows where he found solace.

In due time, he came to the realization that his unique skills could be monetized. It was within the clandestine world of crime that he carved out a reputation as the go-to individual for valuable information, a name whispered among criminals and gangsters alike. Through these interactions, he grew accustomed to their ways.

"Aha... I was beginning to wonder when someone would inquire about Shadow Reaper. Here you are. Seeking justice for your brother?" Yeonjun rose from his seat, making his way over to Seo Joon. "How unfortunate. Such a cruel fate," Yeonjun remarked with a dry chuckle.

Seo Joon met his gaze with a steely glare. The callous laughter at his brother's tragic demise did not escape his notice. "Just drop the name and wait for the news," he uttered with a palpable undercurrent of vengeance in his tone.

Yeonjun's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief as he leaned in closer to Seojoon, his voice lowering an octave to add an air of secrecy to their conversation. The dimly lit room seemed to amplify the intensity of the moment as Seojoon met Yeonjun's gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. It was as if Yeonjun could read Seojoon's thoughts with just a single glance, knowing that the deal was as good as sealed.

After a brief pause, Seojoon spoke up, his tone confident and unwavering. "Ten million, all in white. Do we have a deal?" The words hung in the air, the weight of their agreement settling between them.

Yeonjun's expression turned serious as he issued a subtle warning, reminding Seo Joon of the repercussions of reneging on their arrangement.” You know what happens to people who don't pay my reward after information. You won't be sleeping” A threatening warn escaped him

Seojoon, true to his principles, squared his shoulders in response, a silent affirmation of his commitment to honor their deal. "The name," he stated simply, a sense of finality in his voice as the terms of their agreement were set in motion.

Yeonjun didn't hesitate a bit before speaking, his voice barely above a growl . "I'm not sure if you're familiar with him. He's not exactly a household name. Jeon Jungkook. Renowned as one of the most skilled criminal lawyers in the city of Seoul," he murmured, the mere mention of Jungkook's name causing a chill to run down his spine.

Seojoon's frustration boiled over as he retorted, "Do you take me for a fool, Yeonjun? Jungkook is a criminal defense attorney with a flawless record, even saving my friend from conviction. And now, the Shadow Reaper is targeting criminals. How on earth does that make any sense?" Only Yeonjun held the key to the enigmatic Jungkook's true nature.

With a sharp edge to his voice, Yeonjun countered, "And where is your friend now? Another tragic victim of the Shadow Reaper's ruthless killings. Don't be naive, Seojoon. Piece it together. Yes, Jungkook is indeed exceptional at what he does. He shields criminals from the law's grasp only to ensnare them in his own intricate web. That's his modus operandi," he spat out bitterly.

As the pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place in Seojoon's mind, a dawning realization took hold. It all began to make terrifying sense. Jeon Jungkook, the master manipulator. Your days are numbered.

“ But why target him?” Yeonjun, with a thoughtful expression on his face, pondered the situation at hand. Leaning casually on his table, he spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone, "I'm not one to dish out advice, but this dude is no walk in the park. He's got some serious firepower up in here” Yeonjun remarked, pointing to his own head for emphasis.” One little cunning bastard who could make anyone belive that sun rises in the west”

"If you want to defeat his foreseeing ass, you must target his vulnerabilities. Understand that he don't hold of any apparent physical or mental weaknesses" Yeonjun explained sagely.

Seojoon, intrigued by Yeonjun's words, turned to face him and said. “How can we make him feel the burn, make him regret his life choices?”

A sly grin crept across Yeonjun's face as he revealed his sinister plan,”He snatched your loved one, right? Well, snatch what's dear to him. This guy's all about his close-knit crew and attachments. There's that one special someone he can't bear to lose. cherishes above all else, one whose absence would shatter him," Yeonjun hinted, his smile growing more malevolent by the moment.

Seojoon, fueled by a desire for vengeance, was willing to go to any lengths to make Jungkook pay for his transgressions, even if it meant resorting to drastic measures such as taking innocent lives. Yeonjun's grin widened as he insinuated, “I think you already know the very name”

I know this chapter was shorter than usual. Since moonstruck chapters usually hold over 8k words and it's barely 6k here. I'm sorry that I can't write much. Also the story might end in five or six chapters.

I know, the Jungkook (Y/N) part is so cliché and cringe, I'm sorry it's needed for character understanding. I should've skipped that part. But... Hope yall enjoy, the cringiest one ever. Don't forget to drop your opinions and suggestions about the story in comment box or ask box. I'm more than happy to read the comments though I rarely get them, it keeps me going. I honestly thought about putting moonstruck in hiatus. But it's glad to know that some are waiting for new chapters. Love you allll

ᴛᴀɢʟɪsᴛ : @looneybleus @ttanniett

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook fic #jungkook #bts fic #fanfic #jungkook x reader #bts #bts fanfiction #fanfiction #x yn #jungkook smut #jungkook angst #jungkook fiction #blackpink #jennie #yoongi #min yoongi #jimin #park jimin

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femme-kitty · 1 year

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march 30th, 2023 ♡

enjoyed some journaling and reading of my anxiety book at the park! my body feels really calm, i sunbathed my legs while reading :-)

got a bit farther into my anxiety book & as she talks about how people start to develop anxiety from stress and fear , ive realized how freaking messed up it was that rosa miranda saw the happy, untraumatized human being i was when me and bernie first got here and she made the conscious decision over the course of several months to traumatize me and weigh me down emotionally, to tear me down and turn me into a nervous fearful person, just like she did to her daughter, martha, and continues to do so now that they live together

it was wrong, it was really wrong, and it makes my healing even more important!! fuck her weighing me down! fuck her authority! fuck the trauma she gave me messing with my physical health, life, love, and future!!! it's not fair and i'm reclaiming my power through my healing! rosa, you don't get to break me like the women before me! i WILL heal from your terror!

i also realized how the entire family then proceeded to gaslight me and say im lying to make mama rosita look bad or for my mom to say that it was my own fault for leaving her traumatic living conditions at the apartment

that was also wrong, and it explains why i was so brainwashed and gaslit into excusing their behavior all of my life or just having to pretend liker certain traumas just didn't happen and why i was so blind to how horrible i had been acting and how my behavior was mirroring them so perfectly, even down to being genuinely blind or in denial about the hurt i've caused

i don't want to say it is evil or malicious because as someone who was potentially on my way to falling into their exact toxic life paths without noticing it, i want to believe that as victims of abuse, they/we just need to really open our eyes, heal and un-do the gaslighting and minimizing of the traumas we've faced generationally,

at least personally, my heart never had malicious intentions or the intent to harm or break others, and i acknowledge that although my intentions weren't harmful, harm was still done to my inner child and to my loved one and i take complete fault in that, which is why my heart aches to be able to apologize for every harmful thing i had done to myself and to my partner,

the dysfunction and gaslighting are what kept my family, more specifically the women in my family, "safe" and stuck in trauma their entire lives and it won't mess up my life, once my eyes were opened like they did, i am not going back, im promising myself this

i want to confront my behavior and any toxic thought patterns i had adopted from them, i want to forgive myself for everything i did in survival mode or out of the pain from the trauma we endured, where i used their teachings as a "safe" place for my emotions because of the emotional familiarity i remembered in childhood, i want to keep opening my eyes as wide as i can to everything and realizing how dysfunctional everything is in this family and how life should never feel like this, family should never actually feel like this,

i want to be a safe, loving spouse/wife for my partner, a safe, loving mother for my pets, plants, and kids, and a safe, loving friend for any human beings i befriend in this life,

im really proud of myself for having the courage to allow my eyes to have been opened by bernie, because i could have just remained blind to it all and continued on, im proud of myself for apologizing and forgiving myself for my mistakes that i've realized, and for changing my thinking and behavior gradually with each day

im really proud of myself for being able to confront my wrongdoings and walk myself through why it was wrong, why i thought it was okay based on what my family had taught me, why i ran to this type of behavior for emotional safety, and what the healthy thought/behavior/action actually is

most of the time, the healthy answer is pure and unconditional love, despite mistakes or "imperfections" in life, which there aren't actually any

there really isn't anything to fear in this world, and there's no actual failure either,

there's no reason for us to be "perfect" or at our best at all times, we're just humans trying to have a good time on this big blue planet! and love each other and care for one another and have sex and sing and dance with each other and then die happily at the very end

& i think that's awesome! :")

-carolina ♡

#caro #march 2023 #cocoon #throat chakra open!!!

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battledeer · 3 years

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Maybe this is a hot take but we do actually all owe each other kindness and patience and forgiveness even when those things are hard.

#like idk I was very hurt and scared and sad for a very long time #and then I found people who told me I was allowed to be bitter and angry and violent #and that was a really important part of my healing process but I had to move forward from that and learn how to be a person again #and being vulnerable and getting hurt and showing kindness and having patience and understanding are all things that you can do and still #value yourself and respect yourself #I made a conscious decision to kill the cop inside my head both for myself and others around me #and I don’t mean like ‘forgive your abusers’ or whatever. I mean let people try to earn it. give people the chance to right their wrongs.#idk I have a lot of thoughts on how punishment is completely ineffective at changing behavior or righting wrongs.#but also like… I think affording people patience and kindness is a fundamental part of respecting someone’s personhood and autonomy

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sandraharissa · 2 years

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So one thing I like very much about the current stolitz and that’s maybe hard for ppl to convey in discussions in fandom is how there’s this push and pull forces at work.

It’s not just that Stolas and Blitz simply need to talk it out cos both want the same thing and they just need to tell each other about it.

Blitz deep down can’t help but crave a relationship and he already has some kind of feelings for Stolas despite himself, so in bitterness he says

“Stolas, don't act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you, okay? You make that really clear all the time. *voice breaking* But, I just, I-I can't do it tonight, okay?”

as tho he’s blaming Stolas for a ruined chance at a relationship. On some level it is indeed reflective of his feelings. But on a more conscious and rational level Blitz already made and keeps on making the active choice of not wanting a relationship, he’s been hurt in the past and he’s given up on it. He’s made a decision that he stands by which colors his behavior and limits his heart’s ability to emotionally care for/connect to ppl. Because it stems from his trauma, it’s likely nothing would have changed about his attitude/choice even if Stolas did everything right.

Stolas is actually right at the end of ‘Circus’ that his love is unrequited and all he can do is accept that and let Blitz go. Blitz having unwanted feelings, ones that he consciously rejects, only proves this further.

When it comes to Stolas, at this point he’s gotta let Blitz go, cos while Blitz has his faults, not wanting to be with/rescue Stolas, a de facto stranger as far as Blitz is concerned, is completely fair and not Blitz’s responsibility, but Stolas tried to force it on him regardless (without telling him that, maybe even without consciously realizing it himself). And Stolas is not in a position where he can wait around for Blitz or whomever to save him, he’s in a dire DA situation with his wife even trying to get him killed and he needs to get out asap first and foremost. He also needs to give Blitz the crystal to get rid of the toxic book arrangement in order to do right by Blitz.

The situation isn’t just that Stolas loves Blitz and if Blitz only knew that they’d live happily ever after. Stolas’ most profound character development/ the best thing that came out of his affair with Blitz is that he grew a spine and matured to the point where he’s ready to end it, give up on the false dream that he wishes was true and that he wants more than anything and instead get around to changing his life in the way he needs to in order to truly improve it, aka the divorce.

TLDR:

In terms of these characters’ development in relation to each other, simplistically speaking, Blitz wants ‘no relationship with Stolas’, but he ‘needs’ a relationship with Stolas, as in I imagine Blitz’s interest in Stolas will come as a consequence and sign of Blitz solving his intimacy issues, meanwhile Stolas wants to be in a relationship with Blitz but what he actually needs is a divorce from his wife, to exchange the escapist fantasy of being free and loved for an actual escape from abuse and also for real freedom and self-love. Those are diametrically opposed.

The relationship wouldn’t just work out if they revealed what they both want. It doesn’t work and is currently falling apart cos 1) Blitz chooses to not want it and 2) Stolas holding onto it was the only thing keeping them together and it was what was holding him back and perpetuating the toxicity, and so he chose to let go of it and it was the right decision.

#stolitz #helluva boss #stolas #blitzo #helluva boss fandom #my:helluva boss

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lightlycareless · 2 years

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First, it hurts— Chapter XIV

Naoya Zen’in x Fem!Reader

While arranged marriages are not uncommon in the jujutsu community, it was strange to receive a proposal from none other than the Zen’in’s, nonetheless your clan accepted and before you knew it, you were married off to Naoya.

Your new purpose was clear: to serve and submit, to be seen and not heard. To forget any sense of individuality in favor of obeying your husband.

Will this marriage ever flourish into something else? Will it change…for better or for worse?

Chapter warnings: violence (this is a big one here), abuse, mentions of fertility and pregnancy, misogyny, just allot of hate overall.

A/N: Ok so, first, I'd like to apologize for updating this weeks chapter much later than anticipated! yesterdays convention had way tired than I expected, but it was also very good for my business! Yay!

Also, I must let you know that this chapter is pretty heavy—so reader's discretion is advised.

Nonetheless, I thank you all for being incredibly patient with me! This new updating schedule has been great for me as well, so I also thank you for supporting my decision.

I hope you'll like this chapter 🥰 as always, reblogs, likes and comments are greatly appreciated!

Happy reading ❤

Masterlist ➸ Chapter 15

Ao3 link.

The egocentric Naoya Zen’in, from a very young age, was taught to believe that personal matters were below him, unworthy of his time. Easily discarded for more important issues: politics, sorcery, you name it.

Anything out of that were problems for others, not him. The heir didn’t do family drama, and he certainly wouldn’t start now.

However, reality was quick to convince him otherwise.

The argument that transpired in the city was his first sample of what it is to have differences with a significant other, and it had left a bitter aftertaste in Naoya’s mouth.

A burning, pulsating imprint in the back of his mind that he was ignorant on how to alleviate.

He thought that by throwing himself into his work—which consisted of training the hei and preparing for his upcoming grade 1 exam—he would be able to overcome this obstacle in no time, but his solution proved useless.

If anything, his discomfort grew deeper. Snowballing the frustration that stemmed from the way you talked back to him, to how he handled the situation, and finally, the ultimatum imposed by his father.

The latter was perhaps the biggest reason for his unrest, a circumstance that left him dealing with a new perspective of his emotions—one that he would much rather bury deep inside him, into a dark, forgotten corner of his psyche, than to deal with them ever again.

Nobody would ever believe him, but during the short moments he allowed himself to rest, he has caught himself quietly conceding how regretful he was of the way he approached you and the subsequent situation that followed from his decisions.

Naoya knew, or at least assumed, that there was a vast selection of ways to deal with what turned out to be the first argument with his wife. But, as expected, ended up settling down for the one he was generally acquainted with —the tool that had always worked for the Zen’in—and dramatically overemphasized this situation.

Yet, as regretful as he was, there was another side of him that tried to legitimize his actions, perhaps a desperate attempt from his conscious that would cause him to not feel as awful with himself, make his sentiments a bit more manageable: an erroneous justification that your behavior was unsuitable for a wife (his wife) and that he had, as a matter of fact, been extremely indulgent in his reaction. That he ought to have done more to set you back in your lane and strictly define what his and your roles were to be in this union.

But what Naoya lacked in resolution, his father made up with cruelty, and such was the final offer he imposed on this marriage.

Just after the two showed up at the estate, Naoya squandered no second to park the car and manhandle you out of the vehicle, causing you to inadvertently knock your head against the top edge of the door—the burning sensation of pain simply worsening the cocktail of emotions you were going through.

The combination of his verbal abuse and his unforgiving grasp on your arm had you further groveling in fear—silently pleading for your release. But your husband was too overwhelmed by his resentment to zero in on anything more that wasn’t devising a suitable punishment for your offenses—whether blameworthy or not.

Your survival instinct had kicked in the exact instant you decided to defend your integrity inside that crowded shopping mall, bombarding you with requests of reconsidering your actions or stopping immediately before making matters worse—all suggestions that ended up being rejected in favor of standing up for yourself.

However, they never quieted down, and only got louder and louder until you arrived at the Zen’in estate. By then, the alarms had stunned your cognizant to the point of making your ears ring and head throb, effectively overriding your control over your body, your priority now being to fight back by pulling and trashing against his hold.

“Let me go!” You cried, giving another sharp thug against his grasp, which had turned white from the amount of stinging pressure he was exerting on your arm. The accumulated tears of frustration continued to slide down your cheeks as you realized that no amount of effort could compete against the strength of a trained sorcerer—not even for a second. “Naoya” your desperation evoked a whimper from the back of your throat “Please…I didn’t mean to anger you—I just…I—”

“Shut up!” he hisses, it’s the first word to come out of his mouth after his deadly threat, causing you to flinch. His words reflected the irritation he felt for your complaints since the very beginning of them.

He kept quiet in hopes that you’ll eventually tire yourself out, but you only proved how relentless a cornered animal can be.

Naoya gives a sharper pull than the ones before and causes you to stumble forward and straight into his arms. You frantically look up to him, placing your arms against him and pushing away in hopes of regaining your stance, but he holds you in place by putting his own hands on your shoulders, before proceeding to firmly rattle you.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?!” he spits, a vein beginning to protrude on his forehead as his eyes become redder with fury. “Then take it!”

His aggressive movements alongside the deranged sight before you force another batch of painful sobs from your throat, and even if you knew how discontent he was with them, you’re powerless to stop them.

Your cries didn’t take long to fall into the ears of nearby servants, who, intrigued to discover the author behind them due to the unfamiliar tone of voice, pause all activities and make their way to your location—much to their embarrassment.

The sight that received them was not one that surprised them, but what startled them this instance was the parties involved.

It was the first time Naoya acted against you, at least from what they were conscious of, and it provoked all sorts of thoughts from them.

A few were intrigued, moderately surprised as they wondered why it had taken him so long to mirror the actions of his relatives, because, for the briefest of moments, they believed you’d somehow managed to tame the beast.

And those that weren’t intrigued, were instead, disappointed. For you had arrived as the allegorical ray of hope to the poor lives of the staff that went through the misfortune of being at the receiving end of his onslaught. This, however, proved you were just like the rest of the women in his house: if you couldn’t stop your husband—then no one could.

Well, there it goes.

Took him long enough.

He’s being unnecessarily cruel!

She must’ve done something.

When do they not?

Should we…do something?

Those were the comments you managed to make out through their collective murmurs. Words that only made the shattering of your heart more prominent.

You desperately wanted someone to reach out, offer a helping hand and take you away from him.

But even if they managed to do so, then what?

It comes to no one's surprise that no matter what they did, nor the amount of effort they placed on changing the inner mechanism of a system that has been going on for years , nothing would ever change—nor was it in their interest to do so.

Besides, you were a relatively new member of this family, and compared to Naoya, member of the main branch and heir to the clan…who do you think they would prioritize?

It was this realization that constrained another batch of heart wrenching sobs from your lips, a dreadful reminder that you were truly alone, given up for lost in this horrid place you were forced to recognize as your home for the rest of your life—observed by motionless spectators and their inquisitive eyes as some kind of freak.

And so, recognizing there was no hope left nor salvation at the end of your journey, you let go. Limping against his hold and allowing him to lead you towards his direction: the fate of a woman who has been broken far too many times.

Naoya feels you go soft against him, a gesture that successfully brings satisfaction to him in the form of a sly smirk, however, before he could bask in his second victory over you, he first acknowledges the surrounding crowd by quickly scanning through them, agitatedly searching for the recognizable faces of his relatives.

The last thing he wanted was your wails attracting the undesired attention of his family—if this ever fell into the attention of his brothers, uncles, or even his father , he would never hear the end of it.

After all, a wife was only as good as her husband permitted, and if he somehow proved he couldn’t tame you, then what reassurance did he have that his father wouldn’t consider promoting someone else? A more capable heir in his eyes?

“Leave!” Naoya orders once completing his task. His voice is strong and loud, catching the complete attention of the staff that immediately went quiet upon hearing him. “And I don’t want a word of this to my family” The crowd scatters and makes a path for him and you to walk in, swiftly leading you towards the place he’d already decided upon to punish you with no interruption: your chambers.

The smirk he was holding back now came into full appearance: he would taint the last place you held as sanctuary against him, tarnishing whatever peace those 4 walls brought you with the constant reminder of your failure.

His face was unreachable by the position you were in, but from the way he huffed to himself and tightened his grip on your arm, you knew he was enjoying every second of your dismay. He liked the adrenaline rush of being in power and having someone else's life in his hands—you’re just unlucky enough to be the main receiver of it.

Just as he walked through the halls, a set of footsteps began to be heard near their direction, causing Naoya to tense at the expectation of facing his family, until the voice that called for you rid him of his worry.

“Lady Y/N?”

It’s a soft tone you’d grown to recognize anywhere, and one that snapped you back to conscience. You look up, eyes adjusting to focus on the faces before you, eventually recognizing your staff. Hitomi being the one that called you.

The women had been promptly informed by one of the guards overseeing the borders of the Zen’in estate that Naoya’s vehicle was sighted at the skirts of the hill, presumably returning from his trip at a much earlier time than anticipated, and at a concerning high speed.

With no time to prepare your arrival, your maids dropped whatever they were doing and rushed through the halls and towards the entrance, heartbeat quickening as the noises of your altercation grew louder and louder the closer they got.

Their chest constricted while their anxiety went through the roof, to the point one of them thought they were going to have a heart attack—they knew very well to anticipate the worst, but this had been much more than they had bargained for.

Haruko had her hands clasped over her mouth, too shocked to muster anything as she tried to hold back the nauseating sensation that started to build in the back of her throat as soon as she realized what was going on.

Hitomi’s perception was far more sensitive than her sister’s, and after a quick second of observing your disheveled figure, swollen eyes with soaked cheeks, and the hints of a bruise forming on your arm, she glances away for the sake of her sanity.

And finally, Mariya. She had the most years working with the Zen’in as part of their staff compared to the sisters, so she had seen her fair share of violent altercations between members and couples, but it didn’t mean it would make it any easier to witness. It never did.

No one assumed Naoya was caring and attentive when it came to you,—having referred to you as another piece of meat for him to be served by—and neither was it expected. Either way, it had never been in their plans to experience firsthand the true nature of their master. They only contemplated being there to clean up after the deed was done, act as if nothing happened, and prepare you for the rest of the day.

But to see it this close…and as crudely as it was—it couldn’t compare to any other context they’ve encountered before. Naoya carried a murderous intent, the same one that fueled his actions: an aura that would remain imprinted in their mind for the rest of their lives.

Not even the presence of your staff was enough to halt his hideous purposes, and your husband, who instead of dismissing them as he did with the rest of the servants, decided to limit himself to eye them in a nonchalantly manner, and sternly address them:

“Stay close—I don’t want her to look this miserable after I’m done with her”

Hitomi and Haruko remain frozen on the spot as their master passes by, with the latter attempting to hold back a gag at his lack of tact, which eventually came out as a whimper.

“M-Mariya—he’s—he-he’s going to—” Haruko quietly stammers as she takes one step towards your direction, eyes glued onto the backs of her masters as she seemingly attempts to follow his orders. However, a simple glance from Mariya is enough for her to discover the true intentions of her actions and immediately proceeds to stop her by stretching her left arm before her, acting like a blockade of sorts.

“We have our orders” Mariya warns “We have to prepare clothes and a bath for when he’s done” but her voice, far from sounding authoritarian as she intended, came out with a slight tremble—the faintest of concern hiding behind words that both Haruko and Hitomi notice, and intended on exploiting to their favor.

“Naoya-sama is going to hurt her!” Hitomi exclaims, stepping forward to the other side of Mariya’s arm, voice louder than her sister's in order to catch the latter's complete attention. “We have to—”

“We can’t interfere!” Mariya asserts once more, voice now sharpened with frustration as she looks down to the girls with seems like...disappointment? “Do you want to lose your jobs? We’ve already spoken about this! Remember what Junko said—”

“This isn’t right!” Hitomi interrupts, the adrenaline forming in her voice reflecting the equal desperation the sisters were feeling at the moment for the lack of action of their eldest. “He’s going to kill her! If you don’t then we’ll—”

“You two are already on thin ice with Meiko, she’s already following your every move! Do you want to make things worse? Let your family starve?!”

The girls are taken aback by this reminder.

The scolding they were set to receive by Junko was discarded thanks to Mariya’s offer of handling the situation instead of her, since she was occupied in carrying out the task of teaching you the ways of a proper wife . Had she been involved, the sisters knew very well that their punishment would’ve been far worse than the lecture Mariya had given them in return. Meiko, the housekeeper, would’ve also known of their transgression and threatened to either demote them or straight up terminate them—a risk they could not take.

They remained quiet as the fires of their stress began to diminish, eyes glued to the backs of the couple as they began to disappear in between the halls, realizing they weren't allowed to do anything.

“I didn’t think so” Mariya says, bringing their defeated attention back to her “Let’s go, we have a bath to prepare”

And so, the girls squash all intentions of helping you out as they trail behind their elder.

At the end of the day, no matter how friendly and approachable they tried to be with you, or the commodities they’ve given to you to make your stay a bit more enjoyable, taking in your tasks without you even asking...their livelihood still came first—this was the only job that matched their skills, and the only one they had to sustain their family. They wouldn’t and shouldn’t sacrifice it for a woman they didn't know outside of a professional relationship.

If you believed they were to help you out—you were wrong.

But you weren’t just another woman to them, were you?

Mariya’s words, far from being an overriding order to keep them in check, had been more of a feeble attempt to convince herself to not care.

She was well aware that their surge of righteousness didn’t come from an unexpected place: they had gotten to experience another side of you during the last few days they spent tending to your needs.

You were friendly and caring—even when in pain, you still tried to play it off as something less than serious so as to not scare Hitomi and Haruko, who had never seen a case like yours. Even when ordered to emphasize the limits of their contractual obligations, you still attempted to get close to them. The sisters began to see another friend, a companion of their similar age, one that treated them like valuable members of the house instead of faceless, easily discarded servants the rest of the members insisted on labeling them as.

And then, Mariya still got to see another side, one that showed how sensitive you truly were. The part that needed protection.

At night, while you thought your servants away, Mariya secretly stayed behind to keep a close eye on your behavior. This is when she got to see the true colors of your feelings; the one that quietly sobbed for their sister, wishing she would come soon to get you out of this place, while other nights, calling for your mother—whom Mariya didn’t know if she was still alive or not—asking her if you’ve done anything in your past life to deserve this.

As difficult as it was to hear your sobs, they proved one thing: you were still human, and Naoya had not broken your spirit just yet.

You truly didn’t deserve any of the things that were happening to you—you weren’t disobedient, nor a difficult woman to get along with. You were just put in an environment completely different to the one you were raised in, and expected to behave as if nothing changed. And this irked your husband, who was now destroying whatever was left of your individuality.

You’re a victim, being pulled into this circus of violent men. A woman too good for him, that instead of stepping up to your level, resorted to bring you down.

Mariya could never understand how the members of this family could go on with their lives without an ounce of shame for hurting their relatives.

It was a senseless demonstration of authority, one that promised no prize, except the growth of their egos.

A dangerous game that she’d been careful enough not to participate in.

But if she just stood there, silently judging the actions of those she despised so much, wouldn’t that make her the same?

No. If anything, she was just another victim of their transgressions—the most recent one being when Naoya pushed her down to the floor when trying to stop him from entering his room. It had been a painful encounter that had her cowering away from his disapproval and turning a blind eye to his actions…

She had to defend herself. She had to protect what she held close—her well being came first.

But at your cost? Let you suffer so she can live? Wouldn't that make her part of their circus as well?

No.

She won’t make the same mistake twice. Mariya refuses to be like them.

If she wants to see a change, it has to start with herself.

Tossing all warnings aside, Mariya sharply turns towards your direction, peeling away from Haruko’s and Hitomi’s presence as she rushes towards Naoya.

She knew it was highly hypocritical of her to preach about remaining in one's lane and following what’s expected of them. Mariya had to be dead to ignore the calling of doing what’s right.

Nonetheless, far from being disappointed by her sudden change of heart, Haruko and Hitomi surged with motivation to earnestly follow her and help take a stand against the man that terrified you—and them.

“Naoya-sama!” Mariya growls as she catches up to them, already a few feet away from the entrance of your chambers. Noticing that he didn’t turn nor stop, she reaches out to grab his back, fingers barely managing to grab a hold of his garment. “Naoya-sama!”

The gesture causes him to abruptly halt, carelessly tossing you to the ground with a loud thud as he sharply turns to confront her.

“How dare you touch me, tramp!” He seethes with strained eyes and clenched jaw, a tactic that has worked to intimidate others and her in the past, but not anymore.

“I won’t let you hurt her!” Mariya stands her ground. An action not common to follow once confronted by Naoya, causing him to raise his eyebrows in astonishment and displeasure at her lack of respect. “She’s defenseless against you, and you’re—”

“Defenseless?” Your husband mockingly scoffs “Do you think a defenseless, innocent little woman would say how much she would rather die than to be married to me?” Naoya continues by laughing, your prime lady-in-waiting is unnerved by his gesture, but continues to push forward. “Don’t you think it’s appropriate for me, her husband, to indulge her desires?”

“I’m sure you gave her more than enough reason to say” Mariya retaliates, brows furrowing as her lips contort into disgust. She knew it was an unwise decision to press deeper into his wound, but god knows how long she’s been holding back on her words.

“Whore!” Something inside Naoya snaps, finally letting go of all that was holding him back as he plunges towards Mariya and grabs the collar of her kimono. The force he deployed was enough to send her tumbling backwards, but not quite to send her down to the floor. She is kept on her feet thanks to the pull of your husband, her hands quickly shooting upwards to grab his wrists, attempting to push him away as he starts to rattle her “Perhaps I should beat some sense into you!”

“Naoya!” You cry as you attempt to regain your posture. In a desperate effort to grab his attention, you slowly crawl to his figure and reach out to your husband by placing your hand over his leg, gently tugging at his clothes.

You refrained from looking at Mariya, perhaps out of shame for allowing this situation to scale up to her intervention, as you called him once more, this time much softer. “Naoya…please—Leave her out of this. Pl-please…don’t hurt her” you bow before him, head low and forehead touching the ground as you hold your eyelids shut tight, forcing a new set of tears to grace the wooden floor. “She’s…she’s done nothing to you—please…don’t hurt her” you continue to plead, silently and foolishly as regret begins to drown your mind. You wanted to be helped, but not at the cause of another's misfortune—this would only cause the seemingly strained relationship with her to worsen, and you couldn’t bear to have another enemy inside this house.

Your actions have invoked vastly different reactions from both: while Mariya stood petrified by your last attempt of kindness, even when engulfed by hostility, to the point of pushing away your last chance at survival just to avoid the possibility of her getting hurt…Naoya couldn’t have enjoyed the sight any more than he did. Submissive and defeated, begging for his compassion, just as he was taught to expect from you.

A smile appears on his lips as he releases your maid from his grasp, dropping her to the floor alongside you. Mariya doesn’t complain of the pain, too focused on scrambling up but being unable to do so thanks to the rough handling of her master.

Naoya then yanks you up by the arm, earning another one of your whines, as he looks down at Mariya.

“I’ll only say this once—leave if you know what’s good for you” Naoya threatens while giving you a push towards the door of your chambers. “Be grateful that my wife is benevolent to the people of your kind —although I shouldn’t be surprised, whores are always on the lookout for one another, am I right?” he ends with a chuckle.

Mariya, unaffected by the insult darted at her for she knew it did not portray an ounce of truth, but rather the backhanded comment he gifted you as if his actions weren’t enough, gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up from the floor and rushed once more to grab his shirt and try to peel him away from you.

However, Naoya no longer entertains her and instead, pushes her down with one swift strike on her chest.

Haruko and Hitomi, who had been close, are quick to run to her aid, ready to pull her up by the arms, but before Mariya could stand on her feet, she proceeds to wriggle out of their hold and scold them.

“Leave!” She dismisses them, trying to protect them from Naoya’s ire. “Don’t get involved!”

“Go along now” Naoya mockingly supports her statement as the sisters now look to him in pure terror. His eyes felt like the gaze of a predator onto their prey, the sinking realization that they were in the spotlight of his revenge, if he decided to do so. They carefully moved forward, attempting to ignore his attention, which would’ve ended had a thought not crossed his mind at that point, as they continued to care for an unwilling Mariya.

It was something he’d entertained in the past, coming to the present with full force after taking delight in the widening eyes of the young woman before him.

He’d always taken great pleasure in admiring the quivers of those weakest to him, leading him to machinate ways to heighten that terror for as long as possible.

And such is the thought that made way through his mind and into his mouth, a suggestion so disgusting, that had you and Mariya loudly gasping in disbelief.

“Unless you want to share a similar fate as Y/N?” He begins, cementing the first steps of his cruelty “My men have been lonely as of late, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind sharing the two of you”

His words leave Haruko and Hitomi feeling vulnerable and exposed. Stripped of their dignity at the mere mention of his atrocity as they immediately retract their hands from Mariya’s body and quickly step away, as fast as their now blurred and watery vision allowed them to do so.

This was exactly what Mariya feared happening, and what she fought so hard to avoid. They were just like you, women put in this situation by a higher power, and undeserving of everything that came with it.

But now that Naoya has, somehow, achieved a new low, and officially declared no rules in this sick game, Mariya has nothing to fear.

“You sick bastard!” Mariya screams at the top of her lungs “You’ll leave them out of this!”

“Perhaps I must beat some sense into you!” Naoya laughs madly while preparing himself to lunge against her once more, hands closing into tight fists as his murderous intent worsens. “I’ll make sure you never forget where you belong! And after I’m done with you—they’ll be next!”

Mariya takes a deep breath as she mentally prepares for what’s to come. She knows that she’s crossed a point of no return, and that he won’t hold back his punches. His actions will probably leave her unrecognizable, in agony for days to come, if not worse.

The whole estate will know about today as soon as his rampage finishes—

But it doesn’t matter . Mariya concludes back into the present. Do it for Y/N, for the girls. They need you.

The last sight her eyes managed to catch is that of Naoya’s stomping towards her direction, fist gaining momentum by the second as his face contorts into one of the devil himself, with you stumbling on your feet to stop him.

Being weak to fight against a trained sorcerer (whose specialty is speed), Mariya shuts her eyes, holding on for the moment the impact will happen.

He gets closer and closer, you cry for Naoya to stop but he doesn't hear, nor he’s able to see the graveness of his actions through his ire-filled vision.

The last thing Mariya hears are the cries of desperation from your staff alongside yours as she feels his presence inching closer, her body tightening one last time as if to lessen the blow, and the gust of wind from his arm daring towards her body, it comes to a close inch away from her face, and then—

Nothing.

The contact never happens.

His fist doesn’t touch her skin.

It stays like that for a few seconds before Mariya opens her eyes. She is hesitant to do so, believing this another sick play of Naoya in which he hoped to catch her conscious before dealing the final strike. But instead, he’s petrified, and stares at the unexpected presence of a 6th spectator, whose deep voice calls everyone out of their trance.

“It is expected of the heir to deal with these situations discreetly”

No one responds as you look up to see the author behind the voice.

His attire seems somewhat familiar, likened to the traditional style of your husband’s clothes, but far less intricate—like made for mobility in training. Still representing a role inside the Zen’in hierarchy, less important than Naoya’s, but of power nonetheless.

But even with all this information, you still struggle to place the pieces together—and with good reason. All these past occurrences had occurred too fast for your liking, and your mind, which was more worried in keeping you alive, failed to recognize him

However, your husband and maids immediately identify who it was, and the latter take no second to bow in his presence.

“Ogi-sama” Mariya is the first to acknowledge him, out of fear, or out of relief for he was the unknowing savior of her demise. Either way, the fight is not over—but she’s not stupid enough as to continue her retaliation that would inevitable bring in a second contender against her. So, she decides to play it safe for now, knowing well that Naoya wasn’t fond of his family intervening in his business.

“I could hear you from the other side of the estate” The black-eyed male ignores the woman as he walks towards Naoya. Haruko and Hitomi step out of the way and scurry to Mariya’s side, heart beating painfully against their chest as they try to come down from their adrenaline-induced fear by helping her stand up.

“Uncle” Naoya says through heavy exhales, trying to stabilize his erratic breathing and clear his vision through rapid blinks. “What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing, lowering yourself to the level of the servants?” Ogi counters, his tone making Naoya feel uncovered, on the defensive.

“I—I’m reminding them of their place” Naoya carefully reacts, stammering along the way. “They spoke ill of me—”

“By hitting the staff of your wife…in plain sight” he frowns, unamused by his response and justification.

“They overstepped their boundaries—was I supposed to let it happen?”

“I’m just hearing excuses for your poor judgment” Ogi’s dark eyes then eye you, quickly scanning your figure from top to bottom, lip eventually twitching in revolt upon noticing your messy appearance. You look away, feeling demeaned even further, and from a man who didn’t even know half of the truth behind this altercation.

This was perhaps the second time you’ve seen him, and it was more than enough to come to the conclusion that you didn’t want to see him any more.

His eyes eventually return to your husband, clearing his throat with a cough before continuing. “I’m only here to relay your message, and not to deal with whatever… this was”

Naoya blinks, fear of the uncertain beginning to creep at his spine—or the arrival of what’s been long due. “What is it?”

“Your father wants to meet you and your wife in the main hall as soon as possible”

All lingering emotions of animosity between you, Mariya and Naoya are discarded and quickly replaced by those of uneasiness, as soon as those words escape his lips.

Naoya knew his father was interested in your health as soon as it became a point of interest, such as it was expressed in the conversation they had before leaving the estate that day.

But his interest in you diverted from genuine concern, and rather, came at your value and the possibility of it diminishing thanks to the doctor’s findings.

Your less than favorable review failed to promise a bright future, and you too, knew this.

Naobito was a terrifying man that could intimidate anyone, even the ones with the coldest hearts, like Ogi. Everyone got incredibly anxious at the mere thought of sharing a room, turning worse if they got to hold a meeting with him—of his calling.

But there was no time to dwell on their emotions. Understanding the necessities that this meeting requires, Mariya fixes her kimono and heads towards you, carefully pulling you together by wiping the remnants of smudged make-up and tears from your cheeks with a clean napkin, while Haruko and Hitomi moved a few of your loose strands back in place, as much as it was permitted since they lacked the necessary tools to perfectly tend your appearance.

“We have other issues to discuss once your meeting is done” Ogi adds, but Naoya pays no mind to his words, there’s something bigger occupying his attention after all. “Hurry” Is all that his uncle says after receiving no response, and he leaves.

There were many things going through Naoya’s mind at that moment, and as much as he wanted to say that he was already knowledgeable of this meeting and had, in fact, expected in to happen any time soon, his fight with you and your staff had clouded his judgment far more than he liked, the aftermath of it leaving him hanging on a threat of regret as he slowly realized he made things worse. He’d given ammunition to his family to pick and choose from if they desired to attack, and you…well, he felt like your desire had maneuvered something bigger in place—you’re not completely innocent from this either…right?

Once Mariya and the rest are done, something inside you incites you to hesitantly peek at him.

You’re, without a doubt, extremely nervous of what’s to come. And while any other couple would’ve offered words of comfort to one another, reassurance that whatever adversity was to be thrown their way could be conquered by their united efforts—you knew he would not.

He’s proven time and time again that this union wasn’t like any others, nor would it even be. You’ve gotten to the point of expecting nothing, but he still managed to surprise you.

Not even during the faintest moments of regret did he allow himself to be humanized, to admit he’s fearful as well and give some kind of understanding that the two were on the same ground… Instead, he put up the distant façade of a man who believed he did no wrong, firmly ordered you to clean up , and left for the meeting.

Naobito was never one to call women into his meetings: if there was anything of concern pertaining to the bride of a clan member, all discussions would be held directly with the spouse, without consideration of her needs or concerns.

But for this occasion, he would make an exception.

You, without a doubt, had been uncharacteristically troublesome. He would’ve never guessed that a woman designed from birth to beget powerful sorcerers into the world could bring so much trouble, and yet, here he was.

Nonetheless, he should’ve seen this coming—the dawn of a new era welcomed a new set of ideals that would inevitably outdate his.

He came from a era that saw women as mere creatures of submissiveness, encased to the responsibilities of the house and their husband, who had no interest outside from tending their husband nor the talent to pursue a career (jujutsu sorcery being out of the question, even obtaining the basic knowledge of it was a resounding no). These ideals came from a long line of sexist leaders, who carried the task of passing down these teachings regardless of society's advancements.

And then, there was you. The child of a new generation, from a clan that—even if they shared similar ideas to the Zen’in in certain aspects—was willing to bend the rules in favor of their interest.

A child that, from the very moment they were born, already had the liberty to choose whatever they wanted, however they wanted it. There were no misogynistic expectations of caring for your body so its value won't diminish in the bride market, learning skills that would heighten a potential husband’s interest in you, or to eventually settle down and have children.

Children that Naobito was now unsure they would ever come from you.

Well, the L/N were known for cultivating strong fruits, not for their fertile lands. This too, as the leader of the powerful Zen’in clan, was something he should’ve seen coming before settling an investment on you.

All in due time Naobito muses alongside his favorite companion, a bottle of sake, diligently observing the entrance once the footsteps of your belonging became apparent in the distance. He was far more patient than Naoya, willing to wait the necessary time if it meant obtaining what he wanted.

You, however, had promised so much and had offered nothing until now. Can you blame him for growing a bit desperate?

After a few seconds, a hand creeps in between the shoji, softly sliding it open to reveal yourself. Per tradition, you were expected to open and close doors for your husband to step in first, such was the order Naoya followed when coming into the presence of his father, with you quietly trailing behind him, closing the door once the two of you were in.

Naoya sits on his knees just a few feet away from his father, with you settling to sit by his left side, just like you remembered your mother doing when accompanying your father into his meetings.

Their silence spoke volumes.

Just one look at the couple was enough to guess what occurred between the two. There was no need for rumors to travel across the estate or for a servant to come to inform him—a tense air surrounded the couple, and by judging the look of your swollen eyes alongside Naoya’s tight grip, he concluded the two had an argument beforehand.

But that wasn’t the reason why he summoned them in the first place—nor did he care. Whatever happened with Naoya was something he would deal with, if he wanted to become the leader of the clan.

The air grows heavier as time passes with neither speaking. You lowered your head, eyes focused on the floor as you tried holding back the trembles of your body from being in the presence of your father-in-law.

From the first moment you met him upon your arrival at the estate, you came to the clear understanding that he wasn’t a man interested in becoming an approachable father to you, for he did not even bother in acknowledging you when welcoming the couple from their “honeymoon” and from that point forward, you’ve been actively avoiding him.

Asides from that, the only other occasion you’ve had the misfortune of facing him was the night of the agonizing arrival of your period, where he demonstrated how dissatisfied he was with your performance.

Another thing that had you quivering on the spot was the unknown type of relationship Naoya and his father had. There is a known saying that a fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, and if this were to be applied to them, then your demise was secured.

You could see it now: Naoya would tattle-tale the doctors' findings to his father, demeaning the decisions you took with your body’s best interest, and concluding with how much of a failure you were. And, if he really wanted to sink you, he would also let him know of the argument you two had before arriving home, and how this meeting paused whatever punishment he had for you.

The possibilities of your father-in-law stepping in to protect you were slim to one, and if he were to move a finger, it would be to join forces to berate you even further.

This order of events made you fiercely desire your disappearance. For the earth to swallow you and erase all trace of your existence. But being powerless to do so, you simply kept your head low, fingers tightly holding onto the skirt of your kimono as you silently hiccupped.

Naoya, on the other hand, was not as detached as you believed. As much as he attempted to keep a somber façade, void of all emotion, his nerves would inevitably cause him to crack.

From the slightest twitch on the corner of his lips, the damp forming in his palms, to the sweat trailing down the sides of his temples, it was more than obvious that he was not prepared for this meeting, even if it was pending for a long time—your “sickness” simply being its trigger.

Naoya hated being in an impotent position, especially one that he thought didn't originate from his actions. No matter what his title promised, he was still no match for his father—the man that shaped him to what he was now through brute force and heavy expectations of perfectionism. The same one that would stop at nothing to prove a point, even if it meant hurting his own family.

Your husband just hoped for two things: that his father had drank enough to lessen the gravity of whatever intentions he held, and that this meeting would end quickly.

“How did the visit go?” Naobito is the first to speak, clearly and without hesitation. Naoya notices that he’s sober, even with the bottle of sake resting soundly against him, much to his disappointment.

Naoya swallows part of his nerves away before clearing his throat and responding.

“Good” he looks up to his father, knowing that his father doesn’t like interrogating more than necessary, he continues. “But…there are reasons to be concerned about”

“Is she fertile?” He cuts through his sentence.

“Yes, but—”

“Is she?” Naobito frowns “Or is she not?” He won’t pursue the same question twice, that much you understood from his tone.

“She is”

“Then, why isn't she pregnant?” He finally addresses the elephant in the room. You press your lips together, eyes tightly shut as you prepare yourself for what's to come after your revelation .

“She took…birth control pills without my knowledge, and ruined her womb”

The silence that ensued was one that allowed the drop of a pin to be heard. One so suffocating, you swore your heart stopped beating the moment the truth was brought out to the light.

Naobito scoffs, temporarily breaking the heavy silence around the 3, but doing nothing to lessen the pain of your inevitable demise—he doesn’t care anything more than that.

The cards were finally on the table as Naoya dictated your fate.

You no longer had the value your father and clan had promised when offered to the Zen’in, and with the worded selection your husband decided to go with, he had no intentions of explaining why those pills were ever involved, or clear whatever was left of your name.

There really wasn’t anywhere else to go from here, aside from deciding what to do with this sham of a marriage. Perhaps naively, you still held the hope that they’ll let you go. A divorce could the quicke—

“But” Naoya starts, intercepting your thoughts to a screeching halt. You slowly open your eyes, intently listening to his next words. “She can still get pregnant” he carefully threads, unsure if these were the right words to convince his father to…not do what he’s thinking about. “The doctor said she will be able to carry a child in approximately 3 months”

To an outsider, this seemed like the desperate attempt of a man who still wanted his wife to be part of his life. If he wanted to permanently remove you from the estate, he could’ve ended his explanation right there and there—but he didn’t.

Because, even after all the crude words he shot at you during a moment of antagonism, all the transgressions he enacted on your body, deep inside him, Naoya believed he cared for you.

“3 months?” Naobito mirrors with incredulity “That’s a long time to wait for a woman who can’t even ensure she can carry. I’m not sure she’s deserving of it”

Naoya runs cold—the implication of his words is straightforward and cutting. Nothing good ever came from his father’s questioning, while you see the other side of the coin, a silver lining forming through the dark exchanges.

Hope becomes a graspable matter upon the prospect of the leader settling in sending you back to your clan and getting your husband another bride, one more suitable for their needs.

“She’s still of use to us—He-Her bloodline would make a great addition to our clan, asides from the assets that we’re bound to receive when we have our first child” Naoya adds, much to your demise. For the nth time, you wish he would just give up on you.

“Then what do you suggest, Naoya? That I wait 3 months just to see if the bride you desperately fought for still has it in her to beget a child?” Naobito laughs.

“The L/N have proven their worth with the Kamo’s current heir. It’s an opportunity we cannot waste, we have the upper hand against the Gojo’s” The youngest of the Zen’in siblings retaliates, revealing what is to be his trump card against his father. He knows how and when to approach him, his father wouldn’t give up the chance to gain superiority against the other clans.

And so, Naobito’s face shifts in amusement as he apparently agrees with his observations. To clear his thoughts even further, the man brings the bottle of alcohol close to his lips, takes a deep sip and exhales in satisfaction of the burning sensation of the drink traveling down his throat.

“Very well” Naobito says after careful consideration. Naoya sighs once he hears those words, tension fading from his shoulders as your eyes widen in consternation. You feel your last hope slipping through your fingers. “I’ll give you the time you seek, but, if she fails to get pregnant by the end of those 3 months…”

To let his guard down with the man known for never giving without getting something in return was foolish. “Yes…father?”

“You’ll dispose of her”

Your heart sinks.

“W-what do you mean?” Naoya’s voice comes out with a slight tremble, unsure if he truly wanted to hear his answer or if there was still an opportunity to change his mind—a fact that he might’ve overlooked.

“Do I have to spell it out to you, Naoya?” Naobito’s brow furrows. He knows his son is knowledgeable of his words' meaning, but out of courtesy to you, he’ll define it further. “Kill her, throw her away, put an end to her, whatever you want to call it” he shrugs “divorce is a modern thing, and I’m not spending a single dime on attorneys to clean up after your mistakes”

But whatever poison that came in the form of his insult at you took no space in your mind, for sorrow was drowning whatever was left of your conscience after his cold-blooded sentencing.

It was at this moment that the pillars that held your composure came crashing down—with a thundering reminder that, indeed, nothing good would ever come out of this marriage.

Your ears start to ring as your vision blurs, tears begin to form at the edge of your eyelids while your chest constricts, to the point you suddenly can't breathe.

You’ve never felt this kind of terror, not even when you faced your first curse, not even when you confronted your husband. It was a shade of fear that could only belong to a man as cruel as Naobito Zen’in.

Something inside you pushes you to glance at Naoya, perhaps out of the sick desire to see the kind of face he would have after his father enacted what he could not—but the view you received was one that added to your shock.

Far from facing the terrorizing man that had done nothing more than discard your feelings, push away your family, make and break you to his liking, as he arrogantly believed he had the world at the palm of his hand, the same one you expected to enjoy the fact that, what you wished, was now becoming a reality…stood the presence of a frightened man, no, a child whose eyes were filled with trembling horror at the sight of one of their worst nightmares coming to life.

A view, that if it didn’t startle and infuriate you, would evoke some kind of compassion out of you.

How dare you ! You wanted to scream, to berate him, to show him just a glimpse of your grievance. Just that he would get an idea of what true injustice was. But unable to do so, without running through another sample of his aggressions, you limit yourself to just curse him mentally.

This is all your doing! You—you’re pathetic! How dare you act shocked, when you were going to do the same?! How much more can you ruin my life?! I hate you!!

All that manages to escape from your lips is a whimper as you decide to instead, stand up and rush out the door, deaf to the noise that came from abruptly slamming the door open or the startled calls of your ladies, who had stayed nearby to tend any request you might have—which you skipped in favor of heading directly to your chambers and lock yourself away from the rest of the world, and attempt to sob your misery away.

“Y/N!” Naoya calls, more than ready to go after you, but the scolding voice of his father pulls him back to the present.

“Let her” Naobito says, and no more words are needed to cut any intention’s Naoya had of stopping you. “It’s about time she learned her place in this household. Besides, we have other matters to discuss”

Naoya-sama.

Ogi steps into the room, and after having watched your frantic appearance, he doesn’t stop himself from commenting and concluding that Naobito had been compassionate enough to give you a second chance, when other’s could’ve been discarded without further thought.

“Naoya should be grateful” Ogi adds, but Naoya’s cotton-filled ears pay no mind to his words.

“I’m sure he is” Naobito chuckles. “But we aren’t here for that, you told me there was something urgen t that needed our attention? He asks towards his younger brother who sits before him, at the same level of Naoya but on his right side.

Naoya .

“Yes” Ogi crosses his arms “It’s about Y/N’ sister, apparently she’s been sighted—”

“Naoya-sama!”

Ranta’s crying voice snaps Naoya back to reality, to the training grounds where they spent the last few hours perfecting their techniques, and have been doing so for the last 2 days. The first thing Naoya notices is the concerned face of his partner, who in return, shoots a quick glance to a spot behind him before his gaze falls back onto the heir’s “Are you alright?”

Naoya shakes his head, as if trying to rattle off the murkiness of his memories. Everything else after your departure had been a blur to him, as it had also been the last time he saw you. You were out somewhere in the estate, presumably locked in your chambers. And no one else had seen the faintest of glimpses of your presence. A fact that unsettled him, but decided not to pursue in favor of dealing with his own issues first.

“What is it?” Naoya’s eyes squint once finally present.

“Nothing, you just seemed…out of it” He explained “Well…there is someone who wants to speak with you” Ranta motions with a nudge of his head to the same spot behind him.

“Huh?” The heir heaves as he turns around, a member of the hei, whom Naoya has not bothered to remember his name, standing just a few feet away.

The man flinches once Naoya finally acknowledges him. He quickly straightens his stance and bows, awaiting clearance to speak.

“What do you want?”

“I—” he begins, eyes focused on the ground as he clears his throat. “We were thinking that perhaps…we could take a break”

The heir doesn’t respond for a few seconds, and with his gaze motionless on the back of the man before him, deprived of any light…anyone would think that instead of considering their request, he was planning their demise.

It had been Naoya’s common state of emotion since the rumored meeting between the heir and the leader occurred, the same reason the hei had kept quiet about the non-stop training routines they’ve been forced to partake alongside their master, in fear of retribution. That is, until one of them got fed up with his treatment and mustered the courage to approach him.

“What set were you doing?” Naoya asks, his question inadvertently giving hope to the hei.

“Set 5, sir. For the last 2 hours. We were thinking it was due for—”

“I heard what you said.” Naoya interjects with a twist appearing on lips. “That’s no excuse, my father trained me for far longer, and with worse routines. Leave.”

The man bows in reluctant agreement and returns with the rest of his teammates, who took no second to surround him to hear their master’s verdict.

“What did he say?”

“Can we at least take a 5 minute break?”

“No” The disappointed messenger sighs as he declares “We’re to continue training until he finishes, I guess.”

The group releases an exasperated sigh—discharging part of their accumulating frustrations with it. They’ve kept quiet enough to not voice their opinions as they had the perception that they were to fight , not comment, but this effectively pushed them past their tipping point.

“That’s not fair!” One exclaimed.

“If he wants to train until he dies, then he should do so alone” another adds.

“I’m not surprised” one nonchalantly says as he shrugs “He’s bitter because he can’t get his wife pregnant”

At the mention of you, Naoya’s ears perk.

As expected, rumors were quick to catch fire around the estate once your situation concluded and your presence vanished.

However, just as if playing the telephone game, variations started to branch out from one servant to another, little changes that eventually ended in 3 major stories:

The first one, and the one that held part of the truth, was that you were infertile.

There was never a detailed explanation of why or how it happened in the first place—if it was something from birth, or resulting from your actions later on—, either way, the only thing they could prove was that your body rejected Naoya’s seed because it was incapable of growing it. Simple as that.

The second one, and the one with the least sense in it, was that Naoya had instructed you to abort the baby with the famed “morning-after” pills, but since it turned out to be counterproductive, decided to take you directly to the doctor to finish the job. It was a mystery how the servants machinated to bring this rumor to existence, since no one held that kind of medicine around the estate and your ladies had testified in your favor that you’ve never consumed them, but it still circulated around the staff and even amongst a few distant relatives, nonetheless, it’s the least believed one.

And finally, the third one, a rumor held closest to the ones that disliked Naoya the most and took great pleasure in disgracing him, which was: that your husband was infertile.

It was no mystery that many disliked Naoya for the upbringing he received for being chosen as the next leader of the clan. Asides that he was seemingly perfect in everything he did, many believed that he must be lacking in some area. To their luck, that area was the fertility one, the one that seemingly affected the Zen’in the most.

It was still a relatively unpopular opinion compared to the one that painted you disgracefully, but you can still guess which one irked him the most.

“What did you say?” Naoya takes no second to stomp towards the chatting men, whose eyes went round and skin paled upon noticing the angry figure of their master quickly approaching. “Care to run that by me one more time?!”

“Nothing Master Naoya! We were just—” One attempted to defend himself, but your husband had no intention of letting them speak any longer.

“You’ll stay here training all night until it’s morning, and all day tomorrow! I don’t care if you die, in fact, if you do , that’d be great!” He growls “I have no need for gossiping women amongst my forces!”

The men, left with the clear understanding to never comment on his personal issues, scatter back to their previous posts before their master could say anything else.

Naoya exhales while heading back to Ranta, who had seen the unraveling commotion before him with deep regret.

“Naoya-sama, don’t you think you’re being too harsh with them?” The young man speaks out of genuine concern.

“I don’t care” Your husband responds “Serves them right for commenting on something they don’t know of”

Ranta attempted to keep a neutral stance in Naoya’s all-too obvious issue, but had difficulty going through with it, because…well, he wanted him to be happy.

After all, it’s the first time he’s been this invested in a woman before. But at the same time…he knows how irritable Naoya can be when struck on a nerve—his relatives often had issues getting along with him, even he had issues with him! And you…Ranta can't imagine it being any easier.

There are so many things that remain a mystery regarding your personality. For all he knew, you were a highly irritable woman as well once in private with your husband, who acts distant and meek when in the presence of others to…maybe make Naoya look crazy? He doesn’t know.

Still, as his friend, he wants to make things work for him.

“What about your wife?” Ranta carefully asks. Even after it had been a few days since their first argument, he still doesn’t know what was the origin of their fight, except that Naobito wasn’t pleased with you and apparently ordered your execution?! Either way, Naoya refuses to say anything, so he asks this question in hopes of getting a new perspective of their problem and coming up with a proper solution that would help them move on.

“What about her ?” Naoya frowns.

“I know she no longer sleeps in your room…but have you approached her recently? At least to figure out how to deal with your problem?”

Naoya scowls at his choice of words.

“ My problem?” He hisses, with poison beginning to coat his words as Ranta prepares himself to deal with the consequences of opening Pandora’s box. “Do you think I wanted to come back home, and be received with this ?! When all I wanted was to rest?! Why should I be the one to deal with it?! She’s the one that started it all—she’s the one that should be looking for me and worrying on how to deal with this whole thing!” Naoya exclaims, tossing his arms to the air, accentuating his frustration for everyone to see. “But she’s just locked away, doing god knows what, so others can feel pity for her!”

It’s the most Naoya had spoken about this issue, Ranta notes, and is actually quite surprised he’s been relatively quiet about it, considering the hei weren’t the only ones (nor the first) to speak behind his back. His brothers, especially Naoaki, were having a field day with his demise, and weren’t running short of all kinds of insults and innuendos against him whenever in each other’s presence.

Perhaps he was knowledgeable of their words, but decided to keep quiet for the sake of preparing for his exam. But still, it never took him this long to shut them up—why did he snap until now?

“I’m sorry” Coming to the conclusion that perhaps, this wasn’t the right time to help him, Ranta sheepishly apologizes.

“Whatever—Go back into position” Naoya dismisses him as he prepares himself to jump back into training. This time, he was to attack and Ranta was to defend (much to the latter’s fear).

Just as he gave the last adjustment, focusing his cursed energy to use on his technique, the poison emitted from getting his buttons pushed acts as a cleanser of sorts, starting to wash away all traces of regrets he had for his actions and your situation, before concluding:

It’s all her damn fault .

#naoya zen'in #jjk naoya #naoya zenin #naoya zenin x you #naoya zen'in x reader #jjk fic #jjk smut #jjk x you #series: first it hurts—

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