Ch 5: The Beginning of Obsession

The next morning, Taehyung woke up with sore muscles and a determined mind.

Step One: Strengthen himself. Underway.

Step Two: Secure resources. Starting now.

He needed weapons, medical supplies, food, and—most importantly—a safe location for when the world collapsed.

Luckily, he knew exactly where to start.

Jeon Corporation Headquarters

The Jeons owned one of the biggest private arms industries in the country. Their headquarters was a fortress—filled with weapons, technology, and military-grade security systems.

And today, Taehyung was tagging along with Jungkook.

He sat in the backseat of the black car, Jungkook beside him while their driver navigated through the city.

Jungkook glanced at him. “Why do you suddenly want to visit my company?”

Taehyung had already prepared an answer. “I want to learn more about how things work. If I’m going to be a part of your world, I should at least understand it.”

Jungkook’s lips curled. “My world, huh?”

His voice was deep, teasing—but there was something else there.

Something that made Taehyung’s stomach twist.

He ignored it. “Yes. Unless you don’t think I can handle it?”

Jungkook let out a low chuckle. “Oh, I think you can handle a lot more than you let on.”

Taehyung kept his expression neutral, but inside, he was alert.

Jungkook was sharp. Too sharp.

He needed to be careful.

Inside Jeon Corp

As expected, the building was a fortress. Armed guards, retina scanners, and top-tier security systems.

If he could get access now, it would save him a lot of trouble when the apocalypse hit.

Jungkook led him through the private elevator, taking him straight to his office.

The moment they entered, Taehyung scanned the room, noting the hidden security cameras, emergency exits, and—

A massive weapons vault behind reinforced glass.

Jackpot.

“Like what you see?”

Jungkook’s voice was amused, and Taehyung turned to find him leaning against his desk, watching him.

Taehyung smirked. “Depends. Are you going to let me take one home?”

Jungkook raised a brow. “You want a gun?”

“I want to learn how to use one.”

Jungkook studied him for a moment. Then, with a smirk, he walked over to the vault, scanned his fingerprint, and—

The glass slid open.

“Pick one.”

Taehyung stepped forward, hiding his excitement.

He needed to act casual, like this wasn’t one of the most important moments of his life.

His fingers brushed over a sleek black pistol.

It was lightweight, easy to handle—and deadly.

He picked it up, testing the weight in his hand. “This one.”

Jungkook hummed. “Interesting choice.”

Taehyung turned to him. “You’ll teach me, right?”

Jungkook chuckled, stepping closer. Too close.

His fingers wrapped around Taehyung’s wrist, guiding his hand until the barrel of the gun pointed forward.

His voice dropped. “Of course. But…”

Taehyung swallowed as Jungkook leaned in, his breath brushing against his ear.

“…what will you give me in return?”

Taehyung’s heart skipped a beat.

This was dangerous.

He was playing with fire.

But he forced himself to smirk, looking up at Jungkook through his lashes. “What do you want?”

Jungkook’s dark eyes glinted with something unreadable.

But before he could answer, the door slammed open.

“Hyung!”

Jungguk strolled in, hands in his pockets, his gaze flickering between them before he smirked.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Jungkook sighed, stepping back. “What do you want?”

Jungguk grinned. “Tae. I heard you were here. Thought I’d drop by.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “You’re just bored.”

Jungguk’s grin widened. “Maybe.”

Jungkook rubbed his temples. “Both of you are headaches.”

Jungguk laughed, throwing an arm over Taehyung’s shoulder. “Come on, little lamb. Let’s go explore while hyung does boring paperwork.”

Taehyung let himself be dragged away, but not before glancing back at Jungkook—

Only to find the eldest Jeon watching him with dark, unreadable eyes.

This was just the beginning.

Later That Night

Taehyung lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

He had taken the first step—he had a weapon, access to the Jeon headquarters, and he was slowly gaining their trust.

But there was still one thing left to do.

Find a safe place to hide when the apocalypse hit.

He knew exactly where.

An abandoned underground bunker on the outskirts of the city.

In his past life, he had found it too late. By the time he got there, it had already been raided, and the resources were gone.

But this time?

He would claim it first.

A knock on his window made him freeze.

Slowly, he turned his head—

And his stomach dropped.

Jae-hyun stood outside his window, on the second floor, staring down at him.

What the hell?

Taehyung quickly opened the window. “What are you doing?”

Jae-hyun tilted his head. “You left the training hall without cooling down properly. Your muscles will be sore.”

Taehyung stared. “You climbed up here… to tell me that?”

Jae-hyun shrugged. “And to ask why you suddenly want to be strong.”

Taehyung’s pulse sped up.

They were watching him too closely.

He forced a small smile. “I told you. I don’t want to be weak anymore.”

Jae-hyun was silent for a moment, then—

“Don’t lie to me.”

Taehyung stiffened.

Jae-hyun’s dark eyes locked onto his. “You’re hiding something.”

Taehyung’s breath hitched.

Shit.

Jae-hyun was the smartest of the three. If he started digging, Taehyung was screwed.

He had to distract him.

So he did the first thing that came to mind.

He stepped closer—**too close—**and tilted his head with a playful smirk.

“You sure you didn’t just climb up here because you wanted to see me?”

For the first time, Jae-hyun froze.

His ears turned red.

Taehyung smirked. Gotcha.

Jae-hyun scoffed, stepping back. “You’re annoying.”

Taehyung chuckled. “Goodnight, Jae-hyun.”

Jae-hyun didn’t reply, but as he disappeared into the night, Taehyung could still feel his gaze lingering.

Step Two: Secure Resources. Underway.

Step Three: Gain Their Trust… Without Falling Into Their Trap?

…He wasn’t so sure anymore.

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