ch 17 : the calm before the storm

Suspicion and Strategy

The morning sun cast a golden glow over the Jeon estate, but inside, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful.

JungKook sat at the head of the long dining table, fingers tapping against the polished wood. Across from him, Jae-hyun sipped his coffee, his eyes fixed on a tablet screen filled with security reports.

Jungguk, on the other hand, was too busy staring at Taehyung—who was glaring at his untouched breakfast.

“Eat,“ JungKook ordered, his voice firm but gentle.

Taehyung didn’t budge. “I don’t feel like it.“

Jungguk smirked. “What, did you lose your appetite thinking about me last night?“

Taehyung shot him a glare. “In your dreams.“

Jae-hyun sighed, clearly used to their antics. “Enough,“ he muttered. “We have more important things to discuss.“

Taehyung finally looked up, his expression serious. “Like what?“

JungKook leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Like the fact that someone placed a bounty on you, and we don’t know who or why.“

Taehyung frowned. “It could be anyone. I’ve made a lot of enemies in my past life.“

Jae-hyun set his cup down. “That’s the problem. We don’t know if this is connected to your past life or if someone new has figured out your worth.“

Taehyung felt a chill run down his spine. If it was someone from his past life—someone who remembered the apocalypse—then things were far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Jungguk suddenly stood, stretching. “Well, whoever it is, they’ll have to get through us first.“

JungKook sighed. “This isn’t a game, Jungguk.“

Jungguk grinned. “Who said it was? I’m serious. If anyone tries to take Taehyung, I’ll kill them.“

Taehyung looked at him, surprised by the sharpness in his voice.

Jae-hyun pushed his glasses up. “We need to increase security. I’ll analyze the bounty networks and see if we can trace the source.“

JungKook nodded. “Good. And Taehyung—until we figure this out, you’re not leaving the estate.“

Taehyung frowned. “What? You can’t just lock me up here.“

Jungguk smirked. “We can, and we will.“

Taehyung scowled. “I don’t need babysitters.”

JungKook's expression darkened. “You need protection.”

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Then, Taehyung sighed. “Fine. But don’t expect me to sit still and do nothing.”

Jae-hyun smirked. “We wouldn’t dream of it.”

Later that evening, Taehyung found himself pacing in the garden. The estate was heavily guarded, but he still felt restless.

That’s when he felt it—

A presence.

His instincts flared, and he spun around, hand reaching for the dagger hidden in his sleeve.

A man stood a few feet away, dressed in dark clothing, his face hidden beneath a hood.

Taehyung's heart pounded.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The stranger tilted his head. “You’re not safe here.”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

The man chuckled. “They’re coming for you. Sooner than you think.”

Taehyung's grip tightened on his dagger. “Who?”

The stranger didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and disappeared into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared.

Taehyung stood frozen, heart racing.

They're coming.

And he wasn't ready.

As soon as he returned to the mansion, Taehyung went straight to the security room.

JungKook, Jae-hyun, and Jungguk were already inside, discussing strategy.

When Taehyung burst in, JungKook immediately noticed his pale expression.

"What happened?" he asked, standing.

Taehyung took a deep breath. "Someone just warned me. The bounty hunters are coming soon."

Jungguk‘s playful demeanor vanished. “You’re serious?”

Taehyung nodded.

Jae-hyun‘s fingers moved quickly over his laptop. “I’ll check the security footage.”

Jungkook‘s jaw clenched. “This changes things. We don’t have time to wait—we need to strike first.”

Jungguk grinned. “Now we’re talking.”

Taehyung frowned. “What are you planning?”

Jungkook met his gaze, eyes burning with determination.

“We’re going to hunt them before they hunt you.”

the night , the jeon brother made their move

while taehyung remained at the estate under heavy guard Jungkook, jungguk and jae-hyun disappeared into the city.

Their mission was simple.

Find the source of the bounty

And eliminate the threat

the game had begun

And the jeon brother never lost.

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