YOUMIN

My mouth slightly drops open from shock.

And he notices— instantly. A rough breath escapes his lips, and I just blink as he drags a hand down his face.

"I'm sorry. That's not right."

But he's made me mad already.

Without a word, I turn back angrily— completely ignoring his apology. Didn't he realize how scared I'd been before he'd come?

And I was sure he knew, too. So how could he just say that?

He grips my wrist.

"Youmin. I'm sorry."

I shake his hand off. My voice is icy as I look at him, my eyes narrowed down with anger and frustration.

"You apparently think I'm showing myself around. You really think that." I say, voice getting louder. "That's damm ridiculous. I thought you understood how—"

He wraps his hand over mine.

"Calm down."

And I'm about to shake him away again when his eyes flicker downwards.

"I was angry someone saw you like that."

I stop, staring at him. He's breathing faster than normal— I can hear him, even though it's soft.

He means it.

"Taehyung."

And I can't stay angry at him anymore. How could I when he was like this? He was the most stubborn person I knew, and he'd broken down for me.

"I'll only forgive you if you let me skip training today."

He frowns. But when I look at him smugly, he sighs and nods.

"I guess you deserve a break."

A wide smile spreads on my lips. He just shakes his head when I squeal into my palms, pumping my fists and pulling it right back when I hit my hand on the edge of the wall.

"Ow!"

He just shakes his head.

_________________________

"Watch out!"

He gives me a look when I bat down one of the lights hanging too low from the ceiling. Ever since I'd discovered he was deaf in one ear, I'd gotten more protective over him.

Even though he didn't seem to agree at all.

"I knew about that." He says, raising an eyebrow. "I can also hear better than you. I thought I already told you this."

I quickly shrug my shoulders. "I thought you didn't know."

"I always know."

Taking up a sniper, I stick out my tongue at him when he isn't looking. I bet he didn't know about this.

"I saw that."

I freeze.

No way.

"N-No you didn't." I stutter as I hurriedly set up the scope, pretending to concentrate on the gun. "What did I do?"

Taehyung just laughs, already having set up his.

We were having a sniper live drill.

"Go on the opposite side."

"Can you go on the other side, please?" I beg, frowning at the long distance I'd have to cover. "Just this one time. Please."

"No."

So I end up having to carry the heavy gun for over a half mile.

"Get ready." His voice comes from the wireless bud in my ear when I finally get there catching my breath. "Before I scope you down."

"That's— That's unfair." I wheeze, heaving the gun on the stand. "Give me a second."

"You know the rules, don't you?"

"Yeah."

First one to hit the other, wins.

These bullets weren't fatal— and both of us were wearing bulletproof vests as well. There couldn't be any chance at taken with such powerful guns.

But I still knew it would hurt just as much as a real one.

"Ready?"

"You'll go easy on me, right?"

"No."

I sigh.

And the moment we start, a bullet misses me by inches. I freeze— actually intimidated as I steady my hands.

The scope was weaker than I thought.

I miss two shots, before I finally manage to glance at his arm with the third. He'd already gotten both the lines of my shoulder and arm— which was how I knew he was going easier on me.

I hear his muffled gasp of pain over the comm.

"Ah."

And then before I can look back into my scope, a bullet slams straight into the visor of my helmet. I tumble back, from the force.

His tone is chilled as it rings in my ear.

"Dead."

"No— hold on." I yelp, getting back into my feet. That had barely lasted ten minutes— I hadn't run all the way over here just to lose so badly.

"You did well, Youmin. You hit me once."

"T-That isn't good enough."

I didn't know how he did it. The distance between us was over 700 meters— and we were both using just a 8x scope. It wasn't even 16x.

"Can we go another round?"

"No. Your helmet might not be able to take the next shot."

Sighing heavily, I'm about to get everything up when he suddenly gives me an offer.

"Three shots. I won't shoot at you."

I instantly get back down.

"Three shots? You're giving me three chances?"

"Yes."

And I go into focusing again. It was so important to keep my hands firm— with one millimeter, it would throw the bullet off completely.

The first shot misses. And the second grazes.

Concentrate.

There was a reason why I was so desperate to hit a direct shot. Before this round, he'd told me that if I couldn't hit a DS, then he couldn't take me on the upcoming mission.

That the other sniper would kill me first.

But when the third bullet hits the center of his visor, only then I can relax.

He takes my broken helmet from me when I come back, sweat pouring down the sides of my head. I still couldn't believe the mile run I had to do every time we did this.

"Good work."

He taps at his hearing aid, and I blink in curiosity.

"Taehyung?"

"Does that— Does that work as a comm too?"

"The aid? Yes. As long as you're connected to it." He says, and I look at my own. "It'll work as long as 10 miles. That's the entire range."

"So I can stay connected to you?"

He blinks, looking confused for a second before nodding slowly.

"Why—"

"I'm keeping it."

I can feel his stare on my back as I half-skip into the base, reveling at the cold air conditioning inside. I'd nearly burned myself out there.

"Then don't lose it."

I nod obviously when he comes in after me, unraveling his bandanna. His dark hair spills down to his forehead, and I self-consciously brush down on mine.

Why couldn't it look as nice as his?

"Go rest." He says, and I gladly smile. "Don't roam around the headquarters."

"Can I go see Seokjin and Jungkook?"

"No."

"Wait, what?" I say, pausing in my direction. I'd completely expected him to say yes— it was still an hour before night. "I can't?"

"You can't." He says, already turned away. "Just go to your room."

I watch, stunned as I watch the back of his broad figure disappear down the hall.

Fine.

Sighing quietly, I'm heading back to where my room is when I pass by one of the supply storage rooms. There's voices coming from there.

Probably just people.

But then I freeze when I recognize one of them. It's Jungkook's— his for sure. At first I'd been uncertain, but now I was.

And I have to check for myself.

I push open the storage door, to see there's five people I don't know on one end of the room. Jungkook's standing by the doorway, and I catch the beginning of his sentence before he whips towards me.

"You better get rid of those drinks—"

"Noona?"

But he catches himself before he fully says the word.

"Hyung! What are you doing here!"

Drinks?

Then I look at the five closer. They all have bottles in their hands— greenish glass bottles. Soju.

My eyes narrow.

So they were those people that Taehyung had once told me about. The losers who drank off their pain from the difficult training.

It was strictly banned in here.

But when I scan the situation, I can tell that it isn't good at all. Even though Jungkook could probably handle two, I could barely handle one of these well-trained soldiers.

And there was five— all tipsy and like a ticking time bomb.

"Not now." I whisper cautiously as I grab his sleeve. "Come on, Jungkook. I memorized their faces."

He nods after hesitating a second.

But the moment I turn back to the door, it slams shut. And then I instantly drop to avoid a blow straight to my head.

What in the—

"Hyung!"

Jungkook growls as he pulls me back behind him, putting distance between us and the rest of them closing in.

One of them had blocked the doorway.

Crap.