CHAPTER 27

A sighing Tiger sits on the sofa in Seokjin's office, Jungkook by his side as he promised, exchanging looks with the detective while Namjoon stares at Tiger. Namjoon doesn't hate him, but now that he stays completely still in front of him he would like to ask him some questions, ones that don't involve Mimi at all.Only if he could understand him better, maybe his behaviour around them would improve."Thank you for your help, Tiger. It means a lot to us and it surely means a lot to Taehyung." Namjoon expresses his gratitude, showing his dimples."Why do you thank me? I didn't do anything.""You didn't try to run away, that's a lot." Seokjin blurs out, more to himself as he reads his small journal.Tiger looks at Jungkook briefly and returns his attention to the leader. "So? What do you want?""I guess Jungkook told you Mimi came back. Tiger, we need you to tell us everything you know about her. Everything you heard or saw when she kept you locked is worth millions right now."Tiger scoffs and crosses his arms against his chest. "That lunatic didn't keep me lock, she fucking kidnapped me and tortured me for a whole week."Seokjin hums and writes it down on his notebook. "That's a start. How did you feel during the week with her?""Little prince," Namjoon hesitates, "this is not a therapy session. We need information that sadly doesn't contain Tiger's emotional well being." he explains it softly, one of his hands caressing his boyfriend's thigh.He only wins a deathly stare from Seokjin, crossing his legs removing Namjoon's hand."Well Tiger, did anyone come in apart from her?""Yes.""By any chance do they look familiar?" Namjoon hands him the iPad with The Three Eagles's profiles."Yeah, that one used to be around there a lot. Who is he?"His memory has to be pretty good, Jungkook thinks to himself, as it didn't take the alter more than five seconds to return the device."Was. Mimi's husband, we killed them after they almost killed Jin. They became our last case, we went to Hawaii because of them.""Oh—both of their tastes sucks."Seokjin keeps writing—Tiger wonders what if he has barely said a thing—while Jungkook keeps his eyes on him. Maybe Taehyung and Tiger aren't so different after all."Did someone else come around?"Tiger shakes his head. "But she used to talk with someone called Buffalo on the phone every day. A man.""Buffalo?" Seokjin and Namjoon exchanges looks, but neither of them know anything about his existence.Seokjin writes it down."Did she tell them something? Her future plans, perhaps? Or what she wants the most?""Kill the Bangtan Boys, aka to kill you."Namjoon raises his eyebrows. "That's it?""That's it.""Didn't she say anything else? Something you can remember? What did she say in her phone calls with Buffalo?" Seokjin insists, he has no record of anyone with that name. He writes down 'nickname' and '+ research'. "I dunno, it's been awhile.""Can you try to remember, please?" Jungkook adds and wets his lips. "It's important Tiger, I know you can do it if you try, mm-hmm?""Don't baby me, Bunny.""I'm not babying you, I'm trying to help. We understand how uncomfortable must be for you to go back to that horrible moment," Jungkook sighs and drops his hands by his side, "but we need you to remember as much as possible if we want to end her and her plans. I thought you wanted the same."Tiger rolls his eyes and moves closer to the corner of the sofa. "They used to talk about something. All nonsense.""Do you remember any of that nonense? A word, a sentence? Everything matters." Seokjin bites his lips, keeping the pen close to the half blank page."Something about second lives, new beginnings and completely new."Seokjin blinks, the pen hanging on the air. "Are you sure it involved us? Tiger, perhaps they were talking about their marriage life—did they mention taxes?""Do you think I'm stupid?""No.""Alright, that's enough for today guys." Namjoon caress the palms of his hands. "Unless you want to add something else?""I used to be in pain most of the time, so no, I can't add anything else. Trying to stay alive mattered more to me, if that makes sense." He bitterly lets out, walking to the door. "For your information Jin, no, they didn't mention taxes. Hope that helps, sayonara."Tiger opens the door and Jimin's body followed by others collides with him, he steps away and makes the rest of the boys fall to the floor. Between groans and complains, they stand up with nervous smiles as Namjoon keep his dragon eyes on them. Seokjin just holds in a laugh."You could have, you know, knock? if you wanted to join." Tiger says looking at Jimin, the boy closer to him."Didn't Taeate come back yet?" he shifts his sigh to Seokjin. "I promised he would see me first.""What do you think, maroon?""You little piece of shit -""Tiger," Jungkook raises his voice, stoping Yoongi from hitting him. "Let's go, don't cause unnecessary trouble."Tiger rolls his eyes and pushes his way outside, Jungkook quickly follows him earning some weird looks from the rest of the boys. Tiger steps outside the balcony and doesn't slide the door closed on purpose.He messes with his hair. "This place suffocates me.""How come?" Jungkook stops next to him, admiring the view for a moment."I don't like this place. I don't like them. Wish I could run away, but Taehyung needs them. At the end it's his life, not mine."Jungkook nods to himself, but he doesn't miss how he treats Taehyung as a different individual. As a different person. "It used to be the same for me, but as you get to know them and they get to know you, it gets better.""I don't want to get to know them," Tiger growls, "all of them can go to hell.""Have they done something to you?" Jungkook asks slowly. "They love Taehyung so much, aren't you grateful? You care about Taehyung, don't you? I thought you liked the idea because it doesn't revolve around you. As you said, is Taehyung's life, isn't it?"Tiger clenches his jaw and his knuckles become white against the handrail. "I couldn't care less about how they all feel. I'm here to protect Taehyung and protect myself. Told you, if he dies I die.""Your body doesn't tell me the same, Tiger." He pauses and plays with his piercing. "Have you ... ever had someone to talk to? If you don't hang out with the boys when you're around it must get pretty lonely, doesn't it?"Tiger keeps his eyes fixed on the sky. The soft pink has already become a soft orange, and at some point the soft orange starts shading to a fiercely tone as the minutes pass by. When the sky turns to fire, Tiger finally looks at Jungkook."What do you want, Bunny? Why don't you go inside?"Jungkook shrugs. "What do you want?""Don't copy me again, I'm not having it." His cold tone refrains Jungkook to make any kind of joke."I'm serious. What do you want?""To be left alone.""Do you like it?"Tiger shrugs. "More peaceful than being with them.""It's easy, you know, to talk with you." Tiger raises an eyebrow and Jungkook unconsciously smiles. "Taehyung ... no, I can't talk with Taehyung." He shakes his head, but the smile remains. "He acts childish around me and we can't have a normal conversation. He truly hates me, but you ... you don't judge me, you take me for what you see. Oh, and you're way cooler. I like that.""Do you hate him?""I pity him. He only hates me because he's jealous, he really should work on his self esteem. I told him, but he doesn't listen to me. I wish you could talk to him, maybe you could give him advice, I think he would listen to you. Have you ever been in love?"Tiger clicks his tongue, almost chuckling at the idea. "Bunny, I'm just an alter. I don't love anyone, I don't even know if I love Taehyung, if I love myself. Everyone I met sucks, you're the last one on my list.""How come?"Tiger whispers something under his breath, but Jungkook doesn't catch it. He doesn't insist, instead looks at the starry sky and smirks to himself."If that's what you mean, I like you too—more than I like Taehyung, that's for sure."