#a-tothe-z masterlist

[soulofatiny]

No fear, I’m here... Ch. 6: Your Warmth

word count: 3.8k

warning(s): minor cursing and mentions of anxiety

a|n: happy reading! let me know what you think :)

Ch.7

masterlist

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“Ready…fight!”

As soon as Hongjoong gave the cue, you and San instantly swung your twin swords. The blades made a satisfying sound, ringing to you and San’s ears as the metals came into contact. You pushed him back with one arm and swung your blade with the other as soon as you saw an opening. Your heart raced with adrenaline and judging from the exhilarating look on his face, he must’ve felt the same. 

The members up at the balcony were hollering as you kept attacking but no matter how many openings you saw, San dodged all of your strikes. Something was off, fishy even. You clashed with San a couple more times, bright sparks emitting from both of your blades until you were now certain about your suspicions. San was reading your moves. It should’ve been physically and mentally impossible to read since ZG had a strict training structure for unique battle styles that couldn’t be found in any combat system, and yet he reading your moves like it was written on the back of his hand. There was a difference between being skilled at defense and being able to predict combat methods so swiftly. San was definitely doing the latter. You flashed a knowing look and altered your combat style and you could see the surprised look that ran across his face due to the sudden unexpected change. The metals came into contact once more, this time a little more hastily from his side. He tried to retreat but you kept pushing forward, not letting the blades to come apart. 

San stared back amusingly and leaned his face closer to yours as the smirk on his face grew and then shifted to a softer smile. You were always surprised at how fast he could change his facial expressions. 

“You haven’t changed one bit…” San murmured so hush that it wouldn’t reach normal ears but it did with your attentive ones.

Right when you were about to ask what he meant, you were interrupted. “Alright, stop the fight!” Hongjoong called out from the balcony. 

You retreated silently but San argued instead, “Neither of us won yet.”

“It’s just a mock battle to see her fighting style, there’s no need,” Hongjoong answered as all the members began descending down the stairs to meet where you and San were.

“You were totally losing the last half of the fight anyways,” Jongho added cheekily. 

You thought San would’ve disagreed but he instead nodded his head in agreement, “You’re right. She’s strong. Exactly as strong as I thought she would be, maybe even stronger.”

Something fluttered within your stomach, feeling a little bashful listening to compliments you weren’t used to receiving. 

Hongjoong nodded upon what San said, “Yeah, I agree. She’s very skilled.” 

Your hand touched your stomach gently as it fluttered again. What was this feeling?

“What Gremlin, you hungry or something?”

Everyone’s heads turned to Yunho and then at you, who still happened to be clutching your stomach.

“Um… I’m not sure. I think so?” you answered hesitantly. Was that what you were truly feeling? Hunger?

“I’ll start making breakfast, well I guess it’s almost time for brunch,” Seonghwa suggested.

Just as you were about to disagree, Seonghwa already walked off, quick to fulfill his task willingly. 

“Alright then, let’s train until Seonghwa calls for us. You guys can go work individually,” Hongjoong announced and as everyone dispersed to their desired sections, he then turned to you, “Y/n, feel free to join wherever you would like to practice. I’m going to head to my office to work on something but if you have any questions, you can ask any of them and they’ll help you. Everyone is really independent here.” 

“Thanks, Hongjoong.”

He smiled and waved as he walked off, something he did often. After you completely lost any trace of him from your field of vision, you looked around to see what everyone was doing. Surprisingly, everyone went back to their original places except for Jongho who was now lifting weights off to the sideline and Wooyoung who was at the sniping range at another glass-enclosed room, similar to the room where Yunho and San were practicing. You walked towards Wooyoung, deciding that he was probably a good target to gain information from and entered the transparent room. Immediately upon entering, the loud gunshots that were being released echoed throughout the compacted space. 

“Hey, Wooyoung. Mind if I join you?”

Wooyoung looked up upon hearing your voice and smiled as he scooted over to the side to make space for you, “Of course. Just grab one of the rifles. All of them should be loaded already,” he pointed at the weaponry table nearby and you complied. After grabbing one of the guns, you laid down and positioned yourself on your stomach next to him, as you both aimed and began shooting at the target. The bullets ricocheted at a patterned pace and you noted how his aim was incredibly accurate. 

“Thank you.”

You glanced at Wooyoung, startled at the sudden gratification, “For what?”

“The mock battle. San looked really happy. It’s been a while since he’s met someone who fought around his skill level. I think he had fun.”

You stared at him, bewildered. Did he seriously thank you for fighting his fellow member? 

“You guys seem really close,” you murmured softly as you took your gaze back at the scope on your rifle. 

“Yeah, we met when we were younger and kinda grew up together from there on,” Wooyoung answered, you peaked at his direction and could see his eyes soften a little even though he stared directly through the scope, one eye squinting and the other fully open to focus on his precise aim.

“How did you guys join ATEEZ? If you don’t mind sharing,” you asked nonchalantly to hide your true intentions.

“Ah, sure thing,” Wooyoung finally took his gaze away from the scope and shifted his position so he could face you and you mirrored his movement. 

“Hmm…let’s see. We met when were thirteen. I grew up at a foster house before I met San and he convinced me to get out. The people there didn’t really care if I left since I kept getting into trouble. I wasn’t really a good kid…San wasn’t that much better than I was so we both became a duo gang,” he chuckled with slight bitterness and continued as you listened intently, “At first, we only stole some stuff and stirred up shit every now and then, just enough to keep us alive and entertained…but then as each year pass by, things escalated and I…” Wooyoung looked down, face anguished as he seemed to recall his past. 

You tried to stop him, but he kept going, face still down, “I-I killed someone…”

Your body stiffened upon hearing the action that was far too familiar in your life. Wooyoung looked up as his eyes met your own.

“San and I were out doing our usual thing and we encountered some other gang. That wasn’t anything new but we were severely outnumbered and they happened to be stronger than what we were used to. I thought we were both going to end up dying there so I shot them. All of them. Except for one that I missed and was behind me. The one that San ended up killing. We ended up living that night but we felt dead. We both fell into this deep pit of depression soon after, feeling empty, and ended up homeless since we didn’t care to do anything after that. We were just waiting to get out of this hell we suffered mentally…” 

You gulped down the stiff knot in your throat, feeling your anxiousness creeping up since you knew exactly how they felt. Wooyoung reached forward, gently bringing your hand onto his before he continued, “One night, San and I were laying on some random sidewalk. We were actually on the verge of death but we didn’t care. I’m not sure what San felt but I was happy, almost excited to finally die. I thought I could finally escape my sorrows… but when it really hit me that my existence was on the verge of being erased from this world, I got really scared for both of us... A lot of people passed by not giving us a single glance expect occasional looks of disgust. That is except for this one guy. He didn’t look at us like we scum. He didn’t look at us like other people did. This guy actually laid down right between San and I. At first, I thought he was some drunk bastard but I didn’t have the energy to argue. We all laid there, on the busy city sidewalk, staring at the night sky that seemed unfittingly beautiful with San and I dying and do you know what he said?” 

You stared at him, a little afraid to continue to listen, “...what?”

“He said, ‘This isn’t how humans should live.’ And that’s when I thought he was truly crazy and thought he was joking at first since there’s no way San and I were humans… but when I looked at him, he was serious. I tried to crawl away from him in fear, I looked over at San and he wasn’t moving. I thought he died already, leaving me with this crazy guy but I was desperate to get away from him. He didn’t stop me, he didn’t have to since I didn’t have the strength to advance even a foot away. But then he spoke up for the second time that night, ‘Let me help you and your friend. It’s not too late. Whatever you’re both struggling with, I’ll carry the burden with you both.’ I remember cursing and yelling at him over how he didn’t know anything about our lives and what we’ve been through but he just smiled. Not a mocking smile, but a knowing smile. It was the type of smile that makes you feel like you were being embraced with comfort, it was the type of smile that gave you life…”

Wooyoung squeezed your hand lightly and brought his other hand closer to your face, “Do you know who that guy was?”

“W-Who?”

“It was Hongjoong.” Wooyoung answered with a nostalgic smile as he placed the falling strand of your hair behind your ear and continued, “He gave San and I the will to live again and took us in ATEEZ. He accepted all of our flaws and took us in, calling us family.”

You stared at Wooyoung, unable to formulate words and Wooyoung gave you his usual boxy smile, “And now you’re family too, y/n.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family… Why do the people living in this mansion throw such a heavy word around as if it's weightless without burden? 

No. It’s not that. 

It’s the exact opposite for them. 

To them, family is merely a simple word in the dictionary that isn’t nearly enough to fully describe their bond.

A bond that’s so strong that they’ve carried and supported it throughout their ups and downs. 

So how could Wooyoung even dare to call you family?

An outsider, a murderer that kills with no mercy, a betrayer.

Obscure emotions coated you both mentally and physically as you sat on the edge of your bed, resting your weary head in your cold hands. After the talk with Wooyoung, you quickly excused yourself, unable to maintain being by his side or with him holding your hand with such care. You’re sure you got strange looks from the others when you ran out of the basement, but you didn’t care. It was suffocating to be there, with them. 

A flash of lightning lit up the dark room for a split second with the roaring thunder following soon after. You blocked your ears with your hands to mute the rumbling of the storm and raindrops hitting your vast window rapidly. 

There was no way they viewed you as family…as one of them… They must’ve been waiting for you to shatter your guard down to expose you so they could kill you...

After exhaling one quivering breath, you took your phone out to make a call.

“Speak.”

“Boss, I have called to give an update regarding ATEEZ.”

“Continue.”

“It’s an eight-member subunit with the leader being Kim Hongjoong. Then from eldest to youngest, Park Seonghwa, Jeong Yunho, Kang Yeosang, Choi San, Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung, and Choi Jongho. I have specific information upon Jung Wooyoung.”

“Continue.”

“Jung lived in a foster home for thirteen years, cut ties after meeting Choi San and formulated as a duo gang for two years until they met their leader. Jung specializes in sharpshooting and is titled as their official sniper.”

“How and why did Choi San and Jung Wooyoung meet?”

You paused at your boss’s question… How and why did they meet…? Was it really by sheer chance? You didn’t know… Before you even had time to panic or collect your words, your boss spoke up again.

“Why are you silent? I asked you a question. Now, speak.”

“I do not have an answer,” you replied, trying to remain as monotone as possible, ignoring your hand that was beginning to shake.

“Then let me ask you this. Who is the overall bastard that’s running the shitty organization, KQ? The one responsible for sending out a mission to a rat to eliminate my entire west wing?” Your boss’s voice was full of spite and wrath. It was evident even through the stifling phone call on the other side of the line. 

“Speak and do not disappoint me.”

You clenched your hand into a fist, nails sharply digging through your skin due to the absolute terror you were feeling but you still didn’t have a choice but to answer.

“I do not have an answer. I apologi-”

A loud sigh echoed through the call, “Let’s not waste time with that. Really, if you weren’t a useless piece of shit, you wouldn’t even have to apologize right now. I said not to disappoint me, and that’s exactly what you. have. done. But-”

Your grip tightened even more, feeling the warm red liquid spill as you continued to listen to the sinister voice that possessed the deed to your life. 

“-But, consider yourself blessed and spared from being killed since I just received promising news from the east division and am in a particularly good mood. Do whatever it takes to obtain information. I want to know everything. I don’t care what you do, be their slave if you have to. In the end, I will be getting what I want. Do not disappoint me again.”

*click*

You finally released the prolonged breath you were holding as you let your hand that was holding the phone fall on the bed, the call dead as you felt. The room was silent, but you could still hear the alarming pounding of your heart as it beat erratically but felt it pause when you heard a knock on the door.

“Y/n? Are you there?”

The muffled voice behind the door verified with familiarity… It was Seonghwa.

You dragged your numb legs to move across the floor so you could reach the door. Blood trickled from your palm as you marked each step and unlatched the door once you reached your destination, revealing Seonghwa’s aura that was full of warmth.

“Oh! I’m glad you answered. I thought you might’ve been sleeping. I just wanted to see if you wanted anything to eat since you skipped breakfast…” His eyes were not quite meeting yours, almost timid to do so. An entire demeanor that was the complete opposite compared to the first time you both have met. He slowly looked up to see your face, as if he finally gained the courage to do so, “I mean, I bet you’re hungry-”

His voice immediately evolved from a hint of glee to utter worry after taking in what was in front of him. His eyes widened as it trailed to the strands of your hair that were sticking to your temples due to the cold sweat, then to your eyes without a single glint that was almost lifeless as your body trembled, and then down to your bloody hand. 

“No thanks. I don’t want any-”

Seonghwa grabbed your uninjured hand, ignoring your response as he led you somewhere in a hurry. You strongly protested but your voice was weakened that also layered with exhaustion, which Seonghwa was definitely attentive on. He was dragging you but still with much gentleness and caution although he ignored your disapproval. As he continued to guide you across the long hallway, Yunho was walking from the opposite direction, mirroring the worried look that Seonghwa had on his face. He was going to ask why he was in such a hurry but retracted his question when he saw you following behind him, your hand in his. He felt his chest slightly twinge until he saw the lifeless look on your face. The same face he saw back when you guys were at your apartment. The face he disliked the most on you especially. Seonghwa passes by Yunho without noticing him while he still guided you, his determined mind inhibited his field of vision as he left Yunho behind. Yunho looked down at his feet as he sighed, but his eyes widened when he saw droplets of blood on the marble floor, creating a pathway that followed you and Seonghwa.

Upon reaching a door that slightly differed in design like the rest, Seonghwa hastily grabbed the handle and opened the sliding door as he led you inside to a room that looked similar to an infirmary. The whiff of chlorine bombarded your nostrils instantly, reminding you the numerous times you’ve cleaned your own wounds in the past. He released his grip on your hand, taking the warmth with him but your hand, as if it had a mind of its own, reached forward to grasp his hand once again, desperate to rid the coldness that was severely unwanted. The action startled both you and Seonghwa but he was quicker to recover and squeezed your hand in return. 

“I just need to grab some things to treat your hand,” his voice was soft much like his movements as he raised his free hand and gently placed it on top of your head, caressing it tenderly as he spoke in a whisper, “I’m not going anywhere.” 

You nodded as you looked down, unable to maintain eye contact and released his hand, trying your best to endure the cold that overtook your hand replacing his warmth. Seonghwa lightly ruffled your hair before he withdrew his touch to go find the proper tools to treat your injury and you immediately craved his coziness again. He shuffled through cabinets and drawers, putting the necessities on top of a metallic tray and made his way back to you.

“You can sit right here,” he directed you to a seat that looked much like it belongs to a doctor’s and you complied. He crouched on the floor facing you as he sat the metal tray next to him and placed your bloody hand on top of your knee, palm facing up, revealing the origin of the wound for him to see. You observed Seonghwa as he began cleaning off the now dry blood on your hand that was already beginning to scab over and the imprints of your nails were now clearly visible. He was immensely quick with his hands as if he’s done something similar or even worse many times before. His blonde hair was a little disheveled as he continued to work swiftly yet calmly to avoid adding any more pain on your hand. 

“Am I causing too much pain?”

No, it’s the opposite, you thought to yourself and shook your head. He bandaged your hand neatly, evident that his skills were pristine as he finished the treatment.

“Are you in pain anywhere?” Seonghwa asked as he looked up to see your face and you paused. 

Your head lowered slowly and you squeezed your eyes shut.

“Are you hurt anywhere else, y/n?” Seonghwa repeated the question, tone lowering ever so slightly and more serene.

You nodded hesitantly. 

“Where..?” 

“Here,” you placed your hand on your chest and clutched the fabric of your shirt. 

“It hurts here and I-I don’t-” your voice cracked but you pushed forward, “I don’t know why-”

Seonghwa reached forward abruptly, sliding you off the seat as he pulled you down to him so he could fully embrace you in his arms.

“Y/n…it’s okay to cry,” he whispered directly to your ear, voice soothingly deep, “It’s okay to cry. You don’t have to hold it in anymore. No one will see you if you do and no one is stopping you... I won’t stop you.”

Upon hearing his words, you felt a droplet roll down your cheek as if on cue. Then another drop of tear followed soon after the other until it persisted in a flowing pace. You pushed back from Seonghwa ever so slightly to free your arms to somehow stop the continuous droplets but you failed. The abundance of tears that had been stored for countless years finally screamed of its release from your confinement. Seonghwa tried to pull you back into his chest but you stopped him.

“I-I can’t stop,” the words came out in hiccups as the lump in your throat hindered to project your voice but you still forced yourself, “Your s-shirt will get- wet.”

“Let it,” Seonghwa spoke the two words straightforwardly as he pulled you back into his chest again, with a little more force this time and you finally broke down, weeping. He kept his firm hand on the back of your head as he caressed it. He kept whispering things into your ear but you couldn’t fully comprehend what he was saying, being too overwhelmed with emotions, but you felt secure.

Little did you both know, Yunho was just outside of the room, only on the other side of the sliding door. He paused before entering as his hand gripped the handle until his knuckles turned white after overhearing your pained sobs and Seonghwa’s consoling words to you. 

“I’ll never leave you behind.”

Yunho’s heart twinged in pain.

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-e|n: i’m sorry it took some time to post this chapter. i had a lil case of writer’s block especially with my finals around the corner but i’m content with how this chapter turned out. thank you for reading and let me know what you think or if you have any predictions! :)

[ellewritingrecs]

ATEEZ :

Kim Hongjoong

Dating!au - @stray-lids​

For Your Entertainment - @atiny-piratequeen 📌

Park Seonghwa

Dating!au - @stray-lids​

Sempiternal - @jonghorror 📌

Playing Nice - @sa-honey 💛

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned - @sanlusts 💛

That Boy - @dimplyjae 

He Needs Someone - @rosy-wooyoung 📌

Park Enterprise - @mingishoe 📌

Sweet Like Honey (ft. Johnny Seo) - @sluttyten​ 📌

Sweet Like Honey Pt2 (ft. Johnny Seo) - @sluttyten​ 📌

Midnight Snack (ft. San & Jongho) - @bananabeanz 

You Can’t Even Reach My Neck - @kpopscenario 📌

Cheat Codes - @serendipityunho

Vox Populi - @thinkyoureholy 📌

Jeong Yunho

I Wish That You Would Love Me - @yunhosaurora📌

Soul Eater - @thinkyoureholy 📌

Hacker Boy_ - @ncttrashnoodle 📌

Bitter Envy - @serendipityunho 📌

Secrets - @actuallythatwaspromise 

Dating!au - @utopianvoices

Lights Out - @utopianvoices

What If I Told You... - @atothetiny

Offer - @yuunhos 📌

One Of These Days - @yunhosaurora 📌

Artificial Habits (ft. Mingi & San) - @vocalyunho​ 📌

Peach Pie - @atinybrew 📌

Captain Crunch and Dumb n’ Dumber (ft.Mingi) - @atinybrew​ 📌

Burnouts (ft. Jongho & San & Mingi)  - @atinybrew 📌

Naked - @atinybrew 📌

Kang Yeosang

Dating!au - @stray-lids

Bloodbag - @actuallythatwaspromise 📌

Sobriety - @dearmisery 

Pride And Prejudice!au - @warmau

Choi San

Tainted - @kpopscenariosmadness 📌

Fragile Figures - @thinkyoureholy 📌

Video Games - @moonlight-aus

Body Talk - @yunhosaurora 💛

Nefarious - @choirros 📌

Artificial Habits (ft. Yunho & Mingi) - @vocalyunho​ 📌

Midnight Snack (ft. Seonghwa & Jongho) - @bananabeanz​ 

Stray Cat - @angelbaejin 📌

Boyfriend Duties - @starboypsh 📌

Burnouts (ft. Jongho & Yunho & Mingi) - @atinybrew​ 📌

Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - @vocalyunho

Rice Milk Lattes and Bryophyte Roads - @atinybrew 📌

Song Mingi

A Big Bad Softie - @sugar-kisser 💛

Partners, Always - @ateezatease 📌

Best Friends To Lovers - @duhdaniel 

Breaking The Rules - @yunhosaurora 📌

Camboy_ - @ncttrashnoodle 📌

Silence - @sa-honey 💛

Wings 📌 Wings II 📌 - @needyateez

Aurora Garden Centre and Desire Ink - @actuallythatwaspromise 📌

Artificial Habits (ft. Yunho & San) - @vocalyunho 📌

Captain Crunch and Dumb n’ Dumber (ft.Yunho) - @atinybrew 📌

Burnouts (ft. Jongho & San & Yunho) - @atinybrew​ 📌

Jung Wooyoung

Pretty Baby - @feelthevision 📌

Frat Boy - @ateellaz

There Are No Gods Here - @locally-grown-dreams 📌

Choi Jongho

Midnight Snack (ft. San & Seonghwa) - @bananabeanz​ 

Flexed - @serendipityunho

Burnouts (ft. Yunho & San & Mingi) - @atinybrew​ 📌

OT8

No Fear, I’m Here - @a-tothe-z 📌

@feelthevision ‘s masterlist to read 📌

@soulofatiny ‘s masterlist to read 📌

No Fear, I’m Here - @soulofatiny 📌

@bustdownyunho ‘s masterlist to read 📌

@vocalyunho ‘s masterlist to read 📌

Insatiable - @yunhosaurora 💛

@aceteezinwonderland​ ‘s masterlist 📌

Christmas with PolyAteez - @atothetiny 📌

Will You Join Us - @prettyseonghwa 📌

@dearmingii ‘s masterlist to read 📌

@sanstreasure ‘s masterlist to read 📌

Purith - @mingieshh 📌

@barnesbabee ‘s masterlist

[soulofatiny]

okay but imagine this...

ateez hair concepts–

hongjoong:

flamin’ hot red hair for the flamin’ hot man

bangs pushed back, please keep the mullet

seonghwa:

black black black I love his blonde hair but I miss black hair seonghwa so much

grow it out slightly, kinda like his predebut hair with very soft waves

yunho:

blue-black

semi-shaved only on one side, push bangs back but not all the way hope this makes sense like how I’m imagining it bc it looks amAzing

yeosang:

black with either red highlights or red tips

push it back, let it drop, either way you’ll look amazing yeosang can highkey pull anything off

san:

add caramel/blonde toned highlights along with his red highlights

slight undercut kinda like the tease he is and makes us wanting more

mingi:

dark purple this will look SO good

keep his current cut, leaving the undercut part black

wooyoung:

black hair with ashgray tips if we wanna go crazy

under cut all the way my dude and push those beautiful bangs back

jongho:

rather than a reddish brown, I think blondish brown hair (dirty blonde?) would really make his beautiful melanin pop

EXPOSE FOREHEAD!! let it breathe KQ

[soulofatiny]

{10:11pm}

“Show me.”

“It’s not even that bad–”

“No... show me your fist. Now.”

After Mingi sensed the genuine concern that lingered with the tone of your voice, he reluctantly raised his fist slowly, his hand leveling your eyes for you to see.  When a gasp left your mouth, he was quick to defend himself, “It’s really not that bad! It doesn’t even hurt–“ Instead of listening to him make excuses, you wasted no time and grabbed his other uninjured hand and led him to the bathroom. Without saying a single word to him, you pointed at the counter for him to sit on so you can clean his wounds. Observing his hand more, it was worse than you had thought. His knuckles were awfully scraped and beginning to scab over, the bluish-purple rings of bruises already forming around his fingers. It might even be sprained or broken but you didn’t know. You weren’t a doctor. 

You hated this. You hated how he got into fights. 

As the disinfectant came in contact with his knuckles, Mingi clenched his fist only slightly but just enough for you to notice. It must really hurt...

“Y/n…I’m sorr–“

“You promised…” 

When you finally spoke up, Mingi was listening intently, preparing to hear every single word you’re about to say because he knew he messed up. Releasing a shaky breath, you continued, “You promised me so why did you get into another fight again?”  

When you looked up to hear his answer, Mingi’s heart shattered as he noticed the tears that are threatening to fall from your eyes. He knew you were trying really hard not to cry because you knew how much it hurt Mingi when you did. Even when he messed up, you were always so thoughtful towards him. He tried to answer you but failed to release a single sound out of his mouth. 

You looked down back at his hand to continue wrapping it, a sole tear escaping from the captivity of your eye. When he felt the droplet fall onto his hand, Mingi also began to cry. He didn’t mean to hurt you. He didn’t mean to do this to you again. 

“Y/n…I’m sor-ry… They were saying really provocative things…about you and I-I just couldn’t control–“ Mingi lifted his uninjured hand to cover his eyes as he continued to choke out his words, ���I  couldn’t c-control my anger…I’m sorry. I’m really r-really sorry. I know you don’t deserve someone who keeps hurting you like this– I-I’m sorry…”

Mingi had cried in front of you before, but never like this. Never to this extent. You quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders to embrace him, the cotton of your shirt soaking up every bit of his tears. “Shhh..Mingi, it’s okay. You still shouldn’t have settled with violence, but we’ll work through this…together. Okay? We can work on this together.”

You felt Mingi nodding in your arms, and you released him to look directly into his eyes. Both of your eyes were red from mental exhaustion and glistening from crying. 

You took his bandaged hand up to your lips and pressed a gentle kiss on his knuckles.

“We’ll always be together.”

[soulofatiny]

🅜🅐🅢����🅔🅡🅛🅘🅢🅣

Series:

No fear, I’m here  –  ongoing...

assassin!au, mafia!au, enemies to lovers!au | ot8 (ship tba) x (f) reader/oc

Obscure Emotions – ongoing...

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Hongjoong: 

{10:32am}  |  {6:39pm}

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Seonghwa:

{7:32pm}  |  {11:11pm}

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Yunho:

{4:13pm}  |  {9:06pm}

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Yeosang:

{7:03pm}

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San:

{12:00am}  |  {2:03am}  |  {3:02pm}

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Mingi:

{10:11pm}  |  {11:16pm}

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

Wooyoung:

{9:30am}

Home Run!! — coming soon...

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

Jongho:

{4:00pm} 

Meeting Your Eyes

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

OT8:

ateez as sailor moon characters

ateez as types of fish

[soulofatiny]

No fear, I’m here...Ch.4: “Gremlin”

-warning(s): minor mentions of symptoms of anxiety

-word count: 4k

-a|n: here is the 4th chapter! there’s finally some signs of character development beginning and i’m super excited! i’m honestly a hoe for character development

happy reading!

Ch.5

masterlist

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“Goodnight, y/n.”

“Goodnight, Hongjoong.”

You finally opened the door to your guest bedroom, fighting off the unsettling feeling that resided deep within you as you entered. Shutting the door behind you, you clutched onto your chest along with the silky fabric of the dress. What was this uncomfortable sensation you were feeling? Were you ill? No, you’ve felt this way before in the past many years ago, the same displeasing nostalgia that has been haunting you throughout your lifetime. You felt your heart beating faster as your chest was getting tighter and tighter.

“Breathe…just breathe.”

You spoke these words often… even though breathing was supposed to be an automatic maneuver for the human body, you still felt the need to remind yourself as soon as you felt your heart rate picking up, restricting the space in your chest.

After inhaling and exhaling for a couple of minutes, the weighty pounding of your heart managed to subside as it gradually went back to its normal rate. Dropping the hand that was clutching onto your dress, you switched the light switch on as the brightness illuminated throughout the room, finally taking in your surroundings. The first thing that caught your attention besides the spacious room was the window that engulfed the farthest wall of the room completely. Something that was an ongoing theme for this entire mansion, large windows. Whoever designed this mansion must’ve admired the view that the world had to offer. You continued to trail your eyes, examining the room. A bed that was rather expansive in size laid on the center of the right wall. It was definitely way too big compared to what you were used to back in your small studio apartment. The floors had the same marble tiles that were used in the hallway and simplistic art was hanged on several areas of the wall. All in all, it was minimalistic and chic except for the sheer vast amount of space that differed from your usual lifestyle.

Suddenly, you were startled out of your thoughts as someone knocked on the door behind you. You peaked through the peephole on the door and saw Seonghwa standing there with a bag in his hand, patiently waiting for you to open the door.

What did he want…? You checked your forearms, making sure you still had your blades on you, the tip of the sharp weapon ready to make its appearance if necessary before you opened the door.

“Hey, y/n! I’m glad you’re still awake. I wanted to give you this,” he extended the arm that held the bag in front of you, “it’s a set of pajamas. I didn’t think you would want to sleep in what you were wearing now.”

You retracted the blades further back into your leather sleeves, seeing the coast was clear, and reached to grab the bag but something within you wanted to poke fun at him, “what’s wrong with what I’m wearing now?”

Seonghwa widened his eyes and waved his hands speedily, “Oh no! No, nothing’s wrong. It’s a really nice dress. I just wanted to make sure you were comforta–“

You chuckled quietly as he continued to banter and a blush began to spread across his cheeks. His cute behavior contrasted greatly from the flirtatious mature demeanor he portrayed back at Fellaz. You finally grabbed the bag from him, being content with teasing him, “I’m just kidding, Seonghwa. Thank you. I appreciate it,” you smiled up at him. Seonghwa smiled back, as the pink tint still briefly remained on his cheeks. “It’s no problem at all. Goodnight, y/n. I hope you’ll sleep well, yeah?”

“Yeah, you too. Goodnight, Seonghwa,” you replied as you both shared one last look at each other and closed the door. You changed into the pajamas that was given to you and head to bed, feeling the much needed rest hitting you deeply. As soon as you laid your head onto the soft fluffy pillow, sleep engulfed you entirely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Nana……Nana…….”

What’s going on?

“Nana…”

Who’s calling me..?

“Nana! Are you paying attention?”

You looked up to your new teacher, “Miss…”

“Professor! Just call me Professor. Now, come on! Let’s go meet your brother.”

You nodded and followed your Professor back out to the hallway. Her heels clacked loudly and you looked to notice that it was a peculiar color that contrasted from her white lab coat immensely. You tried to inspect it closer but still found it strange no matter how much you examined it.

“Professor…”

The taller woman looked down at you and brought her pen to her clipboard, getting ready to write something down, “Yes, Nana?”

“Your shoes…what color is it?”

She looked down at her shoes and nodded in understanding, “Ah, I see. They probably didn’t show you what ‘colors’ were back at the phase-one training, I’m assuming.”

You nodded, “Yes, but I am familiar with the vocabulary. Please teach me.”

Your teacher smiled widely at you, “Yes of course! My shoes are blue. For example, the ocean is usually portrayed by this color as well.”

“Blue…” you whispered to yourself as you looked at her heels, trying to memorize the newfound color you’ve learned.

The Professor finished jotting down her notes and looked back at you, “Yes, now come on. We’re almost there!”

You both continued to walk down the hallway until she stopped at one of the doors, “Set is in here. He should already know that you’re coming and he’ll fill you in on how things work around here, okay?”

She looked at you expectantly, awaiting your answer.

“Yes, thank you, Professor,” you bowed at the older woman.

“Great! I will see you around Nana!” At that, the professor walked away, the clacking of her heels growing quieter and quieter as the distance between the two of you increased.

You turned to the big metal door in front of you, reached for the knob, and entered.

You walked inside without making a single sound, something you grew in habit of during your phase one training. The room was average size with a bunk bed on the left corner of the room. On the bottom bunk, you saw a boy around your age that was laying down on his back, reading a book. He looked so absorbed in it that you bet he wouldn’t even notice you even if you made a sound. The book was covering his face from your point of view so you moved a little closer.

“You must be Nana,” the boy suddenly uttered without moving from his current position. 
“Y-Yes. You’re Set?” you mumbled softly.

The boy finally sat up, setting his book to the side, and answered, “Yeah, nice to finally meet you, Nana.”

You examined Set’s features. He had dark, slightly wavy locks that covered his forehead and had big brown eyes. But what caught your attention the most was the soft pink-hued birthmark that settled next to his left eye. You realized that you were staring for too long and looked down.

Set noticed your nervousness and reassured you, “You don’t have to be nervous. I know this is new, but we’ve been assigned as siblings so if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.” Set smiled at you softly, hoping it would encourage you to be more comfortable but instead you were confused.

“Nervous..? Afraid…? Is this what I am feeling?” You questioned out loud but more towards for your own self. You were beginning to learn all types of emotions and label them to match your current feelings. Set knew that you wouldn’t understand at first. After all, he also went through the same exact thing when he first arrived at the phase-two institution.

“Yeah, that’s most likely what you’re feeling. It’s okay you’ll get used to it soon.”

You looked at the boy in front of you, “Set…how long have you been here?”

“Two years, so I was eight-years-old when I got here.”

Your eyes widened in shock, “How could anyone be able to finish all of their training at age eight?”

Set laughed at your reaction, “I’m only the third person who got here. I think the two before me came here at age seven.”

You whispered, “Wow,” again, more to yourself but Set still managed to hear it and continued, “I would’ve been able to graduate earlier but I sort of struggled with combat training. They actually let me graduate because my academic score was the highest they’ve ever received.”

You saw his cheesy grin and you knew he was proud of himself. Suddenly, your voice came out in a rhythm pattern without your control. Your eyes grew wide as you covered your mouth as Set laughed even harder, “You just laughed for the first time!”

You laughed again…you were laughing. You clutched onto your stomach, as you continued to laugh. You couldn’t really breathe as comfortably but you didn’t dislike the feeling.

You smiled wide, “Set! I think I like laughing!”

To that, Set stared at you for some time before replying, “I think I like it when you laugh too,” sharing your happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You jumped awake.

The sunlight that entered from the large window reflected onto your newly opened eyes from resting. You brought your arm up, letting the sleeve of your pajamas cover your eyes so you could have your momentary darkness again. You knew it was roughly 7:00 am because you have an internal alarm clock that woke you up automatically every morning. You’ve always cursed this function, especially this morning since you dreamt about your first meeting with Set. It may have been a dream, but you knew deep inside that it was actually your memories.

Where could Set have gone…? Why isn’t he in your life anymore…? You truly wished you didn’t wake up so you could’ve continued your dream, desperate to find the answers to your many questions. 

“How could I have forgotten you…” your voice struggling to rasp out due to your dry throat. 

After debating if you should leave the guest bedroom, you eventually decided to so you could observe the mansion more. 

You swiftly exited out of the room without making a single sound, the same habit that stuck around with you since you were ten-years-old. 

The mansion was quiet, everyone was probably still asleep. Honestly, you didn’t know where to go or what you’re exactly looking for. You just needed to find something to report to your boss at least once a week. You kept walking, hoping that you’ll end up somewhere until a door you just passed by opened suddenly. 

“Y/n? You’re up already?”

You turned around to see the owner of the voice. It’s Jongho.

“Hey, Jongho. Yeah, I always wake up around this time. I wanted something to drink but I think I’m lost,” you silently hoped that you didn’t seem suspicious but Jongho chuckled, indicating that you’re probably safe. 

“Yeah, it’s a big place. I’ll show you where the kitchen is at.”

“Cool, thanks.” 

Jongho nodded and led you towards the way. You both walked in silence, maybe this was a good time for you to gather information. Just when you were about to speak, Jongho beat you to it instead, “Were you able to sleep well?” 

You nodded, you didn’t really know what to say about your rest. Sleeping is just…sleeping. Something that’s a necessity for the human body. 

“Are the others awake too?” you questioned, not knowing what to expect. 

Jongho laughed, “If you’re wondering if you have to see Yunho’s dumb face, then no. That guy doesn’t wake up until almost noon so you’re safe.” 

You stifled a chuckle, “Thank goodness… but what about the others? For real this time.” 

You both arrived at the kitchen. Jongho reached towards the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water for you before answering, “Hmm let’s see. Seonghwa, Yeosang, Hongjoong and Mingi are usually the first ones awake. Seonghwa goes to the market every morning and buys groceries to cook breakfast for us so he should be back anytime by now. Yeosang on the other hand, wakes up early but stays in his room until breakfast is ready. Hongjoong stays in his office to sort out missions and Mingi usually follows him to help him. Wooyoung actually sleeps even later than Yunho, usually past noon. No one really complains though because we save money on breakfast. And San, it really depends for him. He could either be sleeping the entire day away or wake up around this time like me to go work out in the training room. Which, I’m sure he must be waiting for me down at the basement.” 

As if on cue, Seonghwa enters the kitchen with his arms full of grocery bags. 

“Ah, see I was right,” Jongho nudged your arm lightly, “Morning, hyung. That’s a lot of bags you got there.” 

Seonghwa placed all of the bags on the island counter, slightly out of breath, “Morning, guys! There was a sale! Oh and y/n, I got some clothes that you can change into for when you go back to your place to pack your things.” 

You stood there astonished. This was not what you’ve expected from a crew of deadly members… Joking around is one thing but their lifestyles seemed…normal. 

Were they pulling an act so you won’t find out about their true selves? 

What were they hiding?

Seonghwa and Jongho exchanged eye contact, not knowing why you fell silent. “Y/n…are you okay?” Seonghwa asked as both he and Jongho looked ‘genuinely’ concerned. 

They must be good actors…

“Yeah, I’m alright. It’s just… you all seem really close and.. normal.” 

“It’s because we’re like family. No, we are family,” Jongho stated confidently. Hongjoong said the same exact thing last night. How could their leader and their maknae be able to sync so well together despite the major difference in levels of authority…? You truly couldn’t comprehend how it was possible. 

Seonghwa added on, “Y/n, we’re really close because we’ve all been through tough times together. We were lucky to be able to build that relationship to where it’s standing today. Hongjoong and I didn’t get along at all at first…but now I can’t imagine life without him.”

“Ew, hyung, sappy much?~” Jongho joked with his older member, earning him a smack on his nape.  

“Well, I really gotta go now. San is going to kill me. I’ll see you guys at breakfast!” Jongho fleed, leaving you and Seonghwa alone. 

With the absence of the maknae’s energetic presence, you and Seonghwa felt some sort of silence that was a little awkward but you both didn’t dislike it. 

“Can I help you make breakfast? It must be tough to cook for the entire group.”

Seonghwa smiled, appreciating your offer, “I love cooking since it’s a hobby of mine so I really don’t mind, but I would love the help! I’m thinking about making omelettes and french toast.”

You nodded, “Sounds goo-“

“What are you two doing here?”

Oh no…it’s that voice. His voice. You and Seonghwa both turned around, seeing that Yunho standing there. 

“Yunho! You woke up early today and you’re not half asleep either~” Seonghwa joked with his younger member but Yunho’s eyes remained on you. Seonghwa immediately felt the tension taking over the kitchen and continued, “Y/n is here to help me make breakfast! Isn’t that nice of her?” he emphasized every word of the last sentence, almost threatening Yunho to agree. You expected Yunho to say some sarcastic remark but you thought wrong.

“Sure. Can I help too?”

“What?” you and Seonghwa both blurted out at the same time. It would’ve been a comical moment but you two were seriously confused at his unexpected answer. 

“I want to help too. Make breakfast, that is.” 

You stayed silent, not knowing what to say this time but Seonghwa was quick to agree, almost too enthusiastically. 

“Great! Then Yunho, will you crack the eggs? Y/n you can begin cooking it on the frying pan when Yunho is done. I’ll work on the french toasts.” 

Yunho nodded, but you still stared at him. Honestly not knowing what he’s thinking. When Seonghwa turned to work on the toasts, Yunho moved to the counter where the eggs and the bowl were, ignoring your stare. Really, just what was he thinking? He didn’t even apologize for his rude remark last night. Seriously, this boy didn’t have a single drop of mannerism within him.

“Hey, gremlin. Are you going to help or are you going to keep staring?”

Oh no…you sensed the cheekiness in his voice.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer~” 

And there it was. Honestly, it was way too early to fight back. Yunho looked at you with a cocky grin, the stupid grin that you wanted to smack off of his face. Obviously content, he turned back to the bowl with an egg in his hand. You expected him to crack an egg like a normal person, but then you remembered that Yunho wasn’t normal and he smashed the egg on the corner of the bowl with full force, causing the egg shells to fly all over the counter and into the bowl. Even then, you decided to be nice and stayed quiet, giving Yunho a chance to redeem himself because after all, every single human being could crack an eg—

*CRACK*

You stared at Yunho, appalled. He broke the bowl….

You could tell Yunho was flustered by the way his shoulders tensed, “Don’t say a single wor-“

A laugh escaped from you, quick to cover your mouth but you still couldn’t help yourself as you continued to laugh despite doing your best to block it. Yunho watched you in shock as you laughed, arm propped against the counter for support. This was the first time he’s ever heard you laugh. Not the fake chuckles you let out occasionally that he really dislikes, but a true, authentic laugh. 

“Gremlin, you-“

“What’s going on?” Seonghwa bursts in observing the situation. He was about to ask what you were laughing about until his eyes laid on the broken bowl on the counter next to Yunho. 

“You broke my favorite bowl!” Seonghwa picked up the shards, clearly upset over his fine china. 

“Sorry, hyung. I’ll buy you a new one. Um...I’m gonna go before I break anything else.” Yunho walked out, leaving Seonghwa distressed and with you finally collecting yourself. 

When Yunho left the kitchen, he leaned against the wall of the hallway as his hand was covering his deeply flushed cheeks. 

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The members all began gathering at the dining table one by one, a tradition that they liked to at least attempt to keep, to eat breakfast together. According to Seonghwa, it didn’t always work out because some of the members slept in so you were surprised to see that everyone was present this morning, even Wooyoung who supposedly usually slept past noon. You made eye contact with Yeosang and he pulled the seat next to him and you sat down. 

“Hyung, I thought today was omelette day?” Wooyoung announced.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Seonghwa replied bluntly as Yunho twitched a little in his seat. Wooyoung nodded, happy even with just french toast, “Let’s dig in!”

Everyone hummed in agreement until Hongjoong stood up, a glass of orange juice in his hand, “Let’s make a toast to our new member, y/n!” The rest of the members collectively joined with their respective drinks of coffee, tea, and orange juice, all cheering. Wooyoung grabbed Yunho’s arm and lifted it for him along with his own drink, “Cheers!”

After the members finished eating and carried their plates to the sink, they all dispersed back to their individual activities or missions. You saw Hongjoong placing his plate into the sink so you walked up to him.

“Hey, Hongjoong. Can I go get my stuff at my place? It shouldn’t take long…”

“Of course,” he smiled at you until he spoke again, voice softer this time, “You don’t have to ask to go out, you know? I trust every single one of my members. I just expect them to stick with their responsibilities but other than that, they all have complete freedom. They’re not robots…”

You nodded, things were definitely different here. It’s strange how something fluttered in your stomach at the thought of that.

“Y/n, I’ll send someone that’s available to help you. Just wait at the entrance, okay?”

“Okay, thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all, y/n.”

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You’ve been waiting at the entrance for almost 20 minutes now… You were fixing to leave without any help until you heard him.

“Gremlin, where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

You turned to look at Yunho, of course…the help was him. 

“I’ve been waiting at the entrance like Hongjoong told me to for the past 20 minutes,” you hated wasting time more than anything.

“That’s the guest entrance. No one showed you the member’s entrance?”

“No…”

“Fine, I’ll show you,” Yunho reached to hold your wrist but you yanked it back a little too harsh to the point that it even surprised you. 

“It’s fine… let’s go,” you walked past him as he retracted his hand. 

The “member’s entrance” was actually a garage, you noted. Yunho opened the garage door and you were about to walk out until he stopped you, “What are you doing? We’re not walking there,” he tilted his head over to the cars that were aligned perfectly. Each car was spotless and looked brand new. It was luxurious and normal people definitely would’ve loved to ride the lavish cars but when you thought about having to get in the car, you suddenly felt nauseous. The negative memories of you being transported to different training institutions flashed across your mind, the only times you’ve ever ridden a car. 

Yunho noticed you not following him, “Gremlin, come on. The sooner we finish this the better-“

“I can’t.” 

“What?” Yunho turned back at you to complain but he noticed your complexion being paler than usual with a weary expression on your face. 

“Nothing, let’s go,” you swallowed your anxiousness, opened the door, and sat on the passenger’s side, buckling yourself in with shaky hands. 

‘Breathe…just breathe…You’re not going to another training base…’ you reminded yourself in your head. Yunho followed and switched the key in ignition. He drove out of the garage and head for your apartment, asking you directions every now and then as you mumbled back. 

Only ten more minutes to go until you reach there, it’ll be okay… 

Two minutes have passed and you were holding your breath at this point so Yunho wouldn’t notice your uneasy breathing. Little did you know, Yunho kept stealing glances at you, observing your condition. He suddenly swerved to the side of the road, putting the car in break and parked it. 

Fear began to creep up as you expected the worse. 

“W-What are you doin-“

“Get out.” 

He was going to try to kill you. Of course, he would. He hated you and now is the perfect opportunity to do so.

You got out, getting ready to fight for your life. But Yunho simply got out of the car, locked it, and placed the car keys in his pocket.

“Which way now?” he asked looking around everywhere and at everything except for you.  

“What?”

“Your place. Which way should we go?” he said as he looked down, finally connecting his eyes with yours. 

You meekly pointed at the direction, “Um...left.” 

Yunho began walking towards left without a second later, hands in his pocket.

“What about the car?” you asked.

“Leave it. We don’t need it.” 

You chased after him, struggling to keep up with his long legs, and confused as to why he would suddenly want to walk. 

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-e|n: my heart may or may not have fluttered while writing this... I hope you enjoyed this chapter! let me know what you think, thank you for reading :)

(p.s. the next chapter should be out soon since I’ve already written half of it...)

[soulofatiny]

No fear, I’m here...Ch.5: brother

-a|n: ahhh, it’s finally here. happy reading! 

-word count: 3k

Ch.6

masterlist

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“What about the car?” you asked.

“Leave it. We don’t need it.”

You and Yunho walked side by side as you finally matched his pace until you both arrived at your run-down studio apartment. The entirety of the walk consisted of utter silence as you both didn’t speak a single word. You unlocked your apartment door and turned to face Yunho who was waiting behind you.

“You can stay out here, I really don’t have a lot of stuff…” 

Yunho looked at you for a moment and you were about to repeat what you’ve just said but he walks past you, inviting himself in as he muttered, “It’s fine.” 

As Yunho walked in, he observed your place, stunned. It was definitely minimal... Not the type of minimalist sense of style that he was used to back at the mansion. It was the type of minimal with lack of care in oneself. The apartment was spotless. Not in the way of cleanliness but more so that there wasn’t even an opportunity for it to get untidy. He couldn’t find a single drop of character within the place you resided in all these years, only a mattress without its frame and two wardrobes that were aligned side by side. 

It was cold and lonely. 

He heard you speak up from behind him, “I told you.” 

Yunho opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by you, “It’s fine. This is how I like it.”

But Yunho didn’t believe you. It’s not that you liked it. He knew that this is just how you’ve lived your entire life and didn’t know how to live any other way. 

“Why do you have two wardrobes though?” he asked, thinking about how it’s odd to see two in this tiny apartment. 

“One is for clothes, the other is for weaponry.” 

“That doesn’t really hide your weapons well if someone comes…”

“I just like to keep things tidy,” you answered him all so monotonously, as you began to pack your things.

Yunho also noticed how back at the mansion, you at least showed a small bit of personality but here… it felt like he was speaking to a robot, completely lifeless. He saw that you did have a variety of clothes and makeup but not much, most likely just to seem like a “normal” civilian if anyone saw you.

He continued to observe you as you closed your one single luggage, and turned to face him, “Let’s go.” 

You walked out the door, and Yunho followed. When you both reached outside, Yunho took your suitcase but you still had a firm grip on it. 

“I can carry it,” you slightly snapped.

“I’ll carry it. It’s what I came here for anyways and Hongjoong will get mad at me if I didn’t do anything,” Yunho replied as he shook your grasp off from the luggage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hyung… aren’t they taking a little too long?” Yeosang questioned to Hongjoong as all the members are currently gathered at the living room, summoned by Hongjoong because he wanted to hold a meeting regarding something but they were all waiting for you and Yunho to return so they can begin.

“I bet they killed each other. I told you guys this wasn’t a good idea,” Jongho spoke up.

“I tried calling Yunho but he won’t pick up…” Seonghwa also fretted but Hongjoong remained silent. 

‘Maybe we should go look for them?-”

“No.”

All of the members turned to Hongjoong as Yeosang tried to reason with him, “But hyung, I think we should go look-”

“No,” the leader spoke decisively, “Yunho may not care for her as much as the rest of us do but he’ll never let anything happen to her. Trust him more.”

The members murmured in agreement but the atmosphere was still filled with worry. Even Hongjoong looked concerned despite trying his best not to project it to the others. 

The room was filled with silence but full of inner thoughts until everyone’s heads turned to you and Yunho when you both suddenly walked in.  

“Hey! What took you guys so long?” Wooyoung called out to you both.

“We walked there so it just took a little longer than expected,” Yunho answered back. 

“You guys walked there? Why?” San questioned to you both. You fell stiff because even you didn’t understand why Yunho suddenly decided to walk halfway there.

“Why not? Less pollution,” Yunho stated curtly and everyone gave questioning looks at him.

All the members definitely wanted to pry for the real reason but when they observed your quiet nature and Yunho sending silent signals with his eyes to not ask, they dropped it immediately, hiding their curiosity. 

“Well, I’m glad you’re both back here safely either way. I actually wanted to hold a meeting so we were all waiting for you both to come home so we could begin.”

You looked at the leader and finally spoke for the first time since you both arrived back the mansion, “A meeting?”

Hongjoong nodded, “Yeah, and since everyone is here now. I’ll begin.” 

Each member gave their leader their undivided attention as he continued, “Since we have a new member now, I want us to meet at the training room so we can all train together for the entirety of this week. I want us to observe each other’s movements so when we all go on a mission together, we’ll be perfectly synced. We’ll meet in the basement at 8 am. I don’t want to see anyone late,” Hongjoong scanned Wooyoung as he said the last sentence, definitely indirectly calling out his younger member’s sleeping habits. 

“I know, I know~ you don’t have to worry about me,” Wooyoung responded. 

“Maybe if you stopped oversleeping then no one would have to worry about you,” San joked with him, earning a stifled laugh from all of the members. 

You still couldn’t comprehend how they were able to joke around and always laugh even during a supposedly time of a “meeting”. If they were to do something like this back at your organization, they would’ve been dead long ago… You didn’t know why, but something about that made you feel extremely nauseous. 

As you were lost in your own thoughts, you didn’t notice how Yunho was observing you, much like he did all day. 

“SO-“ Hongjoong brought everyone’s attention back to him once again, “So, we will start fresh tomorrow morning. Meeting dismissed!”

Everyone retreated to their rooms one by one while Mingi and Hongjoong went to his office, most likely to discuss the plan for the week. 

“Thanks for the help,” you mumbled at Yunho as you took your luggage from him and retreated to the guest bedroom. By now, everyone was gone from the living room except for Yunho and Yeosang, who was looking at him expectantly. 

“So, what really happened today?” Yeosang asked as Yunho relaxed on the leather sofa next to him. 

“It seemed like she didn’t like riding cars so we walked. That’s all.”

“Hmm. That’s all?”

“Yup.”

“So you guys walked all the way to her apartment because you were concerned about her not liking to ride cars?”

“No, I wasn’t concerned. I just did it.”

Yeosang glanced at Yunho, who closed his eyes and sunk into the couch more. He couldn’t tell if Yunho was being oblivious or just…stupid so he simply continued to stare at Yunho.

“Stop looking at me like that. I swear I just did it because I felt like it,” Yunho opened one of his eyes slightly to peek at Yeosang who was smiling at him cheekily. Yunho sighed loudly as he stood up from the couch and walked in the opposite direction from where their rooms were at.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go get the car…” 

Yeosang stared at Yunho until his figure disappeared from his field of vision, unable to hide his grin, “I knew you would’ve ended up caring for her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After you took a warm shower, still not completely used to the overly spacious bathroom, your body felt heavy as you dragged yourself underneath the covers and your body gradually immersed within the bed. You didn’t understand why, but you’ve felt unwanted memories suffocating you ever since going to your apartment. Little by little, you finally dozed into your temporary rest.

—

The sunlight soaked through your closed eyelids, alerting yourself awake. You opened your eyes and saw a vast deep blue sky before you as the clouds flowed where the wind was taking them.

You sat up and questioned where you were. How did I end up on the ground?-

“Nana!”

You quickly stood up and desperately looked around to find the owner of the familiar voice. Who was calling you?

“Nana! There you are!” 

You turned around and saw Set running towards you. Ah…that voice. That’s right, it was Set’s. You must have been dreaming about your memories again.

“Nana, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

You smiled at your brother and pointed up at the sky, “Look Set! The sky is almost as blue as Professor’s shoes!”

Set looked up and mimicked your smile as he put his hand on top of your head, “Yeah, it’s beautiful but Nana, look at the ground. I’ll teach you another color.” 

You looked down anticipatingly, “The grass?”

“Yup. It’s green.”

“Green…” you repeated the name of your new knowledge of the color. A gush of wind picked up as it danced with the grass, tickling your legs and imprinting your memories of the color green. 

Much like this, Set taught you many more colors. 

Purple from the grapes you both ate for lunch.

Yellow from the sun you both gazed at until the sun eventually began retiring for the day and gradually shifted to orange. 

The same type of orange as the chair you and Set sat on as he read aloud many books you both enjoyed.

Ever since learning about colors, you became more aware of the beauty of your surroundings. As much as you loved learning, Set loved teaching you.

On one particularly rainy day, you and Set were sitting on the orange chairs as you both stared out the window. You intensely observed each raindrop as it hit the glass, but Set was observing the gate outside that surrounded the perimeter of the facility. He gazed beyond the confining premises... 

A siren sounded you and Set’s room suddenly, gaining both of your attention.

“Ah, dinner’s ready. Come on, Nana. Let’s go.” 

You nodded and got up as you head towards the door. Set took one last look at the gates and then followed you out the door. 

As you and Set entered the cafeteria, you both gained looks from the others who resided in the facility. Mealtime was the only time when all ten of you gathered, but you’ve never spoken to each other before as it was against the rules. Occasionally, they would share a quick smile with you as you would do for them. It became an unspoken rule for all of you to do so to show acknowledgment within one another. You and Set sat down on one of the unoccupied tables. 

Set noticed you grinning instead of eating your beef stew.

“Whatcha grinning about, Nana?”

“I’m just really happy to be here. I hope I can be here with you forever.”

Set’s heart cracked a little upon hearing what you’ve said and mumbled, more to himself, “This isn’t how we should live…”

“What?”

“Nothing… you should eat your stew before it gets cold.” 

You nodded, taking the spoon to take a bite but you paused, “Set, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Set answered as he gave you his attention.

“C-Can I maybe call you brother? I’ve read it in books before where the younger sibling calls the older one brother or sister. I know we’re the same age but since you got here before me, I see you as my older brother and I’ve always wanted to call you that...” you slightly fidgeted nervously, uncertain about how he would feel about the idea.

Set smiled deeply, a true smile that was caused by genuine happiness. 

“Of course you can!” he answered as he reached over the table and put his hand on your head, patting it gently. 

You beamed at his acceptance, “Thank you, brother!”

—

You felt the sunlight soaking through your eyelids once again and opened your eyes, back to reality. 

How long has it been before I felt the same type of happiness I’ve felt during that time? You questioned to yourself.

Where was your brother…?

After taking a few more motionless moments, you got up to get ready. It was the first day of training with the others and you didn’t know what to expect but this was the perfect opportunity to give the intel that your boss required of you. You changed into your black athletic wear and head out to go to the basement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you were nearing your destination, you heard a deafening yell coming from the basement along with a unique high pitched laugh that followed with it.

“Jongho! Stop hitting the punching bag like that! You’re gonna break your knuckles,” you heard coming from a familiar voice.

You guessed it was most likely Wooyoung’s and saw that your inkling was right when you entered the training room with Wooyoung collapsed on the floor with laughter and Jongho striking his fists on the punching bag at an abnormally fast pace. The others were spread out sporadically in different areas, honestly, it surprised you that they were all present even though there was still 15 minutes before the promised time. Mingi and Seonghwa were having a combat match while Hongjoong observed them. Yeosang was sitting on the benches on the sideline, laughing at Jongho and Wooyoung. San was throwing knives at a target on the other side of the room while Yunho was in a shooting range which was in an enclosed area that was transparent with glass, making it visible as he shot on the target. Both San and Yunho’s aims were nearly impeccable, as they each hit the center. Mingi was the first one to notice you as he was the only one that was originally facing your direction, and announced your arrival, gaining the looks of all eight of them. 

“Y/n! You’re early,” Seonghwa said as they all began gathering around you, except for San and Yunho who were still in the mini glass section of the room. 

“You’re all early too,” you answered back. 

“Ah, yeah. We were just excited since it’s been a while since we were able to find the time to train together as a whole,” Mingi added. 

You nodded in understanding along with the others, seeing the strong bond the boys had for each other. 

“Well, now that we’re all here. Let’s start,” Hongjoong stated, his tone shifting with leadership as he continued, “Y/n, if I remember correctly what ZG had told me, I believe you’re capable of all fields but specialize in blades?”

You nodded as San swiftly swings his arm around your shoulders, jumping a little as he startled you, “Ahh, just like me~” 

“I figured. I saw you throwing knives. Your aim was pretty good,” you uttered as you glanced at the red-haired boy.

San gazed into your eyes as he pulled you closer slightly and smiled, exposing the dimples that lie on either side of his mouth symmetrically. 

“As I was saying-“ you averted your eyes from San’s as you brought your attention back to Hongjoong upon hearing his voice, who along with the some of the other members, looked at you both intriguingly, “I wanted to see your skills with my own eyes.” 

“How about a mock battle between you and San? I wanna see you kick his ass,” Wooyoung suggested playfully.

San removed his arm around your shoulder and gave Wooyoung a joking slap on the nape, complaining about the lack of faith from his best friend.

You immediately noticed the change in temperature due to the sudden loss of contact of where his arm used to be. It felt colder and you also sensed an unknown fluttering in your stomach. 

“Actually, a mock battle isn’t a bad idea. What do you say?” Hongjoong looked at you eagerly and you accepted. The others all went up to the balcony to observe from above, hearing the faint voices of them guessing who would win. You and San went to the weaponry table. Seeing all types of blades aligning perfectly before you gave you some sort of satisfaction and excitement. 

“Nice, isn’t it?” San asked as he chuckled, seeing the delight in your eyes even though you tried to hide it from your face. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty,” you mumbled.

San watched as you continued to inspect each weapon, finding joy in that someone shared the same admiration of blades as much as he did. 

“These are my favorite,” San reached forward and grabbed the two 18-inch swords and handed them to you as you inspected it. The twin blades had a straight clean cut with a simple black leather handle that blended with the metal into one straight bar. It was exquisitely crafted. 

“It’s beautiful,” you whispered to yourself as you admired the blades but San heard you. 

“You can use those.”

“But aren’t these your favorite?”

“Yeah, but I’ll let you borrow them since you seem to love them so much,” San teased and you felt your face heating up. 

“Ya! What’s taking you guys so long? I want to see some slicing!” Jongho called out from the balcony, mimicking what he said as he sliced the air with his arms. 

“Geez, hang on. We take our weapons very seriously!” San called back as the members complained. 

“Come on. We should go now,” San turned to you and placed his hand on top of your head before he walked towards the center of the training room. The action caught you off guard as the memories of your brother flashed through your mind. His touch felt nostalgic yet still somehow different from familiarity. 

Not now...

You shake your thoughts away and followed San to the center, and faced him as you mirrored him. 

“Ready...fight!”

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-e|n: i hope you enjoyed this chapter! it definitely leaned more towards getting to know nana’s past and it’s coming in to light piece by piece. let me know what you think! :)

[soulofatiny]

No fear, I’m here... Ch.3: the ninth member

-a/n: i feel like this chapter is soooo much better than the last chapter since there are more interactions. i hope you guys enjoy!

-warning(s): some minor mentions of anxiety, but i really wanted to put this as a warning in case it is triggering for some

-word count: 5.8k yikes

Ch.4

masterlist

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“Retreat your mission and come see me immediately. Things have changed…”

*click*

You slipped your phone back into the inner pocket of your leather jacket and began walking straight towards the exit. The musicians have stopped playing and you could feel their eyes that’s been following every path you make for your leave. You could still hear Yunho taking turns yelling at you and then at Seonghwa for still holding him back in the background. Goodness… he was honestly starting to give you a headache with all the creative threats he was coming up with… This was the guy who took out your entire west wing? Massaging your temples to relieve some of your aggravation from the loud noise, a figure swiftly moves in front of you, blocking your way to the exit that was only one step away from your reach.

“Leaving so soon?”

He spoke with such bold confidence emitting from him.

You looked up to link where the voice was coming from, startled because you didn’t feel his presence coming at all and were met with the cheekiest grin you’ve ever seen. You took a small step back to observe his face fully. He also looked like he was roughly around the same age as you, being a few inches taller. He had red highlights in his dark hair that matched his brash, dimpled smile perfectly. But what truly caught your attention was his eyes. They were soft yet intense that almost had a cat-like glint to them. It made you feel serene yet intimidated all at the same time. If wisps of his hair weren’t partially concealing his eyes, his gaze that was piercing into your eyes would’ve been twice as more intense.

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

You averted your eyes, his gaze almost too hypnotizing for you to bear. When you finally regained your composure, you were finally able to speak in a slicing decisive tone, “Move.” You looked up to meet his eyes again, this time with a strong glare. His smirk and eyes seemed softer this time. If you made your judgment correctly, they also had a hint of regret that laid with his dark pupils. “I mean, you barely finished your coffee and Yunho looks like he really wants you to stay.” You physically cringed upon hearing Yunho’s name, unable to stand the huge amount of annoyance you had developed towards him during this short amount of timeframe. Honestly, it must be a talent to get under someone’s skin so quickly. Your thoughts were adverted when you suddenly heard a deep voice that spoke up behind you, “San, enough. Let her go. I’m sure she’s been summoned.” The man in front of you who’s now apparent name, San, regained his cheeky grin again, “Awww come on Mingi, you’re no fun!” You turned your head to see the man named Mingi, who was much taller than you. His vivid blue-green streaks in his hair were much more vibrant up close compared to when he was on stage. He also had prominent features. Something you’ve noticed that all of the men in this building seemed to have. Not just outwardly appearance but their auras as well. They all carried themselves well.

“Hongjoong’s orders. Come on, move so she can go.” Mingi and San stared at each other for a couple of seconds, seemingly communicating in an unspoken conversation until San finally gives in and sighs, “Alright, alright,” he looked down towards you and spoke in a hushed tone so quiet that you almost missed what he said, “I’ll see you again.” He finally moves to the side, unblocking himself from the exit. As you were walking you quickly muttered, “Seems unlikely,” not catching San’s face slightly falling into gloom as you finally walked out, leaving everything and everyone behind you. Mingi walked up to San who was still looking at the direction where you just left and put his hand on San’s shoulder, knowing how San must’ve been feeling. “Hyung, come on. We should probably go tell Yeosang what happened. I’m sure he would like to know.” The two men turned to their maknae, and Mingi added, “Yeah. Jongho, go update Hongjoong. He should be at the base right now. The rest of us will go to you guys after we update Yeosang.” Jongho nodded and left for the base exiting from the back door. Mingi slung his arm around San’s shoulders as dragged him towards the rest of the members where Yunho still seemed angry but seemed much calmer thanks to Wooyoung additionally helping Seonghwa calm him down.

“Honestly, Yunho. Did you really have to provoke her?” Seonghwa scolded at Yunho, who looked extremely unimpressed until Mingi added in, “and thanks to that, you’re going to be the one to tell Yeosang what happened.” But Yunho was quick to retort, “No way! Who knows what he’s going to do to me-“ “Well you should’ve thought of that before you picked a fight with her,” San stated matter-of-factly. Yunho knew that his members were right but he couldn’t help but feel distaste towards you. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to win an argument against four people, he gave in, “fine, I’ll tell him but I still don’t like her.” “Alright, case closed! Let’s go. I’m hungry!” Wooyoung blurted out with a huge smile, honestly finding the entire situation too serious and gloomy for his liking. All of them left one by one, Yunho being the last. He looked back one last time at the stool you were sitting on earlier. There’s no way he would ever trust you…

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As you were making your way towards your organization, you couldn’t get you Boss’s determined voice out of your head, “Things have changed…”

What could’ve possibly changed? Could he have really changed his mind about the assassination when your entire west wing was annihilated? As much as you disliked him, his skills must’ve been pretty subpar taking in that information and your small encounter with him earlier. No… your boss would never let a man like him left unterminated. Knowing your boss, he definitely has something bigger planned. Something more beneficial to him.

Also, San… you felt almost the same sort of comfort you feel towards Yeosang, but at the same time not quite the same. The fact that you were swayed by your emotions just by looking at his eyes means that he’s going to be a negative impact for you. Well, you’re never going to see him again so it shouldn’t be a problem. You pulled your leather jacket closer, the night air being significantly chillier than a few hours ago. You picked up your pace when you saw the big ‘ZG Banks’ sign that illuminated brighter than it did during the day when you first left the building. You walked in from the back, where the elevator that led directly to your boss’s office is located. The elevator doors shut and rise to the 72nd floor, the compressed interior heat immediately hushing your goosebumps. 69….70….71….72. As the elevator dinging, your face immediately removed any signs of emotion, almost like a cue or a reminder. You knocked on the door three times as the golden nameplate shined.

“Come in.”

You complied, shutting the door as you made your way in. The lights were dimmed with the moonlight reflecting in through the large bulletproof windows aligned behind him. The smoke of his cigars filled the room, making an appearance of the dreadful foggy night. Your boss was sitting on his office chair, his back facing you.

“You took too long to get here. Speak.”

You breathed in quickly and silently before speaking, “I apologize. I got caught up in a disturbance.”

“Did you find Yunho? Speak.”

“Yes. I was about to strike until I received your call and retreated.”

Your boss took a long puff before speaking again, smoking escaping from his mouth, “I called you back here because I changed my mind.”

Another puff, “It seems that killing one measly rat would not satisfy my rage so I had a team find me more information. It took a while, but it turns out Yunho is from ATEEZ. I have been warned by my partnering conglomerates about ATEEZ, being known as a small unit from a small corporation KQ and yet the most deadly they have ever faced. There are no available sources regarding the boss of KQ and I want more information.” Your boss’s face contorted into a sinister smile before continuing, “You act as both a spy and as a peace offering for our companies, to which they’ve already easily accepted, and report any notable information back to me. When I feel that there is no more information for me to keep, terminate all of their associates, except for Yunho and his boss. Bring them here and kill them in front of me so I can watch their pity lifeless faces with glee. I always love a dinner and a show,” your boss’s menacing aura was oozing from every fiber of his being.

“Report to me once a week. Do whatever it takes to retrieve the most confidential information. Get close if you have to. I want this to benefit me entirely.”  

Your boss added one final comment, “Do not disappoint me.”

You bowed and exited his office. It was only until you entered another confined space and the elevator doors shut that you were finally breathing stably again. Your face relaxed a little more but your chest felt heavy. Ah…there it was again. Fear.

Suddenly, the voice in your nightmares flooded your mind.

“You don’t feel any emotions and you will not feel any emotions except fear. Fear for your life.”

You clutched your head, shutting your eyes, hoping that the voice will somehow go away.

“Nana! Listen to me! You killed me here on October 24, 2008. You. Killed. Me.”

Your throat tightens as you felt your anxiousness edging. You can’t remember anything. Why couldn’t you remember anything? You leaned back, feeling the cool metal walls of the elevator, trying to remain calm.

You knew you weren’t supposed to feel emotions. ZG’s assassination training should have ejected any sorts of emotions and yet for some reason, you still had yours.

Uncertainty. “I have too many unanswered questions.” Who and where is Set? Is he dead?

Loneliness.  “Why am I alone?” Is there anyone in this world that remotely cared for you?

Anger. “If Set is my brother, why did he leave me?” Did Set abandon you, his sister?

Anxiety. “I can’t breathe…” You wanted this to end.

Terror. “I don’t want to die…” Your biggest fear.

And if your boss were to ever find out the truth, it would be the end for you…

You straightened yourself, removed your hands from your head, let it fall to your sides, and exhaled slowly one last time. The elevator dinged, indicating your arrival on the ground floor. You took out your flip phone, hit number 3 for speed dial, and waited for a response. It rang once...twice...thr-

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“You did what?!” Yeosang raised his voice while Yunho, being the receiving end of the yelling, visibly flinched. The members excluding the boss and the maknae gathered in one of the base meeting rooms.

“It wasn’t even that big of a deal! I just pushed her buttons a little bi-“

“A lot. You pushed her buttons a lot. She pulled her blades on us.”

“Shut up, hyung. You wouldn’t even be here yapping your mouth if I didn’t save your ass.”

“Is that why you have a cut on your cheek?” Yeosang asked eyeing Yunho. It was odd for Yunho to get a minor injury. He either got hurt to the extreme or without a single scratch.

Yunho stifled an unpleased mumble, “Yeah…”

Yeosang sighed, “Yunho… I’m not that mad at you for making her mad... I mean, you certainly can’t charm everyone-“ Seonghwa chuckled at that with Yunho shooting him a glare.

“Anyways, as I was saying. I’m just worried that Nana won’t join us now… you weren't supposed to provoke her. We planned this for many years and the chance finally arrived, but you could’ve potentially ruined all of that.”

At that, Mingi spoke up, “San also provoked her.”

“You did what?!” Yeosang snapped his head quickly towards San who was obviously caught off guard by Mingi calling him out.

“I did no such thing! She stared into my eyes and I stared into hers, which were very pretty up close by the way-“

“Ew, gross. It did NOT look pretty when I saw them-“

“Shut it, Yunho. That’s because she was looking at you full of disgust, unlike what she did with me-“

Among all of the bantering, Yeosang, clearly stressed, was massaging his temples to alleviate some stress, “Let’s just…go meet with Hongjoong and Jongho, yeah?”

The members all agreed and migrated towards Hongjoong’s office. Their “base” was really one big mansion that consisted of each of the member’s bedrooms along with a few extra guest bedrooms, living room with the entire wall being one giant window, huge kitchen that comes with a coffee bar and real bar that makes up for the lack of one at Fellaz, training room in the basement, multiple meeting rooms, and lastly Hongjoong’s office.

All eight members finally gathered together.

“I’ve heard about what happened from Jongho. Yunho, I’m sure Yeosang already scolded you plenty so I won’t touch that topic anymore. There are things I want to remind everyone. First, Nana is going to be one of us. We’re all going to welcome her, just like we’ve been planning for the past few years. Second, Nana doesn’t know about us knowing her codename, so we still have to call her ‘y/n’. Make sure you guys won’t mix it up. Third, Nana doesn’t know us like we know her. We can’t have our plan backfire so be careful with that as well. Yeosang… you do know you have to eventually tell her right? She doesn’t have to know everything at once, but she’s going to find out that you’ve been working behind her back with the whole Yunho incident.”

Yeosang knew this. He knew that you would feel betrayed when you find out that he’s apart of ATEEZ.

He was definitely shocked to receive a photo of Yunho when you asked him to find more information about someone that was one of his members, but you had no clue. The plan had actually worked. Yeosang has been telling Hongjoong the cruelty of your organization, murdering anyone and everyone being completely corrupted and has been pleading Hongjoong to let you join ATEEZ, where they fight for justice and mercy at any cost, even if it means murder. Hongjoong agreed. This plan was thought out for many years to ensure your complete freedom. The plan was for Yunho to attack the entire west wing. Then ZG would either send in their top assassin (you) or offer a peace offering and ask for Nana during the negotiation.

Now, what was unexpected was for ZG to do both of the choices. Why would he send in an assassin, retreat the mission, and ask for a peace offering instead?

“Yeosang?”

“Sorry, Hongjoong… Yeah, I know. It’s just…. isn't it strange how ZG retreated his assassination on Yunho and then ask for a peace offering?”

Hongjoong nodded, clearly trusting Yeosang’s intellectual judgment.

“I told you guys, I don’t trust her,” Yunho spoke up but Hongjoong was quick to retort, “The problem isn’t Nana. The problem is ZG and he’s planning something big.” “Exactly! She’s apart of ZG!” Yunho raised his voice continuing, “What makes you guys think she’s the same person as she was 8 years ago?! Nana doesn’t even remember anything!” This time, San spoke up, “She may not remember everything but she saved my life. So I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her out of that hellhole.” Wooyoung spoke up for the first time, “I agree with San. Nana deserves her freedom. I get where you’re coming from Yunho, but what if she’s still the same Nana?”

Yunho’s voice softened, “I get that… I just want the best for you gu-“

*ring ring ring*

Everyone’s head instantly turned to Yeosang who was staring at his flip phone.

“It’s Nana.”

*ring ring ring*

“Hyung, what should I do?”

*ring ring ring*

“Answer it.”

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“Y/n? Hello?”

“Yeosang, I need to find KQ headquarters. I’ll give you a lot of fried chicken for this. Can you just… find where it’s located asap?“

The members looked at each other's faces as the phone was on speaker. Unbeknownst to you that they were listening to every word you were speaking through the other end of the call. There was a small trace of weariness with your voice that only Yeosang could notice. You may have sounded normal to everyone else in the room but to Yeosang, you sounded exhausted. Not physically, but mentally.

Yeosang looked and Hongjoong and he nodded, cueing to answer.

“No chicken, it’s fine…  I know where it’s at. It’s right next to Seven Seasons park…”

There was no answer.

“Y/n? Are you still th-?

“Next to Seven Seasons park? Our meeting place?”

“Y-yes.”

“So, you’re telling me that the mansion next to the park is KQ headquarters? Right next to our usual meeting place?”

“Yes…”

“Are you f*cking kidding me? You’re one of them aren’t you?” He always knew you caught on quick…Yeosang looked down, feeling the members staring at him. With the lack of response from his end of the call, you continued.

“You knew all this time and put me directly into your little setup,” You knew it was unfair for you to be angry since you shouldn’t trust anyone in this field of work. It was every person for themselves. You’re used to betrayal and should’ve expected this from anyone you work with but something about the betrayal coming from Yeosang made you sick to your stomach.  

“You know…I bet your members are even listening in to this conversation.”

At this, Yeosang looked up and saw that all of his members were surprised with wide-eyes.

“Y/n, it’s not like that. I just-“

“Save it. I’ll be over there in a bit.”

*click*

The members were all silent after the call ended. They definitely didn’t expect you to catch on this quick but they definitely didn’t expect you to still come to their base.

Wooyoung spoke up being the first to break the silence, “Well~ that definitely wasn’t how I expected for her to find out.”

“At least she’s still coming, “ Jongho added.

“Yeah, maybe to wreak havoc and kill us all,” Yunho also added.

“Must you always expect the negative from her?” Seonghwa expressed to Yunho, which earned him a sigh from the younger member.

Mingi spoke up next, “Yeosang…you alright?”

Yeosang nodded, still looking down. He never wanted to make you upset.

Everyone looked at their leader as he made his first comment after the call, “Yeosang or even San… You both know her the most. Can you predict what she could be planning?”

San shrugged, “I can only predict her combat move. I don’t know her on an emotional level as much as Yeosang.”

Yeosang finally looked up, “She sounded determined but I don’t think she’s planning to kill all of us…” Yunho scoffed at that, but Yeosang continued, “Really, to me she sounded more hurt and betrayed than anger. If anything, she’ll only have a problem with me truly.”

Mingi put his hand on Yeosang’s shoulder, trying to alleviate the guilt his fellow member must be feeling.

Hongjoong spoke once more, “Yeosang, everything will be okay. It’s understandable that she’s upset but no one will be getting hurt on my watch. I won’t let her hurt my members nor will I allow any harm come to Nana.” Hongjoong looked at Yunho as he said Nana’s name, “Is that clear?”

Everyone hummed in agreement including Yunho, although unwillingly.

Wooyoung stood up and clapped his hands, “Well come on! Let’s get ready, our guest is coming soon~” No one could truly understand how Wooyoung was able to keep his vibrant smile all the time but it was definitely comforting. San got up with him and wrapped his arms around Wooyoung and Jongho dragging them out, “Let’s gooo~”

The rest of the members followed. As Yunho was about to walk out, Hongjoong stopped him, holding his arm. He looked down to his leader who was shorter than he was but still radiated with charisma.

“Yunho, please give her a chance. You know how much this means to the members, especially Yeosang. I didn’t forget how much hatred you have for ZG and I know she may be apart of ZG right now, but please…”

Yunho’s eyes softened towards his leader’s plea. He knew it wasn’t fair to judge you just because you’re with ZG especially not by choice. He just can’t forget what ZG had done. Yunho sighed and gently shrugged his arm to be free from Hongjoong’s grasp.

“I know, hyung…” Yunho left that one final comment before walking out, leaving Hongjoong in his office by myself.

“I know you do, Yunho. I know.”

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You flipped your phone shut and started making your way towards KQ. You were mentally exhausted. You should’ve seen this coming. You should expect betrayal coming from all directions but you didn’t… Not from Yeosang. But his boss accepted you as a peace offering and you still had to complete your newly arranged mission. You couldn’t afford to be lost by your emotions right now.

Not ever.

You saw the large mansion, the lights lit from the indoors, and the perimeter surrounded by gates and cameras. It’s definitely luxurious, just not something you expected from a small organization.

You inhaled and exhaled deeply. The air that escaped from your mouth transforming into a puff of smoke from the chilly midnight weather. You finally hit the buzzer and waited for an answer until you heard a slightly high toned voiced coming from the buzzer box, “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Hello. I was sent by ZG. I believe your boss had spoken with mine about an agreement-”

“Oh, yeah! We were expecting you! Hang on, let me open the gates for you.” The voice suddenly spoke in a more casual, cheerful tone.

Upon cue, the gates opened and you walked down the path that led to the entrance. The door was already opened with a figure standing there, waiting for you. Getting a closer view, you’ve noticed that it was the drummer on stage back at Fellaz. What was his name again? Woogie? Woo?-

“Hey! Glad you could make it. I’m Wooyoung. Come in, come in!”

Ah, that’s right. It was Wooyoung. His ashy hair suited him even better up close. Although his cheerful demeanor was definitely a bit loud and overwhelming considering it was around midnight but his boxy smile quickly dissipated your thoughts. It was nice to see someone who seemed genuinely happy with his life. Not what you expected from someone being in the mafia, but it was definitely a relief because you were used to being surrounded with an area full of bloodlust.

You gave him a small smile as you introduced yourself, “I’m y/n, nice to properly meet you, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung smiled even bigger, not exactly sure how that’s possible. “It’s really great meeting you, y/n! Let me take you to meet the rest of our members and our leader!” He reached to grab your hand and you almost mistook the gesture as an attack, quickly stepping back.

Wooyoung’s face fell quickly as he noticed this, “I’m so sorry, I was just reaching to grab your hand. I’m sorry, I should’ve been more careful…”

You felt bad for seeing Wooyoung’s mood dropping so suddenly so you quickly reassured him, “It’s fine. I’m sorry, I’m just not used to skinship… Sorry.” You reached forward and softly grasped his hand.

Wooyoung smiled at your gesture, “All’s forgiven. They should all be in the living room. Come on, let’s go!”

As Wooyoung was leading you to the living room, you looked around, taking in your surroundings. The white marble floor was well polished, reflecting the dangling lights hanging from the ceiling. It was elegant and modern with perfect simplicity. He turned and led you through a corridor, passing by multiple doors made with rich mahogany woods, leading to rooms you didn’t know what it was used for.

Wooyoung noticed you looking around and commented, “We can give you a tour later after you meet everyone. They’re all excited to see you~”

You met some of them back at Fellaz and you certainly weren’t ready to meet some of them… “The ones back at Fellaz right? and Yeosang?”

Wooyoung squeezed your hand a little bit, “Yeah, the ones at Fellaz. Our leader wasn’t there or Yeosang, but they are all here now. All eight of us.”

“Then I’m sure some of them aren’t excited to see me again,” you commented. Wooyoung knew you were talking about Yunho. In all honesty, you didn’t want to see him either and you’re not sure if you’re entirely ready to see Yeosang or any of them for that matter. You just had to do your job.

Wooyoung chuckled at your comment, “Well, he’ll get over it-“

You both finally reached the end of the hallway, exposing a spacious room with the entire windowed wall exposing the vast view of the night cityscape. In the middle of the room, you can see seven boys gathered on the black leather sofa. All of them stood up upon noticing you and Wooyoung’s arrival, well all but one who you recognized to be Yunho. You saw one of them nudge him and he finally stood up with the rest of them.  

One of the men, shorter yet extremely charismatic, walked forward with a charming smile, “Hi, you must be y/n. I’m glad you could make it. I’m Hongjoong, the leader of ATEEZ.” He finished his introduction, bowing his head to show his respect. Even if he didn’t tell you that he was the leader, you would’ve been able to guess just by how he carried himself. He was extremely well-mannered.

You bowed back to reciprocate your respect and then suddenly yanked by Wooyoung bringing you closer to the members, “There’s no need to be so formal! It’s just Hongjoong-hyung~” Wooyoung laughed with some of them following.

“Yeah, we keep things casual here. Hongjoong just likes to show off sometimes- I’m Mingi. We saw each other briefly at Fellaz but nice to officially meet you.” He held his hand out for you to shake, and you took his hand to do so.

Mingi looked down at your other hand being occupied, “Wooyoung, how long are you going to hold her hand?”

You looked down at yours and Wooyoung’s hand still linking together and quickly retreated it, honestly forgetting that he was still holding it and your face heated up a little due to the new skinship.

“Aw come on, Mingi~ Did you really have to mention it?” Wooyoung whined until another voice cut in.

“Hyung, stop whining,” giving Wooyoung a strong shove with a smile on his face before turning to you. You noticed that he was the one playing the violin on the stage.

“Hi, I’m Jongho, the youngest on the team and I like to break apples in half while singing.”

Odd…the members were very…odd, to say the least.

But you smiled back at Jongho, “Nice to meet you. I would like to witness that one day.” The maknae smiled even wider at your comment and another voice commented, this time more familiar,

“Glad you could make it, y/n.”

You reciprocated the same gentle smile he was giving you, “Thanks, Seonghwa.”

Then you were startled when a figure quickly moved next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. It was frightening how fast he moved and how you could never feel his presence until he’s directly next to you. You were about to nudge it off but his grip far too strong yet careful so he wouldn’t cause you any discomfort. You looked up and met his eyes. It’s him. His hypnotizing cat-like eyes.

“I told you we’ll meet again~” his tone lull and soothing. You tried to say something but your voice failed you as you felt your heart beating faster.

Suddenly someone karate kicked him from behind, making the boy releasing his grasp on you, “San! Personal space!” San quickly got up and retorted, “I don’t want to be told that by you, Wooyoung!”

Hongjoong sighed watching two of his members bickering before turning to you, “I apologize…for them.”

You waved your hand off to indicate that it was fine until you heard a voice.

“Y/n….”

It was Yeosang’s voice. You turned to see Yeosang’s face, covered with guilt. Hongjoong looked between the two of you before finally saying, “I’ll let you two work it out, I’m going to attempt to stop…that,” Hongjoong pointed towards San and Wooyoung and walked away, leaving you and Yeosang to yourselves.

You looked at the two guys still bickering with the other members trying to make them stop, “Shouldn’t we help?” You asked, looking up to Yeosang.

Yeosang could tell you were trying to act normal. Despite what anyone says you were always attentive towards other’s feelings, dissipating any conflict that would make the other party feel uncomfortable.

“No, they may bicker like that sometimes, but they’re actually really close. Closer than the rest of us. I guess that’s why they’re able to freely express their feelings to each other so easily.”

You nodded at his comment.

“Y/n, I’m really sorry…”

“I know, it’s okay.” You looked up at Yeosang’s face, confused and suspicious by your quick forgiveness and you continued, “You did what you had to do for your organization. It’s understandable. I’m not mad anymore. I was just shocked.”

Yeosang observed your face to see any trace of you lying, but he couldn’t because you genuinely meant what you said.

“and…I think I was hurt but I know you honestly feel guilty about it so it’s okay now. Let’s work well together, yeah?”

You held your hand out for Yeosang, “Let’s shake, forgive, and forget,” you stated with a smile.

Yeosang took your hand and shook it, smiling back, “Thank you. All’s well.”

You and Yeosang truly meant what you’ve both said at the time, but you both still felt the secrets you both kept from each other deep inside, pushing it away for now.

“Not yet, maybe another day,” you both thought to yourselves simultaneously.

You both joined the others on the sofa after noticing that things have calmed down in their end as well.

“So y/n, I first want to say that I appreciate you coming here to symbolize peace within two organizations. I believe your boss had commented on how your skills are subpar, and I honestly believe it. Secondly, rather than acting as some sort of “offering”, I truly want to offer you a position as our ninth member. What do you say?”

You were surprised by his offer. You honestly thought you were going to be used slaving away as an assassin whenever needed. That’s what ZG had told you that was what you were going to be but he was offering you an actual position… an equal position with the rest of his members…

Half feeling content because you know you could gather more intel working close with the members and the other half feeling some sort of discomfort deep within your chest, but you shook off the latter half and accepted Hongjoong’s offer.

To which he smiled big. He looked as if he was genuinely happy about your acceptance, “Great! We have a guest bedroom that you can stay in for tonight, and tomorrow you can get your stuff and officially move in. We’ll have one or two of us help you-“

“Is that really necessary?” you blurted.

All of the members turned to look at you, and you realized that you sounded defensive so you continued to elaborate, “I mean, the help. I can move everything on my own. I don’t have much stuff.”

Hongjoong sighed with relief, “Ah, yeah. It’ll be no problem. The sooner we could properly welcome you, the better!”

Everyone hummed with an agreement and carried their own conversations of renovating your bedroom and things in that matter. You continued to listen to their conversations until you felt someone staring daggers into your soul so you turned to see the culprit.

It’s Yunho and you weren’t surprised but you did feel some sort of satisfaction upon seeing how there was a bandage that covered the cut you’ve caused on his cheek.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Yunho’s eyebrow twitched at your comment before blurting back, “Why would I save a picture of the ugliest lil gremlin I’ve ever seen? Actually, you know what? I just might and turn it into the guinness world records. I’m sure I’ll make big bucks out of it.”

Yeosang and everyone in the room immediately stopped their conversations at the moment and stared at the two of you. You could feel your blood boiling and you’ve never felt your anger rising up to this point, but you remained a straight face. There’s no way you were going to let him enjoy mocking you.

Although you had many colorful words flowing through your head, you resisted the urge to verbalize it and the deep urge to rip his head off.  Instead, remaining a straight face.

Yeosang was glaring at Yunho so hard, and he knew he went too far.

“Yunho.” Hongjoong called him in a directive tone.

Yunho got up from the sofa, “Yeah, yeah…I know. You all enjoy your night. I’m going to bed,” and left the living room. Leaving the area quiet and speechless.

After a few moments of silence, Wooyoung announced, “Well! It’s getting late, we should all probably head to bed now,” saving the gloomy atmosphere yet once again. Everyone agreed and got up, leaving one by one.

“Come on, I’ll lead you to the guest bedroom, “Hongjoong offered and you thanked him.

Both of you walked down the corridor in silence. As you followed Hongjoong, he finally broke the silence, “I’m sorry about Yunho…he’s actually a really caring guy. He just has trouble showing it sometimes.”

You nodded at that, “It’s okay. I understand,” and you really meant it.

“I really hope you’ll enjoy being with us... Really, we view each other like family rather than a business-related organization,” he stated with a caring tone.

He must really love his members…

You both stopped at a door, “Well, this is the guest bedroom. I hope you’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Thank you, Hongjoong.”

You turned to enter the door but was stopped when Hongjoong made one last comment in the most authentic smile you’ve ever seen.

“Goodnight, y/n,” and with that he turned and left.

“Goodnight, Hongjoong,” you whispered, fighting back the unsettling feeling in your chest…

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-e/n: wow wow wow, this chapter turned out longer than i expected but i truly enjoyed writing it! what could yeosang’s secret be? how does all the members already know nana? could yunho and nana ever get along? (lol)

let me know what you guys think and if you guys are starting to have any idea who she might end up with? thanks for reading :)

[soulofatiny]

No Fear, I’m Here... Ch.2: Fellaz

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genre: enemies to lovers, assassin, & mafia!au

word count: 3.7k

warning: none yet but it is an assassin au...

a|n: ***IMPORTANT PLEASE READ*** For those who have read Ch.1, I’ve made some minor changes. Previously, y/n’s affiliation was YG and the ceo of YG. However, I recently caught up with all the news surrounding the company at the moment, and I do not feel comfortable using his name. Therefore, “YG Banks” will be changed to “ZG” and the Boss’ name “Yang” will be changed to “Zang”. I apologize for this odd change but I just felt it was necessary. Thank you and happy reading!

Ch.3

masterlist

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“Nana! Listen to me! You killed me here on October 24, 2011. You. Killed. Me. You have taken my life and you will take others’ lives and feel no remorse doing it. You don’t feel any emotions and you will not feel any emotions except fear. Fear for your life. You will always and forever fear that someone is out there to take your life instead.”

You jolt awake hyperventilating. Cold sweat soaking the strands of your hair and goosebumps marking your body. You felt bile creeping up your throat and ran to the bathroom for its release. “So much for resting before a job…” This wasn’t anything necessarily new in your life. You’ve had the exact same dream numerous times in the past, never knowing what it meant. All you could see in your dream was always a body covered in blood, the face blurred out and the same voice that keeps telling you the same thing every time…

“You killed me.”

You most likely did.

“Fear for your life.”

You are.

You never knew when exactly you’ll have that dream so it was always either a hit or a miss of a dreamless night whenever you slept. Today, however, was definitely a miss. Actually, it’s been a miss the past couple of weeks and it’s getting to the point where you stay up to avoid that dream... It was definitely a bad idea to try to get some rest before a job...but you were getting desperate.

You groaned looking at the clock that read 7:00 p.m. “How fitting,” you thought. Nana is your codename, translating from the Japanese number, 7. It was assigned to you when you first arrived at ZG, being the 7th to arrive and used a fake name, [y/n] whenever it required you to give a name outside of the organization. Much like what you had to do for Yeosang.

7:03 p.m...You still had some time before you head to Fellaz, so you decided to take a shower. Whether if it’s to cleanse the cold sweat clinging to your body or the limited memories that haunted you, you didn’t know. You just needed to feel some sort of relief either way and not think about what’s going to happen in the next couple of hours. Stripping off your clothing, you stepped into the shower. Immediately feeling your tense shoulders ease upon the contact of the warm water and your mind began to wander back to when you first joined the organization.

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“The 7th one is supposed to arrive today. She finished her phase one training and should be ready for phase two. Eight through ten will be arriving the next day after her.”

“How about one through six?”

“They’re all displaying positive results. After seven through ten adjusts, I believe we’ll be able to go into phase three within the next 3 years.”

ZG nodded, “Then we’ll hold the initiation officially on October 24, 2011. No delays. Do not disappoint me, Mino.” And with that, Mino followed escorted his boss to his chauffeur waiting for him outside. Mino was in charge of running the phase two-training smoothly to ensure that everything will go according to the boss’ initiation program. He bowed deeply as the chauffeur drove his boss away from the facility. As Mino walked back inside, one of the workers notified him of your arrival. “Finally…”

You were told that you’ve graduated from phase one, where trainees were educated until they surpass the advanced level in all subjects of math, language, geography, analytical thinking while simultaneously receiving physical training that consisted various martial arts/combat styles, artillery, and blade training. There were many that started from birth, being raised in the facility nursery and officially start training once they learn how to walk and there were others that begin around toddler age but you couldn’t remember when you’ve started. Despite receiving the training from top tier educators, some simply may not possess the potential to be selected for ZG’s special program and were usually terminated. Which obviously isn’t you because you are currently blindfolded and being transferred via car to the building of phase two. They’ve never let you go beyond the walls that completed the perimeter of your first training building. You’ve heard stories of some trying to risk going beyond the walls and were immediately terminated. You felt the vehicle stop and the door opened with someone grabbing your arm to guide you out. You couldn’t see anything but you could hear at least two different footsteps excluding your own. You all kept on walking for a good while until you all halted and waited until a voice startled you. “Take your blindfold off.” You complied and immediately faced with a man perhaps in his 20’s but what caught your attention was his sharp eyes, almost snake-like and threatening aura that sent your body shivering in anxiousness. “You’re the 7th to arrive. If we wanted to address specifically at you, we’ll refer to you as ‘Nana’. How old are you?” You stood in silence and Mino was about to lose his patience until he remembered why “Speak.”

“I was told that I’m ten-years-old.”

“I see. I expect you to make it until phase three. My workers will guide you to meet your new educator. Do not disappoint me or you will be terminated.”

You immediately bowed deeply and Mino walked away. You looked up and saw the two men now exposed free from your blindfolds who presumably are Mino’s workers. One of the men signaled for you to walk and you complied. The building seemed sterile and the long hallways glistened with the fluorescent lights reflecting the glossy white floors, very much designed like your previous facility. You continued to walk, passing by many doors until the man in front of you stopped and pointed at the door of the room you’ll be residing. Before they both turned to leave you, you bowed deeply to show your acknowledgment. You were taught that you were allowed to bow to anyone in a higher up position than you at any given time, but were not allowed to speak before given permission. The two men nodded and walked away, leaving you to your new training. Until you could no longer see them, you finally knocked on the door. The door opened revealing a woman that had the corners of her mouth turned upwards and caught you off guard. From your previous studies, you’ve learned that this is what people would call a smile but it’s the first time you’ve witnessed one in person, how peculiar. “Hi! You must be Nana! We were expecting you! Come in, come in!” You bowed to indicate your greeting and walked in. The woman’s voice was loud in volume and she was still smiling. It looked painful for her cheeks but she continued, “I’m your head educator of phase two-training! Things will be very different from your phase one-training. First off, while you’re in this building, you do not need to ask for permission to speak. Just follow the basic speech mannerism that you’ve learned from your previous training but do so with your will of speaking.” You waited until she continued to speak but realized that she was waiting for you to speak so you mumbled a small, “Yes.” That was the very first time you spoke without permission and it honestly felt strange in your stomach. The woman stared at you, writing something down on her clipboard and smiled even harder, something you didn’t think was possible. “Perfect! Secondly, here, you will learn about emotions and try to enhance the stimulation of your feelings! I’m sure you must be confused but this is all very exciting and I can’t wait until you meet your family member!”

Confused…? Exciting…? Family…? You were familiar with the vocabulary from your studies but never heard them used in a sentence. Suddenly, the strange feeling in your stomach growing larger. The woman looked at you cautiously, “Ah, I’m sorry. You must be overwhelmed! You feel something in your stomach, don’t you?” You widen your eyes, “Y-yes…how did you know?” “Ah just right now! I just surprised you! You see, human emotions aren’t that hard to stimulate. You just need to understand which emotion is which. But don’t worry. You’ll get used it soon. Also, thank you for speaking first.”

You felt surprised yet once again. You got thanked for speaking… it was peculiar and overwhelming but you could even dare to say that you liked the feeling of tying all of these emotions being put in action. Your new teacher smiled softer until she spoke again, “Now follow me! It’s time to meet your family member! Here, you are assigned to a sibling. You both will play, have meals together, and hold conversations much like families in real life.” She pauses to take a quick look at her clipboard and continued, “Ah yes, your assigned family member is number 3! I see you go by the Japanese translation, but number 3 will be the Korean translation ‘Set’. Set is a male so looks like you have gained a brother!”

You decided to speak up softly, “May I ask a question?” The woman stared at you, wrote something down again, and answered, “Yes, of course!” Looking away from the clipboard but continued to write as you spoke, “Why are different translations used to refer Set and I’s numbers?” “There will actually be ten of you coming to phase two in total, numbers eight through ten will be arriving tomorrow. They will all have different translations for their numbers as well. I know you all learned multiple languages during your phase one training so it will help increase brain activity by mixing in different languages for daily use. At least that is what Boss Zang insisted. Honestly, it doesn’t make much sense to me but we just go with it,” ending her blurb with a wink. “Now, come on! Let’s go meet your brother!”

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You felt the water in your shower turning cold, indicating that it was probably time for you to get out.

Brother…...you had a brother. Set? You couldn’t remember what happened to him…. but now’s not the time to ponder upon it. It’s nearing 8 p.m. so you quickly dry your hair, pulling it up into a high ponytail with two shorter strands of hair framing the sides of your face perfectly. You decided to wear some makeup with a darker shade of eyeshadow that accentuated your eye color more. Opening your wardrobe, you sorted and changed into a short black satin dress and leather jacket, that matched with your heeled black thigh high boots. You open another wardrobe that wasn’t for your clothes but the inside filled with various sorts of weaponry.

It’s a jazz club…it’ll be loud but not loud enough to use a gun. You could always put a silencer on, but it was honestly a hassle to carry. Ultimately, you decided on two shorter blades that laid on your forearms, hidden well by your leather jacket. Although you exceeded in any weapon, you still exceeded with blades a little more. It was easy to carry, silent to kill, and easier to aim with the contact being closer. You didn’t think you would need it but you also decided to wear a thigh holster carrying your pistol, that hid underneath your dress just enough. It’s good to take precautions... You took one last look in the mirror, before heading out. Not too much, yet bold enough to charm people as you walk by. Perfect.

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Your heels clacked as you walked down the dimly lit alleyway, feeling the chilly wind sweep across the sides of your neck and thighs. You stopped, finally reaching to the bright illuminated sign of your destination placed on the wall of the brick building that read, “Fellaz”. The structure of the wall was old, to say the least. The bricks were definitely run down that seemed to be barely clinging to its assigned spot and the two metal doors that was seemingly intimidating in size. You pulled the handle on one of the doors, ignoring the sudden contact with the cold metal on the palm of your hand, and smoothly walked in. The door closed behind you, its heavy weight allowing it to do so automatically. However, instead of entering a room, you were only met with a stairway that led directly downstairs, immediately noticing a surveillance camera planted on the ceiling that was directly facing towards the entrance. Without hesitating, you began to walk down the steps, smelling a faint aroma of coffee and hearing the subtle sounds of brass instruments. Stepping your final step, you were surprised to see a modern chic cafe that contrasted greatly from the outer appearance of the building you saw only a few minutes ago. You examined the interior and were immediately connected with jazz music that came from the four men playing on the center stage at the very back of the room. The right side occupied the drink bar that was attended by a bartender, smalls candles were lit positioned on top of the round dining tables that were placed sporadically across the rest of the remaining area. Yunho was nowhere to be found, but you still had roughly 30 hours left to accomplish your task so there wasn’t any need to worry. You usually gather more information on the beginning portion of your timeframe, taking in the lifestyle they lived in completely,  and then finish them accordingly. Which is what you’re about to do as you sat on one of the unoccupied stools at the drink bar counter, the bartender smiling at you as you took your seat. He was handsome, really handsome. His blonde hair that swept over his forehead defined his strong facial features beautifully. “Scotch on the rocks, thank you,” you placed your order as you gave a small charming smile back.

“Ah, you must be new here. I’m sorry, we don’t sell alcohol, just coffee.”

“No alcohol? at a club?”

The bartender chuckled, “Yeah, I know. Strange right? My friend actually opened this place. Something about wanting people to appreciate music to the full capacity while being sober…blah blah blah….but I think it’s just because he’s a lightweight.” You chuckled at the bartender’s straightforward remark over his friend, “Well then, I would like an iced americano, um-“

“Seonghwa. Call me Seonghwa, and one iced americano on the house for?-“

“y/n, thank you.” With that, Seonghwa gave you a quick wink and started working on the espresso machine. Very flirtatious, you noted. It didn’t take long for Seonghwa to hand you your beverage since everyone that was sitting at the bar left to join the dining area. You nodded your head to thank him, getting ready to speak until Seonghwa beat you to it. “So y/n, what’s a charming young lady such as yourself doing at a small unknown jazz club like Fellas,” he asked as he took a sip of his own latte. You took a sip of your own drink before answering, “Ah, I have a strong love for music so my coworker recommended me this place. I’m glad I came. The place is beautiful and the musicians are extremely skilled.”  You weren’t exactly lying. The sounds of the instruments that reached to your ear calmed and soothed you completely despite what you’re going to do in the next day or two. Seonghwa nodded in understanding as he looked towards the stage fondly where the four men continued to play, “I agree. I’m honestly really proud to call them my friends.” “Is that so? Tell me more about them,” you leaned forward to show your interest.

“Hmm let’s see. The one playing the drums with the ash hair is Wooyoung. He’s almost as loud as he plays, but you can tell he’s passionate about everything he does. The tall one playing the saxophone is Mingi, he told me he first started to play the sax since he was in elementary. The one with the dark hair with red highlights playing the piano, that’s San. He seems really serious right now, but he’s actually a really cheerful guy. He’s only ever this serious if he’s ever in the zone. And then lastly, the one playing the violin, that’s Jongho. He’s the youngest out of our friend group and he actually sings really well. He’s almost too talented even though he’s the youngest.”

As Seonghwa finished his description, you could evidently see how much he adored them. “You said your friend group…are there more who also plays like them?”

“Oh no, there’s actually eight of us in total. Half plays while the other half simply appreciates the music,” Seonghwa said while laughing. You shared your laugh with him until a voice caught both you and Seonghwa’s attention. Your heart sped up slightly when you turned to see who it was. “Excuse me miss, is this seat taken-“ he asked in a lulling tone. “No, please go ahead,” you answered as you made eye contact, taking a full view of his face and soft yet prominent features.

It’s Yunho.

Yunho smiled upon your approval as he sat next to you and then looked at Seonghwa who was already looking at him, “Hey, hyung. Who’s this?”

“This is our newcomer, y/n.”

“Newcomer, huh?” Yunho questioned. You could feel his curiosity. They knew each other… You looked between the two men and asked, “Are you both acquainted with each other?”

“Yeah, this is actually one of the guys in our friend group that I talked about earlier,” Seonghwa answered and Yunho immediately looked at you.

“You both talked about me, huh?”

You would think he was suspicious but you couldn’t sense that aura coming from him…only his strong and confident presence that probed you, making you want to leave the scene but you continued, “Yeah, I’ve heard you also admire music? Seonghwa and I talked about how wonderful this place is-“

“Really? That’s fantastic,” Yunho said while cutting you off, the words he spoke not matching with the sarcastic tone in his voice. You tried to fight off throwing a glare at his domineering attitude but he continued, “So that explains why you’re sitting here, by yourself on a Tuesday night being nosy and snatching information from my good friend here? Because of your love for the aesthetics and music hmm?” You accidentally slipped away from your composure for a moment and shot a venomous glare at him until you caught yourself. You never lose your composure. Especially not by a couple of cheap words but Yunho’s spiteful demeanor was truly testing you. Yunho also looked at you with cold eyes, fully aware that he was pissing you off to the point where you lost it for a split second. “Guys please not at the cafe… Yunho, the boss said to welcome her, not piss her off,” Seonghwa scolded at Yunho, the tone of his voice changing slightly as well. Boss…he said, boss... This was a trap and you had to get out of there. Within that short moment, many scenarios ran through your head, trying to calculate which would outcome your survival. Should you kill them both now? But if you do, there’s still four of their men still waiting behind you on the center stage. They continued to play their instruments but you could undoubtedly feel their attention on the three of you. Plus, this is their territory…who knows how many more people that are sitting in the dining area are actually disguised as one of them, or worse, all of them. Yunho was resting his head on his propped hand, looking completely unfazed. Maybe you could at least strike the both of them and exit just fast enough- “Will you relax? I can sense you’re overwhelmed but it’s overwhelming me too,” Yunho spoke cutting the silence, his words not matching his actions yet once again. “We’ve been told that we’re not allowed to kill-“

Now.

You swung both of your arms, sliding your blades out within only a split second. Yunho was startled slightly but moved just as fast and grabbed both of your arms that was aiming to slice both Yunho and Seonghwa’s neck, restricting your movements. You grazed Yunho’s cheek, blood slowly trickling down his cheek but he managed to stop your other arm just in time before it was only a centimeter away from reaching Seonghwa’s artery. Yunho maintained his hold on your arms, still immobilizing you. His face only a few inches away but his cold eyes reached yours even deeper. His voice husky and lowered an entire octave, “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted… we’re not allowed to kill you but I just might considering I don’t remember the last time I followed rules-“

“Yunho, stop,” Seonghwa said, completely unaffected. Yunho, clearly angry, raised his voice, “Hyung, this bitch cut my cheek which by the way, wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have to look after your ass too.” Seonghwa chuckled at his last remark, “You know I’m not the fastest.” Then Seonghwa turned to you and smiled, “Forgive Yunho. He has his moods sometimes, but he means no disrespect-“

“She tried to kill us, so why can’t we kill her?” Yunho said emphasizing each word full of spite, but he knew he wouldn’t receive an answer from Seonghwa so he turned to face you again, “Tell your bastard of a boss, that we don’t want or need you on our team.”

Wait, what..? What did he mean by on their team…?

Your thoughts were cut off when your phone suddenly rang. By the specific ringtone, you could tell it was your boss calling you. You knew Yunho wasn’t letting go of your arms any time soon so you brought your foot up and kicked him directly at his crotch. Yunho immediately winced in pain, freeing your arms, with Seonghwa trying to stabilize him stretching his arms over the counter. You turned around heard Yunho in the background cursing at you and swearing that he’s going to end your life but you ignored him and answered your call, “Boss.”

“Retreat your mission and come see me immediately. Things have changed...”

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e|n: I hope this chapter wasn’t too confusing because I’ve made some minor changes (as stated in the beginning) We’ve almost officially met all of the members! I hope you’ll continue to read to see Nana meeting all of them. You’ll definitely see more interaction with the members in the next chapter. If you have any questions or need any clarifications, just ask! Thanks for reading and please leave feedback so I’ll know where I can improve :)

[soulofatiny]

🌟please read🌟

a-tothe-z is now soulofatiny!

i changed my username bc the dashes on my old one was getting a wee bit annoying. my masterlist is completely updated and the links should work just fine! if not, please let me know so i can fix it.

sorry for the trouble,

thank you, loves❣️

[soulofatiny]

updated!

(p.s: i’m sorry i don’t have anything for yeosang yet ;_;)

🅜🅐🅢🅣🅔🅡🅛🅘🅢🅣

Series:

No fear, I’m here  –  ongoing…

assassin!au, mafia!au, enemies to lovers!au | ot8 (ship tba) x (f) reader/oc

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-Hongjoong:

{10:32am}

-Seonghwa:

{7:32pm}

-Yunho:

{9:06pm}

{4:13pm}

-Yeosang:

n|a

-San:

{12:00am}

-Mingi:

{10:11pm}

-Wooyoung:

Home Run!! — coming soon…

-Jongho:

Meeting Your Eyes

-OT8:

ateez as sailor moon characters

ateez as types of fish