Hooked | JJK | Twenty Five - Finale

 Pair: UndergroundFighter!Jungkook x f!reader 

Summary: Walking away from your brother was never what you intended, you just wanted to run from the ghosts of your past. But now you’re back home and ready to pick things up from where you left off. If only things could be that easy, right? 

There’s a new guy living in your house, your brother’s best friend, someone you can’t help but grow close to. And the more you find out about him, the more you learn about yourself. An underground fight club, a newspaper competition, an overprotective brother and secrets you can’t seem to escape from. Did you make the right decision by coming back? Or did you just put yourself and those you love in danger? 

Genre: Series, fluff, smut, angst. All the aus: non-idol, underground fighter, brother’s best friend, roommates, rap-scene, chaebol. 

Chapter warning: The finale is hereeeeee.

WC: 2.7k

AGUST 6TH  | 13:13

You never really believed you’d be seeing a scene like this. Your friend from the Circle mingling with your Bangtan friends. 

But here they all were, eating snacks, frolicking in the pool of your backyard, day drinking. You could tell that they weren’t exactly the best of friends yet and Bangtan was sticking around with Bangtan, and the Circle was sticking around with the Circle, but hey! They were in the same space, being friendly and polite with each other. 

All in the name of saying goodbye to the summer. And to you and Jeongguk. 

You were wearing a one piece bathing suit in a pale yellow color, with shorts that had a tiny sun print in the back pocket. The farewell backyard bbq had started a couple hours ago and you were making your rounds to make sure everyone was having fun. 

Being a good host and all of that. 

“There's my favorite Kim.” Hoseok beamed like the sun on your ass as he saw you approach their shaded table. 

“I'm right here–” Namjoon raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘what are you talking about?’. 

“Hey, Seok.” you ignored your sibling in order to stand between Hoseok and Yoongi. “Are you guys having fun?”

You couldn’t hold back a laugh as you looked at Yoongi’s burrito state. He was covered from head to toe, complete with a beach towel wrapped around his shoulders and head, sipping on a glass of wine instead of the cheaper drinks the rest of the guests were having.  

“Lots.” Hoseok nodded, relaxing against his chair and showing off his sun-kissed, half-naked, tattoed-covered body. “Too bad this feels like the happiest funeral.”

Yoongi scoffed, sending his friend a glare. “Bad choice of words there, bro.” 

“What do you– Oh shit.” Hoseok’s eyes widened as he realized how indelicate he might have sounded, given all of the Hyejin-related feelings that had been surfacing lately. “At least we can laugh about it now? No?”

“Shut up, Seok.” Namjoon was the one to ask, making Hoseok bite his lips and avoid looking at him. 

“Besides, I’m not dying, I'm starting a new job.” you weren’t that bothered by Hoseok’s choice of words, shrugging as you rested your hip on the side of Yoongi’s chair. 

“I'm just saying, if you finally let us tattoo you, your parents might change their mind about giving you the company.” the chatty boy added once he made sure he didn’t offend you. 

You laughed, giving his shoulder a heartfelt squeeze. “I'm their last option, I don't think being covered in tattoos would deter them at this point.”

“And you're really sure you want to do this?” Yoongi asked you behind his wine glass and you smiled softly at his thinly veiled concern.  

“I do.” you nodded, surprisingly light about this decision. “It's the right thing to do, at least for now. I'm good at it, which sucks, but maybe I'll get the hang of it.”

The three boys nodded, they knew nothing they could say would change your mind about the decision you made to properly join your family’s company. For real this time. Not a fake internship to cover your ass so you could work at the no-longer-existing-after-burning-to-the-ground underground fighting ring. 

“Look after this one for me, yeah?” you asked Hoseok and Yoongi when nodding towards your brother.  

“Don't we always?” Hoseok offered you a red faced smile.  

“Yeah, but this time I'll be in Japan, not NYC, so I can just fly out and be home in two hours to kick your butts if you don’t.” you threatened, but you doubted any of them really feared you.  

“Fair enough.” Yoongi only chuckled.  

“Can you grab me a beer?” Namjoon threw it out there, sending his best friends a look, going as far as insisting: “Now?” 

Hoseok leaped out of his chair and Yoongi moved a little slower, but the two of them walked away in random directions to leave you and Namjoon alone so you could talk. You took Hoseok’s vacant spot, as it was the closest one to your brother’s chair. 

Your relationship with your older brother wasn’t completely solved in the past month, but you were finding your ways with each other again. Namjoon was learning to respect you more as an independent person, capable of making her own decisions. And you were more patient with him, now that you knew all of the reasons he had to act the way he did. 

Moving back home meant you still butted heads every now and then, but you guessed that would always be the case. As long as it was the normal brother and sister bickering about washing dishes and taking out the trash and not about whether or not you were going out late at night or spending the weekend at your boyfriend’s apartment. 

“What’s up, oppa?” you gently probed.

“I'm just going to ask this once, so please be as honest as you can.” Namjoon asked, sitting properly straight. A reaction that he earned from your parents, no doubt. “Did you say yes to this job because of me?” 

Yes. 

Well, Namjoon was a part of it, but not in the way he was thinking. You did it to protect him in ways he couldn't know about just yet. And you said yes so you could protect yourself and Jeongguk, too. 

As far as Namjoon knew, you said yes to this job because you were ready to face your future, you were accepting the plans laid out for you. It wasn’t what you dreamed of doing, leading a whole company as the Kim heir would never be your passion. But it would pay the bills, it would keep you in a position of power and, in this case, power meant resources and safety.

As far as your parents knew, you said yes to this job because you were done running from them, you were done letting them get away with being out of your life and blaming you for looking like their dead daughter, as if you had any say in the matter. 

As far as the truth went… Those weren’t the only reasons as to why you said yes to joining the company. 

You said yes because this meant you and your boyfriend, the two people standing in the front line against Wonho and his dad, would be out of the country while the whole Circle scandal broke out. 

When trying to escape you and Namjoon and their responsibility as your parents, Eomma and Appa moved away to Japan to open a smaller branch of TK Energy. And that was the company that would serve as your training grounds for the next six months, so you could learn and lead the smaller team, before you were ready to take on the South Korea mother company. 

Not that you would come back and go straight to the high chair, but your resume was already building up impressively and this field experience would make the board of directors and investors a lot more confident that you had what it takes to take over your parents once the not-so-perfect-couple retired. 

“No, oppa.” if he knew you weren’t being completely honest, Namjoon didn’t push it.  

“Because you know I'm okay with you and Guk... Dating.”  

You laughed, letting go of a breath of disbelief. “I would believe that more if you didn’t almost throw up every time you say that.”

“Hey, I love the kid. And I love you. So I guess you both could have done worse for yourselves.” Namjoon reasoned, taking on a whinier tone to add: “But you're also my baby sister.” 

“I know, I know.” 

“And now you're going to be living with a boy in a whole different country.” the whines were ever coming, and you had to stop yourself from laughing too hard. “Again!” 

“It's just for a semester, oppa.” you assured him, pinching his leg just to annoy him. “I'll be back before spring day comes again.” 

“That sounds nice, maybe I should write that in a song.” Namjoon rubbed his jaw in a thoughtful way and, knowing him, the song would be written before the end of the day.  

“Maybe you should.” you encouraged, standing up when you noticed the conversation derailing. “Let me go tend to my other guests, but we'll talk more later, yeah?”

“Yeah, go on.”

Namjoon smiled like you hadn’t seen in a while, as if his shoulders didn’t carry the weight of the whole world. 

You ruffled his hair as you passed behind Namjoon, looking around the backyard to see who you hadn’t properly given attention to. 

Minsu and Sohee were laying on sunbeds facing the pool where Mingyu and Lisa teamed up against Woozi and Cheyoung in a game that involved shoulder sitting and trying to push the other into the water. 

Hatter had somehow found a way to interact with Yoongi and now both of them were in the shade and sipping equally large glasses of wine. Seokjin was talking to Hwasa and, dare you say, flirting. Jimin was running around with Bam and Angel at the furthest end of the yard. 

It was still dawning on you that you were leaving again, making your heart clench uncomfortably. How you were about to miss your old friends and new friends altogether. But at least you weren’t doing it completely alone this time and Jeongguk had offered to come with you. You didn’t think you’d be brave enough to face your parents and a completely new country if you had to do it on your own. 

And after today, staying in Seoul just wasn’t a very viable option for you. 

Instead of letting the fear of uncertainty consume you, you walked to the girls to say hello and–

“How are you girls enjoying the... View?” you chuckled as the two of them got spooked by your presence, both of them watching the match going on down at the pool a little too closely. 

“Oh, the view is positively delicious.” Sohee gushed, not even trying to hide who she was staring at. “Ten out of ten, no complaints.” 

“Who are you looking at?” you giggled, crouching down between their loungers to try and locate the current wet target. “Big guy with the baby face?” 

“Small girl with dark hair.” the woman corrected you, making you hum in understanding. “Although I could eat baby boy for dinner.” 

“Yes you could. His name is Mingyu, and the girl is Lisa.” you told her with a highly amused laugh. “Both are single, so take your pick.” 

“Thank you!” 

“Have you seen Tae?” you asked both of them and, surprisingly, his ex was the one to reply.  

“Last I saw him, he was trying to bribe your boyfriend for meat.” Minsu told you and the lack of bitterness in her tone was as appreciated as it was surprising.  

“Of course.” you should have seen that coming, really. “Let me know if you need anything.” 

As you walked away from them, you ignored the question that sounded a lot like 'where do you keep the condoms?'. 

The barbecue pit was closer to Bam’s backyard pen, which is where you walked off to, smiling and nodding to friends who noticed you on the way there. You found Jeongguk shirtless and sweaty, flipping juice pieces of meat on the grill. Taehyung was just as undressed as your man, filled up cheeks meaning his bribing was paying off. 

“I can't believe you’re leaving me again.” Taeyoung complained with a full mouth, noticing you first and making Jeongguk look over his shoulder to see who his friend was talking to.

“I can't believe you got meat before I did.” you fought back, bringing your pointer and middle fingers to your eyes in a ‘I’m watching you’ manner.  

“I was just coming to look for you, but you and Joon hyung were having a heart to heart.” Jeongguk was the one to explain himself, opening an arm to receive you into his warm body. “Everything okay?”

You nodded, settling into his side, not minding the stickiness of his body, nor how his skin smelled faintly of pork meat.  

“Oppa’s just concerned about all the sex we're gonna have.” you giggled and Jeongguk did the same, despite getting a little more embarrassed than you.  

“I'm still right here?” Taehyung pretended to throw up the meat he just ate. “I liked it better when you were hiding your relationship.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Jeongguk pressed his lips to your forehead. “I like this better.” 

“I do too.” you grinned, raising your body on your tiptoes to kiss his lips, tasting the gentle flavor of pork belly. “You ate, too! Come on, I’m starving, give me some.” 

Taehyung took his leave when Jeongguk picked a nice piece of meat and chopped it off thinly, blowing on a piece and hand feeding it to you. 

“Did you look into the courses I sent you?” Jeongguk asked you as you chewed. You nodded, so he continued: “What did you think?” 

“I like them a lot.” you swallowed. “Especially the one with that famous manga guy.” 

“That’s the one I’m more interested in.” he smiled. 

Jeongguk knew that, despite his talents with a tattoo gun, he wouldn’t be able to work in that field while you were both living in Japan. Which let into him searching for useful ways to pass his time and spend some of the money he managed to save while working in the Circle. 

Since you were –rightfully so– guilting your parents into paying for your living expenses, neither you nor your boyfriend would have to pay for rent or bills; which opened up a whole new world of opportunities for your boyfriend. Jeongguk was already talented with a pen, so taking drawing and manga courses would only broaden his skills when it came to his tattoo artist job. 

Not to mention, it shouldn’t be so time consuming that it would get in the way of his music. Even from far away, Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi promised to keep mentoring him and your brother was already looking up studios in Tokyo that Jeongguk could rent out hourly to record and produce. 

You might be, quite literally, running away from the country, but it would pay off. It had to. Or you’d guilt yourself for the rest of your life. 

“Oh, shit–” the exclamation was coming from somewhere in the yard, catching some of the attention towards a very drunk Jung Hoseok who was looking at something on his phone. 

More people started gathering around your friend, half of you knowing what was happening today and why you wanted to bring everyone from the Circle together; all under the pretense that this was a farewell party for you and Jeongguk. You didn’t move as Jeongguk looked at you knowingly, a reassuring arm around your waist keeping you from being consumed by anxiety. 

“The mayor just got arrested.” Jimin was the one to answer everyone’s silent question, and that was enough for a commotion to start. “What the hell is The Circle?” 

“The article dropped.” you told Jeongguk quietly, guessing what everyone else was typing on their phones. “No going back now.” 

You watched from the sidelines as your brother and the others gasped and were shocked by what they were reading from their phones. Everyone from the Circle already knew what was going on, they knew the news that would break out today, but still pretended to know nothing about the illegal fighting ring and its enormous list of famous celebrities, politicians and businessmen who made up the patrons of the place. 

You and Guk didn’t need to read the article being published by the Seoul Chronicles. 

You were the one to write it. 

You were the one to gather information for months of putting your ass on the line and you were the one to sit with Mr. Baek’s dream team of writers and finish putting the pieces together. 

Your name would never be mentioned in the credits for the piece, no one would ever know of your involvement in what would end up being the break of the decade. And that was okay. 

It was okay because this became so much bigger than you. 

It was okay because you were working closely with the police so that Wonho and his dad could end up behind bars; you worked tirelessly for the past month to make sure that it would happen. 

And this was just the beginning of their downfall. 

You’d make damn sure of it.