Welcome to Sensational Scenarios! The place for all your sweet and spicy sf9 needs! We write scenarios, imagines, drabbles, etc all for our 9 sensational boys! REQUESTS: OPEN ((for now))
A/N: hello i know its been well over a year since i’ve updated sleeping dogs but things got hectic and well, i graduated from university! now i just work full time so i should have more time to write hopefully.
i never forgot about sleeping dogs though, and i dont think i would ever be able to fully abandon it either. i dont know if anyone still even remembers this story but if you do, thank you for supporting it and thank you for waiting. it truly means more than anything to have others enjoy my sf9 mafia verse.
so without further ado: sleeping dogs ch 4; as always any and all feedback is welcomed!
+ admin L
III | V
iv. liar
Octagon is the hottest club in Seoul, situated in the cultural hub of Gangnam-gu, and the heart of Seven Star’s territory. The three story club offered a dance floor and entertainment hall on the main floor, three bars, an open kitchen, mezzanine private VIP bunkers, a VIP lounge, a second stage lounge, silent room, a swimming pool and women's powder room. While most building spaces in Seoul were small and cramped, Octagon was a spacious club, and despite only being open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, provided a hefty profit for Namjoon and his boys.
As Youngbin walked through the club, he felt himself falling into the rhythm of the music and lights. All around him people moved in a hypnotic state, laughter bubbling from their chests as their drinks sloshed around in their cups. Youngbin often forgot how powerful Seven Star were, given he was always occupied by his own business, but he was happy knowing Namjoon was doing well, that he was able to succeed thus far. Weaving through the crowd, Youngbin led Inseong and Dawon up the stairs to one of the VIP bunkers where Namjoon was waiting for them. The bunker of choice was separated from the others, in a corner that overlooked the octagon shaped hole, which provided the perfect view of the main floor of the club. Two guards stood outside, merely nodding as one held the door open for them. Inside a white, wrap around couch lined the walls, with a table in the center. The members of Seven Star were situated on the couch, their glasses all filled with varying alcoholic beverages. Their exterior reflected nothing but the attitudes of calm professionals, yet from the way in which they grasped their drinks, Youngbin knew there was nothing but anger bubbling beneath their skin.
“Where’s the rest of your boys?” Namjoon asked, eyebrow raised as Youngbin, Inseong, and Dawon sat in the chairs across from him.
“They got caught up at Syndrome so unfortunately they won’t be able to join us. They’re working on finding answers to our problem right now.” Youngbin replied, hyper aware of the rest of Seven Star’s eyes on him. It was risky, bringing only Inseong and Dawon here, but Youngbin knew Namjoon would never summon him like this if it weren’t dire.
“Seulbi dear, why don’t you bring some refreshments for our guests? I’m sure they could use a drink as well. Mr. Lee and Mr. Yoo, the two of you may wait outside with the other guards. This is to be a private conversation between us and the Red Dragons. Do not let anyone disturb us. Understood?” A striking young man ordered as he straightened up in his seat beside Namjoon. Kim Seokjin, as Youngbin knew, was the son of one of the most influential couples in all of Korea. A family with so much power that even the police dared not question them. Octagon had been a gift from Seokjin’s parents to him, allowing him the freedom of running his own business. How much they knew about his activities with Seven Star Youngbin didn’t know. Seokjin acted as Namjoon’s second in command, much like what Inseong did for Youngbin.
“Any weapons on you?” Yoongi asked, wary as he observed the three of them. Youngbin always felt pity when he looked at the other, knowing full well that it was his actions which divided Yoongi and Juho. He knew that was who the former was looking for when they first walked in.
“Just our pistols. We left the rest of our toys at home unfortunately.” Dawon replied.
“If you’re lying, I’ll put a bullet through your head myself.” Taehyung spat.
“Please, as if you could draw your gun faster than me.” Dawon scoffed, arms crossed as he glared at the other. There was a certain rivalry between the two, which Youngbin attributed to their skills as snipers.
“You wanna bet you piece of sh-”
“Boys!” Namjoon and Youngbin called out in unison. Both Dawon and Taehyung closed their mouths, sitting back in their seats and seemingly sulking. They would’ve been great friends, Youngbin was sure, if the circumstances were different.
“This is not the time for your petty disagreements, we have a serious matter to discuss.” Namjoon sighed, before looking at Youngbin. “As I side over the phone, there’s been another murder on our territory this time. One of our runners. He was a good kid Youngbin, a good, loyal kid.”
“I’m so sorry to hear about his passing. I...I didn’t think this man would strike again so soon, and at you guys no less.” Youngbin said.
“Yeomna.” Namjoon said. “That’s what the man calls himself.”
“He gave you a name?!” Inseong pulled out his laptop from his bag, typing rapidly on his keyboard.
“Yeah, gave us a friendly phone call and said if we didn’t join his game someone else is going to die soon.” Yoongi replied grimly.
“Just like the call we got. Interesting.” Inseong looked up from his laptop. “So, I didn’t find anything in police records that matched Yeomna meaning they have no idea a new serial killer is out there. However, I looked up the origin for the word and it means ‘The God of Death’. Whoever we’re dealing with has picked quite a name for himself. Yeomna is said to judge the dead and rule over the afterlife, punishing souls for their wrongdoings in life.”
“So you’re saying we’re dealing with a lunatic playing God? Fucking hell.” Yoongi muttered.
“I think we’re dealing with an entire group. The night when Yeomna called us, our boys were all being watched at three different locations at nearly the same time. We thought it might have been a low tier gang trying to rank up in the Underground but I don’t know. Now I feel like they’re connected. I mean think about it, there’s no way one person could orchestrate this entire thing right? He must have others working behind the scenes and if so, what worries me is that Yeomna might not be the one in control.” Inseong rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before diving into police records one more time.
Silence settled over everyone as the gravity of Inseong’s words hit them. Youngbin hadn’t thought about the possibility of someone higher up pulling all the strings from the shadows, and it made him wonder if they had been watched this entire time. The sudden realization that his boys were scattered hit him like a wall of bricks and he shot up in his seat. “Inseong get Juho and Chani on the line, check in with everyone and make sure they’re alright. Check the cameras outside our home and Syndrome and see if any of those guys are watching them again. Namjoon-”
“On it.” Namjoon cut him off before he could finish, motioning for Seulbi, who had just returned with drinks. The latter quickly set the glasses down, before moving to a side compartment in the room, pulling out a laptop from it. She handed it to Namjoon, and bowed, before exiting the room once more. Namjoon typed just as quickly as Inseong, bringing up footage from all the cameras in Octagon.
Youngbin held his breath as he watched Namjoon’s face, heart racing as he noticed the other’s change in expression. “They’re here aren’t they?”
Namjoon nodded. “We can’t tip them off that we know though. This could be our only chance to get information. We need a game plan and quick.”
“The way I see it we have two options: either we...question one of them, or we slip a tracker on one of them. Personally, I think we’d benefit more from the second option.” Yoongi said.
“Well, that route’s not as fun but you make a valid point good sir.” Dawon leaned back in his seat. “So which one of you is going to do it?”
“Pfft, lazy piece of shit.” Taehyung grumbled.
“Listen jackass, there’s a chance they don’t know that Youngbin, Inseong, and I are here. As far as Yeomna knows, and everyone else for that matter, the Red Dragons and Seven Star are still at each other's throats. I think it’d be in both of our best interests that it stays that way.”
“Dawon’s right. It’s better if no one knows about our...temporary alliance. Besides if word spread in the Underground about this we’ll only have more problems.” Namjoon rubbed his temples. “Jimin you’re up.”
“Sure. I like the easy stuff.” Jimin shrugged, setting his wine glass down on the table as he got up. Namjoon signaled to Seulbi, who brought over a case from another one of the drawers in the room. Two soft clicks were heard before Namjoon opened it, revealing an assortment of devices. He removed a USB and a small, circular piece of metal, about half the size of a penny. Plugging the USB into his laptop, he tossed the small device towards Jimin, who caught it effortlessly. The two of them turned on their bluetooth earpieces, testing the connection twice.
Straightening his clothes, Jimin left the room and made his way downstairs to mingle. All eyes in the room turned towards the security cameras, watching as Jimin weaved his way among the clubbers. Occasionally he would stop and greet a few regulars, hugging some and directing others to the bar. He ordered a couple of drinks, and situated himself with his back facing the counter. Resting his head in one hand, he casually sipped his drink, smiling at girls who looked his way. All in all Jimin looked as relaxed as anyone could.
“There’s a guy in the room to your left. When you walk he’s going to be on the right hand side. His back is turned so that’s as good of a chance as you’ll get.” Namjoon said.
Without responding, Jimin got up from his seat and made his way towards the designated room. Once inside Jimin glances to his right as he takes another sip. It’s now or never. He takes a step towards the man, before “stumbling” forward. The drink in his hand spills over the other, who jumps and spins around, just as Jimin is falling forward. Jimin’s giggling, though the others in the room can’t hear him, and he starts apologizing to the man quite dramatically. The man tries to help Jimin regain his balance, as the latter clings on, saying absurd things.
“You might want to lay off the alcohol kid.” The man said.
“I’m sooo sorry mister.” Jimin giggled again, arms still wrapped around the other’s shoulders for support. “I’ll be juuuust fine. Don’t you worry. Byeee.”
Jimin stumbles out of the room, and for a moment, the man contemplates following the boy, but shrugs off the idea once his body disappears into the intoxicated crowd. Instead, the man pulls out his phone, typing a quick text as he makes his way towards the exit.
“Alright he’s leaving, you can come back up.” Namjoon grinned. “Nice acting.”
“I try my best.” Jimin replied.
Youngbin was quite impressed to say the least. If he hadn’t known better he would’ve thought the kid was completely shitfaced. He hadn’t even noticed whether or not the boy had successfully slipped the tracker onto the guy.
Within moments Jimin slips back into the room and into his previous spot, picking up his wine glass as if nothing had happened. “Well I slipped it under his collar. It’s ready to go.”
“Alright, let’s see what we can get.” Namjoon brought up a screen filled with oscillating waves as the tracker picked up various sounds from the streets outside. “Inseong can you get us visuals while I work with the audio.”
“Sure.” Inseong typed quickly, his laptop splitting into four screens, each with a different view of the street. The cameras changed every minute or so as he hacked one camera after another, doing his best to follow the man’s movements. There were two others with him, and they appeared to be whispering amongst one another.
Namjoon pressed a few keys on his laptop, trying his best to isolate their voices only. After a moment or two, he was finally able to enhance the portion of audio that he wanted, and he turned the volume up so that everyone could hear what was being said.
“...at Syndrome. Kang Chanhee isn’t with them. We need to find the kid.”
“There were only three of them at Syndrome. The rest could all be together, we might not be able to separate the kid from them.”
“Well we gotta think of something, otherwise Boss won’t be happy.”
“Dawon call the others. Now.” Youngbin said, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
Just as Dawon was about to call Rowoon, the sound of Youngbin’s phone rang through the room. Pulling the device out of his pocket, Youngbin frowned at the unknown number. “It’s him. It’s Yeomna.”
Setting the phone down on the table, he answered, tapping the speaker button. “Hello?”
“Hello again, Kim Youngbin.”
“What the hell do you want now?”
“Ah, straight to the point I see. I was merely wondering if you’ve spoken with Seven Star recently. I hear they have suffered a tragic loss.”
“You should know we don’t fuck with Seven Star.”
“I disagree. You and Namjoon seem to have quite the past. Very messy indeed.” Yeomna tsked. “Two once dear friends, nearly inseparable, were at war with each other. But now it seems as if the two of you have set aside your differences for the time being.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Namjoon and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Youngbin glanced over at Namjoon, who seemed just as concerned as he is.
“You can’t lie to me. I know you’re working together. I know he must’ve told you my name. In fact, I even know you’re with him right now. Am I wrong, Kim Namjoon?”
Youngbin shook his head at the other, urging him not to speak. The latter nodded in response, choosing to say nothing. After a moment of silence passed, a sigh could be heard.
“No matter. I have other things I wanted to discuss with you all.”
There you stood, in front of the flower section at walmart, as per all your usual trips to the department store. Dawon standing quite a ways behind you, hiding behind the freshly stocked isle of school supplies, watched you with a mixture of fondness and confusion. You visited the department store a good one or two times a week and Dawon noticed. He noticed that no matter what your basket held, whether it be groceries, school supplies, cleaning supplies, even random nick nacks on days where he figured you were just bored and felt like spending money, you never forgot to pick up a bouquet of flowers. It was never the same kind of blossoms, rather always something different but beautiful nonetheless.
Dawon watched you every chance he could that you showed up. It was a fairly creepy habit when you said it aloud, but it wasn’t like he was posting up photos of you around his room and watching your every move. He was simply admiring you from afar, slowing gaining an even bigger crush the more he saw you. He had never talked to you; never even had asked if you needed any assistance, because he was way too nervous and judging by the way your eyebrows creased and eyes drifted smoothly over each and every flower, you knew what you were looking for. You drew him in so much, it somewhat scared him - for a second he actually thought you had put some kind of spell on him, maybe thrown a little bit of fairy dust when he wasn’t paying attention, but he doubted that - he was just really attracted to you. To him, everything about you was perfect. From your obvious interest and knowledge in flowers, to your slightly vintage, rather artsy, mom style of dressing, he was drawn to you.
You turned around with a bouquet of white oriental lilies, soft pink roses, silver dollar eucalyptus, and greenery in your hands. He stared, appalled. It was such an odd combination but so elegant. He knew he had never seen that arrangement before so did you make it? He was truly shocked. You began walking off, to pay for the flowers. He watched as it looked like you glided across the store, you had not a single skip in your step and it was the most mesmerizing thing he’d ever witnessed. You were like a divine creature - too seraphic for him.
He didn’t see you for another week after that, and it worried him. You frequented the store every single week at least once, so why weren’t you coming? He began to fear that you had seen him watching you and had scared you away. He was so mad at himself if that were correct; he should’ve just talked to you instead of being creepy. Shaking his head, Dawon stood up from his lunch break and went back to his position behind the counter of the floral station. He figured since you weren’t coming again, he didn’t need to hide or pretend to be working somewhere else. He turned around to to pick up the flowers he ordered and started making an arrangement - the same exact one you had made. When he finally finished he smiled at down at the display in contentment. He had nailed your work perfectly, of course it wasn’t the same because it wasn’t made by your nimble fingers, but it was just as great.
“This is beautiful. I think it’s better than the one I made.”
Dawon’s head snapped up at the soft voice. His eyes immediately met your innocent ones and he stepped back in surprise. It was you, in front of him, looking at him, talking to him. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him; you were breathtaking up close. He could feel his mouth opening and closing but nothing was coming out. He probably looked like a fish out of water and he was so embarrassed. Dawon shook his head and forcibly relaxed his body, finally snapping back into reality.
“Oh, jesus. I really hope you’re not upset I took your idea, I just thought it was so beautiful, I had to recreate it. I’m sorry. I was hoping to name it after you.” Dawon rushed out all his words and wanted to slap himself, he was really blowing it right now. Way to be cool, dude.
You laughed. You actually laughed. And it was the best sound Dawon had ever heard.
“It’s fine. I really appreciate it. I’ve never had an arrangement dedicated to me, I’m honored.” Your smile was one of the most sincere experiences of Dawon’s young life.
He stared at you fondly for a few seconds too long until he realized what he was doing and sprang back into action.
“Oh! I’m sorry, did you need any help with anything?” His customer service voice was back and he had never hated it more. He wanted to sound cool and manly, not high and superficial.
“Uh, yeah. I’m looking for a dozen of white carnations, do you have any?”
A dozen white carnations? This is new.
“I’m actually not too sure, hold on while I go check in the back real quick?”
You nodded and Dawon walked off.
He pushed the doors to the back open, speeding towards the floral display case. Spotting white carnations pushed to the far back, he reached forwards and took them out, counting twelve.
“Hey man, that girl you’re helping out there is fucking hot, you should get her number for me.” Dawon’s coworker, Inseong, said as he pushed through the doors. Dawon steadily spun around on his heel, a look of disgust on his face. He gave a once over to his coworker before rolling his eyes and walking out with the flowers in hand.
“You’re in luck, we had exactly twelve carnations! Will that be all?”
Dawon watched your face morph into something like you wanted to say something else but instead shook your head, looking slightly disappointed? Dawon’s eyebrows furrowed in worry but brushed it off to the back of his mind and continued.
“Well, that will be five dollars and four cents, please.”
You reach into your wallet and pull out the money. Handing it to the man before you, you smile and slowly turn away, your fresh flowers gripped tightly between your arm and chest.
“Hey, Dawon, did you ask her?” You heard a different voice and started walking slower to eavesdrop.
“No, dude, shut up.” The familiar voice spoke up, stunning you at how malicious he sounded.
“Fine. Then I’ll ask her myself.”
You heard the small divider door open and footsteps going through it before a loud crash. You jump and spin around in a hurry. Glass particles, big and small, covered the ground. A vase broke.
“Aw, crap, I’m sorry man. I didn’t know that was right there. I’ll go get the broom.”
A guy you’ve never seen sprints to the back, you suppose to grab cleaning supplies. Your eyes divert to the other worker, Dawon, from what you learned. He crouches down and starts picking up the glass, but you quickly walk back to the counter and set down your flowers to tell him to stop before he gets hurt.
“You’re still here? Oh god, this is embarrassing.” Dawon says, standing up and wiping the dust from the floor off his knees.
“Yeah. I may or may not have been eavesdropping.” You chuckle nervously.
“Oh dear god, so you heard all that?”
“Maybe… was that guy talking about me?” You ask Dawon.
“Yeah… He wanted your number but, uh, I didn’t want to ask you…”
“Why not?”
Dawon lets out a long sigh, like he knew it was coming and scratches the back of his neck.
“Uh… yeah… yikes, how do I explain this?” You stare at him expectantly and he takes a deep breath, “so, uh, basically, you see… I’ve been watching you for weeks now, and I think you’re so beautiful and cute, and I admire how I can tell you know a lot about flowers, and I love how no matter what you buy here, you always get flowers too, and I’m just so drawn to you, and I really like you, so I didn’t want Inseong to have your number, please don’t think I’m weird.” You had never heard someone talk so fast in your life, you barely had any time to even process what he said.
“I’m so honored right now, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Can we go get coffee or pick out flowers together sometime?” Dawon finally asks.
“Yes, oh my, of course.”
He feels like the weight of the whole world was just lifted off his shoulders, he’s so happy he wants to do a backflip. He never thought it would end up like that. He figured he would just stay watching you like some creep for the next year until one of you disappeared somewhere else. You both stare up at one another, smiling and secretly relieved you were finally going on a date with each other.
Nine weeks later you and Dawon were officially dating.
It was shopping day, as you and your boyfriend started calling it, and his day off. After shopping for whatever you both needed, you stop by the floral department to pick up an arrangement you had ordered beforehand. It was a big one, filled with pink snapdragons, lilies, green gladiolus and alstroemeria. Dawon smiled at you as he picked up the vase for you. The both of you thanked Inseong before walking off as he waved goodbye.
The car ride was quiet but comfortable as Dawon steered with one hand and the other intertwined with yours, music playing softly in the background. You finally pulled into the familiar setting and parked. You got off and Dawon walked to the back to get the flowers. You walked up to your mother’s tombstone with a sad smile on your face.
“Hey, mom, it’s your one year anniversary.”
Dawon comes up from behind you and places the vase of flowers right next to her tombstone. It blended in perfectly with the rest of the colorful flowers, just a little bit bigger in tribute of the date. Dawon wraps his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him before planting a gentle kiss to your temple.
So, I might’ve gotten a little too excited and I’ve decided to share the details of this project with you all!
Note, that the project is not confirmed and will only happen depending on everyone’s responses to it.
What is the special project?
A twitter account.
Not just a regular twitter account, but one where you, the readers, will have a say in how Sleeping Dogs plays out.
How will it work?
Starting with chapter 4, I would post scenarios on twitter; some which will make sense and some which won’t, and via polls, you all would make decisions. The results from the polls will be used as I’m writing chapter 4 (and subsequent chapters) and will alter the course of the story in one way or another. You might see the effect of one choice in chapter 4, or the effect of that choice won’t come till a later chapter.
I wanted to make Sleeping Dogs an interactive journey where you guys can shape the story with me; plus I feel that it would be an interesting way to immerse you all in the story. In addition, I would drop hints, teasers, and clues all relating to Sleeping Dogs on the account.
Now this isn’t set in stone (but the twitter account is already up) and I won’t do it if you all think it’s a bad idea. I can continue writing the story as I’ve initially planned if you all prefer. Please please please let me know your thoughts on this, it would be really appreciated!
so you all are probably wondering where admin b and i have been these past few months(?) and to be honest, its life. we’re both very busy; she’s graduating high school and im heading into my last year of uni before i graduate with my degree (woo!)
nonetheless we both miss this blog and writing so much; yet we’ve both fallen into funks. we have our separate insecurities about our writings and we’ve skyped with each other hours at a time, talking about this blog and what we want to do with it.
dont panic though! we’re both here to stay because we dont want our passion for writing to die. i figured i owed you guys an update though, since we constantly get notifs despite not being as active and standing at 700+ followers now (like wtf wow)
needless to say, i’ve gone back to working on Sleeping Dogs and will do everything in my power to get ch3 posted before monday morning! speaking of, i’ve got a special project for sleeping dogs in the works at the moment, which i will share details of soon!
thank you all for still sticking with this blog and i promise to write and post more often! who knows we might even open the askbox for requests again soon! c:
shit's gonna go down for both gangs aaaahhhhh and when Youngbin mentioned about Juho and Yoongi, my heart went soft for five seconds. this is getting intense I'm loving it! thank you so much for the chapter, dear 💞
ahhh thank you for your kind words!
i know im excited to delve into the relationships between red dragons and seven star, as well as future groups to be introduced c:
i made sure to have my notifs on so i could be one of the first to read the new update like i said 😤✊ can i just say that i am in love with your work though ?? sleeping dogs is my favorite au out of every au i've ever read ?? i knew all the time it took to write the chapter would be worth it in the end bc that ending!! made me feel the same way as youngbin and im!!!!! thank you for making such an amazing au, i owe you my life
KSDKSKDS STOP
it literally makes my heart so incredibly happy knowing you enjoy my work! and im so flattered that you have notifs turned on omg;;;;
i’ll try my best to get back into my rhythm of updating biweekly again so you can continue to enjoy sleeping dogs :’)
Youngbin didn’t get very much sleep that night. His mind was too plagued with the idea of a killer on the loose; a killer fixated on him and his brothers. He’s encountered people like this before, people who wanted to take away what he had built for the Red Dragons, but they had all been fools much too weak for him. However, something about this man was unsettling. He was clever, and careful, and Youngbin was almost afraid of what he would be capable of doing if not handled soon.
While Youngbin prided himself on being efficient and getting the job done, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle this alone. Given how the media was currently handling the situation, it wouldn’t be long before a particular gang would get involved, and Youngbin would rather have them as allies now than enemies later. Pulling his blanket aside, Youngbin quietly makes his way to the breezeway to make a call. It was well past noon, but with last night’s activities the boys were still fast asleep. Youngbin preferred it this way, wanting them to be as well rested as possible for tonight.
He paced back and forth impatiently as he waited for his call to be answered. After a few rings a low voice picked up. “Hello?”
“Kim Namjoon. It’s me, Youngbin.”
“Ah Youngbin. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’m sure you’ve seen the news by now. I’d like to meet with you and your boys tonight at Octagon.”
A hollow laugh echoed from the other side. “If I recall correctly, one of your boys shot at one of mine just a few weeks ago, and you want to meet for a chat?”
“And if I recall correctly, your boy instigated it and attacked first.”
“He was doing his job and following orders.”
“So was mine.” Youngbin sighed. “Look, I know you want to punch me just as much as I want to punch you, but right now we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands.”
“You mean that dead girl? Her body was found on your territory. I don’t see how that would be our problem. Even if those idiotic news reporters did mention Seven Star, the police have more reason to suspect the Red Dragons, do they not?”
Youngbin paused. Namjoon was right, but he was desperate. “The man who killed her, he reached out to me and said another body will show up in three days if I didn’t join his game. Every game has more than one player, and something tells me that if he’s going after us, he’ll go after your boys too. You know what it’s like, having people who you would die for. Despite how much I hate you, and how rough our relations are, I wouldn’t want you to go through the pain of losing a brother. So please, I’m begging you Namjoon, I don’t want to lose one of mine.”
“Kim Youngbin. You’re asking me to put my own brothers at risk for you for something we’re not even a part of. Do you take me for a fool?! After all these years, all these goddamn years you suddenly want my help now? Why should I? Why should Seven Star?”
“Because we were friends once Namjoon. I still wish we were.”
“Once. Not anymore.”
“What about Juho and Yoongi? Don’t they deserve a chance to reconcile with each other?”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare speak about Yoongi. He did everything for that piece of shit and-”
“We fucked up okay?! We knew what we did was wrong and I have done everything that I could to make things right Namjoon! Don’t you understand that I wouldn’t be calling you like this if I didn’t need your help? It’s not just about the Red Dragons needing Seven Star. It’s me saying I need you.”
Silence overcame them both as the words that had been exchanged settled in the air around them. Youngbin was breathing hard, trying his best to regain his composure. On the other side, Namjoon too, was doing all he could to keep himself together. It was a conversation that opened too many wounds, brought forth too many painful memories that the younger didn’t want to think about.
“Youngbin I-” Namjoon took a deep breath. “I’ll have to talk with the others, but I’m not promising anything. They’re my first priority, always.”
“I understand.”
“Octagon. Tonight at ten. We’ll give you our answer then.”
“Thank you, Namjoon. “
A pause on the other side. “Goodbye, Youngbin.”
Youngbin sighed as he slid his phone back into his pocket. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. He wondered if Namjoon would ever be able to forgive him for his wrongdoings. Briefly, Youngbin pondered the idea of contacting Hwan Song, but decided it was not yet time to ask for their help. Youngbin didn’t want to involve more people than necessary.
“You alright there?”
Youngbin jumped, a hand flying to his chest as he spun around wide eyed. Inseong was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed as he stared at the other. The elder raised an eyebrow as he observed the younger’s condition. Youngbin looked more exhausted than usual, his dark circles more prominent. It was as if the elder had aged five years in the past ten minutes, and it deeply worried Inseong.
“Yeah. I just spoke with Namjoon. We’re meeting with Seven Star tonight at ten.”
“Okay good. I know you wanted our schedules cleared, but after looking over today’s schedule, there are a few...appointments that we can’t miss.”
“Which ones?”
Inseong takes a deep breath before listing everything that needed to be done for the day. They had to meet with Mr. Lee Hyunjong, a prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of the Republic of Korea. Hyunjong was an old friend from Youngbin’s youth, and more often than not, was the primary person who cleared the Red Dragons of most of the claims made against them. He had just finished up a case wherein a greedy landlord by the name of Soohyun attempted to “relocate” the residents of the Guryong Village prior to the demolition of the slum without actually having a place for the residents to stay. With a little persuasion from Youngbin, Soohyun confessed to his crimes in court. It was a mutually beneficial friendship, with the Red Dragons helping Hyunjong with his cases, and with Hyunjong keeping the police off the Red Dragons in return. Now Hyunjong was tasked with the case regarding the murder of the missing girl and he had called Inseong late last night while Youngbin was asleep to request a business lunch with him and to discuss the details of that case.
They also had to meet with Hayoung, one of the bartenders at their club, Syndrome, and a loyal friend. She was tasked with keeping an eye on drug trades that occured within the club. Crystal meth and ecstasy were the two most common drugs that people often bought, sold, and used at Syndrome and provided a large profit for the boys. Recently though, Hayoung had noticed that a particular dealer wasn’t giving her sixty percent of his profits as agreed upon, and by not giving her the full amount, he in turn wasn’t paying the Red Dragons.
Youngbin sighed. Dealing with clients at Syndrome was either the easiest job or the most difficult. “Alright, you, Dawon, and I will pay a visit to Hyunjong, while Juho, Taeyang, and Hwiyoung head to Syndrome. I need Chani to stay here as liaison for all of us, and Jaeyoon and Rowoon to work on preparations for tonight.”
“Understood. I’ll go wake the others now.”
Youngbin sighed once more as he checked the time on his phone. It was going to be a long day indeed.
~~~
The small restaurant that Hyunjong chose for their meeting was family owned, and tucked away near the night market. Hyunjong was already seated in a private room which he reserved for them. As Youngbin and Inseong entered the room Hyunjong swiftly got to his feet, straightening out his suit jacket and greeting the two with a warm hug.
“It’s good to see you Youngbin.”
“Same to you Hyunjong. Congratulations on the Guryong case.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. Give yourself some credit.” Hyunjong smiled before looking past Youngbin. “Is it just you and Inseong today?”
“Dawon is busy flirting with one of the girls out there while simultaneously keeping watch for us.” Inseong shrugged.
Hyunjong laughed. “Good to know he’s still the same. I wish this meeting was simply a nice lunch with old friends, but as I told Inseong over the phone, it’s quite urgent.”
“You have that murder case now right?” Youngbin asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“Park Sooyoung. She was a twenty four year old college student at Seoul University. I took a look at her background and the only piece of information that I came across that was a little unusual is that she was a prostitute.”
“Interesting. Majority of students registered at Seoul University either have their tuition covered by their parents, or are there on scholarship. Very few, if any, struggle financially so I wonder why she went into prostitution.” Inseong wondered. He pulled his laptop out of his backpack, turning his bluetooth earpiece on. “Hey Chani, I need you to do something for me.”
While Inseong spoke to Chani and searched for more information on Sooyoung, Youngbin turned his attention back to Hyunjong. “Have you gotten any leads yet?”
“None, just that it’s similar to an old serial murder case from a little over a decade ago. Do you recall the Yoo Youngchul case? He murdered roughly twenty people, mostly prostitutes and wealthy people, and used a homemade hammer. Some of the murders occurred here in Gangnam as well.”
“The wounds on Sooyoung’s head looked like they came from a blunt object. Theoretically could be a hammer.” Youngbin mused.
“You saw the body?” Hyunjong raised an eyebrow.
“No, only photos.”
“I see. Well yeah, essentially it does look possible that a hammer could have done that, but the autopsy report isn’t complete yet. Youngchul is currently being detained at the Seoul Detention Center on death row, so the police are thinking it could be a potential copycat killer. At the same time though, the wounds were too carefully cleaned and maintained. If it were a true copycat, they would duplicate the crimes as closely as possible, but no organs were missing and the body was well taken care of.” Hyunjong rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“A blueprint.” Inseong looked up from his laptop and stared at them. “The killer could be using the Youngchul case as a blueprint. There have been instances where serial killers will dabble in different styles until they find a method which suits them. If our killer didn’t follow Youngchul’s crimes exactly, then he’s most likely going to kill again and model it after another serial killer.”
“If Youngchul was the first killer they chose to duplicate, I fear it’s only going to get worse from here on out unless we apprehend them. Youngbin, Youngchul is one of Seoul’s most notorious serial killers, very few cases are as gritty and bloody as his. We can’t let history repeat itself.”
“I know. I’ll have some of my men on the streets keep their eyes and ears open for any useful information. My boys and I will monitor Gangnam as best as we can and check with our clients at Syndrome if they know anything. The cops think we’re behind Sooyoung’s murder though, so they’ll make our night patrols rather difficult.”
“Let me handle the police. I’m sure I can find something that’ll convince them that the Red Dragons aren’t involved for the time being. I’ll keep investigating on my side as well and keep you updated on further developments. What are you going to do now?”
“We’re going to head to Syndrome. There’s business we have to handle and it’ll also give us a chance to start asking around. You?”
“Back to my office. I’ve got some phone calls to make and digging to do. Inseong I’ll be in touch with you later regarding that.” Hyunjong rose from his seat once more. “I hope someday soon, we can get together for lunch on happier circumstances my friends.”
“I do too.” Youngbin enveloped the other in a hug, patting him on the back as he did so. “Stay safe out there Hyunjong.”
“You as well.”
A moment after Hyunjong’s departure Dawon entered the room, taking a seat with his feet propped up on the table. “How’d it go?”
“Pretty morbid.” Inseong replied, filling the younger in on their discussion.
“Well shit…” Dawon muttered.
“We need to head to Syndrome and take care of business there. Dawon, do you think you can pay a visit to the VIP rooms when we get there and see if any of our clients have any information they’ll be willing to share?” Youngbin asked, getting up.
“Of course.” Dawon grinned.
“Good. Let’s hurry before-” Youngbin’s cell phone rang, startling the elder briefly. Looking at the caller ID Youngbin was rather surprised to see Namjoon’s name on the screen. “Namjoon?”
“You need to come to Octagon. Now.”
“What happened?” Youngbin demanded, motioning for Inseong and Dawon to follow him out of the restaurant and to their bikes.
Youngbin halted in his steps, the color draining from his face as Namjoon’s next words echoed through his mind.
“There’s been another murder. This time the body was for Seven Star.”
I just came back after a month and seeing the chapter preview made me go "aaaaa Aa ahh hh" cus I ready for an update (just take your time tho, and dont feel pressured 💞)
ahhh im so sorry for making you and everyone else wait!
but i’m happy to tell you all that ch3 is nearly finished and i’ll be posting it within 24 hours! i hope you’re still looking forward to it! c:
i thought i’d surprise everyone with a little teaser of chapter 3!
who could be on the other side of the phone call? is youngbin truly that desperate for help? who else is going to join the game alongside the Red Dragons? 👀
share your thoughts, questions, and ideas with me!
wow, its been a long time hasnt it? im sorry i didnt update sleeping dogs when i said i would, i’ve been going through a rough patch with my writing the past few weeks.
im in this situation where i absolutely, utterly hate everything that i write
i’ve rewritten and deleted several parts of ch 3 and im just not satisfied with it yet. i feel like my writing isnt up to par anymore so more often than not i’ll open up google docs, stare at my work, write a sentence or two, and quit.
its a new year though! and im hoping to regain my confidence and passion for writing again soon, because i do miss it and i do miss sharing my work here.
thank you all for always understanding and always supporting, ill be back soon!
a/n: the first of the sweet confections drabble series is up! any and all feedback is appreciated please and thank you!
+ admin L
tiramisu
Finals week had finally arrived and everyone was busy with last minute studying, yourself included. The bookstore you often studied at was filled with students cramming for exams, their laptops open and books and papers scattered about. Today was no different as you had no other choice but to settle on the carpeted floor on the second level.
With your earphones in, you spent the next couple hours studying what you could. A soft tap on your shoulder startled you, causing you to jump in your spot. Looking up from your notes, you pulled an earbud out, eyes widening at the boy in front of you.
He looked older than you, though not by much, and his eyes were just as wide as yours as he fumbled over his words. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just wondering if I could sit here? It’s the only part of the store that has an open outlet and my laptop is kinda dying.”
He pointed at the spot to your left, where an empty outlet lay waiting. Embarrassed, you moved to gather your things. “Of course! Sorry I’ll move I didn’t mean to hog the outlet area. I don’t even need it.”
“No it’s okay! You can stay, I mean you were here first anyways. We can share right?”
“Y-yeah.”
You looked downwards, face flushed as the boy settled down next to you with his laptop and backpack. Embarrassed, you went back to studying, hyper aware of his presence. It was difficult at first, trying to study, and annoyingly enough you kept getting distracted by him. His coffee colored hair and cream colored sweater suited him perfectly, and it reminded you of tiramisu, a dessert you rarely ate but enjoyed nonetheless.
“Tiramisu?” The boy looked over at you questioningly, and it was in that moment that you wished a hole would swallow you up.
“I said that out loud didn’t I?” The flush on your face intensified as you tried to find someway to explain yourself. “I uh-it’s just that, your hair and sweater reminded me of it. Sorry just ignore me, please.”
The boy smiled, and you didn’t know how much more your heart could take. “If it makes you feel better, you remind me of espresso. The kind with really pretty cream art.”
Your heart felt as if it would burst, not at all expecting such a response from him. The boy glanced at his watch, frowning as he began to pack up his things. There was a hesitation in his actions, almost as if he didn’t want to leave. You wondered if you would ever see him again after this, or if it would simply be one of those times where you fall in love with a stranger in a fleeting moment.
Accepting the latter as the most reasonable option, you slowly turned back to your own schoolwork, not wanting to admit how much tiramisu boy actually affected you. Another tap on your shoulder had you looking up again. Tiramisu boy had his backpack over his shoulder, a small smile on his face.
“I never caught your name, espresso girl.”
“It’s [y/n]. What about you tiramisu boy?” You smiled back.
“Inseong. Kim Inseong. I have to go, but I don’t want this to be the first and last time I see you so here’s my number. Keep in touch? Maybe we can study together again or something.” He scratched the back of his head nervously as he awaited your response.
“I’d love that. I’ll see you when I see you Inseong.”
“Nice! I mean, okay yeah I’ll see you! Text me alright?”
“I will!”
As he walked away you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Though you weren’t a believer of love at first sight, you did believe in the idea of wanting to get to know someone better at first sight, and Inseong was just that. You were excited at the possibility of spending more time with him, even if it was just more studying. Deciding to take the chance, you typed his number in your phone and sent a quick text. A few seconds later your phone vibrated, and you felt your heart pounding.
Hey espresso girl! I was actually scared you wouldn’t text me.
You’re too nice for me not to. By the way, I meant to ask but how do I remind you of espresso? I mean I told you why you made me think of tiramisu.
Hm, because a nice cup of espresso pairs perfectly well with tiramisu.
Oh really?
You could feel your face heating up again at his words, and with his next text you knew you were a goner for him.
Yeah, and I think we’d make a perfect pair too, if you’ll let me show you.
