thick as thieves || bts x mamamoo

forty;

Jungkook has already learned quite a number of new things in the few hours he's been under Byulyi's wing for this heist.

It seems Namjoon's advice to him before they set out early this morning was quite helpful. "Always keep an eye out and observe your surroundings, Kook. But more importantly, stay safe and have fun, okay? You'll learn the most by doing the best you can with your skillset, so don't try to copy anything Byulyi noona or Hobi do just because it looks cool." While the latter half of his advice had made the youngest of their crew turn red in embarrassment at his little habit being noticed and exposed by Namjoon hyung of all people, his advice on observation had allowed Jungkook to view his time on this heist as not only important training experience, but a good opportunity to learn and grow in other ways.

The first thing he's learned so far? Sneaking onto a ship full of chaos is much more difficult than he expected. He prided himself on his strength from all his gunner experience handling Bangtan's cannons, but as Byulyi had put it, "You can't just brute force your way through everything, you buffoons".

Which was why he was currently dangling precariously off the edge of the Royal Merchant's Guild's ship, clinging for dear life with trembling arms onto the rope of the durable grappling hook currently supporting all four of them. Byulyi was at the top of the rope, her head just shy of the railing of the ship so she could peek over the top to time their entrance appropriately. Beneath her was Hoseok, then Jimin, then Jungkook himself.

A bead of sweat rolls down Jungkook's neck as he gazes off in the distance, nothing but ocean before him and the sounds of the beginning of a pirate raid coming from the main deck of the Royal Merchant's Guild's ship. Just how long have they been hanging on this rope exactly? His only consolation at the moment is the fact that Hoseok and Jimin seem to be in the same boat as him in terms of arm and core strength. The only one of them who truly seems unphased by the level of energy needed to hang from this rope for their current task is unsurprisingly Byulyi, who finally signals to them that it's clear for them to board the ship without drawing suspicion. Jungkook does everything he can with his remaining strength to not audibly sob out loud in gratitude. Not only would it potentially expose their position, but it would look terribly uncool in front of Byulyi as well, as if he hadn't already embarrassed himself in front of her enough times.

The second thing Jungkook soon learns is that nobles are total wusses. Anyone that had originally been on this ship that wasn't a naval officer seems to have essentially surrendered or fled in a panic down to the lower levels at the unexpected attack and pillaging happening on the main deck. It makes him rather curious about what might have happened if things had been different in the past, if Namjoon and Yongsun's family hadn't been split up and if they had continued down their paths to becoming nobles like the other passengers on this ship. The Kim Namjoon and Kim Yongsun that Jungkook know today wouldn't dare stand down if they were under attack like this, but he can't even begin to imagine them doing so even if they had been raised in the environment they were originally born into.

The thought reminds him a bit of a conversation he once overheard Yoongi and Seokjin have about upbringing and privilege while they were cleaning up after dinner one night, though he can't remember much about the actual discussion, too busy trying to escape the mess hall in case his hyungs tried to drag him into helping with clean up duty. He decides that it doesn't really matter anyways, because the Namjoon hyung and Yongsun noona he knows are who they are now because of everything that's happened up until now and Jungkook wouldn't want it any other way.

Clang! The dissonant sound of metal clashing against metal sounds nearby as an unknown pirate crosses blades with one of the Royal Merchant Guild's guards not too far away from where they're standing. The two strangers are too engrossed in their own duel to pay them any mind, though Jungkook supposes it's better this way as he and his two hyungs follow closely behind Byulyi as she makes her way along the fringe of all the fighting on deck and towards a door which most likely leads to the lower levels of the ship.