PROLOGUE

Ding!

"Good day! Welcome to Peachy Pastry Shop. What can I get for you today?" A man, clad in a familiar suit walked in, his eyes roaming around.

Behind the counter stood another man, smiling at the customer who'd just walked in.

"The usual."

"Of course." The owner, a man by the name of Kim Taehyung, moved to the display case next to him and grabbed the first peach tart in the row.

He placed it in a bag with his shop's logo on it and handed it to the customer.

"Anything else?"

"Shipment location for the next drug smuggle." Taehyung smirked slightly, eyeing the man.

"My my, Jeon, getting a little bold there, aren't we?"

"Yes, getting a little bold, aren't we?" Both men turned to find another man standing at the entrance, his arms crossed and a permanent scowl seeming to rest on his face.

"Min."

"Jeon."

"Hello! Welcome to Peachy Pastry Shop. What can I get for you today?" Taehyung asked.

"The usual."

"Of course." Taehyung again grabbed a sweet treat from his display case. He turned back to the men, finding them glaring at each other. "Now, now. What are the rules?" Taehyung said, lightly slamming his hands onto the counter to get their attention.

"No violence." they both muttered like freshly scolded children.

"Right!" Taehyung smiled. "Here you go, Min." He charged both men for the treats and sent them on their way.

Peachy Pastry Shop.

A cute little shop at the corner of the street, bright and cheerful and oh so welcoming to everyone.

The perfect place to cover up the dark happenings within the city.

Run by a sweet old man, the shop was a neutral ground for every mafia family.

It was a meeting ground, a place with no violence, no weapons, no drugs, no blood.

Just secrets.

Kept by the owner and dealt by the owner, he sold secrets and information, the price not cheap. But he also kept secrets safe, held information for others.

It was an unspoken word that Kim Taehyung was perhaps the most powerful of all of them.

Their guns.

Their money.

Their influence.

Their power.

It stood nothing against the secrets he held.

One slip of the tongue and they were over.

Once, a mafia leader from outside the city tried something against the man. Every mafia outside of the city knew of the pastry shop, and that the owner knew secrets. But the old man knew every family leader in the entire city, and instantly knew this man was up to no good. A couple of the families had made him install security buttons for their various families. A press of one, and they were alerted he was in danger. That day he had pressed the Jeon button. He hated pressing the buttons, but he had a reputation to uphold, and no one could find out his secret.

But he's just the sweet old man who owns Peachy Pastry Shop.

And with the ding of the bell on the door, he'll smile sweetly and say, "Good day! Welcome to Peachy Pastry Shop. What can I get for you today?"

—

Kim Taehyung

Age: unknown

Owner of Peachy Pastry Shop

'Middle Man'

Collects and sells information/secrets

Also Kim Taehyung

Age: 23

Son of a wealthy business owner

Doesn't want anything to do with father's despite how hard his parents try to include him