Days went by in a motionless blur. Jaera felt like the whole Earth had shifted since that night. Her life was always somewhat stable. There were always things that remained the same. Now that her relationship with Jungkook had altered, she feared for what else might happen. Change wasn’t always a good thing.

12 missed calls.

19 unread messages.

Jaera, where are you?

“Hey, this is like the fifth time I’ve called you and you still haven’t answered. ’s going down, can you please call me back. Or text me at least.”

Are you okay?

“Jaera… It’s Jimin. Hyesoon’s been pretty worried. You skipped school apparently, and she doesn’t know what to do. Can you get in touch with her coz she’s freaking out a little. Also, have you heard from Jungkook?”

JAERA! Please reply! I can’t come over because my mom needs me tonight, but I really need to know if you’re alright.

It’s been a day already. Why aren’t you replying?

“So… my call just went through again which means your phone isn’t dead. What’s wrong, Jaera? I’ll try to visit you soon! Please call me.”

Jaera finished listening to the last message from Hyesoon and cleared it, just like she’d been doing to every other voice message and text she’d received. Did they not get the hint? She didn’t want to talk to anyone.

She felt as though maybe she was overreacting, but when had she not? It was either fight or flight with everything in Jaera’s life, and this time she was choosing the flight option. Maybe if she avoided everyone enough, she’d be able to make sense of whatever was going on at the moment.

She felt like an idiot. It was just a kiss. Just something that happened in the heat of the moment. She had been through a rough day, she was overwhelmed with confusion, she wasn’t thinking straight…

Or were they just excuses for something she had actually meant to do? She didn’t even know.

She could still feel Jungkook’s warmth encasing her body, his low, comforting voice promising her not to leave. She couldn’t even remember how long they’d stayed in that position, all she could remember was the feeling.

It was like fire. Hot and engulfing. There was no way she could have fought it.

But it wasn’t just with anybody. It was somebody she’d only just realized she didn’t hate after all. But a lighthearted conversation over a glass of wine in her backyard was on a whole different level to a passionate kiss under the stars.

One meant friends and the other meant…

Why couldn’t she just admit it? Even to herself?

She had missed school two days in a row now. Her mom believed she’d come down with a fever as a result of too much pressure from work, which Jaera knew wasn’t true. Even if she convinced herself otherwise, she knew there was only one reason she didn’t want to go to school, or anywhere else for that matter. And that was the part she hated the most. How could she let something so trivial control her life like this?

She just wanted things to be normal.

1 new message.

It’s Jungkook.

She felt a knot form in her stomach.

Are you alright? Your friend’s pretty worried. She even begged me to see if you’re okay at school today. I didn’t know what to say.

Jaera closed her eyes and focused on anything but the way her heart rate had instantly sped up the moment she read his name. Her finger hovered over the ‘delete’ button until another message popped up.

I hope it has nothing to do with me…

Slowly. Ever so slowly, her finger traveled from ‘delete’ to ‘reply’. Her heart jolted as she typed.

Don’t worry about me.

She hit ‘send’ before she changed her mind and nervously stared at the screen, reading and re-reading her message a million times. The minutes stretched on until he finally replied.

But I am…

Is it because of me?

Why? Why worry?

Stop avoiding my question.

And how can I not?

Well, stop worrying.

But I promised you…

She couldn’t look at her phone anymore. She hurled it to the other side of her bed and buried her face in the covers. Why did he have to bring that up? It just made things even more real.

1 unread message

I’m not gonna break my promise.

---

“Have you gotten in touch with Jaera yet?”

Hyesoon frowned and shoved her hands in her pockets. “No. Not a word. I hope Jungkook can see her today. As long as I know she’s not dying of pneumonia or something.”

Jimin nodded. “Yeah, I hope so. It would’ve been better if she tagged along as well. The more people, the safer I’d feel coming to this place.”

The pair were on a bus to downtown Seoul. The windows rattled as the vehicle moved rapidly through the city center. They knew they were close to their destination when the scenery around them went from fashionably tall skyscrapers to rundown alleys and convenience stores.

Downtown definitely wasn’t an ideal place for teenagers, but when Hyesoon had a story to write, there were no limitations to what she would do for it.

She had managed to secure some personal details about Mr. Kwang, ex-gym teacher of Bangtan High, and a key part in exposing Mr. Kim. She wanted to interview him and see if he had any useful information she could use in her story. Maybe he could explain why he had been trespassed from their school the same day he and Jin had visited.

At first, the whole gang was supposed to go along seeing as it wasn’t the safest place in Seoul, but Taehyung had to bail out last minute and Jaera had gone AWOL. So it was just her and Jimin, which is how it had been for quite a while now. She had no time to question it and, surprisingly, she didn’t find his company as awful as she would have thought a few months ago.

The bus pulled up to a graffiti-ridden bus stop. She stepped out of the bus and onto the littered pavement. Jimin followed, eyes wide at the amount of trash scattered along the path.

“When they said downtown was a dump, I didn’t think they meant it literally.”

“The smell is actually burning my nostrils,” she stated. “Let’s hurry and get this over with. His apartment’s this way, I think.”

Using the map she’d drawn in her mind, she was able to track down the apartment building he stayed in. The only trouble was, she didn’t know the exact room number. The building itself wasn’t as unpleasant as the rest of the area. There was a well-trimmed hedge that led to the main entrance and not a piece of trash in sight. Aside from a few stains and cobwebs on some of the windows, it looked like a decent place to live.

They walked up to the front gate with uncertainty, pausing just outside it for a moment.

“What’s the plan?”

Hyesoon scratched her head. “I guess we just have to ask around until someone tells us where he is.”

“That’s close to impossible, but let’s give it a try.”

As Jimin reached for the handle to open the gate, it opened, seemingly on its own.

“What the h – “

A woman stood before them, just as surprised. Her appearance was a complete contrast to their surroundings. She had long red hair that rested above her hips and a full face of make-up complete with earrings and high heels. She looked like she belonged in Gangnam, not downtown Seoul.

She locked eyes with Hyesoon and Jimin for a brief second before nodding and going on her way.

“Wait! Excuse me!” Hyesoon called out.

The woman turned hesitantly, almost ashamed to have to converse with people in this side of town. “Can I help you?”

Her tone was forced. Did they actually look like they belonged there?

“We’re looking for someone that lives here, maybe you could help us,” Hyesoon asked.

“I don’t know anyone there,” the woman replied curtly.

“I don’t believe you.” Hyesoon narrowed her eyes as the woman’s widened. “Do you know which room Mr. Kwang is in?”

The lady eyed them closely and chewed on her lip. She finally sighed. “Room 408. You’re welcome.”

With a click of her heels, she spun back around and marched down the street. The two were taken aback by her cold presence.

“What a ,” Hyesoon scoffed.

“Was it just me or did she seem familiar?”

Hyesoon shook her head and made her way through the gate.

“I think she’s famous,” he continued, following behind her. “I can’t remember but I swear she’s from a drama my sister watched!” Jimin awed. “No wonder she didn’t want to talk to us, she probably thought we’d tell the media she was hanging around in a dodgy apartment.”

“Hm, seems legit,” Hyesoon said boredly. “Come on, I wanna get out of here as soon as possible.”

Hyesoon skipped up a flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the building. Following the numbers on each door, she determined they were close. She felt excitement bubbling in her stomach. This was it. This was her first witness interview. She didn’t have many questions prepared because she didn’t exactly know what she was trying to find out, but anything would be useful. She was hoping he’d spill something that was worth writing about.

Jimin on the other hand was feeling a mixture of hesitation and anticipation. He was happy about being able to see his old dance teacher again, but he was nervous because of the circumstances. It wasn’t exactly the cheerful reunion he would have hoped for, and more importantly. they weren’t there for those reasons. They were there for a story.  They were there to find out just what Mr. Kim was planning against them. Or if he was even planning anything at all.

“Here it is. Room 408.”

Jimin inhaled. “Are you sure about this?”

“Sure as I’ve ever been.”

She raised her hand, breathed in deeply, and knocked. The sound resonated around them, making the bundle of nerves in Hyesoon’s stomach grow. She didn’t know why she was shaking at that point.

Heavy footsteps could be heard beyond the door, eventually coming closer. She took a glimpse at Jimin, whose face was tense.

Finally, the doorknob turned and a sharp gasp escaped both Jimin and Hyesoon’s mouths.

“Hello?” a voice croaked.

Hyesoon’s jaw dropped. Mr. Kwang’s face looked like a truck had driven over it. His eyes were black and purple and one side of his face was completely covered in bruises. Some of the wounds looked fresh.

“Uh… H – Hi, I’m Hyesoon…” She couldn’t even speak. How could she interview this man in that condition?

He frowned, until his eyes traveled to Jimin, and slowly a small smile appeared on his beaten lips. “Jimin? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mr. Kwang,” Jimin replied, uncertainty clear in his voice. “What… What happened?”

“Jimin,” the man exclaimed, reaching for the boy’s hands. He smiled, revealing an incomplete set of teeth. “It’s really you. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown.”

“And I can’t believe I’m seeing you like this after all this time. Especially in this state. What happened, sir?”

Mr. Kwang’s smile faded. He dropped Jimin’s hands and backed away from the two.

“I think you should leave.”

Hyesoon’s face turned cold. This was her only shot and it was over before it had even begun. “Sir, please. We came all this way. We need to talk to you about Mr. Kim.”

Tears began to form between the man’s puffy eyelids. He started to close the door.

Hyesoon quickly slapped her hand against it before it could close completely. She was desperate for anything and there was no way her journey would be a complete waste.

“Please, just tell us who did this to you!” she demanded.

“Leave me alone.”

He shoved against the door until it was only open by a crack.

Hyesoon pushed back. “Was it Mr. Kim?”

Mr. Kwang grunted in anger and slammed the door shut with all his might, but not before sending Hyesoon a subtle nod she would have missed if she wasn’t pressing her whole body against the door to peek inside.

“Oh my God…”

She let out a heavy, shaky breath and ran her hands through her hair. So many emotions were taking over her. Shock, anger, fear, confusion. She didn’t know where to start. Jimin stared at her, also in his own disbelief. This was beyond anything he would have expected.

“It was him!” she shouted, shifting her feet around erratically. “Mr. Kim did this to him! He’s a monster,” she spat.

Jimin watched her shake her head in horror.

“You saw his face. You saw the damage he’s done. Mr. Kim is capable of anything. He will do anything to get what he wants, even if it means beating someone to the brink of death. Now I know we have to bring him down.”

Determination flared through Hyesoon’s entire presence. Jimin’s jaw tightened as she took a step closer to him, her eyes burning with anger.

“We have to take him down before he does the same to us.”

--