~Chapter 20~

I woke up feeling very light-headed after all the crying.

I looked at the clock on my bedside table and saw that it was almost 6 in the evening.

‘Guess I slept through the morning and missed lunch’ I told myself as I slipped out from my bed and went out.

The place was very quiet and no signs of any people around.

“They are all out I guess”

I went to the kitchen to get some water because my throat is sore.

As I was drinking a water bottle, I noticed an envelope from the tabletop of the bar area. I went near it and noticed that it was addressed to me and decided to open it.

A picture fell out from it and I picked it up. I looked at the picture and my eyes widened.

It was a picture of Jihoon being carried like a bag of potatoes by someone I don’t even know towards a black van.

There was a note that came with the picture. I opened it hurriedly and browsed through the words.

Lee Jihoon is in our hands.

If you want him back, meet us in the address located at the back of the picture.

Prepare to be his exchange if you want him back.

There are clothes prepared for you appropriate for the exchange.

Wear it or else you’ll know what will happen to him.

And it is not the good thing.

Be there before 6 o’clock or there will be dire consequences not only to him but also to your other friends.

You have been warned.

Just as I finished reading the note, I heard the doorbell ring and I rushed to the front door.

I opened the door and came face to face with a mailman holding a box.

“Umm, package for Mr. Kwon Soonyoung?”

“That would be me.”

“Can you please sign here Sir?”

I signed the document and he gave me the package. I said my thanks and he left.

I closed the door and opened the package. It was some clothes. Some formal clothes to be exact, complete with the suit, tie and dress shoes.

I hurriedly changed into it not minding that I was changing in the living room. Well there was no one here in the house in the moment and I don’t care about anything else but saving my Jihoon.

Well I’m also thinking about my other friends but Jihoon is my priority right now.

I rushed out from the house not forgetting my phone, wallet, car keys and making sure to lock the house, went to my car and headed to the address.

When I arrived at the place, the first thing that I noticed that it was dark. It was five minutes before six o’clock. I looked around and noticed that it was near the forest in the city.

I felt a vibration from my pants and fished out my phone seeing that it was a call from Jihoonie.

“Are you there already?” came the voice from the other line. I certainly knew that it was not Jihoonie.

“Yes I am. Now where is Lee Jihoon?” I asked as I heard the voice chuckle from the other line.

“And here I thought that you always call him Jihoonie. What happened to that Mr. Kwon Soonyoung?”

“You think that this is the time to talk about things like that?! WHERE IS HE RIGHT NOW!!??” I screamed at the phone feeling very angry right now.

The guts of this person to joke around in a time like this just because my precious one is in his hands. I would never forgive him is there is even a single scratch in his body when I find my Jihoonie.

“Calm down mister. Just follow my instructions and I guarantee the safety of YOUR Jihoonie”.

I just nodded as he started his instructions.

“First. In your car, there is a box. Go get it right now.”

I followed his orders and opened door to my car and found a box below the passenger seat.

“Open the box. There is a phone in there.”

I got the phone out from the box and turned it on.

“The hell. This is password protected. What’s the passcode?”

“It’s your turn to solve that Mr. Kwon Soonyoung. I will await for your call from the phone in the box. You don’t have any other choice but to figure it out for I will not answer any other call. You have 10 minutes or else, you’ll never know where the body of your beloved will be found. Also you have only 5 times to guess the code. After that the phone will blow up”

And he hanged up.

Damn it. And I punched my steering wheel out of anger.

But I have no other choice but to figure out the code. I opened the phone and I noticed that there is a hint in its lock screen.

‘Under the box’

I looked at the packaging of the box and there was a small compartment below it and opened it.

Inside was a paper with a note.

‘When did Lee Jihoon gave his first present to you?’

Of course it was during my 5th birthday where we became besties for life.

I typed 0615 on the phone and I am very sure that it was the right one.

But the screen told me that it was incorrect.

I repeated it for another 3 times, but it was incorrect all the time.

Weird. I knew perfectly for sure that it was during my 5th birthday when Jihoon gave me a big box full of SHINEE merchandise.

This is my last try. I typed in 061. I’m contemplating whether to use my last chance for a number 5 or another number.

I don’t know why but my heart tells me to press the number 4. I looked at the time and I still have another 5 minutes left.

“DAMN IT!!” I shouted in anger as my finger pressed 4.

And in my shock, the phone was unlocked. Whoa….

Why is it 0614?

“Maybe the kidnapper was dumb and forgot that my birthday is in the 15th.”

I opened the contacts list and found a single number in there. I pressed it and held the phone to my ear.

After a few rings the call was picked up.

“Well, well, well. Good to see you still alive and kicking Mr. Kwon Soonyoung.”

“I solved your code so tell me where Jihoon is.”

“Not yet Mr. Kwon. You must find and save him yourself. Where’s the fun in handing him to you just like that?”

“DAMN YOU!!! WHERE THE FREAKING HELL IS LEE JIHOON??!!”

“Hush, hush Mr. Kwon. I’m holding your Jihoonie at gunpoint right now. Want to see him alive? Follow my instructions and you’ll find him. Find the house with the number of 17 in five minutes.”

And he hanged up.

“Where the hell can I find a house in this forest?” I told myself as I ran inside the forest.

After around 3 minutes of running I’m slowly losing hope.

I still have 2 minutes, but I haven’t seen any house yet.

I ran faster while thinking about what might happen to Jihoon and that gave me a push of more adrenaline as I ran faster.

With a minute left, I found a driveway and up ahead I saw a house. I ran to it and thankfully it had a number plate of 17.