Jongin's glaring holes into the floor that lies beneath his bare feet. It's been six hours since he was first shown to his room by Baekhyun and once he stepped in, the other had closed the door behind him and locked it. He's not sure how long he's going to be in his room but it was starting to drive him insane. The room was small with one mattress in the corner of the room placed against a bare wall, a bowl of water on the floor as if he were some stray dog they found, a blanket, and that was that. The chain wrapped around his ankle was from the room he was in, rooted deeply into the cement wall. 

He's sitting blankly in the middle of his mattress with hundreds of thoughts running through his mind. Why was he here? Where was Yeon? Was she alive or was she dead? Why was that lady calling Baekhyun Kura and why wasn't he responding to him? Who's Jaeyul? Where was he? Did s figure out that he was missing by now? He buries his face into his rough and callused hands as he tries to think of a way to escape. There were no windows in his room, but there was a vent. He wasn't sure how far he could get through that now considering he was still chained, but it was something that he would keep in the back of his mind. Maybe the vent led to freedom. Maybe the vent led to Rei's room. 

He jumps slightly when his door is pushed open after being unlocked, Baekhyun at the door with a tray of food. Would Jongin actually call it food though? It was a slice of what appeared to be white bread, a small cup of god knows what inside, and a fork. He wasn't sure what he would need the fork for since he only had a slice of bread.

"I brought you your meal." His voice is fragile and hoarse. It doesn't sound at all how Jongin remembered him to sound like. 

"Baekhyun, look--" He takes the tray from the other and places it down on the mattress beside him. "It's just the two of us right now. What's going on? Why did they take you and what are they doing to you? Why are they calling you Kura?" Baekhyun only remains silent, however, and instead gestures to the tray. 

"That's the only meal they're going to give to you today. You should eat it." His black hair is sticking out in random spots, some of it matted against the frame of his face from sweat. "They'll get mad if they see you didn't eat it too." He glances over to the tray by his side, carefully picking up the slice of bread with his thumb and index finger. He chokes back a gag when seeing mold growing on the other side of it. 

"They want me to eat moldy bread? Are they actually trying to kill me?" He drops the bread back onto the tray. 

"If I'm not hungry but don't want to get caught then I stuff my food in the vent." Baekhyun's awkwardly standing a few steps away from Jongin, rocking on the heels of his feet anxiously. "I gave you a fork." Jongin's about to remark regarding that, but Baekhyun interrupts him. "Keep it in your vent. You might need it for when Jaeyul decides to introduce himself to you. I keep a fork in my vent too." Jaeyul. That name rang a bell somewhere within him. He wasn't sure why but...something about that name just drew on familiarity. Something about Baekhyun's words sends a chill down his spine as he glances at the silver and shiny kitchen appliance. "To stab him with?" He whispers with wide eyes, leaning forward as if he were in disbelief. 

"I'm not saying that. Just...if you need to use it," There's something behind Baekhyun's eyes that Jongin can't quite make out and it worries him. What mad house has he been thrown into? What mad house has Baekhyun been living in? "It'll be there for you to use. Just...make sure he doesn't see it. Or Rei. Actually, make sure Rei doesn't see it." Jongin can't believe there was ever a time where he was naive enough to think that Rei was a normal and kind woman. That'll teach me, he supposes. The two exhausted and on edge men can hear a door slam shut in the distance, a look of fear and terror immediately displayed on Baekhyun's face. "I need to go back to finish the chores--"

"Kura!" The voice is deep and loud, resonating throughout the walls of the building they were in. It was truly an intimidating voice. It sounded angry, too. He would hate to be the one caught in the crossfires of that, but Jongin had a feeling that's exactly what was going to happen.

"If you hear anything, don't come out." He warns Jongin sternly. "Don't come out. Stay put." With that, Baekhyun closes his eyes and lets out a deep breath before turning on his heels and calmly walking out the room. 

From the distance, if he listened closely he could hear the same voice rising and speaking to Baekhyun. It was clear the other was yelling at him but he wasn't sure as to why. He can hear Rei in the background too, but her voice isn't as overpowering as the other person. If he listened really closely then he could hear a thud, something that sounded like a slap. Jongin jumps to his feet on instinct, but then Baekhyun's prior words come flooding back to him. 

"If you hear anything, don't come out. Don't come out. Stay put."

Why would he say that to him? Would this person kill him? What if he didn't know about him? He didn't think the person would be anyone that could save him, especially if he did actually slap Baekhyun. He feels a small rush of relief when he doesn't hear anymore conversation and Baekhyun's feet walking away, though the relief quickly turns to dread when he hears heavier footsteps coming towards his direction. He quickly grabs the fork and stashes it in the air vent; he couldn't have Baekhyun getting in trouble for this. Upon remembering what the other said earlier, he quickly downs his glass of water and quickly bites off a corner of the bread slice that wasn't moldy. He hoped it wouldn't get him sick anyway. 

He swallows the bread and water quickly as a man steps into the room. His clothes were drenched, shoes covered in mud and grass. He was wearing a mask, the same mask he saw in the video footage all those days ago. He takes a few steps back in an attempt to keep more space between them. There was dried blood on his mask. Where did that come from?

"You don't even know what you're here for, do you?" It's the same deep voice from just moments ago. Jongin can't help but to stare down at his dirty feet in response. This man just intimidated him. He had that aura around him. "Typical." The man scoffs. He takes the mask off and tosses it onto the floor, watching as it only bounces off the concrete floor slightly with the deafening sound echoing throughout the room. 

Should he look? Should he take the chance and see who took him? His curiosity and sanity were begging him to steal a glance, but at the same time what if he wasn't supposed to know what he looked like? What if he's killed for that? He decides, instead, that his feet are a far more interesting subject to stare at.

"Look at me." 

It takes a few seconds before Jongin looks up, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. The face was vaguely familiar but nothing that immediately jumped out at him. "You really don't remember. Just as distasteful as you were all those years ago." Jongin narrows his eyes as he tries to think back as to who this man was. He was tall; only a few inches taller than himself. He was only slightly tanner than Jongin with a pair of full lips. His eyes similar to Junmyeon's. Still, he couldn't recognize him. He had scratches on his face and on the side of his head was dried blood. His bottom lip was busted. 

Jongin decides to stay quiet as he didn't want to tempt his fate. He had no idea what kind of thing would set this man off. It's when the man takes a step towards him that Jongin takes another step back. "You really-- you really don't remember me? It must be easy to forget about the people you treat like , right?" Jongin raises an eyebrow at this. He never treated anyone poorly, even if they treated him bad. It was just something he couldn't bring himself to do. "Think harder, Jongin." His words are icy and detached as he glares down the other man. He wouldn't treat anyone like that unless...unless--

Oh.

Oh.

"Jaeyul?" The man, Jaeyul, laughs loudly at this though there's no humor indicated in it. 

"So you remember me after all." His tone is flat as he shoots the other an accusing glare. "And yet you still don't know why you're here?" Jaeyul, the man standing in front of Jongin was the man that Baekhyun had been involved with for a few months before he disappeared. He's ultimately the man who caused Baekhyun's entire scandal. Jongin still never treated him poorly and the pair had never actually met before. At least, that's what Jongin had assumed. 

"No." Jongin decides to answer when Jaeyul's expression becomes annoyed. "I don't know why I'm here. We don't know each other.