Dangerous Underground Cohorts and

Conspiracies Department of Seoul

File: Moon Jong Up (문종업)

 Group: BAP (Best Absolute Perfect)

DOB: February 6, 1995

 Position: Former Talent

Status: Alive & Free

Rank of Danger: 9

Known For: Used to be a child star and was in many advertisements,

 endorsements and sitcoms. Left the acting industry to enroll at Seoul's University

of the Arts, excelling in dancing and acting. 

♚♔♚♔♚♔

F O U R 

♚

"This is your home base?" I asked in disbelief. 

Himchan shot a grin at me while handling the steering wheel of the Jeep. He turned it with ease, gently coaxing the car over the rough, rocky roads that could only be found in the Seoul countryside. As he arrived at a clearing, I stared at the ranch-style house in front of us. It was just as immaculately clean as Hiimchan’s flat, quite unlike its surroundings that boasted gnarly trees and tall, wispy grasses. It seemed that although BAP consisted of 6 young men, their living spaces were more often than not tidy and well-cared for – which surprised me. Considering that I’d often thought they were a group of messy, rowdy hooligans, their way of living was quite different from their reputation.

“It doesn’t look like much, but you’ll see,” He said, interrupting my thoughts.

His eyes sparkled mischievously as he pulled the car to a stop and ran up to the front door, opening it with a key. As I followed him on to the wraparound deck, I braced myself for anything that would jump, leap, or kick at me once we entered.  However, to my surprise, the door opened to unveil a beautiful hallway, with an office in on the left and a living room on the right. Hardwood floors graced the house throughout, while antique picture frames and wooden furniture gave the place a classically western feel. “You’ll notice that every room in here has been converted into a music room,” Himchan said, as I walked further and explored their hangout. Instead of chairs, a shining, black grand piano sat in the dining room. Recording equipment was set up in their living room, while percussion instruments, guitars, and string instruments were housed in the bedrooms. The only rooms that were left for their function was the kitchen, half-bath, and a strange library that was full of books.

“Come here,” Himchan said, walking into it.

I stared at the towering shelves, which stood from floor-to-ceiling. A large desk sat in the middle of the room, a neat stack of books piled on the top, looking inconspicuous. “So, all your rooms are filled with musical instruments, except for your library. And exactly how is William Shakespeare supposed to help you fight off enemies?” I asked, plucking one of the books from the top of pile. Fanning my fingers through the pages, I looked at him in disbelief when I saw that it was in its original English. Himchan shrugged. “I don’t know if Daehyun actually understands what he’s reading, but he can sit for hours with one of those,” he said. I sighed, feeling tired just looking at the words already, and set the book on the opposite corner of the table. Realizing that I placed it on the left and not on the right, where the other stack of books were, I grabbed at it again, but the table began to shift. 

“Oh, you just – “ He said, his smile growing wider.

The table shot up from the ground, the desktop almost touching the ceiling. Himchan walked behind the desk, and a wide, empty space materialized. I gasped, realizing that it was an elevator, and looked at him strangely.

“Doesn’t this always happen with the turning library shelves in the movies?”

Himchan smirked. “We’re B.A.P, honey. Library shelves are too mainstream for us,” He said, flicking off a piece of dust from his dress shirt.

I grimaced, wondering what other surprises there were in store for us. Walking into the small space, Himchan pressed a button, and the doors shut with a groaning, creaking sound. I felt a wave of naivety that I didn’t know that the upper level of the ranch was merely a disguise, but relieved that there were no barking dogs or dark bodyguards surrounding the premises. As the elevator clattered and banged, it eventually pulled to a smooth stop, and we got off to a basement that was furnished the exact opposite of what was upstairs.

Graffiti covered nearly every inch of the concrete wall. There were no windows, but there were multiple rooms, and from what I could tell sometimes the members slept here. One door was left ajar, displaying a rumpled bed and small desk, with clothes strewn all over the floor. There was a stainless steel refrigerator and minibar, and a huge glass table that was showcased in the middle of the room. A large flat screen TV and gaming console was set up, surrounded by torn couches, while a small kitchen area was in a corner of the room. My eyes widened, however, when I noticed some differences compared to a normal basement – three hammocks were hung from the ceiling, while lots of climbing and rope gear was hung on the walls. This was not only their hangout, but their training place.

“First things first. Before you meet the members, remember what I told you about those three rules.”

I nodded. Lately, Himchan couldn’t keep talking about them.  “I understand.”

“Secondly, while you're in here, your name is Jung Io.”

“Io?”

“There’s no way we’re going to be calling you __________ in here. It’s such an obvious name for a girl, after all.”

“Then why Io? It doesn’t even sound Korean!”

“Zelo was named after Zelos, the god of rivalry in Greek mythology. You’ll notice that he’s much younger compared to the rest of us and went through many challenges in order to join our ranks - which was how he achieved his name. I decided to name you Io because it represents Ioke, the god of pursuit in battle in Greek myth. I felt – I felt that it suited you and would remind you what your goal was while you were in BAP. You know, like an anchor – so that you don’t go in too deep, if you know what I mean.”

I was immediately touched by why he’d chosen the name for me.

“Himchan-“

“No need to thank me, princess,” he said, a smug, self-satisfied smirk growing on his face. I stuck my tongue out at him, taking back the praise I was going to give him. “What does the name Himchan mean, then?” I asked, pinching his cheeks while he groaned. “Little brat? Annoying poop?” I asked in an irritated tone, trying my best to sound as cross as possible. “No, it means gorgeous flower boy,” he said, rubbing his cheek and pouting. “That hurt, Io.”

I smiled, putting an arm around him. “Thanks, buddy. I really appreciate it.”  

He ruffled my hair and I felt warmth stir through my heart. Himchan was so much like my older brother – even the overprotectiveness was almost alike – but I had grown to realize that it was all because they cared for me. Wondering if Himchan perhaps had a younger sister, and that was the reason why he treated me so well, I followed him as he placed his hand over my shoulder and pulled me over to one of the rooms. "This is the leader's office. No one goes in freely unless they're called. Young Jae's his advisor, but leader doesn't let him have free reign in the office either. We have to see him first before we go anywhere else."

"Alright, " I said, but I was nervous. I was meeting the notorious leader of B.A.P. The gang leader who had probably killed hundreds of others in the same way my brother was killed. I was meeting the man behind all the destruction of the gangs that hadn't made it to fame like they had. As I took a deep breath, Himchan looked at me, noticing my nervousness. He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly and put his hand out to open the doorknob - until all of a sudden, it opened by itself.

At that moment, suddenly we were both face-to-face with the leader. 

"In.' He said briskly, glaring at us menacingly. "I've expected you two."