Chapter 46

[The Great Comedy]

The guilt was making it hard for her to breathe; the paranoia was slowing her down. Jessica perfectly understood that she needed to run to save her life, but she felt like the farther she ran, the more traitorous she felt she was to Heechul.

“H-Heechul, h-he –“

“Jessica, keep running,” reminded Kibum. The line was spoken between ragged breaths. Kibum knew that Jessica was slowly losing to herself and if the situation continued on, the girl could even choose to stop there and then. Kibum strengthened his grip around her thin wrist and pulled her through the corridors of the Choi Villa. He wished running would free his mind from the thought of his cousin. After all, it was a mission that his brother had bestowed upon him with great sacrifice. This was a mission that he had to fulfill at all cost.

But it was never an easy mission. Heechul might have stalled for time and caused the gap between their chasers with them to get larger, but the determined marching footsteps were nearing eventually. The bodyguards were splitting up and Kibum knew that at this rate, the bodyguards would be able to capture them. The small time that Heechul had bought for them could not go into waste –Kibum had to use it to the fullest extent.

He finally reached his destination. Having stayed in the Choi Villa for quite some time, Kibum knew that the corridor they were running at was only leading to one end. It would not be easy, and he still had to bet on several things (tough luck). The door in front of them was already within an arm’s reach. Kibum extended his arm to the door’s handle, pushed the door open, and dragged Jessica inside.

The room of his choice was no ordinary room, but rather, it was a veranda connected to a large balcony.

The sight of the open air made Jessica quickly understand Kibum’s plan.

But understanding was not the equivalent of compromising.

“It’s the second floor! We can’t –” she ranted –trying to protest. But it was too late; Kibum had forced Jessica with him, encircled his arm around her waist, lifted her up, and jumped off the balcony.

And there was it: them, against gravity.

Free falling, Jessica screamed.

Their bodies finally landed on the ground. The thick snow and the high deformity nature of it below lessened the impact of the falling, but the tremor remained. Temporary paralyzed, Jessica could not move for one second. She wanted to yell at Kibum for his choice of escapade, but she refrained herself from doing so.

Kibum had used his body to shield Jessica’s body from hitting the snow first. The boy whimpered in pain, and to see one Kim Kibum withering in pain was a sight that immediately drowned any of Jessica’s selfish thought. Forcing herself to get up (and ignoring the pain that was shot all through her body), she grabbed Kibum’s arms and helped him to stand up. The priority was to escape from the bodyguards’ shooting range.

With difficulties, Jessica managed to do so.

They hid themselves below the shadow of the large balcony; they pressed their bodies as close as they could to the walls. Gazing at her surrounding, Jessica tried to find another escape route. There was a loud clanking sound above them. The bodyguards were breaking the door to the veranda above, and it must have been registered in their chasers’ mind that the targets had escaped through jumping off the balcony. Jessica knew she had to act quickly, because they could be chased again now.

Her eyes tried to find any door in the Choi villa that she could use to get into. To her relief, she found out that they had fallen to a less foreign territory. The door that was now in front of her was the same door that Sooyoung had invited them into hours prior –the door that would lead to the servants’ foyer. Pushing the door open, Jessica dragged Kibum along to enter the servants’ foyer.

As much as Kibum tried to pull himself together, moving alone had been rather torturous for him. But Jessica knew it was better to strain Kibum’s strength now than ever. Inside the villa, Jessica pulled him to the only safe room she could think of – Jae Suk’s room.

The room was empty when they reached it. The gap on the ceiling still remained, but that only distracted Jessica’s attention for a moment. She closed the door and locked it before she took Kibum to Jae Suk’s bed.

“You’re okay?” asked Jessica after she managed to assist him onto the bed.

His face was contorted in pain, and with a cringe, Kibum slowly speak, “Still sore, but I’ll manage. Thank goodness the snow was thick.”

“You were very impulsive.”

“There wasn’t much choice.”

The two fell into silence after that. And in silence, the thought of Heechul infiltrated their minds again. Jessica bit her lips and only then that she felt the urge to cry again. Heechul was shot because she had slowed him down. And even when it was her to blame, he took the initiative to sacrifice himself and –

“Heechul Hyung will be alright.”

Jessica wiped the tear from her face. “How can you be so sure of that?! He is an idiot a-and a coward and –” letting out an exasperated sigh, Jessica murmured, “God, it’s my fault…”

Kibum deliberated for a moment. Truth be told, he was not sure either of Heechul’s condition, but he did not want to think about it at the moment. There were chances that Tiffany would want him to be brought to her alive. But if Siwon intercepted in the order, there might be another conclusion –and perhaps, a messier one. Then again, Siwon should not recklessly defy Tiffany’s order.

Kibum sighed. A part of him still had faith that Heechul would be alright, while the other was not so sure. But he knew that for the sake of calming the shocked girl in front of him, he needed to utter the white lie.

“Heechul is the type of person that won’t die that easily.”

“He was surrounded by those men in guns! God, they must have not spared him!” screeched Jessica.

“Even if he was,” Kibum paused momentarily, trying to eliminate the thought of a dead Heechul from his mind (You’re not that weak, are you, Hyung?), before he resumed his words, “Even if he was, you know our job is not done.”

At this, Jessica stopped her sobbing.

“We can still save the others. You heard Heechul Hyung’s words. He trusted Yoona’s safety on you, on us. And that’s what we have to do.”

Though broken and unsure, Jessica slowly nodded her head. Even when things had gone downhill and even when their chance on surviving through the night was thinning, she was at the very least Kibum was there with her –that somebody was there with her. If she was on this alone, she wouldn’t –

Her trail of thoughts was halted.

There, in front of her, she finally noticed it.

Kibum sat on Jae Suk’s bed, and from the look of it, he seemed to have slowly regained full control over his body again. His elbows were placed on his knees, his fingers intertwined together. He seemed to notice that Jessica had been silently staring at him a little longer than necessary, because he lifted his head again and slowly, offered her another small smile. “Is there something wrong?”

She nearly forgot her intention to mutter all of her insecurities again. Biting her lips, she questioned instead, “Are you alright?”

“Hm?” Kibum inquired, tilting his head slightly to the left. “What do you mean?”

“You…” Jessica trailed off, but he followed the direction of her gaze –towards his fingers.

They were trembling.

“Ah,” was Kibum’s response once he realized that he had been shivering all along. “I’m okay.”

Jessica shook her head; the worry and panic that had earlier been calmed by Kibum now seemed to get back into her. “N-no. Y-you’re not okay. You’re –“

“I’m okay, Jessica.”

“You’re not. You’re c-clearly not. You –“

“I’m okay!” Kibum snapped –for the first time in Jessica’s life that she heard him snap. The shock registered in her eyes seemed to be reflected in his too. Sweeping his palms to his face, Kibum let out a mild groan. This was not like him. He had never let an inch of control slipped off his finger, and this feeling seemed to leave a bad aftertaste in him and a sour bewilderment in her.

Taking a deep breath, Jessica murmured softly, “Sorry.”

“No, sorry,” Kibum exchanged the apology. “I shouldn’t have – I mean… Heechul Hyung, he’s…” he sighed. “Give me a couple of moment, Jessica. I’ll think of something.”

And she let him. The silence did nothing to bring tranquility back to her mind, though. Her back was rested against the wall and she closed her eyes –equally trying to clear her mind.

But the sound of the ticking clock reminded her how merciless time was.

And fate would be more merciless than time, soon, my Dear.

The wait was killing her. Jessica knew she could not depend entirely on Kibum –not because she doubted his credibility, but because it would be unfair for him to bear all the burdens himself. She knew she needed to do something, but every door seemed to only lead them to disaster. Self desperation was bugging her again. Was there really nothing she could do by herself? Did she always have to lean on someone else for support?

“At least, I think there’s a higher possibility Heechul Hyung won’t be killed on the spot,” Kibum finally spoke again–breaking her train of thoughts. “Tiffany has a weird definition of fun. I think she’s planning to involve as much people in her so-called party tonight. I think there would still be chances Heechul is brought to Yoona’s place. Thus, we can save them all altogether… if we’re lucky.”

“We’ve never been that lucky though,” Jessica muttered. She wished her words did not sound that apathetic. Kibum had seemed to slowly gain back his control over himself, and she did not want to doubt him in this kind of situation. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she tried to take a more assertive approach. “Alright. What can we do now?”

Kibum locked his gaze to Jessica’s eyes.

And there was something, something odd with the way Kibum was looking at her. Jessica had known Kibum for quite some time, and he had saved her life that night. But that never dissipated the fact that Kim Kibum was the type of person whose mind could not be read that easily. It was an inquiring gaze, a nearly hesitant gaze, and somehow Jessica was not quite comfortable with his gaze.

“W-what?” she squeaked.

“Do you trust me, Jessica-sshi?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

Again, with the trust issue. Jessica had experienced first-hand that night how a certain someone had broken all the trust that she originally had on him. Donghae had spoken the same words too, had tried to protect her numerous times too, but in the end, Donghae had betrayed the faith that Jessica had on him.

She was not sure she could face a similar rejection again.

“I-I… cannot trust people that easily.”

Kibum smiled softly. “Yeah, I expect that already. But –“

“You’d still go with whatever crazy scenario you have in mind, wouldn’t you? Even when I don’t trust you?”

Despite her rather accusative tone, Kibum only grinned childishly. “Pretty much so. I think I have a plan. But it’s a dangerous and risky one.”

A defeated sigh was heard, and despite the danger that Kibum would put her in, Jessica forced her shoulders muscles to relax. She knew that this was what she had been signing up for –since the moment that she decided to dwell further in Der Märchenclub affairs. Everyone had been risking their lives –and some even risked it for nothing. If it was part of the plan to save her friends, then she knew she did not really have a saying against it.

Sensing the sign of Jessica cooperating with him, Kibum nodded and added his explanation. “I just need you to trust me on this, okay?”

It was hard.

Damn, it was nearly impossible for her to do so. But she knew that Kibum also realized there would be no complete trust whatsoever. Her response was something that was already predictable to him –she nodded, not in a complete confidence, but in a mere helplessness.

“Good,” Kibum said with a sad smile.  “Also, I need to ask you one thing.”

Jessica looked up at him.

Kibum continued, “…How ready are you in finding out the truth about your parents’ death?”

Even when there was nothing bone-chilling, Jessica felt her heart skipped a beat, and that the hair on her nape stood in alarm. Returning an equally intense gaze to Kibum’s direction, she let him interpret her intention himself.

With a small smile, the boy nodded. “Ready enough. Good,” he concluded. Glancing at his watch briefly, he then stood up from Jae Suk’s bed and walked towards the door. Jessica was about to copy his actions, but Kibum immediately halted his steps and extended his arm as a signal. “You stay here, Jessica. There’s something I have to do.”

Her eyes widened, her frown deepened. “Alone? And you’re coming out when they’re practically searching for us! You’re offering yourself for –“

“I’m not that reckless,” interrupted Kibum. “I need to do some preparation, but bringing you along will slow me down. Not to discredit you or anything, Jessica, but that’s the truth.”

She was silenced, allowing herself to be momentarily awed by Kibum’s lack of empathy in such situation. Then again, in a paradox manner, Kibum’s rationality was often also questioned, and Jessica chose that moment to apply the cynic on his method again. “I know I might be slowing you down. But going out there yourself is certainly not a wise option. Why can’t you –“

“We don’t have much time,” he reminded.

“But –“

“Thanks for worrying over me,” he came with the response. His warm hand instinctively found itself on top of her brown locks and he patted her head fondly. “I’m not gonna die silly –“

“Sooyoung said that too,” Jessica retorted, her tone was low –skeptical. “And look what happened to her.”

“Unlike Sooyoung, I won’t let my feeling gets into my way,” assured Kibum, his eyes were narrowed. “Just trust me, okay? I promised Heechul Hyung to take care of myself…and you. And that’s what I’m going to do,” he said as he resumed his walk towards the door. Kneading the handle, Kibum pulled the door open –making Jessica nearly flinched at his lack of danger sensory. Did he not have the slightest worry someone might blow his head the moment he opened that door?

“You stay here. Don’t go anywhere until you hear further instruction from me. I know you want to help too, but what you can do for me right now is just to stay here, you understand?”

The agreement came in much difficulty. But the time rushed her –them. Closing her eyes, she just murmured her words to him in an upmost hope. Sometimes, it puzzled her how she could still possess a glimmer of hope in such situation.

“Be careful.”

Kibum smiled. “You too.”

And Kibum disappeared behind the door.

His reply came out in a slur, in bewilderment, in puzzlement.

“H-how?”

Taeyeon wiped the blood off from her dagger, before she quickly pocketed it back. Finishing every single Choi bodyguard that had chased over Heechul was an easy task –certainly not a task worth to be compared to killing the Circus Master. Nonetheless, for the Nightingale, it was always the aftermath that she found to be troublesome. Whenever she had done the mess, Leeteuk and Sungmin would have always covered everything. In their absence, Taeyeon had to learn to adapt herself to some new issues.

She knew that Heechul must have a lot of questions in his head (she could already predict it anyway, this time), but that was not the crucial concern. She glanced at Heechul’s wound and quickly tore a piece of her sleeves to cover the injury. The bandage was not meant to heal his wound –she was more concerned on how to escape the site without leaving any blood trail.

“Come on, Oppa,” she said as she pulled him (easily) up and started to drag him away from the dead bodyguards.

The Nightingale had been used to hardships since she was a kid. Escaping while being injured was not a new thing for her, but she forgot that it must have been the first time for Heechul. And truth be told, she nearly did not realize how hard it must have been for the injured boy until she managed to sneak him into one of the empty rooms in the Choi villa, located quite far from the scattered bodyguards’ bodies.

It was only after she closed the door behind her and locked it, that she felt Heechul’s grip on her arm loosened. She saw how his body descended, and now he was lying on the floor. Beads of sweat drenched his shirt, a scowl made it to his face. Only then that she realized how much Heechul had been forcing himself not to slow down their attempts of escaping.

“W-why are you here? W-why