The next evening…

“Umma… Is hyungie back yet?” A timid Junsu peeks into his mother’s room as the lady sits with both palms covering her face. She is beyond consolable a few hours ago. It’s been roughly forty hours since her son’s disappearance but no one has good news for her. “No…”

Hyun Joong is busy liaising and negotiating with the police while she does whatever she can to assist him, sending all her son’s identification materials over. The only problem is that her son’s documents are in the local language and she has no way of reprinting his visa. She is stressed and every minute counts.

Both Junsu and her can neither eat nor sleep as they keep vigil by the viable sources of communication which Jaejoong might use. Staying up since they were rudely awakened by Hyun Joong’s call, the pair of mother and son are tired but unable to turn in.

“Umma you want something to eat?” Junsu asks after a long while of watching her from the doorway. The woman shakes her head slowly.

“What do I do? Junsu yah… what should umma do?” The woman spoke to her younger son at last. Not turning to look at him, he knows she is most probably crying her heart out silently. The mother of two has always been a strong willed person. Junsu does not know how to comfort her since he is as distraught himself. Self-blame is present everywhere at the point in time and it is rising to an uncomfortable level.

After the Kim brothers were rendered fatherless by a road traffic accident, Mrs Kim has always been the on the ball, being the sole breadwinner. Jaejoong also ended up in business study to help her with managing her deceased husband’s company since a couple of years back. He was ready to give up his offer to go overseas and further his study locally had his mother not insisted that he go.

Jaejoong was a great help since he is always creative and resourceful whereas Junsu would be the one both he and his mother dote on. He is their little ball of sunshine and always kept his mother happy. Mrs Kim cannot imagine losing either one of them and always vow to protect them even though they are already all grown up.

Watching his mother in such distress, and missing his brother terribly, Junsu had gone to the embassy a while ago and managed to obtain a visa as well. Though it was last minute, Junsu is lucky that the person had somehow understood his situation and allowed him to travel there.

“Umma… I got a visa as well…” Junsu approached his mother cautiously as the woman remains silent. “Umma… my flight is later tonight…” Junsu whispered and with immediate effect, the woman snaps her head around.

“What?! NO!” “When did you!?” Mrs Kim is dumbfounded. This is the first time Junsu would do something like that on his own without asking for her consent. To her, he will always be her little boy, unable to function without her.

“I went this morning…” Junsu was about to explain when the woman walks up to him and grabs him by the biceps.

“Junsu yah. Be a good boy and listen to umma.” The woman started but was interrupted by her son.

“Umma. I need to go there!” “I want to find out if anyone did kidnap hyungie.” “I will bring hyungie back!” The boy is pretty naïve but he does not want to just sit and wait.

“NO. NO means NO.” “You will get into trouble too and I don’t want that!!” Mrs Kim huffed and returned to her seat by the bed, burying her face in her hands this time. No one would expect the usually obedient to defy her orders, but Junsu is insistent. He has a feeling that Jaejoong is in trouble and because of their strong bond, Junsu knows something is bad when it really is.

Exiting the room silently, Junsu took his small luggage by the handle and made his way down to the streets hurriedly. Flagging down a cab without looking back, the latter focused on his trip instead of worrying about how his mother will react when she finally realises that he is gone.

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Meanwhile… back in the states

“Plop.” a piece of bread, stale and slightly mouldy on the side, land beside Jaejoong while he lies laterally on a pile of Styrofoam bits.

Refusing to react in any ways, he can feel a few pair of eyes watching him from outside his ‘enclosure’. He is aesthetically pleasing, to the extent of magnificent. A lovely form is what makes up that lithe body while the face is a piece of artwork that the heavens would be proud of.

“Eat.” One of his captors ordered and kicks the bread to rest beside his lips.

“Stop staring at me and untie me then, you idiots!” His airy voice did not come out sounding intimidating though he was hoping that the effects will be enhanced by the echoes. Disappointed at his lack of assertiveness, Jaejoong suspired dramatically. “I can’t eat with my hands tied.” He added as a matter-of-factly.

Then, in a split second, a few of his kidnappers are beside him and smiling evilly. “We can feed you.” One of the men said slimily and Jaejoong is tempted to sock him in the face.

“Forget it. I’m not hungry anyway.” The young man glowered and turned with his back facing them. Suppressing the fear, for the unknown, as well as the horrid look of lust from his captors, Jaejoong wanted to appear as brave as possible. He will not be a pushover and so he promises himself. Pretending to be irritated when he is actually scared stiff, Jaejoong hid his emotions really well.

“Why can’t we have fun with him?” Feeling an oily hand on his nape as the person slides his fingers along Jaejoong’s clavicles, the latter is immensely annoyed, for real.

“You can touch the rest but this one is a no go.” The one who appears to be the leader replied rather sadly, ironically. “HE is an advance order that we had a hard time finding so don’t damage the good.” It occurred to Jaejoong that he is just an item to be traded and he is more than aching to punch them all in the face. They have dehumanised him in every possible way and he knows he has the rights not to be treated so. This makes him even more disgruntled and furious.

“Such a pity…” An unsuspecting finger travelled down the side of his cheek at an unfortunate timing and the latter immediately spins around and bit down hard onto the man’s phalanges.

“OWWW!!!” Raising his hand to slap Jaejoong, the young man’s latest ‘victim’ is restrained by his accomplices. However, Jaejoong’s merciless jaw would not release his ‘meal’ no matter what. Scraping the man’s finger out from between the young man’s teeth, the man felt like dying as a chunk of skin comes off as well. Jaejoong then spits out the bloody mess.

“ THAT HURTS MAN!!!” The man screamed and shoved his fellows aside, grabbing Jaejoong by the shoulder and ripping the sleeves. “You are SO going to be my !!” “You guys don’t even think about stopping me!!” “Someone’s gonna need to train this before we sell him off!!”

Being a fighter, Jaejoong does not falter easily either, lying on his back and rising two bind feet the latter stamped his bare heels on the single assailant’s balls, earning a deafening howl of pain. Witnessing this, the rest of his assailants got into action, pouncing on Jaejoong as they attempt to stop him from doing any more damage to the already writhing man.

“HEY HEY!! Don’t damage the good!!” “THE BUYERS ARE HERE!!!” Another kidnapper guarding the door comes rushing to the scene just as Jaejoong is near ripping one of the other man’s left ear off. “TIDY HIM UP MAN!! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING MAN?!”

Getting off the almost crushed Jaejoong immediately and carrying their injured friends off, casualties of the battle, only the leader stayed with an angry Jaejoong. Throwing a sack over the feral young man’s head, the lone man worked single-handedly to brush the white Styrofoam bits off Jaejoong’s shirt and pants while pulling him to his feet.

Noticing that the latter’s cardigan is badly torn after their previous tussle, the leader whipped out his pocket knife and shredded the outer wear, discarding the mutilated pieces of cloth and leaving Jaejoong in his black wife beater. “My favourite cardigan!! How dare you!!!” The latter’s cry remained muffled by the sack but he can no longer fight back since he can’t even see around himself.

Holding him in a chokehold and inspecting the rest of Jaejoong’s exposed pale slender skin; the much bigger person nodded a satisfied nod and lifted the skinny lad by his waist. “BEHAVE YOURSELF!!” Sending a knee against Jaejoong’s abdomen, the man still can’t stop the other from writhing violently.

“Give him the injection!!” Dropping Jaejoong along the way a few times, the kidnappers finally realised that they are having too much of a handful. The buyers are already knocking on their door, the rest of the prisoners are starting to get hyped up because of Jaejoong’s brave attempt to fight back, and having a few comrades with crushed nuts, fingers and pinna, the leader is desperate to regain control.

Sitting on Jaejoong and folding one of his arms backwards painfully, two of the kidnappers managed to locate his brachial on the thin upper limbs and emptied a syringe full of transparent liquid into his venous system.

Removing the sack as soon as they reach the front of the viewing room, the kidnappers quickly gave Jaejoong’s lovely black locks a brush, wiping his face down cautiously. With the latter half way knocked out, he looked so perfect that the ruffians are feeling confident that they will earn big bucks from this deal. Call it professional pride but this syndicate have a good eye for beauty, strange enough.

The moment they lay their eyes on Jaejoong at the car rental shop, they knew he is what the two well respected clients from the mafia community would want. Tailing him was the easiest part.

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POV from Senior Jung (Yunho’s grandfather)

My pride and joy, Yunho, is turning thirty in three days, so my son and I have a birthday party in stall for him. He does not lack anything and we have never failed to give him the best… education, clothes, food, cars, houses, yachts and even his own stocks. He does not lack anything… except a suitable mate.

The thing is… the whole Jung family know he is openly gay but he does not sleep around. Neither does he bother to look for someone he likes enough to sleep with. He is very much like my son and I. Obstinate, dominant, requiring absolute control… a very difficult person to live with.

I have confidence that he looks good enough to get a mall pack full of suitors, females or males, but, he insists on the need to have a certain ‘feel’. He says he won’t sleep around because he does not want any weird disease, and I accept that excuse. It’s just… he needs more initiative. He will be bachelor in 72 hours for god’s sake.

Our Yunho would go for every matchmaking session we have planned for him, but always remains unimpressed at the end of the day. He is unflinching and I believe no one can beat that unmovable heart of his. Sometimes, he will even create such a bad impression of himself to the other person that I wonder if anyone can move him at all. I have always wondered how he can persuade anyone to marry him at this rate he is going…

Anyhow, because of his lacking willingness to allow fate to control his destiny, since a few years ago, we have been purchasing partners for him instead. I say purchase because we need someone with absolute submission, someone who has no choice and has an obligation to please him no matter what. I know. We are terrible human beings… but we are mafias. Your guess is as good as mine.

Before I forget to add on the most troublesome criteria… not only does he chooses someone who can make his heart leap, or who will give in to him whenever and wherever, he wants someone who is… Korean. That is a pain in the neck.

Firstly, we live in the states, so I can’t possibly ship a kidnapped Korean over. Secondly, if I did grab one off the streets back home or lure them over, the local and Interpol police will be after me in no time. I don’t want trouble. Plus, there is a never ending supply of immigrants here who are sometimes illegal… though I would definitely prefer someone with a proper social class or status.

I know that rationale does not justify my action, but since I am not the one doing the kidnapping, I won’t be the one committing any crime right? Just picture me a desperate grandfather who is willing to not give a damn about anything else except his grandson’s happiness…

Nevertheless, though the supply is good, no one of the syndicate has been able to get me anyone suitable. I really don’t care if the person is a citizen or illegal immigrant nowadays, as long as that someone can move Yunho. My grandson needs to love before I can rest in peace!

Today, I will try my luck again, except, since it’s his birthday, I am going to pay an excess amount of money to ensure that this one is better than the rest. The group I have contacted promised me that they will find me someone who stands a high chance. I have seen his picture and I am counting on that.

Yunho doesn’t specify his preference for physical appearance or characteristics, but I will take a gamble and bet on this one since he IS really attractive and pleasant to look at. How laughable.

But of course, I will have him tested for weird diseases before anything else. I look forward to meeting him. 

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By the time the bunch is done filing across the long prison ground to the display platform, Jaejoong is already languid and feeble. Chucking him in front of a tall display glass, the curtain is quickly drawn and behind the glass plane stood two stern looking men, one in his early-fifties while the other is in his mid-seventies. They appear to be a pair of father and son, looking very much alike, handsome despite their age. No one would’ve guessed that they are the leaders of the biggest mafia gang in the states.

Sending a phlebotomist to Jaejoong’s side, the older man had the person draw some blood sample from the already unresisting young man. Jaejoong simply remained like a spineless jellyfish, supported by one of the kidnappers.

Scrutinising Jaejoong’s entire form from inside the viewing room, the duo is handed an envelope, with the latter’s credentials and identity, which are supposedly ‘burnt’. Flipping through the papers, the two men both have a radiant smile on their faces. The young lad before them might just be the one after all those years of searching.

“We took him from his university hostel and erased all traces.” “No one will find him for as long as you two do not want them to.” Nodding, the older man took out a luggage full of bank notes and handed it to the leader. “You two will have to give him some training first though. He is one hell of truculent spitfire.”

“Yunho will be able to handle him.” The older man beamed proudly.

“Well then. It’s nice doing this transaction with you.” The leader shuddered before replying, waving for his comrades outside to ‘wrap’ the good up and transport him to the client’s car, waiting outside.