Thirteenth Voice

Two days prior,

As if a rush of adrenaline running through her veins, Krystal’s jaw drops fleetingly in disbelief at the premonition she has just seen in the blink of an eye.

The state of Yoona being kidnapped in such an isolated area at once and is being dragged to a demolished high school frightens her to bits. The sound of her wailing voice renders her anxiety to the point she has to help the elder, by hook or crook.

She is certain that she would be abducted in two days time. Her eyes would not lie to her. In fact, she has encountered this supernatural phenomenon several times and all of them happened as she had the glimpses of the scenes.

The next morning – a day before the kidnapping incident happens, Krystal goes running for the person whom she thinks can help her save Yoona.

“Jongin-ssi!”

The said guy twirls around when he notices his name is being mentioned. “Krystal-ssi?” His frown goes deeper when the Jung lady stops her food steps before him.

“I need your help!” Without beating around the bush, she voices out her intent.

“From me?” He seems dazed. “What kind of help?”

Avoiding the students’ keen eyes, Krystal grabs him by his arm towards the back of the staircase. Jongin, on the other hand, although is flustered, he does not budge at the tight grip of hers.

“I need your help,” she reiterates her words, voice becoming rather clear because there are no more onlookers. “Yoona unnie’s going to be kidnapped?”

“Wait. A. Minute.” Jongin’s eyes widen. “Yoona noona’s going to be kidnapped? H-how would you even know that?”

“I saw with my eyes that someone kidnapped her around her neighbourhood and brought her to a demolished high school,” she enlightens. “My eyes wouldn’t lie to me, for God’s sake!”

Jongin purses his lips together into a thin line, sealing into sudden hush. What did he just hear? The girl in front of him has the ability witness things that will be happened in future?

All of a sudden, he intends to laugh out loud but he jolts back to his sense. He does not want the latter to be offended as though he does not buy her earnest thought.

One thing that fazes him is in his head, he’s saying “it can’t be, it can’t be,” but the weird thing is he does believe her, somehow.

“Jongin-ssi?”

He turns to her again and half-heartedly remarks, “Let’s say if you were right, but why’d you come to me? Weren’t you supposed to go find Lu Han hyung or anybody else?”

“The culprit wants Lu Han oppa so that’s why I didn’t come to him,” she says, “and why I chose you is because... I just thought of you! Your name just suddenly stumbled upon my mind!”

“Oh...” He is sure flustered. “I... uhm, well, didn’t expect that.”

Despite the agitation, she could still act as if she did not speak those words in the first place. She flips her hair and huffs a sigh. “You must be thinking that I like you, don’t you? But seriously, you’re not even close an inch to my ideal type.”

“O-okay,” Jongin says awkwardly, “though I didn’t say anything.”

“Whatever.” She scrunches her nose. “I want you to go with me to the high school tomorrow. We really need to save Yoona unnie!”

“You said it was a demolished high school, right?” he questions and receives a nod of approval. “But what is the school’s name?”

“I don’t quite remember but rest assured. I can handle that myself.” A positive yet smug smirk sweeps across her face.

“And do not tell anyone about this I warn you, Kim Jongin. Your best friend, Kyungsoo, Lu Han oppa and even Yoona unnie – the hostage are a big no-no!”

“I get it.” He nods. “By the way, what about the culprit? Did you happen to see his face? How did he look and did he look like a capable guy who can do anything?”

“I absolutely have no idea. He wore a mask and, though he did take off his mask during capturing Yoona unnie, I still didn’t get a glimpse of his face. He wasn’t facing me,” she groans, seemingly deep in thoughts. “But there’s one thing that might lead us to an open door.”

“What is it?”

“He is a high school student and apparently, from our school based on the uniform he wore at that moment.”

She seems to recognize the culprit based upon his familiar back – or at least, she has once bumped into him. However, what ticks her off is the possible name does not come across her mind.

***

Yoona eventually wakes up at the screeching sound of the dagger being sharpened. She flashes her frail eyes at him as she winces profusely. She attempts to let the rope which is tying up all around her body but it is futile. It would not budge even for slight.

“Oh, you’re awake?” he remarks elatedly after hearing her endless groan of agony. The sarcasm in his voice is always there, as though it’s literally glued in every word he mouths. He drags the small stool towards her direction, bringing his already sharpened dagger and sinks into the seat.

Yoona does not bother looking straight into his eyes. She would rather gaze at other direction instead of the front side. What she feels right now is only hatred and aggravation.

“Do you want to eat something?” He rises and starts rummaging foods he has bought just now at the nearby convenience store. “I guess you must’ve been so hungry after dozing off, right?”

“Nope. It’s okay. I don’t feel hungry at all,” she answers briefly and much to his surprise, he puts back the strawberry-flavoured bun in the plastic bag and eyes her. Yoona lets out a sigh of annoyance at his needless concern. The thought of him being a nobleman after throwing her into this unknown, isolated building makes her feel sick.

“For you information, I didn’t doze off. You were the one who made me sleep with that damned drug!” This time, she has the urge to look into his eyes.

The culprit simply laughs in amusement. “Fine, I made you sleep. However, if I hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have wanted to come with me. That’s why I need to use a rather rough method.”

Instead of shooting him a quick response, Yoona merely grunts and once again, tries to set her free with all her might.

“Are you trying to escape?”

The question catches her off guard. Slowly, she turns her head around and sighs under her heavy breath. “Yes, I’m trying to escape but it seems like I’ll be rotting in here, right?” she confesses audaciously without even thinking that she’s currently dealing with a malicious culprit who can possibly hurt her in any time.

“You’re right.” He snickers continuously. “You’re indeed the smartest girl in class 3-A, aren’t you?”

“Whatever. I don’t give a damn about your rubbish talk,” she says, “just say why did you kidnap me? Tell me your purpose of doing this ing kidnapping!” Yoona is a person who rarely uses profanity without proper reason and hence, this shows that she really is in a fit of rage.

“Lu Han,” he enunciates, eyes wide open as if the said person is in front of him. “I ing want him.”

Although Yoona is knocked for six, she does not let her rage control her. She needs to hold it back at all costs. If she does the opposite, her life would be put at stake. No, Lu Han’s life is way more important. She would do anything to save Lu Han from this culprit whom she never predicts would be him.

“Why so silent?” he asks as though is affected by her sudden hush. He thinks that she would be all curious to know why he wants Lu Han and makes herself as the hostage.

“I don’t think that I ought to say a word,” she says calmly. “You must’ve expected me to say sort of things like you hold a grudge over him because Han does something to you and you want to get even, right?”

“Of course!” He laughs mordantly. “Do you want to know why?”

“I’m not interested and don’t want to know about your damned grudge at all!”

He bites his lips, flabbergasted. “Well... I thought you’d be worked up thinking that it involves your ing crush who doesn’t look at you for once!” He bursts into a big laughter yet again. “You’re so pitiful, you know that? You keep on trailing behind him... helping him... but in the end, you got nothing! What a ing waste!”

Yoona does not budge and instead, let every of his insult slide. Even if she has not been tied up, she would not have punched him in the junk. “You know what, psychopath?”

“Know... what?”

“What do you think is the most pathetic life?” she questions out of inquisitiveness, eyes shimmering in significance. “Living in poverty? Having no food to the extent a person would pass out?”

“Of course! Being poor is so pathetic! They can’t even wear pretty clothes and can’t afford going to a decent school,” he voices out his suggestion, surprisingly – for a culprit to play sort of a quiz with his hostage. “And starving too! I have to eat at least every four hour... or else, I’d get stomach ache!”

“No, you’re wrong,” answers Yoona, chuckling out of blue. “You truly are wrong.”

“Then what? Tell me what kind of a person is pathetic!”

“It is a person who has anger, resentment, and has a lot of grudge in his heart, and also, a person who always acts so nicely but ironically, stabs their friend in the back. That kind of person is the most pathetic.”

“Shut the up!” His face reddens automatically, a wave of obvious embarrassment sweeps over his face. “You don’t have the right to ing say a word!”

“I didn’t mention your name so why would you be so agitated?”

“I said shut up!” he yelps, rising from his seat to roam around the classroom senselessly and starts to kick the chairs all around with all his might. “If you say a ing word again, I swear I’m going to rip your mouth o