Ahn Jaerin

Stacking the last of her things, she sighed before closing the suitcase and pushing it off to the side. Her eyes wondered around her apartment, now completely bare, yet it wasn’t much of a difference seeing that she didn’t have very much to begin with. 

‘Months goes on fast when you actually enjoy yourself.’ She sadly smiled. Her phone buzzed and she looked at it. It was a confirmation from their current high school saying that she no longer needed to attend school. 

Ahn Jaerin was planning to leave.

 It had been a little over a week since her purpose of entering SM city was completed and now that it was, she had no longer a reason to stay here. Although her heart strongly protested for the boy whose smile made her world instantly brighter or the bunch of dorks that made her laugh without a fail, she knew very well - They would never let her stay. Not after finding out what she had really done sooner or later.

She’s made the decision to ignore the other messages that floated around her phone and it may as well have been the next hardest decision she made - next to breaking up with Baekhyun. His desperate attempts to reach her remained useless yet her heart broke every time her phone rang despite the last failed attempts.

She knew he wasn’t going to give up, but apart of her had wished he did. So they both wouldn’t have to suffer.

‘I’m so en sorry’ She had mumbled guilty, swiping the decline button for probably the 50th time that day. Baekhyun sure had a lot of time on his hands.

Jaerin looked at the time that stared back at her. 4:32AM. He hadn’t stop calling since their departure. 

Pulling herself up, she grabbed everything she needed and left, knowing that she would probably regret it if she lingered any longer not to mention, be incredibly late. Turning the key so it locked for the last time, she trekked her way in the barely visible light, she made it to the bus just before the sun decided to rise, beaming a soft light that announced another day had come. She fumbled around her bare fingers until the first bus of the day had arrived; hoping aboard she gave a slight smile to the driver, an elderly man that she thought shouldn’t be working such early hours yet it wasn’t much of her business. 

‘Where are you off to this early today young miss?’ He gave her a friendly smile. Jaerin plopped her suitcase down and sat a couple of seats down but sitll close enough to converse with the elderly man.

‘Cheonsa Village gramps’ The old man paused, not before chuckling at his newly given nickname. 

‘I see, i heard on the news it isn’t quite safe out there, not for a pretty thing like you; what business do you have out there missy?’

Jaerin looked out the window for a moment, SM City was still asleep and the roads were as close as it gets to being empty. 

‘I’m going back home.’

It was time for Jaerin to finally leave.

# # #

EXO Members

‘Baekhyun…. give it up she’s not going to answer.’ Chanyeol had tried convincing his friend who had been a mess since the night before. His hair untamed, eyes surrounded by eyebag, most likely due to the amount of sleep he had gotten - none. 

The boys all sighed. Sure they pitied the boy yet it wasn’t the time for one of their members to be in a sulky mood all day. May they remind him that they did get robbed and the perpetrator has still yet to be caught. 

Sehun was currently working himself over, typing away in his best attempts  to track down Jaerin’s phone. Alone in his space he had set up on the couch, laptop on his lap, and 2 more connecting through wires that sat on the coffee table directly in front. He hadn’t stopped ever since Baekhun had come home begging and he knew it was serious. Baekhyun never begged for anything.

Chanyeol and Kai were trying to consult a Baekhyun who seemed to have one thing and only one thing on his mind. Finding Jaerin. He wanted to scream, to shout and let out all his anger on her. He thought it was unfair, witty and cowardly of her yet he couldn’t bring himself to hate her. Baekhyun just wanted to see her, he just wanted an explantation. Of course, all of the attempts from the two boys were deemed useless when Baekhyun continued to go off and do his own thing. 

Suho was in the meeting room, Kyungsoo accompanying him. The two were the most logically and therefore they had branched away from the unnecessary Jaerin situation and focused primary on EXO. Someone had to do it. Furiously typing away, Suho came to a sudden halt and groaned, rubbing his temples. He stared at the report he was filling in to send to the China branch in hopes to see if they could help out. It was worth a shot and something he couldn’t avoid, the others in China were still apart of EXO and they needed to be informed. 

‘Maybe they can piece the clues together, catch something we didn’t see’. Kyungsoo piped in, giving him a small smile of encouragement 

Suho merely nodded, as he prepared himself for another intense session, already starting to pick out footage from the cameras and attaching the files. He punched the ‘enter’ button and sunk back into his seat. Knowingly, he had reached for his phone right when it rung and sighed before answering it.

‘Kris? Yeah it’s me.’ Kyungsoo could only pity the leader as he knew the other leader of EXO was not going to be happy. 

Whilst continuing his own contribution, he himself was busy calculating latest stocks and keeping track of supplies, only to be interrupted when the door slightly opened and a small head peaked through.

‘Suho Oppa! Ah- Hi D.O oppa.’ Sena had skipped in, pulling herself a chair when she had noticed her brother was busy. Sena was a smart girl, she had learnt her lesson before and knew better than to annoy her brother when he was busy, not wanting to anger her sibling, she turned to Kyungsoo instead.

‘What are you doing here Sena?’ Kyungsoo mentally sighed, hoping she wasn’t going to be a nuisance.

‘Mum had to go somewhere so she chucked me here with Oppa.’ She gestured her head to Suho who was still in a deep conversation on his phone. D.O gave a small nod before looking back at his device in front of him.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Important stuff.’

‘Relating to the gang?’

‘Uh-huh’ 

‘Okay’

‘Sena be quiet’ Suho had hissed from the other side of the room. Sena sulked a little and sunk back into her seat playing with a sliver band around her finger, a little too big for her but it she was going to grow into it. Twirling on her chair, Kyungsoo was starting to get irritated, just as he was about to lift his head up to nicely tell her to stop, the glare of the ring had caught his eye.

‘Sena.’

‘Hmm?’ She sang obnoxiously.

‘That ring, is it new?’ Kyungsoo had sworn he had seen it before.

‘Ah this?’ She stretched her 5 fingers out, proudly showing off the sliver ring that sat on her right hand. ‘This very pretty unnie i met gave it to me back at the black markets when i got lost.’ 

Kyungsoo placed his lips in a thin line, deep in thought.

‘Do you remember her name?’

‘No but i remember she was very very pretty! She promised she would come take me to places the next time we meet, and Unnie isn’t a bad person, she’s just like me! She’s very good at borrowing things, even taught me a few things!’ Kim Sena had rambled on and on.

While the child was talking, Suho had been half listening, finally throwing the other male a questioning look when he saw D.O bolt to grab some files and pull out a couple of photographs from the bank’s security cameras.

‘Sena, can you show me that ring again?’ The girl didn’t hesistate, stretching her fingers out once again to clearly expose the ring.

D.O lifted the photograph of the alleged ‘robber’, exiting the bank. The camera capturing the small delicate jewellery that also sat on her hand. 

Kyungsoo couldn’t believe it. It was an exact match. 

Suho had finally gotten off the phone and was now intently focused on his friend.

‘So?’ He questioned, when hadn’t spoken yet.

‘I think we’ve finally found a solid lead.’ He smirks, tossing the picture to Suho.

Kyungsoo looked back at a confused Sena and smiles. ‘All thanks to your little sister Suho.’ He pats the girl on the head who only returns the kind gesture cluelessly. 

# # #

► Author's Note: EVERYTHING IS SLOWLY BEING REVEALING OH MYYY GOOOSHHH! This series almost coming to an end, but you know what else is coming? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S !!!!!! IDK WHY BUT IM RLLY PUMPED OK AND I HOPE Y'ALL ARE HAVING A NICE WEEK!