Record #23

“Eunbyul, are you really going out like that?”

I turned to Mikki, and immediately my hand flew towards the spot in my neck. I checked it minutes ago and it was purple black, still visible. I didn’t have a scarf to cover it and I let my hair down to hide it, but whom I am to fool? It was a stupid idea.

My legs dragged me to my bed and I sat on the edge. My hair covered my entire face. “I think I’ll stay the whole day here.”

“You’ll have it for at least three days,” Mikki said and I grunt as my body left backwards.

“What happened?” Anri came back to the room and made a weird funny face when saw me very irritated.

“V. Hickey. Make your own conclusions,” Mikki said.

Anri walked towards me and I sat up. She pushed my hair back to see it clearly. Those were the eyes of wonderment and interest.

“You can cover it with make-up,” Anri said and I looked up to her.

“Do you have?” I asked.

“We can ask Hani.”

I got a bit nervous with her idea.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell her what it’s for,” Anri walked to the door. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Once she got back and covered the spot with layers of makeup, I got a relieved. It wasn’t noticeable anymore.

“Do you think the boys will notice it?” I asked as I turned from the mirror.

“They won’t,” Mikki answered. “They barely notice we change clothes every day.”

But just to be sure, I let my hair down for the rest of the day.

We walked towards the office room, Anri left first because she needed to hand back Hani’s make-up bag.

It was Mikki and I.

When I’m with her, it’s usually calm and silent. We don’t exchange words only if necessary. Mikki is a good listener and wise. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind and cares little about others’ perspectives about her. She isn’t the typical girl with a porcelain face. Mikki is more into unconventional things for females, but still curious about fashion and makeup. (She peek when Anri used it on me) However, sometimes her fashion style reflects otherwise. In comparison to us, I describe her clothes as comfortable and big. Even her hair she usually styles with a messy bun.

I was looking down my feet as we walked. I didn’t realize people were coming near, but when I heard their voices, I came to my senses. Two boys and two girls around our age. They four of them were whispering, but chortling about their joke. And I got to hear it clearly.

My feet stopped as I glared them walked away.

“Are you sure it doesn’t bother you?”

Mikki was facing my back, but I could feel her eyes on me.

“It doesn’t,” Mikki sighed. “Please, don’t tell Anri or Jimin.”

I turned around immediately. “They’ve been messing with you. With your feelings. With your private life. Mikki, are you sure? They’ll continue harassing you if you don’t do something to stop it.”

She giggled. “That’s the longest sentence you’ve ever told me.” She was now smiling softly. “Eunbyul, I’m sure. We can’t do anything about it. It’s been always like this. I’m already used to it.”

I nodded. “I still think you should do something about it.”

“Oh, we will. Just wait.” She smirked and we kept on walking. I was eager to see what plan she had in mind.

Luckily, none of the boys noticed a thing. I had always been styling my hair with ponytails, but none of them asked why I had it down today. The only thing that gave me chills was Taehyung’s smirk when he saw me.

The boys were seated on the couches as they watched the news. I was next to Mikki, away from them just in case, as she worked on the computer. Anri was beside her with the laptop on, reading. I heard her rumbled as she messed her hair.

“You haven’t found anything, have you?” Taehyung spoke as his lips held a disheartened smile.

“It’s been weeks already,” Anri placed her hands on her face, hiding her. Ro walked to her and checked her. “They are nowhere to be found!”

All our senses came back and all our eyes traveled back and forth between those two.

“Anri and Taehyung, you better explain yourselves right now,” Jin spoke in demand.

They held pensive gazes. Both were gloomy and it was obvious something was wrong.

“We can’t find Bella and Ace,” Taehyung admitted. “It’s been one month already since we came here and they still haven’t appear in Tear F.”

“I sent Mikki’s flying cameras to the woods and they found no clue,” Anri added. “They should have been here by now. They should have arrived at two weeks maximum!”

Mikki caressed Anri’s back as she hide between her arms. Taehyung was trying to hold himself from losing it. His nails were damaging his skin and I stood up quickly to caress his hands. He gulped and tried to smile, but it was forceful.

“Have you tried to track them?” Jimin asked.

Anri’s face turned to the side, still hidden on her arms, but one of her hands Ro’s back. “They’ve lost their trackers.”

All eyes turned wider, everyone had their own, and I bet similar guess.

“Anri, don’t you think...”

“Most probably,” Anri completed Jungkook’s assumption. “Someone have intercept them and destroyed their trackers.”

“Though we don’t have proof it’s been them,” Mikki added, still comforting Anri.

“It’s the most reasonable answer we have,” Rap Monster said.

“You should go to Baba,” Mikki turned her eyes to the boys. “She might know something.”

Baba was the name the old woman mentioned for us to address her.

The latest information we got from Baba, and the most impressive, was The Slayers moving to South East. The next day, a complete group of Hybrids was found death in the mentioned Senrate.

Rap Monster, Suga, J-Hope and Jimin left.

I could sense Anri’s impotence in her eyes and physical actions.

Taehyung felt powerless and he kept on caressing my palm with his thumb to distract himself. He always did this when he was nervous. I can’t believe how well he can hide his emotions and insecurities from me. However, when he wanted to show them, he did. I can always see a bit of worry reflected in every word and every gaze he held.

Jungkook kept on glancing at Anri, but she didn’t even acknowledge him. She hasn’t spoken to him for at least two days and I wondered why.

Then I guessed her reasons.

I remembered walking back to the building late at night with Taehyung and seeing him. But Jungkook wasn’t alone. It was dark to see them perfectly, but my hazel eyes spotted them. Jungkook and Nayeon walking into her room. Taehyung told me to not say a word and I didn’t ask why.

I remembered seeing him hesitate a bit, but under her insistence, he entered anyway.

None of them acknowledged our presence in the dim hallway lights.

Next morning from it, Anri stopped talking to Jungkook. Actually, she stopped laughing or acknowledging his jokes. Whenever he spoke to her, she responded tartly.

Jin noticed it and whispered to me if I knew something, but I only shook my head. It was my assumption. I wasn’t sure about it.

The morning passed by rather quickly and it was time for us to go training.

I didn’t expect the room to be filled with members from Tear F. All were practicing as their usual routine, but all stopped to glare at us. The only ones who approached us were Hani, Kim and Youngmin. Nayeon stood hidden and ignored us. She was standing with a group of girls, who I recalled calling names to Mikki.

She noticed my gaze on her, and Nayeon glared me back, but I didn’t hesitate. I wasn’t afraid of her. Nayeon, in frustration, rolled her eyes and turned her head back to her group.

“What do you mean we’ll practice all together?” Jin’s voice echoed.

I turned my eyes back to my group. Mikki was looking at me, smirking.

So this was her way of revenge. This was just the first step.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but mostly everyone here hates you,” Youngmin said.

“We’ve noticed already,” Anri added in fact.

“Do you know why?” Kim added.

We all stood silent and waited for his answer.

“Neither do I,” he giggled. “But most sees you as a weak group.”

“You came from a small company. Not many knows your name,” Hani said. “I think our people believes you are here to steal spotlight from our company.”

We scoffed in different ways.

That’s when Hani’s name was called.

“What are they doing here?” It was a girl, tall and young. “We didn’t agree we’ll share training sessions.”

“Junghwa, please, don’t start a scene here,” Hani told her.

“If they want to stay,” Nayeon walked towards us, arms crossed. “They should at least show us their so know skills.”

All the people in the room was focusing on us.

“That’