For You

Chapter Three: The Job

Jihun’s POV.

* * *

I didn’t sleep a wink though my whole body got that sickly, heavy feeling that comes with fatigue and my head kept dropping, only to be jerked back up. I would probably look terrible by the time they came and ‘dealt with me’. 

That phrase played itself over miserably in my mind thousands of times. What the does that even mean? Seriously. That couldn’t have been less vague and more creepy.. I thought back to the way he had smirked at my terror. The man was a monster.

Baekhyun would be worried. No. That was an understatement. 

By now he was probably pissing himself... or seething with anger. Probably both simultaneously. He was like my mother - or would’ve been if I had one. Baekhyun had tried forcing me to bring my cellphone along in case I got into trouble but I had absolutely refused. If I did get into the position of needing it, I knew they would simply take it away and it would be one more way for someone to discover all sorts of unnecessary information about me. There were things I needed them to not know. This of course had eventually made Baekhyun shut up. He knew better than anyone the dangers of me being found out. And so he had let me go, with the promise that if I wasn’t back by four in the morning, he was going to consider me ‘in trouble’ and not do anything about it. I had made him swear. No police. No other mafias. And not him. If I got myself into trouble, this time I was going to get myself out. Somehow.

So here I was. In trouble! At seven a.m. on a beautiful Thursday morning.

I hate myself.

My body was exhausted but my mind couldn’t stop racing so I got up every once in a while and paced the small room I was confined to. It was gorgeous - with rich, velvety carpet that squished under the toes, a king-sized bed that I had left untouched in the middle of the room, and a window with no vines for me to climb down (it was the first thing I checked upon arrival) - under any other circumstances I would’ve been thrilled to be locked in here and probably slept for days. Under my actual circumstances though, the gaudiness of it all just made the impending danger I was in feel that much more threatening. It was a constant reminder of how small I was in comparison to them, and how vastly unprepared.

I was entirely at their mercy - his mercy. 

Tall Guy came for me at nine a.m. sharp, wearing the same suit and looking slightly haggard. Heh. Bastard. Serves you right for keeping me imprisoned here. I didn’t feel a shred of sympathy. The nervous tick that had begun to tug at the corners of my mind throughout the night, whispering ‘You’re going to die’ became an impossibly loud jackhammer as we started the trek back down the hall towards the bedroom I had crawled into. My hands were shaking again but I couldn’t find it in me to care. 

We stepped through the bedroom doorway and I immediately noticed everything I had missed the night before. Large, expensive-looking abstract paintings decorated the walls on all sides, two desks instead of one - with one shoved against the wall that had been beneath a shadow during the night, deep maroon duvet and decor around the otherwise white room... and the Jackass standing all the way across the room, leaning against his desk with his arms folded and a smirk plastered to his face. 

.

Irritation replaced fear, though I obeyed when one demanding finger curled towards himself in a silent order for me to come closer. I gritted my teeth, shoved my hands in my hoodie pockets and strolled. His smirk grew at my clear show of rebellion and somehow that me angrier. When I got to him I saw that his hair was perfectly gelled to the side, not a hair out of line. You could probably smash a plate over it, it looked so stiff. Hmmm that’s actually not a bad idea. I entertained it. 

The man seemed to take in my appearance for the first time, eyes slowly roving up my body before going back down. Teeth ground tighter together. The guy was exceptional at pushing ALL of my buttons. He kept looking, silently taking me in like I was a nice tea towel he was purchasing but couldn’t decide between blue or red.

“What?!” I finally snapped, patience frayed from the lack of sleep. He regarded me, looking pleased, and slowly walked around the desk to sit in his chair, leaving me standing. 

I’m going to kill him. 

“I would like to offer you a job.” 

“I don’t want it.” The words were out of my mouth and I was rolling my eyes before I had time to comprehend what he had even said. He paused, unperturbed as if this amused him further. Wait. Did he say a job? Tall Guy was now sitting at the desk in the corner looking over some files and entirely uninterested in our conversation as if the ridiculousness of it all was completely normal. 

What the hell is wrong with these people?

I was stumped... because he hadn’t mentioned torture or death, just a job.

cleared his throat, “Let me rephrase this for you... Jae was it?” I bit my tongue. Is that really the name I came up with last night? I hadn’t remembered but I was silently thankful he had. “If you want to live,” he continued with a sickeningly sweet smile, “then you will work for me. Your job will be mostly clean - no killing anyone or anything illegal - you will simply gather intel for me on whoever I want you, to when I want you to.” Pause. “OR I can let Youjin take you down to the basement and cut off your limbs one by one until you bleed to death. Whichever you’re more comfortable with. I’ll leave the decision up to you.” 

I gaped, the image of myself being hacked up still fresh in my mind as a plain white folder slid across the desk towards me. Suddenly there was a chair behind me too, and I looked up just in time to see Tall Guy - Youjin was it? - walk back to his desk. My shaky knees felt almost thankful for the gesture... except there had just been talk of him killing me... so nope. No thanks for you mister. 

I sat, glancing back up at Seungjun’s now neutral expression and reached for the folder. Inside, I found a school I.D. that read ‘Park Jae’ paper-clipped to a class schedule... the hell? 

“High school?” I couldn’t help the disgust in my voice, though I was a little surprised that my voice didn’t hold more... well, surprise. “Why is my photo and a made up name on one of Seoul High’s school I.D. cards?” 

“Because that is where you will be collecting intel.” His voice was smooth. Irritatingly smooth. I flipped the class schedule over, eyebrows rising at the following document that met me... statistics on EXO. I gulped. “And those are the people you will be bringing me intel on.”

My eyes darted up to the dark haired man. “You want me to collect info on another mafia?” Everyone knew of EXO. He nodded. 

There was a knock on the door, followed by Seungjun’s order to “Come in,”. Two skinny guys that looked to be around my age - one tall with dark hair and gangly features, the other shorter with caramel hair and a baby face - entered, their eyes immediately dropping to me. 

I glared back. 

“Heejun, Inseong - this is Jae: our newest recruit. The three of you will begin intel together at Seoul High on Monday morning.” The boys nodded in my direction, Gangly Kid’s gaze planted entirely on my chest, while Baby Face cocked his head to the side curiously and sent me a cheerful smile. 

I flipped Gangly Kid off, and turned back in my chair to face Seungjun once more. I could already tell from the way this was going that my life had just turned into a really terrible film - one that you can’t wait for it to end. 

“Any questions?” It was Seungjun speaking to me, seemingly fine with my mistreatment of my idiotic teammate. 

“Yeah,” I drawled wishing I were wearing pants so I could throw my feet up on his desk. “When can I be done with all this and go back to my own life?” His eyes narrowed at mine and for the first time since the previous night, I remembered that I was the one who had given him the right to threaten me and tell me what to do. 

“You can go back to your normal life, Jae, when I am satisfied with the work you have put in and no longer require you.” My eyes narrowed.

“You’ll be satisfied when you have all the information you want on EXO?” He nodded. There was nothing I could say to that - no way to argue, and no other option to take unless I preferred an excruciating death. I tossed a glance back at the two boys behind me, seeing that they were watching my interaction with their boss - my boss - with interest and something that looked a lot like being impressed. My fists clenched and eyes returned to Seungjun. 

“Fine.” 

* * * 

For You. 

Chapter Three Completed. 

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