Not much happened the next day. It was rather slow, actually. Jhope had come to watch me while the others left on a mission. 

       “Who has killed the most?” I asked him. Jhope didn’t look at me. He was shining his gun.

       “Namjoon and Yoongi are tied. They are ruthless when it comes to missions.”

       “Who’s killed the least?”

       “Me and Jin. We’re not much for killing.”

       “What about Taehyung?”

       “He’s killed quite a bit. He doesn’t care for it much.”

       “Do any of you like it.”

       “Not really. It is pretty satisfying to see those that ruined your life beg for mercy.”

       “What about Jimin and Jungkook?”

       “Jungkook has killed quite a bit. He may be the youngest, but he has a lot of anger in him. Jimin doesn’t like casualties, so he doesn’t kill unless necessary.”

       “Wouldn’t it have been better to talk to the police?”

       “Half the police are owned; they won’t do jack.”

       “Isn’t there a way to get revenge without murder?”

       “I don’t know!” Jhope snapped. “Dammit, you ask a lot of questions. We chose this life. We will continue to live it until we find that man and cut his throat open.”

       “What will you do after you kill him? Will you continue this life of murder or will you try to make something of yourself?”

Jhope laughed bitterly, “Can I make something of myself?” He had a distant look on his face. He still hadn’t made eye contact with me.

       “You can do anything you set your mind to. I didn’t think I would be able to finish college. I had some big steps to walk in.”

       “Did you finish?” I smiled slightly at his question.

       “Yes. I finished with a 3.2 gpa. It was a big milestone for me. I worked my off to finish my 4-year degree in 2 years.”

       “Wow. That’s impressive, actually.”

       “At first, I thought so, too, but I soon realized it didn’t satisfy me. I had no idea what I wanted in life. My brother…he went to college on a full ride. He was going to become a doctor. There I was though, no full ride, not sure what I wanted to be…Following in his footsteps killed me. I could never be the great person my brother was.” I’m not sure what I was trying to accomplish bringing up my sob story, or rather if jhope cared at all.

       “I heard from the others that he was very kind.” Jhope was fiddling with his fingers.

       “He was wonderful!” I laughed. “He was the best big brother I could ever ask for. I think I was always jealous of him though. He was so protective, did everything he could for others, and always had his life figured out. Me? I had to travel all the across the world to figure out what I wanted. I’m not sure I really know what I want still.”

       “That’s ok. You’re young. You don’t have to know everything, and you don’t have to be your brother. You should just be you.” Something about Jhope’s words struck a nerve with me. I had always tried to live up to the standards my brother set. Instead, I should have made my own standards.

       “Jhope, did you ever have a dream?”

       “Yes. I wanted to be a dancer.” This was the first time Jhope had looked at me.

       “A dancer?” I chuckled a little.

Jhope glared at me, “Yes, a dancer. Ever since I was a little kid, I was always fascinated by music. I wanted to become a professional. My father was always supportive of me. He took me to all my practices, and watched all of my auditions.”

       “That’s amazing Jhope! What happened, though?” Everything sounded so wonderful, but he didn’t look happy.

       “My dad was really supportive, but my mother wasn’t. She didn’t want me to live that kind of life. She demanded I quit and focus on school.”

       “That’s awful. She had no right to force you to do such a thing.”

       “Yeah…well, it doesn’t matter. My mother was forcing me to go into business so I could take over the family corporation. I chose to run away.”

       “You ran away from home?”

Jhope nodded, “Yep, and I never looked back. I have no idea what my parents are doing now. Sometimes I feel bad. I feel like I let them down. If they saw me now, surely they would think of me as a monster.”

       “I don’t know about that. Parents have a bright way of looking at their children.”

I smiled fondly, “I remember this one time; I was at school. This girl, Isabella, kept pulling on my hair. I yelled at her to knock it off, so she stuck gum in it. I pushed her down, and her mother came charging at me. She swatted my hand and called me horrible names; I was in first grade.”

       “What’s your point?” Jhope questioned.

       “My point is: parents don’t see the bad in their children. They will always defend their child with their life. I think, if anything, your parents probably blame themselves for pushing you away. I think they would be the happiest if they got to see you.” Jhope only stared at me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

       “I’m back!” Jimin barged through the door, holding bags. “Hey, Jhope. How’d it go?”

Jhope got up, “Everything went fine. She’s all yours now.” Jhope left the room without a glance at me.

       “Oh? He’s so silent. Did you trouble him?”

My eyes widen, “I-I don’t think so.”

       “Good.” He chuckled. “The mission went quicker than we thought so we decided to go shopping. I decided to get you some things.” I gasped as I looked through the giant bags. They were filled with clothes. Leggings, skirts, shirts, etc. Anything you could think of, he got.

       “There’s so much.” I was at a loss of words.

Jimin smirked, “Of course. You’ve been wearing the same thing for the last week. It’s disgusting. If you’re going to be here, we might as well get you some new clothes. Do you like them?” I was surprised at what good taste he had.

       “They’re beautiful. I love all of them. How’d you know my size?”

       “I didn’t. But since you’re a foreigner, I decided to go with the biggest size and hope for the best. Sorry, if they’re too baggy.” I shook my head. He was smart. The first time I ever tried shopping, I noticed how tiny Koreans were. Everything was so small. I was never a huge person, but my chest and hips were certainly bigger than the average around here.

       “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” The new clothes almost had me drooling. I never took major notice, but when I thought about it, it felt awful wearing the same thing for over a week.

       “I’m glad you’re happy.” It was a small moment to share, but we did. Just then I noticed a knock at the door. Not the basement door, but the front door. It was faint, but the walls here weren’t the thickest.

       “What was that?”

Jimin frowned, “I don’t know.” I listened attentively…It was Hyungsoo. I could hear his voice.

       “Excuse me. I hate to bother you, but I’m looking for my missing coworker.”

       “Oh, a missing coworker?” That was Yoongi speaking.

       “Yes, she’s been missing for about a week now. It’s not like her to miss work. My girlfriend is really worried. They were best friends…honestly, we’re all worried.” So they were looking for me. I could feel my heart quicken.

       “We haven’t seen anyone around here.”

       “You said she? I’m afraid these woods are dangerous. A lot of creeps lurk around here, and there is wildlife.” That was Namjoon speaking. “I’m afraid she would be a lost cause if she came around here.”

       “Perhaps you’re right.” Hyungsoo sighed.

       “Have you tried filing a report with the police?” Yoongi suggested.

       “Yes, but they’re not sure they can do much. She’s a foreigner and there’s not a lot of info on her.”

       “That’s unfortunate. Is that a picture of her? She’s really pretty.” Taehyung had chimed in.

       “I’m sorry we couldn’t be more help.” Namjoon said. What? No! Hyungsoo don’t leave.

       “Hyungsoo!” I yelled. I noticed Jimin had jumped from my screaming. “Hyungsoo, don’t leave! I’m here!” I yelled trying to charge the door, but Jimin held me back.

       “What was that?” Hyungsoo exclaimed.

       “What was what?” came Yoongi’s reply.

       “I thought I heard someone call my name.”

Namjoon intervened, “I promise you it was nothing. We’ve been having a rat problem recently, so perhaps you heard them in the walls.”

       “Perhaps…if you don’t mind me asking. What are four guys doing living out here in the middle of nowhere?”

Taehyung interjected this time, “There’s actually seven of us, and we’ve all decided to live a life closer to nature. We’re all good friends and we wanted to take a year or two to get back to the roots of life—mother nature and all.”

       “Uh-huh…You’re nothing but a bunch of hippies. Got it…well, let me just give you this flyer. If you hear anything, please call me.”

       “We’ll make sure to do so.” No!

I had struggled against Jimin’s vice grip. I was able to make it up the stairs, but Jimin had caught me before I could say anything. He had his hand firmly clamped around my mouth.

       “No.” I cried. They were muffled. “Hyungsoo, please come back.” The boys came to find Jimin practically laying on me to keep me under control.

Namjoon rubbed his temples, “What a headache. Stop crying.” I cried more. “I said stop crying.” Namjoon back handed me across my face. This was the first time he laid his hands on me. I rarely ever saw him, let alone talk to him.

       “Hyung, I’m sorry. She wiggles around a lot.” Jimin grunted as he grabbed both my hands.

       “It’s fine.” Namjoon pinched my face between his fingers, forcing me to look at him. “Do you realize what would have happened if he found out you were here? You think you would be able to go home?” I sniffled in response.

       “If he found out you were here; we would have to kill him.” Suga said nonchalantly. “You would be the reason for his death.” That shook me to my core. I never thought about what would have happened. There was only one of Hyungsoo and seven of them.

       “I’m sorry.” I choked out.

Jimin sighed, “Stop apologizing. Just realize that this is your life now.” Nothing else was said as I was brought back down to the basement. No punishment this time either. I was left with silence and rage. If they wanted an obedient girl. I would give it to them.