CHAPTER EIGHT

“Hyung!!” Seungri panicked when he saw Jiyong rushed inside the burning house

“WHAT THE JI!” Taeyang was about to follow him inside when Daesung stopped him

“Hyung no. Please” Daesung pleaded as he looked at the burning house worriedly

“Jiyong hyung!” Seungri was pacing back and forth, heart beating fast, mind in chaotic state “This is my fault” he was clutching Jiyong’s backpack. He threw it to him without uttering a word and rushed inside the house.

“SANDARA!!” they can hear Jiyong shouting, but they can’t see due to the thick smoke that’s blocking them from seeing the things inside.

“Hyung get out of there! Please!” Seungri pleaded, blaming himself with all the misfortunes they received today

He can’t open her door, he looked everywhere but she’s nowhere to be found. And her room is the only one that’s locked.

“SANDARA!!” he banged at the door, hoping that he’ll get to hear her

“SANDARA OPEN THE DOOR!! OPEN THE ING DOOR! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! ! OPEN THE ING DOOR!!!” he’s feeling weak already, his chest tightening due to the smoke he’s inhaling

“HYUNG!!!” He can hear Seungri shouting, his voice frantic. But he can’t leave Sandara here. He still needs to apologize, he still need to talk to her. it. He won’t leave her here.

“DARA!” With one last bang on the door, his body gave up. He fell on the floor, succumbing into the darkness.

Jiyong!

He bolted up with pounding heart, eyes wide, he was panting hard, sweats drenching his clothes.

“Dara” he whispered softly.

He rubbed his face with his hands weakly, looking at his surrounding, hoping that it was nothing but a dream. A ing bad dream.

It’s been a week, but he can’t and definitely won’t accept the fact that she’s gone. She’s not. He can feel it. She’s still alive. He’s been hearing her voice, calling him. She’s always in his dream, calling him, always asking him how he is. If he’s happy or not.

“Hyung?” A knocked on the door pulled him out of his reverie.

“Come in”

“Breakfast is cooked. Come out?” Seungri looked at him pleadingly. The poor kid lost weight too. He’s been blaming his self of what happened to her. No matter how many times he tells him that it’s not his fault, Seungri will just shake his head and shrugged, not accepting his words.

“I don’t eat breakfast, have you forgotten?”

“But you’ve been eating breakfast since she’s the one cooking” he weakly mumbled

“I’m not” he hissed, he’s still sensitive when it comes to the topic of her.

“I miss her hyung” Seungri sighed deeply

“Get out Lee Seungri”

“I know you miss her too.”

“I said get out!”

“Hyung”

“GET THE OUT!”

“You know she’ll kiss you if she heard you cursing”

That was it. It was the last strand of sanity he’s been holding onto. He lunge towards Seungri and pushed him out of the room, banging the door loudly. He threw every object he can see. Guilt and Pain fighting inside his chest, if he can only rip his heart out, he do not want this feeling, he’s doing a good job blocking all the emotions he didn’t knew he’ll feel ever since the day he found her on the beach unconscious.

But most of all, the guilt he’s feeling is slowly eating him up. He shouldn’t have doubted her, he should’ve followed his intuition. But instead, he chose to let his stubbornness lead him. The raw pain in her eyes haunts him everytime, making him want to run back to the burnt house hoping that if he comes back, he’ll see her there, waiting for them, waiting for him.

“Ji! Open the door!!” He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard Youngbae’s frantic voice, banging the door rather too loudly that he won’t get shock if it falls.

When he didn’t answer, Youngbae kicked the door, opening it forcefully.

“Ji!! You need to see this!!” Youngbae rushed to his side and showed him his phone. It was dark, but a lone figure was seated at the centre of the room, with guards surrounding the person whom he can’t clearly see because of the pixelated picture. The person who captured the picture probably zoom it up to its limit, making the picture too blurry.

“You might or might not want to see the video” Youngbae slowly said, as if measuring his temper

He played the video without answering, the moment he heard her voice, the rage inside him came back full force.

“Please. Let me go” She said

“I didn’t do anything wrong” she was sobbing softly, her hands tied at the back of the chair.

“I want to go home”

Home. He almost crushed the phone if Youngbae didn’t snatch it away from him at the exact moment.

“Location” his voice steely, his eyes glazing with fire, it was the first time Youngbae saw this side of Jiyong. He looks deadly. He looks like he’s ready to kill whoever blocks his way, he was sure of it.

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“Please let me go” she was sobbing hard, too scared to even move.

“Please stop crying miss. We won’t do you any harm” said one of the guys wearing a suit

“Then why are you doing this?” her voice croaked “Why did you tie me?”

“It’s an order. We can’t let you wander around here. It’s too dangerous” She badly wanted to laugh at the absurdity he told her. Is there any dangerous thing other than them? “Listen miss, even though it’s impossible, but you need to trust us. I know we don’t look trustable, we might scare you but we don’t mean any harm”

Trust. She smiled bitterly. Looks like her Moirai didn’t look for her. Maybe he’s now living peacefully, away from me.

“It might sound ridiculous but I-I trust you” she bit her lip, she’s hungry, she hasn’t eaten anything for a week already. If not for the water they’ve been giving her, she’s probably dead now.

“Are you hungry?” The middle-aged man asked her softly, she looked up at him and saw him smiling down at her.

“Ne” she said in a small voice

“Bring in the food”

He walked behind her, untying the rope that was binding her. He does trust her, unlike her own Moirai. She misses him, even if he’s grumpy, she misses the boys too. Seungri and Daesung’s funny antics, even her long talk with Youngbae.

The middle-aged man whom she knew named Gongyoo stayed beside her while she was eating, talking anything under the sun, making her comfortable.

“Who kidnapped me?” he saw Gongyoo-ahjussi flinch as if she struck him

“More on saved? Ah mwolla. No matter where angle I look, it still looks evil thing to do.” Gongyoo sighed, brows furrowed as if thinking deep

“What happened? You saved me from the fire right?”

“You see, something important was stolen from our Leader Sangwoo. It’s so important to him that he can do something evil if it was stolen from him. Well, it was proven the moment Cerulean Dragon stole that thing from our head quarter”

“But why did you kidnap me? I’m just their maid”

“Nah. You’re not just any maid eh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it seems like they all have a strong connection with you. And to think that you’re somewhat aware of their plans serves you as good bait eh?”

“Oh no. They’re too secretive when it comes to their plan. Besides, they don’t trust me enough” she spat bitterly

“I see, trust issues” Sangwoo chuckled “Well lady, it’s common for us you know. We don’t trust easily, more likely we don’t trust anybody without them proving their loyalty to us. The moment we trusted someone blindly, is like jumping into an endless hole without any assurance that you’ll be able to come out. That is included with the way we are living, trusting someone whom you’re unsure of the person’s identity is a no-no lady”

“But still-“

“See? That’s why I don’t believe that you’re just a simple maid for them.”

“Ani, you see, they’re not even looking for me.” She smiled sadly “It was like a big burden lifted from them the moment I disappeared”

“I’m sorry for that.” Gongyoo said sincerely, looking at her with pity

“No. Don’t pity me.”

“Do you want to stay here then?” She looked up, and saw his serious face waiting for her answer.

“I thought you said you’re not good with trusting blindly?”

“I’m not, but then, there’s something about you that screams goodness.”

“Eh?”

“Aigoo” Gongyoo shook his head and laughed out loud “So Innocent.” He reached out and mess up her hair “I think you should take a bath” he crinkled his nose

Her eyes widen and her face instantly heated up, she’s now as red as a tomato. Inconspicuously, she smelled herself and grimaced. One week, one whole week of water and soap absence “I-uh, w-where’s the en suite?”  she shyly asked, looking down at her now dirty hands

“Sangwoo hyung ordered his maid to buy you things, you can use the en suite now Mi Lady” she widened her eyes at him “Ahjussi! You’re laughing!”

She looked at him who’s now reddening

“Go on” she glared at him playfully, the moment she said it, Gongyoo laughed out loud that some of the guards went in the room in full alert, thinking that something happened. They looked at Gongyoo and her incredulously, scratching their head as they went back to their position.

“Go on now, you stink big time.” He nudged her playfully as he stood up, bring her tray with him

She stood up mumbling things while making her way to the en suite.

“I can hear you Mi lady” she looked back at him and glared at him one last time before closing the door loudly, making the latter laughed out loudly once again.

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“We’re coming with you” Youngbae said with finality

Jiyong only shrugged, checking his guns and smoke grenades, stuffing it inside his backpack.

“I’m coming too hyung” Seungri said with determination, already dressed up with his backpack full of firearms.

When Jiyong came out, Daesung went in the driver’