3.59 p.m

“We’re too late.” Taeil told Ten as they watched the black car disappeared around the corner.

“What are we going to do?” Both frustratingly stood there not knowing what to do.

They should have followed Jaehyun when he straightaway ran from the room to downstairs. Instead they took the elevator not knowing that moments later when they had reached the lobby, they saw a tall guy decked in all black and wore baseball hat dragging their friend to the car.

Ten ran and shouted for the guy to stop before he pulled on a knife on them. That stopped Ten in his track. The guy didn’t say anything and just gave them a maniacal smile, his hat still covering his eyes so the boys wouldn’t recognise who it was.

Knowing he had both boys frozen, he sped away not giving Taeil and Ten the chance to see the license plate and what type of car it was.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

They didn’t really take the situation as this much worse and their tardiness led to them witnessing a kidnapping of their friend but wasn’t able to stop it.

“Ten! Come here!” Taeil called to his friend from inside the guard post. Inside they saw the security guard uncle lying face down on his table and a phone on the ground.

Both knew it was Jaehyun’s. He must have dropped it when the kidnapper surprised him from the back.

A groaned can be heard and they patiently waited as the security guard lifted his head from the table. He rubbed his temple and slowly opened his eyes.

“W-wh-what happened?” he mumbled and turned to see the two.

“Are you okay uncle? Who did this to you?” Ten calmly asked as he helped him leaned back on the chair.

A painful expression crossed the uncle’s face as he shook his head, “I-I-I don’t remember much. I was- just stretching my body after a long hour of sitting when I felt something hitting the back of my head and-next thing I knew the world black.” He winced when he touched the bump already forming.

Both boys glanced at each other worriedly, given the circumstances. Taeil went to buy some water whilst calling on the police while Ten stayed with the uncle. He scanned Jaehyun’s recent contact number and saw his friend had been calling Chaeyeon twice and another familiar number. Further scrolling down revealed his friend had made several call to Kun for the past few days and weeks.

Why would Jaehyun called Kun? He wondered to himself. Ten remembered the guy. He was on a student exchange program from China studying at the university Jaehyun is currently in. Jaehyun brought the guy to play basketball with them last year. He was somehow proficient in the Korean language. They discovered later Kun was a tech whiz.

Ten dialled Chaeyeon’s number knowing something must be urgent for his friend to called her twice.

Could the girl in the picture was her?

Ten surely hope not as his stomach tightened and feeling a bit nauseated. He prayed it’s not her and fortunately his prayer was answer as his call was picked up.

“Hello? Jaehyun what is it?” a soft female voice asked.

“Hello. I’m sorry to say this but this is not Jaehyun. This is his friend Ten. Are you all right?”

“Yes. I’m all right. Why do you ask?” she then gasped “Did something happen to him? Why are you using his phone?”

Taeil then return with the bottle of water and gave it to the security uncle. A wail of police and ambulance car chose that moment to arrive at the apartment complex.

Ten pursed his lip. “It would be nice if you could come here to the apartment complex because………he was taken by someone.” He told her, shaking with trepidation and fear for his friend’s life.

***

As the two boys were giving their testimony to one of the police officers of what they had witnessed and showing the content of the phone, Chaeyeon arrived flushed on the cheeks and breathing heavily as if she was running. Her two friends not far behind her.

Ten felt himself going still as he recognised one of the friends. It was the girl he had seen a couple of times running around the park for the past few weeks.

Pretty

Ten was really disappointed though as when she looked him, she clearly didn’t recognise him. He was secretly hoping she at least noticed him at the park.

He shook his head. This was not the time to gawk at someone.

“What happened?” Chaeyeon asked, clearly distraught and frantically looked between the police officer and Ten. He really didn’t want to tell her and he knew Taeil felt the same because both were ridden with guilt at this point. It wasn’t them that were afraid but her as well.

The police officer answered in their stead for her, recounting them what Ten and Taeil had told. Chaeyeon in turn, informed the officer of what Jaehyun had told her of the incidents he had before and the stalking while the officer written it all down on his notebook

“Who do you think Miss have the motive to do this? Or have a grudge on him?” the officer asked her calmly.

Chaeyeon bit her lip as soon as the question because someone had sprung to her mind but she was reluctant to share it with the officer because what if…….it was not that person? And for what reasoned? An angry ex? She was afraid her prejudice towards him clouded her judgement. Even though he hadn’t gotten over her and stopped with his harassing, doesn’t mean he had done it.

“There is someone in mind.” She told the officer everything from there.

“Well we do certainly need to check with Junhong about this.” The officer then glanced back at the security guard who was being treated by one of the paramedics.

“Officer! I’m sorry for the sudden request but can I have the phone back please for a moment? I need to call one of the numbers there.” Ten requested from the officer even though there’s a chance the request was going to be rejected.

“What for?” a frown ceased on the officer’s face albeit suspiciously.

“Well one of the numbers my friend called is a friend of ours. If you checked, Jaehyun made a few call to him.” Ten replied.

“His name is Kun and he’s from China. He was on a student exchange program last year at the university. Maybe he could help us.” Taeil added, silently trying to convince the officer to give it to them.

“Can we talk to him….privately sir?” Ten asked

The officer stared at them and grunted “I’ll give it to you but you have to tell me later. No funny business. Got it?”

The two boys nodded eagerly and dialled the number. They didn’t realise the three presences coming near them and were surprised to see the three girls standing nearby.

Chaeyeon still had a worried expression on her face but not on the verge of tears. It’s only a matter of time before she did really.

“Y-y-yes?” Taeil asked.

“What are you guys doing? Your friend is out there and you guys are just going to call this friend of yours all the way from China?” A tall girl nearly shouted to them angrily.

“W-w-wait. We can explain.” Ten hastily calmed them and whispered to them as to not let the officer know “Our friend Kun is a tech whiz. He’s really good and so for Jaehyun to call him today and before this, maybe, he’s asking Kun to track someone?”

A silent moment between them before the tall girl said “makes sense” then the short girl, asked “in other words do you mean to say Jaehyun asked this friend of your to do something illegal?”

“Y-y-yes. Maybe.” Ten stuttered amazed by her beauty and that she was speaking to him then hurriedly went back to phone not realising he had accidentally ended it.

He pressed the number again and waited. All of them nearly huddling together. Luckily his call got picked up.

A groggy and sleepy voice replied. “Jaehyun? I already told you it was him. I really need my sleep you know. It’s been a week for me.”

“Kun! This is Ten. I have no time to explain right now as we are in a hurry but what do you mean ‘it was him’? Do you know who it was?”

“What? A-ah yes. I think. But how did you know?” though the question was vague but both boys knew the underlying question behind it. How did you know I was tracking someone? Didn’t Jaehyun tell you?

“Because none of us are that much of a whiz with the computer unlike you and no he didn’t tell us until just now of his situation.” Ten steadily answered. “Answer me. Who was it that you found out? Who did Jaehyun asked you to track?

“I think…it was someone named Junhong. He told me he’s been having some trouble lately and had a feeling it was Junhong from the start but didn’t want to throw any accusation without evidence of sort. That’s why he went to me and today I confirmed it with him after several……attempts.” Kun explained with the last part left to the boys ‘own interpretation. “Junhong was there near the apartment complex when-uhh-what’s the name of the girl?- I forgot. He mentioned her name several times before this.”

“Chaeyeon” Taeil volunteered.

“Ah yes her. Chaeyeon.”

“I see. Thanks Kun. I’ll explain everything later on or tomorrow with you.” Ten exhaled and ended the call.

A moment of silence between them as now they knew the identity of the culprit. Quietly, the two boys went to report to the police officer. For Chaeyeon, she turned pale as that revelation came as an icy shock to her. To think her ex-boyfriend had harassed and kidnapped Jaehyun. And for what? All because he wasn’t able to let her go and didn’t want any other guys near her. She didn’t know he would go this far.

But why Jaehyun? There were several other guys before and after him that she had become close with but none of them were harmed. At least that’s what she knew.

Beating herself up from the inside, she knew she should have forced Jaehyun to report to the police. Otherwise he wouldn’t be taken and she would still be able to see him tomorrow.

Tomorrow? Will he still be alive then?

Terror gripped her and her stomach became queasy as the thought entered her mind. God! She shouldn’t be thinking that way but considering the situation, she wouldn’t let it past her to think Junhong would do something out of the norm of his behaviour. Like violence or even death just to get to her. She thought she knew him well before and after the breakup but guess she was wrong to think like that. How naïve of her and all of this started when Jaehyun defended her back at the library that day. The changes and the hatred behind his demeanour back then should have clues to her but she ignored it.

She hugged herself trying to calm her nerves and fears but was unsuccessful. Different scenarios played in her mind with all of them involving Jaehyun getting badly hurt or tortured because of her. Bleeding, cuts, stabbing on different part of his body. She gulped down and closed her eyes.

Two hands placed on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Nayoung and Chungha gave her comforting smiles and hugged her. She leaned to them for support because she didn’t know if…….she could even stand. Her thoughts were in disarray thinking all of the negative stuffs and the guilt that weighed in her. She needed the comfort but she especially wanted Jaehyun’s comfort.

“It’s going to be okay Chaeyeon. The police are doing what they can right now and I’m sure he’s safe for now. All we can do for the moment is pray for him and his safety” Nayoung, always the level headed one among the three of them, soothingly said while Chungha didn’t say anything and let her action speak for her.

They heard the same police officer ordered his subordinate to call back to the HQ for something then spoke something to his walkie talkies albeit shouting. For Jaehyun’s two friends had a pale expression on their face as they walked back to the girl. Faces paled, they hesitated for a moment on what to tell.

Chaeyeon knew something really bad had happened.

Without a word, Ten slowly raised the phone to the three of them showing a photo. In the photo, it was the body of a guy being tied up to a chair with his hands behind his back. His head was down covering his face and his shirt had some blood on it but they couldn’t miss the curly brown hair.

Even without saying it, they all knew who it was in the photo.

It couldn’t be. Please no!

Chaeyeon finally burst into tears.

***

The dusty scent of his surrounding was what woke him up. He shook his head and slowly opened his eyes. He took in the grey paint less wall and the broken glass windows. Outside it was getting a bit dark already and through a hole in the wall, the place he was in was surrounded by tall grass and next to it was an empty plot of land and several abandoned houses. He looked over his shoulder and saw a door only in the building he was in or was it a house?

Where is he anyway?

He tried to recall and memories came back to him of him running downstairs to the security guard uncle post over a photo that was send on his phone. He remembered trying to call Chaeyeon’s number and twice she didn’t pick up. When he reached the uncle, he discovered the uncle was slumped down on the table and Jaehyun trying to wake him and not a moment later aware was someone had been standing behind him. Next thing he knew he passed out.

One thing for certain though he wasn’t wrong in suspecting Chaeyeon’s ex boyfriend Junhong behind the stalking and threat all these time even if without Kun’s confirmation.

Jaehyun then spotted a long haired figure sitting on the ground with her hands tied.

Wait a minute! That long hair and clothes.

Irene.

He recalled a memory of a figure like that not a moment ago. Stupid! It wasn’t Chaeyeon but Irene. He was quick to assume it was Chaeyeon when their clothes were clearly different.

Jaehyun tried to stand up only to just realise both his hands were tied behind his back on the chair. Not only that the rope was tied tight that he felt his skin burned from it.

“Irene noona” he tried kept his voice low in case Junhong heard from somewhere behind them.

Irene opened her eyes slowly at her name being called and blinked several times. Her eyes wandered around the room and surprise came over when she saw Jaehyun being tied on the chair.

“Jaehyun? What are you-? What the?” she stood and then felt the tie on her hands.

“What happened to you noona?” he asked. It didn’t register to him that Irene would also be kidnapped as well. Question was why? She didn’t have anything involve with his situation.

She tried to pull the rope several times but was proved futile since the rope was tied tight on her as well. She slid back down to sit on the ground after giving up trying.

“I don’t remember much what happen to me. I was on my way to meet a friend after leaving your apartment and was just about to round the corner on the café destination when….all of a sudden I saw two masked hands in front of me and a handkerchief covering my nose.”

She then questioned him. “And what happen to you Jaehyun? Why are your hands tied as well? And where are we?” her gazed moved around the place as if trying to discern their location.

He didn’t know how Irene could be so calm in a situation like this when inside he was panicking. But then that’s probably because she didn’t realise how much danger they were in and that he never told her of his current predicament.

Jaehyun hesitated whether to tell her the whole thing or not. He didn’t want her to be in a panic mode as well once she knew. After a few minutes of thinking, he decided to come clean with her and the more he told her, the more her expression changed. Just as he predicted, there’s a hint of panic and fear in her eyes but she clearly hid it well knowing that there’s no point in acting on those emotions.

“I’m sorry noona.” Jaehyun apologised holding his head down. She didn’t have anything to do with this and yet she was roped in.

“Don’t think about it now Jaehyun. The most important thing right now is how to get out of here.” She calmly said. She then stood up and tried again to discern where they were through looking at the hole in the wall. “You said the person behind this was Junhong right?”

He nodded.

She turned to him apparently realising something. “He didn’t happen to be a tall and wear all black clothes?”

That description does fit Junhong.

Irene went on. “Because I seem to remember a man coming to the office last week asking my assistant on the photo shoot we did with you and Chaeyeon. She directed me to him but when I approached, he hurriedly apologised and left. She told me the guy was curious who’s the guy in the shoot with Chaeyeon and also-“

Out of nowhere, the door suddenly slammed open on the wall behind them. Even without turning and judging by Irene’s horrified expression, Jaehyun knew who it was.

“Ah glad that the two of you have woken up. We have something to discuss.” The voice and tone send chills towards Jaehyun and made the hair on his neck raised. The same feeling he felt during that time at the library when he felt someone was watching him.

With every step that Junhong took, Jaehyun tamped down his fear and silently prayed that someone or anyone find them fast because he didn’t know what will happen to both him and Irene next by the way the crazed look that crossed Junhong’s face.

***

Chaeyeon was in a daze staring aimlessly at the distance as all of them sat at the lobby waiting for one of the police officers to question them again. Though her eyes and nose were still a bit red, she had somewhat calm down and was just lost in thought which worried Chungha and Nayoung a lot.

Ten noticed that the short girl sat closer to Chaeyeon and said something to her. It brought a little smile from Chaeyeon but the worry and fear still lingered in her eyes.

Footstep can be heard approaching them and they looked up to see one of the officers with a grim expression.

“I’m sorry to question you guys again and I’m sure all of you are anxious to hear any news by now but I assure you we are working hard as we can to find him. We looked back at the phone again and forgot to ask but who is this?” he showed them a picture of a girl also being tied with her hands in front.

Chaeyeon recognised who it was immediately by the clothing.

“That’s Irene” she told the officer.

“Who’s Irene?” he asked.

“She’s a close noona to Jaehyun. She came at the apartment this afternoon to change her clothes and leave her bags there in case she was late coming home from something.”

“Did she tell you from what?”

Chaeyeon shook her head.

That was odd. Why would Irene be taken as well?

She furrowed her eyebrow as she pondered that thought. Irene didn’t have anything to do with both of them and she clearly didn’t know much about their relationship. In fact she was a bit surprised to see her at Jaehyun’s apartment.

The police officer proceeded to tell the other investigator on what he found. Chaeyeon tried to just believe the officer’s word and all she could do for now was to just pray that Jaehyun was safe and preferably alive by the end of the day.

“Who’s Irene? Chungha asked her this time.

“She’s a photographer for Venus magazine and a noona to Jaehyun. She did a photo-shoot of me and Jaehyun last time on their next issue of the month.”

Gasps were heard and the girls turned to see the two boys staring wide eyed with gaping mouths.

“What?”

“So he was telling the truth.” Taeil muttered to Ten

A familiar ringtone played in the background and Chaeyeon knew it was from her phone. Rummaging her handbag, it was a call from Bo gum. She frowned wondering why her cousin was calling at a time like this.

“Hello?”

“Chaeyeon? It’s me. Are you free right now?”

Her gaze went to her surrounding to the many people that were currently loitering around from the police officers to some of the apartments’ tenants looking and asking the officers in a curious manner and to her friends.

“Kind off. What is it?” she said absentmindedly.

“Do you remember Irene? The photographer?”

“Yeah”

“Well-do-do-you have her number?” the faint stuttering brought a smile to Chaeyeon’s lips. She was right in thinking her cousin was interested in that photographer. Not that she could blame him because Irene was really pretty.

However that smile didn’t last long considering the current situation. She was going to have to break the bad news to him.

“I don’t actually but I really need you to come. There’s something I have to tell you.” She rattled off the apartment address to him, telling him that it’s urgent.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the scene and glancing around the place with a mix of bewilders and intrigues on his face. He carefully sidestepped walking around the place making sure not to disturb any of the officers and spotted her at the front of the building.

“Why did you tell me to come here?”

Chaeyeon bit her lip feeling hesitant to tell him now knowing his interest in Irene. He would be crushed if she told him what had happened to Irene. In the end, she told her cousin the full story.

He suddenly turned pale and panic. “Did the police found them already?” he looked back to the many police officers.

She shook her head. “They did have a suspect and currently trying to find him. Tell me Bo gum. Why did you ask me for her phone number? You do know that I only have a few of them on my contact list.”

“Well” he replied “I actually know you don’t have her number. I’m wondering………if the guy she talked to last time….I don’t know have her number? They seemed close with each other and I thought….” He shrugged sheepishly “to actually ask you to ask your guy…to give me Irene’s phone number.”

She noticed how her cousin termed ‘Jaehyun’ as her guy which she’s not denying at all but she would applaud her cousin for his crafty way of using her to get to Irene.

She also just noticed that her cousin was well dressed that day wearing a navy blue suit jacket and white jeans with Vans sneakers.

“And where were you going today?”

“I was going to go to a blind date arranged by my friend but all the time I was dreading to go.”

She decided to “Because you thought of Irene?”

He purposely avoided eye contact but she saw his face gone a bit red.

She was going to ask him more when a young police officer rushed to them. All of them surrounded the police officer wanting to know of any progress or what news he’s delivering to them.

“We found the suspect address and had asked his roommate about his location but he didn’t know where he was. He hadn’t seen his roommate for several days.” He turned to Chaeyeon. “Do you know where he could possibly be?”

Chaeyeon felt annoyed and angry that the officers didn’t press more on the roommate because he definitely knew where Junhong was. The roommate was lying. When Junhong introduced her to him, she immediately didn’t like him. There was just something about the guy in the way he looked at her. She would definitely describe him as creepy.

“Officer if I may you should ask the roommate some more. He’s definitely lying. Him and Junhong are really close and I found it impossible he didn’t know where Junhong was.” Chaeyeon insisted.

“Yes ma’am” the officer gave a curt nod and returned to report to his superior and fellow colleagues.

“You’re really sure the roommate is lying?” Taeil asked her.

“I just know it. Junhong’s best friend is definitely that housemate of his. I rarely even seen him talked much with his classmate or any of the club members.” She saw it first-hand herself.

She felt Ten and Taeil stared at her in amazement and something else. “What?” she asked.

Ten shook his head and Taeil smiled sheepishly. “Nothing. It’s just that we actually didn’t believe you are actually Jaehyun’s classmate. When he told us, we actually laughed at him but he did show us his high school graduation pictures. Since then we about you.”

Chaeyeon couldn’t help herself but to ask “Did he say anything about me?” Nayoung and Chungha were trying to hide their smirk but failed as they subtly nudged their friend for asking that question.

“Well” Taeil thought back “he admitted to us that he had a crush on you back when you were in high school.”

 

WHAT?!

Chaeyeon felt her face heating up and heard her two friends wolf whistled while her cousin just grinned at her.

Ten meanwhile couldn’t believe his friend just spilled that secret and punched him lightly on the arm.

“What the heck hyung? Why did you tell her that?” he whispered furiously lowering his voice but unfortunately he was still heard by the rest who looked at them amusedly.

“What else Jaehyun talked about her?” This question came from Nayoung and Chaeyeon was now really curious as well. Taeil looked like he was going to answer again that question before his friend covered his mouth shutting him off.

“Nothing. He rarely talked about her but if you want to know, do ask the person himself. I’m sure he can answer all the questions Chaeyeon had in her head right now.” Ten looked pointedly to her.

Just then the same police officer walked hurriedly to them. “We found the suspect.”