Yerim:

            An attempt had been made. Multiple times, if she actually thought about it. She had attempted to leave a total of five times but every time she did—Jeon Jungkook would pull her back—cornering her and not letting her go. She was now about ten minutes late and they were literally outside of Mark’s home. She could have easily told him to stop but she was weak to his cute pout and in all honesty, she was enjoying their make-out session. Granted it probably would not be a good idea to meet Mark with her lips swollen from the way Jungkook was kissing her.

He was taking her breath away. It started off with a small peck as she was saying bye, but he pulled her back, holding her flush against him as she arched her back from how closely he was holding her. It quickly became more than just a quick kiss. Her hands had made permanent camp on his head, pulling his hair so she could breath. Of course, there was also the matter that Jungkook had most likely, definitely, left a hickey on her neck. One she didn’t stop until too late.

Again, she pulled away from his lips with much difficulty. Her breathing was heavy. Jungkook had her pinned against his car, slightly off the ground between him and the car. His hands holding her in place, snaking around as he cupped her from her , pulling her up with a gasp. He smirked, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Kook, I need to go.”

He pouted and she rolled her eyes. “Be honest with me Kim Yerim, you rather spend time with me than go to this lame dinner.”

She held in a eating grin but nodded anyway. Jungkook didn’t hide his grin.

“I still need to go and I’m ten minutes late. He’ll call any minute now.” right as she finished saying that her phone started to buzz inside her purse. She scoffed. “See.”

Reluctantly, Jungkook set her down, fixing her hair and dress that had ridden up. They needed to stop these wild make-out sessions. It drove her nuts and she knew it drove him nuts as well—only she was better at hiding and controlling her arousal. Jungkook on the other hand had to usually excuse himself. She always avoided looking down after a make-out.

“Hey Mark,”

“Yeri, are you not coming? I thought we talked about this.”

They had. In fact, after the date with everyone—when she woke up on the floor with Jungkook hugging her, she received a text from Mark to call her. Even though it was two in the morning, he answered. She went to bathroom and spoke in a hushed voice with Mark. He told her that as much as she thought him to be joking, he was serious about her coming to the dinner. If she failed to show up, he did not promise on keeping Jungkook safe. His previous words still there and meant to be kept. It made her panic and blood run cold. His words held so much power. She agreed and said she would be there, going back to Jungkook who had woken up when he didn’t feel her next to him. They ended up falling asleep cuddling on the couch. It was exactly what she needed after that call.

“I know. I’m here. I’ll be at your door in less than a minute.” she gestured to her lips as if to ask how swollen they were. Instead, Jungkook chastely kissed her again. She smacked him.

“I’ll meet you there.”

Mark hung up as she sighed, looking up at her boyfriend. “I really have to go now.”

“Fine, but Kim Yerim you have to know you are mine.” he paused, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, as long as you agree. I won’t claim you if you don’t like it.”

“I don’t mind because I claim you as mine too.” she smiled, having checked her appearance in her compact mirror, groaning when she saw the rather dark and large hickey on her neck. She maneuvered hair in front of it. “Jungkook, I love you.”

Yerim was about to walk away but was pulled back by a wide eyed Jungkook who kept blinking rapidly. “You can’t expect me to be fine with letting you go after you say such a thing? Because, how could you?!”

She giggled when he picked her up, swooping his arms under her and making her place her hands on his shoulder to keep her balance as she looked down at him. She was smiling, seeing his cute smile and only froze when she met eyes with Mark who, like he said he would be, was at the open gate. Jungkook noticed her changed demeanor and turned, his own smile falling into a scowl at the male in front. Gently he placed her down, walking forward as he held her hand in his.

“I thought you would be coming alone.” Mark spoke, animosity in his tone and eyes as he and Jungkook had a stare down.

“Yerim doesn’t have a car and I doubt you would have wanted her to come by public transport. Besides, I wanted to see my girlfriend off and remind you—I’m not going away.”

Yerim placed her hand on Jungkook’s chest, making him step back a little and calm down. She looked to Mark who was simply smirking.

“I can arrange for you to go away.”

She felt her stomach drop, quickly moving Jungkook back, purposely kissing him and telling him she would call when it was all over, watching from the corner of her eyes as Mark watched them. Jungkook kissed her again and she let the kiss become heated as she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling how he held her tightly around her waist. She pulled back as she heard him sigh.

“Remember, I love you Jungkook.”

“I love you too, Rim. Contact me if anything happens. I’ll break my way in there to get to you.”

She didn’t doubt him and reluctantly let go of her hold on him before walking towards Mark. Mark did not look happy, but he deserved to know that she was forced to be there because he had blackmailed her. Did Mark not think she told Jungkook? Because she would tell Jungkook everything that involved her or him. In this situation, he was also involved, and she did not like that.

“You shouldn’t have gotten attached.” Mark mumbled once he and she were inside the compound—the gate having locked behind and separating her from Jungkook.

“You’re really confident to think I would allow this to continue on.” she spoke back, almost sneering.

Mark stopped, pulling her back by the elbow. “And you don’t take my words seriously, do you. You see, Kim Yerim, you’ve belonged to me before you even met this man you say you love. Your only downside is that instead of falling in love with someone who could do something—you fell for him. Unless he somehow miraculously has a way to have more power than I do, you can kiss whatever fantasy you have of you and him in the future, goodbye.”

He left her, walking ahead as his words made her eyes sting with unshed tears. She never thought she could ever despise such a man—but she did now and knowing that he was once her friend only made her feel worse. She walked behind him, trying to keep a distance. The help bowed as they passed. His family’s home was incredibly large. She was in awe, taking everything in of the structure and fine details laid into the foundations of the home. Never once had she been in his home when they spent time together as young teenagers. She followed him into a sitting area where more people were gathered.

Bowing, she met eyes with someone she had not expected to see. The surprised look in their eyes let her know, she wasn’t someone they expected to see either. Yerim watched as Seulgi stood up from her stiff sitting position and approached her. No one was looking at them in particular except for maybe one of the two other females in the room. The men were talking amongst themselves.

“Yeri, what are you doing here?”

“I could be asking you the same thing.” Seulgi looked at her and then towards a man who was smiling. His hair was bleached, and he was rather handsome. Not as tall as the man that stood next to him but handsome, nonetheless. She hadn’t seen him in a while.

“That’s Lee Taemin.”

“Wait, you know Taemin?”

Seulgi looked at her, surprised once more. “How do you know Taemin?”

“I grew up with his younger brother. We’re friends.”

She almost didn’t want to admit they were friends, but they were. Even with the way he treated her and the threats he threw her way. One way or another—they had been friends.

“Taemin and Kai were in the dance club.” Seulgi spoke, looking solemn in the direction of Taemin. With a sigh, she looked back to her. “My aunt—she sold me to them. I don’t know how much you know but your friend and Taemin, they aren’t normal.”

She had figured much. If Mark was brave enough to threaten her and Jungkook’s safety, it meant he had some sort of power. The talk of marriage season also confused her. Who even spoke like that? Before she could answer, the door that lead to the dining room opened. She and Seulgi turned. Yerim recognized Mark’s mother. Did her parents know? Had her parents agreed to this? If she belonged to Mark for so long … why wait until then to say anything?

“Before we get dinner started, I would like to welcome our guest. Miss Kang Seulgi and Miss Kim Yerim—both of which are promised to my sons. Sejeong, welcome your new sisters-in-laws. Soon, they will be family and soon darling we will find your Kim who I hear could be named Taehyung.”

Yerim glanced to Seulgi. “Find a Kim…” the older one spoke before turning to her. “Yeri, Tae’s last name is Kim. Is he the same one they are referring to? If he’s a Kim, do you think?”

“Seulgi, what are you whispering about?”

Yerim didn’t know what to do, only smiled through her confusion when people started to approach them. She noted the proud look in Mark’s eyes as the older men complimented her, bowing to her. Yeah, there was a lot more than what she knew about Mark and his brother. She also recalled him having a sister name Sejeong who she never met and there she was in front of her.

“Kai, Kai said I had to find a Kim.” Seulgi whispered once they were ushered in and sat away from each other.

She looked around the table, trying to avoid looking at Mark and taking in every face. There was a man, not much older than Taemin who she did not recognize. He had a sort of friendly but smug look. He sat next to Sejeong who—like her mother had asked, greeted her earlier. Seulgi sat next to Taemin, sitting as rigid as Yerim felt. Did Jimin know? She knew she told Jungkook everything but were Jimin and Seulgi like that too?

“You should relax.”

She jumped, glancing to Mark. “I can’t relax. Did my parents sell me?”

Mark smiled, shaking his head no and then frowning. “They were against this. I think that is why they so readily agreed to let you go off to University so young. It wasn’t your parents. No. It was your mother’s father, he liked to gamble a little too much and owed my family money. He was selfish, promising his daughter but my grandfather didn’t need your mother. Instead, we would take the first female born of the daughter he was so willing to give away. You can thank your grandfather.”

As the food was being served, she felt sick to her stomach. She never met her mother’s side of the family and now she understood why. She only knew her father’s side with her loving grandparents and aunts and uncles. She didn’t know the dark side. Her parents were protecting her but—Mark had always been there. She stabbed at her salad.

“Is that why you were there, by my side?”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t like the idea of having someone promised to me. I hated it when I met you too. But the longer I got to spend time with you and know you, the more I was okay with it. I was fine being your friend. You always preferred books over boys. I was fine with you going off to school. If I had known that you would have paid attention to boys, then I wouldn’t have been fine.”

“I still don’t accept this. I don’t want this at all.” she looked him in the eyes. “Mark, I am not in love with you. I never have been. You were always my friend and this—not giving me a choice is wrong.”

Mark rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his wine as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “You have no choice Yeri. Just like Seulgi has no choice. And just like the Park’s granddaughter has no choice. You were promised before you were even born. The man in your life, cannot change that. The world may be changing out there, women having a voice but not in this world. In this world, you’re meant to be by my side, looking pretty.”

Part of her wanted to talk back, to slap him. She held her tongue and anger, looking at her plate of food that remained untouched. She glanced up, making eye contact with Seulgi. Find a Kim. If Seulgi could get out of it by finding a Kim, couldn’t she? But who? Taehyung? Kim Taehyung? Joy’s love of her life? She thought back to him and how he was as a person. He was kind, serious on occasions but mainly a big goofball. Him? Did she know any other Kim’s?

She felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to look at the other woman who had seen her interaction with Seulgi. They smiled at her, patting her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

“I’m Moonbyul and I couldn’t help but overhear something as you talked to your friend. I think I know what Kim you need to find.”

⇤〜⑉⑅﹎⑅⑉〜⇥

Hoseok:

He could not understand for the life of him as to why they were being so kind to the who almost princess. All he ever wanted to do was to beat the of him. He restrained himself because he figured that Jin didn’t know anything and the only reason he was even there, it was due to Taehyung. Hoseok thought maybe the honors of beating him up should be given to Taehyung.

Regardless, he hated going up to that room and delivering the food. Sighing, he opened the door after putting on his mask that covered his face from everyone and anyone—not that Woo Dohwan would be getting out any time soon. He barely opened the door, only opening due to the code and fingerprint scan.

“You’re going to have to talk to your boss and realize this is not how you keep a hostage.”

Hoseok wanted nothing more than to just smack the smug look off his face. Of course, he knew most hostages were kept in a cold, dark basement and chained to a wall. But Kim Seokjin was a doctor who swore to never hurt anyone once he became one. Meaning pieces of like Dohwan were kept in slightly better conditions. Hoseok wouldn’t say it was a royal treatment, but he was being kept alive fairly enough. Just enough food for survival. A cot bed, a barred window that looked to nothing in particular. Dohwan had twenty-four-hour surveillance and he was sure the former was none the wiser.

He didn’t talk though. It was part of it all. His silence and not being able to see his face. No one knew Jin's face just yet. No one was aware that right under third noses were the Kim’s, with everything that was going. Instead he had a piece of paper with a question for Dohwan that had learned to not take the questions as a joke when Namjoon okayed him chaining him up and playing on loop “Pineapple-apple Pen.” It did wonders in making him crazy. Hoseok still would have liked to have hit him.

What is marriage season?

“Huh, you all heard of it. Well, I guess I might as well tell you.” Dohwan had sat down, taking a sip of the scarce water they would give him. He seemed to savor it. “Marriage season is just a term when the bosses or the heirs introduce their soon to be brides or grooms. Sometimes they marry. Before all the families used to have a pack and all celebrated the marriage of their children. It changed once Park’s only daughter was murdered. Now it’s just clans letting other clans know that their heirs would keep going. Majority of the time it is a powerful union. Other times, the females are simply sold into the trade by someone in their family.”

Hoseok nodded, wondering why Namjoon had asked him to ask such a thing. He took back the paper, writing down another question.

Who will be announcing?

“I know Oh wants to but seeing as princess is not with him and he still has no clue on who she is—that won’t happen. Last I heard, the Lee’s are planning on announcing the marriage of all their children. The eldest to some girl with the last name Kang and the youngest son to a girl named Kim. Apparently, Kim is very young and has no relation to you. Sejeong in a sense is promised to one of you in your clan. Last I heard it was Taehyung, but I could he wrong. Sehun isn’t happy about it.”

Hoseok simply nodded, taking anything Dohwan could think of using as a way of escape, with him. It was impossible but he still had precautions. He turned and left. There was no need to stay. Once outside the locked room, he removed his mask, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

“What did he say?” it was Namjoon, he was leaning against the opposite wall. His arms were crossed and hair newly dyed into a sliver-blond.

“It’s when marriages are announced. Looks like the Lee’s have all their children soon to be announced.”

Hoseok stumbled upon this piece of information as he tried to recruit one of their other friends that he and Jin knew. Jin had succeeded on getting Moonbyul—who didn’t question anything due to having seen trade and own friends be taken into the underground world. He was set to recruit Wheein and Hwasa. Both agreed and, in the club, encountered the heir of the Lee’s talking to Byun about how he approached his soon-to-be bride. An old friend, someone he didn’t hold a flame to but was his since her aunt sold her and his own fiancée was murdered in front of him. A certain Kang Seulgi. Hoseok knew that name too well. Princess’s old roommate and Jimin’s girlfriend.

He took that information and gave it to Namjoon who met with Sejeong—much to Jisoo’s dislike. Hoseok could still not wrap his mind around that newfound relationship.

“I heard it will take place sometime next week.” Namjoon spoke, sighing. “Moonbyul sent this picture.”

Moonbyul, she went as their representative to the dinner. She was quiet, pretty, and smart. She was a smooth talker. Usu