“Hey there. What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this alone?”

Hyuna looked up from the drink that she was having with heavy eyes and a throbbing headache. The whole place seemed to be spinning around her wildly as she tried to make out the image of the person standing in front of her.

“Who...are...you?” she slurred in response, trying to get up from her stool but was only capable of dropping back again a second later.

“Whoa, easy there,” the tall guy reached out his hands to steady her. He settled himself down on the stool next to her right. “I’m Chan Sung. What’s your name beautiful?”

“C-Chan... Sung?” Hyuna asked through small hiccups. Unknowingly, she brought up both hands to touch either side of his face. “Do...do I k-know you?”

Loud music was blaring out of the club’s speakers, making it even harder for him to hear Hyuna’s fumbled words. He leaned in close to whisper something in her ear.

“Do you want to get out from here? I’ll take you some place fun.”

Hyuna, unaware of her senses, nodded eagerly in agreement. As he took her hand in his, she let herself be led away from the fully packed dance floor; not knowing and not caring either where the stranger was taking her.

On her way out of the door, Hyo Min caught a glimpse of her familiar blond locks flowing freely behind her. It didn’t take her long enough to realise what was happening. Even though she disliked the fact that Hyuna was now dating her ex-lover, Hyo Min recognises the man that was taking Hyuna away.

Hyo Min knows Hwang Chan Sung and she knows that he wasn’t a good man.

Not wasting a second more, she took her cell phone out from the back pocket of her jeans and dialled her number 3 speed dial.

The caller finally picked up at the sixth ring.

“Joon? You might want to come here now.”

“They left about 15 minutes ago, slipped into the crowd and disappeared through the front door when I was just about to intercept.”Joon recalled back Hyo Min’s words as he zoomed past the red traffic light; not caring about the loud honks he was getting.

His grip on the wheel tightened and he clenched his jaws hard, knowing for the fact that his girlfriend was now in the hands of his possible enemy. Chan Sung...if his suspicions were right, he had only led Hyuna away to get to Joon himself. He was using Hyuna as bait to lure Joon right into their trap.

Sure enough, as if on cue, Lee Joon’s iPhone’s screen flashed up instantaneously. An unfamiliar number was displayed on his home screen, telling Joon that this was the call he had been anticipating for.

Pressing the earpiece into his left ear, Lee Joon tapped the green icon to answer the call.

“What do you want?” he barked into the phone angrily.

“Ah, Lee Joon-sshi,” his caller said cheerfully. “I’m glad you seem to know who I am, eh?”

“Where is she?” Lee Joon asked grimly, keeping his eyes glued on the road. “Where have you taken her?”

“Don’t be so impatient Lee Joon-sshi. Hyuna...she’s doing amazingly fine here...I don’t think she’s realise where she is or with who she is with now,” the taunting voice continued to get on Joon’s nerves.

“ you,” Lee Joon cursed, making an abrupt left turn at the next traffic light. He wasn’t sure where he was supposed to be heading to but he knew he would totally lose his sanity if he stopped driving. He had to keep going...to just anywhere.

“She’s a fine piece Joon. You’ve got good taste.”

“You lay a finger on her...I swear I’ll hunt you down and rip the life out of you personally,” Lee Joon retorted in his most threatening voice; his thoughts already clouded up with anxiety. He could only imagine what they were doing to her. He couldn’t...he couldn’t let her suffer in his place.

“Relax Lee Joon-sshi. I haven’t done anything to her...yet.”

“What do you want? What the do you want from me?” Lee Joon demanded, his vision getting blurry now. Images of Thunder’s smiling face, Hyuna’s adorable pout...were popping up involuntarily. One by one of his friend’s face appears right before him. And lastly...was Ji Yoon’s stern yet warm-hearted smile.

He wouldn’t let those bastards get to his loved ones anymore. Enough is enough.

“Simple. The USB Joon,” the other’s party friendliness was all gone now. Hatred was all that Joon could hear from him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lee Joon cried out desperately, still driving around aimlessly in the nearly deserted roadway. “I don’t have the USB that you’re looking for!”

“Her life...depends on it Joon. You have 24 hours to save her,” the voice paused for a moment. “Oops, make that 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. 58...57...”

The last thing that Lee Joon heard was a low cackle coming from the other end before the call ended in a dial tone.

 “I’ll see you tomorrow Ji Yoon-yah,” Eun Jung waved a little before heading off towards the elevators area.

“Neh. See you.”

Ji Yoon was about to follow suit when she suddenly felt her phone vibrating from her jeans front pocket. Taking it out hastily, she saw So Hyun’s name displayed on the screen.

“So Hyun-ah, what is it?”

Ji Yoon switched off her desk lamp and pushed back her chair into its place. Trudging slowly towards the elevator area where Eun Jung was waiting patiently, she listened intently to what So Hyunhad to say.

“Unnie...are you busy right now?”

“Anye,” Ji Yoon said tiredly, massaging her temple with her fingers. “Is everything okay So Hyunnie?”

“Mollayo...” Ji Yoon could tell that the maknae was biting on her bottom lip, contemplating on whether she should really tell Ji Yoon the truth. Well, it was too late. Once Ji Yoon’s interest was spiked...

“So Hyunnie...” Ji Yoon sighed. “You can do better than that.”

“Anye...” So Hyun begin slowly. “It’s just that, I’ve been trying to reach Hyuna unnie but she hasn’t picked up any of my calls yet. And I’m getting worried about her.”

“Are you sure?” Ji Yoon frowned and the elevator arrived at the same time. Eun Jung went ahead inside and pressed on the open button to let Ji Yoon in. The latter mouthed a silence thanks as the doors closed before them.

“Neh, it’s unlike her unnie. Hyuna unnie is glued to her phone 24/7. How could she have missed any of my calls, right?” So Hyun argued.

“So Hyun-ah, don’t worry okay?” Ji Yoon tried to calm the younger girl down as she waited patiently for the lift to reach the ground level. “I’ll call Lee Joon oppa and see if she’s with him right now. Arrasso?”

“What’s wrong?” Eun Jung couldn’t help but ask when she noticed Ji Yoon’s worried expression after ending the call. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know...” Ji Yoon muttered as she started to punch in some numbers. “But I’m going to find out.”

“Ji Yoon! I ensure you, everything’s fine,” Lee Joon insisted while juggling his phone to his other ear. His steps were brisk as he walked into a spacious room situated at the back of a large warehouse. Turning on the lights as he passed by the door, Lee Joon’s cautious eyes wandered around the space, careful for any unwanted presence. Satisfied with the calm surrounding, he starts to walk towards one of the long tables lined up against the pale walls.

“I’ve got everything under control okay. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Oppa, Hyuna is my friend too. I deserve every right to know if anything’s wrong with her right now,” Ji Yoon’s demanding voice was starting to irritate Lee Joon’s anxious self.

“Listen Yoon,” Lee Joon exhaled deeply. “I don’t want you to get involved in this. Trust me, please. I need you to trust me on this.”

“Just like how I trusted you with Chul Yong?” Ji Yoon shot back, making Lee Joon cringed with guilt. “I don’t care. Even if you’re not telling me, I know where you are.”

“M-mwoh?!”

“You should really check your car once in awhile,” Lee Joon could practically see the smirk on his sister’s face right now. “I’ve got GPS on you.”

“What?! Yah, Ji Yoon!” but before he could protest further, Ji Yoon had already disconnected their call and was obviously on her way to the warehouse. “Jinjja, this girl. What the hell?”

Without wasting a second more, Lee Joon quickly dialled his second speed dial.

“Hyung, what’s up?” Mir’s lazy voice came on the other end. “It’s 10pm, time for my bedtime.”

“Mir-yah! Since when do 20 year olds like you have a bedtime?” Lee Joon scoffed. “Get changed quick and come here right now. I have something urgent to tell you guys.”

“Aish...” Lee Joon heard the maknae letting out a long sigh as he started to get up from the bed. “What about Seung Ho hyung and G.O hyung?”

“I’ll call them,” Lee Joon said. “Just get here quick okay? Pali!”