Doo Joon had just rolled over to his left side and wrapped one arm around Eun Jung’s sleeping body when the phone suddenly rang.  It woke both of them up with a startle and caused Eun Jung to sit up straight immediately.

“What is it?” she asked sleepily, looking around for the cause of the sound. “Where’s your phone?”

Doo Joon grunted in response as he reached over to their bedside table. He glanced at the caller ID through hazy eyes and saw Dong Woon’s name flashing back at him. That boy...doesn’t he know it’s a crime to wake people up in the wee hours of morning? He could get Eun Jung to arrest him for that.

“What is it?” Doo Joon answered the call irritably.

“Hyung!” the maknae’s anxious voice squeaked at the other end. “I...I can’t reach Yo Seob hyung. I think something’s happened to him.”

“Dong Woon-ah...” Doo Joon sighed lazily. “Why are you searching for him now? Of course he’s being smart by not letting his peaceful sleep being disturbed by you.”

“No! I’ve been trying to call him since evening. He hasn’t even replied my texts,” the younger boy was starting to get even more worried now and somehow his panicked voice had started to affect Doo Joon’s sleepy mood. The leader sat straight up in his bed and cast a sideway glance at Eun Jung who was watching him closely.

“You know Seobbie hyung don’t you?” Dong Woon continued urgently. “He never rejects calls or ignore any of our texts before. He always gets back to us, even though it’s not an important matter.”

“Okay fine Dong Woon,” Doo Joon replied exasperatedly and slid off the bed distractedly. “Call the others and let’s meet at the workshop. We’ll figure out something later.”

“What’s wrong?” Eun Jung asked the moment he ended the call. She too, got off the bed and headed towards the closet.

“Where are you going?” Doo Joon asked curiously as he slipped on his favourite white Polo T. Fastening his watch on his wrist, he grabbed his car keys which was laid on the dresser table.

“I’m coming with you,” Eun Jung replied calmly as she put on her favourite pair of sneakers. At the last second, she grabbed her gun from one of the drawers and squeezed it into the space between her back and jeans.

“Is there really a need for that?” Doo Joon asked her warily.

“With you guys, I don’t really know.”

Ji Yoon woke up from her sleep to the sudden beeping of a phone. She squinted her eyes in the dimly lilted room, trying to re-adjust her vision from the darkness before.

Beside her, Mir stirred in his sleep too, with one arm wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly. He blinked in confusion, trying to find the source of the sound.

“I think it’s yours,” Ji Yoon said tiredly, switching on the lights from their bedside table. She reached over and plucked up Mir’s iPhone before throwing it to him lightly.

 “Hello?” he answered the call in a hoarse voice.

“Mir-yah, I know I’m not supposed to call you...” his caller paused for awhile, as though trying to re-think if he had made the right decision.

“Woon, I know it must be something important. You wouldn’t have called me if it was not right?” he said gently, his heart softening for the particular Beast’s member. It was true, their respective groups were not on the best terms now but he and Dong Woon had been friends since high school. They were practically close friends; though they chose to keep their friendship unknown to their other members.

“I-I’m worried Mir...”

“What’s wrong?” the latter asked, his voice full of concern now. He knew Dong Woon. The bubbly guy wouldn’t have contacted him instead of his Beast members for just little things. Something awful must have happened.

“You know, about your friend...” Dong Woon said hesitantly. “The one who was killed...”

Mir felt a pang of guilt at the mention of his dead friend. Up until today, even though he tries to act as if he had already moved on, he still thinks he’s somewhat responsible for Thunder’s death.

“What is this about Woon?” Mir asked softly, earning a curious glance from Ji Yoon who was fully focused on him now. His girlfriend was no fool. She could tell something was up. Something huge.

“I-I think one of my friends is in danger right now. Yo Seob hyung, I think they have him now.”

“Give it up now, and we’ll let you live.”

“Go to hell!” Yo Seob spat at his ignorant attacker. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

Like a mouse, their leader approached the terrified guy slowly and quietly until their faces were only inches apart from each other. With his face looming so close for comfort, Yo Seob cringed away uneasily. But there wasn’t much space to move, with his hands and legs both tied tightly around the wooden chair.

And then...it came as a surprise. Yo Seob felt the knife slicing into his lower part of the abdomen, causing excruciating pain to surge up his body. He couldn’t even utter a single scream.

Just as painfully, the leader took out the knife slowly, hurting the poor boy even more than before. Yo Seob would have buckled to the ground helplessly if he wasn’t tied to anything. If these guys wanted to kill him, he wished they would just get it over and done with; rather than torturing him endlessly like this.

“They say that you boys have it. Now tell me, who’s holding it. Or, your other friends will suffer the same fate as you. Perhaps, even worst,” the intimidating guy said menacingly, holding up the knife high up in the air for Yo Seob to see.

His eyes were getting hazier now, his expression livid as he try to make sense of what his kidnapper was saying. He had absolutely no idea what they wanted from him. He didn’t know what kind of USB they were looking for.

“Well maybe your friends can fend for themselves. Maybe...your sister know something to eh?” the other guy continued to taunt him.

An image of his kind sister’s face flashed in Yo Seob’s panicked mind. No...Not noona. They can’t get their hands on her.

“Jebal...” he begged through heavy breaths, desperate for both his life and his sister’s now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Damn it Yo Seob, where are you?” Doo Joon cussed under his breath while pressing the phone close to his ear. After trying for the 10^th time in a row, he snapped his phone shut angrily.

“Hyung, do you think something’s happened to him too?” Gi Kwang asked curiously, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You know, like what happened to that MBLAQ guy.”

“Maybe...they want revenge for their dead friend? Since they are so adamant about us killing him,” Jun Hyung wondered out loud.

“I swear, if they dare to lay hands on Yo Seob I will...”

“Don’t bother,” an unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind him. All six pair of eyes, including Eun Jung turned to the source of the voice. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her partner had come along to the workshop too. She was walking briskly behind her lanky boyfriend, her eyes hardening on each of the Beast member.

Eun Jung would never admit it but she was actually glad Ji Yoon was there too. She didn’t think she’d be able to handle the situation alone. She would need the back-up. But she didn’t really appreciate her partner’s cold domineering ways. If only she could back off a little...

“You!” Doo Joon pointed at the new boy who had just spoken. “What are you doing here? And Ji Yoon-sshi, I told you. I know nothing about your case okay? So please stop looking for us,” he sighed tiredly.

“Uh, hyung!” Dong Woo jumped in to intervene before his leader loses his cool. “I-I called Mir over. I think Yo Seob’s hyung disappearance might have some sort of connection to his friend’s death.”

“Since when are you guys phone-buddies?” Doo Joon raised an eyebrow curiously at the tall maknae.

“We’ve known each other way before,” it was Mir who answered his question. “And, I come in peace today. On behalf of Dong Woon’s request.”

“Are the others...coming too?” Hyun Seung asked cautiously from beside Gi Kwang, who was staring at Mir intently.

“No. My hyungs don’t know anything about this.”

“So...do you have any idea on who might be behind this?” Doo Joon questioned his supposed rival who looks the friendliest to him now. He had to admit; it was better having Mir than that babo Joon.

“From what I’ve gathered from my hyungs...” Mir paused for a second before clearing his throat. “There seemed to be another powerful group keeping a close watch on us. My gang I meant,” he added on quickly.

“So what does this have to do with us?” Hyun Seung asked strangely. “I mean, if they are after you guys why take Yo Seob? We don’t know anything.”

“Hold up,” Doo Joon stepped forward. “We don’t know yet if Yo Seob’s really missing. He could be sleeping soundly somewhere else tonight while we’re here worrying about him.”

“Noona,” Gi Kwang finally turned his attention away from Mir and faced Eun Jung. “Have you called Boram noona? Maybe she knows about her dongsaeng’s whereabouts.”

“Anye,” Eun Jung shook her head. “She hasn’t heard from him for a few days now. He didn’t even stop by for little visits.”

“Who was the last person with Yo Seob?” Ji Yoon spoke up for the first time since she reached the workshop.

“Me,” Dong Woon answered quietly. “I accompanied hyung for a drink. It wasn’t much. Hyung couldn’t hold his liquor well anyway.”

“Where did both of you go after that?” Ji Yoon’s interrogating mood has started to kick in.

“We separate ways outside of the shop. I went home and hyung went back to his. Then I remembered I wanted to tell hyung something. That’s when I started to call him. But he hasn’t answered since.”

“Was he in a stable condition when you left him?” Eun Jung piped up, not letting the chance for Ji Yoon to take over the questioning part. “I mean, was he drunk or something?”

“No!” Dong Woon shook his head quickly. “He only had one glass. He was still sober when we part ways. I should’ve gone with him...” he muttered miserably.

“Dong Woon-yah, it wasn’t your fault,” Doo Joon said in the gentlest tone he has ever used. Even Eun Jung was taken aback to her boyfriend’s softer side. He’s always been this cool and stern leader but she guessed, he needed to be compassionate to his dongsaengs; especially at times like this.

“Ji Yoonie,” Gi Kwang cooed, ignoring the curious glances his friends were giving him. “You don’t think we’re still guilty, do you?”

Ji Yoon hesitated for a moment. Part of her wanted to rebuke back, despising how calm and relaxed Gi Kwang was being despite everything that was happening.

But she also knew that she has nothing to pin against them. As she questioned their maknae, she could see the genuine fear in both of his eyes. He was seriously scared. And Mir, he has never mentioned about his friendship with Dong Woon. But now that she’s aware, there was no way Dong Woon could be involved in Thunder’s killing, right?

Ji Yoon threw a casual glance to her boyfriend who was standing next to her. And what she saw, took her by surprise.

There was a whole new look on his face right now. His usual bright cheerful eyes were now filled with...rage.

Ji Yoon knows that he wasn’t exactly handling the whole situation well. But he was coping. He was back to smiling, even managing a few laughs in between their conversations.

But right now, as he stood there in front of the Beast’s members, he looked extremely furious – like he was almost ready to kill someone.

Uneasily, Ji Yoon followed his gaze and her eyes landed on Gi Kwang’s smug face. Ji Yoon felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

No...It can’t possibly be...

I love this story, seriously I do. But idk if I should continue with it...