“Let him go.”

All five pairs of eyes turned to face their leader in bewilderment.

“W-what?” the youngest one among them asked in confusion. “Hyung, you can’t be serious about this. We haven’t even got any sort of information from him.”

“Let him go,” their leader repeated his words in a firmer tone. “Just leave him anywhere you want. But far away from here.”

“But...wouldn’t it be dangerous later?” their skilled shooter wondered worriedly. “He would tell his friends and we’d have to worry about dealing with a bunch of them all at the same time.”

“I’ve seen many different kind of boys,” the older guy sneered at the weakened victim who was leaning back against the chair half-dead. “He’s a wimp. He wouldn’t be able to utter a single word. He wouldn’t want to recall about the things he has been forced to go through here.”

“So you’re saying he won’t breathe a word about us to anyone?” another voice piped in.

Their leader crouched in front of the young boy threateningly, grabbing hold a clump of his hair and yanking his head back roughly. The badly beaten up boy winced in pain at the sudden action.

Tracing a finger along his vulnerable victim’s cheekbone, the corner of his mouth lifted up into a crooked grin.

“He wouldn’t dare.”

Doo Joon paced back and forth in the middle of the warehouse anxiously. It’s already 15 minutes past five in the morning and Yo Seob hasn’t returned any of their calls yet. To make matters worst, none of them knew where they could even look for him. Being desperate, Doo Joon was so close to asking Mir for help. He wanted to know if the boy could help ask his other members for this ‘powerful group’s whereabouts.

But truthfully, Doo Joon wasn’t really ready to amend things with the MBLAQ guys just yet. Just because he had accepted Mir’s presence into their meeting that night, it doesn’t mean he was going to be okay with the other members. Especially that Lee Joon. There was something off about him alright.

He didn’t want to be in their debt.

“Can I talk to you for awhile?”

Doo Joon whirled around in surprise and came face to face with a moody Jun Hyung. The guy doesn’t really have a warm and friendly face, but right at that instant, even Doo Joon was feeling slightly afraid of offending him.

“What is it Jun Hyung?”

Jun Hyung exhaled deeply before continuing with his question.

“Do you...do we have to do it again?”

Doo Joon blinked his eyes in confusion, trying to make sense of what Jun Hyung was actually asking. But he saw a flicker of fear flashed momentarily in the latter’s eyes before it disappeared just as quickly. And just like that, Doo Joon understands what he meant.

Sometimes, he wanted to tell them not to regard him as a leader anymore. He wanted to step down from the position he hadn’t chose for himself in the first place. He hated doing this. He hated being the one who leads them. He doesn’t want to bear the heavy responsibility on his shoulder. It was too burdensome.

“Jun Hyung –yah...I don’t know,” Doo Joon sighed regretfully. “I don’t want to. But perhaps, circumstances will force us to.”

“Does she know about this?”

Jun Hyung tilted his head towards the direction where Eun Jung was standing by, talking to Ji Yoon. Doo Joon shook his head slowly.

“No. She has no idea I know how to use the gun probably better than she does. She doesn’t know I’ve killed before Junnie...”

Before he could say anything else, Doo Joon’s phone vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. He took it out hastily and his eyes widened when he saw Yo Seob’s name flashing on the screen.

“Seobbie-yah! Where are you?” he shouted into the phone, alerting the rest of the Beast members including Mir. They started to gather around him and leaned in close to listen better.

“I...I don’t know h-hyung...” his hoarse voice whispered into the phone. Doo Joon gripped onto his phone tightly, his adrenaline rushing in. He could sense danger in his dongsaeng’s voice and it scared him that he was nowhere near the troubled boy.

“Look around Seobbie,” Doo Joon said urgently. “Do you recognise anything?”

“A-ahjumma...” Yo Seob’s voice was starting to sound distant now and Doo Joon was getting more desperate by the passing second. He couldn’t give up now. Not when they were so close.

“Ahjumma? The one who sells your favourite duboki?” Doo Joon pressed him for more details, aware of the sudden stillness in the air around him. Everyone was listening intently, each one of them just as worried about Yo Seob as he is. They all loved him dearly and the thought of losing him was...insane.

“I...I can’t stand it anymore h-hyung...Apayo...” Yo Seob said faintly and a second later, all that Doo Joon could hear was deep low breathings.

“,” he cursed silently while still pressing the phone onto his ear. “Jun Hyung, take the boys to the ahjumma place in your car. We can’t waste a second more. You do know where it is right?”

“I do,” Jun Hyung nodded solemnly. “But what about you?”

“I’ll go with Eun Jung. We’ll meet there okay? And guys...I think Yo Seob’s badly injured,” Doo Joon swallowed hard, trying to compose himself together. “Whoever reaches to him first, get him medical help fast. Arrasso?”

A few nods later, all four guys hurried out of the workshop and jumped into Jun Hyung’s car. Doo Joon turned to Eun Jung who was already by his side in a second. She gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand gently. She knows. She can see through him. She knows how afraid he was actually feeling.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said softly, gazing into his eyes warmly.

Doo Joon took a deep breath and nodded confidently.

“It will.”

“Uh, do you guys mind telling me where this place is?” Ji Yoon spoke up suddenly from behind. For a moment, Doo Joon had nearly forgotten about the other two presence in the workshop. He turned around and looked at Ji Yoon straight in the eye.

Surprisingly, he saw no doubt casted in them. No curiosity. No suspicions.

Just...help. She wanted to help him.

As a friend.

“Both of you can tail us from behind.”

“Are you crazy?” an angry voice barked at the other end of the receiver. Mir cringed in response, tempted to tear away the earpiece in his ears. “Why are you helping them?”

“Hyung...” Mir started exasperatedly while Ji Yoon eyed him curiously from the passenger seat. “You said it so yourself. You know it’s not the Beast guys.”

“If they know we are somewhat working together right now, they’ll be chopping off our heads by the end of the week,” Lee Joon cried out in frustration. Mir could already imagine the distressed guy pulling at his hair irritably.

“Yah Mir, is my sister there with you?” Lee Joon asked worriedly.

“What do you think?”

“Aish, jinjja! The both of you are going to be the death of me! Where are you heading to? I’m coming.”

“Uh, no hyung. You’re not,” Mir said quickly. “They wouldn’t like having you there.”

Without warning, Ji Yoon yanked the earpiece away from his ear and pressed it to her own.

“Listen to me oppa. You, are to stay at home. Arrasso?”

Lee Joon must have said words of protests as Ji Yoon just rolled her eyes.

“I don’t care. I’ll see you later.”

“He bought it?” Mir asked the second she ended the call. “He’s really staying home like an obedient boy?”

Ji Yoon scoffed in response.

“He knows when he’s supposed to listen to his dongsaeng.”

A few seconds of silence passed between them before Mir cleared his throat uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Ji Yoon continued to look out of the window, not realising how tensed the atmosphere had gotten between them.

“Ji Yoonie...”

Ji Yoon turned to face him immediately.

“Neh?”

“What...what’s going on between you and Gi Kwang?” Mir finally let the question out of his mouth. The one thing that has been stuck in his mind ever since the first time he had met up with his rival gang. He wasn’t stupid. He’s noticed the way that guy had look at his girlfriend. He was...attracted.

“What? What are you talking about Chul Yong-ah?” Ji Yoon chuckled but he saw her shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “There’s nothing going on.”

“Hmm. Jinjja? I don’t think he’s on the same page as you.”

“You shouldn’t read too much into things,” Ji Yoon brushed off the topic casually. “Anyway, is the place still far away?”

Mir didn’t want the conversation to end. He was still unsatisfied. But Ji Yoon was right. They had more important things to think about right now.

Only then did he realise something.

“Um, Ji Yoonie?”

“What is it?”

“Where’s Doo Joon’s car? Did we...miss it somehow?”

Before she had the chance to answer, Mir noticed something else that made his heart race. Something inside of him went off. His senses were starting to get more alert than before.

“Change of plans Ji Yoonie...” he told her as he quickly changed gears and checking the rear-view mirror for confirmation.

Sure enough that disturbing black car was still tailing them from behind.

“Hang on tight,” he said grimly. “We’re going for an exciting ride.”

Hmmm, since you guys want me to continue ^^