Ten

Kris’s warning began to sink in, and during the last weeks of summer vacation, I willed myself to hang around Yixing less. He also started working part time with Sehun at Bubble Time, so he was also busier than before. 

If Yixing noticed me pulling away from him, he didn’t bring it up. Instead, he was the ever attentive boyfriend whenever we did see each other. The new semester was quickly drawing upon us, and Yixing realized the day before school was supposed to start that he had somehow forgotten to buy his books. 

“What have you been doing?” I asked, a little bit incredulous. He was just getting off his last shift at Bubble Time, and I was enjoying my half-off drink, courtesy of Baekyhun.   

“I forgot about school,” he replied, grinning sheepishly. So typical Yixing. 

“Wow hyung, I wish I could go home too,” Sehun called out sourly from behind the cash register. 

Yixing just laughed at him. “Your shift started like less than an hour ago,” he called back, rolling his eyes. “Besides, maybe boss will let you off more if you finally get a girlfriend.”

Sehun’s indigent splutters about how he could easily get a girlfriend any time he wanted followed us out of the door. 

“Such a brat,” Yixing muttered, grinning. He took my hand in his and started leading me toward the bookstore. “Let’s go grab my books today before I forget again, hum?”

We stepped into the bookstore just as the setting sun disappeared over the horizon. Yixing waved in greeting to Mr. Park before heading towards the textbook section.

We had been in the shop for less than five minutes before all hell broke loose. Suddenly, one of the glass windows facing the street shattered in. 

Mr. Park suddenly looked up in alarm from behind the counter.

“What’s going on?” another customer near the children’s section asked, picking up his daughter into his arms and stepping toward the door. 

A moment later, several gunshots ran through the air and another window shattered; then, the bookstore went dark and the water sprinklers went off.

“Back exit, everyone get down and move!” Mr. Park yelled, waving the man with the child toward the glowing exit sign.

“Jung!” Yixing was pulling at my hand, but I was frozen, taken back to that soccer game. It was all happening, again.

Just as the third and last window panel shattered, someone running past me knocked into my shoulder. I lost my balance on the wet ground and slipped, going down to my knees. Yixing’s hand was pulled away from me and my wet hair covered my eyes. 

“You!” Mr. Park had appeared by my side, wrapping an arm around my wrist. “Come on.“ I let him pull me to my feet and started toward the back door. “You can’t go that way, Jung,” Mr. Park said, pulling me back hurriedly. “They’re going to be waiting for you outside, you can’t - ”

I immediately yanked my arm out of his grip, almost losing my balance again. Something bad was happening here, and I didn’t know who I could trust anymore. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here, out of the water and darkness and chaos.  

“Lee Jungah - Lee - no, Kim Hyojung!” 

At that, I froze. 

“Mr. Park? What did you call me?”

“Kim Hyojung, I worked with your father. I need you to trust me, okay? Kris is on his way but you can’t go out there until we know it’s secure.They know you’re here; they’re after you.”

Mr. Park was one of us? He had known the whole time? 

“Come on.” Without another word, I let Mr. Park rush me into the back room where he kept excess inventory. He yanked out a particular book, pulling out a remote control on which he entered a particular password. Two of the shelves moved aside, revealing a door on the floor. “Get in,” he said, yanking it open and revealing a small 10ft by 10ft room. “Don’t open this from