After some maddening time in transit to my new lodgings, they unbind me. I’m again pushed into a room while the door locks behind me, except this time it was entirely different. For one thing, this room is clean. The counters on the kitchen that I could partly see shine, and the fact that there’s a kitchen means that this place is a whole lot bigger. The other main difference is that Key is here, which is surprising. He’s just sitting on the couch watching some music show on a flat-screen TV. He looks up at me with a blank expression then looks back to the television. Other than the fact that he seemed to reapply his eyeliner, he looks exactly the same as before. I swear his hair is always perfect.

“Hello, Chaerin, CL or whatever. What a surprise to see you here being captive with me.” His words were saturated with sarcasm. I sat down on the far opposite side of the couch, entranced by the boy band on the television.

“It’s Chaerin. Who are you watching? That blonde guy is cool.” There was this one boy with bleached blonde hair who seems to be the rapper. Though he danced and sang with miles of energy, there was something about him that made him seem sad, like he had just lost something.

“It said they were called Big Bang. I think that guy is called G-Dragon or something. They’re good, but that tall guy cannot dance. But he can rap so he’s redeemed.” Key was nodding along to the beat of the song, and for a second I just stared at him. I was trying to make sense of him. He didn’t seem affected by the kidnapping at all. After a few seconds of confusion, I looked back at the TV to see the end of the song. The G-Dragon guy put on a noticeably fake smile and quickly got off stage, with the other members already appearing to comfort him.

Right afterwards, four more guys get on the stage. They’re called SHINee. They sing some song about loving a girl and dance very cleanly. They also seem to have some sadness in their eyes and a bit of confusion in their dancing. Is it some sad holiday or something? Were they all watching some sad movie backstage? After the song ends, the leader says some thing about being back as five. I guess a member is sick or something.

“They’re significantly missing some rapping. That’s all they need, a little more rapping.” Key seemed sort of excited about some idea that he had in his head. He looked at me and smirked. “Maybe I could rap for them.”

“You’re crazy. First of all, who knows when we’ll get out of here. And second of all, don’t you need to be able to sing and dance to be an idol? Don’t you have to go through training and everything?” As I say this, some forgotten memory tries to push through to me. I must’ve forgot something important. Whatever.

“Well, I do have a stage name! Let me try rapping, ahem:
Hey! I'm that cool cat (Meow! )
Check me out (while I lace it down)
I make them drop down in slow motion like the matrix
All my ladies looking good, pretty faces
Ttaettaero Show off gwissongmaneun Turn on
Sesangui jungsim hana S-generation
Excuse me, naega jogeum apseogalge
Expect X, Y ga ttara hal su eopge"

Key jumps up on the couch raps with a powerful confidence, like he knows that he can exert power over you, which he can. When he’s in his element like that, he has enough of this power and confidence to easily make any girl swoon. Maybe that’s why I’m blushing and my heart is beating fast… Chaerin, we don’t have time for this! You’re frigging kidnapped and you need to get out! You don’t have the time for stupid schoolgirl crushes!

“Hey, Chaerin? Chaerin… noona? It’s noona right?” Key sat back down again only a few inches away from me. “Can you rap?” Oh shiz…

“Well I don’t remember rapping…” I say embarrassedly. What if I can’t rap? I don’t want to make a fool out of myself in front of the guy I may or may not like…

“Come on! Just do it. I think you got the attitude for it. Didn’t your sheet say you’re ‘fierce’ and a diva?” Key just goads me on. There’s an evil glint in his eye too. Dear God I hope I can do this…

I stand up on the couch just like he did and something just comes over me.

"We, we, we da, we da leaders
You ain't in the game, you just cheerleaders
Nae nain nineteen, vision in hd
Meorin kkwak chaitji, tagonan maepsi

Imi cool hameul neomeoseo nan chagawoyeoreo beon
Mudae-e bureul jipin banghwabeom
Cuz I'm hot, eonjena shingirog
And this number 1 spot is my home sweet home"

Suddenly there are flashes before me of bright lights, tall high-heels, girls with odd hairstyles and brightly colored hair, pictures of cards, and a boy who smiles at me as I smile at him. I get a little faint from my visions and sit down on the couch. I turn to Key to see him staring at me with his jaw dropped.

“That… was… AMAZING! YOU HAVE TO DO THIS SOME MORE! THAT WAS SO BADASS!” Key looks excited out of his mind. He looks so happy. When he really smiles instead of just smirking, he looks sort of cute. I feel my cheeks heat up and turn away.

“Naw, I… I can’t just rap all the time. That would be weird. I have no audience.” I turn back to Key and smile and he chuckles.

“Well there’s me! And you can rap to the refrigerator or something. Oh! I know! We can just talk to each other in raps! I’ll be like ‘yo, can you pass the salt and don’t halt’. Or maybe not.” I laugh at Key’s ridiculous proposition and he starts laughing too. We’re both dying of laughter when there’s a knock on the door. “I’ll go get it.”

Key gets up and opens the door and I see a familiar gaunt face on the other side. “AMBER!” I run up to her and she looks a little surprised but then she smiles. “Come in!” I take her by the wrist and lead her inside. I close the door slightly then look to Key who is utterly confused.

“This is Amber. We met yesterday, she was also taken captive but they didn’t take her memory. Amber, this is Key. He was taken captive too.” Amber looks at Key for a second before she nearly tackles him with a hug. Key and I both look at each other confused for a second before she lets go of him.

“Do I know you?” Key asks. She just looks at him in utter disbelief.

“Yeah of course you do! We were best friends… oh they swiped your memory.” Amber looks disappointed at his lack of memory but then recovers with a look of worry. “You guys need to escape! You don’t want to be kept here forever like me! I don’t know how to get out of here, but you two still have energy. You need to figure this out.”

Key and I both look to each other. He looked shocked and confused. I looked back to Amber who looks like she might die worrying about us.

“But I don’t want the mafia to kill me. Mr. Kang had a gun! I kinda wanna live whatever life I had before. I have a stage name, it must have been good.” I express my feelings to Amber, to which she just rolls her eyes and sighs.

“Just think about it. Anyway, I’m here to show you about your apartment.” Amber indicates for us to follow her and so we do. She leads us into the kitchen and stands their looking bored. “This is the kitchen for your premises. There’s enough food here to last for a while so help yourselves.” Key and I both stand there staring at Amber. I can’t believe they let us near fire and knives. They must be so trusting! “Do I really need to show you this place? The bathroom’s through the bedroom which is the door by the front door. There’s soap and stuff there.” She walks out to the front door, and turns back to us, the worrying look back on her face. “Take care, and don’t forget about what I said.”

Amber walks out the door quickly, anxious to get back to something. Key and I just stand there looking blankly at the spot where Amber just was.

“Escaping, huh,” Key says with a look of disbelief.

“I have no idea how that’s possible,” I mutter to the door. I walk up and try to turn the doorknob, but no luck. “We’re locked in, the windows are barred, our cells are monitored, we’re only ever taken places with a squad of armed guards, how the hell are we supposed to get out of this place?!” I throw my hands up in exasperation and sigh.

“We’ll have to try. I have a feeling our lives outside are somewhat important. Amber obviously knew me, and she thinks we need to get our as*es out of here. We’ll find a way to get out.” Key turns to me with a look of seriousness on his face. He walks towards me and puts his hands on my shoulders. Omygawd he’s touching me, heart won’t you be quiet? “We’re in this together, and we will damn well get out. Now let’s see the bedroom.”

We walk over to the door and I start panicking. What if they make us sleep in the same bed? I would die. I think I have a crush on Key. I can’t sleep in the same bed as the boy I like. Please let us have separate beds, please.

Key opens the door to reveal two twin beds with a nightstand in between them. To my surprise, we both start sighing and thanking god for the fortune of different beds. We look at each other and start laughing at our ridiculousness. I think I can see a sparkle in his eye when our cells, which somehow got onto out nightstand, start ringing. His ringtone is very fitting. It goes something like “ring ding dong” like a phone. It’s kind of funny.

We check our phones to see a text from Mr. Kang.

From: Mr. Kang

Your groups are here to see you.

“Our groups?”