*WARNING: MATURE/ADULT/ VIOLENT CONTENT*
Minji
It’s Saturday, the day of the dance competition Yoona is taking part in. Everyone is so excited about it, especially Hoseok. Seeing her dance always makes him so happy. I just wish they could get back together soon.
Baekhyun has gotten much better but since there were some problems, they had kept him at the hospital. He should be getting out some time next week. At least his face has gotten back to normal now which seemed to have relaxed Yoona a bit but not quite.
During this past week, Yoona was given time off from her ‘BTS’ work so she could focus on the competition without exhausting herself. One of the boys would be with her to make sure she doesn’t push herself too hard. To make sure she stays healthy, we even forced her to stay over at our place since her mother would stay at Baekhyun’s side.
A part of me thinks something bigger is going on. I have this gut feeling that she is hiding something from us. Jimin, Jungkook and Hoseok all think so too since I told them the moment I started suspecting things. I guess, making she’s not alone wasn’t just about making sure she stays healthy. It was like a silent, collective agreement. This way, we ensure she’s never alone and safe.
*Flashback*
Jimin, Jungkook, Hoseok and I are all at our place. Yoongi and Yun decided to go out a bit, Yoona is rehearsing and Taehyung is with her while Namjoon and Jin are visiting Baekhyun.
‘Am I the only one who thinks noona isn’t saying the whole truth?’ Jungkook asks suddenly. I set down my glass and look at them. Hoseok and Jimin stay quiet but that’s answer enough.
‘I was thinking the same thing honestly.’ I say with a sigh. ‘There are some things which do not make sense. She said he called her but when I asked about his phone, he said he didn’t know where it wad and he lost it.’ I say.
‘So he lied about that?’ Jimin asks and I nod. ‘Why would they lie? They must know we can help them.’ Jimin says.
‘Baekhyun said something to me when I visited him alone which made me think. He said that Yoona thinks that she is protecting me by breaking up with me, that the people who did this to him, could hurt me too.’ Hoseok says and I nod.
‘They might not be talking because they could have been threatened. Think about it – her first instinct was to run to you but then as soon as she calmed down, she broke up with you. She tried to push you away from her, even if meant hurting you emotionally.’ I say.
‘Threatened though? I mean I get it, it makes sense but why? Why would anyone threaten them?’ Jungkook asks and I can’t help but scoff. ‘Minji?’ He asks.
‘Think about it Kooks. He owed money to a loan shark, his sister paid the debt and slapped the guy. He wouldn’t let it go so easily. What doesn’t make sense is why now? Why not before? People like that usually don’t think far ahead unless…’ I stop for a moment.
‘Unless what babe? What are you thinking?’ Jimin asks reaching for my hand. I chew on the inside of my cheek, a habit I have when I am thinking. I let go of Jimin’s hand and stand up as I begin to pace around.
I close my eyes as I try to connect the dots – the missing pieces of the puzzles – loan sharks – money lending – Casino – beat up – professional beat up – professional criminals. ‘Unless, they’re not just loan sharks but part of a criminal organization of some sort.’ I say.
‘You think it’s that serious?’ Hoseok asks, almost jumping from his seat. I shrug and frown.
‘I can’t be certain Oppa. I don’t have any clues to go on and neither Unnie nor Baekhyun are letting on but the beating he got… it wasn’t a random beating.’ I say.
‘What makes you so sure?’ Jungkook asks, trying to understand as he shifts on his seat, pulling one leg under him.
‘When it’s a random beating – out of anger or with the intent to steal from the person, the beating is quick, reckless and violent. It’s usually a series of kicks and punches or a weapon could be used which often leads to some of the injuries that Baekhyun have suffered – broken nose, black eyes, fractured or broken ribs but the hand was different.’ I say.
‘How come? I mean it was broken. It could have easily been broken during the beating.’ Jimin comments and I nod.
‘That’s true but not the way it was broken. I’ve seen one of these cases in Appa’s file. There was a mob and they were holding this person for information. They broke each of his fingers one by one with a hammer. It shows they were meticulous. It might be the way they contacted Yoona in the first place if he refused to give information.’ I explain.
‘Damn. That means that they’re in deeper than I thought. So, you’re thinking that they might have threatened them to keep their mouth shut or they might hurt people close to them?’ Hoseok asks and I nod.
‘I think so. I mean if you think about it, it makes sense. They kept telling the police that they know nothing and they haven’t even told the police about their past encounters with that Boss person.’ I say. ‘Now the bigger question is what exactly is the threat about.’ I say.
‘What do you mean? I thought you just said it was about not speaking about what happened.’ Jungkook says, looking at me with a confused look and I nod.
‘Yes, that but is it only that? Yoona is still on edge. I… I may be wrong and I hope to God I am, but what if they still owe them money?’ I ask and Hoseok frowns.
‘She would never tell us. Firstly, she wouldn’t want to take our money and secondly she wouldn’t want to put us in danger.’ He argues.
‘So what are we going to do about it? We can’t sit around and do nothing.’ Jimin argues and I sigh. ‘Minji… what do you think?’ He asks. I sit down on the couch again as I bite my lower lip. I play with my fingers nervously as I look at them.
‘I think… the best thing is to go along with their plan, whatever it is. Pretend we know nothing but keep a close eye on her. For now, I can convince her to stay with me for the rest of the week and keep a close eye on her.’ I say.
‘Will that put you in danger?’ Jungkook asks and I shake my head.
‘Not really. I don’t think so anyways. I mean – we’re just friends sharing an apartment because she fainted.
*Present Time*
I look at the arena which is quite big. This isn’t your typical dance competition then again. A lot of famous Asian dancers, especially those who seek to work or are currently working for the K-Pop industry are here, ready to compete. There’s also a lot of media coverage to see who will be crowned as the Master of Dance.
Everyone is doing so well but I have faith in Yoona. Her choreographies are always so amazing and BTS have won several awards for her dance creations. I can’t help but remember when she danced with Taemin – everyone was going crazy about her and with good reason too. Finally, it’s her turn and I feel my heart racing as the host goes to introduce her.
‘Ladies and gentlemen – the next dancer is only twenty four years old but for the past six to seven years she has been breaking boundaries with her choreographies for BTS. Please welcome on stage – Sung Yoona.’ He says. As he says so, the arena erupts in cheers. Of course, there are many ARMY here to support her.
The music begins with a clock like sound and we see her in the middle moving like a ballerina whose strings are being pulled. There is the sound of violin and a strong female voice. Her first movements are delicate but as the tempo starts to increase, her movements become sharper and more intense. Suddenly, she’s on her tiptoes as she does a wonderful yet powerful spin. It’s almost like those spins that skaters do on ice.
‘Wow. That was beautiful.’ I whisper to Jimin who is next to me.
‘Yeah and it’s really difficult to do something like that.’ Jimin explains. I feel my excitement rising and I can’t help but reach for Jimin’s hands. He looks at me briefly before he gives me an encouraging nod.
The beat drops as does my jaw as I see her movements. It’s like seeing her go crazy to the beat yet still be in control. She uses every part of her body to express herself. It’s almost like she’s fighting this inner demon which I guess in a sense she is. She falls into a split and then brings her body closer as she climbs back up. She does another spin and then a forward roll. She bends and then straightens up before she raises her leg in a way which makes me feel pain all over my body.
The song reaches its climax and I see Yoona being completely immersed into it as she does the final moves. As the song comes to an end, she falls to her knees and looks up. The arena explodes with the sounds of cheers and screams and I look over at Hoseok who is staring at her with almost teary eyes.
‘Look at the way he’s looking at her. Don’t tell me that’s not the look of a man in love?’ I say to Jimin who looks at his hyung and smiles.
‘I know right. I really hope they can fix this quickly. It’s so weird not to see them together when it’s clear they really love each other.’ He replies and I nod.
‘I know baby but if it’s what we’re thinking, that she’s trying to protect him then you can’t really blame her. I would do it in a heartbeat too if it meant keeping you safe.’ I say as I look at Yoona. I feel Jimin look at me as his grip on my hand grows tighter as if he's scared I'll disappear if I let go.
‘I don’t care if I’m in danger, don’t ever let go. I’d rather be in danger with you than safe and without you.’ He says and I smile.
‘I love you baby.’ I say and he returns the smile. He comes closer to me and gives me a quick peck on the lips.
‘I love you too princess.’ He says.
It’s finally time to announce the winner. The host has been talking about the importance of this event, not that I am really listening. I just want to know who the winner is. ‘Ladies and gentlemen – the winner of the 2019 – Master of Dance is …. SUNG YOONA!!’ He yells.
I scream as do the boys and Yun as we watch Yoona go up on stage to receive the award. She looks so relieved and I can’t help but feel really happy and proud of her. We watch as she goes down the stage and we try to hurry through the crowd to go and congratulate her but no matter where we look, we seem to have lost her.
‘Could she have left already?’ Hoseok asks, suspicion in his voice.
‘I don’t have a good feeling about it.’ I say as I look at them, the uneasy feeling in my stomach growing tighter. What if she needed the money to go pay off the debts?
Yoona
I arrive at the Casino and park the car outside. I can’t help but feel scared and anxious about the whole thing. A part of me knows that I’m being stupid and reckless. I know that this isn’t just about the money. If it was, he would not have insisted that I’m the one who brings the money. I know I should have warned the others about what I am doing but if I do, they’ll want to come with me and I can’t put them at risk, especially after seeing what they are capable of doing.
I grab the bag which has the money and walk towards the door. The guard smirks as he recognizes me and lets me in. I keep walking in to Boss’ office. I knock and the door opens and Boss smiles that weird smile of his when he sees me.
‘Yoona, Yoona, Yoona… I wasn’t expecting you so soon.’ He says as he stands up. He gives a signal to the others as they leave the room, leaving me alone with him. I gulp as I begin to feel even more uncomfortable.
‘I brought you the money. It’s all here. All twenty-five million.’ I say as I give him the bag. He takes it and places it on the desk as he unzips it and nods.
‘I’m impressed. I didn’t think you’d be able to get the money, especially before the deadline.’ He says with a snicker. ‘But it’s not enough.’ He adds.
‘What do you mean? I brought you all the money.’ I argue. He walks to me and grabs my hand. I feel my blood run cold and my body starts to shake in fear.
‘As much as I love money, this wasn’t even about that. This was about getting even with you.’ He snarls as he suddenly grabs my face.
‘Let go of me.’ I say as my hand goes over his as I try to pull him away but I can’t. I feel like my body is paralyzed.
‘I don’t think so.’ He says with a snarl as he suddenly picks me up and slams me on his couch.
‘No… no… please.’ I cry out as he holds both my hands with one hand. With his other hand he tears open my shirt, popping the buttons. My eyes go wide as I realize what is happening. I force my body to move, to fight as I wiggle under his weight.
‘Stop moving *.’ He says as he slaps me across the face. I don’t stop as I manage to free one hand and push it against his face. It distracts him for a moment and I use my leg to push him off of me. I go to run but he grabs me by the hair, detangling it from my pony tail.
‘No.’ I scream as he holds his arm around my neck, cutting off my oxygen supply. I look at the table and see a glass. I grab it and manage to turn around and smash it against his face. He roars in anger as I try to run but once again he manages to grab me. He slams me against the desk as he pins me there.
‘You’ve made me very very very angry Yoona.’ He says as he puts all his weight against me. He has one hand around my neck as he squeezes tightly while he unzips his pants with his free hand. His lips smash against my lips trying to enter my mouth as he bites my lips roughly, demanding entrace.
God no! Please no! I beg in my mind. I look around, trying to find anything that can help me. On the desk I see a letter opener and I try to reach for it just as he pulls down his boxers, revealing his part. I manage to grab the letter opener and in one swift move, I scratch it across his face. He yells as he recoils backwards, blood pouring over his face and eye. I drop it on the ground as I run to the door. It’s not locked and I break into a run.
‘Get her!!’ I hear boss yell at the top of his lungs. I run through the Casino, earning a couple of looks at my disaster state. My shirt is torn, my hair all over the place and with the guards running after me. I’m grateful that I am actually someone with good stamina as I reach my car. I jump in and begin to drive, not caring to put on the seat belt. I don’t have time. I begin to speed down the road but I soon realize there are two cars chasing after me.
‘*!’ I scream as I press on the gas pedal. If they catch me, they’ll either take me back or kill me. I keep speeding, trying to lose them in the cars and traffic but they keep coming after me. My mind isn’t working properly as I take a corner.
Suddenly, I feel the car being hit from the side. It feels as if it is in slow motion. My car tumbles over and over again. Glass shatters and the metal of the car creaks. I scream as I continue turning over and over until it comes to a stop. Every part of my body hurts in response and it’s hard to breathe. My head feels like it’s been cracked open and my feet feel trapped.
For a moment, everything is silent as I start seeing faces. I see Eomma and Baekhyun. I see Minji and Yun with food. I see the boys at practice. I see Jin laughing loudly, I see Namjoon with his dimpled smile. I see Taehyung with his soft look and Jungkook with that cheeky grin. I see Yoongi with his quiet and sleepu smile. I see Bang in his office. I see Hoseok - smiling, laughing, joking around.
‘Ho-se-ok.’ I whisper before my eyes feel too heavy for me to hold. They begin to close as darkness engulfs me.
Hoseok
We’ve looked everywhere for her but we can’t seem to find her anywhere. Minji isn’t the only one with the bad feeling. The way she just disappeared just after she got the money is making me start to think that Minji was right about the story not being over.
Minji, Jungkook, Jimin and I decide to go to the hospital to see if she has come here to see her brother but she hasn’t. ‘I don’t know where she could have gone.’ I say.
‘What about the Casino?’ Minji asks and I look at her. ‘If Baekhyun owed money to the same people, it would make sense that she went to pay as soon as she got hold of the money.’ She explains.
Suddenly, we hear a lot of commotion as doctors and nurses rush in with an emergency patient. ‘We have an incoming female. She was in a car crash, she’s losing a lot of blood and possible head and back injuries. Age twenty-four, name Sung Yoona.’ I hear one of the nurses saying to the doctor. I freeze as I hear her say that as I stop walking.
‘Did she just say Sung Yoona?’ Jungkook asks as Minji gasps. I stay frozen for a moment as the doors fly open. I see a number of nurses pushing a stretcher with a woman on it. My body starts working on its own to look at the woman. I gasp loudly as I feel my breath catching in my own throat. Her face is all bloody but I still recognize her. She has a tube inserted in her mouth as someone is pumping air into her.
‘Yoona…’ I whisper as they push the stretcher away. ‘YOONA!!’ I scream as I go to follow them. A nurse stops me and shakes her head.
‘You can’t go inside sir.’ She says and I look at her. My heart is beating like crazy right now and I see her eyes soften. ‘Are you her family?’ She asks in a gentler voice and I nod.
‘I’m her boyfriend.’ I say without hesitation as I keep looking at her being carted away. ‘Is she going to be okay?’ I ask the nurse who gulps.
‘I cannot answer that. It’s too early to tell. I’ll come talk to you as I can but for now you have to wait here. Please contact her family.’ She says and I nod. I watch as the nurse takes off in a run and I just stand there and stare.
‘Hyung…’ Jimin says as I look at him. I feel the tears falling down. It feels so hard to breathe right now. My chest feels as if it is being squeezed and my hand goes to my chest. I grab onto my shirt as I feel my eyes burning as I tear up. My legs feel like jelly as I begin to lose balance but Jungkook and Jimin are quick to hold me and lead me to the chairs.
‘She’s hurt… she’s really hurt.’ I mutter as I look at them as I finally beak down in sobs. Jimin is quick to wrap his arms around me.
‘Stay strong hyung. The doctors and nurses will save her. You’ll see.’ Jimin says as he hugs me but I just cry even more. I look at the doors to the operating theatre where she was rushed in. Yoona… please, please don’t die.