I look at my cousin’s husband as the two of us are in the front, leading the team of police officers. All of us are wearing our vests, guns at the ready and all of us expecting the worse case scenario. We’re at Sun Jung-Hwan’s place as we quietly make our way to his door. After the information provided by Kyung’s informant, we managed to locate where he is living quite quickly but we have to move quietly and carefully. He’s a killer after all and we don’t know how dangerous he is.
The rest of my team can understand why Kyung is here – this is personal for him. His daughter was almost murdered by this psycho so everyone wants to get him before he can get to her. Kyung has often worked with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency or also known as the SMPA. He’s been officially working with SMPA for a long time – first as a prosecutor and then the District Attorney. He’s known for getting his hands dirty – in the sense that he isn’t just a suit and tie kind of guy. He loves getting into the action and for that reason the cops love and respect him.
Some of us also know about his other job – the one where he is an agent with the NIS. It’s pretty cool and I respect him even more so and puts my mind at greater ease when he is with us, chasing down some suspect, like we are today. He’s often helped behind the scenes, well, not just him, even his wife – my cousin.
When she called and told me about what happened with Minji, I was livid. I couldn’t believe someone tried to kill her , though I wasn't surprised she got involved to protect her friends. As soon as she told me, I offered my help and went to meet with her husband. I was fourteen years old when Minji was adopted and I had instantly taken a liking to her. She was the cutest two-year-old girl I had ever met and I used to spend afternoons playing with her. She was always so energetic and driven about everything she put her mind to – whether it was sports or school or even helping others.
If I were to describe Minji to a stranger I would say she’s beautiful but gritty. Unlike a lot of girls her age, looking pretty is not the most important thing for her. She’d rather be covered in sooth and dirt and do something good than be in a pretty dress and let someone suffer. She has a very bad temper, especially for a girl. If she’s angry or in a fight with you, you should be scared of her. Yet, she also has the sweetest personality ever. She’s caring and loving but doesn’t forgive as quickly – she wants to see effort and real regret. She’s also one of the smartest people I know and it’s not just school smart – she’s also street smart. She’s a problem solver and a quick thinker but sometimes I worry that she doesn’t think too far ahead if it involves someone’s safety. This is why we need to succeed in catching this *.
I give the signal to the others as we begin to move. Tan checks the door for any tripwire but there doesn’t seem to be any. To be safe, Tan opens the window and throws the metallic ball which rolls around. It has embedded cameras in it which show various angles and there is a microphone attached to it. Tan rolls it as I look at the screen on my tablet as I see the house. Suddenly, there is a high pitch sound and my eyes go wide.
‘GET BACK!’ I scream at the top of my lungs as everyone tries to dive away from the house.
BOOM!
There is a hug explosion which sends me crashing to the ground. I land with a thud and I groan as I try to sit up. My ears are ringing loudly and I try to shake off the feeling. I’m not really hurt but I’m a bit rattled. I manage to stand up as I start to make count of my team. I see Kyung standing up as well and I sigh in relief.
‘Is everyone okay?’ I ask. I see everyone standing up as well as we come into circle. ‘What happened Tan?’ I ask.
‘It wasn’t a trip wire. It was a sensor detector and quite sophisticated too. It’s probably digitally activated.’ Tan explains and I nod.
‘Dammit. There goes our main lead and now he knows we’re onto who he is.’ Kyung says angrily and I sigh because he is right. That will only irritate him more.
‘That means he might act sooner. We forced his hands – do you think he will try to run?’ I ask, turning to Kyung who sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
‘I’m not sure. He might run so he doesn’t get caught or he’ll try to finish off the job. Either way, he was prepared for us or thought about this at the very least.’ He says.
‘He’s someone who knows what he is doing, that’s for sure.’ I say and he nods once again. ‘We’re back to square one. We’ll have to start over but we’ll find him.’ I say, placing a hand on Kyung’s shoulder. Right now, I don’t see Mr. Kyung – the cool DA or the NIS Agent – I see Kyung – my cousin-in-law and a father.
I reach University and I park my car. I see Minji waiting for me with some of her friends. She sees me as she smiles brightly and I get out of my car. ‘Hello Oppa.’ She greets as she gives me a slight bow before she hugs me.
‘Hello Minji.’ I say as I ruffle her hair. She squats my hand away and gives me a glare. Aish this feels like years ago. ‘Are these your friends?’ I ask and she nods.
‘Yeah that’s Byung and these are Usagi and Rei. We’re in the same course. They know about what happened at the hospital since it was on the news.’ She explains and I nod. I realize she’s telling me that although they do know about the attempted murder, they don’t know the details. They don’t know about Mr. Lee or the hitman or that she might be in danger…or at least she hasn’t told them. I see Byung shift a bit as he crosses his arms across his chest while the girl called Rei looks away. The one called Usagi keeps staring at me. ‘Appa called, he told me what happened this morning.’ She says, suddenly growing serious – too serious for a twenty-two-year-old.
‘Yeah. We had a very solid lead but it went up in smoke, literally. At least nobody got hurt. That’s the most important thing.’ I say and she nods, agreeing.
‘So, why did you ask me too meet you Oppa?’ She asks and I nod as I turn back to my car. I open the backdoor as I pull out a box and hand it to her.
‘I got you a gift.’ I say. She looks curiously at me and then peers open at the box and smiles.
‘Are these what I think they are?’ She asks without disclosing any real information. I nod and she closes the box and hugs me. ‘You’re the best Oppa.’ She says with a slight giggle.
‘Yah! You only say that when I get you a present.’ I whine and she laughs even more.
‘Nah! You’ll always be my favourite cousin, although technically you’re Eomma’s cousin.’ She says with a shrug.
‘For the record, your Eomma sent it to you. I’m just delivering.’ I say and she nods.
‘Thanks anyways Oppa. I want to stay and chat with you but we have a lecture in five minutes.’ She says with a pout.
‘Got you. Go ahead and don’t lose them.’ I say, pointing to the box.
‘I won’t, I promise.’ She says with a wink. I watch her leave with her friends before I get back into the car. I grab my phone and decide to text my cousin.
Adam: Hey noona! I just gave Minji the tracker bracelets – ten like you told me. She knew what they were before I could even hint at it haha
Noona-Kyung: Thank you Adam! You really are the best cousin in the world! Love you xxx
Adam: You two are exactly the same! Love you too noona.
I smile as I put my phone away, put on my seatbelt and begin to drive towards the station. I arrive to find Kyung already there, ready to get to work.
Minji
‘Who was that? He’s so hot!’ Usagi says, earning a roll of the eyes from me and a scoff from Rei. Byung looks at her and shakes his head.
‘He’s my mother’s cousin.’ I say as we walk down the corridor towards the lecture room. I hold the box tightly to my chest. I can’t believe he actually got me trackers and not just for me. Eomma has always been so cool!
‘Is he working on the case? We kind of could hear you guys talking.’ Rei says, offering me a small smile. I look over at Byung who looks just as curious as well.
‘Yeah. He is a detective at the SMPA. They’re trying to figure out who tried to kill Unnie.’ I say and she nods. I keep the details to myself – they don’t need to know. It’s not because I don’t trust them but it’s safer if they know less about the actual investigation. The last thing I want is to get them mixed up in this. There are already enough people at risk as it is.
‘I really hope they catch the son of a * soon.’ Byung murmurs from under his breath and I smile.
Byung has taken a more protective role recently. He’s practically sticking to me like glue while I’m at university and the only time I manage to get five minutes away is when I go to the loo. He actually stays by the door waiting for me. His friends Mark and Seob keep teasing him about it but he just says that it’s because he’s used to being with me after the teaching practice but I know it’s because of what happened.
Suddenly, he has also become Jimin’s and Jungkook’s "best friend". They couldn’t be happier with him actually and they’ve even gotten around the cold barriers between them – I guess one good thing definitely came into being. It was a worry that they had – me not having one of the boys with me so this way they worry a little less… doesn’t mean they don’t worry. They keep texting me and checking on me and although sometimes it feels a bit too much, it’s also quite cute and endearing.
‘You must have been so scared. I know I would have. I definitely wouldn’t have fought back. I would have just had a heart attack, right there.’ Usagi exclaims as she places a hand on her heart, making me chuckle.
‘I can’t lie and say I wasn’t a bit scared.’ I admit. Rei looks at me and sighs. ‘What?’ What’s with that look?’ I ask her and she shrugs.
‘It’s just sometimes I worry you might still be in danger since he hasn’t been caught yet.’ She replies and I nod. I link my free arm with her.
‘My brother and boyfriend do too but don’t worry too much about it. Me and Yun are moving with Jungkook and the boys.’ I say.
‘Wait… did you just say boyfriend?’ Usagi says, stopping us from walking any further. I gulp as I bite my lower lip. ‘Since when? You never mentioned any boyfriends before.’ She exclaims getting excited. So typical of Usagi – we’re talking about danger and attempted murders and all she manages to absorb is the fact that I have a boyfriend. Then again, sometimes I think she overdoes it to escape from her own problems. I still remember when she texted me saying her parents are probably divorcing. She didn’t want to bother me but she felt like Rei and I were her true friends who could listen.
‘We’ve been together over four months.’ I say quietly. I see Byung looking at me before he looks away. Usagi suddenly gasps.
‘Is it one of the boys? Is that why you kept it a secret?’ Usagi getting even more excited as she starts to clap her hands. I roll my eyes and she lets out a squeak. ‘It is! Oh my God! Go girl!! So who is it? Is it Jimin? Taehyung? Hoseok?’ She shouts.
‘Shh don’t be so loud. She kept it a secret for a reason.’ Rei says as she slaps her across the arm. They look at me and I see that they’re both really curious. Even Byung seems a bit intrigued.
‘You’ve got to keep it a secret. I don’t need the whole of ARMY coming at me.’ I reply. Usagi nods excitedly as she pretends to zip her mouth and throw it away. ‘Yes, I am dating one of the boys. It’s Jimin.’ I say and I can feel myself smiling.
‘Ahh I’m so happy for you Minji. You’re not a nun after all!’ Usagi screams once again. I look at her dumbfounded at the comment. ‘I thought since you weren’t interested in Byung when he so obviously was could either be because you want to be a nun or you’re a lesbian.’ She says. Byung looks at her almost mortified at the mention of him having a crush on me.
‘Don’t be silly Usagi. Byung and I are just friends – girls and boys can be just friends. Besides, Byung and I never liked each other that way. We could barely stand each other in the beginning and he made it quite clear I was the exact opposite of what he liked in a girl.’ I say laughing.
‘Yeah… she’s right. As if I could ever have a crush on this monkey.’ Byung says teasingly. Yet, there’s a certain quiver in his voice and I sigh. If my suspicions are right… things might have changed for him lately. I shake the thoughts away as we reach the classroom and we settle in our seats. Usagi sits down next to Seob and I notice that Rei and Mark give each other a small smile but they sit on opposite ends.
‘Hey is everything okay between you and Mark?’ I whisper to her and she shrugs.
‘We realized we’re too different to date but we’re still friends. We do care about each other.’ She says and I nod. After a while the lecture starts but I feel my phone vibrating and I sneak a look.
Jiminie: Just checking in you. You’re okay, right? ❤️️❤️️
Minji: Yes baby ❤️️❤️️ I’m okay… I’m in a lecture now so I can’t really talk 😘
Jiminie: Okay babe 😘 I’ll text you later. I love you ❤️️
Minji: I love you too 😘❤️️
I put my phone away and try to concentrate on the lecture which is about the philosophy behind the curriculum planning. If I am being honest, it’s not exactly one of my favourite topics and my mind drifts to Jimin and what we talked about recently. Does he really think of our future already? What would it be like to wake up to him every morning? What would it be like to be his wife? What would it be like for us to be parents?
The day passes by quickly as Byung is driving me towards the dorm instead of our apartment. Earlier, Yoongi came to pick up Yun as well and took her to our new home. Yun and I have finally moved in and tomorrow Yoona and Hoseok will be coming as well. ‘So, you and Jimin huh?’ He asks suddenly.
‘What?’ I ask, surprised. He chuckles slightly and I turn slightly in my seat to look at him. ‘Yeah it kind of happened. I’m really happy with him Byung.’ I say, unable to hide my smile and I see him nod. His hand grip grows tighter on the steering wheel.
‘I kind of had a feeling you know. You were always mentioning him and Jungkook. I didn’t see it at first but then I realized. You smile really big when you mention him and your eyes twinkle.’ He adds. I look at him, study him but he’s refusing to meet my gaze.
‘Do you want to tell me something Byung?’ I ask softly and he sighs.
‘You’re wrong.’ He begins and I stare at him a little confused. Wrong? About what am I supposed to wrong? ‘About how I feel about you, I mean.’ He says, as if reading my mind before he frowns loudly. ‘In the beginning, I was intrigued by you – your honesty mostly. You know that.’ He says and I nod.
‘I know. You felt you could be yourself with me even if took some work and some trust.’ I say and he nods again.
‘Yeah that’s right. It was really hard for me to trust anyone outside of Mark and Seob. I was so used to girls trying to use me for my fame in school or money that I just closed off. I was never much a believer in love either.’ He says with another shrug. ‘I told myself that I just wanted an honest friend and in time, we did become friends, good friends, right?’ He asks.
‘Of course. I mean I did save you from two fights and tended to your wounds and you tended to mine and talked to your father for me and now you’re trying to protect me as well. I know why you’re insisting on sticking by my side all the time. You’re scared I’ll become a target.’ I say.
‘I am scared of that. I really don’t want to see you get hurt. Anyways, I ended up falling for you but I know it’s too late.’ He says and I gulp, staying silent, not wanting to interrupt him. ‘It’s my fault for not realizing it sooner but it doesn’t matter. I know it’s not the same kind of love you have for Jimin. Mine is probably nothing more than a crush of sorts, you know with you being the first female in my life I can actually trust so it will pass.’ He says. Somehow his answer doesn’t surprise me.
‘Why are you telling me this Byung?’ I ask, as I fidget with my hands and he shrugs once more.
‘One simple reason. I want you to know how special you are to me but don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance and I won’t get into your way. I know how much you love Jimin and I know he loves you too. I think he actually adores you and I would never do something to jeopardize that. Believe it or not, I think he’s the best guy for you and I am rooting for you two.’ He says.
‘Byung… I never meant to hurt you in any way. I just wanted to be your friend.’ I say and he nods.
‘I know that Monkey. I know you never saw me in that way and I don’t mind. Your friendship is more important to me – even that is more than I deserve after the way I treated you before.’ He says and I sigh.
‘That’s in the past Byung. I have long forgotten and forgiven that. You’ll still be my friend, right?’ I ask. He knows that I am referring to the fact that he just basically confessed to me. He nods and I nod in return as well.
Chi-Won
Boss and I are at Café Fortina, waiting for Rei to show up. I can’t believe how gullible she is. I mean, she’s older than me, she should know better than to trust a random stranger who offers her money for a job. Then again, money can blind anyone.
‘Do you think she found something useful?’ I ask, turning to Boss who is calmly sipping his coffee.
‘I think so. She sounded rather excited and happy on the phone but we’ll have to judge for ourselves. A little girl’s excitement does not really faze me.’ Boss replies with a smirk. ‘After this meeting, I need you to take some of the guys and go collect the money from Mr. Shin. Tell him I will not wait any longer.’ He says and I nod.
‘Got it boss. Have you heard anything from Scorpion?’ I ask, referring to the hitman he hired. I know that this morning the cops went to his place which means they have identified who he is but before they could even get anything, the place exploded. I still don’t know how none of them ended up dead considering the blast but I guess they must have used some kind of apparatus or something.
‘He is definitely *ed off and he won’t rest until he gets Minji. It’s his personal vendetta even more than it is mine now.’ He explains and I nod. I can understand that actually. It seems like this guy has never failed before – not even once and then comes along this girl who not only did he fail to kill but has exposed him. ‘I wonder how much they know since no one came to talk to me yet.’ He murmurs to himself.
‘Why is that do you think?’ I ask and he shrugs.
‘Two reasons I can think of. Either they don’t know about me or they don’t have any evidence against me. If they don’t, they can’t touch me and they know that and they want to keep me in the dark or so they think.’ He says as he laughs. I hear the door opening and I see Rei walking towards.
‘Time to put up the act.’ I say to Boss who nods. ‘NOONA!’ I call out, trying to sound excited and happy to see her. She returns the smile and sits down next to us. ‘Hi noona, how are you?’ I ask.
‘I’m tired but good. I think I have some good news for you.’ She says, turning to Boss who gives her a smile.
‘Good but before you do, what would you like to drink?’ He asks. His caring, uncle-like voice makes me want to burst out laughing loudly. Damn she’s such a fool.
‘Coffee does sound good right now.’ She says. Boss nods as he signals the waitress and passes the order. ‘So, I think you don’t have to worry too much about Minji. Her mother’s cousin is a cop and he’s working on catching the * who tried to hurt her.’ Rei explains and Boss nods. Nothing new there. The waitress comes with the coffee and Rei nods at her. ‘And to be safe she’s moved in with her brother and boyfriend.’ She explains. Well that is new and intriguing.
‘Brother and boyfriend you said?’ Boss asks, clearly finding this information riveting. Rei nods excitedly as she takes a sip of her coffee.
‘Her brother is Jungkook from BTS – I mean her biological brother but I guess you already knew that. It was all over Social Media too and she’s dating Jimin - he's one of the members as well. It makes sense since she is spending a lot of time with them. So, she’s perfectly safe, right?’ Rei asks and I can’t help but sigh inwardly at her foolishness. Oh yes... most definitely... sweet, sweet Rei you just gave Boss her biggest weakness - Jimin.
‘I’m glad to hear so.’ Boss says as we exchange a look. He looks at her as she drinks her coffee and it’s almost like I can feel Boss coming up with some kind of plan – if not for now, for the future.
Jimin
Minji and I are sitting on the couch, watching a movie as she rests her head on my chest. She has her hand on my chest as well while I play with her hair. As I do so, the bracelet she gave me earlier jingling. I smile as I remember how as soon as she arrived home, she distributed the bracelets and sent Hoseok’s and Yoona’s with Namjoon and Jin. It’s kind of cool that we have our own trackers and they’re all connected to each other but I pray that we never have to use them. Still, the fact that her mother sent these means they’re worried something might happen. I don’t blame them, especially after what happened this morning. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he might be out for blood, sooner rather than later.
After giving out the bracelets, Minji and I settled to eat something at home, neither one of us feeling like going out. I feel pretty tired and would rather stay here and cuddle with her. On the contrary, Yoongi and Yun decided to gone out for a date; dinner and then to the cinema. Who would have thought Yoongi is actually a big softie and such a romantic? Namjoon and Jin went to visit and stay with Hoseok and Yoona for their last night at the hospital. Taehyung and Jungkook left a few minutes ago to go to the store to buy some food for tomorrow for the welcome back party which we’re going to hold for Hoseok and Yoona while we decided to sit on the couch and watch something. Knowing them, they'll take forever and bring half the store with them.
Yet, Minji’s mind keeps going and then she told me about what happened earlier with Byung. She said she didn’t want any secrets, especially about things like this. I keep playing with her hair as Minji nods while she chews on her bottom lip.
‘So, he admitted that he has feelings for you?’ I ask Minji. She looks at me, half expecting me to be mad or get upset but I don’t. I’ve always had a hunch that Byung might have liked her. It’s almost a cliché – they started out with her hating him and him annoying her but now they share an amazing friendship which is based on trust and respect. They seek to protect each other and seeing the way he has been trying to protect her by staying with her makes me respect him more.
‘Baby are you mad?’ She asks as she snuggles closer to me and I shake my head as I kiss her forehead. I smile at her and she seems to somewhat relax a little.
‘I’m not. The fact he that he was upfront about it shows he’s honest with you. Instead of hiding it or maneuvering behind your back, he confronted you about it so everything is clear and I respect that about him. The fact you told me immediately about it shows how much you love me and that you’re secure about our relationship.’ I say and I see her smile.
‘Thank you for understanding Chim. I felt kind of sorry for him – out of all the girls he could have fallen for… I hope he moves on quickly and finds someone who is right for him. After everything he has gone through, he deserves to be happy.’ She says and I nod.
‘Me too. For the record, I out of all people can understanding why he fell for you. He’d be insane not to, but he better keep his place. You’re my whole world and I don’t plan on giving you up or sharing you.’ I say and I see her smile as she looks up at me. I lower my face as I collide my lips against hers.
The kiss grows deeper as I lower her down so she has her back resting on the couch while I am on top of her. I keep kissing her, our kiss growing deeper and more intense. I move my mouth to her jaw as I kiss her there and she smiles as her hands travel to my back. I move to her neck, knowing how much she loves those small kisses. ‘Ji-Jimin…’ She moans out as she digs her nails into my back.
I stop for a moment and look at her, a smirk plastered on my face. ‘Yes baby?’ I ask. I can’t stop staring at her beautiful face. I love every little part of it – her eyes, her cheeks, her small nose and her bunny like smile. For a moment, my eyes go on the stitches above her eyebrow which have not yet healed. She stares back at me and smiles.
‘I love you.’ She says. I smile as I crash my lips against hers once more. I keep kissing her before I break the kiss and look at her once more.
‘I love you too baby girl.’ I say. Suddenly, we hear a loud noise coming from the kitchen. We look at each other and before I can move, she pushes me off of her and she’s already on her feet, ready to go check it out. ‘Minji wait.’ I whisper as I grab her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. I pull her behind me and she looks at me. ‘I know it’s useless to tell you to stay here so at least let me go in first.’ I say.
‘Jimin, I’m a better fighter than you. I don’t want you to get hurt trying to protect me.’ She tells me. I know she’s right about being a better fighter than me but I’ll be damned if I don’t protect her.
‘Maybe we shouldn’t go towards the noise. We should try to get out.’ I whisper to her but it’s too late as we see an approaching figure. He’s wearing a mask but Minji looks at him with a certain defiance in her eyes. I see recognition in her eyes.
‘Sun Jung-Hwan.’ She says. He tilts his head and then pulls out a knife as he waves it about. I can’t help myself but steal a glance at Minji, trying to make sure she is still behind me.
‘Hello Kyung Minji. We meet again.’ He says. His voice is cold and calculating and it almost sounds like it is dripping with venom with every word he says. He lets out a small chuckle before he throws the knife at me.
‘Look out!’ Minji screams as she pushes me to the ground. The knife passes, missing our faces by a few inches as we fall to the ground. I crash against the couch and I see Jung-Hwan stride towards Minji as she goes to stand up. He uses the back of his hand to slap her and it echoes in the room. Her body turns as she falls to the ground, falling onto the glass table which crashes under her weight and force. I see her struggle and I feel a surge of anger powering through me.
‘YAH!!’ I yell as I stand up. He turns to look at me just as I run towards him. I try to tackle him as I slam him against the bookshelf. Some of the books fall with the impact and one of the shelves breaks. I ball my right hand into a fist as I punch him in his side. I feel his knee connect to my chest and I can’t help but recoil backwards as I wheeze. It feels hard to breathe. He punches me across the face, forcing me down to my knees. I feel blood coming out of my lips as he pulls me up as if I am a rag doll.
‘Leave him alone!’ Minji screams as she runs towards us but Jung-Hwan quickly comes from behind me. His arm wraps around my neck as he squeezes while he places a gun against my head with his other hand. I gasp, a chill running down my spine. Minji freezes in her steps, her eyes going completely wide.
‘Ahh Minji, Minji, Minji…’ Jung-Hwan says as he waves the gun close to my head. I close my eyes for a moment before I open them again and look at Minji. I’ll admit it – I am scared.
‘You don’t have to do this.’ She says, raising her hand slightly, tentatively trying to approach us. No Minji – don’t – stay back – please – but Jung-Hwan chuckles once more. Her eyes flicker from me to him. She’s scared but not of getting hurt. She’s scared of seeing me get hurt.
‘Maybe so but I do want to.’ Jung-Hwan says. She gulps as she looks at me. ‘Minji – you’re both strong and smart – maybe too smart, I’ll give you that but you also have a weakness.’ He begins. ‘Him.’ He says as he presses the cold nozzle of his gun against my temple. I feel a shudder run through my body.
‘You’re wrong. He’s not my weakness. He’s what makes me strong.’ She says. There’s a certain resignation in her voice that I don’t understand. This isn’t like her at all. It's almost like she knows something that I don't. I don’t see the usual fire but I do know she’s not willing to take any risks – not after what happened with Hoseok and Yoona. ‘What do you want? If you wanted to kill us, you would have already.’ She says.
‘Ding, ding, ding right again. I don’t need to kill him – I only need to get rid of you but I also need answers from you. So, here’s what we’re going to do.’ He begins. ‘You come with me and he lives, you don’t and I’ll blow his brains out.’ He says. I gulp and I see Minji looking down and I gasp. She’s already made her decision!
‘Minji NO! Don’t you even dare!’ I scream. She looks back at me and I see tears rolling down her eyes. I feel my heart beat faster as panic starts to overcome me. I’ve never felt such fear in my whole being as I do now. I know how stubborn she is and I know she’d do anything to protect me, even something as crazy as going with him. The very thought is driving me crazy.
‘It’s going to be okay Jimin.’ She says in a soft voice as she tries to nod at me, trying to convince me. I shake my head, trying to get out of his grip.
‘No! No! Minji… Minji you can’t listen to him. He’ll kill you. He’ll still kill me, whether you go with him or not.’ I yell back only to have Jung-Hwan’s grip grow tighter against my neck.
‘Now, now don’t hurt my feelings. I am a man of my word. If I said I won’t kill you, I won’t.’ Jung-Hwan says. ‘What’s it going to be Minji? I don’t have all day? Save him or kill him?’ He asks.
‘I’ll come with you – just don’t hurt him.’ She says, her voice sounding a bit shaken but still powerful. I shake my head again in desperation. No, no, no... this can't be happening!!
‘Baby… baby please, please don’t do this.’ I say as Jung-Hwan slightly loosens his grip as he passes the gun to his other hand. With his other hand he takes out zip ties.
‘Tie him up to the door so he can’t follow us.’ Jung-Hwan orders and she nods. Jung-Hwan pushes me towards the door as he extends my hands. I try to get out of his grip but he is quick to punch me in the kidney forcing me to let out a painful cry. She gasps, more tears running down her cheeks.
‘Stop it!’ Minji screams, her voice echoing in the room. Her scream is actually terrifying and I can hear the heartbreaking in it.
‘Then hurry the * up.’ Jung-Hwan replies, starting to get even angrier. She nods as she takes the zip ties and pulls my right hand. She attaches it to the handle as she begins to work with the zip tie.
‘Minji… please, please… I’m begging you…. Please don’t do this…baby please.’ I beg as I feel my own tears falling down. She’s refusing to look at me as I try to struggle against her grip while Jung-Hwan is still pointing the gun at my head. He looks at us with an amused smile, as if he is enjoying the show but I don’t care.
‘Stop it.’ She yells as she zips it. I hear her sniff as she works with my other hand. ‘It’s the only way to protect you. I won’t… I won’t let you die because of me.’ She says as she finally looks up at me.
‘And I don’t want you to die instead of me.’ I reply back but she shakes his head.
'It's not you he wants.' She replies.
‘Baby please…. please don’t go with him.’ I beg. She keeps looking at me as I see her gulp. By now I have both of my hands tied and I can’t move. She places her hand on my cheek before she lets out a rugged breath.
‘It’s going to be okay. I love you Jimin.’ She says as she places her lips against mine. ‘They’ll find me.’ She whispers as she gives me another kiss.
‘Please… please don’t do this…’ I beg her even though I know it’s useless. She closes her eyes as she pulls away, another tear starting to roll.
‘That’s enough love birds.’ Jung-Hwan says as he suddenly pulls her from her hair. She grunts but refuses to let him know he’s hurting her. ‘Like I said - love makes you weak. You and I are going to have a lot of fun Minji.’ He says as he begins to drag her out.
‘NO!! MINJI!! MINJI!!!’ I scream as I try to struggle against the door, trying to break it off or anything that will let me stop her from going with him. 'AHHH.' I scream louder as I try to kick at the door.
‘Oh for *’s sake.’ Jung-Hwan says as he stops. He still pulls her from her hair as he approaches me. ‘Do be quiet or the neighbours will complain.’ He says as he suddenly smacks the butt of his gun against my forehead. I feel immense, blinding pain in my head as it throbs. I feel myself losing control of my limbs as I lose my balance while my vision gets blurry.
‘JIMIN!!’ I hear Minji scream. I try to lift my head slightly up as I see him dragging her away.
‘Min-Minji!!’ I try to call out but my voice is weak.