Boss
I throw the glass against the wall and I watch it shatter. At this rate, I’m going to end up without glasses. Chi Won doesn’t even flinch having gotten used to my temper by now. Everything just keeps going wrong and I hate it when things don’t go my way. I absolutely hate it.
‘That *ing *.’ I say as I slam my hand against the desk. ‘He couldn’t even get rid of a single twenty-two year old girl.’ I say angrily. ‘All he had to do was get into that dorm and drop her dead but no, he wanted to play investigator and find out the traitor. I would have dealt with that myself.’ I say.
‘Do you think he will speak and rat you out?’ Chi Won asks and I frown. I look at him for any hints of him being the traitor but there is none. If anything, there is apprehension at the possible thought that we could be caught.
'I don’t know. He may if he is given the right deal which is why we need to make sure we shut him up for good before he can speak.’ I say, balling my hands into fists.
‘You want to kill him?’ Chi-Won asks and I nod. ‘Okay but how? He’s in a precinct, surrounded by cops.’ He says and this time I’m the one who smiles.
‘In this business, it’s important to have three things – money, connections and a will to do anything to survive. Luckily, I have all three. I know one of the cops there, someone who is on my payroll. How do you think I knew about him being arrested when there was nothing on the news?’ I ask.
‘Ah I see. What about Minji?’ He asks and I scoff. I never thought that two girls like Minji and Yoona could cost me so much money and trouble. I couldn’t really care less about the two of them – they can’t hurt me but it is a matter of pride.
‘That girl has cost me more than I like to admit. She’s the key to finding out who betrayed me and ratted me out in the first place. I want to make her suffer but in due time. She’s smart, really smart and the mistake that Sun Jung-Hwan did was that he underestimated her. I won't do the same mistake.’ I say and I see Chi-Won nodding.
‘Yeah. She went with him but they found her way too quickly. I was thinking that maybe she had some kind of tracker on her. Isn’t it weird she would have something like that? I mean your average girl doesn’t usually carry that stuff around.’ Chi-Won says.
‘That actually does make sense. Something about that girl is very strange. She’s smart and not just book smart – she seems to know how our world works and she’s a good fighter too. We have to be careful with her but we know what her weaknesses are.’ I say.
‘Yeah. She cares too much about the people around her, especially her brother and her boyfriend. I mean she was willing to go with Jung-Hwan to save Jimin.’ Chi-Won says. I see his perplexed look at the very thought.
‘I’ll never understand that. How can someone put so much on love? It’s such an abstract and fruitless thing. Love just makes you weak, it makes you vulnerable.’ I say with a shrug.
Chi Won leaves to go and do an errand for me which includes collecting money from someone who owes me. I’m really glad to have recruited that boy – he really is something else. He’s hungry and ambitious and loyal to me which makes him dangerous to my enemies.
I look at the man in front of me and smile. ‘So you know what needs to be done right?’ I ask.
‘Of course Mr. Lee. Don’t worry about it. There won’t be any mistakes.’ He replies.
‘Good because I cannot afford any mistakes right now. I want him gone by tomorrow morning.’ I say.
‘Have I ever disappointed you?’ He asks, smirking and I shake my head. ‘Then I won’t start now. I told you – I got it covered so don’t worry about it. Poor Sun Jung-Hwan could not handle the pressure.’ He says laughing as he stands up and puts on his cap.
‘No, he couldn’t… Detective Tong.’ I say as I also stand up. We shake hands and I watch as he leaves. ‘Well that’s sorted.’ I say as I sit down, pour myself a whiskey and turn my chair to look at the painting on the wall. ‘Now I just need to find out who the traitor is and I swear I’ll make him suffer.’ I say as I begin to sip on the glass.
Hoseok
I wake up and I turn to look at Yoona who is still sleeping peacefully. It’s good to see her like this after the trauma she has been through. She definitely is stronger than anyone could have imagined. She’s been through watching her brother get beat up, being threatened and blackmailed, being almost raped and killed in that accident only to wake up with her memories distorted and her legs not working. It wasn’t enough, there was an attempted murder on her and she watched me and Minji almost get killed and then Minji and Jimin were at risk soon after.
I know she still blames herself for that, even though Minji has been telling her not to. She feels responsible for her brother losing his way and for us being in danger. Yet, she has kept going and trying to press forward. Seeing her yesterday made my heart beat faster. It was a reminder of one of the many reasons why I love her so much – her determination and passionate personality.
She starts to stir and she looks at me. ‘Good morning handsome.’ She says.
‘Good morning beautiful.’ I reply as I kiss her. It’s a quick morning peck but it’s enough to start my day in a good mood. Before dating Yoona, mornings were just mornings. Although on most days I wake up very energetic and happy, having her with me has made it even more so. I go to sleep looking forward to spend the next day with her. ‘How did you sleep tonight? Better?’ I ask, referring to the fact that the night before she didn’t sleep… then again, it was apparent that nobody had really slept much, especially Jimin and Minji who ended up on the roof. God knows what time they actually did fall asleep.
‘Yeah much better. No nightmares.’ She says giving me a thumbs up and I nod happily. Ever since she woke up from the coma, her nights have been plagued by nightmares. They got worse after the murder attempt and it’s not the first time she’d wake up sweating and shaking.
‘That’s good baby girl.’ I say as I pull her closer to me as I wrap my arms around her. ‘You’re coming to practice with us again, right?’ I ask as I look at her and she nods.
‘Yeah. It feels weird but it also feels right. I can’t say it doesn’t hurt. I mean being there but not able to move. It’s frustrating but it still feels like I still have a part of me that I am clinging on to.’ She replies.
‘Dancing has always been a huge part of your life and our relationship and right now things might look hopeless but I won’t give up on seeing you walk again.’ I say and she smiles but there’s also a hint of sadness in her eyes.
‘Hobi…’ She begins as she bites on her lower lip. I don’t say anything, giving her time and space to speak. Her mind is always spiraling with thoughts and sometimes it’s difficult for her to put it in words. Sometimes I worry she keeps it in but most of the times she does talk to me and I’m grateful for that, even if sometimes I don’t know what to say. I remember how difficult it was for Yoongi to talk about made him depressed and I was worried about that for Yoona. Sometimes, I still do because I can’t be certain of what goes on in her mind. I know she spends a lot of time thinking and sometimes, when you over think, you can’t help yourself but think negative thoughts. ‘Do you ever think I am, maybe, hindering you? That I am keeping you back?’ She asks and I look at her confused.
‘What do you mean jagi?’ I ask her as I keep looking at her. She closes her eyes and sighs before she looks up at me.
‘I couldn’t help but keep think about what my ex said. He was right, you know? About me losing my worth. All I ever was was a dancer and now I can’t even walk. Sometimes I feel that not only did I get you in a big mess but like I cannot be a proper girlfriend to you. I don’t know why you choose to stay with me. I cannot dance with you in the rain or go figure skating with you like last time. I can’t surprise you with my presence because instead I end up needing help and I can’t…’ She says, starting to get emotional but I stop her by crashing my lips against hers. She kisses back until I pull away.
‘First of all, Yoona – I don’t want you to ever think about what that * said to you. His opinion doesn’t matter because he’s wrong about everything. You weren’t worthy because of your talent in dancing. You’re worthy because you are fierce and determined and creative and kind and forgiving. That’s what makes you worthy.’ I say as I plant a small kiss on her lips. ‘Secondly, you didn’t get me into any mess. I don’t know how many times I need to repeat it but don’t worry, I’ll keep repeating it until you start to believe it.’ I say planting another small kiss on her lips. ‘Lastly, what’s a proper girlfriend? When I asked you to be my girlfriend, it was because I had fallen in love with you. I wanted to spend my forever with you and that doesn’t change because you’re in a wheelchair. I love you so much and for the record, we can still dance together in the rain.’ I say with a slight grin.
‘Hobi-ah.’ She says as she lets two tears slide down her cheek. I wipe them away with my thumbs and kiss her forehead.
‘Whatever you do, don’t ever doubt my love for you.’ I say and she nods.
‘I love you too. You know that, right?’ She asks and I nod. ‘Good. It’s been so hard Hobi-ah…so hard to deal with everything – to deal with the idea that he wants me dead, that the people I care about are in danger because of me, that I can’t walk and that you might leave me because of that.’ She says. I grab her hand and squeeze it.
‘I won’t ever leave and I know it’s difficult baby but we’re not going to give up. I don’t care what the doctors say. We’ll see what other doctors say as well. We won’t stop until we find someone who can help you.’ I say and she nods. ‘Now how about we take a bath and get ready for breakfast?’ I ask her and she nods.
I get out of bed and I go to the bathroom which is right across the hallway. I go to the bathtub and fill it with warm water before I go back to the bedroom and pick her up. I place her on the toilet as I help her remove her clothes. I pick her up once more and place her in the bathtub. This has become quite normal for us where I help her to wash up. The first time was rather awkward but then we go the hang of it. ‘I’ll go to the bedroom and give you some privacy. Call me when you’re ready.’ I say.
‘Hobi…wait…’ she begins before she bites her lower lips and looks down nervously. ‘Why don’t you stay with me?’ She asks. My eyes go wide for a moment as I stare at her.
‘Are… are you sure about this?’ I ask her and she nods. ‘Okay then.’ I say as I take off my shirt. I see her look at me with a certain look in her eyes. ‘What?’ I ask her.
‘Nothing. I just like what I see.’ She replies quietly, her voice barely audible. I let out a small chuckle as I take off the rest of my clothes.
‘Is that so?’ I ask her as I get into the bathtub behind her. We move around so she leans her back against my chest.
‘Yes. It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before.’ She says with a slight chuckle. My mind races to a few days before we broke up. It was just us two at the dance studio and one thing led to another and we ended up making love for the first time there. It was quite appropriate… two dancers who fell in love through dance, doing it for the first time in the very dance studio they grew to knew each other. The next day the others kept teasing us because they could feel there was something different.
I grab the wash cloth as I begin to rub it against her back. I feel her relax as I do so. I move it to her neck as I then kiss the spot I had run over. ‘I remember… I had kissed you just… like… this.’ I say, kissing her between the pauses. I move up to behind her ears and I feel her shudder. ‘Is my baby cold? Shall I warm her up?’ I ask and she nods. I start kissing back on her neck and she leans her head backwards, giving me more excess to her neck.
‘Hobi-ah.’ She whispers but it comes out more as a moan. I bite gently at her neck and I hear her gulp. My hands let go of the cloth as they snake around her body which is covered with water and soap bubbles. ‘Baby…’ She moans again as my hand reach at her breasts.
Minji
We all finish eating breakfast and I help Jimin and Taehyung to wash up everything. ‘I’m really looking forward to going to the picnic.’ Taehyung says excitedly as I hand him another bowl.
‘Are you sure it’s going to be okay for you to be at beach?’ Jimin asks as he dries off one of the glasses.
‘Yeah I’ll be fine. I don’t mind sitting on the sand, I just can’t get into the water. I still can’t believe I managed to do it last time.’ I say and they both look at each other.
‘Well that was different jagi. It was a flight or fight situation and you’re not exactly someone who runs away from a problem. Your brother’s life was at stake.’ Jimin responds as he goes to put the bowl in place, only to realize he doesn’t quite reach it.
‘Here. Let me.’ Taehyung offers as he smiles mischievously as if to tease him. Jimin rolls his eyes as he hands him the bowl. We hear the doorbell and the three of us exchange a look. ‘Were we expecting anyone?’ Taehyung asks, his voice a little alert. I don’t blame him… I feel a tad anxious myself after all that happened. Jungkook walks into the kitchen and looks at me.
‘Your Eomma and Appa are here.’ He says. I nod as I wipe my hands with the towel. I walk into the living room and see Eomma there waiting for me. I smile at her as I go to hug her.
‘Hello Eomma. I missed you.’ I say as she squeezes me tightly. She lets go of the hug and looks at me. Her fingers trace the scar which is forming above my eyebrow and she clicks her tongue – a habit she has to show she is annoyed. ‘Eomma I am fine. Also, thanks for sending the bracelets. They really came in handy.’ I say.
‘Well I know what I am doing.’ She replies with a sigh. I see Appa looking uncomfortable as well and I realize something is wrong.
‘Okay this isn’t a visit to tell me you arrived in Seoul, nor is it a visit for you to catch up. What’s wrong? What happened?’ I ask. Eomma and Appa share a look before Appa sighs.
‘Sun Jung-Hwan was found dead in his cell this morning – cut wrists and bled out.’ Appa says and I scoff.
‘It’s a staged suicide, right?’ I ask.
‘How can you be so sure Minji? Maybe he couldn’t handle the pressure and didn’t want to go to prison.’ Jin suggests but Appa shakes his head.
‘No, he wouldn’t do that. You didn’t see the look in his eyes when he was here or when he took me to that place. He was angry and he wanted to find out who betrayed him. He wouldn’t choose this.’ I say.
‘She’s right. During the interrogation he didn’t look scared or under pressure. On the contrary, it felt like he was trying to mock us. He knew he was the most direct link to Lee if we could get him to be a witness. He was bidding his time to see what offer we’d give.’ Appa explains.
‘You’d give an offer to that pig? After everything he did to Yoona and to Minji? What kind of logic is that?’ Hoseok asks in disbelief. I don’t blame him – it sounds wrong even to me but I can see the bigger picture. Sun Jung-Hwan is a killer for hire which means he receives and follows order.
‘I know it’s hard to understand Hoseok. Believe me, it infuriates me just as much as it does you but sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to in order to get to the bigger fish.’ Appa explains as he takes a pause before he looks Hoseok dead in the eyes. ‘He kidnapped my daughter and tried to kill her – don’t you think I wanted to put a bullet into his brain myself?’ He asks and Hoseok sighs and nods.
‘I know. You’re right Mr. Kyung, I’m sorry I doubted you.’ Hoseok says, giving my father a slight bow which he is quick to dismiss.
‘Don’t apologize Hoseok. You’re right to be upset and my husband can understand that, trust me. There is nothing he hates more than seeing someone who is a culprit walk away.’ Eomma says. ‘But we’ll get to the bottom of this. Just like Sun Jung-Hwan was caught, so will Lee. I will be working with the Medical Examiner to ensure there isn’t any foul play.’ She adds.
‘I thought you’re a doctor with the Severance Hospital….’ Jungkook mutters and I clear my throat. I see Jimin exchange a look with me, considering that he’s the only one who knows about the other job my Eomma and Appa do.
‘You’re right Jungkook but I do sometimes help out.’ Eomma replies casually and Jin nods. ‘Minji, sweetie I know you’re tough and skilled but keep your eyes open and be careful who you trust. Lee is crafty and he’ll want to keep his eyes close on you.’ Eomma says.
‘I know Eomma but don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.’ I say as I give her another hug. She nods.
‘By the way, are you going to show me your room before I go?’ She asks. My eyes go wide and my cheeks go red and she just laughs. ‘Don’t act so shy. I know you’re most likely sharing a room with your boyfriend and I’m not someone who is going to get a scandal because of that.’ She says.
‘Eomma!! Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.’ I whine which causes Jungkook to chuckle. I glare at him and he tries to stop his chuckling. Eomma just shrugs but looks at me, waiting for me to take her to our room. ‘Fine… fine… come see our room… I don’t even get why you want to see our room.’ I mumble loud enough for the others to hear as I begin to walk towards our room. We enter the bedroom and she takes one quick look around and then looks at me. ‘So, what is it? What do you need to talk to me about?’ I ask.
‘Aish you’ve always been too clever.’ She says with a smile. ‘I want you to give me a copy of Yoona’s medical report.’ She says and I look at her, willing her to explain further. ‘Her case is delicate but most doctors are telling her there isn’t anything they can do and that’s true but I do know a doctor who I think can help.’ She says.
‘Really?’ I ask getting excited. I feel the smile on my face getting bigger and bigger by the second. ‘I get it now. You want to me get it so you could get him to review it but you don’t want to give her any false hopes.’ I say.
‘Exactly. It won’t be easy Minji but at least she’ll have an option. I hate to see a young girl like her not do what she loves.’ She says.
‘Eomma you really are the best. Leave it to me. I’ll get them somehow. Maybe I can talk to her mother or to Hoseok-Oppa.’ I say.
‘I know you’ll figure it out. There’s also something else I wanted to tell you.’ She says suddenly growing serious. ‘It’s about what happened. I know you love Jimin and I know you don’t want to go through another Minho situation… nobody would and you certainly don’t deserve to but don’t get reckless with your life to safeguard his.’ She says, trying to sound stern but also understanding.
‘Eomma… you and Appa always trained me to use my brain and to know how to defend myself but seeing him in danger, it made everything stop. Everything became still and all I could focus was on was saving him.’ I say and she sighs.
‘I know sweetie. I just don’t want to see my baby getting hurt again.’ She says, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘But I also know I can’t ask the impossible out of you, can I? I know you like I know my own heart because although we are different, we are also the same. I would have done the exact same thing if it was your father.’ She says with a sad smile.
‘Something tells me you once did.’ I say and she chuckles. ‘Don’t worry Eomma. I promise I’ll be very careful and I won’t ever take unnecessary risks. I love you.’ I say.
‘I love you too sweetie.’ She says before we go back to the living room. ‘I’ll expect your call Minji.’ She says and I nod.
‘Definitely.’ I reply.
Jimin
We arrive at the beach and Minji and Yun are quick to settle down on the sand and set the blankets down. Hoseok helps Yoona off the wheelchair as she lays down on a towel, next to the girls. ‘You’re really going to sunbathe?’ I ask Minji who nods.
‘A hundred percent sure. This is like the perfect weather for it. The sun isn’t too hot but the air isn’t too cold. It’s perfect.’ She replies and I nod.
‘Okay then. Suit yourself baby. The boys and I are going to play volleyball.’ I say as I give her a quick peck on the lips. I watch her sit down next to Yun and Yoona as the girls start to put sunblock on each other’s backs.
The boys and I settle where there is the net. We decide to play four against three and it’s Hoseok, Jungkook, Namjoon and myself against Jin, Yoongi and Taehyung. It’s literally a whole chaotic scene with a lot of shouting and yelling and a lot of laughter.
We keep playing when Jungkook accidentally misjudges and ends up throwing the ball in the other direction. ‘Look out.’ He calls out just as the ball hits Minji’s head. I jog next to her, a smile on my face.
‘You okay babe?’ I ask and she nods as she grabs the ball and looks at me. ‘Don’t look at me at me like that. I’m not the one who threw it. That prize goes to your brother.’ I say.
‘I think it’s time to even out the odds.’ She says as she stands up and walks up to us. ‘Hey Oppa, want to have another player join you?’ She asks Jin, sounding confident. Of course she sounds confident... she's more athletic than Namjoon, myself and Hoseok combined.
‘Ah the game is about to change boys.’ Yoongi says with a wink, which makes everyone laugh… yet, the members of my team are all slightly nervous with the addition of Minji on the opposing team. If Jungkook is our ace, she definitely is theirs.
‘You’re on sis.’ Jungkook says. I see Minji and Jungkook looking at each other and I swear, if eyes could shoot laser beams, they’d both be dead.
‘Prepare to get your ass beaten… bro.’ She says. We begin to play and within the first few minutes, Minji managed to turn the whole tide around. They started out way behind us but not only did they manage to reach us but also surpass us. Minji is a great player and she’s very athletic which makes her on par with Jungkook but… she is smarter. She’s strategic in everything she does, including volleyball it seems.
They throw another pass as they do another goal thanks to Minji. They start yelling loudly – Jin and Yoongi hug and Taehyung picks Minji up and twirls her. ‘Yah! Put my girlfriend down.’ I say from the other side. He puts her down and sticks out his tongue at me. Minji walks up to me, a smile on her face.
‘Don’t tell me you’re jealous Park Jimin?’ She whispers, almost sounding like a tease. I shrug and she lets out a giggle. I’m not actually jealous and she knows it. It’s Taehyung we’re talking about – my best friend and someone I love like a brother but I do enjoy seeing that look on her face. ‘Don’t be. You know I only have eyes for you.’ She says with another wink.
We play for a few more minutes before we get tired and decide to sit down next to Yun and Yoona. Yun, Yoongi and Jin start to pass along the food and I look over at Yoona and see a purple bruise on her neck which is partially hidden with her hair. I smile to myself as I realize it’s nothing more than a hickey. We start eating and talking before Yoongi decides he wants to take a nap and Jin follows right behind him. Yun takes out her book and starts to read while Hoseok and Yoona sit together. The rest of the boys decide to test the waters and go for a swim instead while Minji and I decide to go for a walk.
We walk together in silence, hands intertwined together before we stop and look at the sea. I hear her sigh and I realize there’s a certain longing to her. ‘You know, I used to love the ocean. I used to pretend I was a mermaid. I miss being in it and I miss swimming.’ She says.
‘Maybe one day, you’ll be able to overcome that fear and be able to go back in it.’ I say and she nods.
‘Are you ready for tonight?’ She asks and I nod. ‘I can’t believe the three of you are going to go on Vlive to tell everyone but I think ARMY would appreciate hearing it from you first rather than BigHit releasing a statement.’ She says.
‘That’s what we thought as well. We’re not going to reveal any names for now although we’re quite convinced that they won’t take too long to figure out who Hoseok-hyung and I are dating because of previous articles. It would be slightly harder to guess who Yoongi-hyung is dating.’ I say.
‘It’s going to be okay baby. We know how to handle ourselves.’ She says with a smile, trying to reassure me.
‘I know you do.’ I say as I pull her into my arms and kiss her.
As soon as we got home, Yoongi, Hoseok and I gathered in one room and started the Vlive. A lot of ARMY started to gather up and I can’t help but smile and feel happy. Our fans are truly the best fans in the whole wide world. They always defend us and support us and I really hope they’ll support this as well.
‘I’m seeing a lot of comments asking about my health after the incident. I am doing really well and in fact I have already gotten back to practice. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your well wishes and gifts and prayers.’ Hoseok says as he gives fingers hearts to them.
‘Some are also asking about noona’s health. We do not wish to delve much about it and keep it private since it’s not our place to share but she is at home and doing much better.’ I say.
‘Yeah and she’s also been really grateful for the well wishes sent by ARMY.’ Yoongi says and I nod. ‘It’s been hard for all of us but your support has meant a lot to us.’ He adds.
My eyes scan the comments and I smile as I see some asking about Minji’s health since she was also involved. ‘Minji is also doing great. She’s a pretty strong girl.’ I say proudly. My mind goes back to that moment when we had arrived at the hospital. Yoona was shaking and Minji had blood all over her face.
‘Some are asking about our comeback. We’re really sorry we had to push it forward but we can promise you that it will be happening in June so just two more months to go ARMY.’ Yoongi says excitedly.
We keep responding to questions – some relate to the new album and what they should expect in the MVs. Some are asking if there are any special projects we’re working on. At one point, they ask me to start singing for them which I do while Hoseok and Yoongi improvise on the music and do add libs. After about thirty minutes, my hyungs and I exchange a look before we decide it’s time.
‘ARMY there is also something else we wanted to talk to you about. There’s a reason why the three of us decided to do this live together.’ Yoongi begins.
‘We wanted to share this part of our life with you by telling you ourselves before the company releases a statement or it pops out on the media unexpectedly.’ Hoseok continues.
‘Each one of us is currently dating someone.’ I say. The moment I say that, I see the comments starting to explode even more. ‘We all got into relationships relatively around the same time. This month will mark our fifth month together.’ I say with a smile.
‘For us, it will be six months and for Yoongi hyung it will be three months, right?’ Hoseok asks and Yoongi nods.
‘Some of you are asking for their names. We would prefer to keep their names a secret for now and keep it a bit mysterious.’ I say laughing. ‘Don’t worry ARMY. We just want the news to sink in and then eventually you’ll get to know more about our relationships.’ I add.
‘What we can tell you is that we’re all really happy. We all feel lucky to have these girls in our lives. They make us really happy.’ Hoseok says.
‘We hope you can continue to support us even in this. The girls are really important to us and they would love to know you’re supporting our relationship.’ Yoongi adds.
We stay for a little while more as we read comments, many of which are positive. Some comments actually make us laugh – comments such crying emojis but all in all a lot of people seem supportive. I can see Yoongi and Hosoek both visibly relax and I think I share the same sentiment.
‘We got to go ARMY. We really enjoyed talking to you and we really are grateful for your love and support.’ Yoongi says.
‘I LOVE YOU ARMY!!’ I shout into the camera which makes my hyungs both laugh out loud.
‘Thank you ARMY for your never ending support and remember that although we are in relationships, you’ll always have a special place in our hearts.’ Hoseok says before we wave goodbye and switch off the live. ‘Well that went better than we expected.’ Hoseok says.
‘I’m glad. We really do have the best fans in the world.’ I say with a smile and I see Yoongi nodding in agreement.