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Whoever led me around by my shirt, threw me down on hard ground - setting my knee caps on fire. I tried to listen for some clues as to where we were but all I could hear were the confused and angry expletives from the two boys next to me. Or at least, it sounded like they were next to me. It was hard to tell with a cover over my head.
My joints ached. I should've known they'd have no mercy for their own. Everyone was suspicious of me after all. Most members still saw me as the abused little street rat I used to be. Some had joined the gang while I was gone and only saw me as a newbie, eager for the superiority that came with seniority.
Even though I came back of my own free will, they suspected I had become too comfortable without them and therefore questioned my loyalty. Hanging out with their target didn't help either.
However, maybe this delivery will change that.
The covering was whipped off forcefully, yanking my head one way. I shook the hair out of my eyes, focusing on my surroundings. We were in an old warehouse by the looks of it. Rusted shelving surrounded us, some knocked over. The roof on one side of the building had already caved in and left a pile of debris under it. Men were scattered around us, some seated, some standing. I counted about three dozen of them including the men who brought us here. And that didn't even include those I assumed were guarding outside.
Immediately, I looked to see who else was brought along. I sighed in relief not seeing Yurim or Yoongi. I was certain we were separated, but it didn't hurt to make extra sure. They weren't exactly unknown to this bunch.
Jimin was just unlucky I guess. In all fairness I tried to talk him into taking another way in the maze. I didn't care much for the guy, but there was no reason he should get involved in this. At worst they'll kill him after being a witness. If I made them aware that he was pretty wealthy, maybe they'd keep him alive to use him to their advantage.
In front of us stood Jei and his friends. An ugly smirk on his face. Woobin was no where to be found, which was to be expected. Bosses don't show up for most operations, else they risk exposure, leaving the work to their dogs.
"Aren't you curious as to why you're here?" Jei asked Jin with a superior look.
Jin, who I was surprised hadn't said a word since our unveiling finally spoke, "I'm guessing you were hired to kidnap me. My dad's head of security said one of his former employees had it out for him."
"And you still decided to break off your leash," Jei laughed. "You're either arrogant or idiotic. Which is it?"
Jin didn't answer.
Jei scoffed and continued, "you're right. We've kidnapped you for ransom. Not only did we get paid for going through all this trouble but whatever your old man gives to our client, we get a cut of that too. It still bugs me that we've reduced ourselves to being the hired help," and it showed in his voice, "but the closer we get to this money, I can't help feeling excited!"
The men in the building chuckled. Clearly they were intending to get a generous sum.
"Ah, but we'll need you to do your part too, of course. Once our guy gets a hold of your dad, we'll let him in on our little party here and you'll help motivate him to do what he's told."
"He's not that keen on listening to me, but sure, I'll give it a go," Jin retorted cheekily. I eyed him next to me, taken aback at his boldness. He was taking all this better than I thought he would.
Instead of confused or scared he just looked angry.
Jei cackled.
"A smart ass, I see. Don't worry. You won't have to tell him anything. We'll do most of the work, you just focus on not passing out," he flashed an evil smirk before a sound came from the radio at his hip. The thug stepped away to receive the call.
"Ya," I whispered over to Jin, "this one has a crazy temper. I wouldn't make him-"
"I don't need your advice!" Jin growled under his breath. "Don't pretend you didn't play a part in this. You think I wouldn't figure out that it wasn't a coincidence the others got separated? You could've at least made sure Jimin was safe too," he spat before returning his brooding eyes to the ground.
I stared incredulously at him, so he figured it out...
An acidic knot twisted in my stomach. Jin didn't understand how slimy I felt for having to do this. This isn't something I'd get over or forget, no matter how much time passes - assuming I live long. But I had very few options and even less time to make a choice. He didn't understand. "I'm sorry," I said.
Jin didn't say a thing. He just shook his head, his jaw tense and nostrils flared.
"Okay! Time for a short evaluation!" Jei hooked the radio back on his waistband and made his way toward us again. "Hoseokie, this was your chance to prove your loyalty to your brothers. Obviously you did your part and got little Jin here safely - BUT..."
Here we go. This guy really had a knack for acting like he's in charge. Not only that but he'll dig up any opportunity to kill any credibility I might have and throw me under a bus.
"What I'm wondering is if you made any attempt to sabotage our operation here today," he crouched in front of me.
"Why would I want to sabotage my chances of proving myself?"
"Well, you two seemed to be friends. Surely you were tempted to throw the whole thing at some point, right?" I had to keep myself from reacting to his obvious attempts to make me look bad.
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"Why would I be friends with the guy who's after the girl I like?" I posed, earning looks from both Jin and Jimin. The best lies were mixed with truth.
Jei took a while to think until his slow brain finally got it. "Oh! That's right! Your crippled girlfriend! All this time I thought you three had something consensual going on," he guffawed along with his goons. "Is that why you kept him close? To be honest, I'm kinda disappointed in you, Hoseokie. Anyone of us guys here would kill the guy who tries to steal what's ours. You've gone soft!"
"He suddenly had security watching him 24/7 what could I do?"
I checked on Jin at the corner of my eye, hoping he didn't have a mind to give me away. If they found out the head of the Kim's security was my uncle, this would be the end for me. Luckily he kept his gaze on the ground but I could see his brain was working something out.
"When I came back and found out you guys were after his family, I figured it was my chance to get back at him," I lied.
Jei paced leisurely to and fro. I could sense his irritation and desperation to find a fault n my resolve. "I see. Well as touching as your story is, I didn't actually mean to ask you how you did today."
I looked at him, confused.
"I mean, what's the point in questioning your motives if I'm gonna take your word for it, right?"
My heart dropped. Did he send someone to follow me tonight? I suspected they would've, so I was careful. Still, I couldn't be sure about what they were actually able to see. What if they saw me slip that map into Yoongi's jacket pocket? I kept a straight face and hoped they didn't notice anything odd about tonight.
"So? What do you think? Was it a clean job?"
I brought my eyes back to Jei to follow his gaze toward the side but they weren't looking at his men.
"Well enough," said Jimin. Jin and I whipped our heads to him who looked at us and shrugged again. I had the horrifying revelatory feeling one got when something startling leaps into view from a blind spot. I was speechless.
"You can't be serious," Jin breathed.
"Some guy approached me and asked if I wanted to make some good money in exchange for keeping an eye on you. It was just to report what you were up to, so I took the deal," the blonde explained as though it was common sense.
Park Jimin, the sweetheart heartthrob sold out his own friend? I never fell for the angel act, I knew he was the selfish type but I never imagined he'd go this far.
"I don't get it. How could you?" Jin inquired, still flabbergasted.
"It happened after you blew me off to go on a date with Yurim, I was annoyed! Besides it was just to keep tabs on you, it's not like I put you in danger."
"I'm in danger now!"
"That part has nothing to do with me! I didn't kidnap you, tie you up, or bring you here," he defended. "Besides, all they want is money. After your dad pays whats-his-face, everything can go back to normal. You're getting worked up over nothing!"
Jin's head dropped, his face red with rage, "all this time and you were just as fake as the others. To think I was actually concerned about you..." I just barely caught an eye roll from the mole. He really thought he was innocent in all this, didn't he?
The twisting in my stomach worsened. Jimin sounded completely unremorseful but it didn't matter because I felt enough guilt for the both of us. Jin and I weren't even close but what Jimin did was twisted. What's worse is what he could've told them about Yurim or even her family. Damn it, I took him to her house!
I bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming. I wanted to yell at him and tell him that he was worse than shit! But I couldn't afford to reveal my genuine thoughts right now. Also, at this point I had no right to show any resentment towards betrayal when I led Jin here.
"Huh, I guess that's it then," Jei muttered, disappointed at the lack of ammunition he could use against me. "Let these two boys go," he pointed at me and Jimin. Men from either side cut the rope off our wrists and we both stood up. I sent him a deathly glare before he was escorted to the side where he received his reward in a backpack.
"Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you!" Jimin shrugged on the backpack before being led to a car. As the vehicle drove away he gave me one last smirk. A smirk he'll never make again if I ever run into him.
When the traitor was gone, Jei checked his watch then nodded to one of his friends who hurriedly brought out a smartphone. "It's almost time for your old man to check in," he said to Jin. "And when he does, Hoseok here will have the honor of beating you for every five minutes it takes your pops to hand over the money."
Straight-faced, I stood ready in position.
"Masks!" Jei's voice echoed through the room. Everyone obeyed and slipped some kind of cover over their faces. Jei slipped on his own mask as well as the hood of his jacket. "Here," he dismissively said to me then tossed a mask on the floor at my feet. I shot him a look and picked it up.
I covered my face like everyone else when Jei began talking into the phone, swinging around a metal rod for showmanship.
"Ah, Mr. CEO! Nice of you to join us! Did you think it was a bomb in that envelope? I bet you did!" he laughed. They must've sent another envelope with a phone in it this time. "Anyway, as you know, you owe someone a lot of money."
"Who? Do Hyun? He's behind all this isn't he?" Mr. Kim's voice replied through the phone's speaker. "Tell your boss that he-"
"You're an ignorant rich bastard, so I'll make this clear for you. Choi Do-Hyun is not my boss. We're the ones doing him a favor really." There was a beat of silence. "So here's how it's gonna go. You're gonna let our guys there take you to a secure location where your security detail won't be. And that's where you're gonna transfer twenty-five trillion won into his account."
"And if I don't?" Mr. Kim's stubborn response triggered an obnoxious giggle from the tall gangster.
"I'm glad you asked." Jei signaled the man filming with the phone and he turned it to Jin. "If you don't, we'll make sure Jin here feels it. Every minute that money isn't in the account," he said. I looked at him, confused. Every...minute? He just said five a moment ago! Jei snapped his finger and I knew in an instant what he wanted. I stepped up to Jin and slammed a fist in his face. His head flew to the side before he fell to the ground with a grunt, "the kid gets a taste of the harshness of real life."
I picked him back up and straightened him up again. My knuckles pulsed with guilt. I caught a glimpse of the old man on the screen. His face twisted in both anger and fear. As intimidating as I had known him to be, it was strange to find him in a defeated state.
"Well?" Jei grabbed the phone and focused it on himself. "You better get a move on. Another minute is ticking and little Jin's gonna get something a lot worse than a punch. I'll stand this up here for now," the lunatic set up the phone to point at Jin, "to keep you updated on your son's makeover," he said with a sadistic tone.
"Damn low life..." Mr. Kim muttered.
"Huh? What's that? The minute is up already?" Jei then turned to me. "You heard him, newbie."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ8COjSiIo
I fought down the bile sneaking its way up my throat and looked down at Jin. He didn't look back at me. His eyes seemed occupied with thoughts - and not good ones.
I balled my hand into a fist like before and wound it back.
I really am sorry for this.
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