? ﾝﾓﾹ? ﾝﾓﾼ? ﾝﾓﾭ? 5:
어디에 있나요?
"어디에 있나요?"
There's a few beats of silence. His back faces his brother, his hands balling into fists by his side.
"몰라요," came the answer. Then, he walked away.
Jungkook snaps awake in a panic, panting. His hand naturally falls to his chest, and right in time too seeing as his heart threatens to break free from his poor rib cage that fights to protect it. His lower lip quivers, him biting back any tears that dare try to fall. "하지마," he whispers, but it gets him no where. The tears still come.
"Telling something to stop normally doesn't work," another male voice claims. Jungkook turns his head in time to see Jimin walking down the stairs, approaching Jungkook's bunk. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to see the familiar face.
"Why are you here?" he asks, trying not to come off as rude.
"Tae has insomnia," Jimin replies with a small sigh, "as a kid I trained myself to work off less hours of sleep so I could be there for him as often as possible. Got bored so... decided to walk." Jungkook turns away, truthfully not caring about the explanation.
"You must be such an amazing guy," Jungkook snorts.
Jimin sits on the side of the bed despite not getting an invitation to. "Far from it, but maybe better than you with the attitude you have." Jungkook doesn't so much as whisper a protest. It's only the truth. Jimin points to the amount of players left, making a clicking sound with his tongue. "All these lives lost, and for what? Money. Isn't it always about money?"
"What'd you come in here for?" Jungkook lets his eyes dance across Jimin's poorly-lit face, the older of the two sighing softly at his words.
"Money," Jimin whispers.
The two fall silent for a few beats, glancing around the room of sleeping men and women. None of them even stir. How they can sleep so soundly at night makes Jungkook's skin crawl, goosebumps forming on his arms. The bags under his eyes are larger than the room they're in at this point. He's sure he looks like a psycho right now. The worst part is that that's not far from the truth.
"You know, if there's an attack and you're not waiting at your bunk, Luna and Tae might panic," Jungkook says.
"Maybe, but Tae and I always find our way to each other." Jungkook doesn't protest. He doesn't know the friendship between them. He doesn't know even a quarter of it. Jimin turns to the younger man, scooting a hair closer. For some reason Jungkook allows it. "This money would go straight to my family."
"I don't care."
"That's not the point." Jimin runs a hand through his hair. "I was going to ask what you're doing this for."
"None of your business."
Jimin grabs Jungkook's shoulder, the younger snapping his head to face him. There's a brief exchange of silence. It ends as quickly as it came. "You saved my best friend. I can't thank you enough for that." Jimin's grip tightens by an almost unnoticeable amount. "But continue with this attitude and I'll personally kick you off our little team." Jungkook bites back a protest at Jimin's glare. "Good luck surviving any nighttime attacks."
Jungkook forces himself out of his grip, brushing his poor jacket off. "Don't ever touch me again," he mumbles.
"I want to be nice to you, but you're making that very difficult."
"In here you don't win with manners." Jungkook glares at the one by his side. "And I don't need help surviving any attacks. I've been on the run my whole life, I have some experience with fighting."
"So do I," Jimin says, his eyes narrowing by a fraction of an inch.
Jungkook straightens his posture, brushing off his dirt and blood stained jacket before putting his weight on his feet. "I don't care what fucking experience you have. Don't mess with me, I'm here to get my money and leave. I have things to do." He makes a clicking sound with his tongue, motioning for Jimin not to reply to his words. Instead, he starts walking away, his back completely facing Jimin.
"Where are you going?"
077 goes completely still, his breath catching in his throat. For a moment, merely a moment, Jungkook feels tears threaten to jump out of his eyes. He blinks them back before they can come. Jungkook forces his thoughts away. His hands ball into fists by his side, his chin raising ever so slightly. "I don't know," he finally answers. Then, he walks away...
Thank the lord for insomnia.
Luna sits next to Tae, the woman unable to sleep like him. How can they sleep when they're fighting for their lives both during the day and at night? Tae's eyes scan the vicinity, hoping for a hint of some kind. Maybe he can spot a clue for the next game. That'd give them a huge advantage. Maybe he can spot a hostile making a move. Tae sighs when he realizes it's too dark to see shit.
"Regret," Luna says.
Tae glances at her. "Regret?"
"It's the worst emotion we can feel. Sadness, anger, embarrassment... those go away and you can do something about it. Regret though? It's probably the only feeling you can't control. You can't control what you've done and said in the past." She places her hand in the small space between them. "And it's what you're feeling right now."
"Did you figure that out just by looking at my side profile?"
"It's easy to recognize feelings in another person when you're feeling it yourself," she clarifies, pulling at the sheets of his bed. He sighs, letting himself sink down into the shitty mattress.
"I don't know what I'm feeling. A mix of sadness and yeah, I'll admit, regret." He glances at the player count, also subconsciously scanning the room to make sure there's no movement. No one coming to end their lives before the next game can start. "I wanted to be a model," he whispers. She turns her full attention to him as he softly smiles. "I took out a huge loan. Millions upon millions of won, just to get a decent agent. Turns out he only wanted my money, not to actually help me." Tae dryly chuckles, "Agents are scams... the whole modeling industry is one giant scam."
"I don't get it. You're attractive as hell and tall, what could have possibly gone wrong?" she asks.
"I don't even know myself," he replies, "all I know is that my first gig apparently I wasn't good enough. Got shamed for existing, pretty much. I practiced more and more on my poses, my walk, the way I talk, my posture even... but it wasn't enough. It was never enough for my fake ass agent or the career path. And the result was being in debt and on the run from banks and loan sharks."
Luna nods, absorbing all the information. "If you could try again, would you?"
He shakes his head. "I'd try something else. Looking back, modeling was a stupid dream. I mean really. So many people go into careers to help people. Singers to give a form of comfort to fans, directors to present questions that many wouldn't, doctors and nurses to save lives, scientists to make discoveries that could change the world forever." Tae trails off with a sigh. "And I just wanted to get my picture taken."
"Not everyone is meant to help people. You don't have to be this model citizen Tae. Just be yourself."
"Being myself is exactly what led me here. I think it's time I do some self-reflection, don't you think? Because look at us now. We're here, and the odds are I'm going to kill someone or get someone indirectly killed in the name of money. What kind of person does that make me?"
Luna gazes at the player count with him, her breathing in-sync with his. "I'm not sure."
He turns to her. "Enough about me. What about you? What dreams did you get shattered in order to land here?"
"No dreams, really. Of course I had the dreams of being a space adventurer as a kid," she gushes, her eyes sparkling from her memories. "I had this weird dream as a kid that I'd get a unicorn and ride her around the world, giving gifts to people in need."
"What happened to it?"
"Life. My home."
Tae doesn't press any further. If she wants to speak, then she will. Instead he decides to comfort her. He gently grabs her hand, the woman snapping her eyes over to look at him. He gives her a kind smile, entwining their fingers. "Looks like we're both fucked up, huh?"
She slowly returns the smile, giving his hand a squeeze. "Yeah... looks like it."
They fall into a comfortable quiet as they gaze over their vicinity. Tae mentally notes the activity of the bunks cramping around him. Do they shift in their sleep? Are they even sleeping? Tae only sees three people sat upright in their beds, none of them doing anything interesting. Tae's not sure if that's a good or bad thing. He's also not sure if he wants to kill the silence shared between him and Luna. It's not a bad silence, as mentioned prior it's a comfortable one, but he's sure as hell feeling awkward right about now. For some reason he can't stand quiet between two people. It has him shaking, his legs bouncing up and down. His eyes dart around more, his ears picking up the squeaks of footsteps reverberating around the room.
Tae's heart bangs against his rib cage, a mental dance going on in his head. He can see it in his mind's eye. A crimson scattered on the walls, maybe even on himself. Panting players pleading for their lives. Tae attempts to force the thoughts away, but that never happens.
Instead, they become a reality.
A shrill screech rips through the air, a panicking silence following it. Seconds tick by. Then, the lights flicker. "Jimin's bunk! Now!" Luna yells, keeping a steady grip on his hand and pulling him up. Tae's eyes catch a glimpse of a man falling off a top bunk. That's when the chaos truly hits. The realization that a fight for their lives is about to happen crashes over the room like a wave, Tae struggling to keep up with Luna's fast pace.
More screams sound off, bouncing off the white walls now soaking with a scarlet color. Or maybe Tae's imagining it. He's not entirely sure what's real anymore, or if he even wants to know. Luna drags him over to Jimin's bunk, no one luckily attacking them yet. Jimin runs over, stopping in front of it and panting. "Where are the other two? 191 and Jin?" he asks. Tae and Luna shake their heads, Jimin huffing.
"Jimin! Watch out!" Luna calls. He whips around in time for someone to pounce at him. Tae's not surprised when Jimin dodges, grabbing his elbow as he goes by. The man who tried but failed to attack Jimin cries in horror. Jimin ignores it, deciding to instead snap his elbow, followed by pushing the man back on his bed. The stranger whimpers from the pain, holding his useless arm against his chest. Another zips closer, Luna hopping over to deal with him.
Tae's the only one cowering away, Luna not putting up nearly as good a fight as Jimin. She struggles, gasping when the attacker grabs her throat. Before the player can do anymore damage, in the flickering lights Tae makes out Jungkook zooming over. He dives into the one choking Luna, knocking him to the ground. Tae moves to help, but is quickly intercepted by someone grabbing the back of his jacket and pulling him back. A shout pierces his throat, his hands squirming back to grab at the intruder. No luck. Tae's never been an excellent fighter. He should've learned as a kid, now it's biting him in the ass.
He whines as he puts up the weakest fight out of anyone, being taken to the ground. Hands are wrapped around his throat, a burning sensation overtaking him. Tae attempts to claw at the man's eyes, but to no avail. Luckily for him, Jimin comes over and rescues him, pushing the man off and beating him senseless. Tae crawls away, the lights flickering. The whole room seems to fill with sweat, the aroma clogging his nostrils until they flare. Tae glances down to see a scarlet color soaking his white shirt. As if he needed anymore, he still has stains from the first game.
Jimin finishes beating the man, standing and turning. Tae's jaw drops. The man is covered with blood, the stains going all the way up to his cheeks, his nose even dripping in the substance. From this angle... Jimin almost looks like a monster. Jimin helps Tae up without questioning his stare, the pair facing their friends. Jungkook and Luna are still here, Luna holding an injured shoulder while Jungkook seems alright.
Jin comes rushing over, hyperventilating. Tae can barely make out his friendly face due to the strobe lights. 191 is beside him, the man in a similar state as Jimin. Jin on the other hand is completely clean. "What the hell is going on?" Jin asks, his voice barely heard over the screams.
"I wish I could tell you," Jimin replies, scanning the area and making sure they're still safe. "Stay by my bunk! Watch all our flanks! Don't let anyone sneak up on us!" They're quick to follow his calls, shifting their positions to cover all possible angles of attack. Tae raises his fists, peeking over at the woman next to him. He wonders how Luna is holding up. Tae's not sure why his heart is beating fast at the thought of her hurt, but he decides to shove the thoughts away to focus on what's going on.
"I'll be okay," she tells him as if sensing his thoughts. He doesn't reply. He doesn't need to. She already knows that he got the answer he wanted, so he doesn't need to ask any further questions. Not until after this madness is over. They're not even halfway through the games, yet here they are. Dying without even needing to get to the arena. In a way, Tae should've seen this coming. This 'living area' looks more like an arena than a sleeping place. Tae shudders when another scream goes off, cracking his eardrums. Never in his life has he wanted to go home so badly... but he can't. Not now.
Another attacker comes at them from the front, Jin yelping when he's easily overpowered. 191 helps him out, beating the attacker and painlessly getting rid of him. All the confidence Tae has that they might survive is thrown out the window when someone comes charging at him and Luna.
He stands a bit taller even though it's fake confidence, Luna getting in front of him as if on instinct. His heart stops for a moment, then, the player comes at her. She dodges the first punch, but the second one hits. She goes completely still, her eyes widening with horror. Tae's do the same. "Luna!" he shouts. She shudders, letting the man hit her again. Tae rushes into action, pouncing on the stranger and taking him to the ground. Truthfully, he didn't think this far. He didn't think about what he'd do if he actually managed to pin this man to the ground. However, here he is in that position.
What does he do now?
Glaring down at the one underneath him makes him go still. Is he supposed to beat this man to a pulp? Tae may be desperate, but that's not who he is. And he suffers for it. The one underneath him shoves him off in Tae's distraction, hopping to his feet and choosing to run away when he sees Jimin approaching. A smart decision. Jimin's covered in blood, the appearance intimidating to anyone who may see it in this dim lighting.
Tae gently grabs Luna's elbow, but she jumps and yelps, staring at him with terror in her expression. "It's me... hey, it's me, it's only me," he whispers, barely heard over the noise in the room. She shivers, nodding rapidly. He pulls her into a protective hug, stroking her locks but still eyeing the vicinity to ensure no one will hurt them. Tae shushes her soft cries, curious as to why one punch took her out. That doesn't seem like her. She didn't crack when she saw death happening right in front of her. What could have possibly set her off?
He forces the question away, focusing on comforting her and rocking her back and forth. To his surprise, the lights flicker back on, the doors opening and guards rushing in the room. Gunshots go off, Luna and Tae hopping apart. She instantly grabs his hand, him returning the fright and giving her skin a soft squeeze.
Jimin takes off his jacket, dabbing his face down and tying the fabric around his waist. Tae lets out a soft breath as the guards search the area. Several coffins are brought in, the pink bows glimmering in the lighting. Tae bites back a grimace. The others aren't injured, Luna the only one hurt from her shoulder. "Dislocated," she murmurs when he stares. He backs off, deciding not to pry on her lack of focus.
The guards force Luna and Tae apart, searching them for weapons. When they find none, they move on, searching their friends. Nothing. Tae eases the tension in his body, but only partly. He still stays on alert. Not that his lack of fighting experience would do them much good, but he'll try nonetheless. "Are you okay?" Jimin asks Tae.
"I'll live. You?"
"All the blood on me isn't mine," he replies, Jungkook staring at the man with furrowed brows for a few moments before turning away. Tae doesn't question Jungkook's strange behavior.
Jimin scans the environment, the dead bodies littering the ground causing Tae to shudder. They're in Hell. There's no more denying it. Games for money is one thing, but now they're fighting at night too. The time they're most vulnerable. Tae already couldn't sleep at night due to his insomnia, now adding what he's seen and the threat of being murdered in his sleep makes it so he'll never rest again.
Luna realizes the same thing he does, scooting a bit closer to him than she was before. He welcomes the distraction with open arms, wrapping an arm around her to prove it. She leans against his side, his heart stopping upon feeling her warmth flow through him. He hasn't been held in so long. Now he's feeling it, and it's amazing. It sends tingles throughout his body, maybe even goosebumps. Maybe both.
Jimin inspects Jungkook, the two sharing a few brief words Taehyung can't hear. 191 and Jin are the same way. It looks like they all broke off into their pairs despite being together. He's sure they'll have to do night watches from now on. Will that start tonight? Or maybe it won't since the guards broke it up. Still, to be safe, they should at least have a plan. A plan A, plan B, and plan C. Tae tries thinking of something that would fit the bill. It doesn't work. Looks like he's just as useless with strategy as he is with physicality. Why is he even here if he can't defend himself?
Luna closes her eyes, resting her head against him. He goes back to stroking her hair, the hushed voices around him merely an afterthought. He resists the urge to close his eyes. For some reason he has the feeling that someone will attack them now, even with the pink men around. Taehyung wishes he knew why that urge hits him. Regardless, he keeps his eyes alert. The last thing he needs is to lose Luna too. He's already lost himself, and based on the way Jimin's talking to Jungkook of all people proves that he's lost Jimin too. Or maybe he hasn't and the stress is setting in. Or maybe it's a mixture of both. Tae doesn't want to know the answer.
"Will we be okay?" Luna asks. He didn't hear the whimper in her voice until three seconds after she spoke. When it processes in his mind, his eyebrows crease and his lips fall into a frown.
"Can I be honest?" he asks back. She tilts her head up, her eyes fluttering open. The two lock eyes, Tae forgetting what he was going to say for a few moments. Then it comes back, and he places a hand on her cheek. He hopes it comforts her. It certainly comforts him. Tae offers her a smile, but it isn't a smile of joy. He's not sure what type of smile it is.
"No. No, we won't."
TO BE CONTINUED
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter! This story won't be too long, but I hope I'm doing a decent job writing it since it takes a while. This is probably my most serious story when it comes to word choice and sentence structure, the actual writing process takes the longest out of any of my stories other than my upcoming book, Astray (that story takes FOREVER). Anyway, enough rambling. See you guys in the next chap! Next episode: Ropes