Float

Hoseok and I became the center of attention the moment we pulled apart. All eyes were gawking at us in disbelief as we held onto each other's hands. The lower ranks began snapping pictures of us- sending a tidal of shock sweeping across the party. The news spread like wildfire. Jungkook hastily picked Minah up and carried her out of the party when I refused to answer him.

"Congratulations," Taehyung whispered with his tongue pressed against the side of his cheek and strode off as well. Jimin blankly got up and followed Taehyung out of the mansion.

"Awee, everyone's leaving?" Dohyun pouted sadly at us.

"I want to take you somewhere," Hoseok spoke in a flirty tone, lightly brushing his lips against my ear, sending yet another shock wave throughout the party.

"You should be the center of attention here, not us. We'll see you later," I smiled apologetically at Dohyun, then turned to smirk at Namjoon and Seokjin, who stood frozen in their place.

"Kaja..." Hoseok smiled, interlacing his fingers with mine, and we left the mansion. People watched us in bewilderment as we strode toward the parking lot. We got to Hoseok's car, but I noticed people observing us, so I tiptoed and pecked Hoseok's lips with a faint smile. In response, he wrapped his arm around my waist... gently pushing me against the car while he kissed me. Snap... snap... snap. Flashes of cameras flickered once again. Breathing heavily, Hoseok pulled the car door open and helped me into the car. Hoseok and I went to a private dinner together at an elite restaurant. I was right. The news circulated everywhere. People gawked at us wherever we went. They stared and began gossiping. Snap snap snap... closely monitoring our every action. It was about one in the morning when I finally got home.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Hoseok smiled, letting go of my hands as I got off.

"See you," I smiled when I noticed the driver observing us through the mirror. Hoseok must've noticed it too, so he quickly leaned forward to peck me on the lips before I made my way inside the empty mansion. Are they all asleep? Sighing, I took off my heels and hastily combed through my hair in frustration. I passed Jungkook's room but stopped dead when I found Jimin sitting on the floor with his head hung low in front of my room. I swallowed in difficulty when I felt the aching pain tearing through my chest in guilt. Jimin must've noticed my presence because he quickly stood up to face me. He stood watching me darkly with both his hands in his black-tight jeans pockets.

I let out a heavy sigh and began walking towards him, hastily taking off my heavy earrings, then tossed them onto the floor along with my handbag and heels. As soon as I got to Jimin- he grabbed my hips and pushed me against the wall. So I grabbed onto his torso to hold his body against mine. He aggressively bit my lips, so I panted heavily against his burning face. I quickly slipped my hands under his shirt to feel his abs, then moved my hands up his firm chest.

"What took you so long...," Jimin whispered in a low tone as he kissed my neck. I quickly reached out for my door handle to unlock it when I felt the presence of Jimin's hand under my dress.

"They were tailing us- J-Jimin-" I let out a shaky moan when Jimin picked me up and carried me to my bed... gently kissing the hem of my jawline. As soon as we got to my bed- I pushed myself up and rolled over him instead. Jimin quickly sat up to face me. He wrapped his arms around my body, then ran his hands down my back as I gripped onto his soft hair. We heavily panted against each other faces when we felt our bodies burning for each other- igniting an eruption of flaming desire between our souls.

Flashback: Next morning after the thunderstorm.

I woke up in the brightly lit room to find Jimin sleeping beside me. My entire body was aching, but I got up anyways to block the sunlight from bothering Jimin. He definitely lost a lot of weight. Didn't he eat? I leaned over to kiss his forehead and pulled the blanket over his bare chest. I pulled on my clothes, tied my hair into a neat bun, then strode out of the room. Jimin never told me about his hidden apartment... it must have been his hideout during his tough times.

"Mohyah~" I groaned when I opened the fridge to find nothing but bottled water. Did he even eat at all? Sighing, I walked into the living to clean up empty ramen cups, soda cans, and bottles of soju.

Ding Dong...

Oh? Who's here this early? Yawning, I walked over to the door's intercom to find Taehyung standing in the hallway.

"Oh, good morning," I muttered, opening the door for Taehyung.

"Morning, I got you food. Where's Jimin?" Taehyung asked with a few bags in his hand.

"Still asleep," I nodded toward his room, helping Taehyung settle the packed jjajangmyeon on the table.

"ACHEW!" Taehyung suddenly sneezed, so I quickly rushed over to grab some tissues for him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, reaching out to feel his head, and sure enough. It was warm.

"Don't touch me. You'll catch it-"

"Did you catch a cold? Mianhae..." I apologized.

"Oh, I drove back home in the rain," Taehyung nodded as he took off his leather jacket.

"I'll wake Jimin up," I nodded, walking back into the room to find Jimin snuggling into the blanket.

"Wake up- wake up..." I whispered, leaning over Jimin to poke him, but Jimin didn't budge, so I shook his shoulder.

"AH!" I screamed when Jimin suddenly pulled me onto the bed and wrapped his arm around me.

"I love you," Jimin whispered, snuggling his face against the side of my neck.

"I love you too. Taehyung got us food, so get up," I chuckled, brushing Jimin's messy bangs backward.

"I wanna sleep..." He grunted with his eyes closed.

"YAH. I'M HUNGRY- HURRY UP!" Taehyung suddenly bellowed from the kitchen. We sniggered and shook our heads in disbelief. Chuckling, I threw Jimin's clothes at him and walked out while he got dressed.

"Did you take meds?" I asked while I unwrapped the bowl of jjajangmyeon.

"It'll pass," Taehyung sniffled with the tissue over his nose as he dug into his food.

"Did anything happen at the university?" Jimin questioned as he sat down beside me. I unwrapped the food for him.

"New alphas showed up, and you should return because they're suspecting your absence," Taehyung muttered, glancing at Jimin briefly.

"Wouldn't people question my whereabouts?" Jimin mumbled, slurping a mouthful of jjajangmyeon.

"Of course, they will, especially Seokjin and Namjoon. Why do you have to run away whenever you fight when all it takes is an erotic night together to fix the problem? Just get a room the next time you fight," Taehyung scoffed, causing Jimin and I to choke on our food.

"Yah-"

"Am I wrong?" Taehyung huffed, glancing at Jimin with a mouthful of jjajangmyeon.

"Whatever- Are you okay?" Jimin rolled his eyes, using his thumb to rub off the stain on my lips.

"I'm fine. If Seokjin finds out we're fighting- it won't be good. They'll threaten your household security again," I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Why don't you give them what they want?" Taehyung asked, looking up at Jimin with a doubtful look.

"What do you mean?" I asked when Jimin suddenly grew silent.

"How long will you keep it up? Pushing back and forth against half of the alphas? They know you'll protect Jimin. And I'm sure Seokjin and Namjoon aren't the only ones preying on Jimin," Taehyung shrugged as he dabbed the tissue against his nose. Crack. I quickly snapped my head towards Jimin to find his chopstick broken in half.

"Jimin...?" I whispered, carefully reaching out to replace his broken chopstick. Jimin was glaring at the table with a vengeful expression.

"Don't worry. What are you suggesting?" Jimin shook his head and held onto my hand, averting his gaze to Taehyung.

"Why don't you just bait them? I'm sure all the alphas will make a move. The only way we can gather all the reapers is to give them what they thirst for. Then we'll know for sure who's behind it," Taehyung replied.

"So you're saying we should feed their suspicion?" I asked, quietly watching Taehyung.

"You can find the kid's murderer along the way too," Taehyung nodded, wrapping up his bowl after emptying it.

"How-"

"We scare them," Jimin whispered, blankly staring at his jjajangmyeon. I shot him a baffled look... with Seokjin's determination and Namjoon's brain... it's almost impossible to frighten them.

"Yoongi's parents are attacking you because they're frightened. It's human nature to attack whatever is deemed to be a threat. So if you scare them- The guilty ones will act up to defend themselves," Jimin continued as he averted his eyes to Taehyung. Ah. They're right. I shouldn't have aimlessly waited for whoever is behind this ruse to reveal themselves. I need a better plan to lure them out of their caves.

"So I need to scare them. They saw how devastated I was over Yangcha's death... and in addition to Jimin's disappearance... they'll suspect an internal problem between our households... but how do I scare them?" I whispered while staring at the table.

"Sora, who else can help you? It's obvious. Stop playing nice and use whatever you have to strike back," Taehyung answered, leaning back against his seat with a dull expression. What is he talking about?

"I only have you guys-"

"Yoongi," Jimin suddenly clenched his fists tightly.

"Yoongi?" I questioned Jimin in confusion.

"Sora. Seokjin and Yoongi are both powerful. We need Yoongi to side with us to keep Seokjin and Namjoon-"

"But Yoongi's parents will never do that- wait. Are you saying we make them think he's siding with us?" I asked with my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"It doesn't have to be Yoongi. Although Yoongi will definitely help you- he can't do anything with his parents around. But can we offer them-"

"Hoseok," I whispered, interrupting him... freezing in my seat in realization.

"We only need to figure out what he wants-"

"I know what he wants," I averted my eyes to Taehyung in shock before turning to Jimin, who looked as if he lost his appetite.

"He's not loyal. Sora, he shoved a gun against your head to save his own life. He'll do it again and again just to survive," Jimin stared at me with his worried eyes.

"Then we'll be stuck in the same cycle. We'll be chasing our own tails until we collapse," Taehyung shot Jimin a sharp look. Jimin suddenly tensed his body in response to Taehyung's words. This isn't good. Jimin isn't happy with Taehyung's suggestion. 

"Guys, let's not- Jimin!" I called out when Jimin hastily got onto his feet and stomped into his room. Thud. The door slammed shut. I knew it! Aish!

"Maybe this is a bad- Taehyung!" I abruptly stopped when Taehyung grumpily got onto his feet, pulled on his jacket, and marched out of the door. Soon enough, the room fell silent once again. I leaned against the table in frustration... wildly running my fingers through my hair. Why is this so complicated?! Sighing, I got onto my feet and cleaned up the mess on the table. I almost lost Jimin once. Maybe for once, I should trust him. I need to stop hurting Jimin because he'll likely die due to my stupidity instead of the alphas. Ding Dong. I looked through the intercom to find what looked like a janitor, so I opened the door to greet him. Turns out, he was here to announce the change in cleaning shifts and quickly left.

Jimin's hidden apartment was located on the outskirts of Seoul, on the 5th floor of an old apartment building. Though, the interior was as advanced as the mansion. I guess it's supposed to look like an old building, so no one would find him here. After a while, I entered his bedroom to find Jimin sprawling on his bed. I bit my lips and quietly laid down beside him... staring at his soft blushy mochi cheeks. Why do I always hurt him? I don't want to, but I can't seem to stop. He's the most patient person toward me, yet I keep taking him for granted. Sora... you're messed up.

"Who was here?" Jimin whispered with his eyes shut... startling me.

"Oh, the janitor said there'll be a minor change in the cleaning schedule- You were awake this entire time?" I replied while staring at Jimin's face. Jimin fell silent and let out an empty sigh before wrapping his arms around my lower back.

"Let's go home. I don't like to be away from you," I whispered while snuggling against his firm chest. Jimin didn't say anything. So all I could feel was his chest inflating and deflating as he calmly breathed against me.

"At this point, you know I can't do that. I can't go home with you," Jimin muttered as he rubbed my shoulder with his thumb in a circular motion.

"Why not? Are you still-" I quickly sat up to stare at him in disbelief. Shaking his head, Jimin sat up and gave me a quick peck on my lips, causing me to freeze in confusion.

"I'm not mad at you. How can I be?" Jimin brightly smiled at me.

"S-so- Why can't you-"

"Taehyung's right. I was immature back then. I let the attachment get the best of me," Jimin shook his head. Wait... is he...?

"Jimin, no. If you aren't happy with this, I won't do it. All that matters is you and I- I don't care about anyone else. Even if I have to chase my tails for infinity... I will do it without hesitation as long as you're safe," I replied and grabbed onto his hands with a reassuring smile.

"Sora, if you keep running in circles, they'll soon figure out your pattern and break the wheels. I'll lose you, you'll lose me, and we'll lose everything. You can patiently play the same game, but the other alphas won't. They're thirsty, ready to pounce at you whenever there's a given opportunity. This isn't only about me. It's you," Jimin sadly shook his head.

"Even if you agree to it, I- I don't think I can do it-" Jimin quickly leaned over to give me another peck, so I pursed my lips with a conflicted expression.

"We've been living in the present, acting on our instincts whenever we're in trouble, but we can't keep it up. We can't be lucky all the time. We'll have to foresee the future and plan our next move to survive. It's hard for the both of us, but I trust you, Sora. I trust you. I'd trust you with a gun pointed at my heart. As long as we trust each other, nothing will break us," Jimin whispered as he searched my eyes. Why is he reassuring me when his eyes tell... he's obviously not okay with this... my heart aches.

"I trust you, but-"

"That's great. We'll be alright then. Don't worry, we'll pull through this," Jimin suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, and we both fell silent as we sat in the same position for a while. This is a huge risk. It's a dangerous possibility, and the end is unclear. What if we end up in a huge mess? How will I fix this?- Sora, trust him. Right... trust. That's all we need. It'll be over soon. Wherever there's hope, there'll be hardship. Later that afternoon, Jimin and I packed his things to leave for the mansion.

"Oh, I guess it's your shift," I smiled at the janitor as he mopped the hallway.

"Yes, it is. Are you heading out?" He greeted us when we stepped out of the apartment. Jimin paused when he saw the janitor.

"I'll see you sometime later. Kaja...," I smiled, tugging Jimin with me, and we quickly headed down the flights of stairs. It's an old building, so there's no elevator. Taehyung was waiting in front of the building in his usual leather outfit.

"You guys head out first. I forgot something. I'll be home tonight," Jimin suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Wae? Where are you-"

"I'll be home, I promise," Jimin smiled. He kissed me on the cheek before jogging back up the stairs. Taehyung took Jimin's luggage from me, and we walked down a few streets until we arrived at an empty underground parking lot where a black jeep was parked.

"Yours?" I asked as we walked up to it.

"You like it?" Taehyung smirked as he glanced at me. Their mood swings change faster than a girl on their period. One second they're about to murder each other, and the next second... they're calm and happy.

"It's not bad," I nodded as he opened the sleek door for me. I hopped onto the passenger seat. We took a quick tour around the place, then headed home.

As promised, Jimin came home that night. However, he was soaked in blood. At first, I thought he was hurt, but he was fine. Jimin walked into the bathroom and began washing his arms and face. I was anxious and curious at the same time, but something about his blank expression told me I shouldn't be curious.

Whose blood... is it?

Flashback

Jimin's POV

I calmly made my way up the stairs after taking Sora to Taehyung. I was dead worried about our discussion because I had a bad feeling about it, but it's the only way to resist the other alphas. I can't believe Taehyung brought it up to her without talking to me first. I guess he's tired of watching Sora hopelessly try to save me from the whirlpool I'm drowning in. He's doing this not just for Sora but for me too. Taehyung's usually never reckless, yet he's willing to risk our lives. Can I handle it? It'll break Sora and I into pieces-

"Oh, you're back early? Did you forget something?" The janitor greeted me when I finally got to the fifth floor.

"I'm going to head out later. Oh- and you're still mopping here," I laughed since he was still mopping in front of my room.

"The stain is a little stubborn. The lady next door was probably drunk last night," He nodded at the perfectly shiny tiles.

"Right, it's always the lady next door," I smirked while unlocking my door and entered the apartment. My smile faded the moment I shut the door. Slowly... I walked over to my drawer and drew it open... revealing a red rectangular box. I took off the lid to find the gray dagger I bought from Japan a few years back. I stood staring at the sharp blade in silence. At about 9:00 PM- I left my apartment... casually strutting down the stairs... as I happily whistled to myself.

"Are you heading home?" I asked when I noticed the janitor rushing down the stairs in a hurry.

"Ah, neh. My shift ended. Are you heading out?" He abruptly stopped, turning to smile at me.

"I see. Yes, I am. By the way, are you new here? It's my first time seeing you around," I smiled, slowly walking up to the janitor, so he glanced around uncomfortably.

"O-oh. It's my first day here," He stuttered, eyeing me in fear. Aigo... look at him shudder.

"It must've been tiring," I chuckled, inching closer to the janitor as he cautiously backed against the wall.

"A-absolutely! The stain was nasty. I hope the lady next door won't make a mess tomorrow," He chuckled, shakily pressing his back against the solid wall when I leaned in to smile at him. Oh... look at those scared and innocent eyes... except he's nowhere near being pure. He's panicking... not so professional.

"I hope so too. Well, have a nice day," I abruptly stepped away from him... blankly watching him as he stood staring at me with his eyes wide open in fear.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," He nodded, cautiously making his way down the stairs, so I followed him. He anxiously turned to look at me again as we silently made our way down the stairs and out of the building.

"Y-you're going this way too?" He uncomfortably turned to smile at me as we strolled through the dark alley.

"Neh, there's a nice bar nearby," I chuckled, walking behind the janitor at a steady pace.

"The lady next door must've been drinking at the bar, huh?" The janitor laughed awkwardly, so I stopped dead in my tracks.

"I have a question," I stated, placing both my arms behind my back. The janitor stopped and turned to me with an unsettled look before glancing around the dark and empty alley with a restless expression.

"What is it?" He asked, nervously gulping at me as I walked up to him.

"You keep talking about the lady next door... about the stains she made... but the problem is... I'm the only one who lives on the fifth floor. And this building doesn't have a janitor... the slums here never pay the fee," I lowly whispered, leaning into the guy's ear with my curious eyes.

"W-what are you t-talking- AH-"

"Shhhh.... it won't take long," I shushed him as I dug the dagger into his upper left chest... firmly gripping onto his shoulders... to prevent him from escaping. I quietly listened to him gurgle in agony as he gawked at me. Smiling, I slowly turned to stare at his frightened eyes.

"Y-you-"

"I guess you won't be able to inform your boss tonight," I laughed, thrusting the dagger deeper into his flesh, causing the guy to squirm in extreme pain. Just then... I felt the warm and condensed fluid dripping between my fingers and the dagger handle.

"H-help...," The guy finally collapsed onto the floor, clawing onto his own chest while he hopelessly attempted to crawl away from me.

"Shhh... this is a warning to your boss," I smiled, crouching down over him, yanked his hair backward to expose his neck, and swiftly slid the blade across his skin, causing blood to squirt out of the open gash on his throat. The man dropped onto the ground... intensely twitching before me until his eyes rolled to the back of his sockets. After about a minute, he stopped jerking as I stood hovering over him. A large pool of blood surrounded the dead man and I. Carefully... I bent down to search his body... to find a small hidden camera in his back pocket. Chuckling... I tossed it into the pool of blood-soaked ground and roughly crushed it under my shoes.

Splat... splat... splat...

I gradually walked down the empty dark streets- drenched from head to toe with the spy's blood... leaving behind fresh gooey footsteps on the concrete pavement. I twirled the blood-stained dagger between my fingers before casting it onto the ground and whistled softly through the dark alley.

The whistle was the siren of death himself... in disguise as a pure soul.

Present

Sora's POV

"You must be kidding me," Jungkook huffed with an annoyed look on his face.

"Wae? It's a good plan," I shrugged while staring at the light blue ocean water crashing against the side of the yacht. Oh, yeah. We're heading to Hoseok's private island. Apparently, every year all the alphas gather at the Jung's island just south of Jeju island to have fun. It's a tradition. The Jung is known for their sacred wine, and it's only available on the island itself. The elders usually hold a grand meeting there while the kids enjoy their vacation. Jungkook and I took the yacht together while Taehyung boarded with Jimin.

"Do you really think Namjoon's stupid?" Jungkook replied as he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his chest. He leaned back on the pool bench in disappointment with his arms under his head.

"That's why we're very cautious," I shrugged, pushing my sunglasses onto my nose bridge.

"Even if they fell for it- They won't let it happen," Jungkook scoffed as he spread his arm over the couch.

"Why are you so doubtful?!" I snapped, smacking his upper arm in irritation, so he flinched in shock.

"Yah! Why did you hit me?! I'm just saying you're all stupid-"

"If you're so smart, then why don't you come up with a better plan!" I grimaced at him in annoyance.

"You never listen to me anyways! What's the point!?" Jungkook glared, leaning forward with an irritated look. Feeling extremely frustrated- I hopped onto my feet and was about to walk over to the food tray when the yacht violently leaped up due to the sudden impact with the waves, sending me stumbling backward.

"Ah!" I shrieked when I lost my balance.

"Are you okay-!" Jungkook yelled, grabbing onto my waist as I fell into him, and suddenly everything turned pitch black- What the?

I opened my eyes again to find a teenage boy with pretty doe eyes staring at me from above. We were in an awkward position. The boy was on top of me with his hands pressed firmly into the wet sand of the beach. He must've fallen on to me by accident...

"Are you okay?" He blinked, immediately rolling off me. Slowly, I got up to find the familiar Busan's beach. The familiar salty ocean scent greeted my nose as I gazed at the vast sea before us. I turned to find the boy staring at me... but he quickly looked away when I caught him. Blushing... I blinked rapidly and looked the other way- Snap.

I blinked again to find Jungkook's deep brown eyes staring into mine. What the hell was that? What did I just see? Was it another memory? But who- who... who was the boy? Jungkook looked taken aback for some reason as he sat blankly staring at me in confusion. Wae? Why does he look so confused?

"Aish... I'm hallucinating again...," Jungkook mumbled to himself.

"What-? Did you see it too-"

"Huh? What? Are you alright?" Jungkook quickly released my waist to comb his fingers through his hair. He was lost in his own thoughts. Maybe I'm going crazy? Why do I keep on seeing memories that don't even exist?!

"We've arrived, my lady and young master," A staff member announced, so I quickly snapped out of my thoughts and walked along the side deck to the exit of the yacht, but the staff didn't let the bridge down yet. Jungkook effortlessly jumped off the yacht onto the dock below without hesitation... just as Minah came rushing up to him.

"Hi, Sora- jagi! You're finally here!" Minah grinned while hugging Jungkook, who turned to stare at me from the dock below.

"What's wrong with the bridge?! I'm sorry for the inconvenience," A staff member apologized, trying to let it down, but it wouldn't budge.

"What's wrong? Didn't you do a proper check before takeoff?!" Jungkook snapped at the staff in disbelief as they struggled to lower the bridge for me. Jungkook let out a heavy sigh before turning to stare at me again.

"Omo, I guess you'll be stuck there for a while," Minah stared at me while clinging onto Jungkook's exposed arms. Jungkook suddenly pulled his hand free from Minah and walked to the edge of the dock before stretching his arms toward me.

"Moh?" I asked while staring at him with a dumbfounded look. Why is he extending out his arms for me?

"Sit on the edge of the deck," Jungkook beckoned me forward.

"W-wae?" I asked, carefully sitting down on the deck as he insisted with my legs dangling off the edge.

"J-Jungkook- What are you-" Minah questioned while staring at us in confusion.

"YAH! WHAT ARE YOU-" I yelped in horror when Jungkook leaned over the dock. He firmly gripped my waist, then raised me off the edge of the yacht's deck. My heart pounded in fear of him dropping me into the gap of freezing cold sea between the yacht and the boat's dock. So I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck to secure myself. He safely settled me down without any struggles. IS HE OUT OF HIS MIND?! I COULD'VE WAITED FOR THE STAFF TO FIX THE BRIDGE.

"You're always ungrateful," Jungkook scoffed and rolled his eyes at me when I darted him a sharp glare. Minah stood watching us with a sour expression while biting her lower lips. I grimaced and made my way over the wooden dock.

"Can you piggyback me? My feet are aching from walking up here to wait for you," Minah pouted at Jungkook. He smiled at her cuteness and leaned down for her. Grinning, Minah got onto his back, so he lifted her up without hesitation. I almost reached the end of the dock when my heels suddenly caught in between the wooden gap- I stumbled and Crack-

"Ah! Aish!" I groaned, toppling hard onto the wooden platform with a loud thud. I whimpered and grabbed onto my right ankle in pain. Stupid gap! Owwww!

"Why did you even wear heels?!" Jungkook whined, stopping to stare at me with Minah on his back.

"Sora, are you okay?" Minah asked, worriedly watching me as I hastily pulled my heels out of the gap in anger. What's with me today? Why am I so unlucky? Everything's getting me on my nerves.

"You're a pain in the ass," Jungkook gritted, letting Minah down his back as I unsteadily got back onto my feet. I wore a goddam sneaker this morning, but eomma made Imo dress me prettily! I hastily took off my heels in annoyance and was about to walk off when Jungkook suddenly bent down beside me. What is he doing??

"Hurry up! How will you walk with that messed-up ankle?!" Jungkook snapped, signaling me to get on his back. I glanced at Minah, who was staring at us with an envious expression. I can't do this to her.

"I'm fine," I huffed, limping away from them without another word.

"Haha... that's my independent girl," Minah chuckled awkwardly as I strode off the dock and onto the warm beach.

"My lady! Are you okay?!" My guards came rushing towards me in horror. They must've got here first... of course, eomma and appa brought their guards.

"How far do I have to go?" I asked, glancing towards the end of the beach to where the road was.

"The cart is waiting on the road-"

"Great," I grumpily bit my lips and limped towards the road. Why do I have to sprain my ankle?! Urgh! What a shitty day.

"My lady, you're hurt-"

"I'M FINE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and stubbornly made my way toward the road. However, every step I took hurt like hell, yet I held it in and kept on walking forward.

"WHY ARE YOU SO STUBBORN?!" Jungkook snapped in irritation.

"YAH! WHAT ARE YOU- PUT ME DOWN!" I complained when Jungkook suddenly slid his arm around my upper back, placed his other arm under my lower thighs, and effortlessly picked me off the sand.

"Why are you so fussy!? Shut up and hold on to me!" Jungkook snapped when I wouldn't stop thrashing around in his embrace. I bit my lips and wrapped my arms around his neck. I glanced at Minah in guilt, who was eyeing us in jealousy. Why is he like this?! I never thought he would be this dense to the person he loves!

Fast Forward

"How can I help you, Ms. Jang?" A staff asked, approaching me as I walked through the west wing of the island's mansion.

"Where's Hoseok? I have to return something," I greeted her.

"Oh, Young Master usually takes a walk around the island during his visit. I can keep-"

"Ah, it's fine. I'll look for him," I nodded and walked out of the mansion. Where would he be? The beach? The pool? Sighing, I strolled on the pretty illuminated garden path with a stunning view of the moon reflecting on the dark sea.

"Where have you been?" Jungkook's voice echoed, so I turned my head to find Jungkook talking with Minah under a large oak tree before me.

"Why do you care?!" Minah snaps angrily at Jungkook. They're fighting...? They're always fighting... but still together.

"What's with the attitude?! What did I even do wrong?" Jungkook scoffed, pressing his tongue against the side of his lips... tilting his head in disbelief, but abruptly stopped when he saw me standing just a few feet away. Minah resentfully glances at me with her fist clenched.

"I- Minah!" I quickly called out when Minah suddenly stomped away in anger. I tried to chase after her, but Jungkook caught my arm.

"Leave her be," He demanded, watching Minah disappear around the fountain.

"You shouldn't be treating her like this! Chase after her!" I snapped, turning to glare at him in frustration.

"She's always-"

"Are you that stupid?! Why date her if you can't even act like a man?! Oh yeah, weren't you all heartbroken when you lost her- ah!" I winced in pain when Jungkook snatched my upper arm in fury.

"You know nothing about us. Why do you think I'm acting like this?!" Jungkook grits fiercely at me with his burning eyes. My arm is throbbing in pain.

"Let go! I wish I hadn't met you!" I angrily shoved him away and stomped off. Why do they always have to hurt me whenever they're angry?! What am I? Their punching bag?!

"AISH! What an annoying jerk!" I grumbled, picking up a small pebble, and angrily threw it at the bushes. I hastily circled the small orchid towards the glowing blue pool. And right on the opposite edge of the pool... Hoseok stood blankly gazing at the glowing water.... deep in thought.

"Hoseok!" I waved at him.

"Oh- Sora. What are you doing here? How's your ankle?" Hoseok smiled, snapping out of his thoughts when he noticed me.

"I wanted to return your jacket," I smiled as Hoseok circled the large pool towards me.

"You didn't have to come all the way here," Hoseok weakly smiled. He was halfway around the pool when I noticed a guy walking up to him from behind. That doesn't look like a guard...

"Thank you- HOSEOK!" I screamed in horror when the man flung a metal bar hard against Hoseok's back. I dropped his jacket in shock when Hoseok collapsed onto the ground from the sudden blow.

"S-SORA, RUN!" Hoseok roared as he struggled to get onto his feet. The person raised the metal bar again, so I quickly dashed forward at full speed into the guy- sending him crashing onto the ground. I will not run away like I always did! I'm tired of it!

"HELP! SOMEONE! GUARDS- WHO ARE YOU- ARGH," I yelped in pain when the man rolled over me to press the metal bar against my throat- causing me to choke for air. I couldn't recognize the person because he was wearing a black mask over his face.

"Don't- touch- get off her!" Hoseok dizzily stumbled towards us as the guy proceeded to thrust down on my throat... blocking my airway. Hoseok... go... leave. I wordlessly eyed Hoseok, who was limping towards us.

SMACK. The guy suddenly released me and swung the metal bar hard at Hoseok... sending him into the pool. I frantically sat up to rub my neck in pain and violently coughed the shit out of myself. Where are all the guards?! Why are they always nowhere to be found whenever we're in danger?! SORA! HOSEOK- HE'S UNCONSCIOUS! HE'LL DROWN! I snapped my head towards the pool to find him floating unconsciously in the water. SHIT-

"No- NO- HOSEOK- ARGHHH! I will fucking kill you!" I screamed when the man in the black mask yanked my hair, causing me to fall backward... slamming hard onto the rough ground. I have to save Hoseok- I began thrashing wildly until my hand caught the opposite end of the metal bar.

"ARGHHH!" I screamed, pulling the metal bar from the guy with all my might as he tried to tug it back, but I suddenly slipped, so the sudden force sent the metal bar clanking onto the ground. The guy scrambled for the metal bar, but I quickly jumped onto his back and sunk my teeth into the side of his neck.

"ARGH! ARGH! ARGHHHH!" He cried in pain, attempting to throw me off him, so I tightly secured my legs around his torso and bit harder into his flesh until I tasted his blood in my mouth.

"FUCK!" I yelped when I lost my grip and tumbled hard onto the ground. The guy gripped his bloody neck in pain. I scrambled to my feet and tried to dive into the pool, but the guy roughly hauled me backward with all his might. My head collided hard against the solid ground, sending a sharp spasm of pain throughout my skull. ARGHHHH! I rolled around on the ground, groaning until he flipped me over to face him.

"W-who.... are... you-" I gasped for air when the guy roughly snatched my neck and pinned me down with both his legs to hold me in place. I smacked his arms with all my might, but he wouldn't budge- instead, he tightened his grip around my throat.

Smack. I accidentally gripped the mask and yanked it off to reveal his face. My mind turned completely blank as I stared at the familiar face hovering over mine. No... I can't believe it- Anger erupted inside me the moment I recognized him. My chest swelled in distress when he suddenly stamped my neck with more force. I clawed desperately onto his arms until it bled, but he refused to yield and strangled me harder. I was growing weaker by the second... suffocating from the force around my throat. My vision grew blurrier as I felt the intense pressure on my windpipe. I struggled beneath him until I could no longer hear anything but a static sound ringing in my ears. I fought and resisted- but I was already losing myself to him. There was nothing I could do- but stare lifelessly at the blurry figure hovering above me. All I could feel was the pain ravaging inside my chest as my lungs begged for air. My head pounded in pain from the impact against the pavement. I was hopeless.

Thud. My arms lifelessly drop onto the cold ground... my head numbly flops onto the side... to find Hoseok's body floating in the pool... I'm sorry.