"You don't—" he began, but then paused, choosing his words carefully. "Haneul, don't be afraid. But you must trust me, when I say, it's tricky. All you need to know is that I am in a war."

"A war" The word swarmed in her head one after another to finally tie to one conclusion in her mind.
Haneul was so terrified that it felt as if she was covered by a layer of ice. "What do you mean a war?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What kind of war?"

Jungkook's gaze turned intense, a storm brewing in his eyes. "There are people who want to hurt my family... to take what is ours. And I cannot allow that. You must stay here until this is settled and I can guarantee your safety. But once I regain control, you will be free to go. I promise."

Haneul narrowed her eyes as skepticism crept into her gaze. "And what exactly is your word worth, Mr. Jeon?"

A flicker of discomfort crossed Jungkook's face. "I'd prefer if you wouldn't call me that. Mr. Jeon is my father..." The title seemed to bear down on him heavily; it bore burdens and expectations he seemed unwilling to carry.

Haneul furrowed her brow in confusion. If his father still lived, then why was Jungkook the supposed head of the family? But before she could express herself, Jungkook spoke again with firmness in his tone, "Here's how things stand; follow all my orders, obey everything I say, and you'll be safe from me. After which time period of silence ranging from one week to two weeks passes by...you are free to go away from here; if at all when you want so."

At that moment there was a slight grin tugging at one corner of his mouth while there was mischief dancing within his eyes. 

The wink he threw her made Haneul scoff in disbelief. "Jungkook, I'm not going to change my mind."

"Oh well... it was worth a shot, right?" His tone was light, but there was a hint of disappointment in his voice, as if he had been hoping for a different answer.

Haneul tilted her head slightly, studying his expression. "Was it just me imagination, or did he actually seem... disappointed?"

"Jungkook, please," she urged, her voice softening. "Just tell me... what's changed in the last hour?"

Jungkook shrugged, a casual gesture that masked the tension in the room. He picked up the remote and flipped through the channels until an image of Magnolia Springs General Hospital appeared on the screen—the very place where Haneul worked.

"You might want to see this, Haneul," Jungkook said quietly, his voice laced with a grim seriousness.

On the television, a news reporter spoke urgently. "Police have just confirmed that a local gang fight erupted inside and outside Magnolia Springs General Hospital... with multiple shots fired, resulting in numerous casualties. We have no information yet on how the fight began, but what we do know is that it concluded somewhere on the second floor of the hospital itself."

Haneul's breath caught in her throat. "Oh my God..." she whispered, horror and disbelief crashing over her like a wave. The events of the night replayed in her mind, a chaotic blur of fear and violence, now splashed across the evening news.

"And—wait, hold on!" The news anchor's voice rose with sudden urgency. "This just in! Police have confirmed that aside from the casualties, the Head of Trauma, Dr. Haneul, is still unaccounted for."

Haneul's eyes widened in shock as a large, unflattering image of herself filled the screen. Panic gripped her, a cold, metallic taste flooding her mouth. "That's... that's me!"

The anchor continued, "Police are requesting that if you have seen this woman or have any information about her whereabouts, to call 911 but do not approach. The men linked with her disappearance are armed and incredibly dangerous."

Haneul's heart pounded in her chest, the reality of her situation sinking in with terrifying clarity. "Oh God! They know I'm missing!"

Jungkook watched her carefully, his expression unreadable. As he put the TV on standby, the room fell into a heavy silence.

"So, as you can see, this changes things a bit," Jungkook said calmly, as if discussing something as mundane as the weather.

Haneul's voice broke with desperation. "You have to let me go!"

But Jungkook's reply came immediately and caught him off guard. He sprang up, moving with precision and intention like he was putting his hand on her cheek firmly drawing her eyes back to him. "For clarity sake... Haneul, I don't have to do anything." The fact is you are the one exposed by this situation, and if we let you go—"

"The police will eventually find me!" Haneul interrupted, urgency in her voice.

Jungkook laughed darkly; an inflectionless laughter that sent chills down Hanuel's spine. "Is that really what you think baby?"

She maintained her rebellious spirit as best she could. "Then there would be charges against you for kidnapping plus many more!"

Haneul's desperate words hung amidst uncertainty and fragility of breath; however, instead of understanding which she desired most Jungkook only gave her a broad grin such as one that connotes amusement.

"You do not know me very well at all Haneul," he said in an ominous tone. "But perhaps I will go talk to the cops."

Haneul's hope dimmed. "Really?"

"Yes," responded Jungkook almost carelessly. "And I would inform them that you simply chose to take a little... break."

The heaviness of her condition strikes too heavily inside her gaps like rocks falling down from mountains into chasms below. With shaking hands raised before her face trembling with fear she asked, "You can do that?"

"Oh sweetheart..." Jungkook's voice was deep and frightening, and it made Haneul's skin crawl. "You have no idea what I am capable of doing."

Tension grew thicker in the air; therefore, the effect was that every breath grew heavier than the previous one. A constant dull ache was what set Haneul's insides in an uproar and made her feel like something terrible lay ahead. Jungkook extended his hand and gently rubbed her lips with his thumb which was surprising.

"Do you feel that?" he asked, his voice a whisper that sent a shiver down her spine. "The rush of adrenaline, that gnawing feeling that danger is near? That's a good thing. It'll keep you safe. And you know what. You should fear me."

Haneul's breath momentarily seized within her throat. "Me? Afraid of you? Where did you get the idea?"

Jungkook gazed at her with those penetrating eyes that had a twinkle of understanding. "You could say it is pure instinct."

She let out a scoff intending to cover up the panic with bravado. "Yeah? Well, I think you are shit," 

His laughter was deep and almost derisive. "The joke is on you, sweetheart. Wait until after some days."

Just then, chills crept down Haneul's back due to what he had said; she felt as if something heavy was resting a top of her like an obese person lying down on her body.

"So that's it? Mr. Enigmatic?" she asked him.

Jungkook chuckled again before inhaling deeply; his demeanor shifting. As he moved away, the understanding madness that held them captive in time became apparent. Psychologically and emotionally, it clung to them like a second skin. To shield herself from the storm inside, Haneul wrapped her arms around her body

"Not so much," Jungkook said, his voice lowering an octave. "It seems there is a mole in the family."

Haneul's heart skipped a beat. "You mean like... someone who's feeding people intel about you?"

"Exactly," Jungkook confirmed, his gaze hardening. "I was ambushed tonight... and the only people who knew my location live within these walls. No one gets out of here until we find out who." 

A surge of anxiety twisted in Haneul's gut. "But... what does that have to do with me?"

Jungkook furrowed his brow and exhaled sharply as if to express frustration. "That's for me to understand, sweetheart. And maybe, just maybe, you can stay here for months or even years."

Haneul felt her blood run cold. Just thinking about being trapped in this nightmare for so long was unbearable. "You're sick!" she spat back angrily raising her voice. "One day soon, someone is going to screw you over so badly that you will regret being born!"

For a moment there was an almost imperceptible flinch from Jungkook whose eyes darkened somehow inserting him into an empty shell of himself completely devoid of feeling as if all signs of hurt had vanished instantly replaced by unflinching sarcasm "Are you done talking?"

Haneul was caught off guard by the vulnerability in his expression. She had no idea it would be so much real, but she could not back down. He can't keep her locked up there forever.

"Come on now, Haneul," Jungkook said very tiredly. "It's late, and I want to sleep."

Haneul crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah, well, I'm not tired."

Jungkook's patience appeared to fray as he let out a heavy sigh and his face hardened. "Damn it, Haneul! Enough already! You know what? Sleep or don't sleep, see if I care!"

With that he turned away from her, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Haneul watched him; her own exhaustion finally catching up at last when the adrenaline began to lower down. She slumped back against the couch while looking at the locked door.

"Great... what should I do?" she thought with fear and confusion swirling in her head. "I am kind of tired."

Jungkook's reserved sigh disrupted her chain of thoughts. She raised her eyes to find him reclining against the wall, arms stretched out, his face displaying no expression.

"Haneul," he said in a whisper, almost like a gentle voice "Come here and join me... else you could sleep on the couch."

The proposition just hung there, and Haneul felt her cheeks turning red due to embarrassment. She tried to figure out what he meant. "J-Join you?!" she stammered under pressure; feeling her face getting h otter.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Word count: 1697
©Novelist_Susanna
31/08/2024