ACT 2:
HE RAN INTO
MY KNIFE

Chaeyoung finds Jimin's possessiveness endearing.

College has always been the place to be if you wanted to search for your significant other. At least to Chaeyoung it was, especially if you're surrounded by future professionals that'll probably have ten zeros in their bank accounts in the next ten years. If you happen to find one that's doing extremely good in their studies, well, your future is already secured.

Chaeyoung just so happens to cross paths with Park Jimin, an architecture student who's two years older than her in some boring college party. Unlike most guys, he's shy, timid, but he possesses a smile that makes her insides feel warm. Not only that, he's sweet, too, with the way he blushes at every unfunny joke she tells him, and the way his cheeks just puff out when he's drunk.

And Chaeyoung likes sweet things, so who was she to ignore him?

It starts like this: he began to slip handwritten notes in one of her finance books during the end of a particular Wednesday, and the next day after that, and the next, until it became a habit. It's always filled with you did well today :) or please be safe <3 and the words PJM at the bottom left corner.

It's cute, to say the least, and gives her a spark of inspiration to get by.

Just when she thought he couldn't get more adorable, though, he proves her wrong.

Lunch time at a random Monday, they meet at their usual spot by the corner table in the cafeteria, with Jimin already waiting with boxes of take-out Chinese food and sizzling sodas in front of him.

Chaeyoung saunters over, a grin already in her lips as she sits next to him. Her eyes doesn't miss the odd slump of his shoulders, nor the occasional glare in his eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jimin grumbles back, handing her the disposable chopsticks. "I got these from Panda Express."

Chaeyoung ignores his last comment. "C'mon, spit it out, Min," she scoffs and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know there's something wrong."

He lets out a sigh and puts his hand over hers. "I just heard Jaehyun back in the men's restroom a while ago, said he's planning on asking you out on a date."

"Jaehyun? Jung Jaehyun?"

"Yeah, that prick," Jimin practically sneers.

Chaeyoung cackles, slapping his thigh, and his face breaks into a flustered grin. "Oh my god, you sound like you're jealous, Min."

"Isn't it obvious, Chaeng?" There's still a hint of distaste on his voice, but the grin stays on his face. "Besides, I like you."

"Don't worry, if it makes you feel better, I'll make sure to reject him if he does go on with his plan," she assures him. "That fine with you?"

The smile that she gets in return is dazzling.

Jaehyun does ask her out weeks later, in the midst of a lecture hall in the business building. Of course, Chaeyoung sticks to her word. She denies the invitation.

Chaeyoung finds Jimin's possessiveness attractive.

Graduation rolls by months later. Jimin graduates as the top of his class as expected, and Chaeyoung decides to treat him to a five star restaurant as a celebration. She isn't always this extravagant, but seeing her boyfriend work so hard the past year just makes her a bit teary eyed. He deserves everything, really.

She's proud to say that she's been with him while he battled against deadlines and plates and AutoCad. She was by his side as he drank his ninth coffee cup at 1am in the morning the day before his finals, and she has become his shoulder to cry on when thinks got too tough.

A constant pillar of support, that's who she is.

"I'd like to get a saffron risotto with forest mushrooms, please," Chaeyoung tells the waiter with a brilliant smile. Jimin's across her, skimming through the menu. "What do you want, babe?"

He hums, and finally looks up. She doesn't fail to miss the slight raise of his brow when he catches the waiter staring at her. "An East Lothian beef with braised truffle barley sounds good."

The waiter nods. "Noted, ma'am, sir. Your order will arrive in twenty minutes. I'll come back with the appetizer in a little while, please excuse me."

"Thank you," she says before the waiter trudges to the other side of the room. When her eyes meet that of her boyfriend's, she scrunches her brows. "What?"

Jimin suddenly stands up and takes her hand. "Let's go somewhere."

"But our food--"

"It'll be a quick trip, don't worry."

She relents, hesitantly following her boyfriend to one corner of the room. The words restroom pulses with light atop one passage, and they get inside the small hallway before coming face to face with a unisex comfort room.

Ah, she finally pieces everything together, he's going to--

Just when she thinks she guessed right, he takes her hand and pushes her softly inside the space, following right after.

Chaeyoung frowns when Jimin locks the door behind him. "What are you doing?" Her voice echoes around the four walls of the restroom.

"The guy won't stop staring at you," he replies simply and grabs her face with his hands, pulling her into a searing kiss.

Their lips slant together perfectly that Chaeyoung forgets what she's about to say. She nips at his bottom lip, asking for more. Jimin hands travel from her face to her waist, squeezing the flesh softly. At the slight action, she whimpers, and he takes this as the chance to slide his tongue into hers and lick the roof of her mouth.

She lets out a breathless laugh when Jimin trails open mouthed kisses down her neck. "And we're really doing this in a public restroom?"

He chuckles, breathing fanning on her skin. "I didn't say we were doing it."

Chaeyoung's about to ask another question when he sucks at the juncture between her neck and her shoulder, and a quiet moan escapes her lips. She tangles her hands in Jimin's hair as his teeth grazes against her skin and sucks harder this time.

"All done," he murmurs after pulling away, admiring her neck with a tilt of his lips. "Look."

She turns her head to the mirror to see a hickey blooming just underneath her pulse point. Rolling her eyes, she says, "Really, babe?"

Jimin silently laughs at this. She relishes the way his eyes twinkle under the soft restroom light. "Really. Now let's eat."

Chaeyoung just snorts quietly, but smiles nonetheless.

When they return to their table, the waiter doesn't dare look into her eyes again, much to Jimin's satisfaction.

Chaeyoung finds Jimin's possessiveness odd.

Company parties aren't always Chaeyoung's favourite events. The amount of socialising one has to do for the entire night drains all the energy from her, but her fiancé Jimin had insisted for her to go.

She isn't an easy woman by all means, but under Jimin's touch, she instantly turns pliant.

And she goes.

As soon as they arrive at the venue--in a hotel right at the outskirts of Yongsan-gu--Jimin's hand never strays away from the small of her back. Chaeyoung appreciates the action of course, knowing very vell that he's protective of her in events like this, especially with new people around.

For the first part of the night, he goes through all the greetings. He greets his co-workers, his boss, everyone he meets along the way, but he never lets go of her even if he introduces her to his peers.

It's... nice, she eventually thinks to herself. But a strange feeling sits in the pit of her belly, although she doesn't indulge it. This isn't the time nor place for doubts.

Jimin was engaged in a deep conversation with his friend when Chaeyoung's throat starts to feel dry from all the talking. She carefully pushes him away, her bracelets clinking in the process. "Babe, I'll go to the bar for a bit. I'll be back--"

He cuts her off quickly. "No, stay here." His hand curls around her waist tightly. "Don't go anywhere."

She frowns at the sudden grip. "I'm thirsty."

"Let's go together then," Jimin replies simply. "I'll be back, gentlemen," he tells his friends as they wave him goodbye. Chaeyoung follows him as they make a beeline towards the bar, but keeps her mouth shut. Her fiancé is acting a bit more antsy than usual, she notes. It's strange.

He orders them drinks--a Martini for her and whiskey on the rocks for him. They sit in relative silence, mostly because she doesn't know how to initiate a conversation--not when Jimin was so adamant to come with her a while ago.

Jesus, she was just going to get a drink and then go back to him. It wasn't like she's going to escape.

Soon after, she feels her bladder kick in. The hell, she hasn't gone to the restroom ever since they arrived. Chaeyoung stands up from her seat and places her drink on the bar counter in a hurry, the feeling of dread overcoming her bit by bit. "I need to go to the restroom."

She moves, not expecting Jimin to follow her, but she instantly feels a hand encircling her wrist after she takes a couple of steps.

"I'll go with you."

A frustrated sigh leaves her lips. Does he think of her as a child?

"Jimin, babe, just--"

Her bladder does something that had her clenching her legs in the process. Shit, she drank too much, the Martini was just the cherry on top. Great.

"Never mind, let's just go." Chaeyoung decides, pulling his wrist and dragging him to the nearby restroom. She can talk with him later.

The party died down after a couple of hours, and she finds herself back in their Benz in no time with the engine purring softly as she waits for Jimin. If she's honest, the event was actually good, better than what her own company throws. The food was great, the drinks were wonderful, and the venue was just right for the occasion.

One thing she couldn't get her mind off of though, was how Jimin kept her close with him throughout the rest of the night.

It's odd, really, how he wouldn't even let her leave his side even for a second. Did he really think she would frolick around when she barely knew anyone?

She heaves out a sigh when Jimin enters the car and her dilemma suddenly disappears when he places a soft kiss on her cheek.

Maybe she's just over thinking it.

Chaeyoung finds Jimin's possessiveness uncomfortable.

The online shopping community has been thriving in Seoul recently, with online platforms offering discounts for delivery through coupons and star points for every $15 purchase. Of course, Chaeyoung couldn't help but join in on the trend.

She didn't really want to, but then her friends kept on showing her their recent purchases ("Chaeng-ah, look at this mochi machine, it's so handy!") so she'd just sit there and watch as they all brag about how they can make dozens of mochi batches per day without breaking a sweat.

Sooner or later she found herself scrolling through Amazon for that damn mochi maker and along the way, she saw a discounted vintage YSL shirt, a cheap little purse, a pair of that new Nike training shoes, an authentic wool blanket, and before she knew it, she's got a full cart of items with a worth of $1,000.

Okay, so she went overboard. It's fine. She just got distracted. It won't happen again.

When the shipping company texted her one particular morning that her parcels were due to arrive today, she was more than excited. She's currently outside the apartment complex, observing the parcel tracker on her phone as the little dot got closer and closer to her location.

A hand suddenly snakes on her waist.

Chaeyoung jumps in surprise, and when she looks up, she meets the amused eyes of her husband, Jimin.

"Hey," she scolds him, but settles into his touch anyway. His other hand fiddles to loose the tie on his throat, and she automatically reaches up to do it for him. "Don't scare me like that."

He smiles down at her, eyes forming to the shape of crescent moons. "Couldn't help it. Why are you here anyway?"

"I'm waiting for my package." She shows him the tracker on her phone and watches as his eyes skim the app. "It's about to arrive in a few--"

"Excuse me, but are you Park Chaeyoung?"

Like a kid on a Christmas day, she yelps in excitement. "Oh my god, yes! Are these my parcels?" Her mouth drops at the handful of bags on the delivery man's arms. She didn't know she ordered that much, holy shit.

The man grunts, but tries to keep the smile on his face. "Yes, uh, can you take it?"

"Oh, of course, I forgot," she sheepishly says. She slowly gets the ones on the top and tips her head at the remaining. "Babe, help me."

Jimin rolls his eyes but obeys her anyway, taking the parcels out of the man's arms. "You ordered a lot, baby. What the hell are inside these?"

"Some goodies," she chirps as she signs the papers with one hand. "Thank you so much for coming all the way here. Keep safe!"

The man takes the papers from her and bows. "Thank you, ma'am."

Somehow, despite the parcels in his arms, Jimin manages to put a protective hand around her waist. She doesn't say anything about how tight his grip is, and just let him be.

He's always likes this.

Chaeyoung didn't keep her promise. She ordered more.

The thing with online shopping is that it's addictive; there are discounts for certain dates, coupons for selective purchases, and new releases that she couldn't just resist it. It's like being stuck in a haze; she doesn't know what she's doing until she's already typing in her credit card number and pressing the small Confirm button at the corner of the screen.

And, like before, she waits at the lobby for her new purchase--specifically that foot massager that she just wanted to get her hands on. She figures that Jimin will need it, seeing as his feet sometimes hurt whenever he comes home from the office.

The delivery man arrives earlier than expected and luckily, it's the same one from before so Chaeyoung had a sense of familiarity. There's no awkward air between them this time, and they're able to exchange names.

The process is smooth, as usual, and before she knows it, she's already signing the papers with a beam on her face. The delivery man--he said his name is Hoseok--mirrors her own smile with his heart-shaped lips that she beams even wider.

"Lord, I can't wait to try this," she tells him, hands palming the package to try and feel the box. "Did you know it was on sale? It's a lucky thing that I got on the site early."

"Not to be rude, ma'am, but are you planning on ordering more?" Hoseok asks while putting on his helmet. "You know, you can always contact me to personally deliver your packages if you want. I have access to our inventory so if you want yours to be delivered ASAP, you can send me a text."

Oh, Chaeyoung likes that idea a lot.

Without a doubt, she gives him her number and he accepts it gratefully. She bids him goodbye as he hops on to his bike and rides away to deliver more packages around the area.

Jimin abruptly appears as soon as she turns around, and the hard look on his face makes her uneasy. She doesn't comment on it, only gives him a quick peck on the lips and follows him to the lift. They both ride the elevator in silence, until he speaks.

"Babe, I have to tell you something." His voice sounds deep, gravelly. Maybe it's because of work, she thinks. The lift moves upward and she watches when he leans back into the mirrored wall.

Chaeyoung tilts her head in curiosity, gripping the package tighter. "Yeah? What is it? Hard day at the company?"

His next words surprised her. "Don't talk to that man again." The tone is firm, as if he's thought about it a lot.

She stops completely because what the hell. Hoseok? A delivery man? "Huh? Why?" She'd only seen the guy twice, for Christ's sake, and they only said a few words to each other.

"Just don't," Jimin says in finality and the elevator stops on their floor. He walks ahead of her, and Chaeyoung could only hold back the question that's on the tip of her tongue. "What's for dinner?"

Just like that, the topic was never discussed again.

Chaeyoung finds Jimin's possessiveness stifling.

"Thanks, Chaeyoung!" Hoseok chirps, placing a huge brown box on her hands. A few weeks have passed since that conversation in the elavator, and she thinks that it's now alright for everything to go back to normal again.

Or so she thinks.

He gives Chaeyoung one last grin after she hands him the delivery papers and she watches as he heads off to his delivery truck, waving at her while he drives off to the distance.

Only when he's out of sight that she returns back to their apartment, dropping the package atop the table in the living room and heading to the kitchen to finish what she's been doing.

"I saw that."

She freezes at the sound of Jimin's voice from the dining area. "Saw what, babe?" Acting nonchalant, she goes back to the chopping board and picks up the previously discarded meat carving knife.

"You and that delivery guy."

A spark of frustration lights up inside her. Exasperated, she sighs, "Here we go again, Jimin."

Jimin doesn't seem to get the memo. "I told you to stay away from him."

"Jesus, he's only delivering the package that I ordered." She grabs another chicken breast and cuts it into cubes. "What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you don't see how he's flirting with you!"

Now this, this makes her cackle. "Flirting? What are you on? Hoseok has always been friendly to me, never flirty because he knows I have a husband. He literally saw you the first day he delivered my packages."

Her husband crosses his arms, clearly not convinced. "Oh, so you're using the first name basis now?" His voice grows impatient, almost snarling. "Is that what you're saying, Chaeyoung?"

"Jimin, what the hell is all this?" Chaeyoung finally drops the knife and faces him, rage evident in her eyes. "There's nothing between us!"

"That's not what it seems."

She snaps. "He's just a delivery guy for fuck's sake, stop it."

"Stop it or what?"

"Or else..." she licks her lips. "Or else I'm going to leave." She doesn't mean it of course, but if Jimin decides to act like she's some toy he owned, she'll raise hell to him.

"Ah, I see what's happening," he laughs, humourless, "you're leaving me because of him, aren't you?"

She slaps her hand on the counter, raising her voice to the point where she's almost screaming. "We are over this fucking discussion, there is nothing between us! What more do I have to say?!"

"No, I know there's something else," Jimin insists as he walks over to her, "tell me."

"There's nothing, oh my god!"

"Tell me or I'll force you to." He's inches away now, and only then Chaeyoung feels the waves of anger surrounding him. It's too strong that it almost chokes the air out of her.

"Jimin, I swear on my fucking life. You're taking this way out of context."

He roughly grabs her arm and snarls into her face, "Really?"

"Shit-- Jimin that fucking hurts!" She yelps in pain, attempting to pull away but his grip tightens. "Let go of me, you sick bastard!"

"I will if you tell me the truth."

"I've been saying it!" Tears start to gather in her eyes at Jimin's death grip. She could feel his nails forming marks at the back of her arms, intensifying the pain. "Jimin, Jimin, stop. It hurts, please."

He shakes his head. "I don't think so."

"You're a fucking dick, do you know that? You're making me so uncomfortable, stop this!" Something glimmers in behind Jimin's back. The knife, she's suddenly reminded.

"You're mine, Chaeyoung, embed that in your mind." While he's speaking, her free hand crawls towards the sharp carving knife from the chopping board. "You're mine and only mine, you got that? Only m--"

When she takes ahold of the handle, she doesn't hesitate to stab him.

It makes a squelching sound as the knife pierces through his abdomen, and both her and Jimin stop to stare at the crimson liquid slowly seeping from his white shirt.

"Babe..." he whispers in shock, hand loosening its grip on her arm.

She pulls the knife sharply, eliciting a pained moan from him and stabs it into his heart once more--deeply.

No, no, this isn't enough, her mind was telling her. More, more, more. A sudden adrenaline rush enters her body that she forgets the throbbing of her arm for a moment, and she feels electricity practically buzzing from her fingertips. More.

And so she stabs,

and stabs,

and stabs,

and stabs,

and stabs,

until she's enjoying hearing Jimin's pleads and screams for help, until she sees mouthful of blood dribbling from his lips to his chin, until she's fully ruined the clean dress shirt she ironed for him hours ago, until her husband falls on his knees.

Chaeyoung doesn't hesitate and lowers down to his level, only to stab him again and again, until his screams lowers down to silence, and only then she realizes that her hands weren't saved from what she'd done. They're covered in blood, and there are speckles of it on her floral dress. Quite a contrast.

The adrenaline leaves her, then. She sits next to her husband's almost unrecognisable body, the edges of her dress touching the pool of blood that formed around him.

She's always admired his features: his plump cheeks, thick lips, lean muscle, everything. But when she looks at him this time, she doesn't even know if it's really him. His face is covered with numerous cuts, still fresh. His arms, his chest, his stomach... she couldn't see past all the blood.

Chaeyoung looks up at the counter top, at the forgotten chicken, and sighs to herself.

"You should've minded your own business, Min."