A K-Pop Utopia (A Black Kitty Series, Book 2)

Chapter 44: Off To Hongdae

After telling the rest of the Toxins about the news of Zoey's disappearance, they were now all wide awake and quite frantic. Christine even went ahead to retrieve her phone from her room to try and call Zoey. Mike muttered about how he was going to give Zoey an earful when she got back to the hotel. Daniel, just like me, didn't say much, but the look on his face said it all. He was worried.

"Zoey has gone too far," said Daniel, finally finding his voice.

"All the more reason to find her," said Lee. She had her phone in hand. I wondered if she was also trying to call Zoey.

"Won't Collins be here soon?" Mike asked. "He won't be happy to know that Zoey isn't here."

"He'll be furious," I said. "The question is where she could have gone. Seoul is a big city, and she isn't familiar with the place."

"True," said Lee. "But the thing we know for certain is that she has gone to wherever Johnny is."

"That's a good place to start," said Mike. "Does anyone here know which hotel he could be residing in?"

"We can ask G-Dragon," I said.

Christine came rushing back into the room with her phone in her hand. Had she tried calling Zoey?

"Any luck?" Daniel asked, looking at Christine.

"No," she replied. "Her phone went through, but she didn't pick up."

"If we were back home, tracking her phone wouldn't be a problem with the connections I have," said Lee. "But we're on different territory, and we might just track unwanted attention."

"Well, we just have to stick to the basics, then," I said. I turned to Christine. "Call G-Dragon. If we find Johnny, we might find Zoey."

"I just hope he answers me," Christine said. After finding G-Dragon's line, she called and put the phone to her ear.

The rest of us waited in silence as we all stood, hoping for G-Dragon to answer. Finally, he did. Christine put the phone on loudspeaker for everyone to hear.

"Hey, Christine," came G-Dragon's voice. "I was in the shower. I hope you haven't been calling."

"No, this is the only time I've called," said Christine. "I called to ask you something. Do you know where Johnny is? Is he with you by any chance?"

"Um, no, he isn't. After I came back to my apartment, we both went our separate ways."

"Wait, you've never known where he is staying?"

"Not really. All I know is that he stays at some hotel not very far from my place. Hey, why are you asking about him? Is it about what happened this afternoon? You do know he didn't cut the power, right?"

"Yeah, we know. It was quite disappointing when we found out."

"Well, why are you asking about him? Don't tell me you plan on visiting him."

"We wouldn't even dream of it. Collins already has us on a tight leash."

"Then why ask these questions? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's silly."

"No, tell me. What's going on?"

The rest of us, who were quite like mice, turned to Christine. Lee shook her head, telling her not to tell him about Zoey. Christine looked like she was about to break into a sweat. If there's one thing she's not really good at, it's telling a genuine lie at gunpoint.

"Oh, uh... Zoey here was being paranoid earlier, thinking that Johnny might come for us here like he did at the YG building," Christine lied nervously. "But we tried convincing her that it couldn't happen and that he was far away from us. Plus, we have guards, so he can't go past them."

G-Dragon was silent for a minute, and we thought he hadn't bought it until he started to chuckle. Phew! That was a close one.

"Zoey really is a drama queen," he said. "Tell her that if it makes her feel better, I can come over and she can scratch my face off."

"Wait, you're coming over?" Christine now looked terrified.

"Oh, no. I'm beat for the day. Plus, I need to rest up. There's something I want to work on later. Tell everyone I said hi. As for Zoey, tell her to get a chill pill."

"Oh, I will. Thanks, GD. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Send Sam my kisses."

Christine giggled as she looked at me. I felt like I was about to blow a fuse.

"I will," she answered as she ended the call.

"Well, we've heard him," said Mike. "Johnny is not with GD."

"And we know he still cares about Sam," Lee said teasingly.

"Enough," I said as I threw Lee and Christine a look. They looked like they were going to burst into laughter. "Think. Zoey went out to look for Johnny, but where could she have gone? She couldn't have left without knowing where he was."

"True," said Daniel. "She must have found out about his whereabouts from somewhere or from someone."

My mind clicked, and I soon snapped my fingers. "Social media. She must have seen something there." I turn to Christine, who already has her phone in her hand. "Check Johnny's Instagram account. We might find something there."

Christine went ahead to check, and a few seconds later, she said, "I found something."

"That was quick," said Mike, as he came over to check. "So where is he?"

"He posted where he would be tonight," said Christine as she showed Mike her phone. "It looks like someplace downtown."

"Does he usually post where he goes all the time?" Lee asked.

"Not really," said Mike as he scrolled through Johnny's feed. "Usually the places he posts about have pictures with him in them. His recent post shows a map of where he is going to be for the night."

"Could this be a trap?" I asked without much thought. "It's strange that he could post where he is going to be. Could he have known that one of us might take the bait?"

"Considering how mad Zoey still is about what happened earlier and how dense she could be, then yes," Mike answered with a nod of his head. "She's taken the bait. That's if it was really his plan from the very beginning."

"When we find Zoey, no one should say what Mike said about her being dense," I said.

"Noted," the other three, apart from Mike, responded simultaneously.

"It looks like we have to go there," said Christine as she took her phone from Mike. "But what are we going to do when Collins shows up?"

No sooner had Christine said those words did we hear the sound of the elevator reaching our floor. We all looked at each other, horrified. He's already here.

"Tell him that you guys plan to go out for the night to relax your mind after a long day," said Lee. We could hear footsteps coming in the hall. "He'll believe you."

"And what if he asks about Zoey?" Christine asked.

"We lie as usual," I answered.

"Hey, people," said Collins, standing at the entrance of the lounge. "I expected all of you to be asleep."

"We just woke up," said Daniel as he rubbed his eyes, pretending to be still sleepy.

"Your supper is here," Collins announced as a waiter came in, dragging a trolley filled with lovely delicacies. "And you won't believe who I met downstairs. They were coming up to see you."

"Who?" Mike asked with an eyebrow raised, looking confused. He wasn't the only one.

Two people appeared behind Collins. My mouth dropped in surprise, Christine included. There, standing alongside Collins, were Jimin and Jungkook from BTS.

"Jimin, Jungkook, hi," I said as I approached them. "It's a surprise to see you here."

"We didn't ruin your evening, did we?" Jungkook asked as he came to give me a hug.

"No, not at all," I said after we broke away from each other, and I went on to hug Jimin. Christine came behind to hug Jungkook. "Nothing could be more thrilling than having you guys over."

"Hey, you two!" Mike greeted them as he came to join us. "Nice to see you again. Why didn't you all come, the seven of you?"

"Oh, uh, the others are kind of busy," Jimin answered with a smile on his face. "We thought it would be fun to stop by and say hi."

"Or we can go out for the night," I suggested. "We have had a long day, so we thought it would be best to relax by going somewhere. Would you like to come along?"

I could feel Lee and the others eyes on me. I knew what they were thinking. Going out with Jimin and Jungkook might ruin our chance of finding Zoey ourselves. But there's another benefit to all this, and I'm not going to let that slip. With Jimin and Jungkook, who know Seoul very well, finding the place will be a piece of cake.

"I like the idea," said Daniel. "That's if it's fine with Collins."

"If you're going out to have fun, then fine by me," said Collins. "Just be careful. By the way, where is Zoey?"

"I left her in the shower," I lied. "She has one of those headaches again."

"Oh, the kind that leaves her in the shower forever," said Collins. "Make sure to come back before midnight. You still need to rest for tomorrow."

"I'll make sure they will," said Lee.

"Good, I don't want you guys having too much fun. I already had supper, so if you need me, I'll be in my room."

This is perfect. With Collins out of the way, getting out of here without Zoey won't be an issue. Now we have to tell Jimin and Jungkook. We can't find Zoey without them.

Collins went to his room, and the rest of us went on to eat supper, offering Jimin and Jungkook to join us, which they did. While we ate and chatted joyfully around the table, I kept thinking about how to tell the two without causing much alarm.

"Hey, is Zoey going to come out of the shower?" Jungkook asked. "It looks like she's been in there for too long."

I chuckled nervously as he sat opposite me at the table. "You see, the thing is, Zoey isn't in her room right now."

Both Jimin and Jungkook looked at me, surprised by what I had just said.

"Are you saying you lied to Collins?" Jimin asked as he kept his voice down. It looked like he knew perfectly well the intensity of the situation.

"Yes," said Lee. "We were about to head out to look for her when Collins arrived with you two."

"Oh, so that's why you want us to hang out," said Jungkook. "You want to go out and look for her."

"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head as I continued to laugh nervously. "We didn't want to use you like this, but since you know Seoul so well, you might help us out without Collins knowing."

"I don't mind," said Jungkook as he shrugged his shoulders. "As long as we get to hang out."

"Thanks, you two are lifesavers," said Christine, almost squealing in delight.

"Okay, but why did Zoey run away?" Jimin asked.

"She's angry," Mike answered. "But at someone, and she's out looking for him. We'll explain in more detail once we hit the road."

"Okay, now that that is settled, eat up," said Lee. "We're going to need all the energy we can get."

As soon as we were done with our supper, the rest of us Toxins went to quickly prepare ourselves to go out. I checked on the little black kitten and found it wide awake. I made sure to leave it some milk and closed the door so that it wouldn't wander off. Before we left, Christine and I went to Collins' room to tell him that we were leaving. We found him working on his laptop while he sat on his bed. He gave us a glance and waved to us, telling us that we should be careful out there. We told him we would and closed the door.

When we were all in the elevator, we were now free to talk.

"So where can Zoey be?" Jimin asked.

Christine, who had her phone in her hand, showed him Johnny's photo on his Instagram feed. "Here," she said. "She probably saw this and thought of going there to find him."

"Wow, the guy was really clear about his location," said Jungkook, who also took a look at the photo. "But we know the place. The problem is, there will probably be a lot of people there, and they will spot us the minute we get there."

"Great," said Mike. The elevator now came to a stop, and the doors flew open. We all walked out into the lobby. "Do we have to wear masks or what?"

"Exactly," said Jimin as he chuckled.

"Masks?" Christine asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Not a mask that covers your whole face," said Lee. "He means the surgical face masks. If they don't want their admirers to recognise them, many Korean celebrities choose to move around like that. But some with very distinctive features might not always get away with it."

"And these two just happen to be with one of them," I said as we stopped in the middle of the lobby, looking at Jimin and Jungkook.

"Don't worry, we have jumpers with hoodies, so it will be easy to hide our faces," said Jimin.

"I suggest we get glasses too," said Lee.

"I agree," said Christine.

"This is going to be fun," said Mike with a snicker. "I feel like we're going undercover."

"I know," said Daniel. "But we have to be careful. I feel Johnny won't only be expecting Zoey there."

"Yeah, you're right," I said. "Let's be on our toes."

"Who is this, Johnny guy?" Jungkook asked. "You talk like he's bad news."

"He is," said Christine. "I'll explain on the way. The sooner we get on the road, the better."

"If you say so," said Jimin. "And I know the perfect place to get masks and glasses to hide our appearance."

Without wasting any time, we all made our way out of the hotel, with the car waiting for us on the driveway. When we got in, Jungkook told the driver exactly where to go.

***

Narrator's P.O.V:

"I should have prepared myself for this," said Mino as he looked around the place filled with people this early in the evening.

"I told you not to come with me," said Zoey as she also looked around. Unlike Mino, she had a hoodie over her head and sunglasses on that hid her face. If people noticed Mino, no doubt they would also be able to pinpoint her.

"Let me get myself a mask," said Mino as he looked around the colourful shops that lined up the brightly lit Hongdae Street.

"Please do," said Zoey as she looked around. There were so many people, but so far, no one recognized them. "The last thing I need is a whole mob of fans chasing me down."

With so many stores around, it wasn't difficult for Mino to find a mask and sunglasses. Lucky enough, the man he bought them from didn't seem to recognize them, which was even better.

"Are you ready?" Mino asked after he wore the mask and the glasses.

She gave a nod of her head, and they made their way down the vibrant street of Hongdae.

Zoey couldn't help but look in awe as there were many stores, open bars, and restaurants. Not to mention the brightly coloured signs that were quite attractive to the human eye. There were many people buying things, some having a good meal at a restaurant, and others in the bar they had just passed that had a live band performing. So much was going on that Zoey couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by what she saw.

"Wow, this place is so lively," she said to Mino beside her. "I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one place."

"I'm surprised you haven't come here yet," said Mino, raising his eyebrows behind his glasses. "If you are a night owl, this is the perfect place to be in Seoul."

Mino went on to explain how the street got its name from Hongik University, which happens to be an Arts college just near there. The art prowess of the school is how the street came to be showcasing all kinds of arts, from street music performers to dancers, as well as urban arts and underground club culture. Not to mention the graffiti murals painted all around the streets, which Zoey couldn't help but notice were quite fascinating. There were also many clothing and vintage stores.

"This place really is something," said Zoey as she noticed a performer with a guitar in front of a store. He gathered quite a crowd who listened to his beautiful singing.

"It's good I came with you then," said Mino. "There is so much here that you can easily get lost. And the club Johnny will be going to happens to be really popular."

"Oh, I was going to ask around for a famous club. How hard could that be?"

Mino chuckled at how gullible she was. "That's the thing, Zoey. There are so many clubs here, no one can tell which is the best even if you were to ask."

"Huh." Zoey didn't know what to say. "Then it's good you did come with me."

"While we are at it, we can check things out too."

"Good idea. Maybe we can get something to eat. I just realized that I haven't eaten yet."

"Great, I know just the place to get the best meat."

"Seriously? Is that all you're thinking of?" Zoey raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, they serve other tasty foods too."

Zoey stopped walking and folded her arms, looking at Mino. Mino stopped to look at her. "What's with you guys and meat anyway?" she asked.

"It's tasty," Mino answered slowly, hoping that that would be a reasonable answer for her.

"Let's go. We still have time to goof around before we go to the club."

Mino smiled. "Now that's what I'm talking about." He quickly took Zoey's hand and dragged her along with him to God knows where.

***

Sam's P.O.V:

Lee entered the car from the front and started to hand out the sunglasses she had just bought from a store. We were apparently close to the Hongdae neighbourhood. Not only that, we had no idea that the place was also close to YG Entertainment. We decided to put on our masks from afar so as not to attract attention. Jimin and Jungkook had already warned us that Hongdae is a very popular place and usually crowded at night, so it will be best not to be seen wearing them.

"I bought some scarves for those who don't have hoodies," said Lee, handing over some scarves.

"Good," said Christine, who sat behind her and got a pink scarf. "Some of us didn't think of wearing hoodies tonight."

"The scarves will do great," I said, as I passed over a black scarf to Daniel, who sat in the back seat. He took it and wrapped it around his neck, partly covering his face as he already had a black surgical mask and glasses on.

"How do I look?" he asked me.

"Remove the mask," I said. "Those big, dark glasses will hide your face just fine."

Jimin, who sat next to me, had his hoodie over his head and a black face mask on. He decided to put on the dark glasses, and he turned to look at me.

"What about me?" Jimin asked.

"Perfect incognito," I said. With the large hoodie over his head, you couldn't even recognize him. I also have a hoodie, and I started to wonder if it would be able to hide my face.

I put the face mask on and the hoodie over my head. "Do I need to wear glasses or put on a scarf?" I asked Jimin.

He looked at me and said, "You look just fine. No one would recognize you with just your eyes."

Lee put on a scarf around her head and wore sunglasses. If you didn't know her very well, you wouldn't even recognize her.

"Wow, Lee," said Mike from the back seat. "You look like someone's aunt."

Lee frowned at him. "You really know how to compliment someone, don't you, Mike?"

"These dark glasses might make me look like a stinkbug." Mike laughed

Everyone turned to look at him, and Jungkook, who sat next to him, said, "You honestly look fine to me." Jungkook had on a mask, glasses and a hoodie over his head.

"I bet I look like someone's aunt, too," said Christine, as she also dressed herself like Lee.

"No need for me to say it then," said Mike, as he snickered onward.

"Okay, it looks like we are all ready to go," I said, trying my best not to laugh at Mike's joke. "I think it will be best if the driver drops us off close to the street."

Everyone agreed, and the driver took us a little closer to Hongdae, parking across the street. It didn't take a minute to realize that it's such a busy and popular place, as I saw all kinds of people in different age groups walk around casually, visiting some of the stores we happened to see first on the street. Jimin and Jungkook weren't joking about this place. We'd all need to keep our eyes peeled if we were going to find Zoey in this crowd.

"Goodness," said Lee as she looked out the window. "If we weren't out looking for Zoey, this would've been the perfect time to chill and do some shopping. I've seen some lovely dresses in that store."

"Zoey does owe us some quality shopping time," said Christine as she also looked out of the window, sounding envious.

"Let's not get too distracted," I said, knowing fully well how they felt. "If we find Zoey before she meets Johnny, we can do whatever we want. Providing that we have to keep an eye on her."

"Okay, let's go," said Lee as she stepped out of the car.

Christine opened the door to the passenger side and got out first, followed by Jimin and me. I wasn't only greeted by the cold night air, but there was also a certain vibing aura about the place. Something tells me that this vibrant place is the place to be when you want to have fun or a late night out.

"Are you ready to go?" Jungkook, who stood next to me, asked. Daniel had just closed the car door behind him.

Gosh, I wish we were only here to have a good time. But I had to keep my mind focused on finding Zoey. I hope the others can tone down their enthusiasm until we find her. That's if she hasn't caused any trouble yet.

I gave him a nod. "Yes, you two lead the way," I said.

We crossed the road towards the loud and vibrant Hongdae Street.