savage kingdom | jj project

60⇢first hunt

Chaos would have been an understatement to describe what went down inside the Park Mansion a day after the disappearance of Jinyoung. At first, Jihoon thought it was just another act of his problematic son sulking in his room, moping over his life decisions perhaps but when he climbed upstairs, the scenario was startling.

"Where is you brother Jimin?" 

And Jimin was put at the center of a circle formed by his parents and cops who didn't waste much time to grill Jimin in the best possible way.

"I don't know," said the sixteen year old boy.

"Please darling, if you know where Jinyoung went tell the cops. They will bring him home. Please," Mrs. Park took that opportunity to drop down her honey sweetened voice on Jimin, hoping he might spill some beans without the usage of harsher methods.

"I am sorry. I don't know," Jimin bowed his head, counting the patterns and lines on his sneakers as he overheard a clamorous discussion uprising around him.

Park Jihoon lost his patience with his youngest. He stormed at him, a hand lifted in the air, ready to slap and make Jimin spit some answers because sure as hell, Jihoon knew what his sons were made up of. The senior police officer stopped him right on time and Jimin stayed put, albeit shaking inside his skin.

"If you do that, he just might not say anything at all Mr. Park. So let me handle this," the officer stepped into Jimin's personal space after Park Jihoon retreated.

"Look, I need some time with this kid so if you may provide us with some privacy Mr. Park."

And then there was privacy.

Jimin still kept counting the lines and patterns on his sneakers, scratching at the tip of his fingers, fidgeting as usual. But he had seen enough movies and reality shows to figure out what goes down next. It's the whole good cop bad cop routine. They will try to befriend him, assure him that they all mean well for Jinyoung and try to coax him with sweet words. Jimin won't lie that he was concerned about Jinyoung's safety as well but that one particular Jaebum hyung had been convincing enough to lead Jimin into helping them escape. 

He wasn't even aware of where those two boys went. So technically, he couldn't answer that. But a secret which he could try to keep was all about Im Jaebum and that Jinyoung didn't disappear all by himself.

"I have been in this cat and mouse game for too long son. So I can tell just by looking at your face that you are hiding something regarding the whereabouts of your brother. You might be thinking that you are doing something great by hiding the truth but one way or the other, the truth is going to come out. Question is, are you willing to make it difficult for yourself and your brother when the truth comes out the hard way or will you prefer avoiding the extra hassle?"

Jimin picked his head up from between his shoulders to look at a very intimidating, grouchy and well built police officer whose thick bushy brows told Jimin that it might be a good idea not to mess around. He gulped down the bile rising up his throat, confused and conflicted in his head.

"Listen to me Jimin. Your brother is not mentally stable, if you know what that means. He was supposed to undergo treatment but his disappearance at the last moment is not only suspicious but it's concerning as well. And since your room is attached to your brother's, I refuse to believe you didn't hear or see anything," the officer goy down on one knee to level his eyes with Jimin who was still plastered to the chair in their living room.

Jimin calculates everything. What will happen if he keeps quiet? What will happen if he speaks? What will happen if his father take drastic measures?

He thought about the time Jinyoung left with Jaebum and he was in a catatonic state so he couldn't say that Jinyoung went away willingly either. But what if something bad happens to them? Jimin won't be able to forgive himself. So he plays it wisely.

"Before I tell you anything at all officer, promise me that you will trust me on this and you will give priority to my statements," Jimin had a hopeful look in his eyes, convincing himself that he was doing the right thing.

The officer's brows almost joined together at that. He might have thought that it wouldn't be that easy to extract information from a teenager. He shook hands with Jimin on the agreement.

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Mark says goodbye to Kihyun and leaves his house late in the evening after a hearty video game session. The very air he breaths feels unfamiliar and Mark has been doing literally everything to not feel this way. Ever since he has been briefed about the Jinyoung incident at school by Kihyun, Mark has tried to reach out and help Jinyoung or Jaebum.

Despite of not knowing what caused all the chaos and how Jinyoung's private life became a public gossip overnight, Mark has genuinely made attempts to reach out. But all he met was dead end. On the other side of the phone, he couldn't reach Jinyoung or Jaebum so after a point he thought it would be best to step down from his Samaritan attitude.

Thinking about the aftermaths of this event, he walked slowly to the bus depot, hands deep inside his pant pockets. When Mark looks up to catch sight of the approaching bus, it has already started to rain out of the blue and it isn't even monsoon yet. He sighs, takes out his handkerchief to soak away the water from his hair and waits under the shed.

Mark's eyes spot Jimin walking down the other side of the road all of a sudden and he knows he has to talk to him. Though the rain is heavy and it gradually fogs up Mark's vision but he is still convinced that it's Jinyoung younger brother Jimin making his way to somewhere under an umbrella.

"Hey, Jimin," Mark shouts out as loud as he can. At first he thinks Jimin might not have heard him but then the younger boy turns. 

He is crossing the street on his own to reach where Mark was standing and Mark checks how the umbrella wasn't being helpful to save Jimin completely from the rain.

"You should wait under the shed for a while until the rain dies down a bit," Mark suggests scooting away on his plastic seat and making some room for Jimin.

"Hey," Jimin greets, sounding deflated than usual.

"Is everything alright? How is your hyung doing? I heard what happened at the school and it's so wrong," Mark expresses his sadness over not being able to help Jinyoung when he needed some.

Jimin shrugs. 

"You don't know what happened after the school do you?"

"No. What happened?" Mark leans closer, curiosity bubbling out of him.

And Jimin begins his mile long narration watching Mark's pupils almost blow out of its sockets. He also explains that he is out in the rain to try contact Jaebum from the public telephone booth because he believes the phones in his house is being tapped.

"What the- when did all these happen? Oh my god."

Mark could do nothing but exclaim and sit helplessly staring at Jimin who was equally helpless like him. But Mark feels like he needs to do something and do it quick. And by any means, Jimin must not get involved in this. 

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