3004 words
I glance at the tray of hor d'oeuvres. The hunger pains in my stomach telling me I need something to at least nibble on, but something telling me in the back of my mind to stay away from it. Still I can't help but set the motions up once more. Somehow I am able to discern the fact that I am dreaming of the play by play that happened all over again, but instead of forcing myself awake I try to absorb what all is happening around me, taking it in so the information might be useful in the future. The man once again collides with me. His red wine once again spills all over the skirt of my beautiful gown.
I look up into his face, trying to make sure I recall everything I can about his features. I'm certain this is definitely something I should be focused on; that I will need this information in the future. When he apologizes his accent most definitely seems French, and not something I contrived in my mind simply due to the fact that he called me 'mademoiselle.'
I don't know much about male hairstyles but the top half of his hair is longer and slicked up to create a mass elaborate formation on top of his head above his high forehead. The sides are closer clipped to his scalp, but not entirely shaved. His hair color is a mixed balance of coppery browns with lighter blonde strands scattered here and there, which might have been achieved from hours in the sun, but I imagine was more likely accomplished via a trip to a high end hair salon or barbershop.
I study his facial features closely. He has thick but dramatically shaped eyebrows that frame in harsh lines over his grayish-blue eyes. His nose dramatically slopes down his face to where it prominently protrudes at the end. It isn't overly large, but the deep slope exaggerates its size a bit. He has a moustache shaped in a thinly styled downward v shape as well as a patch of detached hair below his bottom lip and a smallish patch of hair on his chin. His upper lip forms a perfect bow but is on the thinner side. His lower lip is only slightly larger than his upper. His skin tone is a medium light brown sunkissed olive color.
I'm glad I had a chance to study his face in length this time around in my dream before suddenly the dream transfers to when I find the note in my room. I find myself frowning at the poorly constructed letter, but only because it is not something I would have ever written. That realization however has me smiling because there is no way that my soulmates would ever believe I would leave them after I left something like this. They would know I had been taken. Still I hear myself repeating the words I uttered just before the strong arms clamped around me. "What? I didn't type this. Why does it have my name on it at the bottom?"
Then I am reliving the fierce hold on me, and I know that it's likely I am thrashing about in my sleep. "No, I did." I once again hear the familiar female voice utter in English, before she continues on in Korean. She thinks I don't understand her but I do. "Brother dear. Make sure to take that ring off her finger and leave it with the letter."
I find myself suddenly waking up just after I put two and two together and realize who the voice belonged to. Hye Rin. But why? If I am honest with myself I think she has always put me on edge a little bit, but I couldn't pinpoint the reason behind those emotions. Perhaps it had something to do with this plot she had worked out, or it had to do with whatever grudge she might hold over me. I blink away the remnants of sleep and try to peel myself from my resting spot. I cringe at the soreness in my back and shoulders before looking down at the meager mattress I was sleeping on. It barely provides any comfort from the concrete floor it lies on top of. I peel away the thin itchy blanket that was placed over my body. I almost want to thrust it away, but it did at least provide me a bit of comfort in this chilly room.
That's when I look at my surroundings. The first thing I notice is the oversized rusty cage I am trapped in. I pull myself to my feet and grip my hands around the rusty bars to peer out further in the room. I cringe as a flake of metal burrows its way into the skin of my finger. I pull my hand away and try to remove the sliver of metal that is embedded into my flesh. I can't say whether it is lucky I managed it or not when the wound wells with a droplet of blood. I struggle but manage to rip off part of my shirt tail and use the small piece of fabric as a temporary bandage.
After that is squared away I look around the room once again. There is barely any light here at all except for a bare bulb in the center of the room that must be the lowest wattage possible, due to it's insufficient glow I can't make out too much of my surroundings. I notice behind it what can only be an automatic garage door due to the size of the large rectangle and the line of square windows at the top. It is either nighttime or one of the people that brought me here blacked out the windows with paint because I can't make out any light beyond those windows.
I jump when a door on the wall to the right side of me opens that I hadn't noticed before. In walk seven shadowy figures. My eyes widen when I take in the costumes they are wearing. Each of them draped in an oversized velvety cloak and donning identical masks to those that my soulmates wore in the extended version of the Fake Love music video.
I know I should be afraid. I should wonder what they are planning on doing with me, but there is nothing scary about their costumes outside of the mystery of who is wearing them. In fact, it strikes me as a bit silly to be using such a costume in this situation in the first place.
I'm not stupid enough laugh at their costumes or to ask them to let me go. The letter indicated that they wanted me out of the picture for some reason, but for what reason I don't know yet. Although, judging by the masks I have somewhat of an idea. They are probably sasaengs. Each one is probably wearing the specific mask assigned to the member they specifically stan as their bias.
I grip the bars again and that's when I remember my injury. I point it out. "Does one of you perhaps have a bandaid and some antibacterial ointment?"
Six of the heads turn to the one currently standing in the middle. That cloaked figure turns to the one at the end on the right closest to the door. "WBS, go get the first aid kit from the bathroom." From the voice I have already worked out that the person behind that mask in particular is Hye Rin and apparently she is the leader behind this rag tag group of hostile sasaeng.
I can't let on that I know Korean though so I pretend to play dumb. "Where is that person going? Are they going to get the bandaid for me I requested? Are...are you going to hurt me further?" I back up against the back of the cage, although there is nowhere for me to really go if they do choose to inflict some kind of violent punishment on me.
Before any of them can reply the individual that went inside comes back with a plastic ziplock bag. You call that a first aid kit? I can't help but think to myself.
"We didn't have a full first aid kit, but I did find some bandaids in the bathroom." She's definitely female and sounds somewhat familiar to me also, but I can't quite place her voice.
Great. So, I risk suffering from an infection from the rusty iron. Just peachy!
"Once again WBS you failed in your duties. Weren't you the one that was supposed to bring a first aid kit in the first place before you ever boarded the plane out here?" Hye Rin lashes out at her in obvious exasperation.
The other one that Hye Rin refers to as WBS hunches over as if she were looking downward after being scolded by her superior. I have to wonder if she truly did forget her role. It's also equally possible that Hye Rin is just a hard ass to her, and she never actually asked that of her to begin with. "I'm sorry TDS." WBS mutters out.
I start creating a mental tally of all the acronyms they are referring to themselves as. Perhaps I can sort out what they mean since I won't have much else to do while I am locked up.
"I guess it can't be helped. Just go take care of her wound." Hye Rin sighs dejectedly which paired with her words before has me realizing that WBS has disappointed her at least a few times up until now.
When WBS comes over to apply the bandage Hye Rin directly addresses me. "You're going to have to get as comfortable as possible while you are here. I am not sure how long we are going to end up keeping you, but you can bet that you aren't going anywhere." She glances over at where WBS is standing and applying the bandage. "I also hate to inform you but only WBS and I are fluent in English. You won't be able to converse with any of the others outside of ourselves. So should you need anything you will only be able to ask the two of us."
My stomach growls which makes me ask my first question. "I haven't eaten a full meal since lunchtime before the trip to the casino. Is there any way I can get something to eat?"
Hye Rin turns to the cloaked figure that now stands closest to the door. "CCS, can you ask my brother to make her a sandwich and grab her a cup of water?" When CCS leaves the room she turns back to me. "Any other questions?"
I can only guess her 'brother' must have been the one to carry me here. "What about when I have to use the bathroom?"
Hye Rin nods her head toward the back left corner of my cage. "That's what the bucket is for." She states, and I don't have to see the cruel snide expression that she is wearing on her face behind the mask. I can hear it in the tone of her voice.
I frown when the food is brought to me. I know the water is probably laced with something to put me back to sleep, but it would end up worse to dehydrate. I immediately find myself deciding to take only small sips as needed. If whatever the water is drugged with knocks me out it won't do so for long this way. I go back over to the thin mattress and start eating my food there since I know they will likely let their guard down while I pretend to ignore them. I also figure if I am on the mattress at least I won't pass out directly on the hard concrete.
"ADS, you will watch her for the next three hours. Should you need a bathroom break then have GMS fill in for you. WHS, I am going to need to send you on a scouting duty to acquire more funds."
I don't know what the last part means but the cloaked figure on the far left steps forward. "You said that I would only have to do that for the funds we needed to get here!"
"Yes, well. We may end up having to stay here longer than we initially anticipated. Which of course means that we will probably have to rent out the house for even longer than we originally planned. Oh actually that can be your target! Instead of searching for more funds seduce the owner into tacking on another week for free!"
Crap! I nearly choke on my food as I realize that this WHS was basically prostituting herself in order to shell out money for this foolhardy plan of theirs. Luckily, I am able to cover it up as a coughing fit and mutter something out loud about trying to eat too fast.
"Last time was different! You yourself had conned the last target! This time we know nothing about the homeowner!"
Fuck. So, even Hye Rin prostituted herself out. Wait. Is that how she secured her security role? Did she sleep her way into the job position? Or is there something more behind that part of her plan? Perhaps discovering who her brother is might fill in some of the gaps.
I end up finishing my sandwich before the drowsiness starts kicking in. I am able to lie down as comfortably as possible before I succumb to the darkness.
I don't know how much time has passed before I wake up again to the sound of voices muttering in Korean. "Do you think we will still be able to dump her off at the American Embassy?" The first voice asks. "Even without money or identification I am sure they are going to recognize her since her face is now broadcasted every hour on the hour."
"Yeah CCS. I don't know what we are going to do now. I am scared of what TDS might be planning at this point. I don't think drugging her and dropping her off at the embassy is going to work out anymore. She is going to have to come up with something different. I already didn't want to be a part of this plan. Whatever she is working on now is going to be way worse."
I don't know how I manage it but I once again fall asleep. I can only guess that the sandwich must have been drugged also.
I honestly don't know how many hours or days have passed at this point, but over the collection of time I have been awake I have managed to amass that my soulmates are working with the local authorities to try to find me and the criminals that have abducted me. I imagine they must be at whatever rental house they planned on staying at so the paparazzi aren't as easily able to hound them there. Although, I feel bad for the people staying at the hotel because it sounds like they are being mobbed by both Army and paparazzi.
During my bouts of awareness I have managed to amass together all the acronyms of the seven individuals that abducted me. TDS, WBS, CCS, GMS, GHS, ADS, and WHS. Because of the common denominator I have determined that the s must stand for stan, although in Hye Rin's case it probably actually stands for soulmate. I have come to realize how much of a nutjob she is during the few times I have pretended to be comatose.
Because I was able to work that out I was also able to determine that each acronym must correspond with the specific member that is each of their biases. CCS, GMS, WBS, and ADS are the easiest ones for me to immediately work out. CCS stands for Chim Chim Stan. GMS stands for Golden Maknae Stan. WBS stands for Winter Bear Stan. ADS stands for Agust D Stan. Which leaves TDS, GHS, and WHS. WHS I first sort out must be Worldwide Handsome Stan even though many people would abbreviate Worldwide to WW instead of a single W. I imagine they must have wanted to keep the acronyms somewhat uniform.
I don't question why when I start to focus on the abbreviation 'TDS' that it reminds me of a conversation I had with Namjoon during our first date. I simply take a moment to play over the memory again.
Namjoon holds the carton of ice cream in his hand before pulling out a single spoon and starting to open it he says, "I'll let you have the first bite."
I arch an eyebrow. "Should I do that so you don't rip it apart?" I tease.
He rolls his eyes at me. "I'm not that bad."
"Sure, you just gained the nickname 'God of Destruction' for no reason." I tease again.
He sighs. "We attempted to convince Army to change it to 'The Destroyer' instead. It didn't really stick though.
So, I can only assume that TDS is Namjoon's stan and her acronym stands for The Destroyer Stan.
That leaves me with GHS which is obviously Hobi. I mentally pull up all the acronyms again wondering if I can make a comparison that way. The most similar acronym to GHS is GMS. Then I think of the fact that Hobi has a beautiful voice as well as a lyrical rap voice. So perhaps it stands for Golden Hyung Stan.
After I work all that out I am given another drug laced meal which I can't help but force myself to eat. I may be asleep all the time like this, but at least when my eyes are shut I don't have to look at the bars around me. At least I don't have to worry about what will happen should my soulmates not find me in time... That is if they should continue on with their original plan.
Resource, special thanks really.
A/N: So this author's note will actually be broken up into a couple parts.
First because this is the first time you get any kind of answer I figured I would give props to some of the reader's who guessed certain things first via comments. (This will also happen as other mysteries become revealed.)
Almost everyone suspected Hye Rin from the moment she was introduced. No worries this doesn't bother me, because honestly I kind of did that much on purpose. I didn't really care about hiding who she was. Oh but why do I feel that way you may wonder? You will have to wait until after the next few chapters to find that out. :)
In Chapter 125 Jetteken broke down some good guesses on what many of the acronyms stood for: CCS = Chim Chims soulmate, WHS = worldwide handsome soulmate, also guessing that TDS is Hye Rin.
ArMyBias guessed ADS = Agust D Soulmate after seeing Jetteken's above guess, and did some research thinking that GHS might be Hobi and the abbreviation being Golden Hyung Soulmate.
Mamottelite was able to decipher that the D in TDS was somehow related to destruction.
It was MichaelaSouza who flat out said that the only thing they could think of was 'The Destroyer.'
After reading Chapter 132 GraceHilton put together that the S in their acronyms stood for Stan not soulmate. *Although I will say that I agree with Daisy's hypothesis that TDS probably does think of herself as Namjoon's soulmate instead of simply being a stan.
Shoot I forgot to take notes but I did like some of the other guesses for TDS and Namjoon. I remember one being Tall Dimple and the other being The Dimple.
Moving on from that, the next part of the author's note. What are my plans after?
First of all I do plan on revealing my bias after the story is over. But, I thought I would go a step farther and do both an ask the author and author asks reader segment as well in the same 'chapter' as my bias reveal. So start thinking about things you want to know or ask me.
Also, I was considering opening up suggestions to additional scenes. Either scenes from one of the guy's perspectives (first person this time) or perhaps a scene you have an idea for and want to see played out. So, think about this also.
I will also do a 'chapter' segment to give previews of some of the story related projects I am currently working on.
Thanks so much for continuing to follow the story, and congratulations to those of you with the first correct first guesses!!!