(Jun's POV)
As much as I want to think that his warning is a joke, I still can't. The sincerity in his voice while saying those warnings are enough for me to think of it seriously.
But what if he's only acting, so I would for their trap?
We're walking along the hallways towards the said meeting room. Kakucho's in front of me, while the guards, who attacked me earlier, are walking behind me, making sure that I won't walk away.
There's no way I could easily escape this building, their elevators are high-tech. The system needs to detect the fingerprint of the person so they could use the elevator, and the fingerprints are only exclusive to Bonten members. Obviously, if the system didn't detect the fingerprint of an unknown person, they won't be able to use it.
Find a stairway? Before you can even find stairs, a guard will be the first to find you, and I rather not get beaten up by them again. They're everywhere.
Kakucho stopped walking in front of a particular huge door in front of us and opened it. He motioned me to enter before him, but my feet prevented me from doing so.
My heart's quick thumping is already audible in my ear. I ball my hands into fists. My mind is filled with a lot of questions and thoughts once more.
"Come on," Kakucho said.
I let out a sign before my feet led me toward the room. My jaw dropped as soon as my eye landed on the interior design of the meeting room. Giant windows, the moon, and the fact that the entire city is visible from up here are what first drew my eye.
It's nighttime when I was kidnapped, then I woke up the next day at night? I didn't realize I had been sleeping all day, and now it's dark again.
My gaze didn't stop from wandering freely. The Bonten members I had earlier seen are all gathered here, each in their own chair, together around the long rectangular conference table in the center of the room. But there are these two unfamiliar men, and I instantly recognized that they are unquestionably among them.
Fuck! I almost overlooked the fact that Bonten is a wealthy gang in addition to being criminal. They live a lavish existence, complete with a luxurious meeting space and a giant television mounted on the front wall.
"Ah Finally! They're here," Sanzu began, throwing his cards on the table and getting his rested feet off of it. They're playing cards. "Took you long enough, Kakucho. You said it'll only take a second, but here you are, late an hour ago,"
I heard Kakucho on my back clicked his tongue.
"Welcome Ms. Officer to Bonten's meeting room." Sanzu cheered while walking in my direction while spreading his arms wide. "You slept for a whole day, but how was it?"
So I was indeed in Bonten's place, not just a hideout, but their own building. Getting from the hints of the expensively decorated corridors as we moved towards this room. My eyes are still in awe that they are glued to the interior room. I have never been in a meeting room this gorgeous.
Kakucho answered, "She did sleep well," caused my frowning face to turn to face him. I was the one being asked but he's the one who answered. "I'm not talking to you so shut up," Sanzu retorted.
"Hmmm... Ok, then I take that your silence means yes." Sanzu continued, "Oh~ That cut on your face is new, mind if I-" I noticed that his face was approaching mine but was stopped when Kakucho brought his palm in front of me.
"We're here to discuss the matter immediately, and the wound on her face is not included. You already know how she got it so back off," Kakucho commanded. Sanzu turns to face Kakucho while glaring.
He stands up while maintaining eye contact with Kakucho and asks, "Can't keep your mouth shut, could you? So, what's that on your face too, then?" Sanzu scoffed. "Had a fight? You don't have that pink mark on your cheeks from earlier."
I just stand merely beside these two arguing men when a voice echoed through the area where we are.
"Hey! Can you two fight later so we could start already, we're in a hurry," an unfamiliar man yelled, setting down the cards in his hands on the table. He has dark slick back hair, and a long scar from his right eye.
Sanzu clicked his tongue and turned his irritated face to the unfamiliar man. "Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled.
The man didn't even argue with Sanzu, he just scoffed and placed the cigarette in his lip with his other hand.
"Sanzu... Let her sit first and get this over with." I heard Sano say despite the lowness of his voice. He sat at the boss' usual meeting seat.
"Sure, yes, right away," Sanzu answered gently to Sano, he turned to his back and proceeded to walk towards the chair on the edge near the television. He halted in a certain chair, turned to me, and signaled with his hand for me to come over to where he was.
"Ms. Officer~" Sanzu called me out, grinning.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I want to smack his face.
My hands were still balled into fists, and my brows knit together as I let out a sharp sign before my feet started to walk forward slowly. I'm already getting uncomfortable.
Stares.
I can sense their eyes on me while walking. I can't help but fix my eyes on the ground; my heart is pounding abruptly again. My hands started to sweat and tremble.
Don't mind them.
Don't mind them.
Don't mind them.
I tilted my head just enough to observe Kakucho moving across to the opposite side of the table. He appears to be dodging any approaching looks because his eyes are firmly fixed on the ground.
"Sit," Sanzu commanded which made my attention shift to him, and I complied immediately. He assigned me to a chair that is some distance from the other Bonten members.
Kakucho is not seated in the chairs together with his colleagues when I look in that direction; instead, he's standing like a guard at the side of the room, motionless with his hand on his back. He is attempting to avoid making eye contact with me since he's aware that I am staring at him.
Suddenly, three things I didn't realize immediately made my eyes widen in realization.
I didn't get to go to work.
My daily report.
My God, my groceries.
"Beautiful night, yeah?" Sanzu said, interrupting my thoughts, "Beautiful room matches peaceful evening tonight," he spoke with less intensity in his usual loud voice, as if he only wants to talk to me. His body is leaning against the back of my chair and facing the enormous window.
He continued, "Such a peaceful night to be distracted that someone is plotting something horrible."
What the hell is this guy talking about? Is he planning something?
"Come to think of it, those awful intentions are made in those evenings you thought were calm." I listened to this man speak about whatever he was talking about before he muttered, "What a fantastic night to start devastation,"
"Ha?" my head turn to him, hearing those statements clearly despite the word that came from my mouth.
My gaze followed Sanzu as he left his position and sat on the chair near the TV in the room's center. He altered the subject by asking, "You said Kaori's already been under custody, right?"
"That means the police have what we want. You have what we want, and we want it back," he continued as I listened.
Oh yeah... They aren't lovers. The fact that they want her back bothers me, and the way Sanzu refers Kaori as it only confirms my suspicions that she is nothing more than an object in their eyes.
"I thought you find her annoying so why do you want her back?" I asked.
Out of nowhere, Rindou shouted from his chair causing me to turn my head to him, "Don't include us in your mess anymore, Sanzu. We're already done with her,"
The Bonten members were simply sitting there, keeping up with their card game while listening to our conversation. However, as I turn to look at Sanzu's reaction, I was only shocked and disgusted by it.
This pink-mullet-haired man leaned back against his chair. His fingers partially cover his eyes but not his entire face as he blushes and smiles to himself. "Ah~ Kaori~" Sanzu moaned silently.
My expression showed wide confusion as my jaw fell, perplexed that this man would not feel embarrassed to moan her name here. Who would confidently do that with many people without even a hint of embarrassment?
"There he goes again," someone whined.
My head instantly turns somewhere, trying to prevent secondhand embarrassment. Suddenly, I glanced at where Kakucho is. His brows furrowed and his nose scrunched while looking at Sanzu as well.
He glanced at me, and I captured his attention. I gave him a Wtf look, but all he did was shrug. He knows what Sanzu is doing but is uncertain of why he's doing it right now. In a meeting room.
Even though Kakucho and I had a furious argument earlier, I can't help but admit that we are both mentally judging Sanzu based on how uncomfortable he is making us both feel. I noticed Kakucho hiddenly twirl his index finger just in his head, and I just scoffed.
"God, I want her back," Sanzu groaned. "Even if she makes my blood boil sometimes,"
"Well I don't know if this is good or bad news for you but you won't get your blood boil anymore because she's somewhere now," I stated, interrupting Sanzu from his wild imagination as he side-eye me "Or, if you do see her one last time, it will be in prison and the two of you will then be placed under an incommunicado order."
"As much as I would like to admire that tongue of yours for speaking up, I would guard my words if I were you," he pulled his hand away from his face, the grin he had earlier is now gone. "You still don't know what we're capable of,"
I'm fully aware that he's doing his best to intimidate me so I would shut up. But my ego didn't want me to lose to him, so I retorted with certainty, "Even if I'm still naive with your full potential, it's still impossible for you to get her out of her bars,"
"Ohoho~ You're underestimating us Ms.,"
"And you're also underestimating us," I raised my voice a little as I further countered his statement. "She's in a place surrounded by hundreds of police whom your gang has been avoiding ever since your existence. I would be surprised if you'll risk yourself just to bring your thing back."
I said what I said, I'm just waiting for Sanzu's reaction, which I'm not expecting. The expected glare and downward-facing mouth change to startled eyes and a partially opened mouth.
"Risk?" he asked. My face gives a puzzled expression as well. "Me? Risking for her?" Sanzu asked again, then a snicker emerged from his mouth, and he squeezed his hands into his stomach before laughing so loudly that the entire room could hear it.
I rolled my eye and gave a bored sigh as I propped my elbow on the table and rest my cheek on my palm. I glanced over at the people seated on the other side of the table, and it appears like they are just carrying on with their game. Their unbothered faces tell me that they're used to this behavior of the pink mullet guy.
"I appreciate you recognizing my determination, but no. I'll only risk for only one person and that's not her," Sanzu said, a little chuckle still audibles in his mouth, "That's a little bit confusing right now, but let me show you something interesting first,"
I feel sorry for Kaori a little.
Sanzu got up from his seat and walked over to the enormous television, which is just on the back of his seat. He took the remote and lean on the wall beside the TV, he raised his hand and aimed the remote at the TV to turn it on.
A black and white screen with a hint of light was immediately apparent when the TV flickered open. It's a CCTV camera's point of view, and the subdivision's houses, parked cars, and roads are visible. There are also two persons standing in there.
That area seems familiar close to my house.
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 :)