piim

You nearly leapt out of your seat when you saw the new email notification pop on your phone screen while you were mindlessly scrolling on your Tumblr feed. 

“Fucking hell, Y/N, you almost gave me a heart attack,” your best friend, Sim Jaeyun, groaned across from you, grabbing the napkins on the table to wipe away the water that spilled on his hoodie courtesy of your previous action. 

“Fuck, this has to be a joke, right? Maybe some senior sent it and thought it’d be funny to prank a junior,” you said, feeling your heartbeat racing. 

“What is it?” Jaeyun asked, eyebrows furrowed as he rose from his seat and walked over behind you to catch a glimpse of what made you so surprised. “Woah, you got an email from Golden Closet Films? The Golden Closet Films?” 

Hearing it from your best friend’s lips didn’t help with your racing heartbeat. In fact, you just grew more excited and anxious. “What did it say? I don’t know if I can read it, Jaeyun.” 

“Okay, okay, relax, let me read it,” your best friend calmly said, sitting beside you. “Good day, Miss Y/L/N. We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited by our company’s CEO, Director Jeon Jungkook, to discuss a business proposal with you. Director Jeon has been quietly watching your works over the years and is impressed with how well you’ve progressed as a young filmmaker. He believes that it is time for you to put your films in a bigger audience and will like to help you in that regard. Should you accept this invitation, please send us a reply, and we will send another email containing the details of the meeting place and time. Thank you and we are looking forward to hearing a positive response from you. Regards, Kang Seulgi, Head of Public Relations.” 

You couldn’t believe anything that your best friend just read. Jeon Jungkook was impressed by you? He wanted to discuss a business proposal with you? He wanted to help you? As a film student and a lover of films, in general, Director Jeon Jungkook was a highly respected and highly sought-after filmmaker internationally and locally. He was one of the first Asian and youngest filmmakers to win Best Director at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and Academy Awards, winning only at the age of 21. He was regarded as one of the best filmmakers of all time and all his films were always critically and commercially acclaimed. 

He was your favorite filmmaker because he showed you that even someone as young as he was, your dream of becoming a filmmaker was possible. You admired all of his works, rewatched it a bunch of times, and created several video essays about it on your YouTube channel. You were a fan, simply put, and you never ever imagined that you would get a chance to meet him let alone talk about a business proposal with him. It was too good to be true—a statement your best friend shared after reading the email. 

“It’s kind of suspicious, Y/N. How did they even get your email in the first place? And it’s too vague. What business proposal? Why didn’t they include the time and place of the meeting in the first email?” Jaeyun listed, handing your phone back to you. “But, I do think it’s legit. I just think it’s suspicious.” 

He had a point, you supposed. But when will you ever have a chance at something like this again? It was very rare for opportunities themselves to come knocking at your door, especially for someone like you—a young upcoming filmmaker. 

“I think I’m gonna go,” you announced, nodding your head as you clicked the reply button. 

“Are you sure?” Your best friend asked, warily. 

“Yeah. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, Jaeyun. I can’t let it pass me,” you replied, composing your reply. 

“Okay. You have a point but again, their email is too vague and why did the Head of Public Relations herself emailed you? Why not someone from the HR Department or even the Head of Communications?” He pointed out. “Just step back for a while, Y/N, and think about this carefully. I know he’s your favorite director which is why you need to be more thorough. There’s already an inherent bias in your head.” 

“Look, they probably got my email on my Linkedin profile. As for the vagueness of the email and why the head of the PR department sent it, it’s probably because the details are too confidential to send in an email. And you’re right—he’s my favorite director which is why I can’t not risk meeting with him. When do we ever get the chance to learn from the reason why we pursued film in the first place?” 

You patted Jaeyun’s shoulder in reassurance. “You’ve always let your worries and negative thoughts come before anything else, Jaeyun. Sometimes, you have to take the risk or you’ll never get a chance in life.” 

Saturday came by quickly and you did not complain one bit. After your morning class, you freshened up a bit by reapplying your makeup and fixing your hair before hopping into Jaeyun’s 2018 black Toyota Camry, originally the family car which he inherited when the both of you began to attend college. He wanted you to be safe so he lent you it for the day. Throughout the ride, you were a mixture of nervousness and excitement. You didn’t know what to expect but you hoped that everything would be okay. 

Your meeting place was the headquarters of Golden Closet Films in Yongsan-gu. It was only a thirty-minute drive from your university and fortunately, the flow of traffic was not as bad as you imagined. You arrived at the building five minutes earlier than the estimated time and thirty minutes earlier than your scheduled appointment. 

“Hi, I have a meeting with Director Jeon Jungkook at his office. My name is Y/L/N Y/N,” you told the parking attendant with a polite smile. 

He checked to confirm your appointment and once he did, he opened the barrier and you easily found a spot to park at. Then, you stepped out of Jaeyun’s car and made your way to the elevator and pressed the floor where the director’s office was—thirteenth. Once you arrived, you were greeted by the sight of a lovely, raven-haired woman behind the reception desk. When she saw you, an automatic smile appeared on her lips. 

“You must be Ms. Y/L/N Y/N, Mr. Jeon is expecting you,” she said, rising to greet you with a respectful bow. 

You returned it, folding your hands over your stomach. “Hello. Our meeting’s not for another half hour. I got here early.” 

“That’s alright. Mr. Jeon instructed me to show you to his office the moment you arrive,” she replied. “Please, follow me, Ms. Y/L/N.” 

The entire floor must be dedicated to his office alone, you guessed. It was quiet, neat, and very minimalistic. The walls were white and on the other side were the huge windows overlooking the entire city. You had always been quite afraid of heights so you didn’t dare glance at it otherwise you’d feel nauseous. When you arrived at the end of the hall, the receptionist knocked on the door and you heard a faint, “Come in,” on the other side. 

“I will leave you to it, Ms. Y/L/N. Good luck,” she bowed at you once more before taking her leave. 

With a deep breath, you opened the door and instantly, you were greeted by the chilly air conditioned air. In contrast to the white walls outside, his office’s were dark red—like blood’s. The floors were wooden and the entire room was vast. On your left, you saw a mini-living room set, a flat screen television hanging on the wall and a long rack stacked with various DVDs. To your right, you saw a door which you assumed was the bathroom, a large mirror beside it, bookshelves with dozens of books stacked and a shelf of the various awards the director accumulated over the years. 

In the middle of the office was the large mahogany desk behind the floor-to-ceiling window also overlooking the entire city below and sitting on the large, velvet leather chair behind it was none other than the famed director himself, Jeon Jungkook. 

To say that you were starstruck would be an understatement. You realized at that moment how his photos online did not give justice to his features. He was handsome in the photos, yes, but he was aphrodisiac in person. His features were sharp but also soft, his hair was long and wavy. He wore a simple white Calvin Klein shirt, showcasing his protruding chest and tattooed arm. Various piercings decorated his ears, while a lone piercing was seen on his eyebrow and lower lip. 

Even just sitting, Jeon Jungkook exuded a powerful and charismatic aura. It was no wonder that he garnered so much acclaim and fame at such a young age as a filmmaker—he didn’t look like a pushover. He commanded everything in sight and right now, he commanded you. 

“Don’t be shy, Ms. Y/L/N, come towards me and take a seat. We have some things to talk about.” 

You suddenly felt so small under his sharp gaze. The chilly air conditioned air didn’t help in making you feel at ease either but good thing you had Jaeyun’s coat on. It was a bit oversized but you supposed it went well with the smart casual attire you were going for. 

When you were finally in front of him, you gave him a respectful bow. “Hi, Director Jeon.” 

“Have a seat, Y/N,” the director told you, leaning his back against his cushioned chair. “Do you want anything to drink? Just say so and I’ll have it delivered.” 

“I’m okay at the moment, but thank you for the offer, Director Jeon,” you replied, placing your sling bag on top of your thighs. 

He nodded then let out a small chuckle. “Relax, Y/N. There’s nothing to be tense about. We’re just here to talk and get to know each other better as filmmakers.” 

You nodded, however, a nervous smile still played across your lips. “Yes, I’ll try to relax, Director Jeon.” 

“Just call me Jungkook and let’s drop the formalities and talk casually. We are colleagues, after all.” 

Your eyes nearly jumped out of your sockets at what he just said. Drop formalities and talk casually? Call him by his name instead? Even just the thought made you uncomfortable. At a young age, it had always been ingrained to you that you should treat and talk to someone older than you and your senior with formalities and respect. But at the same time, you were also taught to not defy those older than you. 

So, despite the discomfort you were feeling, you nodded.

“Good. So, first, I want to thank you for accepting the invitation. It’s very rare, practically unheard of, that I ask my employees to reach out to a filmmaker for a business proposal because it’s not really my thing, but after I watched your short film, Blood, Sweat and Tears, at the Ateneo Short Film Festival, I asked Seulgi to get into contact with you immediately. I just had to meet you.” 

You felt your cheeks burning at the praise leaving Jeon Jungkook’s lips. You still couldn’t believe you were seeing him in person. This still felt like a dream. 

“Thank you, Direct—Jungkook for enjoying my film. It means a lot to me and I really appreciate it.” 

The corner of his lips tugged into a small smile. “I loved it, Y/N. It was hard to believe that a twenty-year-old managed to make a film like it. How did it ever pass Ateneo’s strict guidelines especially since it revolved around a lesbian character with religious trauma? You hit two of the things that would trigger them as a Catholic institution.” 

“Thank you. We were inspired by you, actually. When you were studying film at Ateneo, your films were also always red tagged by the institution and you always fought for them to be released during festivals. It was all thanks to you that the guidelines aren’t too strict now and we were able to show BST during the festival.” 

“Good to know they’re not too strict these days. Made rule breaking back in the day worth it,” he chuckled, swinging his chair from left to right. “I’ve always wanted to teach someone the things I know about filmmaking the industry itself and I’ve been actively looking for young filmmakers all over the country and even abroad but I never really found them until I saw you, Y/N. You’re exactly the person I was looking for—you got the skills, you got the eye, and you obviously love films. When did you start your video essay account on YouTube?” 

The sudden mention of your channel surprised you. Did he do a deep dive about you before inviting you? At the same time, you felt rather special that among the other filmmakers Jeon Jungkook could choose, he chose you. It made your heart flutter. 

“Oh, um, I think I was seventeen when I started it. It was just a hobby, really. I’ve always loved films and had many thoughts after watching one so I thought why not make video essays? It practiced my editing, too.” 

“I enjoyed hearing your thoughts about my films. I usually don’t pay much attention to reviews but I found yours interesting,” Jungkook said. 

“I am a big admirer of your works, to be honest. You’re the reason why I pursued film in university despite my mother’s opposition. So, really, this meeting—it’s really a huge deal for me. So, thank you for the invite, Jungkook,” you bowed at him again. You were feeling more at ease. 

“Well, I think you can tell your mom something she’ll take pride in—I want you to assist me in directing this new picture I’m working on. You’ll be paid the same amount as any other assistant director in the industry and you’ll get firsthand experience of what it’s really like to work in the industry. You get to meet many renowned producers, writers, cinematographers, editors—everyone. On top of that, you’ll receive a two-film deal under GCF. You’ll become a real filmmaker, Y/N. What do you say?” 

It was so overwhelming. You never expected that this would be the business proposal. You just thought he’d give you an internship at the production company. They said, never meet your heroes, but you were lucky because yours wasn’t anything but a good and generous person. 

So, without second guessing, you told Jungkook, “That sounds great, Jungkook. Thank you for these opportunities.” 

“And you signed the contract right away? Without consulting a lawyer? Are you serious, Y/N?” 

After your meeting with Jungkook, you and Jaeyun went to your favorite chicken restaurant to have dinner and celebrate your new job—only it was one-sided. Jaeyun was not celebrating with you. Rather, he was appalled. 

You put the chicken skin on Jaeyun’s bowl as you disliked it. “I told you—he had the head of his legal team guide me through every stipulation on the contract. I didn’t just sign it blindly like you’re making it out to be.” 

“Still, Y/N, you should have had the contract checked by your own lawyer rather than his. It’s called being safe,” Jaeyun sighed deeply, placing a skinless chicken on your bowl then sprinkling the snow cheese on top of it. 

“There you again—always overthinking. Can’t you just be happy for me and support me, Jaeyun? You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to celebrate my wins with me,” you shook your head, putting your chopsticks down. “Do you know how impossible is it for female directors to penetrate the industry? It’s such a misogynistic industry. Come on, there are only four of us in the batch. The previous batches had less and for the longest time, there were only men. The industry itself hates women, Jaeyun, and yet I was given the opportunity, the platform, to change that—how could I let it pass me?” 

Jaeyun pressed his lips together. Then, he smacked his lips. “Of course, I know all that, Y/N. I just worry because you just met the guy and you’re already so trusting. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” 

“You don’t have to worry about me anymore, Jaeyun. We’re not five anymore. I can handle myself and Jungkook—he’s a nice guy. He’s kind.” 

“The more you need to be cautious.” 

You groaned, throwing your head back. “I will throw this chicken at you, Sim Jaeyun. Drop it. You watch too many thrillers.” 

“Okay. Fine, fine. When do you start again?” he asked. 

“Once winter break starts so that’ll be in two weeks.”  

“Where are you filming?” 

“Seoul, the outskirts. It’s pretty convenient since there will be lodging and all that.” 

“Have you told your mom yet? You’ll be taking a whole semester off for this, Y/N. She has to know,” Jaeyun said. 

“She doesn’t need to know,” you dismissed him.

“Y/N…” 

“Jaeyun, stop. Let’s not talk about this anymore.” 

Needless to say, you and your mother did not have the best relationship. It had always been that way ever since you could remember. She was always so hard on you and you had no idea why. For a while, you did everything to please her—attend ballet classes, singing, piano, guitar, Kumon, everything. But then, you grew tired of it and snapped one day. You didn’t attend any of the classes she enrolled you after school and rebelled against her. 

If it wasn’t for your father, you would’ve run away from home. When he died of a sudden heart attack, your relationship just worsened. You were basically estranged. By the time you were eighteen, you had access to your trust fund left by your father and you used the money to completely remove yourself from your mother’s life. You were going to college anyway. 

Once in a while, you would visit her—usually on your father’s death anniversary—but you barely had any news about her every other time.

When you and Jaeyun finished your dinner, you thanked the husband and wife who owned the restaurant and walked back to where you had parked his car. 

“You want dessert? We can go for bingsu this time,” Jaeyun suggested, sniffing. 

“Your nose is as red as Rudolph’s. Let’s just go back to the dormitories,” you replied with a chuckle, nudging his side. 

“Let’s buy snacks first. I know you’ll get hungry later tonight and I don’t know if I can wake up to your text tonight. I’m pretty exhausted from training,” your best friend said, placing an arm around you. 

You scooted closer to him. “You know, I thought you’d quit football by sophomore year.” 

“Thank you so much for believing in me, Y/N,” he rolled his eyes playfully. 

You laughed. “I’m just saying!” 

Your walk to the convenience store and back to the car was filled with laughter. Only if you had been more observant of your surroundings, you would’ve seen a figure following you ever since you left GCF that afternoon. 

Time moved relatively quickly these days and you found yourself saying goodbye to your friends as winter break officially began and all of them were heading back to their hometown to spend the holidays with their families. You, on the other hand, were heading to the location of your filming with Jungkook and the rest of the GCF team. Because it was in the outskirts, Jaeyun was going to drive you there before he made his way back to your hometown where his family was. 

Once Jaeyun told you everything was packed, you bid your last farewell to everyone and the both of you were on the road. 

“Keep your phone with you at all times, okay? Text or call me immediately if something happens,” Jaeyun reminded you for the nth time. 

“For the love of St. Ignatius de Loyola, will you stop worrying, Sim Jaeyun? It’s not like I can text and call you 24/7—we’ll be busy with filming. And Jungkook has a strict no phone policy on set because it distracts everyone from their work,” you said, rummaging through your makeup kit to find your lip balm. 

“You know, that only makes him seem like a control freak,” your best friend pointed out. “God, I don’t know why you like him and his films. He’s overrated.” 

“Aha, and the truth finally comes out!” you exclaimed, pulling the shade down to look at your reflection in the mirror. 

“What?” 

“You hate Jeon Jungkook. That’s why you’re so negative about me working with him,” Jaeyun scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well, too bad, you’re my best friend, Sim, but I really couldn’t care less about your opinion with regards to films.” 

The rest of the ride was spent with you bickering with each other more and singing along to your road trip playlist. By the time you arrived at the filming site—a modern-looking mansion surrounded by big trees, completely secluded from the bustling city. 

“This doesn’t seem creepy at all,” your best friend commented as he parked. 

“We are making a psychological thriller after all,” you replied. “I wonder if everyone’s inside? It seems like it, right?” 

“Yeah but I’m not going to let you go in there alone. Come on, let’s check it out first before we unload your things.” 

You didn’t protest because you were also creeped out by the surroundings. You and Jaeyun made your way to the front door and rang the doorbell. The sound seemed to echo throughout the area, adding to the creepy vibes it already had. Then, you heard a voice through the intercom. 

“Hello? Who is it?” It was a woman’s voice. 

“Um, hi. It’s Y/N. Y/L/N Y/N.” 

“Ah! Y/N, come on in. We’re just having a meeting upstairs. Make yourself at home when you enter.” 

You heard a clicking sound and Jaeyun opened the door. “I’ll grab your things. Don’t go in yet. Let’s go together.” 

“Jae, she literally said they were upstairs having a meeting.” 

“Just. Shh. Let’s go together.” With a sigh, you waited for him in the doorway. 

Then, you heard the familiar voice of Jeon Jungkook. He was wearing an oversized black shirt, a pair of gym shorts, and flip flops yet he still looked good and exuded so much charisma like he did back in his office. 

“What are you doing there? Come inside. It’s cold,” he said, walking towards you. 

“I’m just waiting for my—,” 

“Shit, Y/N, do you plan on getting back? Why does it seem like you packed everything you owned in here?” Jaeyun grunted as he placed your luggage on the ground. 

You watched as Jungkook’s gaze switched to Jaeyun. Your best friend looked surprised when he saw the famous director standing before him. 

“Um, Jungkook, this is my best friend, Sim Jaeyun. He’s also a filmmaker like us but he focuses on cinematography and original scores. Jaeyun, you know Director Jeon,” you introduced the two men. 

Jaeyun bowed at him out of respect. He may not like the guy as a director—he was still older and their senior. “Hi, Director Jeon. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“You too, Jaeyun.” 

You couldn’t help but notice Jungkook’s clipped tone—or were you just imagining it? 

“Well, thanks for the ride, Jaeyun. I’ll see you when I get back, ‘kay? Drive safely,” you gave your best friend a tight embrace, inhaling deeply. You would miss him a lot especially since this was going to be the first Christmas, in a long time, that you’d be spending away from him and his family. 

“Call me, okay? I’ll come right away, Y/N,” he whispered to you, embracing you tighter. “Be safe.” 

You watched as Jaeyun pulled out of the driveway and disappeared into the night. When you entered the mansion with your luggage, you found Jungkook still standing by the foyer with his hands deep into his pockets. 

“I’ll help you with that and show you your room,” Jungkook offered and you were about to protest when he swiftly grabbed your luggage from your hand and carried it at ease upstairs. 

You had no choice but to follow him. As expected, the interior of the place was astounding. Everything was modern from the lights to the appliances and locks on the doors. It could only be opened by a card. 

Jungkook unlocked yours with your key card and you marveled at the sight of your room. It was big, probably twice as big as your dormitory, and everything was in tip top shape. 

“Here you go,” Jungkook announced as he rolled your luggage inside. “There’s a bathroom there, a closet, and the remote’s for the curtains and when you want more heat. The WiFi password is on the desk. And here,” he handed you the key card. “Better not lose it, Y/N.” 

“Thank you. This is really too much. I wasn’t expecting this at all,” you told him. 

“We can only do our work if we get a good rest. So, sleep well tonight. Tomorrow, the work begins.” 

It's like lightning has struck you because you're ramrod straight and your nerves begin to tingle. You're too stiff to want to move but you know you have to.

"Minjeong," you say breathlessly and she nods. "Are you - you're the one that managed to escape."

Realization dawns upon her. "So wait. You do know about me?"

You nod your head. "I do I just didn't know your name." Your voice starts to raise in excitement.

She has to shush you gently with a finger to her lips. "Keep quiet. I don't want him to hear us."

"Oh," you say. "You're right. Right."

"Wait," she says.

She brings a finger up before walking over to the sinks and turning each of them on. The sound of rushing water fills the air and you know what she's trying to do.

Hoseok can easily tune in to hear this conversation if he wanted to. It's why she locked the bathroom door. Why she has the sinks running. To help give you some time just in case.

Your heart begins to race in nervousness. Gods this was really happening. What was the chance that this would happen to you? That you would run into Hoseok's ex. Is... is this why Hoseok was acting weird? Did he sense Minjeong?

"Do you smell it?" Taehyung asked.

Did they smell her? No doubt they'll be able to sniff her out and find her in here with you. Gods your nervous.

"Why? How?" You can barely formulate your sentences.

Minjeong comes back over to you and she looks just as nervous as you. "I-I'm here with a cousin of mine and I saw Hoseok before I could actually smell him. I overheard you saying you needed to go to the bathroom and I ran into the nearest one hoping you'd come in here." She smiles. "I was right to choose this one."

You frown. "Don't you have a restraining order on Hoseok? Why would you come here if that's the case?"

"It's... it's complicated," she says. "Trust me. If I would have known Hoseok was here I wouldn't have come here."

It still doesn't make sense to you. You would have suspected that she'd stay as far away from Hoseok's home and everything near it, but you won't question it further.

"If Hoseok finds you in here with me-"

"I know. I know." Minjeong says. "That's why I have little time with you and I want to get this out before he comes banging on the door." She drops her hands from your arms. "You know you're not safe with him, right?"

You nod your head.

Of course you know. Maybe in the beginning you didn't but now you do.

"You have the chance to leave now if you want. You're in the public eye. All you need to do is yell for help and it will come to you."

Your brows furrow the slightest bit. "It's not that easy."

"What's stopping you?"

What's stopping you? So much.

"My money. My sanity." You shake your head. "Everything I have is in his house." Namjoon.

Minjeong shakes her head. "If you don't make the move to leave now who's to say you'll ever have the chance to again?" She pauses. "Do you have any allies in the house?"

You nod your head. "Namjoon. Yoongi."

"Namjoon?" She sends a look of both disbelief and disgust your way. "There's no way Namjoon is an ally."

You look taken aback by her response. "Why wouldn't he be? Did you have any allies?"

She licks her lips in nervousness. "You just can't trust Namjoon. As for allies I had Yoongi. He's the reason why I was able to get out of that house in the first place. Hoseok doesn't know but he doesn't need to."

Yoongi helped her escape? You don't know why but you're shocked. Despite being so kind to you you thought the vampire mostly kept to himself. You didn't think any of the brothers would actually go against one another like this. Would Yoongi help you too or was this a one time thing? And what's her deal with Namjoon?

"I trust Namjoon with my life."

A sharp tsk comes from Minjeong. "Don't let him get into your head. He pretends to be a friend only to stab you in the back when you need him the most."

That didn't sound like your Namjoon.

Who are you to believe at this point? The man you've grown to love or a stranger whose only tie you have with them is through an obsessive man?

You step back from her a little - your defensive walls beginning to come up.

"Y/N." Minjeong grabs your attention that slipped from her grasp. "Don't let this opportunity pass you by."

There's a knock on the bathroom door that makes your heart nearly stop.

"Is it locked?" You faintly hear from the other side of the door. It's probably someone who also wants to use the bathroom.

There's a moment of silence before the door is pushed roughly but because of the lock it doesn't go very far.

"Y/N?" It's Hoseok.

You and Minjeong look at one another.

"This is your chance," she says. "I could help you."

She could but for some reason you shake your head.

"Y/N!" The door rattles harder to the point that the hinges squeak.

"Don't go back to him."

Your eyes begin to water the longer they remain open. Hoseok calls to you again but so does Minjeong. Your breathing picks up a pace as your hands begin to shake.

What are you doing? Why can't you run?

"Y/N?"

You can't tell who's calling to you. All you know is that you move from your spot to unlock the door and move out of the way as it swings open.

You see a gathering of people just behind Hoseok who looks at you furiously before worry overtakes his features. You step past him and towards Taehyung who grabs you by the shoulders and looks you over.

"Hey," he says. "Hey are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Wait. Why are you crying?

"Y/N."

Someone calls for you and when you turn around you see that it's Minjeong who looks at you in worry. Her hand is outstretched towards you but you can't take it.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Taehyung snaps.

"Y/N." Minjeong tries again.

Your view of her is blocked by Hoseok who covers you behind him.

"I knew I smelled you," he says.

Your heart beats painfully against your chest with every breath you take. Are you... are you about to have a panic attack?

"Step aside, Hoseok." Minjeong sounds so strong. Like she doesn't fear the man before you.

"What the hell is it that you want?"

"You can't keep holding her hostage. Not again. Not like me."

Murmurs sound out throughout the crowd that begins to swarm around you. You can hear some of the questions. What's going on? What is she talking about?

"This bullshit again?" Hoseok curses.

"This isn't bullshit, Hoseok. You know what you did and what you're doing to Y/N now."

"You don't even know her! Stop talking about her like you do."

Minjeong scoffs. "I'm not an idiot, Hoseok. You never changed. Tell me you aren't holding her hostage like you did me!"

"How about you tell us why you're here?" Taehyung bellows. "Last I checked you don't live around here."

"She said she was here with a cousin," you mumble.

"Minjeong doesn't have any cousins."

You freeze at Jungkook's response. "What?" You push Hoseok to the side to stare at his ex. "Minjeong?"

Her eyes are wide as she stutters a response. "S-Stay out of this, Jungkook."

"Don't tell my brother what to do." Taehyung bites back.

You feel like things are getting out of control. Why did Minjeong lie to you? What else could she have lied about? You know she escaped Hoseok - did Yoongi really help her? And the animosity she holds towards Namjoon. Why did she say those things about him?

"Why are you here, Minjeong?" Hoseok questions.

She bites her lip nervously before looking at the small crowd that has gathered to stare. Immediately she points towards Hoseok and yells in a shaky voice.

"Your Lord is not who he seems! He's holding this woman hostage! He did the same with me years ago. Don't trust him!"

Your heart feels like it's ready to burst free from your chest. Minjeong is doing what you're too much of a coward to do. She's pleading for help while you stand by with your lips sealed.

What should you do? Go along with her or stand by in silence?

The crowd around you grows larger until security gets involved and that's when you move. You're about to cross the space between you and Minjeong but Hoseok grabs your wrist tightly. You look up at him as he looks down at you. You watch the way his lips move in silence to tell you "Don't make me do it."

Don't make him do it. It takes you a moment to guess what he means by that but when it hits you it hits you hard. Don't make him control your mind. He promised he wouldn't control your mind again and he's trying his best not to now. If you so much as step out of line right now Hoseok can and will force you to stay with him. He's giving you an option right now. Something he's never given to you before. Now, will you go along with him or not?

There's a bit of a scuffle going on between Minjeong and an officer that grips her arm. She threatens to have him investigated if he hurts her but he pays her no mind. As for you, an officer approaches both you and Hoseok with a hand raised.

"My Lord I think it's best if you all come with me. There are some things we need to clear up here."

Despite looking upset Hoseok nods before bringing his hands up to your shoulders where he holds on to you tightly.

"I guess so," he says.

You follow after the guard as Hoseok walks close behind you - never missing the chance to hold you close to him. Minjeong is loud as she's being dragged away. She's dragging Hoseok's name through the mud while Hoseok himself remains silent by your side. Jungkook and Taehyung follow behind you all and you chalk up the calm feeling you you feel up to the latter who's doing his best to keep himself calm as well.

As you're walking Hoseok slips his hand into yours. When you look up at him you see that he has a cool front on. He doesn't seem concerned but when you squeeze his hand he looks down at you and gives you a smile. One that barely reaches his eyes.

"It's going to be okay," he says.

You don't know if he's telling you that or himself.

You all reach an office with security personale that move out of the way when they realize who is with the entourage. They bow in Hoseok's and his brothers' presence and eye the way your hands are laced together. Minjeong has stopped fighting but she yanks her arms away from the security holding her. Despite trying to put up a brave front she does look nervous. Her eyes shift around the room and down to you and Hoseok who stay close by each other. The sight of you two holding hands makes her brows furrow but before she can look into your eyes one of the security officers speaks up.

"Sorry to drag you guys away but a scene was being made and we can't have that here."

"No of course." Hoseok says. "We understand that."

The security officer clasps his hands together as he looks over you all. "Do you mind explaining what the problem was?"

Immediately Minjeong snaps. She points a finger at Hoseok and says "It's because of him. He's holding that woman hostage."

Everyone looks over to you and sees the way Hoseok releases your hand so he can wrap his arm around you to keep you close.

"This woman? Right here?" The security officer points you out.

Minjeong nods her head but you can see the officers aren't convinced.

"Just ask her and you will see."

All the attention is drawn towards you now.

You look around nervously and shake beneath their stares. You're growing nervous and Taehyung has decided to make no effort to calm you down. You're afraid to look his way because you imagine he must be staring you down. Waiting for you to slip up and give him a reason to hate you. Is Jungkook expecting the same or is he just as disinterested as usual. Hoseok, when you look up at him, he just smiles at you.

"Go ahead, baby. Tell them," he says.

He's expecting you to lie. He clearly has a lot of confidence in you to not speak the truth. Is it out of delusion or blind trust? Either way, you're growing more and more nervous.

If you speak the truth what would happen to you? It's not like you have a place to go without your money. You left everything back at Hoseok's. You doubt Minjeong would take you in. You two don't know each other like that. You don't even think you'd feel comfortable staying with her. Then there's Namjoon. You have some questions for him. Even Yoongi but if you leave now you'll never get them.

Without the answered questions it still stands that you have no where to go. Even with the money and that reality is settling in hard for you.

That stomach ache from earlier is starting to come back and it leaves you feeling nauseous.

"Y/N?"

You look over to Minjeong who gives you a look of desperation but your answer never comes.

"How about this," Another security officer starts to say. "Why don't you explain who you are ma'am and then we can go on from there."

He's asking Minjeong this and she looks affronted.

"Why do you need to know?"

"Well you're the one who caused the commotion. So please tell us who you are and what is your relation to these people."

She blinks a few times before speaking. "I'm Lee Minjeong. I'm a part of the Lee clan down South."

"The Lee clan?" An officer asks. "You're a little far away from home aren't you?"

You can see the way Minjeong clenches her teeth with the way her jaw works.

"That's besides the point. I'm here because of him." She points to Hoseok. "He's holding this woman hostage the same way he did with me years ago. I had to get a restraining order against him because of this."

"So wait," The first officer holds his hand up. "You have a restraining order against him which means he can only be a certain amount of distance away from you."

"100 feet." Minjeong says.

"100 feet. Okay. And you're claiming this woman here - what's your name," he questions you.

"Y/N." Your name leaves your lips softly.

"Y/N. You're claiming that Miss Y/N is being held hostage by Lord Hoseok who seems to know her very well judging by the way he's holding her."

Minjeong's brows furrow as a deep frown mars her face. "You're making it sound like she has a choice."

"You're making it sound like like she doesn't but all I see here are two consenting adults." The officer points a finger at Minjeong. "You said you have a restraining order against Lord Hoseok. So then why are you two here? Together?"

It's here that Minjeong chokes. She doesn't look so angry - doesn't look as sure of herself anymore. Her nostrils flare in slight irritation or is that nervousness? She swallows deeply and gives you a quick look that you don't know how to define as.

"Lady Minjeong?" One of the officers call for her. "Please answer the question."

She clenches her teeth together and works her jaw before balling her hands into fists. Looking down she licks her lips and speaks without making eye contact with anyone.

"I saw the articles about Hoseok and... and Y/N. About them being together." She looks up at the officer in front of her. "I know Hoseok. I know him better than most and I knew - I knew he was holding Y/N hostage. I had to find her. It took some time but I did and she admitted to me that she was in danger."

Everyone's eyes move over to you. Your face drops in surprise. You didn't admit to anything. Yeah you may have agreed to some of the things she said back in the bathroom but you didn't admit to anything.

"Honestly," Your attention is drawn over to the one female officer not looking at you but Minjeong. "It sounds like to me that Lord Hoseok is the one needing a restraining order."

"What?" Minjeong snaps.

The officer continues. "You stalked Lord Hoseok and his partner," she looks at Hoseok. "I presume?"

He nods his head.

"You stalked them and now you're trying to get in the middle. It sounds to me like you're just jealous."

"Jealous? Jealous?! I am far from jealous! This has nothing to do with jealousy. I'm trying to protect Y/N!"

"You don't even know her!" Hoseok bites.

Minjeong's hands come up to her hair in frustration before a thought comes to her. "You!" She points towards Hoseok then at the officers. "You're controlling their minds. Don't let him control your minds!"

The officer before her huffs a laugh. "No one is controlling anyone's mind here."

"Y/N." She looks back at you. "You know the truth. Come on please. Speak up."

You're having a hard time maintaining eye contact with her. What you wanted is happening here right now so why aren't you speaking up?

You do have to say you're a little speechless. Minjeong was spying on you? You just met her and to know she lied to you about everything? You guess you would have lied too if it meant you could help someone.

Hoseok's arm around you feels like a weight. Like a warning that if you step out of line he'll control you again. You don't want that, but right now Minjeong is looking like an idiot the longer you stay quiet. The officers are clearly showing a bias here. They're taking Hoseok's side without outright saying it and twisting Minjeong's words.

To be honest you're a little scared right now because despite knowing you have no where to go if you speak up you also know that no one will take your side. The officers have made it clear that they're on their Lord's side and not the victim's. No one will believe you. No one but Minjeong whose family was paid to keep quiet.

You grab your stomach with both hands as the sudden need to gag hits you.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Quickly the female officer moves to grab the small trash bin near the door. She pushes her way between you all so she can hold it near you.

"Let everything out if you have to," she says.

Your nostrils flare as you try to breathe evenly but it's coming and it's coming fast.

Leaning over you begin to vomit. It rushes out of you quickly from both your nose and mouth. You can feel Hoseok pull your hair back as you throw everything up.

You didn't eat that much for breakfast so what mostly comes up is acid. It burns the back of your throat and the acrid smell just makes you more nauseous. You vomit and vomit until all that's left are dry heaves and a cramping stomach.

"Get her a bottle of water and some tissues." You hear an officer say.

Hoseok gently massages your back and asks if you're okay. You can only grunt in response as you're handed a box of tissues.

You grab a few to wipe your mouth and blow your nose. The feeling of vomit mixing with your mucus is disgusting but you have to get it all out.

"I'm sorry," you say.

"No no. You're okay." The female officer says.

You're handed a bottle of water you open up and take a swig of to rinse your mouth. You spit it out before taking another mouthful and drinking it down. The cold water feels like a blessing to your throat but it makes your stomach cramp. You wince at the feeling as your fingers dig into your stomach to help stave off the pain.

"All good?" Hoseok asks you.

You nod your head and the officer removes the trash bin from your sight.

You feel a little better now but you still have the lingering feeling of nausea. It's not as strong now that you threw up but some bit of it remains. Because of it you temporarily forgot about why you were here with all these people. It's now that you wish you were preoccupied with something else so that you wouldn't have to deal with the real issue at hand.

You look at Minjeong and you wish you were just as brave as her. Maybe once upon a time you would speak out but you realize that over time you've been made into a coward. You would love to escape but you don't think it's the right time. Or at least it won't be for a while. The sudden realization of that hurts you and you think Minjeong sees that because she gives you a look of worry.

"Don't," she says lowly.

You shake your head. "I want to go home."

Her eyes shut momentarily before she looks at you again. "Don't. Please."

"She wants to go home." Hoseok says. "You heard her."

You don't hear how smug you know he must be feeling. He plays the part of a concerned lover so well.

"I thinks it's best that we should leave." Taehyung says. "Why don't you stay out of our lives. For good now."

Minjeong squares her shoulders while flexing her jaw.

"Would you like for us to call the police to press any charges, my Lord?"

Your attention snaps to the officer who spoke before looking at Hoseok. Your captor stares at you and watches the way you shake your head.

"Don't," you say. "Just let it go."

Hoseok just stares at you with an unreadable expression and you're worried he might go against you but then he smiles.

"I'll let things slide. For now." He looks at Minjeong. "Do me a favor and leave while you still can."

Minjeong swallows deeply.

Before anyone can say anything else, Jungkook leaves. Taehyung follows after him and Hoseok does as well but not before bidding the officers farewell. You hesitate a moment before leaving as well.

Gods you're a coward. You've always sworn you would be able to escape but once the opportunity was finally presented to you you came up with a million excuses as to why it wouldn't work out. Excuses they were but you know you were right to walk away. It's so easy to formulate plans but for them to actually follow through - that would be the hard part. It doesn't stop your eyes from getting watery.

No one says a word as you four leave. You prefer it that way. You just want to stew in the silence. Accept your fate.

As you near the Macy's you hear a call of your name. You turn around to see Minjeong standing a few feet away from you. She's standing there with a menacing look directed at Hoseok and his brothers but when she looks at you her expression softens.

You're thinking of asking her what was wrong but something compels you to walk towards her. Hoseok's hand on your shoulder stops you but you're quick to shake it off.

"Give me a minute," you say and surprisingly he lets you go.

You walk over to Minjeong and give her a sorry look. You want to apologize but she just shakes her head.

"It took me a while," she says.

You don't get what she means until she reaches for your hand to hold tight.

"Don't let it be your last."

You feel something in your hand and hold it tight when she releases you. You want to see what it is but you don't dare look.

She gives you a smile before walking away.

You ball your hands into fists and feeling whatever is in your hand crumble up. It must be a piece of paper. In a nonchalant manner you slip your hands into your pockets and leave them there as you turn around to face Hoseok. He's frowning but he doesn't seem to suspect anything.

When you near him again he stretches his hand out for you to grab and you take it. Leaving behind whatever it is Minjeong gave you deep in your pocket. You'll have a look at what it is later when no one is around to watch you.

When you all return to the car you have to close your eyes and breathe. The sound of doors slamming shut around you makes the nausea from before slowly come back and it makes you a bit antsy.

"Are you okay, my love?" Hoseok asks. "How are you feeling?"

You grunt. "Feel sick."

"Again?" It's Taehyung who speaks. "You threw up a lot already." He hums to himself. "Maybe the events from today was too much."

"Maybe you have the stomach flu." Jungkook adds on.

You're grateful he isn't referring to you as an it like he would have before.

"I was feeling just fine earlier. Maybe it's nothing."

Jungkook shrugs. "Maybe."

A long pause of silence presents itself as the car starts up and Jungkook makes his way out of the parking lot. When he turns his head around to back out of the spot he gives you a quick onceover and hums.

"What," you ask.

"You look like shit."

"Thanks for that, I guess."

Hoseok brings a hand to the back of your head and scratches your scalp.

"We'll take you home now so there's no need to worry."

You moan in pain as your stomach cramps up. "Feeling sick again."

"We don't have anything in here to help you out." Taehyung says. "You'll just have to let Kooky know when he needs to park for you to vomit."

"Don't vomit in my car. Please."

You have half a mind in doing just that right here right now but you won't. You don't think you'd be able to handle the smell on the ride home.

"Do we need to take you to the hospital?"

You look over at Hoseok that looks at you in concern before shaking your head.

"I'll be fine. I just need bed."

"A visit to the hospital wouldn't be a bad one." Taehyung chimes in. "They'll at least give you what you need so you can get better."

You groan but it's because you know he's right.

"I'll take you to the hospital." Jungkook says. "Maybe it'll make you stop moaning and groaning."

There's a kick to the back of Jungkook's seat from Hoseok who chuckles.

"Be nice, Kooky."

The youngest doesn't say anything back but you know he wants to.

You rest your head on the window as you look off into the distance. With the car moving you have to keep your eyes open because with every sway it triggers your nausea.

Why are you feeling like this? You were just fine earlier. You think maybe because of the stress it must have triggered everything. First the fight with Hoseok and then the run in with Minjeong. Finding out Minjeong was stalking you but you know she did it for the right reasons. Today was too adventurous for you. That's for sure.

Hoseok holds your hand in his before turning it over. His fingers run over your wrist until he finds a spot and presses into your flesh. It's a steady amount of pressure he provides and you turn your head to give him a questioning look.

As if sensing your eyes on him he looks up at you and smiles before looking back down.

"Acupressure for nausea."

You hum before looking out the window.

You try not think about any of the stressors in your life to avoid triggering your nausea and vomiting again. It's a little easier said than done with you being in the car with your captor and his brothers one of which you still believe dislikes you. No matter what anyone says.

The car ride is quiet save for the low music that plays and the occasional talk between Taehyung and Jungkook. They talk about Jimin's birthday, new games that are coming out and mundane things about life. What they don't talk about is Minjeong and you suspect they will but behind Hoseok's back. For now though she's the farthest from their minds.

After a while you reach a large hospital that you realize isn't that far from the house. It has a beautiful garden up front in the middle of a roundabout. If it weren't because you feel sick you would have checked them out to see which flower is what.

Your eyes trail up to see the sign 'Emergency' written in large, red letters above double doors that open when approached.

As you and Hoseok undo your seatbelts Taehyung turns around to look at you.

"Call us when you need a ride."

Hoseok smiles. "Will do."

Your stomach begins to cramp again when you exit the car. Digging your fingers into your flesh you wait for Hoseok to come around and urge you forward with an arm around you.

The air from inside the hospital is on full blast and it makes you tremble when you get inside. Everything looks new to you though as you've never been to a hospital before. Only once to help that woman who escaped her brother but you never really had a chance to look around. Your sheltered life at the Baek's made that whatever you do know about the outside world was through movies and online shows. It's a bit startling honestly. Despite missing your old home you can't help but to be thankful that you've been allowed some time out thanks to Hoseok and his brothers, but you're not about to admit that out loud.

You walk to the front desk where a young receptionist whose eyes widen a bit when she sees Hoseok. She stands to bow and the other receptionist next to her gives her a weird look but says nothing.

"Lord Hoseok," she chirps. "What can I do for you today?"

He gives her a small smile to which she smiles back before sitting down.

"My partner has been sick," he says. "She's been nauseous and throwing up."

Now that she hears this she gets to work. Asking for your name and date of birth. She types some more and after a minute she asks for your wrist. When she does you give her a confused look before you realize that she's going to tag it. After she puts it on you look at it to see it has your information on it.

"You can have a seat. You will be called shortly."

By shortly she means an hour later. At some point Hoseok had to get you a vomit bag because you needed to throw up again. It wasn't a lot this time unlike when you were at the mall. Your stomach still cramps and the longer you wait out in the waiting room the more anxious you grow and the more you become nauseous.

Thankfully you are called back and get your vitals taken. Everything seems normal and afterwards you meet with a nurse who wants to put you on IV fluids. You give her a look that Hoseok catches on to. He's standing by your side on the hospital bed you're sitting on and begins to rub your back gently.

"Have you ever gotten a needle," he asks.

You shake your head no to which he smiles.

"It'll be a small pinch. Nothing too bad."

When the nurse comes back she has everything and gets to work. You watch as she ties a tourniquet around your arm and checks for a good vein. You're starting to feel anxious and can feel the way your heart beats painfully. When she finds one she likes she preps the needle and brings it close to your arm but before she can dig it in your head grows light and everything goes black.

You don't know what happens after that. You just know that when you wake up you're lying out on the bed with a worried Hoseok by your side.

"Hey baby," he says with small smile.

You look around confused and down at your arm where you feel something cool going into it. You see that you're hooked up to an IV bag and the cool feeling is from the liquid seeping in.

"What happened," you ask.

Hoseok goes to ease you back down when you try to sit up.

"You fainted." He huffs a small laugh. "I think you getting your first needle did it for you."

"Oh." You don't know what else to say but that.

"Just relax." Hoseok says. "I'll see if I can find your nurse."

He stands up to leave the room and when the door shuts behind him you sigh.

Your hand rubs your belly. It still aches but you don't have the need to vomit. You don't know if the nurse gave you anything for it while you were knocked out but if she did you're thankful for it.

You look back down at your arm and stare at the sliver of the needle that sticks out and how it's attached to a plastic piece that's connected to the IV tube. You make a face at it and settle back down onto the thin pillow that's placed beneath your head.

It takes Hoseok a while to return but when he does he comes in with a smile.

"She'll be right in in a moment."

You hum as he sits down on the bed next to you.

He grabs your hand and massages your palm. He looks down at you and you can tell he's trying to not look so worried. You sigh again and it makes him look at you.

"You okay," he asks.

You shrug. "I guess."

"You really had me worried for a second there. I was already worried you were sick but when you fainted I couldn't help but to freak out." He nibbles his bottom lip before pushing your hair behind your ear. "I still am worried."

"I'll be okay I'm sure. It's probably just stress."

"Probably."

There's a knock on the door and you peek around Hoseok to see that it's the nurse.

"Hey there, honey." She comes around to stand by your side. "Before putting the IV in I drew some blood so that's in the lab right now."

You nod your head.

"The doctor will be in to see you shortly but is there anything else I can do for you?"

You think on it before shaking your head. "Not really."

She smiles. "Okay. If you do need anything please let me know. My name is Dawn and like I said the doctor will be in shortly."

She gives you one last smile before heading out.

For the time it takes the doctor to come you and Hoseok stay in silence. He wanted you to close your eyes and relax which you did as he played with your hand. Soft and gentle touches running up and down your arm as your body goes lax. When the doctor does come you open your eyes and welcome him in with a small smile.

"Hi. Y/N?"

You nod.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Callahan. So what brings you in today?"

You try to sit up but Hoseok urges for you to stay lying down. You don't try to fight him but it doesn't stop you from sighing.

"My stomach has been cramping and I've been throwing up."

"How long have you been like this?"

You shrug. "For a few hours? I was fine this morning."

"Anything you ate?"

"She didn't eat that much today." Hoseok chimes in.

Dr. Callahan nods. "Are you sexually active?"

Your head jerks back a bit in surprise but you shouldn't be you guess. He is a doctor asking reasonable questions. It doesn't stop the heat from creeping up your neck.

"Yes."

"Okay. Have you had a pregnancy test done?"

Your eyes widen as your mouth slowly hangs ajar.

There was no way in hell. No way in hell you were pregnant. Right?

You shift your sights over to Hoseok who has a look of subtle surprise but nothing more nothing less. It's not helping the way your anxiety is starting to spike up.

"I um," you start. "I - no. No I haven't."

The doctor nods. "Okay that's fine. We can do one for you now. All we need is a little bit of your urine and we can get a result within minutes for you."

"Okay." The word leaves you in a shaky manner.

When he leaves to retrieve a cup for you you look at Hoseok with wide eyes that scream discomfort.

"There's no way I'm pregnant," you say.

He squeezes your hand in what you assume to be comfort.

"We don't know that yet."

"No Hoseok. I am not pregnant."

There's no way. You couldn't be. You'll never be. It's already bad enough you're in the predicament you're in with Hoseok who just so happens to be your kidnapper but to have a baby by him too? Gods you think you're about to have a panic attack.

"If you aren't then good but if you are," Hoseok shrugs. "We'll deal with it."

You sit up quickly and your stomach cramps because of it.

"I don't want to deal with it." You're beginning to tremble with nerves. "I can't be pregnant."

"Shh baby. Hey." He brings a hand up to your cheek and caresses it with his thumb. "We'll get through this. It's going to be okay."

He doesn't seem to get the severity of the situation but then again he isn't you. He wasn't kidnapped and forced into a certain life by someone. It's terrifying to think about even more so with knowing you just might be carrying his child.

You're not fit to be a mother. Maybe some day but today is not that day.

Swallowing your spit is getting hard when it grows viscous with your nerves. The feeling to vomit doesn't come but something akin to nausea does hit you. You're even growing a bit lightheaded.

"You need to calm down, Y/N. If you don't you're going to faint again."

You know he's right and so you try to take deep even breaths. It still doesn't change the fact that you're a bottle of nerves. Filled to the brim with anxiety.

There's a knock on the door and it opens to reveal the doctor with a little cup in his hand.

"Alright so I just need you to pee in this. It doesn't need to be a lot. Just a little bit."

The door opens again and in walks in Dawn. She smiles at you.

"I'll run the test on it when you're done," she says.

You're hesitant to take the cup but you know you need to do this. You have to do this. For peace of mind.

Hoseok helps in easing you up off of the bed along with the nurse once the doctor leaves. She says she'll take you to the bathroom and encourages him to stay in the room, but there's a hesitancy about him. Like he's not sure if he should leave you alone with the nurse. His hands come together in nervousness and he looks at you with pleading eyes. You know what he's asking for. For you not to slip up and fuck his whole life over.

After today you don't think you'll be leaving any time soon. After the incident with Minjeong you were left feeling like you have no place to go and then you're reminded of something. In your pocket is something Minjeong slipped to you. When you go to the bathroom you'll check to see what it is.

You nod towards Hoseok as a way to let him know things will be okay. He seems to release the tension in his shoulders a little as the nurse leads you out of the room.

You drag along the stand the IV fluid hangs from as you hold the cup in a death grip. You're far beyond nervous right now and you're afraid the result might be that you are pregnant. What are you going to do then? There's no way Hoseok would allow for an abortion will he? He's controlled your life in every other aspect you wouldn't doubt he would control your pregnancy as well.

"Here we are." The nurse says. "I'll be waiting for you right here."

You thank her before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind you.

You sigh as you place the cup down on the edge of the sink. The first thing you do before bringing your pants down is dig into your pocket. You fish out a folded piece of paper. It's what Minjeong passed to you before she left and you hurriedly unfold it to see numbers. Not just any set of numbers. It's her phone number.

You close your eyes in relief. You didn't know what to expect but now that you see it you're happy. Without hesitation you pull out your phone and enter the number on it. You hope Hoseok doesn't go through it but just in case you don't put her name. You think on what to put as you look around you. When your eyes draw to the cup an idea hits you and you're quick to write the name Dawn. If he were to ever ask you who Dawn was you'll say it's the nurse from the hospital. That you exchanged numbers because she was really nice to you. That's all.

You quickly discard the piece of paper and lie your phone next to the cup before pulling your pants and underwear down to pee.

Nothing comes out at first and you have to turn the faucet on to get the urge going. You take the cap off of the cup and stare at it, letting the sound of rushing water get to you until you finally have the urge to pee.

You slip the cup beneath you and get what you can before finishing in the toilet and cleaning up. You wash your hands and wrap the capped cup in a paper towel, turn off the faucet and grab your phone to slip it into your pocket. You're done, you're set and exit the bathroom to see Dawn waiting for you just like she said.

She smiles. "All done?"

You nod your head and give her the cup.

The two of you walk down the hall towards your room seemingly calm but your heart is beating a mile a minute. Fingers crossed you're not pregnant because you don't know how you're going to deal with that.

When you open the door you see Hoseok who fidgets with his fingers. He looks just as nervous as you but he does his best to hide it when he sees you.

He stands and pulls you into his arms where he hugs you gently and kisses your forehead.

"The test will take a few minutes. Once I have a result I'll let you guys know."

You give a soft "Okay" and watch as she departs.

Behind the closed door Hoseok kisses your forehead again and urges you to look up at him with a hand to your chin.

"Your heart beat," he says.

You know what he means by it. He can hear how nervous you are.

"It's going to be okay. If you aren't pregnant then good but if you are we'll deal with it, okay?"

You nod your head though what you want more than anything is to not deal with it. You think of bringing up getting an abortion but you're afraid of what he might say. So you stay quiet for your sake.

A few minutes turn to more and more turns to almost an hour. You were told the pregnancy test would only take a few minutes but now you're left feeling nothing but dread because you have yet to receive an answer. You can't sit still and you're stomach is starting to cramp again. Hoseok had to retrieve you a clean throw up bag because the nausea is starting to creep up again. Gods this doesn't help. You want to be put out of your misery right now because you can't keep dealing with the wait.

Almost on the dot of another hour does Hoseok sit up in his seat and looks at the door. When he does you look at the door expectantly until there's a knock. The door opens to reveal Dawn and she has a sorry look on her face.

"I'm so sorry it took so long. We had a bit of an emergency that took up our time."

You shake your head. "No no. It's okay." You're a restless mess but you can't fault her for this.

"So I got your results."

Hoseok reaches for your hand and you find yourself holding him tight.

"You're not pregnant."

Like a huge weight being lifted off of your shoulders you sigh in relief. You look at Hoseok who sighs as well but he doesn't make a big show of it like you do.

Dawn smiles. "As for your blood everything is looking good."

"Then what's causing the stomach issues," you ask.

"Have you been under any stress lately?"

That's the million dollar question.

Of course you've been under stress and after things having been calm for a few weeks the issue with the letter and then Minjeong things got a little out of control. So you nod.

"A little bit."

"Well that can be causing it. When you leave we'll give you some scripts to take to the pharmacy for both the stomach pain and the nausea."

You nod again. "Okay."

Okay. You breathe another sigh of relief and let the nurse handle everything that needs to be done. She asks if you're still having issues with your stomach pain now that she sees you with another throw up bag. You say yes and she's quick to issue another dose of medicine to cool it down along with something for the nausea. When she leaves to check on your discharge paperwork Hoseok squeezes your hand and you look over to him.

"We need to get you on birth control," he says.

Your brows furrow a little at the prospects of getting on birth control. You know about it not just through media but the women who your former Masters would have frenzy feedings with. It's clear that you and Hoseok should have been using protection from the beginning but you just haven't. If you would have ended up pregnant it wouldn't have been a mistake. You and Hoseok looked for that problem although unintentional it was.

"There's all types. We just have to find the right one for you."

"And what about you," you ask.

"What about me?"

You shrug. "You don't want to try condoms?"

Hoseok's lips slowly part in mild surprise. "Um. I guess? With birth control you should be fine."

"But what if none of them work?"

"Then we use condoms."

You nod. "Okay."

You won't get into an argument with him about it but you wanted to make it clear that condoms were an option.

Today has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and pains. The nurse tells you to limit your stress to avoid your stomach aches and nausea again. It's easier said than done. Especially because the main cause of your stress is because you were kidnapped. Something she of course doesn't know. Something you know Hoseok is thankful you didn't speak up about because you're too much of a coward. At least you have Minjeong's number. She said it took her a while to escape. It's going to take you a while too but if you need help you have her number.

You also have some questions for Namjoon and Yoongi. You don't know if they'll be willing to answer them all but you'll make sure you're alone with them when you go to question them. Just so that they don't feel pressured around their brothers or the servants.

You're also glad Hoseok wasn't too keen on the idea of you being pregnant. He didn't show outright disgust or annoyance about it but it seemed as if he preferred that you weren't. It's the small things to be happy about you guess.

You don't know what you would do with a child. You don't feel like you're ready for one and you especially don't want to have a child with your captor. You're already living a nightmare. You don't want to make it worse.

You also note something else and it's something you try not to think about. You try not to because if you ignore it maybe then it wouldn't be true. You're becoming complicit with Hoseok. He's wrong for kidnapping you. Wrong for doing all the things he's done but you're not fighting him as much. You chalk that up to being a coward. A coward that was too scared to speak up to the security officers. Too much of a coward to speak up even now. You would like to think it's because of that and not because you're settling into this new life of yours. It scares you to think that but you're not doing much else. You're always thinking about escaping but you're not putting in the effort.

You wonder if Minjeong was the same way. She said it took her a while to escape so maybe. Maybe if it weren't for Yoongi she'd still be with Hoseok and you'd be still with the Baeks. Or would Hoseok had chosen you anyway the day he first saw you? Would he have sent Minjeong off or would he keep you both?

You don't want to think about these things but sometimes you can't help it.