Warning ⚠️ Chapter contains violence

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Curiosity, they say, killed the cat, but in Baekhyun's case, it might lead him down a treacherous path. It's that insatiable desire to know, to uncover secrets, to solve mysteries that can drive people to take risks with unpredictable consequences. And there's Baekhyun, an Epistemology student in the philosophy department, who doesn't shy away from a challenge when it comes to understanding the what, how, why, when, and where of things. The problem? Sometimes his thirst for knowledge gets him into trouble. Lately, his focus was on his flatmate, Kim Jongin.

Baekhyun and Jongin shared an apartment. They'd met a few months ago when Baekhyun started working at the pub and needed a place to stay. After living in the dormitory during his freshman year at the university, Baekhyun couldn't continue due to various inconveniences. Jongin offered to split the rent with him, and Baekhyun moved in. They'd been content flatmates and close friends until a few weeks ago when Jongin's behavior took a strange turn. The tension escalated when Jongin last visited the apartment on a Tuesday evening, grabbed a few belongings, and promptly vanished.

Since then, Baekhyun had been in the dark about Jongin's whereabouts. He didn't show up at work either, and calls to Jongin went unanswered, leading straight to voicemail.

As Baekhyun was about to drift into a nap one evening, the stillness was shattered by eerie scratches and gentle knocks on his window. He grabbed a tennis racket from under his bed, just in case he needed to fend off an unexpected visitor. The air was thick with tension, and the room seemed charged with suspense.

"W-who's there?" Baekhyun's voice trembled, his nerves on high alert.

"It's me," Jongin replied in a hushed tone.

"Jongin, where have you -"

"Shhh!" Jongin urgently silenced Baekhyun. "Baekhyun, I'll explain everything, but could you open the back door for me, please?"

Baekhyun hesitated. "The back door? What happened to the front door?" His curiosity was getting the best of him, but Jongin's expression told him that now wasn't the time for questions. "Please."

Without further delay, Baekhyun rushed from his room to the back door located in their kitchen. Unlocking it, he allowed Jongin to slip inside, swiftly closing and securing the door behind him.

"What's going on!?" Baekhyun shouted, but Jongin reacted by placing a hand over Baekhyun's mouth, his eyes urging silence. Baekhyun was taken aback, but he nodded in understanding. After Jongin removed his hand, Baekhyun had to voice his concerns. "You vanished without a trace for days, no calls, no texts!" Baekhyun couldn't contain his whisper-shouted words. "What's happening, Jongin?"

"Nothing," Jongin mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Nothing?" Baekhyun's voice dripped with skepticism. "You expect me to believe that? I was on the verge of going to the police if you hadn't shown up today!"

Jongin sighed, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for prying eyes. He hurriedly closed all the blinds. "Well, it's a good thing you didn't go there yet."

"What? What on earth are you talking about?" Baekhyun exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Ignoring Baekhyun, Jongin rushed to his bedroom, stuffing clothes, shoes, cash savings, and anything he could grab into a backpack. Baekhyun trailed him, still dissatisfied with the vague explanations. "Wait! Why are you packing up? Aren't you going to work?" Baekhyun questioned, noting that it was already 6:00 pm, and they both had night shifts at the club scheduled for 10:00 pm.

"I quit!" Jongin glanced back at Baekhyun over his shoulder. "Didn't Dae-Hyun tell you? I stopped working on Monday."

"What?" Baekhyun's shock was palpable. Jongin finished packing, zipped up his backpack, and made to leave, but Baekhyun blocked his way. "This has to be some kind of joke, right?"

"It's no joke, Baekhyun," Jongin urged urgently. "You need to leave the house now and go to Dae-Hyun's place. Lay low, okay?" He swiftly crossed to the kitchen, his eyes darting to the windows as if anticipating danger.

Baekhyun, his eyes wide and baffled, paused. "Why should I stay with Dae-Hyun? And what's with all this 'lay low' stuff? Do we owe someone money? Can't you just tell me what's going on?"

Jongin released a tired sigh, his patience wearing thin. "Baekhyun, I wish I could explain everything right now, but time isn't on our side. I promise I'll fill you in later. For now, you need to leave this place." He slung his backpack over his shoulder, casting a last wary look out the window, and then made a hasty exit through the back door.

Baekhyun watched Jongin disappear into the street, a knot of fear and confusion tying his stomach in knots. "Jongin, wait!" he whispered urgently, but his friend was already gone. Panic began to grip Baekhyun, and he didn't know where to turn. With about four hours before his nightclub shift, he decided to follow Jongin to a nearby bus station.

Jongin, oblivious to Baekhyun shadowing him, boarded a bus and sat near the rear. Baekhyun hurried to catch up, hoping to make sense of the situation. But just as he approached and hopped into the bus, the doors closed, and he found himself onboard, carried along by a combination of curiosity and concern.

Baekhyun remained seated, attempting to stay incognito as he planned to disembark at the next bus station and catch another one to return home and prepare for his shift at the nightclub. However, his insatiable curiosity held him captive. Luckily, Jongin alighted at the next stop, and Baekhyun decided to persist with his covert pursuit. To his astonishment, Jongin suddenly began running, leaving Baekhyun perplexed by his flatmate's abrupt and frantic behavior.

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As Baekhyun continued to tail Jongin through the chaotic streets, events took a chilling turn back at their apartment. A group of armed men broke into their house through the backdoor, having noticed Baekhyun's departure. However, upon discovering that the flat was empty, one of them immediately contacted their superior, a person called Sotto, on the phone. "All clear, Sotto," the man reported. "There is no one here; the entire apartment is deserted." Sotto issued further instructions over the phone, which the armed men followed before they left the premises in pursuit of Jongin.

Meanwhile, Baekhyun continued to shadow Jongin as he sprinted into a busy road, dangerously weaving between moving cars in an attempt to cross to the other side. The screeching halt of cars and the commotion of angry drivers filled the air. But Jongin seemed untroubled by the near-miss with a speeding car. Baekhyun was utterly terrified, for he had never witnessed such behavior from his flatmate.

As soon as the traffic light turned red, Baekhyun crossed the road, never taking his eyes off Jongin. He followed him into a mall, where Jongin was frantically pushing aside anyone in his way as he continued to flee. Baekhyun's worry grew, and his racing heart told him something was amiss. He considered calling the police, but lacking concrete proof, he hesitated to raise a false alarm.

By this time, it was already 8:00 p.m., leaving Baekhyun with just two hours before his work shift at the nightclub. Having chased Jongin for over two hours, exhaustion overcame him. Doubt began to creep in – what if Jongin was aware of being followed and was merely using him as part of a plan?

As Baekhyun decided to abandon the chase and head home, he began to retrace his steps. However, after just covering a short distance, his attention was abruptly seized by a succession of roaring engines. A pair of powerful motorcycles sped past him, followed by the dramatic arrival of two Toyota Prado SUVs and a Jeep Wrangler, all racing towards the direction Jongin had disappeared.

A sudden, gut-wrenching realization struck Baekhyun, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. These were no ordinary pursuers; they were the Mafia. Fear and concern welled up within him. What had Jongin unwittingly entangled himself in? Why had he been running for nearly three hours? Baekhyun contemplated making a hasty exit from the alley, but his path was blocked by the advancing vehicles. He couldn't just abandon Jongin to this peril.

Swiftly and silently, Baekhyun's steps carried him closer to the unfolding scene, hidden in the shadows. He needed to reach Jongin and warn him about the imminent danger. His heart raced as he advanced, inadvertently ending up in a desolate shipyard, its backdrop a vast river. The sight of the parked cars and motorcycles with their headlights aglow only deepened his anxiety. It was evident that Jongin had been cornered and ambushed by those who sought him.

Baekhyun's pulse quickened uncontrollably as he caught sight of his flatmate being pinned to the ground by one of the menacing figures. He crouched behind a rusted, abandoned drum, watching in distress as the assailant ruthlessly immobilized Jongin, binding his hands behind his back with a cable strap, rendering him helpless and vulnerable.

"Who do we have here?" The thug circled Jongin, taunting him with a sinister grin. "Kim Jongin, the runaway soldier. How far did you jump today?" In the dim light, Baekhyun's eyes fixated on the thug's neck, covered in a menacing tattoo, as he ruthlessly gripped Jongin's hair while he lay pinned to the ground. "Where's the coke?" the thug sneered, referring to the cocaine. Jongin shook his head. "Oh, no coke? Well, you must have the dough, right?" he hissed, referring to money.

Jongin shook his head again, and the thug with the tattooed neck responded with an evil smirk. "You're in deep trouble, my friend."

Inside his car, Chanyeol sat with an air of authority. His Underboss and second-in-command, Kim Minseok, had wisely advised him to stay put, and he heeded the counsel. They were in a public space, and Chanyeol's unmistakable presence could jeopardize the entire operation. Furthermore, Chanyeol was known for his ruthless impatience, and there was no doubt he could resort to violence if Jongin didn't produce the answers he sought.

Park Chanyeol, utterly unfazed by the brutal treatment Jongin was enduring, lounged in his car, casually holding a lit cigar. He cared little for the nature of the torment Jongin faced. Whether they decided to slit his throat or not was irrelevant. Chanyeol's sole interest lay in securing either the truckload of cocaine or the fifty million dollars he believed Jongin possessed.

Jongin had to produce one of these, or he would face the direst consequences.

Amidst the relentless barrage of punches and kicks, Jongin's world blurred into a maelstrom of agony. Every bone ached, each breath felt like a battle, and the air weighed down on his constricted lungs.

Seeing Jongin teetering on the precipice of unconsciousness, Minseok barked an order, forcing the soldiers to halt their brutal assault. The stakes were high – if they pushed Jongin too far, the secrets about their money and the coveted cocaine might slip away forever. Minseok crouched down to meet Jongin's battered gaze, his voice a shade less menacing.

"Friend," Minseok implored, "Tell us the truth. Where's the cocaine? Where's it stashed?"

Jongin coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood. With weary, pleading eyes, he met Minseok's gaze. "I swear, my life's on the line here. I don't know where the cocaine is. I barely escaped with my own skin."

"Then who slaughtered your comrades on this damned trip?" Minseok pressed, his skepticism palpable.

"I don't know," Jongin's voice quivered. "We were ambushed, I think."

"Merely a guess?" Minseok's chuckle had a sinister tinge.

Jongin nodded, his desperation laid bare. "I ran for my life after they were killed."

"You're just a pitiful liar!" Sehun's voice echoed from the corner. "Always playing for sympathy."

"Sehun, in the name of Omertà, shut up!" Minseok snapped with a fiery tone, silencing Sehun abruptly. His internal fury still raged, but he dared not defy his superior's command. Sehun reluctantly turned, catching a withering glare from the Don himself, and offered a humbled bow of apology. While Sehun was vexed at how lenient Minseok seemed to be with Jongin, he understood the unwavering code of Omertà that held their actions in check.

Sehun proceeded to retreat to his motorcycle in silence, opting to stay out of any further trouble.

"Amico Nostro," Minseok continued, addressing Jongin as 'our friend' for the final time. "I don't desire to whack you. But you see these lions surrounding you; they'd whack you at my command." Even before his words could fully form, one of the soldiers had the Thompson machine gun from 1937 cocked and ready.

Minseok leveled a stern gaze at the soldier, a silent reprimand, before returning his attention to Jongin. "And do you know what? The Don is right here, considering you a traitor, and you know the consequences of that. Help yourself, my brother."

"P-please, Sotto, believe me," Jongin pleaded, desperation written across his battered face. "I'm truly clueless, just as much as anyone else."

Chanyeol's patience finally wore thin, prompting him to unlock his car door and step out. With his light brown Emporio Armani overcoat slung casually over his shoulder, he strode forward. His hair, elegantly slicked back, revealed his commanding forehead, while he sported a black turtleneck shirt, complemented by matching black pants and shoes. His arrival was swift, prompted by Sehun's call providing a lead on Jongin's location right after he'd finished his work for the day.

But what was causing this delay? Chanyeol demanded, his voice laced with impatience, punctuating his words with slow, deliberate drags from his cigar. He expelled a stream of smoke toward Jongin. "Where's my money, Kim Jongin?" Chanyeol's voice cut through the air, sharp and foreboding. As soon as the Don spoke Jongin's name, the fear coursing through him was palpable; he knew that with Chanyeol's arrival, things were about to take a dark turn.

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Witnessing the Mafia's gathering around the helpless Jongin ignited a strong urge in Baekhyun to involve the police. It could serve as compelling evidence if he chose to report the incident. Swiftly, he reached into his pocket, retrieved his phone, and unlocked it, focusing on the camera app. The recording began without hesitation.

Everything appeared to be going according to plan until fate took a sharp turn against Baekhyun. Just when the situation couldn't get any more terrifying, his phone blared with Dae-Hyun's name on the screen. All activity paused as angry eyes turned toward him. "Dammit!" Baekhyun cursed under his breath as he quickly silenced the call and put his phone on silent mode. Unbeknownst to him, the Mafia had already spotted him, but he continued to record.

As Baekhyun returned his gaze to the camera, he suddenly found himself face to face with Chanyeol, a formidable figure towering over him, casting an intimidating shadow. Chanyeol's deep voice sent shivers down Baekhyun's spine as he asked, "Who are you?" It was a chilling moment. The drug lord's presence was overwhelming, and Baekhyun's fear was palpable. His heart raced, and his pupils dilated in shock. With a gasp, his phone fell off his hand, Baekhyun's heart raced as he scrambled to retrieve his phone, his fear evident. With a gasp, he picked up his phone and made a hasty exit.

Chanyeol remained unwavering, watching Baekhyun flee. He didn't tolerate interference and immediately ordered Sehun to pursue and capture him, saying, "Don't let him escape. Bring him to me, alive."

Jongin, seizing the distraction Baekhyun provided, made a desperate move. Summoning his last ounce of strength, he struck the soldier beside him and bolted toward the river. Gunshots echoed from different directions, but he preferred to risk death in the water, where the fish could feast on his remains, rather than meet his end at the hands of the Mafioso.

The torment that awaited him would be so excruciating that it would linger even in the afterlife, a relentless suffering from the depths of hell itself.

"What the hell just happened? Shoot him!" Chanyeol's furious command echoed through the tumultuous scene, but Jongin had vanished, slipping into the river without leaving a trace or the faintest ripple. "Dammit!" Chanyeol growled in frustration, his chest heaving with anger. "Why are you just standing there? Find him, damn it!" He gestured wildly, his fury palpable.

Baekhyun, his tears flowing, was fleeing for his life. At this point, the camera, the police, Jongin, and everything else didn't matter. He had no intention of standing around and suffering for a situation he didn't understand. Gasping for air, he heard the distant sound of a motorcycle engine and quickly took refuge behind an empty drum in the alley. His sole objective now was to reach the main road and run either to Dae-Hyun's house or straight to the police station.

If only he had known the nightmare he was about to plunge into, he'd never have followed Jongin into this treacherous situation. Regret welled within him as he awaited the moment the motorcycle's sound would fade, and he could make his escape. Unfortunately, his attempt to evade capture proved only partially successful, as someone abruptly pounced on him. The impact of a scorching slap against Baekhyun's cheek sent him sprawling to the ground.

Within an instant, darkness consumed him.

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Author note 📒

Thank you for 500 reads. And over 50 votes. Like, are you guys being serious? I didn't expect this much love from you all🙏😭thank you for your kind support🙏🥺❤️

Q: Did you enjoy this chapter?

Q: Do you think Jongin was being truthful?

Q: What's in Chanyeol's mind towards Baekhyun, especially with the fact that his presence was a distraction for Jongin to escape? Do you think Baekhyun would be in danger?

Let me know in the comment section. Thank you for your support. Love you🙏🥺❤️