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"She's not here too." Hoseok sighed while slumping on the dirty pavement without a care.

Yoongi sat beside him, grunting as he wipe the sweat from his forehead. The sun just happened to be shining so brightly today. They were wandering around the town for the last two days. Up until now, they still failed to find your whereabouts.

"How many fucking schools are there in (Town)? Didn't we already go to all of them? Literally no one said (Name) was one of their students. Why the fuck can't we find her?" The second oldest grumbled, resting his elbow on Hoseok's shoulder.

"I think her father has something to do with this." Namjoon hypothesized as he scroll through his phone to search for the next closest high school in the area. "He's a politician, isn't he? He gets around everything easily."

"We should've followed (Name) and her mother when we had the chance." Jungkook mumbled in dismay. He had his back against the huge post holding the gate of the school. "Heck, we should've just stick with our promise and not let her go. Did you see the way the fucking bitch smiled at us?"

"Maybe (Name) is really okay and we're just overthinking everything." Jimin suggested with a somber look on his face.

"No innocent person smiles the way her mother did, Jimin." Taehyung argued. "Also Kookie, I don't think (Name) will stay with us anyway even if we run after her."

They all sighed both out of tiredness and frustration.

"I seriously think the way we can't seem to find (Name) is very suspicious." Seokjin said before his eyes met the forms of students oddly scampering their way out of school avoiding their gaze. "If her father really has something to do with this like what Namjoon guessed, does that mean (Name) is in trouble?"

"Or they just don't want their daughter hanging out with gangsters anymore." Jimin tiredly countered once again.

Jungkook had enough of the frustrations about everything that's happening and Jimin's comments are not really helping. He snapped his head at his hyung, his eyes held nothing but anger.

"Hyung, seriously, can you stop?"

"Why? It can be true."

"And if it's not, what would you do then?! (Name) may not be safe right now. We're all trying our best here."

Jimin stood up from his squatting position and glared back at Jungkook and the rest of them.

"That's the thing. We're trying! But is there really a point in one? Okay, let's say her father really has something to do with this, what then?! That just means we'll never find her."

"So you're giving up?!"

Jimin's jaw clenched and before he could stop himself, he's already charging towards Jungkook. He grabbed his collar, pulling the youngest close to him.

"Do you think I want to?!" He yelled to Jungkook's face. "I wanna find her too, Jungkook. But the situation won't ever let us. We fucked up, just accept it."

"And then what, hyung? How the fuck are we supposed to live with the guilt that (Name) could be hurting right now and it's because of us. I can't just stand here and not do anything!"

Jimin's grip loosened, his eyes softening. It felt like a hand is clenching his heart and making it want to burst into pieces.

"If we keep hoping, it'll just hurt us more." Jimin let out in a tiny voice but loud enough for them to hear.

"It won't hurt me any less if I give up now. So I'd rather get hurt with a fight. I'm not a coward like you."

Jungkook pushed him away, he stumbled backwards before he lost his footing and fell on his back.

"Hyung, if you want to give up now, then leave and walk back home. That is if you still have one."

The maknae turned his back from him and started walking away. The rest of Bangtan, except for Jimin, followed suit.

Jimin sat on the cemented ground with his face devoid of any emotion. He propped his elbow on his bent knee and started pulling his hair in frustration. Just then, a memory flashed on his mind from his action.

It was an image of him braiding your hair followed by the smiles you always give him.

He shut his eyes tight, curses stumbling out of his mouth. To be honest, he hasn't been himself ever since you left. At first, he was so determined to search for you. But then, the more high schools they go and failed to find you, the faster his spirit plummeted. All hopes have left him. What he just wanted to do at the moment was lay in his bed and blame himself for everything.

Call me a coward, I don't fucking care.

Jimin looked up to see his friends' back turned from him as they walk away. He tried to gain back his composure before pushing his body from the ground, about to walk the other way.

Before he could move another muscle, a familiar cackle of a chicken made his form stiffened.

"Pong?"

Yoongi's ears flinched at the sound of the name.

The chicken flapping his wings excitedly jumped in the air before landing back on his feet and resumed cackling annoyingly. But to Yoongi, the sound brought nothing but relief.

"Poooong!"

Yoongi rushed towards the chicken and immediately brought it to his arms. He was about to talk to his long lost friend when he noticed Jimin staring at something, rather, someone.

It was a guy holding a box of juice, waving at them with an excited smile on his face.

"I figured you would want to see him."

Bangtan gave his uncalled presence their unwelcoming gaze, not knowing who he is. Oddly though, they seem to have a hunch about the man's indentity.

Jiho noticed the look on their faces and started laughing loudly.

"My name is Jiho. I'm (Name)'s friend. I took care of Pong these past few days. Even though it was so tempting to have him for lunch, I managed to control myself. You're welcome."

Bangtan continued to stare at him with unknown expressions. Jiho coughed awkwardly before sipping on the straw of his juice.

"If you're wondering why I'm here, I just want to return the chicken." He then bowed his head in farewell. "Then I guess I'll take my leave."

Jiho took a few steps away before he snapped his fingers like he remembered something and turned back to them. He scratched the back of his head and started smiling sheepishly.

"I almost forgot," he walked back to them. "You're looking for (Name), right? I know where she is."

Jungkook glared at him with his warning look. "If you're fooling around, leave us the fuck alone."

"Oh no, I'm not." Jiho furiously waved his hand to deny his accusation. "I really know where (Name) is. Well, I understand if you won't believe me. It's up to you."

He gave them a teasing look and turned his back but before he could take a step, Jungkook stopped him.

"Fine, tell us."

Jiho grinned from ear to ear.

"Sure. I'll text you the address."

The energetic guy then walked towards Yoongi and petted Pong before looking up to his face and smiled. Yoongi got goosebumps as he found it creepy but before he could say anything, Jiho hugged him.

His eyes widened. Yoongi was about to push him away but Jiho started whispering to his ear.

"Don't make it too obvious that I'm saying something. He's watching."

Yoongi stiffened.

Jiho started laughing all of a sudden and slapping Yoongi's back. The latter was confused at the sudden change from the previous seriousness of the weird guy's tone to the random laughter.

Like a bipolar, his voice turned swrious once again. "You're assholes and (Name) isn't. This is my last resort as payback for all the shit I've put (Name) on." Jiho pulled back after whispering that and smiled widely at Yoongi.

"Take care of Pong, okay?." Jiho said loud enough that everyone 10 meters away can hear. "Feed him well."

He hugged Yoongi for the last time, a lot tighter. Jiho neared his lips to Yoongi's ear to whisper his last words.

Yoongi's face contorted in pure confusion.

Jiho pulled away after that, all seriousness he had two seconds ago gone. He waved his hands before running away from them.

Silence enveloped the place for a while before Namjoon's phone stole their attention, a message was received from a familiar number.

Inside the message was an address. The signature '- The Ripper' on the end of the text confirmed their suspicions.

"Knowing he's the Ripper, are we really trusting that asshole?" Taehyung asked in disbelief.

Yoongi stared at the address written on the message before Jiho's last words echoed on his head.

"Whatever happens, don't come to the address I will send you. Trust me, it's better to lose her this way."