Sooner Jimin discovered that many more people were going to die because of him.

Yunjin died.

Minjeong might die too, from all the brutality.

Soon after Minjeong, it might be Jimin's turn.

Looking back at this dimly lightened room, covered by the smell of Minjeong's fresh blood and Jimin's dried one, the actress somehow realized after calling the younger woman's name a few times more as she moved her limited moving body to her, she realized that the chair suddenly makes a squeaking sound.

"The chair...", she gasped before she moved her body on the chair once again. To confirm things even more, the chair squeaks again.

Determined to do anything for the younger woman, Jimin pushed herself to the limit once more. With fierce groans, gritted teeth, a bruised body, and a red face, Jimin wiggled her body like crazy.

Her eyes only dotted to the one and only lifeless Minjeong.

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eighteen:
aching soul

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The loosening chair squeaks even more as Jimin is determined more than ever to let herself free, at least to embrace Minjeong and provide the warmth she never actually gets for the last three years.

Tears fall freely from her cheeks nonetheless. But Jimin just wishes for one thing.

God.

Please let her reach Minjeong before anything happens to her.

Please let her hold her hands before death took her.

Please, just please.

Let Jimin look into her eyes, whatever is going to happen after.

As if the gods heard her prayer, one of the chair screws loose and fell off from its place. The rope behind Jimin's back came to loose when the chair broke into pieces.

A gasp came out from the actress's mouth when she realized she still had the chance. After freeing both of her hands from the ropes, she tore the tape on her legs apart before finally running towards the younger woman.

Jimin wasted no time throwing herself right beside Minjeong's lifeless body, covered with blood. She pulled her immediately into her embrace as she caressed the younger woman's cheek with her thumbs anxiously.

Throughout her entire life, she never felt her shaking this hard. But her world crumbled when Minjeong replied none.

"Minjeong... H-Hey... Stay with me...", Jimin said between her sobs as she kept caressing the younger woman's cheeks, fixing Minjeong's hair back in its place as her tears dropped down onto Minjeong's skin.

The movement on Minjeong's chest worried Jimin even more. Sure, she learned something from her training to know what level of breathing would lead to someone's death.

But she could see that Minjeong was on eight. From ten, she's on eight.

Jimin doesn't care if her clothes are covered with Minjeong's blood. She doesn't even care about the sting sensation on her leg and shoulder. She just cares about Minjeong.

Only Minjeong.

"Hey...", is the only word that came out from the younger woman's mouth. It is so slow, breathy, and ragged. But it was just enough for Jimin to cry harder as soon as she heard that.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Minjeong...", Jimin cries. Escape? They couldn't. When all they got inside this room was the chain that attached to Minjeong's leg and the broken chair itself. Other than that, it is just dust and particles of air inside the tiny space.

"I'm...", Minjeong's breathy words break Jimin's heart even more. "I'm fine...".

"Stop talking. I'll help you escape. You're not going to suffer anymore because of him", Jimin keeps caressing Minjeong's cheek.

She put the younger woman down gently and didn't want to hurt her even more. Jimin tried to look around. As long as she knew that the NIS would come for her anytime soon, Jimin just knew that Kris might come in anytime soon as well.

The actress pulled off her shirt, leaving only her sports bra on top before she wiped the blood pooling around the younger woman's body, just to keep Minjeong a bit comfortable.

When Jimin stood up and took one of the chair legs, just in case Kris might come in again to knock both of them out.

Jimin then moved her finger to her jeans button. Did he think a NIS agent wouldn't have any tricks under their sleeves?

Apparently, the tiny button is a GPS in disguise. That's why Jimin is sure that the agency will come for her soon. But she did not know when only because she didn't know how far this psychotic demon had brought her and Minjeong away from Seoul.

They might be in another state inside the country. Hell, they might even be outside of the country.

Jimin went back to Minjeong, hugging her again inside her embrace with soft hushes and gentle strokes. They kept doing that for what Jimin could feel like two or three hours.

Before, again, the rustling sound of keys outside of the door.

Jimin held tight onto the chair leg she got as she tiptoed behind the door silently. When the doors unlocked from the outside before they went wide open, the first thing Jimin heard was a huff from the man.

"Where did she—"

Jimin gets out from behind the door and she swings the chair leg all her might towards him with her murderous darkened eyes.

He deserves to die at all costs.

"ROT IN HELL!!!"

The hit is strong enough that he spits blood, but Jimin keeps hitting him like a madman. She wants him dead, that is for sure. For killing Yunjin. For everything he had done to Minjeong. For giving Minjeong traumatic lives. For giving Minjeong to live in fear.

She wants him to die.

"YOU SON OF A SATAN!!"

Blood splatters on the floor even more, but Jimin doesn't care.

She would kill him on the spot.

Right now.

****

This is their chance.

Jimin took the metal bat from his hand as she ran back to the younger woman, hitting the chain at the walls roughly as it came to loose.

"A bit more, Minjeong!", Jimin groans as she hits another after another.

When the screw finally pulled off from the concrete walls, Jimin immediately pulled Minjeong up to her back carefully, but as soon as she can towards the door, stepping over the unconscious man's body before locking the lock shut from the outside.

Jimin thought this would be the end of their misery, but she was so wrong.

When she got out, she was met by a hallway. Each contains five doors on each side. All is locked shut.

"Shit! How many people did he get?"

Jimin is curious, but their escape matters the most at the moment. As the main entrance was visible not far away from her, Jimin ran straight in the direction, and when she got out, she was greeted with trees.

They are inside a forest, and Jimin doesn't know where she should go. Kris people might be around, and Jimin doesn't know how much left is there.

"Bear it for a while, baby. I'll keep running...", Jimin gasped her breath before running away from that place as far as she could, not realizing what she just said somehow lifted the corner of Minjeong's mouth even for a mere second.

She keeps running, grazing her skin through thorns and woods. Their only hope is their pray.