Park Soomi

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Yoongi asked. Still feeling shaken up, the words refused to escape my lips. Instead, I silently looked towards the cut extending down the side of my arm, the color now a rich crimson under the dim streetlights.

Yoongi held my arm in his hands, examining the wound. After a few seconds, he wordlessly took off his jacket, wrapping the fabric around my arm.

"Thankfully, the cut isn't deep. This should stop the bleeding while we wait for Jungkook to arrive with the first aid kit. I called him when I realized you were in trouble." Yoongi explained.

"W-what about—" My eyes began wandering over to the man lying dead on the floor. Before I could even catch a glimpse of him, Yoongi's hand was on my cheek, directing my gaze back to him.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine, okay? Jungkook will take care of it. Let's focus on getting you home safe."

I nodded in understanding.

"Soomi! Are you alright?" The sound of Jimin's voice reached my ear, and before I knew it, I was in his arms.

"I-I'm okay," I reassured him. His gaze found the jacket wrapped around my bleeding arm, and his face scrunched up in concern and dismay. Jungkook soon joined Jimin, his eyes also locking onto my injury.

"Here." Jungkook handed Yoongi the first aid kit. "You could help Soomi in the car. Take Jimin home as well. I'll take care of things here."

"What? No, I didn't come with you just to leave you on your own," Jimin protested.

"You came with me because it's my job to protect you. Now that Yoongi's here, you need to stay safe and go home with him," Jungkook argued.

"No, we look out for each other, alright? You're not my bodyguard. We're a team," he said, a weak smile gracing his lips. Jungkook hesitated for a moment before returning the smile.

"Alright, stay close to me at all times," Jungkook said. Jimin nodded before turning to Yoongi and me.

"I trust you, Yoongi. Keep Soomi safe," Jimin requested with a pleading tone. Yoongi didn't have to say a single word, their silent exchange through facial expressions already speaking wonders.

Jimin then directed his focus to me. "I love you, sis. Everything's gonna be fine now." I could tell how much effort he was putting in just to muster one simple, reassuring smile.

"Love you too, Chim. Stay safe." After this final exchange, Yoongi and I headed towards the car. We both got into the backseat as he opened up the first aid kit.

"I'm gonna clean the cut first. It might sting," Yoongi warned. I didn't take my eyes off of Yoongi for a second as he tended to the wound. I stared intently at his focused face, his eyes filled with immense concentration. I found myself lost in them, drowning in the warmth and concern that emanated from them.

I suddenly felt a sharp sting, causing me to wince. Yoongi quickly looked up to my face.

"S-sorry, I was distracted. I-I wasn't ready," I stuttered under his intense gaze. What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so nervous?

"I'm almost done. It won't take long now," Yoongi mumbled before continuing. His hand gently wrapped around my arm once more, his light touch leaving a tingling sensation.

And with that touch, all my senses seemed to heighten, as if everything around me became more intense. It was like I could feel the silence of the night. The only sounds piercing through was that of our breathing, my heart that just won't calm down, and the racing thoughts.

But while everything became so clear with these heightened senses, my perception of time blurred. Before I could even comprehend that time had been passing by, Yoongi already applied the bandage to the cut, and his eyes traveled back to mine.

And then the clock stopped once more as if we were a memory frozen in a photograph. But my heart, refusing to give in to the stillness of the moment, continued its excessively quick beating.

I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't know what I was supposed to think. Am I still shaken up from before? Well, yes, but there was something else here too, and I wasn't sure if it scared me or comforted me.

But one thing was certain: it felt different. Something had changed.

And amid this confusion, one question lingered as I continued staring into Yoongi's eyes.

What is he thinking?

⋆⋅❈⋅⋆

Min Yoongi

Relief. Guilt. Concern. My mind was overwhelmed by a mixture of these feelings.

It wasn't just that I messed up in my job. It was the knowledge that she could've been seriously hurt, and that mental image alone made my heart ache and head hurt.

The look in her eyes fueled all of these racing thoughts, but the second she broke eye contact, I came back to my senses and got a hold of my emotions.

"The offer from JYP..." she mumbled. "There never was an offer, was there?" My eyes softened from hearing the disappointment and defeat in her voice.

"We'll need to install cameras around the house. It seems like this person has been watching us. This all does seem very planned out, but we don't know that for sure yet." Though I couldn't bring myself to admit that everything was definitely staged, I could tell by the expression on her face that she came to this conclusion anyway.

"We should get going," she said quietly. I didn't say another word as I climbed into the front seat and began driving.

As I drove, I frequently stole glances at her from the rear-view mirror. She looked exhausted. Dazed. Lost. And there was so much we needed to talk about. I needed to know what happened today. I needed to talk to her about her dad, to find out anything she may know that the jerk's not willing to say himself. I needed to make sense of everything going on.

But now's just not the time.

Because right now, I knew that all I needed to focus on was making sure Soomi was okay.

⋆⋅❈⋅⋆

About an hour later, I was in Soomi's room, checking in on her one last time before she went to bed. I was ready to turn the lights off and leave the room when her frail voice reached my ears.

"Yoongi?"

"Hmm?"

"C-could you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?"

I was surprised by her request but didn't hesitate to pull up a chair by her bedside.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm being a baby, but it's just—"

"Hey, you don't have to explain anything, alright?"

"Thank you," she whispered while lying down on the mattress. "I-I was really scared today, Yoongi." I listened silently to this confession, the vulnerability exposed in her voice. "P-please don't leave me alone again."

I took her hand in mine, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not gonna leave your side like that again. I promise."

Then, it was silent, her hand still gripping tightly onto mine. After a few minutes, her hold loosened, and I knew she had fallen asleep. I was planning to stay for a while longer, but the sound of the front door unlocking changed my mind.

I silently left the room, keeping the door cracked open before heading downstairs to see who it was.

And my face quickly darkened, seeing the man I was very much not happy with.

Hoseok.

I didn't give him any time to react before pushing him roughly against the door, my hand gripping tightly onto his throat.

"What is wrong with you? You were supposed to be with Soomi today! Where the hell were you?"

"This is all very familiar," he managed to gasp out before ripping my hand away. "When will you learn that choking plus interrogation don't go together—"

Without warning, I punched Hoseok square in the jaw, shutting him up right away.

"There. You can still talk with a sore jaw, right? Now, answer my goddamn questions."

He viciously glared at me but didn't make any moves to retaliate.

"There was a very good reason why I wasn't with Soomi today. Something came up," he said. I scoffed at the pathetic excuse.

"What reason could you possibly have?" I questioned. There was a brief silence as he glared at me with an intensely serious face.

"I found a lead for a potential suspect."

——
{a/n}
Sorry for the late update I was busy preparing for a job interview 😭

Starting from this week, consistent updates will only be on Fridays, though I may have the occasional surprise second update. I'm getting busy with school so I wanna make sure I can manage my priorities! Thank you all for reading and I hope you understand this change 😊