ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬-𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
─◌✰್ 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅
❝𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿?❞

JJ woke to the aftertaste of stale alcohol on her tongue, and a crick in her back, the result of something jabbing into her all night.

"Fuck..." she grumbled under her breath, rolling over and grabbing her phone with one hand, and gripping her head with the other. Of course, a hangover. Turning around, she also found the source of the crick: Hyunjin's hand.

What the hell? She thought grumpily, shoving him out of the way and sitting up to check the time. 6:53am. Just seven minutes until the all-nighter game was over.

Who the hell had actually made it all night? Clearly, she hadn't. Around 4am, she had started drifting, and the last thing she remembered doing was slurring consolation at Mya, who was freaking out that she had woken up with Jeongin on top of her, passed out, earlier that night.

And now, here JJ was now. With Hyunjin caressing her spine. Ugh. Her stomach roiled, and not from the hangover. If only he wasn't so damn hot, she wouldn't have folded, and said yes to this date. The date that was happening today.

JJ glanced around the room, wondering who had stayed awake all night, and who had woken up early. She saw you, lying on your back, still asleep. Mya, Minho, and Jeongin were all sitting next to each other, drinking tea and whispering. All three of them had definitely fallen asleep last night, so they were out of the running. She watched as Renee exited the bathroom, face clean. She had already been eliminated, too.

Alaska, Felix, Jisung, and Robin were each curled up with their partners, sleeping. Hmm, apparently none of them had made it. She had expected at least Robin to have been competition, but apparently not. Seungmin was snoring next to Changbin and Lanhua. Changbin was lying next to Lanhua like a guard dog with his master. JJ stifled a laugh. Typical.

Christopher and Riley were sitting, eating snacks quietly at one of the tables. She had a smug smile on her face, and Christopher was grinning faintly as well.

Hmm... JJ pondered. It was between the two of them.

Suddenly, a blaring alarm went off, and Yeonjun stood up, turning off the sound promptly, and walking to the center of the room, stepping over Seungmin's prone body as he did so.

"It is seven o'clock!" he called, his voice echoing off the basement walls. "And, as some of you might already know, we have a winner!"

"Who is it?" Alaska sat up groggily, glancing back and forth between Christopher and Riley. "Those two were the only ones left when I knocked out."

"I guess we know who's getting a date, then," Mya eyed her friend jealously.

"Jisung forced me to sleep!" Robin complained.

"I did not!" Jisung protested. "You wanted to cuddle, I just agreed!"

"It was coercion," Robin grumbled, sitting up to hear the announcement anyway.

"The winner of the all-nighter is..." Yeonjun pause for dramatic effect. "Duchess Nakano! Please come to the front, and choose who you'd like to take on your date tomorrow night."

"Woo, go Riley!!" Alaska cheered, and Mya joined in enthusiastically.

"She beat you, dude??" Jisung turned to his friend with wide eyes. "I thought you had it in the bag!"

Christopher shrugged sheepishly. "I dunno, I guess all that partying made me tired. And I drank too much."

"Rookie mistake," you tsked, having just woken up.

"Alright..." Riley glanced around the room, before her eyes landed on Christopher. Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn't stumble on her words as she said, "You wanna go on this date with me, or not?"

Everyone knew who she was talking to. It had been pretty clear from the get-go that they had history, and Christopher had also made it obvious that she was off-limits, even if they weren't together yet. "Yet" was the key word for him, apparently.

Christopher grinned, a look of surprise apparent on his face, and nodded. "Yeah, of course I do."

"Great! Riley and Christopher will have their date tomorrow night." Yeonjun clapped his hands, causing his cloak to swish around him. JJ wondered when that man slept. All the other cameramen had taken shifts, while it seemed he'd just sat in the corner, only getting up to eat, drink, and use the restroom, but never sleeping, or even napping. Weird. He was just weird.

"Now, Hyunjin and Jiah, please head back to your rooms and get ready for your date. The limo will be here in exactly one hour."

Hyunjin, hair still ruffled from deep sleep, grinned at her. "You ready for this?" he asked.

Based on the way her stomach flipped, she certainly was not.

———————————

JJ had never been on a date that felt longer than this one. And it was only hour two.

"What's taking you so long? Get out here so I can see how it looks!" Hyunjin called from the other side of the dressing room door for the hundredth time.

She closed her eyes, trying to find some remnant of the zen that usually filled her. Nope, there was none to be found. Only boiling anger, and sizzling irritation.

They had been tasked with picking out fancy clothes for tonight's dinner date, and they were being treated to an all-expenses-paid shopping trip. Any other girl's fantasy. But JJ? Certainly a nightmare.

It wasn't that she hated clothes, persay. She liked fashion well enough, and she enjoyed getting dolled up with her friends for parties in Moonstone. But to be here, trying on these lavish items that she was always forced to wear at home, was torture. Add on the company she had to endure, and it was near unbearable.

Part of the bonding experience was that they each had to choose an outfit that the other approved of. And this was her fifth time in the fitting room, as Hyunjin chose dress after dress that they both hated. Apparently, fashion was one thing they could agree on. She was drenched in sweat, yanking the (hopefully) final dress over her head.

On top of that, she and Hyunjin couldn't spend more than two seconds together without arguing about something. From stupid shit like cats vs. dogs, to important things like having children, they couldn't seem to agree on anything. And she just wished he would keep his damn mouth shut, and give her a moment to clear her head.

A hard fist rapped on her door, and she gritted her teeth, trying not to snap and say something rude. He certainly wasn't like this to everyone, was he? It felt like he saved his annoying moments for her, and no one else.

"Okay, I'm ready!" She finally pulled the strap up on the black velvety number he had chosen. She yanked the door open with more force than usual. "There. What do you think?"

She'd expected Hyunjin's striking eyes to narrow in distaste yet again. But this time, they widened in surprise as he gazed at her, glancing up and down the length of the dress. He opened his mouth, but when no sound came out, he shut it again. His cheeks turned pink, and he bit his bottom lip.

"Uh... y-yeah, I think that one's good enough," he mumbled, unable to meet her gaze.

JJ raised her brows. Was it her imagination or was he... checking her out? Her? She shook her head, a tickly sensation rising in her stomach that she certainly didn't want to process.

"Okay, your turn." She tried to hide her blush by shoving the suit she had chosen for him into his hands.

He gazed down at it, before shrugging and entering the dressing room she had just inhabited.

Five minutes passed, then ten, and fifteen. At the twenty minute mark, JJ knocked on the door, annoyance boiling once again. What was taking him so long? Didn't he value her time at all? She'd been in and out of that dressing room as fast as possible, even after he'd forced her, over and over again, to try on every gown in the damn store. She'd hated every minute of it, but-

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a hand shot out. It grabbed JJ's wrist, and yanked her inside. The click of the dressing room door sounded behind her.

"What the fu-" JJ began, whipping around. But her words died in her throat when she saw what was behind her. Her eyes widened.

Hyunjin stood there, already dressed in the suit she had picked for him. He held something in his hand. It glinted off the unattractive orange store lights in such a menacing way, she couldn't look away.

He was holding a knife. Just as Alaska had said.

Why hadn't JJ listened to her? She was Hyunjin's sister. She certainly knew him best out of everyone here.

Crap, crap, crap. She gripped the handle of the door, trying to jiggle it open without turning around. She wasn't delusional. She knew there could only be one reason for him to holding a knife, and for him to have forced her in here.

A memory sprang forth in her mind: a knife, strikingly similar to the one he held in his hand, lying on the floor of her bedroom a couple nights prior.

"You!" she gasped. "You were in my room! Were you-"

Hyunjin smiled wryly. "You're too damn smart. Was I trying to kill you? Of course I was."

"Why would you want to kill me??" she breathed, trying not to piss him off. She wasn't sure how short his temper was, but she did know that, for whatever reason, he didn't like her. He hadn't liked her since middle school, and clearly still didn't like her now. Maybe if she just-

Something whistled past JJ's ear, and she moved her head, milliseconds before the knife would have stabbed her through the skull.

Heart hammering in her chest, she pounded on the door. "Please, someone help!" she cried, rummaging around for her phone at the same time that she punched her fist over and over against the wood. God, where were the cameramen when you needed them? Where was Soyeon?? That woman was always on everyone's asses, and the moment someone needed her, she was gone??

Hyunjin slammed JJ against the door, and she heard a crack as her elbow made contact with solid wall. She let out a loud cry, but her voice was stifled by a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up, and let me do my job," Hyunjin growled in her ear, so close she could feel his breath, and a shudder ran down her spine. He was here to kill her, and he was going to do whatever it took.

She heard him rip the knife out of the wall, and felt him grin against her.

"You probably don't deserve this, Jiah. In fact, I really don't want to do this to such a beautiful woman. But... I don't get a say in any of it." He paused, before raising his arm above his head.

JJ tried to squirm out of his grip, pushing and shoving as hard as she could. But he was shockingly strong for being so thin. His arms trapped her against him. There was nowhere to go, she was going to die here, and there was nothing-

"Duchess Jang? Duke Hwang?" Soyeon's strong voice traveled through the door loud and clear. "Do you need any... help? It's been almost three hours, and we need to get to dinner."

Hyunjin immediately let go of JJ, shoving the knife into his belt and unlocking the door, shooting Soyeon a winning smile. It even had JJ blushing a bit. "Sorry Soyeon, we were just getting ah... acquainted with one another. We're all ready."

Instantly won over, Soyeon sighed in relief. "Yes, I apologize for interrupting you, but our schedule is very tight. Please, both of you, let's go to the car."

As JJ's heart thudded so hard her chest hurt, she had no choice but to follow Soyeon out of the store, and into the limo. How was she supposed to sit through a whole dinner with a man who just tried to murder her?

———————————

She was doing her damndest on this date. Just stay alive. Just stay fucking alive. Was all that played through her mind on an endless loop. Just say anything, do anything, to keep him a table's length away. Keep him laughing, keep him happy. Make him like you. She thought desperately.

"You'd really want to meet my dog??" Hyunjin laughed in disbelief. "He's a piece of work, I'll tell you that. But I spoil him."

JJ laughed, trying to keep things light. "Of course I would! I know earlier I said I like cats, but dogs are just as fun. They're very social, right?"

Hyunjin nodded. "Definitely. They're playful, and they just want to make their owner happy. I like that they depend on me, you know?"

She smiled, nodding demurely. She didn't want to stir the pot by disagreeing. She couldn't, if she wanted to live. "Yeah, it's nice to know someone cares about you."

"You really do look stunning tonight, Jiah," he commented for the third time that night. "It keeps shocking me, every time I look at you."

In spite of herself, she blushed. "Thank you," she replied evenly. "You look extremely handsome yourself. I think we each picked well."

He chuckled, taking a sip of wine. "I'm lucky to be on a date with such a beautiful, smart woman."

God, she didn't want to be here anymore. Please, let her leave.

She smiled, an idea suddenly taking root in her mind, inspired by (she hated to admit it) the story you had told her about your... escapade with Minho on your date. What if... what if she could? Leave, that is.

"Excuse me, Hyunjin," she said as kindly as she could. "I believe my makeup needs a bit of a touchup, so I'm going to use the restroom, and I'll be right back."

Hyunjin smiled at her, the genuine expression lighting up his face, and catching her off guard. Had she ever seen him look so happy around her? It was a look she found herself wanting to see more of.

But as she hurried down the hall to the bathroom, she knew she never would. Shoving open the bathroom window, she pushed herself through, not caring as part of her dress tore in the process. There was no way she could stay sitting across from a murderer - let alone someone who had tried to murder her - for another minute.

When she was finally back outside, she took a deep breath of the fresh air. Somehow, her lie had tricked Hyunjin. She wasn't about to question it. Now, there was only one thing she could do.

Run.

———————————

Who knew JJ was such a smart, easy to talk to, girl? Hyunjin mulled over his thoughts as he took another sip of wine. He'd known she was beautiful, of course he had. But now, even after one day together, he had to admit, he was smitten.

She was everything he wanted in a partner. Funny, witty, and opinionated, yet easygoing and fun to be around. He'd enjoyed every second of their shopping date, even though he could tell she'd hated it with a vengeance.

If only his family, his job, hadn't come in and ruined it.

Why couldn't he have been hired to kill Yeonjun, or some slimy politician, like Seungmin or Mya's fathers? It would have made his job so much easier.

That might have been why he'd hesitated in killing her, right there in the dressing room. He'd had more than enough time, even after Soyeon's unfortunate interruption. He could have just slit her throat, and dragged her body out the storage closet in the back. He'd chosen that specific room because he'd found the hidden space in there. He was good at his job, and he knew he could have done it.

But damn, she was just too pretty. Too good. He'd never had someone be remotely kind to him. Even after all the less-than-savory things he'd done to JJ in the past, she hadn't entirely ditched him, or tried to kill him. Low expectations, he knew. But now, he knew he couldn't kill her, even if he tried.

And now... she was gone. Go figure. The one person he was remotely interested in getting to know, had left him. Of course he deserved it. He'd tried to murder her. But he thought he couldn't help it. It was his job. But now? He'd give anything to leave his job, and just be... good.

He could go after her, beg for her to stay. Tell her everything about his job, his life. Why he was an assassin. God, how he hated that word, but it was true. He was an assassin.

But he knew she would never listen. Just like everyone else in his life, he had lost her. And it was nobody's fault but his own.

laska's note —
oooookay... so that happened 🫣 did y'all predict this? did you think hyunjin would try and kill jj? and what about the aftermath? he wasn't able to kill her, and now he feels bad?? a little too late, bro... and where did jj go? did she run back to the mansion, or is there somewhere else she could go to escape hyunjin? i guess we'll have to find out. and finally, riley won a game so she can take christopher on a date! we've been waiting to hear wtf happened between those two for some time now. but don't get too ahead of yourself, we still have a lot more stuff before then too 😏 so buckle up, readers!

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝟯𝟵 - 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁
┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊