Obsidian Shade (黒曜石シェード): Novella Prequel

5 - Nightmare

February 4, 2021

Denver, Colorado

Jimin Bakjin is sitting behind a Meet and Greet table in a large auditorium-like room. He can just barely hear their song: Blood, Sweat and Tears (Untied), which is playing softly over the intercom. He glances to either side of him, a smile faltering on his face slightly. To his left, sits JT, who is in all smiles as he is mingling with American fans. To his right, is Suga, who takes a pink themed flower crown and puts it atop his head.

"How's it look?" Suga asks the fan in a cute baby-like voice, while cupping his hands around the bottom sides of his face.

Jimin recognizes the common, cute display of Korean affection, which is known as 'aegyo.' It is often expressed through a cute voice, facial expressions, or gestures like what Suga is doing. Aegyo literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquette-ish manner and it is commonly expected for both male and female K-pop idols.

Suga just so happens to be one of the best at the aegyo, even though he doesn't even try half of the time.

Jimin turns back to look ahead of him, where a black figure is standing. There's no facial expressions, no facial features at all. He cocks his head to the side, staring at the figure with perplexment.

He once again glances to his sides at where JT and Suga are sitting. They haven't noticed the man, which adds to the puzzling event. Can they even see him? Are they even here with me?

"Who are you?" he asks, but his lips do not form the words. His mouth is super dry, parched, like a barren desert. Out of his peripherals, he can see a bottle of water that sits before him on the table. It's half empty.

There is no response from the figure, who doesn't move or do anything but hover there, immobilized.

A sudden rush of fear and terror pulses through his body. He pushes back from the table and jumps up to his feet. Still the figure does not move.

Jimin begins to step backward.

Finally the figure's head lifts up and the hood is drawn back, revealing devilish details. A bloody smirk forms from a pair of lipstick lips.

Jimin's mouth falls open as his stomach twists inside of him.

But no words come out, only a small squeak. A hand shoots around and clamps over his mouth, stifling any words that would have escaped. The cool leather of a glove grazes across his lips and panic shoots through him. Then hands -- too many to count -- seize his arms, wrenching them to either side and behind him.

Jimin screams for his friends. None of them react as he is dragged backward.

The figure hops over the table, not even distracting the guys or drawing any attention to them. The lips were definitely female, so when the figure lands on the ground on the other side of the table and flips the hood the rest of the way off, Jimin isn't the least bit shocked to find an auburn-haired girl.

She lifts her wrist up to her lips and hisses, "Agent E, target captured, moving in to assist and rescue." She snaps up to her feet, concealed in knee-high length black boots with daggers fastened to either side of them.

Jimin takes in her unusual outfit, which reminds him of any spy or espionage movie. This girl has on a hooded black leather jacket (which the hood has been removed from her head now) over a loose black t-shirt with tight leather black pants. On her hands are a pair of black fingertipless leather gloves to match the theme.

She snatches one of the daggers from its sleeve and jumps up to her feet.

Is this a spy movie? Jimin thinks to himself as a creepy, deep voice whispers into his ear, "Your girlfriend coming to save the day, Pretty Boy?"

She rushes forward and Jimin can feel the grips on him tighten. He can also hear the grunts of the "bad guys" as she strikes them. Jimin watches in awe as one-by-one, she is able to get the bad people off of him with crazy karate moves.

The hand is also finally ripped from his mouth and he gulps in air, spinning around just in time to see the redheaded girl knock out the last guy. She stands, flipping her braided hair behind her and looks like a complete badass.

Scattered on the ground around them are the bodies of at least five men.

She turns to him finally and whispers, "Are you okay, Jimin Bakjin?"

Jimin nods, speechless. He rubs his arm as his eyes lock on her bright hazel ones. In the neon lights overhead in the room, they look almost yellow like a cat's. "Uh, thanks." It's all he can manage to say to her.

She faces him and grabs him by either shoulder and begins to shake him. It's gentle at first and then it's more violent. "ARE YOU OKAY?!" she demands, shaking him with an unrelenting fury.

Jimin can't find the words and suddenly her features morph, dissolving into the familiar dark chocolate brown eyes of Kookie.

The next moment, his eyes snap open and he finds himself being shaken awake by Jeon Seok-guk and his wavy two-block cut brunette hair locks.

"Kookie, stop," Jimin grumbles.

"Mimi, we need to get to the airport NOW!! We've got the big American-tour to kick off!! GET UP!!" Kookie shouts at him, continuing to shake Jimin with vigorousity. "Get up! Get up! Get up!"

JT slips behind Kookie and jumps onto the bed, landing on top of Jimin. "WAKEY, WAKEY, JIMINIE!"

Jimin wails, fighting with both his co-singers as he throws his hands out at them. "Get off of me and I'll get up."

JT and Kookie finally pull back; JT slides off the bed and high-fiving the young maknae. Astro and Suga, who are standing in the doorway, share a look between one another. Jimin groans and pushes himself up, letting the sheet fall off of his bare chest.

"Jiminie, you sleep naked?" JT gasps, noticing his band mate's glistening, glossy torso. He then smirks and wags his eyebrows, playfully. "Nice."

Jimin shoots him a sleepy glare. Then he playfully retorts back, "You want me to sleep naked with you, don't you?"

JT frowns and puts his hands on his hips. "I dare you to try."

"JT and Jiminie sleeping together in a bed," Kookie begins to sing-song, clapping his hands together.

"Kookie, shut up!" JT and Jimin snap at him.

Kookie chuckles and claps his hands together energetically.

"Jokes aside, get up, get dressed and let's go, Jimin-ssi," Suga growls, gesturing out of the door he's standing in. "Time to light up America with our musical talent!"