Hostage Handbook

Chapter Twelve | Silken Girls

YEOREUM

I stare into the makeup mirror that reflects a much more polished version of my face. My eyes are boldly winged into the classic cat-eye look, jewels are attached beneath my left eye, and a rosy blush enhances my colourless profile.

A maid paints a purplish red colour over my lips with an oval brush. "You look beautiful, Miss Song," she gushes.

I narrow my eyes. "What do you guys want to do with me?"

"Nothing, Miss Song," the maid says. "Mr Jeon only wants you to join him downstairs."

"What if I say no? Are you guys going to tase me again?"

The maid puts a white gold choker around my neck and takes a step back.

"Precisely so."

"Fine," I snap, lying back in my chair. "Do it then. Go on."

The maid laughs as she takes out the clips in my hair. "Miss Song, we would never take your life," she says. "We have softer methods to persuade you."

The only thing I can do right now is to be positive. Maybe I can manipulate the intoxicated lunatics downstairs to let me snag a phone from them.

"Fine, I'll go," I mutter.

The maid widens her smile. "That is the right attitude."

I walk out of the room with the maid's help, venturing down the stairway like a delivery package moving down a conveyer belt. Every step I take falls over the last fragments of my self-worth. None of this would've been endured by the old Song Yeoreum.

"Empress-nim? Oh my God, it's Empress Yeoreum," a man gushes, instantly inspiring a wave of gasps and shrieks.

The man is the actor from that cheesy rom-com I watched with Yoongi in the guesthouse, Park Jimin. If he's here, there are probably other A-list public figures at this party. Our country is truly broken.

I tug a smile at Jimin. "Nice to meet you. Your name is Park Jimin, right? I loved your drama Green Light. Your performance melted my heart."

Jimin grabs my hands with a twitching smile that itches to break into laughter any second.

"It is an honour to get a compliment from you, Empress Yeoreum."

The people around us yell crude teases that only make Jimin hold me tighter. I have never been to any occasions like this before, but I can't make this obvious to these people.

"No," a young woman screams. "You can't hang with Empress-nim, Jimin-ssi."

I trail the voice to an idol group member nestling in Jungkook's arms along with an aspiring actress. Jungkook has noticed my appearance, but he doesn't divert any attention to me. His eyes are focused on the thin spaghetti dress strap he is picking with his index finger, occasionally rubbing the silky skin underneath it.

"Jimin-ssi," the idol cries. "Empress-nim has a thing with Mr Jeon these days. You can't steal Mr Jeon's woman."

I raise an eyebrow. "That's such an upsetting thing to hear from another woman. I am not Jungkook's property, and no one can steal me. However, I can be persuaded by people and right now, Jimin-ssi is doing a very good job at that."

Rowdy cheers break across the room with a couple of people yelling feminist hashtags and tag lines.

Jimin winks at me. "I'm so honoured."

"Whatever," the idol snaps, apparently vexed. "Let's play suck or blow."

"But I thought Jungkook banned this game?" a young man says. His face is bloated with a creepy blue hue which is almost as disgusting as the vomit stains on his shirt.