Supreme Freedom

Meeting Supreme Freedom 9

It was a gray and unusually quiet morning, not even the birds were chirping. It seemed like the Earth had stood still as the nine members were quietly awaiting instructions. The tension kept rising as the boys grew restless with the eerie silence. Seokwoo suddenly interrupted the quiet with a loud sigh.

Seokwoo: "Ah, I'm wasting time here."

Sanghyuk: "Shh. No one is allowed to leave until Hyungnim says so."

Seokwoo rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch, dusting off his suit. Suddenly the phone rang and Sanghuk answered immediately.

Sanghyuk: "Yes Hyung. Alright. Understood."

He ended the call and looked at each member carefully before going over to the desk to get some photos from the fax machine.

Sanghyuk: "This job is a little more important than the others we've had. Taeyang and Youngkyun, we're going to need both of you on this one. Youngkyun, this is your target and Taeyang, this is yours. Zuho will call you with instructions as you arrive at your destination. You'll both be headed to Ocean's Bar, any questions?"

Taeyang and Youngkyun shook their heads and Sanghyuk nodded, signaling their cue to leave. They entered their room and gathered their things before heading out.

Youngkyun: "Ah, I feel anxious about this."

Taeyang didn't say anything and finished packing his bag. Youngkyun looked over at him seemingly worried but didn't say anything else. They weren't particularly close even though they spent a lot of time together and were in the same line of work. Taeyang was more of the strong silent type while Youngkyun liked to be more playful to get his mind off of work. Youngkyun got changed and headed out to the garage and grabbed his helmet. He hesitated in front of his motorcycle before speaking up.

Youngkyun: "Hyung... Do you want me to give you a ride there?"

Taeyang looked over at him for a split second before turning back to the car. Chani entered the garage and rushed over to get the keys and unlock it for him. They got in and drove off, leaving Youngkyun alone in the garage still holding his helmet. He put it on and got onto his motorcycle and raced off. Taeyang and Chani stopped a few blocks away from the bar as per Zuho's instructions while Youngkyun went into the alley leading to the bar. He was dressed similar to the wait staff and entered through the back door. He got a tray of drinks and headed around the bar in search of his target. Meanwhile, Taeyang reached the top of the roof and prepared himself for his mission. Taeyang was more calculated in his methodology and neither of them ever missed or made mistakes. After both missions were successfully carried out, they returned to the mansion with their proof of completion. They took polaroid photos of their work to show it had been completed to avoid leaving any traces. After Zuho cleared them, they returned to their room.

Youngkyun: "Hyung, how did it go?"

Taeyang as usual ignored him and just went about his business. Youngkyun looked at the ground, trying to hold himself back. He tried to get along with everyone since they were supposed to all be on the same team but Taeyang never opened himself up to anyone. Youngkyun cleared his throat and went back out to see who he could find to talk to. He entered the living room and saw Jaeyoon and Inseong watching TV. He sat down with them without saying much. Jaeyoon got up and brought over some snacks for them and they decided to watch a movie. Youngbin entered the room and Youngkyun looked over at him.

Youngkyun: "Hyung, do you wanna watch it with us?"

Youngbin looked at them awkwardly.

Youngbin: "Ah, it's okay. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Youngkyun: "You're not interrupting."

Jaeyoon: "It barely started, come sit."

Youngbin saw their smiles and decided to join them. As the movie was ending, Chani entered the room and Youngbin quickly ran over to him.

Youngbin: "Why did you come back so late? Is everything alright?"

Chani clenched his jaw and walked away. Youngbin followed behind him quietly, biting his lip and trying to approach him again.

Youngbin: "Are you hungry? Should I make you something?"

Chani stopped and turned to glare at Youngbin but still didn't answer him. Youngbin looked at the ground and cleared his throat.

Youngbin: "Alright... I was just trying..."

Before he could finish speaking, he looked up to see that Chani had walked off. Youngbin went into the kitchen anyway and prepared Chani's favorite dish and left it for him along with a note. He instructed the staff to not let anyone but Chani touch it. He went back to his room to shower before getting into bed. He laid there quietly until Chani finally walked in. He debated whether or not to try talking to him again but instead just felt relief that his little brother had come back home safely. Once he felt that Chani had fallen asleep, he got up and went into the kitchen to see if he had eaten his dinner. He found the dishes in the sink. He felt a little hopeful before he turned to see the trash can where he saw the food along with the note had been thrown away. His heart felt heavy as he fought back tears. He leaned against the counter and wiped his face.

Youngbin: ~Chani... Why do you keep pulling away from me?~

He heard someone approaching and quickly stood up straight and cleared his throat. He saw Jaeyoon walk in looking exhausted.

Youngbin: "Are you okay?"

Jaeyoon shook his head as he sat at the table.

Jaeyoon: "Inseong hyung was having nightmares again. I finally got him to calm down but I lost my urge to sleep."

Youngbin grabbed two cups from the cabinet and made some tea before sitting down with him.

Youngbin: "Here, drink this."

Jaeyoon took the cup in his hands and nodded.

Jaeyoon: "Thank you."

Youngbin: "It must be hard on you, taking care of him by yourself. If you need any help -"

Jaeyoon: "No, it's okay. You have enough to worry about with Chani."

Youngbin looked down at his cup, not being able to respond. They sat in silence for a while, occasionally taking sips of their tea until they drank it all. Jaeyoon got up and said he would wash the dishes so Youngbin could rest. Youngbin tried to help but Jaeyoon insisted. Youngbin left and Jaeyoon stayed in the kitchen washing the dishes as tears slowly rolled down his cheek. After he finished, he headed back to the room before bumping into Seokwoo.

Jaeyoon: "Oh, I'm sorry."

Seokwoo looked down at him and walked past him without saying anything. He headed into the kitchen and looked around. He turned towards the hallway leading to the backyard and scoffed.

Seokwoo: "See or hear anything interesting?"

Suddenly Zuho emerged without saying a word and walked past him with his hands behind his back. Seokwoo smirked to himself and headed back to his room.