Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 4: Panic

A few days later

I've noticed over the last few days that the boys have started to appear at the Dojang and around me more than they have ever done before. Not in their usual fashion either, they are now showing up in threes and fours!? Before there would only be one or two of them at most.

It's not that I hate hanging out with them but with them multiplying in numbers and following me closely around the Dojang I feel like they are practically breathing down my neck. And they don't just show up for a few hours, they are here from when I open the place to when I close it! It's starting to get fairly irritating, to say the least. I feel like I'm a mother duck with her ducklings. 

I lost my cool finally and spin to face my ducklings for the day, Jin, Taehyung and Jungkook. "Okay seriously, do you guys not have jobs or anything?" I ask in an annoyed tone.

"I'm hurt, Hailey," Jin says dramatically and clutches his chest.

"Can't we hang out with you? We miss you." Jungkook says sadly and pouts.

I sigh deeply, "I don't mind seeing you guys you know that but it's like you live here at the moment." 

"We just like hanging out here," Tae says in an unbothered tone as he continues reading his book.

I roll my eyes at them, I guess there's no getting rid of them anytime soon. I continue with the rest of my day and before I know it, it's closing time, thank god. Right, they've been here all day so they can help me out with some tasks. Payback for annoying me. "Jin, you can clean the windows. Tae, you can take the trash out and Jungkook you can help me put the equipment away in the storage room." That'll teach them.

"Why do we have to do chores?" Tae complains. 

"Because you insisted on spending the whole day with me so that means you can pull your weight and help out."

The boys grumble at my demands but ultimately get to work. I smile before I begin lugging the equipment I had used for this afternoon's lesson to the storage room. Jungkook immediately begins showing off by carrying multiple items at once but his cocky attitude results in him biting off more than he can chew as he drops everything. Multiple pieces of equipment roll out into different corners of the training hall and before I can help him pick everything back up I hear Tae groan loudly in the hallway. I quickly pace over to him to find that the trash bags he's been holding have split open everywhere. "Taehyung!" I say in an aggravated tone.

"It's not my fault!" He whines and I run to get some more bin bags before I crouch down and help him pick up everything off of the floor, that is until Jin calls for me. 

I walk into the room Jin was in cleaning the windows. "What's up?" 

"Is it supposed to smear on the window like this?" He asks, confused. I look at his hand and realise he is holding deodorant and not window cleaner spray.

"Jin! That's deodorant!" I say in horror.

He turns the can around in his hand and quickly realises what he's done "Oh...sorry Hailey." He half-smiles apologetically at me and I place my face in my palms. Why did I even bother asking them to help out in the first place?

In the midst of all the chaos and me running around to simultaneously fix everything at once, Yoongi arrives to pick me up. "Hey, babe...you good?" He asks, slightly concerned.

"Ah, I'm fine! I'm nearly done, do you mind grabbing my bag from the office? Then we can go."

Yoongi chuckles before replying. "Sure." 

Finally. I managed to fix everything without any of the ducklings causing any more mess but Yoongi has yet to return from my office. Had I not left my bag in an obvious place?  I pace over to my office to find him.

I walk in and find Yoongi standing there with his back to the door, my bag in his hand. "Hey, what's wro-"

"Where did you get this?" Yoongi says abruptly.

"What?"

He spins around to face me, his eyes wide with panic and in his free hand is the white chrysanthemum flower I had received a few days earlier. "Where did you get this?" He asks in a harsher tone than before.

I blink a few times, taken aback by his behaviour "I thought it was from you? It was taped to the front of the Dojang." I'm confused, it's not from Yoongi? But why would that matter anyway when it's just a flower? 

"When?" 

"Uh, a few days ago? It was the day after our anniversary...why?" Why is Yoongi so startled? What is going on exactly?

"Shit." He rubs his chin aggressively with his hand and his eyes dart around the room before he opens his mouth again. "JIN." He shouts making me jump. 

"Yoongi what-"

I'm cut off by Jin stepping into my office along with Tae and Jungkook who are all now wearing hardened expressions. I've never seen them like this before, Jin's eyes automatically lock onto the flower in Yoongi's hand and his face tenses for a fraction of a second before returning to its stoic look. "Jin, stay here. Taehyung and Jungkook I want you to go back to base now." Yoongi barks in a dark voice, it scares me to see him talk like that.

Tae and Jungkook immediately left the room per Yoongi's command, Jin however steps further into the room and places himself close to me. "Yoongi," Jin says.

"We've been marked, call the others and arrange a meeting at the house. Do that first then come back here." Yoongi instructs and Jin pulls out a small black flip phone, pulling the antenna out before he dials someone and steps out of the room. 

I stand there rooted to the floor, just what the hell is happening? "Yoongi what is going on?" I whisper and fear contorts my throat.

He starts to pace, dropping the flower back onto my desk and rubbing the back of his neck. "I just need a moment to think." He inhales through his teeth and I wrap my arms tightly around myself for comfort.

Jin walks back into the room and nods his head at Yoongi that he's completed his task. Yoongi steps toward me, my bag still in his hand. "We're going to go to your apartment. I need you quickly pack a bag once we're there." Yoongi says in a desperate voice and his free hand clasps mine.

"You're scaring me." 

Yoongi squeezes my hand "Please Hailey. Trust me." He pleads with an apologetic look on his face. I slowly nod my head at his request and both he and Jin walked me out of the Dojang and into a car Yoongi had driven up here earlier. Yoongi crawls into the back with me while Jin drives us to our destination. 

Nobody spoke on the ride over and my brain starts to wrack itself with ideas on what could possibly be happening but I can't think of any logical answer that would make sense. 

We pull up to my apartment complex and Yoongi asks Jin to keep the car running as we hop out. Yoongi and I climb the stairs until we reach my apartment door but we both stop in our tracks at what is there. 

A white chrysanthemum flower. 

Yoongi's body tenses and he instinctively pulls me behind him as he assesses the situation. 

"Fuck."