HEE:LIFT | TXT & Enhypen

~ seventy-four [bonus 11: soobin] ~

TW: kidnapping, weapons, violence, injuries

~~~~~

Bonus 11 [Soobin]: Something Just Like This || 1/3

By nature, Soobin wasn't a confrontational person.

He enjoyed quiet afternoons, curled up on a couch with a book in his lap and a steamy mug of hot chocolate to his right. He liked watching the moon rise in the sky, accompanied by thousands of twinkling stars peaking between heavy clouds. He relished in taking warm showers on Sunday mornings while the rest of the world was still asleep.

He didn't appreciate having his free time ruined by impromptu car chases.

He wasn't a fan of having to partake in more physical activity than necessary.

And he most certainly did not tolerate having his children kidnapped by creepy killer stalker fans.

How exactly he ended up in this particular situation was a mystery to him. Maybe he'd angered the universe when he'd broken into the CEO's office with Yeonjun two weeks ago. Regardless, it didn't change the fact that he, an incredibly underqualified twenty-year-old K-pop idol, was now hiding in a janitor's closet, feeling all hope fade as he watched BTS's driver thread heavy chains through the door handles of his only escape.

Yeonjun, I've made a mistake.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths to try to stop his hands from shaking.

Yeonjun, I'm scared.

Soobin wasn't a confrontational person. Why the hell did he come here?

***

Daniel was a good kid.

Soobin appreciated the way the boy kept whispering words of encouragement as he fumbled with the knots tying Jin to a chair.

When his fingers slipped again, he cursed, muttering under his breath, "Sorry, Jin hyung."

"Don't worry about it," Jin smiled reassuringly. "It's going to take a while for the driver to lock all of the doors and windows in this building. You have time."

Soobin uneasily glanced over at Jihun and Eunji, who sat back-to-back in a corner of the room, bound by ropes. "And you're sure they can be trusted?"

Daniel quietly laughed from the chair he was tied to. "Yes, Soobin hyung, they aren't sasaengs. The driver is, though."

He squirmed in his chair, trying to loosen the binds.

"Jihun, Eunji," Jin called. "Any luck?"

"I think—almost—Eunji, tug on that end- Yes!"

Jihun sprung to his feet, the ropes around him and Eunji falling to the ground.

"Nice job, Hayashi," he laughed, pulling Eunji up. "We make a good team."

They jogged across the room to assist Soobin in untying Jin and Daniel.

"Soobin." Eunji glanced at the younger boy. "Did you actually think we were the sasaengs?"

Soobin's face flushed with embarrassment. "The driver was a very convincing liar. I'm sorry, sunbaenims."

"It's alright," Jihun snorted, taking a knee behind Jin's chair. "Let's just get out of here before the real sasaeng comes back."

"Wait, but..." Eunji pursed her lips, worried. "If Soobin thought we were sasaengs, then wouldn't everybody else think we were too? Mei, the police, the rest of the kids. What about them?"

Soobin grimaced. "I'm sorry, sunbaenim. Last I checked, they all thought you two were the masterminds behind this."

"Hey, but don't worry about it." Jin kindly gazed at Eunji. "Once we're free, we'll clear your name; set the record straight."

"I don't care about my name," Eunji mumbled, untangling a piece of rope from around Jin's leg. "I don't want Mei or Belift to think we betrayed them."

"They won't. Or at least, they'll know the truth soon." Jihun reached out to touch Eunji's arm. "Don't worry, Ji. A real family doesn't break apart that easily."

"What are you doing?" A cold voice sounded from behind them.

Soobin spun around, freezing at the sight of a woman standing in the doorway of the practice room. His eyes darted to the gun in her hand.

"On your knees," the driver commanded, staring daggers at Soobin. "I knew I smelt a rat in here."

"Do as she says," Jihun breathed.

"Yeah, I- I know." Soobin slowly sank to the floor, his hands held up by his head.

Jihun knelt beside him, their elbows brushing up against each other.

Soobin couldn't help but recall the last time Jihun had a gun pointing at him—they were on a beach in Busan, and Mei had been the one behind the trigger. He almost laughed at the irony. It was the same gun but a different handler that very well may end all of their lives today.

He kept quiet, allowing the driver to send him and Jihun to the opposite side of the room while she made Eunji redo the knots on Jin and Daniel. It was uncomfortable, being forced to stand with his back firmly planted against the wall like this, but the positioning was the least of Soobin's worries. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine that he was back on the beach in Busan, that this was just another scary situation that would turn out to be a friendly encounter.

But he couldn't.

Because this time, the woman holding the gun had every intention to shoot it.

And she did.

Twice.

***

Soobin couldn't believe that his first time wearing a bulletproof vest also coincided with his first time being shot.

Actually, he could.

That made sense.

What didn't make sense, though, was why he was still in so much pain despite the bullet never even touching his skin. He lay on top of Jihun on the floor, completely immobilized by the aching pain spreading all over his chest. There was so much blood around them—definitely not his—which meant one thing. Jihun had been shot too.

Soobin tried to get up, but a hand tightly gripped his wrist, holding him in place.

"Don't move," Jihun weakly whispered. "She thinks you're dead. Use it."

He subtly smeared his blood across Soobin's shirt before closing his eyes.

Soobin whimpered at the feeling of warm blood soaking into his clothes. He held his breath, laying still as the driver approached them from across the room.

Jihun.

She pushed Soobin off the older man with her foot. Soobin let himself roll like a limp ragdoll, hoping that Jihun's blood would be enough to convince her that both of them had been shot.

Jihun's dying.

The driver let out a satisfied sigh, chuckling, "Idiots."

She turned towards the exit, casually calling to Eunji over her shoulder, "See if you can save your friends. Or not. I don't care."

With that, she left the room.

~~~~~

Sorry this was a bit late! I was busy moving houses this weekend haha 😅