HIS PRINCESS | K.TH

Runaways

RIN

So this was what rich people used to buy stuff.

I glance down at the sleek, dark card, turning it front and back with a curious expression. I'd never seen anything like it— in the Underground, nearly everyone just used cash money. Or they traded things, to get what they wanted.

My thoughts wander back to that man as I lazily walk towards one of the many vending machines within the hospital.

He'd wanted me to take Jungkook to a hotel, as soon as possible.

I wince.

Hopefully Jungkook would know where a hotel would be when I woke him up. All the buildings here literally just looked the same to me.

He'd looked so angry. And urgent.

I sniff.

Finally, I pause in front of a huge, shiny machine. It looks similar to the ones we have down in the Underground, except it looks way better. Rows of snacks and drinks line the inside of the plastic barrier.

Hm.

It's not too hard to work my way around it, either.

Soon, I have a can of coke in my hands. Tucking the card back into my pocket, I'm about to pop the top open when I look up to the sound of rapid footsteps.

Men.

They're decked out in black. And I instantly freeze, sensing danger as they crowd the poor woman at the front desk. Their voices are harsh.

"Which room is Jeon Jungkook in?"

Oh.

Shit.

I casually make my way around the corner. And the moment I step out of their sight, I run like mad back to Jungkook's room.

I couldn't believe they'd already found where he was.

A curse runs through my lips as I push through the door. Jungkook is still asleep, his eyes closed and figure motionless. The beeping of the heart monitor echoes through the silence of the room.

I instantly shake him awake.

"Wake up," I whisper. "Wake up!"

He wakes. For a second his gaze sets on me, dazed and unfocused, before he recognizes the urgency in my voice.

He doesn't even need me to tell him.

"They're here, aren't they?" He murmurs, with a dizzy wince as he shifts himself up the bed. With one swift motion, he rips the needles from his forearms.

The beeping comes to a stop.

And it's ridiculous how calm he is.

"Where did you see them?" He asks, and I shakily point towards the right side of the hall.

"They'll come from there. I-It's where the only elevator is. I took the s-stairs, but it's also on the r-right and..."

I'm stuttering. Way too hard.

Those men. I'd seen guns, on their waists. There had been at least four of them. Any way down— the elevator and the stairs— were both on the right.

Where at any moment, they were going to show up.

But even with all the odds stacked against us, Jungkook places a hand on the top of my head. His lips curve in a light smile.