𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙴𝙳

Chapter 1

"Chim!" Jimin's mom yelled from the kitchen, cutting the poor vegetables vigorously.

"What, Mom?" Jimin yelled back, focusing on the television in front of him. After waiting for a few seconds without a response, he yelled again, "What, Mom?" Once again, all he received was silence. He sighed and continued to watch the thriller movie playing on the big screen in front of him.

"You know what?" Suddenly, his mom comes in between him and the television. "I think we should admit you to some classes, especially for discipline."

"Why?" His brows crash together and his nose scrunches a bit.

"What's the time?"

"3:30 p.m."

"And what time do your classes start?"

"4 p.m. What's the problem then, Mom? I still have half an hour."

"Will you leave at four exactly? The teacher should be present before the students."

"Try explaining this in school." He rolls his eyes.

"Are you leaving or not?" She brandishes the big knife with which she was cutting the vegetables brutally.

"Oh! Okay, okay. I am going," he gets up from the couch, turning off the television and turning around to leave.

"So eager to kick me out," he mumbles under his breath.

"Did you say something, honey?" His mom said from the kitchen.

"No."

"But I can hear you," she chuckles.

"Whatever," he rolls his eyes and leaves for his ballet classes.

'Park ballet classes,' Jimin's own ballet classes. His childhood dream. A small ballet dance studio, his own.

The outside walls painted light green with a few plants for decoration on either side of the glass doors. Above the doors, the sign of his class' name is written in blue.

Entering through the glass doors, he finds the empty studio. A big mirror covers the left-side wall completely.

The floor, made of wooden planks, shines with the sunshine coming from the doors. A speaker is placed at the far left corner. A shoe rack is placed on the right side upon entering, which is rarely used by the naughty kids.

Slowly, the kids start gathering, greeting Jimin with their cute smiles.

"So who's absent today?" Jimin asks as all students wear their ballet shoes and take their positions.

"Your favorite student, sir," says one of the children.

"Who?" Jimin's eyebrows frown.

"Mina, sir."

"Why do you all think she is my favorite student?" He puts his fists on his hips.

"Because you give her the most attention, sir."

"Aww! It's not like that. You all are my favorite. But I give her the most attention because she is a bit of a slow learner. That's why, okay! Now get ready and take your positions."

"Bye, everyone," the students bid him goodbye, and so does he.

He then picks up his phone to try to call Mina's parents, but no one picks up his call. After trying many times and not getting any answer, he decides to visit her house.

It's his principle: whenever a student is absent, he either contacts their parents or visits them. That's one of the reasons students love him. He cares for them so much.

*Ding dong*

He rings the doorbell of the 'Euk's residence,' the shining black oak door doesn't seem to be opened.

He decides to knock before heading back, although it's unnecessary, but he knows it's a human nature, what can he do?

He knocks on the door, and it opens. He is shocked yet curious. He puts his hand on the door and lets it open slowly. The situation in the house scares him.

Nothing is in its place where they used to be neatly arranged. Jimin has visited them a few times before.

He steps in and few pieces of the expensive vase are on the floor. The narrow entrance corridor is dark. His steps on the dark wood floors are the loudest. A few paintings are misplaced.

Now in front of him are the stairs to go upstairs, where he never went before. On the right is a kitchen, and on the left is the living room.

He enters the big light grey living room. On the table at the center, with couches on its three sides, there's a tray. A half-filled glass of milk and two untouched tea cups.

Suddenly, he hears a baby's cry from upstairs. He runs upstairs with his heart throbbing in his chest.

Upstairs are five rooms, as he reaches, two on the left side, two on the right side, and one in front. The cry stops, so he starts checking the rooms from the left-side room to the front room.

When he opens the first room on the right side, he sees a woman with a child sitting on the ground, holding its mouth. She is crying miserably while shaking.

She flinches as soon as she sees him entering the room. Jimin is equally shocked. The woman joins her both hands and starts rubbing them.

"Please, don't do anything to us. Please, we didn't do anything. Please don't kill us. Please don't take us," she is begging continuously.

"I won't do anything to you," Jimin says calmly to her, bending to her level.

"What happened here?" He asks, his voice as soft as cotton candy to calm the woman down.

"They took them."

"Who?"

"There were a few men wearing black clothes and masks with guns. I was the one to open the door. They just pushed me away and took Mr. and Mrs. Euk and their daughter. Mrs. Euk told me to go upstairs and take care of their son because they won't be returning. They are gone forever," she starts to cry again.

"Do you know who they were?"

"No, but I think they were related to Mr. Euk's work. He used to do a very secret job. Mrs. Euk didn't ever let me in his office. I think it was related to it."

"Oh-okay. I think it's better if the police handle it. You should go and take care of him."

"Okay," she slowly gets up with the child in her arms.

"Come, I will help you."

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To be continued......