Intertwined: Two fates

21 - Time is tight

Jungkook's expression grew somber. The doubt he had for Yoongi's deceased girlfriend kept increasing as time went by. The mysterious secret message, the obvious warning in her letter as if she had known early on that a disaster would befall her, and also... this member card.

Miss Zhao obviously did not belong to the upper class society, so where did she get this exclusive member card from?

Compared to Yoongi, Jungkook had learned some insider information from Jimin. Until now, Miss Zhao's disappearance from when she was fourteen up to sixteen years old had not been solved yet. Could this matter have something to do with the club - Phoenix Ablaze?

Being a citizen of Korea, there was no way Jungkook did not know about this club. Previously, he had heard a few coworkers bemoaning their boss' good luck for being able to enter the club, saying that it would be a dream come true if the same thing happened to them. Hearsay the club's management had an extremely high standard for their patrons. They would filter the customers based on their status, wealth, reputation and other unknown criteria. And then, the eligible patrons would be granted exclusive member cards.

They were extremely secretive of the business they were doing behind closed doors. As years passed by, it became a matter to be flaunted about.

As long as you were granted entry into Phoenix Ablaze, then it was equivalent to being admitted to the upper ladder of society.

Even if Jungkook had heard a lot of mysterious rumors about this club, he was not particularly curious. For him who wanted nothing but to live an ordinary and peaceful life, this kind of bourgeois and glamor lifestyle was so out of his reach, like a mystical land that only existed in fairy tales.

Never had he expected that one day... he would find himself entangled with this issue.

Again, the most pressing answer they wanted to know was — how did this exclusive member card end up in Miss Zhao's hands?

"In Mount Ying, you only found these?" Jungkook asked in confusion.

"Yes," Yoongi gave a little nod. "There's nothing else. I have double-checked it and there is no way I could have missed anything."

Jungkook knew how meticulous and careful Yoongi was. If he claimed that this was all there were, then it must be true. Sighing, Jungkook could not help but massage his temples. "Yoongi ah... Hyung will be honest with you. I think this matter has already gone beyond our control. If Miss Zhao was really targeted by that side, then this has become a very tricky problem."

Yoongi pursed his lips. "You're trying to dissuade me from investigating further."

"Yes." Jungkook looked him straight in the eye and asserted seriously. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want to come across your corpse one day, just because you have messed with people you should not. I don't know Miss Zhao enough to guess what she wished to do by handing this thing to you but... if I were her, then I would not want any trouble to come your way."

Jungkook knew that saying something like this sounded very cruel. If their opponent was really a powerful patron in Phoenix Ablaze, then there was a high possibility that they would not be able to find Miss Zhao's real murderer. Yoongi might not be able to avenge her death, but... what were they supposed to do? Should they keep pressing forward even though they knew the danger awaited them in front?

"Then, what should I do?" Yoongi's voice was strained as he struggled to keep his turbulent emotions in check. "There is no way I can just sit still and pretend I know nothing, Hyung... I don't even know what kind of threat Yunji has been facing all this while. What kind of boyfriend am I?"