24H | SEVENTEEN

८९

Rumi tapped her fingers against the desk in a steady rhythm, a sharp contrast to Dongmin's ceaseless sighing from across the room. "I told you we should've waited," he muttered for the fifth time, arms crossed, foot jittering. "Now he knows we're on his trail."  Rumi rolled her eyes. "He already knew," she replied flatly. "That's exactly why he left the company in the first place. He's always been two steps ahead of us. That much, I can accept."

But what she couldn't accept—what kept crawling beneath her skin—was the way he said her name. I'll see you soon, Rukmani Raikar. It hadn't been a threat. It had been a promise. Smooth, confident, final. And the way it echoed in her mind felt more like a warning bell than an echo. He knew from beginning, didn't he? He was watching them from covers. But somehow it feels like he's not trying to hide.

Dongmin's voice dragged her back. "Still doesn't change the fact that we're exposed. And he's gone underground. For all we know, he's halfway across the border."

Rumi shook her head. "No. He's still here." Dongmin frowned. "How can you be sure?"

"Because if he wanted to disappear," Rumi said, her tone sharpening, "he would have. But instead... he wanted me to hear those words. To know that he knows." She stood up, eyes narrowed. "He never planned on hiding. He's inviting me." Dongmin blanched slightly. "That sounds like a trap." Rumi gave him a dry smile.

"They usually are."

Dongmin opened his mouth to respond, but the sharp buzz of Rumi's phone cut him off. She glanced at the screen. An unknown number flashed on her screen. Her instincts flared. She answered, "Yeoboseyo?"

There was silence. Then a voice — smooth, measured, venomous echoed.

"Did you enjoy the juice? Or should I ask, did your little idol boy enjoyed it, Agent Rumi?"

Her blood ran cold. "Kim Yohan."

"Bingo," He purred. "You are taking too long sweetheart. I like things fast and hard." She straightened, heart already thudding in her chest. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, just playing mouse and cat isn't fun so I had to speed things up." Just then her phone pinged. She pulled her phone away to check the notification. Tapped opened the article, grainy photos, clearly taken through a long lens. A familiar location. A familiar figure.

Her. And Hoshi.

Both standing in front her car, hugging close. There were several shot, angles perfect making it seemed like they were being intimate like just before a kiss. The timestamp was from two weeks ago. The night she had went over to their dorm looking for Wonwoo, that night Hoshi had comforted her.

The caption in bold:

"SEVENTEEN's Hoshi Caught in Secret Relationship — Identity of Mystery Woman Under Review."

"Hmm I thought the headline could've been more interesting. What do you think?" Came in his smug voice again.

Rumi's fingers curled around the edge of the desk, white-knuckled. "You sick bastard."

He let out a laugh, "Oh sweetheart this is nothing. You should be glad it's not with your little boyfriend. Ah? I wonder what is he going to think about his girlfriend and band member getting it on behind his back." She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to steady. "What do you want?"

"Me? I want you to catch me. Tie me up and then ride me slow an-"

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Rumi slammed her fist down on the desk. The sound cracked through the air like a whip. Dongmin jumped, staring at her. Her eyes were on fire. Her voice came low, lethal. "I'm going to end you."