Catalyst

Part 9

And there it was. The other shoe.

Of course. Of course there were others. It would be stupid to just conduct an experiment like this on one test subject. But what were the odds that they were friends of both Jimin and Hobi?

"How do you all know each other?" I asked, looking between the two men. They both appeared perplexed, obviously they weren't on the same train of thought as I was.

"We all served in the same unit in the military back home," Hobi slowly replied.

"Did they also work at Kronos? Were they both university students?"

Jimin nodded. "Yes, both of them interned at Kronos, but in different departments. And we all attend the university."

"Did you ever interact at Kronos?"

"Do you think they are poaching interns for test subjects?" Jimin gave me a skeptical look.

"Well, were there others? Besides you and your two friends?"

Jimin leaned back into the couch, letting himself slide down until he was about to fall off the couch altogether. He pouted and let out a small huff. "Not that I saw."

"Okay." I sat up straighter, angling myself to better see Hobi and the semi-melted Jimin. "So, Kronos abducted three university students who are here on student visas, making it unlikely that their families would come looking for them anytime soon. And all three students also have military backgrounds."

I paused, waiting for either man to object to my statement. Hobi remained seated on the floor, his jaw slack, eyes wide, clearly baffled. Jimin continued to seemingly melt, and slid to the floor.

"It sounds like Kronos didn't expect anyone to look too deeply into your disappearance, Jimin. Or the disappearance of your friends." I moved to sit on the floor, too. "How long have the others been missing, Hobi?"

"Taehyung has been gone about two weeks now, and Jungkook went missing about five days ago." Hobi turned his attention to Jimin and said something in Korean. Jimin just nodded in response.  Why did I take Spanish in high school? Damnit, why didn't they offer Korean?

"Y/n, would you like to come to family dinner tonight?" Hobi gave me a weak, but encouraging smile.

"Family dinner?" It was my turn to be perplexed. The question seemed to come out of left field.

Hobi gave me a soft smile and nodded. "Yeah, we always get together for dinner on Saturday nights. It's usually just the seven of us, but I think you should come with us tonight. As Jimin said, we could use all the help we can get."

"The seven of you?"

***

"Your disguise is terrible." Through the rear-view mirror, I watched as Jimin shifted uncomfortably in the backseat of Hobi's car. He was wearing a pair of Hobi's sweatpants, a purple flannel I had bought for a lumberjack-themed party a few years ago, a red baseball cap, and sunglasses. He looked awkward, possibly due to the flannel being a woman's cut. He just didn't have the bust to fill out the shirt.

"I feel terrible." Jimin grumbled. It was clear that he preferred more form-fitting clothing that showcased his muscular physique. I also preferred that look on him.

"At least you're not a squirrel." I offered with a grin. Hobi chuckled, and pulled into the driveway of a modest ranch-style home in a seemingly quiet neighborhood not too far from our apartment complex.

Jimin quickly exited the backseat, opening my door before I had a chance.

"Thanks." I blushed a little. And here I thought chivalry was dead.

Hobi waited for us at the front of the car; looping his arm through mine, he lead us to the front door. It was slightly awkward due to the pan of brownies I was carrying.

"You're going to like they guys, Y/n!" His smile almost reached his eyes, but not quite. "I just wish it were under different circumstances."

Stepping aside, Hobi let Jimin ring the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened revealing a devastatingly handsome man with broad shoulders and a dazzling smile framed with plump lips. He froze when his focus landed on Jimin. With wide eyes, the insanely good-looking man pulled Jimin into the house, and waved Hobi and me inside.

As soon as the door closed behind us, the ridiculously attractive man plucked the sunglasses off Jimin's face.

"You bastard! Where have you been?" The incredibly pretty man exclaimed before pulling Jimin into a tight embrace. "NAMJOON! Come quick!"

Hobi pulled me farther into the living room and we watched as a taller man came running into the room. He stumbled for a few steps upon spotting Jimin, but managed not to fall.

"Chim!" He joined the other two men in their embrace.

Hobi winked at me before joining what could now only be described as a 'group hug.'

A knock on the door only caused the bro-love fest to pause briefly. Someone opened the door and pulled a fifth man into the fold. I heard the door close and lock, but did not see who did it.

"Yah! What the hell?!" The newcomer struggled, but was unable to extract himself from the huddle. Huggle?

I stood off to the side, holding the brownies, and trying to look nonchalant while observing the tangle of men before me.

Eventually, they let go of each other.

Hobi waved me over, took the pan of brownies from me, and began introducing me to his friends.

"Guys this is Y/n, my neighbor." Three sets of eyes focused on me. "Y/n, this is Jin."

The deliciously delectable man (I ran out of adjectives worthy of his beauty) with broad shoulders and full, pouting lips gave me a cheerful smile and his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"This is Namjoon." The taller man grinned, his adorable dimples caught me off guard. Why were all of them so handsome? Was it a requirement to join their friend circle?

"And this is Yoongi."

"We've met." Yoongi stated matter-of-factly. He nodded at me before turning his attention to Jimin.

"You owe me two month's rent."