Jimin scrambled back in fear, the bedsheets tangling around his wrists. "What have I done to deserve this, Namjoon? I thought you loved me!"
"I do," he choked through tears. "And that's exactly why you have to die."
...
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It was 8:58 AM and the weather on Jeju couldn't have been better. The mainland's summer heatwave was like a long-forgotten dream to the travelers strolling out of the Jeju International Airport arrival gate, contentedly bathing in the soft sunlight and refreshingly salty ocean air.
However, one arrival was a bit too preoccupied to notice the pleasant weather. Hoseok rolled his suitcase from the baggage area, quickening his pace as he saw a familiar young man holding a sign that read Cyprus. The bag ticked over the marble tiles rapidly, generating an anxiety-inducing layer of white noise in his mind.
"Hello, Jinyoung," he greeted cordially, leading the way out of the airport. A sea breeze blew from the north, cooling the man's face welcomely. He hardly took note of it.
"Yes, hello, sir," Jinyoung responded hastily, scurrying behind. "Excuse me, Mr. Jung, but where is your boss? We can't leave without Mr. Kim."
Hoseok reached the parked rental car waiting for them and began shoving his suitcase into the trunk. There was something about the way his shoulders were set that indicated an uncharacteristic tenseness present in his demeanor.
"He's still in Seoul, I think" the man finally answered, closing the trunk with a dull slam.
Jinyoung looked uncomfortable, glancing down at the ever-present tablet in one hand. "But Ms. Kang said-"
"Yeah he was supposed to be here, but he got detained at Incheon International. Passport troubles," Hoseok explained with a frustrated sigh. "And now he's not answering any of my texts."
"Oh." Jinyoung looked around the parking lot, as if unsure what to do with that information. "But it's not an international flight... why would there be passport troubles?"
"Something about identification, him being an American citizen, I don't know. They rushed me through security. You know how airports are." Hoseok paused, getting in the backseat of the car and allowing Jinyoung to slide in beside him.
Jinyoung tapped the man's shoulder up in the driver's seat and passed him a slip of paper. "Driver, take us to this address, please. Nicosia Village Suites." He looked out the window towards the arrivals gate and glanced at the shiny silver watch on his wrist. "But not quite yet," he added. "We'll wait for Mr. Kim for a while."
Hoseok leaned heavily back into the leather seat, both physically and mentally exhausted. The leather creaked as it bent and stretched to fit him. He turned his weary face toward Jinyoung, wanting to find something to keep his mind off the stress of losing his best friend in the crowd. "Tell me something happy, Park. Some good news. Whatcha got for me?"
Jinyoung looked slightly taken aback but pursed his lips in thought all the same. "Well, the place we're staying is quite nice. Ms. Kang rented several cute villas, all close by each other, with a courtyard in the middle and a view of the sea."
