When Red Means Danger

022

They were sharing covers and the warmth of the comforter and the mattress. Dahyun had taken a hobby of sneaking out from Jungkook so that she could see sleep with Taehyung. It was only then could she make sure that Taehyung wouldn't have nightmares again and at the same time, she knew, beside him, she was not having her own too. They were on the same bed, but both kept a decent distance between them. However, their hands were touching.

"After you give your statement, Hansung would no longer be able to escape all the crimes he did," Dahyun whispered with a relieved smile. "And your name would be clear. Finally, you'd be eligible to go to college, learn Arts and be a professor. You'd get your dreams, Taehyung."

His fingers then traced her palm, writing letters slowly so that Dahyun could get his message.

            Would we still be together by then?

Dahyun smiled before whispering again, "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

Taehyung then smiled back and clasped her hand, before intertwining their fingers together.

That night, Dahyun had the most peaceful sleep. The thought of getting closer and closer in providing a secure, safe and happy life for Taehyung coupled with the warmth of his hand were already enough to send her into a deep slumber.

The next morning, Dahyun found the side of the bed empty.

She checked the date in her phone and realized that it was the day that Taehyung was supposed to give his statement.

He must have left.

But then, when she went down, she found Taehyung wiping his hands with tissue in the kitchen. He greeted her with a smile, and Dahyun smiled back despite the confusion of his presence. She then got a glass of water before fishing her phone out of her pocket.

"Jungkook, I thought you're going to accompany Taehyung to give his statement. Where are you?"

"I am in the police department."

"But why didn't you go with Taehyung?" Dahyun asked as she sipped the water from her glass.

"Dahyun..." she could hear his voice trembling, "Dahyun, I'm with Taehyung. He went with me this morning."

As the words resonated in the line, Dahyun had lost her grip of the glass, making it crash to the tiled floor. Her lips were already getting pale and she was beginning to shake as she turned around and Taehyung's face welcomed his sight. But the smirk plastered on his face clearly told her that he was not Taehyung.

Even before Dahyun could scream, her mouth was covered with a handkerchief, and the next thing Dahyun knew, everything slowly turned into pitch black.

—————

"Dahyun?" Jungkook asked again, as the other line suddenly became quiet, "Dahyun? Dahyun, are you alright? Dahyun!"

He gripped his phone tight and looked at the screen in disbelief as the call was abruptly ended.

It can't be.

"Kook, it's a success!" Jimin suddenly appeared, grabbing his shoulders in delight. "Taehyung was able to properly give a written statement – "

But as Jimin noticed how Jungkook confusedly stared at nowhere, his voice died down. Jimin worriedly tapped Jungkook's cheeks, breaking the male from his trance.

"Jungkook, what's the matter?" Jimin whispered.

"Jimin, where's Taehyung?" he asked back, but then, his question was already answered when Taehyung appeared from the door behind Jimin. He stared at the male, and Jimin had to shout at him again as Jungkook was starting to get lost in another daze.

"Jungkook!"

Jungkook blinked numerous times before saying, "We have to go back. Now."

But even if Jungkook had already broken the traffic rules and has tried his best in speeding their way back to the safe house, the sight of the guards lying on the ground lifeless had already told them that a horror had happened at the place. Jungkook reached towards one of the guards and checked his pulse but found nothing.

Jimin immediately dialled the hospital's and the police department's numbers despite the shaking of his hands.

"Dahyun," Jungkook whispered repeatedly first before yelling his sister's name again, "Dahyun!"

Jimin was about to follow Jungkook as he went inside the house but then, he muttered a curse beneath his breath when he saw that Taehyung had also seen the bloody sight.

"Didn't I tell you to stay inside the car?" Jimin scolded him, but then when he saw how Taehyung suddenly covered his ears and crouched down with difficulties of breathing, Jimin started panicking. As he desperately searched for a paper bag inside the car for Taehyung, he cried, "Please. Don't do this. I'm not a doctor."

Jungkook on the other hand, started frantically searching for his twin. His heart raced as every empty space had met his gaze. He opened every room yelling Dahyun's name over and over again, but as his cries was met with silence, worry and horror was starting to eat Jungkook whole.

"Dahyun, where are you?! Dahyun!" he shouted for the nth time.

Tears were beginning to form in his eyes as he found no sight of his sister. Panting, his last stop was the kitchen and as he saw the broken glass on the floor, Jungkook slumped down in deep dejection.

The sirens of the ambulances and the police's car echoed. Jimin was also calling his name numerous times, but Jungkook could hear nothing as his dull eyes just stared into space. Everything for him seemed to be spinning.

"Jungkook!" Jimin shook his shoulders in order to bring him back to consciousness.

Jungkook finally met his gaze and the male gripped his shirt, with tears threatening to fall at the corner of his eyes as he said, "I-I couldn't protect her. Dahyun's gone. Dahyun..."

"Did you see her corpse?"

When the question slipped out of Jimin's mouth, Jungkook clenched his fists and as the anger built up, he released it through punching Jimin.

"What I'm saying is there's no corpse so she's not dead yet!" Jimin yelled. He grabbed Jungkook's shoulders once more as he said intently, "Your sister is alive, somewhere out there. We just need to find her. We would find her."

Jimin watched as Jungkook's eyes started to be filled with hope and life once more, as if everything was falling back into pieces again. The latter sighed as he had gathered himself once more. He nodded, "Yes. You're right."

Jimin then suddenly punched him and then he stared intently into the male's eyes as he said with emphasis, "That punch was a reply for the one you gave. That's also a reminder for you not to just black out like that. We already have one patient here and I don't want to deal with another one so you need to pull yourself together. If you want to find Dahyun, then stay focused."

Jungkook slowly nodded again as his eyes fired both with determination and anger.