Occult | JJK 🔞

7| Indulging

Nearing the afternoon, the streets of Pyeongju were bustling with life. Small paved roads were invaded by restaurant tables and clothing racks, shops and cafes spilling in the streets and making it hard for cars to move along.

In the midst of it all, Jungkook and Khepri went unnoticed despite their weird attires; large sets of grey sweatpants and dirty white shirts making them look like vagabonds. Jungkook suspected that the pizza delivery boy had given them some of his own clothes so he could keep all the money to himself, and he didn't appreciate at all the smell of blood and sweat irradiating from him in waves, making him scrunch his nose in disgust.

However, he was still glad to finally be out of the church basement Khepri had taken refuge in, still half-expecting her to try to keep him there captive.

"Where are we going now?" he asked, looking sideways at his partner who seemed to know where they were heading.

"Downtown."

He still couldn't get too far away from her without feeling abominable pain as a result of the tattoo on his chest. Khepri had promised to remove it as soon as they would arrive.

Arrive where, he didn't know.

At least, he was feeling a lot better now that his stomach was full of pizza. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he had eaten three quarters of it and Khepri had scolded him for not letting her eat half. He had held back from asking her what the point of eating was if she couldn't die of hunger, but had held back his tongue, thinking he should mind his own business and not try to argue with his kidnapper.

So, they were both walking in silence, Jungkook slightly behind Khepri who wandered with wide strides through the local market. Everywhere, merchants were calling them to taste their oysters and live octopus side dishes, trying to grab their attention until Khepri turned sideways to look at them right in the eyes, making them cower under her stern stare. Herself and Jungkook came out the other side after a few minutes, leaving the smell of seashells, spices, and fried kimchi behind to discover the stench of freshly applied asphalt and paint near the center of town, where the bigger military buildings and train station stood.

The local hotel held a certain class as a result of its fancy architecture, imitating a European design with stone stairs in the front and sculpted windowsills. Khepri directed her steps towards that building, the tallest around, and walked through the glass doors without a look back.

Jungkook ran a few steps behind to catch up with her, almost breaking his neck by admiring the ceiling above. The inside was dimmed, shiny ceramic glistening under large crystal fixtures. Khepri, however, didn't look impressed by the decor and went straight to the elevator.

Jungkook followed without a word, thinking here, at least, if she tried to do anything to him, there would probably be lots of people around to hear him scream.

"You're staying here?" he asked, looking at her deformed reflection through the metal doors of the elevator.

The girl nodded without looking at him, her eyes on the sword she was carrying with her, hidden in a dirty bed sheet she had taken from the church basement and that she had attached on her back with her bow and quiver. With her cape on top, which was still a weird burgundy color because of the dried blood, she looked like a deformed hunchback.

The doors opened with a ding and the girl walked out, Jungkook following behind. The atmosphere was almost austere up there, the lush carpet muffling the sound of their steps. After turning a corner, Khepri brutally stopped in front of the door number 1536, making Jungkook collide with her back.

She sent him an frigid glare.

"Sorry."

Taking a key card out of her pocket, the girl unlocked the room, and they soon found themselves in a gigantic suite, sunlight coming from the panoramic windows blinding the boy after the dimness of the corridors.