lotus || j.jk.

09

Noona, good morning. Have you seen the article I sent you? If not, I think it's worth taking a look at.

Song-hee reads the short message that had caused her phone to vibrate against her hip.

Although relieved it wasn't a follow-up text from her brother, she's surprised to see the sender of it to be Jungkook and it shows through her tilting head and steadying gaze.

Jeon Jungkook.

Her latest acquaintance.

Her eyes hover over his name, reading the moniker a second time. She didn't expect him to reach out to her so soon, more so this early in the morning.

True enough, when she drags her thumb across the screen, she sees an active blue link above the text he had just sent her.

She taps on it, not bothering to check the site it would redirect her to.

The Lotus: Seoul's Notorious Serial Killer - Updated Timeline of Events and New Crime Scenes.

If it weren't for the steaming cup pressed against her lips, she would've gasped.

Her poise breaks and Song-hee is frantic and quick to escape from the opened website, absolutely averse and already queasy thinking about anything related to the crimes.

What the... Why would anyone send such a thing at this time!

In her reckless movement, the hot coffee sloshes against Song-hee's mouth and scalds her upper lip, making her wince and jerk back sharply.

She hisses in pain, loud, cursing even louder when her drink falls, singeing the skin of her chest and the tops of her thighs.

The ceramic cup clanks harshly as she sets it down with no care, its content depleting more as it spills over and pools at the bottom of its matching midnight-blue saucer.

She shoots up from the lounge chair, tugging the drenched chiffon blouse away from her. Her chest and fingers are instantly hot and soaked with the dark liquid.

"Damn it!"

Unaware of the startled audience glancing over at them, Jin - sitting across from her and witnessing the sudden commotion with blown-out eyes - stops midchew of his breakfast sandwich.

"Song-hee-ya, what's happening?'

Flustered, he drops his food on the plate, quickly dusting his hands of crumbs before gathering the napkins littered on the table.

The solicitude in his tone is loud and clear, as is his dark eyebrows weaved tightly together while he hands the sheets over to his friend gone haywire.

His alarm caused by the unforeseen chaos settles only slightly, replacing momentarily with commiseration.

Song-hee, looking incredibly red-faced, quickly pushes her checkered tweed coat off her shoulders, patting it down with vigor to wipe off any coffee that might've gotten on it.

Her delicate features darken in her sour mood, the steep downward curve of her full lips and the tightness in her clenched jaw evidence of her crossed state.

From how her eyes dart around and the flushed color dusting her cheeks, it seems that she's now taking notice of the other customers peering over.

She shrinks, grimacing much to her chagrin, and Jin watches her slowly sink back into her seat.

Her head hangs and a long, pitiful groan emits from her.

"Are you alright? What was all that?" He repeats his question, although much softly this time.