CHAPTER 5: The Phone Call

One thing Jeon Jeongguk has learned from Kim Namjoon is to be . . . observant.

You must not look solely at the thing you want to acquire from your target, the older man said, but you should look into its behavior as well. Being alert to your surroundings is very important too. It will help you know how many chances you have to succeed, or how close you are to being fucked up.

You don't just act, you must think too. You do that after you observed, discretely.

That's why by only having a short period of time, Jeongguk has managed to learn many things while finishing his bowl of porridge.

First, it's already midnight. The last time he had checked his Rolex, it was about six o'clock in the late afternoon. If it's true that he slept for six hours straight, as Jisun stated, then most likely the time now is past midnight–

Oh, look! There's a wall clock, my bad.

Second, Jisun cooked the porridge solely for him. It is cooked in a tiny pot and it could only fill up a single bowl. That explains why she was quick to heat it all. He finds it suspicious at first, but Jisun brought one spoonful of it in her mouth while saying "I hope it's not too salty for you." and then she gave him another spoon. Jeongguk accepts it as 'See? No poison'. That's why he gladly gobbles it down and wow, Jisun is a good cook.

Third, they sleep early. They as in the whole neighborhood. It is exceptionally quiet unlike what he usually had experienced in Seoul. Jisun is not an exception. Jeongguk had to eat fast because Jisun needs to sleep because she has something to do early in the morning.

"Finish it quickly, then take a rest. I want you to remember a thing once you wake up." The girl said. It wasn't a threat, he thinks. It's obvious that she's joking in the way she snorts, or Jeongguk just wants to take it like that.

The young man did what he's told anyway but only the first part.

Fourth, the house has a rectangular structure with three rooms all at the right side (excluding the kitchen, living room, and dining area, which are all in one space at the left side). One room must be the comfort room while the other one belongs to Park Jimin, which means Jisun and her grandmother share a bedroom. Jeongguk came from the first door, and the width of the next room seemed too short to be a bedroom, so that indicates that the remaining door – across the other two – belongs to the ladies.

Then lastly, the most important information of all, Jeongguk learned that Park Jisun is not as smart as he thought the lady would be.

He learned that particularly by seeing her charge her phone in the living room. It's easy to see, easy to reach. It happened before they bid each other goodnights and went to their respective rooms– Jeongguk got it right earlier by the way.

What is she thinking? How could she be that careless when there's a whole stranger in her house? 

Jeongguk feels bad, but a conman has to do what conmen do.

Hence, Jeongguk waited for another hour to pass before sneaking out of Park Jimin's bedroom. He walks with a hunched back and tippy-toes like he was walking on thin glass. He goes straight to her phone.

It doesn't have a screen lock.

(Because who would dare to open it without permission? Her grandmother who doesn't know how to turn on the screen, let alone pressing the keyboard?)

Of course, it has to be none other than Jeon Jeongguk.

He lowered the volume down until it notifies that it has been moved to vibration mode. Then he brought it to his room before he dials.

This time, Yoongi answered.

["Hi. You're calling Chickenery, your good chicken restaurant at your service 24/7. How can we help you?"] Kid, you're still alive!

"I would like to order water." We're clear now, hyung. We can talk properly now. He is whispering, eyes not letting go of the door in sight. His sense of hearing is divided between the phone call and his surroundings, constantly checking.

["May you please repeat the order, sir?"]

"Water."

Jeongguk heard the older man sighed.

["God. Tell us what happens, Jeon–"]

["Yah! Jeon Jeongguk, where are you?"] Seokjin butts in, probably snatching the phone from Yoongi's grasp. It was evident in how the other line suddenly sounds muffled. ["Why did it take you so long to contact this phone? Have you gotten weak? Huh? I taught you to be slick!"]

What a slick way to tell he was worried.

["Hyung, come on. Let the kid talk."] Jeongguk hears Namjoon sigh. At this point, Jeongguk knows they are using a loudspeaker on the other line.

["Talk, kid."] Says Yoongi.

"Okay, listen. I'll be quick because anytime they can wake up–"

["So you're being held hostage?"] ["What the fuck?"] ["Will you please be quiet? Let the kid fucking talk."]

"Okay. Just listen." The youngest huffs out a deep breath. He's pinching the bridge of his nose right now. "It's my vacation, right?"

["Ours actually. You're just a feisty one who wants to travel."] Seokjin laughs and Namjoon shushes.

"Well, guess what hyung? Someone just called my number this morning while I was riding and the caller is fucking anonymous and damn, he was laughing so much. He was asking me about Esmeralda and shit! He knows my real name and age." Jeongguk is whisper-screaming that it started to sound like he's hissing. Now he can relate to what Park Jisun was feeling earlier. "And I got into an accident, Baby explodes together with my phone and wallet. Then another shit happens, and then I woke up to a stranger's house and now I have to pretend that I have a fucking amnesia."

Then everyone became quiet.

Well, it's a lot to take in.

"Hyung? Yoongi hyung, I don't understand. I thought you deleted all of my information from the government database–"

["It's Jung Hoseok."]

"What?"

["That laughing maniac is probably Jung Hoseok."] Yoongi is the only one who's talking apparently.

"Who?"

["Remember the birthday party where you served as a waiter?"]

"Yeah? But I don't know which party you're talking about."

["I'm talking about the latest."]

Oh.

["The birthday celebrant, the laughing maniac, is Jung Hoseok. And the necklace you stole is Esmeralda."]

Ah. So that was Jung Hoseok. That one loud guy who couldn't finish a sentence or two without giggling with his heart-shaped mouth, but he's rich and intimidating so his guests just go along with it. Hoseok didn't seem harmful or anything, except that one time when Jeongguk caught him staring at him in awe after Jeongguk managed to catch a bottle of wine before it kisses the ground. Hoseok looked at Jeongguk as if he was a magician or something.

"I don't understand." Jeongguk nibbled his lips as he tilted his head in confusion. He turns to look again at the door. He was distracted by the information earlier that he hadn't realized he was staring at his feet. "He got this grandiose party and stuffs, I was sure that he could accumulate more money if he decided to sell all his cars and wines. And if he's rich enough to hire a heck of hacker, then why would he care about a mere eight million won worth of necklace?"

["I actually got the calculations wrong from the start, I apologize."] Namjoon is the one speaking. His voice sounds defeated. ["It's actually worth eighty million won, not just eight. He stole it from a museum in a foreign country and the green stones are made of emerald."]

Fuck. It's a bigger deal than he thought.

["Listen carefully, Jeon."] Yoongi speaks. ["I did delete the shit, okay. Trust me. All about us is deleted. We're not even Korean citizens anymore. And I was planning to tell you this as soon as possible, but you were on your vacation and you never accept my calls. I got a call too and our computer is also hacked. Jung probably saw the folder that Seokjin hyung named as Jeon Jeongguk's 23rd B-day."]

["So it's my fault? Isn't it Namjoon who fucking left his phone in that mansion?"]

["I didn't mean it! I don't even remember bringing it–"]

"Hey, hyungs. Stop." Jeongguk sighs, rubbing his temple in frustration. "Just give me advice, enlighten me, or some shit. That's why I called."

["Okay, Namjoon indeed left his phone, that's why our main computer got traced– Ugh, Namjoon, you tell him."]

["Yoongi hyung was trying to say that we had to turn off our computers right away after he managed to change our IP address, so they won't be able to trace us completely. We got to rid our old phones too."]

"And what, hyung?"

["Do you know where you are exactly? Do you know how to get back here?"]

"Well, I . . ." Jeongguk knows it's not going to be easy. He traveled without knowing his way back, he just moved forward. That's because he thought he has a Google Map with him, but now that his phone became a burnt chicken nugget, he knows it's not going to be the same anymore. "It's going to be hard–"

["Stay there."] Seokjin cuts him off. ["It's not safe to travel right now. His men are probably wandering around Seoul as we speak. We just fucking stole a gem, Jeon Jeongguk. At this point, we are being hunted by hyenas, we are bound to get fucking killed! That's why we're also in quarantine."]

"W-what do you mean?"

The floorboards are hard and becoming icier beneath his naked feet as time goes by. Jisun forgot to offer him slippers earlier— or so Jeongguk thought. It's uncertain that she's going to let him stay here or not.

["So you are a man with amnesia now, right? Keep doing that for a while, for six months at least, until the fire cools down. You're honestly being lucky right now. We'll come and fetch you when everyth–"]

"Hyung, what the fuck do you mean by six months?"

["I think four months can do, hyung."]

["Right, Namjoon is right. Four months is probably enough."]

"Are you kidding me? How can I manage–"

["There are people who hadn't got their memories back for years, Guk."] Namjoon throws a fact at him which doesn't help to lessen his stress. ["And do you honestly think a mafia boss like Jung would stop his intensive search just after a month?"] That too. Another stressful fact.

["We will migrate to another country after this, just hold on for now. This call is getting too long. Hope you understand. Goodbye and stay alive."]

"W-wait Seokjin hyung!" Tut, said the phone indicating that the phone call has ended. Knowing the hyungs, they would not answer the phone if he calls again unless Jeongguk texts them 'hot sauce.' which is completely unnecessary. Also, it must be used when he is in grave danger, only.

Well, Jeongguk doesn't really mind going on a sudden hiatus. They've done this before last year– Jeongguk accidentally blew off his cover by showing the wrong ID when he's supposed to be Lee Heesung, not Ong Seunghan. He wasn't even in a full makeover, hence he fucked up. He had to hide himself from public for a month.

But for four months?

Damn fuck.

He didn't even get a chance to ask them what if Park Jisun is a part of Jung Hoseok's team?

What's he going to do?

He deleted the call history after that and turn the volume up again. Then he returns the phone back to its old place – he memorized how it looked earlier – before he went back to sleep

Jeongguk hopes he didn't miss a thing.

The young man wakes up in another blinding light.

He thought that Park Jisun must have already decided to kill him off because he is just a useless brunette. But then he was proven wrong once again when somebody nudges his feet.

Damn it.

He's still alive.

"Yah. Wake up, sleepy head." He heard the girl's voice, then something was thrown over his head.

That made Jeongguk stir in his sleep until he finally wakes up. He hardly could blink his eyes open since a towel was covering his face. He freed his eyes only to see Jisun finishing to open the curtains more widely.

"Get up and wash. We're going somewhere." She utters, her back is still facing him. Somewhere? The brunette asks himself, are they going to meet Jung Hoseok?

Jisun opens a cabinet. "Jimin used to wear oversized clothes. I'm sure there is something that fits you." She tells him while carefully examining the clothes.

The towel falls over to his lap when he slowly sat up. Slowly because he's feeling too groggy at the moment. He couldn't rub off the sleep in his eyes, nor fix his muffled hair. He hasn't realized that he'd been gazing at the girl since the beginning, even though it's hard to keep his eyes open and steady. The boy is dazed. Is the Earth flat?

He slept at three o'clock in the morning, you see, and now he's being woken up before a rooster does.

"Yah." Jisun snapped her fingers and that's when Jeongguk realized that the girl is already facing him. In her hands, a pair of hoodie and jeans is found. Wait, is that an underwear? Who in the right mind would put on a stranger's underwear? "Put these on after you wash up. This underwear has never been used. This was my gift for my brother and was still packed together with the other few. I'll show them to you later."

The brunette wonders if she is a mind reader or not. Also, why is she lending him the briefs she gave to her brother? Isn't that weird?

"What? Do you prefer to reuse your stinky one?" Damn. She is a mind reader.

"Why this early though?" Jeongguk queries while he accepts the clothes.

"I just said we need to go somewhere, and the earlier, the better."

"Where?"

"The police station."

A/N I wrote this at midnight sksksksk it's 12:44 am right now.

What do you think about this chapter?

Why does Park Jisun want them to go to the police station?

I'm too sleepy lol I can't even make a proper question hahhahaha

*HYUNG means older brother (by blood or not) in Korean.