“THEY PROMISED THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE, BUT
FORGOT TO MENTION NIGHTMARES ARE DREAMS TOO.”

The world beneath him tilted. Panic surged through him to process the reality as Seokjin got up on his unsteady legs. The news about the drug dealer's escape hit him like a bombshell. And just the thought of him being near Yoon Min set his heart racing with a mix of anger and anxiety.

"Where is she, Baek Heesung?" he snarled.

The voice from the other side replied, bearing a hint of smirk, "She's right in front of me."

"What have you done to her?"

"Nothing...yet. We just picked her up from her neighbourhood. I think she was going to work. Weren't you, sweetheart?" A nasty chuckle followed.

Seokjin didn't miss the word we. It meant he was not alone with her, a group of his men accompanied them. Dread pooled in his stomach as he looked at his manager. Yu Beom looked equally worried. With a nod, the manager took out his own phone to call someone, likely the cops.

"I must say, Kim..." Heesung spoke again. "Your taste isn't that bad. I mean, she got a pretty face, alright? Not so chicken-looking after all. Her hair looks clean and her skin is—”

"Don't you dare, Baek Heesung!" Seokjin roared. He could hear Yoon Min's struggling voice. "Don't you dare touch her. I swear I'll break every finger of your hands if any of you even so much as lay a finger on her!"

"Your threat is cute but my men are restless. They've been looking at her like a feast, and I can't promise you they won't take a bite. She is as good as a prize for us."

"If you hurt her, I'll show you what real pain is!"

"Will you now? How if I may ask? You're in America right now."

Before he could reply, Yu Beom's head appeared in front of him as he waved his hand and told him not to trigger the drug addict. He gestured at remaining calm and considered making a bargain instead. Perhaps the cops asked him to tell him.

Seokjin had to follow the order. "What do you want? If it's about money, just name your price."

The offer seemed to work in his favour. "Money! I hadn't even considered it. What do you think, boys? Does our little 'operation' deserve a little bonus for babysitting Seokjin's girlfriend?"

A group of voices shouted back with a "Yes." Judging by the sound, there were at least six men with them. "It's very generous of you to offer us money. How about this: if you send us 50 million won within the next hour, I'll allow you to see your lovely girlfriend. After that, I'll inform you of the second demand."

There was going to be a second demand?

Seokjin argued, "No. I won't do anything you want me to. You'll get your money and you'll release Yoon Min. She has nothing to do with you. Your business is with me."

"Come come, Kim...Beggers can't be choosers."

This only implied that Baek Heesung did not kidnap Yoon Min for monetary reasons. He was seeking something different, and he was only going to disclose his demand after the transfer of funds.

His throat bobbed as he looked at his manager. "Y-You'll get your money soon."

"Perfect! I will wait patiently." Heesung mocked. "And um...Kim? I hope you don't contact the police even by mistake. You realize what's at stake here. If I hear you calling the cops, you won't see your girlfriend ever again!"

Seokjin spat out, "You bastard! I'll make it my mission to make your life a living nightmare—"

"Such heroic lines! I'll be watching you." Heesung laughed and seemed to grab someone. "Say goodbye to your boyfriend, sweetheart. He's paying an inconsiderable amount of money for you." The drug dealer cut the call as soon as he heard Yoon Min's voice shouting,

"Jin-ssi, don't-"

The line went silent. A chill settled in his gut.

Seokjin was overcome by a rage, an intensity, an anger so potent he screamed curses out and threw his phone on the bed. He was boiling with blind hatred and furious repugnance at the thought of Baek Heesung holding Yoon Min hostage. He didn't care how intensely he wanted to punch through walls and destroy everything around him.

Yu Beom grabbed him and shouted, pulling him back to reality. "Calm down, Seokjin! Stop shouting! Your members are gonna hear you."

"Do I look like I care if they know?! Manager-nim, Baek Heesung has Yoon Min! We have to find her! I-I can't be here. I have to get back to Korea. Right now!"

"I know, I know. I know she is in danger. Listen, calm yourself first. We have to be practical about this, okay?" His manager used his gentle voice. "Your flight has been booked already at 6 a.m—"

"6 a.m?! That's like 9 hours away! I can't just sit here. I have to go now! Get me on another flight, Manager-nim." Seokjin didn't realize he was shaking from head to toe.

"Be practical, Seokjin. Think about it: what are you gonna do even if you go back to Korea? Do we know where Song Yoon Min is? Do we know how many men are there with her? Do we know anything? No! Trust me, we better leave this to the police."

His voice trembled with fury. "S-So you're saying I should do nothing? I should just sit here in this fancy hotel room and eat my dinner while Baek Heesung's men circle her like hungry lions? You're saying—”

"Yes. Yes, goddamn it! You can't do anything for her. Not until you calm down and focus. We have to make strategic plans." Manager Yu Beom's advice was irritating but useful.

Seokjin took deep breaths and tried to cool his head. He couldn’t give in, but he also couldn’t risk waiting and doing nothing. He asked his manager, "You were on the phone with the cops. What did they say?"

Yu Beom looked relieved to see the idol calm. "I told Officer Dong Man everything. That Baek Heesung's first demand was money, and there was gonna be a second demand. The officer told me to meet the first demand first and wait for the call. They are scattered throughout Seoul, looking for Baek Heesung. And he gave me his word that they would do everything to find Song Yoon Min."

Seokjin dropped to the floor, running his fingers through his hair, and his shoulders trembled. His heart twisted so suddenly at the thought of Yoon Min's petrified eyes, how scared she must be feeling, all while remembering her ever-so-sweet smile. It was his fault she had been targeted. His enemy figured out his weakness and exploited it in the worst possible way. He stole the love of his life away.

And Baek Heesung made a grave mistake by taking her away. He crossed a line that should have never been crossed. The drug dealer had better hope he doesn't find him because he won't show any mercy. He will make sure the drug dealer pays for hurting Yoon Min.

✦✧✧ - ✧✧✦

It was around 10:30 p.m. when Seokjin received the call again.

In the meantime, Yu Beom had gone to speak with the members. He had no idea what his manager told them but he assumed it was the truth. That their Jin Hyung had found himself a girlfriend and she had been abducted by the same guy who caused his infamous scandal. He had no idea this was how his members would find out. He wanted to tell them himself, see their reaction and maybe someday, they could meet her.

He also had a conversation with Officer Dong Man. The officer provided him with some advice to follow when speaking with Baek Heesung. He was advised to carefully observe the surroundings in case he spotted something useful for the police to track her down. They wouldn’t be able to trace his phone calls since he was in America. Therefore, they had to depend on Seokjin’s observations to move forward.

Given that Baek Heesung had prohibited contact with the police, the officer instructed Seokjin not to disclose any information about the police's involvement and to gather as much information as possible during the video call.

Manager Yu Beom had organized a laptop for the video call. He scrambled to make arrangements for the police so that they could hear their live conversation.

The call came 10 minutes after the money was transferred. The number was registered to Yoon Min, indicating they were still using her phone. Seokjin shared a look with Yu Beom before the manager nodded his head. The idol took a deep breath, the sound of his heart pounding in his ears as he accepted the video call on the laptop.

Heesung's face appeared first, smirking with a twisted satisfaction. "Ah, the visual of BTS, the one and only Kim Seok Jin, all the way from the US!"

Seokjin was too busy looking for Yoon Min. But the screen only showed Baek Heesung against a dark wall. The drug addict was smart, he had to admit.

"Where is Yoon Min? Let me see her."

"No Hello, no Good to See You, nothing. Well, I agree I don't deserve these greetings."

Then, the camera shifted, revealing Yoon Min.

She was tied to a chair, her hands bound with rope, and her hair was dishevelled. There was a tear on her shirt, hinting at the struggle she'd been through and a bruise on her cheek with a cut on her lip.

As he saw her, his heart dropped. His heart raced with a mix of horror and panic flooding through him. Feeling a surge of protective instinct, his voice trembled as he called out to her, "Yoon Min! Are you alright?!"

She tried to appear strong, but the vulnerability made his stomach churn. Her voice whispered, "I-I'm okay."

His heart shattered at the sight of her fear. "Hang on, Yoon Min," he sounded firm despite the panic rising in his chest. "I will find you and I will murder him for what he did to you."

The connection flickered, and he could see the glimmer of hope in her eyes. She nodded a little as they held each other's gaze, a moment of silent promise. But it was too little of a moment.

Heesung taunted, leaning closer to the camera. "She's a little uncomfortable, but she's alive... for now. Yoon Min's been a real trooper, you know? She doesn't speak much. I admire her; not everyone can handle a little rough treatment...Hence the bruises on her face. Not my fault though. She asked for it."

Blood roared from within him. "You piece of shit! You think you can get away with this?! I'll find you and when I do, you'll wish you never thought of hurting her!"

Heesung laughed a cruel sound that sent chills down his spine. Threats didn't scare him apparently. The screen moved, and he placed the phone in front of them so that both were visible together against a wall. It was then he realized someone was holding the phone and Heesung didn't let his men show themselves.

Everything was going against his plan. There was absolutely nothing helpful he could derive from the screen. The drug dealer appeared to be an expert in setting him up.

"You've got the money sorted. My thanks to you. Now let's move on to the next part. I've discussed it with my men."

Several chuckles echoed back. Seokjin's stomach flipped, sensing the number of men present there.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to publicly announce your relationship."

Seokjin felt his breath hitched, anger and fear swirling within him. Of course, this bastard would want that.

"Show the world that you're dating her. It's against your company rules, right? If you reveal the truth, Yoon Min walks away free and unharmed from here."

The idol lost his voice, lost his determination at the demand. He tried opening his mouth but it was Manager Yu Beom who appeared beside him and begged, "You can't be serious! If Seokjin announces his relationship, there will be a huge backlash from the fans. The company will fire him and take legal action to kick him out of his group. He will be ruined!"

"This is precisely what I crave! Let's see if love is worth the price of our idol's career. Your collapse will be such a sweet spectacle!"

The sheer audacity of the request punched him in the guts. He was furious at Baek Heesung for using her. His heart raced, realizing the only way to save her was by announcing their relationship. It would mean sacrificing his career and reputation. He would do anything to protect her but the thought of throwing away everything he had worked for, destroying the beautiful life he had built for himself with his members and millions of fans, made him realize how much he could lose.

"No way!"

Someone shouted and everyone turned to see Yoon Min speaking up, fear etched on her face but a flicker of strength in her eyes. "Do you think I will let you use me as bait? I'd rather be here a hundred times than watch him bow to scumbags like you!"

She directed her fury at Baek Heesung, glaring at him fearlessly. This only amused the drug dealer more. He watched her with a faint smile.

Before anyone could object, she looked directly into the camera and ordered, her voice shaky but firm.

"Jin-ssi, break up with me."

☆THE FAULT IN OUR STARS☆

THANK YOU FOR READING
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