#20
The last evening of their trip. Jungkook went to pick up Suzy, who wouldn't come out of her room. He was troubled by the door not opening no matter how many times he knocked. Seeing no movement, he wondered if she was sleeping, but something felt off.
"Han Su-ji!!"
No matter how much I knocked, the door wouldn't open. It was clear she wasn't asleep, but inside the room. But where on earth was she? No one had found Suzy. It was a remote area, and there was nowhere to go.
"Where did you go..."
"What are you doing there?"
Jungkook glanced around for a moment before bringing up Suzy. Seokjin's frown narrowed, but Seokjin suggested they go look for her, just in case something was up.
Jungkook and Seokjin, torn apart by each other, began searching for Suzy. They searched everywhere, but couldn't even find anyone who had seen her. How vast must the world be for not a single person to see her?
"No matter how much I look, I can't find it..."
"Whew... There's no place I haven't been, now."
"Did he go outside?"
Leaving this grand mansion, all you see is a forest. And a valley. There must have been a warning not to venture out, but surely...
"There's no way Han Soo-ji would listen to a warning."
Seokjin might have tried going outside. Jungkook was a little worried. Could he just go out without saying anything? It was dark at night, so visibility was a given, so it couldn't have been safe.
"Don't die."
Seokjin turned on his phone's flashlight and quietly left the front door. Jeongguk followed him, wondering if anything was amiss.
The forest had a gloomy atmosphere, and if it weren't for the phone, it would be impossible to see an inch ahead. If Suji really did leave, it could be a truly dangerous situation.
After wandering around for a while, I felt like I should talk to the teachers.
"Look over there."
I saw an old house that looked like it would be difficult for anyone to live in. I couldn't believe it was there, but then I saw someone in a car next to the house, so I decided to go check it out. Just in case, I did it very quietly, keeping my presence concealed.
"I can't see it very well."
There was a car, but no one was visible through the window. The lights were all off, so it was hard to see. Kim Seokjin opened the door and went inside, wondering if anything was amiss.
As I shone light here and there, I could clearly see that it was not a house where people lived.
"I don't think it's here either."
I kept looking around. No matter how much I wandered, I couldn't see anything. Just when I was about to give up, a small voice made me hold my breath.
"It's below."
I heard voices coming from the floor, as if there was a basement. It didn't seem like just one person... It seemed like several people...
"Hey, Kim Seokjin over here!"
A doorknob was visible on the floor. It was clearly a passage leading to the basement. Jungkook immediately pulled the handle and opened the door. Opening the door revealed a staircase, and while he hesitated a bit, the thought that Han Soo-ji might indeed be there made the two of them slowly begin to descend.
After descending a bit, a hallway came into view. I walked quietly down the hallway and saw another door. It was slightly ajar, so I approached it cautiously and peered through the gap.
"Why won't you listen to me? Huh?"
I saw Han Soo-ji, tied to a chair and in disarray, with the back of a familiar man. I almost ran, but held myself together, not knowing what would happen if I moved rashly.
"Why don't you just kill me? Instead of slowly killing me with that fucking incense, cut my throat with the knife you've hidden inside my clothes!!"
I was so lost in my thoughts about what to do with Park Jimin, who seemed to know something, that I forgot. No matter where I went or what I did, there were people following me. And every bit of information would reach their ears.
I felt uneasy when he suddenly dragged me away, but I didn't know he'd come this far. Did he really find my actions annoying?
"Even if you want to die, you can't. I, your master, haven't abandoned you, a doll, have I? That's why you can't die easily."
"At least I should have kept my brother by my side. At least!! He... I shouldn't have touched him. Why should I be rolling around when he's not even here?"
"Because you are a doll made only for me."
Han Soo-ji was so angry that the veins in her neck stood out. This time, too, she was confused as she spoke about her younger sister, as if the real Han Soo-ji had appeared for a moment.
A feeling so disgustingly unpleasant. It was as if my emotions and Han Soo-ji's were mixed together, becoming complicated and painful.
I want to spit on this man's face, who calls me a doll and doesn't even touch my face. But I feel helpless because I can't do anything about it. Living someone else's life is the same... It's so... miserable.
"You should be thankful you have a face that looks just like your mother. Otherwise, it would be you who would have died, not her."
"Oh, I've been taking too long. The disobedient doll is getting punished."
Hey, hide. As the man tried to leave the room, Seokjin took Jungkook and hid in a corner. Then, he waited until Sooji was alone and went into her room.
"Han Su-ji...! Come to your senses!"
"What... why are you..."
“That bastard... how dare you...!”
"Jeon Jungkook, calm down. First, we need to move Suzy to a safe place."
Seokjin calmly untied Sooji, and Jungkook, who had immediately picked her up, carefully left the area. It was fortunate that it was sloppy, as it could have easily put them both in danger.
The three returned to the mansion, avoiding the guards. They had a hard time avoiding the gaze of everyone, including the teacher. Gathering in Seokjin's room, the three first treated the injured Yeoju. Then, Suji, who sat expressionless, as if she were a doll, looked so pained... Seokjin quietly took Suji's hand.
"Just answer me. Kill that bastard?"
"jungkook jeon...!"
"That bastard is worse than an animal. There's no need to keep him alive."
"No need."
Suzy stood up. Her body was weak and she stumbled. She pulled away from Jeongguk's grasping hand and left the room, telling him not to interfere in her affairs again.
"Hansoo...!"
"Jungkook, don't follow me."
"but!"
"If I follow her now, I'll only be irritating Suji. For now... For now, just leave her alone."
Not only Jungkook, but Seokjin's expressions were also unpleasant. Suzy's appearance, seemingly ready to vanish at any moment, made him anxious, and he wanted to inflict even more excruciating pain on the being who caused her to become like this.
But there's not much they can do. We might not know it, but to Suzy, we're nothing. So even if we interfere, she won't be happy about it.
"....."
"We are still beings who cannot overcome the wall that Suji has erected."
As always.
_____
I heard a rumor that Fanple died...