_The worst day
w. Eonhyang
I came home, headed straight to the bathroom, filled the tub with warm water, and soaked. Feeling drowsy, I closed my eyes and lay there until all my fatigue vanished. After washing up, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. The events of the day flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope. Perhaps I was sorting through my jumbled thoughts when the phone rang, and with an annoyed expression on my face, I sat up and picked up the phone next to me. It was Jungkook. Jungkook didn't say anything for a long time after I answered, so I asked, "Hello?" The call suddenly hung up. And not long after, it rang again.
``Park Jimin``
Those three dry words filled the screen. When I answered, Jimin's voice, slightly trembling, came through. Jimin called me "Boss," not "Yeoju," so I focused even harder on his voice before answering, "Why?" His next words were the most shocking of all I'd heard that day.
"JK... was caught by Big Hit."
**
I ran straight to the company and flung open the door to the chairman's office. All six executives, excluding Jungkook, were gathered there. I grabbed a small pistol from my desk and grabbed the doorknob, intending to head straight to Big Hit. Park Jimin grabbed my wrist and stopped me. I frowned and spoke to him with the coldest expression and tone I'd ever given him.
"Get out of the way."
As if Park Jimin couldn't stand to be defeated by my words, he blocked me even more and tightened his wrist while speaking.
"It's too dangerous for you to go alone. Wait until all the kids are here."
Without even blinking an eye, Park Jimin looked straight into his eyes and spoke.
"Get out."
When I turned the doorknob again after hearing what I said and taking a slight step back, I heard Park Jimin's voice calling my name in a much more gentle voice.
"My lady."
I looked at Park Jimin again, who still wouldn't let go of my wrist, and called out my name to stop me somehow. I called out to him, not by his name, but by a code name that I only use in public.
"J."
"...Yes, boss."
Since he was at an age where he rarely used code names when called by his first name, Park Jimin reluctantly used honorifics. I responded bluntly.
"This is the company. Keep your work and personal lives separate. I'll go first, so bring the kids when they're ready."
And as I was about to leave the door, Park Jimin still held onto my wrist, refusing to let go and instead tightening his grip. I turned around and yelled his name loudly. No, I was about to hit him.
"Park Ji...!"
"I'm worried."
I cringed at the sight of Park Jimin's sorrowful gaze. He stared at me with an expression that seemed ready to shatter at a moment's notice, and I waited for him to speak again. The silence didn't last long, and soon he opened his mouth.
"We're friends before we're bosses."
I turned my head and said, losing the confidence to look at him any longer due to his words and expression.
"Still, I can't wait any longer."
"Then I'll go too."
At Jimin's suggestion to go together, I reluctantly nodded and left. Even on the way in the car driven by Park Jimin, the only thought I had was that I hoped Jungkook was safe.
**
Arriving at Big Hit Entertainment headquarters, I searched it thoroughly, but I couldn't find a single person, not even an ant. And finally, I went to the one place I hadn't been before, the place I hoped Jungkook wouldn't be. I believed even the most trashy father wouldn't take his son to a place like that: the underground torture chamber. Seeing the enemy organization members guarding the room only heightened my anxiety. The sight I saw when I quickly dispatched them and opened the door was enough to make me lose focus.
"Fuck."