My Light, My Jimin

Chapter 33: Scissors

YOONGI

Before this moment, I always thought I was smart enough to be rational in a life-or-death situation.  Prior years conducting lockdowns was experience I had stored up in case of an event such as this.  I thought I would be the one to protect them.

I was wrong.

Because I have never known the meaning of true fear as I do when Jimin doesn't respond anymore. 

I resist throwing my phone across the library and curl up behind the desk with Ms. Sumin.  This early in the morning, I expected to surprise Jimin at work to make up for last night's ordeal, but my plans were foiled after the lockdown alarms went into place.  With us sit Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook, three students I know and who look at me with panicked eyes.

The boys are relatively quiet, the seriousness now beginning to sink in.  Taehyung sits with Jungkook in the corner, both holding hands.  Hoseok has his phone with him and keeps looking down at it every few seconds.  And my insides are raging, my mind praying to any god who's already sentenced me to hell to keep Jimin safe.

He has to be safe. 

A rattling noise comes from outside the door.  Footsteps hurry upstairs.  For a second, my heart stops.  This time, it's Professor Daegi who is followed behind by a police officer.  His knuckles are bloody, that's the first thing I notice, and it makes me want to hide the kids.

The second thing I notice is the way the officer keeps looking over his shoulder.  He tries to be inconspicuous, but it's obvious.  He's nervous.  And from the way he glances around the room, he's new to the campus.  This isn't good. 

What to do, what to do, my mind's skipping and all I know is that Jimin is in a bathroom somewhere in the technical building.  Why he's there of all places, I have no idea, but I focus on what I do know.  He's in one spot. 

I see a pair of scissors on the librarian's desk.  I'll use them if I have to.

A shiver runs down my neck at the thought.  Would I possess enough strength to stab another human being?  I want to have the option to defend myself and protect others, but will small scissors even be enough?  I make a plan to grab the scissors, but force myself to focus.  The officer is saying something. 

"Wait here until we give a signal that it's all clear."

All of us nod our heads as we obey, and the officer leaves downstairs, hand on his holster. 

I watch as he leaves just out of sight, then turn to Professor Daegi.  The old man has a red patch just along his graying hairline.  If it doesn't hurt now, it will surely be painful by tomorrow.  His thin hands reach his glasses and pull them down, nervously cleaning.

"Sir, are you okay?" Taehyung whispers as he crawls forward.

He frowns like it's a ridiculous question.  "Of course I am."

"Let me bandage that up," Ms. Sumin says to Professor Daegi, keeping her head low as she shuffles into the office five feet away from the desk. 

I hurry and swipe the scissors when I know I'm not being watched.  No one needs to know I'm armed.  I may not even use these, but it's better than nothing. 

Jungkook stalks past Taehyung, so I tilt forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the stairway below us, but it's no use.  I can't see the end.

Then I hear something.  Voices, maybe.  Then: not voices.  Sirens. 

The sheriff's here.  Things are escalating fast.  I need time to get to Jimin and I don't have it.  I have to move before the person gets claustrophobic and ends up taking Jimin with him.