The Safe Side

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Our new safe haven turns out to be yet another extravagantly decked out home that is within a surprising walking distance from our old one. I shuffle around listlessly, running my fingers along dusty antiques as I wonder whether or not we are truly a safe distance away.

I suppose if I was our pursuers I'd expect us to travel further away for safety reasons. So there is that.

There is a sudden knock at my door, and Jimin's voice rings through. "You decent?" He asks.

"Yeah!" I shout.

Jimin opens the door just as I reach it, and for a moment I can only stare. Now that he's all bandaged up it looks even worse than it did before.

"Wow, " I remark. "You really got your ass handed to you."

"Eun Ha!" Gasps Jin, hobbling into view just behind Jimin. "That's not nice!"

I shrug, I bothered by his surprise.

"It's the truth though, " I reply nonchalantly.

Jimin's hangs his head, flush with embarrassment. "I know, " he mumbles. "I couldn't do anything. If you hadn't stepped in I don't know what would have happened."

"Hey, " I say, wrapping my arms around Jimin. "There's no need to take it that hard."

I rub his back as I continue to hold him awkwardly. He neither hugs me back nor makes any attempts to free himself.

"If at all possible I'd like to not run into that guy again, " I state. "But we got out safely. That's what matters right?"

Jimin continues to maintain his silence and Jin observes the two of us quietly.

The silence stretches on, none of us quite sure of what to say.

"To be honest, " I confess, "I was really touched that you guys went so far to keep me safe..."

My voice trails off and into silence once more. I chew my bottom lip aimlessly, searching for the words to describe how I'd felt. It was brief, but for a minute I'd been real worried about Jimin.

It surprised me, but at that moment what had driven my urge to act had been an indescribable need to protect Jimin in turn. I haven't allowed myself to sit back and analyze it yet, but the truth is that I don't need to.

It's enough to realize that Jimin and I had been close as children.

Some of that care, that affection, seems to remain behind even if the memories are gone. And maybe I'm reading into things too much, but I get the distinct feeling that Jimin truly does care about me. I don't need anything else.

"I care about you Jimin, " I murmur softly, voice little more than a whisper. "I don't know if it's a residual effect of the memories that I've lost, or if I'm just going stir crazy. What I do know is that I was really scared for a moment, and then you were there to save me."

I pull away, or at least attempt to, but last minute Jimin decides to finally reciprocate my hug. He squeezes me so tightly that I almost can't breathe, and he speaks to me with a voice that sounds nearly as breathless as I am.

"Thank you, " he whispers.

"No, " I reply. "Thank you."

"Ahem!" Jin cuts in, clearing his throat to gain our attention.

"Yeah, " he inserts awkwardly, eyes shining with mischievous satisfaction. "I am still here, how about that?"

He chuckles at his own sarcasm, and I chuckle in turn. As Jimin and I separate, I notice that Jin's right leg seems to be bothering him. He keeps shifting back and forth between his feet using his crutches, but he seems to favor the left. They both must be in so much pain...

The men each find a seat on the settee located just beside my dresser. I quickly grab my desk chair and drag it over to where the boys sit waiting for me.

"So, " I exhale, suddenly nervous once more. "Answers, yeah?"

Jimin nods, hands folded together and resting upon the knee he has slung over his other leg. "What exactly do you want to know?"

I lick my lips, the sudden onslaught of cotton mouth making my lips stick together. "Why exactly am I in danger? And what are we doing about it?"

Jimin watches me squirm for a moment before sighing in defeat.

"There's this weapon, " Jimin begins uneasily. "It's an explosive device created by a sect of the Kim family while they served under your father. Now, they want it back."

"Wait, " I interrupt, hand held out in the universal 'stop' gesture. "Kim? As in Jin's family?"

I look to Jin, who shakes his head and then interjects on Jimin's behalf.

"No, " he tells me, "another Kim family. Kim is a fairly common surname, so there's at least fifty Kim's in service to your father. Or at least, there was. The one responsible for all of this is Kim Namjoon."

Jin takes a deep breath, possibly steeling himself for the words to come. Both he and Jimin seem impossibly stiff and nervous. I can tell that this conversation isn't an easy one and that I'm probably digging up old hurts that they'd prefer not to think about. But don't I deserve to know?

Jin's gaze becomes piercing, and he fixes it upon me with intent.

"At any rate, they want it back, and of course Yoongi is not willing to part with it." Jin continues. "If this weapon were to fall into the wrong hands..."

"He wants to stop anyone from using it, " I state. I am not sure how, but I know this to be the case.

"Yes, but there's more to it than that." Jimin inserts.

"Indeed, " Jin replies, I'm tossing his legs only to cross them once more. "I'm not sure if you are aware, but you are the only living person that can make sense of the clue about where it's hidden."

"How is that possible?" I ask.

I'm sure that I don't have to remind Jin why I'm so doubtful. After all, no matter how you slice it, I was only a child when I left for America. On top of that, with my memory loss, its pure fantasy to imagine I'd remember anything even remotely useful.

Jin shrugs his broad shoulders casually in response.

"All I know is that it has something to do with your photographic memory. Your father once hinted that the place he'd hidden it was something only you would know. He's long since become senile. Not even Yoongi knows where it's hidden."

"As far as how we intend to guarantee your safety, " Jimin inserts, "we haven't really determined that yet. For now, I suppose, as long as we keep you nearby everything should be fine."

Jin nods sagely, agreeing with Jimin wordlessly.

"We do know that it isn't enough to keep you safe this way forever." Jimin continues. "Unfortunately we are waiting on Yoongi to decide how he wants to take things forward."

"I only have one more question, " I intone seriously, looking directly at Jimin. "If Jeonguk was once a friend... What happened between the two of you?"

"That's..." Jimin begins, clenching his fist in what seems likely to be a very painful way. "Difficult to explain."

"For now, can you just trust us?" Jin asks, cutting in at the sight of Jimin's obvious unease. "And trust that we'll tell you soon? It's a painful topic."

I relent, nodding my head in silent disappointment. I've received far more than I anticipated, and I can't say that I don't empathize with them.

"So..." I inquire awkwardly. "What now?"

"Now, " Jimin says, eyes shining with anger and clearly defined anticipation. "We wait."