𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄

47; 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩

"you..." chan said. "you're seokmin hyung's brother, right? you have custody of jinha!" chan exclaimed, eyebrows raising in surprise.

"don't say that," seokmin playfully gagged. "he's a scary guy. he laughs when he hurts somebody." he says, as if he wasn't a little bit of a scary guy himself.

"yes, she was taken from me just today. i caught the one of the kidnappers. i almost killed him but i needed information, so, i 'kidnapped' him as well to milk info out of him." minseok took off his bomber jacket and fished out a laptop from his bag, then typed something before he showed the screen to everyone. "this is the location."

everyone studies everything displayed on the screen. "what are they using her for?" minghao asked, bitterness lacing his voice. he immediately fishes out his phone and types something. then he leaves. "i'm going to try to ask folks nearby. see you, then."

"alright, be safe!" joshua replied, before discussing some things with the members.

"mingha—!" junhui turned around, to try and stop minghao so he could talk to him about joining, but minghao was running to the elevator already.

being the person who knew minghao best, junhui knew something else was going on with how minghao acted. suddenly, after checking his phone, he went on his way and his excuse for leaving? it was too simple, and too easy to see through. he needs to know what it is, he needs to follow minghao.

so, junhui uses the fire exit stairs to go to the basement. he knows that anything on minghao's mind right now is trouble.

he needed to be fast, or else he won't catch minghao and he won't be able to follow the latter.

he knows where jinha is. of course, minghao still has connections to some of the pledis mafia members. and he's going there alone to make a deal, because he doesn't want seventeen to get hurt.

he's selfish. it's bad if you think negatively, but junhui has to take those thoughts into account. what if he dies? the last few minutes of his agony will be passed on to the seventeen members, and seventeen will carry that burden forever. and, also, he's selfish for facing a fight alone, when this is not just about him.

he's just trying to protect us. but can he protect himself?! junhui definitely needs to go!

when junhui saw minghao driving a motorbike, already leaving, junhui enters his car and revs it for a few seconds. he then zooms into the exit, and follows minghao. but of course, junhui made sure not to be seen by minghao, who had a keen eye, even behind his back. but would minghao really be focused about being followed now? he's immersed.

"minghao.." junhui says subconsciously, as he watched minghao speed up. junhui, of course, speeds up as well. "you're getting yourself in big trouble."

after a few minutes, minghao stopped driving. junhui stopped as well, watching minghao take off his helmet and go into the warehouse that minghao leaded junhui to. unknowingly.

"good job, he was on your sight the whole time." junhui jolted, eyes widening as he turned to face the previously empty passenger seat. now, there was joshua sitting beside him. "you're not the only one who catch on to things easily, junhui." joshua tilts his head to the back seats of the car.

chan and jihoon waved at junhui when junhui looked at him. "hey, hyung. what up?" chan greets.

"why are you guys here?!" junhui frantically reverses the car, since they can't talk right in front of the nemesis's hideout. "minghao would burst if he sees us!"

"they can't see us, dumbass," jihoon points to joshua, and junhui just sighs. "minghao would hate it if he sees you alone, either. pick a better choice, do it with us, where we have 90% of winning if we get caught, or do it alone, which you have like.. 50% chance?"

"hyung, i want to save jinha too!" chan joined in. "she's a really closed off kid so being kidnapped like this would be bad for her."

"fine, let's go." junhui opened his door, but he stops. "wait, do we have a plan?"

the four other seventeen members stood about 4 meters away from minghao and pledis mafia. jinha was also in sight, held by the president, jia-er. the four can't be seen, because of joshua's ability.

"okay, what is your plan?"

one of them, who the others didn't know—but junhui knew, he was named jin—went closer to minghao. "let's have a deal first, haohao! how about we tell you our plan, and you don't get to come out of this warehouse?"

"oh my, is he implying that he wants to kill minghao-hyung?" chan gasped, looking at his members for verification. joshua just shrugged.

"you can't kill me." minghao used his nunchucks to hit jin once, making him cower away. turns out that the nunchucks was hot. "i can kill most of you fa—"

in a snap, the president was holding minghao's neck. all of the four were surprised, and scared for minghao. "he meant, join the mafia again. you know, be an insider in seventeen but you're actually still in pledis?"

"why are you inviting me back when you're the one who said i was useless?!" minghao roared. chan bit his lip, looking at jinha who the president held by his other hand. she was scared. "let go of me." minghao turns his ability on, making his neck burn hot—but the president endured it.

"you think i cant withstand that?" jia-er laughs. "what, you only have one choice, and yet, you try to look for other choices. i mean, there's nothing wrong with that for us, but it's totally wrong for you."

minghao's eyes widen, as he feels the skin on his neck cracking. "hao! come on, it's not that hard. just say you agree and we'll tell you our plan!" jin remarked. it wasn't helping, minghao was persistent.

junhui's fists were closed tight, he knew that this was his snapping point. and he snapped. "RED DEMON, CORRUPT!"

joshua looked at junhui in horror, as he destroyed the illusion that joshua made for their protection. plus, junhui was using his corrupt mode! he promised seventeen, and himself as well that he'd never do that!

red demon's corrupt mode allows her to have control over junhui's body, but junhui tells her what to do. all the red demon's power transfers to junhui, and the chance of junhui losing himself to the demoness is high—junhui still can't control her fully, remember?

"what is that?" jihoon says in horror, pointing at junhui who quickly strided to the pledis mafia president.

"that's his corrupt mode. the red demon and junhui combine forces, then they become more powerful." joshua explains quickly. "don't get in his way, okay? come on, let's go take jinha."

chan was amazed, meanwhile. "junhui-hyung!" chan reached out for junhui, as if he'd be able to stop him when he's already kicking the president off of minghao. junhui looked back for a second, to look at chan. chan notices that junhui's eyes were glowing red, like the demon's eyes—and his body was glowing red as well. "y-you're so cool!"

"that's not cool, that's scary!" jihoon comments. "agh, fuck, we gotta fight now!" jihoon uses his telekenesis to fly, gathering some things that are formidable as weapons.

meanwhile, vernon just parked his motorbike in front of the warehouse. he removes his helmet, and stretches. before he makes an entrance, he says to himself: "i'll get minghao some help. i'm fucking ready."