his true self

5- blackout

You gradually peeled your eyes open, squinting against the blinding brightness of the room. It was as if you were surrounded by a sea of white, overwhelming your senses until you had to shut your eyes tight again.

Numbness enveloped you like a thick blanket, your mind oddly vacant. It was a strange sensation, neither good nor bad. Just... empty. But as your consciousness returned, so did the memories.

So your eyes shot open for a second time.

Felix's face loomed above you, snapping you back to reality with a jolt. The happenings of the night came crashing down on you, unleashing a torrent of thoughts and emotions that crashed into you like a tidal wave.

Felix and Hyunjin's involvement with the gang.

Your confrontation with Felix.

Being caught by Seungmin and Changbin.

Three intertwined plots, each more bewildering than the last. Yet, amidst the chaos, you sensed a crucial detail slipping through your grasp, a piece of the puzzle that could unravel everything.

Despite the fact that you were not having the time to think about it. Caused by Felix.

"Y/n? Are you alright?" Felix's voice reached you like an echo from afar, muffled and indistinct.

Struggling to focus, you attempted to formulate a response. But what was the truth? You, obviously, were far from being anything near okay. But could you afford to let Felix, the one who had deceived you time and time again, know the extent of your troubles? No, that wouldn't do. Yet, he was also your lifeline, the only one who might offer some shield in this chaos.

"Can you hear me?", he went for a second try, his concern palpable.

Another voice chimed in, but it was too faint for you to discern. You only caught a glimpse of Felix's anxious expression as his gaze darted between you and the unseen speaker.

Gathering your resolve, you decided cooperation was the best course of action. After all, being probably surrounded by ominous gang leaders, Felix was your best hope for assistance.

"I think so," you replied weakly.

"Can you sit up?" Felix inquired gently.

"How am I supposed to know?", you groaned.

A slight smirk tugged on his face before he carefully pulled you up, propping you against something soft.

As your vision cleared, you took in your surroundings. You were on Felix's bed, he sat at the edge, concern etched into his features. The what seemed to be a harsh glare of light before had softened to a dim glow, and the windows were shuttered against the outside world.

At least until you locked eyes with the other gang member present – Changbin.

But where was Seungmin?

Returning your gaze to Felix, who still seemed deeply worried, you were granted a moment of respite to collect your thoughts. But before you could even begin, the weight of your memories crashed back over you.

And suddenly, it clicked. The missing piece of the puzzle, the detail you'd overlooked in the chaos.

Hyunjin was in trouble and could not be found.

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks, eclipsing all other thoughts in its gravity.

"Hyunjin", you blurted out, "Where's Hyunjin?!"

Felix's hands flew up defensively, as though he anticipated you trying to escape, but he quickly lowered them upon hearing your words.

"Seungmin's been on the phone for a while. From what I gathered, he found Hyunjin. And judging by his yelling I think it might even be Hyunjin himself on the phone"

The response was not coming from Felix as you thought, but from Changbin.

"Quite some time?"

"About 40 minutes? You were out for about 2 hours now", Changbin responded again.

So far so good. Now you could just hope that everything would be fine.

With that mystery seemingly resolved, you could only hope for Hyunjin's safety. But as one problem waned, others surged to the forefront of your mind.

"What's going to happen to me now?" you whispered.

"We'll see. Seungmin's also spoken with Chan. He'll decide your fate," Felix responded, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

"Chan?" you questioned.

"Our leader. The head of the gang," Seungmin clarified as he entered the room.

"What's the verdict?" you pressed, the tension palpable as all eyes turned to Seungmin.

"To cut to the chase," he began, meeting each gaze with a steely glare, "I called Chan and Hyunjin. Hyunjin is safe now and currently located at a hotel about 50 miles from here. I told them everything. Chan was pretty annoyed but Hyunjin... also seemed to be quite pissed. However.... we came to the conclusion..."

Seungmin stopped evilly and glared at everyone of you.

"We will bring you to Hyunjin at 10 p.m tonight. Chan either wants you dead or see you within one week."

"The decision is Hyunjin's"