~𝟮𝟲~

                                    

                                          
When we got back to the room, I tried my best to look unbothered. Hyunjin gave me a look, but I brushed it off. When Lee Know saw us enter, I noticed he looked at me, but then his eyes fell on Hyunjin, and something sparked in his gaze. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but I made a mental note to sit him down and ask about it later.
"You actually got coffee?" Han exclaimed.
"Of course. It isn't solid food, but it is decaf. I hope that's okay?"
"It's better than nothing. Thank you so much."
"No problem."
I smiled as he inhaled the steam seeping through the hole in the lid of the cup. He had a tranquil smile on his face.
"So, Han. What happened to the girl you told us about last time we came to visit?"
All the boys looked at me, then looked over at Han. He was beet red, making me feel slightly guilty for putting him on the spot like that. He started talking none the less.
"She went in for surgery today. She should be out in about an hour."
"Okay, wait. Why don't I know about this?" Chan asked, looking over at me and then back at Han.
"You weren't here when I told Hyunjin Hyung. So, technically, he could have told you if he wanted to."
"Hey, I would have told him, I just had a slight problem that made me forget about it."
As Hyunjin said that he looked over at Lee Know, giving him a blood-curdling glare. I stood between the two, so I spread my hands out in front of their chests, making sure they didn't attack each other. They didn't break their glares, even when Chan told them to calm down.
"Chan, could I maybe get a cab and take one of them home? I think that's the best way to keep them off of each other."
Chan nodded at me. I looked up at Lee Know, but his gaze was still fixed on Hyunjin. I tried pushing him away from Hyunjin with my hand, but he wouldn't budge. It was like he couldn't think of anything else besides the anger coursing through his body. When I tried pushing Hyunjin away, he actually budged, even though his gaze didn't move once. I took his arm and dragged him out, promising Han that I would come back later to say goodbye properly. When I got Hyunjin past the doorframe and out of sight from the rest of the boys, he finally looked down at me.
"Sorry, Ava. I didn't mean to have you leave like that. I just get so mad..."
He trailed off and I nodded. I slipped my hand down from his upper arm to his wrist, gripping more softly because my arm stung slightly. We got outside and he called a cab. We got in, and I felt the letter in my back pocket again. My stomach made a summersault, but I just ignored it. There were more important things to focus on.
...
When we got home, I went to stand at the kitchen counter. I wanted to make Hyunjin and myself something to eat, but I couldn't think of what. I felt him stand behind me. Almost like he was working up the courage to do something. Or trying to warn me he was going to do something. The next moment, I felt his fingers brush against my lower back, and felt the letter being pulled out of my back pocket. I shivered at his touch, trying to keep my demons at bay. I turned to him when he spoke.
"You should read this. It'll be better than stalling. That way, you'll be able to process whatever it is. And besides, it's only you and me here. The others don't have to know if you don't want them to. And if you want, I'll leave and let you read it on your own."
He held the letter out to me, and I stared at it. After a while, I moved my hand to grasp the piece of paper gently held between his fingers. My thumb brushed against his as I took the letter. I slowly unfolded it, almost too afraid to read it. But when I opened it, I couldn't possibly have expected what was written on the paper.
You think they can protect you. You think you're safe...
But I can get to you wherever you are. And nothing can stop me.
I could feel my throat constrict as I read it over and over again, trying to stop my brain from spinning. I moved my hand back, gripping onto the countertop to try to steady myself. I held the letter out to Hyunjin face down. He looked at me before taking it. His eyes grew slightly wider as he read it.
"This... I... You know who sent you this, don't you?" he asked.
"Yes, I think so. And it's not good."
"It's your previous commander, isn't it?"
"I think so. But I have no evidence. It's all circumstantial."
"Maybe I can try to dust it for prints."
"I doubt you'll find anything."
He gently rested a hand on my shoulder and bent down slightly to be eyelevel with me.
"We'll get him. I'll - we'll - make sure of it."
I nodded slightly at his encouraging words, but my mind was still speeding at 1000 miles per hour. If my commander knew to find me at the hospital, he had to have a tracker or a listening device somewhere. I walked up to my room and started searching all my clothes for traces of either. When I couldn't find anything, I started going through my shoes. Just as I finished checking the last pair, Hyunjin came into my room, the letter in his hand. I looked up at him.
"Any news? Did you find anything?"
"Besides our prints, I found a few partials, so I think I'll run them through the database. See what I can find."
He looked at my bed and found piles of clothes scattered all over it. He raised his eyebrows slightly and softly took in a breath.
"How about you? Have you found a tracker or a listening device?"
"Nope. But I'm going to keep looking."
He was just about to say something else when we both heard the key in the front door. I moved to go and greet the boys downstairs when he gently took my hand.
"Do you want to tell them about this? I can tell them if you aren't up to it."
"It's okay. I know I should tell them. I just want to figure out how he got to me first."
He nodded before following me downstairs. When we got into the living room, Lee Know noticed our presence. He shot a glare at the back of Hyunjin's head, but when he saw me, his eyes softened ever so slightly. At least he's not mad at me, I thought.
"Han said you two will have to visit again to properly say goodbye," Felix said. I nodded. 
"Ava, you okay? You look pale," Chan commented, making all the boys stare at me. I swallowed before answering.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."
But deep down I knew. And I knew that they all knew as well. I tried to keep my heart calm and push the darkness down that was working its way up my spine. It seemed to work. Until I saw something moving in the tree line.