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Mar 30, 2022

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 32: Bombshell

My head was spinning, my ears were ringing.

I groggily opened my eyes, and the world was a blur. An excruciating pain stung the side of my head, and my hand instinctively reached up. I touched a piece of fabric. My head was wrapped with a bandage.

Slowly, painfully, I sat up. I was on a bed in a futuristic and pristine room, lit with white neon lamps. It looked like a hospital room, but... Something told me that this wasn't a hospital. A soft beeping sound caught my hearing, and I looked to my side.

On the bed next to mine laid Twice's Nayeon. Her eyes were closed, her head was bandaged just like mine did. A heart rate monitor was beeping softly by her side, an oxygen mask covering her face. Only then did I realise that I was wearing an oxygen mask too. Where was I? Why was she here?

Then I remembered.

Jennie and I were in my house in Geumho-dong. Jisoo was tied up, and then... That black-clad man with a ski mask and goggles. He struck Jennie with a baseball bat, and then he struck me...

Where were they?

Panicking, I took off the oxygen mask and jumped up immediately, only to lose my balance. I stumbled onto the side of the bed, before sitting back down. My head was spinning. My ears were ringing again. I winched and cursed, clutching my head.

"Fuck... Fuck... F–Fuck... Noona... Jennie..." I muttered.

Where were they? Where was I? What happened to them? What happened to Nayeon? That... That man... He must have taken Jisoo and Jennie, right? Who was that? What did he want from us? Did we just become victims of a robbery? But... What was Nayeon doing here? Was she attacked too?

I checked my body, and I realised that I was still wearing the same clothes. I definitely was not in a hospital then, for the hospital staff would have changed my clothes to a hospital gown if I was in one. I instinctively reached for my phone inside my pocket, taking it out and unlocking the screen.

51 missed calls, 239 messages.

"What... The fuck?"

I opened the call log. Sana, Jeongyeon, Minsoo, Irene, Taeyeon, Lisa, Rosé... and IU. Everyone was calling me. How long did I pass out? I lifted my face to see the digital clock on the wall. It was almost 2am in the morning. I... I was out cold for almost 2 hours?

I heard a soft beeping sound, then the door on the side of the room slid open. I turned around to find Lisa and Rosé. They looked horrified. Their eyes were red and swollen. They were crying. A loud gasp escaped their mouths as they saw me sitting on the bed.

"Lisa? Rosie?" "Oh, Yeongi... Thank God!"

They rushed inside and hugged me tightly. I hugged them back, clutching their backs as they sobbed on my shoulders.

"G–Guys... W–What happened? Where am I?" I asked confusedly. "We're... We're in the IPG HQ. This is the care room," said Rosé, her voice trembling. "Oh, Yeongi..." whispered Lisa.

I released their hugs and stared at them.

"What happened? Tell me what happened!" I asked. Lisa bit her lips. "We tried calling you after Dara-unnie contacted us in the spy team group chat, telling us that CL-sunbaenim called her earlier to tell her that Manse was going to do something at midnight," Lisa explained. "When you didn't pick up, we rushed to Jennie's apartment, knowing you'll be there after meeting at Stardust... But... But you two weren't there," Rosé said. "We thought that you two must have gone to your house in Geumho-dong, so we rushed there... We... We f–found you there... You were o–out cold... Bloody... J–Jennie-unnie... A–And J–Jisoo-unnie..." sobbed Lisa. "Where are they? What happened to them?" I asked urgently.

They exchanged horrified glances before turning to look at me.

"They're... They're abducted..." stuttered Rosé. "Tzuyu... A–And Dahyun too..." Lisa whispered, turning to Nayeon's unconscious body. "N–Nayeon-unnie... She was with Tzuyu when she was taken. They... They struck her head, just like you," Rosé explained.

My eyes widened in terror. Jisoo, Jennie, Tzuyu, and Dahyun were kidnapped? What happened here? Why them?

"W–What... W–Who?" I stuttered. "I–It's... Park Manse..." said Rosé slowly. "What?" I gasped. Rosé and Lisa nodded, looking terrified. "This is the retaliation he threatened us with last week..." said Rosé. "H–How do you know?" I asked. "In each crime scene, the kidnappers placed a note, all saying the same thing..." Lisa said. "What do they say?" I asked.

Lisa looked at Rosé, who nodded and shivered. She reached into her pocket and produced a crumpled paper, showing it to me. I read it.

'Trade the girls with Bae Suzy. Send her to me, and I'll release the girls.'

"He... He wants Suzy..." I stuttered. Lisa and Rosé nodded. "Y–Yes... IU... IU-unnie is trying to reach her as we speak," Rosé said.

I turned to look at her.

"IU?" I asked. She nodded. "IU-unnie's here. Listen, Yeoni... Can you walk?" Rosé asked.

I tried standing up. It took me a few seconds to stabilise myself, but soon I was standing straight. I looked at Lisa and Rosé and nodded. Lisa hugged my right arm to support me, and Rosé followed her example, hugging my left arm.

"Come on, Yeongi... Everyone's outside. We need you..." whispered Lisa.

I took one last glance at Nayeon, before nodding at Lisa and Rosé. With them supporting me, I slowly walked out of the care room. I stepped into a hallway that I had never been before, and the two girls helped me to walk slowly to the elevator at the end of the hall. We entered the lift, and Lisa pressed the up button, bringing us to the ground floor. So we were in the basement.

The door slid open. The three of us hobbled out, walking towards the common area, from where I could hear distressed conversations going on. As we approached the main area, I realised that Lisa was right: Everyone was there.

I found Taeyeon, Irene, Minsoo, Jeongyeon, Chuyoung, Jihyo, Momo, Seulgi, Joy, Yeri, Sooyoung, Sunny, Seohyun, Seungyeon, Junhwan... And BoA. They were all standing around Sana. My best friend looked shaken, her eyes were red. I could see tears still staining her cheeks, and I noticed that her hand was clutching Jeongyeon's hand so tightly, but her expression was serious.

Hunching over her laptop on the control table a little further away was IU, with Dara and Wendy by her side, both on their laptops too. The usually cute and fresh looking Spymaster looked haggard, her long wavy hair unkempt, dark circles surrounding her small eyes. She looked like she had not slept for days.

They all heard our footsteps, and they turned around to see us approaching. Irene immediately burst into tears as soon as she saw us, and as Lisa and Rosé released my arms, she rushed to embrace me.

"Oh, Yeongi... I was so afraid..." sobbed Irene. I hugged her tightly and brushed her hair. "I'm alright, Baechu... I'm alright..." I whispered. "Jennie... And... Jisoo..." she sobbed.

I nodded, understanding her. I kissed her forehead to calm her down, and she stared at me with her teary eyes. I remembered what Jennie told me earlier, so I reached down to rub her belly, only then realising that it was firmer than usual. Irene's eyes widened as she realised that I had learned the truth.

"Jennie told me..." I uttered. Her cheeks blushed a little. "R–Right... Yeah..." she muttered. "We'll... Talk about it later..."

I smiled warmly and lifted my face, finding Sana walking towards me. I let go of Irene and hugged my best friend. Her body was trembling.

"You alright?" I asked her. She shook her head. "No... Are you?" she asked, sounding uncharacteristically serious all of a sudden. "My head's okay, but... Jisoo and Jennie..." I trailed off.

Sana released her hug and nodded. I could see the anger burning in her eyes. She gestured for me to follow her to the middle of the room. Irene grabbed my hand and pulled me to walk with her, joining the other IPG members. I nodded at them, and bowed a little to greet BoA and Junhwan.

"What... What really happened?" I asked them curiously.

They all exchanged glances, unsure who should start first. BoA cleared her throat and gestured at Chuyoung.

"I think... Chuyoung-ssi should start," she said softly.

Chuyoung nodded and stepped forward. His body was shaking, his face was pale. He cleared his throat a few times before speaking.

"I... I–I was with Tzuyu and Nayeon earlier tonight, at Tzuyu's apartment in Myeongdong. At around 11.30 I went out to buy porridge from the porridge restaurant nearby, and when I returned around midnight... I saw the door gaping open, and the skylight above Tzuyu's penthouse was broken. I rushed inside, and I found Nayeon unconscious, her head bloodied, and... A–And Tzuyu... T–Tzuyu was gone..." he explained weakly.

Chuyoung took a deep breath and turned to Sana, who nodded.

"He... H–He called me right after. At that time I was out with... W–With Jeongie... Buying... F–Food. D–Dubu was at my apartment alone... A–And... I immediately sensed something was... Was wrong. I..." Sana stuttered, but her voice cracked.

Jeongyeon squeezed her hand and continued for her.

"We rushed back home as quickly as possible, and... And... And we found the same thing. The door was open, and we saw traces of struggles. Dubu... D–Dubu must have fought back, but... B–But yeah... She was gone too," said Jeongyeon.

I looked at them in horror. These attacks... They were planned. They were coordinated. Taeyeon looked at me seriously.

"Did... Did the same thing happen to you, Yeoni?" she asked.

I stared at her. Slowly, I nodded.

"Yes... I... Jennie and I wanted to visit Jisoo-noona after a... A talk that we had. We reached my house at Geumho-dong a little before midnight, and I similarly found the door left open. Jennie and I rushed inside and we... We found Noona kneeling on the floor of the living room... Her hands tied," I said.

Seungyeon gasped and clutched her mouth. The IPG members stared at me in terror. I closed my eyes. The image of Jisoo's horrified look flashed in my mind, making me shudder in fear. Irene squeezed my hand to comfort me. I opened my eyes again to look at the members.

"S–She said... She warned us it was a trap, but... B–But we didn't understand her... Before we could do anything... A man came and struck Jennie's head with a baseball bat, before... B–Before striking me down too," I completed my story. "O–Oh... Oh my God..." stuttered Seohyun. "Did you see his face, Yeoni?" asked Junhwan.

I shook my head.

"N–No, Hyung. He was wearing a ski mask and goggles. I couldn't see his face," I said grimly. "It must be one of Manse's goons..." said Chuyoung.

Everyone fell silent. Everyone was stunned. We knew Chuyoung was right. So this was what Manse threatened us about last week. I looked up, and I realised that not all Twice members were here.

"Is everyone else safe? What about Mina, Chaeyoung, and Yori?" I asked. Sana nodded. "They're safe. They're all in the hospital right now, and I've told them to stay there for the time being," Sana said. "I've tightened my security around the hospital and placed my bodyguards by the suite to guard them. They're safe," said BoA.

I nodded, before falling back into silence. Shit. This was bad. This was really bad. Taeyeon turned to look at the control table.

"Ji-eun, any news from Suzy?" she asked. "No... Not yet. I'm still trying..."

We all turned around. IU had walked to join us, scratching her head frustratedly. I felt an anger building inside me seeing her. What was she doing here? She was not supposed to be here ever again. As if reading my mind, IU looked straight at me.

"Before you ask... I've been here the entire week, Yeoni... I've been trying to find out what he was planning. I... I failed," she said apologetically. "You should be the one suffering. You and Suzy," Minsoo suddenly growled. "Not us..."

IU looked at the Twice manager. I couldn't tell what her expression meant initially, but to my surprise, IU nodded at him deeply, almost bowing.

"Believe me, Minsoo... I agree with you. I wish it was me, I wish it was Suzy... I wish none of you would have suffered for everything that Suzy and I did many years ago... I'm..." IU trailed off.

She looked down, and I could see... Tears... Dripping down from her face, dropping onto her boots.

"... I'm... So sorry... Guys..." she whispered.

Sana graciously reached to hug IU, and the petite Spymaster hugged the new leader back, her body trembling greatly. Sana rubbed IU's hair gently, calming her down.

"I'm sorry, Sha... This... This is all my fault..." IU sobbed. "Shh... It's alright, Unnie..." Sana whispered gently.

I sighed. Sana had a really big heart, a pure heart, which showed all of us why she was the perfect person to lead the IPG going forward. We spent the next few seconds staring at the two girls, before Jihyo eventually raised her hand.

"Yes, Jihyo?" asked BoA.

Jihyo wasn't expecting the CEO to be the one responding to her, so she looked a little stunned.

"I... I mean... If Manse wanted Suzy-unnie... Wh–Why didn't he just go to Busan to get her? Why... Why those girls? What did they do wrong?" she demanded. BoA stared at her. "They did nothing wrong... He kidnapped them simply because... They're the girlfriends of the people that wronged Manse," she said. "The Daepyonim is right. That's how Manse always does his revenge," Chuyoung interjected.

We all turned to look at him.

"Manse... He would not target the person he held his grudges against directly, but instead hurt the people they love the most. That's why he tried to kill Tzuyu back at SM's Parking Lot, because he knew that that would hurt me the most," he explained. "That's why he kidnapped the girls, because he knew it'll hurt not just Suzy... But all of us," said IU. "He knew Jennie and Jisoo are the ones closest to Yeoni, whom he must blame for foiling his plans from two years ago and almost killing him last December," mused Junhwan. "So that's why they didn't take Nayeon-unnie when they took Tzuyu... Because they thought she was only there by chance..." Momo deduced. "But... W–Wasn't she there by chance?" asked Yeri.

Momo, Sana, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Minsoo and Chuyoung shook their heads.

"No. She's actually Tzuyu's girlfriend. They're bisexual," said Jihyo, looking at Chuyoung.

Chuyoung nodded. So he already knew. So he was in a similar situation with myself and both Irene and Jennie.

"Still... W–Why Dahyun?" asked Seulgi, sounding really worried. "He... He must have thought... That she's my girlfriend..."

We looked at Sana, who was still embracing IU. Jeongyeon nodded and shook her head, placing a hand on Sana's shoulder. Her eyes were wet.

"She's right... I... We kept our relationship a secret so well... Only our close friends knew she's my fiancé. But... But Sana and Dahyun... They like to flirt in public, so... So Manse must have thought that she's her girlfriend... Instead of me," Jeongyeon said slowly.

Sana nodded. She looked so guilty right now. Taeyeon sighed and pressed her fingers on her forehead, grimacing.

"Fuck... This is getting more and more complicated..." she uttered. "What should we do now? Do we know where he's taking them?" asked Sunny. "He must be taking them to his hideout in Incheon, right?" I proposed. Minsoo nodded. "Sh–Should we... Should we go there?" he asked, but BoA shook her head. "We need to know for sure, Minsoo-ssi. We can't just go there... Ansel said it's heavily guarded. It'll be a suicide..." said BoA. "But we must do something!" demanded Lisa.

Suddenly, we heard a phone ringing. We looked around, trying to find the one that got the call. None of us had our phones ringing.

"G–Guys..."

We turned to see Dara and Wendy at the control table. Dara lifted her phone, her face pale as paper. It was the one ringing.

"It's... It's CL..." Dara stuttered. "Answer it, Unnie!" commanded Sana.

Dara nodded. She walked over to join us, Wendy following closely behind her. She answered the phone and put it on loudspeaker.

"C-Chaerin?" she said.

I heard heavy breathings.

"U–Unnie... Unnie. Are you... Are you safe?" CL asked, her voice not louder than a whisper. "Y–Yes, yes I'm fine! Where are you? Are you okay?" she asked.

CL took a second before answering.

"The girls... T–The girls. They're all here. This is the thing I tried telling you earlier, Unnie. Manse... Manse brought them all here," CL said.

We all exchanged panicked glances. So it was true. The girls were all taken to Incheon.

"He... The team that took them had returned. He had the girls tied and placed inside his room. I... I think he's gone crazy. He's inside there now with the three old fucks..." CL continued. "T–Three old fucks?" Dara asked. "Chunghee, Taewoo, and Sungho..." growled Chuyoung. I heard CL gasping. "U–Unnie, where are you? Are you with... With the IPG?" she asked. "Yes, yes, Chaerin! I'm with everyone," Dara said. "R–Right. I... It's... He's stepped out of the boundaries with this. I... I didn't... I didn't think he'd do something like this..." CL said, her voice shaking. "Chaerin, this is BoA. Are you safe? Can you leave the place?" BoA asked.

CL went quiet. I knew she didn't expect BoA to talk to her directly.

"D–Dae... Daepyonim. I... No. I... I can't leave. He'll catch up with me and kill me. I..." CL stuttered. "... U–Unnie... I'm scared..."

We knew she was telling the truth. Her voice was filled with horror. She must have realised her mistake by now. She witnessed Manse murdering Ansel in cold blood, and now she saw him kidnapping Jennie, Jisoo, Tzuyu, and Dahyun.

"CL, this is Taeyeon. Hang in there. We're coming," said Taeyeon. I heard CL gasping again. "T–Taeyeon-unnie? N–No! No, no! Don't come! This place is filled with armed guards! You'll die! You gotta call the police!" CL said panickedly.

We all exchanged glances. Could we call the police right now? Would they believe us? And it's in Incheon, so we couldn't just ask the SMPA to help us. It was out of their jurisdiction. If only Hyejin was here...

"Oh... No..." CL suddenly whispered.

We were alarmed. What happened?

"W–What is it, Chaerin?" asked Dara. "U–Unnie... This... This is crazy... L–Look... Look at the news," CL said.

We lifted our heads. IU and Wendy rushed to the control station, typing on their laptops to bring the news feed onto the monitors. CL's breathing went quicker.

"I... I gotta go. I gotta go. He'll be looking for me. Unnie, call the police. Call the police! This is not something you guys can do yourselves! G–Go... Please. Please. Be quick..." CL said urgently, before hanging up.

Silence. We didn't know what to do. Suddenly, we heard Wendy gasping.

"Oh... Fuck..."

We turned to see IU and Wendy. They both had their hands on their mouths, staring in horror at the screens. We followed their gaze at the monitor. It showed a Dispatch article, the headline of their website. When I read the headline... My heart stopped.

• • • • •

DISPATCH EXCLUSIVE: BLACKPINK'S JISOO IS PREGNANT!

Dispatch's team managed to snap a few pictures of Blackpink's JISOO at her house in Geumho-dong, Seoul, over the past week, and her growing baby bump is clearly showing beneath her clothing. Is this the real reason for Blackpink's eighteen-months long hiatus? Who could be the father of her baby?

JISOO (33) is famous for never getting involved with any man before throughout her career, but Dispatch's team might have the answer: This exclusive photo from September 2027 at Incheon International Airport showed a scandalous exchange between JISOO and her own younger brother, the infamous Blackpink Boyfriend, KIM YEON-I, before Blackpink's most recent flight to California, USA, where the global idol group is currently based at.

YEONI (32) can be seen exchanging a passionate kiss with his own sister inside the car, while his supposed girlfriend JENNIE (32) was walking out from the back of the car together with ROSÉ and LISA.

Could this be the start of a mind-blowing, industry-shattering scandal? Is JISOO and YEONI having an incestuous affair, with the fruit of this adulterous relationship currently growing inside JISOO's womb? More to come as the story unfolds.

• • • • •

The article was accompanied by a few photos of Jisoo on the lawn of our house in Geumho-dong, taken with a long range camera. Jisoo's baby bump was clearly shown as she was hanging laundry on the drying cables outside. The picture they took of us kissing in the car at Incheon was also there.

"Son of a bitch!" Junhwan cursed.

At almost the exact same time, we heard vibrations from around the room. Everyone took their phones out, and from the expression on Lisa and Rosé's faces, I could almost tell what was going on. The bombshell had dropped, and the K-pop world was exploding.

"No... No, no, no, no!!!" screamed Rosé. "Oh... Fuck... Fuck. Fuck! My Instagram's blowing up! FUCK!" cursed Lisa. "It's... It's all over the news! Shit!" Minsoo said, staring at his phone.

My phone was also vibrating like crazy, but I had no will to check it out. I felt weak all of a sudden, and I staggered behind. Irene clutched my hand to strengthen me, and both Minsoo and Chuyoung rushed to my side, supporting me.

"H–Hyung, are you alright?" Minso asked. "Steady now, Yeoni... Steady..." Chuyoung said.

I grabbed on their shoulders. My head was spinning.

"H–How... How could he know?" I stuttered. "He has Jisoo with him right now. He must have seen her belly, and he must have asked Chunghee to release the article as soon as possible," Junhwan said.

This was catastrophic. Everything we tried to keep in secret, everything we planned to do in our own time... Manse had just blown everything up. Manse might have just destroyed Jisoo's career beyond repair, he might have just destroyed Blackpink. The K-pop world would go into meltdown because of this. Everything would never be the same. I clenched my fist. I was shaking with anger. I looked up at Sana.

"We... We gotta go there, Sha. We gotta save them," I growled. Rosé gasped. "Yeoni, you heard CL-sunbaenim! It's heavily guarded! We can't just strut in there! It'll be dangerous for us... It'll be dangerous for the girls!" protested Rosé. "And how can we trust CL-ssi? She could've baited us to come there to be killed! That's what Manse would've wanted, right?" exclaimed Chuyoung. "What? Of course we can trust Chaerin! Didn't you hear how afraid she sounded?" Dara objected, sounding offended. Chuyoung shook his head. "Still... There is no proof! What if he took them somewhere else? I say we should just get Suzy ourselves and send her there! He wanted her, right? Why should we risk our lives?" Chuyoung snapped. "But we have to do something! We can't just sit here and watch our world burn!" Lisa said. "EVERYONE SHUT UP!"

Sana's yell silenced all of us. She was glaring at us, looking terrifying all of a sudden. Jeongyeon grasped her hand to calm her down, and Sana blinked a few times before staring at Chuyoung.

"He's counting on us to do just that. He wants to turn all of us against Suzy-unnie, to send her to her doom. That's why he took our girlfriends, the people we love the most... He wanted us to do exactly what you said we should do... He wants all of us to turn into monsters, just like him!" Sana exclaimed.

Chuyoung blinked a few times, before turning his eyes to the floor. He looked guilty.

"I will not allow us to do that. I will not allow us to just sacrifice Suzy-unnie for the safety of our girlfriends. We are better than that!" Sana said, her voice filled with authority.

One by one, we started nodding. I felt a huge sense of pride for my best friend. She was usually so clumsy and goofy, but when the situation arose, she rose to meet the challenge. Sana Minatozaki... She was a true leader.

"I also don't think that CL-sunbaenim called Dara-unnie because she was asked by Manse. She did try to call Dara-unnie earlier before midnight. I think she really is afraid, that's why she told us to call the police and not go there ourselves," Sana said.

Wendy raised her hand.

"B–But... It'll take forever to ask the police to help us, Sha..." Wendy said. "Too many explanations, too many details, and Manse's at Incheon. The Seoul police would have to ask for permission before conducting an operation there," said Joy. "We... We... We need Hyejin," stuttered Seulgi.

Seulgi was right. We needed Hyejin more than ever, but... Would she be willing to help us? Sana and Irene exchanged glances. Irene turned to look at Yeri, who was pale as paper.

"Yeri..." Irene said.

She knew what Irene was about to ask her to do. Everyone in the room knew. Yeri looked uncertain, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"I–I... She... She... She hated the IPG..." Yeri whispered. "I know... But this... This is not just about the IPG anymore. This is... It's about the lives of Tzuyu, Dahyun, Jisoo-unnie, and Jennie," Sana said. "Please, Yeri... She's the only one who can help us," Irene begged. "You're the only one who knows where she's at right now, Yeri. Please," Sana uttered.

Yeri stared at Sana and Irene. I could see the wheels turning inside her head. She was weighing whether or not to reveal Hyejin's location. Seulgi and Joy reached to grab Yeri's hands, squeezing them gently. Yeri turned to look at me, and I met her gaze. I pleaded with her silently. Eventually, she nodded.

"Okay... O–Okay. I'll bring you to her..." Yeri said. Sana nodded. "Thank you, Yeri... We... I think Irene and I should go there, right? Together with Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy?" Sana asked.

The Red Velvet girls exchanged glances, but Irene shook her head.

"N–No... I... I want to go to Incheon," Irene said. Sana was shocked. "W–What? Why?" she asked. Irene stared at her. "I want to save the girls..." she whispered. I was dumbfounded. "B–Babe... You can't..." I stuttered, but Irene glared at me. "Why not? Because I'm pregnant? I don't care! And we don't know if Hyejin will agree to help us or not. If she doesn't agree, then what? We'll just will 'till Manse rapes all four of them? We have to do something! We can't just wait here!" she snapped at me.

Everyone was taken aback by her sudden outburst, and by the sudden revelation of her pregnancy, but Irene didn't care. I had never seen her acting like this. She shot a glare at Taeyeon.

"Unnie. We are the heads of the Strike Force. We have an armoury full of weapons! If we don't use our resources now, then when? What use of all of those weapons?" she exclaimed.

Taeyeon stared at my girlfriend for a long moment, weighing her options. Eventually, she nodded and looked at Sana and BoA.

"Irene is right. You go talk to Hyejin with Yeri... But the rest of us... We'll go to Incheon. Who knows what Manse might do to those girls? We simply can't wait," Taeyeon said.

Sana looked like she was about to object, but BoA stepped forward to speak.

"I'll ask some of my security team members to join you. Junhwan and I will go with Sana and Yeri to meet with Hyejin. Maybe we can help talk to her... As her father's friends," BoA said, Junhwan nodded next to her, immediately opening his phone to contact the security team.

Sana sighed. She still looked unsure, but at that moment Jeongyeon squeezed her hand.

"I'll go with the team to Incheon, Sha. I need to save Dubu," Jeongyeon said. "Jeongie..." Sana objected, but Jeongyeon shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'm itching to throw some of these thugs to the ground with my ssireum moves," she said cheekily. "Don't worry, Sha. I'll watch her back," said Momo.

Jeongyeon smiled appreciatively at the Japanese girl. Sana still looked like she was about to object, and she looked at BoA, asking for help. BoA smiled and nodded, giving Sana the approval.

"Your call, Boss. You're the IPG Head now," BoA said.

Her words took Sana by surprise. BoA had just officially christened Sana as the new IPG head. We all smiled and looked at Sana. She bit her lips, looking at her fiancé's eyes for a long time. Finally... She nodded.

"Alright... Fine. But not all of you should go there. We need someone to look after Nayeon... And we need tech support from here too," Sana said, her voice sounding a lot firmer.

Seungyeon looked at Seohyun and Sunny, who both nodded, communicating silently.

"I'll stay here and look after Nayeon. I'll contact Uee and Naeun to come as well. Sunny and Seohyun, you both should go to Incheon and wait outside. If anything happens, you'll be ready with first aid," she said. The two SNSD members nodded.

IU walked over to join us. Sana turned to look at her.

"You'll be staying here with the spy team, right, Unnie?" she asked, but IU shook her head. "You'll need my knives. I'll bring Mr. Park and some of his team members to help us... And I'm also partly responsible for all this. I want to be there," IU said. "Who'll lead the spy team, then?" asked Sana. IU smiled and turned to Dara. "Dara-unnie can lead them," she said, but Dara shook her head slowly. "I... I want to go there too. I need to save Chaerin," she said.

IU chuckled and nodded.

"Very well. Wendy, you lead the team then. Rosé and Jihyo, please help Wendy. I also think that Nayeon would feel better seeing her Twice leader around when she wakes up. Minsoo... You wanna stay here too?" IU asked.

We turned to look at Minsoo, who surprisingly shook his head.

"N–No... I... I wanna go. I'm the manager. I should do something to save Tzuyu and Dubu," Minsoo said. Jihyo frowned. "Minchu... No. Please," she begged, but Jeongyeon shook her head. "He'll be fine, Jihyo. Momo and I will protect him," she said.

Minsoo smiled and grabbed Jihyo's hands to assure her. Jihyo stared at her boyfriend for a moment, but she eventually relented. Taeyeon sighed. She exchanged glances with Irene, who nodded confidently.

"Very well. Ji-eun, Yeoni, Minsoo, Momo, Dara, Chuyoung and the Strike Team... Get armed and ready. We're going to save the girls," Taeyeon commanded.

Sooyoung, Seulgi, Joy, Irene, and Lisa nodded. I exchanged glances with Chuyoung and Minsoo, who both looked stressed and afraid, but determined nonetheless. We were just about to walk to the armoury, when suddenly IU gasped.

"Oh! That's right! I had a package delivered from Japan earlier today. Hang on..." she said.

IU ran up the stairs to her office, and a few moments later she returned with a black suitcase. She set it up on her table and opened it, revealing seven metal... Bracelets? Momo gasped when she saw the bracelets.

"Is that... Project Origin?" she gasped. IU chuckled. "That's right! Fuck... I forgot Sabito's your boyfriend... This is... Project Origin," IU said. "What is it?" I asked. IU smiled. "It's... Basically it's stun bracelets. Can emit electrical energy as strong as a police taser to incapacitate your enemies without killing them... And can shoot quite far as well. Unfortunately, Sabito only managed to finish seven of these in time... So only the Strike Team members get it... But... Better than nothing, right? Strike Team, take yours," she said cheerfully.

IU took out the seven bracelets from the suitcase. She gave one to Joy, one to Seulgi, one to Irene, one to Sooyoung, one to Lisa, and one to Taeyeon... But she stopped at the last one. It looked a little different from the others, with pink stripes decorating the sides of the cylindrical device. IU smiled and looked up at Momo.

"I think... This one's for you..." she said.

She gave the last one to Momo, who received it and stared at it. Momo grinned and shook her head as she read the inscription on the side of the bracelet. I took a peek to read the words. It read 'Sakura Burger' next to 'Hirai Momo' written in Hangul and Katakana. I raised an eyebrow confusedly and Momo caught this. She giggled and looked at me.

"It's... The place of our first date. This cheesy boy..." she mused, but she looked happy nonetheless.

I smiled and nodded. Momo smirked and wore the bracelet on her right hand, as did the other Strike Team members. The bracelets locked in place on their wrists and immediately hummed to life, each glowing a cool blue, except for Momo's. Her bracelet glowed pink. Sooyoung chuckled.

"Fuck... I want my custom-made bracelet too," she said, jokingly sounding jealous. Momo laughed and slapped her shoulder. "How do we use these, Unnie?" asked Seulgi. "Will it electrocute us?" asked Joy worriedly. "It's completely safe. It'll only emit the charge when pointed at a target. To use it, simply point your fist in the direction of your enemy and pump your arm once. It'll shoot the electric blast and stun them immediately," IU said. "Momo, why don't you try aiming at that wall over there?"

Momo nodded and turned to face a nearby wall. She lifted her arm and clenched her fist, before pumping her arm once strongly. A bright pink electric blast shot out of her wrist, hitting the wall with a loud crackling sound.

"W–Woah..." uttered Minsoo. "Like Black Widow's Widows Bite," Momo said, referring to the comic book character. IU chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. Now, don't forget: Each bracelet can shoot ten times, then you need to recharge it by not shooting for ten seconds before being able to shoot again. Number your shots carefully," IU instructed.

Momo and The Strike Team members nodded. IU closed the briefcase, before leading Jeongyeon, Minsoo, Dara, Momo, Chuyoung, and I together with the rest to the armoury.

The Strike Team members were already armed with Project Origin, but we weren't, so Chuyoung and I picked up handguns and some rubber rounds, reminiscing our days in the mandatory military service.

Dara took a baseball bat, while Minsoo and Jeongyeon took large wooden kendo swords, stun guns, and a few flashbang and smoke grenades. I saw Chuyoung staring at a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging on the wall.

"Did you practice archery, Hyung?" I asked. He smiled sorrowfully and shook his head. "No... No. It's just... Reminds me of Tzuyu," he uttered.

Minsoo and I stared at him, understanding his words. Minsoo reached to grab his shoulder.

"We... We'll bring her back, Hyung," he assured him. Chuyoung smiled and nodded. "Guys, bulletproof vests," said Taeyeon.

I took the vests from Taeyeon and gave two of them to Minsoo and Chuyoung. I saw Momo picking up a barbed baseball bat, and IU wearing her knives holster and restocking it with her throwing knives, looking like she absolutely enjoyed herself.

Irene took a few ballistic shirts, the same one she gave to Ansel last week, and gave it to all of us. She told us to wear it beneath our shirts and the kevlar vests for an extra layer of protection. The girls went into the dressing room to wear it, while Minsoo, Chuyoung and I wore it in the armoury.

"Which service were you at, Chuyoung-ssi?" I asked Tzuyu's boyfriend. "Hm? What do you mean?" he asked confusedly. "During the mandatory service," I clarified. "Ah... I was in the Army. You?" he asked. "Navy," I said. Chuyoung chuckled. "Nice..." he mused, before turning to look at Minsoo, "What about you, Minsoo? Air Force? Marines?"

Minsoo blushed a little as he strapped on his kevlar vest on top of his shirt.

"I... Yeah... Air Force, b–but... I never excelled physically, so... I was assigned to the kitchen," he said sheepishly.

Chuyoung smiled warmly.

"That's alright... I've heard a lot of war stories where the cooks are the ones winning the battles," he said.

I nodded. I've heard similar stories too. Minsoo chuckled and nodded.

"I... I just wish the girls are alright..." Minsoo said slowly. "Me too, Minsoo... Me too..." I said.

We finished gearing up, and we went outside to meet with the others. Wendy, Rosé, and Jihyo were already logged into their laptops, their screens showing the map of Manse's hideout that Ansel managed to get for us. We walked to join Sana, BoA, Junhwan, Yeri, Sunny, and Seohyun. Seungyeon was already gone, I assumed they had gone down to stay by Nayeon's side.

Mr. Park and a few of the IPG's security details were already waiting for us, as well as a few of BoA's security team members, all armed and ready. Sana looked at all of us as we gathered near her in the common area. She adjusted her earpiece, the same transparent one she had been wearing on every mission.

"Everyone ready?" Sana asked. We all nodded. "Ready," replied Taeyeon, before chuckling, "Fuck... Yoojin-unnie is gonna kill me after this... You too, Baechu!"

Irene only giggled before returning to her serious state. Sana smiled and nodded.

"Alright. My team will go to meet Hyejin, while you guys go to Incheon," Sana said. "Taeyeon-unnie, Irene-unnie, and Yeoni-oppa... I'll leave the team under your leadership."

Taeyeon, Irene, and I nodded. My mind was uneasy, but my heart was set. I knew we had to do this. We had to save the girls, no matter the cost. I knew everyone who decided to go to Incheon had the same determination.

"Good luck with Hyejin, Sha," I said. Sana nodded. "Gomawo, Oppa. Just... Hold the ground until we arrive with reinforcements from the police," Sana said optimistically. "Oh... Don't forget to grab your earpieces from the spy team. Do a final check before you leave, okay?" BoA added.

We all nodded. After hugging Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy, Yeri led BoA and Junhwan to her car. Sana gave Jeongyeon a long hug, looking so reluctant to let her go.

"I'll bring her home..." Jeongyeon whispered. "You should come home too. Promise me..." whispered Sana, "I still want to marry you." "I promise. I love you, Sha..." Jeongyeon said. "I love you too, Yoo Beep Beep..." Sana replied.

Jeongyeon smiled and kissed Sana's lips warmly, before letting her go. Sana looked at me and smiled, before walking away to join Yeri, BoA, and Junhwan.

"Yeoni, your earpiece!"

I turned to see Rosé waving a small box from the control table. I walked to join the others there, receiving my earpiece from Wendy. We wore our earpieces in silence, before testing the connection with the spy team. When we were all set up, we stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

"So, uh... This is it. We should get going, right?" I said.

Everyone nodded, but then Rosé rushed to hug Lisa and I tightly. My heart felt heavy. I knew she was worried for us, but I also knew she was more worried for Jisoo and Jennie.

"Don't... Die. Okay? Don't fucking die!" Rosé whispered, her voice trembling. "We won't, Rosie. Don't worry..." Lisa said.

I rubbed Rosé's hair gently while lifting my eyes. Everyone was saying their goodbyes to everyone else. Joy and Seulgi were hugging Wendy in a group hug, Momo stood next to Jeongyeon while calling someone who I assumed to be Sabito. Taeyeon, Dara, and Sooyoung were talking with Sunny and Seohyun, the five legends holding hands with each other, supporting each other. I saw Chuyoung recording something on his phone, while Jihyo and Minsoo kissed each other and whispered sweet words of encouragement for one another.

"Yeoni..."

I turned to see Irene tugging my sleeve. She gestured for me to follow her, so I let go of Rosé and Lisa and walked with her. She led me back to the dressing room from earlier, locking the door behind us.

"Baechu... What..." I asked confusedly. "Shut up..." she whispered.

Before I could say anything else, Irene pulled me for a kiss. She kissed my lips long and warmly, and I placed my hands on her waist, before rubbing her small bump gently.

"What is it?" I whispered with a smile as we broke apart.

Irene stared into my eyes. She bit her lips.

"I... I don't know what'll happen there... So... Before I regret it... Before it's too late... I just... I want to say this..." she whispered.

I waited patiently for a second. Irene's face blushed a little as she stared deeply into my eyes.

"I... I love you, Yeoni," she whispered.

My heart melted, and I couldn't help but smile. Suddenly everything felt a little better. She finally said it. She finally admitted that she loved me. Gosh, this girl was just so cute.

"I love you too, Irene..." I replied sincerely. Irene chuckled awkwardly. "Right. Yeah... I mean... D–Don't get me wrong... I didn't mean anything by saying that... You... Y–You shouldn't..." she stammered. "I shouldn't marry you..." I interjected.

Her eyes widened for a second, and I chuckled.

"Jennie told me everything. We wanted to visit Noona earlier after she told me to take the test..." I said. "So... So you...?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah. I know. I should... I should marry Jisoo-noona... All the more reason now after the news is out in the open..." I said.

Irene stared into my eyes for a long moment, before finally, her adorable smile formed on her lips.

"It'll give her the security she needs... She needs you," she whispered. I smiled. "Won't you be jealous?" I teased her. She shook her head and chuckled. "Nah... You marrying her would give me the closure I needed. I'll go back to just being Jennie's girlfriend, without having the hope of becoming your wife..." she said.

I stared at her. In another life, she could very well be the one for me. I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek warmly.

"You know you're still my girlfriend, right?" I said. Irene smirked. "I never agreed to it," she teased me. I chuckled. "Oh, come on... You're carrying my child!" I protested. She laughed. "Alright, fine..." she gave up. I grinned and gave her a little squeeze. "Thank you, Irene..." I whispered. I heard Irene chuckling. "I'm the one who should thank you... For giving me this..." she said, rubbing her belly.

I smiled and placed my hands on top of her belly as I straightened myself.

"Now you really are Mommy-rene," I joked. She laughed and slapped my chest. "Ya! Don't you dare call me that in front of the girls!" she exclaimed. I decided to tease her. "But... In private?" I asked gently.

Irene blushed, nodding cutely without words. I chuckled and hugged her tighter. She was simply so adorable.

"Do we know the gender yet?" I asked. She shook her head. "No. I'm only 12 weeks... Will you come with me to meet Yoojin-gyosunim later when the time comes to see the gender?" Irene asked. I nodded. "You told me a woman would want the father of her children to come with her to the OB-GYN appointment. I'll be honoured to do so," I said gently.

A chuckle left Irene's mouth. I stared deeply into her eyes.

"Will you be okay tonight? I mean... With... This?" I asked, rubbing her belly again. She smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine. You'll be there to protect me anyway..." she asked cutely, before adding naughtily, "... Right, Daddy?"

I smiled and nodded.

"I will. I promise," I said.

We kissed again, we kissed for what felt like forever. When we separated, I saw fire burning behind Irene's eyes. She grasped my hands and squeezed them firmly.

"Let's go save our girlfriends," she said.

#lsmu #book3 #monster #irene #ipg #sana #yeri #iu #lisa #rosé

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