#and evidence and believing victims- not social trial by popularity- needs to be the deciding factor in what happens to him

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

the neil gaiman article... im far from the biggest fan of his works, having fallen out of love with the good omens tv series, however the sandman comics held a place in my heart and im not sure i can stand to look at them on my shelves anymore. i believe victims and i am in awe of the bravery of the two women for speaking out against such a public figure, and istg if i see his fucking blog on my dash after this...

[authoradj]

Welcome to the Current Binge!

So you may be wondering what is the first show I will be reviewing. Well, I’m not gonna lie, I love a lot of TV shows. And there’s a lot of shows I love to re-watch at nauseam. So much so my husband likes to make a face when he sees I’m watching another TV show I’ve already seen twenty times before.

Well what can I say, I watch what I like, over and over again.

So with that being said, this is how it’s going to work. Each week I’ll binge-watch a season of a show. Usually, that will include binge-watching the entire series, but hey isn’t that the point. With that season I’ll give you an overview of the season and my opinion on it, and I’ll do an actual review of what I think is a stand-out episode of that season, along with giving you a score, usually a number out of ten. Depending on the show, I could be spending my main focus on that one series for several weeks. But you know how good Television goes.

Now let's find out what the first TV series binge is… drum roll, please…

It’s the X-Files!

Now most of my 80’s babies and older are very well acquainted with this show, along with some 90’s babies and younger. However, I never watched this show back in the ’90s.

I remember the whole trope, ‘The Truth is out There’ and ‘Don’t watch this show alone’, but I just never really got into it.

Well recently with the state of how everything is in the world, it made me nostalgic for what I firmly believe was the best decades of our time, the 1990’s.

And while I was looking for a show that brought me back to that amazing era that I in all honestly miss way too damn much, I wasn’t really feeling the same old shows that I’ve watched before. For example, Friends, The Simpsons, Saved by the Bell, Beverly Hills 90210. I wanted the 90’s but I didn’t want that version of the ’90s, I wanted something I never bothered with, so I decided to look for something that was new for me.

It didn’t take long, thanks to Hulu, before I found the X-Files and remembered what a smash hit was when I was a kid growing up. So I figured, heh, why not, give it a shot.

So I watched the first season, and while the first couple of episodes did stand out for me, I found the rest of the season to be insanely boring. I’m not sure if it was Moulders droned out monotone voice, the fact that Scully goes on and on about not being a believer, even though the evidence is right freaking there, or all the damn tech speak about all the crap that goes on. Either way, for me the first season was quite the bore, except for one, solitary episode.

Another drum roll, please.

Season 1: Episode 12, ‘Fire’

This episode is especially noteworthy because it has the one and only Mark Shepard.

For those of you who don’t know who Mark is, he is a god among nerds showing up just about everywhere. He’s been in Doctor Who, Firefly, and not to mention he’s the King of Hell in the very popular series, Supernatural.

I recently got the honor to meet Mark at a horror convention not too long ago, and can not express enough about what a sweet guy the man is. Love you, Mark.

Back to the episode.

Now, for those of you that don’t know what the X-Files is all about, it’s basically about two FBI agents investigating the spooky and the unknown. They find out whatever the facts are about the case and try to speculate what they can’t figure out into fact.

Growing up I thought it was always about chasing after space aliens, but it wasn’t until you actually watch the series that you find out it’s about a lot more than that.

In the episode ‘Fire’ you meet a Pyromaniac that takes his love of ‘Fire’ to the utmost extreme.

It starts off as just a regular day with a man going off to work and saying goodbye to his family. As he says goodbye he somehow catches on fire, which appears to be a case of spontaneous human combustion. In translation, he catches on fire for no apparent reason. His family looks at him in complete horror except for one little innocent PyroManiac, Cecil L'ively, who happens to be the family’s gardener. Cecil just looks on, kinda looks aroused as everyone looks in horror.

Oh yeah, it gets better.

From there we meet our stars, Moulder and Scully who meet up with Phoebe Green, a detective from London and Moulder’s former main squeeze. She tells them about an arsonist after the British aristocracy and loves to use Fire as his weapon of choice, allowing him to burn his victims alive. This guy is increasingly hard to catch because he manages to leave no trace evidence.

The guy uses fire, I would think that would be the point.

His current target is Sir Malcolm Marsden, an Englishman who’s with his family in Cape Cod trying to stay safe from our little Pyromaniac. However, he’s not as safe as he may think.

Cecil, of course, being the devious villain that he is, already knows where his target is, takes out the current caretaker of the home where our victims are planning on staying, and makes himself out to be an all-American boy. Not only that, he calls himself Bob. How much more American can you get?

This guy is so far gone that he even burns down a bar for no apparent reason, other than the fact he loves to watch shit burn. Burn baby burn.

After learning about this Bar Fire, Moulder and Scully interview one of the victims and find out that our little PyroManic is somehow able to will fire into existence. He can literally make something burn out of mid-air.

Meanwhile, our victim's driver is sick with a pretty bad cough and no one really knows why, how convenient, wouldn’t you say. So they ask Bob to be the good standing American that he is and drive our Victims family to an important social function in Boston.

Moulder joins the party, while Scully stays behind to do some extra work, But she eventually joins the party. Upon her arrival, she spots our PyroManiac who has a curious eye on her when the Fire Alarm goes off. The Fire seems to be coming from our victim’s room where his children are sleeping peacefully, or at least they were. Moulder tries to be the hero but ends up choking and the kids end up being saved by Bob, again how convenient.

Moulder goes to the hospital for smoke inhalation and Scully joins him, mostly to talk about the case. Scully is convinced that Bob is our Fire lover based on the accounts that happened at the bar, not to mention the police sketch that was done by one of the witnesses.

Heading back to the house where the victims are staying, they find the sick driver having literally burned from the inside out, hovering over a bathroom toilet.

Eep!

Upon finding the driver's body the house catches on fire and the kids need to be saved again, only this time Moulder is the hero.

Took him long enough!

Scully finds our beloved PyroManiac and holds him at gunpoint, but unfortunately can’t fire when she finds out there’s rocket fuel painted on the house. But our little English detective comes in and throws a can of rocket fuel at his face, making him catch fire.

The episode ends with our beloved PyroManiac awaiting trial in a medical facility while healing from his massive wounds. He graciously tells his nurse that he’s dying for a cigarette.

Now there are many reasons this is a stand-out episode, but the main reason is Mark Shepard. His constantly walking around with a cigarette in his mouth looking like James Dean makes him positively swoon-worthy.

Not to mention those eyes.

Oh, those eyes.

Those eyes I swear belonged to the devil himself, there is just no other way to describe what you see when you look into the PyroManiac's eyes. It makes him just that more sinister and awesome at the same time. I swear every time I looked at them, I saw the evil lord of hell. Which is funny because he ends up becoming just that in another little show that I’ll probably end up bingeing at a later date.

*Wink, Wink*

Overall I gave this episode a solid 10 out of 10, while the rest of the season was a 5 out of 10.

While this episode was just plain fantastic, the rest of the season as I said before was just plain boring. Too much mumbo jumbo talk if you ask me, with not enough suspense to really grab the attention of the audience. Of course, this is my opinion. I’m sure there are plenty of X-File fans going:

‘Is she serious, the first season is awesome.’

*Shrugs Shoulders*

Hopefully, the rest of the series will stand out as I’ve heard that it has.

See ya next season.

[wastedwishesandhope]

Start of the end...

“Someone’s looking for you. She said her name is Deby? Your friend?” her officemate called out her attention while Anna was busy compiling the presentation her boss was asking her to do for the summary of annual company revenue. Her eyes flickers and the look on her face show a puzzlement. She straightened on her seat.

 “Wait. Is she downstairs? She should have called me or text me,” she answers and grabbed her phone sat underneath the folders and papers scattered everywhere on her desk. Anna incoherently swears when she found out that her phone shuts off already. She forgot to plug it in. She tried to turn it on but the battery has been drained for more than an hour already.

 “She’s waiting, you better check her out real quick.” The coworker said.

 She nodded and piled up the papers the head management needed so in any case they immediately wanted the copies, she can deliver it right away. Grabbing her phone and purse, Anna went out their office and rush down the hall to catch the elevator. She couldn’t help thinking what’s going on that her friend even went directly to her work instead of waiting for her back at home.

While, inside the elevator, she tried to turn back on her phone again, hoping it would open so she could check the messages that her friend probably bombarded in kakao but it only rings once then shuts off again. She sighed and scratches her head in agitation.

 She sped up once she’s in the lobby of the building and saw her friend pacing around the area. There she confirmed something is going on. The way Deby looks so anxious makes her nervous.

 “Deb!”

 Her friend immediately turned around and run into her.

 “What’s going on? Why are you here? Sorry, I didn’t notice my phone, I forgot to charge it. Did you message me?” she asked.

 “I’ve been trying to reach your phone and I lost count already how many times I’ve tried! I knew it. Glad I’ve decided to go straight here instead!” she replied with her hands flailing in the air.

 Anna took a quick glance outside the glass window and she checked also the wall clock at the reception desk. She didn’t manage to keep on track for the time. It’s past 10 pm already. The workloads took her attention the whole day.

 “You should have waited for me to get back home. I only have one hour left before I could go out from work. It’s dangerous that you really made your way to meet me here!”

 Deby just shakes her head. “That’s not important right now! Haven’t you checked the internet yet? You should have opened your twitter or any of your social media accounts!”

 Her eyebrows furrowed and she got more confused. “Can’t do it between my breaks. I am so busy today. I got deadlines! Why? What’s really going on? You’re making me nervous. Deb!”

 She watched her friend took a deep breath first. Obviously trying to calm her nerves.

 “Okay. Anna, I’ll tell you about it but I need you to calm down---“

 “What the hell is going on?! Stop beating around the bush! You’re just making it worse, Deb! Isn’t it obvious I’m shaking already?!” she exploded yet still tried to lower down her voice. She hates it when it was already evident that something bad is coming their way yet her friend wouldn’t spill it immediately.

Instead of speaking, Deby decided to show the screen of her phone. Anna snatched the phone and scanned her eyes all throughout the article.

 International hit sensation BTS member Park Jimin allegedly accused of murder.

 She only read the headline, yet, she couldn’t stop her hands from trembling already. She fought getting petrified and took an ounce of courage to continue the remaining articles. She scrolled down to read the main body of the article.

 A baffling mysterious death took the public attention after Lee Hyekyung (24) found dead inside the apartment complex where she’s living in separately from her parent’s residence. The young woman who is also said to be a daughter of business tycoon Lee & Mei Company- which started the booming business enterprise for alcohol beverages- gruesomely killed by still with an unknown killer. Yet, the first investigation resulted in a suicide after fingerprints weren't found around the area; including the lack of pieces of evidence.

The family appealed for a second investigation after insisting the grisly death of the victim still remained unsolved. They also disclosed an amount for the case willingly to participate in the ongoing process of further investigation.

However, this morning, Lee’s team released a statement that a member of boy group BTS was allegedly involved in Hyekyung’s death. A source revealed that the young woman was also an avid fan of the said group.

As we recall, a blind item also released stating a fan was killed by a specific Korean idol.

 BigHit entertainment hasn’t released their statement yet regarding the allegations.

  Her trembling hands worsened after reading the whole statement. Deby’s phone almost fell from her grip and Anna sudden feel giddy and nauseous. There’s too much to take in and she couldn’t think straight. A foreign rumbling inside her stomach occur and she felt like she would pass out anytime soon. She closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheeks.

 “Are you alright?” Deby asked. She tried to hold her friend’s arms when she noticed the wobbling legs after she read the article.

 Anna opened her eyes and Deby can clearly see the fear, petrify and fright on her. She also felt so cold.

 “I was so worried about you that’s why I rushed over here. I tried calling Taehyung but his number was unreachable since the news was released. I wonder if their managers forbid them from using their phones,” Deby said, yet, Anna just remained quiet and her eyes kept glancing at the building. She couldn’t stand still and she doesn't stop shaking. “And also, I found another thing…” she added.

 Anna’s eyes immediately focused on her.

 “I don’t know how to say it but… Anna, I just found out that… Gikwang… he’s the younger brother of the victim.”

 She almost choked to herself. “What?”

 “I also couldn’t believe it but some fans found pictures of Lee Hyekyung’s family and some of them shows Gikwang together with the victim. I’ve read some tweets and it says that Lee Hyekyung has a younger brother who’s attending law school, presuming that’s the reason why the case was opened again,” Deby explained.

 Anna scoffed. “You can’t be serious, right?”

 Deby didn’t reply.

 “How the hell this is happening to us?” she utters in disbelief.

  —   —   —

  The seven of them including their own managers and the group manager itself remained quiet and sitting in a circle inside their dorm’s living room. Bulk bodyguards are securing the main gate and the door. Only the moving hands of the clock can be heard inside the room. Nobody dared to speak. Kim Namjoon looks so furious while the rest of them still didn’t know what to think.

Park Jimin thoughts kept wandering. He couldn’t believe that he would have been caught from his mortal sin. It was his first time that somebody would get suspicious from what he has been doing for years.

A moment of mundane took over the whole room. Jeon Jungkook couldn’t even stay still on his seat looking so bored and probably want to touch the keyboard of his computer, while, Min Yoongi dozed off next to Kim Namjoon who looks deep in his own thoughts. Seokjin offered to get them a drink but only Hoseok responded to his offer.

After several minutes, they all cracked back into the real world when the door slid open and Bang Shihyuk went inside the living room with a stranger who wears formal attire and carrying an attaché case on his left hand. Based on his outfit, they concluded he might be the representative for the company’s legal team.

The boys stood up to show respect and waited until the CEO took the seat where Manager Sejin was seating before. All of them went back to their seat when the PD- nim moved his hands in align with the gesture to take their seats.

 “Sorry, it took us long to get in here. We had a real hard time to escape the reporters who camp outside the building. But anyway, I’ve already talked to our legal team who will handle the case regarding the speculations to Jimin and we’re standing a strong defense since the evidence they filed seems off and still needed to go through the meticulous inspection all over again.”

 The CEO got all their attention except the main subject of this controversial issue. Park Jimin couldn’t focus since he knew all along that he’s guilty of the accusations. But he can’t just walk to the trial court and plea guilty for the case filed against him. That could be the start of unraveling the truth about his real identity.

And he won’t let that happen.

No one should know that he does not belong into the human race.

 He snapped back to reality when Kim Taehyung nudged his elbow to grab his attention. His eyes immediately drifted to his side to look at his friend but Taehyung kept his eyes to the CEO.

 “Are you listening, Park Jimin?” Bang Shiyuk asked. The man just nods his head. “You know very well how much distraction has this issue brought to the company. Not to mention how this could taint the good image your group has worked for so long. Your group is at peak of your popularity and we don’t want to remain complacent because we might don’t know, one day, you all wake up, you’re back to the garage.”

 Those words spook them all especially the group leader who has the responsibility to keep an eye on his members. But now, he just proves to himself how poor his leadership skills after missing the possible tornado that could drag them down.

 “I can assure I won’t let that happen. I am not guilty and I don’t even know that girl. So how come I became the main suspect in her death?” he lied, still stood firm into the truth he’s insisting to them to believe.

 Namjoon butts into the conversation. “Maybe this was just a set up that our competitor has created to bring us down! We were expecting this, it’s just that we didn’t expect them to be so farfetched like this. We can sue them for defamation!”

 The maknae raised his hands. “Hyung is right. I know Jimin- hyung very well and I don’t think he’s that kind of person who can stand too much blood on his hand.”

 Park Jimin bit his lips. He’s not affected by all the lies he created but the sincerity of his group members who trust and believe in him starting to eat his conscience.

 They watched as the CEO nodded.

 “I know. That’s why we are doing our best. As of now, you are all not allowed to step outside this dorm. Any kinds of communication gadget are also prohibited.” The rest of the boys started whining. “Don’t worry about your parents or guardians, we’ve already notified them and we assure them to keep you safe.”

 Jeon Jungkook heaved a deep sigh and dug his face into the pillow. Looking so aggravated.

 “Your managers will monitor you 24/7. This is a command.”

 “But, how about us? Namjoon and me? How can we continue producing music if we’re not allowed to step outside this building? I left my laptop in my studio” Min Yoongi asked.

 “Tomorrow morning, one of your managers will bring your laptop. You can still work from there, right?”

 Park Jimin caught how he grits his teeth. Min Yoongi looked so annoyed and exasperated about all these. Jimin couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

 Bang PD- nim gave few reminders before he left them. As soon as the security alarm goes off when the front door closed, all of them stood up from their spots. Park Jimin immediately made his way upstairs when Taehyung stopped him for a bit. He turned around and looked at him.

 “Where are you going?”

 Jimin almost rolled his eyes at the stupid question.

 “Where else? We couldn’t go anywhere aside from the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room,” he replied back with sarcasm.

 Taehyung took a deep breath. “I know you know what I mean,”

 Jimin scoffed. “There are so many things going on outside that door,” then he points out to the main door where the marshals are standing. “I don’t wanna risk any movement as of the moment. I wanna go to sleep and maybe will try to think tomorrow for a great escapade.”

 Then he left Kim Taehyung at the first step of the staircase. He was about to climb the stairs when he heard an angry voice from Min Yoongi upstairs.

 “INTERRUPT MY SLEEP AND I’LL INTERRUPT YOUR BREATHING!”

 Taehyung wonders who’s that shout are for.

  —   —   —

   “Anna please maybe you could move this by tomorrow! Its past midnight already! What if they’re already sleeping?” Deby tried to stop her friend from walking towards a huge gate. She grabbed her arms to make her stop and Anna turn around to look back at her.

 “How about I’ll call Doojoon again and I’ll let him know that we’re not going to meet him and that we’ve decided to see him tomorrow morning instead? How bout that?” she tried convincing.

“Deb, okay, if you don’t wanna go with me you are free to leave. I really just need to get the personal contact of Gikwang. Listen, I really appreciate your help for contacting Doojoon for me and it’s really okay if you will just leave me here.”

 Deby stomped her feet. “Are you nuts? Do you think I’ll get a nice, deep sleep knowing that you’re out in the middle of the fucking night?!”

 Anna took a deep breath and scratched her forehead. “But I really can’t postpone this. We’re already here. One more step and we could get what we need.”

 The anxious friend breathes through his mouth and rolled her eyes.

 “Well, what should I expect? You’ve been a stubborn brat since then. You always get what you want.” Then Deby fished out her phone from her cream-colored coat. “Okay, I’ll message him that we’re in front of their house already.”

 Anna rewarded her a genuine smile to thank her for coming through all this way. She could feel the freezing temperature yet nothing can stop her from getting what she wants. She thought that maybe Deby’s right. She had been a stubborn brat all this time.

 Less than five minutes later, the gate opened and it revealed the trembling body of Yoon Doo- Joon who’s wrapped with thick coat and scarf around his neck.

 “Been waiting for you. Be thankful I wasn’t sleeping yet. What do you need? Why are you in a rush? It’s fucking freezing out here, how bout we’ll go inside first? I think I’ll die from hypothermia if we stay here a little bit longer,”

 Deby immediately went inside the gate leaving Anna behind. “Glad you offer that. I’m freezing to death also.”

 Anna wants to protest but there’s nothing she can do when her friend boldly walked straight inside Doojoon’s house.

 “C’mon in! Let’s talk inside,” he said and move to the side to give way.

  They warm their hands with a hot coffee. Their chilled fingers wrapped around the warm mug as they all sitting in the living room. Deby mentioned to her friend that she once came to Doojoon’s house when they were working for a specific minor subject and they happened to be in the same group back in freshman years in college. The boy volunteered to use his house to do the group work and there when they find out that he’s basically not just a normal guy- next- door but a wealthy smoking ass living independently. He mentioned that both of his parents are living in the countryside and only his older brother who already has his own family stayed in Seoul. Their family businesses solely related to food industry which amused them the most.

 “Really, what do you need from Gikwang that you’re so eager to meet him in the middle of the night? Can’t you wait until the next day?” he asked placing the mug on top of the coffee table.

 Deby looked at Anna waiting for her response. It’s not that she doesn’t know the answer, she just prefers that it’ll come from her friend who has the most intention to meet Lee Gikwang.

 Anna, however, took a deep breath and watched her fingers tracing the lip of the black mug.

 “I—I heard about what happened…” she looked up at him. “About the incident… I—I felt bad that I got rude to him so I’ve decided to meet him now. Right away.” She lied.

 Deby hides her disappointment with all the issues.

Yoon Doo- Joon seems fine with the excuse. The way he nods his head shows he’s buying the lame excuse she said.

 “But it’s Friday today, there’s no way we can reach his phone,” he replied back.

 Both of them looked suddenly confused.

 “What do you mean? Why?” Deby asked.

 “Gikwang mostly spends his Friday night in a club at Gangnam. He plays as a DJ there,” he explained.

 Their faces drastically changed from confused to surprise.

 “He’s a DJ?!” Deby asked again with excitement and astonishment in her voice.

 “Uhhhh—how do I put it into words? Hmmm.. not really a DJ as a profession but for fun. Get it? Gikwang shares stocks to run the Octagon and him—as a DJ—is just part of relieving his stress. It’s not like he’s being paid or what, but just because he wants it. Well, he doesn’t need money. Mostly the net income they earned every night goes smoothly straight to his own account anyway,” he explained.

 Anna took a weak suspire. She just really can’t take in everything all at once. Too much information about Lee Gikwang in one day was too suffocating.

 Doo- Joon continued. “My former high school classmate Dong- Woon is the real owner of the Club Octagon and he happened to be looking for a potential investor to start his business and I unintentionally opened it to Gikwang. Just didn’t expect he’ll get interested in it so I introduced Gikwang to him,” he explained furthermore.

 Anna stood straight to the couch. “Take me there.”

 Her friend Deby immediately shifted in her seat to face Anna.

 “What?! No. I won’t let you go that far, Anna.”

 But the agitated girl doesn’t seem to notice her best friend complains and still remained focus on Yoon Doo- Joon who still looks so conflicted.

 “Please?” she begged.

 It took him first ten deep breathes before he made his own decision.

 “Kay. I’ll give you a lift,” he agreed then immediately stood up to get his keys.

 Deby who still against her friend stood up also.

 “WHAT?”

  —   —   —

  The city that has never slept came to light when he pulled up right in front of a party club which screams terrible noise and smells from smokes of nasty young adults blowing their cigarettes into the air. A long line of customers who wanted to get inside blocked the view of the overall design of the building from afar. Most of the women wore shirt skirts she couldn’t imagine wearing especially at this tremendous degree of the night. Even some of them covered with fur, their bare legs weren't able to escape the wrath of the winter.

 They all get off from Doo- Joon's car and Anna immediately wore the hood of the jacket she just snatched from his place. The layer of clothes she wore this morning for work doesn’t justify the coldness of the night. Not included yet the nerve-wracking thought that she’s gonna talk to Lee Gikwang.

The two girls followed behind Doo- Joon. Deby’s left in awe when they didn’t have to get in line in order to get inside the club. They just watched how Yoon Doo- Joon whispered something to the bouncers and they easily get access inside.

 “Just follow right behind me, okay?” he reminds the two girls who immediately nod their heads.

 The music gets louder and louder the moment they walked into the narrow alley connected to the dance hall. A mixture of screams and bass cracks her eardrums and pounding her chest like she was getting hit by a drum stick. The dark yet blinding laser lights with different colors dance around the club, hitting their eyes like it was scanning their identities.

As soon as they get into the entrance of the main dance platform, an ocean of aggressive human beings dances nastily along the beat. Sweats dripping from their neck and alcohols spilled on the floor make the sight looks horrible for her.

Anna had never been to any party club. She once dreamed to get high like this, but now that she’s getting the evidence, she changed her mind right away.

 Yoon Doo- Soon brought them to the far right corner next to another alley that seems connected to staffs gateway and comfort rooms. Her eyes traveled around. Scanning the gaudy view of lifeless people jumping in grace.

Soon after, her eyes landed on the main stage where two men producing the beat using only their tools, ears and hands. One of them wore a baggy shirt and a cap while the other one wore a tight buttoned-down black shirt, with sleeves folded up to his elbow. The way this specific man dresses exclusively inside the club tells her this is the man she was looking for to talk to.

His head- banging together with the beat with his left hands rose in the air. The music consuming his worn-out body. The light flooded the darkness of his eyes. He seems high with all the issues. Drunk with the problems, yet sober to reality.

 She caught herself guilty the way she remembered herself treating him in the past. She was so rude and had never even noticed he’s carrying a horrible anger on his shoulders.

  “I’ve already asked someone to call him,” Doojoon announced after he came back to talk to one of the staffs. Anna just smiled and nods her head while Deby chose to sit on the high stool in the counter bar.

 “Want a drink?” he offered. Both of them immediately rejected his offer.

 “We don’t wanna risk anymore,” Deby sarcastically replied. He just wheezes.

 The nervous woman turned her eyes back to her main subject. She caught him listening to a guy whispering directly in his ears. Lee Gikwang removed his huge headsets to listen keenly to what the guy was saying, then after a couple of minutes, he stood there staring at the guy’s face looking so surprised yet unconvinced. Anna saw how his eyes travel like a bullet train to their spot but the blinding laser lights concealed them.

 Her attention cuts off to him when he heard Doojoon speaking, but not to them. He was speaking to a young handsome man, looking same as their age, and the way Doojoon speaks informally to him tells her more that he’s a close friend.

 “Just helping my friends to talk to Gikwang.” She heard him say. Probably an answer to a question what on earth he was doing there. “By the way…” Yoon Doo- joon turned around to face them again and he smiles. “This is Dong- Woon. The one I’m telling you,”

 The man extended his hand to formally greet them. He shook both of their hands and exchanged hello’s.

 “This is Deby and Anna from university,” Doojoon said,

 “Oh? Classmates?” the man asked.

 “To some minor subjects.”

 The man nodded. “You should have informed me that you’re bringing your friends. I could have reserved a VIP room for them.”

 “No, no need. This is unintentional. Look how do we dress tonight. Do we seem ready to party? We only just came here because Anna needs to talk to him personally.”

 Dong- Woon's eyebrows wiggles and she get it that he must have thought they were in a relationship, yet she decided not to speak.

 “Oh, relationship problem?” he suspects.

 Doo- Joon just awkwardly laughed and looked back to her. Anna remained uninterested to answer.

 They were cut off to their conversation when Lee Gikwang finally appeared in the picture.

 “No. Stop jumping around the conclusions. Y’all like gossip girls,” he butts in then turned to look at her. “Do I need to be surprised or what?”

Anna stared back at him ignoring the eyes around them. “Can we talk privately?” she asked. He didn’t answer and just started walking towards to a narrow alley connected to god knows where. She took it as a signal so she followed right behind him while Deby and Doojoon left with the new meet person.

   —   —   —

  Gikwang opened a door to a small room packed with different lights and other technical materials such as huge speakers and LED tiles. She looked around as soon as she gets in and heard the door closed right behind her. Her eyes turned back to Lee Gikwang which made her realized was all sweaty with his shirt sticking to his chests. She unconsciously let her eyes travel to the black locks of his hair sticking also to his forehead and ears. The look on his face doesn’t seem well after he met her.

 “What are you doing here? As far as I know you, you’re not the type of person who would step their foot in a noise, crowded place like this so I assume this has to be really important,” he started.

 Anna felt her fingers trembled and her lips quiver. She tried to fight it off and play it cool but the more she stared at his eyes, the more she could feel he’s overpowering her now.

 “I—I heard the news. A- about…” she trailed off and gulped the forming knot in her throat. “About the death of your sister.”

 His face reaction didn’t even change. He looks stoic.

 “And then?” he asked looking unbothered.

 Anna tried to gather her thoughts but her mind wouldn’t come up the right word to start it.

 “I—I’m sorry for your loss---“

 “Stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point. What do you want, Anna?”

 The anger in his voice slowly unveils the truth he has been hiding for so long. She once again tried to muster up a courage.

 “Drop the charges against Jimin.”

 She blatantly requested. She tried to say it word for word looking at his eyes but she just couldn’t stay the way his eyes look so dead and empty.

 He scoffed in disbelief. “You’d really think I’ll do that for you?”

 She didn’t answer.

 “Do you really think I’m so whipped for you that I would easily get swayed if you would ask me to drop all the efforts I’ve made?”

 She stayed still. Not moving an inch.

 “Are you really taking that monster side?”

 There she snapped finally.

 “He’s not a monster!” she yelled.

 “Then what do you call someone who kills an innocent person?! Oh? A killer!” he replied full of rage.

 Anna felt her lips trembled so hard now. “H-he didn’t want that in the first place. He had no choice,”

 “Wow… so killing an innocent now can be easily forgiven just because the murderer had no choice but to kill them? How shallow was that defense, Anna?”

 His eyes stared at her, trying to control the impending explosion building up inside his body.

 “He. Killed. My. Sister. HE FUCKING KILLED THE ONLY PERSON THAT I GOT IN MY LIFE AND YOU WANT ME TO LET IT PASS AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED AND START MOVING ON FROM OUR LIFE! ANNA, HE RUINED MY PARENTS MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATE! MY MOTHER EVEN HAD TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TO GET A PROFESSIONAL HELP AFTER THAT TRAUMA! HE BASICALLY RUINED SOMEBODY’S QUIET LIFE AND YOU WANTED ME TO FORGIVE HIM AND DROP THE CASE?!”

 A tear fell from his eyes and there she couldn’t help herself from tearing up too.

 “I didn’t expect how unreasonable you are just because he’s your boyfriend,” he added.

 Anna immediately wiped off her soaked cheeks and looked up at him.

 “I can’t help it,” she bit her lips. “I know how selfish I am right now but…” she almost choked. “Just like your sister… Park Jimin is the only person that I got in my life,” a tear has escaped from her eyes once again. “I’ve never experienced to be loved by someone else other than my father in my life and now… I—no longer don’t know how to live a life without him. I’ve been living in a pit hole of hell and for the first time in forever I felt how magnificent it was to be living in genuine happiness and that’s all because of him!”

 Gikwang looked away from her and didn’t say anything.

 “I am so desperate now and I don’t know what else to do to save him. I know, Gikwang! I know how selfish I am right now but… what else can I do?”

 “But he’s a monster, Anna. He’s a fucking monster!”

 “HE’S NOT! HE’S ACTUALLY BETTER THAN MOST PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD AND IT’S NOT HIS MISTAKE THAT HE WAS BORN TO BE LIKE THAT! LIKE US, HE JUST NEED TO SURVIVE!”

 “BUT THAT WILL NEVER JUSTIFY THE DEATH OF MY SISTER!”

 That time, she’s suddenly thankful for the loud audio music playing outside. Nobody can hear their yelling’s and shouts.

 Gikwang opened his mouth again and the next words that came out above a whisper.

 “Why are you doing this all for him?” he asked.

 Anna looked up. “I’ve said it before. It’s because I love him that much.”

 “And you’re even willing to even risk your own life to death?”

 She nodded.

 “What did that Park Jimin do to be given such privilege to be with a girl like you?”

 She didn’t reply and watched him eerily laughing in the corner.

 “Do you trust him?” he asked another again.

 “Yes…” she replied.

 “Do you think he trusts you as much as you trust him?”

 She contemplated the question. She knew the answer but why she couldn’t voice it out.

 Gikwang added. “If he trusts you the way you entrusted your life to him, why wouldn’t he trust you to keep this secret from killing my sister?”

 She was taken aback.

 He stares directly at her eyes. “It’s because he’s not really comfortable to be real with his true self in front of you. He’s basically hesitant that you will stay by his side no matter what.”

 The words struck a chord in her ears that it rung all the organs in her body. He makes sense but yet, just like what she promised to him, she will trust him.

 “You might be true… but I believe there’s a reason for that.”

 Gikwang scoffed to laugh sarcastically again. “Love can really be so dumb, huh?”

 Anna remained silent.

 “How far can you go for your love, Anna?”

  How far can you go for your love, Anna?

  The knees on her legs holding the remaining strength of her body have warned for a collapsion anytime soon when she heard that question again. It was the same question she was asked by Kim Taehyung the day she first witnessed how Park Jimin sucked a pitiful old woman back in Daegu. That night when she first caught a glimpse of his real identity—being a vampire living to kill for blood.

The same emotion has boiled up and she found herself looking for an answer all of sudden.

 “I am willing to do anything for him…”

 Short yet firm answer.

 She remembered her answer to Taehyung before.

  Even if it takes me to hell, that’s my answer. I can go for my love even if it takes me to the bottom pit of hell.

  “Anything?” he asked clarifying her answer. The tone and vibrant of his voice made her skin hairs spiked up. Chills run down on her spine and when she turned her head to look back at him, she lost his move in a blink and too late to realize that Lee Gikwang was pinning her against the wall and kissing her lips harshly.

 The last thing she felt was her tears streaming down her cheeks.

  —   —   —

  Park Jimin bolted up from his bed panting and gasping for air. The horrible image of Bae Wangbi kept replaying inside his head. The scene where she was being raped by an awful man who took advantage of her weakness. And the looks on her face which still break his heart repeatedly. The image of her crying, weak and helpless while being molested by a man that up till now he still wanted to kill with his bare hands.

 “Why have I dreamed about it?’ he whispered.

 The whole room was covered with little snores of his roommate Jung Hoseok who sleep on the next bed. Lights are off and all the blinds are closed. Only the tiny lamp gives light to the whole gloomy room.

 Park Jimin gets off from his bed and pace around the room. He thought of Anna but he’s too weak to sneak out to go and visit her. After the controversies, he hadn’t been able to look for another dying person. Now, his strength is about to shuts off if he dared to use it in an attempt of escape.

  —   —   —

  She almost lost her breath when Gikwang pulled away and smashed the wall with his knuckles. Blood gushing on his fingers and all Anna could do is to remain to stand, trembling and crying. She hates herself again for feeling so weak. She winces when she felt a wound on her lips due to his hard kiss that he basically just wants to prove a point, but in the end, Lee Gikwang lost it.

 “HE FUCKING DON’T DESERVE YOU!” he yells exasperatedly, angry and full of guilt and hate.

 “HE’S NOT WORTH FOR YOUR LOVE AND ALL OF YOUR SACRIFICES! BUT—FUCK ANNA! WHY?!” he shouted and leaned against the wall panting, crying, angry and tired.

 “WHY ARE YOU SO READY TO GIVE UP YOUR LIFE JUST TO PROTECT HIM THAT YOU DIDN’T EVEN FIGHT BACK WHEN I FORCED MYSELF ON YOU?!”

 Anna closed her eyes trying to calm herself again. Just like before but the pain in her arms where he held her tight makes it hard.

 “WHY HIM?! OF ALL THE PEOPLE?! OF ALL THE CREATURE?! WHY HIM?! FUCK! FUCK! JUST FUCK!” he screamed again and the raspy voice probably startled out finally the people who might be walking pass that tiny room.

 Lee Gikwang punched the wall again and the stocked boxes of instruments shook and collapsed and fell on the floor which made a more loud sound. Blood continuously gushing out from his wound and cut and droplets of blood scattered on the white tiled floor.

“WATCH IT! I REALLY EXPOSE HIM TO THE ENTIRE WORLD!”

 The door blasted open and it revealed the scared look of Doo- Joon, Deby and the owner of the club.

 “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!” Doo- Joon yelled.

 “ANNA WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Deby panicked.

 Gikwang pulled his hair in frustration and stormed out the room without saying a word. There, finally, Anna felt the air hit her nasal airway. Her wobbled legs finally gave in and she collapsed on the floor. Deby immediately rushed to her.

She still couldn’t stop from crying but felt relieved she had stopped from shaking too much. Yoon Doo- Joon followed his friend and the club’s staffs rushed over to help them both. Anna refused to get carried for treatment though she’s not even wounded in the first place. She insists to go home instead. However, Son Dong- Woon insisted to call for a cab to take them back safely.

Some things are made for ending.