Last Breath - Part 8
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Taemin didn't like the lady at the desk. Apparently, however, she appreciated Jay's charm (which was, in many ways, his lack thereof) and told him where his mom's room was (even though, apparently, she wasn't supposed to.)
Jungmo and the others stayed behind, and Jay only took Taemin as far as the door. Taemin went into the room on his own, and there was his mom, looking sick - but no more than he'd seen her before at home. She'd wake up with a nasty hangover.
She wouldn't have brought herself here, he thought. Something told him that Key was behind this, but he couldn't understand what Key would possibly get out of having her here. He thought an attack in the parking lot, but well, if that was the case the opportunity was gone - they could stay here until the daytime if they chose to.
He narrowed his eyes in thought, walking closer. The note was a folded piece of paper on her pillow. He looked nervously at his mom as he picked it up, opening it.
It said:
"She's alive. There's your mercy.
Mine doesn't like to last, and you can't protect her forever.
See you at your place."
The note wrinkled in Taemin's tight grip as he stepped hurriedly from the room. He froze in the hallway, staring at Jay.
"What's wrong? ........ Taemin? ......... What's that? ....... Let me see."
Jay had to pull hard to get it from Taemin's hand, but he did, and after he looked at the words, he frowned at him. "It's a threat."
"I have to go home."
Taemin swiftly began his way down the hall, but Jay caught him by the wrist.
"We can't go. It's what he wants us to do."
Taemin stopped, and sighed, taking a very deep breath before he said, "I can't be like you."
Jay's grip loosened, and Taemin pulled away, continuing down the hall. With just a moment of hesitation, Jay was quick to catch up, moving in Taemin's way. "We won't let you go alone. The others would suffer with you if you insist on going. I understand sacrificing yourself for your mother, but can you sacrifice them?"
Taemin instantly teared up, "I have to choose?"
Jay could only offer a frown, and the characteristically short words, "I'm sorry."
"Because there's a possibility that my mom won't be hurt, I'm supposed to choose you?"
"No. I don't think there's really a possibility that we can protect her, Taemin."
With a look of disbelief, Taemin stared at Jay, having no words. Jay looked rather uncomfortable with the whole situation, shifting from one foot to another and moving his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his coat.
"It's my decision?" Taemin asked.
"I'm sorry." Jay repeated.
Taemin looked to the double doors just a short distance away that would lead the way into the waiting room, where Jungmo and the others would have been carefully thinking of where to stay for the night. Somewhere that wasn't the unsafe home situation.
After a long moment of consideration, he turned to Jay, and firmly said, "Let's not tell them about the note."
Jay seemed alarm, and replied to him slowly, "Are you sure?"
"At least not yet." Taemin said.
Jay relaxed and nodded, "I understand."
The two joined the others in the waiting room, and were soon planning their great escape into a hotel room, which was going to involve a little bit of illegal activity, but nothing they didn't deserve for going through much shit to save Korea, as Hongki put it.
Taemin stayed close to Jay now, as if he didn't trust that the older man wouldn't speak, no matter how trustworthy he'd been. They rode in cabs, the same formation they'd used before, now low on cash so they had to listen to Taemin's suggestion for the nearest hotel that was, fortunately, on a busy street.
It was getting late, and the weather was still freezing and drizzling, so not many people were out and about on the sidewalks. There was a club not far from the (semi-seedy) hotel. Hongki worked magic though. He found a drunken female, who appeared sick. She was leaning against the building, looking like she'd soon blow chunks, and he used a worried citizen approach, giving her his coat and everything, to distract her long enough for Jungmo to pull her purse away from her. She didn't seem to be missing it as the group walked the short distance to the hotel, all staying near each other once again. Jungmo subtly went through her purse, finding her wallet and sighing in relief when he found the credit card. "Let's hope this works."
It did. The hotel owner didn't even seem to mind the gigantic group that they headed up the elevator with to the one, single bed room. Sungmin was given the one and only bed, being the handicapped member. He'd offered to let Taemin take it, but Taemin didn't want it. He expressed maybe too enthusiastically that he wanted the floor. He slept nearest the door. Only he didn't sleep.
He waited the long time it took for him to feel convinced that the others did, before he left the hotel room. His noble thoughts were that if it was a choice, he couldn't make it. It was okay for him to get hurt, but not his mother, and not his friends.
Still, he lingered outside the hotel room, as if hoping one of the others would have caught him. No matter what, the thought of seeing Key would always horrify him. When no one came after him, he bit his lip, and checked the pocket of the coat he'd pulled on to make sure his switchblade was there.
Then he set off.
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