JENNIFER

Two days ago, Auckland - New Zealand.

She took off her pink feminine coat irritably as soon as she entered her house and shut the door behind her, revealing her dark clothes beneath. Then she opened the bag she had been carrying.

She pulled out her black leather jacket and her gloves, stained with blood. She tossed them carelessly onto the floor before sinking onto the couch.

Reaching for a medical kit from one of the drawers, she lifted the sleeve of her shirt and began disinfecting a cut on her right forearm.

It was the first time she had ever been wounded by one of her victims' knives, but she was prepared for it as she was pushing her limits further each time.

She clenched her fist tightly as the alcohol burned into her wound,but she forced herself to bear it, to avoid worse consequences.

After a short while, she finished, calmly took her phone and started scrolling through the latest articles from her favorite online newspaper, until one headline caught her attention.

She tapped quickly on the headline to read the full article, and soon, a cunning smile curled across her lips.

"Despite his partial recovery from autism, the Korean police refused to believe the information provided by a boy residing in an orphanage in Busan, South Korea. He claimed that his parents were killed by the same serial killer who has recently caused chaos across the world."

She kept reading, waiting to find the name of the orphanage. Once she did, she sank back into the couch, satisfied. Then she opened its official website, saved the director's phone number, and decided to call him later.

It was already 3 a.m.

She set her phone aside and got up to wash her clothes, carefully removing every drop of her own blood and her victim's.

She made sure that the blood was all gone by spraying a blood-detection reagent she had taken from a corrupt detective before getting rid of him, too.

10:00 a.m.

She was sleeping in the living room, messily. Her left hand hung down from the couch while her right leg rested across its back, the rest of her body slanted in a weird position.

She was used to sleeping like that. Every time she washes her clothes, her legs give out from exhaustion, and she ends up crashing on the floor or, if lucky like today, making it a few steps further to collapse on the couch.

Her phone suddenly rang, waking her up, but she covered her ears with both hands to block out the annoying vibration and keep sleeping peacefully.

It didn't work. With her eyes barely open, she started reaching out for a pillow to muffle the sound, until she finally spottd one on the floor.

While she was trying to grab it, she fell right off the couch!

She groaned in pain just as the ringing stopped. Annoyed, she sighed and went back to sleeping on the floor, ignoring the ache spreading through her body.

A few seconds later, the phone started ringing again.

"God, grant me patience..." She muttered hoarsely as she struggled to get up, stretching her arms with a yawn before beginning her daily «morning quest», to find her phone.

Finally spotting it in the laundry basket, she picked it up and answered in her soft, feminine voice, after clearing her throat:

"Who's this?"

A man's voice responded in English, just as she did:

"Good morning, Miss Jennifer Rubyjane?"

"Speaking."

"This is Jack Williams, the director of GU Entertainment Agency."

Jennifer remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Could I meet you in person?"

"If it's about a collaboration, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I won't be in New Zealand for a while."

The man hummed understandingly, then said:

"I can wait until you return, Miss Jennifer. I'm a big fan of the movies you've written, and I'd really love to work with you someday."

"I'll think about it after I come back. Thank you for calling."

"Good luck, miss."

She hung up, and immediately burst out laughing.

"You must be out of your mind, Mr. Jack. Prey shouldn't throw itself at its predator."

Still laughing mockingly, she headed to the bathroom, washed her face, and muttered:

"Sorry, little rat. I'm far too busy for you. I have something more fun waiting for me."

She shut off the tap, looked at her reflection in the mirror, and whispered as she leaned closer:

"Look at this... people raise pets, and I raise dark circles under my eyes !"

She left the bathroom wearing her bathrobe, her medium-length hair wrapped in a small towel so it wouldn't drip on the floor. Truthfully, she was too lazy to clean it anyway.

She poured herself a glass of cold juice, sat on a kitchen chair, and sipped while scrolling through her phone.

Then, she dialed the number she had saved earlier, the orphanage director's number.

A man's voice answered in Korean after several rings:

"Hello?"

She swallowed her juice, nearly choking as she'd been waiting in boredom. She cleared her throat before replying in English:

"Good morning, are you Mr. Kim?"

"Don't you speak Korean?" the man murmured, then switched to English.

"Mr. Kim will be back soon. May I have your name, ma'am?"

"Do I sound old to you? It's miss."

"Alright, miss. Whom shall I say called?"

"No need. I'll call him later."

"Very well. Goodbye, miss."

She hung up, took another sip, and smirked. Leaning back on the chair, she yawned:

"Anyway... I want to sleep."

And with a small pout, she stumbled toward the living room, to take a nap.

Busan, South Korea - The Orphanage.

The young man hung up just as Mr. Kim entered the office.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Jungkook. I had to talk to the supervisors."

"Not at all, Mr. Kim. Good morning."

He greeted respectfully. Kim smiled, sat down in his large leather chair, and Jungkook did the same in the smaller one across from him.

"How's work going? You haven't taken a break in a long time."

Jungkook smiled faintly.

"I'll take one later, sir. I've got no reason to right now."

"Well... I think you'll have one soon."

Jungkook slightly frowned at the older man's cryptic tone. Kim chuckled at his expression.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. It's just a task, but it might take some time."

Auckland - New Zealand, Noon.

Her phone alarm blared, the sound she hated most ! but she needed it if she didn't want to sleep another full twenty-four hours.

Dragging herself up, still in her bathrobe, she grabbed her phone from the coffee table and turned it off. Then she went back to rewrap the towel around her head, which had come loose from her restless sleep.

She couldn't even remember the last time she slept in her bedroom.

While tying the towel firmly, she listened to the TV anchor's voice coming from the news channel she'd left on.

"Breaking news!

Police in Auckland have found the body of the fugitive criminal who recently caused an uproar across the country dead in his warehouse,where he used to torture his victims before killing them.

He appears to have died the same horrific way as his victims.

Investigators believe the killer is responsible for several previous murders, including that of a bank owner and a detective though no evidence has yet confirmed this theory, as the perpetrator left no trace behind."

Jennifer smiled with satisfaction.

"That's how rats are supposed to die, isn't it ?"

She grabbed her phone, turned off the TV, and called the orphanage again.

"Let's see who answers this time..."

She muttered impatiently until the call was finally picked up by a different man's voice.

"Good morning?"

As usual, it was in Korean, but she replied in English, hoping he understood:

"Good morning, Mr. Kim?"

"Yes, that's me. Who's this?"

Luckily, he answered in English. She smiled.

"I'm the one who called earlier, your assistant answered. My name's Jennifer Rubyjane."

"Jennifer Rubyjane...?" he repeated thoughtfully, then chuckled.

"Ah, the New Zealand screenwriter who spoils her own show endings in nightclubs?"

He laughed, and she twisted her mouth.

"Not always... not always..."

Her face turned mockingly dramatic.

"I knew I was famous, but not for that."

"You're an icon, ma'am."

"Miss, I swear, I'm a miss."

"Alright then, Miss Jennifer. What's this call about?"

Jennifer cleared her throat, her tone suddenly serious.

"I heard your orphanage holds stage plays for children regularly, correct?"

"Yes. It helps them discover their acting talents, improve teamwork, and bond."

"Exactly. That's why I'm curious to witness the atmosphere behind these plays."

"So...?"

"I'm visiting Korea soon for vacation. I'd like to be the scriptwriter for the next play. I'd be happy to do it for a small fee, just to see the children's smiles in person!"

Kim hummed, thinking.

"You seem to love children very much, don't you?"

"Deprivation breeds affection, sir. I've rarely been around children myself."

"I'll think about it, I've already hired a writer."

"I wouldn't mind collaborating, as long as we share the same goal."

"Alright, I ag- wait! You don't even speak Korean!"

Her eyes widened, she had completely forgotten about that. She fidgeted with her towel and laughed nervously.

"Korean... right! That's why I already have an idea for the script!"

"May I know what it is?"

"Let's discuss it when I arrive in Korea! Everything will be fine, don't worry."

"Call me back in an hour, I'll think it over."

"Alright. Thank you!"

She hung up, then immediately screamed:

"How did you forget that, Jennifer !?"

She opened the fridge, looking for lunch only to find a lonely bowl of salad she had made two days ago.

She took it out happily, but the joy vanished as soon as the smell hit her nose.

She threw it into the trash and headed to her room to change.

She opened her "cursed wardrobe", as she called it, because it contained only bright, overly feminine clothes, unlike her other one. She pulled out a black skirt and a pink blouse, laying them on her bed with a dramatic eye roll.

After drying her hair, she put them on, grabbing a handbag to match.

Pink. Too much pink.

She stood before the mirror, frowning. She definitely hated these clothes.

As a finishing touch, she added perfume and a small hair accessory.

"Almost thirty... and I look fifteen. Disgusting clothes."

With another exaggerated eye roll, she left her house to go shopping.

As she walked down the apartment stairs, she could already hear the neighbors gossiping.

"That woman actually left her house in daylight, I can't believe it!"

"Maybe she's bringing someone home again!"

"Definitely. Then she'll go out again at night, to meet another one."

"I wonder how many men she knows."

"A screenwriter, really? I bet all her movies are... you know, that kind."

Jennifer heard every word as she descended, but kept ignoring them.

She had a bad reputation among her neighbors. They could barely stand the sight of her, but never stopped talking once she passed.

Jennifer never expected warmth from them anyway.

After all, she had chosen this reputation herself.

Busan, South Korea - The Orphanage.

"Morning, everyone!"

"Late again, Chae?"

"The Korean subtitles of the New Zealand film «White Blood» came out last night! I loved the first season, so I stayed up watching it."

"Really? White Blood? Movies' titles get stranger every year..."

"Everything has a meaning, Yoon. I think the title's genius!"

"Whatever. Come sit with us."

Chaeyoung sat beside Yoongi in the break room, yawning.

"Where's Jungkook? Didn't he come?"

"He was here before me! He's bringing us coffee."

He gestured toward Jungkook, who was walking toward them, holding his phone in one hand and a tray of cups in the other.

"Aw, sweet Kook, you know I love you," Chae-young said dramatically as she took her cup.

"Love you too, Chae... as a sister."

Yoongi burst out laughing, while Jungkook smiled, handing him a cup too before sitting beside them, eyes glued to his phone.

"It's not like I love you romantically, I have Yoongi."

Jungkook spat out his coffee in shock.

"You're dating!?"

"Of course not!!" Yoongi screamed back, equally startled.

Jungkook frowned in confusion. Chaeyoung leaned closer and whispered:

"Uhm... he rejected me."

Jungkook laughed loudly.

"You sound miserable, Chae."

"Utterly miserable," she sighed, sitting cross-legged with a pout that made them both laugh harder.

"What are you watching, Jungkook?" Yoongi asked once he stopped laughing, rubbing the shoulder Chaeyoung had just punched.

"You won't believe this. A bunch of psychiatrists are discussing a new mental disorder, it makes people do weird things at night and forget everything in the morning."

"Isn't that just multiple personality disorder?" Yoongi asked curiously.

Chae-young chimed in, still sulking:

"Or maybe they were just drunk."

They laughed again, and Jungkook went on:

"No, seriously, it's far more dangerous than that. The people who suffer from it become violent at night. Sometimes... it even drives them to kill."

Yoongi frowned.

"No wonder crime rates have gone up lately."

A new voice joined in:

"I heard people are being sliced up like fresh strawberries, their hearts taken out like soft apricots, and devoured greedily like apple pie covered in the sweetest fruits."

That was Seokjin, who had stepped into the room and was dramatically illustrating the scene with his hands, while the others stared at him, baffled.

There was a brief moment of silent eye contact before he added with a grin:

"Don't blame me, guys. Pretty much everything I talk about with my pregnant wife these days is food! She wants to eat literally everything."

Jungkook smirked.

"Good thing she doesn't want to eat you, my friend."

The oldest widened his eyes in mock shock, which only made everyone else burst out laughing at his expression.

Auckland - New Zealand, midday.

She sat at a restaurant table, eating her lunch.

"I'm so full !"

She sighed contentedly, sinking into her chair and placing a hand over her slightly swollen stomach. Her gaze drifted toward her shopping bags piled beside her seat, and she murmured softly:

"What time is it now?"

Lazily, she reached for her phone to check.

It was 12:55 p.m.

She instantly jumped up, grabbed her bags, and hurried out of the restaurant.

She sprinted toward her apartment building, ignoring the usual looks from her neighbors as she went in.

Thankfully, her place wasn't far from the mall, so by exactly 1:00 p.m., she was already sprawled comfortably on her couch, her shopping bags dumped carelessly on the kitchen counter.

Picking up her phone again, she dialed the orphanage director's number. This time, she spoke first.

"Hello, Mr. Kim. This is Jennifer Rubyjane."

"Oh, right on time too."

Kim glanced at his wristwatch, impressed.

"I'm always punctual when it comes to work, sir," she replied firmly. "Speaking of which, have you made your decision?"

"Yes. Welcome to our team, Miss. We'll be waiting for your arrival in Korea."

"Thank you," she said, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

"I'll be there in a couple of days."

And as the call ended, that smile deepened, sharp, confident.

And this... is only the beginning.

End of Chapter One.

In The Next chapter:

"Stupid Korea, here I come."

"Didn't you miss your mother?"

"Is this your motorcycle?"

"You shouldn't have skipped your English lessons, Detective."

"Oh my god, there was a murder in Busan last night!"

"I love their innocence, but I fear they're easily fooled."

to be continued..