Moonstrike 19: M. J. talks

They played a few rounds together. Ji Min meant to relax, but she couldn’t stop checking over her family and making sure that they were really there in the room. Ari tolerated it patiently, although she gave Ji Min a pointed look every time that she caught Ji Min at it.

Min Joon got squirrely from the cumulative attention. Eventually, he put down his controller at the end of a round and cleared his throat.

All three women looked at him immediately. It made Ji Min feel a little better that she wasn’t the only one hypervigilant.

“Maybe I was overreacting,” he said, and then stopped awkwardly.

Ari pursed her lips.

“What happened?” Ji Min prodded. Then she corrected, “What did you think was going on or worry was happening?” That was probably a better way to get a full picture, if M. J. was feeling like he’d overreacted.

He took in a slow breath and exhaled audibly before he started, searching for words. “It started- I felt like something was wrong at practice,” Min Joon said carefully. “I felt creeped out, you know, but I didn’t know why?” He ducked his head down so that his hair fell in his face to shield him from the attention on him. “I didn’t see anyone, but it felt like someone was watching us.”

‘That’s not what I expected to hear at all.’

“Someone who didn’t belong there,” Ari prompted. “You wouldn’t feel that way about the coaches or anything, right? Or was it one of the adults who was meant to be there, like a parent?”

In her peripheral vision, Ji Min saw Issa’s mouth firm into a hard line. But she didn’t speak.

Min Joon was shaking his head already. “No, no, they’re all fine,” he assured. “I know them. But I didn’t see anyone, like I said.”

“That’s not why you called, though,” Ji Min said carefully. “What was the next thing that stuck out to you as different?”

He stole a glance at her from under his bangs. He looked grateful but a little queasy. “Ah…So like I said I was creeped out and looking around for something that was wrong. And then after, in the parking lot. There was a car I didn’t know. Expensive but plain. I asked if anyone knew who it belonged to and everyone said that they didn’t.” He fidgeted. “It’s usually the same people at the building late, you know? Athletes, coaches, a few teachers.”

Okay, good instincts.

‘There are plenty of people out there who could hide from a high school sports team. But why would they come out to watch a practice? Was this some random creep?’

Ji Min had a really bad feeling about this. She’d expected it to be bad, but she expected- she thought M.J. was going to say that one of the doctor creeps had tried to get him to restart his own regimen of blood work. But feeling like he was stalked– it seemed like a different person entirely. There was no reason for anyone to go to those lengths. It wasn’t like their Dad wouldn’t sign off on more unnecessary medical care. The only barrier to that was Ji Min’s promise to rain down hell on him if he bothered Ari and M. J. Realistically speaking, that only mattered so far as someone was concerned about what Ji Min could do to them.

“When I got back to the house, that car was already outside. That’s when I started calling, before I even got off the bus.”

Holy shit.

The room was dead silent now except for the periodic vrooms and character squeaks from the loading screen. Min Joon wasn’t looking at any of them. “It freaked me out, you know?” he said defensively, as if they were questioning him. “I tried Mom and Dad, but they didn’t answer. Then I called you and- obviously you were busy. I had to go in because the bus wouldn’t wait. There was- I didn’t get close to it, but I didn't see anyone in that car.”

While they were still digesting that, M. J. said, “Maybe it wasn’t the same car?” He sounded oddly ashamed. “The color and size were the same and it had the same last three digits of the license plate. But I didn’t remember the whole thing. And I don’t really know cars. So I was probably just being paranoid, and-”

“No, I think you were probably right,” Issa interrupted before Ji Min could do the same. She put a hand on M. J.’s shoulder. “When I got there, I definitely felt something was off as well.”

“But you didn’t see anyone either.” Ji Min tried not to react to that too much. If M. J. and Issa both felt that someone was creeping around, there had been someone. But it was one thing for someone to hide from a high school boy- hiding from Issa? Hiding from a successful career criminal as canny as Issa? She really did not like what that implied.

“Yeah, there was probably no one there,” Min Joon said miserably, as if he thought he was agreeing with her.

“That’s not what she meant,” Ari leapt in. She gave Ji Min an irritated expression. It took a moment to realize what Min Joon had thought she’d meant. Ji Min put her hands up. “So that’s why you asked explicitly for help in messages but left normal sounding voicemails?”

Min Joon nodded. “Yeah.” He swallowed before he went on. “It felt- It felt like I didn’t want to be alone. If there was a chance at any moment that someone else was going to pick up the phone and hear in real time, that was a deterrent, you know? And being on a voicemail recording was kind of the same thing.”

Ji Min kept her expression level. She didn’t want to scare him, but that could have been a very good or very bad strategy, depending on who was there and why.

‘Did this have something to do with me?’

She felt sick.

‘I have enemies. I didn’t think any of them knew who I really am. But it’s never impossible. Or it could be someone connected to the government. If they know who I actually am, they might be interested in my siblings as well. Superhumans are a resource. If Min Joon develops powers… he’s young enough to be manipulated. An under-monitored teen is vulnerable. Is Ari much safer? If a college girl went missing, how long would it take for someone other than me to know she wasn’t just skipping class?’

She tried to keep those speculations off of her face. She wondered if Ari had already had the same thoughts.

“Someone was there,” Issa said firmly. It might have been meant to comfort M. J. or to persuade. Ji Min stole a glance at Ari to confirm that no persuasion was necessary for her, either. “They didn’t leave when I got there. They were waiting for me to leave. I wasn’t willing to go far to flush them out, but none of my subtler tactics worked to find where they were.”

Ji Min’s hands started shaking. That should have spooked most criminals off. If they weren’t willing to get rid of a witness, then a fucking pirate queen should have spooked them off. Issa had friends, contacts, and former crew members on call. Of course, they might not have known who she was, but it wasn’t subtle to arrive by air. Issa was distinctive and she was famous in the community.

“They didn’t manage to follow.” Issa settled back into the sofa as if the memory had made her tense up as well. “Which makes sense, of course, if they came by car. Outpacing a bus with other stops is very different from keeping up with a hovercraft. But they could have known where we would go. If they knew his home address–”

“They’d know about the two of us,” Ari agreed.

Ji Min was too tense to speak. She nodded tersely.

Fuck. So it wasn’t really safe here, either.

‘And that’s why Issa stayed until I got back. She’s expecting someone to come here.’

Well. She might as well say what she was thinking. “Ari, you just finished that round of tests, right?” At her little sister’s nod, she went on. “Do you think you can afford to miss classes for a while?”

“Yeah, I have the assignments and reading.” Ari’s chin jutted stubbornly. “I can email things in, do the readings from anywhere. I’ll miss out on some points for attendance, but I can deal with that.”

“I need to go back to school,” Min Joon cut in. He glanced between the two of them. “If I miss a bunch of practice, I won’t be able to keep my spot.”

“If someone dangerous is following you to practices, I doubt there’s a scenario where you get to compete.”

Ji Min winced at the blunt tone, but Issa wasn’t wrong.

M. J. swallowed visibly. He bit at his lower lip and then he nodded. “Where are we going?”

All of them looked at Ji Min.

Well, fuck.

“Let’s not say anything here, just in case.” Ji Min stood up and raked a hand through her hair. “Let’s pack up. Take anything you’re going to need or would miss if we never came back, okay? I wanna be out of here tonight.”

So much for a relaxing weekend.