#black thriller fic
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I love me a y/n that knows what she want ��đ˝đđ˝đđ˝đđ˝đŠ im so glad you aint wait for the movie chuz this was mighty delicious!
Too Close.
Black! Fem! Dom!Reader x Zyair Malloy.
Taglist: @megamindsecretlair @meech667 @soft-persephone @henneseyhoe @blackerthings @neeville @kayla-1996-nct @kstaxks @daprettycancer @roeroe-world @keyera-jackson @serpenttines-writes @rosewine-5 @browngirldominion @ghettofabu05 @caashmoneynae @virgosrealm @satoruya
Word Count: 1,964k
A/N: I wrote this down by simply watching the trailer to get a feel of Trevanteâs character and here it is. How could I resist? he's such a beautiful man, đŤ this fic is quite self-indulgent. Enjoy!đŤĄâ¤ď¸
Summary: You were working from home today and you saw the morning news about your friend Zyair who was arrested for murder, you felt at a crossroads between your feelings for him and what is right.
Warnings: teasing, mention of murder, mention of an open case, filthy smut, established friendship, unprotected sex, consensual for both parties, dirty talk, oral(male receiving) praise, hair pulling. kissing after head, pet names. dominant reader.
âââââââ
Your lips formed into a frown at the morning news showing a video of Zyair not responding to the paparazzi and reporters, he had on his sunglasses, got into his car and slammed the door shut, prompting Zyairâs car to speed off from the black-owned coffee shop.
âDamn ZyairâŚâ you muttered, taking a sip of your mint-flavored tea from your purple mug. Settling it down on the coffee table and sitting down on the couch.
It was about Zyair, the artist who was arrested for murdering his girlfriend Mea. With his new defense attorney representing him and evidence that was released, it was damn near a Law and Order SVU episode and you could hear the âdun dunâ sound effect in your head, but what were you gonna do?
There was no telling where you stood with him, obviously, you talked to Zyair before this even happened. From the paparazzi on his tail to everyone giving him dirty looks, it was looking so bad for him.
You worked from home today since you didn't want to deal with your coworkers or the customers that came in and out. Especially the nosy-ass coworkers, asking questions about him.
contemplating your next move, your phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Zyair.
Zyair: Hey, can we talk?
Your heart skipped a beat as you read the message. Despite the chaos surrounding him, he still reached out to you. You quickly typed a response.
You: Of course, Zyair. Are you okay?
Zyair: I'm hanging in there. Can we meet up? I need someone to talk to.
You hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right decision to meet him in person. But your concern for him outweighed any doubts you had.
You: Yeah, sure. Where do you want to meet?
Zyair: How about my place?
You still hesitated but didn't you remember the first rule? Never accept the invitation or go to the killerâs house. You've seen the scary movies and thrillers.
You: Sounds good. See you there in an hour?
Zyair: Perfect. Thank you, Y/N.
With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, you quickly got ready and made your way to the apartment building.
The elevator dinged and raised above you, you walked through the wide hallway, you spotted Zyair finishing up a brand new painting of his girlfriend, and your shoes clicked on the hardwood floors, There was a part of you that felt bad for him and another part of you that told you to leave it alone.
The apartment he lived in was incredibly roomy, featuring four walls painted in a simple shade of grey. The walls were adorned with his own collection of small to medium-sized paintings, and the furniture was tastefully chosen. The bedroom, situated upstairs with a railing, bore a striking resemblance to Nia's bedroom from the movie Love Jones.
You were indecisive, conflicted and frustrated. The subtle stolen glances with him, his deep voice, his knack for painting. The very fact that you noticed his physique is bigger than you imagined, how dare he commit the crime of turning you on and from what you just saw on the news?!
You've watched too many fictional/real crime TV shows to know what happens next. It made you paranoid, If you talk to him then that means you're apart of it now. Right?
âHey Y/N..â his deep voice broke your intrusive anxious thoughts, you looked up at him with concern etched on your face.
He looked tired, his usually vibrant eyes now filled with sadness. You approached him cautiously, taking a seat on the couch.
Zyair sporting a black hoodie paired with matching sweatpants and a few gold chains hung around his neck, accompanied by two small gold hoop earrings dangling on his right ear.
Damn, you loved it when a man wore earrings, but you needed to focus. He rested his hands in the front pouch of his hoodie, sinking down onto the couch beside you. Colorful paint streaks adorned the soft fabric of his hoodie and his fingers.
"Hey Zyair," you said softly, clearing your throat. "How are you holding up?"
Zyair sighed, putting down the paintbrush on easel. "It's been a nightmare, Y/N. I never thought I'd be in this position."
You listened intently as he poured out his heart, sharing the details of his relationship with Mea and the events leading up to her death. It was a side of Zyair you had never seen before, vulnerable and broken.
"I loved her, Y/N.â he finally said, his hand running down his face, leaning back against the couch, his gaze fixed on the painting of his girlfriend.
You had known Zyair for years, and your gut told you that he was innocent. But the weight of the evidence against him was overwhelming.
âThank you for being here Y/Nâ he replied with sincerity, gently grabbing onto your hand.
Your eyes locked with his, your heart swelled from the way he touched your hand. You did what you were supposed to do so why couldn't you leave his place?
Everything in you was screaming to fuck him like he was yours, as if it never happeneded. Your little crush on him didn't help the desire igniting from within you.
If you fuck him just this once then you can get over it right?
âCan I touch you Zyair?â You asked softly, cupping his breaded face in your hand.
He nodded with his eyes still on you, âyes you can..â he said softly.
Your hand gently pulled his sweatpants and black boxers, he helped you by slipping off your hoodie and sweatpants. Your hand stroked his thick, long dick as he heard him groan and hiss pleasure, âlet me hear you Zyair..â you begged, pecking the tip of his dick.
You took him in your mouth with your hand still stroking his length, spit trickled down to his balls causing him to shudder. âDamn, girl..â he groaned, his hand grabbed your locs and gently pushed your head down his dick, hearing you moan and gag around him. Your tongue slithers across the veins of his dick.
Driving you wild with every tug and moan from him, your fingers rolling between his balls and coming up for air, he kissed you passionately, precum trickled down him and mixed with your spit. âAww, you're wet for me..â you cooed, still stroking him in your hand.
âWhy are teasing me like this?â Zyair moaned, pushing his hips into your hand. His dick was so wet from your spit and precum, damn near glistening under the ceiling light. His dick was pretty, he kept himself well-groomed, trimmed.
âBecause it's fun for me Zyair..â
Zyair lets out a long deep moan from his lips, his thick ropes of cum splattered on the rug and on your hands, you cheeks grew hot at the amount of his essence dripping out of your hand. You quickly washed and wiped your hands in the kitchen.
You walked back over to the couch and led him upstairs to his bedroom, the two of you laid there while he was on top of you. âThis can be a one-time thing between me and you..â you mentioned.
You almost forgot that when Zyair fell in love, he fell hard and loved hard. âI don't want that, I want you..â he said softly, he kissed you passionately, his knee parted your legs and kissed your thick thighs.
âFuck baby..â he moaned lowly, he hovered over you with his eyes fixed on you. âI need your dick ZyairâŚâ you whined, pouting your lips. Your hands caressed his bread. Pecking your lips twice.
He pushed his thick manhood between your flushed, swollen folds and gently latched his large hand around your throat, watching your eyelids gently close and your face twisted up.
âAre you okay? I can stop if you want me to..â he asked, gently pulling out before your hand grabbed his dick. âN-no..please..keep goingâ you begged, you gasped at him filling you up again. Your hands resting on his buff arms.
âI-iâm okay, it's been a while..fuck..move.â you moaned softly, you moaned again. His hips pushed into you, he felt your walls clenched around him for dear life, The room was filled with the creaking of the bed.
He thrusts into you with a steady rhythm. Your face twisted up and you moaned out, âYes! Zyair!â Zyair's dominant side took over as he gripped your thighs tightly, his fingers digging into your dark brown skin.
He littered kissed across your neck and left hickeys, his gold chains dangled over your face. His heavy pants and low groans ignited a fire in you. You trembled in his hands. âOh shit.â he moaned again.
"Fuck, you feel so good," Zyair growled, his voice laced with desire. His nails scratched into your skin and spanked your asscheeks roughly, leaving marks and bruises.
Your hands held onto his thick pecs. Squeezing them in your small hands, he wrapped his mouth around your nipple, suckling it roughly. âYou're so nasty..â you whined, you screamed once his fingers pinched your clit as he buried himself deep inside you.
You arched your back, meeting his thrusts with your hips rolling against his. âYes, give it to me!â you cried out, cutting yourself off with a plethora of moans. He pounded into you. Your nails dug into his back, leaving red trails in their wake.
"Harder, Zyair," you gasped, your voice filled with need. Zyair complied, his pace quickening as he gripped your hips tightly. He bites into your neck and spanked your asscheeks again.
The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, echoing. the coil in your stomach tightening with each thrust. âI-iâfuck!â you screamed, you kissed him again.
You creamed around his dick completely, pouring out of you and onto the bedsheets, he pulled out of you, just in time. He came on the bedsheets as your bodies trembled together.
Finally, the intensity subsided, Zyair collapsed beside you, his chest rising and falling rapidly. You lay slumped as you weakly stood up from your side of the bed, gathering your clothes and taking a shower afterwards.
But as reality seeped back in, doubt crept into your mind. What had you just done? You had crossed a line, given in to your desires. The weight of the situation hit you like a ton of bricks.
Taking a deep breath, you sat up and began to dress yourself. "Zyair, we can't let this happen again," you said firmly, your voice filled with resolve.
Zyair nodded, his expression filled with understanding.
You stood up and made your way towards the door. As much as it pained you to leave Zyair behind, you knew it was the right thing to do.
As you walked out into the hallway and out of the building, heading straight for your car, you peeled away from the apartment, wiping tears away from your eyes.
ââââ
#megamind be reading#black!reader#black fanfiction#trevante rhodes#trevante x reader#mea culpa 2024#zyair mallory fic#black fanfic writer#black thriller fic#suspense
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I'm just thinking about thriller bark and how the live action did the Mihawk duel
#one piece#roronoa zoro#monkey d luffy#black leg sanji#my art#Zolu#cw blood#tw blood#I was reading a fic about luffy finding out what zoro did on thriller bark
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Prompt 2 - Thriller
@wolfstarmicrofic July 2, word count 989
CW- Blood, guns, gunshot, open wound
Sirius darted down side streets and into alleyways. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as it dragged oxygen into his exhausted body. Pounding footsteps approached. He ducked down behind the small rubbish bins, clamping his hand over his mouth, so his rapid breathing didnât give him away.Â
Multiple footsteps ran past his hiding place, but one set lingered, turning into the alleyway. Sirius took a few steadying breaths and tensed his muscles, ready for action. The person came closer, kicking the bins out of his way. There was only one bin left between them. With all his remaining strength, Sirius kicked the bin, knocking his pursuer to the ground. He launched himself over him, catching a glimpse of his face on his way past. The manâs mask had slipped. It was Regulus. Fuck! Sirius took off running the way heâd come, the others long gone. A shot rang out behind him as he sped around a corner. It just missed him, ricocheting off the wall right where his head had been a second before. Regulus never missed. What was he playing at? Sirius didnât hang around to find out.
He laid low until he could get to the safe house. When he finally felt it was safe, he made his way there, making sure she wasnât followed. A grizzled man was waiting for him. He held a gun to Siriusâs temple while he searched him and took the flash drive from his pocket.Â
âCongratulations, Black. You managed to not fuck up an assignment or get killed doing so,â Moody grunted at him.Â
âRegulus was there,â He told him. Moody took a deep breath and growled.Â
âDid he make you?â He spat through his teeth.Â
âI donât know. I threw a bin at him and ran. He took a shot, but he missed and you know he never misses his target.â Moody grumbled something under his breath that Sirius didnât catch.Â
âWeâre going to get you a partner for your next mission. Ah, no, I donât want to hear it, Black,â He said when Sirius tried to protest. âIf Regulus is caught up in this then itâs too dangerous to send you out alone. He knows how you think, how you move and how you fight. Youâll be a liability we canât afford to have.â Sirius gritted his teeth, but he knew it was for the best.Â
âWho do you have in mind?â He blew out. Resigned to his fate.Â
âNew lad. Ridiculously smart. Calm in a crisis. Perfect balance for you and your chaos.â Sirius rolled his eyes.Â
âHas Mr Perfect got a name then?âÂ
âRemus Lupin,â Moody grinned a toothy smile. Sirius felt a chill wash over him.Â
Remus Lupin turned out to be a tall, skinny, well-spoken man who shouldn't have been anywhere near all this.
 Moody had them train together. âI want you to know each other inside and out. Shut up Black, that is not what I meant and you know it.â Sirius bit his tongue to keep from smiling. âYou need to work together or no assignments. Do I make myself clear?â They both nodded.
They trained together for weeks, learning how the other moved and thought until they flowed around each other, predicting what the other was going to do before theyâd even thought about it.Â
The other side had a plan for something terrible and it was their job to infiltrate and find out what was going to happen.Â
Sirius watched in awe as Remus expertly picked the locks on a small side door and they slipped into the dark building.Â
It was freezing inside. Sirius shook it off, getting his head in the zone.Â
They made slow progress up the levels. Riddle would be on the top floor, with his second-in-command on the floor below. Thatâs where the information would be.Â
He couldnât shake off the feeling that this was too easy. Why hadnât they met any of the grunts lower down?Â
He gingerly pushed open the door to the floor they needed and crept into the large-decadently-styled open room. Remus sped across the room to the computer and began trying to find the information. It was taking too long, and Sirius felt the panic setting in.Â
âHurry up, Remus,â He hissed, his gun trained on the only door in or out of the room. A hidden door on the far wall opened silently.Â
âTut tut, brother of mine. I donât think youâre supposed to be in here, are you?â Regulus drawled, his gun pointing at Remus. âCall off your man and I might let you out of this building,â Sirius froze and turned to Remus in horror.Â
âCome on, Reggie, you know itâs me you want.â Â
âIâve been watching you, Sirius. I know exactly how you feel about him,â Sirius swallowed. Remus typed furiously on the computer. He gasped and met Siriusâs eyes. Heâd found something. Remus suddenly jumped up, a flash drive in his hand.
Regulus cocked his gun.
âYou donât think youâre going anywhere with that, do you?â Regulus held out his hand. âGive it here, Lupin.â He swung his gun to Sirius, whoâd started inching towards Remus. âAh, ah, Sirius, no sneaking now. Hand it over, Lupin!â He repeated, pulling back the hammer on the gun. âFinal warning, give it to me!âÂ
The gun went off and Sirius dove in front of Remus.Â
He felt a strange pressure, he looked down and saw a small hole just below his heart, red liquid dribbling out.Â
âOh, shit,â He breathed out. Remus rushed to his side and grabbed his hand, pressing it into the wound. He screamed.Â
âKeep your hand there and donât move it,â Remus grunted as he threw Sirius over his shoulder and fled the building.Â
He woke up in the hospital, somehow alive, Remus holding onto his hand and all he could think was Regulus never missed. So why had he for a second time?
#wolfstar#wolfstar microfic#wolfstar fic#wolfstar fanfiction#wolfstar au#sirius black#remus lupin#sirius orion black#remus john lupin#regulus black#alastor moody#tom riddle#sirius x remus#remus x sirius#sirius and remus#remus and sirius#street chase#its regulus#wolfstar partner up#somethings not right#Regulus shoots#regulus never missed#Cw blood#cw guns#cw gun shot#cw open wound#thriller
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thriller
-
Dracoâs phone pinged with a new message from Harry. A video, specifically, and he pressed play without thinking about it.Â
It was of Harry and Sirius, Harry trying his best to direct his godfatherâs limbs in the direction of whatever TikTok dance he was teaching the man.Â
Sirius gently but firmly pulled his arms out of Harryâs hands. âI have danced before, you know.â
âIâm sure,â Harry said, and Draco heard a snort from behind the camera that he assumed was Remus. âDo you want me to show you again?â
Sirius sighed but nodded, humor in his eyes. He looked at the camera (or more accurately, at Remus). âI taught this kid how to dance and suddenly he thinks I canât anymore.âÂ
Draco didnât get to see Remusâ reaction, but he did get to see Harry. The dance was one of the ones that seemed to be more arm waving than dancing, but Draco enjoyed it nonetheless, particularly the part where Harry raised his arms above his head and his shirt rode up.Â
He almost didnât notice Sirius completely ignoring his godson, instead staring at the cameraman with a look so disgustingly sappy Draco had to fight not to gag.Â
âSo itâs kinda like the âThrillerâ dance?â Sirius said innocently.Â
Harry gaped. âItâs nothing like the-were you paying attention at all?âÂ
Sirius turned to the camera again and snickered, a hand in his hair to block his face from Harry, and Draco heard another snicker from Remus. âAlright, alright, turn the music on, letâs go.â
Harry turned fearful eyes to the camera, leaving Draco to wonder if he was looking at him or Remus. Both, probably.Â
A quiet melody that Draco couldnât quite hear started. Immediately, the two diverged in their dances, Harry doing the TikTok one, and Sirius, something entirely different. About halfway through, Harry glanced at his godfather and stopped moving. âWhat is that?â
âItâs âThriller!ââ Sirius answered cheerfully. âDo you remember the weekend we learned this, Moons?â
There was a chuckle. âHow could I forget? I ended that weekend with a broken nose.âÂ
âWhat?â Harry exclaimed. âHow do you get a broken nose dancing?â
Both Remus and Sirius broke down in laughter. âYour father,â Sirius said through his giggling, âwas a horrible dancer! If you think a broken nose is bad, how do you think he gave himself two black eyes?â
âWait, so he broke your nose, and he gave himself two black eyes?â
Sirius nodded. âYour mother, though, was almost as good as me. Had the whole thing down before James could even try.âÂ
âPlease,â Remus scoffed. âShe was far better than all of us.â
Draco smiled. He was glad that Harryâs godfathers were able to talk about James and Lily with joy instead of sadness.Â
âWhat about you, Moony?â
Draco could hear the smile in his voice. âI never learned it. Once your father broke my nose, that was it for me.â
Sirius shook his head. âOkay, letâs get this over with.âÂ
That was when the screen turned black, and Draco had to slap a hand over his mouth to stop himself from making a noise that would wake his parents.Â
He tapped on another notification from Harry.Â
If thatâs not us in 20 years, I quit.
-
word count: 542
@wolfstarmicrofic
#wolfstar#wolfstar fanfic#my fic#my writing#remus lupin#sirius black#marauders#marauders era#wolfstar microfic#wolfstar fic#wolfstarmicrofic#drarry#draco malfoy#harry potter#jily#james potter#lily evans#drarry fic#thriller
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You know what Iâm also gonna post that Zosan fic on here cause its too fucking good not to anyways-
Why not let it be me?
Ao3 Link here
Rating: T
Zosan
Word count: 2530
Post thriller bark angst
It was quiet, for once. The boisterous cheering and singing dulled to a snoring lull as the drunk pirates had all collapsed for the night, practically sleeping on top of each other among the rubble of the great ship.
Sanji, however, was not as asleep as the rest. He couldnât stop worrying.
Slowly, his feet shuffled towards the door of the makeshift infirmary, cautiously pushing the splintering oak forward with a groaning creak before slipping inside, wordlessly. His tired, sapphire eyes adjusted swiftly to the darkness, settling on the broken form of the swordsman on the bed, swaddled in bandages and gauze, a choked sound lodging in his throat like bile that refused to come out all the way, sour and vile.
âOh marimo.â He whispered out softly with a sigh, having stubbed his usual cigarette out before entering as he quietly approached the bedside. âWill you wake up soon?â
Softly, he trailed his fingers down Zoroâs limp arm, tracing lazy circles along each wound as he knelt at the bedside, searching the manâs face for any sign of consciousness, though finding nothing but the soft rise and fall of his chest. Well, at least he was actually alive, that was a plus.
Sanji laid his head atop the mattress, his golden hair splaying across the sheets beside Zoro as he ran his knuckles along his body, carefully counting every dip and curve beneath the wrappings, noting how every abnormality was a new gash or broken bone. Tears welled in his eyes as pain tore its claws through his heart, pain and guilt that this should be him in the bed, it should be him laying like this, not the swordsman.
His mind swarmed with flashes of yesterday, of Kuma and his offer before Zoro had knocked him out, of the blurry pain that blossomed across the bruise now settled beneath his ribs matching the shape of Wadoâs hilt, the wheezed protests before his body had crumpled to the ground, his vision fading to nothingness around him. Memories of the panic in his chest when he woke to find Zoro wasnât there, the rush of adrenaline in his lungs as his legs pounded against earth in a desperate attempt to find him, only to come face to face with the disastrous aftermath, the cross-armed swordsman standing as still as a statue in a endless crimson pool of his own blood, waiting.
The way Zoro had looked at him in that moment, no rage or usual bickering to be had from Sanjiâs quips and teases, just stern, hopeless determination as his shaking form barely opened its mouth to speak, replying to only one of Sanjiâs hundreds of questions.
âN-nothing happened.â He had spoken, body crumpling into Sanjiâs the moment the cook had touched him, as if he had been waiting to collapse the entire time, waiting for it to be safe enough to do so.
âNothing happened.â Sanji muttered with a click of his tongue, fingertips curling into the sheets as he snapped back to the present. âNothing happened my ass.â
There was no point in chewing him out right now, and Sanji doubted he could even hear him with how out of it he was. The blondeâs lingering grazes slid down Zoroâs arm towards where his palm lay limp on the mattress beside him, calloused fingertips facing upwards to allow easier bloodflow from the IV Chopper had hooked up.
He was beat beyond what any normal human would ever be able to survive. His beautiful, warm sun-touched skin now looked and felt unfathomably cold and grey, the only color of it being dark specks of clotting black and tarnished rust that was what was left of the blood he had been soaked in. His face seemed peaceful, and unmoving like a corpse, the though sending another pang through Sanjiâs heart as his fingertips tightened into a sharp grasp around Zoroâs fingers, giving a gentle squeeze as he laid his head against the mattress beside the swordsman, his own heart thundering so loud in his chest that he could barely hear the murmur of the otherâs, if it was even there at all.
âSanjiâŚâ Came the soft, squeaky note fo concern from behind followed by the soft but familiar rattle of glass clinking together as the door creaked closed. âI thought I told you to stay out until he recovered, though I understand your concern.â
âSorry, Chopper.â Sanji spoke, almost surprised at the broken crackle to his voice, his cheeks wet and puffy with the liquid that stung at his eyes, tears he wished never fell. âBut I canât leave him. What if⌠what if something happens in the night?â
âSanji, thats why Iâm here.â Chopper sighed, laying a hoof softly on the bloneâs thigh. âTo make sure nothing happens.â
âBut what if it does?â Sanji gasped through a sniffle, his hand tightening around Zoroâs fingers as he watched the faint, but steady, rise and fall of the swordsmanâs bandaged chest. âWhat if it does and he- Chopper⌠what if he doesnât wake up?â
âDonât say things like that!â The reindeer pleaded through tears of his own. âHe wonât die, heâs stable. Iâm monitoring him, but I promise you he wonât die! Although⌠I donât know when heâll wake up, but he will! I know he will.â
âHe has toâŚâ Sanji sighed, threading his fingers together with Zoroâs absently.
A pause fell through the air between the trio as the cookâs grip tightened, his other hand rising to run gentle minstrations theough Zoroâs fuzzy hair as he cradled his head like a lover.
âSani, forgive me for asking but⌠are you and Zoro..?â Chopper began, unsure of how to explain what he knew he was seeing.
âAre we what?â Sanji hoarsed through a whisper, not taking his gaze off the swordsmanâs resting face. âWeâre friends, arenât we? I mean, I know I fight with him a lot, but never seriously. I never wanted something like this to happen. Out of everyone⌠hes my best friend.â
âI seeâŚâ Chopper mused, biting his tongue from speaking the obvious as a long, tired sigh freed itself from his snout and he found himself padding over to the spare blankets. âIn any case, youâll catch a cold if you fall asleep without a blanket. I canât let both of you fall ill! Itâd be wrong of me as a doctor.â
âSo youâll let me stay?â Sanji sniffled, finally turning to look at the little reindeer as Chopper flung a soft, but tattered blanket over his shoulders.
âOf course.â Chopper nodded. âJust dont mess with any of the tubes, and I might wake you up to take his vitals throughout the night.â
âThank you, Chopper.â
âGet some rest now, Sanji. Youâre just as worn out.â
âIâll sleep when he wakes.â Sanji grumbled, choosing instead to thumb across the swordsmanâs knuckles with his soft, well cared for hands, ignoring the huff the doctor sighed as he put some used bottles onto his tray.
âFine, but take care of yourself properly when you get a chance!â Chopper scolded lightly before exiting the room, leaving the two alone once more in favor of treating the others who were still quite injured.
Sanji hardly paid attention to when Chopper had left, instead choosing to sleepily bring Zoroâs limp hand to his lips, gently kissing over each knuckle like a silent prayer to whoever would listen, a prayer hoping that Zoro would wake from whatever battle still raged inside his mind.
âCome back, Zoro.â He murmured to himself, breath ghosting whispers of warmth over the mossheadâs hand and his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier the more he tried to force them open. âCome back to me. I donât⌠I donât know what to do without you. I love you.â
He didnât know how long passed before sleep inevitably sunk its cold, callous claws into him, before his exhaustion ridden lashes shuttered his eyes to the world or before his stiffled sobs stuttered into a soft, sonorous snore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zoro awoke on the early dawn of the third day, his whole body going rigid with the ever gnawing flames of agony that screamed through every fiber of his being, joints sore and bones aching while the stitches beneath his cause itched and stung like a thousand raging bees. Softly, he let out a long, dreary groan as his senses slowly came back to him.
After the fires of touch came the soft jingle of sound, the clinking of a stirring spoon against the edge of a bowl echoed from a table nearby while the faint scent of day-old secondhand smoke nipped at his nostrils. His eyes blinked open slowly, the crumbling ceiling coming into focus before him while his tongue smacked at the bitter taste of old iron at the back of his cotton-dry mouth.
As the swordsman tried to move into a lazy turn, a thousand spikes of pain roared up his spine, sending a soft hiss out from his teeth as the soft sheets underneath him shifted and he came face to face with a sleepy blonde head lain right beside him, a pair of undeniably curly eyebrows in plain view.
âCook..?â He hoarsed, voice feeling entirely unlike his own as he spoke it, realizing the soft sensation caressing his fingertips was that of the plump, glossy lips pressed against his knuckles, a hint of drool pooling at the edge while those flawless, slender fingertips coiled loosely around his hand.
âZoro!â Came the soft, whisper-yell from behind, the tinkling of the metal now ceased entirely as soft hoofbeats padded towards him. âYouâre awake!!â
âChopperâŚ?â Zoro spoke with a groan as he glanced towards the reindeer, eyes wincing at the brightness of the lamp. âGood to see youâre alright⌠what about everyone else? Luffy! Is he?â
âOf course youâd be worried about that! Heâs more than okay.â Chopper chuckled softly, motioning for Zoro to quiet down his excitement before gesturing to Sanjiâs sleeping form. âYou were the one we were most worried about.â
âEven dart-brow was worried?â Zoro grunted, maneuvering more to lay his head closer to the cookâs, admiring every little spiral his golden hair made on the mattress as he gave his hand a gentle squeeze. âHard to believe he of all people would be worried about me.â
âI donât know what happened back there⌠but it really messed with Sanji.â Chopper admitted quietly. âIâve never seen him cry so much before.â
âHe cried..?â
Oh⌠now that took Zoro by surprise, but he could see it now. The faint, puffy redness around his eyes, the salty crust that clung to his lashes, the phantom rivers carved into the rosy hills of his cheeks. The way his grip had clearly been so tight before he went limp with slumber, the soft stain on the mattress beneath his face. Had the swordsmanâs state really done all of this to a chef who claimed to despise him?
âI donât think he thought anyone noticed⌠so I wouldnât bring it up. I donât need you getting into a fight for at least another few weeks! Maybe months with how badly youâre hurt!â
âMh⌠nah Iâll be fine by tomorrow.â Zoro huffed before rolling back into position with a slight wince, absently thumbing over the cookâs knuckles as he got comfortable again.
âZoro!â Chopper scolded, droning on and on about the importance of resting and the severity of his injuries, but Zoro was more consumed by the thoughts that the one he woke up to see first was Sanji of all people.
The lovestruck blonde who called the swordsman a plethora of profanities and the most degrading of insults, who would happily throw his leg up in deranged attacks while growling professions of hatred, the same cook that was now curled up on his knees at his bedside, brows crumpled with worry and cheeks stained with the salt of his tears. Surely, on top of all that, the gentle lips pressed to his knuckle had to be a coincidence, right? Surely, of all people, the cook didnât like him like that, did he?
Surely Sanji didnât love him back.
âChopperâŚâ Came the sluggish, dreary yawn from between the two, interrupting the doctorâs rant. âQuiet down⌠its hardly even dawn and I donât have to make breakfast for a while longer⌠what the hell has got you so worked up?â
âWell, now that sunshine here is finally up, I might be able to get my hand back.â Zoro joked with a low, tremor of a chuckle, drawing that blurry blue gaze upwards until Sanjiâs eyes shot open and he was yanked to attention.
âZoro!â He exclaimed, those bubbly tears welling up again as he stumbled to his feet. âFuck- Zoro youâre awake! Youâre alive!â
âCourse I am curls.â Zoro winced at the sudden uproar of worry that came from the blonde, a soft annoyed scowl darting across his face as he slapped a hand over Sanjiâs babbling mouth. âNow can it! Youâre too loud for how fucking early it is.â
The swordsman half excepted that small gesture to send Sanji into one of his usual upity rants, legs flying and swears spewing from his mouth, so when it didnt come, Zoro wasnât sure why.
Instead, the cookâs soft, supple hands reached up to tenderly grip around Zoroâs wrist, watery eyes averting themself from the swordsman in favor of the ground as he slowly pulled the hand away from his mouth, letting the fingers lazily drag against his plush lips if only for the briefest moment.
âYouâre right, Iâm sorry.â The blonde apologized, really catching Zoro off guard. âI shouldnât be so loud. I just- look, everyone was really worried about you and Luffy wouldnât be the same if you died and so I of course had to make sure you didnât leave us all behind! You have a job on this ship wether you like it or not and I sure as hell am not gonna let you throw it all away for nothing! Zoro, I-â
I care about you.
I couldnât live without you.
I canât see you die when Iâve only begun to want to live.
I love you.
All unspoken against Sanjiâs lips as his confession died in his throat, unable to admit the truth tearing its claws through his heart, unable to admit that for once, his love was a man. A man heâd sworn he hated, a man he refused to bend to, a man that had nearly died in his arms protecting him, a man that was his everything.
âYou⌠what?â Zoro urged, steely gaze locked in on the chefâs figety fingers, his teary lashes and the worried quirk in his brow.
âI need a smoke.â Sanji sighed bluntly, releasing Zoroâs hand from his grip, decidedly unready to say how he truly felt. âAnd to get breakfast ready. Come by later when Chopper is done checking up on you, alright?â
âYeahâŚâ Zoro sighed in response, watching as the chef left for the doorway. âAlright.â
So much for thinking Sanji liked him more than just a rival, Zoro mused to himself.
How stupid could he be thinking it was anything else?
#one piece#roronoa zoro#sanji#zosan#zosan fic#zosan angst fic#zosan thriller bark#thriller bark#post thriller bark#tony tony chopper#black leg sanji#THEY FINALLY IMPLIMENTED THE READ MORE FOR MOBILE HALLELUJAH#zayneâs writing#anyways this scene has been loving in my head rent free
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I'm currently working on part 2 (also the last part) of Trust Me. Once I've finished that, I'm planning on getting to the next chapter of UMMNWD:) Because that'll be a heavy one I decided to finish trust me first so I can easy myself back into writing angst a bit. I apologise if it won't be as good, but I'm trying my best
In case you haven't read it yet, here's chapter 1 <3
(chapter 1 includes heavy spoilers for thriller bark, chapter 2 will include heavy spoilers for WCI!!!)
#one piece#black leg sanji#sanji#vinsmoke sanji#zosan#roronoa zoro#one piece sanji#mugiwara no ichimi#angst#sage's fics#zosan fanfic#zosan fic#thriller bark#whole cake island#ao3 fanfic#one piece fanfiction
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#one piece#sanji#black leg sanji#everysanji#thriller bark#ch450#ouaugh me and my best friend lis have a zombie apocalypse/post apocalypse au for enstars...#i should send thriller bark stuff to him we can change the plot still. ignore that i've posted fics for it#<- you should so ask us about the au if you like alkakurei and ensemble stars. on our art/writing blogs obviously
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This is a romantic thriller featuring T'Challa x Everett Ross. I hope to make this the first in a new anthology featuring various MCU couples.
Rating:
Explicit
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
M/M
Fandoms:
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Black Panther (Marvel Movies)
Relationships:
Everett Ross/T'Challa
Shuri & T'Challa (Marvel)
Everett Ross & Shuri
Okoye & Everett Ross
Ayo & Everett Ross
Ramonda & Shuri & T'Challa (Marvel)
Ramonda & Everett Ross
Characters:
T'Challa (Marvel)
Everett Ross
Shuri (Marvel)
Okoye (Marvel)
Ayo (Marvel)
Ramonda (Marvel)
Original Characters
Additional Tags:
Romantic Thriller
Action & Romance
Violence
Flirting
Humor
Sexual Humor
Sexual Tension
Gay Sex
Psychological Torture
Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Implied/Referenced Murder
Language: English
Read the story here.
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Operation: Save Byleth! - a Black Eagles Spy AU fic
Agent Byleth Eisner is kidnapped by Those Who Slither in the Dark after a mission to destroy nuclear launch codes is botched. Thankfully for Arundel, Byleth knows the codes and he intends on selling those codes to Rhea.
But the Black Eagle Strike Forces leaves no one behind. Edelgard will do everything in her power to save her beloved.
At 1400 hours, the high speed bullet train will depart from Garreg Mach Academy Station to Enbarr. The journey takes thirty minutes. In this time, Arundel (Codename: Thales) will meet with Rhea (Codename: Immaculate One) and make a business transaction. Rheaâs buying nuclear launch codes, Arundel is just taking money.Â
But itâs not that simple. Never is.Â
One month prior, Agent Byleth Eisner was captured by Those Who Slither in the Dark. From insider intel, Team Leader Edelgard von Hresvelg has determined that Byleth is still alive and will be onboard the, sealed off in a capsule that can only be opened by a passcode.
What Rhea doesnât know is the launch codes were destroyed. The only one who knows them is Byleth. Rhea thinks she is buying a stack of papers when really sheâs buying a human vessel. The stakes have never been higher.
Edelgard gets up from her seat at the back of the train. Brown wig and sunglasses. High waisted suit pants and a red blouse to her black blazer. She makes her way through the train. âIs everyone in position?â she whispers.
â Yes! â Bernadetta squeaks, crouched besides Bylethâs container surrounded by mission gear.
â Affirmative, Lady Edelgard  ,â Hubert coos into his mic. â  Dorothea and Petra accounted for as well .â They are a mile out, prepared to steal a helicopter at any given moment.Â
âDonât move until my signal,â Edelgard mutters. âLinhardt?â
â Yes, Â â he feigns a yawn. Heâs the guy in the van. â Â Casparâs practicing his punches but heâs with me .â
âHe doesnât need to practice,â Edelgard snips.
â You tell him that .â
âFine,â Edelgard rolls her eyes and then narrows them. âFerdinand?â
â Yes  ,â Ferdinand says and there is a heavy pause. Everyone waits with bated breath. â  Iâll admit though⌠â
And everyone groans.
Ferdinand continues, â I do not understand why I cannot work on the field. Iâm very good and ââ
âFerdie,â Edelgard hisses between her teeth. âYou are superior to driving a bullet train when compared to me. Please.â
Another pause. â So I am! I shall add this to my list. â
âGood,â Edelgard mutters and steps forward. She almost calls for Bylethâs confirmation out of instinct but she knows itâs futile.Â
Soon my love. Soon .
From afar, Edelgard can see the tops of Arundelâs balding scalp and Rheaâs elegant, emerald hair. Their heads bob up and down, deep in conversation. Quick round of poison darts and itâll look theyâre sleeping like the other passengers. Edelgard steals the briefcase and mission accomplished. She steps forward and something grabs her by the hand. Her shoulders retract like bat wings and she whirls around.Â
âEdelgard?!â Dimitri decrees. He leans back, a fake mustache under his nose. With the thick glasses, he looks ridiculous. âWhat are you doing here? Can you believe it, Claude?â
Edelgard looks back. Arundel shifts to get up and she swipes off her wig, kicking it under Dimitriâs chair. âCompromised, Code Red,â she whispers.Â
Claude raises an eyebrow playfully. âOoh, Big D, whyâd you do that?â
Dimitri blinks. âI donât understand.â
Edelgard could rip his face off. âWhy are you here?â
âOh, Iâm not sure,â Dimitri looks to Claude. âMy good friend, Claude, just asked me to wear this silly outfit and get on a train with him.â
Claude rolls his eyes. âWeâre  working . And so is Edelgard, apparently separate from us.â
Dimitri lets out a hearty chuckle. âWell, there you are. So whatâs the scheme, friends?â
âIâm not working with you,â Edelgard snips.
âBe calm,â Claude grabs Dimitriâs thigh as Arundel appears from behind.
âWhy, if it isnât my favorite nephew,â Arundel says with that usually oily slick that hardly passes for anything kind. âAnd Edelgard. What  are  you doing here?â
Edelgard catches Arundelâs side eye fast. âJust visiting my father in Enbarr.â
Arundel doesnât flinch. âWith your Academy friends? Last I heard, the three of you had a big fight.â
Claude leans, blocking Dimitri out of view. âIt be like that sometimes. We just bumped into each other, and itâs pretty awkward.âÂ
â Edelgard, nooooo! â Bernadetta screams so loud into Edelgardâs radio sheâs afraid Arundel will hear. But if he does, his face stays as smooth as ever.Â
âUncle, we should catch up!â Edelgard smiles. âWe land in ten minutes, it shouldnât be too much of a strain on you.â
Arundel shakes his head and swats at the air in annoyance. âFine.â
He trails ahead and Edelgard follows, silently praying that Berandetta can come up with something â  anything  â else.Â
â Edelgard, Â â Bernadetta. â Â X-Ray glove. Back right pocket. â
Thank God. Bernieâs best when alone and surrounded by her gadgets.
Edelgard smiles to herself and discreetly reaches for it. Itâs a thin screen that fits across her palm, and like an X-Ray, it can see through the surfaces of things itâs on. Powered by heat. She slides into the booth besides Arundel and locks eyes with Rhea, a briefcase on the table between them.Â
Rheaâs baby soft face twists into harsh lines immediately. âEdelgard.â
âYes, yes,â Arundel drawls. âEdelgard. Donât lie to me.â
Rhea leans back with a pleasant smirk, harsh lines already gone. âDid Edelgard used to work for you, Arundel?â
âYes, for a long time,â Arundel coos, playfully scratching Edelgardâs chin like sheâs a cat. âShe resigned after she fell desperately in love with that former ward of yours, Byleth was it?â
Rhea looks like a child sitting on Santaâs lap. âYou have bad taste in partners.â
Edelgard sticks her tongue out.Â
Arundel continues, âAnd in my mercy, I let her live with the request she leaves the country and yet here we are.â
âHere we are,â Rhea repeats.Â
Edelgard sighs.Â
â Tell him you want to work for him again,  â Dorothea says pointblank. Dorothea: Master Masquerader. Perfect partner in crime to Hubert. â  That you realized in your isolation that it was a mistake to walk. âÂ
Edelgard can hear choking in the background of the call. Definitely Hubert chloroforming without the signal.Â
Edelgard looks to Arundel and places one hand on his knuckle and tells him just that.Â
Arundel cocks an eyebrow in amusement. âIs that to?â
âOh please,â Rhea crosses her arms. âDonât tell me youâre falling for that.â
Arundel glows. âRhea, you donât know Edelgard like I do. Sheâs quite proud of herself. Tell me about your friends. Have you kept in touch and are you ready to kill every last one of them?â
Edelgard double takes. âWhy are my friends targets?â
âBecause I  detest  you,â Arundel presses his teeth together. âTell me youâll kill them.â
Edelgard nods and stretches her arms high in the air, itâs incredibly awkward. She yawns and wow, it almost makes her cringe. What a horrible performance.
â I am also a better actor than Edelgard! â Ferdinand chimes in with inspiration.
Roasted. Edelgard rests her elbow on the table, hand falling onto the briefcase. She keeps her body open and vulnerable to Arundel, so he could shoot her if he wanted to.Â
Rhea slaps Edelgardâs hand away from the briefcase. âDonât touch that you awful girl!â
Edelgard retracts her hand, hoping that gave Bernie enough of a reading.Â
In the backroom, Bernadetta drops at least five things as the code flashes on her reader.Â
6-1-9-5-8-0.
She runs to the capsule and begins mashing buttons.  Please be it, please be itâŚ
Mid speech about her new allegiance, there is a soft  click from underneath the table. Only one of Rheaâs hands is visible. She cocks an eyebrow. âArundel, you take Edelgard back to Those Who Slither, and we donât have a deal.â
Arundel turns to Edelgard and laughs. âWell, then. Poo poo to you then, my child. I assume you are about to poison her with that gun.â
âAny sudden movement and yes, I will,â Rhea might as well lick her lips at this point.Â
Edelgard leans back, eyes frosty. âRhea, do you know whatâs in this briefcase?â
âItâs paperwork,â Arundel answers, a little too fast. Ha, Edelgard knew it. She knew Rhea didnât know.
And Rhea notices Arundelâs haste.
Out in the backroom, the code flashes red. Every single time she tries it. 6-1-9-5-8-0. 6-1-9-5-8-0. 6-1-9-5-8-0.
6-1-9-5-8-0.
6-1-9-5-8-0.
6-1-9-5-8-0.
Red red red red red RED RED RED RED.
â Edelgard, I need a second read, â Bernadetta squeaks.
â Hold on  ,â Linhardt cuts in. â  Let me take a look, hold it in front of your cam please. â
Edelgard smiles to herself, and speaks very slowly. âIâd explain Rhea, but unfortunately weâre about to pull up in Enbarr. Â Oh, if only we had more time. â
Up at front, Ferdinand repeats that to himself. âIf only we had more time⌠oh no, she doesnât meanâŚâ
â Yes, Â â Hubert says fast, always first to criticize Ferdinand. â Â Miss the stop .â
âBut I practiced so hard!â Ferdinand whines. âItâs my landings that make me superb atââ
â I will  burn  your tea collection. Oh and Lady Edelgard will die if you donât. â
â...very well.â
âIn the backroom,â Edelgard starts with a coy ass smile. âIs Byleth. Theyâre alive, trapped in a capsule, and they have the nuclear codes. Arundel is merely selling you the code to open that capsule⌠you will need to transport Byleth and get the codes from them.â
Rhea looks to Arundel very slowly and her voice is sharp as icicles. âIs that so.â
â Bernie  ,â Linhardt says, jolting Bernadetta back to reality. â  You had the code upside down. Try again. â
âOh,â Bernieâs face goes so red, at least no one can see. âDonât tell anyone.â
0-8-2-6-1-9.
The capsule opens and Byleth flops forward, landing in Berandettaâs arms, knocking the two of them to the floor.Â
Bernadetta rolls over and looks at them. Theyâre pale, skin sweaty and clammy. Just black slacks and a loose white blouse that looks very lived-in. Itâs what they had on when they got captured. âBylethâŚâ
Bylethâs wide eyes snap open and their limbs move like noodles. âIâm drugged,â they croak, reaching out with their hand. âAdrenaline. Now. While you set it up, explain what happened.â
â Ooh, Caspar, get ready, Â â Linhardt chides. â Â Welcome back, friend. â
Byleth smiles through the pain. âOperation Uppercut?â
Caspar then proceeds to blow out everyoneâs ears with a mighty â OPERATION UPPERCUT HUAAAAH!â
Everyone on the train starts screaming at once as Enbarr station zooms past in view. Both Arundel and Rhea turn to see the commotion, and that gives Edelgard the chance. She slips halfway under the table and wraps her ankles around Rheaâs calves, yanking her under, Rheaâs chin smashing against the table and drawing blood.
âOkay,â Bernadetta winces as she prepares the adrenaline shot. âCaspar, stop swinging! I need them to stay still.â
â Sorry. Excited. â
Bylethâs hands drop to their thighs, encased in iron gloves synced with Caspar in the van. He swings, Byleth swings in sync with him.
It gives Byleth the fighting prowess theyâll need when drugged like this. Even the adrenaline canât help that.Â
Needle goes in and Byleth howls like a Wall Street tycoon reeling from a bump. They pat Bernie on the side and sprint out the door.
Bernadetta goes to a crouch again. âHubert⌠we need the helicopter I think.â
âOf course we do,â Dorothea laughs into her walkie, standing over the dashboard. âSorry, Hubieâs indisposed.â
Besides her, the final security guard is making out hard with Hubertâs poison lips, and then slumps.Â
âI hate leading people on,â Hubert groans, looking out the window. Petraâs already on board and lifting off. âETA five minutes.â
Byleth runs like Hell, stumbling through absolutely everything. But they have speed and they blaze ahead. Even if it takes grabbing onto passing seats to stay afloat, they do it.
Itâs El after all.
Byleth sees Edelgard going hand to hand with Rhea â who of course is an expert grappler â and with Arundel who only knows how to look cool like heâs fighting hand-to-hand.Â
Caspar swings so hard that the punches literally propel Byleth forward, and they make such short work of Arundel, Byleth is embarrassed for them. The guy just bounces around like a ragdoll and hits the floor, bleeding from everywhere he can. People are screaming and backing off as the fight with Rhea gets wild.Â
âByleth!â Dimitri calls out from the back. âByleth, do you see me? Itâs me, Dimitri!âÂ
âD,â Claude whispers. âEven if Edelgard gets what she wants out of this, a shit ton of people are watching. Black Eagle Strike Force is compromised⌠and the jobs go to us.â
Dimitri shoots Claude a look. âClaude.â He holds this gaze for a long time and Claude looks away.
So Dimitri grabs Claude by the chin and makes them lock eyes. âIâm upset with Edelgard too, for refusing to collaborate with us. But sheâs our friend and was under a lot of pressure back then. Have a heart.â
âGod dammit,â Claude says in a tiny voice, and pulls out his briefcase from underneath, and hands Dimitri a gun with a satellite dish on the end. âItâll knock everyone out and wipe memories. Move fast.â
Dimitri holds the gun to his face and nods.
Byleth gets between Rhea and Edelgard, clobbers at Rhea. God they hate Rhea.
Their fists match and crash into each other, and even though Byleth has iron on and Rhea is bare fisted, she just doesnât seem phased.Â
Byleth is pretty sure the woman is on some kind of steroid â and itâs killing the circuitry to the gloves. That becomes obvious when one of their arms just loses all sense of direction and flops over, with the rest of Byleth.Â
Rhea yanks Byleth in by the blouse and trains a regular gun on Edelgardâs head. She smirks. âWhatâs your exit?â
Edelgard doesnât say anything.Â
Byleth coughs and looks over to their beloved El. A long hard look. No tears, just a quiet nod.
âHelicopter,â Edelgard grunts.Â
âGood,â Rhea backs up. âYou follow me. No funny shit. And tell your driver to slow this train down so we donât fall off.â
âFerdie, did you catch that?â Edelgard asks.Â
â Yes, Â â Ferdinand tells her with some sorrow. â Â Edelgard, you are the superior field agent and you will make this work. â
Petra flies over the train, kicking out the rope ladder to run along the carts. She dips down and God this is dangerous. She is  just  skimming the trees but that is what it takes to save Byleth.
She doesnât even know if theyâre coming with her; walkie died when she hit the air.Â
So she sighs with some relief when Byleth stumbles over the top of the train. They all expected Byleth to be drugged up, so that makes sense that they can barely stand.
Though it does fill Petra with rage.Â
And it makes her even more angry when Rhea climbs onto the top, holding something that is almost certainly a gun. She kicks Byleth in the stomach and they roll over, fingers feebly gripping onto the metal plates to hang on.Â
And then Edelgard comes on. The gun is on Edelgard.Â
 âStop hurting them!â Edelgard screams, lunging at Rhea, backing off when the gun levels with her chest. âYouâre awful.â
âEh,â Rhea snarks, lifting Byleth up by the hair.Â
Edelgard winces, fists curled up. There is nothing she can do here.
The rope ladder lowers and Rhea hurls Byleth into it. âClimb, you idiot.â
Byleth hangs there for a second, corpse-like, and then finally starts moving. They climb slowly, but Rhea doesnât seem to mind. Sheâs got the gun, sheâs got the power, and she can still have one hand on the ladder so thereâs no easy out for Petra.
When Rhea feels good, she latches on and waves Petra off.Â
The helicopter pulls away, itâs up to Petra now to save Byleth. Itâs out of Edelgardâs hands.
Fuck thatâs not fair.
Rhea still has a gun, and she catches up with Byleth fast. Petra canât even cut the ladder before Rhea makes it.
A good agent would just crash the helicopter and kill the three of them. Thatâs how Arundel runs his ops, itâs how most people do it.Â
But the Black Eagle Strike Force is different. Petra is different.Â
Edelgard sprints down the train, fighting the velocity that wants to throttle her into roadkill. She uses everything she has and leaps off the train, grabbing onto the bottom rung of the rope ladder, dangling from it as it pulls hundreds of feet into the air.Â
Donât look down , she says as she does that very thing. Her whole body waves in the wind but she is not dying here. She reaches up and grabs the second rung. She pulls up and she moves.Â
Rhea hasnât noticed yet.Â
Edelgard moves far faster than recommended, nearly slipping off five times. But she moves faster than a normal person would and itâs not long before she catches up with Byleth and Rhea, all three of them at the top of the ladder.
Edelgard grips Rheaâs ankle hard, and pulls really fucking hard.
Rhea screams and falls off of Byleth, flying off the ladderâ
âand grips onto Edelgardâs ankle, taking her with her.
The wood burns and shreds Edelgardâs palms as she is torn down the entire rope ladder, but she manages t hold the fuck on. Bleeding palms and all, Edelgard hangs from the bottom rung again, Rhea holding onto Edelgardâs ankle, Rheaâs entire body weighing down on bleeding hands that are about to tear into two.
Edelgard doesnât know what to do. She canât move, her whole body is at capacity. This is it. She looks up, Byleth makes it into the helicopter at least. Good. They deserve to live.Â
And then Byleth leaps out of the helicopter and throttles towards them.
Itâs a massive drop, but Agent Byleth Eisner pulls it off with splender, dropkicking Rhea in her stupid face. Rheaâs scream is ear splitting and can only be heard for a half second before she drops out of range.Â
Byleth catches the final rung at the last minute and thatâs it. Thatâs the mission.
Edelgard glances down. She canât help it, she wants to see that body hit the groundâoh no, maybe she doesnât. Thatâs gross. Donât do that.
She looks to Byleth whose face is twisted in agony.
âI just broke my fucking foot,â Byleth moans. âHoly shit, holy shit, holy shitâŚâ
Edelgard feels the pain too. She grits her teeth and throws her arms through the rung and hooks in by the armpits. It hurts like a bitch, but at least that area of her body isnât torn yet. Theyâll land soon.Â
Edelgard looks to Byleth. âFocus on my eyes, my love.â
Byleth nods through the tears. âI always am, El.â
âIâm here with you,â Edelgard rasps. âWeâreâŚâ
Byleth doesnât let her finish, they just go for the kiss.Â
This is the Black Eagle Strike Force. They do missions that no one else can. Fuck the other spy groups, none of them have regrets. Wait. No. Edelgard⌠does, yeah, she has a regret.
Edelgard looks at the rolling green below, looks at the train. Thinks about the corpse that will be found in a few days. This was Plan  B .Â
There was a Plan A that was so easy and simple. But  someone blew her cover.
Byleth kisses Edelgard again and it makes it hard to think.Â
But Edelgard knows that next time, she is going to text Dimitri and Claude in advance not to show up at her ops.
#fire emblem three houses fic#black eagles#black eagles fic#spy au#spy thriller#fire emblem spy au#edeleth
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a creepy guy who isn't all that creepy- o.bearman
Day 18 of fic-tober! fic-tober masterlist
summary: Why does your cappuccino taste like shit? And why are you being followed by a random 6 foot man?Â
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You walked down the streets of Monaco with a frown on your face. It was raining, and on the rare occasion it rained in Monaco, it fucking poured. You powered through the cold water hitting your skin and manoeuvred your way through the various crowds to your favourite coffee shop. It was a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place. It was cosy, it had good coffee, and usually no one bothered you. You ordered a vanilla cappuccino, knowing that you definitely had somewhere you should be (aka, your office) but you just couldnât sit inside any longer. Fresh out of college and into an office job, it was great, of course, but sometimes the bland office was slightly oppressive to your creativity. You were an author after all. Published at the ripe age of 20. You had your book tour coming up soon, and youâd be busy with family in a few months too, and-
âCappuccino?â the barista, Martha (yes, you were on a first name basis with the staff, you frequented a lot) called out. Quickly, you swiped the cup and rushed off, hopeful that your manager wouldnât mention how long you were gone.Â
âSorry?â a British voice called out behind you, but you ignored it. There was a British guy there, some name starting with L, who tried to ask for your number, and refused to take no for an answer, so you moved on assuming it was him.Â
Onward you went, trudging down the almost empty streets, your headphones in. You took a sip of your drink and instead of the usual vanilla foam and black coffee goodness, you were met with a bland black coffee and regular foam. Well, you couldnât fault them too much, maybe it was their subtle way to tell you to stop ordering the same thing everyday? You werenât sure. Regardless, you continued on your path, a feeling of unease growing in your stomach as you noticed the tall man behind you, following.Â
You sped up, took your keys out-
âSorry, I donât mean to intrude, I think I picked up your coffee by accident?â A British voice spoke from beside you.
Oh. Not so creepy then. Just a mix up.Â
âFucking hell!â you gasped. âWere you not taught to not sneak up on people?â
He guiltily smiled. âI did try to call you in the coffee shop, but you walked offâŚâ
âOh,â you nodded. You took the lid off of your coffee and handed him the cup. He handed you his without the lid. You took a quick sip to find that it was in fact your vanilla cappuccino.Â
A bright smile spread across your face. He smiled too.Â
âSorry about that,â you smiled.Â
âIâm sorry too,â he apologised. âDo I know you from somewhere?â
You shrugged. âRead a lot of thriller fiction?â
âYouâre Y/n Y/l/n!â he exclaimed. âYes! I love your books.â
You nodded, it still shocked you that people read your books. âThank you.â
âSorry, this is probably weird,â he shook his head, embarrassed. âCan you sign my book please?â
He quickly grabbed your latest release out of his backpack with a sharpie, and looked at you with a crooked smile.Â
You obliged, as you often did with fans. âWhatâs your name?â
âOllie, Ollie Bearman,â he smiled.Â
You turned to him. âI know you too! Youâre incredible!âÂ
He looked at you in surprise. âYou watch F1?â
âYeah,â you stated like it was obvious. âYou were incredible on your debut, and in Baku.â
He blushed slightly, and you smiled. âThank you very much.â
You finished signing his book then handed it back. âI guess Iâll see you on the track next year,â you smiled. âGood luck.âÂ
And with that you walked on. He peeked inside his book to find your personal phone number with a note that said âcall me xxxâ and smirked.Â
Who knew messing up a coffee order could go so well?
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Heart's Detour | Jeon Jungkook
SUMMARY: there has been a rise in kidnapping cases in town, and your brother feared for your safety and decided to send someone who would keep you safe in the meantime. what you least expected was that the biker gang's leader was the one your brother had gotten for you, thinking that this could probably be the biggest mistake you'll ever make in your life.
PAIRING: biker!Jungkook x afab!reader (feat. lieutenant!Seokjin)
GENRE: biker au, angst, crime, fluff, thriller, slight suggestive
WARNINGS: nc-17, flirty & delulu kookie đđ, slow-burn, pet names (sweetheart, princess, kitten), violence, action scenes (certain parts may contain slight bit of gory content), mentions of weaponary (guns), minor characters death, blood, betrayal, mentions of crime (kidnapping and human trafficking), slight mention about sex, traumatic backstories, mentions about mental well-being/health, Jungkook is shirtless at one point đ, kissing, making out, yn also flirts back but it's only to keep Jungkook in place đŤĄ
WORD COUNT: 22,779
A/N: my very first bangtan fic!! if you thought this seems familiar, it's bcs i have written this originally for tbz Sunwoo which you can access here !! i just love this baby so much and somehow...kookie just fits the story too well. so here it is & i hope you'll enjoy!
âOh my god, you look like my next big mistake.âÂ
That was the first thing that escaped right out of your mouth as the familiar figure pulled into the driveway. You already knew who it wasâthat black leather jacket, the black helmet that covered his breathtaking look (as much as you didnât want to admit it), and the slightly worn-out boots he always wore.Â
It was the moment he took his helmet off and shook his hair to clear his vision so that he would always look straight at you and smile before you decided to ruin the mood.Â
âNow thatâs just rude. I was nice enough to accept your brotherâs request to come pick you up.âÂ
âWhat makes you think Iâd go with you, Jungkook? Youâre one of our district's most dangerous human beings,â you deadpanned.Â
âLook sweetheart, itâs either you hop on, or Iâll leave you behind. For your information, I would still drag your ass to ride my baby because I would not want to be fed to the hound dogs by your brother.âÂ
With his reply, you quickly glanced around the area you were in to find that it was dead silent and empty and that it was already going to be midnight as you glanced at your watch. Knowing that you didnât have a choice, you reluctantly grabbed the helmet Jungkook was extending to you and placed it over your head.Â
He smirked at your reaction, knowing very well how he was the only option to get back home. Before he did the same, he hopped back into his vehicle.Â
âGrab on.â That was the last thing he said before covering down his face shield as he started the engine. As you gently wrapped your arms around his wrist, he gave the throttle a few twists. Instantly, the bike propelled forward, and you were both on the road.Â
It wasnât unusual for your brother Seokjin to cancel on you and be unable to pick you up from your job location on the city's outskirts. You knew deep down that he was always busy with his job back at the station. He was one of the lieutenants of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department, after all. When duty calls, he has to stay behind and arrange transport for you instead.
You have repeatedly reassured him that you could take the bus back home or figure out how to deal with matters like this on your own. However, your brother insisted that you were not to take the public transport back as there has been a sudden rise in crimes in the city.Â
Additionally, the town you resided in was infamous for the biker gangs, the one that the man in front of you was part of. Nobody dared to come close to them, fearing for their lives as they were capable of doing the worst possible things you couldâve imagined. But it was part of their persona that they always kept up with, as it helped them stay safe from potential dangers or threats against them.Â
Hence, you have never understood why your brother, who was part of the police force, would associate with a man like Jeon Jungkook. As far as you and the public knew, he was the leader of the biker gang in Seoul. As soon as his name was mentioned, the public would keep a distance and fear the man himself. But because of how often you have interacted with the man, you find him to be the complete opposite of the image he painted towards the public.Â
In reality, he was a goofy guy and not as terrifying nor harmful as the public had determined him to be. He was careless at times, getting all ahead of himself, which completely paints the picture of him being delusional. At times, you would tease him about something, and that was when you realised he gets scared easily. Talk to him about a ghost story, and you can guarantee that he was going to piss his pants even before you even reached the climax of your story.Â
In other words, he always looked out for you in your brotherâs absence, and he would lurk behind the shadows somewhere, ensuring you would be all alright. You were pretty sure that he probably signed some sort of deal or contract with your brother to do so because who were they to spend most of their life looking out for a young adult like you?Â
You were definitely grateful for that, as much as you would never admit it straight up to Jungkookâs face; you just couldnât understand why a biker leader like him would associate with you and your brother.Â
As you both rode for a bit, you eventually found yourselves back in the heart of Seoul. There was something about riding a bike as you took in the breathtaking view as the wind rushed past your tousling hair, sending this thrilling sensation down your spine.Â
If you were with a complete stranger, it would have set off so many alarms in your mind because of the multiple biker stories you have heard from the news and your brother.Â
But somehow, for some reason, riding with Jungkook has always made you feel comfortable and safe.Â
Perhaps it was why you decided to hop on with him in the first place. It was your first time riding his bike with him, yet you werenât too mad about the idea. In fact, you were kind of grateful that your brother set up such arrangements.Â
It didnât take you both long enough before Jungkook eventually dropped you off right at your doorstep. You got off the bike with ease and handed the helmet back to him as you walked up to your front door porch. Right before you decided to turn the doorknob to open the door, you turned your head back to see that Jungkook was still there looking at you.
âYouâre not going to kidnap me, arenât you?âÂ
âCome on, you actually think that Iâm a pervert? What makes you think so, sweetheart?âÂ
âMany reasons,â you spat. Â
âRude.âÂ
âIâll take that.âÂ
âWell, now that youâre back home safe and sound, Iâll finally take my leave. Let your brother know about it.âÂ
With one final glance, he lifted his feet on the ground back up to his bike before twisting the throttle again to give his motorcycle an immediate surge of power, and he sped quickly out from your neighbourhood.Â
As you got into the comforts of your home, you made yourself comfortable before sending your brother Seokjin a text to tell him that you were safe and sound before tucking yourself into bed.Â
Throughout the night, you just couldnât help but ponder why the bikerâs leader would actually care or even listen to the law enforcement to escort you back home. He couldnât have cared less and certainly had much more pressing matters than dealing with a young adult like you.Â
As you tossed and turned in your bed, that question remained in your mind, keeping you wide awake all night.Â
Jeon Jungkook, just who or what exactly are you?
âSo youâre my personal babysitter now?âÂ
You were chilling at your local coffee shop, rushing up your remaining assignments due the following week. You were still a university student before your part-time job and had no choice but to sacrifice most of your sleep and free time to deal with pressing matters.Â
Just as you were typing away on your laptop, a familiar figure suddenly approached you with two cups of iced macchiato in both hands before he plopped down on the seat right across you and handed you one of the drinks. You raised an eyebrow at him, making him stop sipping his coffee away.Â
âBrotherâs orders,â he replied.
You had no idea why exactly Seokjin was doing all of this. In fact, he hasnât been coming home much for the past week as he had been caught up with work at his station, which is also where you assumed he was sleeping for the time being. During his absence, the infamous biker leader sitting in front of you has been personally coming to pick you up from work every single day.Â
You thought that since you were off to focus on your studies this whole week, you would finally take a break from the delusional man himself. It turns out you were wrong, and he was here with you in the coffee shop you once called your comfort place.Â
You didnât entirely hate this guy, though; it was more of questioning why he was associating with you more often now as one of the townâs most feared individuals. Naturally, that also caused the people around you to give you the side-eye or just avoid you like the plague, all thanks to the one and only Jeon Jungkook.
There was a moment of silence between you two as you continued typing away on your laptop. It wasnât long before the male bent over to peek at your laptop screen to see what you were working with.Â
âDonât even bother helping me," you replied bluntly.Â
âYou never know I might be an expert in your field of work.âÂ
You sighed. âJeon Jungkook. Itâs literature.âÂ
âWell, I wouldnât be the biker gang leader for no reason. Iâve got great communication skills, after all.âÂ
âFor your information, itâs about writing a 2000 essay review on William Shakespeareâs Romeo and Juliet.âÂ
Upon hearing the novel's name, he immediately grinned widely before scooting his chair closer to you, giving you this puppy look that he was now very intrigued by your work.Â
âOh my god, Romeo and Juliet is my absolute favourite! Mark my words when I tell you I am a huge fan of romance novels or TV shows!âÂ
You sighed in defeat when he began reading the essay that you have written so far; you could tell that he was the type not to let go of something that piqued his interest. He was even reading it very diligently, and you couldnât help but chuckle at that sight.Â
âHey, donât look down on me. Just so you know, I aced all of my tests back in school and was a model student.âÂ
âHmm, questionable, but I will take that.âÂ
Just like that, the time seemed to pass as quickly as possible, and you were even surprised by how much knowledge he had about the classic novella itself. It was intriguing to find out that he got invested in the topic and was able to help you brainstorm specific ideas that you could add on to make your essay much more sophisticated.Â
Right when you were about to type away to finish up the final parts of your essay, you suddenly felt a little tap on your shoulders, which made you turn your head back to see who it was. Once you laid your eyes upon them, you quickly shot up from your chair and gave them a big hug.Â
âKisa! Where exactly have you been? Everyone at work has missed you so badly.â You hugged your former co-worker tightly, rubbing your cheeks together even as it had been months since you had last seen each other.Â
âI know. Things have been rough recently, and I had no choice but to take a short leave.âÂ
âYou could have at least told us what was going on, Kisa. Werenât we all your closest buds around town?âÂ
She chuckled. âI guess.âÂ
There was a little awkward moment of silence between you two, which you thought was a bit odd as Kisa used to be an excellent talker who would always have a topic ready up her sleeves. You quickly examined the look in her eyes, and you could tell that something was off; it almost felt as if she was trying to tell you something, but she couldnât for some reason.
Hence, you decided to ask her. âHey Kisa, is everything alrightââ
âYou know, Y/N! There is this new cafe right towards the end of the street where we could go that serves your favourite croffles. Itâs been a while, so why donât we catch up for a bit?â Kisa asked rather hastily.Â
You could sense that something was off from her tone of voice and speech, and you desperately wanted to find out at this point.Â
âYeah, of course! Letâs head offââ
âIâm sorry, but she wonât be able to join you today.âÂ
Immediately, Jungkook grabbed your wrist, pulled you back towards him and wrapped his hands around your shoulders.Â
âYou see, Y/N is actually on a date with me today. Perhaps the both of you could do it some other time? I apologise for that, Miss.â Jungkook replied with a smile on his face, and that immediately made Kisa back off.Â
âY-Yeah, of course! Iâm so sorry to have bothered you, Y/N. Iâll see you sometime again soon!âÂ
Instantly, Kisa turned her heel and dashed towards the front door. Just like that, your co-worker you havenât seen for months disappeared into thin air once again. You quickly darted your face back to Jungkook, trying to interrogate him as to why on earth he had done what he did.Â
âJeon Jungkook, I knew you were delusional, but that doesnât mean you could do that to meââ
âLetâs get out of here.âÂ
Jungkook immediately cut you off and quickly helped take all your belongings for you as he pushed you towards the front door, right towards his bike. Once you both had strapped on, Jungkook immediately took speed and quickly drove away. During the entire ride home, it was obvious that he knew or saw something, as you felt his whole body was all tense up as you wrapped your arms around him.Â
He was awfully quiet too, not even sparring a glance back at you during the journey, and that alone was weird enough for you since he would always joke around and shout aloud amidst the busy traffic to make sure that you were still able to converse with him.Â
But no, not this time.Â
Once he dropped you off at your front porch, he kept scanning the area around your house and wouldnât even try to speak with you. When you finally removed the helmet and handed it back to him, he quickly grabbed your wrist again, and his grip tightened against yours.Â
âWhatever you do, stay at home for now. Do not leave unless it is me or your brother who answers the door,â he spoke firmly, making sure you get that through your head before he finally let go of your grip.
This was the infamous biker leader you grew up listening to rumours about how he was cold in reality, and as to why so many people were terrified of him. There was this aura around this man, and that whatever came out from his mouth, he meant business, and he wasnât the type to joke around when he set his mind on something. It was also the deathly cold stare he gave that scared so many people, including you right now as you witness them firsthand in person.Â
Giving him a little nod, he lets go of your grip so you can finally head up to open your locked front door. Once you had turned the doorknob and taken your first step in, you glanced behind again to see that he was still giving you that cold death stare. To be honest, it terrified you a little, and you knew that you couldnât ask what the whole fiasco happened back at the cafe, at least not for now.Â
With that, you walked right into the comforts of your house and closed the door shut, eyes still glued towards that cold death stare from the biker leader. You tried your best to distract yourself by cleaning up the house a little and getting yourself all cosy and ready for bed while sparing a few glances at your windows to see that Jungkook was still there, staring directly at your house, or rather, at you.Â
It wasnât until the clock finally struck midnight that Jungkook decided it was time to leave you alone as he drove off and disappeared.
Whatever happened today was enough for you to finally conclude that something was up, and you needed to know. It surely must not have just been a pure coincidence that Jungkook has been popping up in your life just like that out of the blue, and how your brother actually trusted him and asked that he took care of you in his place, and with what happened today at the cafe with Kisa.Â
Something was definitely up, and you needed answers. Immediately.
You couldnât care less if you were to be scolded by your big brother. When you woke up this morning, you quickly called for a taxi to take you to your brotherâs station. It took a while to convince the ones at the reception that your brother was one of the lieutenants, so they had to call Seokjin and make him personally come down to escort you.Â
Seokjin's eyes widened upon seeing you, but the moment he saw your face, he knew that you came here for a good reason and that you werenât just here for a visit.Â
After passing through the multiple securities, you finally ended up in his office on one of the top floors. Luckily, things werenât too busy, so your brother had some time to spare with you.Â
âHey sis, Iâm sorry I havenât been able to come home lately nor pick you up from work. Itâs just that I have had so many cases to deal withââ
âSeokjin, I need answers.â You cut him off.Â
It was the look that you had in your eyes that made it absolutely clear to Seokjin that you werenât leaving until you had the answers that you desperately wanted. It has always been like this for you, even when you were a child. You were persistent and would do anything to get whatever you wanted. With you seated on the couch in his office, you leaned back slightly and crossed your arms and legs, indirectly telling your brother to do the same.
Seokjin let out a deep sigh before he finally got himself comfortable and placed a hot cup of freshly brewed tea he had made just for you right onto the table, pushing it towards you before he finally sat down across the couch from you.
It took a moment for him to rub his palms together before lifting up his face to look directly at you.Â
âY/N, please know that Iâm doing everything I can to keep you safe at all timesââ
âNot that, Seokjin. Just cut to the chase, please.âÂ
âItâsâŚwell, long story short, there have been multiple cases of young girls who have been going missing for the past couple of weeks. And we have been searching high and low for clues but to no avail.â He furrowed his eyebrows as he finally spat out what had been bugging him for weeks.Â
âOkay? And what does that have to do with you sending the infamous Jeon Jungkook to care for me?âÂ
âYouâll be needing him, Y/N. I promise he will surely be looking out for you, no matter what.â
âWell, thatâs reassuring to know. But why, Seokjin? Since when have you ever associated yourself with a dangerous man like him?â You questioned.Â
This time, you could tell that your brother was slightly hesitant in his next words and struggled to come up with possible answers that would please your curiosity.Â
âThatâsâŚsomething I canât say for now. But you will eventually find out yourself soon.âÂ
You scoffed before standing up and raising your voice towards your brother. âSeokjin, I came all the way out here to hear answers from you, my own brother. The fact that what happened at the cafe last night was odd enough, to the point that Jungkook even gave me this death stare warning me as if I may be in danger or something. I have no idea what exactly you both are planning, but you better tell me everything from the beginning for Godâs sake, right this second.âÂ
There was this apologetic look in his eyes as he stared right back at your now-turning-red face, standing up and placing both hands on your shoulders, trying to calm you down. It was then, all of a sudden, that there was a knock on his door, and he instructed whoever it was to come in. It was one of his subordinates, and he was summoned to the chiefâs office to discuss the missing cases further.Â
Before Seokjin left the room, he turned back to grab his jacket quickly and hastily put it on while speaking to you for one last time.Â
âStay here, Y/N. Iâll drop you back home after Iâm done with this meeting. Iâll try my best to return as soon as possible.âÂ
Within seconds, Seokjin and his subordinate rushed out of the room and closed the door shut. Now that your brother was gone, there was no way that you would just sit back and relax, knowing that there have been cases of young girls going missing around town. You needed to learn more about this, even if your brother isnât willing to tell you anything more about it.Â
You decided to salvage through his work desk, opening up each cabinet to see if you could find anything useful regarding the case. Scanning through the multiple files that he had kept away nicely, it seemed as if your brother might have taken the file that contained potential evidence or information about the missing girls, so you were left with nothing that could give you a bit of an insight to what exactly was going around in town.
That was until you discovered a little slip of paper peeking through one of the files.Â
You quickly took it out from the folder, and a smirk began to form on your face as you read through the information on that little piece of paper.Â
âIf youâre not going to tell me, Seokjin, Iâll figure all this out myself then.âÂ
With the last remaining pocket money you had, you managed to hail a taxi to bring you to the specified location that was written on that little piece of paper. However, you gave the driver a slightly different route than the one from the paper, for you knew that no ordinary citizen would ever step foot within the infamous territory.
The moment you stepped out of the vehicle, you assumed that you would be walking for about a good ten minutes before you were able to arrive at the exact location. You didnât mind that in the slightest bitâyou just needed to find the right person to ask the questions that have been gruelling in the back of your mind.Â
The walk towards the location wasnât exactly smooth as you had to pass through the woods to get there undetected. It was already dark out then, so you had to rely on your handy-dandy torchlight from your phone to guide you through the woods. It felt eerie, and the crackling sounds as you stepped on the branches scattered across the ground didnât help in the slightest bit.
But you had to remind yourself that you came here constantly for a purpose: no matter what, you werenât going home empty-handed. With the best of your abilities, you pushed through and eventually, arrived after almost an hour of walking, where, in reality, it wouldâve taken you ten minutes if you didnât spend most of the time getting lost in the woods.Â
What mattered was that you were finally at the location, and upon first inspection, it was a vast empty parking lot filled with motorcycles from one end to another. Thankfully, there were multiple huge metal transport boxes that filled the area, so you sneakily stepped out from the woods and ran to the closest one to hide.Â
You decided to sneak your head out a little and peek through the corners of the box, and as expected, you were able to spot several individuals towards the far end of the parking lot. Some of them were leaning against their bikes as they drank to their heartâs content while chatting away, while others were ultimately passed out and fast asleep in the empty garage at the centre.Â
Judging from the location you were at now, it was nearly impossible to hear precisely what those individuals were talking about. If you want to get your hands on concrete evidence, you have got to move closer.Â
With a quick dash, you ran towards box by box while trying your best to be undetected. Each time you managed to get from one box to another, you always gave yourself a quiet sigh of relief and tried your best to calm your beating heart down.Â
Okay, just a few more boxes to go. I can do thisâ
Instantly, someone came up from behind to cup your mouth with their hands while the other was wrapped around your chest, trying to calm your muffling sounds down.Â
âWhat in Godâs mind were you even thinking of stepping foot in this place?â
That voice. It belonged to the person you have been longing to find in the first place.Â
âJ-Jungkook,â you muffled as his hands still cupped your mouth.Â
At that moment, both of you heard footsteps coming closer to where you were and knew you were about to be cornered. There was no reason for an outsider like you to be present in the biker gangâs territory, and you would pretty much be skinned alive if you were to be found.
Time was ticking, and you needed to think of a way to get out of here undetected.Â
But thankfully, it seemed as if Jungkook had everything under control.Â
Or so you thought.Â
Just when the few bikers came around the corner, a loud gasp came from them as they witnessed the sight beyond them. Never in a million years would they have caught their boss making out with some random stranger in their base.
âU-Uh, boss? What exactly is going on?â One of the bikers stammered, hoping that the question asked wouldnât get him into trouble.Â
It took a few seconds for Jungkook to turn his head to look at them with his face looking like a mess as if he had just had a steamy kissing session with whoever he was with, as he was also trying his best to protect your identity by pushing your head down towards the crook of his neck.Â
The bikers gulped at the sight, but Jungkook quickly gave them a plausible answer for now.Â
âYou see, this little one has gotten some valuable information from us, and Iâm just doing a favour to get them cough up whatever shit that they know and to ruin them a little bit for some fun.â He smirked.Â
That was enough to shut the bikers up, and then they quickly brushed it off, telling their boss that they would get a quick smoke to loosen up a bit. As they finally walked away and the coast was clear, Jungkook immediately lifted your head to get you to face him directly. He could tell you were beyond speechless and there was this unreadable emotion on your face.Â
Confused? Mad? Upset? Maybe all of it at once.Â
But that didnât stop him from dragging you out of that place as he quickly brought you back into the woods, going through the dark passageway once again until you both ended up back on the road you originally came from.Â
That was when you finally freed yourself from his grasp, and you began raising your voice at him, even if you didnât mean to.Â
You didnât know what you were feeling at this point eitherâone thing for sure is that you definitely felt overwhelmed by everything that was happening. As much as you tried to open your mouth, the words wouldnât come straight out. With that, Jungkook decided to help you finish your sentence instead.
âAdmit it, you liked my kiss.âÂ
Your eyes widened. âWhat the actual bullshit, Jeon Jungkook.â
âSo now you can talk.âÂ
God, this was starting to get to your head badly, and there was just so much vulgar language that you wanted to throw at the man in front of you. But it seems that Jungkook was once a step ahead of you.Â
âYouâre up to no good, princess.âÂ
âWhat do you even know, Jungkook-â
âI have a pretty good guess that you came without telling your brother, or rather, against his orders.âÂ
You absolutely hated that Jungkook knew precisely what was going on in your mind and how he could read you perfectly. It was as if you were just plain as dayâyour discreet movements or actions youâve tried to keep secret will always be revealed quickly against your own will.Â
Eventually, you decided to give in. âFine. I did.âÂ
âNow, someone is not being a good sibling, arenât they? Might have to report back to big brother Seokjin, and someoneâs going to get some timeoutââ
Before Jungkook could finish his sentence, you quickly stomped towards him and grabbed his collar, seemingly shutting him up for a moment.
âYouâre going to tell me everything. Every single detail, Jeon Jungkook.âÂ
Jungkook already had a good guess as to why you were here in the first place. You came to find him and took the risk of visiting his hideout written on the piece of paper you found in Seokjinâs office. Mentally, he was throwing curses at your brother for not spilling the details because now he was the one who was going to do it instead.Â
Kim Seokjin, I sincerely hope that your microwave is going to break down so that you will be having cold meals for a period of time and that you will get your ass kicked by your CEO for not having much progress in the missing cases.Â
From your not-so-nice friend, Jeon Jungkook.Â
As much as you almost exerted this fiery aura, Jungkook did not flinch in the slightest. He was used to things like this anyway; he was the biker gangâs leader after all. Instead, he grinned back at you.
âYou clearly have lost your mind thinking that you can manipulate the biker leader to spill out the deeds for you. It seems that you have not experienced why exactly the public fear about us, Y/N.âÂ
This time, he slowly takes a step forward little by little, and you slowly begin to back off while your hands remain on the collar of his shirt.Â
âLet me tell you a little something, Y/N. The moment when you stepped within our territory, you were just as good as dead meat.â Jungkook continued.Â
Another step forward.
âDo you know why the public fear us, Y/N? We are predators. And predators hunt for prey who messes with us.âÂ
Another step forward.Â
âAnd you little innocent citizens of Seoul have officially become our prey because no one messes with us. I mean, no one. You have chosen death when you decided even to come close to us.âÂ
Another step forward.Â
âSo you might as well say your last words before I devour you up, hmm?â Jungkook then stops at his track as he leans forward so that both of your faces are mere inches away, and he closes his eyes while giving you the biggest smile you have seen just yet.Â
That alone was enough to shake you to your core.Â
It was just as portrayed in books and TV shows, on how smiles make the villains ten times worse than they are. When a villain smiles, you drop everything and run for it.Â
If only that were what exactly you did.Â
You straighten your posture before you spit back at him. âYou wonât have the guts to do that to me, Jeon Jungkook.âÂ
âAnd what makes you think that, sweetheart?âÂ
âBecause you love me,â you spat.Â
Upon hearing those words, the smile immediately fell from his face, and a shocked expression replaced it. Jungkook quickly backed off and took a few steps back away from you.Â
Bingo.Â
âN-No, I donât.â Jungkook chuckled.Â
âJokes on you, young manâyou were literally head over heels for me, thatâs why you agreed to babysit me in the first place.âÂ
You instantly noticed how flushed his face was getting as he quickly cupped both sides of his face with his hands, trying to calm the heat down. But that did not stop you from moving towards him now as you continued taunting him.Â
âYou know, I think your fellow bikers would be delighted to hear that their boss was in love with a commoner like me, donât you think? Iâm sure the biker community loves to hear romance since you boys have been angsty all year.âÂ
âNo no no! Not the biker community! Iâm supposed to be a cool leader everyone looks up to and worship goddamit!â He was now covering his ears like a little child.Â
Oh, Jeon Jungkook, you indeed are such a sucker for romance.Â
Finally, you took the final steps and stood before him, placing both hands upon his shoulders, and you returned a devilish smile.Â
âI think someoneâs got a good explanation to do before I feed him to my brotherâs hound dogs back at the station.â
âKim Y/N, I absolutely would love to ruin your makeup right now.âÂ
âJeon Jungkook, I absolutely would love to throw you straight into the river right now.âÂ
After that confrontation on the empty road, you both decided to take this whole conversation elsewhere before any of the bikers made their way out to confront you two again.Â
So you hopped back onto Jungkookâs bike and drove a little to the well-known spot in Seoul, Han River.Â
Since Jungkook had barely recovered from your counterattack before, he was clearly distracted as he droved through the city, constantly putting out this pout and sulky expression on his face, making you want to tease him more.
Occasionally, you would purposely snake your hands up to his abdomen to his chest, which made the male squirm and his body tense upon the contact, making him cry out loud, for Godâs sake, and somehow apologise throughout the entire ride.Â
The moment you both got to the river, Jungkook immediately asked you to get out of his vehicle while trying to calm his pounding chest down. Unfortunately, you were nowhere near done wrecking the bike leader, so you snaked your arms around him as you dragged him out from his bike, taking them down to one of the stairs facing the river.Â
Jungkook was not in the right mind and was trying his best to counterattack, which at one point he did. But thanks to the taekwondo classes you took back in the day, you quickly turned the tables around.
So now Jeon Jungkook was the one pinned to the ground while you were hovering above him, pinning both his hands above his head while your legs kept his in place, leaving him no room to move around.Â
âIf only being delusional wasnât my weakness, I swear Y/NâŚâ
âTell that to the ones who created you. They were the ones to cast this spell upon you.âÂ
âWhat do I get if I tell you the truth?â
You paused for a moment. What were you going to repay him exactly?Â
But since you were already keeping up with this facade a couple of hours ago, you might as well continue the seeds that you have planted.
âA kiss from me to you.âÂ
Upon hearing those words, the male smirked before finally closing his eyes and let loose his body slightly.Â
âFine, Y/N. You win.âÂ
With that, you also did the same by slowly releasing your grip on his arms, knowing well how he wouldnât be counterattacking you soon.Â
âWhat I am about to tell you, Y/N⌠Iâm not exactly sure if youâre able to stomach it all, to be honest.âÂ
âNothing as bad as the cases that my brother has done, I bet.âÂ
âFair. Your brother deals with brutal homicide cases, after all.âÂ
Jungkook then propped himself up, and you decided to give him some space by getting off him and sitting cross-legged at his side. It took Jungkook a moment to gather his thoughts before finally telling you the whole story.Â
âY/N, did you realise why I dragged you away on that day you met that co-worker of yours?âÂ
âYou meant Kisa?âÂ
âDid you notice anything strange about her?â
âWell, yeah I kind of did. Her demeanour was setting off many red flags in my mind for sure,â you replied. The thought about Kisa once again made you frown; you have been constantly worrying about her since that day.
âIâll tell you right now that she is one of the girls who had gone missing for the past couple of months.âÂ
Missing? Is she related to the missing person cases that your brother was dealing with then?Â
âThe fact that she has reappeared all of a sudden was strange enough, and luckily, I noticed a barcode tattooed right behind her ear.âÂ
Barcode? What exactly was going on?Â
Jungkook noticed how perplexed you were with the whole situation and sighed before continuing with his words.Â
âY/N, I think you do know what happens when someone is tattooed with a barcode on different parts of their body, donât you?âÂ
No. It canât be. You knew exactly what it meant, but you wouldnât have expected it to happen to someone close to you, let alone to one who has suddenly disappeared from your radar, only for them to reappear out of the blue.Â
âNo, you donât mean it.âÂ
âCome on, Y/N. You know exactly how crime works in Seoul, especially in our districtâitâs corrupted, and plenty of cases like this go unnoticed because the culprits can often get away undetected.âÂ
That canât be trueâyou absolutely canât accept the fact that Kisa was a victim of human trafficking.Â
You slowly began to stammer in your speech. âS-So, you basically saved my life back there and then.âÂ
âIf you want to put it that way, I guess I did.âÂ
This time, Jungkook decided to scooch a little bit closer to you, and the tone in his voice dropped as if he was now whispering what crucial detail he was about to say next.Â
âY/N, why did you think your brother made a deal with me to follow you wherever you go?âÂ
You decided to break the tension in the air slightly by making a little joke. âIâd like to think it was your idea instead because you have committed to being my stalker.âÂ
âCalling me a stalker is flat-out rude, Y/N. Especially after all that I have done for you,â he sulked.
You were glad Jungkook could still joke around with you slightly to ease the tension.Â
âFine, to keep me safe then.âÂ
âThatâs one for sure, but also because we made a pact to crack these cold cases together without the superiors in the station knowing a thing about this.âÂ
Huh. âSo youâre a biker detective now?âÂ
âYeah, a very cool one at that too. I saved your life not once but twice. Seokjin should give me a pay raise, letâs be honest.âÂ
âWhat do you mean you actually suck at your job. You have to have someoneâs consent first before you start making out with them, especially in public.â You slightly blushed at that comment. You certainly weren't going to tell him that he took your first kiss away, and you hoped that your surroundings were dark enough so that Jungkook wasnât able to see clearly that your ears were beginning to look bright red as a tomato right now.
Unfortunately for you, he was a romance fanatic, so obviously, he could tell that you were embarrassed to say all of that. It was his sign to strike back now.
âOh honey, that kiss was a little extra from your care package that your brother signed you up for. You should be grateful that you get an extra treatment from me.â He took a string of your hair and started twirling around his fingers.Â
ââŚ.shut up.â You muttered.
Oh god, how much he was enjoying this whole moment right there.
The next thing that happened was that he moved closer again and cupped both of your cheeks with his hands before leaning his forhead against yours.Â
âWhat in the world are you even thinking of doingââ
âY/N, listen to me closely about what I am about to say next, and I will only say it once.âÂ
That made all of the embarrassment from earlier die down. Judging from the look in his eyes, you knew things were about to get serious next.
âAnother reason why your brother personally asked for me to care for you for the time being was because he knew that something bad was going to happen real soon.âÂ
âSomething bad?âÂ
âYou see, we have been working together on this case for months now. With our thorough investigations, itâs clear that whoever was the mastermind behind all of this may actually be someone we are acquainted with.âÂ
âSomeone much closer to us, that is.â
Your eyes widened upon that last sentence, and you knew this case was far worse than you thought. It was a life-and-death situation if either of you let your guard down. If that was the case, it also meant that you werenât the only one in danger.Â
Bracing yourself, you slowly and reluctantly asked Jungkook something that you hoped it was just yourself thinking way further ahead than you should.Â
âS-Seokjin isn't going to die, isnât he?â
Jungkook didnât reply, but he stared straight into your eyes. With that, your eyes became teary, and you were on the verge of crying out silently. You knew that Seokjinâs job always evolved around dangerous criminals, and thereâs no guarantee that he might come home each day in one piece; he had accepted his fate ever since he took on the badge in the first place.Â
But now, with the recent events and how he had placed you under Jungkookâs care, you knew that this was far worse than any of you had encountered before.Â
Tears began dripping down your face, and Jungkook lightly brushed his fingers against your cheek to wipe them away.Â
âY/N, from now on, Iâm afraid you should stay as far away from your brother as possible. In other words, youâll be stuck with me for now.âÂ
âThat doesnât mean that I wonât be seeing him anymore, isnât it?â You sobbed.Â
Jungkook smiled. âOf course not. It is so that both of us can conduct our investigation much more smoothly without outsiders intruding on our plan. I promise you, I wonât let your brother die. That would also mean that the lives of both you siblings are at my outermost top priority now.â
âWhy Jungkook? Why would a biker leader like you even associate with us law enforcement? Didnât you and your people hate us for decades?â
He chuckled before placing a kiss on the top of your forehead.Â
âKim Seokjin saved me and gave me another chance at life. And I am going to return the favour.âÂ
It has been ten minutes since the both of you were back on the road again. You were trying to take in all of Seoulâs beautiful night views, as you might not see them for a while.Â
After calming yourself down at Han River, Jungkook filled you in with everything you needed to know before you both took off back on the road. Based on what your brother and Jungkook have been able to investigate so far, they decided that it was safe to conclude that the mastermind was either someone within the biker community or one of the higher-ups from the police agency. That was precisely why your brother was in a tight situation and was at risk of falling into the hands of the enemy since he was one of the lieutenants and had no control over his superiors.Â
It was precisely why Seokjin decided it was best for you to keep a distance from him at the moment, for the fear that you might fall into the hands of the enemy. Hence, giving you to Jungkook for now would mean that you had a higher chance of survivalâbeing a biker meant that Jungkook was able to move around much more freely compared to a detective who was bound by rules that he had to abide by at all times.Â
In the meantime, Jungkook has also been on the go trying to figure out who the traitor within the bikerâs community was who started all of this. According to the male, he guessed that someone from the detective agency was manipulating and might even be paying the traitor within the biker gang a large sum of money to traffick these young ladies out of the country. Since the bikers usually hunt out late at night, there was no doubt that the victims would have been vulnerable against them and quickly fell into their hands.Â
In order to keep you safe, and since Jungkook has practically told you the entire plan, he has no choice but to bring you along on his investigations; as much as he hated that idea and he would much prefer locking you away somewhere where you could lay down low until the whole crime spree is over.Â
However, he knew that you would be much safer if you were within his sight range, and he would feel much more comfortable knowing that you were always near him.
He has learnt it the hard way before anyway.Â
As you both ride through the night and out away from Seoul, there is this anxious feeling rotten deep within your gutâyou are terrified, knowing now that you have finally fallen victim to the dark, corrupted crime world in Seoul.Â
With that, your arms wrapped around Jungkookâs waist tightened, and you gently laid your cheeks against his back. You just wished this ride with Jungkook could have happened at a much better time and under better circumstances.
âDamn, Jeon Jungkook. Who knew youâd have a hideout in the middle of nowhere?âÂ
You were astounded with the entire place. It was located outside of town, and it took the both of you about a two-hour ride to get to this place, which was eventually in the middle of the wilderness. You thought building a simple cabin here was a genius idea because chances of survival were much higher, especially for Jungkook, who lives a dangerous life each day.Â
As Jungkook guided and led you up to the steps of his front door, he inserted a key and unlocked the front door within seconds, and your jaw dropped the moment he turned on the lights that lit up the entire cabin.Â
âWelcome to my safe space, Y/N.âÂ
Upon further inspection, you could tell that the entire cabin was built meticulouslyâfrom the sturdy timber that formed the walls, the simple yet captivating decor that filled the entire place, and the cosy fireplace that stood right at one of the corners of the living space. The entire place just felt comforting; even a stranger would agree when they stepped into this place in the woods.Â
Jungkook noticed you had been slowly moving around the cabin, taking in all its glory. He decided that he wouldnât be ruining this little moment you have and went straight into the pantry to whip up some hot cocoa for the two of you.Â
It all felt too good to be true. You have only seen or read places like this in books or films; never in a million years would you have thought that you would get a chance to reside, let alone step into a place like this at all. It was as if you were living in a dream, and you just wished you could shut off the outside world for a while and relax in this place for as long as possible.Â
As you slowly reach the fireplace, you notice how a picture frame sits at the top, depicting a young boy and a girl riding a swing at a park. You could immediately tell how it was Jungkook in that picture, but you had no idea if the young female was his sibling or, perhaps, his past lover, if he ever had one.Â
Before you could examine further, you heard a little thump from behind you, and you turned to see Jungkook was back with two warm mugs of freshly made hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and marshmallows. He gently placed them onto the round wooden table he had before moving to the fireplace and threw some chopped wood in before lighting it up with the lighter he kept behind his back pocket.Â
You slowly sit on the couch to make yourself comfortable, take one of the mugs, and sip the freshly made drink. It didnât take long for Jungkook to join you as he sat on the couch on your left.
âIâd like to think Iâm such a great host, donât you think? I expect you to be writing a five-star review of this Airbnb on booking.com after your stay,â he smugged before bringing his mug to his lips.Â
âI never knew a biker gang leader like you would have a soft spot for ambience like this.âÂ
âHey, bikers arenât all angsty and dark. Youâd think I live for the colour black and own everything in that specific colour?âÂ
âDonât look at me like that. Blame the media for painting you guys exactly the way you are.âÂ
Well, you had a point there. Ever since you met Jungkook, you realised that not all of them seemed as terrible as the public had painted them to be. Even the biker leader is the same as many young adults: desperate to find love and obsessed with shoujo mangas.Â
As you took another sip of the cocoa, you gulped the liquid down slowly before enjoying your little silence, listening to the crackling sound from the fireplace as you slowly started to feel your eyelids become heavy.Â
It has been a long day; after all, you started by storming into Seokjinâs office at the beginning of the day, trekking through the woods and finding out about the bikerâs hideout, going to Han River and eventually here in Jungkookâs cabin.Â
From the corners of your eyes, you could see how it would be early morning nowâthe first tendrils of light painting the sky in hues of a mixture of lavender and indigo, indicating that it would be dawn now. It was probably about five to six in the morning, and that was the last thing you could think of before you eventually fell to your slumber.Â
It took Jungkook a few seconds to realise you had fallen asleep as he admired the skies from his cabin window just like you were. When he finally turned to look at your head, bending down with your eyes closed, the mug of now warm cocoa still nestled within your grasp.Â
Jungkook smiled at the sight of you resting comfortably like that. It reminded him so much about her. It almost felt bittersweet then, but Jungkook tried his best to get rid of those feelings before things started to get too deep again.
He slowly got up, gently opened up your fingers surrounding the mug, and took it off your hands to place it on the table. He then swooped his hands around your shoulders and under your legs before picking you up bridal style. Trying his best not to make a noise, he slowly brought you into his only bedroom in the cabin, gently laying you down on the comforts of his bed and tucking you into bed with his cosy duvet.Â
When he was about to get up from the bed, he felt something wrapping around his pinky before turning to see that it was from you. He couldnât tell if you had a dream or if it was just by reflex as you wrapped your fingers around his pinky and tugged them close to you.Â
Jungkook smiled at the sight of you doing so, and he sat down on the bed again, gently caressing your hair as you fell deeper into your dreamland.Â
Y/N. I promise I will protect you at all costs and avoid making the same mistake as before.
The chirping noises were what woke you up from your slumber. You squint your eyes as you slowly open them to reveal the sunlight shining directly into the cabin. You also heard clanking noises coming beyond the closed doors, and you decided it was time to get up to check out whatever it was.Â
As you opened the door, your eyes widened, and your jaw dropped as you approached the dining table. It seemed as if Jungkook had made you an entire breakfast meal that looked identical to what you would get from the local diners in town. The man even took the extra step to brew you some hot coffee and placed two little jars filled with white and brown sugar so you could adjust your drink to your desired taste.Â
You slowly pulled the chair and sat down before Jungkook turned around from the stovetop, placing a freshly made fried sunny-side egg onto your plate, and that was when you took in what Jungkook was wearing before you eventually burst out into laughter.Â
âWhat was that about? I went the extra mile to make you breakfast.â Jungkook pouted.Â
âN-No, itâs not that. I never thought you were a frilly pink floral aprons type of guy.â You had to cover your mouth and fan yourself because you were laughing so hard that breathing was hard by the second.Â
âYou stop it right there. Someone special made this apron; I will not let you disrespect it.â Jungkook was now pointing at you with his spatula, threatening that he would take your breakfast and eat it himself.Â
As you calmed yourself down and apologised, he finally sat beside you while still sulking because of your comment before and started cutting up his bread and sausages on the plate. When Jungkook saw that you had taken your first bite, he couldnât help but make a sarcastic remark to lighten the mood once again.
âHurry up and tell me that my cooking skills are top-notch.â He lifted his head high as if he was already praising himself before you even said anything.Â
Frankly, it tasted much better than what you had in mind. Who wouldâve thought the most feared person in town was also a good cook? The fact that he was able to build this cabin on his own, cared for you, and made you a delicious meal was a bummer that he was still single at this point.Â
But since you have teased Jungkook since the beginning, there was no way you would tell him that and continue feeding his delusions.Â
âIâm surprised that I did not puke nor have an upset stomach with the initial first bite, to be honest.âÂ
He narrowed his eyes at you. âYou ungrateful little brat.âÂ
âThank you, Iâll take that.â You grinned widely at him, making him return you with disgust.Â
Surprisingly, breakfast then went by reasonably quickly, and you offered to help clean up the kitchen even when the male insisted that you were his guest and werenât supposed to do anything while you were there.Â
After a little bit of squabbling about cleaning the cabin up, Jungkook heads out the front door, signalling for you to come with him.Â
âThereâs this place that I think youâll love, Y/N. Care to hop on for another ride with me?â
âJeon Jungkook, give me your keys to your cabin right now Iâm officially moving in.âÂ
He giggled as you said that hurriedly before running down to the designated spot he brought you to. As you hopped back onto Jungkookâs bike, he took you along for another drive that only took about five minutes away from his cabin. As you both parked the bike somewhere safe, he guided you to take a step deeper into the woods, where, eventually, you both ended up at a beautiful creek.
A crystal-clear stream burbles along the riverbed, bubbling over the surrounding rocks and branches. There were a couple of stepping stones that scattered across the stream, giving whoever chose to visit to have the opportunity to walk across from one end to the other. A couple of flowers blossomed at the sides of the river, giving the creek a little pop of colour.Â
It was a sight to behold. Who would have thought that there was such a place near where Jungkook lived? At this point, you swore that you would label this entire outskirt as paradise, and you wouldnât mind spending the rest of your life here, away from the capital's bustling streets.Â
You slowly made your way to the river, where you stuck one of your hands into the waters, letting the streams of water hit the back of your hand. Jungkook then made his way towards you before bending down to pick up one of the pebbles on the ground, before tossing it across the waters to see it bounce on top of the surface before eventually sinking into the waters.Â
âIs there anything that you canât do, Jeon Jungkook?â You asked as you saw how he was a master at skipping stones, way better than most people could do.Â
âIâve been doing this for decades, Y/N. Of course, I am the master of stone skipping.â He proudly acclaimed before picking another pebble and tossing it across the waters again.Â
You couldnât help but smile at that remark. âSo that means you come here often, then?âÂ
âUsed to.â He corrected you. âI havenât been here in a very long time.âÂ
âWell, then, Iâm grateful that you decided not to gatekeep such a place from me,â you replied, sincerely thanking the man for taking you out of the cabin to come to such a place to relax.
âYouâre going to be staying with me for a while; obviously, I have to keep you occupied before you start complaining out of boredom in the cabin.â He stuck out his tongue at you before tossing another pebble.Â
âIâm not a kid, Jungkook. I know how to keep myself occupied.â This time, it was your turn to give him a pout.Â
âIâm gonna bet on 10,000 korean won that you will be screaming out of frustration by the third day if you were stuck all day in that cabin of mine.âÂ
âThen Iâm sorry to burst your bubble, but I can literally find anything to do to keep myself occupied at all places.â You were now standing up and stood right in front of the man, staring at him as if you were going to start a battle of who would be the first to back down from their words.Â
Jungkook smirked at that sight, and it turns him on whenever you get all worked up because of his words. He wasnât going to back down quickly, so he straightened his posture before firing back at you.Â
âPrincess, you better buckle up because you have just turned me on, and I want to ruin your ego right now.âÂ
âTry me then, Jeon Jungkook,â you huffed.Â
âSay, can you swim?âÂ
You snorted. âOf course I can swim, what the hellââ
Before you could even finish your sentence, Jungkook pushed you on your shoulders, and you fell straight into the waters. It took a few seconds before you eventually returned to the surface, wiping off the excess water dripping down your face.Â
âJeon Jungkook! What the actualââ
You were screaming at the top of your lungs, ready to yell and curse your heart out towards the male before you eventually stopped. Your eyes widened at the sight of him taking off his shirt that he was wearing, revealing a well-toned body and rock-solid abs as well as an arm completely filled with tattoos from top to bottom.
He grinned before jumping into the waters and swam right up to you.Â
âI knew you would like what you saw with your eyes. I have been waiting for the right time to do it anyway,â he smirked before moving his fingers close to you to pinch your cheeks.Â
You quickly slapped his hands away before turning your back towards him, trying to calm your fast heart beating chest down. Instantly, you felt a surge of warmth slowly crawling up to your ears and cheeks, and you quickly rested both your palms on your cheeks, knowing very well that you were now blushing hard.
What is wrong with you, Y/N?Â
Before you could even process your thoughts further, you felt a pair of hands resting on your waist before turning your back towards the opposite direction. You have now come face-to-face with the man you were dreading to see, and you quickly turn your head towards the side and face the streaming waters instead.Â
You could clearly hear Jungkookâs low chuckle before he rested his fingers underneath your chin, gently turning your face back towards his direction.Â
âI found your weakness, princess.â
âShut up.âÂ
Your now red-flushed face was making Jungkook laugh while you were slowly losing your mind. All you could think of at the moment was how exactly you would get yourself out of this situation you were in.Â
Suddenly, you were brought back to reality as you felt Jungkookâs thumb swipe past your lips slowly, his eyes now focusing on your smudged lips as if he was hungry for it, wanting so desperately to press his lips onto them as he slowly leaned down towards them.
Oh no. Oh no.Â
You started to panic; you had no idea what you were supposed to do. Sure, it wasnât the first time you kissed Jungkook, but your situation was much more different than the first.Â
Brace yourselves, Y/N. Just do it.Â
That was all that you could think of before closing your eyes tightly. It was now or never, and you surely have no escape. As you slowly waited for his warm, plump lips to land on yours again, it never came as you expected. When you slowly opened your eyelids, you saw Jungkook paused exactly an inch before both lips met.Â
Was he in a dilemma? Whether he should do it or not?Â
In the end, Jungkook broke off the tension and gave in to wrap his arms around you instead, giving you a tight hug as he rested his head under the crook of your neck.Â
What was going on?Â
âJ-JungkookâŚwhat are youââ
âLet me just stay like this for a while, Y/N.â
As he took in a couple of seconds to relax his body over yours, you slowly snaked your arms around his back and caressed his back slowly, as if that was the right thing that you thought you could do at the moment.
With your touch, he tugged you tighter before eventually speaking his first words since he turned you around to face him.Â
âThank you, Y/N, for trusting me. I promise that I wonât let you down. Weâll catch whoever this mastermind is and place him behind bars for good.âÂ
You felt reassured, knowing that you will be in good hands for now before reuniting with your brother once the cases have been resolved.Â
âThank you too, Jungkook, for looking out for me and making me feel safe.â
âYou slept in an upright position on the couch throughout the whole night?â You questioned the male, thinking that you might have heard something wrong.Â
âFor the hundredth time, yes I did, Kim Y/N. I have no idea why you are making such a big fuss out of this,â Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck as he closed his eyes in annoyance as if he was tired of going through this whole topic with you again.Â
âWell then, I suggest we swap for tonight then. Itâs not fair that you have to make yourself suffer especially when youâre the owner of this cabin,â you stated clearly.Â
âHave you ever heard of hospitality, Y/N? Thereâs no way Iâm letting my guests sleep uncomfortably while theyâre here. I might get a rotten review on booking.com the next day, thatâs for sure.âÂ
However, you werenât backing down so quickly. âFine then. Why don't we share the bed for tonight, then?âÂ
That question made Jungkook spit out the glass of water that he was drinking. He had to cough a few times to ensure the liquid flowed smoothly into his throat.Â
âAre you insane? Thereâs no way Iâm sleeping with someone thatâs the opposite sex,â he muttered as he continued to pound his chest while seemingly trying to stop the cough.
âWell unfortunately, I insist. I would drag you onto the bed myself if I had to. Itâs not like Iâm asking you to try anything funny; if you are, you wouldnât be seeing the light of day anyways,â you stated clearly before pointing into the bedroom.
Jungkook could only let out a deep sigh before caving into your words, knowing that if you both went on and on about this, the sun would rise before any of you would get a proper good night's rest.Â
As you both cleaned up and got ready for bed, Jungkook watched as you climbed into the sheets and got yourself comfy before turning towards your left to sleep on your side and face the cabin wall. When he sees that you have stopped squirming, he gently lifts the sheets before doing the same, but facing towards his right so that he is facing the door instead.Â
It took him a while to fall asleep, unlike you, who fell into a deep slumber within seconds. He was not used to this after all, having to share a bed with someone; it has been a long time since he has done so, especially when the last person he did this was years ago with her.Â
Additionally, what happened down at the creek earlier in the day? Jungkook had no idea why exactly he decided to do what he did, and eventually, he couldnât bring himself to plant a kiss on your lips and went in for a hug instead.Â
Deep down, Jungkook knew something was happening between you two, but he was afraid to commit or even think about the possibilities. After what happened years ago, he promised that he wouldnât get too close to anyone unless they were the ones who saved his life big time; in this case, it was your brother, Seokjin.Â
But now, it seems that Seokjinâs little sibling was also slowly marking a spot in that enclosed heart of his.Â
Before Jungkook could even think of anything further, Jungkook slowly drifted off into his own dreamland and fell into a deep sleep like you did.Â
Hours had passed, and you both were sleeping peacefully until Jungkook began hearing voices in his head.Â
Big brotherâŚbig brotherâŚplease save me⌠save me from all of thisâŚplease donât let them take me awayâŚ
Big brotherâŚJungkookâŚJUNGKOOK OPPA!!
Immediately, Jungkook shot up from his deep slumber and broke out in sweats. Sure, it wasnât out of the ordinary for him to get nightmares from the past; it was something he was still working on anyway. But it has been a long time since he had the exact scenario played in his mind; it was a curse to him now.Â
Jungkook then brought up his fingers to rub his temples, trying his best to calm himself down without waking you, who was still peacefully sleeping on the side.Â
All of a sudden, Jungkookâs phone lit up from the nightstand, and he grabbed it lazily while rubbing his eyes to adjust his vision so that he could see clearly what exactly the notification that he had just gotten.
It was as if the nightmare wasnât enough to ruin his night; the notification was far worse than whatever he had just dreamt of.Â
Something that he dreaded would even occur at all throughout this whole investigation process.Â
Kim Seokjin: This will be the last time I will be able to contact you for now. Please keep Y/N safe at all costs, and weâll be in touch as soon as I can.
Seokjinâs POV
It had been two days since you had left the building without Seokjinâs permission. Unfortunately, the meeting lasted way longer than expected, five hours to be exact. Hence, by the time he got back into his dark office where the only source of light was the one ray of moonlight shining through the windows, his heart dropped when he noticed how you were nowhere to be seen.Â
Frantically, he skimmed through his entire office to see if you had left any clues behind, for the fear that you had been kidnapped, especially since you were considered to be vulnerable in the mastermindâs eyes, and how both Seokjin and Jungkook suspected that it could be someone from the biker gang or the law enforcement themselves.Â
After minutes of scouring the entire room, he eventually made his way to his cabinet beneath his desk, where he could tell that one of them was pulled open and the little note that he stuck out slightly on purpose every time was gone.Â
With that, he knew it could only mean one thing: you found the details of Jungkookâs biker gangâs hideout and went there personally to confront the biker leader himself. Swiftly, he took his phone out before hastily sending Jungkook a text.Â
Kim Seokjin: My sibling is headed towards your bikerâs hideout. Please get there and make sure Y/N is safe at all costs.Â
The moment he saw that Jungkook had read his message, he finally fell back onto his chair, letting out a deep sigh of relief. As much as he was afraid that you had ventured into the predators' lair, he knew that as long as you were with Jungkook, you would be safe from any harm or danger, even if he was the biker gang leader himself.Â
Hence, while you were under Jungkookâs care for the time being, Seokjin was able to focus on his job and tried cracking all of the clues and codes he had received so far for the missing personâs cases, all while he tried his best maintaining contact with Jungkook to keep each other updated on the case as well as your safety through texting one another.Â
Things were going fairly smoothly until another missing personâs case was reported to the station just the night before. When he got to the registered location along with his subordinates, his stomach sank when he realised who had gone missing: your neighbour.Â
Seokjin began to panic as it only meant one thing: there was a high possibility that you would be the next target.Â
Since that day, Seokjin had worked tirelessly for hours without sleep or proper food. Your life is at stake right now, and he was determined that he was done playing this cat-and-mouse game with the mastermind. With that, Seokjin tried searching for as many clues as possible, even the tiniest detail possible, and he went back to the crime scene himself to thoroughly search through the area once again on his own.Â
As if it was a miracle, he eventually discovered a strand of hair near one of the flowerpots on your neighbourâs front porch. He quickly took the evidence he had found and ran straight back towards the lab to get the designated ones in charge to do a quick DNA test from the database to find out who it might be.
After hours of extracting the possible information, it had been concluded that it was impossible to narrow it down to a single person as too many chemicals were found on that single strand of hair follicle. But that did not stop Seokjin from finding the exact match for who it might be.Â
Hence, Seokjin went through all of the case files once again, starting from the first case to the most recent, as he laid all of the details out onto his board in his office, writing down all of the necessary information paired along with red strings to help him connect the dots better. He was also going back and forth towards his desktop located on his desk, trying his best to find the right person from the database.
That was when he realised he had limited access to the stationâs database. He had never had such issues before, so why had he been blocked?Â
At that moment, he knew that his instinct was right and that the law enforcement was hiding something dark from the detectives themselves; perhaps that was why they had an excruciating time trying to gather practically limited information.
Unfortunately for the mastermind who did all of this, Seokjin was actually an expert in computer hacking. Before being promoted to lieutenant, he was a renowned hacker in his division before rising to where he is now. The codes were a little harder to crack, but that doesn't mean it was nearly impossible.Â
It took Seokjin about ten minutes to finally hack into the actual database, and he wasted no time trying to match the hair follicle to a concrete DNA from the database itself. Once the system concluded that there was a match, he wasted no time clicking the download button to get the information down and reveal who it was.
Sadly, he wasnât able to record down who it was as one of the detectives came barging into his office, pointing his loaded gun at him. Seokjin was cornered, and he couldnât do anything before the detective came over to completely shut off his desktop by pulling out the cords. Instantly, he shoved his gun towards Seokjinâs back and guided him out of his office, guiding him to the actual mastermind of this whole crime spree.Â
Before this happened, Seokjin had typed out a message scheduled to be sent to Jungkook if anything were to happen to him. It turns out his instinct was right, and he was slowly counting down the seconds in his heart before the time was up, and he felt his mobile vibrate in his back pocket, signalling that the message had been sent.Â
As he stepped into the elevator with the detective, still pointing his gun at his back, he turned around before smiling.Â
Itâs up to you now, Jungkook.
Jungkookâs POVÂ
âReport what exactly you have found so far, lads.âÂ
âCertainly, boss!â The young man cleared his throat before setting up the live footage on the laptop and turning it towards his bossâs directions. âIt was pretty faint, but you could see the unknown person in the camera drugging the female worker before bagging her up and dragging her body away and out from the factory.âÂ
Jungkook narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward to try his best to make out who was on the screen, but since the crime occurred late at night. There wasnât enough light penetrating through the facility; it was merely impossible to identify clearly who the hooded criminal was.Â
But Jungkook wouldnât give up quickly, so he leaned backwards on his chair before clasping his hands and bringing them close to his face.Â
âJudging from the victims from the recent cases, it seemed as if they have been targeting this specific factory more often as of late. There has to be a pattern going on here,â Jungkook suggested.Â
Upon hearing those words from the bikerâs leader, the gang member scratched his head before responding. âWith that, boss, what are you trying to proposeâŚ?âÂ
âIâm saying that they will strike there again, thatâs for sure.âÂ
âO-Oh, of course! Well, I will go get the rest of the lads readyââ
âNo, you stay put till I give you boys further instructions,â Jungkook firmly decided.Â
âB-But, boss, what are you planning to do?â
âIâm going to check the place on my own first before letting any of you step in there. Iâm not going to risk all of your lives like that.âÂ
The young lad knew how dangerous the whole situation was at hand. Quite frankly, he was one of the lads who often kept Jungkook updated with all of the security footage that was happening around town since he was one of the bikers who had a talent for hacking into all of Seoulâs security systems without having the law enforcement notice his doing, of course.Â
But he knew that the boss was risking his own life by heading towards the location alone. In the worst-case scenario, Jungkook could even get seriously injured or worse. Furthermore, he knew that Jungkookâs words were absolute, and no one had ever been able to change his mind once he made a decision.Â
With that, the hacker placed his hands together in front of him, slightly bending his head down before obeying Jungkookâs orders.
âVery well, boss. We will await your next instructions then.â
As Jungkook picked up his speed and rode his bike back to the cabin, the only thing that lingered in his mind was how he would explain the change of plans to you. He wouldâve never thought that he might have to intervene and head towards the location himself to gather information this soon, or rather, he was hoping that Seokjin could do it since he was a detective, after all.Â
But now that Seokjin is out of reach, Jungkook had no choice but to take up the job to prevent anyone, especially his comrades, from getting hurt or potentially losing their lives in that targetted location without getting a green flag from someone higher up first.Â
Another reason that he was a bit stressed out about the current situation was that it was time for him to talk to you about it; it was time for you both to make a move, and he knew that he couldnât keep you in the dark forever, as much as he just wanted to tuck you away in this cabin of his and just stayed put and safe there while he and your brother resolved all of this messed up crime spree that was happening in the district.Â
It was also because that was the exact factory that you worked at. That could only mean that the chances that you may or may not be the next target were higher than they had expected.Â
After those train of thoughts, he finally arrived back at the cabin, and he tried his best to maintain his composure before turning the doorknob to open up the doors and calling out loud for you.Â
That was only until you didnât respond that he began to panic.Â
âY/N? Y/N, are you there?â
Jungkook tried his best to maintain his calm while going from room to room, calling out for you. When he had finally searched the entire cabin and that you were nowhere to be found, that was when he felt a sink in his stomach, and he was about to go insane any moment now.Â
He was now screaming at the top of his lungs for you while running around frantically, even as he stepped out of the cabin and walked down the steps to circle the woods nearby.Â
âY/N! Y/N! Please respond to me! Where are you?!â
His heartbeat was pounding much louder and faster with each second, and he was close to shitting his pants at the moment. An instant regret filled his guts, and he wished he couldâve turned by time so that it wouldâve knocked some sense into him that he shouldnât have left you alone in the cabin, especially when both of your lives were at stake.Â
He wasnât going to repeat the same mistake as he had done before. There was no way he would let history repeat itself, not under his watch.
Y/N! Y/N! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!
Suddenly, he heard a faint grunt from a distance, a little bit towards his left. An unexpected fog clouded the air, making it hard for him to see whoever was slowly coming in his direction.Â
With his instinct, Jungkook quickly pulled out his handgun that he tucked away beneath his leather jacket, quickly loaded the gun and aimed it towards the shadow approaching him.Â
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the shadow emerged from the fog, and that was when he finally made out that it was the person he had been longing to find.Â
âJungkook! Youâre back!â You smiled while carrying a box filled with freshly picked fruits in your arms.Â
Jungkook then slowly lowered down the gun and stared at you blankly. To ease the tension and awkwardness, you decided to speak up whatever was on your mind for now.
âO-Oh! Sorry, I know I shouldâve stayed put, but like I said, I know how to keep myself occupied. I decided to go for a little walk around, and thatâs when I saw this little peach tree growing near the little creak you brought me to the other day. I just so remembered this one peach dessert I used to make when I was a kid, and I thought we could use some dessertsââ
Before you could finish your sentence, Jungkook wrapped his arms around you tightly, making you drop the box of fruits towards the ground. You were stunned by his sudden actions as he said nothing, and you could hear him sobbing for once as he buried his neck into the crook of your neck.Â
Jungkook knew that things were starting to get into his head, and he needed to tell you the truth now, especially with the events that have happened within the past 24 hours, and how he needed to tell you about his recent findings.Â
And also about the nightmare he had last night.
There was no point in hiding anymore. Eventually, you would have to know anyways.Â
Y/Nâs POV
âYou look like a stray rabbit, Mr Jeon,â you teased half-jokingly, but the other half was also concerned about his appearance. It was how he sat across from you, slumped onto his couch, and looked defeated. It was obvious that something had been bothering him, especially when you knew he had a nightmare last night, but you werenât going to say anything unless he would tell you all about it himself.Â
But given the current situation, the way he looked for you so frantically, and hell, even aimed a gun at you (not on purpose, of course), something has gone wrong, and you needed to know.Â
You gently stood up and walked over to sit cross-legged on the ground, gently placing one of your hands onto his that was resting on his thigh, slowly caressing them to help ease the frown on his face.Â
âJungkook, talk to me about it. I promise your secrets are safe with me,â you gently reassured him, hoping he would finally speak out about whatever had been hindering his mind since the day before.Â
With that, he slowly opened his eyes to look down at you; he could tell that you were desperate to get answers, and this time, you wouldnât take a single loophole in your books. Slowly, he sat back up and leaned forward as he stared at you, giving you his full attention.
âThere have been some major updates in the missing person cases, Y/N.âÂ
âOkay, so weâll go from thereââ
âBut before that, I think you need to know about my past, especially why I said your brother has given me another chance in life and why I took on this offer in the first place.âÂ
You gulped upon hearing that. It was finally time for you to know precisely what the pact they made behind your back was, and you could finally learn more about Jungkook and your brother's secret life.Â
âRemember when you walked into my cabin on the first day? You went straight ahead to the fireplace and had a little good look at the picture frame situated above it?â
âY-Yeah? Was that your childhood friend or something?âÂ
âThat wasâŚâ He paused for a moment before finishing up his sentence. âMy little sister.âÂ
Now, that was something new to you. Nobody has ever heard that the biker gang leader would have a younger sibling or sibling. Most people have assumed that he had only been an only child and was probably abandoned from a young age due to his upbringing and reputation in the district.Â
But Jungkook was here to tell you the truth and to turn those assumptions down. âRegardless of how the public sees who I am, I had a pretty happy childhood. We were a family of four; our days were filled with happiness as we resided in a small village out of town. It wasnât until my father received a promotion at his job that he decided to bring all of us up to Seoul, hoping for a better life.âÂ
Jungkook cleared his throat before he continued with his story. âIt was a miracle when my father came home one day telling us he was offered a job at the local police station; neither of us couldâve believed it then. It started off simple: he was just an ordinary security guard at the huge facility until he showed his superiors that he was far more capable than that, and he eventually rose to the ranks of becoming an actual detective.âÂ
âIn other words, your father was my brotherâs senior then,â you added, making Jungkook return to you with a smile.
âPrecisely. Years passed, and my sister followed his footsteps, eventually joining the academy and becoming a rookie detective under my fatherâs supervision. Meanwhile, Iâve decided to stay back and help my mother at her local pastry shop down the road from the station since she needed some assistance anyway. At the same time, I started building this wooden cabin, with the thought of creating a little place where we family could escape to during our free time.âÂ
You scooched closer, and your hands around his tightened slightly, trying to find the right words to ask the main question. âW-What happened then?âÂ
His eyes immediately fell to the floor, and his tone suddenly went down an octave, indicating that whatever he would say next would be pretty heavy to register. âMy father was sent abroad on a mission, but he unfortunately lost his life in the line. Upon hearing that, my mother died with a broken heart.âÂ
âJungkook, my deepest condolencesâŚâ you mumbled.Â
âYou want to know whatâs even crazier, Y/N? That wasnât the worst thing Iâve ever had to go through. It was my sister.âÂ
You could see that his eyes began to water, and he was trying his best to hold back any outburst of emotions that he might have. Naturally, his hands found yours and held them tight, and you return the favour by placing another hand of yours on top of his.Â
âThereâs only a sole purpose for me in joining the biker gang: to keep my family safe.â
âIn what way, Jungkook?â You questioned, not really linking on how a biker member could help the detectives when both occupations are the total opposite.Â
âIâm pretty sure you know by now about how dark and corrupted the crimes in Seoul are behind the scenes, and there are certain places that are off-limits no matter how far up the ranks you are.âÂ
âSo thatâs when you come in then.âÂ
âExactly. Even if itâs the smallest thing I can do for them, I would take it.â
âHuh. Very contradicting to your biker image that the public is aware of.âÂ
âHey, I need to look good for everyone okay. You never know. Iâm pretty sure I have a fanbase somewhere in town admiring my good looks,â he smugged while lifting his head up high. You were glad he could still joke around and was still the Jungkook you had known despite all the recent hardships.Â
âGod, I hope your fanbase will have enough to fund themselves. Supporting someone when they do not get anything in return is sad.âÂ
Jungkook was annoyed at your teasing and immediately pinched your cheeks and pulled them slightly. âYou take that back, I will have you know that I am one of the most good-looking people the district has ever seen in years.âÂ
âI will have you know that you are wrong because my brother Seokjin is a hundred times better than you!â You spat back while holding his hand, almost breaking your cheeks apart.Â
The pinching then slowly died down as Jungkook slowly regained his composure. âSpeaking about Seokjin, thatâs where the next story comes in.â Â
As Jungkook slowly pulled his hand away, you cupped that side of your cheek with your hands, mentally cursing the guy and saying that you would surely get back to him once this whole storytelling session was over.Â
âIâm sure you are aware of the infamous case that one of the detectives from the station was the mastermind behind a series of kidnapping cases that happened in our district five years ago?âÂ
Oh, that.Â
It was one of the cases that truly shook the nation down to its core; who wouldâve thought that one of the detectives, especially from the elite squad, would have been monitoring and kidnapping young children around the area? What was more unpleasant about the case was that he had a few subordinates to help fulfill his fantasies, and they so happened to be a handful of the detectives themselves as well; some even used to be close buddies with your brother.Â
It truly was a traumatising event that happened in your districtâs history, and nobody wished such a case would ever happen again.Â
âY-YeahâŚit was something my brother wished he could erase from his memory for good. It has impacted him in the worst way possible. Frankly, I wouldnât want to see him go through such times ever again,â you commented.Â
âWell, Y/N. I feel the same way, too. Just like how badly it has played a part in your brotherâs life, it also did for me.âÂ
âHow exactly did you even drag yourself into the situation?âÂ
He sighed. âNot by my own will, Y/N. It was because of my sister,â he squeezed your hands, and he chose his words carefully next, perhaps needing a bit of your strength to finally touch on the topic he has been avoiding for the longest time.Â
âMy sister was part of the cold case squad at the time, and it just so happened that she was the only female detective in the team. She would work tirelessly day and night, trying her best to dig through each possible available data, even the ones that were off-limits to most detectives. Little did she know that the mastermind himself was closely monitoring every movement that she had made, and she became a victim herself.âÂ
âJungkookâŚâ you slowly caressed his hand, wanting to take him into your embrace right now.Â
âFast forward to the day when she finally emerged from the shadows, Seokjin and I found ourselves in a standoff against the mastermind, holding my sister hostage on the rooftops of the police station. And god, Y/N. No words could describe how I felt the moment I laid my eyes upon my sister then, of how dishevelled and disoriented she had become.âÂ
A single tear drop fell from the corners of his eyes unto your hands, and your heart broke at that sight. Jungkook had always portrayed how tough he was as if nothing in this world could ruin him to the point of breaking down, at least not in front of someone. He mustâve carried on this trauma for a long time, one that would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life.Â
âYour brother did not have the guts to shoot at his supervisor, so I did the favour for him instead. The bullet penetrated through his skull, and it was an instant death for him. My sister then lay on the ground, screaming at the top of her lungs, pushing and kicking everyone that came close to her. Not even I could do anything to help save her then,â he sobbed and choked on his own words.Â
âSo, my brother came to your rescue then?â You quietly asked.Â
He sniffled. âHe did. Killing a police officer is a huge crime, and naturally, I was placed behind bars. But your brother fought relentlessly, and I was pardoned and eventually released from prison.âÂ
âThatâs my brother for you.â You smiled, thankful he was still the same brother you had grown to love and admire despite the recent events between you two.Â
âBut it came with a price, Y/N.âÂ
âAnd what was it?âÂ
âIn return for getting me out of prison, Seokjin would take my sisterâs wellbeing into his own hands. So he placed her under a facility that would care and possibly help her recover, but I was not to know about the location and to ever meet with her ever again.âÂ
Your heart sank upon hearing that. It would kill you to know that you have to be separated from your sibling for good, and you donât think you could ever live the same way as youâve done before knowing that.Â
Immediately, you jumped into Jungkookâs arms, giving him a tight embrace while tears streamed down your face.Â
âIâm so sorry, Jungkook. Iâm so sorry that we detectives have failed you. We shouldâve been the ones protecting the civilians, not breaking them apart physically and mentally.â You sunk your cheek into his neck; you wished there was something that you couldâve done to ease his pain or even bring his only happiness back to him.Â
Jungkook said nothing but return the embrace to you. He did the same by resting his chin upon your shoulders, slowly moving to the point you felt his lips slightly brushed against your neck as he took in all of your scent.Â
Neither of you said anything for at least a good ten minutes, and you both were fine staying that way. You knew that it had taken a massive leap of faith for Jungkook to address his biggest and darkest nightmare finally, and you were grateful that he had decided to trust you enough to talk to you about all of this.Â
Eventually, you found yourselves both snuggled on the couch, just admiring the fireplace while cuddling one another. Jungkook lay gently on your chest while you constantly ran your fingers through his soft black hair, making him slowly drift off into dreamland. It was obvious that Jungkook hadnât had the best of sleep lately because he easily slept within your arms for a couple of hours, not to be awakened so easily.Â
And that was fine by you. You have begun to feel that you both were more than just acquaintances. However, you werenât sure if Jungkook returned the same feelings for you, but your subconsciousness tells you that whatever happened back at the creek, he mustâve felt something, too. It doesnât matter if it was the same way as you did; you were more than glad that you had found a place within him.
As you slowly admired his sleeping face, you were now more than determined to put an end to this nightmare the district had been struggling with for months.Â
This time, let me return the favour, Jungkook.
The strong wind was constantly hitting your face as you grabbed Jungkook tightly while he sped on his bike. It had been a few days since, and you finally had Jungkook to fill you in with the latest news he had when he finally regained himself.Â
To say that you were beyond shock was an understatement when you found out that the mastermind was targeting the young ladies at the factory you worked at, and that was how Kisa disappeared and became a pawn in their twisted games.Â
But that also meant one thing: youâre the next target, and they have had their eyes on you for a while now.Â
You were terrified, that was for sure, but you decided that you wouldnât tell them to do as they please anymore. As long as you both stick together, you know that you will crack the case open and put a stop to this spree of kidnappings.Â
Itâs all for the victims and Seokjin.
Even for you, Jeon Jungkook.Â
As you finally made your way towards the factory, you quickly armed yourselves before stepping into the facility, all while Jungkook held you close next to him.
It was eerily quiet, and no sign of a human being was in sight. It was unusual how abnormal the whole situation felt; it was as if the entire building had been abandoned.Â
Or was it?
In the distance, you quietly alerted Jungkook of how a faint light had caught your attention, and you could tell it had led to the systems room. Someone was in there, and you have a good guess that they might have been using the building to communicate for a while now.Â
Giving each other a nod, you both slowly crept towards the room; that was when you felt a metal object pressed onto your skull. You finally came to a halt while Jungkook slowly disappeared down the hallway, not noticing that you had left his side.
âNow thatâs a good little kitten, donât you think? You have saved me the trouble of looking for you, Kim Y/N.âÂ
God, he knew your name.Â
You chuckled. âWhat do you want from us? What do you possibly gain from kidnapping these young ladies?âÂ
âOh sweetheart, donât you know that money is everything in this day and age? Given how we have lived in poverty for so long, it wouldnât hurt to earn that extra cash and big bucks, no matter how dangerous the situation can be, donât you think?âÂ
âYou have no sense of morals, then. Treating these young ladies as objects and pawns to your games,â you fired back.Â
The man then slowly pushed the metal object that was situated on your skull further deeper as he slowly loaded it, to which you knew that you were now held at gunpoint.Â
âNow sweetheart, let me tell you a little something about us. We are predators, and we hunt for prey like you.âÂ
Now, this seems awfully familiar.Â
âIâm afraid that once predators have gotten our eyes on a target, we will not let them go that easily. We are slowly going to devour you up, leaving no traces behind. If you think you could stop us, then Iâm afraid youâre wrong, princess. Weâre experts in our field of work; we are not to be found that easily even if you were the best of the best detectives in town because that is our nature.âÂ
That phrase, itâs similar to Jungkookâsâ
âNever in a million years would I have known that youâve stooped so low, Seunghak.âÂ
That voice!Â
Immediately, the both of you noticed how a badly beaten up individual was thrown in front of you, and your eyes widened upon what you have seen. Slowly, an individual emerged from the shadows, and it was Jungkook, walking towards you both while aiming the gun at the person behind you.
âWhy, hello, dear boss. Or should I say, former boss,â he taunted, smacking his lips as if things had just gotten far more interesting now.Â
âDamn, Seunghak. I didnât know you were the type to switch lanes that quickly. It seems like the biker life wasnât good enough for you, then,â Jungkook smiled dauntingly, and you gulped upon that sight. He was back to being the biker gang leader that the entire district was afraid of; you could even tell how the man behind you flinched a little as he began to shiver slightly with the gun still placed on your skull.Â
âCan you blame me, though? When you get a plate full of gold in front of you, Iâll do whatever it takes if that means I will have more than enough to spend the rest of my life at ease,â he fired back while beginning to laugh menacingly.
âBesides, what do we do with these ladies in captivity? Oh god, I have been having the best of my life rather than being stuck in the biker's den.â
Instantly, Jungkook's face darkened upon hearing what Seunghak said, and you could feel as if he was shooting daggers through his eyes at his former comrade.
âYou are absolutely sick in the head.âÂ
âAnd what if I am? I am living the best life possible, and thereâs nothing you can do to convince me to return!â He screamed before pushing the gun to the point that you felt that the metal was going to pierce through your skull any moment now.Â
Slowly, Jungkook started taking a few steps closer while he elicited a low chuckle. âYou think you have a place left in my biker gang? You are much better off dead rather than coming back, Seunghak.âÂ
Immediately, a loud clatter was heard coming from both sides, accompanied by a volume of grunts, before the male began panicking.Â
âW-Whatâs going on?âÂ
Finally, Jungkook stopped right merely inched away from you both, and he aimed the gun towards his former comradeâs face.Â
âIf you think Iâve come unprepared, then that means you are a hundred years too early even to accept the dirty ass pot of gold that was placed so easily in front of your plate.â
Instantly, Jungkook pulled the trigger, and the bullet penetrated the manâs abdomen, causing him to let out an ear-splitting scream as he tumbled and fell onto the ground, pressing onto his wound to ease the bleeding.Â
Unfortunately, Jungkook wasnât going to let him off so quickly, as he fired another bullet into his arms, causing the male to lay down helplessly. At the same time, Jungkook hovered above him, resting his gun upon Seunghakâs cheeks.Â
âYouâre going to be a dear and tell me who exactly employed you and your boys before I shoot another bullet into your skull, which would kill you off instantly, young man.â
It seemed that the male wouldnât give up easily as he spat back onto Jungkookâs face.Â
âAs if I would tell you easily who is the mastermind behind all of thisâŚno matter what happens to usâŚnot of us are going to tell a single soul about itâŚour lips are sealed shutââ
A loud bang was heard throughout the entire facility, and you slowly opened your eyes to see that the male was long gone now, having a bullet penetrated his skull.Â
Jungkook slowly got up from the male, dusting his knees while he was at it.Â
âYou scumbags have no reason to live in this world then.âÂ
As he turned to face you again, you couldnât help but slowly take a few steps back, as if you werenât sure if you would want to deal with the current state Jungkook was in. Sure, you trusted him, but it was truly the first time you had seen him like this.
Far worse than how he confronted you back at his base.Â
This was the true so-called âdevilâ that people were terrified of, and this was what Jungkook was truly capable of.Â
Jungkook didnât say a word as he walked towards you before muttering a few words.Â
âLetâs get going and continue to search the place for clues.âÂ
âO-OkayâŚâ you replied.Â
As you both made your way down past the hallways, Jungkook occasionally stopped giving his subordinates further orders or even asking about the current situation throughout the facility. He had given them instructions way beforehand, and the whole place was now under the bikers' control.Â
Since you knew it probably wouldnât be a good time to disturb nor provoke Jungkook in his current state, you figured it wouldâve been a good time to check out the control room situated just a little bit towards your right.Â
You slowly turned your head to see that Jungkook was engaged in the conversation before you slowly crept away and headed straight towards the room while leaving the door open so that that was an indirect way of letting him know that you were here and doing fine on your own.Â
You quickly took in the sight upon you as you took in the dozens of computer screens that hovered above you and how multiple files and USB drives were plugged into the systems, meaning that whoever was here before had been lurking in this place for a while.Â
Since your brother was an expert hacker, you naturally followed his footsteps as you got him to teach you all about computers when you were young. In other words, you could consider yourself a little computer geek, and you knew your way around the codes and the systems.Â
As you sat down on the chair and began typing away, you could easily hack into the system to find out the dozens of confidential information stored there. Sure enough, you were able to dig through the files and find valuable information about the kidnappingsâwho the victims were, their way of communication to pass around information, and who was the sole mastermind that commanded Seunghak and his team.Â
However, it seemed that it wouldnât be as easy to determine who exactly was the accurate mastermind as they used an untraceable ID and alias; or rather, they actually communicated through ciphertexts.Â
You mentally cursed at yourself for not taking an interest in this particular method of communication back then when your brother taught you briefly. You have always brushed it off, saying you were not made to understand this specific method and always preferred a more accessible way out.Â
You were then back to square one again. To find out who was behind that so-called alias and ID, you needed to crack the algorithm and ciphertext to move on.Â
Just as all hope is lost, a new message suddenly appears on the screen, and you squint your eyes as you try to read what exactly it holds. When you finally understood what was written, your eyes widened, leaving you stunned for a minute.Â
ThisâŚthis isâ
âY/N!!! GET OUT OF THERE!!!â
Before you were able to make sense of the whole situation, Jungkook immediately jumped in front of you before you eventually heard a gunshot resonate in the air and eventually a siren followed as you tried your best to catch hold of Jungkook in your arms, followed by a swarm of bikers filling the control room.
Jungkook had no idea how long he had been passed out since then, and he was slowly trying his best to open up his eyelids tightly glued shut together as the light shone through his vision.Â
When he finally did, he realised that he was back in this cabin and was lying down on the couch he tried his best to sit up before he felt an excruciating pain that sent shockwaves throughout his whole body.
âI wouldnât move if I were you.âÂ
Jungkook jerked his head to the side to see that you had returned with a first aid box and a bowl of water with a cloth draped before you slowly sat on the couch with him. You took the fabric into your hands before dipping it into the bowl of water, squeezing off the excess liquid before you started wiping off any dirt or blood that was left on his bare chest.Â
Neither of you said a word, or rather, none of you knew the right words to say at the moment. Jungkook noticed how red and puffy your eyes were, and he knew immediately that you mustâve been crying for god knows how long.Â
He definitely felt partly guilty for that, but another part of him didnât know why he did just that, jumping in front of you to save you from the henchmen instead of taking him out with his gun from behind.Â
His thoughts were a mess; he no longer knew what he felt. As he quietly observed the way you took care of him, his heart began to ache, and he couldnât help but gently place one of his hands on your cheeks, rubbing the little area where he saw that there was a slit mark; you probably have gotten injured yourself while he was out.Â
That gesture stopped you as you lifted your head to look at him straight in the eyes. Unlike back at the factory, his eyes were filled with mystery again, not the dark, scary one he portrayed as the bikerâs gang leader. It felt as if the scene back during the creak was repeating itself.Â
âJ-JungkookâŚIâŚâ you stammered before you eventually felt his soft lips against yours.Â
The kiss was gentle and bittersweet, and Jungkook did not hesitate to slowly move his lips against yours, showering you with plenty of kisses and savouring the taste of your lips. Your body immediately shut down from that, and you finally eased yourself to return the favour, moving yours against his as you both kissed each other breathlessly.Â
His kiss sent shockwaves to your entire body, making you want this moment to last for as long as possible. He gently lifted your face slightly with the hand resting on your cheek, intending to kiss you deeper. That was when you decided to close your eyes and let him take full control of the situation.Â
As you both finally broke apart to take a few deep breaths, Jungkook rested his forehead against yours, just like he did before at the creak.Â
It was time, you figured, to finally ask him what you both truly are.Â
âJungkookâŚwhatâŚwhat made you finally do it?â You panted.Â
He paused briefly before giving you an answer you did not expect. âDo I have you say more than that? Iâm pretty sure itâs what you have in mind, Y/N.âÂ
You were now trying your best to hold back the tears forming at the corners of your eyes. âW-What made you finally feel that way, Jungkook?â
âIâŚI donât even know myself, Y/N. In the beginning, Iâve only seen you as a younger sibling that I would protect at all costs because I do not want to repeat the same mistake as I have done to my biological sister. But as we spent more time together, there was just something that I felt within me that made me realise that maybe youâre more than just a sibling to me n5ow.âÂ
Jungkook gently lifted your head once more before giving you a little peck on the lips again. âOne thing is for sure now: I would protect you at all costs, even if it means I must sacrifice myself. Iâm not doing this as a favour to your brother anymore; Iâm doing this because you mean a lot to me.âÂ
With those words, you couldnât help but smile for the first time in a while before responding to the man himself. âWell, youâre going to have to do a lot of explaining to my brother, then.âÂ
âYeah. Frankly, I hate the thought of having to go through that phase. But if itâs you, Iâd do anything to get that approval from Mr Kim himself.â He winked.Â
âEw. Gross.âÂ
âAdmit it, you like the thought of us being together and a thing in the near future.âÂ
âYou better hold your horses before I shove this fabric down your throat.âÂ
âWow, arenât you a scary one?âÂ
You both broke into laughter with that conversation. It has been a while since you both have bickered like that, and you missed this mischievous side of him.
âWell, mister. Weâll have to wait a couple of days for you to be completed healed before we hit the road again.â You announced as you finally stood up from the couch.
âGive me a day to rest up, and then weâll leave.âÂ
âJeon Jungkook, thereâs no way youâre healing up within a day with that bullet wound in your abdomen.âÂ
âIf I say one day, it means one day,â he deadpanned.Â
âYou canât be serious,â you argued back.Â
âOne day.â
âNo.â
âYes.âÂ
You sighed. âWe will determine that after 24 hours, then.âÂ
Jungkook smiled as he laid back down on the couch. âWell, now thatâs settled, we could go through the strategy planning tomorrow. For now, I think itâs time for us to get into bed togetherââ
âYouâre not touching me in my sleep.â
âOh come on, we kissed, so whatâs the matter?â He pouted.Â
âWeâre not at that stage yet.âÂ
âPretty please with a cherry on top?â He begged.
âAbsolutely not.â
Miraculously, it took only a day for Jungkook to be entirely healed as he drove down the streets, heading back to the capital. You swore that this man was built differently from all of you, and he was a monster at that, able to heal so quickly with a wound that would typically take at least a week or two.Â
He was definitely feeling a lot better after a good night's rest, and you guided him into the fireplace before telling him the details you had found back in the systems room. Jungkookâs eyes widened as he heard about your findings, and never would he have thought that you both would be able to receive that critical information to finally pinpoint who was the exact mastermind behind all of this.Â
After hearing your thoughts and suggestions, the both of you quickly took off to one of his nearest hideouts, where he would often meet up with his closer subordinates to inform them about the current plan. After a whole night of planning, all of you were now on the road heading back into the city.
When you finally catch a glimpse of the police station from afar, bittersweet feelings immediately form within you as you know that there would be the last destination to be able to crack the cold case open. You hope that Seokjin is somewhere hidden within the facility since you last saw him.Â
As all the bikes began pulling up nearby, Jungkook gave the lads further instructions on infiltrating the building without being detected by the guards. Their mission was to find out where exactly the victims were kept away and to avoid conflict with any detectives that came their way.Â
Based on the information you found at the factory, you insisted that it would be best to confront the mastermind since you have gotten a pretty good hunch on who they are and where they might be residing too. But Jungkook insisted that he was going to stay close to you as much as he could, and he was not going to risk your life once more.Â
It took a bit of convincing back and forth, but you finally managed to persuade him to stay nearby but undetected, fearing that the mastermind might flee if they had a sense that you did not come alone to meet them.
So here you were, pressing the exact button that would eventually lead you to the top floor of the building, staring straight into the screen above the lift that indicated that you were slowly going up each second. Your hands began shaking against your own will, fearing that you were finally going to meet your worst nightmare, one that has kept you awake and separated from your own family and friends for weeks.Â
As you shut your eyes to take a deep breath, you were instantly cut off from your train of thoughts when you felt someone grab onto your hands and intertwine their fingers with yours. When you opened your eyes and turned your head to the side, you could see that Jungkook was just as nervous as you were, linking his hands with yours.Â
It mustâve been hard for Jungkook as well; he was also dealing with his struggles when he was with you. But he has never failed to let it get to them to the point that it made him lose all hope and sanity. Perhaps it must have been fate that you were there with him, and you were able to give him a bit of strength and company to deal with all of this.Â
Your grip tightened against his, and you looked into his eyes. âJungkookâŚâ
âItâll be over soon, Y/N. Iâm sure of it. No civilians should ever experience this nightmare ever again. Weâre going to break the chain of history and not let it repeat itself once again,â Jungkook said confidently, and he was determined that it was time to make a change in Seoulâs dark history of crimes and corruption.Â
As the doors to the lift opened, you slowly stepped out of the lift and let go of Jungkookâs grip and looked at him once more before walking to where you were supposed to be headed. For the last time, you both communicated by looking into each otherâs eyes; Jungkook promised you that he would be nearby and that you didnât have to worry as he would keep you safe.Â
With a nod from you, the doors to the lift eventually began to close, and you constantly kept your eyes glued on Jungkook before the doors were glued shut.Â
Turning your heel towards the opposite direction, you slowly walked along the corridors, passing by multiple rooms before reaching the one at the furthest end. You read the door sign carefully before confirming that you were at the right place.Â
Slowly, you lifted up your hands to gently knock on the door before it slowly opened on its own. With a gulp, you stepped in and peered your head through the room. It was dark, and the only light shining into the room was the moonlight from the windows.Â
When you were fully physically in the room, the doors behind you suddenly slammed shut again, sending a sense of nervousness throughout your entire body. You had to remind yourself constantly that as long as you can get through this last spurt, everything will finally be revealed, and it will be a chapter closed.Â
You could sense that you werenât alone in this room and that someone was lurking in the shadows. Taking this as your chance to confront them, you finally gathered the courage to speak up to whoever was in here with you.Â
âIt seems that your time of reign has abruptly ended. It wasnât easy trying to track you down for months; given your position, it mustâve been really easy to get hold of the young ladies into your care. You surely are a brave individual who was willing to take the risk,â you announced aloud but were again met with silence.Â
But you didnât come here to give up quickly, so you decided to press on. âSay, havenât you stooped down so low, using your detective position to claim these young women for your benefit? Wasnât your wife good enough for you? Why resort to kidnapping and eventually trafficking these young ladies for your good?â
Come on, Y/N. Just a little bit more.Â
âYou even went to seek help from the biker gang. Are you that desperate? Especially when you have sworn that you hate them to the core and would never associate with the likes of them.âÂ
âDonât you think so, Uncle Kim?âÂ
With that last sentence, the room felt much more silent than it already was before you eventually heard footsteps coming before you, finally revealing to the man that you have been trying your best to get him out of the shadows.Â
âIâm beyond impressed, Y/N. You are just as smart as your brother; you could easily pull off as a detective for the station.âÂ
It has been a while since you have seen your uncle. He was the deputy chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department and was often away to deal with heavy and pressing matters requiring him to stay stuck in this office all day or even fly out of the country to do so.
He also took your brother in and gave him a chance as a detective after seeing his extraordinary talent with computers and hacking. After your parents passed, he was the one who has been raising you both just as his children, and he was finally able to let loose a bit once you both entered adulthood.Â
He often visits during celebrations as much as he can despite his busy schedule, and you both have always admired him for what he has done to serve the country. He was considered the nationâs hero, after all.
But it seems that not all good things last for long, especially when you receive that concrete evidence and message back in the systems room from your very own brother, revealing who the mastermind is.
Why exactly did he choose to do all of this? Your very own uncle, the nationâs hero, to be behind all of the kidnappings that have happened for the past several months. It would be impossible to convince the public that this was the reality that everyone has been living in; that is why it is up to you now to publicly reveal and gain concrete evidence to stop his spree of crimes.
âMy dear little Y/N, how exactly did you even crack the code? I was certain that you couldnât decrypt ciphertexts.âÂ
So, that was why he used it as a primary method of communicating with the bikers.Â
âWell, Iâm afraid you have made a fatal mistake. I may not be able to read ciphertexts, but I sure can read morse code.âÂ
âWhat?âÂ
You chuckled. âYou may have kept my brother hidden away somewhere, but so long as he is within the facility and was one of the top hackers in the station, he would certainly find a way to hack through the systems throughout the district and even out of town, keeping in a close contact with us.âÂ
âJust as expected from my niece, I shouldnât have underestimated what you both were capable of,â he laughed.Â
Unbeknownst to you, you eventually balled your fists up, and you were on the verge of wanting to throw a punch straight into his face despite being family by blood. However, you tried your best to hold yourself back, you have to get concrete evidence first and foremost.Â
âWhy, Uncle Kim? Why would a successful detective like you do such a thing? Why live a double life?â You asked and pleaded a little to see if he had any sense of remorse left in him.Â
But your efforts were wasted.Â
âOh, Y/N. You have no idea how cruel our world can truly be. It doesnât matter how high your status can be; the city of Seoul will forever remain dark and corrupt behind the scenes, whether you like it or not. In this world that we will live in, itâs like a tug-of-war, Y/N. If you donât take a step further, then the younger and weaklings will eventually catch up, and we donât want that to happen, do we?âÂ
Your uncle then stepped closer to you and began slowly circling around you.Â
âThere are only two groups of people in the world; either you choose to be strong or stay behind with the weak. Itâs a cruel world that we live in, Y/N. When the opportunity comes, take it even if thereâs the slightest opening to becoming the strong elite. Take it and do not spare a glance back, even if it means you must ditch your old life behind. You might even need to sacrifice some things or people to realise those goals.âÂ
âB-But that doesnât imply why you would turn to crime to achieve those goals, Uncle Kim,â you commented.Â
He sighed. âIâm afraid you are still too young to realise it then. Those girls should be lucky that they are still alive. I havenât even gotten to the good part yet.âÂ
Your blood was now boiling, and you were on the verge of genuinely slapping or hitting some sense into your uncle, even though you knew that it would probably be effortless. You just needed to hurt him, make him suffer for all that he has done to all of those young women, even to your friend, Kisa.Â
Before you finally shut your eyes, you had to ask him one last question before you were going to reach behind your back pocket for the knife that you had stored away.
âLet me then ask you this, Uncle Kim. What happened five years ago when a detective was responsible for kidnapping young children across the district. Was that your doing as well?âÂ
In your gut, you already knew what the actual answer would be. But at least you still needed to hear it directly from his mouth.Â
âAh, Minhwan? It was truly a tragedy that he lost his life easily then. He was just a step closer to kidnapping his tenth victim.âÂ
God, you felt sick to the stomach. He truly was a heartless individual; all of the years of putting up a favourable face in front of his family eventually broke down, revealing who he truly is in front of you now.Â
You couldnât care less if he was your uncle anymore; all you knew was that he was going to hell, and you so desperately wanted to end his life here and thenâ
âSo it was you who made my sister suffer the way she did.âÂ
That voice! Jungkook!
You quickly jerked your head behind to see that Jungkook was now aiming his gun directly at your uncle, but before you could even process further, you were immediately pulled into your uncleâs embrace. He immediately took out his gun from his holster and rested it on your temple.Â
âMy, if it isnât the biker gang leader himself! You surely have grown since the last time Iâve seen you.âÂ
âNever in a million years would I have thought that the chief detective would have been monitoring and guiding the underworld for several years. It would surely be a huge hit in the newspapers and eventually across the globe,â Jungkook taunted.Â
âThat would be nice, but Iâm afraid you both wonât live through the next sunrise to see it happen because I will be eliminating you both right here and now, starting with Y/N,â he pushed the gun further to the point that it began to hurt. You could tell that one wrong move from either of you would result in a bullet within the two of you.Â
You both have to think quickly and strategically before executing the next move.Â
âWhat makes you think you can outsmart me, young man? Youâre from the biker gang, for goodness sake!â Your uncle began raising his voice and was now engaged in the conversation with Jungkook.Â
That was when you looked into Jungkookâs eyes, and you could tell he was trying to tell you something.Â
It was as if he meantâŚ
Trust me, Y/N.Â
âIt is because Iâm the biker gangâs leader, Mr Chief. Hence, I can and will outsmart you here right now.âÂ
With that one last word, Jungkook loaded his gun and pulled the trigger, aiming straight at your legs. The bullet barely grazed through your skin, and you immediately fell onto your knees, which made your uncle stunned.Â
âHey! Hey! Y/N! Get up! Get up now!â
In the midst of his panic, Jungkook quickly stepped in and took his hand onto his back before propelling his body forward, slamming him onto the ground. He quickly used his knee to keep him in place. He used his hands to push the chiefâs head to the ground while the other held both hands towards his back.Â
âY-You think youâre going to get away with this? Youâre a hundred years too fastâŚâ the chief grunted.Â
âActually, I think you might as well start digging your grave now, dear uncle.âÂ
Immediately, all of you looked towards the front door entrance where the voice was coming from, and your eyes widened upon who you had just seen.Â
âSeokjin!!!â You screamed out loud; tears might even start falling from the corners of your eyes.Â
âHello, uncle. Missed me?âÂ
âH-How did you get out from there? Thereâs absolutely no wayââ
âWell, I have my ways. And unfortunately for you, I hacked into the station system, so your computer right there on your desk was recording everything that you said towards both my sibling and the biker gangâs leader; I may have also shared the recording with the local radio stations, so everyone heard it live and in real timing too,â Seokjin announced as he was twirling the USB drive in his hands.Â
âWhy you little scumbag!!â He screamed before Jungkook gathered his strength to push him down again.Â
âI think the scumbag here is you, dear uncle. Iâm sure the FBI would be delighted to interrogate the heck out of you and give you the rightful punishment you need.â
âWhat? The FBI?â He questioned.Â
âYou actually think I came here unprepared? The FBI has officially raided the entire building, taking the hostages to safety and caught your little gremlins, escorting them to prison at this very moment as we speak.âÂ
Seokjin took a few steps closer before eventually bending down to face his uncle.
âIâm sorry, but your reign of terror ends here and now.â
It had been a year since that fateful incident. Getting things back to normal surely took a lot of time and effort.Â
Thanks to Seokjin and the FBI, they have taken your uncle away and placed him behind bars, even at a high security one at that. Throughout the gruelling interrogation that they have had, it seems that your uncle was part of more twisted crimes than what the public was aware of, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment at that, with no chance of parole.Â
As for the victims, they were all returned safely to their own families after recovering at the hospital for a while. Thanks to the staff's generosity, the victims were given more than enough care and treatment for them to eventually return to their usual selves.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Department needed some time to regain the public's trust. To tackle that issue, the officials elected your brother Jacob to take over the chief position and oversee the whole process of rebuilding the entire police department. It definitely wasnât an easy task and was undoubtedly a huge burden for Seokjin, but he did not complain and rather took on the role easily.Â
The factory that you used to work in was abolished as the police themselves continued to dig through more uncovered dark secrets that lay below the factory grounds. For the safety and well-being of the public, all authorities have agreed that it would be best to tear the place down, leaving behind a chapter.Â
But that did not mean that all workers there met a bad fate. Through the help from the public and the authorities, everyone was given a chance to work at a much better and safer workplace.Â
As weeks passed, you scored through all your exams and eventually graduated from university. You were now on the road to becoming a full-fledged journalist, currently undergoing probation under the famous company The Seoul Daily Magazine. You have been enjoying your time here, meeting amazing colleagues and having a healthier work-life balance.Â
As for Jungkook, he decided to return to his biker gang, further leading the upcoming lads to take over the higher positions within their hierarchy. However, it was thanks to the latest kidnapping cases that the public realised that the bikers themselves werenât rebellious nor posed a threat to society. They have begun to put their trust in the bikers themselves, and they would often be seen hanging out together in town daily.Â
Seokjin has granted a special position for Jungkook in the police department, encouraging the male to join forces as their previous one worked out splendidly. According to your brother, Jungkook just smiled and turned down the offer, saying that the bikers are one big family and would stick by them until the end.Â
You smiled as you remembered all of those moments of how Jungkook had always shared about his lads from the gang, and naturally, you decided to visit them often whenever you got to hop onto Jungkookâs bike; you both were finally a couple now anyway.Â
It wasnât until the digital clock that was situated right on your table started to go off that you realised that it was finally time for you to get off work. You quickly jumped up from your chair, giving yourself a little stretch before packing your things away hurriedly.Â
âOh, someoneâs leaving early today, huh?â One of your co-workers peeked through your cubicle and teased.Â
âSomeoneâs got a dinner date tonight, a very romantic one at that, too,â another one chimed in.Â
âItâs nothing, you guys, weâre just having a normal dinner,â you reassured, but clearly your co-workers didnât believe you in the slightest bit.Â
âI bet theyâre going to finally do it tonight.â
âWhat?! How can you say that?! I bet theyâre going to propose instead.âÂ
âNothing is going to happen, okay? Now, Iâm off. Iâll see you next Monday!âÂ
You quickly clocked out before running down the steps down to the lobby. You were too excited and couldnât wait for the elevator to reach your floor. Once you finally saw your boyfriend leaning against one of the pillars outside your company, you quickly dashed towards the automatic doors before finally stopping right in front of him.
He was in his usual black leather jacket and cargo pants, but his hair was much longer now, so it covered his eyes if he decided not to part them. But you loved this new look on him, much better when his hair was shorter a year ago.
âLike what you see, sweetheart?âÂ
âHmph, donât get too full of yourself. You barely did just the minimum,â you commented before linking your arms with his as you both walked towards the restaurant that Jungkook had booked for the night.Â
âCome on, I styled myself just for tonight. You might as well give me some compliments,â he whined.Â
âIâll consider it if you order something that I have been craving to eat for a while,â you stuck your tongue out at him.Â
âHow should I know what youâre craving for the day?âÂ
âYouâre the boyfriend; you shouldâve done your research.âÂ
âMean.âÂ
âI spit the facts.âÂ
You both burst out into laughter after that; you truly enjoyed every moment with this guy, even if you were just bickering over the tiniest detail possible. It was when you both went silent for a while, admiring the Christmas lights and decorations that lit up the entire city. You both finally stopped at the huge Christmas tree in the middle of town, admiring its beauty for a while before heading to the restaurant just a little bit behind the decor.Â
âSay, didnât you mention that I would be your biggest mistake when I first picked you up back at the factory?âÂ
âOhâŚthat.âÂ
âYeah, that. What am I to you now, princess?â He looked at you with pleading eyes; he was back at trying to get your compliments since he failed the last one.
You sighed before tilting your head towards his direction before planting a soft peck on his lips.Â
âYou were the best mistake that has ever happened to me.â
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WAITING, WATCHING !
CHARACTERS ! stalker!han jisung, reader
GENRE ! thriller. smut. minors dni WORDS ! nearly 2k
SYNOPSIS ! jisung is obsessed with you. youâre his angel. all his. only his.
THIS FIC CONTAINS ! stalking. obsessive behavior. voyeurism/window peeking. breaking and entering. picture taking. panty sniffing + panty thievery. fem. masturbation.
đ iâm on season 7 of my criminal minds binge. needed this out of my head; not sure i like it, but i wanted to share it.
For the first time in months, you have the house to yourself. Jisung knows that for sure. In fact, this morning at 5:32 AM, he spotted your roommate exiting the front door of your home. A backpack slung around her shoulders and a large suitcase parked beside her as she locked the front door. Her ride, a black SUV, pulls up and the driver hops out to place her bags in the trunk. By 5:35 AM, your roommate has driven off to her destination, and Jisung continues his surveillance of your home.Â
What is meant to be his living room lies a single chair displayed in front of the large window that faces the front of your home. On the occasion of movement, J might bring his binoculars to his eyes and gulp, aching to see more of you. He sits there for hours at a time, hyperfocusing, waiting for signs of you.Â
Jisung has been watching you long enough to know your daily routine. Heâs watched you from directly outside of your bedroom window. He knows the time you wake up; that it takes you approximately fifteen minutes to fully awaken from your precious slumber. He knows that after you awaken, you move directly to the bathroom for a good five to seven minutes or an hour depending on the day. And once you exit, you make your way to the kitchenâbut your breakfast choices vary on the day. Sometimes you treat yourself with a big, balanced breakfast. Other days, especially if youâre in a rush due to sleeping in late, you have fruit, cereal, or you skip the meal altogether.Â
By 6:23 AM this morning, Jisung makes his way over to your home. A short stroll, as heâs not worried about being seen. Jisung follows his normal path to the left of your home, making his way to the far back to peer into your bedroom window. Youâre stirring in your sleep. Probably plagued by a vivid dream, Jisung thinks. The hour flies by, and he remains unfazed, eyes fixed on your sleeping form.Â
Jisung remains in his same position for the next two hours; his watch reads fifteen til nine. Youâre sleeping in today, unwilling to release yourself from the clutches of your bed. A brief moment goes by where you lift your head to check your phone; tossing it aside to snuggle into your comforter. For a second, Jisung imagines that you see him staring at you through your window. He feels as though he knows you enough to gauge your reactionâcraves to watch your eyes widen in terror, mouth agape, all color drained from your face the moment you notice him. Then you would run. Thatâs no use, though, Jisung knows the layout of your home as if it were his. There arenât many places you can hide.Â
You wake up slowly. Unable to fully shake the sleep from your eyes, you stare up towards the ceiling. Another day youâve woken up feeling sick, uneasy even. Itâs a struggle to get out of bed, the room is hot, and despite being tangled into your comforter, you feel sticky. Jisung watches as you slowly peel yourself from your bed, walking out of the door.Â
Youâre going into your bathroom, Jisung knows that. Judging by the expression on your face, he assumes youâre going to take a moderately long shower. Youâll probably be spending most of the time thinking, Jisung assumes. And from the shower, you return to your room to get dressed. Initially, Jisung would leave whenever youâre nakedâhe wanted to give you privacy. Yet things change, progressing over time, and Jisung has been interested in every single aspect of you for a long time.
He watches as you slip the towel off, walking around your room; from your closet to your dresser and back, trying to find a suitable outfit for the day. You pick out an outfit, aligning the shirt up against the pair of pants youâve picked. Jisung shakes his head. Soon after, as do you. He knows you. Judging by your progress this morning, itâs likely youâll pick an all black ensemble. Heâs right, of course, after an additional eight minutes you choose a black t-shirt and leggings.
You check the time on your phone. Late as usual, Jisung thinks, he canât help but laugh at how common it is for you to be running late. Even when things are within your control, somehow even when youâre on time, youâre late. Jisung watches how you nearly trip over yourself in effort to collect all your things and rush out of the door.Â
You return home later than usual, around 5:34 PM. Jisung has long since returned to his home, following his off-hour routine in preparation of your return. While his day has been mediocre at best, stressful must be the word that describes your day. Youâre holding your bag in your hand, unusual as itâs typically strung over your shoulder. You seem tense, shoulders slightly raised, fidgeting with your keys for a few seconds too long.Â
Jisung sets his coffee mug down beside him. He stretches, throwing his sweatshirt over his head. Without another thought, Jisung is heading to his front door, one foot in front of the other. He stops in his tracks, making sure to grab something important. Like this morning, Jisung is back with a sly stroll to your home. Heâs got tunnel vision, making no effort to see if any neighbors are around; Jisung finds that, if you donât notice them, often, they donât notice you. He slips into your backyard undetected.Â
Youâre exactly where Jisung figured you would be. In your room, displayed across your bed as if only for him. Jisung exhales, a weight lifts off his shoulders when he sees you. Youâre laying on your back, almost swallowed into the mess of sheets you didnât smooth out this morning. Your shirt is thrown across the room, and the contents of the bag you were holding are spilling out on the floor. Not to mention, the creme dela creme, your pants are bunched around your anklesâyou gave up at the last moment, fiending to scratch that itch.Â
Jisung licks his lips. What a beauty on display for his special viewing. He canât see too much, only the side of you, but itâs just enough for him. Jisung watches as your breasts move with every movement you make, itâs only slightly, but he notices it. He believes he can see the seconds in which your nipples grow harder, only imagining how they would feel on his tongue.
You work between your legs, head thrown back in ecstasy, fingers guided in fast circles over your clit. Oh, how much easier this would be if you had a toy to play with. Jisung thinks something similar: it would be so much easier if he were in the room with you. To touch you, kiss you. To hold you through the night and promise you that everything is going to be alright as long as heâs by your side. But itâs all too early for that. Youâre not ready yet.Â
Click! Jisung captures the moment. Picture after picture, varying in stages of ecstasy. With each picture, you get closer and closer to your orgasm. Your free hand glides upward to tug at your nipple, fingers slipping into your cunt, palm of your hand grinding against your clit. It takes a moment, but the build up is all too electrifying. Your orgasm hits you in waves, rippling across your body with heat, body shaking, fingers refusing removal from your clit. You cum with a loud moan, and Jisung wishes he could hear it. Click!
Jisungâs breathing is just as heavy as yours. Heâs squeezing at the bulge in his pants, though it doesnât stop him from leaking into them. Heâs caught in a fantasyâyouâre riding him from behind, eyes trained on your ass. Youâre moaning his name, cunt slurping, sucking in his cock. Youâre doing all the work, Jisung is just taking everything in. How smooth and soft your skin is, how you react to the sharp sting of his palm coming down against your skin. When Jisung re-enters reality, he finds that youâve fallen asleep. He waits a few minutes to make sure, watching how your breathing evens out. Now is his time to act.
Itâs 6:35 now. Jisung walks around the house, scouting until he reaches your roommates window. He pops it open with no trouble, lifting himself up into the room. He barely takes a second look at things in the room, your roommate is of no concern to him. Jisung takes slow, careful steps. This isnât the first time heâs been inside of your home; it is, however, the first time youâve both been under the same roof.Â
He steps out of your roommates room and carefully steps across the hardwood floors towards your door. He opens the door slowly, stepping in, one foot after the other. Heâs practiced this, over and over, while you and your roommate are at work or elsewhere. How heâd sneak into your room while youâre sleeping to watch over you.Â
You are absolutely perfect. Your chest rises slowly as you inhale, exhaling just as calmly. You kicked off your pants and underwear; and Jisung steps up to receive his trophy, picking your panties off of the floor. Red cotton panties. Without hesitation, he brings the panties to his nose, inhaling deeply. His eyes roll back into his head, heâs feeling lightweight; unstoppable. Thereâs something in your scent that drives him mad. He snatches the item away, trying to stay level headed.Â
Jisung turns towards you. He wants to touch you, he craves itâbut it canât be like this. He tucks the panties into his pocket and takes out his camera. He captures pictures of your delicate body, so unaware of his presence. He wonders, would you wake if he touched you? He canât. He wonât. Jisung chooses only to admire. Pointing the camera to your face, he snaps another picture. You rest so angelically, you mustâve really needed it, he thinks.Â
âAngel.â He whispers to himself. His voice is brittle, he hasnât spoken in days.Â
He takes his final few pictures. Jisung hovers his hand just a few centimeters above your face, as if to gently caress you. He makes his way out of the door, looking back towards you before he closes the door behind him. âSee you when you wake, angel.âÂ
Jisung makes his way back into the darkness he calls his home shortly after. Taking no rest, he plops down into his chair, reaching down to seat his laptop on his lap. His hands move fast, with no hesitation, hooking his camera up to his laptop for a better look at the images heâs captured. He works robotically. Reanalyzing each picture heâs taken tonight. He still remembers your scent: cocoa butter and the stained cum left between your legs.Â
His hands dip into his pocket, bringing the red fabric to his nose. He inhales your scent until heâs lightheaded, staring at all of your pictures until theyâre burned into his retinas. Jisung is breathless. He thinks heâs going to lose his mind. He canât tolerate not being close to you. He has to have you, he needs to hold you.Â
He gathers all of today's photos and places them into a folder titled Skin. At that moment, he made up his mind. He canât go on like this, not being able to have you in his possession. Heâs taken his time up until now, moving slowly, progressing with his plan. Jisung desires to have you for safekeeping. His lover. His property. His angel. Only his.Â
Itâs time to move onto the next phase of his plan. Luckily for Jisung, the lights in your house just turned on.Â
Š PLANETDREAM 2024
#đ â vivid dreams#đ â vividdream.skz#stray kids smut#skz smut#han jisung smut#han jisung x reader#jisung smut#han smut
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against the world
PAIRING ⸠park sunghoon x fem!reader x sim jaeyun (ft. park jongseong)
GENRES ⸠fluff, angst, psychological, horror, thriller
WARNINGS ⸠profanity, murder, descriptions of gore, unrequited love, found family, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, mc is an unreliable narrator
SUMMARY ⸠if you could change anything about your life, it would be meeting park sunghoon.
WORD COUNT ⸠14,064 words
PLAYLIST ⸠back to black by amy winehouse ⢠the french library by franz gordon ⢠perfectly splendid by the newton brothers
AUTHORâS NOTE ⸠hello !! this fic is a rewrite of one of my first horror fics that iâve written :') it badly needed reworking and i completely changed the ending. i hope you guys enjoy my spooky szn contribution âĄ
THE TRUTH WAS, YOUR LIFE BEGAN TO FALL APART EVEN BEFORE YOU MET SIM JAEYUN.Â
You realized this as you woke up, face pressed against the ice-cold, concrete floor of a holding cell; when the guards dragged your uncooperative, limp body into an interrogation room; when you were face-to-face with Detective Lee Heeseung and handcuffed to a cold, metal table as he read your Miranda Rights. The handcuffs dug into the flesh of your wrists, but you only fought against them once and gave up as soon as you realized they wouldnât give in. You just wanted to thumb away the crusted blood staining your hands and pick out the flakes under your nails.
The room was foreign to you. It was something youâd seen in movies and read in books, but you never fathomed the idea of being in an interrogation room yourself. There was a two-way glass that you aimlessly stared at, wondering who was listening in on the other end.Â
You couldnât figure out just how you ended up in this situation. Everything was smooth in your memory up until your supposed arrestâa tear in the fabric of your recollection. You hardly remembered what happened on the way to the police station or when you were getting booked in. You dug your palms into your temples and then pressed against the soft flesh under your eyes, frustrated by the stunted gears in your head. As much as you begged than to click and start spinning, they remained stuck and rusted in place.Â
But you couldnât ask the brooding man standing over you. You couldnât look up into his cold, unforgiving eyes. After all, he knew you were a murderer.Â
âThereâs no use in lying to me, Y/N,â Detective Lee said gruffly with a gaze like steel, âthe prints match.â
You drummed your fingers against the tableâa habit that was rooted in your anxiety. Your fingers were stained and pruned like roses, and as hard as you tried to paint the table red, it only flaked off. You were sure your heartbeat was faster than the tapping of your fingers, your mind perhaps speeding off twice as fast.
Your stomach twisted. If Jaeyun was going to prison, too, then you could no longer protect him.
There was a limit to how much he could take; you knew that being thrown in the slammer would be intolerable for him. You knew you needed to get to him immediately because Jaeyun was the guy who felt too little and too much at the same timeâthe guy who looked for the part of him that ran away, who self-destructed when he felt the world closing in on him.
After all, Jaeyun was a stick of trinitrotoluene lit at both ends.Â
You worked up the courage to look Detective Lee in the eye, which made him stiffen up, biceps flexing under his white button-up.Â
âWhereâs Jaeyun?â you asked.Â
Detective Leeâs lips pressed into a thin, grim line. Cutting into his pale cheeks. You decided that couldnât be a good reaction.Â
You continued, âHe didnât do anything, I swear. He was just there. He didnât do anything.â
âIf you cooperate with us, then you can see Jaeyun again,â the detective answered in a clipped tone. âI can sit here all day and wait.â
Cooperate. You hated that word.
You knew Detective Lee was just trying to sugarcoat your betrayal. You knew he was looking down on you, ready to push you to your limit.Â
But there was nothing you could do in this room. There was no way for you to escape or talk your way out of it to see Jaeyun. You knew quite well that staying silent would only prevent you from making sure your boyfriend was okay.Â
You had no other choice but to work with Detective Lee.Â
âWill you at least make sure heâs not hurt?â you inquired, to which Detective Lee agreed with a nod.
âIâll ask again: Will you cooperate?â
You stayed silent. You despised your old habit of shutting down like this, but you couldnât help it.
Detective Lee sighed and sat in the chair across from you so that you both were eye-level with each other. âListen, Y/N, youâre young. This murder investigationâthis is serious stuff, okay? We just need to know the full story before we jump to any conclusions and make a false arrest. Can we start from last night?â
Deep down, you understood. But itâs all too freshâtoo soon. The grief had yet to settle. The recollections of blood and lifeless eyes poisoned your head; it was all you could see when you closed your eyes.
You sounded hollow when you said, âIt didnât⌠start from last night.â
Detective Lee acknowledged this and leaned forward, hands clasped in front of him. âThen letâs hear it from the beginning.â
If you could change anything about your life, it would be meeting Park Sunghoon.
Your first meeting was at the age of fourteen. Moving schools was an unexpected shift in your life, and you didn't expect to find many friends at your new school. Starting new in the beginning of the year was one thing, but entering unknown territory with people already acclimated in their respective groups was another.Â
People flocked to comfort, and you were sure that no one would want to step out of their comfort zone to bring a stranger into their friend group.
And then Sunghoon swooped in, like an angel sent from the heavens.
Initially, he was awkward. You were both fourteen-years-old and going through the initial stages of pubertyâall voice cracks and awkward intervals of growth stunts. Sunghoon was soft-spoken and didnât have many friends when he approached and befriended you.Â
It started when you both found out you shared a love for novels. You spent hours talking about your favorite books, and Sunghoon shared his dream of wanting to craft the perfect story. Oftentimes, Sunghoon would share some of his writing with you, and then his eyes would sparkle upon hearing your feedback.Â
You two were classmates, sitting right next to each other in the back of the classroom, conveniently right next to the door. You got to know Sunghoon slowlyâthe same gradual feeling of starting to care for someone. You knew his boundaries, though, because you were aware that you could never be the closest to Sunghoon. He and Park Jongseong were attached at the hip, and you couldnât lie to yourself; you felt like a third wheel in the beginning.
But there was some comfort in the security of your friendship.
âItâs you and me,â Sunghoon would tell you, âthe two of us against the world.â
You knew you should have been grateful to have made friends in the first place, but you didnât exactly know if you belonged with them. As comfortable as you felt, there was always a whisper in the back of your head, telling you that you would never be their number one.
You would never be anyoneâs number one.
âI donât understand girls,â Jongseong said one day, hands tucked behind his head as the three of you were hanging out in Sunghoonâs room. You were flipping through some comic book that Sunghoon had laying around, and you shifted uncomfortably upon hearing the question.Â
âYou donât have to.â Sunghoonâs eyes flitted from you, and then back to his phone. He swiped through some apps, but you could tell he wasnât really paying attention judging by the glazed-over look in his eyes. âGirls make no sense at this age.â
Jongseong nudged you. âYou have anything to say about that, Y/N?â
To be honest, you didnât understand yourself much either. You were just starting to go through puberty, and it wasnât ideal for a teenager as young as you to only have guy friends. You couldnât relate to any of the girls your age, nor could you ask them if they were going through the same changes you were.Â
You were acquainted with several girls, of course, but you never got close enough to ask what feelings and experiences they had. You wanted to know if they were becoming as conscious of themselves and others like you were, but you kept those questions bottled up since you only had Sunghoon and Jongseong.
âNope,â you replied. âI couldnât tell you.â
You supposed Jongseong was having girl problems again, and it all clicked because lately, he had been hanging around a pretty girl in their class. They were cute together and clearly into each other, but you could pick up on the issue: Jongseong was on the down-low about their relationship. More importantly, he had been on the down-low about it around Sunghoon, which had to have been breaking some sort of best friend code.
Jongseong asked, âYou like anyone, Hoon?â
Hoon, your brain echoed, and you imagined yourself using the name as casually as Jongseong did. It sounded awkward coming from you, though. Friends gave each other nicknames, right? What if you gave Sunghoon a nickname? How would he react?
Sunghoon flushed behind his phone screen. You could tell he wanted it to go undetected, but you caught a glimpse of his flustered expression before he was able to compose himself.
âOh, not really,â he replied with an air of indifference. âI dunno. I guess I havenât really been looking.â
âHow about you, Y/N?â
You faltered for a moment before you realized you had been addressed. It was a normal question; you should have expected it, but it hit you like a tornado and your mind was swirling. Dating had crossed your mind a few times, sure, you had never prepared an answer because you thought it was going to be straightforwardâa simple âyeah, thereâs a few cute guys in class.â But that wasnât the case this time, and you were wondering why there wasnât any clarity in your head.
Come on, Y/N, you urged yourself, as if you were complaining to multiple, uncooperating attendants working in your brain. Just say somethingâanything.Â
Your mind was blanking, though, and you were scared. You couldnât quite grasp why your stomach felt like a never-ending pit, but it only worsened when you couldnât spit some guyâs name out. You wanted to open up your skull, thoroughly examine your head, poke at the areas refusing to work, and figure out who you couldnât just list some attractive guy in class; on top of that, you wondered why you couldnât just flat-out refuse the statement and claim that there was no one you were interested in.
You were struck with a painful realization that there was only one person you could think of.
Sunghoon.
No, no, no, your brain and your heart screamed at each other. Get ahold of yourself.
You quickly decided that it was just a passing feeling that you needed to suppress until it went away. It was just stupid teenage hormones and puberty making you feel this way and starving you of affection that you didnât actually need in the first place. If you didnât get a hold over yourself, you were going to crumble and ruin the good things you had going.
You internally convinced yourself that everything was fine. There were plenty of teenagers your age who had moments of weakness like this with their guy friends. You just needed to branch out more, that was all.Â
Sheepishly, you replied before the boys could chew you out, âThereâs no one Iâm interested in right now.âÂ
You werenât a very good liar, but as long as Sunghoon and Jongseong were sold, you were content with how things were.Â
Your group expanded when you turned fifteen, and you and Sunghoon grew closerâmaybe even closer than Sunghoon and Jongseong were.Â
You were laying down in your bed one night, breaking into sobs when you realized that you needed more than one hand to count the number of friends you had now. Your shell was broken and your world was bigger. You normally lived like your uphills were mountains and your downhills were cliffs, but, lately, the mountains were getting easier to climb and the downhills werenât that big of a drop. You didnât need to stop and catch your breath or worry about hurting yourself on the way down.
You never felt lonely anymore. If Sunghoon or Jongseong werenât free, you would call Nishimura Riki to catch grasshoppers in the creek with you, or youâd go play video games with Yang Jungwon. Kim Sunoo called you nearly every night to bother you, but you didnât mind. You liked them; they made you feel important, like you were wanted.
âCome on,â Sunghoon teased Jungwon one day as he was blushing over some girl. âWhat are you being so shy about?â
âItâs embarrassing!â Jungwon complained, and you giggled over how a flush of red started creeping from his ears to his cheeks. âIâm not a smooth-talker like you are, Hoon.âÂ
Sunghoon snorted. âIâm not a smooth-talker.â
âHeâs practically, like, bulletproof,â Jongseong chimed in. âWe canât tease him about anyone. He just brushes it off.â
âIâm not bulletproof,â Sunghoon argued, but anyone could see the pride behind his expression. âIâm just not interested in anyone right now.â
You thought you had finally squashed the weird, gooey feeling that arose in your chest every now and then whenever Sunghoon came close. It was primarily due to the fact that Sunghoon was a respectful individual who didnât try to weasel his way into your personal bubble as he pleased. That was probably for the best because you were sure your brain would go haywire if Sunghoon was too close for comfort.
And then there was Sim Jaeyun.Â
Jaeyun entered your circle pretty easily. With his radiant personality and warm presence, it was no shocker that he was accepted by the group instantly. He possessed some odd charm that drew people to him, and you couldnât seem to figure just how that worked. You were almost jealous of him, honestly, with how much of a social butterfly he was.
Out of all of them, Jaeyun seemed to take a particular interest in you. It drove you crazy, though, and you couldnât figure out how to get the guy to stop teasing and messing around with you. The others couldnât figure it out either; you just werenât as bright and bubbly as Jaeyun was, so it was odd that he kept nagging the one person whose wavelength wasnât on par with his.Â
Sometimes it was cuteâendearing evenâbut sometimes it was just flat-out irritating.
âHey, Y/N.â Jake grinned, and his voice was all light and airy as he approached you. âWhatâre you doing for the summer break?â
âProbably sleeping in, hanging out with the others, and some more sleeping,â you replied, hardly sparing him a single glance.Â
You were too focused on clearing out your locker of all the books and papers you had tossed in during the year. Gotta keep this, gotta throw this away, gotta return this one, you rattled off in your head, mentally preserving a reminder of your various items. But Jaeyun knew how to push your buttons and grab your attention. He never took your deflection without retaliating back. That was one of the many reasons why you found it so difficult to be around him.
âAnd hanging out with Sunghoon, huh? Have you realized it yet, or are you still pretending itâs not there?â
You closed your locker with a swift swipe of your hand, revealing Jaeyunâs smug expression. Your eyes were practically bugging out of your sockets as you stared him down. Somehow, you knew exactly what he was hinting at, but you refused to spell it out for him.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â you questioned, but Jaeyun was already walking away from you. He was turned away, but you could visualize that stupid smirk of his like it was carved into your memory.
Jaeyun was smart. Too smart.
Your summer was filled with laughter, beach trips, and shy glances at Sunghoon. He drove you around places and you sat in the passengerâs seat next to him, toes curled in your shoes because you were so overjoyed. The car was always loud with music and laughter, and whenever it was silent, it was because everyone else was sleeping on each other after a long day of being outside.
You still masqueraded around, playing the role of Sunghoonâs best friend who definitely had zero romantic feelings toward him. It was quite hard when you had to pretend like your heart didnât flutter whenever Sunghoonâs fingers brushed against yours.
âSunghoon,â Jaeyun would complain, rousing laughter from everyone at how impatient he was, âare we there yet?â
âYouâre so annoying,â Sunghoon retorted, clearly as a joke. You couldnât help but laugh at his outburst, but it quickly died on your lips once you caught a glimpse of Jaeyun winking at you in the side mirror.
Jaeyun had a mischievous glint in his eyes when he said, âBut you still love me, Hoon.â
Oh.Â
He was trying to make you jealous.Â
You fought down the urge to laugh at him. You might have been harboring a small crush, but you were never the jealous type, especially not over petty things like this. There was one little thing, however, that you couldnât seem to shake.
For some reason, the anticipation to call Sunghoon by a nickname made you anxious. You never tested it on your tongue; it just floated around in your head. However, when you addressed him as Hoon one day, your heart skipped a beat when Sunghoon responded with a smile that rivaled the brightness of the sun.
You grew closer to Jongseong, too. You didnât feel like the third wheel with him and Sunghoon anymore; you felt like you were all at the same level of closeness. You and Jongseong hung out sometimes without Sunghoon, and despite a few awkward pauses in your interactions, you two warmed up quickly and you learned how to joke around with him easily.Â
Jongseong wasnât all stiff and dry like you were initially afraid of; rather, he was surprisingly fun, and every time you learned something new about him, like how he adored cats but was allergic to them, you were even more amazed.Â
It wasnât just Jongseong, though. You and Sunghoon grew far closer than ever before, whether that was for the better or worse.Â
Sunghoon only lived a street away, so it was convenient to hang out, and when you didnât hang out with him, you two called each other. You could see him unravel in front of your eyes; he became visibly more comfortable when it was just the two of youâsmiling, laughing, and bursting into laughter with tears of unrestrained happiness.Â
It wasnât just the jubilant memories that tugged you two closer, though. It was also the despair.
In the first place, it was an accident that you even happened to break down in front of Sunghoon.
You two were in his room when it happened, and things were as they always had been before you sensed the calm before the storm. You joked around as usual and passed the time by playing video games. Sunghoon was perched on his usual spot in the corner of the bed. You looked over at him and realized how close you two had become as friends.
Friends. Just friends.
It was right at that moment when you realized that this wasnât what you wanted. You didnât want to just be Sunghoonâs best friend. You wanted to be the reason why he smiled, the one to make him blush, and the one he could share his pain and happiness with.Â
But your feelings were the scariest thing youâve ever had to face, and you felt ashamed for even wanting to cross the line drawn between you and Sunghoon.
You couldnât dare bring yourself to confess. You were almost positive that Sunghoon didnât feel the same way, and you would be risking a fall-out in your current relationship if you admitted anything. What if Sunghoon ended up hating you? What if you lost him and all of your other friends? What if you werenât the closest person to him anymore?
That was why you felt like Sunghoon was in another dimension, always a layer away. Always.
This was your own fault. You were the one who fell for your best friend. You were the one who did this to yourself. You broke your own heart.
You couldnât help it when you started falling apart in front of him. It started with a broken cough that was supposed to cover up a sniffle. You were thankful for the loud battle sounds in the game that drowned out your quiet sobbing. But the video game didnât stop Sunghoon from noticing your shaking hands gripping the controller.
âHey, whatâs wrong?âÂ
âDonât worry about it. Iâm okay.â
Your voice is so shaky, so broken. Sunghoon knew you were crying before he could see or hear it.
He paused the game and put the controller down, but your eyes were still trained on the screen, hands shaking as you clutched the controller until you were white-knuckled. Sunghoon was on edgeâpanicked. Although, it was a different kind of panic from all the times you would be stressing over an assignment and Sunghoon would offer some lame piece of advice in return.
âWhat happened? Whatâs wrong?â His tone was frantic now as he searched your face for an answer.
You smiled, although faint melancholy was tucked away in the curl of your lip. âNothing. Iâm fine.â
âNow, I know thatâs not true.â
Your smile broke. It was so unfortunate that Park Sunghoon had to have a heart so big.
You could almost hear Jaeyun in the back of your head: Have you realized it yet, or are you still pretending it isnât there?Â
You started crying, and it wasnât something soft with a gradual crescendo. It was loud and all at once, like a wounded animal. Your hands shook more, and you finally dropped your controller, burying your fingers into your roots, as if tugging your hair hard enough would make it all stop, as if it would hurt more than the ache in your chest.
Sunghoon was quick to get off his bed and slide to the ground, right next to you. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and it only made you feel ashamed. You stiffened up and shrunk back, hoping he wouldnât notice how you tensed up at his touch. You could hear your own heartbeat, but you were pretty sure you were hyperventilating at a faster pace than the pounding in your chest. The world under you moved, bounced, so you decided to lean into Sunghoon.
The logical half of your brain informed you in a calm, clipped manner that you were having a panic attack. The other half meanwhile was screaming and shutting itself down.Â
Five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste, you tried telling yourself, but your senses overwhelmed you completely. Your tears were blurring your vision, you couldnât hear anything but your sobs, and your lungs felt as if they were on fire.Â
âY/N, talk to me,â came the softest voice that eased the painful ringing in your ears.Â
âI canât,â you stuttered out. âNot right now.â
You wish you hadnât let it get to this point. You were completely humiliating yourself in front of Sunghoon right now. This was the one thing you couldnât let him find out about.Â
Your heavy gasps grew more labored. You then curled into yourself, sweaty hands tugging and knotting at your hair. And, shit, you couldnât breathe.Â
âI canât, I canât,â you repeated again and again, like a broken record. The desperation in your voice was so ugly.
There was something fierce in Sunghoonâs eyes, like he was ready to protect you from anything or anyone that tried to hurt you, but there was also softness in his voice. âYou know, you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, Iâll hear you out. I donât want you to suffer alone, Y/N.â
With a small smile, he added, âItâs just you and me, right? The two of us against the world.â
That only made you cry even more. You just replayed Sunghoonâs words in your head, like it was your favorite song.
âAlright.â You breathed in real deep, through the aching chest and everything. âItâs really stupid.â
âIf it makes you cry this hard, it canât be stupid.â
You bit your lip, embarrassed. âI think I like someoneâsomeone I canât have.â
Sunghoon didnât respond for a moment, and it rattled your brain. He probably was wondering this underwhelming confession warranted a breakdown from you, and you couldnât blame him. However, it was the only way you could avoid lying to your best friend without giving him the whole truth.Â
For a split second, you wondered if Sunghoon simply just didnât hear you. But you didnât want to repeat yourself; you didnât like repeating yourself.Â
To your surprise, Sunghoon just smiled. âDo I know them?â
You opened your mouth to speak, but no words were stringing together in your head to form a coherent sentence.
âUh, well, you donât have to tell me if youâre not ready,â Sunghoon continued. He flushed and flicked his thumb under his noseâan awkward mannerism of his that you grew to love over the years. âActually, I think weâre in the same boat. Thereâs someone I like, too. Someone I canât have.âÂ
His words bounced in your skull. Settled. Bounced again.
âReally?â you spluttered out, and it took you a moment to recuperate from the heavy sadness that was filling your chest. You brought yourself to ask, âI mean, youâre so popular, so why donât you just ask them out?â
âCanât.â
âWhy not? Are they dating someone else?â
There was a sad smile on Sunghoonâs lips when he answered, âNo, Jongseong likes her, too.â
At the age of sixteen, you realized that you couldnât get over Sunghoon, but you could suppress your heartbreak and lingering feelings.Â
It physically hurt to think about how deeply ingrained your concept of friendship was with him, and the possibility that Park Sunghoon would never think of you as more than a friend. You two had shared too many experiencesâworn each otherâs shoes and walked milesâto ever become more than what you were.
Nothing would ever change.
You were hanging out by a creek near Jongseongâs house. It was just the two of youâno Jaeyun to poke fun at you, and no Sunghoon to distract you. It was just the two of you, and it was somehow so easy to be with Jongseong like this. You could laugh with your stomach and smile with your eyes without feeling the need to close up or shut down.Â
âItâs getting annoying, isnât it?â Jongseong asked under his breath at one point. When you shot him a puzzled look, he clarified, âSunghoon.â
You picked up on Jongseongâs annoyance toward Sunghoon over the past few weeks, but his words confirmed your suspicions now. You wondered if it was geared toward the girl they both likedâwhoever she was.Â
You never thought to ask, mainly because you didnât want to know. Either way, if Sunghoon wanted to share, he wouldâve done so already.Â
You swallowed down the lump in your throat, trying to grab at words and shove them together, but you genuinely didnât know what to say.Â
It had always been you, Sunghoon, and Jongseong. You never thought about them turning on each other. The very idea made you feel sick to your stomach.Â
Over the past week, you had seen Sunghoonâs indifference toward Jongseong, but you were too afraid to ask about it. Your friend group was slow to pick up on it, but you noticed the way Sunghoon would purposely avoid conversing with Jongseong, or the way Jongseong would walk quickly past him if they crossed paths. It was odd, though, because everyone knew that Sunghoon and Jongseong were the best of friendsâinseparable. How could you hold onto someone for so long and just let go of them like that?
You recalled that Jongseong and Jungwon went over to talk to Sunghoon about his moody behavior, but Jongseong never told you whether the talk went well or not. You figured it just never happened because Jungwon called in sick the very next day.Â
You prayed that he would hurry up and get over his cold. He had been out sick all week, which checked out since everyone was getting sick around this time of the year. Jungwon would know how to get Sunghoon and Jongseong to reconcile. He was always the friend that helped everyone patch things up.Â
âYou guys are best friends,â was all you could say. âYouâll make up in a few days, right?â
Jongseong clicked his tongue loud enough to make your skin crawl.Â
But you didnât want to drop it this time, you asked, âSeriously, what happened between you guys?âÂ
For a moment, you wondered if you shouldâve brought up what Sunghoon confessed to youâabout him and Jongseong liking the same girl. But this couldnât have been about that; Sunghoon would never let a girl get between his friendships.Â
âSunghoonâs hiding something dark,â Jongseong blurted out. âI donât think I can get him out of this one.â
âSomething dark? What is it?â
âI donât really knowââ
âJongseong,â you cut in. âIf you know something, then just say it. Heâs my best friend, too.â
Jongseong shifted uncomfortably, restless. He was silent for a long period of time, so you just waited for him to collect his thoughts. Uneasiness bursted from the tips of your fingers and crawled under your skin. You felt the heat of the sun against your face, so you looked up and covered your eyes with a hand, blinking back red.Â
âIf Sunghoon did something unforgivable,â he started in a murmur, âwould you forgive him?â
âI donât know,â was all you could say.
âYeah,â Jongseong replied, his terse words nearly making you flinch. âI donât know, either.â
The sun grew hotter against your face, and all you could see was blood red behind your eyes.Â
You didnât know how exactly it started, but you slowly started to find solace in Jaeyun.
You didnât want to admit it, but you were starting to care for him a little more than the people around you. You were starting to get swayed by himâthe things he said, the way he looked at youâand it scared you a little.
But Jaeyun felt safe. He felt like home.
You two called at night, sometimes. You werenât normally one to be vulnerable in front of others, but you shed some tears in front of Jaeyun a couple of times.
The only other person you had cried in front of was Sunghoon.
âItâs kinda sad,â Jaeyun told you one day. You two were spending the afternoon studying together at his place, and you were feeling self-conscious because you were starting to regret not dressing a little cuter. âIâve known you for a year, but weâve only gotten close now.â
âI donât think either of us cared about deepening our friendship back then.â
He narrowed his eyes at you. âYou think I didnât want to be closer? How do you think I picked up on you liking Sunghoon?â
âBecause I was obvious about it?â
âNo, idiot, because I like you.â
You blinked a few times until you fully processed his words. I like you, your brain repeated, and then you reprocessed the information.Â
No, there was an âidiotâ before that. Not only were you liked, but he thought you were stupid, as well.Â
You became painfully aware of your knees touching Jaeyunâs, but you still couldnât wrap your head around the idea of him liking you romantically. You had never been in this position. Since your crush on Sunghoon had been one-sided for the past few years, you never expected to be on the receiving end.Â
âYouâŚâ you trailed off, floundering to find something to sayâsomething that wouldnât make you sound stupid or mean. You settled with, âYou, too?â
His eyes beamed with hope. âFor a year now.â
Your world was so small before. It was just you, Sunghoon, and Jongseong.Â
Before you could even wonder if there was space in your heart for Jaeyun, you realized that you had already let him burrow his way in there.
âCan I kiss you?â Jaeyun asked.Â
You couldnât help but breathe out a laugh, and every once of nervousness slipped away. You always thought you could attain this level of closeness with Sunghoon, but maybe your relationship with him was just that fragileâwhere you could just grab the string binding you two together and snip it completely.Â
But it was different with Jaeyun.Â
âYeah,â you answered, smiling, âyou can.â
And then, with Jaeyunâs breath fanning your lips, you felt Sunghoon completely dissolve from the impounding thoughts racking your brain. Right now, it was Jaeyun and only Jaeyun.Â
You leaned in first, cupping his cheek and pressing your lips against Jaeyunâs soft ones. It was weird, kissing for the first time, but he leaned into it instantly so that your movements were less awkward and more guided.Â
A fire blazed inside of you, burning hotter than imaginable. You didnât expect Jaeyun to drive you this crazyâto crave more, to want more. You drew back before you slid your hand into his hair, although you were tempted to go further when his pillowy lips peppered soft kisses along your jawline.Â
But you didnât want to go overboard or ruin anything by going too fast. You settled for leaving another chaste kiss against his lips before pulling back, and you were delighted when you saw how pleased Jaeyun was. He was practically glowing.Â
From then on, you and Jaeyun had a relationship that extended past something platonic, but it wasnât like you two were official. Naturally, you ended up confiding in him over everything.Â
While Sunghoon still held a place in your heart as your first love, you grew to care for Jaeyun, who kindled a gentler fire in you. Sunghoon, on the other hand, left you burned and scarred.Â
You didnât want to rush into a relationship, mainly because you didnât want Jaeyun to think he was a rebound, and he respected that. So he waited for you to figure out your feelings and let your heart choose who was right for you.Â
You werenât stupid, though; you knew that chasing after Sunghoon was a hopeless cause.
You and Jaeyun drifted about in a limbo-state of your relationship. You two went on a couple of dates, got to know each other at a deeper level, and spent a lot of time together. He became the person you thought about when you were falling asleep and when you woke up in the morning.Â
You two got along surprisingly well, and you wondered why you ever had doubts about him in the beginning. Sure, Jaeyun still got on your nerves at times, but you just found it funny after the wave of annoyance passed.Â
Your friends started to talk about how close you two were and frequently brought up the idea of you two dating. Of course, you always denied it, enjoying the privacy you and Jaeyun had.Â
But as your relationship blossomed into something more serious, you decided that you didnât want things to stay casual any longer. So, you asked him out, and Jaeyun, being the lovesick puppy he was, accepted without a second thought.Â
You thought about how much had changed in your life. Sunghoon stopped hanging out with you completely, resorting to being alone most of the time. Everyone was concerned about his behavior, but after several attempts of failed confrontation, they all collectively gave up. You and Jongseong still kept an eye on him, using roundabout ways to find out how he was doing; it was the most you two could do given how little opportunity you had to talk to him.Â
You didnât share many classes with Jongseong anymore, but you two were still close, even after your âtwo of us against the worldâ friendship with Sunghoon had gone to shit.Â
Jongseong was kind, though, and despite how he was rough around the edges, he was gentle enough.Â
But he knew that Sunghoon was hiding something dark, and that alone made you somewhat nervous around him.Â
You felt unsettled the entire day, but when your group chat started flooding with texts about Jungwon in the middle of the night, you felt an icy chill travel down your spine.Â
It was all over the news. The whole story about him being down with the flu was just a cover-up while authorities were looking for him.
You felt nauseous.Â
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FOUND DEAD NEAR WOODS. FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED.
The 16-year-old boy was found dead at the scene. The parents of the deceased student have identified him as Yang Jungwon. As of now, there are no leads, but authorities have ruled the case as a homicide.Â
Police have asked anyone with information to contact their local police department.
You read the headline again. Over and over again until your vision was blurry and the words were convoluted. Your fingers were raw and bitten down to the nail bed by the time you were able to put your phone down so that you could just cry into your hands.Â
By the time you got around to reading the details, grimacing at the descriptions of mutilation done to Jungwonâs body and how his body had been decomposing for weeks now, you had to run to your toilet and dry heave everything out.Â
You werenât the closest to Jungwon or anything, but imagining such a bright person meet such a horrific end wasnât easy to process. For hours, you ignored all of the calls and texts and attempts to comfort from your parents. You stared straight at your wallâso terrified that your chest hurt and your breathing was ragged.Â
Later that night, when the world was quiet and dreaming, you received a text from Sunghoon.Â
sunghoon: Hey sunghoon: Iâve been thinking about you. Are you doing okay? sunghoon: I havenât been a good friend lately, Iâm sorry sunghoon: Itâs still the two of us against the world
There was a time when those words made you feel like you were on top of the world, soaring high over the clouds.Â
Now, though, all you could feel was a horrible sensation of dread.
It had been months since Sunghoon and Jongseongâs falling out.Â
You were seventeen now, but you felt hollower as you aged. Sunghoon showed up to school and lingered within your group silently, only contributing when spoken to directly. He didnât approach you anymore or ask to hang out after school. Actually, no one knew what he did after school. He would head straight home and then go completely off the radar.Â
Gone off the rails, as Sunoo called it.Â
You cried several nights over it. You felt like not only was your best friend slipping away from you, but Sunghoonâs disconnect from the group would soon make you pull away, too. You had Jaeyun, of course, but nothing felt the same anymore. With Jungwon dead, the group felt tense and gloomy. You all started hanging out with other people and slowly stopped responding in the group chat.Â
Part of you realized that Sunghoonâs detachment was because you didnât reply to him the night Jungwonâs murder was publicized. Back then, you suspected that Sunghoon could have been behind it, judging by your conversation with Jongseong earlier. It all added up in your head, but the only thing that was stopping you from believing it fully was that you couldnât fathom Sunghoon ever doing something so evil.Â
âI donât know whatâs going on with him,â you whispered into the phone, even though there wasnât anyone around that you were worried about listening in. âHeâs shutting me out now. Something mustâve happened to him.âÂ
You heard Jaeyun hum and contemplate for a moment before he replied, âMaybe he just needs space.âÂ
âI think something happened between him and Jongseong,â you admitted, âbut I canât imagine Jongseong saying anything that would make Sunghoon ignore him for this long.â
âIt mustâve been serious, then.âÂ
âBut⌠but itâs Sunghoon; heâsââyou paused as you recalled what Jongseong once called himââbulletproof.â
There was a pause.
âI guess thatâs the problem with being bulletproof,â Jaeyun spoke gravely. âPeople think they can just keep shooting.â
What Jaeyun told you that night kept replaying in your head over the next weekâover and over again. It hit you a little too hard, and you waited to confront Sunghoon about it. You wanted him to know that he could be vulnerable, too. But you couldnât even speak to your best friend these days. He had been avoiding everyone like the plague.
You assumed it had something to do with Jongseong, but when you talked to him about it, he was hesitant to get into it.
âYouâre the closest person to him,â you told him. Today was colder, and you rubbed your hands together for warmth as you and Jongseong stood by the gates after school. âI think if you guys sit down and talk things out, then heâll start being himself again.â
âI was the closest person to him,â Jongseong corrected with a scoff. âPlus, thereâs nothing to talk about.â
âNothing to talk about? What about your friendship?â
You couldnât stop the words from leaving your mouth. Anger roiled deep in your chest, and you were too furious to realize that Jongseong only looked dejected in response. If he wasnât going to explain what happened, then you couldnât understand what was eating away at their relationship.Â
âThere is no friendship, Y/N,â he said slowly, in a voice so low that it sounded like the calm before the storm. His words made everything come to a halt, and you felt like time itself had frozen. âI suggest you let go of Sunghoon, too. Youâre hanging onto someone whoâs beyond help.â
âBut I donât know what you know!â you exclaimed. âI canât let go of someone just like that, Jongseong. I need answers.â
He was quiet before he asked, âDo you remember when Sunghoon stayed over at your house once when we were fourteen?â
âWhen his house caught on fire?â you recalled, but the memory was sort of hazy for you. All you remembered was how you were in complete awe that Sunghoon was unscathed and unbothered by the incident.Â
âYeah,â Jongseongâs voice was grim as he said, âand I bet he never told you that he was the one who started that fire on purpose.â
It was like a punch to the gut. You could only shake your head blankly, lips parted in disbelief.Â
He continued, âWhen we were fifteen, he thought it would be fun to plan out a murder without getting caughtââ
No.
ââand, at sixteen, he actually did it.â
No. No.Â
âJongseong,â you whispered, your voice smaller than you intended, âwas itâŚâÂ
âJungwon?â He said the name so carefully, as if the world would explode into nothingness if he did. You had been gnawing at your lip so hard that you drew blood, yet that couldnât distract you from the haunted look in Jongseongâs eyes. âYeah, he killed Jungwon.â
You felt like you had just been doused with ice-cold water.Â
âI shouldnât have brought Jungwon with me. I knew Sunghoon was gonna do it to someone, but I didnât knowâŚâ He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath that racked his entire body. âI didnât think it would be him. I brought Jungwon to talk him out of whatever was going on, not toâŚâ Jongseong stopped himself again, covering his face with his hands to wipe away the tears that had started to fall.Â
Itâs you and me, Sunghoonâs voice chimed in your head. The two of us against the world.
You thought your world had been shattered, but then you realized that it had actually been broken for a long time.
That night, you asked Jaeyun to come over, and he arrived at your door in record speed.
You two were sitting on your bed, controllers in hand, but the screen was off and neither of you were even in the mood to play. You must have trusted him more than anyone by now because the words started spilling with no preamble. You ended up explaining most of your conversation with Jongseong after you had Jaeyun swear on his life that he wouldnât tell a soul.
Of course, you didnât expect any normal person to compliantly come to terms with the fact that their friend murdered their other friend, but Jaeyun was a bit different when it came to you. Instead of accusing you of lying or denying the truth, he believed you wholeheartedly. You couldnât tell if he was patient with you, or if he was just horrified by everything you had told him.Â
It had been an entire year since Jungwon had been found dead and the case closed as an unsolved murder, but your words sucker punched Jaeyun like it had just happened yesterday.Â
Jaeyunâs tone was urgent when he said, âWe have to tell someone.â When he noticed your hesitation, he shook his head at you with a disapproving frown. âY/N, this is serious. This is Jungwon, my best friend.âÂ
Your mouth went dry. âI-I know, itâs justââ
Jaeyun didnât have to cut you off. You froze right when you saw tears welling up in his eyes.
âY/N.â He said your name gently, but you still flinched. You had never heard your name being called with so much despair. âIf Sunghoon really murdered Jungwon, then I canât keep this a secret.â
âGive me a few days,â you pleaded. âI just want to hear Sunghoon out. No matter what he says, Iâll come with you to testify.âÂ
He shook his head immediately, eyes fierce. âYou are not going anywhere near Sunghoonânot after what he did to Jungwon.â
âThen let me ask Jongââ
âY/N,â Jaeyun interrupted, letting his hand slide over yours. His eyes were full of concern when he asked, âHow do you know you can trust Jongseong?âÂ
Your hands started to shake.
âY/N,â he said again, âif Jongseong took Jungwon to see Sunghoon, what do you think he did after Sunghoon killed him?â
Your pulse raced.
âIf Jongseong knew about Sunghoonâs behavior for this long, why hasnât he ever done anything?âÂ
All this time, you thought your world had grown a little bigger ever since you met Sunghoon and Jongseong.Â
But you were living in a fantasy by yourself.Â
Not so long after your talk with Jaeyun, your phone rang. You were in the middle of finishing up your history paper when you saw the caller ID flash across your screen.
It was Sunghoon.
You didnât even give yourself time to think about it first. You just picked up the phone immediately. It was an old habit; you saw Sunghoon and accepted the call without a second thought. You never expected Sunghoon to ever call you again, so you didnât exactly have any practice in rejecting his calls.
âY/N?â came the familiar voice of Park Sunghoonâgentle, but almost like he was a caged animal.
âSunghoon?â You swallowed hard. âUh, how are you? Itâs been a while since weâve talked.â
âIâm so sorry,â he apologized, but you werenât sure what he was apologizing for. âIt was supposed to be the two of us against the world.â
You frowned. âSunghoon, whatâs going on?â
Instead of answering your question, Sunghoon hesitated before saying, âWe should catch up sometime. You can read part of the story Iâm writing.â
You paused, and before he could ask if you were still there, you replied, âYeah, sure.â
âRight.â Sunghoon sounded like he had more to say. You almost didnât catch it because he was so quiet, and the last thing you heard before he hung up was a quiet, âBye, then.â
Your deepest regret was answering your phone later that night.
It was hours after Sunghoon called you. Jongseong was more of a texter, so you were surprised when his caller ID flashed across your screen. It was definitely not a reasonable hour for a high school student to be out and about, but nothing could have prepared you for what you heard on the other side of the line.
Jongseong was sobbing.Â
The sound chilled you to the bone. You never heard Jongseong cry, but this didnât feel normal; this cry was frantic and mangled, like he was spiraling out of control.Â
âY/N, you have to come over quickly,â Jongseong begged through broken sobs and heavy breaths. âPlease, Y/N, I donât want him to hurt anyone else.â
âJongseong, calm down. Tell me whatâs happening.â
âYou have my location, right? Just hurry. Please.â And he hung up.Â
In a daze, you called Jaeyun and asked him to pick you up.Â
âI really think we should just call the cops,â Jaeyun offered, almost pleading. âI donât know whatâs going on with Jongseong, but this sounds sketchy, Y/N.â
Pitted fear festered in your throat. You knew something was off, but you werenât sure if you could handle losing Jongseong, too. You had gotten so used to not being alone that you were paranoid of returning to having no one.Â
âCall them as soon as we get there,â you said. âI just need to make sure Jongseongâs okay.âÂ
Jaeyun pressed his lips into a thin, grim line, but he kept driving.Â
It was a port that Jongseongâs location directed you to, and discomfort crept into your limbs as soon as Jaeyun pulled into the area. Maybe you shouldâve stayed back where it was safer and let the police handle everything, but you must have been a fool. It was just that Jongseongâs cries echoed in your head whenever you started having second thoughts.
You could hear him before you saw him.
Jongseongâs soft sobs could be heard from behind a metal storage unit, and you and Jaeyun inched closer carefully after getting out of the car. Your heart dropped to your stomach; you were dreading the worst, and when you turned the corner into the closed area Jongseong was in, you realized that the sight before you was the worst it could get.Â
Sunghoonâs body.
You waited for his chest to rise, but not even a shallow breath escaped his blue-tinged lips.
It took you a moment to reorient yourself and realize that Sunghoon wasnât just passed out, he was dead.Â
You saw the blood pooling around him and the wounds piercing his torso, staining his white shirt, but you wanted to believe your mind was playing tricks on you. You convinced yourself that Sunghoon was going to get up any second now and start laughing, and then Jongseong would join in and tell you it was all a joke.Â
But that wasnât the case.
It wasnât fear that overtook youânot an overwhelm of emotionâit was numbness. You stared at Sunghoonâs body as he bled out onto the concrete, blood pooling into the cracks in the ground. You felt an odd sort of disconnect.Â
You tilted your head to see Sunghoonâs face turned to the side against the concrete. His blank eyes just stared into nothingness, and you realized that you would never get to see Sunghoonâs warm, sincere gaze ever again. You were never going to see his bright smile. You were never going to hear his contagious laugh. You were never going to read the wonderful stories he wrote.Â
You supposed your life was always meant to be a tragedy.Â
âH-Hoon?â Jaeyun choked up behind you. He was staring down at Sunghoonâs lifeless body in horror before his expression was slowly replaced with anger. âJongseong, what the hell did you do?!â
âIt was self-defense, man,â Jongseong whimpered out before his body was racked with sobs again. âHe pulled a knife on me out of nowhere. I tried to stop him, but he was trying to kill me. I couldnât do anything else. I couldnât run, I couldnâtââ He exhaled shakily. âI couldnât do anything else.â
You didnât say anything. You just stared at Sunghoon.
âCome on, guys,â Jongseong pleaded. âI canât go to fucking prison. Iâm eighteen now; itâs not juvie, itâs a life sentence.â You didnât know what he was getting at until he requested the unthinkable, âHelp me get rid of the body.â
You wanted to puke. You eyed the shiny metal soaked in blood that Jongseong was clutching. You were never going to see Sunghoon again. You were never going to hang out with him over the weekend. You were never going to hear his voice again.Â
âGet rid of the body?â Jaeyun raised his voice, exasperated. âWhat the fuck are you gonna do when they realize heâs gone missing? You just killed someone! This is on you, Jongseong, not us!â
âAre you going to help me get rid of it or not?!â Jongseong tugged at his hair. âJust help me throw him off the dock, and we can all walk away from this.â
You watched helplessly, horror-stricken. âI⌠I canât.â
âThe bodyâs gonna float and show up somewhere,â Jaeyun countered with stony eyes. âTheyâre gonna catch you.â
Jongseong looked terrifyingly pale. You wondered if it was just the glow of the moon, or if he was also holding in his urge to puke. âIâll just cut his stomach so he sinks.â
Disgusted, Jaeyun scowled. âYouâre a monster.â
You watched as Jongseong tried hauling Sunghoonâs body before giving up and dragging him by the legs. You shot Jaeyun a warning look, mouthing for him to call the police before Jongseong noticed. He lingered back to do so while you followed Jongseong to plead him to stop. His arms gave out as soon as he stepped onto the planks, and he let Sunghoonâs lower half collapse onto the solid wood.Â
âY/N, help me cut open his stomach,â he ordered, hardly sparing you a glance. If he did, he would have seen how horrified you were.
âOh,â you said, voice wavering, âthatâs⌠thatâthatâs hisâŚâÂ
âY/N, help me.â
âJongseong,â you begged, âplease⌠please stop.â
He paid you no attention, though. You felt ghastly as Jongseong used a paring knife to make an incision on Sunghoonâs stomach. The smell was putrid. You screwed your eyes shut as the metallic smell of blood invaded your nostrils. Your nausea plunged into your gut, and you had to fight the pervasive urge to hurl.
A stream of Sunghoonâs blood made its way to your shoes, staining the soles.Â
Jongseong was cutting your old best friend open.Â
The dread had kept you numb for this long, but it was when reality settled in that you finally lost it. You couldnât handle it anymore and pitched forward over the edge of the dock, throwing up until you were heaving up bile. You sobbed through it all, mournful and low, and your friend paid you no attention while he was cutting through flesh.Â
When Jongseong was done, he wiped at his cheek, leaving behind a smear of blood. Sunghoonâs blood. You stared at him, and you had never been more terrified of him in your life.Â
And then you really noticed Jongseong. You noticed how Sunghoonâs blood was coated all over his hands, how he hardly had any scratches or bruises on his body, how merciless his eyes were as he stared down at his old best friend.Â
The realization that washed over you was frightening.Â
âSunghoon didnât actually try to kill you, did he?â you managed to warble out. âYou killed him yourself.â
A deep silence from him followedâheavy and wretched. Sunghoonâs blood was so dark that it nearly looked black under the dim light, and you could only stare helplessly until Jaeyun made his way to the dock, placing his hands firmly on your shoulders.Â
Jongseong turned to you and Jaeyun, clutching his knife tightly. You could hardly recognize the boy in front of you. You never truly understood the term âparalyzed by fearâ until you saw the crazed look in Jongseongâs eyesâcold and haunting.Â
Jaeyunâs eyes glistened with tears and his throat was thick with emotion when he said, âJongseong, pleaseâjust hang on and⌠and we can talk this out.âÂ
The hand gripping his knife started shaking. âYou wonât tell anyone, right? You guys wonât snitch on me, right?â When there was no response from you or Jaeyun, Jongseongâs desperation grew stronger. He turned to you with his eyes big and terrified. âY/N, come on, weâve known each other for years. You know Iââ
âShut up!â Jaeyun yelled. His protective grip on you tightened. âCut the bullshit, Jongseong. The police are gonna be here soon, and theyâre gonna take you straight to prison once they see what you did to Hoon.â
It was like a switch flipped in him. A distant part of your mind wondered if you could get everyone out of thisâsomehow bring Sunghoon back and go back to your normal lifeâbut you immediately shut down that fantasy as soon as Jongseongâs eyes darkened.Â
In the darkness, you could make out an amused expression on his face. His smile took on a cold edge.Â
âFine,â he bit out. âIâll just have to get rid of you two before the police get here, then.â
You felt like your world slowed. Your eyes burned with the threat of tears. You could tell Jongseong was walking closer to you while Jaeyun was desperately trying to tug you and get you to run, but you were frozen in place. You wanted to believe that your old friend wouldnât actually hurt you, but then you didnât know what to think when he raised his knife.Â
It had all happened so fast. Too fast.Â
In your brief struggle as Jongseong tried to stab you, you heard a sharp gasp that tore you from your haze, like you had just been drenched in cold water. Brutally sober. You tried to push Jongseong off of you, but he was too heavy, too limp. Jaeyun shouldered his way between you two and shoved Jongseong back, grimacing when his skull hit the wood with a thud.Â
You heard one last, strangled gasp from Jongseong before he stopped breathing. The last star in his eyes twinkled until it dimmed for good.Â
Jongseong laid flat on the dock with his knife piercing his chest.
As you heard police sirens go off in the distance, Jaeyun wrapped his arms around you before you finally broke down into his chest.Â
Your best friends were dead and your world was broken beyond repair.Â
âSo, it was self-defense?â Detective Lee asked, his piercing eyes boring right into yours. âPurely accidental? You had no intention of harming Park Jongseong?â
You shook your head. âI still couldnât process the fact that he killed Sunghoon, so I didnât think heâd actually try to hurt me.â
You wanted to cry. You bit your chapped lip, but all you could taste was blood that you doubted was even there. You couldnât even say Sunghoonâs name without seeing that radiant smile of his stained with deep red.Â
You sucked in a shaky breath. âIâve told you everything I know. Can I see Jaeyun now?â
Detective Lee eyed you for a moment. Finally, you saw some sort of sympathy in his gaze, although you felt sort of repulsed that you were being pitied in this state. The detective muttered something about him being back later, and he left the interrogation room, leaving you handcuffed to the table.Â
A minute passed by. Another. Several more.Â
You were pretty sure it had been at least an hour or two of staring at the wall, but the passage of time felt meaningless now. You could wait hours, even days, but you didnât think you would ever be ready to confront what cruel reality awaited you.Â
You were so tired of everything, so exhausted that you didnât even think about your parents until now. Were they here? Were they informed about your arrest? They must have been worried sick all night.Â
When the door opened, your head shot up.Â
âYouâre free to go, Y/N,â Detective Lee said, pulling out a key to uncuff you from the table.Â
You were frozen. You just stared up at Detective Lee with your jaw hung open.Â
âI know this took awhile, but there was no security footage at the scene to confirm your story,â he elaborated. âBut your stories matched up, and we found more evidence in the trunk of Jongseongâs car that he had been planning this murder.âÂ
He helped you to your feet and escorted you out of the room. You were able to pick up everything they took from you before you were locked up in the holding cellâyour keys, wallet, and your phone. Then, you were taken to the waiting room where your parents were seated at the far end.Â
At the sight of you, they all but leapt from their seats to rush over, hands cupping your face and arms embracing your weak, battered figure. There was so much love in their eyes, and their fear over possibly losing their daughter replaced any anger they had toward the situation. However, you wouldnât have been surprised if you ended up getting an earful the next day.Â
âMom, Dad,â you whimpered out, suddenly overcome with emotion. You were immediately aware of how weak and pathetic you felt. âIâm sorry, Iââ
âShh, itâs okay,â your father silenced you by rubbing your back in soothing circles. âJaeyunâs family wanted us to let you know that heâs okay, too. They just took him home about ten minutes ago.â
You were slightly disappointed. Part of you was hoping that he would wait for you, but you figured Jaeyunâs family would have wanted to go home right away. You definitely would have felt better if you got to see your boyfriend in the flesh to make sure he was alive and well, but you werenât going to complain now.Â
There was still a ghost of a smile on your lips as your parents walked you to their car. They gushed and gushed about how glad they were about you being safe and sound, and about how they never wouldâve expected Jongseong of all people to end up being a murderer.
You were happy to be alive, of course, but you felt so empty.Â
You pulled out your phone to try and text Jaeyun, but, as you thought, it was dead.Â
âMom, can I use your phone?â you asked, and you dialed Jaeyunâs number immediately as soon as she handed it to you. You had it memorized because it was a combination of numbers that was fairly easy to remember.Â
It rang four times, and by the fifth ring, you were scared that he wouldnât pick up. But then, it beeped.
âHello?â Jaeyun answered. âWho is this?â
It was like a huge weight was lifted off of your shoulders once you heard his voice. Despite Detective Lee informing you that Jaeyun was, indeed, alive, you felt more reassured hearing it from your boyfriend himself. You wanted to cry then and there, but you didnât want to make your parents worry unnecessarily.Â
You forgot you were even supposed to respond when Jaeyun spoke again, âIs anyone there?â
âJaeyun, itâs me,â you mumbled softly. âY/N.â
You heard him suck in a sharp breath. âAre you okay? Are you hurt?â
âIâm perfectly fine.â
Jaeyun gave you the breakdown of how his experience went, which took a completely different turn than yours. After receiving medical attention, they brought him back to his holding cell to sleep for hardly a few hours. The detective interrogating Jaeyun tried to build trust with him, telling him they wanted to help and just needed his confession. They lied about already having evidence that he killed Jongseong, but Jaeyun denied it and told them the whole story. He was only free to leave after they cross-examined his story with yours.Â
âJesus,â you whispered into the phone, breathing out a small laugh. By now, you were already parked at your house and walking to your front door. âThis is so fucked up.â
âYeah,â he mumbled, âbut weâll get through it.â
âYeah, Jae. Us against the world.â
Sim Jaeyun spent nine hours being questioned by authorities.Â
He knew the nature of the crime that occurred was complex, and he was still reeling from the loss and betrayal that left a deep wound in his chest, but there was something that terrified him still.Â
It wasnât the murderous look in Park Jongseongâs eyes, or the blood completely drained from Park Sunghoonâs face.Â
Rather, what scared Jaeyun the most was that he spent so long pining after you and getting to know you at a deeper level. He genuinely fell hard for you, even though you had monsters in the closet. He thought he knew almost everything about you, like how you were a terrible liar.Â
Yet, you had just lied about everything that went down last night for nine hours straight.Â
What scared Jaeyun the most was how clueless he had been about who you really were.
Truthfully, he was also in the wrong for going along with your lie. It was definitely going to bite him back one day. In the moment, though, he was far too much of a coward to go against you. Although he was able to get Jungwon the justice he deserved and allowed his family to finally be at peace with answers, Jaeyun still felt horrible. He just remembered the desperate look in your eyes as your face and hands were stained with blood, begging him to protect you.Â
Jaeyunâs downfall must have been that he liked you too much to say no.
It was true that Jongseong called you in a panic, begging you to show up at the port as quickly as possible, and it was true that you wanted Jaeyun to drive you there instead of calling the cops first.Â
Jaeyun knew deep down that you were making the wrong choice, but he had hope that you knew what you were doing. Truthfully, although he liked you a lot, he was still wary about how you felt toward Sunghoon. He just couldnât understand how you were still unconsciously protecting him after hearing what happened to Jungwon. He knew that you wanted answers, but Jaeyun was worried about how youâd react once you got them.Â
The real storyâthe one neither of you told the detectivesânever started with Park Jongseong killing Park Sunghoon.
It really started when you and Jaeyun arrived at the port to see that no one was around. It was eerily quiet, and Jaeyun was starting to regret not turning around and heading straight for the police station. When you two got out of the car, you walked several feet down the line of shipping containers before returning to Jaeyun with a confused look on your face.
âI donât see either of them,â you said, but then your eyes grew unfocused as you stared at somethingâor, rather, someoneâbehind Jaeyun.Â
He turned around to see Jongseong walking over to the two of you in a calm fashion, as if he had no other care in the world. The port was relatively an open space, so he had no idea where Jongseong could have emerged from. Jaeyun rolled his neck, more frustrated than anything.Â
âJongseong!â you called out.Â
When he neared you two, Jongseong shoved his hands into his pockets. âOh, you brought your boyfriend.â
âWhatâs going on?â you urged. âIs it Sunghoon? Did something happen to him?â
âWow, that hurts, Y/N.â Jongseong barked out a laugh, but nothing about his tone sounded sincere. âI call you in the middle of the night and all you can think about is Hoon? Wow. How do you feel about that, Jaeyun?â
Jaeyun didnât respond. He just glowered.Â
Nothing about this felt right.Â
You stammered, âI-I just assumedââ
âPut yourself in my shoes,â Jongseong cut you off with little regard for your excuses. âSorry to say this in front of your boyfriend, but imagine how I feel when the girl Iâve liked for years only cares about my best friend.âÂ
The air went still.
Your voice was barely a whisper when you asked, âExcuse me?âÂ
Jaeyun pursed his lips together, and, for a moment, he thought his tongue would start bleeding if he bit it any harder. Sunghoon liked the girl that Jongseong liked, and if that girl was you, then Jaeyun was worried that he already lost you. He knew for months that he would never truly have you the way he wanted. Your feelings for Sunghoon were stronger, and although Jaeyun was able to pack his insecurities into a tiny ball and shove it down his throat, it was all coming out now.Â
His uneasy heart shattered into a million pieces once he caught a glimpse of your expressionâhopeful and longing. And it wasnât for Jongseong; it was for Sunghoon.Â
âNow thatâs a great expression,â came an overly-enthusiastic voice from Jaeyunâs right.
Park Sunghoon was leaning against one of the shipping containers, arms folded across his chest before he uncrossed them and made his way toward the three of you. He must have been hiding behind the containers this whole time because Jaeyun hadnât seen him at all before.Â
The situation was getting increasingly uncomfortable. Jaeyun wanted to shrink back when Sunghoon suddenly took great interest in him, keeping his eyes fixed on him instead of you or Jongseong. He used to have such bright and happy smiles, but, this time, Jaeyun almost thought his grin had been sliced into his face with a blade.
Sunghoon slung an arm over Jongseongâs shoulder. âWow, Jae, now I really wanna see the look on your face when youâre in total despair,â he crooned, almost mocking. Jaeyunâs blood rushed in his ears when Sunghoonâs tongue swiped across one of his fangs. âYou shouldâve seen the look on Jungwonâs face.â
Jaeyun lunged before he could even think, but he stopped himself as soon as you held onto him, stopping him from hitting Sunghoon.Â
And that was when he knew he already lost you.Â
âDonât,â you insisted.
âAre you serious?â he breathed out, brows knitting into a frown as he looked down at you.Â
Shame clung to your throat, keeping your mouth shut, but Jaeyun was more concerned now about the sharp blade pointed at his throat.
His Adamâs apple bobbed.
Jongseong had a paring knife pointed straight at him, and Sunghoonâs smile never faltered. They were clearly on the same side. There was a reason why Jeongseong never did anything about Sunghoon after killing Jungwon.Â
Jaeyun felt stupid for not putting it together earlier.
âIâd listen to your girlfriend,â Jongseong warned. His voice crawled all over him, freezing Jaeyun cold to the bone. âYou might as well hear us out before you die here tonight.â
âCanât exactly let you two run off now that you know what happened to Jungwon,â Sunghoon added.
âJungwon was our friend,â Jaeyun hissed. âHe was my best friend, you sick freak! What did you do to him? Why? Heâs never⌠he never did anything wrong!â
âYouâre right. He didnât do anything wrong,â Sunghoon confirmed, surprisingly calm and collected. âIn fact, he exceeded my expectations. It was a great performance, actually.â Jaeyun clenched his fist tightâso tight that his nails dug into his palms and drew bloodâand Sunghoon took notice of this with a delighted hum. âYou shouldâve heard him scream, Jae. I had my doubts about him at first, but when he was begging me for his life, Iâve never seen anything so beautiful.â
You were distraught. âSunghoon, youââ
It all happened in seconds, like a rubber band finally snapping after being stretched too thin. Jaeyun used his elbow to knock Jongseongâs arm out of the way, and he shoved Sunghoon as soon as he found an opening, driving his hands into his ribs. He heard you cry out, but Jaeyun could only see red until he was dragged back up by Jongseong, the sharp blade of the knife being pressed to his throat.Â
âStop!â you cried. âLeave Jaeyun out of this! You wanted me, right? Just let him go. Please.âÂ
âI donât think so.â Sunghoon wrapped an arm around you. âYou two already know too much, and Jongseong and I have been waiting for this finale for years.â
Your eyes had a faraway look in them for a moment before you turned your attention back to Jongseong. âYou told meâŚâ
âI told you that when we were fifteen, Sunghoon thought it would be fun to plan out a murder without getting caught,â Jongseong filled in the blanks for you, a haunting smile playing on his lips, âand I was in on it.â
Sunghoon tutted. âBut you got it all wrong, Y/N. It wasnât Jungwonâs murder that we were planning; it was yours.â
You looked up at him in horror.
Jaeyun struggled against Jongseong for a moment, face taut with unbridled anger. He just wanted to get to you. Get Sunghoonâs filthy hands off of you.Â
âIâm a writer. I write stories,â Sunghoon continued. âIsnât it a great twist? Convincing my childhood best friend that I loved her all this time, only to reveal that sheâs gonna die at my hands.â He scoffed. âJungwon was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, but he was good practice. I was too careless back then. I shouldnât have left all those drawings and papers out like that when he came over, but now Iâm gonna finish the job properly.âÂ
Your breathing was shallow. Jaeyun could see the flood of despair racking your body with soft sobs and quick pants. Your gaze fell to the ground, and Sunghoon peered to catch a better look at you.Â
âGood,â he praised. âThatâs what I wanna see. Wow, thatâs great, Y/N. I canât wait to see more whenââ
âGet the fuck away from her!â Jaeyun yelled, grunting when Jongseong pressed the knife harder against his supple skin.Â
With an exaggerated flourish of his hands, Sunghoon raised both arms and backed up as if he was a deer caught in headlights. He wore an easygoing smile, yet something sinister was tucked behind the curve of his lips. Your inconsolable self stayed fixed in place, staring helplessly at your shoes.
âFor the past two years, Iâve been isolating myself from the friend group for the sake of this story and its ending,â Sunghoon said. âI think I deserve a little fun right now, Jae.â
âFuck you,â Jaeyun spat. âYou deserve to go to Hell.â
Sunghoon took a step closer to Jaeyun, ducking his head so that they were at eye-level with each other. Jaeyun tried to struggle against Jongseong once more, but he froze when the knife pierced his skin. He felt something trickle down the column of his neck, and he soon realized it was his own blood.Â
âItâs hard, isnât it?â Sunghoon mocked a pout. He lowered his voice by an octave, only for Jaeyun to hear. âCompeting with a childhood friend is brave, Iâll tell you that.âÂ
Jaeyunâs blood boiled. To his surprise, Sunghoon gestured for Jongseong to let go of him. He took the paring knife from his friend and handed it to Jaeyun.Â
âTake it,â Sunghoon said. âWhy donât you try killing me? You wanna get back at me, right? I killed your best friend, after all.â
Owlish, he blinked back at Sunghoon, almost absently. Jaeyun really considered it for a momentâlike, really considered it. Some part of him wanted to senselessly beat Sunghoon up until he was unrecognizable, but the morally righteous side of him knew that he could never stoop to Jongseong or Sunghoonâs level.Â
Jaeyun took the knife by the handle, weighing it in his palm experimentally before chucking it awayâfar from both Sunghoon and Jongseong. Jaeyun was pretty sure he could overtake Jongseong if Sunghoon turned his back, but he wasnât sure if Jongseong had another weapon up his sleeve. He heard the blade skid and scrape against the concrete, and he could only hope that Sunghoon and Jongseong being distracted by him would give you time to escape.Â
But Jeongseong immediately stopped you as soon as he saw you picking up the knife, and he let go of Jaeyun to grab ahold of you. Jaeyun tried to yank Jongseong back by the back of his shirt, but Sunghoon grabbed a fistful of his hair and slammed his head against the metal of one of the shipping containers.
Jaeyunâs world was thrown off-balance. The ground bounced, tilted, swayed. He was so dizzy and disoriented that he couldnât tell if his head was spinning or if he was collapsing.Â
The corners of his vision grew hazy with white splotches dancing around. Jaeyun tried hard to focus, making out some of the yelling that was going back and forth, but he couldnât think at all when a newly-formed cut on his forehead was getting blood all over his face and hands.Â
He doubled forward, falling onto his knees. Jaeyun had to stay there for a while and ride out the intense waves of vertigo until he was stable again. When the world finally returned to its normal axis and stopped bouncing under him, Jaeyun lifted his head to see you and Jongseong screaming at each other.
And Sunghoon was on the ground.
He stumbled over, and it was as if the white noise in Jaeyunâs ears had drowned out everything in the background. He couldnât see or focus on anything except the pained look on Sunghoonâs face as the color drained from his neck. Blood was gushing from his jugular vein, and he was digging his palm into his neck to put pressure on the wound.Â
ââyou stabbed him!â you screamed at Jongseong. Your voice was hysterical; Jaeyun had never heard you sound so desperate, not even when he was being held at knifepoint.Â
âFuck, Y/N, I wouldnât have hurt him if you didnât pull on my arm!â Jongseong yelled back. He sank to the ground, simultaneously dropping the knife and dropping his head between his knees.Â
The sight was miserable to watch. Jongseong wailed loud and mournful until he couldnât take it anymore, doubling over so that he could throw up until nothing but bile was coming out. When it seemed as though he had nothing else to heave out of his stomach, Jongseong sat up for a brief moment. You and Jaeyun watched as his eyes rolled back almost instantly, falling onto his back and hitting his skull against the concrete. The exhaustion must have finally caught up to him, and you two didnât have long until he was conscious again.
Jaeyun turned his attention back to Sunghoon, watching his life bleed out of his body slowly. For some reason, an odd disconnect came over Jaeyun, and he bent down to help apply pressure over Sunghoonâs wound. At first, Sunghoon gritted his teeth, but even he knew when to accept help when it was needed.Â
Sim Jaeyun was pretty sure he was broken beyond belief by now, but it was impossible for him to ignore someone who was dying right before him.Â
Even if he murdered Jungwon.Â
âY/N, we need to get him to aââÂ
Jaeyun cut himself off when he looked up at you to see that your expression had changed. Something was different. You looked like numbness had seeped into your body, coiling around your heart until you couldnât feel anything. The way you looked down at Jongseong, clutching his knife tightly, made Jaeyun worry.
âY/N,â Jaeyun said againâslower, âwhatever youâre thinking⌠please put it down.â
It didnât seem like you were listening, though. Almost as if your body and brain were at two different places.Â
âY/Nââ Jaeyun shuddered when you brought the knife down, driving it straight into Jongseongâs chest.Â
Jaeyunâs stomach lurched. He watched as Jongseong struggled for his life, hardly conscious as you repeatedly stabbed him over and over again until Jaeyun was yelling at you to stop. He was sure he would never be able to close his eyes again without hearing Jongesongâs blood-curdling screams and seeing Sunghoonâs face drained of color.Â
âWow,â Sunghoon choked out. One last amused look crossed his face before it fell apart painfully. âI told you, Jae, thereâs no competing with a childhood best friend.â Jaeyun flushed with anger, but it dissolved quickly when he realized Sunghoonâs breathing got slower, shallower. The look on his face was one of someone accepting their untimely death. âThanks for the show, though.â
In his arms, Sunghoon took his last breath and went still.
It wasnât grief that Jaeyun felt. It was something far greater.
âJaeyun, IâI didnât mean to,â you sobbed out, shakily holding up your bloodstained hands. âIt was self-defense! I tried to stop him, but he was trying to kill me, and then he⌠he killed Sunghoon. I couldnât do anything else. I couldnât run, I couldnâtââ You exhaled shakily. âI couldnât do anything else.â
Jaeyun didnât respond. He just stared at you in disbelief.Â
âCome on, Jae,â you pleaded. Oh, so it was Jae now. âYou have to help me get rid of their bodies. I canât go to prison!â
âGet rid of the body?â Jaeyun raised his voice, exasperated. âY/N, theyâre dead! We have to tell the police everything. I mean, what are you gonna do when your prints match?â
Your lips pressed together in a grim line. âYour prints are on the knife, too.â
Were you blackmailing him? Jaeyun couldnât believe what he was hearing from you. He never expected you, of all people, to be the one to throw him under the bus like this. He had trusted you with his life before, and you threw it all away in seconds.Â
âAre you going to help me or not?â You looked toward the dock over the water. It was a good enough distance for you to drag Sunghoon and Jongseongâs bodies over to, but Jaeyun sure as hell didnât want to get involved. âJust help me throw them in the water, and we can both walk away from this, Jae. We can go back to our lives, okay?â
He shook his head sadly. You just sounded like a stranger to him.Â
âPlease, Y/N,â he pleaded, tears stinging his eyes, âplease stop this. You have to turn yourself in.â
But his resolve was shaky. Jaeyun knew that he would still be booked once they found his prints at the scene, and there was no telling what you would do to protect yourself. By now, Jaeyun wouldnât have been surprised if you somehow pushed the crime onto him.Â
âJae, listen to me,â you insisted. Your eyes were wide and brimming with tears, and Jaeyun couldnât help but think you looked a little crazed. âWe can both get out of this, but you have to help me out here. Weâre gonna tell them that Jongseong killed Sunghoon before we got here, and then he chased us until we ended up stabbing him out of self-defense. I mean, thatâs all this was, anyway! It was self-defense!â
A distant part of Jaeyunâs mind wondered what happened to you. He wondered if you had always been this way, perhaps keeping it tucked away. In the end, you were still trying to protect Sunghoon in your own way. You were still trying to protect some fragment of his golden image.
âItâs you and me,â you whispered, kneeling down by your boyfriendâs side until you were cupping his face with your hands, staining his cheeks with Jongseongâs blood, âthe two of us against the world.â
Just hours ago, Sim Jaeyun looked at you like you were his entire world.
And now, with your bloodstained hands holding his face, there was unmistakable fear behind his eyes as he looked up at you.
AUTHORâS NOTE ⸠thank you so so much for reading if you made it all the way to the end !! i would lovee for you to guys to share what you thought, but just to point a few things out, jake's pov was the unfiltered version of what went down that night. the dialogue from mc is similar to jongseong's because while she painted him out to be the villain in the end to protect sunghoon, it was really her who said those things. originally this had a happier ending but i'm a lot more satisifed with this one actually. i hope you guys liked it !! <3 also i am deciding against using my permanent tag list this time because i haven't used it in a year and don't know if anyone exactly signed up to read horror đ§ââď¸
#enhypen imagines#enhypen fluff#enhypen horror#jake fluff#sunghoon fluff#sunghoon horror#jake horror#enhypen angst#sunghoon angst#jake angst#enhypen scenarios#sunghoon scenarios#jake scenarios#sunghoon x reader#jake x reader#enhypen
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Didn't feel ready to post about it on tumblr previously but I did write it:)
Okay but, do you think Zoro ever told Sanji about Kuina?
I don't mean having talked about his dream and mentioning her. I mean sitting in the kitchen late at night. Sanji had been finishing up dishes or rechecking their stock. Zoro had been drinking sake, occasionally passing the bottle to Sanji whenever he's nearby. He tells him about Kuina, how she was beautiful and how he misses her every day. How she left a hole so deep in his heart he's not sure it will ever be filled again. How he doesn't doubt he's going to become the greatest swordsman, but he would've doubted it if she had still been alive. How he would give up everything to see her one more time. Sanji probably said some cheesy ass line to comfort him like ''I'm here if you ever want to talk about it,'' and Zoro had appreciated it but also mocked this specific sentence time and time again.
And then Whole Cake happened
And Zoro wasn't there. But after everything's said and done and it's another late night on the Sunny, sitting under the stars with Zoro's favourite sake that Sanji kept hidden just for this occasion. It takes Sanji a while to open up, even with the sake, because it's all buried so deep and the wounds have been reopened so recently, but he talks and talks and Zoro listens and listens until he ends the conversation with ''I'm here if you ever want to talk about it.'' And they laugh and Sanji might hit him over the head lightly with his pack of cigarettes but that's okay because they're Sanji and Zoro????
#one piece#black leg sanji#sanji#vinsmoke sanji#zosan#roronoa zoro#one piece sanji#mugiwara no ichimi#sage's fics#zosan fic#zosan fanfic#thriller bark#whole cake island
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die in your arms
pairing: jaehyun x (f) reader
genre/warnings: smut, angst, horror/thriller, explicit descriptions of violence and murder, unprotected sex, mentions of suicide, character death
summary: Every single night before bed, you play your royal husband, Jaehyun, a song on his grandfather's piano as a distraction from the ominous sounds you hear. To the public, you're all smiles, but discreetly, you're a slave to your suspicions. Though it seems the more you pry, the more secrets you start to unravel.
word count: 22.4k
a/n: spooky fic for the spooky season⌠or at least it was when i first posted it lol. as always, feedback is appreciated!
Donât stop, donât stop, donât stop, you chanted to yourself, running because your life depended on it.Â
Your feet hurt and you had lost track of how long you had been running for, but you pushed yourself forward even as your energy from the adrenaline started to dwindle.Â
Never had you needed to fight for your life before. Fight for anything. Your legs burned from ache, begging for a break while your bare feet slapped against wet dirt. Your face was damp with tears and rainwater. But you never stopped. Not even for a second.Â
Not as long as he was behind you. Even after hours of running, you knew he wouldnât stop until he had at last caught you. He could run across acres of land and never break a sweat.Â
Lightning struck and you screamed, only to realize it was the shrouds of darkness looming over you. You were on edge.Â
âMy love,â Jaehyun sang, calling out to you from a distance.Â
His voice made you shudder, but you bunched your dress into your fists, the white gown difficult to run in. You didnât look back, though you knew that he wasnât far.Â
Pushing Jaehyunâs voice to the back of your head, you tried to find an escape route. The garden had to stretch across at least a thousand acres. There was no end in sight. You were inclined to believe you were running in circles across perfectly manicured grass and stone trails.Â
Jaehyun had the upper hand. It was his palace, for heavenâs sake. He had grown up wandering around these paths and exploring halls that were carbon copies of each other. You had barely made it out of the palace, clearing corridor after corridor, though unsure if you were making any distance because of how they paralleled.
You found another stone footpath, feeling the ground harden beneath your feet where moonlight shone through the tiniest of puddles. For whatever reason, seeing your scared face in your reflection gave you chills. Your face that was once perfectly made was ruined with streaks of mascara, black.Â
What should have been the happiest day of your life had quickly turned upside-down.Â
When you glanced aside, what you saw nearly got another hair-raising scream out of you, but you bit your lip hard enough to make yourself bleed.Â
Horror was beginning not to explain your feelings as you fought for survival, wide eyes drifting around the pond in a perfect rectangle. There were tombstones surrounding the pond, watered by rain. You could see names etched on them; your parents, Jaehyunâs parents, and some of his servants. Dead fish floated in the water.Â
âNo,â you cried out, kneeling aside your parentsâ gravestones. You didnât care that your dress dirtied. You lost all purpose for it the second you saw him for the monster he had been all along.Â
From the beginning this had only been a perfectly crafted game where you never had a chance. You were baited like an animal and Jaehyun was somewhere watching you like a hawk in the sky, because little did you know, you would never make it out.Â
He had made sure of that.Â
âThis is your home now,â Jaehyun exclaimed, but it was all white noise to you. You didnât even know where he was or how far he stood from you. Your mind was racing but empty all the while.Â
You knew there had to be a shed somewhere. If you were quick, maybe you could hit him over the head with a trowel or a really heavy pot. If you wanted to make it out alive, you had to escape on your own. You knew there was nobody else alive out here aside from you and Jaehyun.Â
Not to mention thinking about what Jaehyun would do to you if he caught you made your blood run cold, because you simply didnât know. He was an enigma to you now. You went from living every little girlâs dreams of becoming a princess to living a never-ending nightmare.
âDarling. There you are,â Jaehyun said, as if he hadnât already had you trapped.Â
You screamed, screamed a silent cry, unable to hear his wet footsteps over the sound of your mind racing a thousand thoughts per hour. It was over. You lost. He had caught you.Â
Jaehyun swept you into his arms and crooned, âShh, itâs alright. Everything is okay, darling.â
Every exhale was a battle. You heaved, chest undulating, and tried to regain some semblance of composure. Your eyes studied the room and you realized you were no longer in Jaehyunâs boundless garden, but in his chamber. There was no rain pouring on you. Only sweat beading at your skin, cooling at your neck.Â
âIt was just a nightmare,â Jaehyun whispered, voice sweet and tender as it had always been.Â
You still shuddered, but you were relieved that it was only a dream. You leaned into Jaehyunâs touch, breathing in the crisp air.Â
You flitted your gaze to the balcony attached to the giant chamber, blocked off by a glass door. The royal blue curtains were drawn, giving you a perfect view of the garden it overlooked. Rain fell brutally and little droplets gathered at the screen.Â
Nights like this were a recurring series of events ever since you started sharing a bed with Jaehyun. You would wake in the middle of the night, damp with sweat, screaming your lungs off. Jaehyun would hold you and whisper sweet nothings in your ears, trying to calm you down.Â
If you were being honest, it wasnât Jaehyun that was giving you nightmares, in spite of the fact that the one key element they all shared was that he would be hunting you down in all of them. It was the dangerous lack of sleep you were getting. Interestingly, the monarchy had owls that kept you up at night, and when you finally fell asleep, bad dreams loomed over you.Â
For whatever reason, sleep deprivation made you prone to them. You tried to remind yourself Jaehyun was a great guy and your stupid brain playing tricks on you was not a reflection of his character, but the fact that you consistently had more or less the same dream solely about him made you antsy.Â
Grow up. Dreams donât mean anything. You sound like a little girl afraid of the monsters under her bed, you hissed to yourself, chastising. The fact that it was so silly was enough to make you promptly dismiss your worries.Â
For the three months you had been engaged, Jaehyun took the extra time to get to know you. It was strange, because he didnât need to. Your marriage was a business proposal rather than the kneeling before your lover kind, and both of your parents had influence throughout the country. You had never spoken until then.Â
In spite of that detail, Jaehyun treated you as if he could see himself truly loving you one day. Maybe because he wanted things to be as non-awkward as possible, given that you would be sharing the same bed at night.Â
By day, Jaehyun would flaunt you in front of the media and hold you flush against him at royal events as he did throughout your betrothal. The wedding had to have been the most remarkable occasion of them all. It lasted throughout the entire day, hundreds of thousands of people present to celebrate your nuptials.Â
When you married, you moved into the palace, which was precisely when the nightmares started. Because of those goddamn owls.Â
Some nights later, you shot up again, having yet another nightmare. Noticing the bedside lamp was switched on, you glanced to your side, observing Jaehyun with a book in hand and spectacles sitting squarely on the bridge of his nose. âAnother bad dream?â
You nodded, biting your lip. You felt bad and slightly embarrassed. Never had you and Jaehyun shared a bed until your honeymoon, so his first impression of your sleeping habits were you being prone to crying out in the middle of the night.Â
Jaehyun, setting his book to the side after marking his place, opened his arms for you. You crawled into them without hesitation. Over time, they had started to feel like home. It took the edge off your homesickness.Â
This is your home now. You shivered. Itâs just a dream. Itâs just a dream. Itâs just a very bad fucking dream, you comforted yourself.
Jaehyun whispered tenderly, âTell me what you saw.â
You swallowed and damped your throat. Though you had told him about the owls, you kept to yourself the bit about him chasing you like a serial killer. âItâs a little dark,â you told him in fair warning.Â
Jaehyun didnât seem to give a damn. âItâs only a dream. It canât scare me. Unless a monster is going to hop out of your cute brain and yell, âBoo!ââ
You giggled. Leave it to Jaehyun to make you laugh when you needed it most. He had come to learn your needs over those three months of bonding.
Jaehyun threw you an expectant look. âWell?â
You hesitated, but ultimately gave in. Jaehyun was your husband now, for fuckâs sake. What couldnât you tell him? âWell, every night I have the same nightmare about⌠you. Youâre always chasing me throughout the castle. Every time, I get close to escaping, but you catch me in the end. And then I wake up.â
âItâs not very realistic.âÂ
You pulled back, giving him a look. âHm?â
âI would never chase you,â Jaehyun said. âI will always have you right where I want you.â
Your eyes flickered. It was an unsettling comment, but you tried to let it go. Jaehyun doesnât have an evil bone in his body, you reminded yourself. Heâs harmless.
Jaehyun clambered out of bed, sitting his spectacles on top of his book, and stood on two feet. When you merely watched him with interest, he beckoned you to mirror him. âCome on. I have something to show you.â
Hesitantly you obeyed him, crawling from bed and sliding on your slippers. Following him into the halls, you walked hand in hand with Jaehyun the entire time who had laced his fingers through yours comfortably. The gesture made you smile, no matter how little.Â
Like in your dreams, the corridors were of length and resembled each other almost precisely. High stone walls stood tall, statues at its sides, and chandeliers glared at you from above your heads. Given it was after nightfall, the halls were dimly lit.Â
One of the statues you swore you saw move and give you a mean glower. You asked curiously, âDid you ever break anything when you were a child?â
âNot that I remember. No.â
âHuh,â you retorted. âYou must have been a wonderful child.â
âI stayed in my room and looked out the window,â Jaehyun muttered under his breath.Â
Your eyes flickered.
Jaehyun brought you to a room at the very end of the passage but before he drew the doors open, he told you softly, âClose your eyes.â
You rolled your eyes, but did as told, giggling. Jaehyun got a hold of both of your hands and placed them over your face for safe measure. Then, he drew the doors open, pushing you inside.Â
Jaehyun guided you mysteriously throughout the room and you let him without question. You knew he had switched the lights on, the corners of your vision getting brighter in spite of the dark void, and he stopped you momentarily.Â
âNow, open.â
You slowly opened your eyes, squinting while you adjusted to the bright lights. Then they focused in front of you, and what you saw made you giddy with excitement.Â
âWhoa,â you gasped, running a hand over the grand piano. It was royal blue, monarchical patterns thoughtfully designed over the lid.Â
Jaehyun was sporting the biggest smile you had ever seen. âDo you like it?â
You bobbed your head. During your engagement, you remembered telling Jaehyun, en passant, that you had been enamored with playing pianos since you were little. âYou remembered,â you said quietly, touched.Â
Jaehyunâs dimples showed and it was the cutest thing ever. He spoke softly, âThis was my grandfatherâs piano. He hated bad weather and played it when it stormed. I know that itâs not the same, but I thought that maybe if you played the piano before bed, it would help with your nightmares.â
âThatâs really thoughtful of you, Jaehyun,â you replied, heat spreading through your chest like wildfire. âDo you want me to play you a song?â
âYes,â Jaehyun said and pulled out a chair.Â
You sat on the piano bench, getting comfortable and warming up your fingers lest they cramped in the middle of your impromptu performance. For a multigenerational piano, it was still in perfect condition.Â
âMy mother taught me this,â you told him in preparation.Â
You proceeded to play him a mind-blowing masterpiece, your eyes and hands trained to the keyboard. Jaehyun was dumbfounded that any human being could be so graceful while playing an instrument and kept himself fixed to your supple fingers. He was enamored, knowing then and there that he wanted to hear you play your sweet song forever.Â
Eyes closed, everything disappeared behind the sound of the keys, and you carried yourself to a world where there was nothing but you and your piano. Where no harm could reach you.Â
Me and my song. That's how you got through everything. As long as you had a piano, everything would be okay.Â
When you were done, you glanced up at Jaehyun, studying him for a reaction.Â
Jaehyun was all smiles. He was endlessly proud of you, clasping his hands together in applause when the performance ended. His heart was asking for an encore, and he knew you most likely wanted one yourself. He could see that you were truly at peace when you played, in a world of your own, at your happiest.Â
âYouâre the most talented player I've ever heard,â Jaehyun whispered sweetly.Â
Heat filled your cheeks and you hid it with a roll of your eyes. âYouâre only saying that because Iâm your wife.â
Jaehyun took your hands in his palms again, kissing the back of your palm tenderly. âYou are my talented wife, who I love very much.â
Your heart stopped. His wife. Who he loved. He loved you? You expected to be merely something he had to put up with, but Jaehyun had come to genuinely love you. To say nothing of yourself. This boy had swept you off of your feet in no time at all.Â
âI love you too,â you whispered back, smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. Now that he had done such a thoughtful gesture, you loved him even more.Â
Jaehyun saw the stars in your eyes and squeezed your hand. âAre you ready to go back to bed?â
âYes,â you chirped with glee.Â
Jaehyun hoisted you into his arms bridal style and you squealed in surprise, wreathing your arms around his neck while he carried you back to the bedchamber.Â
You slept soundly after that. No screaming. No nightmares.Â
As it turned out, his grandfatherâs piano was the perfect countermeasure for your night terrors. You were dumbfounded that you actually managed to sleep through the whole night, well rested for the formal dinners and publicity appearances that came with being royalty.
For each of them, you clung flush to Jaehyunâs side, radiant. You didnât speak unless spoken to. It was no question why you of all the women from a handpicked list were selected to become his wife. You had been cautiously groomed for the role, the pretty and obedient little thing meant to stand by the prince's side and carry his children. Especially his son.
Maybe it seemed demeaning, though you had no intention of making waves in the monarchy. You kept in step, rather than marched to the beat of your own drum. You were more than content to silently bathe in their luxuries and confide in your husband.
But it did get lonely.
One lazy afternoon, just after lunch, the king approached you and Jaehyun as the two of you were shooting the breeze in The Great Chamber. You noticed his father first and greeted him respectfully, âGood afternoon, Your Majesty.â
Jaehyun opted for a polite bow.Â
The king motioned his head. âGood afternoon. I am only here to announce your mother-in-law and Iâs departure. We will be traveling abroad on business for a couple of weeks. Your mother-in-law is already with an escort waiting outside the exit hall.â
That baffled Jaehyun. âWhy the abrupt exit?â
âWe have some affairs to attend to that couldnât wait and we owe the prime minister a favor. We will return as briefly as possible.â
Jaehyun nodded. âTravel safely.â
âOf course. And son, the country is yours in our absence,â said the king. Then, he locked eyes with you. âYours as well.â
You were stunned for a couple of seconds, but masked it well and replied demurely, âYes, sir.â
The king bid each of you farewell individually then scurried to the exit hall with his wife to be chauffeured to their private charter.Â
Jaehyun met your eyes with a mischievous smile and said when his parents were out of earshot, âAppears itâs just the two of us.â
âMm-hm,â you hummed, amused by the amount of sheer mischief in his stare. âJust me, you, and the hundred other people that live in this palace.â
Jaehyun chuckled, lifted your wrist, and pressed a sweet kiss to the back of your hand. âWhat if I sent everybody home? You heard my father. Iâm in charge.â
âI also very clearly heard him mention that Iâm in charge too. And I donât think thatâs a very good idea. Whoâs going to make the spoiled princeâs every meal three times a day, everyday?âÂ
âFair point,â Jaehyun mumbled. âDo you really think that Iâm spoiled?â
You replied without skipping a beat, âRotten.â
âWhat a shame,â Jaehyun said. âWould it also be a shame if you came upstairs to spoil me some more?â
âOnly if you didnât spoil me back,â you replied tamely, but Jaehyun could see the unbridled lust in your eyes. It never lied to him.Â
You two scurried through the halls like a pair of hormonal teenagers, staggering towards the elevator with dwindling patience and giggling the entire ride upstairs.Â
When you came to bed that night after spending an undocumented amount of time playing Jaehyun the piano in what was once his grandfatherâs bedchamber, he threw his big arms around your waist and drifted off to the view of your backside.Â
But when you abruptly woke, he was nowhere to be found.
You sat up in a panic. Heâs just using the bathroom. Yeah, that sounds about right, you consoled yourself. The clock stared back at you on the wall, and noting the time, you decided you would wait for him to return.Â
Jaehyun never returned to his bedroom. You watched hours tick away at their own pace, but there was no sign of him. And in lieu of your husbandâs soft snores, you only heard those familiar owls, feet dragging down the hall, and impatient ticking.Â
Which was completely unnerving.
You didnât get any sleep that night. Not until Jaehyun at last came back and worriedly asked why you looked as if you had just finished a twelve-hour shift in the dungeon.Â
Choosing to ignore him, you snarled, âWhere were you?â
Jaehyunâs eyes flickered. âWell, I was in the study. I had some late night affairs to attend to.â
âThe king and queen are absent. Our royal activities have been suspended. There is nothing you could possibly need to take care of at four in the morning,â you pressed, arms folded.Â
âMost of our royal activities have been temporarily suspended,â Jaehyun corrected with a swiftness. âWhy do you think my father left us in control? The country never sleeps.â
You sulked, especially grumpy from the lack of sleep.Â
Jaehyun watched you with surprise. Your grouchy, irritable attitude graveled him, because he couldnât comprehend what he had done that was so wrong. âWhatâs gotten into you?â
You exhaled loudly. Maybe you were overreacting a little. Jaehyun did make a valid point, after all. Somebody still needed to nurse the country in the king and queenâs absence. âIâm sorry. Youâre right. Iâm being unreasonable,â you replied, unable to justify your cynicism.Â
Not to mention you couldnât think of a single other thing that Jaehyun could have been doing so early in the morning. It was a completely plausible excuse, whether you believed it or not. And it wasnât as if Jaehyun had ever given you a reason to doubt him.Â
But the feet dragging through the halls was the second most eerie sound you had ever heard, just after those evil owls that reminded you too much of gargoyles. You chalked it up to some staff members keeping guard on a late shift and gave it up.Â
Jaehyun pried your stubborn hand away from your crossed arms and you let him. His touch was exactly what you needed to soothe your unease. âYou look tired,â he commented. âHave you been sleeping?â
âNo, I was waiting for you to come back,â you grumbled gruffly and stifled a yawn out of habit. It was unladylike, they said.
Jaehyun chuckled in amusement, but scolded, âYou shouldnât wait up for me. Iâm a busy man and a princess needs her beauty sleep.â
âMaybe I feel safe when youâre next to me,â you mumbled under your breath, eyes fixed to his thumb rubbing circles at your wrist.Â
âIâm never far from you, baby,â Jaehyun reassured you gently. âIâm always two steps behind you.â
âBehind me or ahead of me?â
âIâm omnipresent,â Jaehyun whispered and kissed your cheek sweetly. âYou can play the piano. I can sing. Would you like for me to sing you a song?â
âYes,â you replied without stopping to mull it over.Â
Jaehyun told you to lie back down and you obeyed without a second thought, slipping under the blankets. You felt even warmer when he snaked his arms back around you and started to croon softly in your ears, voice tickling your neck and ultimately lulling you back to slumber.Â
Whether or not he got back up after that was entirely unbeknownst to you.Â
You slept so peacefully in Jaehyunâs embrace that you didnât even rouse until afternoon, well after Jaehyun had slipped from bed and told you good morning, whispering something in your ear about how he had duties to attend to.
You, on the other hand, were cleared of any scheduling. Which gave you ample time to explore the gardens.Â
Now sporting a pretty knee-length dress, you had some tea and toast as a makeshift breakfast and scuttled outside in quick, short strides. The grandiose garden was easily your favorite spot in the whole palace. You could get lost in its labyrinth of superbly pruned shrubs and terraces decked in flower petals.Â
For lack of a better word, it was a humbling experience. It made you feel small to be isolated in such a huge garden. You may have been a princess, next in succession to the queenâs throne, but you were also just some girl in a world larger than you would ever know.Â
You could prance around and gawk at pretty flowers day in and day out. It didnât take much to keep you happy. But you rather liked company.Â
When you noticed one of the gardeners you recognized tending to some blossoms, you chirped, âHi, Giselle.â
Giselle greeted you very respectfully, curtsying at your presence. âGreetings, Your Royal Highness.â
âOh, please,â you said, almost rolling your eyes. âYou can call me by my name.â
âThe king and queen wouldnât approve of the informalities, maâam.â
You didnât really give a damn and waved her off, replying nonchalantly, âWhile that is true, the king and queen are not here, and itâs only the two of us in this garden. When we are alone, you may call me by my name and I will call you by yours.â
âIf you insist,â Giselle replied, followed by your name.Â
You smiled triumphantly.Â
From your previous encounters and run-ins, you had already gathered that Giselle unfortunately wasnât very much of a talker, though you couldnât fault her. She did what she was told and minded the business that paid her. Literally. It would do her no good to kindle conflict in the monarchy.Â
âThese flowers are pretty,â you remarked absentmindedly.Â
Giselle hummed. âTheyâre azaleas.â
âElegance, temperance, and death,â you said knowledgeably, staring from the terrace.Â
Which surprised Giselle. âAre you into flower symbolism?â
You shrugged. âI know a thing or two.â
âHm.â
You pointed to some other flowers. They were very recognizable to you at this point. âThose are white roses. Purity, innocence, loyalty, and fresh beginnings. Itâs no secret why they were scattered all over my wedding.â
âSecrecy and silence,â Giselle added offhandedly.
For a couple of seconds, that, metaphorically speaking, threw you off balance. âThat too,â you said quietly.
Giselle said nothing.Â
You considered making peace with the silence, but with your thoughts at daggers drawn with one another, you quickly accepted that wouldnât be possible. Secrecy and silence. There was no doubt it suited the monarchs aptly. Sometimes you even wondered what you knew about Jaehyun, because he was ghastly private.
Maybe you werenât the closest of married couples, but you knew enough. Jaehyun liked music and singing. He was introverted and quite shy, which was laughable when considering that he was soon to become king. He was calm and sensitive. Sensual, but reticent.Â
Jaehyun already made clear he loved you. Maybe with time, he would show you his heart.Â
Then, you had another thought. Secret, but not so much silent. âHey, Giselle,â you called out. âDo you ever hear strange noises in the palace?â
âI donât know what you mean. Everything is normal in the royal palace.â
You frowned. It hit you that you never asked Jaehyun if they bothered him. It was possible that growing up in the castle had numbed him. âI hear owls at night.âÂ
âThat is because there are owls and they are nocturnal. We havenât tried to get rid of them because they are helpful with the garden,â was all Giselle said.Â
âWell, sure,â you mumbled, because it was an entirely logical explanation. âBut what about the noises I hear in the hallway?â
âSome employees take late shifts to keep guard of the palace. They are merely monitoring the halls.â
That was what you told yourself, because it was completely reasonable. But something about this place gave you a bad gut feeling and left a bitter taste in your mouth. You couldnât explain it, because it was just a hunch.Â
âIn all due respect, what you hear is elementary. Word of advice? Believe what I tell you now or get two hours of sleep at night later.â
You recoiled in surprise. âExcuse me?âÂ
Giselle turned around, glanced around for any watchful eyes, and made eye contact with you. She stepped onto the terrace and whispered, âI hear scratches in the walls and cries in the floorboards. You can rationalize footsteps in the hallway, but whimpers in the chamber? Not so easy. Convince yourself that itâs nothing while you still can.â
âIf I have to convince myself that itâs nothing then that means thereâs something,â you shot back, looking her plain in the eye. Which also meant there was something she wasnât telling you. âWhat are you hiding?âÂ
Giselle wavered, hesitant. She wore it on her face. Her body language was screaming at you and you desperately wanted to know what it was saying. âYouâre royalty,â she finally said after a moment. âYou have lived lavishly your whole life without ever needing to worry about a thing. Maybe I envy what you have, but Iâm not telling you this from a black heart when I say my woes are not yours.â
You didnât bristle, but softened. She was opening up to you, and you knew there was more to this tangent of hers.Â
âI come from a poor background and work here to provide for my household,â she said tamely, harboring no resentment whatsoever. She wasnât the least bit vindictive. âBecause of that, I canât afford to poke my nose where it doesnât belong. Even if it keeps me up at night.â
âThe noises,â you said. âThey keep you up at night?â
âBecause of that piano,â Giselle grumbled under her breath.Â
âWhat?â
Giselle pivoted and walked back to the plants, dismissing your concern. âIâve already said too much. Please, mention this to nobody. But if you must, leave my name out.â
You nodded. âOff the record.â
Giselle smiled thinly.Â
Backpedaling, you pointed to another shrubbery of flowers. âWhat are those?â
âHydrangeas. They might seem high maintenance, but they are fairly easy to take care of. The queen loves them, so I give them some extra attention,â Giselle told you while hoisting a watering pot.Â
You hummed. âBlue flowers.â
âDesire, love, and infinity,â Giselle sighed poignantly.Â
For half an hour, you volunteered to help Giselle with her gardening duties before she shooed you away, claiming you had done enough of her responsibilities. You wandered in the garden still, lingering, just outside of Jaehyunâs bedchamber window.
When you glanced up, you saw him watching you fondly through the balcony screen, and waved him down with a beaming smile.
Jaehyun was downstairs in a flash, sporting chinos and a casual blazer. He looked very handsome, which was nothing new for him. Plus with his pretty brown eyes and adorable dimples that were both impossible to not get lost in, you had to will yourself not to swoon.
âHi,â you greeted.Â
âHi,â Jaehyun replied, mirroring you. Except he leaned in to snake his arms just below your ribs and kissed the corner of your mouth.Â
You smiled at his affections, though they had disarmed you a long time ago. His ability to unsettle you when he was gone but soothe you when he touched you was to be studied. âHow has your day been so far?â
Jaehyun groaned. âNext subject.â
That got a chuckle out of you. Being the ruler of a country was no easy feat, but if there was anybody fitted for the role, it was Jaehyun. âHopefully your parents havenât left you with too much trouble.â
Jaehyun shrugged his shoulders. âI want to relax. You look like youâre having fun.â
âSomething like that.âÂ
You decided against confiding in him about the reality of your day thus far. Not because you didnât trust him, but because you werenât sure of anything yourself. Giselle had mentioned something about the piano he had gifted you. Jaehyun might have been your best bet at knowing what she meant, but you needed to do a little more investigating before you got him involved.Â
Now that you had another personâs opinion, you could say with total confidence that you werenât crazy. There was something spooky going on in the monarchy and you wanted to know what.Â
For now, you would shove the thought to a corner in the back of your mind. Days at the palace were full of whimsical fun. The nights were terrifying.Â
Speaking of whimsical fun, Jaehyun spoke up and asked, âDo you want to ride the ferry with me?â
That caught your attention. âFerry?â
âYeah. Thereâs a huge lake down this path and we have a mini ferry that travels from one end to the other. You interested?â
âSign me up,â you exclaimed enthusiastically.Â
Getting a hold of your hand, Jaehyun walked you through the courtyard to the wooden dock at the top of the lake. Unsurprisingly, it had a decorated roofed patio with a lounging nook to wait for the vessel to return.
Fortunately for you, it was already waiting at the dock, unoccupied save for the captain Jaehyun had called up during your relaxed walk to the boating site.Â
Jaehyun helped you aboard, having done this more times than he cared to admit. When you were safely secured on the tiny ferry, you thanked him for being a gentleman and watched him climb aboard himself.Â
The captain exited the wheelhouse. âOnce to and from, Your Royal Highness?â
âMake it twice. We have time to waste,â said Jaehyun, looking at you with all the affections a man could possess.Â
Shortly afterwards, you started moving. You stood beside Jaehyun and gripped the railing, watching the water splash beneath the boat. This place was beautiful, no doubt. Your choice to get married in the garden was unregretted.Â
Eerily beautiful, you thought. Though you loved the garden, there were a couple of places you avoided. Mainly the ones that made appearances in your nightmares, like the shed.Â
The silence was comfortable, both you and Jaehyun soaking in the view, but you broke it to say, âYouâre an only child.â
âI guess you could say that.â
You gave him a look. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
Jaehyun shook his head, dismissive. âNothing. Keep talking.â
You were curious, wanting to know all there was on this boy, but let it go for his sake. âDoesnât it get lonely - alone in this big palace? Your parents are busy nurturing the country like itâs their own child.â
Jaehyun didnât show a single fucking emotion on his face, though that was far from shocking by now. When it was time to get personal, he became the iciest man you knew. His cold indifference somehow burned you.
You grimaced when you saw his face. âSorry if I crossed a line.â
âNo, itâs okay,â Jaehyun replied, giving you a reassuring kiss to the cheek. âI was lonely before I met you. No siblings. Few people I could trust. When I was young, I learned rather quickly that life is a game of survival. You can never be too sure whoâs friend or foe.â
You listened attentively, nestling closer to his chest.Â
âI was taught to be my own guard, in a way. And thereâs nobody to blame but myself for chasing away everybody who tries to get close. But then you came,â Jaehyun said, smiling at you adoringly. âAnd there was an instant connection. I think I saw pieces of myself inside of you.â
âYou did?â
Jaehyun bobbed his head. âYeah. Some people see this meek, demure princess, but I see the woman that almost cooked my ass when I wasnât tucked into bed with her,â he joked, getting a laugh out of you.Â
You giggled.Â
Jaehyun was smiling like an idiot. It was cute and wholesome. âOn a serious note, I see somebody strong and assertive. Somebody whoâs not afraid to fight for what they want, even if it means going through hell and back. Somebody unbroken and undeterred.â
âMm-hm. And you liked that,â you hummed, giving him a hooded stare.Â
âYou have no idea,â Jaehyun purred before leaning in to smash his lips against yours.
You giggled into his mouth. Your heart skipped a beat or two when Jaehyun kissed you, tempted to leap into the palm of his hands where she belonged. The Jaehyun you had come to know was a romantic and there was nothing more romantic than making out with your lover on a beautiful ferry ride.Â
Except for making love with your lover below a beautiful ferry ride.Â
âBelow deck,â Jaehyun murmured in your ear, delicately slipping his hands from your waist to lace his fingers through yours. You didnât hesitate to follow him through the little hall, coming out in a bedroom at its very end.Â
You hardly even got to stand long enough to take note of your surroundings before Jaehyun hoisted you up and threw you against the silk sheets. You cried out in shock. Jaehyun had taken you more times than you bothered to count, but you were in awe at how rough the prince got when it came to sex.
When Jaehyun crept over you, staring at you with a blend of awe and unbridled lust in those pretty brown eyes of his, you combed your fingers through his dark hair and drew his mouth to yours again.Â
You could hear your heart thudding in your ears as you kissed him slowly. Your lips only knew each other and you could taste the ecstasy on the tip of your tongue. To say nothing of the touches. While you were fisting his hair, Jaehyun stripped you naked, tossing your dress and groping your perfect breasts.Â
Jaehyun was warm to the touch, but his fingers never failed to make you shiver. âI love the way your lips feel,â you confessed when he separated from your mouth.Â
Only to kiss his way down your stomach, lips gentle and tender. Jaehyun cocked you a glance and grinned. âAnd what about my dick?â
âDonât ask stupid questions. I love your dick, duh, but thatâs a different conversation deserving of its own speech. Particularly a long-winded one with a very heartfelt peroration at the climax.â
Jaehyunâs head bobbed as he snickered at the thought, before teasing, âWell, we have the Great Chamber for that when youâre ready. Feel free.â
Your laughter rang out in the little bedroom. Then, Jaehyun switched on a dime, dragging your legs towards the edge of the bed before spreading them apart like jelly and burying his face between your thighs.Â
Every time Jaehyun took you to bed, you remembered the first night of your honeymoon. When he took you to a cabin in the woods in Aprilâs spring, flipped you over, and made you cry for all the forest to hear. By day, you watched nature and waltzed to his many vinyls, and by night, you made love for hours.Â
And to think that was only a month ago. You felt as if youâd loved Jaehyun for years.
Jaehyun ate you out until you came undone at the mercy of his brutal tongue, clamping his palms at your thighs while you convulsed and shuddered, and undulated. Fuck, he knew your body too well. You arched off the bed one final time then slumped down, defeated.
You gawked in disbelief while he watched you scramble for breath with a cocked brow. Your bodyâs capacity for pleasure knew no bounds when Jaehyun was the one pleasing you. âReady to take my cock?â he asked, excitement nipping sharply in his chest at the thought of ruining you.
You nodded your head almost instantly. Your lack of patience was written all over you and you wanted him. Right now.
Jaehyunâs hands were quick to reach for his cock, steering himself skillfully to bury himself inside of your pussy. A wet sound filled the air when he sank inside and you instantly moaned his name as though it was an instinct.Â
You drove Jaehyun mad when you called out his name like that; with pining and desperation, and everything in between. Heaven had brought you to him and fate would keep you by his side until the very end.Â
âJay,â came your airy voice. Just being filled with your husbandâs cock made you feel like you were elevating, ascending into the air.Â
Your sounds were euphoric and drove Jaehyun to the very brink of madness, and with the last of his restraint gone, he was impelled to move at long last, thrusting into you at a leisurely yet hard pace. He lowered his face to meet yours, lips locked in a wet smack. You were skin to skin, your stiff nipples pressed against his bare chest.Â
Every moment was as special as the first. As a woman groomed to become a figure of importance, you were raised to remain chaste until marriage. And the day you exchanged vows with Jaehyun, he made your whole body shudder.Â
âGod is a woman,â Jaehyun rasped, heart racing so quickly it might have burst. You were warm all over and his hands roamed every nook of your body, every curve.Â
Even though you wanted to laugh, all that came from your mouth was a breathless moan. Moments like these where you knew nothing but Jaehyun, scooped into his strong arms, you couldnât help but realize how lucky you were. Not a second went by where you took him for granted.
Things couldâve been different. Jaehyun could have been an insufferable spoiled prick that acted entitled to his wife, but he was far from the visions of him you saw in your nightmares. You were grateful to be married to a man that both respected you and valued your happiness.Â
You locked your legs around him, pulling him into you deeper, and kissed him until the two of you were gasping for air. âYou get me so wet, Jay,â you whispered, tangling your fingers through his head.
At those words, Jaehyun released an animalistic growl, so aroused you thought he might break. His thoughts revolved solely around you. How much like poison you were. How outrageously perfect you were. Head to toe.Â
You beamed with pride, pleased to have such a dangerous effect on your husband. The two of you meeting each other was mutually assured destruction. Nothing had been the same since Jaehyun laid eyes on you. When he saw you for the first time, he knew that he had to have you.Â
While your body rocked from the sheer force of Jaehyunâs thrusts, the boat gently thrashed in the water. Your breasts bounced and the sight had made Jaehyun lose what was left of his mind. One day, in the none too distant future, they would be swollen with milk and Jaehyun imagined you carrying his children.Â
That thought alone could have finished him. He thought of it every time he fucked you full of cum, pumping his load inside of you rough and deep, just the way you begged for him to. Watching your belly swell with your shared child would do unspeakable things to Jaehyunâs psyche.Â
Part of you drowned out the sounds of the water splattering against the boat in favor of listening to Jaehyunâs relentless groans. Your husband always had a flair for the romantic. Hopelessly, he used to think, until he met you.Â
Staring up at Jaehyun, you were bewitched by the gentle gracefulness of his features, especially as they tensed with unbridled pleasure. âCan I tell you something?â you asked.Â
Jaehyun nodded his head. âAnything,â he whispered.Â
âYou smell so good.â
Jaehyunâs laughter rang out in your ears. The sight and sound brought a smile to your face. You didnât know anyone with a more perfect laugh and you would give anything to see it again. âThatâs so random.â
âBut true,â you added, inhaling his scent the closer he got to your naked chest. There was hardly any space between you two at all.Â
Jaehyun was all smiling from ear to ear. âCan I tell you something?â
âAlways.â
Jaehyun leaned into your ear, deepening his voice to a breathtaking whisper, âYouâre the most beautiful person Iâve ever seen.â
Your heart stopped. There was something about his voice tickling your earlobe that made you gush and tighten around his cock. After searching for the ability to speak, you replied, âFunny. I feel the same way about you.â
Jaehyun chuckled deeply and you swore you became lightheaded. âYeah?â
âCan I tell you one more thing?â
âGo for it.â
âIâm about to cum,â you told him, climax threatening to rip you apart.Â
âIâm gonna make you cum,â Jaehyun said, voice dark with determination. You gasped when his fingers sank to your clit and his thumb teased your bundle of nerves.Â
Heat swallowed you whole. You couldnât process all of the sensations that your body was experiencing all at once. A scream came out of your mouth and Jaehyun stifled them with his palm as you trembled with orgasm, cursing the stars.Â
Jaehyun didnât stop fucking until he was certain that you couldnât take anymore. You went round after round, fisting the sticky sheets, grateful that he chose to take two trips across the lake. You had time to kill.Â
Your body was worn and utterly spent when Jaehyun was finished with you. You fell slack against the sheets, unable to move your stiff limbs. Given that Jaehyun was left with more than a handful of responsibilities, it shouldâve come to you as no shock that he took his stress out on you.
And you were more than eager to let him. When Jaehyun made love to you, the power he wielded over you was endless. Your body was seized by him and your heart was his on a platter.Â
âI love you,â Jaehyun whispered deeply in your ear. It was enough to drive any woman mad. You were too breathless to say anything back, chest undulating.Â
For a couple of moments neither of you could hardly move and you stayed nestled into each otherâs side till you regained the strength to hunt for your tossed clothes. Flush against Jaehyunâs skin, the sexual tension still lingered, and he was overwhelmingly aware of how naked you were.Â
After quickly redressing yourselves, you just sat on the bed for a little longer, feeling the boat still sway and knowing you werenât back home. Jaehyunâs hand was flat against your backside, never letting you forget that he was at your side.Â
You tried to fend off some wandering thoughts, but your curiosity got the better of you and you surrendered to your need to know. âJaehyun, I have something to tell you.â
Your tone was not lost on him. âIt sounds serious.â
âYeah, kind of,â you replied, swallowing the taste in your throat that made you nauseous. âItâs about my dreams. Itâs not just the owl noises. I think thereâs something else going on.â
Jaehyunâs brows were furrowed. âLike what?â
There was a lump in your throat. After you confided in him about your doubts and suspicions, there was no going back. âLike the piano,â you said, unsure of yourself.Â
Jaehyunâs demeanor shifted suddenly, aggressively. He went from cool and collected to stern on a dime, chastising, âStop looking.â
His tone affronted you. âExcuse me?â
âItâs for your own safety. You need not to worry your pretty little head.â
Narrowing your eyes, you pressed, âSo there is something going on that youâre not telling me.â
Jaehyun exhaled a heavy breath, smoothing a hand through his hair. âPromise me youâll stop prying. This is serious. I will tell you everything that you need to know when itâs time.â
âJaehyun, you know I canât promise that,â you whispered.Â
âPlease,â Jaehyun said, eyes glistening.Â
God, he was begging you? It had to have been serious. You couldnât fathom him pleading for you not to investigate otherwise. But rather than discourage you, it only intensified your will to get to the bottom of the matter.Â
Massaging your temple, you sighed, âOkay. Pinky promise.â
You giggled when Jaehyun interlocked his pinky finger with yours, but you werenât certain how long you would be capable of keeping that promise.Â
Soon after your confession, the captain signaled that the boat had returned to the dock. Jaehyun led you back through the narrow hallway with your hand in his, as if nothing had happened.Â
The sex. The little divulgence that followed. Heâs way too naturally gifted at slipping back into this royal character, you realized. In a way, you already knew that. Jaehyun could fuck the daylights out of you then smile and wave at the media as if he was their innocent successor to the throne.
Though this was different. Jaehyun obviously had no intention of letting you know exactly what he was hiding any time soon. And if he thought you would just sit around and wait for answers, he had severely underestimated you just like every other man in this country.Â
Something unforgivably dark and sinister was happening. That was undeniable. You just needed to find out what.
Hours came and went, as did people. Jaehyun was right, you supposed. The country never slept. The palace alone was bustling with life at all times.Â
Which made you think. If both you and Giselle were apprehensive of the obvious skeletons the monarchy had in its closet, there was no way you were alone. Somebody else had to know something. Somebody with just as much to lose.Â
You just had to play your cards right. Giselle didnât lie when she said that she had a lot more at stake than you. Even if the royal family abandoned you for whatever reason, you had the safety net of your own wealthy family to fall back on. Not everybody was as fortunate.Â
When the sun set below the horizon, Jaehyun accompanied you to his grandfatherâs bedchamber, though only because you didnât want him to grow suspicious. The piano was the only way to bulldoze your ceaseless thoughts. You were lost in your own head.Â
âI love you, Jaehyun,â you told him out of nowhere.
Jaehyun looked pleasantly surprised. It wasnât often you confessed your affections. âWhereâs this coming from?â
Your mind wandered back to earlier. Though you werenât happy about him brushing off your concerns, your heart couldnât deny the way it thumped for him. âI never said it back. And you didnât make me.â
âBecause I already know.â
You blew out a breath. Your heart told you not to risk losing his trust, but your mind was screaming that he was keeping something from you. Days ago, you wouldâve been more than content with submissively obeying your husbandâs commands.Â
But peace had never been an option.Â
It wasnât long before you crept into bed with each other. You slept peacefully and uninterrupted by any nightmares. Again.Â
Breakfast was spent together as always. Now that his parents had left the two of you in charge, it was often the only time you had available in the mornings to share.Â
Any other morning, you would complain, but you were waiting with bated breath for the opportunity to get away and sneak around like a thief in the night. You werenât keen on lying to Jaehyun, but he would just have to understand the rationale. You couldnât keep living antsily.Â
You spread some butter on your toast and asked, âWould you like to visit the markets with me this afternoon?â
Jaehyun frowned. Had he not been so busy, he wouldâve done whatever you wanted. You wondered why your schedule was so clear, because when Jaehyun was preoccupied, half the time so were you. âI would love to, but the committee needs my opinion on some political stuff.â
Your tone was disappointed, âPolitical stuff?âÂ
Jaehyun nodded. He seemed to have fallen for it somehow. âI wonât bore you with the details.â
âWell, I wonât keep you, then,â you said, taking a sip of steaming hot coffee. Jaehyun had made it for you just the way he knew that you liked it.Â
âAre you trying to get rid of me? Iâm not expected to be present for another fifteen minutes.â Jaehyunâs tone was light, but the accusation made your heart beat faster.
Donning your most innocent voice, you assured him, âOf course not. I just know how much you like to be punctual.â
âThat is true,â Jaehyun muttered.Â
Ironically, the hours seemed to drag on, because you couldnât wait for Jaehyun to leave for once. The second he was finally far out of your vicinity you discarded your leftovers and prepared yourself for the grueling task ahead of you.Â
Only when you emerged from the dining hall and set out on your little exploit did it occur to you that you didnât have even the slightest clue who to ask. A couple of servants had been around quite longer than others, yet they were dreadfully tight-lipped. But for good reason.Â
Bumping into a younger one, you exclaimed, âOh, good heavens! Pardon me, Mr. Kim.â
Jungwoo bowed gracefully and replied, âNo, I apologize, Your Highness. Iâll pay closer attention.â
âItâs fine. Iâve been out of it since I got out of bed with Jaehyun,â you confessed, flashing a courteous smile.Â
To your surprise, Jungwoo threw you a baffled glance. âYou share a bed with the prince?â
âYes, he is my husband. Is that odd?â
âIâm surprised. It goes against tradition. The king and queen have always had separate bedrooms,â Jungwoo told you, scratching the back of his neck.Â
That was news. Though given how secretive these people were, everything was news to you. âI didnât know that.â
Jungwoo rifled through his pockets for a spare key, pressing it into a lock on a nearby door as he rambled, âI wouldnât either, but my dad worked here. And my granddad. With their debts, they passed down useless knowledge.â
Your interest was quickly piqued. Maybe you didnât need to take your chances with an older worker after all. Jungwoo, way more affable and approachable, bore the knowledge of generations. âNo knowledge is useless.â
âYeah, maybe, but itâs not exactly power,â Jungwoo said, grabbing some items out of a utility closet.
âWhat do you mean?â
You watched Jungwoo shut the door and promptly lock it behind himself. âThere are some things itâs better you donât know, maâam.â
âIâm sick of other people telling me whatâs best for me,â you grumbled irritably. âI already know about the piano. Well, kind of.â
Jungwooâs entire attitude flipped on a dime. Glancing across the hallway twice as if he was preparing to cross a road, he dropped his items on a cart and spoke softly, âFollow me.â
Obviously, you were confused, but you didnât dare disobey. This mightâve been your only chance at getting closer to the truth.
Jungwoo led you to a door hidden behind the stairway with a big sign warding off intruders, though it was locked, as to be expected. This family apparently couldnât afford to take any chances. With what, you had no clue.Â
Strangely enough, Jungwoo had a key and wheeled his cart inside of the room after it clicked open. You curiously trailed behind him once he locked it behind you, wanting to know all there was to learn about this place.
There was a chain to your right and Jungwoo tugged on it, watching the lights barely flicker on. It was dim and empty, and though it was a test of your willpower, you fought off your nerves and remained unbroken.Â
Narrowing into a hallway, the entrance seemed to go on for a hundred miles and a half. Your footsteps bounced off every wall and the sound made you nervous. Of course, Jungwoo would never in his life knowingly lead you astray and you chose to have faith in the belief that heâd never bring you straight to danger.Â
But it made you wonder. If you recalled correctly, Giselle mentioned something about scratching in the walls. Your understanding of architecture was limited, but this place had to be built in between other parts of the castle.Â
Weird, you whispered to yourself, rubbing your arms. It seemed that the deeper you went down this hallway, the colder the air got.Â
âWatch your step. Itâs creaky,â Jungwoo warned, leaving his cart in the hall. You glanced around him to see what he was talking about and that was when you noticed another set of stairs.
You shook your head and cursed, âPardon my language, but Jesus Christ - how deep does this shit go?â
Jungwoo chuckled. âToo deep, maâam.â
You had no strength to tell him to drop the titles. This was a few conversations far from your first encounter with Jungwoo and he respectfully declined each of your suggestions for him to call you by your name.Â
The floorboards did indeed creak as you stepped down them and the sound couldnât have been any more unnerving. You appreciated Jungwoo dutifully walking in front of you as if he was defending you with his life. Not that there was anything down here to jump out and get you.Â
You hoped.Â
Whatever disaster of a room that you just walked inside of was far from what you expected this staircase to lead to, though you werenât too sure. At the end of the seemingly never-ending hallway was nothing but a pile of junk. If you were being frank, it looked like a bunch of hungry wild animals had a field day. Things had been tossed. Almost as if a fight of some kind had unraveled here.Â
It was a hot mess. The place looked a solid minute away from crumbling in on itself, and that was you being generous. Your arm hairs were standing at attention now. You took one good look at the barrels just shy of you, noted the temperature, and pieced together why.Â
âItâs⌠a cellar,â you said, noticeably disappointed.Â
âIt was a cellar,â Jungwoo told you, glancing around and wrinkling his nose. âThis room hasnât been used for at least a decade.â
Voice dripping with sarcasm, you deadpanned, âYou donât say.â
âOh, I say.â
Your lips parted and the room echoed with your laughter. You were very grateful that Jungwoo made you laugh, because it helped you forget how anxious everything about your surroundings made you. âWhy?â
Jungwoo outwardly processed every emotion and confusion was the most expressive of the plenty. âPardon?â
âWhy did you bring me here?â
Jungwoo stepped forward, inspecting the walls as if he was checking for damages. And there were many. âBecause I have something to tell you that I can tell nobody,â Jungwoo said, his usually chipper tone borderline stern. âBut first I need you to tell me what you know.â
Those werenât exactly inviting words, but it was Jungwoo. You could trust him. Or maybe you wanted to, at least, but you couldnât even trust Jaehyun. You confessed, âAssuming you mean the piano, itâs nothing much. But I know itâs connected. To the sounds I hear at night, I mean.â
âOh, the walking. And the whispers,â Jungwoo said like it was the most normal thing in the world.Â
You shook your head in disappointment. You werenât fucking crazy and Jaehyunâs family wasnât going to trick you into thinking that you were. âI knew I wasnât the only one.â
Jungwooâs tone was only slightly accusatory, âJaehyun doesnât know that youâre investigating.â
You frowned. He was a little too good at this. âYou didnât phrase that like a question.â
âThereâs no way that he would let you get this close.â
âItâs been justified,â you huffed, irritated. All this secrecy and suspense was killing you. You just wanted to get to the heart of⌠whatever. Â
Skeptical, Jungwooâs head was tilted. His loyalty was in you, but also the heir. âHas it?â
You donned your most assertive voice and reasoned, âJaehyun is obviously keeping something from me. Things that keep me up at night for hours. I refuse to continue my life in such a manner. Itâs an eye for an eye.â
Jungwoo listened to your rant and agreed that your actions were justified. Thus he would be keeping this between the two of you. With a nod, Jungwoo replied, âOkay, I understand.â
You nodded. âGood.â
âBut I also understand the prince.â
Your eyes darted to Jungwoo.Â
Before you could part your lips to speak, Jungwoo added, âBecause once you know the truth, it spreads and festers like a wildfire. If you let it, it can consume you. Thatâs why I hate that you know this.â
âI donât know anything,â you grumbled.Â
âJaehyunâs grandfather used to own that piano in his bedchamber,â Jungwoo started, passing down what only moments ago he thought was useless info.Â
âYes, I know. Jaehyun told me.â
âYeah, well, his grandfather was extremely territorial with the piano,â Jungwoo said hesitantly. âIf there was a problem, he cleaned it himself. Mended it himself.â
You were yet to understand what that had to do with anything. âSounds like he just didnât want anybody touching his stuff.â
âThatâs what my dad thought, but apparently anybody who touched it either died mysteriously or disappeared without a trace soon after.â
Your expression shifted from confused to painfully perplexed. âThatâs foolish.â
âI told you that my father worked here. He thought it was rubbish. Then, one day after leaving to clean that very bedchamber, he never came back home,â Jungwoo said, willing himself to keep it together. After so many years, grief was a nonfactor. Despair was channeled into anger.
âJungwooâŚ,â you trailed, choosing your words carefully. You knew what it was like to lose somebody. âAre you sure?â
Jungwooâs eyes were sharper than you had ever seen them. You never knew such an easy-going guy was harboring so much pain. âIâve been told that because Iâm grieving a loss, Iâll believe anything for closure. I donât agree. Thereâs something fishy going on and unlike the others, Iâm not afraid to admit it to myself.â
âThis is a lot,â you told him.Â
Jungwoo nodded, wholly aware. âTrue, but it doesnât stop there. Did you know that Jaehyun had an older brother?â
Your shoulders stiffened, because you recalled mentioning that Jaehyun was an only child yesterday, and he became deflective. âNo, I didnât.â
âYeah, four years older. Apparently, he died after falling out of a window.â
You grimaced. âHe commited suicide?â
âSo the story goes,â Jungwoo answered, but his tone said loud and clear that he didnât buy it for one goddamn minute. âAnd get this - he fell from the window of his grandfatherâs bedchamber.â
Scratching the back of your head, you asked skeptically, âHow come the public didnât know about the first-born son?â
Jungwoo snorted. âI had a feeling that you would ask. The royal family waits five years before announcing the birth of their children. Isnât that convenient?â
âAlmost too convenient,â you mumbled under your breath. If Jaehyunâs older brother died just shy of five years old, that wouldâve simplified the process of covering up his death.Â
Jungwoo glanced over at you, aching. And maybe a little desperate. âDo you believe me?â
A tiny sigh escaped your mouth and you planted your palm on your forehead, overwhelmed by the load of information that was just dumped on you and unsure what to do with its weight. âIf what youâre saying is true, this is dangerous,â you replied levelly.Â
Jungwoo huffed, âYouâre telling me.â
âBut Jaehyun and I have touched the piano on several occasions. I play it every night just so that I donât have to hear those godawful noises,â you added, hesitating. âShouldnât I be dying?â
Jungwoo fell silent for a sudden, mulling something over. Then, he said quietly, âThere is another possibility...â
âWhat?â
âPerpetuity,â was Jungwooâs response, voice quieting even though only you were there to hear him. âThis one Iâm not so sure of. The rumor is that if you touch the piano, you meet one of two fates. Death at your hand, or being condemned to your worst nightmare. It sounds like bullshit.â
His confidence seemed to waver, but you were interested. You were driven by a determination to discover all there was to know about this godforsaken place. âHow exactly is one condemned to their own nightmare?â
âYour deepest fear will become your ultimate fate,â Jungwoo explained, wrapping his arms around his torso. âYour worst nightmare will come to life. And youâll live it everyday until you die.â
You devolved into nipping cold shudders. And it had little to nothing to do with the basically subzero temperature of the room that you occupied. Of course, Jungwoo didnât mean literal nightmares, but it didnât help that not too long ago you were being haunted by bad dreams.Â
Your worst fear was living the same day for the rest of your life. Adventure was your natural instinct and curiosity was your vice. Itâs what you stood for and a part of yourself that you refused to negotiate. You couldâve had every dollar that the world had to offer, but you would never gamble away your freedom.Â
Thankfully, this life gave you more than enough. So what you were expected to be beautiful and ladylike when people had their eyes fixed to you. Did it matter? That didnât change that when there was nobody there to judge you, you were liberated.Â
Because it had always been that way, ever since you were a kid. You knew that to some people your existence served one purpose. And you didnât care. You got to be yourself in the solace of this gigantic palace.Â
At least for now. Freedom came with a sacrifice; your own sanity and peace of mind. And truth be told, you werenât sure if it was a fair trade.Â
âIâve been having these dreams,â you started, swallowing.Â
âWhat kind of dreams?â
âBad ones,â you confessed, wanting to curl into yourself. Those dreams put the fear of god into you. âWhen the noises werenât keeping me awake, these nightmares would take their turn. Jaehyun hunted me down in all of them. And I would wake up after he catches me.â
Jungwoo noticed that your voice was a little shaky and offered you a compassionate hand squeeze, saying, âItâs okay. Theyâre not real. Jaehyun wouldnât hurt you.â
âI know, butâŚ,â you trailed. âI had them repeatedly. Same dream, different night. The only other difference was that they would happen in another place. But they stopped after Jaehyun started taking me to play the piano before bed.â
Jungwoo stiffened. âThatâs⌠convenient.â Like a lot of things here.Â
âI know,â you agreed, shaking your head. Just the thought of Jaehyun was making you tremble with anger. You knew he was secretive, but it felt like he was borderline lying to you.Â
Then again, Jaehyun didnât deny that there was something that he was keeping from you. Instead of telling you cheap excuses of consolations, he admitted that there was something grave enough he couldnât even confide in you about it. And you didnât know if that was worse.Â
Things were beginning to appear increasingly more eerie. âDo you want to know why I took you down here?â Jungwoo asked quietly.
Bobbing your head, you shifted to give Jungwoo your undivided attention. Something about the vibes of this room put you off. You didnât like it. You could sense that something heinous had occurred maybe in the very spot that you stood.Â
âThe princeâs grandfather spent a lot of time down here.â
âReally?â
Jungwoo nodded. âApparently, he flipped out one day and trashed the whole place. It happened a few days before he passed, so the story goes. Then, they relocated the cellar and closed this room off.â
That explains the mess, you thought to yourself. But not much else. âWhy would they do that?â
âLike hell I know,â Jungwoo replied with a shrug of his shoulders. âMy bet is that theyâre hiding something. Which we already knew, but I get lost every time I try to figure out what it is exactly.â
âYou arenât the only one,â you droned, releasing a pained breath.Â
Jungwoo mustered a smile, but it was thin. âWell, if itâs quite alright, I would like to return to my duties, Your Highness.â
âYes, of course. Thank you for everything. Youâve been a great help,â you said, bowing respectfully in gratitude.Â
Jungwoo mirrored your movement. âItâs been a pleasure,â he told you sweetly. âI canât skip out on my daily responsibilities, but if you ever need me, say the word and Iâll come.â
After thanking Jungwoo again and him assuring you that you werenât in any way indebted to him, you trailed him up the creaky stairs and headed your own separate ways.
The brightness of the hallway compared to the lifeless cellar made you squint your eyes and wobble towards the edge of the stairs as you took a moment to readjust. Your brain also needed a second to process the newfound information. Now you had more answers, but twice as many questions.Â
Maybe Jungwoo was right. Maybe knowledge wasnât power; it was a burden. But you were already in too deep to quit looking.Â
Jaehyun was too preoccupied to accompany you to his grandfatherâs former bedchamber tonight and thus you opted out of the visit altogether. Of course, you knew what would inevitably happen if you didnât press those keys, but you had an aggressive curiosity to sate.
The piano and your dreams were related. You knew that now. But if one of the pianoâs unpredictable fates was to prolong its victims' agony, how come it abated yours instead?
For half a second, you wondered if Jungwoo was really telling the truth. You wanted to believe him, you really did, but something came to you and whispered not to trust anyone.Â
Not even Jaehyun. Hell, especially not Jaehyun.Â
Pulling the blankets over his thighs, Jaehyun glanced over to you as he crawled into bed and asked, âDid you have a good day without me?â
âIt was long without you,â you replied, plopping a glass of water at your bedside in case you got thirsty.Â
âIâm sure. What did you do?â
âA little bit of everything. I had the most wonderful dinner. I only wish you couldâve stuck around for dessert. The chef said he misses cooking in front of you.â It was only partly a lie. Your weakened appetite wouldnât allow you to eat in spite of the full-course meals prepped for you.Â
Jaehyun was smiling at some passing memories of him tagging along with you to aggravate the chef with curious banter. Though you mainly did all of the talking. âThatâs good,â he said, chuckling quietly in amusement. âTell him that Iâm sorry I wasnât there to hush you.â
Rolling your eyes, you grumbled, âWhatever.â
Jaehyun's infectious laughter filled your ears again. âGoodnight,â he whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to your brow.
âGoodnight,â you said back, releasing a shaky breath. For all of a second, you forgot that you were mad at him. His arms felt safe. Like home.Â
This is your home now. A cool shudder wrecked through you. How Jaehyun could feel so dangerous but so inviting all at once was beyond you.Â
You sank to your bloodied knees, unable to withstand the cramp shooting its way up your calves. Your tireless sprinting left you with just enough strength to crawl behind a door, thanking god that it was unlocked and quietly pushing it closed.Â
The space was completely silent, save for your labored breaths that you endeavored to suppress. Jaehyun couldnât have been too far. It was a blessing that you even managed to escape him.
For now. Something told you that he wouldnât give up so easily.
Pure darkness suffocated you with its chokehold. You glanced up and searched desperately for a light source. Your surroundings were virtually invisible. Propping your hands on the door, you pushed yourself off of the floor and groped the wall for a light, finding a chain and tugging it impatiently.
It took a couple of tries for the lights to flicker on. The space around you was hardly any less dim, but at the very least, you could make out where you were.
âDarling, come back,â called out Jaehyunâs featherlight voice just outside of the door. âLetâs just talk. All I want is to talk.â
He was closing in. You never realized your heart could thump at this quick of a rhythm. You never imagined the day where you would be terrified for your life. Your eyes winced in pain as you moved along the cracked wall, but you couldnât stop.Â
Shivers tensed your entire body as you descended down the hallway. Bare feet hit the cold naked floor, because you opted out of running in heels minutes earlier.Â
Jaehyunâs footsteps came louder, closer. You swore quietly to yourself, realizing that the lights mightâve shone under the door and given you away. But the harder you tried to move, groping the wall for purchase, the more tempted you were to cry out in excruciating pain.Â
And then the worst happened. The door opened, a fraction of outdoor light stretching down the hallway to where you stood.Â
Your heart screamed in panic and alarm. Fear was merciless. None of this was fair. Jaehyun could give chase for hours, and he would if it came down to it, but you were running on empty.Â
âBaby, I know youâre in there,â Jaehyun called out gently, yet menacingly altogether.Â
It took everything in you not to mutter, âFuck,â under your breath as you tried to get further and further away from him, hoping and wishing that he wouldnât follow you if you were quiet enough.
Taking in one deep inhale, you tried to stabilize your breathing, but after running halfway across the palace, your work was cut out for you. You walked inch by inch, careful with your motions in case your injured legs misstepped and you came to the ground with a resounding thud, and moved as soundlessly as you could.Â
To your shock, you came across a stairway. In spite of how strangely familiar it seemed, you didnât know where it would take you, but there was absolutely no way in hell that you were turning back.
 It was only down from here.Â
Except there was a problem. The stairs had no railing and you didnât trust yourself to feel your way through without tumbling down to your doom. You dropped to the floor again, putting your back to wherever the stairs led, and began to descend.Â
Jaehyunâs footsteps let you know he was still there, easing his way down the dark hallway. You didnât understand why he walked so leisurely, taking his time to capture you. Almost like he knew you wouldnât get far either way.Â
Your feet passed one stair at a time, cautious. You didnât want to make any noise, but that ship sailed when one of the stairs creaked loudly. They reacted unfavorably to too much pressure, whining in response.Â
Panic made your blood thump in your ear and you hoped that Jaehyun didnât hear, but you gave up on that when he said, âDarling, I can hear you.â
With all hope gone, you scurried down the stairs, ceasing to care about how safely you got there as long as you still made it alive in the end. You didnât focus on breathing. Only on getting the fuck out of here.
You kept glancing up the stairs just to make sure Jaehyun wasnât too near until your foot touched a different cool surface and you knew you were at the bottom. When you turned around though, your terror only intensified.Â
There was no place for you to go. Nowhere for you to run. There were no other paths for you to take because the room was a dead end.Â
âGive up, baby,â Jaehyun said, finally at the top of the stairs. He was coming down, slowly but surely, and he was going to take you. âIâve got you. Thereâs nowhere else for you to run.â
With every step he took down the stairs, you took twice as many backwards, wobbling towards a wall. Like there was some kind of secret passage that would save your life.Â
There was no use anymore. Jaehyun set his feet on the floor and grabbed you just as you tried to turn away from him, pulling you into his open arms. You never stood a chance. He was stronger than you. Faster than you.Â
âItâs all okay,â Jaehyun whispered as you sobbed, your back burning wherever his fingers attempted to soothe you. âWeâre together now.â
Your body veered to life, jerking awake. Your eyes instinctively snapped to your legs, searching them for injuries, but at worst they looked slightly stiff.Â
The rest of you trembled. You knew this was going to come, but it felt worse than you remembered. With a quick glance to your left, you noticed that Jaehyun wasnât there.Â
You didnât know if it was really something that you shouldâve thought twice about or if the circumstances were just naturally making you suspicious. Either way, you wanted to know where he was. After a long day of handling his responsibilities, he shouldâve been unable to leave bed, and yet, his side of the bed wasnât even a little warm.Â
Too cold for him to be in the bathroom. Too cold for him to take a quick trip to the kitchen for a midnight snack.Â
You impulsively decided to investigate and rose to your feet, putting your toes in your slippers and stealthing down the corridor. You didnât know where to look, but it helped that you saw a light coming from just down the hall, and you followed it discreetly.Â
All it would take was one wrong move for Jaehyun to overhear your footsteps. There didn't seem to be anyone patrolling down this corridor, which was typical, because Jaehyunâs family usually had their guards stand outside the entrance doors.Â
That only meant that you had to be quieter. The door to Jaehyunâs office was wide open, inviting anyone to see what he was up to, but you didnât want to make yourself known yet. You wanted to see who he was when you werenât there.Â
Ignoring the formidable stares of the statues, you crept closer to Jaehyunâs private office, breathing solely through your nose. The same hallways you loved to cruise seemed so much scarier when the lights were off.
Finally, you approached the light, hearing chatter the closer you grew to the door. You attached yourself to the wall, peaking your head inside ever so slightly. But when you saw what was happening inside, you stifled a gasp.Â
Jaehyun was at his document-laden desk, looking far from exhausted, and he was sitting face-to-face with Jungwoo.Â
âAccordingly, I will have to take charge of the country a little longer and my parents duties will fall into my palms,â Jaehyun said, folding his arms across the desk. Â
Given that you were at an awkward angle, you couldnât see Jungwoo's face, but you could hear the confusion in his voice, âI understand, Your Highness, though respectfully, I donât see why you asked me here.â
âIâm requesting a favor.â
âMay I know what it is?â
You shuffled to get a better glimpse into Jaehyunâs office, but scraped the floor with your heel in the process. You swore under your breath, hoping they didnât hear you, and sensed your heartbeat quicken.Â
Jaehyun stiffened in his chair. âDid you hear that noise?â
âWell, this palace is infamous for them, but Iâm afraid that I canât say that Iâm a victim of sound,â Jungwoo replied, cocking his head to trail his gaze where Jaehyunâs had fallen.Â
Your face tensed with confusion. Jungwoo didnât hear the noises?
âThatâs not what I meant,â Jaehyun said, standing from his seat to investigate.Â
At the sound of footsteps, you quickly tiptoed towards a nearby door, pushing it open and squeezing yourself between hardware supplies. It was a tight fit, but you only focused on avoiding Jaehyun.
He glanced around both sides of the hallway, as if he was preparing to cross a bustling road. There was nothing. You were hiding in a closet merely a few feet away.Â
You exhaled a quiet breath of relief when you heard him retreating, but frowned when you heard the door close behind him. You were clueless. What did Jaehyun have to hide? And with Jungwoo of all people, you wondered.Â
Stumbling out of the closet and into the darkness, you crossed your arms. Jungwoo was one of the few people you found reliable here, but there was something he knew right now that you didnât. You turned the corner to withdraw back to Jaehyunâs bedchamber, immediately jotting down a mental note to press him about it later.Â
When you came back to bed, you found yourself still nervous without Jaehyun beside you. And you rebuked yourself for it instantly after.Â
You didnât realize it in your sleep, but the place where your dream occurred was the cellar Jungwoo had taken you to. Only darker. And with a soon-to-be king chasing you to the end.Â
You shook your head with a groan, deciding that you would catch some sleep. For whatever reason, you had a strange feeling that youâd be needing it soon.
To your shock, it was daylight when you rose again. Somehow, you actually slept through the entire night. The only sounds that jolted you awake were those of impatient knocks coming from the bedchamber door.Â
You exhaled grumpily and groaned, âCan I help you?â
âGood morning, Your Highness. Per your husbandâs wishes, Iâve come to wake you for your schedule today,â came Jungwooâs voice.Â
Your eyes snapped open. Glancing to your side, you noticed that Jaehyun wasnât there, and wondered if he ever returned. âI wasnât aware that I had anything scheduled for today.â
âIt was arranged overnight.â
âMay I ask what was arranged?â
Jungwoo answered, âThere will be a dinner party this evening in the east wing in honor of His Highnessâ grandfather. The staff will be coming to style you shortly.â
Huh, I didnât know that his grandfatherâs birthday was today. Then again, Jaehyun was very private. âOkay, thank you.â
âYouâre very welcome.â
Before he could run off to take care of his other tasks, you called out, âJungwoo?â
âYes, maâam?â
You considered asking Jungwoo about his encounter with Jaehyun the night before, but decided at the last minute that you didnât need him to know that you had been there. âNevermind. Thanks a ton.â
For a whole day, you were kept preoccupied in Jaehyunâs bedchamber with a number of women fixed to you. The hours were so busy that you barely had time to think about your ongoing crisis. And half of you wondered if it was deliberate.Â
At least for a minute, you did. With the corset throttling the life out of you, it was difficult to focus on anything else. You were grateful when they lessened the pressure on your organs. The dress was a sparkling royal blue, like you suspected the bulk of the guests attire would be. According to Jaehyun, it was his grandfatherâs favorite color.Â
It took hours for the women to finish with your makeup and hair. When the final touches were added, it was rapidly nearing dusk. The sun would be retiring below the horizon and the moon would settle over you now, quietly watching.Â
Just after seven oâclock, an nth staff member came to escort you to the ballroom on the east wing. You were disappointed that Jaehyun hadnât come, but sucked it up. Like you, he had most likely been preparing for the party. He mustâve had other roles to fulfill. After all, it was in honor of his late grandfather.Â
His parents were out of the country, too. You remembered overhearing him mention to Jungwoo that their visit had been extended for whatever reason.
In a nutshell, he was a busy man.Â
Most eyes fell on you when you entered the ballroomâs double doors. You greeted anyone nearby courteously and extended them a polite thanks for coming, as a princess should welcome her guests.Â
But your attention was quickly drawn to your husband. You were still mad at him, or at least part of you wanted to be, but he looked mighty fine in that royal blue suit and his dark hair slicked back to hell. Goddamnit.Â
âJaehyun,â you said when you finally caught up to him, almost out of breath. He refused to stay in one place for longer than a minute, one-by-one mingling politely with the crowd.Â
âThere you are,â Jaehyun said, appearing more than glad to see you. Then, he grabbed your wrist, pressing his thumb to your pulse with an arched brow. âYour heartâs beating fast. Did you run a marathon before you got here or something?â
âOr something,â you murmured, shaking your head. Your husband was light on his feet.Â
Jaehyun said to a server passing by, âPlease get my wife something cool to drink.â
âYes, immediately, Your Highness,â the servant replied, making a break for the kitchen.Â
In the meantime, you scanned your husband. Other than his sexy suit that had your mouth watering to hell and back, Jaehyun was sporting a beaming smile, grinning from ear to ear. He looked happier than usual, in a way.Â
âYouâre giving me that look.â
You flinched. His voice broke your thoughts, but your eyes kept wandering; wondering. âWhat look?â
Jaehyun retorted teasingly, âThe one that makes me feel like youâre going to eat me.â
You snickered. âItâs your grandfatherâs birthday. Heâd be turning in his grave.â
âIâm sure he wouldnât mind as long as we had fun. My grandfather was big on milking a celebration for all that it was worth. He partied until his last breath,â Jaehyun joked.Â
That was delightful news to you. âI didnât know royals knew how to really party.â
âPlease. You should see my mother after three shots of vodka when thereâs no camera rolling. Sheâs full of crazy.â
Your heart simpered. There was a lot you didnât know and hadnât seen about this family. Remembering the thought itching at the back of your mind, you wanted to mention how he wasnât in bed last night, but didnât know if it was a good time. Instead, you opted for a quiet, âYou didnât tell me your grandfatherâs birthday was close.â
You expected Jaehyun to respond with something deflective, but it caught you off-guard when he replied honestly, âThereâs a lot of things I donât tell you.â
Your eyes shone with shock, but you played it off. âLike what?â
Jaehyun kept his eyes fixed to your face without a word, as if he was studying you before making his move. âDarling, If I told you all there was to know about me, weâd be here for days,â he finally said. âMaybe weeks.â
âI want to know you,â you whispered, something poignant in your voice.Â
âYou do know me.â
The gleam in your eye shifted from sad to vicious, to coy. âDo I?â
Jaehyun nodded his head, gently smoothing a hand down the small of your back. âYes, you do. I may not always lay my heart on the line, but deep, deep down inside, you know me. The real me, baby.â
Your eyes were staring into Jaehyunâs, like they were trying to forcibly peel back his layers and bare his soul to you, but it was all in vain. All you could liken it to was looking at someone with drunk double vision, your eyes deflecting two different images of him and your mind unsure of which one to trust.Â
Sometimes I feel like you tell me just enough to keep me satisfied. And then you feed me more crumbs when I start to get cranky, like giving a bottle to a baby.Â
âThat drink you wanted, sir,â came a manly voice from beside you.Â
âThank you,â Jaehyun replied politely, handing you the glass of water.Â
You accepted it gratefully, although your thirst was no longer for anything tangible. Nothing that you could touch with your bare, naked hands. It was for something deeper.Â
Only a couple seconds later, Jaehyun said, âWell, Iâd better get going.â
Your eyes went wide. âYou arenât staying with me?â
âI have some more guests to greet and then a speech to give, and then I should be all yours,â Jaehyun told you, shooting you a consoling grin. âYou look beautiful in that dress, by the way.â
Your lips spread into a tired smile. âThanks. Iâve been wearing it all day.â
Jaehyun snorted and gave you a final pat on the back of reassurance before stepping away.Â
The party seemed to drag on without Jaehyun near your side and you were irreparably bored. You chatted with some guests with a polite set of white teeth ready to flash, but only because it was the expectation. Sneaking a couple of peeks at Jaehyun, it looked like he was still making his rounds.Â
Usually, the king and queen would help, but they obviously werenât here. Thus, it was Jaehyunâs problem. He couldnât just leave his own grandfatherâs party unattended. That wouldnât be in good taste.Â
You took a curious glimpse around and wondered how long you could disappear without anybody noticing. Probably only a couple of minutes. The whole ballroom would definitely know if you made a break for the double entrance, but if you slipped away through the kitchen, you had better odds.Â
With your glass of water in hand, you casually sauntered towards the little back hallway, hopeful your guests wouldnât question your getaway.Â
When you entered the kitchen, you were immediately asked, âWhere are you going?â
âTen,â you gasped, a hand on your chest. He hadnât even glanced up from his phone. You nearly dropped the glass of water. It had exhausted its purpose. âWould you ask that to a server?â
Ten retorted, âWould a server enter the kitchen with clacking six inch heels?â
âTouchĂŠ,â you said. That explained how he knew it was you without even looking.Â
Ten was the only son of the family chef and he had no regard for the royal life. Well, that was debatable. Your in-laws wouldâve thought he was disrespectful, had they (god forbid) ever met. You took Ten as someone unafraid to challenge the status quo. Of course, the two of you vibed. It was refreshing to talk to someone who didnât remind you of your title every now and then.Â
Ten never, ever called you Your Highness. Not because he thought it was beneath him, but because he recognized your need for a friend. Not a follower.Â
âYou didnât answer my question.â
âJust getting away for a second, if thatâs okay with you,â you deadpanned, crossing your arms.
Ten gasped dramatically. âDuring the party in loving memory of your husbandâs dead grandfather? Thatâs scandalous, babe.â
You scoffed. âPlease. Youâre not even at the party.â
Ten shot back, âIâm not married to the prince, either.â
Though you didnât mean it at all, you snarled, âYou make me sick.â
âYou hate that Iâm right,â Ten said boastfully, sporting a victorious grin.Â
âYeah, whatever,â you grumbled. âWhereâs your dad? I thought the stew was supposed to be out fifteen minutes ago.â
Ten shrugged. âSmoke break. I wouldnât eat it if I were you. Gave me the business.â
You winced. âJesus. Well, Iâll be back. I need some fresh air.â
âIâll let the hubby know if he asks questions.â
âThanks.â
Then, you were on your way.Â
The corridors were less dense than they typically were, though considering there was an event happening not too many feet away from you, you figured security was keeping a close eye on the hallway on the other side.Â
If you were being frank, you had no clue where you were going. You just knew that you couldnât be in that room with all those people much longer. Maybe you were starting to realize that the royal scene wasnât for you. Or maybe it was your heightened suspicion planting those thoughts in your head.Â
Whatever it was, you didnât like it. You wondered if Ten would take you in. You had no idea what a day in the life of Ten Lee was like, but it wouldnât hurt to find out. That was a nice backup plan.Â
But leaving Jaehyun would sicken you in ways more lethal than any deadly disease. And Jaehyun would never forsake this life in this castle.Â
It was a part of him.Â
Youâre talking crazy, you hissed to your insane thoughts. Perhaps it wasnât a great idea to leave you alone by yourself with nothing but your thoughts and the silence that fed them. You mightâve been better off finding a guest with ears prepared to be talked off.Â
The east wing was unfamiliar to you although much of it looked identical to the west one. When you somehow traveled back over to your side, it came to your attention that the gardens were nearby. Curious, you made a beeline for the doors, wondering if Giselle was out finishing up her obligations for the day.Â
Night had dulled the sky completely when you stepped onto the familiar stone paths. The moon was there in her full glory, round and curvy with a thin veil of mist overneath, and the stars were few.Â
The clacking thud that Ten spoke of was a telltale sign of your presence, but you didnât see anyone there to warn. Instead, the sound grounded you in reality, keeping you as far away from your teetering thoughts as humanly possible.Â
Wind was the only other sound. Actually, that was a lie; you heard owls lurking somewhere in the distance and knew they were wide awake. A sign that the night had truly begun.Â
âHello?â you called out. âGiselle?â
Silence. That was strange. These people usually worked from bright and early in the morning until unsettlingly dark and late at night, but of course, if Giselle had gotten off early, you couldnât complain. Good for her.Â
You were prepared to turn away and disappointedly retreat back to the party when you barely noticed something out of place in the corner of your eye.Â
Blood.Â
You were a curious person by nature. But this wasnât an inquisitive investigation. This was a precautionary measure to make sure that nobody was injured.Â
But what you saw made you physically nauseous, a stir settling in your belly instantaneously. Your first instinct was to scream at the top of your lungs. Giselle was sprawled out just shy of the ice cold stone, lying on her stomach in a thick pool of her own blood.Â
âOh my heavens,â you exclaimed, paralyzed with shock. Or fear. Probably a little (or a lot) of both.Â
Given that there was a ladder pressed against a tall tree and pruners almost right near her body, you made the reasonable assumption that sheâd fallen. The shock dimmed a little in order so that you could think, and you kneeled over to check her for a pulse, but came to the heart-stopping conclusion that she was dead.Â
You backed away from Giselle. Your heart ached for her, but you couldnât touch a dead body. The smell of death was foreign and overwhelming and you didnât know how to keep yourself composed. Finding your bearings, you did what any reasonable person would do after discovering a lifeless body.Â
You went to find help.Â
It looked like an accident, like she had taken a wrong step and made a fatal mistake, but that didnât mean you could just leave her there to rot. Somebody still had to call the police. And an ambulance.Â
Tears blurred your vision as you ran back to the east wing. You couldnât believe that Giselle was gone. You didnât want to believe that. She never let you get too close, but you recognized Giselle for the hard-working woman she was that had her life all too suddenly ripped away from her.Â
Fuck, this shouldnât have happened. Giselle divulged to you about how her family needed her. They survived off of her income, her grueling long hours of hot hard work.Â
Your mind couldnât help but come to the worst possible conclusions. What if she knew too much? She was the first one to mention the piano to you and she seemed to be in denial about something.Â
No, thatâs ridiculous. Thereâs no way the monarchy would kill a devoted worker for keeping their filthy secrets, especially from their newest addition. Sheâs been inadvertently doing them a favor.Â
Then again, someone was guaranteed to keep a secret if it died with them. Still, there was no evidence that her untimely death and the pianoâs curse was even remotely linked together. You saw the scene yourself. It looked like an accident, not a crime.Â
That made you remember what Jungwoo told you in the cellar about the deaths and disappearances. About how anybody who touched the piano either died mysteriously or disappeared without a trace.Â
You had no way of knowing for sure if Giselle ever touched the piano, but if she was a victim of sound, as Jungwoo put it, that shouldâve somehow placed a target on her back. And yours. You shuddered at the thought.Â
Spooky sounds meant contact with the piano. You had done more than touched it. Youâd played it. Almost every night for weeks. Jungwoo mentioned to Jaehyun that he didnât hear the sounds, but he never told you if he touched the piano, either.Â
But if his father had, then knowing what Jungwoo knew, you doubted that he would.Â
Whatever it was, nothing made it easier to cope. Pictures of blood kept flickering behind your eyelids whenever you blinked. Your sobs echoed off the hallway walls with your hurried footsteps, but noticing the double doors finally come into view, you tried to pull yourself back together.Â
You subconsciously sighed out in relief when you got there, but when you came to draw it open, the hands refused to budge. âFuck!â you cursed out.Â
Not that anybody would hear you. There was music thumping beneath your feet even outside the door and it wouldâve done you no good to knock. It was strange that the door was locked, though. Now that you thought about it, there also werenât any guards in the hallways.Â
But there was another entrance through the back.Â
Ten, you thought, already running again. Your legs ached from sprinting in heels, but somebody needed urgent medical attention. And Ten had a cellphone.Â
The kitchen entrance luckily wasnât too far from where you already were and you came prepared to charge through the doors, but those, like the others, were also locked. You started to bang tirelessly on the door, yelling with complete vigor, âTen, open the door! Someone needs help!â
There was no answer. You tried to beat harder, to scream louder, but every effort seemed useless. With your voice turning hoarse, that glass of water you left inside the kitchen suddenly sounded tempting.Â
âWhat the fuck,â you grumbled under your breath, exhausted and confused and in shock. You needed to lie down, but you refused to rest until help was on the way.Â
Why would Ten suddenly leave? Dinner couldnât have even been ready yet. You didnât know why he tagged along with his dad sometimes, but you did know that they came and went in the sameÂ
vehicle.Â
There was a door just to your left, one that led outside where Tenâs father wouldâve parked. You immediately made a beeline for it, curious if they were gone. It was the only way you could rationalize the locked door and Tenâs absence.Â
You hoped to see somebody out there, and you did, but they werenât breathing.Â
The chef was on the ground where he usually took his smoke breaks, bleeding as if he was torn from every seam and had been ripped open from every angle. You gaped, fixing a hand to your mouth as you wobbled in surprise, gripping the nearest wall for purchase.Â
Turning away from him, you heaved for breath and tried to keep your stomach's contents inside where they were. But there was blood splattered everywhere you looked. And if you thought the stench was overpowering earlier, you were in for the wildest ride of your life.Â
This death said loud and clear everything that Giselleâs didnât. This was no mistake. Matter of fact, this scene was so messy that it couldnât have not been done deliberately.Â
âOh my god,â you rasped, unsure of what to say. And what to do. Never had you seen a dead body outside of a funeral backdrop and having seen not one, but two very dead people was seriously wounding your ability to think.Â
All you knew was that something was fishy. You thought Giselleâs death was a self-inflicted mistake, but you werenât so convinced anymore, all things considered. This was the second body to wash up, metaphorically speaking. And this one had been undeniably murdered.Â
There was a serial killer on the loose.Â
Your first thought was Jaehyun and you started to panic, but you consoled yourself with the reminder that he had an entourage of loyal servants to protect him with their lives and shield him with their bodies. He was okay. Giselle and Tenâs father, on the other hand, not so much.Â
Speaking of Ten, you still had no clue where he was or what he was doing. For all you knew, he couldâve been the killer.Â
No. Thereâs no way. Ten didnât have a mean bone in his body, much less a murderous one. Plus, what would he have against Giselle?
And why would he kill his own father?
I donât know. None of this makes sense. I donât know why anyone would hurt Giselle or the chef, or anyone for that fucking matter, you huffed, angry. These people didnât deserve to die. The person responsible would pay.Â
Unable to withstand the stench, you pinched your nose and turned for the door. Of course, it would be the only one unlocked. You had the misfortune of seeing what was behind lucky door number three.Â
Back in the halls, you only walked aimlessly. You had no idea where the fuck you were going and it was probably a terrible idea to be out and about with an anonymous blood-hungry murderer on the loose, but you werenât thinking that far.Â
Images continued to flicker in your head. You wondered what were the last things these people saw before they died, if they knew what they had coming. And you realized what a shame it was that everything these people knew died the second they took their last breaths.Â
You couldnât wrap your head around this happening. And you wanted to know why. With the chefâs murder, accidents were completely out of the window, and you thought about the piano again. But that made even less sense.Â
What business would the chef have with the piano? You doubted that man had ever strayed further than the dining hall.Â
Your thoughts traveled even further. Giselle was a gardener. The bulk of her work happened outside and there was hardly any need for her to come indoors when all the tools for her job could be found in the shed.Â
More than ever, you needed answers, and more than ever, they seemed impossibly difficult to come by.Â
The further you traveled down the hallway, the louder the sound of jagged breathing grew until it finally snapped you out of your biohazard of thoughts. You stiffened with alarm, body alert, and realized it mightâve been in your best interest to locate a useful weapon.Â
You ducked behind a corner, not wanting to be caught like a helpless damsel in distress if it was the killer (though only a lousy one wouldâve been so noisy), but you heard a groan and knew in your heart that you recognized that voice.Â
Peeking around the corner ever so slightly, you noticed Ten clutching his stomach and clinging to a wall for dear life, sticky with hot sweat. And you discerned that he was no threat.Â
âTen,â you called out, approaching him with concern. âWhatâs wrong? Did someone hurt you?â
Ten shook his head, only barely keeping himself standing. You came to grab him and noticed he was burning up a thousand degrees, helping him slowly sit on the floor. âI told you. That stew gave me the business.â
âThis isnât just a stomach ache, Ten. I think you were poisoned,â you said, crouched down to be eye level with him.Â
Ten forced a smile even though he was clearly uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. âYeah, youâre telling me. But my father was the only one controlling the food. He wouldnât do that to me.â
The mention of his father made your shoulders stiffen. You scanned Tenâs face, wondering if you shouldâve told him what you knew. If he was still alive by the end of this, he would find out one way or another. âTen, have you seen your dad?â
âI know heâs dead.âÂ
You cocked him a glance. âYou donât sound disappointed.â
âDo I sound like Iâm in a lot of pain?â Ten asked.Â
âYou sound like youâre trying to keep yourself whole.â
âThatâs because Iâm kinda dying here. Iâm sorry if Iâm bad at multitasking,â Ten hissed, paling on the spot.Â
Your gaze turned apologetic. âListen, Iâm sorry,â you whispered quietly, glancing around the hallway for suspicious onlookers. âIâve found two dead bodies and Iâve been running all over the palace looking for help. Please, donât be the third.â
âTrust me, I donât wanna be any more than you want me to beâŚ,â Ten trailed, wincing. âHoly fuck. Holy fucking shit. Iâm gonna die.â
âDonât say that!â you screamed.Â
Ten threw his head back and groaned, âBabe, I feel like my guts are being ripped open, and not in a good way.â
You wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Ten was good at keeping the mood as light as it could be as he literally died right before your eyes. And there was nothing you could do to save him. You felt helpless.Â
âWeâve got to find help,â you told him, grabbing his hands in yours.Â
Ten shook his head. His skin was glistening with a thick layer of sweat and each of his breaths sounded labored. âI canât move. The room feels so hot. I think Iâm gonna pass out.â
He looked like it, too. Tears threatened to fall from your eyes, but you fought them back. At the very least, if Ten was going now, he wouldnât go alone. âTen, somebody did this to you. You already said your father wouldnât. Somebody else had to be in the kitchen.â
Ten shrugged weakly. âSo many people went in and out of the kitchen. I donât even know their names. It couldâve been anyone.â
You released a shaky breath. That answer helped no one.Â
Tenâs eyes started to flutter and you shook him in your arms, begging, âNo, please donât close your eyes on me. Youâre a fighter. Fight.â
âIâm fighting,â he whispered, voice on the verge of silence. âBut sometimes we just lose.â
âI canât lose you, too,â you cried, trembling as you held him. For as long as he was there, breathing and talking to you, you wouldnât let him think that he was alone.Â
Ten shook his head. You knew he had given it his all, because Ten wasnât the type to go down without a fight, even if he didnât win in the end. Heâd never let someone else claim a peaceful victory. âIf I die right now, I want you to know itâs been a pleasure knowing you.â
âTenâŚ,â you said. Tears made your eyes burn now. You were clenching your fists so hard his hands were probably sore.Â
âThey might come for you. Donât surrender. Whoever this guy is, you give them hell until you canât anymore.â
A lone tear finally slipped past your cheek. âWhat if I donât make it?â
âThen you die knowing you did absolutely everything you could to stay alive,â Ten whispered with the last of his strength.Â
Your heart was bursting with sadness and unadulterated rage. To watch somebody in their final moments was different than imagining it unfold. This made it even more real. This was a picture you would never forget even in death.Â
Finally, Tenâs strength gave out, and you lingered there for a minute even after. Your thumb pressed to his wrist and you noted that he still had a weak pulse.Â
You nodded your head. That was enough for you. But you had to find help immediately.Â
And you absolutely had to find out who was responsible for this. They would have a brutal punishment.Â
You wiped the tears from your eyes and started to run again, but you didnât get far before you collided into Jaehyunâs chest, and you released a breath of relief when you saw him. âOh my goodness, Jaehyun. Thank god itâs you. Iâve been trying to get help for ages. Two people are dead and I think Tenâs on his way out.â
Jaehyunâs voice was unbothered. âReally?â
You realized then that the night was far from over.Â
You pulled back, suspicious. You just told him that two people had died in his castle. He shouldâve been fuming. âWhy do you sound so nonchalant?â
Jaehyunâs lips were in a line. âI warned you not to go looking too deep. You shouldâve listened like a good girl.â
The realization was starting to settle in, but you didnât want to know the truth. You didnât even want to fathom it. For so many weeks, youâd been unknowingly wallowing in ignorance. âThis is your fault. You did this, didnât you?â
âYes. All of it was me,â Jaehyun said, like he was proudly boasting about his murders.Â
You shook your head. You knew there was something going on, something that your husband was at the heart of, but not like this. âTenâs dying.â
Jaehyun looked and sounded completely indifferent, âOkay, thatâs dramatic. He shouldnât be dead. Heâs in for a solid nap, though. And a concussion if he hit the ground too hard.â
That didnât happen. You had been the one to personally lower Ten to the ground. Either way, you were none too pleased. You werenât sure if that was supposed to be reassuring, because Jaehyunâs tone was empty and his face was borderline inscrutable.Â
Your whole body felt weak. The room was spinning. Your own body was on the brink of collapse.Â
âYou look like youâve seen a ghost,â Jaehyun commented, studying your appearance. You probably looked like you had actually run a marathon.Â
âYouâre a monster,â you snapped, brimming with loathing and hatred.Â
Jaehyun didnât flinch. âItâs been said,â he told you, like it was only a regular insult to him.Â
You shook your head. This couldnât be happening.
Jaehyun took a step closer to you, and you took twice as many back. You wanted to be nowhere near him. This wasnât the Jaehyun you knew. He was cold. Alternatively, maybe this was the Jaehyun youâd known all along, the one youâd tried to suppress.Â
Your mind was showing you the warning signs. She was giving you all the right signals. And yet, you were blind to each of them.Â
Jaehyun tilted his head, looking at you with fucking nothing. There was nothing in his eyes. Nothing on his face. âDo you believe in happy endings?â
âNot with you in it,â you seethed, convulsing with a newfound anger you never thought you could possess, much less direct towards your husband.Â
Jaehyun snickered for the first time since youâd last seen him. âIâm giving you the chance to have yours.â
You glared at him, wary. âWhat does that mean?â
âIt means that you have thirty minutes to leave this castle and have your happy ending without me, but if I catch you before then, youâre mine. Itâs like hide and seek.â
You wanted to rage. This man had the audacity to play fucking games with you when so many lifes were gone and many more were probably at stake. There was no telling who else heâd hurt. âWhen do my thirty minutes start?â
âRight now.â
You left then and there. You couldnât stand to be in proximity of Jaehyun for another fucking second. And he didnât follow. He was letting you think that you had a chance.Â
When you turned the corner, safely out of his vision, you could finally acknowledge the beaten and battered condition of your heart. The look Jaehyun had given you only moments ago was unlike any other youâd ever seen. It was colder.Â
You shouldâve seen it coming. Jaehyun was the missing piece. This was all happening because of his grandfatherâs piano, for fuckâs sake. The same grandfather whose birthday happened to be today. Of course, it wasnât a coincidence that bodies started dropping that same day.Â
You were angry. You were hurt. To be honest, you were just the right amount of everything. And yet, you were thinking about how madly you were still in love with Jaehyun.Â
Wincing your eyes closed, you wished that this was just a nightmare like everything else. That you would wake up in Jaehyunâs arms and he'd tell you that it was all a bad dream. Unfortunately, the longer the night went on, the more you accepted that that couldnât be farther away from the truth.Â
The only real difference was that Jaehyun wasnât right on your tail. He was giving you an opportunity to escape and free yourself from this hellhole once and for all. Your shoulders suddenly felt cold when you recalled something that heâd told you.
I would never chase you, Jaehyun had said. I will always have you right where I want you.
The statement made you feel uneasy then, but you overlooked it, because you wrongfully assumed that Jaehyun was harmless.Â
You shook the thoughts away. He wasnât worth thinking about right now. Survival was your top priority and escaping was the only way youâd ever know peace.Â
The palace had a grand total of four entrances stretched across its acres - the main gate, the east entrance, the south entrance, and the west entrance. Only the east entrance was nearby. You knew Jaehyun wouldnât have made this easy, but it wouldnât hurt to try.Â
You hurried to the nearest exit leading outdoors and breathed only a little easier when you were met with the fresh, crisp night air. Given that youâd been running in heels for what felt like hours, you finally ditched them near a bush and started to run again.Â
Traveling to the gate would take forever without a car. The same could be said about the rest of the castle, far from tiny, and you only had thirty minutes on the clock.
You had to make every minute count.Â
You wanted to sob, but you focused solely on getting the fuck out of there. You hadnât forgotten about Ten, but you couldnât help him here. Jaehyun had apparently taken mercy upon him, sparing his life where he hadnât hesitated to steal others.Â
Why? Was it some kind of reflection of control? Did he realize that Ten wasnât the root of his need to kill?
Whatever that was.Â
âToo much is going on right now,â you whispered to yourself, heart thudding quicker.
For a second you wondered if the other staff you cared for was alright. These were people you saw everyday, working from dusk till dawn, and yet still treated you with respect and kindness. Their sweetness deserved to be spread, not eliminated and forgotten.Â
Giselle was gone and had no hope for revival, but as far as you were concerned, Jungwoo was still skipping around with a burden of secrets on his shoulder. Part of you couldnât bring yourself to fully trust him, not after his disaster of a meeting of Jaehyun, but that didnât mean he shouldâve died.Â
Apparently, you and Jaehyun werenât on the same page. The worst part was that you couldnât even begin to fathom what he got out of slaughtering his employees like animals. Youâd never been able to see inside his head.Â
The east gate came into view and you circled in on it, desperate to make an escape. You briefly considered the possibility of Jaehyun being nearby, potentially having taken a closer exit, prepared to hinder you by any means necessary.Â
But when the gate refused to budge like you feared, you came to the conclusion that he was definitely far away. Jaehyun was five steps ahead of you.Â
He had all of the advantages in this twisted game, you realized. Jaehyun grew up in this palace; he obviously had to know all of the ins and outs, every nook and cranny. It would take you, on the other hand, the entire thirty minutes to navigate from one end of the place to the other.Â
This game was never created to be fair. You remembered him showing you little shortcuts along the palace to make your trips shorter. If you wanted to survive, youâd have to fight for your life.Â
âFuck,â you groaned under your breath. You had no way of telling for sure how much time had passed, but if you had to guess, at least ten minutes.Â
The sky was dark and mistier than it was earlier. At least it felt that way. The tears stinging your eyes made it even harder to see and you were inching closer to succumbing to the battle. If Jaehyun had rigged it from the start, you knew there was no way in hell you were getting out.Â
But Tenâs words rang out in your brain. He was alive for now, but as far as he knew, they couldâve been his final ones. And you knew you couldnât give up yet.
Mustering the courage to continue fighting like Ten wouldâve, you remembered something. There was an emergency exit near Jaehyunâs grandfatherâs room. You didnât care to know why. Bad things just seemed to happen when he was involved.Â
Without a second thought, you headed back inside. If you wanted out, you didnât have a choice.Â
Your sanity fought for control against your pumping adrenaline and you came to accept that it wasnât possible for both to coexist with each other. One or the other. And if you were up against a sicko like Jaehyun, you needed to fight fire with fire.Â
You had to degrade yourself to his level, meet him where he was at. You had to become you at your worst version. A hell-raising monster with a thirst for blood.Â
There was a familiar ground nearby when you approached the door. The part of the garden you never wandered into, because it was the same place that godawful dream happened. With the pond and stone galore. Â
You quickly swiped a pitchfork, throwing it over your shoulder, and when you were finally through the door, started sprinting back down the hallways. The emergency exit was all the way in the west wing and you had less time than you wouldâve liked to make it the hell out of there.Â
Every bone in your body ached, but you had too much to fight for. You didnât even know what all was at stake if Jaehyun won, but you didnât want to know, and you couldnât sleep beside him at night anymore knowing who he was and what heâd done.Â
Turning each corner, you looked around for signs of a lingering Jaehyun before you kept going. Every hallway looked exactly the same as the one that came before it and it made you feel like you were walking in circles, impossible to tell if you were even going anywhere. It was thrusting you far past the brink of madness.Â
Minutes passed, but courtesy of the painful yet handy adrenaline rush, it felt like seconds when you found the west wing stairs. Taking the elevator wouldâve been a quicker option, but if Jaehyun was nearby, he would know if the elevator was preoccupied, and you had no interest in playing russian roulette with your life.Â
But there was a familiarly pungent smell in the air.Â
You wanted to be sick when you saw the source. The others were messy, but this death was brutal in ways you had never witnessed. Jungwooâs remains were perched on the stairs within a pool of nauseating blood, sitting in his own overkill.Â
His insides were definitely on the outside. Matter of fact, they were everywhere, decorating a number of steps. Jungwoo was savagely mangled and mutilated, similar to how a wolf would ravage an elk, like his killer wanted there to be little to nothing of him left.Â
âJungwoo,â you gasped in shock, crouching down as your legs started to tremble.Â
His dead body was on display. Like the person who killed him wanted you to see what theyâd done. And you couldnât bring yourself to accept that Jaehyun was the reason why.
All the skepticism you had towards him devolved into regret. Of course, Jungwoo wasnât to blame for any of the wicked stuff happening in the shadows. Like his father, he was a victim. And at the end of the day, like you, all he wanted was answers.Â
There was a weight on your chest and an unbridled rage spiraling inside your heart. âIâll find them for you,â you whispered vengefully.Â
Then, you heard it. Scratching in the walls stretching near the stairway. In spite of the several claims of their existence, youâd never heard them until now. Soon after, you couldâve swore you heard a familiar voice.Â
Jaehyun. He was in the fucking walls?Â
Stepping around Jungwooâs bloody corpse, careful not to step your bare feet in any stray specks of blood, you headed upstairs with a sparkling revolve keeping your blood pumping. The emergency exit was close.Â
It was actually right down the hallway. When you were walking from the bedchamber with Jaehyun, the journey felt longer, but you ignored every glare from those evil statues and came right in front of the emergency door.Â
After yanking the knob, it begrudgingly opened and you stepped inside without a moment of consideration. There was no time. Do or die.Â
The door closed behind you on its own terms. You just kept pushing. This was your only ticket to escape and though you werenât exactly sure where the path led, you had no intention to stop and fret about your whereabouts. It was worth nothing though, that the deeper you came, the more it felt like a secret passageway.Â
The hallway didnât look the way you pictured an escape route. The walls were accessorized with portraits and lights. And you couldnât believe your shock when you saw it diverge into different paths like a crossroad.Â
This fucking was a secret passageway.Â
There was something else you noticed. Those scratches sounded closer than they had when you were outside, like somebody dragging their nails onto the walls as they walked.Â
âWhat the fuck?â you wondered.Â
You stiffened when you heard your husbandâs voice, âDarling, is that you? Your thirty minutes are over.â
Nope. Silent as ever, you made for the other path. You were picking your battles.Â
Jaehyun was probably closer to the way out of here after all. He wouldâve never given you a free opportunity. He was probably guarding the escape just in case you were clever (or lucky) enough.Â
His footsteps were slow. You couldnât see him, but you could hear him, and he was in no particular hurry to catch you. You worried that you were walking into a dead end, but when you came out on the other side, there was another set of doors.Â
Your eyes flickered between them. You had time to waste before Jaehyun even got anywhere close to you, but you wanted to get ahead. After a moment of carefully contemplating, you made the nerve-wracking decision to go for the right.Â
When you stepped out, you found yourself right back where it all began. You were outside, but not as far as you wouldâve liked. It was the gardens. You glimpsed around and saw the tree you wed Jaehyun under.Â
Though it had been full of white flowers the day you exchanged vows, promising each other eternity, they had unfortunately succumbed to the drier air.Â
âThat was a fun day, huh?â
Your startled body jolted with alarm and the usual ease that filled you when you realized it was only Jaehyun behind you was nowhere to be found. He was the evil youâd been searching for, hiding in plain sight.Â
He had you fooled. He made you think that he was somebody he wasnât. Worst of all, you believed him. You trusted him, completely and utterly. You were willing to give him all of you at the drop of a dime.Â
âStay back. Iâll hurt you,â you threatened, posing the pitchfork in your sweaty hands.Â
Emotion flickered over Jaehyunâs face; amusement. âA pitchfork? Thatâs really medieval, donât you think?â
Your tone darkened, âIâm warning you.â
Jaehyun stepped closer, leaving himself open and vulnerable. âThen, do it. Iâm right here. I have no weapon,â he said, holding his hands above him.Â
Panic settled in. It occurred to you that your feelings for Jaehyun would never let you hurt him unless your own life was threatened, and for some reason, you believed that Jaehyun would never hurt you. He had all of the opportunities. Yet he had never a finger on you.Â
Plus you still needed answers. For yourself, and for the people whose lives were taken because of them. Tears stinging your eyes again and a shattering echoing out in your heart, you tossed the pitchfork aside and roared, âI hate you!â
âThat isnât true,â Jaehyun said, gentle and tender. His voice was loving, but his eyes were soulless. âYou love me. I make you happy.â
You shook your head vigorously. âIâve spent the past couple of hours in distress, all because of you. Why? Whatâs really going on, Jaehyun?â
âAt the end of the day, the piano calls, and I answer. The responsibility skipped my father, but itâs what my grandfather did. I didnât have a choice,â Jaehyun said, wholly convinced that this was some god-given obligation.Â
And you were having none of it. It was just excuses. âThat doesnât make sense. You killed all of those people because of a fucking piano?â
âThis is why I couldnât tell you. I knew that you wouldnât understand. You have to live it to know.â
âWhat the hell are you talking about?â you seethed, stepping away from him.
Jaehyun didnât follow. He was comfortable standing there and watching you, because he knew you had nowhere to run. âThis isnât a regular piano. It hands out curses like candy. Itâs an entity and to prevent itself from being destroyed, it chooses its protectors.â
The whole world was spinning. Was he trying to tell you that the piano was alive or something?Â
âHe was the chosen protector - my grandfather, I mean. Like I said, it skipped my father and went to me. The piano gives anyone that touches it one of two curses to protect itself. I only enforce that fate.â Â
The world around you was starting to blur. Jaehyun didnât see those corpses as people. Instead, he saw them as curses that needed to be removed.Â
Standing required too much extra strength that you didnât have. You stumbled and staggered, weakening by the second, and when you started to head for the ground, Jaehyun caught you in his strong arms. âCareful. You might get hurt.â
He was perfectly composed while everything as you knew it was falling apart, piece by fucking piece. Glancing into his eyes, you hissed, âWhat are the curses?â
âHm?â
âYou said that when someone touches the piano, they get one of two curses. What are they?â
âDeath,â Jaehyun said as normal as ever. âOr perpetuity. They have to live their worst fear until the day that they croak.â
You didnât think that you could get any angrier, but that didnât even begin to describe the sharp pain heating your whole body up to hell. âYou let me touch that piano, you encouraged me to, knowing I would immediately be cursed.â
Jaehyun saw where you were going with this and replied coolly, âIf I knew you were going to die, I wouldâve kept you away from it.â
âSo you knew I wouldâve been cursed with perpetuity,â you said in an accusing tone. âMeaning you knew my biggest fear.â
âI mightâve exploited my power. Your every nightmare revolves around me. Youâre so scared of me it keeps you awake at night. I had to use that to my advantage. I canât lose you.â
And there it was. The ugly truth on a silver platter. Jaehyun gave you the creeps and instead of trying to prove his innocence to you, he took advantage of your fear, making sure to create a reality where you would never be able to get rid of him for as long as you both breathed.
This was the end. Glancing at the tree where you exchanged vows only earlier this spring, you realized that everything pointed back to Jaehyun. It always had.Â
Pulling back from Jaehyun, because you couldnât stand to touch him, you snapped, âYou didnât chase me, because you knew that in the end, everything led back to you.â
Jaehyun didnât deny it, chuckling. Like he thought that he was clever. âWhy would I chase you when Iâve already bound you to me?â
You physically felt weak and sick. You didnât want to believe that Jaehyun had somehow manipulated your fate so that you couldnât leave him. Your only escape was through death. Every shaky exhale you took ached.Â
Jaehyun continued, âThatâs why your little dreams donât make sense. It doesnât matter how far or quickly you run away from me. I will always catch you without trying. I always get what I want and youâll never slip through my fingers. Youâre mine.â
At those words, you wobbled away, but it was more like a vicious drawback. âYou killed Giselle and Jungwoo and Tenâs father. Why?â
Like he was incapable, there wasnât a lick of remorse in Jaehyunâs voice when he replied, âI put Giselle out of her misery. She had the perpetuity curse. No matter how hard she worked, she was going to be doomed to her worst nightmare for the rest of life - dying poor. I only made it happen sooner. It was quick.âÂ
You felt like regurgitating yesterdayâs lunch the longer this conversation happened, but you held it back.Â
âJungwoo had it coming. He didnât have the curse, unlike his father, but it was obvious that he had a thing for you and it was disgusting. I honestly did him a favor. He doesnât have to live in pain anymore.â
Had a thing for you? You never got that vibe from Jungwoo. He was polite and respectful, and you treated him likewise. You never thought you would get a man killed for his manners.Â
âAnd the chef,â Jaehyun began, pleasure flickering onto his face for the briefest of seconds, but you swore it was there. âHe was just practice and a victim of opportunity. Itâs been a minute. Iâm rusty.â
âYou killed him for no reason,â you spat.Â
âIt appears that way.â
Your body recoiled with every unpleasant feeling it had to offer. âYou killed Jungwoo for no reason, too. He was just a nice guy,â you said through gritted teeth.Â
It was like the angrier you got, the calmer Jaehyun stood, taking every one of your metaphorical hits like they were a gentle nudge to the shoulder. âI killed him out of love for you. He wanted what was mine. I had to remind him of his place. He was a nobody.â
Turning away, you decided that you couldnât look at Jaehyun any longer. You couldnât believe the words coming out of his mouth. You were upset and disappointed and everything in between.Â
Jaehyunâs eyes were fixed to that goddamn tree. âI had no feelings for you at first. Marrying you was just another duty I knew I had to fulfill for my country. It was business. But then we started to get to know each other, and I fell for you.â
âI had feelings for you too,â you croaked, voice shaking with pain.Â
Jaehyun was quick to add, âYou still do. Donât you see what I did for you? I turned you into royalty.â
âI never fucking asked you to,â you screamed off the top of your lungs. Letting the whole palace hear you for all you cared, if anybody was still alive in there. âI married you because it was what my parents wanted. I just happened to actually like you for a minute.â
âYouâll come around,â Jaehyun said nonchalantly, unfazed by your aggression. âYouâll realize that you were made for me. And youâll accept that our love was written in the stars.â
There were no stars when you glanced into the night sky. Not even a sliver of the moon. Even she was too ashamed of what was happening under her nose right now and couldnât bear to witness it unfold.Â
But it dawned on you then. The only time you would ever see the moon and her stars again was if you stepped onto the grounds of this very garden. Jaehyun had caught you. You waltzed straight into his trap and now you had to reap what youâd sowed.Â
You were his. Whether you liked it or not. You mightâve not ever given up on escaping him, even if it took a lifetime, but for right now, Jaehyun had won.Â
âLetâs go, baby,â Jaehyun said, wrapping an arm around your waist. You shuddered. His hands were cold to the touch. âItâs late. We should get ready for bed. We have to stop by the piano so that you donât have bad dreams.â
The walk to Jaehyunâs grandfatherâs bedchamber was quieter than it had ever been. You kept him at armâs length, ashamed. And maybe a little fearful.Â
And there the piano stood in its glory when the door opened, untouched and unmoving. She was evil as ever, wallowing in her curse. Your fingers ran across the keys as the curse wrecked through your blood, present and constant.Â
âIâll never forgive you for this,â you whispered, glancing up at Jaehyun.Â
For the first time in a minute, Jaehyun smiled. He replied sweetly, âDarling, itâs okay. Youâll understand soon. We only have each other now.â
You didnât want to know what that meant. Instead, you pressed your fingers to the bitterly cold keys, squeezing your eyes closed as you played a melody by heart.
Finally, tears started to fall down, gathering on the keys. Then, you realized that you werenât a victim of sound, but an indulger. Your body was there, but your mind was with nature. With the blowing wind and gentle breezes, the rippling water and swimming critters.Â
Your mind was with your friends. With Giselle in the garden, helping her trim branches and plot plants for the queen. With Jungwoo, exploring new places around the palace that you never knew existed. With Ten, rambling about anything and everything under the sun.Â
You escaped through every harmonious noise, fingers pacing ruthlessly, and keeping your eyes closed as you pretended that everything was okay.Â
Jaehyun came behind you, resting his head on your shoulder while his arms came around you again. His touch was familiar and though it used to keep you whole, when you sat there, defenseless and helpless, you could feel a piece of you break off and die in his arms.Â
#jaehyun smut#nct 127 smut#nct smut#jaehyun x reader#nct imagines#jaehyun imagines#jung jaehyun smut#jeong jaehyun smut#nct x reader#nct#nct scenarios
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BENEATH A CRIMSON SKY ~ Masterlist
pairing: stray kids ot8 x afab!reader
genre: apocalypse au, dystopian, dark, adventure, action, thriller, fighting, eventual smut, romance
summary:
The day they came, the sky ran red. Red like cherry candy. Red like blood. You watched on TV as the beginning of the end of the world was aired, live; as down the ramp of what must have been a spaceship came a white horse, shining and resplendent, bearing a rider that was the opposite - sallow faced and guant, arms too long and spindly with too thin skin stretching over fragile ribs. You knew it then. You knew it, as if the thought had been planted in your head, a seed of fear and wrongness. This is your end, you heard, in a voice as black and velvet as night, and with so much depth it was as if there were thousands speaking at once. It cleaved through your head: The first horseman has come. After that came a dreadful uncertainty: humanity was on its knees, floundering, woefully unprepared, and yet, you still found hope. You learned that sometimes, hope does not come in the form you think it will. Sometimes, hope is eight strays that worm their way into your heart, regardless of whether you like it or not.
warnings: 18+, violence and gore, eventual smut, elements of horror/thriller (not really, i'm a pussy), dark themes - more individual warnings to come in chapters
total word count: 18.4k
chapters and taglist under the cut
Chapter 1 ~ The Survivors Chapter 2 ~ Late Night Tears Chapter 3 ~ Painkillers & Pleas Chapter 4 ~ Pestilence Chapter 5 ~ Visions Chapter 6 ~ Calm Before the Storm Chapter 7 ~ Rotting Floorboards
A/N: this fic is still being written even though it hasn't been updated in ages - it's sort of an ongoing thing, and i know the last update was yonks ago but trust i haven't forgotten it exists
taglist: @estella-novella @0bticeo @lixies-favorite-cookie @smashleywow @realrintaro @extremechaoswarning @4l17h4 @hyunjinsjeans @insufferablyunbearable @lovemepie67 @needsumcomfypillowstosleep @loumin908 @rxlvvrz @iris-iiridescent @brbwritingfanfic @missseoulite @juliettejwnewinesa @fr34k4c1dr41n (let me know if you want to be added)
#stray kids x reader#stray kids x you#stray kids x y/n#stray kids apocalypse au#apocalypse#apocalypse au#skz apocalypse#stray kids#skz x reader#ot8 x reader#skz ot8 x reader#skz x y/n#skz x you#stray kids au#skz au#bang chan x reader#minho x reader#lee know x reader#changbin x reader#hyunjin x reader#han x reader#jisung x reader#han jisung x reader#felix x reader#yongbok x reader#seungmin x reader#jeongin x reader#in x reader#skz smut#stray kids smut
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